Netflix announces Tekken: Bloodline, and it’s coming later this year

Fans of Bandai Namco’s longstanding fighting game series Tekken are in for something special. Netflix has announced Tekken: Bloodline, an anime adaptation of the franchise that is set to arrive later this year. We’ve also got a trailer that gives us a look at what we can expect. For now, we don’t have a date beyond 2022, but we shouldn’t have to wait too long either way.

This isn’t Tekken‘s first foray outside of gaming either, as the franchise has tried this sort of thing numerous times. Over the years we’ve seen films and anime try to bring the series to the small screen. But none of these attempts were very successful. And since most of them have been lost to time, it’s clear that most people aren’t the biggest fan of them either. Tekken: Bloodline looks to be taking a different approach, and the trailer does give us some interesting information.

This isn’t Tekken‘s first rodeo

The trailer for Netflix’s Tekken: Bloodline shows off more than just plot points. The key takeaway is that the series seems like it’s set before and during the events of Tekken 3. We see a young Jin Kazama being trained by his mother, Jun Kazama. Fans of Tekken will already know what happens next, but there won’t be any spoilers here.

The trailer then goes on to show Jin in his Tekken 3 attire alongside other characters from that game’s roster, including Paul and True Ogre. There’s also the addition of Leroy Smith, a character who was first introduced in Tekken 7 as DLC. His inclusion hints that the anime may be going in a different direction to the original story laid out in the games. But we’ll have to wait and see how much has actually changed when the show comes out later this year.

Another interesting aspect to consider is that this series could be considered a sequel to Tekken: The Motion Picture released in 1998. That film centered on Kazuya Mishima, the father of Jin, and his storyline from the first Tekken and its sequel. The movie ends with a young Jin and his mother before the events of Tekken 3 take place. While Tekken: The Motion Picture may not be the greatest thing around, it is cool that it seems to slot in perfectly with Tekken: Bloodline.

It’ll be intriguing to see if this adaptation of Tekken can stick the landing. At the very least, we should get some cool fight scenes featuring some of the bigger names in the series. Luckily, the wait won’t be long.