Despite his animalistic tendencies, Kuma is also quite lazy, and takes any possible opportunity to take a nap. He is also, as is to be expected, ferociously aggressive, and harbors a taste for human flesh.
Kuma is highly intelligent for a bear, to the point that he can learn specialized martial arts and understand basic Japanese. Kuma's activities after the second tournament are unknown, but it is later revealed that Kuma had a son, who would later replace his father as Heihachi's bodyguard and Paul's rival when the original Kuma dies of old age, sometime between the second and third King of Iron Fist tournaments. When the second tournament came around, Kuma sought revenge against Paul, but was once again defeated. Surprised and impressed by Paul's strength, Kuma retreated to a mountain dojo and trained with Heihachi to grow stronger in order to defeat his new rival. Due to Kuma's impressive abilities, Heihachi made him his bodyguard and Kuma accompanied him to the first King of Iron Fist Tournament, where he was later defeated by Paul Phoenix.
As he grew to adulthood, Kuma began to show a superior intellect, and Heihachi, upon realizing this, began to train him, teaching him sign language, fighting techniques and basic Japanese. Kuma was a bear cub found abandoned in the forests of the Mishima estate by Heihachi Mishima, who took him in as a pet.
