The Most Toxic Family Dynamic Ever Written

by Bem Ayuko

{images by Tekken}

 

For anyone who grew up like I did, playing Tekken 3 on PlayStation 1, Heihachi Mishima was pretty much just that old guy who looks like somebody’s grandfather. Only later on do you actually realize just how insane the lore behind the Tekken series and why this character shouldn’t be so easily dismissed.

It all starts when a young girl named Kazumi Hachijo happens upon the Mishima Dojo. There, she meets a young Heihachi, they grow in love and eventually wed and bare offspring, whom they name Kazuya.

One day, Kazumi collapses in training, and when she wakes, she is like a completely different person. In fact, she completely morphs into some form of demonic entity. She reveals that she came to the Dojo intentionally in order to kill Heihachi, foreseeing the tyranny that he will enforce in his future. Heihachi, tragically, can only shed a tear as he has no choice but to murder the love of his life in cold blood.

Heihachi, fearing that his 10yr old son may be possessed by a similar demonic entity, does what any father would do to handle the situation. He throws him off a cliff. The logic being that, if he survives, then he was surely right. Textbook parenting.

He then proceeds to imprison his father and take over the family business, The Mishima Zaibatsu (The Dojo). Truly unhinged.

His son, Kazuya Mishima, actually does survive the fall and, after learning about the fate of his mother, trains and trains until one day, when he is much older, he returns to face his father to exact revenge. He defeats him and, in an ironic twist of fate, he carries him up the same mountain, and tosses him off the same cliff. He is very satisfied with this.

Heihachi, not to be outdone by his son, survives this fall, and returns to find that his son Kazuya has taken over the family business. He proceeds to exact his own revenge and, after a taxing battle, Kazuya morphs into a demonic entity. Alas, Heihachi was right. He defeats him and this time, carries Kazuya up a Volcano and tosses him inside to get rid of him for good.

Heihachi then sets his sights on Kazuya’s son, Jin Kazama, who was training to avenge his own mother’s death. Having helped him achieve his revenge, Heihachi tries to end his life as well, perhaps fearing that the same demonic entity lies within him as well. This attempt on his life only serves as a catalyst to unleash the demonic entity and Jin survives, escaping into the night.

Would you believe it, but Kazuya survived the Volcano. Surprised? Actually, his body was recovered by G-Corp (an organization in the know) and they revived him to even greater strength.

He immediately sets on a course for his father, Heihachi but just as they meet, they are interrupted by Jin, who defeats them both. He then disappears. Kazuya and Heihachi wake up to find themselves surrounded by terminator-esque androids (the JACKS). They fight side-by-side, showing us a glimpse of what could have been. Alas, Kazuya betrays his father and leaves him for dead.

Kazuya takes over G-Corp and goes out in search of his son. He comes across Akuma, a demon, in the city and when fighting him, morphs into a demon himself. This turns out to have been set up by Heihachi as now, in the public eye, everybody can see Kazuya for who he is. Heihachi, in an act of, perhaps even his, most vile and cruel malevolence, cancelled his own son.

Heihachi, having barely survived the JACKS’ incident, was now in Kazuya’s crosshairs. They agree to meet inside a that volcano and proceed to fight to the death.

After an arduous battle, Kazuya, finally, defeats his father.

He picks him up and throws him directly into the lava. Heihachi Mishima…is Dead.

 

Or so we thought. Listen, Heihachi and Kazuya have killed each other a number of times, yes, but still. This genuinely seemed like the one. Turns out, we were wrong…again.

He’s Back! Breathing new life into probably the most toxic Father/Son relationship yet.

We eagerly await this family reunion.