The Ladies of the Tekken world

They say that videogames are for men only, that these kinds of games are not to be played by women because of its violent nature. Instead, they are supposed to play toys that would “fit” their gender. However, I beg to disagree on that statement. Games are to be played regardless of your gender and it does not make you less of a person.

Tekken is a game where a character fights one-on-one with another character. As the years passed, the game creators also began to add female characters who are as strong as the main character. The rise of female character just shows that women, even in videogames, aren’t weak and should never be portrayed as on. Women can fight, and sometimes, these characters beat the men characters, especially if they have really good playing skills.

Here are my Top 5 picks for the Ladies of the Tekken World:

1. Emilie “Lili” De Rochefort

Photo Source: http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/tekken/images/4/48/Tekken_6_BR_Lili.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20101219050520&path-prefix=en

Lili seems to be sweet and kind at first, but she’s not. This Monegasque teenager is versatile and easy-to-use. Her fighting skills are a combination of gymnastics and ballet which benefits her great range and long legs as if she was just dancing. She often use cartwheels, pirouettes, maneuvers, twists, and turns. Her moves are so sophisticated that you won’t expect her to be the most powerful female character in the game.

This long-blonde-haired girl will swoon her enemies to death not to mention that her fighting skills are all self-developed by Lili herself. Looks are definitely deceiving for Lili Rochefort.

2. Christie Monteiro

Photo Source: http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/tekken/images/a/a1/0576aa28d8_69591128_o2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120101185218&path-prefix=es

Christie is fun and quirky when you interact with her in the game’s story mode. She is definitely on my list for one reason: she uses capoeira as her main fighting skill. Her capoeira skills are a great advantage for her to defeat her enemies that are mostly men.

Her synced movements are forms of distraction. Christie moves a lot as if she is not fighting an opponent. She uses cartwheels and graceful moves to fight her opponents. Also, with her quirky movement, Christie is great in defending herself causing the player to have an opportunity to attack.

Her moves were similar to a male character Eddy Goro because she is the granddaughter of the one who taught Eddy the art of fighting using Capoeira.

3. Nina Williams

Photo Source: http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/14/147536/2806588-nina_williams.jpg

This cold-blooded Irish assassin became an instant fan-favorite when she first appeared in the original series of Tekken. She is one of the most feared assassin, William sisters. But she hated her sister, Anna.

In her story line, she and her sister were put into a cryogenic sleep for 15 years, causing them to have a young physical appearance despite of their old age. Without her knowing, a child was implanted in her cryogenic sleep and that kid was now a full-grown man (Steven Fox) fighting against her since the release of Tekken 4.

Nina is fast, has lethal moves and huge chain throws. Her strength is far different from others. Nina’s fighting skills are a combination of Koppojutsu based assassination arts and Aikido based fighting techniques. Fighting against her will need a lot patience.

4. Ling Xiaoyu

Photo Source: http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/9170/527888-xiaoyu_t_6_wallpaper.jpg

Xiaoyu entered the world of Tekken when she was 16. She debuted in Tekken 3 and continued to be a part of the next releases of the game.

Her fighting style is a combination of Baguazhang and Piguaguan based Chinese martial arts. Xiaoyu is really easy to play with because of her agility and acrobatic skills. Her skills were influenced by her master, Wang Jinrei, who is another playable character in the game. Plus, her best friend is a panda!

But before choosing her to go in the battlefield, you might want to practice with her first because there are times that she could not deliver a big punch in order for her to defeat her opponent.

Young as she may seem, Xiaoyu is a powerful one.

5. Josie Rizal

Photo Source: http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/tekken/images/7/78/Josie_CG.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150331100917&path-prefix=en

Josie Rizal is one of the newest playable character in latest installment of Tekken that was released in April 2015. She is also the first Filipino fighter ever made into the game.

Her outfit represents the color of the Philippine flag and was named after the country’s National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. Josie is bright, cheerful and energetic similar to what the Filipinos are known for.

Her fighting style includes Eskrima-based kickboxing which specifically uses sticks and knives, similar to a combat sport in the Philippines called “arnis”. Also, the creators of Josie focused more on her defense mechanism as a fighter.

Although she is new to the game, Josie will surely show the whole Tekken world what a Filipino is capable of.

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