Tekken Director Katsuhiro Harada's Colonel Sanders Dream Remains Unfulfilled
Despite years of longing, Tekken fans won't be seeing Colonel Sanders grace the fighting game franchise anytime soon. Tekken series director Katsuhiro Harada revealed in a recent interview that his persistent attempts to secure a KFC crossover have been thwarted, not only by KFC itself, but also by his own superiors.
Harada's desire to include the iconic Colonel Sanders as a playable character is well-documented. He previously expressed his enthusiasm on his YouTube channel and even detailed a fully-formed concept with director Ikeda. However, his proposals were met with resistance from KFC's marketing department, who doubted player reception. Harada's attempts to collaborate directly with KFC also proved unsuccessful, with KFC reportedly showing little interest.
Game designer Michael Murray elaborated on the challenges of such collaborations, highlighting the difficulties in securing these types of crossovers. While other food-related characters, like a Waffle House representative, were also considered, the reality of securing these partnerships remains a significant hurdle.
The Tekken franchise has a history of successful guest characters, including Akuma (Street Fighter), Noctis (Final Fantasy), and Negan (The Walking Dead). However, the Colonel Sanders dream, for now, remains just that – a dream. Despite the setbacks, fans can still anticipate the return of Heihachi Mishima as the game's third DLC character.
Harada's public plea to KFC remains unanswered, leaving the possibility of a future Colonel Sanders cameo in Tekken hanging precariously in the balance.
