The Only Four Characters To Appear In Every Tekken Game
Ever since the release of the first "Tekken" in 1994, the Mishima Family has formed the core of every entry in the fighting game franchise. At least one member of the troubled bloodline has featured in the cover art and marketing of every "Tekken" game to date, and it seems "Tekken 8" will be no exception. Following a brief appearance in the EVO 2022 teaser that had fans scrambling for answers, Kazuya Mishima took center stage alongside his son, Jin Kazama, in the "Tekken 8" announcement trailer revealed at PlayStation State of Play.
Despite the Mishimas monopolizing the starring role in the franchise since its inception, not every single member of the heavily featured family has managed to maintain a consistent presence on the "Tekken" roster. Of the three central Mishimas, only Heihachi has landed a slot in every game, with Kazuya disqualified by his cameo-only appearance in Jin's debut game, "Tekken 3" (per Fandom). There are only three characters other than Heihachi who have managed to enjoy a full appearance in every "Tekken" mainline title, none of whom are all that related to the Mishima family feud.
The Tekken mainstays
One could argue that there are actually six mainstays in the "Tekken" franchise instead of four from a pure gameplay perspective. Though the story dictates that Kuma I, Kuma II, King I, and King II are separate individuals, Kuma II and King II carry over the movesets and gameplay styles from their predecessors and fill the exact same gameplay role.
Discounting that minor technicality, Heihachi Mishima, Paul Phoenix, Nina Williams, and Yoshimitsu are the only ones to have made a full appearance in the roster and plot of every "Tekken" title. Most of them have found major roles outside of the franchise as well. Heihachi often represents the series in crossovers such as "PlayStation All-Stars," Nina Williams remains the only "Tekken" character to have ever received a solo feature spinoff, and Yoshimitsu actually holds the same mainstay position in another franchise entirely, having appeared in every "Soul Caliber" game so far.