A MODERN
BIOGRAPHY ARCHIVE
THE COLLECTION / GamesARCHIVE № 395
1985 —   TEKKEN PRO GAMER

KNEE

Bae Jae-min1985South Korea

What happened at what age?
Where were they at your age?

The year he turned 19, he placed third at a Tekken 5 tournament. He says the Tekken 5 tournament held at COEX was where he first made his name known.

The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 25, he won the first Tekken Crash he entered after finishing his military service, and in October he won gold in Tekken 6 at WCG 2010. Fomos called him the first Tekken 6 world champion in WCG history.

In 2011, he won again at Tekken Crash Season 6. In 2013, he competed for the national team at the Incheon Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, and won Tekken Strike Season 1 and the Tekken division at EVO 2013, his first EVO. In 2015, he won Tekken Crash Season 9, the first in four years, and competed for Korea at the TEKKEN7 world championship in Tokyo. In 2017, he joined ROX Gaming.

In 2018, he won EVO Japan 2018 and Combo Breaker 2018. In 2019, he played 41 people in Pakistan, and in December won gold in Tekken 7 at the IeSF World Championship. In 2020, he entered the online tournament Yasik Crash for the first time and won it.

In 2022, he won EVO 2022, and in October recorded his 100th career win. In 2023, he was inducted into the Esports Hall of Fame as a Star. In 2024, he played a Tekken 8 exhibition match against Arslan Ash in Abu Dhabi, and in December announced his wedding.

In 2025, he won Tekken 8 at EVO Japan 2025. In 2026, he made the Asian Games national team, and in September won gold in esports fighting games at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Knee (born 1985) placed third at a Tekken 5 tournament in 2004, the year he turned 19, and became known on Oct 2, 2010, the year he turned 25, when he won gold in Tekken 6 at WCG 2010. On Sep 26, 2026, the year he turned 41, he won gold in esports fighting games at the Asian Games.

Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.

Full timeline · 25 records2004 — 2026   ＋
AGE / YEAR

  1. 19 · 2004
    Debut

    Third place at a Tekken 5 tournament

    In 2004, placed third at a Tekken 5 tournament. He says the Tekken 5 tournament held at COEX was where he first made his name known.

    Source 03 · Gameple (Korean) · Knee on retirement plans · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Xports News (Korean) · Knee Bae Jae-min interview · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Kukmin Ilbo (Korean) · Knee wins EVO, earns EWC berth · opens in a new tab The name of the tournament differs by outlet, and the month is not confirmed in news reports. Kukmin Ilbo describes this year as his pro debut.
  2. 25 · 2010
    Tournament

    Wins Tekken Crash with Team Resurrection

    Won the first Tekken Crash he entered after finishing his military service. The final ended 6-3 and Knee played the fifth set.

    Source 06 · Xports News (Korean) · Tekken Crash Resurrection wins · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Xports News (Korean) · Knee Bae Jae-min interview · opens in a new tab Xports News calls this event Season 4 and gives the name of the tournament as 2010 Season 2. The times of his enlistment and discharge are not confirmed in news reports.
  3. 26 · 2011
  4. 28 · 2013
  5. 28 · 2013
  6. 28 · 2013
  7. 30 · 2015
  8. 30 · 2015
  9. 32 · 2017
  10. 33 · 2018
    Tournament

    Wins the Tekken division at EVO Japan 2018

    Won the Tekken division at EVO Japan 2018. Game Chosun writes that no Korean player won at EVO again until 2022.

    Source 12 · Inven (Korean) · ROX Dragons Knee and Chanel interview · opens in a new tabSource 28 · Gamevu (Korean) · Korea wins fighting games gold at the Asian Games · opens in a new tabSource 16 · Game Chosun (Korean) · Knee wins EVO 2022 · opens in a new tab The day of the event is not confirmed in news reports.
  11. 33 · 2018
  12. 34 · 2019
  13. 34 · 2019
  14. 35 · 2020
  15. 37 · 2022
  16. 37 · 2022
  17. 37 · 2022
  18. 38 · 2023
  19. 39 · 2024
  20. 39 · 2024
  21. 39 · 2024
  22. 40 · 2025
  23. 41 · 2026
    Tournament

    Selected for the Asian Games fighting games national team

    After Tekken was included as an event in Asian Games esports, he won the national team qualifier and earned a place on the national team.

    Source 23 · SBS News (Korean) · Tekken veteran heads to the Asian Games · opens in a new tabSource 26 · SPOTV News (Korean) · Knee’s first Asian Games bid · opens in a new tabSource 27 · Daily eSports (Korean) · Bae Jae-min joins the Asian Games team · opens in a new tab SBS gives the qualifier as April and SPOTV News as May, so the month is not confirmed. Daily eSports writes that he first made the national team at the 2013 Incheon Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
  24. 41 · 2026
    Key moment

    Gold in esports fighting games at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

    Played on a team with Lee Kwang-no and Yeon Je-gil and beat Japan 5-2 in the final. Knee beat Daichi Nakayama of Japan in the fifth and seventh sets.

    Source 24 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Knee finishes it · opens in a new tabSource 25 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Over 40 and still able · opens in a new tabSource 27 · Daily eSports (Korean) · Bae Jae-min joins the Asian Games team · opens in a new tab

END OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2004–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.

02 / QUICK ANSWERS

Q & AFrequently asked

How old was Knee when he debuted?
In 2004, the year he turned 19, he placed third at a Tekken 5 tournament, and Kukmin Ilbo describes that year as his pro debut. SPOTV News writes that he began as a formal pro gamer by joining ROX Gaming in 2017.
How old was Knee when he became famous?
On Oct 2, 2010, the year he turned 25, he won gold in Tekken 6 at WCG 2010. Fomos called him the first Tekken 6 world champion in WCG history. Earlier, he says, the place where he first made his name known was the Tekken 5 tournament held at COEX in 2004. In 2013, he won EVO 2013, his first EVO.
How many times has Knee won EVO?
Four times in total, according to Kukmin Ilbo: EVO 2013 in 2013, EVO Japan 2018 in 2018, EVO 2022 in 2022 and EVO Japan 2025 in 2025. The most recent was on May 11, 2025, the year he turned 40.
How old was Knee when he won Asian Games gold?
On Sep 26, 2026, the year he turned 41. Korea beat Japan 5-2 in the esports fighting games final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, and Knee beat Daichi Nakayama of Japan in the fifth and seventh sets.
How old is Knee?
Born in 1985, he turns 41 in 2026 (40 or 41 as of Oct 3, 2026; his birthday is not confirmed).
04 / ABOUT THE ARCHIVE

A LIFE,
IN CHAPTERS.

What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.

COLLECTION395Knee / KNEE

Games · South Korea
1985 —

Sources and method28 SOURCES   ＋

Ages are counted from the birth year 1985: the year of the event minus 1985, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.

  1. Fomos (Korean) · Knee interview ↗Interview of Feb. 18, 2011. The reporter writes that after his military service he won twice with Team Resurrection
  2. Xports News (Korean) · Knee Bae Jae-min interview ↗Interview of Sept. 15, 2015. First tournament at 19; first made his name at a Tekken 5 tournament at COEX; won his first Tekken Crash Season 4 entry; Season 9 final 6-3
  3. Gameple (Korean) · Knee on retirement plans ↗Interview of June 3, 2021. Third at the 2004 Mega Enterprise Tekken 5 national tournament, then a run of wins
  4. Kukmin Ilbo (Korean) · Knee wins EVO, earns EWC berth ↗May 13, 2025. Won Tekken 8 at EVO Japan 2025, a fourth EVO title, his 122nd career win; describes 2004 as his pro debut
  5. Fomos (Korean) · First gold at WCG 2010 Tekken 6 ↗Oct. 2, 2010 (local time), Los Angeles; beat Akihiro Abe of Japan in the final; the Korean delegation’s first gold medal
  6. Xports News (Korean) · Tekken Crash Resurrection wins ↗Final of May 22, 2010, 6-3 against Specialist. Knee played the fifth set
  7. Daily eSports (Korean) · Tekken Crash Season 6 final ↗Final of Feb. 13, 2011, 6-2; Resurrection won. Knee won one match in the final
  8. Inven (Korean) · Knee Bae Jae-min interview ↗Aug. 13, 2013. Won the Tekken division at EVO 2013, his first EVO. The article does not give the date of the event
  9. Inven (Korean) · In search of legends #10 ↗Sept. 6, 2015. Tekken Crash Season 9 final, held for the first time in four years; Jofresh Resurrection won
  10. Herald Business (Korean) · Tekken 7 world championship ↗Chosen in the Tekken 7 Korean qualifier open division; competed for Korea at the TEKKEN7 world championship in Tokyo on Dec. 12
  11. OSEN (Korean) · Knee, 100 career wins ↗Oct. 20, 2022. Won the 2022 ATL Season 3 final 3-2 on the 19th for his 100th career win; with ROX Gaming just after the Tekken World Tour began in 2017
  12. Inven (Korean) · ROX Dragons Knee and Chanel interview ↗June 4, 2018. Question about Knee winning the 2018 EVO Japan final; won Combo Breaker 2018 on May 28
  13. Inven (Korean) · Knee’s trip to Pakistan ↗Dec. 3, 2019. In Lahore he played 41 people over three days and went 38-3; first to 15 against Arslan Ash, 15-5
  14. Daily eSports (Korean) · Knee wins IeSF gold ↗Dec. 14, 2019. 11th Esports World Championship, Tekken 7, at VSG Arena in Seoul; beat Take of Japan 5-3
  15. Inven (Korean) · Yasik Crash 75th edition ↗Apr. 18, 2020. Online tournament with 125 entrants; used nine characters
  16. Game Chosun (Korean) · Knee wins EVO 2022 ↗Aug. 8, 2022. Held Aug. 5–7 local time in Las Vegas; final 3-1; first EVO win by a Korean player since 2018
  17. Game Donga (Korean) · Tekken Korea-Japan match ↗Aug. 15, 2022. Korea won; Knee beat five Japanese players and won the ace deciding match
  18. Ajunews (Korean) · Esports Hall of Fame Stars inductee ↗Dec. 19, 2023. Photo article headline: inducted into the Esports Hall of Fame as a Star
  19. GameMeca (Korean) · Knee and Arslan Tekken 8 exhibition match ↗Feb. 10, 2024. Side event at MEFCC in Abu Dhabi; first to 10, 10-9
  20. Gametoc (Korean) · Knee wins 2024 STL S2 Day 2 ↗Reported Oct. 14, 2024. Event held Oct. 12–13; his first Tekken 8 win
  21. Kyunghyang Games (Korean) · Knee announces wedding ↗Dec. 20, 2024. Said on his own broadcast that the wedding would be held on the 21st
  22. Daily eSports (Korean) · Knee wins EVO Japan ↗May 11, 2025 (Korea time), Tokyo; beat Han Jae-gyun to win, earned an EWC berth, prize of 1,375,000 yen
  23. SBS News (Korean) · Tekken veteran heads to the Asian Games ↗June 2, 2026. Tekken adopted for the Asian Games; describes him as winning the national team qualifier in April
  24. Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Knee finishes it ↗Sept. 26, 2026. Aichi Sky Expo, fighting games final, Korea 5-2 over Japan; beat Daichi Nakayama in the fifth and seventh sets
  25. Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Over 40 and still able ↗Sept. 27, 2026. Gold with Lee Kwang-no and Yeon Je-gil; set-by-set account
  26. SPOTV News (Korean) · Knee’s first Asian Games bid ↗Aug. 25, 2026. Began as a formal pro gamer by joining ROX Gaming in 2017; describes him as winning the qualifier in May
  27. Daily eSports (Korean) · Bae Jae-min joins the Asian Games team ↗May 29, 2026. Born in 1985; his first Asian Games national team berth
  28. Gamevu (Korean) · Korea wins fighting games gold at the Asian Games ↗Sept. 2026. Won the Tekken division at EVO Japan 2018 and at IeSF 2019

Fact-checked: 2026.10.03 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.