Every Tekken Game In Chronological Order (2024)

The Tekken series has existed since the mid-1990s, so for some new to the franchise the timing and events of the story might be a bit confusing. Unlike some other fighting games, this one had a deep plot involving the trials and tribulations of what is possibly one of the most dysfunctionally dramatic families in all of gaming.

The franchise follows the Mishima clan in tales of father versus son, grandfather versus grandson, and in between. Here is a list of each Tekken game in chronological order. Spinoff games will also be included. The release years of the games will be also listed.

Updated on March 10, 2024, by Gonçalo Santos: Even three decades after the first launch, the Tekken series is still going strong. The launch of Tekken 8 has been one of the most successful ever for Bandai Namco, and is an excellent addition for any fan of fighting games in general.

We're updating this list to add Tekken 8, which seems to have closed yet another chapter in the Mishima saga, with an obvious hint that the family will remain the focus of any future games.

Tekken

Launched In 1994

The first game kicks off the story of when Kazuya is five and gets chucked down a mountain by his father. It was explained in 7 that Kazuya's mother had a power called a devil form and Heihachi wanted to see if his child inherited it too.

The rest of the story is Kazuya's request for revenge against his father, who he eventually comes to overthrow.

Tekken 2

Launched In 1995

The sequel picks up two years later and follows the story of Kazuya running his father's business. Somehow he and the company have become more corrupt before.

This is the game where Kazuya meets Jun Kazama and conceives his son Jin, continuing the family line. Alas, Mishima men are not known for being attentive fathers. Kazuya cared for Jun, but he was not exactly ever destined to be a family man.

Tekken 3

Launched In 1997

This game follows the story of Jin who was raised by his mother alone. Set between 15-20 years after the previous King of Iron Fist Tournament, Jin seeks out his grandfather Heihachi to train him to be strong enough to defeat a beast called Ogre. Little does Jin know that Heihachi has an ulterior motive in mind, as he seeks to use Ogre's power for his own gain.

Jin's driven by a desire to avenge his mother, who he believes to have been killed by Ogre.

Tekken Tag Tournament

Also Launched In 1997

This was a player-versus-player style game with the playstyle of Tekken 3 where teams of two fought against one another.

In addition to having the characters from Tekken 3, the game had characters from Tekken 2 as well.

Tekken Card Challenge

Launched In 1999

While not a part of the actual mainline story, this game has the characters from Tekken 3, so one could say it's specifically tied to that game. It was a card game similar to Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon released for a console called the WonderSwan.

This handheld device was launched exclusively in Japan, serving as competition for the Game Boy Color and the Neo Geo Pocket Color. The WonderSwan held up pretty well for a while until its discontinuation by owner Bandai in 2003.

Tekken Advance

Launched In 2001

This title for the Gameboy Advance has several of the characters from Tekken 3 and follows a very similar story, though much of it isn't considered canon.

It was the initial Tekken title to be launched on a Nintendo console, and it was Bandai Namco's attempt to popularize the franchise for handheld play in the West since the WonderSwan was region-locked.

Tekken 4

Also Launched In 2001

The fourth installment in the series takes place two years after the events of the third main entry. Its story follows good old Heihachi doing biogenetic experiments and finding that the son he threw into a volcano two decades prior may not be as dead as he expected.

Heihachi organizes the King of the Iron Fist tournament in an attempt to attract his son and grandson, Jin. It's a very drama-packed family reunion as one would expect.

Tekken 5

Launched In 2004

This game picks up right where the previous one left off, with Jin having left his father and grandfather out cold. Heihachi is actually absent for most of the game here, with somebody completely different and surprising organizing the tournament this time.

That figure proves to be none other than Jinpachi, father of Heihachi and great-grandfather to Jin. While Jinpachi is nowhere near as cruel as his son, he does come with a catch.

Death By Degrees

Launched In 2005

Nina Williams is one of the most popular characters in the entire Tekken franchise, so it's no surprise she got her own spin-off game that goes into detail on her backstory. There is no canon time for when it takes place.

However, there is a scene where Nina somewhat squashes her rivalry with her sister Anna. The interaction is extremely brief, yet it seems to be the catalyst for events that happen in the main Tekken games.

Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection

Also Launched In 2005

This game for the PSP has the same plot as the original 5, just with a few added characters and plotlines.

Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection's new characters are Emilie de Rochefort, Sergei Dragunov, and Armor King II, and they each get their own stories.

Tekken 6

Launched In 2007

Possibly the most dramatic of all the games, Tekken 6 takes place a few years after Jin defeated his grandfather Jinpachi and took over the Mishima Zaibatsu company. After seeing the way that his father and grandfather were, one would think that Jin would at least attempt to not become corrupt.

Alas, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and it is revealed that Jin used the company to plunge the world into complete chaos.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Launched In 2011

This follows the same format as the original Tag Tournament, but it now features almost every character from the other games instead of just the ones from 2 and 3.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is generally not considered canon, although some endings (like Julia's) are referenced in Tekken 7. The main story focuses on Heihachi, powered by a rejuvenation serum, staging a new King of Iron Fist Tournament.

Tekken 3D: Prime Edition

Launched In 2012

This game is a remake of Tekken 6 and is the second game put on a Nintendo console. This version does not have a story mode and lacks quite a few modes, but it does deserve props for delivering a great roster of 41 characters and 60fps gameplay on the Nintendo 3DS.

Tekken Revolution

Launched In 2013

Revolution was a free-to-play fighting game released on the PlayStation store in 2013. Unfortunately, it was shut down in 2017.

Tekken Revolution featured Arcade, Online, Warm-Up, and Mokujin Rush modes, and seemed largely designed for newcomers to the franchise.

Tekken 7

Launched In 2017

Tekken 7 starts the story of Heihachi Mishima from the beginning. In the first Tekken, we see him throwing his son off a cliff to test his power but nobody ever explains why. Tekken 7 goes into Heihaci's upbringing as the son of famous martial artist Jinpachi Mishima.

Heihachi overthrew his father and locked him underground where he left him to die. This game also explains the fate of Heihachi's wife Kazumi, mother to his son Kazuya. The present-day storyline revolves around the aftermath of Jin's battle with Akuma, with the war between Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation still raging on.

Tekken Mobile

Launched In 2017

Tekken Mobile was the series creator's attempt at making a Gacha game.

However, many of its pay-to-win features made it unpopular, and it was shut down within a year of creation.

Tekken 8

Launched In 2024

Jin Kazama returned as the protagonist in Tekken 8, with Kazuya Mishima as the main antagonist. Heihachi is supposedly dead after the end of Tekken 7, and Kazuya has reached a new level of comic-book villain here. The entire planet is at stake, and the family squabbles continue.

The conclusion of The Dark Awakens story seems to finish the Jin vs Kazuya chapter of the series, but already brought us a new protagonist or villain, depending on what Bandai Namco decides. Reina Mishima, the latest addition to the problematic family, is revealed as Heihachi's daughter and steals the final scene of the entire game.