Sibling rivalry usually involves fighting over the TV remote or who got the bigger slice of cake. For the Williams sisters, it involves high-caliber explosives, cryogenics, and literal assassination attempts. If you’ve spent any time playing Tekken since the nineties, you know the vibe. Nina and Anna Williams are the undisputed queens of the fighting game genre, but their relationship is a toxic disaster.
Why do Nina and Anna hate each other so much? Honestly, it’s not just one thing. It is a messy, multi-layered inheritance of trauma, professional jealousy, and a father who probably should have stayed away from parenting altogether. They don't just dislike each other. They want to erase each other from existence.
It's deep. It's petty. And it's one of the longest-running feuds in gaming history.
The Sins of the Father: Richard Williams
You can't talk about the Williams sisters without talking about Richard Williams. He wasn't just a dad; he was a world-class assassin and a master of "Assassination Arts" derived from Aikido and Koppojutsu. Instead of playing catch in the backyard, he taught his daughters how to snap bones and disappear into the shadows.
He played favorites. Big time.
Richard focused most of his attention on Nina, the older sister. He saw her as the "prodigy." This immediately pushed Anna into the "disappointing second" category. Imagine growing up in a house where your worth is measured by your kill count and your ability to please a cold, demanding father who clearly likes your sister more. That’s a recipe for a lifelong grudge.
When Richard died, things got worse. The sisters blamed each other for his death. In the Tekken lore, it’s never quite as simple as one killing the other, but the resentment surrounding his passing cemented their hatred. They didn't have a father to compete for anymore, so they started competing for the title of "The Best" in the only way they knew how: through violence.
Cold Sleep and the Loss of Time
One of the weirdest turns in their relationship happened between Tekken 2 and Tekken 3. This is where the "why do Nina and Anna hate each other" question gets into sci-fi territory. Both sisters were used as test subjects for Dr. Bosconovitch’s "Cold Sleep" (cryogenic sleep) technology.
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Nina was put under first. Anna, in a move that is either incredibly touching or deeply psychotic—depending on how you look at it—insisted on being frozen too. She didn't want to age while her sister stayed young. She wanted to wake up at the same time so they could keep fighting on equal ground.
They woke up 19 years later.
They hadn't aged a day, but the world had moved on. Nina woke up with a bad case of amnesia. She literally forgot who Anna was. For a brief moment, there was a chance for a reset. Anna tried to help her regain her memories, but because their dynamic is fundamentally broken, it didn't lead to a sisterly hug. Instead, it led back to the same old patterns. Nina recovered her memories, remembered she hated Anna, and the cycle of assassination attempts restarted immediately. It’s almost like they don't know who they are if they aren't fighting.
Professional Jealousy and Different Paths
While they share the same training, their personalities couldn't be more different. Nina is the "Silent Assassin." She’s cold, efficient, and rarely shows emotion. She’s the professional. She treats their rivalry like a job.
Anna is different. She’s flamboyant. She wears silk dresses to gunfights and loves the spotlight. She joined the G Corporation purely because Nina was working for Jin Kazama and the Mishima Zaibatsu. If Nina is on one side, Anna is on the other. Always.
The Wedding Disaster
If you want to see how petty this gets, look at the Tekken 7 storyline. This is arguably the peak of their hatred.
Anna finally decided to retire from the assassination business. She fell in love. She was literally at the altar, wearing her wedding dress, ready to start a "normal" life. Then Nina crashed the party. Nina killed Anna’s fiancé and stole her wedding dress.
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Why? Because she could. Because in Nina’s mind, Anna doesn't get to be happy if Nina is still a tool for war. This wasn't a professional hit; it was purely personal. It sent Anna right back into the fray, seeking revenge. This isn't just a rivalry anymore. It’s a scorched-earth policy.
The Fan Perspective: Why We Love the Drama
Players have been debating who is the "rightful" victor for decades. Nina usually gets the upper hand in the canon story, but Anna is often portrayed as the more "human" of the two. She shows emotion. She feels the sting of rejection. Nina, on the other hand, is almost robotic in her detachment.
Some fans argue that Anna is the true villain because she provokes Nina. Others say Nina is a monster for taking away Anna's chance at a normal life. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. They are both victims of a brutal upbringing that taught them that love is a weakness and combat is the only language that matters.
Gameplay Reflection of the Feud
Even their movesets reflect this. Nina is all about "Chain Throws" and "Evil Mist." She’s about control and precision. Anna’s style is more chaotic. She has "Chaos Judgement" stances and more unpredictable, flashy moves. When you play them against each other, it feels like a clash of ideologies—order versus chaos, the favorite daughter versus the rebel.
What Actually Keeps the Fire Burning?
At the end of the day, the answer to why do Nina and Anna hate each other is simple: Identity.
Without their rivalry, who are they? They are both women who were raised to be weapons. If they stop fighting, they have to face the emptiness of their lives and the trauma of their childhood. The hatred is a shield. It gives them a reason to keep training, a reason to keep moving, and a target for all the anger they feel toward their father and the world that turned them into killers.
There’s also a hint of weird, twisted respect. Anna followed Nina into the freezer. Nina keeps track of Anna's whereabouts. They are obsessed with each other. It’s a toxic, co-dependent relationship where the only way they know how to say "I see you" is with a kick to the ribs.
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Breaking Down the Hate
To summarize the layers of this decades-long conflict:
- Childhood Rivalry: Richard Williams pitted them against each other from birth.
- Inheritance: Both claim to be the true successor to the Williams assassination style.
- The Cryogenics Gap: 19 years of lost time and Nina’s temporary amnesia.
- The Wedding Incident: Nina murdering Anna’s groom is the point of no return.
- Corporate Warfare: Their tendency to join opposing private militaries (G Corp vs. Mishima Zaibatsu).
What’s Next for the Williams Sisters?
As Tekken continues to evolve, the feud shows no signs of slowing down. In the most recent installments, the stakes have only gotten higher. We’ve seen them trade blows in cinematics that look more like high-budget action movies than arcade endings.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the lore or improve your gameplay as one of these icons, focus on their specific history in Tekken 2 and Tekken 7. These are the "anchor" points of their story. To truly understand Nina, you have to master her complex inputs and understand her cold nature. To play Anna, you have to embrace the flair and the risk-taking.
Stop looking for a "reconciliation" arc. It’s probably never coming. In the world of Tekken, some bonds aren't broken—they're just forged in fire and kept hot by a lifetime of spite.
Go back and watch the intro to Tekken 5. There’s a scene where they’re both in a lush garden, and within seconds, they are trying to blow each other up with grenades. That is the Williams sisters in a nutshell. No words, just high explosives.
If you want to master the Nina vs. Anna matchup in the game, pay attention to their frame data. Nina has the advantage in close-range pressure, while Anna excels at mix-ups that can frustrate even the most seasoned Nina players. Practice the "iWS1" loops for Nina if you want to be truly competitive, as that is the hallmark of a high-level player who understands her technical requirements. For Anna, focus on her "Full Crouch" mix-up game to keep your opponent guessing.