KFC Colonel Battles Tekken Star

Despite Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada's long-held dream, a Colonel Sanders appearance in the Tekken franchise remains elusive. Even after years of hoping for this crossover, both KFC and Harada's own superiors have rejected the idea.

Harada's Colonel Sanders x Tekken Request Shot Down By KFC

Harada's Dream Denied by KFC and His Own Team

In a recent interview with The Gamer, Harada revealed his past attempts to secure Colonel Sanders as a playable character. He personally approached KFC's Japanese headquarters with the proposal, but his efforts were unsuccessful. This isn't a new aspiration; Harada previously expressed his desire for a KFC crossover on his YouTube channel, only to be met with disapproval from his superiors. He even described receiving a negative reaction when his idea was presented. Therefore, a Tekken 8 crossover with KFC isn't on the horizon.

Game designer Michael Murray elaborated on the situation, stating that KFC wasn't receptive to Harada's proposal. He suggested that the potential conflict of a fighting game characterization might have been a contributing factor. This highlights the challenges involved in securing such crossovers.

Harada has openly admitted his long-held ambition to include Colonel Sanders in Tekken, even detailing a fully formed concept he developed with Director Ikeda. He believes the crossover could be incredibly successful, but KFC's marketing department remains unconvinced, fearing a negative player response. He issued a public plea, urging anyone at KFC reading the interview to contact him.

The Tekken franchise has a history of successful guest character crossovers, including Akuma (Street Fighter), Noctis (Final Fantasy), and Negan (The Walking Dead). However, Harada's ambitions extend beyond Colonel Sanders; he's also considered a Waffle House crossover, though that too seems unlikely due to external factors. Despite the Colonel Sanders setback, fans can anticipate the return of Heihachi Mishima as the game's third DLC character.