Tekken 8 has an incredibly varied roster of 32 fighters, and it can be a bit intimidating to look at if you’re just getting started with the series. If you’re looking for the best characters to start with as a complete beginner in Tekken 8, here’s are Dexerto’s recommendations.
Tekken has a long-standing reputation as one of the most difficult fighting games to learn, and Tekken 8 is no different. That third dimension really adds a lot to the game as far as what you have to learn to play around and utilize, and many characters have dozens of moves at their disposal.
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However, not all characters are created equal. Though you should ultimately pick the characters that look interesting to you, there are some fighters we’d strongly recommend starting with to familiarize yourself with Tekken 8’s unique mechanics like the Heat system.
Here are the best characters for beginners in Tekken 8, along with some pros you can follow to see these characters played at their highest level. Not every character has seen high level play just yet, so we’ll update as more pros pick their mains.
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If you’re more interested in seeing who’s top tier on release, you can check out our tierlist.
Jin
Jin’s kit was heavily simplified for the sake of Tekken 8. He’s the main character of the story, so it’s no surprise that the developers shoehorned him into that sort of Ryu-equivalent role of a strong all-rounder with great normals and easy-to-access tools.
The fact that he’s got really strong launchers that are embedded in easy-to-execute combos makes him one of the best characters in Tekken 8 as a whole, and a lot of the risk involved in playing him in T7 has been removed. If you’re completely new to Tekken 8 and don’t know where to start, Jin is the character for you.
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Run through the Arcade Quest, hit practice mode a bit, try out some sample combos, and just familiarize yourself with the game rather than the character. Jin doesn’t exactly play himself, but he’s about as close as it gets.
Pros to watch: Book
Jin was a low-tier in Tekken 7, with only the bravest and most dedicated players choosing to play him at a high level. Book is arguably the strongest player in Thailand, a vastly under-represented region in Tekken, and he’s been making magic happen with Jin for several years.
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It’s not yet confirmed that he’ll be maining Jin in Tekken 8 just yet, but he’s one of the most likely candidates for players that’ll be investing time into this fighter.
Jack-8
Jack is a Tekken mainstay. He’s a fairly simple and straightforward pressure character whose long reach, exceptionally high damage, and ability to space and whiff punish has made him a competitive staple.
While he may not have the most appealing character design in the world, he’s a rock solid character, and someone who’s really great for players looking to make the transition to Tekken from a 2D fighting series. Jack’s sidesteps are weak due to the sheer size of his model, but he’s got really strong backsteps and is rewarded for good spacing. A 2D fighting game player’s mindset translates well to Jack’s playstyle.
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Jack isn’t the easiest Tekken character overall, but he’s great to learn with if you want to actually hit the ground running and challenge yourself to grapple with Tekken’s core mechanics. He forces you to learn how to play “honest Tekken”. No gimmicks, no tricks, and very weak lows. If you’re gonna land hits, it’ll be because you capitalized on your opponent making mistakes.
If you’re looking for a character with simple, bread and butter combos that relies more on game knowledge and outsmarting the opponent, look no further than Jack. Character knowledge is valuable to have, but Jack forces you to learn at the game and the way it flows.
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Pros to watch: Anakin/Joey Fury
Joey Fury confirmed he’s planning on returning to Jack for Tekken 8 in an interview with Dexerto, partially because Marduk isn’t in the game, but also because he was interested in Jack’s new tools in Tekken 8. Him and Anakin are two of North America’s strongest Tekken players of all time, and much of their legacy has been built off the back of this classic Tekken character.
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Joey Fury’s already played a competitive set of Tekken 8 on Jack-8 if you’re keen to see more.
Alisa
Alisa’s an absolute menace in lower level play where people aren’t proficient at blocking or low parrying. She’s got some killer lows, great tracking, and somewhat gimmicky moves that’ll catch players who don’t know how to counter her off guard.
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When it comes to gap close, Alisa is one of Tekken 8’s best characters. Her massive, sweeping lows are incredibly difficult to avoid for newer players, and she’s got some great launchers that’ll allow you to juggle your opponent or send them straight to the wall.
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To deal any real damage with Alisa, you’ll have to commit to getting up close and personal after you find that opening. Alisa is great for those who are scared of getting aggressive and want to work past those fears.
Once you learn a few basic combos, focus on learning how to find windows to get a launcher and send your opponent flying. Though combos may seem intimidating at first, getting a feel for when you can execute those actual combos in a match is much more important than spending hours in training mode learning a combo you’ll never get to use.
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Pros to watch: CuddleCore
CuddleCore is the Alisa player, and she’s proven that strong knowledge with this character can make her work at even the highest levels of play. She’s an expert when it comes to properly spacing against any opponent and punishing them for their mistakes.
Alisa has long been considered one of Tekken’s more gimmicky, competitive non-viable characters, but CuddleCore has been a driving force in proving just how strong she can be. She’s also already had some time on the character at Red Bull Pindrop.
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Feng Wei
Feng is a high-pressure character that’s really rewarded for taking initiative in a fight. He’s one of the strongest pressure characters in the game, and he just so happens to be pretty good for beginners as well.
Feng’s reach and varied mix-ups allows him to easily overwhelm his enemy. He’s a character who exudes control and dares his opponent to try and close in on him. A player spamming Feng’s moves can easily be countered by sidesteps, but most new players won’t be thinking in 3D just yet.
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Mashing isn’t all that effective in Tekken, but Feng is a character who really benefits from throwing moves out there. His frame data is just better than most other characters, with moves like his Heat-enhanced back 1 being almost instant.
Most Feng Wei players in Tekken 7 had multiple mains, so the very best Feng players can be a bit hard to track. It’s difficult to say which of the best players in the world will be hard-maining this character, so we’ll update this if anyone really stands out.
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That said, JoKa has a video showing off some Feng gameplay at Red Bull: Pindrop if you’re curious to learn more.
Jun
If you’re the kind of person who likes to stick to high-tiers and play the strongest characters, Jun is for you. She’s got projectiles, killer lows, frame data that makes her incredibly difficult to counter on block, great wall carry, and incredibly high damage on top of all that.
As long as you’re able to learn a few launchers and basic combos, you’ll be just fine. She flows very naturally, is generally mash-friendly if you’re still getting the hang of things, and acts as a great buffer to get into Tekken as a whole.
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It’s hard to say whether or not she’ll receive any more nerfs (she was nerfed before the game’s release), but the only fear I’d have investing time into Jun is that she may end up getting nerfed pretty hard depending on how prominent she is in high-level play.
Pros to watch: ???
Considering Jun hasn’t been around for a long time in the Tekken series, it’s hard to say which high-level players or pros will end up spending time learning her. We’ll update if anyone ends up swapping mains or climbing to a high level off the back of this character. With how strong she is, it probably won’t take long for someone to start using her.
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