Easily visible as my absolute best musical piece yet and proof that I am improving with each try. Another favorite of the Tekken 3 soundtrack and the entire Tekken franchise altogether, the unnamed theme of Jin Kazama, the protagonist of the story second to his unholy father Kazuya Mishima. And similar to his father, he has swapped roles between protagonist and antagonist, thanks to his blood, linking him to the most dysfunctional family in all of Japan, maybe even the world. Whether as hero, anti-hero or villain, Jin will do whatever it takes to free himself from the chains that bind him to the destiny of a Mishima.

Kazama-Ryu disciple and World Wide Wildlife Conservation (WWWC) officer Jun Kazama was defeated in The King of Iron Fist 2 by Kazuya, the tournament host, failed in her mission to arrest Kazuya for his links to animal abductions and smuggling, among his other atrocities done across the globe. But secretly, she sensed a dark presence Kazuya, which she believed was causing to him to commit these wrongdoings on the world, and in participating, aimed to exorcise this evil and free Kazuya. However, shortly after leaving, she received word that Kazuya was defeated and killed, and somehow, Jun conceived his son.

Her sense of the spirit of others revealed that her son, christened Jin, inherited this dark power. Despite this, she raised him with discipline and love, even passing on Kazama-style Martial Arts to him. But sixteen years after Jin’s birth, his grandfather, Kazuya’s father, Heihachi, unleashed a deadly monster worshiped by the Aztecs as a God of Combat, but failed to capture it as he planned. This beast, dubbed Toshin, or Ogre, began a rampage, seeking out the best martial artists across the world and fighting them to death. Jun could not help but feel a duel with him coming over the horizon.

Her intuition proved correct, and she revealed Jin’s identity as a Mishima, and instructed him to find Heihachi, should anything happen to her. As fate loves to make the worst premonitions come true, Jin was awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of his mother in distress, combating Ogre as she predicted. Rather than listen, Jin dashed to her aid, only to be swatted away by the beast. Coming to, Jin saw neither Ogre, nor Jun. Only the shambles of what he used to call home. With nothing left but his mother’s last words, he left his life behind to fulfill them and was taken under Heihachi’s wing for the next two years.

As Jun’s only focus in the second King of Iron Fist Tournament was Kazuya Mishima and failed to defeat him, she had not crossed paths nor traded blows with Heihachi, but only knew him as Kazuya’s father, innocent of his own ruthless hunger for power. Taking advantage of Jin’s anger, he taught him the style of Mishima-Ryu, driving him to avenge his mother, while organizing the third King of Iron Fist Tournament. Ogre was drawn to strong fighters, and strong fighters were drawn to tournaments, Jin was certain that Ogre would be there, and entered, oblivious to his role as a pawn under Heihachi’s thumb.