Josie Rizal, the new Filipino character in 'Tekken 7'

Talk about video games and people would definitely mention “Tekken”. Talk about Filipino heroes and people would definitely say “Jose Rizal”. Now, let’s combine Tekken and Filipino heroes… What do you get? Tekken 7’s newest character: “Josie Rizal”. As if it couldn’t get much worse, the character actually weeps when she wins a game, typical Filipina, eh?

But, maybe, the explanation as to why she was name Josie would be enough for Filipinos. Mark “Markman” Julio, Global Community and Sponsorship Manager of Mad Catz Interactive was consulted for the new Tekken 7 character (Mad Catz is a global provider of innovative interactive entertainment products). Julio actually has Filipino roots and offered advice to Tekken project head Katsuhiro Harada. Julio talked to Harada about the Filipino culture and mentioned many character traits of Filipinos that shaped Josie’s traits, including her name. (That’s why she has tears of joy after she gets victory). She has brown skin too. She also resembles one of the almost nakedly clad dancers on noontime TV (Think: Sexbomb). Except for her short hair, she wears a gold top and a blue mini skirt, and sandals that are like of a goddess to complete her outfit.

But Josie isn’t just a typical Filipino heroine, she actually uses a combination of Kickboxing and Eskrima in her fighting skills. She looks really tough and says, “Got this!” before her game starts, which is a typical Filipino trait as well. This actually means “Ako ang bahala” in Filipino.

While some gamers are excited about this development, this could easily be an insult to Filipinos. But what do you think about this mini-skirt clad, brown-skinned, and crying “tears of joy” character in Tekken 7? Don’t you think it’s an insult to Filipinos? But, before you judge, watch the video of Tekken 7’s newest characters which includes, none other than our very own, Josie Rizal.