Kuma I, also known as the Rage Bear, is a minor antagonist in the Tekken series. He is Heihachi Mishima's enforcer, sparring partner, as well as his beloved pet and bodyguard, who was trained to fight without mercy against those who opposed his corrupted master. He is considered the most cruel and lethal of bears. He loves eating people after defeating them.
He is a playable character in Tekken and Tekken 2. At some point during the eighteen years between the second game and Tekken 3, Kuma died of natural causes peacefully from old age, not returning in any following games. Instead, his son, Kuma II, took his place, appearing in all Tekken games since.
Kuma's bear age was unknown, but he was around twenty-two or twenty-six in terms of the human age.
Biography[]
Kuma was once an abandoned bear cub in the forests surrounding the mountains of the Mishima Estate. He was found by Heihachi Mishima, who took him as his own pet. Heihachi taught the bear simple commands and hand signals, which Kuma picked up at an alarming speed. Kuma would grew into a huge bear and Heihachi built him an outhouse to cater for his impressively large frame. Incredibly enough, Kuma developed human intelligence and was also thought Japanese, making him able to communicate with people.
Two years later, Heihachi realized that Kuma was no ordinary bear and possessed a great power, so he trained Kuma in the arts of Kuma Shinken. Heihachi's associates of the Mishima Zaibatsu were unable to understand how could a bear such as Kuma be so intelligent. This was further reinforced by Kuma's penchant for the taste of human flesh.
Kuma became known as the worst of bears, the cruellest of them. Having human intelligence, Kuma was still unable to control his feral instincts and would take pleasure in destroying his enemies. What made Kuma even more terrible was his love for human flesh, his favorite food. His temper and cruelty led to a lot of Heihachi's henchmen fleeing the estate in fear of the bear's intellect. Despite Kuma's unflinching loyalty to his master, Kuma liked to leave the side of Heihachi to sleep, even during the summer. This lazy approach meant that Kuma's fighting style had never really matured and was very disjointed.
Tekken[]
Kuma worked as Heihachi Mishima's main bodyguard, along with his other goons. Heihachi was known as a corrupted business man, responsible of many crimes, such as thievery, drug and weapons traffic, and murders. Along with Kuma, Lee Chaolan was another prominent member of the Zaibatsu, as well as Heihachi's adoptive son and heir.
When the Mishima Zaibatsu announced the King of Iron Fist Tournament, Kuma took part in it for Heihachi and to show his strength. He remained undefeated until he faced Paul Phoenix, a strong fighter with an unnatural brute strength, so brutal that he was a strong as a Mishima. Instead of eating Paul, Kuma was easily defeated. Kuma was very impressed with Paul's fighting prowess, as he thought that the only strong human in the world was Heihachi. Kuma disappointed both himself and Heihachi. But Kuma was not the only one who neglected his practice; Heihachi had slacked his own training too and was defeated by Kazuya Mishima. Heihachi went missing after the fight against his son.
Tekken 2[]
Heihachi survived his fall from a cliff at the hands of his son. Kuma reunited with his master but they couldn't return at the Mishima Zaibatsu, as Kazuya took it as his own. Kuma and Heihachi retreated into the mountain dojo of Mishima Estate to retrain.
Two years later, the Zaibatsu had become even more corrupted and evil than it ever been before. Kuma and Heihachi were determined to save it from Kazuya, who was rumored to have gone mad. The King of Iron Fist Tournament 2 was announced by the Zaibatsu, and Kuma and Heihachi returned in public after 2 years of hard training. The two travelled together in the tournament and Kuma protected him from his enemies. Kuma became stronger than before, yet he was not able to renounce his own vices. If anyone got in his way, he would eat them.
Kuma faced the hated Paul a second time, and despite his overwhelming power he was defeated again by the American fighter. Despite this, Paul would remember fighting bears as a nightmare and exhausting experience. Paul would also be able to defeat all his opponents and gain the right to face Kazuya in the final fight, yet he had a car accident that forced him to abandon the tournament.
Kuma's master was able to defeat and kill his son Kazuya. Kuma and Heihachi returned to the Mishima Zaibatsu and Lee was expelled.
Fate[]
Kuma's activities after the second tournament are unknown. Throughout his life, he had at least one female partner, as eight years before Tekken 3 Kuma had a son, Kuma II, and trained him how to fight to defeat Paul one day, so that his son could succeed where he failed.
Kuma I died of old age at some point before the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3.
Kuma II became Heihachi's pet and bodyguard like his father, yet he developed a less serious personality and is generally a comedic character, unlike the fearsome father. Unlike his father's fondness for living in the human society, Kuma II, being a bear, thought it was important for him to improve his wildness as a real animal predator and went rogue after Tekken 3, although he eventually returned in the human society and by Heihachi's side in Tekken 7, carrying his father's legacy to serve the Mishimas.
Gallery[]
Images[]
_(TZ.T).jpg "Kuma (T2) (TZ.T).jpg (28 KB)")
1.jpg "Kuma(T2)1.jpg (34 KB)")
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- In the first Tekken game, Kuma appears to be an Asian black bear, bearing the same distinctive chest markings. However, in all other games, Kuma and his son are portrayed as a Japanese brown bear.
- Lee Chaolan thinks that Kuma II is actually this Kuma. In Tekken 6's Scenario Campaign Lee can meet Kuma II in the Hokkaido stage, where he mistakes him for his father, and greets him only to see a confused and indifferent reaction from the bear.
[]
 Villains
| ||
|
Combatants Hazards Minions Other | ||