Tanya is the only female fighting game character that I know of that appears to be unambiguously black.
EDIT: Forgot about Storm from Marvel
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New Female Character revealed for Tekken 7
- Thread starter Flying Wonkey
- Start date
EDIT: Forgot about Storm from Marvel
People have tried to say Elena/Vanessa/Tanya aren't black? Jeeez. It is kinda funny how Storm's popularity has translated to a lot of girls with white hair, though.
Jade was originally just a pallete swap and didn't get her own look until MK3 (definitely black), so I can understand why she has a giant variety of looks when people do fanart. Tanya, on the other hand, had no such discrepancy in appearance.
Jade was originally just a pallete swap and didn't get her own look until MK3 (definitely black), so I can understand why she has a giant variety of looks when people do fanart. Tanya, on the other hand, had no such discrepancy in appearance.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
If Storm wasn't already established by Marvel and wasn't from Africa, she would be in the same lump as the others. I also wonder if Storm is the reason why there are so many brown characters from Japan with white hair.
MrCookiepants
Member
None of these fit your description though.
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And another new character from Tekken 7.
Ragnorok64
Member
I don't think Christie really has many features that I'd readily identify as black.
as opposed to Eddie.
Though if you look at her grandfather in one of her endings it's pretty clear that she has heritage that would be considered black.
In any case, she's one character I just consider "a woman of color", and move on.
as opposed to Eddie.
Though if you look at her grandfather in one of her endings it's pretty clear that she has heritage that would be considered black.
In any case, she's one character I just consider "a woman of color", and move on.
Blood Diamonds
Banned
It's pretty crazy that this game can go from having shit like Marie Rose to Mila.
Bardiche
Member
I agree with Michelle having a more rough-and-tumble fighting style, she did join the tournaments with the intention to avenge her father and in the animated movie she was quite angry (I know, storylines in fighting games are pointless and shouldn't be taken seriously but there is a disconnect). Michelle's authenticity was always questioned due to her ambiguous looks and her moves, but I don't think Harada or the Tekken team will revamp her image or her moves since Michelle will not appear anytime soon (although I would love to see Michelle back with new moves, multiple throws, and a better image). Michelle hasn't been in a canon game for almost 20 years, and it was over a decade in between her appearances of Tekken Tag and Tekken Tag 2. In Tekken Tag 2, Michelle ended up being a T6 Julia with her TTT1 moves slapped on, with no new moves even after a long absence, so I feel like Harada and team are not invested in her. Now that you mention her being half-Chinese and having Wang's moves, her movelist did across as uninspired. I guess I didn't see it that way since I've always designated Wang to be the clone since he was the unlockable character in T1 but that might answer the question as to why the Changs and Wang shared moves in past games. Although Wang and Julia have differentiated, I feel like Michelle never got to differentiate herself from these two characters unfortunately.
MrCookiepants
Member
There really wasn't any logic behind the clone characters back in the day. Lee was like a weird mix of Baek and Law. Ganryu was a straight Jack clone I believe.
In Tekken 5 they overhauled a lot of the clone characters and made them unique, while retaining the same flavour. In Tag 2 they did the same with Kunimitsu, Dr. B and Jun.
Michelle is a weird case since her replacement Julia had undergone huge changes. So they just left her old moveset unchanged because nobody else was using it.
In Tekken 5 they overhauled a lot of the clone characters and made them unique, while retaining the same flavour. In Tag 2 they did the same with Kunimitsu, Dr. B and Jun.
Michelle is a weird case since her replacement Julia had undergone huge changes. So they just left her old moveset unchanged because nobody else was using it.
EastOfEden
Member
Ehh, not sold on her design, will have to see if she actually has a cool personality.
Yeah this so much. Mila's great, but I just can't stand her painfully generic American voice. I wish they actually gave her a Spanish voice actor or even just some mention of her country of origin in the story mode - it's like they just made a stereotypical American and then decided to slap a Spanish flag on her bio at the last minute. Weird.
Yeah this so much. Mila's great, but I just can't stand her painfully generic American voice. I wish they actually gave her a Spanish voice actor or even just some mention of her country of origin in the story mode - it's like they just made a stereotypical American and then decided to slap a Spanish flag on her bio at the last minute. Weird.
Whether or not you want to call it "black", Christie looks like she has some African heritage, especially if you take a look at her grandfather. From what I know of and have read about Brazil, many Brazilian people who genetically have African roots do not consider themselves to be black at all, which is a whole different can of worms.
At any rate, this is one of those Japanese things where the character could be considered black, "but not too black," in for the character to have the broadest appeal possible. Might as well call her "person of color" and call it a day.
eyeball_kid
Member
Yeah, I know Michelle hasn't been in a main Tekken since 2. But Namco is obsessed with youth and has distorted/negative views of female beauty, and thus gets rid of any female character who has any suggestion of a wrinkle coming on (or finds some sci-fi excuse to keep them eternally young). It's unfortunate. I always thought both Julia Chang and Forest Law were terrible replacements for their parents anyway...carbon copies without the style. I know Namco has tried to differentiate Julia, but the luchador thing was out of nowhere and just seems half-assed. I feel like Namco just doesn't really care about either one of the Changs, nor their native heritage.
I do miss Michelle though. She was taller than Julia and just seemed more badass somehow.
Prototype Viktor
Member
The point was that Christie is too ambiguous and her national origin does play a role in advancing that ambiguity.
I would love a black female character. More along the lines of this sort of design. Very simple.
Or if you're dying to make somebody more sassy, just do a Cameron clone.
YESSSSS. This post is awesome.
Most decidedly? Heyoooo
CosmicGroinPull
Member
The sketch looks pretty good. Don't like how they upsized her boobs in the render though.
Japan can't make black characters like that. Either they have to have super light hair or be painfully racist like some of the costumes in RE5, Street fighter 3, and elsewhere...maybe Lisa? But they lightened her up real good in DOA5. She's still black i suppose..
My opinion was somewhat different but kinda similar. I was really happy with Mila before i saw that she was Spanish. Because she was the exact OPPOSITE of a stereotypical American. She actually so down to earth and 'normal' for an average New Yorker(where she works) i was kinda proud of Team Ninja for designing her in a way that seemed like they were apologizing for the complete embarrassments that are blond hair blue eyed hamburger eating cliches that have been Tina and her father for the past 20 years..
The kind of "this is american! everyone is so loud and boisterous and dumb with random english phrases!" Japanese type of thinking that has always been so prevalent. Even the brits don't have random english, but it seems everywhere in fighting games its gotta be the blond american dudes who speak with bad english accents and very caricature attitudes. No black people to be seen. I mistook Sean in SF3 for being a black American before i found out his bio all those years back.
When i found out Mila was spanish though, i had the same thought as you, they really didn't make it seem like that at all, especially in her location in the story, which made me wonder why they even had her as that nationality to start.
My opinion was somewhat different but kinda similar. I was really happy with Mila before i saw that she was Spanish. Because she was the exact OPPOSITE of a stereotypical American. She actually so down to earth and 'normal' for an average New Yorker(where she works) i was kinda proud of Team Ninja for designing her in a way that seemed like they were apologizing for the complete embarrassments that are blond hair blue eyed hamburger eating cliches that have been Tina and her father for the past 20 years..
The kind of "this is american! everyone is so loud and boisterous and dumb with random english phrases!" Japanese type of thinking that has always been so prevalent. Even the brits don't have random english, but it seems everywhere in fighting games its gotta be the blond american dudes who speak with bad english accents and very caricature attitudes. No black people to be seen. I mistook Sean in SF3 for being a black American before i found out his bio all those years back.
When i found out Mila was spanish though, i had the same thought as you, they really didn't make it seem like that at all, especially in her location in the story, which made me wonder why they even had her as that nationality to start.
I can confirm that bears do actually exist.
Brazil was the epicenter of massive slave trade from Africa to replace the decimated indigenous population prior and during the same period of North American importation of african slaves. Just like in NA or the Caribbean, the majority of slaves didn't go back to Africa once they were freed. So while there potentially might have been a small group of indigenous people with black skin, it would have been so small and insignificant drop in the gene pool to be considered a realistic alternative to descendants of slaves.
MegamanPoweredUP
Member
I really wish that Tekken shrinks its roster. I feel like they're mixing random fighting stiles with random archetype of people, but they're loosing deepness.
They never had the guts to lose those unnatural fighting stiles, like Law's, Yoshimitsu's or Mishima's. I was always enraged by Law's bio: "fighting style: martial arts". What?! That's obvious! They're all martial artists!
I dont't think they even have a proper Jet kun do, Wing chun or Wu-shu kung fu fighter.
But hey, let's have a new chick and that's all good.
I really don't like where those games are going. They're emphasizing juggling and straightforward striking, like we're still in '97.
Characters are more and more random. I played Tekken 3 till melting my Ps1 back in the days, but today I'm absolutely not attracted by Tekken anymore.
They never had the guts to lose those unnatural fighting stiles, like Law's, Yoshimitsu's or Mishima's. I was always enraged by Law's bio: "fighting style: martial arts". What?! That's obvious! They're all martial artists!
I dont't think they even have a proper Jet kun do, Wing chun or Wu-shu kung fu fighter.
But hey, let's have a new chick and that's all good.
I really don't like where those games are going. They're emphasizing juggling and straightforward striking, like we're still in '97.
Characters are more and more random. I played Tekken 3 till melting my Ps1 back in the days, but today I'm absolutely not attracted by Tekken anymore.
Pretty sure they've already mentioned they are vastly reducing the character count Megaman....i just want confirmation that my Xiao is in...and with a brand new look mayhaps? More mature one? She's not in highschool anymore at all...and T4 was the last time she looked really cool
They say that this is a story oriented game, so maybe Xiao and Jin will get together, and finally have that kid they've been putting off, and T8 will be a timeskip again like 3 with a new cast
They say that this is a story oriented game, so maybe Xiao and Jin will get together, and finally have that kid they've been putting off, and T8 will be a timeskip again like 3 with a new cast
SolidSnakex
Member
This is the final chapter of the Mishima storyline in Tekken, so i'd think that they're probably going to include every character from the series that they possibly can. But that could also mean that T8 could see a character reduction since it'll start a new storyline.
^ This.
Fun Leo gender debate fact: in the newest version of Tekken, Tekken Revolution, Leo is definitely considered male by the TRev programmers. During one of the summer point promotion events, where male characters got more points per win online, Leo was in that pool of characters.
Katsuhiro Harada said that Leo is female 3 years ago.
joey_bone_bomb
Member
They've already confirmed that won't be the case, though.
brazilian
ThoughtsOfSpeaking
Banned
As far as im concerned thats exactly what they are. Dark skinned latinos with obvious african heritage.
Dependant on who you ask, thats as good as black however.
golduck342
Member
I'm sure it was already mentioned, but damn what a stereotypical character. I'm all for the inclusion of a latino character in the game, but are we really gonna have her shout randomly during the match? any other Tekken character do that besides grunts? Why does she have to be "sassy", most latinas I know are extremely humble. I feel like that just took what they think J-lo is and came up with a Latina sounding name... in fact take Catalina, drop the C and rearrange the letters and you got latina.
You can be black and be from latin america. Which is kind of the genisis of this conversation, being the thing doesn't stop them from being the other thing. Because you are describing a region of the world.
TheFLYINGManga_Ka
Member
Yeah, one thing about Tekken I dislike, the in game models aren't so great IMO.
I think Capcom did a better job with SFxT with the Tekken characters!
Ragnorok64
Member
It's not a "Japanese thing" though. That trend is apparent in media from different cultures. Just look at how Jade from Mortal Kombat has changed over the years. She's gotten lighter and lost African features.
We haven't even seen the in-game model for this character, lol.
You'd really rather have this
Over this
Terareflection
Member
Play some ASW games and you'll change your tune in a heartbeat.
Skullgirls handled it with incredible skill.
Finaika
Member
But Heihachi Mishima is Tekken!
There's going to be a character reduction with a game being built from the ground up. I expect 20-25 for the roster with more characters being added the closer it gets to console release. I rather them work on balance instead of trying to please rabid fans who want ever character ever made in ever fighting game sequel.
I remember when companies actually took chances on rosters. Like Street Fighter III and Tekken 3. Recently MKX looks like it's going to follow suit
After killing damn near everyone off in the last game.
But people always try to play it safe and please everyone.
They already did that with TTT2 and they also confirmed that T7 will have a smaller roster.
AuthenticM
Member
I approve of this design.
I always thought Japanese game makers often made black people with white hair because dark skin + black hair is kind of boring. I'm no japanese expert, but I feel like they often make their character designs more wild so they stand out. Hell, look at all the different hair colors in animes.
RockTurtle
Member
yeah i've heard that it is hard (or costly) to do dark on dark animations. or it doesn't look as stylish/stand out.
thats why you see a lot of black people with white/blonde hair in anime. the contrast brings attention to the eyes.
Storm Chamber
Banned
lol
This comment made me dig up an old drawing and start this thread.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=898577
Let me know what you think of my design Joey!
sixteen-bit
Member
They did make an HD version. Arcade. It was downscaled on consoles.
I doubt it. Could've sworn they already mentioned the roster was getting reduced. As long as they have the characters relevant to the Mishima storyline I'll be content.