Only four characters have appeared as playable characters in all seven main Tekken installments to date: Heihachi Mishima, Nina Williams, Paul Phoenix, Yoshimitsu although Kuma and King but with two different characters also appeared in all Tekken main installments, though their appearances since Tekken 3 are their successors rather than the originals. In the story mode of the game, each character generally has their own personal reasons for entering the tournament and competing for the prize.
A few characters have supernatural origin, such as Devil and Ogre, while animal characters like Kuma the bear and Roger the kangaroo provide comic relief. Players can choose from a diverse cast that hails from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and fighting styles.
