You’ve seen him feature in all iterations of the Tekken series with his unique costumes and bizarre move set, but have you ever really stopped to wonder what exactly is Yoshimitsu? And better yet, why is he in the King of Iron Fist Tournament to begin with?
Following up on Tekken lore is unsurprisingly one of the hardest challenges you can face in the game outside of fighting. The game, much to the surprise of a lot of new fans, has a very deep lore and an engaging story that can be traced back to the first game, albeit with some retcons here and there. One of the more interesting characters in the roster is Yoshimitsu, a cybernetic ninja that wields a kitana with magical properties that he uses in combat.
History of Yoshimitsu
The name Yoshimitsu is a Japanese word that roughly translates to “ray of justice” and is more of a title rather than an actual name. The title Yoshimitsu is bestowed upon the leader of the Manji Clan, a robin-hood-esque clan known for robbing the rich and giving back to the needy. Yoshimitsu is iconically known for having a mystical katana tainted with a curse that demands for blood whenever it is unsheathed; this blade is tied to the current Yoshimitsu and also bears the same name.
Yoshimitsu’s role in the King of Iron Fist Tournament
In the first Tekken game, Yoshimitsu signed up for the competition not with the intention of winning but instead to steal the tournament funds. Although not achieving this, he still managed to rob another wealthy competitor known for squandering wealth and subsequently dished out his spoils to the public. This was the first of many times we’d see the character, as he went on to feature in every game since. In a botched raid of a Mishima facility, he loses his arm and is gifted with a mechanical replacement by Doctor Bosconovitch, a character he developed a close relationship with.
Years later, the Manji clan falls into a dire state and is in desperate need of funds, which forces Yoshimitsu to make an attempt at a false alliance with Heihachi’s Mishima. Under the guise of an alliance, he robs the Mishima of a vault, whose contents led to the Manji clan’s demise. Within the vault was a cyborg named Bryan who massacred the Manji clan upon gaining consciousness.
Yoshimitsu’s role diminishes in the franchise following a storyline surrounding the awakening of his katana, which beckoned him to seek more blood in order to satisfy it. He obtains a sister blade to help balance out the evil that burned within his katana, but not much else comes of this storyline. In Tekken 8, Yoshimitsu is tasked with gaining information on the Mishima’s, which begins a new storyline that centers around the reawakening of his blade and his quest to rip out the evil in his sword once and for all.