Despite the creative aspirations of Tekken series director Katsuhiro Harada, fans won't see Colonel Sanders, the iconic mascot of KFC, stepping into the ring of the popular fighting game franchise. Harada has been vocal about his dream to include the Colonel in Tekken, but his efforts have been thwarted by both KFC and his own superiors.
Harada's Colonel Sanders x Tekken Request Shot Down By KFC
Harada Also Shot Down by His Own Bosses
Colonel Sanders, the legendary figure behind KFC, has been a character that Harada has longed to feature in Tekken. In a recent interview with The Gamer, Harada revealed that his proposal to include Colonel Sanders was rejected by KFC's headquarters in Japan. "A long time ago, I wanted to have Colonel Sanders from Kentucky Fried Chicken fight," Harada shared. "So, I asked to use Colonel Sanders and went to the head office in Japan."
Harada's desire to see Colonel Sanders in Tekken is not new. He had previously expressed this wish on his YouTube channel, envisioning the KFC icon as a guest fighter. Unfortunately, his proposal was met with disapproval, leaving fans with no hope of seeing a KFC crossover in the upcoming Tekken 8.
In the same interview, game designer Michael Murray elaborated on Harada's attempts to collaborate with KFC. Harada had personally reached out to the company, but according to Murray, "they weren't very open to the idea." Murray speculated that perhaps the issue was with the Colonel engaging in combat, rather than appearing in games in general. "It just goes to show how difficult these types of discussions are," Murray noted.
Harada has openly admitted that he often dreams of adding Colonel Sanders to Tekken, saying, "Quite honestly, I dream of Colonel Sanders from KFC in Tekken. Together with Director Ikeda, we have an idea for this character. We know how to do it well. It will be really brilliant." However, KFC's marketing department seems less enthusiastic about the idea, believing that players might not appreciate it. Harada humorously pleaded, "Everyone advises us against it at every turn. So if anyone from KFC reads this interview, please contact me!"
While Tekken has successfully featured crossovers with characters like Akuma from Street Fighter, Noctis from Final Fantasy, and Negan from The Walking Dead, the inclusion of Colonel Sanders and another popular food chain, Waffle House, seems unlikely. Harada acknowledged the challenges, stating, "It's not something that we can accomplish on our own." Despite these setbacks, fans can still anticipate exciting additions, such as the return of Heihachi Mishima as the third DLC character in the game.
