Tekkenis one of the biggest fighting game series ever to exist. The recently releasedTekken 8has attracted many new fans with its exciting gameplay, appealing characters, and fantastic visuals. Tekken, similarly toMortal Kombat, is also known for its emphasis on story. And in the most recent games, mainly Tekken 8, some elements of the story seem to have been influenced by a famous manga:Bleach.
Some important elements of JIn Kazama, the game’s protagonist, seem to take heavy inspiration from Ichigo Kurosaki and his relationship with his inner, darker power. Jin mirrors Ichigo in some key ways.
Characters and Elements Inspired by Bleach
Claudio Serafino Looks Familiar
Katsuhiro Harada, the chief director of the Tekken series, revealed on X thatBleachis his favorite manga.This caught the attention of Bleach fans, especially those who also play Tekken.Suddenly, several things in the game made more sense for fans. One of the biggest examples of these is the playable character, Claudio Serafino. He debuted in Tekken 7 in the base roster, being part of the game’s story. Claudio is the leader of the Archers of Sirius, an ancient order of exorcists who have been dealing with supernatural threats for centuries. Claudio wears ornate white clothes, has medium length black hair, and his main power is the use of Sirius-Style Purification Sorcery. This move set is defined by the blue energy bow and arrows he employs, as well as empowering his attacks with blue energy.
Claudio’s powers, background, and design are very reminiscent of Uryuu Ishida and the Quincy. The Archers of Sirius are clearly inspired by the Quincy Clan. Just like the Archers dedicate their lives to destroying demons,the Quincy destroy Hollows, Bleach’s main monsters. Claudio’s archery attacks are very similar to Uryuu’s Heilig Bogen, his iconic spirit bow and arrow.
With the release of Tekken 8, the new story mode was universally praised by fans. And a certain moment in the story once again caught the attention of Bleach fans. Jin Kazama has been in constant personal conflict since his debut in Tekken 3. Jin is the son of the kind and benevolent Jun Kazama, and the demonic and evil Kazuya Mishima. And by being Kazuya’s son, he inherited the Devil Gene. Jin can occasionally turn into a Devil Form called Devil Jin. In this form, he doesn’t act like himself and is incredibly vicious and violent. This Devil entity developed as a separate being within his mind, often taunting and antagonizing Jin.
During his time at Yakushima, Jin faces against Devil once again. They battle for some time until Jin accepts his sins and commits himself to protecting the ones he loves. Jin finally understands that Devil has been trying to protect him all this time, and Devil grants him his power, giving Jin a black and a white wing.Jin embraces the Devil power, reaching a new level of strength necessary to defeat Kazuya.
Jin and Devil’s story and conclusion isvery reminiscent of Ichigo and White Zangetsu. This moment in Tekken 8 is clearly inspired by The Blade is Me, the moment where Ichigo finally understands Zangetsu and embraces him as his true power. Just like Devil Jin, Zangetsu often possessed Ichigo, tearing his opponents apart but, most importantly, protecting Ichigo. Devil saved Jin from death multiple times, even though he often berated Jin. This is incredibly similar to Zangetsu’s treatment of Ichigo.
While Tekken’s references to Bleach are not as abundant asStreet Fighter’sJoJo’s Bizarre Adventurereferences, Katsuhiro Harada clearly showed his love for Bleach with the latest entries. Claudio debuted in Tekken 7, which released in 2014, right when Bleach’s Thousand-Year Blood War arc was in full swing in the manga, the arc that heavily featured the Quincy. And Tekken 8 was released in 2024, but it was in development during 2022, at the point where The Blade is Me was animated.
As ifBleachfans needed more reasons to check out Tekken, this kinship between the properties works well for fans of both series. Tite Kubo has even referenced Tekken in the manga, which shows he’s clearly a fan of Tekken as well. This may be why the upcomingBleach: Rebirth of Soulsis more akin toTekkenthan it is to standard Anime Arena Fighters.
Bleach
Cast
Based on Tite Kubo’s battle shonen manga, Bleach centers around Ichigo, a high school student who is dragged into the world of Soul Reapers. The original anime ended in 2012, but it was revived in 2022.
