Paul Phoenix (ポール・フェニックス Pōru Fenikkusu?) is a character in the Tekken series who made his debut in the first Tekken game and since then has appeared in every game to date. He is a hotheaded, aggressive character, determined more than ever to win the King of Iron Fist Tournament to prove he is the best fighter in the entire universe. Paul is good friends with the Law Family. Although he gets close several times (especially in Tekken 3), Paul has never won a tournament. Despite his initial setup in the first game as a possible rival to Kazuya, as well as his arguably more serious standing in the earlier games, Paul has increasingly become something of a joke character (story-wise). This is quite evidenced by the fact that he is rivals with Kuma I and Kuma II and that his endings have become more comedic and slapstick. Nevertheless, he is among the most popular and well-loved Tekken characters.
Appearance[]
Paul is a well-built American with blue eyes, bushy eyebrows and an iconic high flat top hairstyle. Paul also has a scorpion tattoo on his right arm and, in Tekken 2, he also had two earrings in his left ear; these earrings are seen exclusively in this game, as they were removed for all future installments. In Tekken 4 Paul is also shown with his hair down and tied in a ponytail.
Personality[]
Paul is an extremely overconfident, muscle-brained individual who never doubts himself. This overconfidence tends to get the better of him as his ego spins out of control with the end result usually leaving Paul in difficult and awkward situations. Despite this, his arrogant attitude has never changed throughout the years and still he enters tournaments striving to prove himself to be the "best in the universe" (he means this literally, according to his ending in Tekken 5). Paul has always been portrayed as being short-tempered, albeit kind-hearted, slightly dim-witted, brash, loud and totally presumptuous. He considers Kazuya Mishima to be his rival, though Kazuya tends to see him as little more than a nuisance at best. Paul shares a deep friendship with Marshall Law, despite the two's constant squabbling. Law is usually seen as Paul's mentor or advice giver, and the pair tend to end up in the most bizarre of circumstances alongside other characters. Paul is also friends with Forrest Law and Steve Fox. Paul's laziness usually results in him being bankrupt and in desperate need of money, leading him either to find temporary work as a bouncer or enter a tournament just to win the prize money to keep himself going a little while longer.
Paul and Marshall's antics and get-rich-quick schemes are all well-known among the cast in the Scenario Campaign, and many characters will call both of them out for their shameless behavior.
Relationships[]
Marshall Law[]
Gallery[]
