KFC refuses to make Colonel Sanders fight in 'Tekken'

[Garth Gator]

Tekken fans, hold on to your drumsticks—this could’ve been a knockout crossover! Katsuhiro Harada, the long-time director of the Tekken series, recently revealed in an interview with The Gamer that he once tried to bring none other than KFC’s Colonel Sanders into the fighting arena.

 

Yes, the iconic fast-food mascot was almost trading combos alongside Tekken’s fiercest fighters. But despite Harada’s enthusiasm, KFC wasn’t biting.

 

Harada didn’t just wing this idea; he actually approached KFC’s head office in Japan with a formal pitch. The Colonel, with his trademark white suit and secret recipe charm, was envisioned as a playable character.

 

Unfortunately for fans, KFC wasn’t keen on the idea. According to Harada, the proposal was met with a less-than-enthusiastic response, with the company essentially giving him “a bad look.” And just like that, the dream of seeing Colonel Sanders throwing punches (and maybe a side of mashed potatoes) was fried.

 

Interestingly, KFC hasn’t shied away from putting the Colonel in other gaming environments. In 2019, the company launched I Love You, Colonel Sanders!, a tongue-in-cheek dating simulator where players could woo the fast-food icon. But apparently, the idea of Sanders delivering beatdowns in a fighting game crossed the line for the fast-food giant.

 

Harada’s desire to add Colonel Sanders to Tekken may have fizzled out, but it’s not entirely out of character for the franchise. Over the years, Tekken has welcomed guest characters from a range of other properties, including Negan from The Walking Dead and Noctis from Final Fantasy XV.

 

• https://gamerant.com/tekken-kfc-colonel-sanders-guest-fighter-attempt/ 
• https://www.thegamer.com/tekken-colonel-sanders-guest-fighter-shot-down-by-kfc-harada/ 

 

 

 

Image: Robert309 | Dreamstime.com