Lau Chan is a leading Chinese chef and a master of the legendary martial art known as Tiger Swallow Fist, or Koen-ken. Born on October 2, 1940, in the Shandong Province of Northern China, he is a quiet man with a cold exterior that conceals a gentle nature. His relentless pursuit of perfection drives him in both of his crafts: he achieved one of his life’s ambitions by winning the Grand Prix at the world’s most prestigious competition for Chinese chefs, and he entered the first World Fighting Tournament to attain mastery in his fighting style, a goal that required him to abandon his daughter, Pai Chan, creating a strained relationship between them. Lau won that first tournament, which satisfied his martial arts school’s requirement to name a successor, but he was not content with his performance; he retreated to the mountains to train and develop new techniques. After losing the second tournament to Akira Yuki by a narrow margin, he returned to run his Chinese restaurant for a year while continuing his training. Following his defeat by Kage-Maru in the third tournament, Lau was diagnosed with an incurable illness. Fearing that his unique Koen-ken style would be lost, he entered the fourth tournament to find a worthy successor. He found one in Lei-Fei, who initially proved an obedient disciple but later turned on him; Lau survived only because of the sudden intervention of his daughter Pai, which rekindled their bond. As his health declined, Lau vanished, but he later received an invitation to the fifth tournament at what he believed was his secret hideout, facing what he considered his final battle. In his fighting style, Lau relies on a wide variety of high and mid consecutive attacks, as well as powerful moves that can be transitioned into from the Kokei form, allowing him to overwhelm opponents with a rapid rush. He is a balanced and intuitive fighter with long reach, effective for both close and medium ranges. In the Virtua Fighter anime series, Lau appears as a supporting character, initially pursuing his daughter Pai and acting as an antagonist before a gradual reconciliation. His role in the story highlights the themes of legacy, perfectionism, and the difficult choices a master makes in pursuit of his art.