Lidia

Story

Lidia Sobieska was destined to become a politician by the circumstances of her birth – she was born into an influential political family in Poland. However, from a very young age, she preferred to train in the ways of traditional karate.

When Lidia was 10, her grandfather won the election and became the president of Poland. Mere two years later, a tragic event changed her life forever. Awaiting the return of her grandfather and father from an abroad trip, the helicopter carrying both of them exploded in the air: a terrorist act carried out with explosives. A piece of debris hit her in the face, leaving her scarred, and she fainted.

Lidia's father was killed in the explosion, but her grandfather survived. She visited him in the hospital when he came to, and he gave her a piece of life advice she holds herself to for her whole life: "Never give in to unjust power. Never. Be strong both physically and mentally." Then and there, with unwavering conviction, she decided to become a politician as good as her grandfather and father were.

At the age of 16, Lidia began studying law at a university. She graduated at the top of her class in five years and promptly started her political career. However, she never stopped practicing karate, either. At the age of 18, she participated in her first world championship, winning it as a rookie. She repeated this feat five more times, becoming a six-time world champion. Lidia's winning ways continued in politics, too. At the age of 21, she ran for the national election and became a member of the parliament.

Much later into her career, Mishima Zaibatsu, led by the one and only Heihachi Mishima, illegally deployed his Tekken Force in Poland. Facing a political crisis, Lidia saw that her country needed a strong leader, so she ran her campaign and won the election, becoming the youngest Prime Minister of Poland in history at 29. After coming into power, she requested the immediate withdrawal of the illegally stationed forces, but Heihachi's reply was as stern as it was mocking: "I'm not going to obey the withdrawal request at all. If you're dissatisfied, you should come to The King of Iron Fist Tournament and negotiate directly with me." Angered by the letter, Lidia decided to participate in the tournament to free Poland from the shackles of occupation.

Personality

Lidia is both an exemplary government official and a martial artist. With firm conviction and determination, she acts for the good of her people and country. While she's ready to battle to the bitter end, Lidia shows discipline and grace even in victory, looking out for the health of her opponents and thanking those who put up a good fight. 

Appearance

Lidia is a fit woman with blond hair tied in a pigtail at the back. She has blue eyes and a scar across her left eye. Her outfit is a classic karate gi, which she wears with the top hanging off the waist, red headband, reinforced gloves with protective gear at the elbows, red sports tank top, and sports shoes with padding on the ankles. 

Playstyle

Lidia's playstyle is a double-edged sword. Her toolkit is almost entirely built around aggressive play and pressuring her opponents. However, many of her best options carry a risk of being interrupted or even launched. As such, Lidia is forced to vary her approach or condition her opponents into respecting her buttons, which she can do with various damaging parry options.

When playing neutral or staying defensive, Lidia gets much weaker, as her poking is not particularly rewarding at range. This leads to Lidia's matches being volatile, as she heavily relies on gaining and maintaining offensive momentum.