Highlights

  • Tekken 8 features a large roster of 32 playable fighters, with more to be added via DLC.
  • Lee Chaolan, known as 'The Silver-Haired Devil', is a standout member of this roster. He is both a skilled fighter and the CEO of Violet Systems.
  • Lee has a strong identity and a longstanding contempt for his adoptive family, the Mishimas.

Tekken 8 was recently released with an impressively large roster of fighters. A total of 32 are playable at launch, with more expected to be added via DLC further down the line. Among this roster are many familiar faces to fans of Tekken, one of which is Lee Chaolan, a skilled fighter who made his debut back in the original game. Lee is an adopted son of Heihachi Mishima, and therefore an extended member of the Mishima family around which most of Tekken's lore is built. He returns in Tekken 8 with a few new tricks up his sleeve.

Known as 'The Silver-Haired Devil', Lee is the CEO of a robotics corporation called Violet Systems. This gives him crucial access to a range of cutting-edge technology that he has often used to aid him in battle. His silver hair and smug personality give him a distinctive look and feel, ensuring he has a strong identity among the rest of the roster. Over the years, Lee's motivations may have changed, but his contempt for his adoptive family, Heihachi, and Kazuya Mishima, has never wavered.

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Tekken 8: Complete Kazuya Mishima Breakdown

Tekken 8 sees veteran character Kazuya Mishima step back into the spotlight as the primary antagonist, a role he has been absent from since Tekken 2.

Tekken's Lee Chaolan Has Close Ties to the Mishimas

As a child, Lee's parents both died, so he found himself living as an orphan on the streets of China. This quickly changed when he was discovered by Heihachi, who was immediately impressed with the young boy's fighting ability and decided to adopt him, taking him back to the Mishima Dojo to train him alongside his son, Kazuya. While this may have seemed like a gesture of kindness from Heihachi, his true intention was to give Kazuya a rival to fight and train with. Lee learned Mishima-Style Karate alongside Kazuya, and incorporated this into his distinctive fighting style. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to prevent Lee from suffering defeat at the hands of Kazuya during the first King of Iron Fist Tournament.

After siding with his adoptive brother during the events of Tekken 2, Lee was promptly defeated by Heihachi and expelled from his company, the Mishima Zaibatsu. During Lee's exile, he lived alone in a mansion, and as many years passed, his love of fighting diminished considerably. Lee re-emerged during Tekken 4, entering the tournament to confront Heihachi once again, this time donning a disguise to conceal his true identity. Ultimately, it was Kazuya, who was presumed dead at this point, who once again bested Lee during the tournament. Lee's participation in the 5th King of Iron Fist tournament was short-lived, as he removed himself once he discovered the tournament had been put on by Jinpachi Mishima, Kazuya's grandfather.

Lee Chaolan's Hatred For the Mishimas is One of Tekken's Constants

It was at this point that the Mishima Zaibatsu, now with Jin Kazama at the helm, began a long, drawn-out conflict with G Corporation, a company in which Lee had shares. As a stockholder, Lee was able to enter the tournament in order to try and get closer to Kazuya, who was running G Corp. During the events of Tekken 6, Lee meets Lars Alexandersson, an illegitimate son of Heihachi's, and the two develop a bond, with their mutual hatred for the Mishimas at its core. Eventually, during Tekken 7, Lee assists Lars and his rebel army, Yggdrasil, in luring Heihachi and his forces to a remote facility near a volcano, with the hopes of ambushing them.

Although this plan worked to an extent, with Heihachi finally meeting his end at the hands of Kazuya, Lee quickly realized that Kazuya had no plans to stop waging war on the world, with his devil gene seemingly taking over. Concluding that only Jin Kazama could stop Kazuya, Lee vows to do all he can to aid Jin, Lars, and their allies on this quest. Tekken 8 sees Lee donning a brand-new piece of armor, the Violet Suit, enabling him to fight Kazuya's forces head-on during the game's huge battle sequence. He plays an integral part in holding the forces off, allowing Jin to finish his mission.