Bandai Namco went all out with Leroy and Fahkumram motion capture

Bandai Namco recently released an interview with Tekken 7 director Kouhei Ikeda and producer Michael Murray. They've now uploaded a second version of the Japanese interview with English subtitles, which gives many fans the unabridged version of all they discussed. 

The "Tekken 7 Leroy Smith & Fahkumram Developer Interview" revealed the lengths Bandai Namco is willing to go to bring authenticity into their game. Tekken is known for many of its characters practicing real-world martial arts, so that's the direction the studio chose to go with once more with Leroy and Fahkumram. 

Leroy Smith

The design made for Leroy by their Malaysian studio was the first in a long time that the developers have had a unanimous vote. According to Murray, they wanted a "powerful, stylish, and well-known martial arts this time," and it's safe to say they delivered.  

Best of all was his motion capture, which was carried out by a Wing Chun master who trained under Ip Man's nephew. For those that don't know, Ip Man was the Chinese Wing Chun grandmaster that popularised the martial art. The legendary Bruce Lee was one of his students. 

They revealed that fan requests for Wing Chun in the franchise were massive, so it made sense to deliver finally. They also came close to using more common Chinese characters like "harmony" and "mirror" on Leroy's back but eventually settled for "admonish," representing his calm. 

Fahkumram

This design was very tricky for them to get, as their primary design principle was "make him so intimidating that one look makes you want to turn tail and run." They certainly nailed it. Fahkumram is currently the tallest character in the roster and one of the largest too. 

The Muay Thai fighter's Lichtenberg burns light up red, he received the scars on his face from a tiger in an underground showcase match, and he carries a Garuda tattoo on his chest. What's not to love?  

Regarding his motion capture, two Muay Thai fighters lent their distinctive styles. Fahkumram is a powerful character that's also quite fast and agile, which is why Bandai Namco had two renowned fighters take part in the project. The first is Suakim PK Saenchai, who uses powerful moves, has appeared in RIZIN events, and even fought Tenshin Nasukawa. In the middle of their motion capture session, he decided to call in Japanese kickboxer, Nadaka Yoshinori for his acrobatic style.  

How authentic can you get?

To complete the package, Bandai Namco sought music that fit each character's style and background, while also belonging with the rest of Tekken's music. Fans were afraid that they wouldn't get his music right, but they pulled that off. Even Fahkumram's song has a traditional woodwind instrument playing that's used in real Muay Thai matches. 

Tekken and the team at Bandai Namco continue to deliver on authenticity. Fahkumram and a new stage will complete the Season 3 road map, but with how good this one has been, it makes you wonder what the developer has planned for the future. You can check out the interview in the video below.