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After nearly 30 years of being a pillar in the Tekken franchise, Heihachi Mishima finally met his end at the hands of his own son in Tekken 7. Though some speculated that Heihachi may have survived, game director Katsuhiro Harada and Tekken producer Michael Murray are confident that Heihachi is dead for good. In a recent interview with TheGamer, the two developers discussed the fate of the beloved character.
Harada and Murray both agreed that Heihachi had failed to convert the devil gene, which means he can’t revive like Kazuya or Jin can. Harada went on to say that he was surprised at just how hard the team killed off Heihachi, but Murray responded that it was an order given to them by Harada himself.
Though a recent character profile for Tekken 8 mentioned Heihachi as having “disappeared”, the two developers explained that it was likely due to Kazuya and the G Corp covering the situation. With Tekken 7 wrapping up Heihachi and Kazuya’s father-son issues, it looks like the story of Tekken 8 will focus on Kazuya and Jin’s issues.
Though Heihachi is gone in the present, that doesn’t mean he’ll stay off of the game’s new roster. The developers already did that with Kazumi Mishima in Tekken 7, who was also dead. It just depends on how many flashback sequences they can fit into Tekken 8’s story, should they go that route again.
The death of Heihachi Mishima in Tekken 7 brought an end to the beloved character’s 30-year run in the Tekken franchise. Game director Katsuhiro Harada and Tekken producer Michael Murray have both confirmed that Heihachi is dead for good, as he failed to convert the devil gene and can’t revive like Kazuya or Jin can. Though a recent character profile for Tekken 8 mentioned Heihachi as having “disappeared”, the two developers explained that it was likely due to Kazuya and the G Corp covering the situation.
With the focus of Tekken 8’s story being on Kazuya and Jin’s issues, it looks like Heihachi is gone for good. However, that doesn’t mean he won’t make an appearance in the game. The developers already did that with Kazumi Mishima in Tekken 7, who was also dead. It just depends on how many flashback sequences they can fit into Tekken 8’s story, should they go that route again.
Though Heihachi is gone, his legacy will live on in the Tekken franchise. Heihachi was one of the most beloved characters in the franchise, and his death has left a lasting impression on the series. While the future of Heihachi remains uncertain, fans of the series can take comfort in knowing that his memory will live on in Tekken 8.