Guess what, folks! The big news we’ve all been waiting for is here: Kuma the bear will officially be part of the lineup in Tekken 8!
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If you’re not familiar with Kuma, shame on you! Kuma is hands down the best character in the Tekken games, featuring in every mainline title as a playable fighter with some incredibly entertaining cutscenes. His hilarious feuds with series villain Heihachi Mishima are simply legendary. And now, it’s official – Kuma is making a comeback in Tekken 8.
On December 27, Bandai Namco gave us all a belated Christmas present in the form of a reveal trailer for Kuma in Tekken 8. In the new video, the “Master of Salmon” is looking fluffier and more formidable than ever, complete with a slick headband and a fierce vest. This bear means business, folks.
The trailer also gives us a glimpse of Kuma’s panda counterpart, creatively named…Panda. Like Kuma, Panda has appeared in most of the mainline Tekken games and is often seen interacting with Kuma in cutscenes.
But the real highlight of this teaser comes towards the end, when we see Kuma turn his salmon into a futuristic cybernetic fish missile and send it flying into Panda. Tekken is a strange franchise, isn’t it?
And just for the record, there are actually TWO Kumas in the Tekken series. The one from today’s trailer is the son of the original bear featured in the first two games. This current Kuma became a fighter after his dad died prior to the events of Tekken 3. Yeah, Tekken is definitely out there.
But I love the weirdness, and I can’t wait to see Kuma’s new ending in Tekken 8 when it launches on January 26, 2024 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.
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In the meantime, why not enjoy all of Kuma’s past endings? They’re among the best moments in video games.
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