Aiming for the Top | |
Full Name | Paul Phoenix |
Birthday | October 27 |
Nationality | American |
Gender | Male |
Race | Human |
Relationships | Law (friend/partner) Kazuya (rival) Kuma (rival) |
Fighting Style | Judo & MMA |
Debut | Tekken |
Vitality | 1,050 |
Tag Partner | Law |
- "Best in the universe... Check it out!"
- —Paul
Paul Phoenix appeared in every Tekken game so far in the series. Despite his initial setup in the first game to be a possible rival to Kazuya Mishima, as well as his serious standing in previous games, Paul, story wise, has become something of a joke character more and more. This is quite obviously evidenced by the fact that he is rivals with joke characters (Kuma I and II). Paul also had a comic relief ending in Tekken 5. Nevertheless, he is among the most popular and well loved Tekken characters.
Bio
Appearance
Paul wears a red gi with the sleeves ripped off, two open finger, padded fighting gloves, and sparing foot braces. He has long blond hair that stands straight up, making him one of Tekken's most recognizable characters.
Personality
He is a hot blooded American hand-to-hand fighter who likes training. Paul Phoenix is characterized by his overconfidence and his muscle-brained attitude, as well as his oafishness. 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. He is a judo expert but he is skilled in many forms of the Martial Arts.
Story
Background
Driven to be the best of the best, Paul travels the world to prove he's the "Top fighter in the universe". However, Paul didn't take into consideration there might be more opponents outside the earth, and didn't realise that until the events after he reached Pandora's box.
Tekken
Paul competed in the first King of Iron Fist tournament, during which there was only one fighter who Paul believed to be on an equal level to him. His name was Kazuya Mshima, whom he fought to a draw and unilaterally considers him to be his rival. His goal was to eliminate any comparisons.
Tekken 2
Paul performed well in the first Rave War and although he was the only competitor insane enough to challenge a fully grown 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, his ego and arrogance led him into numerous confrontations with unsavoury characters; all of whom came off second best to his Judo techniques. After months of punishing streetfighting, 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.
Tekken 3
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. He later received an unexpected invitation to the third King of the Iron Fist Tournament. With training still a part of his daily regiment, he was still in peak condition and felt he still had what it takes to win. Paul went undefeated through the entire The 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.
Tekken 4
Although Paul asserted that he was the true champion of The King of Iron Fist Tournament 3 by defeating Ogre, few believed him, and even those that did eventually grew tired of his attitude. Friends and admirers gradually disappeared, and his dojo eventually went out of business due to 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 decides to give it his all once again to prove that he is the one true champion, once and for all. Paul was excited about his rematch with Kazuya, a rival he hadn't fought in the past. However, Kuma stood in his way, as always. Paul started out well but soon began to feel desperate because of Kuma's tenacity. Paul had realized he had been overconfident when he was dealt a severe blow by Kuma and lost the match, and the tournament.
Tekken 5
Reflecting on his loss, Paul realized that 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. Paul’s rematch with Kuma was fierce, and though victorious, he was utterly exhausted, leaving him unable to continue the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5.
Tekken 6
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.