Tekken 8 ending explained
Tekken 8 is the culmination of one of the most convoluted storylines in all of video game history, it only makes sense that the ending is just as confusing.
Trying to make sense of the Tekken 8 ending? Tekken has always been known for its convoluted plot, and while the latest game does its best to make sense of things, there is a lot to wrap your head around.
From Devil Genes to global wars, ancient demons to megacorporations attempting world domination, there is a lot that needs explaining here. Here is our rundown of the plot of Tekken 8, and its ending explained.
SPOILER WARNING: This article explains the plot and ending of Tekken 8, so do not read any further if you do not want the game spoiled.
What happens in Tekken 8?
First, if you aren't caught up with the events leading up to Tekken 8, we have a storyline recap that you can check out. That brings us up to the beginning of Tekken 8, six months after the end of Tekken 7. Jin has finally recovered from his ordeal in the Middle East and is setting off to take down Kazuya himself.
He tracks his father down to wartorn New York and faces off against him one-on-one. The fight does not go Jin's way, and he is left defeated and doubting himself. In the aftermath, Kazuya announces a new King of Iron Fist Tournament which will determine which countries remain in his new world order.
Jin enters the tournament in his weakened state, and through fighting friends and rivals he begins to regain his strength and his confidence. However, the tournament turns out to be a ruse, which Kazuya uses to summon the original demon, Azazel.
Kazuya defeats the demon and becomes all-powerful. While the others stay to keep Kazuya busy, Jin heads off to Yakushima. The island is where he spent his childhood, and where his mother Jun's family is from. While Jin heads into the sanctuary to conquer his inner Devil, the rebel army and the UN fight G-Corporation troops to keep him safe.
Eventually, Kazuya joins the battle with his full Devil power. He arrives just in time to witness Jin emerge as an angel, having taken full control of his Devil Gene. This begins the climactic final battle between father and son.
What happens at the end of Tekken 8?
Jin achieves his full power as Kazuya attempts to destroy the world with a giant ball of energy. Jin deflects the energy into the ocean, causing a giant eruption. This sends both men into the stratosphere on a large chunk of rock, where they fight until it crashes back to earth.
Eventually, the two clash and Jin's power destroys both of their Devil Genes. As the rock makes landfall, the two have returned to their human forms. They begin to fight again as humans, and Jin uses a combination of the Mishima and Kazama styles to defeat Kazuya once and for all.
As Kazuya lies defeated on the ground, a tornado engulfs them both. The next thing we see is Jin on a cliff overlooking the sea, victorious having removed the Devil Gene from the world. He picks up a flower that was given to him by his mother, knowing it was her influence that helped him win the fight.
We then see Kazuya lying unconscious where Jin left him, the cutscene ends just as someone steps into the frame. By inspecting the shoes, we can tell that is Jun, Jin's mother and once the love of Kazuya's life.
During the credits, we see things begin to return to normal. Some of the fighters are helping in the recovery after the war, while others are setting off on new journeys. After the credits, we see Reina survived the battle. She reveals she is the daughter of Heihachi, and that she has Devil powers of her own.
Secret ending explained
There is a secret ending to The Dark Awakens, check out our guide on how to unlock it to learn more. The ending is explained below.
In the secret ending, Kazuya is victorious in the final battle. In true Tekken fashion, he caps off his win by throwing Jin's body off of a cliff, almost certainly to his death now that the Devil Gene is gone. After Kazuya smiles to himself, the scene cuts to him sitting at his desk, plotting his world domination even without his Devil power.
The credits roll as they did before, but instead of showing scenes of the world rebuilding and the heroes celebrating, it shows the villains continuing the war and destroying the world.
That is it for the ending of Tekken 8. For more, head to our Tekken homepage where we have guides on customisation, Super Ghost Battle, and how long it takes to beat the game.
About The Author
Dave McAdam
Dave is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon, after several years of freelancing across the industry. He covers a wide range of games, with particular focus on shooters like Destiny 2, RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, and fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8.
