Tekken Universe Shares Space With Another Beloved Fighting Game

Fighting games have always had an allure for those of us who game casually or competitively. But while the gameplay reels us in, we stay for the rich lore and fun characters. This is best shown with franchises like Street Fighter and Tekken, and while they’ve crossed over in the past, the real truth about the two being connected is a bit more complicated.

Tekken and Street Fighter’s Worlds Have a Delicate Connection

Those who played Tekken 7 hadn’t forgotten when Akuma challenged Heihachi to a duel that tested both of them immensely. While neither died, we all sat in awe as one of the deadliest Street Fighter characters just went toe to toe with the strongest Mishima. While this all but confirmed to many of us that these franchises were officially connected, there were some contingencies. The largest being that while Akuma was canon to Tekken, Tekken wasn’t canon to Street Fighter. In fact, it’s hard to say anything other than Akuma is connected even though he’s tied to the story of Ryu who is, in turn, tied to the ongoing battle against M. Bison.

Tekken and Street Fighter have crossed paths before in Street Fighter x Tekken, but sadly, that game isn’t canon. Even still, it proved how interconnected these worlds can be, with Tekken creator Katsuhiro Harada confirming Geese Howard of SNK’s Fatal Fury teaching Eliza the Dark Wave movie. Furthermore, Terry Bogard of the same franchise will be a guest fighter on Street Fighter 6, making Fatal Fury a part of both worlds and, in turn, proving a deeper connection between Tekken and Street Fighter.

Does Tekken and Street Fighter’s Connection Matter?

Ultimately, even if these franchises shared a deep connection, it’s not one that has made much of a difference. While the impact of Fatal Fury’s characters has shown an interconnectivity more obvious than Yoshimitsu being in Tekken and Soul Calibur, it doesn’t and hasn’t affected the story. Akuma’s fight in Tekken 7 was just that, even though he had a history with Heihachi’s wife, Kazumi; and ultimately, the story was mainly about Kazuya’s revenge on his father. Furthermore, Street Fighter 6 had nothing to do with Kazuya’s rise to power in Tekken 8. No matter what, the stories of these universes remain independent no matter how connected they appear on the character select screen.

Both franchises and, by extension, Fatal Fury all have rich histories and power scales that, when compared, would make characters who are strong in one game, like Victor Chavalier, pale in other fighters like Street Fighter’s Kimberly. In the end, these games can be as canon as they want to be until they aren’t, and while they share space on paper, it won’t be until Jin Kazama and Ryu’s fist bump that we will know for certain how deeply connected these worlds are.

If you wish to read more about both of these games, head over to our Tekken 8 guide hub or Street Fighter guide hub and look for content that will improve your gameplay!