Marshall Law (Tekken)

General CVG character
name=Marshall Law


caption=
series="Tekken" series
firstgame="Tekken"
voiceactor= Robert Clotworthy
inuniverse=Tekken character
fighting style=Jeet Kune Do
country=flagicon|USA USA
age= 25 ("Tekken")
27 ("Tekken 2")
48 ("Tekken 4")
height=5' 10" (178 cm)
weight=152 lbs (69 kg)
blood type=B
occupation=Former restaurant and dojo owner; currently a dishwasher

Marshall Law is a character in the "Tekken" fighting game series. The character is a homage to martial artist Bruce Lee and shares many characteristics with the famous martial artist, even uttering similar high-pitched shouts and whoops when he performs certain strikes and attacks.

Marshall also appears in the game "Urban Reign", along with his friend Paul Phoenix. In that game, he is unlocked by completing one free mode level. He also has a son named Forrest, who is also based on Bruce Lee.

His name is an obvious pun of martial law, which is military rule over a nation.

History

Marshall Law is a Chinese American that fights using various martial arts. Sometimes known as "The Fighting Chef", he is a close friend of Paul Phoenix during "Tekken 1" and "Tekken 2", and he is the father of Forrest Law. He entered the first King of Iron Fist Tournament in order to gain enough money so he could start his own dojo. Marshall does get enough money for his dojo as a runner-up and took Wang Jinrei to a draw. He is indeed married as "Mrs. Law" is seen in Yoshimitsu's ending.

Tekken 2

In "Tekken 2," Law enters the tournament to exact his revenge on the Taekwondo fighter Baek Doo San, who attacked Law's pupils and destroyed his dojo.

Tekken 3

Marshall declined to participate in this tournament. Afterwards, Paul and Law fall out somewhat after Paul convinces Marshall's son, Forrest, to enter "The King of Iron Fist Tournament 3".

Tekken 4

Before "Tekken 4," Law finds success as the master of a martial arts dojo, and as the owner of a restaurant chain called "Marshall China", back in the USA. However, a rival restaurant chain drives him bankrupt, and he falls into a depressed, alcoholic state. However, when "The King of Iron Fist Tournament 4" is announced, he beats himself back into shape to compete in the tournament, determined to pick up his business again.

Tekken 5

At the end of "Tekken 4", after Law fails to win the tournament, he is completely broke, and he now works as a dishwasher at a restaurant in Japan. Just before the events of "Tekken 5", he receives a phone call from his wife in America. She informs him that Forrest was badly hurt in an accident while riding on Paul Phoenix's motorcycle. Marshall enters the 5th Iron Fist tournament in order to pay his son's medical bills.

Tekken 6

During the middle of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, it was discovered that Marshall Law was working illegally in Japan, and as a result he was immediately deported to his home country of the United States of America. With the deadline to pay for the damages of his son’s accident fast approaching, hopes of getting the money needed were slim. Just then, his best friend Paul Phoenix approached him with the idea of forming a team—securing a high-ranking prize alone would certainly be difficult, but if he was part of a team, the probability of winning would be much higher. Marshall accepted Paul’s invite, but thinking a three-man team was better than two, the renowned boxer Steve Fox caught his attention.

Appearance

In his original appearance in "Tekken", Marshall was an almost exact facsimile of Bruce Lee. However, by "Tekken 4", a 21-year gap in the storyline produced a much older, mustached Marshall (he shaves his mustache in Tekken 6). This has not deterred the character from being a Bruce Lee homage, however. For example, in "Tekken 4", he retains the yellow tracksuit which was worn by Lee in the film "Game of Death". In "Tekken 5", Law's second attire (his cook suit) can be turned into a close copy of the character Kato from "The Green Hornet", a character which Bruce Lee portrayed. Also, upon close inspection, the chest scar on Marshall Law is very similar to the one received by Bruce Lee's character in "Enter the Dragon". In Tekken 6, it is possible to give Marshall a number of Bruce Lee outifts through the customization system. As previewed by Japanese magazine "Arcadia", customization options include the return of the yellow tracksuit from "Game of Death", as well as the sparring gear from the beginning of "Enter the Dragon." Marshall has also been granted the option to utilize his nunchaku if equipped, but the attack is mostly for use as a taunt and does little damage.

Endings

Tekken:Marshall is in his dojo watching his students perform somersault kicks, and he is shouting at them at the same time (his words cannot be heard). Then, Marshall demonstrates three somersault kicks of his own. After he finishes, he puts his hands on his hips.

Tekken 2:Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law are shown together. Marshall is trying to teach Paul how to perform a somersault kick. Marshall attempts a somersault kick first, and he succeeds. Then, Paul smirks and attempts to replicate the somersault kick, but he fails and lands on his stomach. Marshall shrugs, and his ending video ends.

Tekken 4:Law won the tournament and earned the Mishima Zaibatsu fortune. His fighting spirit was now focused on rebuilding the "Marshall China" restaurant empire. Marshall is walking through a Marshall China restaurant, when he suddenly overhears some customers insult the taste of the Marshall China's food. An offended Marshall starts fighting with these rough customers. A few seconds later, a newspaper states that Marshall China went out of business because of this incident. Afterwards, Marshall and some other men are shown inside the reopened Marshall Dojo. The other men are throwing slow punches, and they are grunting quietly. Marshall tells them to put more anger into it. Marshall throws a punch and lets out a loud grunt as an example of what he wants the others to do. The other men begin to throw faster punches, and they begin to grunt louder. As the camera pans away from the dojo exterior, Marshall is heard giving his students more guidance.

Tekken 5:Law spends his prize money to pay all his debts from bankruptcy and Forrest's medical bills, ended up as he said, "Broke again." Suddenly, Paul rides up to him on a rickety bicycle (with pieces of his wrecked motorcycle strapped to his back) and hands him a bill containing a massive new debt he has to pay. Marshall sweats nervously and, after Paul's persistence, a mock-battle begins. (Complete with the game's heads up display). Marshall delivers an uppercut that completely depletes Paul's life bar and quickly flees the scene.::"Note: This is one of the few endings in "Tekken 5" which does not depict Jinpachi Mishima's death."

Fighting Style and Moves List

Fighting Style

In the Tekken canon, Marshall Law's fighting art is simply stated as "Martial Arts". This can be found in the English instruction manuals of Tekken 5 where his bio still states his style as "Martial Arts", even 10 years after his first appearance in Tekken 1.

It is universally acknowledged that he is a practitioner of Jeet Kune Do, the martial arts philosophy created by legendary martial artist, Bruce Lee. However, as Lee did not intend Jeet Kune Do to be a strict "style", it can be suggested that Law does not strictly follow any set style of his own.

ee also

*Paul Phoenix
*Forrest Law
*Baek Doo San
*Bruce Lee
*Cung Le(U.S.)