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Mishima Clan

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The Mishima Family (三島一族 Mishima Ichizoku?) is one of the most important families in the Tekken series.

History[]

Origins[]

The Mishima family was originally a warrior clan that served the Japanese Emperor. The clan's origins date back to the Heian period (794 - 1185) during the time of the Taira and Minamoto clans. The family later capitalized on the outbreak of World War II and built an industrial empire that focused on providing militaristic resources to Japan.

After the war, Jinpachi Mishima started moving the focus of his corporation away from the military due to his growing distaste for unnecessary conflict, and instead focused more on martial arts training. He opened a personal dojo where he taught his own style of karate, the Mishima Style Fighting Karate. He taught both his son, Heihachi Mishima, and the young Kazumi, who was a member of the Hachijo Clan, a family of secret assassins that carried the Devil Gene in their blood.

Heihachi and Kazumi formed a lasting bond and the two fell in love over time. They married and had a son named Kazuya Mishima. Jinpachi was involved in the early training of his grandson, and the two had great affection for one another. After Jinpachi was imprisoned and Kazumi killed however, Heihachi was the sole teacher of Kazuya and his adopted son, Lee Chaolan, and was cruel and hard on them, teaching them by the motto: "A fight is about who is left standing. Nothing else".

Early History[]

Kazumi realized that both her husband, and, if she failed to kill Heihachi, her son also, would become a threat to the world. In the event that her assassination on Heihachi failed, she asked Akuma, whom she once saved, to promise to kill them.

Heihachi forcefully seized the control of the family corporation from Jinpachi and had him imprisoned underneath Hon-Maru, after Jinpachi had launched a coup to try and re-take his corporation. The same year, Kazumi was killed by Heihachi after she tried to assassinate him. Kazumi had tried to kill him earlier too, though he initially believed she had a split personality and was simply unwell. This was proven false when she revealed her devil form and stated she was actively trying to kill him to protect the world and that this had been her mission form the very start.

A five-year-old Kazuya realized that Heihachi was responsible for killing his mother and became enraged. The young Kazuya then fought his father near a cliff in the same year and was beaten within an inch of his life. Suspecting that his son may also have the same "illness" that Kazumi had and possibly also to see if Kazuya was strong enough to be worthy of being his son, Heihachi tossed him off a cliff, leading to the beginning of the events of the Tekken series.

After Kazuya survived the fall he climbed back up the cliff, and Heihachi continued to raise him. Heihachi adopted a son to be a rival for Kazuya, Lee Chaolan, wanting him to motivate Kazuya to keep pushing and bettering himself. Heihachi had seen Lee fighting on the streets of a Chinese city, and was impressed by his fighting skills and reflexes.[1] Heihachi's severe education for both of his sons drove them to master martial arts, but inspired a lasting hatred within both for Heihachi. Kazuya and Lee continue to rival and spurn each other in the present day, despite knowing it was their mutually hated father that put them up to this.

Years later, Heihachi, to be fully sure that he himself was not involved in the transmission of what would become known as the Devil Gene, had a child with a Swedish woman. The child conceived of this union was Lars Alexandersson. Lars never showed any signs of carrying the Devil Gene, apparently ending Heihachi's interest in the child.

Recent History[]

Kazuya confronted and defeated his father in the first King of Iron Fist Tournament, and then took control of the Mishima Zaibatsu. He later organized the second King of Iron Fist Tournament, during which he encountered Jun Kazama, who sought to free him from the darkness within him. Kazuya and Jun ended up having a son, Jin Kazama, who also possessed the Devil Gene. Kazuya was defeated by Heihachi at the second tournament and supposedly killed.

Fifteen years later, after the apparent death of his mother, Jin sought Heihachi out and begged him to make him stronger, in order to prepare him for revenge against his mother's killer. Jin was raised by his grandfather for four years, and had a more amiable relationship with Heihachi during this time than Heihachi's sons had.

At the end of the third Iron Fist Tournament, Jin was shot in the head by his grandfather, triggering the awakening of his Devil Gene and transforming him into Devil Jin. From this moment on, Jin has despised his Mishima heritage and sought to undo the evil it represented. This has included fighting his grandfather and father (who had been revived by G Corporation) in the aftermath of the fourth tournament. Jin also defeated his great-grandfather, Jinpachi, who had been reanimated by a demonic spirit after his death.

After defeating Jinpachi, Jin assumed control of the Mishima Zaibatsu, and exhibited a more tyrannical side. This led his uncle, Lars, a captain within the Tekken Force at the time, to lead a coup against him. Since then, Lars has banded together with Heihachi's adopted son, Lee Chaolan, to oppose the corporate war raging between G Corporation, now headed by Kazuya, and the Mishima Zaibatsu. The two later harbored Jin from his enemies and planned to use him to end the war. Heihachi was presumably killed in a one-on-one fight with Kazuya, leaving Kazuya the primary aggressor in a global war, and now pitched directly against his brothers and son. Unbeknowst to Kazuya and both of his enemies and allies alike, Heihachi was saved by a member of Tekken Monks named Seiryu, undetected before Heihachi's body touched the lava pool.

After Heihachi's defeat at the hands of Kazuya, the war that had engulfed the world continued, this time due to the actions of Kazuya's G Corporation rather than the Mishima Zaibatsu. Jin and Kazuya clash, with Jin initially failing to defeat his father. After this first encounter, Kazuya announces another King of Iron Fist Tournament, which Jin joins with the intention of defeating Kazuya. Unbeknownst to Jin, Kazuya, Lars, or Lee, Heihachi's illegitimate daughter, Reina, also joins the tournament, meeting Jin and appearing to side with him against Kazuya.

Jin and Kazuya have a final confrontation, ridding them both of their Devil Genes. In the Good Ending of Tekken 8's Story Mode, Kazuya is defeated by Jin. It is then revealed that Reina is also a carrier of the Devil Gene, and she intends to avenge Heihachi's presumed death.

Mishima Family Features[]

The Mishima 'Curse'[]

All the main protagonists and antagonists in the Tekken series are from the Mishima family. Despite having many enemies outside their family, their rivalries with one another are often more important to them, and occupy most of their attention. There is a 'curse', as described by Kazuya in Tekken 6, that causes them to turn against each other in hatred. However, this only seems to have begun with Heihachi as no Mishima before him is known to have displayed the same behavior.

Some of the Mishimas who have a desire for peace manage to break free from the accursed feuds, though even those that do, such as Lee Chaolan, are inevitably dragged back into the family's violent drama. Some members are also known for having the Devil Gene, a genetic mutation that results in the carrier turning into a 'devil' under (initially) traumatic circumstances. This gene originates with Hachijo Clan, but now runs in the main Mishima bloodline.

Mishima Blood[]

Those of Mishima blood have the ability to enhance their fighting style with a chi that takes the form of electricity. This electricity can be seen in many of their attacks, especially when they are performing certain moves such as Wind God Fist. These electric attacks are unique and distinguishable, to the point where Kazuya Mishima was able to recognize Lars Alexandersson as his relative by the presence of this electricity alone. The electricity in these attacks is a different color for each Mishima (indicated in brackets below). Kazumi despite only being married into the family is also able to use the electricity in her attacks suggesting even non Mishima blood members can also use it.

Mishimas with electric ability:

Mishima Style Fighting Karate[]

Important to the family name is their karate style, Mishima Style Fighting Karate (三島流喧嘩空手 Mishima-ryū Kenka Karate). The style was founded by Jinpachi, and subsequently taught by Heihachi. Practioners have dominated the King of Iron Fist Tournament. The style is so associated with the family name, that Jin Kazama, and possibly Lee Chaolan, have deliberately sought to distance themselves from the style, in order to sever ties with the Mishima family.

Mishima Family Assets[]

Mishima Zaibatsu Flag

The Mishima Zaibatsu logo

Main article: Category:Mishima Family Assets

The Mishima name is associated with their financial empire, the Mishima Zaibatsu, now the largest corporation in the world. The Mishima family hold considerable wealth and influence, and have the power to act as if they are an independent state. Indeed, Jin Kazama declared the Mishima Zaibatsu to be an independent state during the events of Tekken 6, and Heihachi Mishima, when he retook the Zaibatsu in Tekken 7, was receiving requests from occupied foreign countries to withdraw his Tekken Force from their borders and respect national sovereignty.[2]

The Mishima Clan's ancestral family residence is the Mishima Estate, a traditional Japanese manor with huge grounds in the mountains. The estate also contains the Mishima Dojo, where Mishima Style Fighting Karate has been taught since Jinpachi's time, and Hon-Maru, the family temple.

Mishima Offshoots[]

Since seizing control of G Corporation, this corporation is now also Mishima-owned, though exclusively by Kazuya Mishima.

Similarly, Violet Systems is also 'Mishima-owned', as it was built from the ground up by Lee Chaolan in his alternative persona as Violet, though Lee has been exiled from the family by Heihachi, and himself wishes nothing to do with the Mishimas.

Also 'Mishima-controlled' is Lars Alexandersson's Yggdrasil, a rebel army comprised of ex-Tekken Force soldiers who are at war with the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation, and backed by Violet Systems.

The Tekken Monks are branch Mishima members who live in seclusion from the world.

Mishima Family Fighters[]

  • Jinpachi Mishima - Father of Heihachi; paternal grandfather of Kazuya, Lars and Reina; paternal great-grandfather of Jin. Deceased as of Tekken 5.
  • Heihachi Mishima - Son of Jinpachi; husband of Kazumi; father of Kazuya, Lars, and Reina; adoptive father of Lee; paternal grandfather of Jin.
  • Kazumi Mishima - Wife of Heihachi; mother of Kazuya; paternal grandmother of Jin. Deceased prior to Tekken.
  • Kazuya Mishima - Grandson of Jinpachi; son of Heihachi and Kazumi; half-brother of Lars and Reina; adoptive brother of Lee; father of Jin.
  • Lee Chaolan - Adopted son of Heihachi; adopted brother of Kazuya, Lars, and Reina; adopted uncle of Jin.
  • Lars Alexandersson - Illegitimate son of Heihachi; half-brother of Kazuya and Reina; adoptive brother of Lee; uncle of Jin.
  • Jin Kazama - Great-grandson of Jinpachi; grandson of Heihachi and Kazumi; son of Kazuya and Jun; nephew of Lars and Reina; adoptive nephew of Lee. Took his mother's family name as he was raised by her.
  • Reina - Daughter of Heihachi; sister of Kazuya, Lars, and Lee; aunt of Jin. Besides Heihachi, the other Mishimas are not aware of her connection with the family.

Links to the Family[]

Trivia[]

  • The surname "Mishima" (三島) translates literally to "third island".
  • Tekken 7, story-wise, was meant to serve as the conclusion of the "Mishima saga", and answer (amongst other Tekken mysteries) many questions regarding the family.[3] However, whilst the story has progressed to the point where Heihachi has finally been killed by Kazuya, the clan's saga still continued, with Kazuya as the series' main antagonist.
    • As of the good ending of Tekken 8, Kazuya has been defeated by his son, Jin Kazama, and both have had their Devil Gene removed, seemingly ending the greater conflict between the two. It is possible that conflict among the Mishima family will continue, however, as Reina is revealed to not only be a Mishima, but to have Devil abilities of her own. Her goal appears to be killing Kazuya Mishima as he killed Heihachi.
  • Every direct descendant of Jinpachi has at some point been in charge of the Mishima Zaibatsu.
  • According to Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada, Kazuya was not the first Mishima family member to make contact with the devil, and that both Kazuya and Jin believe it started with Jinpachi but only Heihachi really knows who it was. Harada also pointed out that neither Jinpachi, Heihachi, nor Lars possess the Devil Gene. It was later confirmed in Tekken 7 that it was Kazumi Mishima who introduced the Devil Gene into the Mishima bloodline.
  • Tekken: the dark history of mishima is an episodic novel that was written by Takashi Yano. It delves into the dark history of the Mishima bloodline, which dates back to the Sengoku Period in Japan.
  • The video game Ehrgeiz, by Square and DreamFactory, has a character named Godhand, whose real name is Ken Mishima. He closely resembles Kazuya and Jin in appearance, even wearing similar gloves, and his fighting style includes moves akin to the Mishima Style Fighting Karate. Though Namco published the arcade version of the game, it's unlikely that he's meant to tie into the Tekken franchise, and is instead some sort of reference/tribute.
  • With the exception of Jin Kazama, all members of the Mishima clan (Devil Jin included) are known for using the pronoun "kisama" (貴様) as their second-person pronoun when confronting each other. Kisama is extremely rude and offensive in nature, and is usually used by or against antagonists and archnemeses.
    • An exception to this is Kazuya and his grandfather Jinpachi (toward each other), with Kazuya using "Anata"（あなた）(polite) and Jinpachi using "Omae" (お前) (considered affectionate when referring to close family and friends).
  • The Mishima family also rarely call one other by parental pronouns (father or grandfather).
    • Exceptions to this are Kazuya in Tekken 5 using "Jii-san" (じいーさん, grandpa) when referring to Jinpachi, or as a child in a flashback in his ending, where Kazuya refers to Jinpachi as "Jii-jii" (じいじい, grand-daddy).
    • The other exception is Lee, who calls Heihachi "Otou-sama" (お父様, father dearest) though he does so with a mocking tone, as in his Tekken 5 interlude, for the strict education Heihachi made him follow.
    • Similarly, Heihachi, in his interlude in Tekken 5 with Jinpachi, refers to him as Oyaji-dono (親父殿) with Oyaji being an informal version of "father" and Dono meaning "lord/milord", historically used as formal honorific. Today 'dono' is often used to exaggerate old age in old men. Oyaji-dono (親父殿) was used in medieval times in noble families as a highly respectful way of referring to one's own father (equivalent of modern otou-sama (御父様, father dearest)). Thus, Heihachi was mocking Jinpachi's age, or perhaps mocking the deference he was required to pay him whilst his father was the boss of the Mishima Zaibatsu or tutoring Heihachi in his youth.
  • According to the opening credits sequence of Tekken 8's Story Mode, the Mishima Clan traditionally ruled over Yamato Province (modern day Nara Prefecture).

See Also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Lee Chaolan Tekken 1 profile.
  2. ^ See Lidia Sobieska's Tekken 7 profile.
  3. ^ http://www.polygon.com/2014/7/25/5937563/tekken-7-details-namco-bandai-harada-comic-con
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