Summary

• Tekken 8 introduces refillable health and a new Heat System, elevating offensive strategies.
• Popular characters like Paul, Jin, Kazuya, and Nina were available in the demo, making other characters more desirable to try.
• The roster of Tekken 8 includes new and returning fighters, each with unique playstyles and abilities to explore.

Bandai Namco's Tekken 8 is one of the most highly-anticipated fighting games of 2024 and is shaping up to be one of the best in the series. With the introduction of refillable health and the new Heat System, the title is looking to up the ante when it comes to offensive strategies. With a long history and avid community ing the game, it's no wonder many, even veteran players who've had a chance to play in the beta, are wondering who to play first.

Though Paul, Jin, Kazuya, and Nina are fan favorites and franchise staples, they were all available for the Tekken 8 demo, making them less desirable characters to try out as soon as possible upon the full launch of Tekken 8. Instead, there's a whole roster of interesting new and iconic returning fighters to test one's hand-to-hand combat prowess. While these Tekken 8 characters might not end up being S-tier, or the best in the game, ultimately, they are certainly ones to try out as soon as possible.

10 Azucena Ortiz (Peru)

Style: MMA (Striker)

Azucena is one of the new characters coming to Tekken 8 and is, therefore, one of the most highly-anticipated characters to try out. She has a fast, flowing style with long chains and juggling moves that lend themselves to developing long combinations and wall-carry tactics. Addicted to coffee, this high-octane fighter has a variety of cool parry and dodge mechanics to help compliment her free-flowing style.

9 Panda (Uknown)

Style: Heihachi-Style Advanced Kuma Shin Ken

Pet to Ling Xiaoyu, Panda is another returning character from previous Tekken games, first introduced in Tekken 3. Much of Panda's previous move set is retained in Tekken 8, as they possess slow but powerful moves that deal immense damage, especially if a combo string can be initiated successfully. Though Panda is one of the simple characters to use in the game, it'll be interesting to see whether they are more viable in competitive matchmaking in Tekken 8 compared to previous entries.

8 Devil Jin (None)

Style: Unknown

Devil Jin is a recurring character and the dark side of protagonist Jin Kazama. With the devil gene completely controlling his twisted mind, the character is a fan-favorite, and for good reason. Like previous titles, Devil Jin has a variety of high-flying combos and can use his wings and laser eyes to great effect. As the character was one of the best in Tekken 7, he's certainly one people are eager to try in Tekken 8.

7 Yoshimitsu (Formerly Japan)

Style: Advanced Manji Ninjitsu

As one of the characters in Tekken 8 with an atypical move set, Yoshimitsu has been a long-time component of the Tekken franchise and is favored by those who master his strange Ninjitsu fighting style. As usual, Yoshimitsu will utilize his cursed blade for strangely timed offensive carry chains and perfectly-timed counters and parries.

6 Jack-8 (Uknown)

Style: Sheer Force

Though Jack is a bit of a running joke at this point throughout the Tekken series, his reliable upgrades throughout the franchise make him a notable character to try out. Jack-8, an enhanced and upgraded version of Jack-7, has upgraded firepower and an EMP weapon called the Gamma System, which plays into Tekken 8's new Heat System for a bit of narrative continuity for the character.

5 King (Mexico)

Style: Pro Wrestling

Those who are even minor fans of Tekken probably recognize King, the jaguar-masked pro wrestler who relies more on advanced grappling techniques than striking combat (though he is also very proficient in the latter). In Tekken 8, much seems to be the same, with the character possessing visually impressive grab moves and powerful single-shot attacks like his patented drop kick. Though it does take some getting used to, King can be an absolute menace to face off against in the right hands.

4 Bryan Fury (USA)

Style: Kickboxing

The perpetual battery of high-octane butt-kicking makes his return for the next entry in the Tekken franchise to cause chaos once again. Arguably the most fitting character in Tekken for the new Heat System, Bryan Fury retains the same short, crisp combinations the character has been known for over the life of the series. With a few enhancements and tweaks to the character design, Bryan Fury is likely one character many old-time fans will want to try first.

3 Leroy Smith (USA)

Style: Wing Chun

As one of the most divisive characters in Tekken 7 when it first launched, it'll be interesting to see how Bandai Namco approaches the character in Tekken 8. At one point, the free-flowing Wing Chun master proved to be a formidable, almost unbeatable opponent, even for the best of players. Eventually, Leroy was nerfed, and his OP status was forever diminished for the remainder of the game. This history makes him one of the first characters to try in Tekken 8.

2 Victor Chevalier ()

Style: Super Spy CQB

Codenamed "Phantom Raven," Victor Chevalier brings a new element to the Tekken franchise with his main weapons of choice: a cyber-saber, daggers, and a gun. Like Raven, he'll look to even things up on the battlefield using a history of special-ops skills. With precise timing and what looks to be a variety of launchers and creative combinations that are possible with his various weaponry, Victor is a brand new addition to the Tekken 8 roster.

1 Reina (Uknown)

Style: Unknown

As the most mysterious of the new characters introduced in Tekken 8, not much is known about Reina, outside of the fact that she's a student of the Mishima Polytechnical School, Heihachi's school, and the same place that Jin Kazama and other iconic Tekken characters attended in the past. She also possesses moves similar to those of the deceased former leader, giving Tekken 8 the iconic grandpa without actually making Heihachi a character in the main roster of the game.

Source: Bandai Namco Europe/YouTube