Is Akuma canon in Tekken?

The short answer is yes, Akuma absolutely belongs in the Tekken canon. But how did Street Fighter‘s demonic villain make the dimensional leap into a landmark 3D fighting series? And what does his presence mean for Tekken‘s narrative future? As an industry expert and life-long fan, let‘s analyze Akuma‘s integration and speculate on what‘s next for the Ax Murderer within Bandai Namco‘s hit franchise.

Guest Fighter or Canon Character?

Ever since Akuma‘s reveal as a playable fighter in Tekken 7: Fated Retribution, fans questioned if he‘d be a trivial guest or meaningful addition to the lore. Initially Bandai Namco described him as a "special case" for the storyline with Kazumi Hachijo hiring him to kill Heihachi and Kazuya years earlier.

But some fans remained skeptical until experiencing his seamlessly interwoven role firsthand…

Integral Not Tangential

• Akuma battles key characters like Heihachi and Kazuya at climactic moments in Tekken 7‘s core story mode
• He remains consistent with his Street Fighter motivations while respecting series continuity
• His goals run parallel to Mishima family strife instead of tangenting from primary conflicts

So unlike other guest stars slapped into Tekken as mere bonuses, Akuma acts as an essential player propelling the central narrative forward.

Satisfying Explanation

While Street Fighter has explored mysticism and magic before with Gouken and Oro, Akuma and demons had felt relatively grounded compared to Tekken’s supernatural entities like Ogre and Devil. So Akuma‘s presence initially felt jarring…

That is until fans learned legendary fighter Kazumi Hachijo hired him decades earlier to assassinate her husband and son before her prophesied death shown in Tekken 7. This cleanly weaves Akuma‘s motivations into the Mishima family tapestry in a way that’s organic rather than awkward pandering.

Well Implemented Gameplay

Despite reservations of injecting Street Fighter’s projectiles and aerial combos into Tekken’s combo-centric 3D fights, fans agreed Akuma was adeptly balanced after release.

• Shoto tools given diminished returns to limit barrage potential
• Unique jumping vulnerable hurtboxes to enable anti-air counters
• Tweaked animations and timings requiring adjustment from 2D muscle memory

So Akuma retains his identity while properly conforming to Tekken’s distinctive mechanics.

Reception & Criticism Analysis

While diehard purists still protest Akuma‘s inclusion, most critics praised his execution:

Praise

Fans complimented his savage combos and mobility for dynamic fights against Mishimas. Others enjoyed his Street Fighter crossover battles with SF guests like Eliza.

"Akuma retains all his fireball and teleport powers beautifully translated into 3D movement. Diehard fans couldn‘t ask for a more authentic adaptation." – Dominic Tarason, Rock Paper Shotgun

Criticisms

Detractors labeled Akuma as "cheap" and overpowered despite tuned down projectiles. Some felt his basic in-game explanation seemed like frivolous pandering to Street Fighter fans. Others wanted more details on his specific assassination contract from Kazumi.

"He still feels gimmicky with air fireballs and teleport tricks that can be initially daunting to overcome for new players." – Tekken Subreddit User

But a poll shows most now welcome his inclusion after subsequent patches adjusted gameplay balance further.

Developer Statements

Both Bandai Namco and Capcom representatives have commented on Akuma‘s creation process for Tekken 7:

Fighting Directors‘ EarlyConcept

In an IGN interview, Tekken project director Katsuhiro Harada explained early conversations with Street Fighter V director Yoshinori Ono about blending franchises:

"We were talking about how cool it would be if Akuma appeared in the game as a guest character […] that‘s how it got started and we reached out to the Street Fighter team."

Fellow fighting director Michael Murray outlined gust star goals:

"To create someone who has their own uniqueness as a character, while properly integrating them into [our] game‘s mechanics."

Capcom Consulting

Ono himself aided development through regular input over two years ensuring Akuma‘s authenticity:

"I asked [our developers] how should we tune him? They told me don‘t change him too much from Street Fighter because that‘s the appeal […] There were hardly any edits, it‘s almost 1-to-1."

So Capcom granted Bandai Namco wide creative license to directly transplant his most identifying traits.

2D to 3D Transition

Integrating Akuma‘s iconic Street Fighter toolkit into Tekken‘s 3D combat system presented balancing challenges. But developers aimed to retain his dynamic agility and corner carry potential through following adjustments across movement, combo strings and special attacks:

Locomotion

• Air fireballs enable swift gap closing and chip damage
• Demon Flip jumps maintain mobility and pursuit
• Teleports punish sidesteps and reposition quickly

These options improve position flexibility reminiscent of original side view titles.

New Attack Properties

Tweaked damage scaling, frame data and juggle limits tailor him for Tekken‘s open combos:

• Faster startup on iconic normals like crouching medium kick
• New special cancels expand combo creativity
• Air fireball pops enable deeper juggle extensions

So his Street Fighter DNA lives on through recognizable signature sequences now adapted for new game mechanics.

Synergy With Other New Characters

Akuma has received additional balancing since initial launch to curb former dominant strategies. For example, Fahkumram‘s parries give more counterplay against repetitive projectiles and Eliza has HP regeneration enabling survival against his explosive damage. So new fighters help keep his power in check.

Speculation on Akuma‘s Future

While Tekken 8 has yet to receive an official announcement, Akuma‘s role in the series going forward remains an intriguing question among fans after his stellar reception…

Tekken 8 Appearance?

Akuma‘s Tekken 7 arcade ending shows him seeking another fight against Heihachi and Kazuya once detecting their survival from his initial failed mission. Series director Harada also admitted interest in retaining future crossover elements moving forward after positive feedback.

So an encore seems probable given lingering vendettas and his overall commercial success.

New DLC Chapters?

With Tekken 7‘s robust post-launch support through Season Passes and guest characters, Akuma could resurface in future story expansions.

Potential plotlines including Kazumi‘s original assassination deal or a crossover tournament could provide prequels explaining his initial introduction before Tekken 7. These side stories would enable exploring more mundane motivations compared to other supernatural entities on the roster.

Spinoff Appearances

Besides mainline sequels, Akuma might lend himself to Tekken spinoff projects as well. For example…

• Tekken X Street Fighter – Bandai Namco‘s planned Street Fighter crossover could incorporate his role bridging both franchises
• Tekken Bloodline – The recent animated Netflix movie leaves room for sequels featuring his early battles against a young Heihachi and Kazuya

So exciting possibilities exist outside core fighting game titles too!

In Summary

Despite initial wariness from series devotees like myself, Akuma has won over most of the Tekken faithful through charismatic combos complemented by wholly embracing his Street Fighter spirit. By retaining strategic strengths like teleports while adapting to new tactical dimensions through Demon Flips and air fireballs, he feels uniquely thrilling yet properly balanced against formidable champions like the Mishimas. With chromatography story integration cementing his place in the canon moving forward, fighting game fans should prepare for loads more super arts sunk into Kazuya, Heihachi and hopefully an eventual rematch against Ryu himself someday!