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Paul Phoenix (ポール・フェニックス Pōru Fenikkusu?) is a character in the Tekken series who made his debut in the first Tekken game and has since appeared in every game to date. He is a hotheaded, aggressive character, determined more than ever to win the King of Iron Fist Tournament and prove he is the best fighter in the entire universe. Paul is good friends with the Law Family.

Although he gets close several times (especially in Tekken 3), Paul has never won a tournament. Additionally, despite his set-up in the first game as Kazuya Mishima's rival, Paul's chances of challenging Kazuya in a rematch are consistently thwarted by fights with Kuma I, Kuma II, or Panda.

Biography[]

Paul Phoenix is a tough American fighter whose battle-spirit was first kindled by his watching 'Bear Killer Willy Williams' as a child.[7] Something of a drifter, Paul had no real career, instead making money by street fighting and taking occasional work as a bouncer[4] while he pursued his real passion: proving himself to be the toughest fighter in the universe. Paul trained with Marshall Law, who would go on to become his good friend, and Lee Chaolan,[citation needed] and remained undefeated in battle[citation needed] until he fought Kazuya Mishima to a draw.[4]

When Paul heard the announcement of The King of Iron Fist Tournament, he entered, seeing the opportunity to face his rival, Kazuya, and prove himself to be the best. During the tournament, Paul defeated a bear named Kuma, but was unable to defeat Kazuya when they fought.[1]

Two years passed before news reached Paul of a second tournament.[7] Paul entered, and while he was again successful in defeating Kuma, he was still unable to prove himself to be stronger than Kazuya; traffic on the Japanese highways prevented him from reaching the venue in time, forcing him to forfeit.[6]

Paul had to wait almost twenty years for a third chance to prove himself, but when he received an invitation to another King of Iron Fist tournament, he accepted immediately.[6] Paul also convinced his good friend Marshall Law's son, Forest, to enter, infuriating Marshall in the process.[11] At the tournament, Paul defeated all who stood before him, including Kuma II[12] and Ogre, the god of fighting himself. Returning home believing himself to be victorious, Paul was unaware that victory had once again eluded him; Ogre had not been defeated, and had morphed into his true monstrous form, only to be defeated by Jin Kazama.[8]

Feeling cheated of his win, Paul began telling everyone that he was the true victor of the third tournament. People soon grew tired of hearing this, and the dojo Paul had established went out of business due to a lack of students. When Paul learned of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, he entered, seeking his long-overdue victory.[13] He was also keen to have another rematch with Kazuya. This time though, Paul lost a fight to Kuma. Humbled, Paul returned to his training with renewed determination.

When the announcement of a fifth tournament reached Paul, he entered with renewed vigor.[14] This time, Paul successfully defeated Kuma, but the fight took its toll on him and, exhausted, Paul was forced to forfeit the tournament again.

Soon after, the sixth King of Iron Fist tournament was announced. Short of money, Paul entered - but, realizing that his mistake in the past had been in pursuing victory on his own, he teamed up with his old friend Marshall Law to try and win the prize money together.[15] Law also brought Steve Fox into the team;[16] however, the trio did not win the prize money.

Soon after, Marshall asked Paul if he knew anyone who could lead the Marshall Dojo while he dealt with some financial issues. Paul said he would run the dojo for Marshall, but Marshall politely declined (privately expecting that Paul's leadership would make the dojo go bust in days.[17]

Paul went on enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7.[18]

Personality[]

Paul is an overconfident, muscle-brained individual who never doubts himself. This overconfidence tends to get the better of him, often leaving Paul in difficult and awkward situations. Despite this, his brash attitude has stayed consistent over time, and still he enters tournaments striving to prove himself to be the "toughest in the universe" (he means this literally, according to his ending in Tekken 5). Paul is short-tempered, slightly dim-witted, loud, and reckless; however, he never does anything out of malice, and his overall exuberance seems to temper his other qualities and make him fairly easy to get along with. He considers Kazuya Mishima to be his rival, though Kazuya does not appear to reciprocate.

Paul shares a deep friendship with Marshall Law, despite the two's constant squabbling. Law is usually seen as Paul's mentor or advice giver, and the pair tend to end up in bizarre circumstances. Paul is also friends with Forest Law and Steve Fox. Like Law, Paul often finds himself bankrupt and in desperate need of money, leading him to enter tournaments in order to win the prize money and eliminate his debt.

Paul and Marshall's antics and get-rich-quick schemes are all well-known among the cast in Tekken 6's Scenario Campaign, and many characters will call both of them out for their shameless behavior.

Appearance[]

Paul is a well-built American with blue eyes, bushy eyebrows, and an iconic high flat top hairstyle. Paul also has a scorpion tattoo on his right arm and, in Tekken 2, he also had two earrings in his left ear; these earrings are seen exclusively in this game, as they were removed for all future installments. From Tekken 3 onwards, he has a beard. In Tekken 4 Paul is also shown with his hair down and tied in a ponytail. In Tekken 8 he wears his hair down again; his hair in this game is shorter and worn in a side parted style, part of which falls over his face.

Outfits[]

Main Article: Paul Phoenix/Outfits

Story[]

Tekken[]

Manual, NTSC
He is a hot-blooded American hand-to-hand fighter who likes training and knows martial arts. He previously fought Kazuya Mishima to a draw and unilaterally considers him to be his rival. He considers his true self to be there all the more when he is fighting and he is taking part in this tournament to look for stronger opponents.[4]

Manual, PAL
An aggressive and hot blooded American, Paul lives by his wits working as a bodyguard and street fighter. He previously fought Kazuya to a draw and has entered the tournament to settle the score.[19]

Version 3
Paul is a hot-blooded American fighter who understands and loves to practice the martial arts.

Paul views Kazuya as his rival, as a previous fight with him ended in a draw; their rivalry is one-sided, however. Believing his true self exists in a heated battle, Paul partakes in this tournament looking for a stronger opponent.[1][citation needed]

Version 4
Driven to be the best of the best, Paul travels the world in search of the perfect opponent. He is a judo expert but he is also skilled in many forms of the martial arts. There is only one fighter in this tournament who is ranked on an equal level to Paul. His name was Kazuya Mishima, whom he had once fought to a draw with. His goal is to eliminate any comparisons.[citation needed]

Tekken_1_Paul_Phoenix_-_Burning_Heart

Tekken 1 Paul Phoenix - Burning Heart

Ending Description, "Burning Heart"
Paul is in his training room. He breaks a stack of three glass blocks with his fist, kicks two glass blocks into the air, and finally punches through a brick wall that has a drawing of Kazuya's face on it, destroying it. The cutscene ends with a close-up of Paul.

Tekken 2[]

Manual, NTSC
Fascinated as a child by 'Bear Killer Willy Williams', Paul grew up to be one of the world's renowned fighters. He lost the final round of the last tournament and enters once again with extreme desires to be the champion.[7]

Manual, PAL
*The PAL manual frames the character profiles as a Mishima Zaibatsu intel report.
Phoenix has apparently no allegiances to law enforcement agencies or any known criminal cartels, and has been classed as a low security risk. However his hot-headed nature could yet cause problems.[20]

Official Website Profile (Japanese)
When Paul Phoenix was a young boy, he idolized Willy "Bear Killer" Williams, and now that he has grown up, he has become a prominent world warrior.

Despite his success over the ferocious Kuma in the previous tournament, Paul didn't have the strength needed to capture the championship. One day, while devoting himself to his training with his eternal sparring partner and friend, Marshall Law, information about a new tournament being held arrived. With his sights set on becoming the world's best, no, the universe's, Paul decides to take part in the tournament.[1]

Version 3
Paul has apparently no allegiances to either law enforcement agencies nor any known criminal cartels, and has been classed as a low-security risk. However his hot-headed nature could yet cause problems.

Paul performed well in the first King of Iron Fist Tournament, and although he was the only competitor insane enough to challenge a fully-grown brown bear and win, he was defeated by Kazuya in a furious battle that lasted for hours. Shaking his head in disbelief, Paul left the Mishima estate and returned to New York. He found work in the south Bronx as a bouncer, where his ego and arrogance led him into numerous confrontations with unsavory characters, all of whom came off second best to his Judo techniques. After months of punishing street fighting throughout the USA, Paul emerges ready for the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2 with overwhelming confidence, believing himself to be the strongest fighter in the world. This time, the Tournament belongs to Paul Phoenix![citation needed]

Tekken_2_Paul_Ending

Tekken 2 Paul Ending

Ending Description, "Hammer Fist"
Paul is riding down a mountainside highway on his motorcycle when a rockslide tumbles down the mountainside and onto the road, blocking his path. Startled, Paul hits the brakes, stopping his motorcycle. Paul dismounts his motorcycle, steels himself, and slams his fist into the rock, breaking it with a single punch.

Tekken 3[]

Manual, NTSC, PAL & PlayStation Classic
Paul Phoenix is a fighter who is admired by young kids worldwide. He let victory escape him in the last Tournament, but has since renewed his training with vigor - he won't let victory slip away this time! Even at the age of 46, Paul has no weak spots![21]

Official Strategy Guide
Paul Phoenix is a man possessed. Forced to forfeit the second King of Iron Fist Tournament by a traffic jam, he has spent many years continuing his training to be the best of the best - and waiting for a chance to prove it. That chance has come in the form of an invitation to the third King of Iron Fist Tournament, and Paul is determined not to waste another opportunity for glory.[6]

Version 3
WAITING FOR THE BIG ONE. In the last tournament, Paul earned the right to fight Kazuya, but a multi-car accident on the expressway prevented Paul from getting to the match on time. He was forced to forfeit.

Despite Paul's enviable career, he has yet to win the one tournament that would mark him as being one of the true greats.

Last spring, he received an unexpected invitation to the '3rd King of the Iron Fist Tournament'. With training still a part of his daily regiment, he is still in peak condition and feels he still has what it takes to win the big one. Now thought to be 46 years old, he still has the eyes of an eagle with the strength and reflexes of a tiger![citation needed]

Tekken_3_-_Paul_Phoenix_ending_-_HD_720p

Tekken 3 - Paul Phoenix ending - HD 720p

Ending Description, "Winning Run"
Paul speeds along a desert freeway, cutting in front of an oil-tanker. A police officer spots him and pulls him over. After much arguing, the officer gives Paul a ticket for speeding. Paul gets angry and kicks the dust, raising a hand to his forehead in disbelief.

Tekken 4[]

Manual, NTSC & Prologue
Paul went undefeated through the entire King of Iron Fist Tournament 3 and even triumphed over Ogre. Swelling with pride, Paul returned home.

However, unknown to Paul, Ogre morphed into his second form - True Ogre - and the tournament continued after his departure.

Although Paul claimed that he was the TRUE champion of The King of Iron Fist Tournament 3, few believed him. And even those who did, eventually grew tired of his attitude. Eventually, his dojo went out of business from the lack of students.

One day, Paul spotted a newspaper flyer announcing The King of Iron Fist Tournament 4.

Burning with the desire to win this Tournament, he decided to put his reputation on the line and prove once and for all that he was the one true champion.

He proclaimed, "This time, I'll be the undisputed champion!"[13]

Manual, PAL
Having won the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3, even defeating the Ogre, Paul Phoenix returned home in triumphant mood. However, the media announced Jin Kazama as the champion. After its defeat at Paul's hands, the Ogre had morphed into its second form, and the fight had continued in his absence.

Feeling cheated, Paul refused to believe he had not won the tournament, and his anger simmered. When he heard about the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, Paul was instantly filled with a burning resolve to win the tournament and prove that he was the true champion![8]

Official Strategy Guide
Paul went undefeated through the entire King of Iron Fist Tournament 3 and was even victorious against Ogre.

Swelling with pride, Paul returned home. However, Paul's happy ending was short-lived. Unknown to Paul, Ogre morphed into his second form, True Ogre. And the tournament continued after his departure.

Although Paul claimed that he was the true champion of The King of Iron Fist Tournament 3, few believed him. And even those that did eventually grew tired of his attitude.

Friends and admirers slowly disappeared. And his dojo eventually went out of business from the lack of students.

One day, Paul came across a newspaper flyer announcing The King of Iron Fist Tournament 4. Burning with the desire to win this Tournament, he decided to give it his all once again to prove that he was the one true champion, once and for all. He had to win.[22]

Tekken_4_Paul_Prologue_and_Epilogue

Tekken 4 Paul Prologue and Epilogue

Ending Description
Clad in a suit, Paul is walking with a woman, presumably on a date. He tells her that they will take a cab home. Paul then turns to the glass window behind him to fix his suit. The lights come on in the Marshall Dojo, and he sees students training. There is a picture of Paul from his 'fighting days' on the wall. The woman, who has found a cab, calls out to Paul, but he continues to watch the students. The screen turns white and the scene changes to show Paul on his motorcycle, now dressed in dark biker attire. He takes off the red-tinted glasses he is wearing and tosses them aside, saying, "Ain't my style," before driving out of the garage.

Tekken 5[]

Tekken_5_Dark_Resurrection_Paul_Phoenix_Interludes

Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection Paul Phoenix Interludes

Manual, NTSC
Paul recognized his overconfidence when he was dealt a severe blow and lost the last tournament. He had forgotten some important lessons and strayed from the path to becoming a great fighter. He wanted to rediscover what he had lost. Two months later, he entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5.[23]

Manual, PAL
When defeated in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, Paul Phoenix realised his problem was overconfidence. He had forgotten some important lessons and strayed from the path to becoming a great fighter. Wanting to rediscover what he had lost, the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 provided him with the perfect platform on which to prove himself. The engine was still running, it just needed a bit of fine tuning![24]

Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Manual, PAL
Reflecting on his loss in The King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, Paul realised that he had forgotten some important lessons and decided to start his training from scratch to rediscover what he had lost.[25]

Official Strategy Guide
Paul Phoenix tried to contain his excitement about facing off with Kazuya Mishima, a rival he hadn't fought in over 20 years.

However, Kuma stood in his way, as always. Paul started out well against Kuma, but soon began to feel desperate because of Kuma's tenacity. Paul realized he had been overconfident when he was dealt a severe blow by Kuma and lost the match.

Reflecting on his loss to Kuma, Paul realized he had forgotten some important lessons and had strayed from the path to becoming a great fighter. He decided to start over again in order to discover that which he had lost.

Two months later, Paul entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5.

"I'll win this tournament and prove to everyone that I'm the greatest fighter in the universe!"[26]

Prologue
Paul Phoenix. The self-proclaimed toughest fighter in the Universe. Paul entered the previous tournament to go head-to-head with Kazuya Mishima, someone he hadn't fought in twenty years.

But he had to get through someone first.

"Not Kuma again!"

Kuma was tough. Paul got careless for one instant and Kuma floored him.

"It's time to start all over again," says Paul.

Two months later, Paul is ready for the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5.

"I am the toughest fighter in the Universe!" screams Paul.[14]

Tekken_5_Paul_Prologue_and_Epilogue

Tekken 5 Paul Prologue and Epilogue

Ending Description
The cutscene opens on a space colony. The camera pans down some skyscrapers in a city and stills on a small, ramshackle building. The building has a sign on its roof reading 'BRING IT ON YA ALIENS'. In the building, Paul warms up with a few fighting moves in front of a grey brick wall, on which there is piece of paper showing a crude drawing of an alien. Using the picture as a target, Paul punches through the wall, making it crumble. Paul raises a fist and says, "Yeah! Anytime! Any place! Bring it on, ya aliens!" The scene changes to show a large number of UFOs converging on the space colony.

Tekken 6[]

Official Strategy Guide
Paul was completely drained after defeating Kuma in The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5.

Paul was saddled with an enormous debt when he learned about the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. Hoping to better his previous finish, he committed himself to winning the event to pay off his debt.

Contemplating a plan to ensure his victory, Paul came to the conclusion that prior failure was due to entering the tournament alone. This time around he decided to join forces with someone else to increase his chances of winning. It was then that Paul decided to ask his long time friend, Marshall Law, to enter with him.[27]

Prologue
Paul was completely drained after defeating Kuma in The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, and was unable to proceed further in the tournament.

Without the prize money he so desperately needed, Paul was stuck with enormous debt. However, word reached him that another King of Iron Fist Tournament was to be held.

Hoping to win the tournament and pay off his debt, Paul concentrated on devising a plan to ensure his victory. He came to the conclusion that his past failure was due to entering alone and decided that entering alongside someone else would increase his chances of victory.

Paul decides to ask his longtime friend, Marshall Law, to enter with him.[15]

Version 3
Paul Phoenix’s rematch with the bear called “Kuma” was fierce, and though victorious, he was utterly exhausted, leaving him unable to continue the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5.

Unable to collect any prize money from the last tournament, Paul, who was already burdened by his mountain of debt, learns that a new King of Iron Fist Tournament will be held soon.

Believing that if he won the tournament, he could finally say goodbye to his loan troubles, Paul deeply thought about ways to increase his chances of winning — participating on his own was out of the question. If he could assemble a team with someone, his chances of winning the prize money would greatly increase. And so he went over his plan with his best friend Marshall Law.[citation needed]

Tekken_6_-_Paul_Phoenix_ending_-_HD_720p

Tekken 6 - Paul Phoenix ending - HD 720p

Ending Voiceover
Paul and Law stop at nothing in their attempt to win the tournament prize money. And slowly but surely, they made their way to the final round. They had set the stage carefully, and everything went according to plan.

Ending Description
Art panels show that Paul and Law used dirty tactics - including spiking other competitors with laxatives and trapping competitors in rooms - to reach the final round of the tournament. Now scheduled to face each other in the final round, they devise a rigged match, with a drawing showing that Law will pull off a flying kick and Paul will duck beneath it. In the ring, both are ready to fight each other, with Paul saying "Let's get started." Law replies "Leave it to me. Just as we planned." The announcer rings the bell to give the signal to start fighting. Law performs his flying kick, but Paul fails to react in time, continuing to stand with one arm outstretched. As a result, Law kicks Paul in the face and Paul punches Law in the groin. Both fighters are incapacitated and the supporters boo them. Ringside, Steve shakes his head and shrugs in disbelief at Paul and Law's incompetence.

Tekken 7[]

Official Website Profile (English)
A hot-blooded martial artist and the self-proclaimed "strongest fighter in the universe", who was trained in judo but later developed his own original style. Heihachi Mishima's pet, Kuma, views him as a rival - though Kuma is the better fighter of the two. In addition to training with Marshall Law and his son, Forest, he's made his own dojo out of an abandoned building, where he currently waits for any and all challengers.[28]

Prologue
When Paul Phoenix, the golden boy of the martial arts world, steps into the ring, the excitement of the crowd is palpable. But this time, when his opponent's name rang over the arena's loudspeakers, he could only scratch his head in disbelief. It was Kuma... again!

However, Kuma was nowhere to be seen. Word went round that the bear had dropped out of the tournament. The ring announcer informed the spectators of a last-minute change to the fight card. Relieved, Paul awaits the entrance of his long-anticipated human opponent...[18]

Tekken_7_Paul_Phoenix_Ending

Tekken 7 Paul Phoenix Ending

Ending Description
Instead of Paul's opponent being Kazuya as he had hoped, his opponent turns out to be Panda. After the match, Paul celebrates his victory against her. The audience, however, begins to boo Paul for defeating Panda, who they claim to like more than him. Paul is forced to flee the arena when the crowd begin throwing objects at him, including a sword that spears the ring dangerously close to his groin.

Tekken 8[]

TEKKEN_8_-_Paul_Phoenix_Gameplay_Trailer

TEKKEN 8 - Paul Phoenix Gameplay Trailer

Official Website Profile (EU English)
Paul Phoenix is a hot-blooded martial artist aiming to be the greatest fighter in the universe. He entered the seventh King of Iron Fist Tournament with his eyes on the exorbitant prize money, more assured than ever that this time he would claim victory. The tournament, however, would be suspended with the disappearance of its organizer. Paul received barely a fraction of the fight money he had been counting on, plunging him into a life of destitution.[29]

Official Website Profile (Japanese; US English) & Closed Alpha Test Character Profile
Paul Phoenix is a hot-blooded martial artist aiming to be the greatest fighter in the universe. He entered the seventh The King of Iron Fist Tournament with his eyes on the exorbitant prize money, more assured than ever that this time he would claim victory. The tournament, however, would be suspended with the disappearance of its organizer.

Paul received barely a fraction of the fight money he had been counting on, plunging him into a life of destitution. All he could do was take a gamble that the next tournament would be able to provide him with sufficient compensation. To that end, he promised to split his next winnings with his good friend and sparring partner, Marshall Law. The pair holed up in the mountains for an intense training session in order to prepare for the tournament.[30]

TK8 Kazuya Stamp SPOILERS WARNING
This article/section contains spoilers for recent/new content! Read at your own risk!
TK8 Jun Stamp
Tekken_8_-_Paul_Character_Episode_Ending

Tekken 8 - Paul Character Episode Ending

Character Episode Prologue

Ending Description
It is revealed that Paul and Marshall's fight at the finals of the King of Iron Fist Tournament is just a dream of the latter, since the pair are still on their way to the tournament. As Paul speeds up his bike, a passing jeep blows a tire and nearly hits the pair, causing Paul to accidentally swerve off-road. By the time the two reach the tournament's venue, registration is already closed, much to the horror of a defeated Paul.

Summary of In-Game Events
Following Kazuya's announcement of The King of Iron Fist Tournament, Paul participates in the qualifier rounds of North America Block A, where he eventually defeats Marshall. Despite this, Paul promises to split the tournament's prize money once again as he proceeds to the main tournament. During the opening rounds in Italy, Paul faces Kuma once again.

Regardless of the outcome, the tournament is suspended due to a raid by both the United Nations and Yggdrasil. With Kazuya himself managing to absorb Azazel to further his attempt at world domination, Paul is among the tournament participants that choose to join Lars's forces in defending Yakushima from G Corporation. To his surprise, he ends up fighting against Marshall, who believed that Paul reneged on their deal despite Paul claiming that there was no prize money to be split. Seeing the pair fight, Kuma attempts to attack Paul from behind, but accidentally saves him from a bazooka being fired by a soldier instead, much to Paul's surprise for the "selfless" deed.

In the good ending, Paul is seen with Steve, King, Marshall, Kuma, and Panda helping run a free soup kitchen.

Other Appearances[]

Tekken: The Motion Picture[]

Paul makes a minor appearance in Tekken: The Motion Picture as a participant in the tournament. At the end, he can be seen carrying Michelle Chang away from the burning wreckage of the Mishima laboratories.

Tekken Tag Tournament[]

Paul appeared as a playable character in Tekken Tag Tournament.

Tekken_Hybrid_Tekken_Tag_Tournament_HD_-_Paul_Phoenix_ending_-_HD_1080p

Tekken Hybrid Tekken Tag Tournament HD - Paul Phoenix ending - HD 1080p

Ending Description
Paul approaches Kazuya Mishima, and the two of them square up to fight. Kuma II appears from behind. Paul turns around and punches him, knocking him to the ground. Paul turns back to face Kazuya, but Kazuya is nowhere to be seen. Disappointed, Paul kicks the floor and walks away.

Street Fighter X Tekken[]

Paul Phoenix appeared as a playable character in the crossover game Street Fighter X Tekken. His official tag partner is Marshall Law.

Profile
A hot-tempered fighter who aims to be the toughest fighter in the universe. He is Law's eternal sparring partner. He has suffered a countless number of defeats in battle, but refuses to give up. Instead he takes on these challenges head-on. He is currently mired in a mountain of debt, but after hearing news of a mysterious box in the Antarctic, him and Law head off to obtain it and the potential riches it would reward them with.[2]

Prologue
Low on funds, Paul and Marshall Law decide to find the mysterious box that has landed in the Antarctic so they can sell it and make some money.[31]

Rival Fight
Paul and Marshall spot Dhalsim on his own and begin plotting an ambush on him. Dhalsim overhears them and interrupts them. As Sagat approaches, Paul and Marshall realize their initial plan is blown, and they settle for fighting the pair outright.[32]

Ending Cutscene
Pandora opens and sends a beam of light skyward as Paul and Marshall approach it. The light affects them, making them feel warm and fuzzy. Delirious, they approach Pandora and look down into it - only to tumble into the box. They find themselves in a black void with only a small window in its 'floor'. They scramble to look out of the window and find themselves looking down on Earth. They realize that the box has captured them and is taking them with them as it returns to space. Both of them begin to panic and demand that the box let them go. Pandora continues on its journey regardless.[33]

Tekken Tag Tournament 2[]

Paul appeared as a playable character in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

Profile:
A hot-blooded martial artist and the self-proclaimed "strongest fighter in the universe", who was trained in judo but later developed his own original style. Heihachi Mishima's pet, Kuma, views him as a rival-- though Kuma is the better fighter of the two. In addition to training with Marshall Law and his son, Forest, he's made his own dojo out of an abandoned building, where he currently waits for any and all challengers.

"I'll show you the power of the strongest in the universe...but not for free!"[34]

Tekken_Tag_Tournament_2_-_Paul_Arcade_Ending_Movie

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 - Paul Arcade Ending Movie

Ending Description
Paul, Marshall, and Forest are on vacation in Alaska. The three all breathe in fresh Alaskan air before Forest spots a bear and says, "Dad, look! It's Kuma!" as he points at the napping bear. Marshall then chuckles, turning his head and waving his finger, responding with, "No, no, son. That's not Kuma. You see, that's just a wild grizzly bear." Forest then throws a rock at the bear and walks closer to it, believing it to be Kuma. The bear turns its head to face Forest, roaring furiously. Forest then makes a horrified face upon the discovery that it is not Kuma.

Paul, Marshall, and Forest begin running away from the bear. Forest is way behind Paul and Marshall with the bear right behind him as he struggles to keep up with their pace. Paul yells, "Don't bring him this way!" as he and Marshall continue to outrun the bear. While running for several moments, Paul begins devising a plan for what to do. Finally, he turns around and abruptly gives the bear a Phoenix Smasher, knocking it out, thus providing an opportunity for Forest to escape. As the three celebrate and cheer, another, larger bear (presumably the original bear's mother) is seen tending to the injured bear, and approaches Paul, towering over him from behind while dusting its hands angrily. The scene fades to black as the trio's screaming alongside some growls.

Special Alliance Partners:

Tekken Revolution[]

Paul appears in Tekken Revolution as a playable character.

Tekken Card Tournament[]

Paul appears as a playable character in Tekken Card Tournament. He plays as a tank, with his cards focusing on extremely powerful and damaging card stats but at the cost of usually losing large amounts of HP; He also doesn't draw quickly, and has very few healing cards, and those that he does have require losing HP max or for him to strike the opponent. Despite these setbacks, most players block when facing him out of fear of taking horrendous damage, so by scaring his opponent into thinking he's going to strike, he can continue drawing, and bait the opponent by utilizing mind games. It's also possible to make a deck that doesn't focus on damage, and instead focuses on his other abilities, such as gaining cards when his cards are blocked, or draining health from his opponent with a variety of cards that greatly discourage blocking by making the opponent lose HP, protection, or a card if their block is missed or won. He's great for all skill levels and poses a threat for most of the other fighters, but Xiaoyu will give him trouble since she draws faster than he does by a wide margin. Panda is another annoyance for Paul, thanks to her tremendous amounts of cards that grant her protection.

Tekken (2010 Film)[]

Although he did not appear in the live-action film, it is mentioned that Paul was defeated by Marshall Law in 28 seconds.

Tekken: Bloodline[]

Paul is among the few competitors of the second King of Iron Fist Tournament to return to participate in the third tournament, following Ogre's involvement in the disappearance of many second tournament entrants. Described as one of the few to have been able to match both Heihachi and Kazuya, Paul becomes the favorite to win the tournament. He befriends Jin, who asks questions regarding Kazuya and Heihachi. Paul lives under his friend and teacher, Marshall's, advice that one's own heart is reflected by how they conduct themselves during a fight.

Paul is able to breeze through his matches, defeating both Kuma II and Julia Chang off-screen. During the semi-finals, he is defeated by King II. Following his defeat, Paul remains in the tournament vicinity to watch other matches. When Ogre finally emerges, Paul and the remaining fighters wish to help Jin but are barred by Heihachi, who tells them this match is personal, and that Jin must win by himself. Once Ogre transforms into True Ogre, Paul and the others finally intervene and try to help Jin but are overpowered by the beast. Jin eventually taps into the power of the Devil Gene to slay the monster.

Paul and others watch in shock as Heihachi proceeds to shoot Jin with a pistol after confirming that he has the Devil Gene. Jin then transforms into Devil Jin and attacks Heihachi before flying off into the night.

Gameplay[]

Paul is a paragon of aggression, brutal force and strong offense. His combat has a particular emphasis on raw power punches especially with attacks like Hammer of the Gods, Hammer Punch, and Burning Fist, which can do large amounts of damage. His fast sweeps and charging blows are among the best in the series and can make any defense crumble, while his juggles and wall combos are very damaging. His defense is also good; successful parries will automatically have Paul attack the opponent, and many of Paul's moves allow him to sway backwards or forwards, which can be used to dodge an attack and punish opponents.

Fighting Style[]

Paul's fighting style is a personal hybrid martial art based on Judo, as can be seen by his throws. His style has many other elements of other martial arts, including elements of Karate, (seen in his strikes) and even Baji Quan, visible in his variations of Chain Leg Kicks and back shoulder attacks. Paul's fighting style has probably undergone more changes following cross-training with his long-time training partners Marshall and Forest Law. His fighting style could also be interpreted as being old-school Judo, specifically, Judo before atemi-waza or striking techniques were removed from it's syllabus.

Moves[]

Paul Phoenix Moves

Quotes[]

Character Relationships[]

  • Marshall Law - Paul's oldest and greatest friend. Both are usually seen in odd and comical situations. Marshall is also his occasional mentor.
  • Forest Law - Because of Paul and Marshall's deep friendship, Paul and Forest also get along well. Paul and Forest often get in trouble together, much to the anger and frustration of Marshall.
  • Kuma/Kuma II - Kuma and Paul had an unfriendly rivalry, which continued between Paul and Kuma II. Both Kumas are usually seen as obstacles by Paul. Although he and Kuma II reluctantly join forces while siding with Jin against Kazuya in Tekken 8.
  • Kazuya Mishima - Paul has considered Kazuya to be his rival since fighting him to a draw prior to the first Tekken. Kazuya does not appear to be invested in this rivalry.
  • Steve Fox - His friend and teammate since Tekken 6. During Tekken 8, he and Steve join Jin's side against Kazuya's forces.
  • Jin Kazama - Jin was announced at the winner of the third tournament in place of Paul, greatly angering Paul at the time. In Tekken 8, Paul joins Jin's side against his father, Kazuya. In the non-canon, Online Tekken Comic, Jin gives Paul prize money after he wins the King of Iron Fist Tournament. In the comic, Paul kindly remarks that he looks a lot like his father which angers Jin, much to Paul's surprise and dismay.
  • Ogre - Paul defeated Ogre in Tekken 3 and returned home thereafter, being prideful of the fact that he was the true champion of the third tournament. However, Paul was unaware that Ogre had morphed into his second form, and that the tournament had continued after his departure.
  • Panda - Panda is Paul's opponent in Tekken 7, much to Paul's frustration, as he thought he would finally be matched against Kazuya.
  • Feng Wei - After Paul's friend Marshall Law is defeated in Tekken 7, Paul steps in and beats Feng on his behalf. Feng, however, does not accept this defeat and angrily glows with a dark aura, which scares both Paul and Law away.
  • Lee Chaolan - Paul trained with him and Marshall prior to the events of the first Tekken.[citation needed]
  • Jun Kazama - As shown in Paul's Tekken 8 character episode, Jun is aware of his rivalry with both Kumas, and possibly his previous match against Panda in Tekken 7, considering his action against the bears an act of animal abuse.

Trivia[]

General:

  • Along with Nina Williams and Yoshimitsu, Paul Phoenix has appeared in every single mainline Tekken game to date.
  • According to current canon, Kazuya Mishima and Kuma II are the only two characters ever to have defeated Paul in a tournament. This means that Paul could be regarded as one of the most powerful or "toughest" fighters in the Tekken universe. This means that his claim of being the toughest in the universe is not entirely without merit.
  • It was admitted by Katsuhiro Harada in an interview with EDGE Magazine that Paul's hairstyle and first name are based on Jean Pierre Polnareff from the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure since his predecessor Masamichi Abe was a fan of the series.[35]
  • A running gag throughout the series, first seen in his Law's Tekken 2 ending, is Paul's inability to fully complete a somersault when trying to mimic Law, constantly throwing himself up in the air and falling face-first onto the ground. He is eventually able to fully perform a somersault in front of Law during a win animation in Tekken Tag Tournament 2, much to their mutual surprise. At some point after Tekken 2, Paul even received the Incomplete Somersault as one of his moves, and in Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, it became one of his hidden win animations, before becoming a normal one in Tekken 7.
  • Another running joke is Paul's obsession with punching through walls, first seen in his Tekken ending, where he can be seen smashing through a brick wall with a crude drawing of his "rival", Kazuya, on it. This was then later reimplemented in his Tekken 2 ending, though on a boulder that blocked his path instead. It was even mimicked in Kuma I's ending in the same game where Kuma smashes through a similar wall with a drawing of Paul instead. Paul's Tekken 5 ending featured a wall with a crude picture of an alien, Paul's new enemy, on it. In the Scenario Campaign mode in Tekken 6, where Paul appears as a boss, he enters the stage by once again punching through a wall. In Tekken 7, Paul also smashes through a brick wall as one of his intro animations. This intro animation would continue on to be used in Tekken 8 as well.
  • Paul Phoenix has some similarities to the Street Fighter character Ken Masters. They are both American martial artists with blond hair who wear a red torn judo gi and brown karate gloves. They also have best friends and rivals who are of Asian descent (Ken Masters has Ryu while Paul has Marshall Law). Also, Paul's hairstyle in his Tekken 4 alternate outfit is similar to, and can also be customized in later games to look like, that of Ken Masters.
  • Paul is the only character without an iWR (instant While Running) attack. Shaheen in Tekken 7 also lacked an iWR attack for a time, but he gained a running attack in the Season 2 balance update.
  • Paul sports a scorpion tattoo on his right arm.
  • One of Paul's voice actors, Jamieson Price, also voiced Heihachi Mishima in Tekken: Blood Vengeance and Street Fighter X Tekken.
  • Paul currently has the most official matches in the King of Iron Fist Tournament, with a total of five: his matches against Kuma in the first two tournaments, and his three against the second Kuma in the following three tournaments. While Jin has the most fights overall, his fights against Heihachi and Kazuya in Tekken 4 were outside the actual tournament, leaving him with a total of four official matches.

Tekken:

  • Paul's ending cutscene shows him performing his Burning Fist move with his left arm, while in-game he performs this move with his right arm. This move made its debut in Tekken 2.
  • His stage 8 sub-boss is Kuma.
  • Paul is the only one of the eight default characters not to have a boss or sub-boss character be a clone of them.
  • The following sub-bosses each share one or more moves with Paul: Heihachi Mishima (qcf+2; d+1,f+2), Wang Jinrei (qcf+2), P. Jack (d+1,f+2) and Lee Chaolan (WR 3,4 + extensions) all have moves taken from him.

Tekken 2:

  • Paul appears in Marshall Law's ending cutscene.
  • In his ending, Marshall Law's ending, and a few artworks for the game, Paul is shown with two earrings in his left ear. These earrings are not part of his design in subsequent games.

Tekken 3:

  • Paul Phoenix's bosses in the Tekken Force (Mode) side game are (in order of appearance) Forest Law, Kuma II, Jin Kazama, and Heihachi Mishima. Aside from Heihachi, these are also his rivals in Tekken Card Challenge.
  • In the "Tekken 3 Symphony Orchestra" calendar by Namco, Paul is seen in a black formal suit while playing the tuba.
  • Paul's stage has a Soul Edge logo on the wall in the background.
  • Paul's ending cutscene, named 'Winning Run',[citation needed] is also the name of an arcade racing game made by Namco and released in 1988.
  • Paul appears in Forest Law's ending cutscene.

Tekken Tag Tournament:

Tekken 4:

  • Paul's second outfit has him with his hair down, which had not been seen in any previous Tekken game. This hairstyle returned in later installments as a customization item.
  • Although his red karate gi is not wearable, it makes an appearance in Paul's ending cutscene when he looks inside Law's dojo and sees a poster of himself wearing it.
  • In Paul's ending cutscene, as he gets on his motorbike, a poster behind him in his garage can be seen which reads 'Yom Kippur', sparking speculation that Paul could be Jewish.[36]

Tekken 5 and Dark Resurrection:

  • Paul appears in Tekken 5's opening cinematic.
  • Paul's sub-boss is Kuma.
  • Paul has one of the few Tekken 5 epilogues where the game's final boss, Jinpachi Mishima, does not turn to dust.
  • As of Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, Paul is the only character who remains on the ground after performing one of his main throws. This throw is called Shoulder Pop. All of the other characters automatically get up after performing one of their main throws.
  • Paul has two secret win animations in Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, giving Paul a total of seven-win animations. They are as follow:
    • 1+2: Paul kneels down over the head of his unconscious opponent. Next, Paul hits the ground with one of his hands three times, his palm striking the ground, as if counting out the opponent. Each time, the camera pans outwards slightly. After the third strike, Paul gets up, raises his left arm, looks up towards the sky, and does a Kiai.
    • 3+4: Paul crouches slightly, then does a somersault and a Kiai. He is unsuccessful and lands on his stomach, grunting afterwards. He raises his head and his left arm slightly, giving the camera a smirk, while still laying on the ground.
      • This later became the second of his two win animations in Tekken 7.

Tekken 6 and Bloodline Rebellion:

  • Paul's Item Move in Tekken 6 is the ability to make his hair grow larger. He later received a second item move that allows him to attack the opponent with a dojo sign.
  • In Tekken 3 and Tekken Tag Tournament, Paul had a pre-fight animation where he ran his hands up his hair. It makes its return in Tekken 6, although the animation for it has changed.
  • In the Scenario Campaign mode, Paul is a boss in the West District, 13th Avenue. If the player maneuvers correctly, Paul can be defeated upon his first encounter rather than having to go through the effort of chasing him to the stage's end.
  • Paul appears in Tekken 6's opening cinematic, where he is shown fighting Bryan Fury.
  • Paul can be customized to resemble Street Fighter's main protagonist Ryu and also Virtua Fighter's main protagonist Akira Yuki; all of their customizations are based on their gi.
  • His avatar is used for the Trophy/Achievement, "Alien Hunter", referencing Paul's attempt to fight with aliens in his Tekken 5 ending.
  • Paul appears in Marshall Law and Steve Fox's ending cutscenes.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2:

  • In the Wii U Edition, Paul has a Mario costume. Additionally, Marshall has a Luigi costume.
  • Paul's item move turns his "Foot Launcher" into a tag-bufferable throw. When used, he will launch his partner after throwing the opponent, sending them both through a table.
  • Paul appears in Stage 4, Chapter 1 of Fight Lab mode, where he demonstrates the Floor Break, Wall Break and Balcony Break gimmicks.

Street Fighter X Tekken:

  • Paul and Guile recognize that they resemble one another, and make remarks about the similarity of their hairstyle.
    • When Heihachi Mishima sees Guile's hair and ponders where he has seen that hairstyle before, referring to Paul.
  • Paul Phoenix is one of a number of characters to be mistaken for Ken Masters by Rufus. In his win quote, he replies to Rufus: “Ken Masters? No idea. He looks like me? Well then, he must be one classy-lookin' fella.
  • Cody's Swap Costume is based on Paul's biker outfit.
  • In the background of Paul's full character artwork, a silhouette resembling Pyron, the alien main villain of the first Darkstalkers, another fighting game series by Capcom, can be seen.
  • Paul's win quote against Cole makes a number of references to late-1980s boy band New Kids on the Block.

Tekken 7 and Tekken 7: Fated Retribution:

  • Paul's Rage Art (1+2) can be canceled by pressing b, dealing 15 damage and launching the opponent very high, though it remains very unsafe on block. It is the only Rage Art capable of being canceled this way, and the only move that does not count towards combo scaling (still dealing 100% damage after a launcher), thought it will still scale down in damage if used later in the combo.
  • In Paul's ending cutscene, the items that the audience throws in the arena are customization items used as generic item moves, including the sword that landed in front of Paul.
  • Paul's item move is a treasure chest kept on his back. It drops coins and makes jangling noises whenever he is hit.

Tekken 8:

  • In early gameplay demonstrations, Paul's Rage Art did not cause his right sleeve to be destroyed when powering up his Burning Fist.[37]. This became a visible feature upon the release of his gameplay trailer.[38]
  • Paul has a special intro with Bryan Fury and Marshall Law. Additionally, his intro dialogue will change when facing Steve Fox, Kazuya Mishima, and Kuma II.
    • Paul cracks his knuckles before promising to show Bryan "the power of fists". After a short chuckle from Bryan, the pair then mimic the intro of Bloodline Rebellion, where both the Phoenix Smasher and Mach Breaker collide.
    • Paul and Marshall have four special intro against each other in normal gameplay, story mode's chapter 10, and their respective character episode's final stage respectively.

Other:

Gallery[]

Main article: Paul Phoenix/Gallery

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Tekken 2 Official Japanese Website Profile. English Translation: Tekken Zaibatsu "Tekken & Tekken 2 Character Profiles".
  2. ^ a b Street Fighter X Tekken Official Strategy Guide, Brady Games (2012), p.342.
  3. ^ Tekken 8 Paul Gameplay Reveal Trailer
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Tekken PlayStation NTSC Manual, p.14.
  5. ^ a b In-game Tekken 8 profile
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Tekken 3 Official Strategy Guide, Prima (1998), p.48.
  7. ^ a b c d Tekken 2 PlayStation NTSC Manual, p.16.
  8. ^ a b c Tekken 4 PAL Manual, p.20.
  9. ^ See Jun Kazama's Tekken 8 Official Japanese Website Profile, which states that Ogre's attack took place 'seven years ago'. The Tekken 3 story write up states that this attack happened four years prior to the events of Tekken 3.
  10. ^ Thank you for the message! Yes, I was Paul Phoenix in several Tekken games. If you check my IMDb page you can find them.
  11. ^ Tekken 3 Official Strategy Guide, Prima (1998), p.56.
  12. ^ Tekken 4 Official Strategy Guide, Prima (2002), p.126.
  13. ^ a b Tekken 4 PlayStation NTSC Manual, p.32; Tekken 4 In-Game Prologue.
  14. ^ a b Tekken 5 In-Game Prologue.
  15. ^ a b Tekken 6 In-Game Prologue.
  16. ^ Marshall Law's Tekken 6 In-Game Prologue.
  17. ^ Marshall Law'sTekken 7 Character Prologue.
  18. ^ a b Tekken 7 Character Prologue.
  19. ^ Tekken PlayStation PAL Manual, p.9.
  20. ^ Tekken 2 PlayStation PAL Manual, p.5.
  21. ^ Tekken 3 PlayStation NTSC Manual, p.23; Tekken 3 Playstation Classic Manual, p.17.
  22. ^ Tekken 4 Official Strategy Guide, Prima (2002), p.110.
  23. ^ Tekken 5 PlayStation NTSC Manual, p.41.
  24. ^ Tekken 5 PlayStation PAL Manual, p.23.
  25. ^ Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection PlayStation PAL Manual.
  26. ^ Tekken 5 Official Strategy Guide,Brady Games (2004), p.170.
  27. ^ Tekken 6 Official Strategy Guide, Brady Games (2009), p.232; transcribed on Tekken Zaibatsu.
  28. ^ Tekken 7 Official English Website Profile.
  29. ^ Tekken 8 Official English Website Profile.
  30. ^ Tekken 8 Official Japanese Website Profile; Tekken 8 Official US English Website Profile; Closed Alpha Test Character Command List
  31. ^ Paul and Marshall's Street Fighter X Tekken Prologue.
  32. ^ Paul and Marshall's Street Fighter X Tekken Rival Fight.
  33. ^ Paul and Marshall's Street Fighter X Tekken Ending Cutscene.
  34. ^ Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U profile.
  35. ^ Gamerant Article
  36. ^ Screenshot of poster in Paul's ending and fan speculation on Paul's possible Jewish heritage
  37. ^ Tekken World Tour Finals 2023 - Tekken 8 Gameplay Demonstration
  38. ^ Paul Phoenix's Tekken 8 Gameplay Trailer.
  39. ^ Katsuhiro Harada @Harada_TEKKEN, Twitter, 2:37pm Sep 16, 2021.
  40. ^ The King of Fighters: All Star Official Website.

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