Tekken 7 has a pretty wide roster, but there’s one Tekken character that’s been a bit controversial. Beyond just being a fun addition, a lot of fans are often wondering why is Akuma in Tekken 7? While his inclusion as a fun additional fighter makes sense, his greater role in the Tekken story and world just doesn’t make any sense. The character isn’t just a non-cannon addition, he actually has a role in the game proper.

If you’re wondering why is Akuma in Tekken 7, there are a few reasons we can look at. Although, most of the explanations haven’t exactly been satisfactory for everyone! This is what we know about why he’s in the game and how he’s canon to the Tekken storyline.

Source: Bandi Namco

Tekken 7 is one of the best fighting games and a big part of that has been the inclusion of guest characters, especially in the DLC. Quite a few of these guest characters are pulled in from outside franchises. Akuma is best known for Street Fighter. The character has been making appearances in that franchise as an antagonist ever since Super Street Fighter II Turbo. Showing up in Tekken 7 complicates things a bit more than the other guest characters though.

Source: Bandi Namco

For the most part, guest characters in DLC are non-canon. They don’t count for the game’s story. Noctis from Final Fantasy isn’t actually playing a role in the world of Tekken, he’s just showing up on the roster to spice things up. The exception to this though, is Akuma

Akuma’s role in Tekken 7 is a bit more complicated than just showing up as a random DLC inclusion. Akuma originates as a Street Fighter character, and presumably has the same background and story for his appearance in Tekken. In the world of Tekken, he appears in the 7th game, without much reasoning for his appearance. He is just in the world of Tekken, having been sent by Kazumi to kill Heihachi’s husband and son.

Akuma has a longer role within the story. He travels to the G Corporation tower to fight Kazuya. Before being bested as he transforms in Devil Kazuya, one of the Tekken 7 character unlocks that’s pretty much exclusive to the story and a transformation. Their fight is interrupted by Heihachi, before the G Corporation building is destroyed.

Later in the story, Akuma is in more fights but does survive to continue to be the head of the G corporation.

Source: Bandi Namco

That’s basically what happens, but why is Akuma in Tekken 7? It isn’t explained. He just is. It’s the assumption that the character is now just co-existing in the world of Street Fighter. His actions here won’t affect the story in Street Fighter games, but he apparently co-exists in both fighters. An alternative interpretation is that Street Fighter and Tekken take place in the same world, but that probably won’t factor into the games much.

The story of Akuma in Tekken 7 is a bit weird. He doesn’t really need a canonical reason to have shown up though. While a bit confusing, you can just read him as his own character here. It might be easier to think of Akuma in Tekken 7 as a separate person to him in Street Fighter.