Jin Kazama


Jin Kazama is a fictional character in the Tekken fighting game series created by Namco Bandai Games. He was introduced as the protagonist in the 1997 game Tekken 3. Trained by his grandfather Heihachi Mishima, Jin wishes to avenge the apparent death of his mother Jun Kazama. However, Heihachi betrays Jin to awaken a genetic abnormality within his body known as the Devil Gene. He is also antagonized by his father, Kazuya Mishima, from whom he inherited the gene. While dealing with his relatives, Jin loses control of the Devil Gene, which causes his transformation into an alter ego named Devil Jin, first introduced as a non-playable character in Tekken 3 and playable ever since Tekken 5. Outside of the video games, Jin has appeared in the animated and live-action films adapted from the games and have also appeared as a playable character in several other game franchises.
Initially conceptualized as an innocent man, Jin was developed as the series' new protagonist and a replacement for Kazuya, who he was based on visually. His constant fights with his family members would eventually lead him to become an antihero, as crafted by Bandai Namco's director Katsuhiro Harada ever since his introduction. Nevertheless, Jin was portrayed as the main character from multiple adaptations of the games. He has been voiced consistently by Isshin Chiba since he debuted in Tekken 3 and has had multiple English actors across other appearances.
Critical reception to the character has been positive, with commentary focused on his moves and his role within the wider Tekken story. Since his introduction in Tekken 3, Jin has proven to be quite popular and has often been described as one of the best Tekken characters due to his fighting style and because of the impact he had on the storyline. His dark characterization was also noted while Devil Jin also remained popular for retaining Jin's classic fighting style which he discarded.

Creation

Development and design

Jin Kazama was created by Namco artist Yoshinari Mizushima after he graduated from college. The character's design, created with Ling Xiaoyu, was a great surprise to the Tekken staff. Jin was introduced in Tekken 3 using the concept of a "misfortunate character" which was part of his dark character arc across the series. The staff also wanted to present him as a determined character. Jin's visual appearance was modeled after his father Kazuya Mishima who was missing in Tekken 3. Jin was given a similar appearance including spiky black hair, red gloves and similar black and red pants to the point it confused returning players. In early concepts, Jin was depicted with more clothing covering his left arm. The idea of his design was for it to be simple yet highly recognizable. Originally, Jin was named Jin Mishima with a visual appearance being more reminiscent to his father, most notably in his gloves. He was given a less ridiculous design than his predecessors. Although in his first appearance, he was shown wearing nothing to cover his torso, in following games, Jin was given a jacket along with a hood which Harada found to be highly popular with the fanbase. As a result, Harada views the constant comments about this as positive feedback despite his initial confusion over the fanbase's reaction. Jin's alter ego, Devil Jin, possesses a tattoo that covers his entire torso. Harada claimed he grew to like this part of the design. Tekken 5 features a special costume for Jin designed by guest artist Mutsumi Inomata: it is a panda-themed costume with an unzipped jacket that reaches just above his midriff with a blue flame motif and matching white pants. In Tekken 6, replacing the jumpsuit, Jin wears a long black coat similar to the one that he wore in his ending in Tekken 5. Jin's alternative outfit in Tekken 6 was designed by Clamp, a group of four Japanese manga artists. For Tekken 7, his regular design was made by Yūsuke Kozaki, while Ando Makoto did a special chibi illustration of the character seen when screens load. A Link outfit from the Legend of Zelda was given to him for Tekken Tag Tournament 2s Wii U version.


Despite their similarties, Jin was a more caring character in contrast to his meanspirited father. This was the result of their different upbringings. However, both end up becoming more alike as characters because of their dark stories like their shared antagonism for Heihachi Mishima. This would further corrupt Jin but in a different way than his father. Rather than destroying the world like his relatives, Jin instead wishes to end the Mishima bloodline, and himself in the process. Jin and Kazuya share powered up devil forms. They are a common element in fantasy which stands out because of them being genetically related in Tekken. The parallel between Jin and Kazuya's devils was compared to the protagonists from the Star Wars films, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, respectively.
Tekken series' director Katsuhiro Harada has said that Jin is his favorite character in the series along with Heihachi. He says the Tekken story is written from Jin's perspective because he is the main character. Jin's concept was that of an innocent young kid corrupted by the evils of society, who would become one of the series' greatest villains as crafted by Harada over the span of ten years. By transforming him into a villain in Tekken 6, Harada motivated players to use the Scenario Campaign to explore Jin's darker character arc as well as his possible relationship with newcomer Lars Alexandersson. Devil Jin completes the character's arc that Harada crafted in terms of his corruption which is now represented in his genes.


In response to claims that the Tekken story is complicated, Harada denied this. He saw it as a "simple" struggle between members from the Mishima family. By 2017, fans still saw Jin as a hero. Harada replied that the character is still responsible for creating wars so the plot continues to have a sense of black and white morality. Harada compared his family with the Tekken characters who are constantly fighting each other: Heihachi, Jin and Kazuya. As a parent, he now has a "deeper respect for my family and parents in particular." A common interpretation of Jin's mother Jun Kazama's fate is that she was killed before the events of Tekken 3. This is explored in a story from Jin's point of view and is a belief that most gamers shared. However, Jin and the gamers were actually incorrect—Jun is missing. As a result, Harada explained that as far as the rivalry between Jin and Kazuya is concerned, Jun would be present at their eventual confrontation.


Before the revelation of Jin's inclusion in Tekken 7, there were many gamers who asked Harada if he survived his battle against Azazel in Tekken 6. Harada refrained from answering questions about Jin's status, but said Tekken 7 would be a proper sequel to the series with or without Jin. However, both Jin and his Devil persona were leaked in 2015 by fans. For Tekken 7, Jin was made into a hidden sub-boss in the game's arcade mode. Harada explained that the requirements to unlock him were very difficult. Harada added a hint that players who use Kazuya Mishima might have a better chance of fighting Jin while the Devil persona is a hidden boss.

Actors and related media

has been Jin's voice actor in all his Japanese game appearances. Chiba claimed he initially did not understand the character when first recording his lines in his debut. The actor grew attached to Jin over the years he voiced him and thus disliked how Jin changed from a kindhearted man to a corrupt person in the later games as well as his transformation into a devil. Jon Foo felt honored to play Jin's character in the live-action film based on the series. He says he is a fan of the Tekken games. Still, he found it difficult to play Jin as he spent three months on a diet in order to do the fighting moves for the live-action film. In the making of the film, Foo accidentally wounded Cung Le. The film's director, Dwight Little, found that this type of accident is common in fighting films.
For the film ', writer Dai Satō added both Jin and Kazuya as a pair of men to provide "visual eye-candy" in the same way as the William sisters did. While Jin and Ling Xiaoyu appear to have developed a close relationship, Satō did not want to explore a romantic one in the film. Instead, the writer wanted to use these pairs to be played together in the spin-off game Tekken Tag Tournament 2, which relies on the use of teams composed of two fighters. Chiba was replaced by Darren Daniels in the English release of the film.
In the original version of the anime film ', Jin has been voiced by Minami Takayama, while Jacob Franchek has voiced him in the film's English dub. Jin has been voiced by Brad Swaile in the game Street Fighter X Tekken.
Comic book artist Cavan Scott said that his first impression of Jin in Tekken 3 was that he was unfit to be a Mishima based on his differences with Kazuya and Heihachi, who are described as "demons" in contrast to Jin's innocence. However, as he becomes a corrupt person, Scott believes Jin is no longer a good person but fits the narrative better because of conflicts with his relatives. Scott believes Jin became a more interesting character during this dark character arc. As Scott began writing a Tekken Western comic, he decided to tell the story from Jin's point of view as he was the most relatable character, despite his dark characterization. Jin feels guilty for all the chaos he has brought to the plot. Since Scott's comic was based on Tekken 6 and Tekken 7, he wanted to explore this take on Jin further since he was the center of the readers' attention even if he is missing through most of the plot.

Gameplay

As a result of being introduced as the protagonist in Tekken 3, Jin's movements were made to be balanced so that he would have neither strong nor weak movesets. This caused difficulties in his design. He was meant to appeal to veterans of the franchise as he uses both moves from Heihachi and Kazuya but not with the same amount of power. As Jin has no model for his fighting style, several of his karate moves were created by the Tekken staff. was Jin's motion actor as Narushima also possessed regular karate in his fighting style. Harada said he thought Steve Fox and the Mishimas—Jin, Kazuya and Heihachi—were considered the strongest characters to play in the series.
In his early appearances, Jin's moves were a blend of parents, Jun Kazama and Kazuya Mishima, a combination of "Kazama-Style Self Defense" and "Mishima Fighting Karate". He fights in this style in both Tekken 3 and Tekken Tag Tournament. In Tekken 4, however, this style was discarded in favor of "traditional" Karate, also known as Kyokushin karate. As a result, Jin performs unique techiques such as one known as the "Right Roundhouse Punch", Right Hook in Japan. Jin is often regarded as the strongest character in Tekken 4. As his power was reduced in the following games, he went through minor changes that made him notably stronger in Tekken 6 than his Tekken 5 persona. Devil Jin incorporates moves from Jin's Mishima fighting style, which makes him a stronger fighter than the regular Jin. Like Kazuya's devil persona, Jin's devil form can create a projectile move. However, Devil Jin's fighting style is listed as "Unknown". Nevertheless, Devil Jin also possesses a number of weaknesses that separately balances his duality with the regular Jin.
In preparation for Tekken 7, Harada commented he would often try Devil Jin if he was an "intermediate player" comparing his skills with Heihachi's. Famitsu recommended the regular Jin to advanced Tekken players. For Capcom's crossover game Street Fighter X Tekken, the official guide noted how Jin could easily counterattack enemy's moves.

Appearances

Main ''Tekken'' series

Jin's first appearance is in Tekken 3, where he is introduced as a teenager "claiming to be Heihachi's grandson" as a result of being Jun Kazama and Kazuya Mishima's child. He was raised by his mother, Jun, until she was attacked by a creature known as Ogre and disappeared. Swearing revenge, Jin goes to train with his grandfather, Heihachi Mishima. During Tekken 3, Jin defeats the Ogre in Heihachi's tournament. Shortly after his victory, Jin is killed by Heihachi's forces. However, Jin is revived when his body mutates into a devil, taking down his grandfather and escapes.
By Tekken 4, in the early arcade versions of the game, Jin can also be played through a lucky stab at the random-select feature. He is an unlockable character as he is first confronted as a boss in the game. The console's version explores how Jin has fallen into a pit of self-hatred, despising everything related to the Mishimas. Learning a new karate style for two years in secret in Brisbane, Jin enters a new tournament where he is about to confront his father until Heihachi's soldiers capture him. Imprisoned in a dojo, Jin feels presence of his father Kazuya which causes him to mutate into a devil once again. After his Devil form awakens, Jin tries to kill Heihachi, but spares him after remembering his mother and abandons the area flying.

In the events of Tekken 5, Jin has lost control over his devil gene and senses that a presence in a new Iron Fist tournament is related to it. Jin is also confronted by his friendly rival, Hwoarang, but he is unable to settle their score because of Jin's agenda. Following his victories, Jin faces his great-grandfather Jinpachi Mishima. In the ending, Jin is revealed as the winner since he defeated Jinpachi. He then becomes the new CEO of the Zaibatsu special forces. Tekken 5 also marks the debut of Devil Jin as a playable character as well as sub-boss who is taking over the human persona. If Devil Jin defeats Jinpachi rather than the regular Jin, an alternative ending is featured showing Devil Jin absorbing Jinpachi's powers. In the same game, a mini-game focusing on Jin's prologue is featured called Devil Within. It features Jin's journey to G Corporation's laboratory where he faces multiple enemies after hearing Jun's voice.
During Tekken 6 Jin uses the Zaibatsu for world conquest, having started a war against all nations. Jin hosts the sixth King of Iron Fist Tournament to rid himself of Kazuya and his enemies. In gameplay, just as his devil form served as the Stage 8 sub-boss in Tekken 5, Jin serves as the Stage 8 sub-boss in Tekken 6. He is also the main antagonist from Tekken 6s "Scenario Campaign". In the Scenario Campaign, Jin is confronted by his half-uncle Lars Alexandersson who is rallying a faction within the Zaibatsu's military to take him down. However, Jin escapes by using Lars' partner, the robot Alisa Bosconovitch, as his servant. Jin once again serves as the scenario's final boss against Lars. Upon his defeat, Jin explains he has been throwing the world into disarray in an effort to awaken the beast known as Azazel. Jin's goal in awakening such a monster is to fight it in a suicidal battle and both save the world from Azazel and free himself of the Devil Gene. Despite killing Azazel, Jin's Devil Gene still remains inside his body. Alternatively, Devil Jin also appears as a hidden boss in the scenario.
Jin appears in Tekken 7'' as a sub-boss, replacing Heihachi if the right conditions are met. However, in the updated arcade version, and the console ports, he is a no longer a sub-boss. In the Story Mode, a weak Jin loses control of his Devil Gene again and starts causing rampage. While in his weakened state, Jin wanders in the Middle East where he is rescued by Lars. Lars transports him to Violet System, owned by his adoptive uncle Lee Chaolan, to rest and regain his strength. Recovering after learning of Heihachi's death, Jin is sent out by Lars to find and kill Kazuya. Playing as Devil Jin results in an encounter with Hwoarang, but the battle is interrupted by multiple enemies.

Other games

As well as his canonical appearances, Jin appears in Tekken Card Challenge and Tekken Tag Tournament. Beating Tag Tournament as Jin results in a sequence where he tries to kill Kazuya, but his body then starts shaking. In Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Jin can defeat an enemy identical to his mother, Jun Kazama, but mutates when she disappears. In Devil Jin's ending, the berserker demon tries to leave the planet but is stopped by Jun's spirit. He then appears on a beach where soldiers rescue him. Additionally, in the "Fight Lab" section of the game, Lee kidnaps Jin, Kazuya and Heihachi for Combot's final test of the machine.
Other appearances by him include: Tekken Advance, Tekken R, Tekken Resolute, Tekken Bowl, Tekken Pachinko Slot 2nd, ', Tekken Card Tournament, Tekken Revolution, Tekken Arena, CR Tekken, Tekken Pachinko Slot 3rd and a mobile phone game. Devil Jin's form from Blood Vengeance also appears in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.
Jin is also featured in Namco × Capcom, where he joins forces with Ryu and Ken Masters from Street Fighter and seeks to defeat Devil Kazuya who was his father through the Devil Gene. Street Fighter X Tekken features Jin as a playable character, with Ling Xiaoyu as his official tag partner. The duo seeks to find an item known as Pandora's Box with Jin wanting to use it as a way to get rid of his demon. They are also together in Project X Zone where they are targeted by Street Fighter character Seth. They along with Virtua Fighter hero, Akira Yuki, work together to stop him. He returns in the sequel Project X Zone 2 with Kazuya as his partner.
He appears on a promotional poster for the Namco-produced crossover fighting game Tekken X Street Fighter, along with Street Fighters Ryu. Devil Jin's fighting style and costume parts, along with his human form's Tekken 6 karate, are available for use with custom characters in Soulcalibur V. Harada's image was used to promote Jin's moves. Although he does not appear, Jin is mentioned in the crossover fighting game PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. Additionally, Jin's image appears as downloadable content in Namco's game '. He appears in SNK's mobile phone game The King of Fighters All Star in his classic look and his Tekken 7 design. His persona is used as card artwork alongside Kyo Kusanagi, the protagonist of The King of Fighters. Jin is the protagonist of the Tekken side of the game where he enters Rugal Bernstein's The King of Fighters tournament to finish his rivalry with Kazuya.

In other media and merchandise

Jin makes a brief appearance as a child in the epilogue of the anime film Tekken: The Motion Picture. His role in the series is also briefly shown in the manga Tekken Comic, and the novel Tekken: The Dark History of Mishima. He is also the protagonist of the manga Tekken: The Other Side of Battle, as well as the Western comics Tekken Forever and The Tekken Saga. Titan's Tekken comics focuses on Jin's battles against Heihachi to protect Ling Xiaoyu and combat his inner demon.
He also appears in the CGI-animated film Tekken: Blood Vengeance, an alternate retelling of events between Tekken 5 and Tekken 6. In the film, Jin once again seeks a man known as Shin Kamiya who is tied to the Devil Gene. However, Kamiya is killed by Heihachi who was using him to attract both Jin and Kazuya to take their genes. With help from Alisa Bosconovitch, Jin emerges as the winner and leaves hoping his high school friend Ling Xiaoyu defeats him in the next tournament, having considered himself a threat to the world.
In the 2009 live-action film Tekken, Jin is portrayed by Jon Foo. This version of Jin differs significantly. He was not raised by Heihachi, and his mother was killed during a crackdown on insurgents by the Tekken Corporation. He is still the illegitimate son of Kazuya. He enters the Iron Fist tournament to take revenge on Heihachi for his mother's death, but during the tournament he learns that it was Kazuya who was responsible. He progresses through the tournament, falling in love with Christie Monteiro and forming alliances with Steve Fox, Raven and Heihachi himself when Kazuya overthrows him. Eventually, Jin makes it to the final, and defeat his father in battle, yet refuses to kill him because of their blood relation.
Jin has been featured as an action figure in both his Tekken 3 and Tekken 4 appearances.

Reception

Video game publications have praised Jin's character, which has topped various lists. In Gamests 1997 Heroes Collection, Jin was voted as 31st staff favorite. Game Informers "Top Ten Best Fighting Game Characters" placed Jin fourth, comparing him to Star Wars character Luke Skywalker. On IGN's "Franchise Players 2: Reader's Choice" list, Jin was one of the video game characters voted to be featured in a live-action film. The site commented on his role in the Tekken series, noting that he could be the "focal point" of any film; the site's staff, however, did not choose any because of the poor quality of films based on fighting games. In May 2012, Namco Bandai opened the Tekken Museum in Osaka, Japan, which houses a statue of Jin and Kazuya in a cross-counter. WhatCulture ranked Jin as the 11th sexiest male video game character of all time.
In Dianna Ferrand's Industry Armageddon: Can Heroines Save the Game Industry? published by Stanford University, Jin is recognized as one of the first gaming characters to have a realistic personality as the narrative of Tekken 3 involves his quest to take revenge on Jun. Ferrand believed that, as a result, players might find Jin appealing. Similarly, the book Japanese Culture Through Videogames addresses Jin as a complex fictional character, comparing him with Metal Gears Solid Snake and Final Fantasys Terra Branford and Cloud Strife due to his identity issues over his powers and relatives. This is primarily explored in Tekken 4, where Jin confronts his father Kazuya for the first time, while also dealing with the Devil Gene he inherited from him.
The character's physical look has been the subject of much praise as well as the variability of his clothing across the series. Jin has often been listed as one of the best Tekken characters due to his rivalry with family members Kazuya and Heihachi Mishima. The character's popularity in the Tekken series also earned him special recognition among fighting games in general; his relationships with Ling Xiaoyu and Hwoarang were also popular.
Critics have focused on Jin's devil alter ego and his darker characterization. Complex enjoyed Jin's transition from a regular hero to anti-hero. 4thletter enjoyed Jin's dark characterization in his debut due to the shock of him becoming a devil in the ending of Tekken 3. However, Den of Geek's Jasper Gavin did not find Jin's role as the main antagonist in Tekken 6 appealing. He compared him negatively with both Kazuya and Heihachi, whom he felt were more menacing villains. Gavin felt his relationship with other characters in Tekken as well as his inner conflict with the Devil Gene were appealing but was disappointed by how Jin's character declined across the story. Devil Jin's debut in Tekken 5 was well received for his differences with the regular Jin. The crossovers Tekken had with Street Fighter also further raised Devil Jin's popularity with regard to similarities with the characterization of Evil Ryu.
In 2017's Refracted Visions: Transmedia Storytelling in Japanese Game, Rachael Hutchinson, an associate professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Delaware, noted that the Devil Gene is well explored in the character's fighting style as Jin performs different techniques when taking on this look. As a result, she regarded his characterization as one of gaming's best translations from storytelling to gameplay. Moreover, players who play Jin Kazama are noted to be highly skilled as they have to practice his two personas.
There were multiple reactions in response to Jin's special moves. His initial move-set was noted to be based on his relatives' techniques, with the change shown in Tekken 4 praised for him bringing his own take on karate. Others found such modifications entertaining as it meant learning new moves, but also criticized the change as it made practice by veteran players pointless. Capcom senior community manager Seth Killian had found the Tekken 4 version too powerful to the point of quitting the series. Regarding Jin's Tekken 5 fighting style, GameSpy stated that players would now need to be patient playing as him, as he lost his overpowered moves. Because of the change to Jin's moves in Tekken 5, sites recommended players use Devil Jin's incarnation in the game, if they missed his original techniques. Prima Games ranked Jin's "Laser Scraper" as the "30th greatest fighting move in video game history" due to its speed.
Critics have also focused on Jin's appearances in other media. For the first Tekken live-action film, BeyondHollywood thought Jon Foo's appearance might appeal to viewers based on his similarities with Jin. The Fandom Post disliked the love interests presented to Jin as well as his fights in the Iron Fist Tournament. DVD Verdict criticized how Jin was lacking most of his important traits, most notably his Devil Gene and commented that his quest for revenge was not appealing because of his interactions with other supporting characters. DVD Talk agreed, stating that Tekken struggled "to create a fulfilling hero's journey for Jin as he greets a dead end on his path to revenge". Although Martial Arts and Action Movies criticized Foo's acting to the point of making Jin emotionless, his fight sequences were praised. Roobla also praised the fight sequences, most notably Jin's fight against Eddie Gordo. For the CGI film, MTV commented that the initial "games" between Jin and Kazuya were based on their experimentation with other people. Cheat Code Central felt the conflict between Jin and his father was simply an excuse to produce well-executed fight scenes. PALGN's Bev Chen enjoyed the new devil versions of Jin and Kazuya, comparing them to Go Nagai's series Devilman. Titan's comics of Tekken earned mixed responses because of how the conflict with Jin is handled.