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Nina Williams ([[[Japanese language|Japanese]]: ニーナ・ウィリアムス; Niina Wiriamusu] Error: {{nihongo}}: text has italic markup (help)) is a character from Namco's Tekken game series. She is known to be a cold-blooded assassin who had made her very first appearance in the original Tekken game and since has appeared in every Tekken game released^[1]. She is one of only four Tekken characters to appear in each game along with Yoshimitsu, Paul Phoenix and Heihachi Mishima and the only female character to have appeared in every installment. She is known to have an unstable relationship with her younger sister, Anna Williams.

Nina Williams is known for her lethal fighting styles, consisting of many martial arts and fighting skills^[1]. Due to the success of the character, Nina Williams starred in her own spin-off game, Death by Degrees.

Nina Williams was born and raised in Ireland, as was her sister, Anna Williams^[2]. From a young age, both were taught various forms of martial arts and other forms of fighting^[2], and a sibling rivalry broiled between the two. Both sisters admired their father, Richard Williams, and they often craved for his attention. Williams was trained in assassination martial arts and borrows concepts from Aikido and bone martial arts^[2], making it ideal for her future job as an assassin. As she quickly became an assassin Williams had later been hired during the King of Iron Fist Tournament to assassinate Heihachi Mishima.

Their rivalry catapulting was the part of force that drove them to fight each other later at this time. The other, in Tekken 2, Nina was contracted to kill Kazuya Mishima, but Anna intervened and the conflict prevented her from fulfilling the assignment. She was captured by Mishima after failing to assassinate him and was used as a test subject in the "cold sleep" project by Dr. Boskonovich^[2] - a cryogenic experiment.^[3] Anna Williams volunteered to be put in cryogenic sleep, but demanded to be awoken at the same time as Nina. Fans speculate about the reason for this. Some believe that Anna couldn't bear life without Nina's presence, some suggest she was envious that Nina would remain youthful in the cryosleep and some think she did it so that she could stay unharmed and ready to fight Nina once she was awakened. The experiments went on for 19 years^[2].

Nina had suffered amnesia induced by her years in cryogenic sleep ^[3], a fate from which her sister Anna was spared. During Tekken 3, she was controlled by the God of Fighting's spell and while possessed concentrated on killing Jin Kazama - Heihachi Mishima's grandson.^[2] Anna worked intensively with Boskonovich to bring her sister's memories back, however, the project was unsuccessful and after a receiving a memory from Tekken 2, Nina realized that she and her sister did not get along. After this, Nina left and does not contact Anna again for some time.

In Tekken 4, Nina's experiments had been finished for 2 years and she soon revived her role as an assassin ^[3], as it was the only thing that she recalled from her previous life. Her next contract was from the Mafia Syndicate demanding her to kill a British boxer, Steve Fox^[2][3]. As the tournament progressed, she had gained knowledge that she was in fact Steve's mother, who was born through In vitro fertilisation during her years in cryosleep. At the last moment, she abandoned her assassination attempt after detective Lei Wulong brought down the syndicate. After the collapse of her employers, Nina no longer required a viable reason to pursue her target. It was also revealed that she remained emotionally impassive about the discovery of her biological son, but the fact that she did not kill him when the chance presented itself shows otherwise for some ^[4].

Nina decided that it was time she re-discovered her lost memories and came to the conclusion that the only person who could help her was her sister, Anna Williams^[4]. Anna meets with Nina soon after. However, Nina's memories and hatred instinctively returned, and they rapidly engaged in a gun battle.^[5] The duel lasted for days and the two later agreed to meet at the next tournament and finish their battle^[4]. The two promised that only one would walk away from the coming battle, however, Nina refused to take Anna's life as their fight wasn't satisfactory.

In Tekken 6, Nina was approached by Jin Kazama to be his personal bodyguard and enters the tournament to intercept any possible threat to him. Anna, during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, vows to take revenge and becomes Kazuya Mishima's personal bodyguard, knowing she is bound to come face to face with Nina along the way.

Tekken: Nina is in her kitchen when her sister Anna walks in and accuses her of taking her left shoe. Nina tells her she doesn't know where it is, but Anna doesn't believe her and gets in her face. Nina then slaps Anna making her cry and walk away, but Nina then smiles and shows Anna's shoe.

Tekken 2: Nina brings flowers to her father's grave and is frightened as she turns around and sees Anna carrying with flowers as well. Nina wants to fight, but Anna refuses. Nina agrees as she looks at her father's grave, and they both walk past each other.

Tekken 3: Nina is having her surgery while Dr. B and Anna watch. Anna and Nina then go to a graveyard where Anna puts down flowers on her father's grave. Nina then thinks about the last time they were at the graveyard. Anna then tries to ask Nina what's wrong but Nina slaps her, poses, and walks away.

Tekken Tag Tournament: Nina and Anna are having a conversation (although they cannot be heard), when Nina reaches in asking Anna for a handshake. Anna accepts but Nina takes her down and attempt to break her arm.

Tekken 4: Nina is seen on a computer conducting research on her target, Steve Fox, and learns to her shock that she is his mother, as he was born while she had been put to cryosleep at the Mishima Research Laboratory. Nina then tries to assassinate Steve with a rifle while in a motel, but decides not to shoot him and puts down the rifle right before Lei Wulong busts in and yells "freeze" and they both open fire. Nina manages to jump out of the window and run across the street to see Steve, but Lei catches up with her and says "freeze". Steve says "look out" and tackles Nina to the ground. She then says "thanks" and runs away while Lei starts to chase her.

Tekken 5: Nina and Anna are on a tower shooting a scene for a movie fighting with swords. Both of the girls run past and swing at each other and Nina falls to the ground. Nina gets up and leaves the tower as Anna is talking to crew members. Nina then presses a button on a detonator and the tower blows up.

Tekken 6: Nina is seen in the woman's bathroom putting on make-up at the Mishima Zaibatsu Victory Celebration Banquet. Anna tries to surprise kick Nina but fails. Both the girls yell while bumps are being heard and windows are breaking in the hallway. Nina walks out unharmed and has beaten Anna, who is covered in make-up.

Nina Williams is most notable for her blonde ponytail and blue eyes, and her voluptuous yet powerful build. Her look contrasts that of her sister, Anna, who is a brunette. Nina dresses primarily in purple fitted costumes and is commonly seen wearing a military style outfit (to suit her occupation) ^[2], differing in designs throughout such games as Tekken and Death by Degrees, in which her costume is made of materials resembling spandex, PVC and leather. In the original Tekken, her age was initially stated as 20 years old, in Tekken 2 she was 22 and in Tekken 6, her age would chronologically be 44. However, in the 19 year gap that takes place between Tekken 2 and 3 both Nina and her sister Anna were cryogenically frozen slowing down the effects of aging. Thus, according to the storyline of the games, Nina remains in her early-mid 20s. In Tekken 6, one of Nina's extra outfits is her Death by Degrees costume.

Nina Williams also stars in her own action/strategy game, Death by Degrees^[2]. It has been released in Japan since January 2005^[6], and was followed by a North American release in February^[6], and throughout Europe in April. The game was expected to be critically acclaimed but was received by many critics as mediocre and a disappointment to the main series. It was, however, more openly accepted by fans of Tekken^[6].

The game provides an alternate backstory for Nina and Anna Williams; the plot concentrating more on their father and how he died when they were children. In this game it is revealed that Richard Williams had struggled with a few guardsmen, and shouted for Nina Williams to grab a gun which one of guardsmen had dropped. However, her hesitation and fear caused the guards to get the upper hand and shoot Richard Williams, killing him. Anna Williams is shown comforting her sister moments after, while the older Nina Williams looks over the scene. The rivalry which stemmed from the incident crossed over to the real-time events of the game series Tekken.

Nina Williams was portrayed by South African model and singer Candîce Hillebrand in the 2010 film adaptation, Tekken. ^[7] In the film, she is a participant in the Iron Fist tournament, yet serves as an assassin under Kazuya along with Anna. Kazuya sends Nina and Anna to assassinate Jin Kazama, but the ensuing fight attracts Christie Monteiro's attention and Nina and Anna flee. In the next round, Jin recognizes Nina as one of the assassins, and Christie takes her revenge on Nina by beating her soundly in the ring.

Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2008 announced Nina Williams was voted "Hottest" Female Fighting Character and was also admired for her fashion sense by fans on an internet poll.^[1] In their September 2004 issue, Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine cited Nina as an "overrated" spin-off character, in comparison to Whiplash protagonist Spanx.^[8] UGO.com ranked her number seventeen in their "Top 50 Videogame Hotties" article, stating "Why is it that we're continually attracted to women that can snap our spine in three places before we hit the ground?"^[9] She was listed on GameDaily's top list of hottest blonds in video games, who state that she has both a killer body and a killer instinct.^[10] She was included in another GameDaily list covering the top 50 hottest video game women.^[11] They listed her appearance in Death by Degrees as one of her worst moments, citing its unlikable gameplay and below-average graphics.^[12]

• Nina - Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection - Moves List (U.S.)
• Tekken official website (Japan)
• Tekkenpedia: Nina Williams (U.S.)