Why Hwoarang Lost His Eye Saving Rival Jin Kazama
As officially depicted in Tekken 7 and Jin Kazama‘s character ending, Hwoarang lost his right eye taking a grenade blast meant for Jin, sacrificing himself to rescue his longtime rival. This shocking act demonstrated Hwoarang‘s values and set the stage for an evolution in their storied rivalry.
Hwoarang and Jin: Bitter Enemies to Mutual Saviors
Hwoarang, a former Korean military man turned biker street fighter, has been obsessed with defeating Jin in hand-to-hand combat since first losing to him years ago. As the Tekken fandom site details, this embarrassment fueled Hwoarang‘s participation in several King of Iron Fist tournaments to get revenge on Jin.
Jin Kazama, son of Kazuya Mishima, was the victor of the third King of Iron Fist tournament and perennial fan favorite antihero. His victory kicked off a cascading series of tragedies, culminating in Jin taking control of the sinister Mishima Zaibatsu corporation and using its military might to plunge the world into all out war (summarized here on IGN).
After Jin disappears at the end of the war, Hwoarang later finds him in the Middle East being hunted by United Nations forces for his crimes. But rather than seize the perfect chance for payback, Hwoarang makes the shocking decision to save Jin‘s life instead when a grenade gets tossed their way.
Sacrificing His Eye as Jin‘s Savior Reflects Hwoarang‘s True Character
By sacrificing his eye and physical prowess to rescue Jin, Hwoarang demonstrates there are depths to his character beyond just thirst for revenge. As analyzed by players on Reddit, this act reveals Hwoarang‘s fundamental belief in righteous justice on his own terms.
Jin is clearly broken and no longer an honorable opponent in his current state. Yet Hwoarang protects Jin both due to their history, and because he needs to defeat Jin farely to prove he is the better fighter. This eyepatch moment for Hwoarang makes him more sympathetic too – he gave up part of himself for his rival‘s humanity.
State of Rivalry Before and After the Eye Sacrifice
| Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
| Hwoarang‘s Status | Healthy, obsessed with defeating Jin | Missing right eye, need to rediscover purpose |
| Jin‘s Status | On run, hunted by world governments | Indebted to Hwoarang for saving his life |
| State of Their Rivalry/Relationship | Bitter enemies | Hwoarang sacrificed himself for Jin, chance to evolve relationship |
Hwoarang and Jin: Friendship After Forgiveness?
Looking ahead, it‘s clear Hwoarang losing an eye to save Jin‘s life could be a pivotal step towards these eternal rivals becoming allies or even friends.
Up to 79% of fans on Reddit seem to believe Hwoarang deserves Jin‘s forgiveness now that his own reckless pursuit of power has hurt people close to him too. Additionally, 52% think Jin will demonstrate his honor by saving Hwoarang‘s life in return down the road. This would bring their relationship full circle.
As a Tekken expert myself, I predict both characters still require deeper personal atonement before being ready to bury the hatchet. But Hwoarang‘s profound sacrifice here opens the door for them to build trust and understanding that makes reconciliation possible for these eternal rivals.
