Tekken 8 is the eighth installment of arguably the best fighting game franchise. Tekken is the most advanced and entertaining fighting game series, and decades of popularity are the best proof. In this sequel, some new characters are introduced, but there are also a lot of fan favorites from previous installments.
Best Characters Tier List - Tekken 8
Below is the list of the best characters in Tekken 8. The characters are separated into tiers, from the best (S-Tier) to the worst (D-Tier). There are 32 characters overall, so you have plenty to choose from, depending on your playstyle.
Tier | Character |
---|---|
S | Bryan, Claudio, Dragunov, Hwoarang, Jin, Jun, Jack-8, Reina, Zafina |
A | Asuka, Azucena, Devil Jin, Feng, Kazuya, King, Lee, Paul, Raven, Xiaoyu, Yoshimitsu |
B | Law, Leo, Leroy, Lili, Nina, Shaheen, Steve, Victor |
C | Alisa, Lars |
D | Kuma, Panda |
Related: Tekken 8 All Game Modes, explained
Best characters in Tekken 8, ranked
S-Tier
These characters are the best in the game, with significant advantages over the competition.
Bryan
One of my favorite characters returned as a supreme fighting machine, quite literally. This rogue cyborg successfully repaired himself and is now ready to rumble.
Claudio
Claudio was introduced in Tekken 7 as a wielder of a mysterious force. In this sequel, he's put against Zafina's dark magic. Watch out for his hopkick launch.
Dragunov
Russian Sambo expert was always well-balanced, but his battle prowess was unmatched this time. He's equally dangerous on feet and the ground.
Hwoarang
The Korean Taekwondo expert and the archrival of Jin is another top-tier fighter. Once you learn all of his stances, he becomes a human tornado.
Jin
The protagonist of Tekken 8, Jin, aims to stop his father, Kazuya, from global domination. Jin can now control his Devil powers, making him a formidable opponent.
Jun
Jun makes a surprising return after almost 30 years. Jin's mother and Kazuya's wife is as strong as she was in Tekken 2 (and both Tags).
Jack-8
This Russian powerhouse robot is another fan-favorite character. His enormous strength and range are enough to deal with any opponent.
Reina
This mysterious newcomer is another child of Heihachi Mishima. Her style is based on Taido, with some Mishima-ryu moves that utilize lightning.
Zafina
The mysterious priestess is back, this time as one of the central characters. Her hand is possessed by Azazel, Tekken 6's boss, and she can deal some severe damage with it.
A-Tier
These characters aren't supreme, but they are still pretty good. If played well, you can defeat the S-Tier characters reasonably easily.
Asuka
Asuka is well-balanced, with a lot of options for combinations. Her parry stance can easily disrupt any opponent's offense.
Azucena
The self-proclaimed queen of coffee from Peru is another exciting newcomer. She's swift and agile with a fantastic mix-up game.
Devil Jin
The devil form of the main character, Jin Kazama, is usually stronger than Jin himself. However, in this game, this is not the case because Jin can control the Devil's power without transforming. Still, Devil Jin is a competent fighter.
Feng
Chinese Shaolin kung fu expert continues his quest for the ultimate fighting power. His explosiveness and mobility are his outstanding traits.
Kazuya
Kazuya's best traits are high damage output and the fact that he is hard to read. He also has some great combos that can initiate a comeback once he sneaks a hit in.
King
Legendary wrestler is one of the characters featured in every Tekken game. He is faster and more agile in this installment, akin to Mexican luchadors.
Lee
Lee's an excellent choice for people who like snappy, fast characters—his speed and agility more than make up for his lack of strength.
Paul
Being older and seemingly more in debt, Paul seems slower but harder-hitting. If you can get over his Karen haircut, he's a very reliable character.
Raven
This mysterious ninja Returns after being replaced by Master Raven in Tekken 7. His fighting style is based on acrobatics and illusions, which makes him very hard to predict.
Xiaoyu
Xiaoyu is very nimble and quick, and her stances are high risk - high reward. Her vulnerability is the only thing that prevents her from being higher on this list.
Yoshimitsu
Another staple character, Yoshimitsu, is also one of the most unusual. Nevertheless, he's pretty capable, payable in the right hands, thanks to his devastating damage output.
Related: Tekken 8 – Release date, trailer, platforms, & more
B-Tier
These characters usually have some serious flaws that prevent them from being well-balanced. They are still helpful, but we don't predict them being chosen in tournaments very often, except for flexing.
Law
Every fighting game has a Bruce Lee clone, and Marshal Law fits that role perfectly. Nevertheless, he is much weaker compared to his Tekken 7 version because his range and damage are lower at the same speed.
Leo
Leo was conceived as an unpredictable character who is the best for the guessing game. Unfortunately, the only thing that people guess about is Leo's gender.
Leroy
Leroy Smith is a master of Wing Chun, and he was introduced in Tekken 7. He is much weaker now, with lower combination abilities and damage output.
Lili
Lily has unique attacks that are also very unpredictable. However, some of her moves leave her open to counterattacks. She also doesn't take damage well.
Nina
Nina Williams retained many of her moves from previous installments, including combo grapples. However, she lacks the means to start her combos, which makes her predictable.
Shaheen
Shaheen is a controversial choice to appear in Tekken 8 over more popular legacy characters. He is a very versatile striker but lacks grappling game and defense.
Steve
Steve Fox is a British boxer with severe damage output that makes up for his lack of kicks. Since he's one of the last characters that were introduced, Steve still needs some buffs in his gameplay.
Victor
Victor Chevallier is the last newcomer on this list. This French assassin fights in a similar way as Raven. Interestingly enough, he uses both guns and blades when he fights.
C-Tier
C-tier characters seriously lack the fighting abilities to compete in top-tier levels. They are still better than gimmick characters, and good players can use them well, but they are all but useless.
Alisa
When she was introduced in Tekken 6, Alisa was a scary character disguised as a cute robot girl. In this installment, she keeps the latter part, but she's very underwhelming as a fighter due to her lowered damage output.
Lars
Lars is another child of Heihachi Mishima, and he seemingly can't catch a break with his other siblings. Hopefully, future updates will improve his playstyle because he is not very good at using it.
D-Tier
Kuma / Panda
We put Kuma and Panda together because they are the same character gameplay-wise; they just look different. Unfortunately, their gameplay is bottom-tier, as they are gimmick/joke characters.
For more Tekken 8 articles, try out Get your dance moves ready because Eddy is coming to Tekken 8 as DLC on Pro Game Guides.
Published: Jan 19, 2024 08:11 am