Ling Xiaoyu

Ling Xiaoyu () is a character from the ''Tekken'' fighting game series by Bandai Namco. Making her debut in ''Tekken 3'', Xiaoyu returns in all the subsequent main installments, as well as several spin-off titles. She is a skilled Chinese martial artist specializing in Baguazhang and Piguaquan. She has a one-sided affection for the series protagonist, Jin Kazama. Her pet is Panda, and her best friend is Miharu Hirano.

Design and gameplay

At 16 years old, Ling Xiaoyu's age in her series debut was the result of the ''Tekken 3'' development team wanting a younger girl in the game, as most of the game's female characters were "more than 25 years old". She was created alongside protagonist Jin Kazama by Namco artist Yoshinari Mizushima after he graduated from college, with the character's design being a great surprise to the ''Tekken'' staff. Her black hair is kept in pigtails throughout her series appearances, while her costumes have varied from a modified cheongsam in ''Tekken 6'' to a ''kogal''-style schoolgirl uniform in the 2011 computer-animated film '' Tekken: Blood Vengeance''.

''Tekken: Blood Vengeance'' screenwriter Dai Satō said in 2011 that he had chosen her as one of the two lead characters because he felt she "symbolize the older Tekken games". Katsuhiro Harada was surprised by the decision to use Xiaoyu, believing she was not that popular within the main demography. Satō had been a fan of the ''Tekken'' games and played the arcade version of the third installment as part of research. As he discussed the handling of these leads with Harada, Satō claims he wanted to use these characters since they come across as weak, something which he believes films require in order to undergo a character arc, common in coming-of-age story stories. The relationship between Xiaoyu and Alisa was compared to the ones of a buddy film. Xiaoyu was written to be relatable to the audience and balance the more supernatural elements in the process. Xiaoyu's relationship with Alisa was made so that the latter develops a "soul" as the film progresses as she is a robot.

Xiaoyu's fighting style is a mixture of Baguazhang and Piguaquan, and many of her attacks consist of pokes. Xiaoyu has the ability to use a stance called the Art of Phoenix, which she's had since her debut in ''Tekken 3''. This allows her to duck under high attacks, and potentially counter with her own attacks.

Appearances

Ling Xiaoyu is a student at the Mishima Academy. Fellow students include her love interest, Jin Kazama, and her best friend, Miharu Hirano. Her principal is Heihachi Mishima.

Xiaoyu first appears in ''Tekken 3'', where she desires to have her own theme park. The tournament's host, Heihachi Mishima, agrees to build one for her if she wins the tournament. In ''Tekken 4'', Xiaoyu receives a mysterious e-mail, warning her of Heihachi's evil intentions, which she speculates was written by Jin, and enters the tournament in hopes of being reunited with Jin and uncovering the truth behind Heihachi's plans. With the rumors of Heihachi dying in ''Tekken 5'', Xiaoyu is saddened upon hearing about his supposed death and hopes to find a time machine to prevent the whole Mishima conflict. In ''Tekken 6'', Xiaoyu enters the tournament to find Jin and put a stop to the war he has started. During her continued search for Jin in ''Tekken 7'', Xiaoyu is confronted by exorcist Claudio Serafino, who initially refuses to allow her to proceed and later helps her out after being impressed by her devotion to Jin. In ''Tekken 8'', Xiaoyu joins the side of Claudio and astrologist Zafina in order to assist Jin in his battle against his father, Kazuya Mishima.

Outside the mainline games, Xiaoyu is featured in ''Tekken Tag Tournament'', ''Tekken Tag Tournament 2'', ''Street Fighter X Tekken'', and ''Tekken Card Challenge'', as well as the crossover games ''Project X Zone'' and ''Project X Zone 2''. She was also featured in the now-defunct ''Tekken Revolution'' and ''Tekken Mobile''. Outside the ''Tekken'' franchise, Xiaoyu appears as a guest character in '' Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2'' as an unlockable playable character. Additionally, Xiaoyu appears in the film '' Tekken: Blood Vengeance'', serving as the co-protagonist alongside humanoid robot Alisa Bosconovitch. She also appears in the anime television series '' Tekken: Bloodline''.

Reception

Upon her debut in ''Tekken 3'', ''Next Generation'' commented that she and fellow ''Tekken 3'' character Julia Chang "conform to different and equally depressing 'cute schoolgirl' stereotypes", while PlayStation Universe felt she was unique in the franchise due to her innocence rarely seen in other characters. Kevin Wong of ''Complex'' described Xiaoyu as "what happens when you put an 8-year-old girl's mind into a 19-year-old girl's body", noting her school uniform, youthful appearance, and playful behavior. He characterized her as a combination of "kawaii and creepy".

When discussing the character designs in ''Tekken 4'', ''Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds'' author Jesper Juul stated that while the game visually presents characters like Craig Marduk as physically stronger than Ling Xiaoyu, the game's mechanics ensure that her abilities are balanced with those of larger characters. Mira Maijala, author of ''Designing a character for a finished game world'', identified Xiaoyu as an example of the archetype characterized by an innocent and friendly appearance combined with exceptional physical or magical abilities. This contrasts with the archetype of the domineering, highly attractive, and battle-hardened adventurer. Examining Xiaoyu's appearance, Sara Ishii, author of ''"Unless she had implants, she must be Chinese": A feminist analysis of players’ responses to representations of Chinese and Japanese female video game characters'' stated "If a female character’s appearance is thought to deviate from stereotypical racialized features, the character is criticized for not adhering to the norm" while looking over a GameFAQs post commenting on how Xiaoyu has some of the biggest eyes in ''Street Fighter X Tekken''.

In the study ''Naked and Raw: Critical analysis of hypersexualization and female representation in fighting games'', author Guilherme Pedrosa, compared Xiaoyu to Nina Williams and Christie Monteiro, observing that, unlike the other two characters, Xiaoyu's design does not emphasize physical attributes. Instead, her attire features bright colors, such as orange, which align with her "cheerful" personality. ''Storytelling and Video Games Exploring Fictional Universes'' writer Fanny Barnabé noted that her "childish facial expressions and attitudes of schoolgirl," along with her outfit selection, "speak volumes about her character and correspond well to her childish aspirations in the first game in which she appears, namely ''Tekken 3''."

References

{{Tekken characters, expanded

Female characters in video games
Fictional Baguazhang practitioners
Fictional Chinese people in video games
Fictional Piguaquan practitioners
Fictional students
Teenage characters in video games
Tekken characters
Video game bosses
Video game characters introduced in 1997