Gouken (Earth-1822)

"Concentrate not on destroying your foe, but on attaining your own victory."

- - Gouken teaching Kazuya in the past

Gouken is a Japanese martial arts master, who alongside his best friend and rival, Heihachi Mishima, founded the current iteration of the Mishima Zaibatsu. After realizing Heihachi was not himself anymore, as he gre with affinity for lust and power, Gouken disbanded from the organization, seeking to teach his adoptive son, Gouki, the arts of combat. It was when Gouki turned into the evil Akuma that he though all was lost, but a new light of hope came when the Defenders of the Realm, guided by the one he saw as a ideal warrior, Jin Kazama, he realized his fight for good had not ended, entering in the Second Tekken Tournament in the hopes of saving Earthrealm and rejoicing what was once his way of living.

Personality
As stern and serious as he can be, Gouken is nonetheless enthusiastic in the nature of competition, being a spirited and modest good sport at heart. His approach is silent and calm, evocative of "zen" principles, and he often shares insightful (if not also blunt and critical) advice and wisdoms to that effect. For example, he tells Liu Kang that anger will not help him (fearing it would lead him to a dark place) during Shao Kahn's invasion on Earthrealm, he reveals that if Siegfried wants revenge on the cursed sword that plagued him, disbanding from it's power would be none accomplishment, as vengeance was an act of evil, not justice, and he informs Sub-Zero that if he is silent, he would be surprised at what he learns. Gouken detests Akuma for killing their master Jinpaichi and embracing the darkness that resides within their arts instead of seeking a more pure form of strength.