Bandai Namco’s newest Tekken 8 gameplay trailer is out there in the wild (pun very much intended), and this one’s all about the Master of Salmon himself, Kuma (technically Kuma II).
This bear is the son of the original Kuma from Tekken and Tekken 2, and he’s back in full force in Tekken 8, complete with an intimidating bandana and denim-style waistcoat.
Given his desire to defeat Paul Phoenix in combat, it should probably come as no surprise that Kuma’s opponent for his trailer is none other than Paul himself.
Kuma is a literal bear, and so his fighting style is, well, pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a bear. It’s vicious and primal rather than technical and stylish.
That’s not to say Kuma doesn’t have any skill; some of his punches and kicks are pretty well-considered, which makes Paul’s eventual defeat in the trailer even more embarrassing.
Of course, no Tekken fighter can have just one opponent in a trailer anymore, and so Kuma’s second opponent is Panda, his sometime love interest.
Kuma asks for Panda’s hand in marriage by offering a salmon, and she rebuffs him, so the only logical course of action is for the two to fight to the death. Bear romance, eh?
The trailer culminates in Kuma’s Rage Art, which I think is laugh-out-loud funny. He slaps Panda with the aforementioned salmon, which then transforms into a rocket-powered torpedo and explodes for massive damage.
Kuma is just one of many returning fighters making an appearance in Tekken 8. Others include Shaheen, Yoshimitsu, and Sergei Dragunov.
They join a roster that also includes new fighters like Victor Chevalier, Reina, and Azucena.
Tekken 8 is due to launch on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on January 26th. A demo for the game is also available now across those platforms.
