| Kazuya Mishima | |
|---|---|
| Tekken character | |
 Kazuya Mishima in Tekken 8 (2024) | |
| First appearance | Tekken (1994) |
| Created by | Seiichi Ishii |
| Voiced by | English
Japanese
|
| Portrayed by |
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| Motion capture |
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| In-universe information | |
| Fighting style | Mishima-ryu Karate |
| Origin | Japan |
| Nationality | Stateless (Renounced Japanese nationality)[2] |
Kazuya Mishima (Japanese: 三島 一八, Hepburn: Mishima Kazuya) is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists of Bandai Namco's Tekken series. Debuting as the protagonist of the original game, Kazuya has since become one of the series' most prominent villains after serving as the penultimate boss of Tekken 2. The son of a wealthy zaibatsu CEO named Heihachi Mishima, Kazuya seeks revenge against his father for throwing him off a cliff years earlier. Kazuya becomes corrupted in later games, seeking to obtain more power and eventually coming into conflict with his own son, Jin Kazama. Kazuya Mishima possesses the Devil Gene, a demonic mutation, which he inherited from his late mother, Kazumi Mishima, which can transform him into a demonic version of himself known as Devil Kazuya (デビル一八, Debiru Kazuya). Devil Kazuya has often appeared as a separate character in older installments prior to becoming part of Kazuya's moveset in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and later games. Kazuya Mishima is also present in related series media and other games.
The character was based on writer Yukio Mishima, with whom he shares a last name. A number of staff members have considered him one of the franchise's strongest characters, which has led to debates about reducing the damage of some of his moves or removing them altogether. Kazuya Mishima's devil form was created to bring unrealistic fighters into the series. Several voice actors have portrayed Kazuya Mishima in video games and films related to Tekken. In addition to appearances in spin-offs in the Tekken series, Kazuya also appears as a playable character in Namco × Capcom, Project X Zone 2, Street Fighter X Tekken, The King of Fighters All Star and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Kazuya Mishima has received critical acclaim. A number of websites have listed him as one of the best Tekken characters and one of the best characters in fighting games. Journalists have praised Kazuya's moves and dark characterization, which rivals that of his father. In contrast, reception to Kazuya Mishima's portrayal in films has been mixed, with critics finding him generic.
- ^ "Tekken: Blood Vengeance 3D Film's English Cast Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
- ^ "Tekken 7 - The Best Fights Are Personal". tk7.tekken.com. Archived from the original on 2021-09-18. Retrieved 2021-09-18.