Tekken is a fighting video arcade game franchise from Bandai Namco that premiered in 1994–one of the first fighting games to use 3D animation.  The game has gone through seven main games over the years, Tekken 3 (the one that gets named-dropped in Shaun of the Dead) notable as the third best-selling fighting game of all time behind two Super Smash Bros. games.  Tekken has seen several spinoff games, as well as movie adaptations, both in animated (Tekken: The Motion Picture and Tekken: Blood Vengeance) and live action (Tekken), form, and in comic book adaptations.  Netflix is bringing the next iteration of the franchise to life in the animated series Tekken: Bloodline–fans of the games will understand the “bloodline” reference.  Check out the first trailer for the series below.

Jin Kazama, first introduced in Tekken 3, takes center stage.  With his mother as his trainer, his family’s lineage takes him on a vengeance trajectory with his grandfather, all to battle a demon called the Ogre at the “King of Iron Fist Tournament.”  If that story sounds familiar, it may be because it is similar to the plot of last year’s Mortal Kombat movie.

The games are frequently compared, with many differences including style, 2D vs 3D animation, and different player targeted demographics.  But if you liked Mortal Kombat the movie, this series may be worth checking out.

Here’s the trailer for Tekken: Bloodline:

Look for the new animated series Tekken: Bloodline coming to Netflix later this year.

C.J. Bunce / Editor / borg