Gen is a former assassin, whom has
knowledge of the legendary Messatsu killing technique. Using a variation
of it, he has put many of his targets six feet under. Gen was an
acquaintance of the former Shotokan master, Gouken, and upon hearing of
his demise, went into seclusion, knowing that one day the murderer of his
friend, Akuma, may come after him to ensure that the deadly secrets of the
Messatsu technique died with him. And so, for the time being, gen went
into hiding, training fighters in a military compound in Shanghai, where
he supposedly trained his alleged grandsons, Yun and Yang Lee, the Twin
Dragons of Hong Kong, in the ways of the martial arts. It is rumored
that Gen, whose former occupation often put him in bad company, trained
them at the request of the underworld bosses whom have taken upon
themselves to raise them as godsons, in order to control
much of Hong Kong's youth and "bad element."
Learning that Goutetsu, Gouken's father was killed by Gouki, now called Akuma (Gouken's brother), Gen entered the tournament hoping to find leads to the killer. Gen found nothing in the way of leads, but plenty in the way of competition, as he was humbled by a young boy named Ryu, whom, he later found, was the pupil (and practically the son) of his friend Gouken. After the tournament, Gen returned to training his pupils. He did not again surface until many years later, when he learned that Akuma had made himself visible, and entered the Alpha tournament.
Gen entered the second tournament to seek out Akuma and make him pay for his former friend's death, as well as to stop Akuma from hunting him. Gen encountered Akuma, and a fierce battle ensued. Akuma was too much for Gen, as Gen eventually admitted. Gen's resolve diminished, Akuma tok the opportunity to defeat him. Beaten, Gen told Akuma to finish him and preserve his secret. But for some reason, Akuma left him to his fate and vanished, with a final warning: "Tell no one..." Returning home, Gen realized that he could not defeat Akuma, and would operate in the shadows, searching for the one who could one day beat Akuma...