Marshall Law (マーシャル・ロウ Māsharu Rou?) is an American fighter of Chinese descent who was introduced in the original Tekken game, and has returned for all subsequent Tekken games, except Tekken 3 and Tekken Tag Tournament (where he was replaced by his son, Forest Law, though he made a cameo in his son's ending and in the opening in the former). He is a very close friend of Paul Phoenix and is married to Mrs. Law. He and his family have at various times owned a dojo and a restaurant.
Biography[]
Marshall Law is a talented martial artist who is the long-time friend and sparring partner of Paul Phoenix.
Prior to the first King of Iron Fist Tournament, Law was working in a Chinatown restaurant in San Francisco to support himself and his family. He dreamed of opening his own dojo, and entered the tournament with the goal of winning the prize money to realize his dream.[5]
Though Marshall did not win the tournament, he was able to open his own dojo at some point in the two years that followed.[12] Unfortunately, when Marshall was out one day, Baek Doo San attacked his dojo, wrecking it and injuring his students. Marshall learned that Baek was responsible and entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2 to avenge his students.[1]
In the years following the second tournament, Marshall trained his son, Forest, in martial arts. Marshall was a protective father, and forbade his son from entering competitions outside of the dojo, even as an adult. Paul visited every few months during this time to spar with Marshall. One day, while Marshall was supervising the building of a new dojo, Paul drew Forest into training with him, and suggested that Forest enter the upcoming King of Iron Fist Tournament 3. Forest decided to enter, despite Marshall’s restrictions. Marshall was furious when he found out that Forest had left for the tournament.[16] Forest did not win the tournament, and left home at some point during the two years that followed.
Though Marshall had successfully established not only his dojo but a nationwide fast food chain called Marshall China, he ended up losing a franchise war against a competing restaurant chain and had to declare bankruptcy. Unable to cope with his failure, he became depressed and spent his days at home in a drunken haze.
However, when Marshall received an invitation to The King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, his fighting spirit renewed, and he trained intensely. Within a month, he was at top physical form, and entered the tournament.[13]
Despite his efforts, Marshall did not win the tournament, and didn't even have the money to return to the USA. He had to take up work as a day laborer at a famous Chinese restaurant. To compound his woes, he received a phone call informing him that Forest had caused a serious accident while joyriding on Paul’s motorbike. Marshall had no choice but to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, aiming to cover the damages and hospital bills from Forest’s accident with the prize money.[14] However, his illegal employment in Japan was detected during the tournament, and he was deported back to the USA.
With the due data for repaying the damages caused by Forest’s accident rapidly approaching, Marshall found himself out of ideas – until Paul invited him to team up with him in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. Figuring that he had never been successful alone, Marshall deciding that working as part of a team might be enough to win the tournament and the prize money. Realizing that bringing another person onto the team would increase their chances even further, Marshall invited the champion boxer Steve Fox to team up with them as well.[17]
Unfortunately, their efforts did not win them the tournament. Ever preoccupied with paying off Forest’s debts, Marshall did not realize that many of his students had quit his dojo. Needing someone to take over while he dealt with things, he asked Paul if he knew anyone who would be suitable to run his dojo. Paul offered to run it himself, but, certain that Paul would cause the dojo to go bust in half a day, Marshall politely refused.
Marshall put the word out that strong fighters should try out for the job. Several challengers appeared, but none were up to Marshall’s standard.
When Marshall learned of an excellent martial artist in rural China, Marshall set off to challenge him, hoping he might be a suitable dojo master.[18]
Personality[]
Marshall is first and foremost a man dedicated to his family and improving their lot in life. He has a strong sense of practicality and is not afraid to bend and break the rules to try and make his and his family's life easier. To this end, he often prioritises acquiring monetary means to try and alleviate his poverty, pay for his family's upkeep and hospital bills, as well as trying to keep his business running. Marshall is someone attracted to get-rich-quick schemes, and is unafraid of trying out risky endeavours. Often, these end in failure, but he is never deterred from trying just as hard again. Marshall's difficulties with poverty have resulted in a deep-seated frustration with those who flaunt their wealth, and do not seem to comprehend the plight of those without. This is especially the case as of Tekken 8, where Law will declare to any wealthy character he faces off against that "I hate rich people!".
Despite being attracted to high-risk-high-reward schemes, Marshall is also no stranger to hard work. He works tirelessly for his family, initially as a restaurant worker, and later, after being stranded in Japan, as a dishwasher. Marshall is a passionate man, who throws himself into his hobbies, new businesses, plans and plots. He loves being his own boss, and at times has successfully run both his own dojo and a restaurant. He is not only an impressive martial artist, but also a good teacher, with his top student being his son, Forest Law. He is dedicated to his students not only in teaching, but also in upholding the reputation of his dojo. Prior to Tekken 2, after his dojo was attacked, he sought out Baek Doo San in vengeance for the hurt done to his students.
Marshall is quick to anger and take offence, as illustrated in his Tekken 4 ending, when he starts a brawl with customers who dislike the food served at his restaurant. While Marshall matures over the games, prioritising his family's well-being and worrying over his son, his close friendship with Paul Phoenix is sometimes brought into tension by Paul's more idealistic and carefree approach to life and fighting. Nevertheless, the two maintain a good friendship throughout the series, displaying a humorous light-heartedness around one another, a willingness to sacrifice their own wins to help the other, and a good-natured mockery of one another. Marshall enjoys playing practical jokes on his friends, for example, in his Tekken 6 ending, Marshall puts laxatives in his "special-recipe" pizza, and feeds it to Paul and Steve. He also enjoys poking fun of Paul's inability to perform a somersault kick at times.
While often depicted as clumsy and foolish for priotizing wealth, Marshall none-the-less is a man dedicated to his ideals. His primary motivation in later games is to pay for his son's hospital bills, who was severely injured in a motorbike accident. He prioritizes caring for Forest above maintaining his beloved dojo, seeking out work over his teaching duties, resulting in the dojo's decline. He even forfeits his pride in being its teacher, seeking out a strong replacement to help his students while he tries to care for his son.[19]
Outfits[]
- Main article: Marshall Law/Outfits
Story[]
Tekken[]
Manual, NTSC
The legendary dragon. He works in a Chinatown restaurant in San Francisco while dreaming of opening his own martial arts school. He is a master of martial arts. He is taking part in this tournament to open his own school with the prize money and at the same time to make himself world famous.[5]
Manual, PAL
Law is a master of the martial arts who dreams of opening his own fighting school. He has travelled to the tournament to earn fame and fortune.[20]
Version 3
Marshall Law is a martial arts master employed at a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco who dreams of opening his own martial arts school someday. Marshall has joined the tournament in order to win the prize money and use it to make his dream a reality and to become world famous.[21]
Tekken 1- Marshall Law - The Master
Ending Description, "The Master"
Marshall finally got his own dojo. Students were performing somersault kicks while Marshall watches them. Marshall yelled something at them with the students not paying attention. Marshall continued talking to them. Then, he performed three somersault kicks while the others watched him. After he finished, he puts his hands on his hips.
Tekken 2[]
Manual, NTSC
Law runs his own martial arts dojo. Unfortunately, his students were attacked and severely injured by a villain who is participating in the next tournament. Law decides to enter the tournament to avenge his students and restore the reputation of his gym.
[12]
Manual, PAL
*The PAL manual frames the character profiles as a Mishima Zaibatsu intel report.
Our Real-Estate Division is currently in the process of acquiring the subject's business premises - the issue remains unresolved despite the engagement of Baek Doo San to enter negotiations on our behalf. Unfortunately our representative has not carried out his duties with his trademark efficiency and Mr Law is apparently fully aware of who turned over his dojo and why.[8]
Official Website Profile (Japanese)
Marshall Law, a martial arts master, works at a martial arts school near a Chinese restaurant in China Town. While he was out one day, a mysterious man appeared before the martial arts school where Marshall works and tore it to pieces, defeating and injuring every one of the school's pupils. Marshall, taking full responsibility for what had happened, enters the martial arts tournament in order to regain his school's honor.[1]
Tekken 2- Marshall Law - Oops!
Ending Description, "Oops!"
Marshall puts his hands together and looks to his left. Paul Phoenix is shown standing next to him. Marshall performs a somersault kick. When he finishes, Paul tries to perform a somersault kick, but he fails and lands on his stomach. Paul rests his head on one of his hands. Marshall shrugs.
Tekken 3[]
Marshall Law does not appear as a playable character in Tekken 3, but he does appear in the Tekken 3 PlayStation opening movie and Forest Law's Tekken 3 ending.
Tekken 4[]
Manual, NTSC & Prologue
Marshall Law was a successful businessman - he managed a newly established dojo, and owned a nationwide Chinese fast food chain called Marshall China. Unfortunately, he lost a franchise war against a competing restaurant chain and had to declare bankruptcy a year later. Unable to cope with failure, Marshall fell into depression and spent his days at home on his couch in a drunken haze.
Then one day, a notice for the Tournament arrived at his doorstep. Marshall's eyes flashed with renewed vigor.
After a month of intense training, he beat himself back into top physical form. "This is it," he said to himself, "It's all or nothing!" The fire within him raged hotter than ever before.[13]
Manual, PAL
After the failure of his previously successful chain of restaurants and the blow of his son Forest leaving home, Marshall Law lay slumped on his sofa, sleeping off another hangover. A flyer for the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4 was delivered to his door. Here was his big chance! If he won, he would be able to regain all he had lost, and much, much more!'
He stripped to the waist and began the first day of an intensive training regime. In only a month, he managed to hone his body hack into top fighting form. Meanwhile, he nursed a savage resolve, his fighting spirit burning brighter than ever before.[9]
Official Strategy Guide
Marshall Law was a successful businessman - he managed a newly established dojo and even owned a nationwide Chinese fast food chain called Marshall China. Unfortunately, he lost a franchise war against a competitor and had to declare bankruptcy a year later.
Unable to deal with his failure, Marshall fell into depression and spent his days at home in a drunken haze. Then one day a notice for the tournament arrived at his doorstep. Marshall's eyes flashed with renewed vigor. After a month of intense training, he beat himself back into top physical form. Something ignited the fire within Marshall. The fire within raged hotter than ever before.[22]
Law's Tekken 4 ending.
Ending Description
Law won the Tournament and the Mishima Zaibatsu fortune. His fighting spirit was then focused on rebuilding Marshall China. The scene shifts to a successful Marshall China restaurant having customers. Marshall walks around, only to hear from a person that "his food sucks". Law tries the food, asserting it's good, and beats up the person and his three friends. Marshall China goes out of business, and once again, he starts his dojo (Marshall Dojo) and trains the four people.
Tekken 5[]
Tekken 5 Law Interludes
Manual, NTSC
After failing in the restaurant business and the last tournament, Marshall received a phone call. His son had caused a serious accident after taking Paul's motorcycle for a joyride. To earn enough money to cover the damage and hospital bills, Marshall entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5.[23]
Manual, PAL
Bad news followed Marshall Law around like a nasty smell. Having failed miserably in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4 and having seen his restaurant business go into bankruptcy, the news that his son had caused a serious accident while joyriding on Paul Phoenix's motorbike came as a new low. To earn enough to cover the damage and hospital bills, Marshall Law had no choice but to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5.[24]
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Manual, PAL
A martial arts master and expert chef, Marshall is in need of money after his restaurant went out of business. His only hope is winning The King of Iron Fist Tournament.[25]
Official Strategy Guide
After a failed restaurant business, martial arts master and expert chef Marshall Law entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, hoping to get back on his feet. However, he failed to win the tournament and didn't even have the money to fly home. Marshall ended up staying in Japan and working at a famous Chinese restaurant as a day laborer.
A month after the tournament, Marshall received a phone call from his wife. Forest had taken Paul's motorcycle for a joyride and ended up causing a major traffic accident. Marshall needed an enormous sum of money to cover the property damage and hospital bills. He soon realized that in order to raise enough money to bail out Forest, he had no choice but to enter and win the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5.[14]
Prologue
Marshall Law. The Fighting Chef. After his restaurant failed, Law tried to revive his career in the previous tournament. He failed at that, too. Law, now penniless, stayed in Japan to work as a dishwasher.
A month later, his wife called him. Their runaway son was in an accident riding around on Paul Phoenix's bike.
Faced with his son's mountain of medical bills, Law prepares to enter The King of Iron Fist tournament 5.[2]
Epilogue Text
Marshall returns to America after his success at the tournament. He meets with a lawyer to discuss how to repay his debt.
Tekken 5 Law Prologue and Epilogue
Ending Description
The outside of a building is shown. Marshall walks out of it, lowers his head, sighs, and says, "Broke again." Someone on a bicycle is approaching Marshall. Marshall goes into a fighting stance. The person on the bicycle is revealed to be Paul Phoenix. Paul appears to be having difficulty pedaling. When Paul reaches Marshall, the bicycle falls apart, and Paul falls to the ground. Paul hands a stack of papers to Marshall and says, "Here..." Marshall looks at the paper on the top of the stack and opens his mouth wide in shock.
It is a bill for $34,500.00 from BikeShop XYZ. Apparently, this is a bill for Paul's motorcycle. Paul signed "Marshall Law" on the bill. Paul says, "Come on, man. Pay the bill already." Marshall nervously groans for a few seconds. Then, the screen changes to make it appear as if the two are about to fight (there are health bars above their heads, they are in their fighting stances, and an announcer says, "Round 1. Fight!"). Marshall performs an uppercut that knocks Paul into the air and completely takes out Paul's health bar. Paul falls to the ground, landing on his back. Marshall runs away, dropping the papers that were handed to him. Marshall is shown running away and leaving a paper trail as the scene ends.
Tekken 6[]
Official Strategy Guide
During The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, Marshall Law's illegal employment in Japan was detected, causing him to be deported resulting in his deportation back to the United States. The deadline to pay for his son's accident was approaching, but Law had no means to deliver the cash and was completely out of ideas.
With money on his mind, Law received a timely invitation from his friend, Paul Phoenix, to team up in the next tournament. Although receiving the top prize money would be difficult to accomplish alone, the likelihood of doing so would be much higher if he was to team up with another fighter. After accepting Paul's invitation, Law realized that three people would be even better than two, so he set his eyes on the world-famous boxer, Steve Fox.[26]
Prologue
In the middle of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, Marshall Law's illegal employment in Japan was detected, and he was deported back to the United States.
The due date for the monetary damages caused by his son’s accident was fast approaching, but Law had no means to deliver the cash and was completely out of ideas.
It was then that Law received an invitation from his best friend, Paul Phoenix, to team up in the next tournament.
Although certainly difficult alone, the likelihood of receiving the grand prize money was higher as a team.
After accepting Paul's invitation, Law realizes that three heads are even better than two, and so he sets his eyes on the world-famous boxer, Steve Fox.[17]
Version 3
During the middle of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, it was discovered that Marshall Law was working illegally in Japan, and as a result he was immediately deported to his home country of the United States of America.
With the deadline to pay for the damages of his son’s accident fast approaching, hopes of getting the money needed were slim. Just then, his best friend Paul Phoenix approached him with the idea of forming a team—securing a high-ranking prize alone would certainly be difficult, but if he was part of a team, the probability of winning would be much higher.
Marshall accepted Paul’s invite, but thinking a three-man team was better than a two-man team, the renowned boxer Steve Fox caught his attention.[citation needed]
Tekken 6 - Marshall Law ending - HD 720p
Ending Description
In a distant house, Marshall was seen celebrating with Paul Phoenix and Steve Fox over their win in the tournament, which is obvious due to the many large money cases in the background. Unfortunately for both Paul and Steve, Marshall was holding a small bottle that had "Strong Laxatives" labeled on the front. And with super-swift hands, he puts the laxatives onto a whole pizza.
"It's ready, My special recipe pizza!". Marshall places the pizza onto the table "It's about time!" Paul says as he takes a slice. "It looks delicious." Steve complimented. Paul and Steve eat the pizza, and they sat there telling Marshall how good it was, until their faces turned pale blue. Steve and Paul stood up grasping their stomachs, and rushed to the bathroom. Unfortunately for Paul, Steve arrived first, leaving Paul shouting at him and holding it in. Unnoticed, Marshall sneaks out of the house, carrying all the money cases on his back, saying "Sorry, guys. See ya!" as he leaves.
Tekken 7[]
TEKKEN 7 - Marshall Law Ending & Intro (TEKKEN 7 Character Endings)
Official Website Profile (English)
A martial arts master that people once called the "Legendary Dragon", he is now just a father who frets endlessly over a mountain of debt. All he has left is the body he has trained hard to forge. Could it be that the world will hear the cry of the Legendary Dragon once more...?[27]
Prologue
Preoccupied with paying off his son's debts, Marshall Law didn't realize how many of his students had quit his dojo until it was almost too late. With a large sum still to repay, Law was running out of ideas. As a last resort, he decided to search for a capable fighter to run the dojo.
He asked his friend Paul if he knew anyone, and in his usual manner, Paul said he himself would be the perfect candidate. However, thinking that the dojo would go bust in half a day if Paul took control, Law politely refused.
Instead, he put the word out that if any strong fighters wanted to try out for the job, they should come and prove their skills in combat. Challenger after challenger appeared, but none of them were good enough for Law.
Then, one day, Law heard a rumor that a martial artist living in rural China was set to be the next God Fist master. Seeing this as his best chance yet, Law set off for his ancestral homeland.[18]
Ending Description
While fighting Feng Wei, Law is knocked far away but is saved by Paul from behind. Despite Feng's amazing power and skill, the duo ultimately achieve victory. They high five each other and leave the arena. But suddenly, Feng gets up with an overwhelming aura surrounding him. Terrified after seeing how dangerous Feng is, Paul and Law ran away.
Tekken 8[]
TEKKEN 8 – Marshall Law Gameplay Trailer
Official Website Profile (English)
Marshall Law is a renowned martial arts master and even runs his own dojo. However, he was in debt due to his son's motorcycle accident, and his efforts to repay the debt caused him to neglect his dojo, resulting in a sharp drop-off of students coming to train. Law set out to find an accomplished teacher who could take over the dojo and solve all his troubles. Unfortunately, all negotiations ended in failure, and to make matters worse, his dojo was repossessed as collateral while he was gone.[28]
Official Website Profile (Japanese; US English) & Closed Alpha Test Character Profile
Marshall Law is a renowned martial arts master and runs his own dojo. However, he fell into debt due to his son's motorcycle accident, and his effort to repay his debt caused him to neglect the management of his dojo, resulting in a sharp drop-off of students coming to train. Law set out to find a distinguished master who could take over the dojo and solve all his troubles. Unfortunately, all negotiations ended in failure, and to make matters worse, his dojo was repossessed as collateral while he was gone.
Now plunged into poverty, Law became bound by the concept of money making the world go round. His only hope was to make a killing at the next tournament and secure the prize money he so desperately needed. To increase his chances of success, he promised to split the winnings with his friend Paul Phoenix. Together, the pair journeyed to the mountains in order to train.[29]
Tekken 8 - Law Character Episode Ending
Character Episode Prologue
The struggling dojo owner, Marshall Law, was up to his neck in debt.
He searched far and wide for a skilled instructor to help him restore the dojo, but all of his efforts were in vain.
Then, upon returning home, he found that his precious dojo had been seized as collateral for his debts.
He then heard of the latest The King of Iron Fist Tournament, and learned that control of the Mishima Zaibatsu was on the line.
Left with no other options, Law prepared to unleash his fighting spirit and get his hands on the Mishima Zaibatsu's deep coffers.
"The prize is mine!"
Ending Description
Marshall prevails in the tournament and now acts as the new head of the Mishima Zaibatsu with Paul serving as his right-hand man. Throwing a lavish banquet to celebrate his win, Marshall is about to enjoy himself before Paul presents him with a bill from the United Nations covering the entire damages the Zaibatsu was responsible for in its global war. Upon seeing the full amount of money he owed, Marshall faints and passes away as Paul begs his friend to stay alive as he also has yet to be paid.
Summary of In-Game Events
Marshall was among those fighting to participate in the King of Iron Fist Tournament, and he ended up facing Paul in the finals of the North American Block A and being defeated. Nonetheless, Paul promised to split his prize money with Law once the tournament concluded. In spite of the tournament later being suspended due to an attack by both Yggdrasil and the United Nations against Kazuya, Marshall believed that Paul went against their deal and was scouted by Nina to be one of G Corporation's commanders in its attack on Yakushima.
Marshall faced Paul directly, claiming that Paul did not honor his promise despite Paul explaining that there was no prize money to be split to begin with. As the two come to blows, Paul leaves the fight to check on Kuma, who had accidentally shielded his rival from a bazooka fired from behind.
Unlike the other fighters that joined Kazuya's forces, Marshall only appears in the good ending's credits, where he, Paul, Steve, Kuma, and Panda are distributing free soup in New York.
Other Appearances[]
Tekken 2010 Movie[]
Marshall Law appeared in the Tekken 2010 live action movie, he is played by Cung Le. From what is known he was the people's choice in the previous tournament and it is known in that tournament he knocked Paul out in 28 seconds. In the movie, he was defeated by Jin.
Street Fighter X Tekken[]
Marshall Law appeared in Street Fighter X Tekken alongside Paul as his partner. Law has a mountain of debt, but after learning of Pandora from the news program and smelling the scent of money, he decides to travel to the South Pole with Paul.
Profile
Law is a martial arts master, and the long time sparring partner of Paul Phoenix. Due to his Chinese restaurant business failing as well as his son’s accident, Law is desperately searching for a way to make some money. Law leans of Pandora via a news program, and smelling the scent of money, he decides to travel to the South Pole with Paul.[3]
Prologue
Low on funds, Paul and Marshall Law decide to find the mysterious box that has landed in the Antarctic so they can sell it and make some money.[30]
Rival Fight
Paul and Marshall spot Dhalsim on his own and begin plotting an ambush on him. Dhalsim overhears them and interrupts them. As Sagat approaches, Paul and Marshall realize their initial plan is blown, and they settle for fighting the pair outright.[31]
Ending Cutscene
Pandora opens and sends a beam of light skyward as Paul and Marshall approach it. The light affects them, making them feel warm and fuzzy. Delirious, they approach Pandora and look down into it - only to tumble into the box. They find themselves in a black void with only a small window in its 'floor'. They scramble to look out of the window and find themselves looking down on Earth. They realize that the box has captured them and is taking them with them as it returns to space. Both of them begin to panic and demand that the box let them go. Pandora continues on its journey regardless.[32]
Tekken Tag Tournament 2[]
Marshall Law returned as a playable character in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.
Profile:
A martial arts master that people once called the "Legendary Dragon," he is now just a father who frets endlessly over a mountain of debt. All he has left is the body he has trained hard to forge. Could it be that the world will hear the cry of the Legendary Dragon once more...?
"There's gotta be some way I can make money off this!"[33]
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Marshall Law's Arcade Ending
Ending Description
Marshall practices nunchucks in a small room as Forest watches. Forest compliments his father when he finishes and then extends a hand, asking to try for himself. Marshall hands the nunchucks to Forest. Forest then attempts to emulate his father, but accidentally throws the nunchucks through an open window. Marshall and Forest wince the nunchuks cause some kind of commotion outside, causing people to scream and vehicles' horns to blare - something even explodes, rocking the room they are in. Marshall looks at his son, shaking his head and tutting in disappointment. Forest hangs his head in shame.
Tekken Revolution[]
Marshall appears in Tekken Revolution as a playable character.
Tekken Card Tournament[]
Marshall appears as a playable character in Tekken Card Tournament. His cards are considered to be an all-around type with an average assortment, but he mainly focuses on nullifying and weakening his opponent's cards. He doesn't seem to have many noticeable drawbacks, making him perfect for all skill levels.
Tekken: Bloodline[]
Marshall appears initially as one of the combatants of the third King of Iron Fist Tournament, and is mentioned by Paul to be both a teacher and friend. He is defeated off-screen by Julia Chang. Marshall's tenet, according to Paul, is that one's heart is reflected by how one conducts themselves during a fight.
Gameplay[]
Law is an up, close and personal fighter that has a strong poking game and very scary mix-up game. He relies on completely conditioning the opponent, whether its making them duck through his highs and hitting them with a mid, or annoying his opponent with high/low mixups only for them to hesitate for a split second in order for them to eat a damaging counter hit combo. Law also has a stance pro players call DSS, or Dragon Sign Stance, which gives Law even more offensive capabilities and a wall game that is to be feared.
Law suffers from poor range, and struggles when he is outside of his opponents face. Law also struggles heavily when he is not in control of the momentum, as he has to rely on a hard read in order to get his opponent off of him.
Law is a character that forces his opponent to play his game, and puppets them to their death with offensive shenanigans.
Fighting style[]
Law's fighting style is listed simply as "Martial Arts". The name of his fighting style was actually meant to be "Marshall" Arts, however the pun was lost in translation to English. His actual moveset, however, is heavily inspired by Bruce Lee's moves, so it's safe to assume that Law's actual fighting style is based on Jeet Kune Do. In Tekken 8, Marshall also uses nunchakus when fighting.
Moves[]
- Marshall Law/Tekken Movelist
- Marshall Law/Tekken 2 Movelist
- Marshall Law/Tekken 4 Movelist
- Marshall Law/Tekken 5 Movelist
- Marshall Law/Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Movelist
- Marshall Law/Tekken 6 Movelist
- Marshall Law/Street Fighter X Tekken Movelist
- Marshall Law/Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Movelist
- Marshall Law/Tekken 7 Movelist
- Marshall Law/Tekken 8 Movelist
Quotes[]
Character Relationships[]
- Forest Law - His son, student, and employee.
- Mrs. Law - His wife.
- Paul Phoenix - His close friend, whom he trained with prior to the events of the first Tekken game and later teams up with in Tekken 6. Paul is also Marshall's partner in the non-canonical Street Fighter X Tekken.
- Baek Doo San - His enemy in Tekken 2, prior to which Baek was sent to wreck Marshall's dojo.
- Steve Fox - Steve teamed up with Marshall and Paul to train with them and take on the King of Iron Fist Tournament since Tekken 6.
- Wang Jinrei - His sub-boss in the first Tekken. In Tekken 6's Scenario Campaign, Law refers to him as laoshi (teacher).
- Feng Wei - His opponent in Tekken 7.
- Lei Wulong - Marshall fought Lei in the latter's ending in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (non-canon). Law also appeared in Lei's Tekken 7 reveal trailer.
- Jin Kazama - His opponent in the 2010 film (non-canon).
- Lee Chaolan - Marshall trained with he and Paul prior to the events of the first Tekken game.[citation needed] Though the two do not have any canonical interactions in Tekken 8, Lee recieves Law's unique "I hate rich people!" intro dialogue before matches.
Trivia[]
General:
- Marshall Law is Namco's tribute to legendary martial artist Bruce Lee. Every Tekken game has Marshall wearing at least one outfit similar to one worn by Bruce Lee in one of his movies. Law has also several throws that are in Bruce Lee's films.
- Marshall is the only character excluded from Tekken Tag Tournament to reappear in further games.
- In his son's Tekken 3 ending, Marshall could not do a Frogman. However, in Tekken 4 and Tekken 5 / Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, he can successfully pull the move off (though the player can purposely make him fail to do so by holding the down directional button (i.e. D+3+4)).
- Marshall's voice actor in Tekken 6, David Vincent, also voices Shin Kamiya in Tekken: Blood Vengeance.
- Law's Player 1 pants in Tekken 5, TK6, TTT2, and Tekken Revolution have some visual similarities to Maxi's 2P pants ("Dragon Slacks") in Soul Calibur 2, SC4 and Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny. The two characters are their games' respective Bruce Lee homages.
- Law's Rave War Combo string is so named for the working title for the Tekken series, "Rave War".
- Marshall Law is the first character in the series, followed by Mokujin and Raven, to be replaced by their successor in one game and then replace their successor in the next game.
- His name is a play on the phrase "martial law".
- Marshall appears in the console opening cutscene.
- Marshall's sub-boss is Wang Jinrei.
- In some promotional artworks and in an old article, Marshall's Player 1 jumpsuit was different and looked closer to Bruce Lee's outfit from Game of Death. This was changed in the final release for unknown reasons.[34]
- Marshall appears in the console opening cutscene.
- Marshall's sub-boss is Baek Doo San.
- Despite not being a playable character, Marshall appears in the opening cinematic and Forest Law's ending.
- In his ending cutscene, a customer complains to Marshall about a dish at his restaurant, Marshall China, being too spicy. In Tekken 6, when Asuka Kazama encounters Marshall during the Scenario Campaign story, she tells him that she wants to try this spicy dish, and he insists that it is not spicy at all.
- In the 2001 test version of the game, Marshall's pants for his player one outfit were different colored, being bright green and purple instead.
Tekken 5 and Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection:
- Marshall appears in Tekken 5's console opening cinematic.
- Marshall's sub-boss is Paul Phoenix.
- Marshall is Baek Doo San's sub-boss.
- Marshall has customization items based on his son, Forest Law.
- In Marshall's ending, the music that plays in the short round between he and Paul is the City at Sunset theme.
- If the player loses Marshall's sub-boss fight against Paul in Story Battle mode, a scene will play where Paul promises Marshall that he will give all the prize money to him after he wins the tournament before stating that he will always be the toughest in the universe.
- Marshall is one of three characters that have a scene after losing to a sub-boss. The other two are Anna Williams and Yoshimitsu.
- Marshall appears in Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion's opening cinematic.
- Marshall's face is clean-shaven for the first time since Tekken 2, which led to speculation that he was Forest Law when early screenshots of the game were released.[citation needed] He can have his facial hair from Tekken 4 and Tekken 5 restored via the customization item 'Dragon Beard'.
- Marshall's item move consists of him wielding nunchaku, which, unlike other item moves, can be used infinitely if the player continues mashing buttons as he is attacking. His second item move gives him a new throw based on the final scene against Petrov in Fist of Fury, where Bruce Lee knocks his opponent down with a kick before finishing them with a throat chop.
- One of Marshall's customization items is based on the iconic yellow suit from the Bruce Lee film Game of Death.
- In Scenario Campaign mode, Marshall is a boss at West District, Chinatown.
- Marshall is one of the two characters that does not fight Azazel in Arena Mode, the other being Raven. Marshall does not fight Jin Kazama as a sub-boss either. His enemies in the Arena mode are (in order of appearance): Baek Doo San, Craig Marduk, Zafina, and Ganryu. Baek was Marshall's sub-boss and connected to him via story in Tekken 2, and Paul's ending shows that Law faced and defeated the latter three characters in the given order in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6.
- Marshall appears in Paul and Steve's ending cutscenes.
- This is the last game where Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada recorded battle grunts for Marshall, which were reused for Tekken 7.[35]
- Law's hair will now be disheveled if he is knocked down during the match.
- This feature was not originally present during the original Closed Beta test and the Closed Network Test.
- This marks the first game where Marshall has win pose dialogue.
- Marshall has a special intro with Paul Phoenix.
- Marshall asks Paul if he can keep up with his speed, and Paul asks if Marshall can handle his power in return. Paul then throws a punch which Marshall meets with a backfist.
- Marshall has a special intro dialogue against Lee Chaolan, Leroy Smith, Kazuya Mishima, Victor Chevalier, and Lili. After performing his intro animation, he will exclaim "I hate rich people!".
- He is portrayed by Alexandre Vu in the live-action short film.
- The Arcade version of the game only shows his name as "Law" in the character select screen. In the console version, his character select name was lengthened to "Marshall Law" (to differentiate him from his son).
- His ghost battle partners (in order from lowest to highest ranks) are Baek Doo San, Slim Bob, Forest Law, Steve Fox, and Paul Phoenix.
- His item move has him hit the opponent with a wok.
- Marshall appears in Paul, Forest, and Lei's ending cutscenes.
- This marks the first game where Marshall has intro dialogues.
Other:
- Alongside Paul Phoenix, Marshall makes a playable guest appearance in Urban Reign, another game made by Namco.
- In the game Pacman World 2, Pacman uses an attack similar to Marshall Law's many somersault flip kicks.[citation needed]
- Marshall Law's Tekken 7 render resembles his Tekken 4 render. Coincidentally, both depict him shirtless with yellow trousers, though his Tekken 7 render has his face cleanly shaven.
- In Tekken: Blood Vengeance, Marshall's dossier is briefly seen when Anna Williams opens a file containing documents on various persons of interest.
- Marshall has a cameo appearance in Tekken Pachislot 4 along with Paul Phoenix. The two appear in a newscast where they are being arrested. According to Harada, Paul and Marshall are being arrested for working illegally with only a tourist visa.[36]
- Marshall is featured as a spirit alongside Paul Phoenix in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Their spirit battle has the player battle Ken Masters (Paul) and Fox McCloud (Marshall) simultaneously.
Gallery[]
- Main article: Marshall Law/Gallery
References[]
- ^ a b c Tekken 2 Official Japanese Website Profile. English Translation: Tekken Zaibatsu "Tekken & Tekken 2 Character Profiles".
- ^ a b Tekken 5 In-Game Prologue.
- ^ a b Street Fighter X Tekken Official Strategy Guide, Brady Games (2012), p296.
- ^ Tekken 8 Law Gameplay Reveal Trailer
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Tekken PlayStation NTSC Manual, p.22.
- ^ In-game Tekken 8 profile
- ^ He gave him the money to open his restaurant after the first tournament. See Law's Tekken 2 profile.
- ^ a b Tekken 2 PlayStation PAL Manual, p.5.
- ^ a b Tekken 4 PAL Manual, p.20.
- ^ See Jun Kazama's Tekken 8 Official Japanese Website Profile, which states that Ogre's attack took place 'seven years ago'. The Tekken 3 story write up states that this attack happened four years prior to the events of Tekken 3.
- ^ Katsuhiro Harada @Harada_TEKKEN, Twitter, 4:21 PM Jun 13, 2024. Note that information is not stated in-game and only comes from a database of information provided by series developer Katsuhiro Harada.
- ^ a b c Tekken 2 PlayStation NTSC Manual, p.18.
- ^ a b c Tekken 4 PlayStation NTSC Manual, p.33; Tekken 4 In-Game Prologue.
- ^ a b c Tekken 5 Official Strategy Guide,Brady Games (2004), p.154.
- ^ http://imgur.com/a/ScyW9
- ^ Tekken 3 Official Strategy Guide, Prima (1998), p.56.
- ^ a b Tekken 6 In-Game Prologue.
- ^ a b Tekken 7 Character Prologue.
- ^ Marshall Laws's Tekken 7 prologue; Marshall Laws's Tekken 8 prologue.
- ^ Tekken PlayStation PAL Manual, p.13.
- ^ Tekken Zaibatsu Tekken 1 Profiles
- ^ Tekken 4 Official Strategy Guide, Prima (2002), p.62.
- ^ Tekken 5 PlayStation NTSC Manual, p..
- ^ Tekken 5 PlayStation PAL Manual, p.22.
- ^ Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection PlayStation PAL Manual.
- ^ Tekken 5 Official Strategy Guide, Brady Games (2004), p.212.
- ^ Tekken 7 Official English Website Profile.
- ^ Tekken 8 Official Enlgish Website Profile.
- ^ Tekken 8 Official Japanese Website Profile; Tekken 8 Official US English Website Profile; Closed Alpha Test Character Command List
- ^ Paul and Marshall's Street Fighter X Tekken Prologue.
- ^ Paul and Marshall's Street Fighter X Tekken Rival Fight.
- ^ Paul and Marshall's Street Fighter X Tekken Ending Cutscene.
- ^ Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U profile.
- ^
- ^ https://twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/1742925171676348827
- ^ Katsuhiro Harada @Harada_TEKKEN, Twitter, 2:37pm Sep 16, 2021.
