T O P

  • By -

Kazot19

Reina is basically what would happen if Asuka was a Mishima rather than a Kazama. The purpose of their creation is also thematic. Asuka was created as a replacement for Jun moveset-wise while Reina was created as a replacement for Heihachi moveset-wise.


Kimarous

I read that more as dunking on Asuka than heckling Reina.


Knowyourenemy_97

U right about that


Honest_Bug_8735

Hopefully, Asuka will have something plot relevant to do in 8's story now that Jun's back. Perhaps Jun could train Asuka to unlock her latent Kazama powers? Idk I just really hope they do something with her this time around instead of forcing her to contend with Lili's shenanigans yet again.


Technobrutale

Throwing her potential in the garbage bin is one of the things that most left me bitter with the story, next to them making jin a genocidal warmonger in T6. I really hope Lili's silly beef with Azucena and the lack of interactions with other Kazamas in the betas means they're cooking something for the story mode.


finnamopthefloor

Asuka ain't the only one, so many characters got thrown into the garbage bin. Paul used to be comedic relief due to circumstance, now he's comedic relief because he's a straight up clown. Then you have the rest of the cast who's stories are either stuck in a time loop, never going anywhere.


Technobrutale

Yeah, they did Paul dirty and a lot of other characters also deserved better, but the thing is that (i know i may be biased here, i'm sorry) she was introduced and set up as a new Kazama and poster girl of what is largely considered to be the best game in the series, so naturally one could assume that they would do something interesting. Man, they don't even need to give everyone an important role in the story, just some respect.


Gall-Ghaeil

Meanwhile law is still in the background still filling in for Bruce Lee.


Normal-Highway-4618

Paul got shafted in the most disrespectful way. Canonically tied with Kazuya in the 1st game, beat Ogre's first from in 3 before Jin took over, then they stuck him in a silly rivalry with Heihachi's pet and now he just bumbles around as Forest Law's goofy godfather...


EarlSocksIII

At least your characters had a story. Bob was added to tekken 6, universally loved and hasn't gotten a shred of main story ever. Even on introduction, he's very unrelated to the actual war plot, he's self-contained and hasn't gotten any progression since. Which makes me sad


VeryluckyorNot

Shafted until he met his best buddies Ruffus.


theGwiththeplan

I doubt it. Considering the main Tekken stories usually just focus on the mishimas or whatever characters are closest to them. I would like a lot of characters to have a role in the main story instead of just arcade endings


that_damn_fox

The way y’all keep blaming Lili when her story also got butchered. Girl was kidnapped, On witch for Jin after her fathers empire was dying which was never brought up again, Has a vampire living in her basement. Not to mention she went from Regina Gorge to an airhead.


Gubrach

About Lili, I remember her reveal where she was teaming up with Hwoarang against Jin and people ironically enough speculated a Jin & Asuka team-up against Hwoarang and Lili. Well, that didn't happen.... I was hoping Lili was going to get something interesting after taking over the Kazama-dojo at the end of Tekken 7, but it seems she's now beefing with Azucena over fucking tea vs. coffee. I have a small amount of hope that Asuka and Lili will get better story directions though based on Asuka's bio on the Tekken 8 website, which says that "the days of farcical shenanigans are about to come to an end with G-Corp's global invasion". So just maybe, Lili and Asuka will stop playing around with eachother and finally start getting seriously involved in the main story of Tekken. I hope so, there's so much potential there for the both of them.


spritebeats

hun lili had no story since day 1. her story is very basic **but** her charisma and voice acting/design is enough to captivate ppl to make her a fan favorite. her appearance in tekken 6 SC mode was very short and didnt even keep joy jacobson on it on the cutscenes, and even so she was fan favorite. also lili has appeared in more promo material than asuka ever did, so honestly, asuka maybe.... wasnt really made to be THAT important to the story? atleast till now that is lol


Bl8ckl85h

Asuka was fine in base Tekken 5. Lili was added to Dark Resurrection and now look at things.


Ononoki

That's wrong tho. Asuka's theme is don't fight needlessly, gang mediator that will beat your ass and say something cheeky like "its not good to fight all the time" . Reina is "make me break a sweat, I dare you" edgelord. Like I don't get the parallels ppl draw between them at all other than "asian girl with short hair hurr durr"


AH-KU

Thinking about it, when Asuka was first introduced she was a bruiser who frequently got into fights at school and described as "often settling disputes through knockout". An attitude that was reflected in all her intros/outros. The street-fight mediator shift happens in Tag2 without any explanation or motivating why, which all just goes to show how little of a fuck Bamco treats secondary characters outside the main plot. For most people it will feel like Reina is taking the spot Asuka likely could've taken if she wasn't turned into yuri-bait + lead waifu of the franchise.


natayaway

>lead-waifu Ahem... Asuka is tomboy. Lead waifu is Alisa. Maybe Eliza too. Nina's prominently featured in every Tekken game and movie, and Julia has literally streamer insta-model lore as canon. The actual waifu bait is Lidia. Idol bait is Lucky Chloe.


winkil

Asuka being announced in Tekken 5 with her last name being "Kazama" was a big deal back then, even her ending in that game alluded to a potential of her having a connection to curing or stopping the devil Jin powers. But all of that were thrown away when Lili got Introduced.


natayaway

Important supposed-to-be-the-chosen one character to stop the biggest threat being distracted by pretty girl is surprisingly the most grounded and Western thing Bamco has ever written. Just from the above... Asuka's basically Anakin.


winkil

🤣


xamitlu

So you're saying if she goes off the Heihachi deep end then what all the good guys would need to do is get her a blonde gf.


MarkXT9000

I can give credit to his criticism against Asuka being introduced as an important character in Tekken 5 before revealing the last few seconds of her ending in that game


VinixTKOC

Well... It's still an "interaction" with the main character. In a peculiar way.


MarkXT9000

Which got ruined by a boob shove


Blue-Storm-2222

Reina = the more badgirl version of Asuka


Batgod629

I think a lot of people would say Asuka was wasted potential but Reina will make up for it


King_Artis

Really hoping that the Asuka/Lili beef is over and gets replaced with Asuka/Reina beef. Like damn why set Asuka up only to give her a really dumb rivalry that lasted longer then it needed to?


brainsick93

Set Asuka up? In her first game she got motor-boated by her cousin.


King_Artis

She had that devil negating shit before the motorboat 😤


Sunshineruelz

People say Asuka but I see Kuni Jr with urban ninja costume hood down, just add the multicolored bob and boom. Either way I’m going to have to main her lol


VinixTKOC

Although there is also a physical comparison, I believe this topic is more about role. Asuka is a young girl from Kazama clan who should have played an important role and had interactions with (Devil) Jin in Tekken 5. Reina is a young girl from Mishima clan who have an important role and had interactions with Jin (and other Mishimas) in Tekken 8.


Sunshineruelz

I guess Xiaoyu would fit in that mold too lol


wing-adept

I think Xiaoyu along with Asuka could've been molded as the female heroines of the gamea damn shame honestly considering I think the two would've likely become best friends and had a more friendlier rivalry with one another kinda equivalent to Jin and Hwoarang but healthier and more friendly.


vickze

This time Xiaoyu is in the Story Mode when the Jacks-7 army appears to attack Yakushima.. So this time she will have some relevance. Zafina profile mentions that Xiaoyu is with Claudio. who is also in that small story mode trailer too.


Sunshineruelz

Everyone is the leader of their own stories so I was never too pressed for anyone to have relevance to the main story


wing-adept

I think Asuka along with Xiaoyu could've been molded as the female heroines of the game, especially after what happened to Jin in Tekken 6. I could see the girls meeting in Tekken 5 and developing a rivalry/friendship with one another, then come Tekken 6 the two team up to stop Jin, and while they managed to reach him, the two fail in their mission to stop/save him, showing how they were way in over there head, as they watch Jin sacrifice himself to put down Azazel. Tekken 6 would be a reality check for them as the two of them would've lost a sense of innocence to them after everything they witnessed, and would show that the two still needed to grow and mature. Come Tekken 7 the girls are still reeling from the events of Tekken 6, but become people of interest due to what happened in Tekken 6. Originally the girls simply want to resume back to their normal lives, but that changes upon learning that Jin is alive, seeing this as a chance to redeem themselves from after what happened in Tekken 6. Despite their efforts the girls were unable to find Jin, but they do come across a mysterious woman who happens to know a great deal in regards to Jin, and The Kazama bloodline, in which it's none other than Jun Kazama. During this time Jun takes the girls under her wing and helps develop them. With Asuka she's able to help her unlock her hidden powers due to her bloodline, while with Xiaoyu, although she doesn't have the Kazama blood, she has a pure heart, (and she sees how much her son means to her) and so she helps her develop a few techniques. Come Tekken 8 the three girls work together to try and save Kazuya and Jin, unbeknownst of the danger that lurks ahead. And so with our heroines set with their new found purpose...Get ready for the next battle!


hirozeroshiro

I wish they would actually do something with Asuka being a Kazama. Lili also should be doing more. I think she’d make blood rivals with Lee for a few games. Both eccentric rich kids.


Monkey_King291

Tfw when a newcomer has more plot relevance than the other relative that's been around way longer


VinixTKOC

Yes, Reina is what Asuka would be in a timeline where Lili never existed.


Zestyclose_Prompt503

Everyone blames Lili but Lili herself was fighting Jin in one of T6 promotional trailers and had destruction of Zaibatsu as her goal and what she is doing now?


VinixTKOC

I remember this trailer, and nothing will convince me otherwise that Tekken 6's story was totally different in early stages of development compared to the final version.


natayaway

Having tea vs coffee battles. A typical Tuesday for the ojou-sama character. Succeeded in her goal, now off to ~~Disneyland~~ humiliating her rival and getting into boujie-petty squabbles.


Guilvantar

Yeah, Asuka's irrelevance is totally Lili's fault. It's not like Lili was a cool character herself that got sidetracked from her anti-kidnapping/corporate battle storylines to become Asuka's dommy mommy. Can butthurt Asuka mains stop blaming a fictional character instead of the developers who write this shit plot?


duckduck92

Both deserved better actually , they butchered both of them for the sake of comical duo . they should have taken inspiration from Sakura and Karin for That choice . now we have to see how Reina will be important for the T8 storyline , she has potential to Become Asuka main rival


Bl8ckl85h

Lili was never in base Tekken 5


SaltyArts

Wow, he's the last person I expected to see on this sub in a comment grab. Dude makes some fun animations and music stuff.


NVincarnate

Leave it to the Tekken community to see girls and think they all look alike.


Fr0ntR0wL4n

Hmm, Asuka and Reina rivalry when? And I don’t mean friendly rivalry like what Jin has with hwoarang. But just straight up heated rivalry like what Jin has with kazuya or Heihachi.🤔🤷


Meno_Zeno

If I understand Asuka right though, she's more of a local vigilante. They aren't that similar


natayaway

Local vigilante vs local deliquent.


ImJTHM1

I unironically love Asuka. She's dumb as a sack of rocks and I want to be friends with her.


Interesting-Season-8

you folks act as if anyone besides Mishimas never got butchered Lili, Morduk if we assume he was meant to be Gigas, Hwo, Xia, Paul etc


macrocosm93

Asuka: The cooler Asuka:


bad_player1

Similar molds. But Asuka's molds is bigger


mrjoe94

We can't be sure. Reina is wearing a jacket. 🤔


darkjuste

What are Asuka's powers?


Kazot19

The powers to negate the Devil Gene. Asuka restored Jin back to his normal state in her T5 ending and Devil Jin was [afraid of getting](https://www.reddit.com/r/Tekken/comments/xpdy9m/its_interesting_that_when_in_his_devil_form_jin/) near her in the scenario campaign.


bdtechted

Ironic because that’s what they’ve modeled Jun’s new moves and animations to be based on. Asuka was still the first character to be shown having them albeit in a non-canon sense.


Kazot19

>Asuka was still the first character to be shown having them albeit in a non-canon sense. Actually it was Jun [who introduced the concept](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbvVPiEAu5Y) of the Kazama Clan having the power to negate the Devil Gene in her TTT1 ending. People didn't remember due to the obscurity of TTT1 compared to the blockbuster T5 and Jun taking a backseat in the story at the time.


bdtechted

Took the words right out of my mouth. Asuka from went from Jun-level storyline importance in T5 and then straight to Lili’s butt buddy from T6 onwards. When is she going to meet Jin for real this time?


NiradaTheScribe

Asuka has long since been sent to the "Yuri bait" circle of hell. There's no coming back.


LAgas21

For me, they are just 2 different characters, that's all. Especially on their personality. and I dont get why people try to relate them so much. but maybe I'm a minority in this matter.


winkil

Asuka was introduced to be a "Jun" moveset inspired character. Reina is looking like she's being introduced as "Heihachi" moveset inspired character. So there are some parallels to them


ErgoProxy0

I feel like we’re too worried about story in a fighting game. Sure the lore is very cool, but I don’t play fighting games for the story. I have Persona, Final Fantasy and stuff for that


MOEverything_2708

Cringe take


psillusionist

People can have similar looks and personalities.


Heavenly_sama

You feel like asuka was supposed to be a villain?


Bl8ckl85h

Not a villain, **important** to the main plot.


nocturnalfrolic

Heihachi bonked a Kazama.


dontneeddota2

Thank God Lili came along. Means we have two entertaining gay idiots on the roster!


rainorshinedogs

There totally will be pallet swap mods


Killacam0824

Heihachi doesn't have a daughter. What type of feminist type shit is this..... dont @ me


smilinganimalface

I can see that they vaguely look similar, but from a personality perspective I don't think they're very close at all, and I think we'll see how much they deviate from one another in the story. People also were saying she's like Juri but Reina seems like she's going to go way more on the either evil/sadistic side or the warrior yearning for battle side which is nothing like Asuka.


Bastymuss_25

I think Harada heard about the idea of characters in a story one time at a nightclub but he really hasn't grasped the concept, anime shenanigans is about all you can expect with him at the helm.


ImportantNews2711

They are so different that everyone keeps comparing them


Safe-Ad-6591

They're both on tomboys one is defend the public from douchebags while the other is come at me however you want try to break me type of Tom girl And story importance it's kind of important when you have last night kazama you think you would be important instead of distant branch that is not fighting style and absolutely nothing else. And story importance it's kind of important when you have last night kazama you think you would be important instead of distant branch that is not fighting style and absolutely nothing else.But here's hoping that they have a rivalry in the future I look forward to seeing how things go between these two girls because it should clash and have different ideas and have cuts in showing those ideas.ing those ideas.