Only If KFC Agreed, Tekken Could Have Had A Collaboration Better Than Mortal Kombat Ever Did

Tekken is probably one of the most legendary gaming franchises of all time. Beginning its journey almost three decades ago, this game has won every fan’s heart. With the arrival of Tekken 8, the franchise marks its 11th installment overall. Another gaming series that has been giving heavy competition to this franchise is Mortal Kombat. 

Both of these iconic fighting game series have been bossing the game fraternity for long, but the NetherRealm Studios title might have edged past the Bandai Namco one with its unique character roster, comprising some of the most popular faces in the world. However, the tables would have turned if one of the biggest gaming collaborations was given the green light.

KFC’s Colonel Sanders Almost Joined Tekken 8, Almost

Katushiro Harada, the series director of Tekken, previously shared his interest in bringing KFC’s founder, Colonel Sanders, as a guest fighter in the latest installment of the fighting game series, to make the game even greater.

Later on, it was found out that the director actually pursued this dream and almost made this impossible task possible. In an interview with TheGamer, Harada and game designer Michael Murray explained why it was a difficult stunt to pull off. Harada stated:

A long time ago, I wanted to have Colonel Sanders from Kentucky Fried Chicken fight. So, I asked to use Colonel Sanders and go to the head office in Japan.

Murray went on to explain further:

[Harada] went to Kentucky Fried Chicken and tried to get Colonel Sanders. […] they weren’t very open to the idea. [Colonel Sanders] appeared in games after that. So maybe it was just him fighting against someone [that] was posing a problem for them. But it just goes to show how difficult these types of discussions are.

Harada also stated he was given a “bad look” by the highly popular fast food chain, and the proposal was rejected. This means the Waffle House Stage Harada has been talking for a long time and looks far from reality. He acknowledged that huge dreams like this ambitious project are not something they can accomplish on their own.

Why Didn’t KFC Allow It to Happen?

Nowadays, all businesses strive for marketing. And collaboration is one successful way of doing it. KFC too wants to enjoy this luxury, but surely not the cost of their image.

Huge companies like KFC have to look after their company’s values, image, and terms with their customers pretty closely. People as well as the company certainly wouldn’t want KFC’s founder to be fighting in the battle arena, which might leave a bad impression.

Although KFC previously allowed its Colonel Sanders to collaborate in a dating simulator called I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator, that doesn’t stand close to a fighting game in terms of comparison. Sanders’ appearance can never be a missing piece of the puzzle in games like Tekken 8.

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