Hwoarang

Story

Hwoarang was a student of a martial artist from South Korea. Thanks to him, he learned the art of taekwondo. He also participated in street fights. His combat tactics were cunning and effective. At first, he feigned his supposed weakness and then attacked the enemy with all his might. So he won many victories. But in one of these street fights, he met Jin Kazama. Their fight ended in a draw. After failing to win, Hwoarang decided to return to his teacher but was unable to do so. The teacher's abode was destroyed by the Ogre, who had previously been released by Heihachi Mishima. It was because of this that Hwoarang decided to participate in the King of Iron Fist Tournament.

He then returned to South Korea and became a Special Forces soldier. Hwoarang had a flaw that in an individual, an exceptional situation could become a virtue. He didn't like to obey orders. Because of this, he was disliked by the leadership. For some unknown reason, Hwoarang decided to take over Mishima Zaibatsu.

He left military service to find and defeat Jin Kazama. Interestingly, they eventually became friends. He was arrested for desertion but pardoned for exploits and good service.

Personality

Hwoarang is a high-strung and spontaneous individual with a passion for fighting. Although appearing aloof as he boasts about his skills and strength, he maintains his focus on his opponents so as not to lose himself in his pride. He is recalcitrant and dislikes orders, with an exception towards his master, Baek, whom he dearly respects. Hwoarang tends to hold a grudge towards his enemies, and he has a strong sense of conviction to fight his rivals, especially Jin Kazama.

Playstyle

Hwoarang specializes in a very aggressive playing style and many of his moves leave him in an advantageous state, even on blocks. Having poor defensive capabilities, he is best-suited in applying constant pressure to the opponent.  Hwoarang’s average speed is also made up for with a long-range and high damage set of kicks that are vulnerable to counters, he is also armed with a large variety of throwing techniques and punches best used as nimble jabs to keep opponents mid-air during juggles. However, Hwoarang is one of the most complex characters in the series due to his multiple stance transitions and massive move-list, making him not very beginner-friendly.

Appearance

Hwoarang is a young Korean man known for his distinctly orange and auburn hair, his outfit consists of a biker-themed outfit with goggles or his blue or white Taekwondo dobok (except Tekken 4). All his outfits except his military uniform and his original dobok seem to feature a hawk emblem which is in reference to Hwoarang's nickname Blood Talon.