In the fighting games’ competitive scene (and esports in general) it’s a rarity to see female players who could stand out of the competition. But in the world of Tekken esports, there’s one flower that blooms gracefully above others. Meet Tanukana. The Japanese player is one of the more successful players in Tekken from Asia, with most of the powerhouse talents coming from Korea like JDCR, Saint and Knee. She only started playing when Tekken 6 Bloodline Rebellion was released but since then she has proven to be not only one of the best female Tekken players, but one of the best Tekken players period.
(In case you need more confirmation, she even posted proof that she is indeed a female.)
Recently, she took third place at Combo Breaker. It was one of the first events where Tekken 7 is played using the console version rather than the arcade release. She was also on the other end of the match where one competitor had to something unprecedented in a fighting game tournament- adjusting the resolution from 900p to 720p due to reports of lag with the higher resolution. Despite that change after the first match, the game ended with Tanukana walking away victorious with her masterful play of Xiayou.
https://youtu.be/vJwMPzrKwQE
Here’s another match during the quarterfinals where Tanukana displays her aggressive playstyle and combo know-how. It even ended in the most spectacular fashion- with the slow-mo cam triggering in what could have been anybody’s game. She is indeed legit. (Head’s up: the commentary gets a bit hyped for this one so adjust the volume accordingly)
In an interview with Yahoo Esports, Tanukana talked about her move to be a full-time pro under Team Cyclops. The move not only made her to relocate and leave her job, but also faced an ultimatum from her boyfriend: either commit to him or Tekken.
She picked Tekken. Now that’s dedication.
Even in a fighting game females can still be as competitive. While there are talks on how to accommodate and welcome more female players in esports, it’s refreshing to know that at least a few of them made their way to success by their own skill and dedication. For ladies who aspires to break into the competitive scene- here’s a good role model for you.
With Tekken 7 now released on consoles and more eyes are on the esports scene with the introduction of the Tekken World Tour, we would love to see Tanukana produce more amazing results in the future and help inspires esports to a broader audience, and players.