Since it first dropped on the soda-stained floors of arcades, Tekken has long been considered that “Weird” fighting game. While not as flashy as Street Fighter and lacking the gore of Mortal Kombat and mainstream crossover appeal of Soul Calibur, Namco’s fledgling fighter miraculously solidified its place among the hardcore fighting game community and casuals alike.
Some will point to its then-cutting edge visuals, unique combo system or over-the-top narrative, but it was truly the roster that drove this franchise past obscurity and siphoned away more quarters than anyone could have imagined at the time. Fast forward to 2021 and the King of the Iron Fist Tournament still makes waves, recently for including Lidia Sobieska, Prime Minister of Poland, as a playable character. While it may seem out of place, Tekken’s history is riddled with many characters who, at a glance, would appear out of place among many other fighting games.
Easing us in to the list is the famed Dr. Bosconovitch, who many will notice bares a resemblance to a certain blue bombing robot’s antagonist. First making waves as a playable character in Tekken 3, the good doctor appeared as a bonus fighter alongside this lists' number one pick in 1998. His ‘Panic Fighting’ style of play is not only complimentary to his meek demeanor, but also fits his geriatric presentation.
Dr. Bosconovitch makes the top of the list due to his original nature of falling over after many of his moves, and of course, for a dismal damage output. If your opponent has selected Bosconovitch for their match in tournament or competitive settings, you’re likely in for a memorable game regardless of outcome.
Training dummies aren’t new to fighting games. In fact, anyone who plays competitively will have spent hours beating these character models senseless. However, what is new is a sentient, 2000-year-old training dummy who set out to save the world.
Mokujin, as it appears, is a magical training dummy made of oak that sensed evil and awoke to enter the King of the Iron Fist Tournament. Thanks to its time as an inanimate training dummy, Mokujin has a learned variety of moves to choose from and can copy other fighting styles in their entirety. However, what makes this a stand-out trait is that its fighting style is random and varies from round to round even though the dimensions of Mokujin remain the same, leading to unique combo abilities.
Anyone reading the headline of this piece knew Kuma II was going to make the list. Kuma II is a hyper-intelligent bear who speaks Japanese that series antagonist Heihachi Mishima raised to be his pet and bodyguard.
Son of the original Kuma, Kuma II has appeared in every game since 1997 and has had quite the story over the years; whether he’s crushing on a panda, seeking out grudge matches with Jin or, in one ending, going to space, you see why this bear has garnered quite the following. While he may lack a top-tier moveset and damage output, Kuma II is a beloved part of the Tekken lore where he’s likely to remain for the rest of the franchise.
Kangaroos are strange animals. They’re native to only one part of the world, struggle to move their legs independently and remain the flagship animal of marsupials. Roger knocks that up a notch by being genetically engineered, as well as a trained boxer who occasionally wears a tie.
Roger was created by the aforementioned Dr. Bosconovitch as a military superweapon and has a son who also competed in the KOTIF Tournaments. His child, Roger Jr., has been a playable character in several titles from Tekken 5 onwards, and like many characters on this list won’t be listed in the upper echelons of competitive play. That being said, it's always entertaining to see someone win a match with Roger Jr., which explains why he remains a fan favorite.
Manga fans will know this character as the adorable and silent protagonist of his own series, which ran throughout most of the 1990s. Players can unlock the tiny tyrannosaur in Tekken 3 by defeating it in “Ball Mode” or by achieving a high score in "Survival Mode" and naming themselves “GON.”
As a tiny dinosaur, Gon has speedy style of gameplay which makes rushing down opponents a breeze since its small hitbox makes higher attacks miss by default. Unfortunately, short limbs are a real hindrance against anyone with ranged attacks, making this character difficult to use. Gon is a one-and-done fighter whose sole entry in the franchise and seemingly random crossover nature makes it hands down Tekken's weirdest fighter.
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