Following discussions on X about whether Tekken 8 newcomer Miary Zo looks Malagasy or not, producer Katsuhiro Harada talked about the amount of effort the Tekken Project Team put into making sure the character’s nationality and ethnicity were well represented. This includes the character’s appearance, fighting style, and voice.
During their trip to Madagascar, the Tekken Project Team studied the country’s history, visited famous and rural sites, and most importantly, co-designed and reviewed characters with the local gaming community. While this implies that more than one Malagasy character will be coming to Tekken 8, Harada is likely referring to Miary Zo and the NPCs that populate the upcoming Baobab Horizon stage. In response to users’ claims that “nobody from Madagascar looks like Miary Zo,” Harada commented, “I understand there are things that people who haven’t been there simply wouldn’t know” and “I trust that people realize there’s a world beyond what you can learn from personal experience or just searching online.”
Miary Zo speaks Malagasy at the end of the Armor King Gameplay Trailer. She can also be seen wearing a pair of boxing gloves, which could hint that she practices Moraingy – a bare-fisted martial art originating from Madagascar.
Harada also addresses a fan query regarding Miary’s red eyes, mentioning that they are related to the character’s background and Tekken lore as a whole. Many fans speculate that Miary’s eyes, as well as her heavy bracelets and anklets, prove that she is connected to Ogre, an ancient being of immense power left by extraterrestrials on the planet Earth. While the original Ogre was defeated by Jin Kazama at the end of Tekken 3, a previous statement by Harada suggests that there are several Ogres located in different parts of the world.
Tekken fans will have to wait to learn more about Miary Zo, as she and her Baobab Horizon stage are set for a Winter 2025 release. Expect more information on Miary to drop as winter nears.
Tekken 8 is available for PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
