Who should you pick if you’re new to Tekken?
As the best-selling fighting game franchise of all time, the Tekken series has been massively popular through the years for its simple four-button system (one for each limb) and its accessibility for newcomers. Tekken 7 is certainly no different, especially with certain techniques such as breaking throws made easier than in previous instalments.
However, not every character in the game is kind to beginners, so we’re here to help you find out which character to get your journey started with! Keep reading to check out our top 10 best beginner-friendly characters in Tekken 7.
Top 10 Tekken 7 Characters for Beginners Based on Ease of Use
- Noctis: 96/100
- Katarina: 94/100
- Claudio: 93/100
- Asuka: 91/100
- Miguel: 90/100
- Gigas: 88/100
- Paul: 87/100
- Lucky Chloe: 86/100
- Kuma/Panda: 84/100
- Lili: 83/100
10. Lili De Rochefort
Lili is the teenage daughter of a wealthy Monegasque businessman who made her series debut in Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection. She competes in the King of Iron Fist Tournament to try and eliminate its hosts, the Mishima Zaibatsu, who have been the source of her father’s business and personal issues.
Lili is a suitable character for newcomers to the game because not only is she one of the strongest characters in the game overall, but she lacks any stances that are essential to her overall game plan and her bread-and-butter combos are very easy to execute.
Top 5 moves
- Circle Knee (f+3)
- Submissive Heel (d/f+3)
- Backflip (d/f+3+4)
- Matterhorn Ascension (d+3+4)
- Cloisonne (qcf+3+4)
Beginner-friendly rating: 83/100
9. Kuma and Panda
Kuma and Panda have regularly graced our consoles since they first appeared together in Tekken 3. Kuma is a Japanese brown bear who is the bodyguard of Heihachi Mishima and is infatuated with Panda, a giant panda who is the pet and bodyguard of Ling Xiaoyu.
Relative to most of the cast, the two bears have a small list of easy-to-use moves, while their combos are simple and don’t require much practice. A lot of their mix-ups do come from their Hunting Bear Stance, which may take some time to get used to but is ultimately simple to use in a match.
Top 5 moves
- Jab Elbow Smash (2, 1, 2) / Jab Elbow Stomp (2, 1, 3)
- G-Clef Cannon (f+1, 1, 1)
- Kuma Musou (d/f+2, 1)
- Bear Lariat (d/b+2)
- Spinning Kuma (d/b+4)
Beginner-friendly rating: 84/100
8. Lucky Chloe
Lucky Chloe is a Japanese popstar who wears an otaku outfit and acts as a sort of brand ambassador for G Corporation, which is run behind the scenes by Kazuya Mishima. Beneath her playful personality, she takes her job very seriously, which is shown in the ending cinematic for her character episode with Eddy Gordo (who, by the way, had his storyline built over the years annihilated in Tekken 7).
Lucky Chloe is one of few mix-up heavy characters on the roster who don’t require a high level of execution to use to their full potential. Her easy bread-and-butter combos actually yield some very good damage, while she also has a few dance-style strings that must be input in a rhythmical sequence which make her more fun to play.
Top 5 moves
- Graceful Turn (b+3)
- Walking Knee (b+4)
- Happy Swing (b+1+2)
- Surprise Hop (u/f+3)
- Kick Up (BT f+3+4, 3+4, 3+4)
Beginner-friendly rating: 86/100
7. Paul Phoenix
Paul is the Tekken series’ all-American icon who has never missed a single canonical instalment. When he’s not smashing walls with his fist or going on joyrides with his motorcycle, he’s spending some quality time with his best friend Marshall Law.
Besides his various strengths, part of what makes Paul one of the strongest characters in the game is the simplicity of his move list. His bread-and-butter combos are some of the shortest in the game and yet still yield pretty big damage, his best moves are all very easy to perform and he has a wide range of easy throws to rough up the opponent with.
Top 5 moves
- Hammer of the Gods (f+1+2)
- Hammer Punch (d+1)
- Demolition Man (d+4, 2, 1+2)
- Wrecking Ball (u/b+2)
- Phoenix Smasher (qcf+2)
Beginner-friendly rating: 87/100
6. Gigas
Gigas is a bio-enhanced human experiment of G Corporation who was developed to succeed the Jack series as their premier humanoid weapon. The ending cinematic for his character episode hints at him possibly being the adoptive father of Katarina Alves, who suddenly went missing prior to the events of Tekken 7.
Like Paul, Gigas is a powerful character that gets good damage from short combos, which make them very easy to execute. With just 74 moves to work with, he also has one of the shortest move lists in the game, making him very easy to pick up and learn.
Top 5 moves
Beginner-friendly rating: 88/100
5. Miguel Caballero Rojo
Miguel is a rowdy Spanish man who fell out with his strict parents and ran away from home at the age of 15. After his sister died in an air raid carried out by the Mishima Zaibatsu, Miguel enters the King of Iron Fist Tournament to find and kill Zaibatsu head Jin Kazama.
Miguel’s simple game plan of poking and baiting counter hits works very well with his simple move list and easy combos, as well as strings that tends to catch opponents pressing buttons at lower levels of play. The only challenge a beginner may face in learning the character may be memorizing the moves that can transition into his Savage stance, in which he has access to some of his best moves.
Top 5 moves
- Flanco (d/f+1)
- Segada (d/b+4)
- Guantazo (b+1)
- Cumbre (During Savage Stance, d/f+2)
- Segada (During Savage Stance, d/b+3)
Beginner-friendly rating: 90/100
4. Asuka Kazama
Asuka is a young student and martial artist who, through her father, is a relative of Jin Kazama and his deceased mother Jun. During her debut in Tekken 5, she enters the King of Iron Fist Tournament to track down Feng Wei, who went to her father’s dojo and put him in the hospital.
With no special stances to rely on, Asuka is a straightforward character whose best moves a very easy to execute. Her attack reversal is also the easiest in the game to pull off as it can be held for a few seconds, though it does not work on headbutts, elbows, knees or weapons.
Top 5 moves
Beginner-friendly rating: 91/100
3. Claudio Serafino
New to Tekken 7, Claudio is the leader of a European group of exorcists and sorcerers known as the Sirius Marksmen. Hailing from Italy, he teams up with Heihachi Mishima and Nina Williams to track down and eliminate the devil gene’s living hosts, Kazuya Mishima and his son Jin Kazama.
As a formidable, versatile character, it definitely helps that Claudio is also very easy to pick up and play. His ridiculously good hopkick starts off his simple combos which yield good damage. However, it could possibly take some time for a beginner to remember all the moves that activate his Starburst state, in which he has access to some very strong moves.
Top 5 moves
- Sacred Edge (f+3)
- Sky Slash Nova (u/f+4)
- Ira (While running 2)
- Cross Arm Impact (During Starburst, f+1+2, 1+2)
- Gravity Zone (During Starburst, d+2, 2)
Beginner-friendly rating: 93/100
2. Katarina Alves
Katarina is a foul-mouthed Brazilian woman who practices the French martial art of savate. Orphaned at a young age, she initially acted out against the man who adopted her but eventually warmed up to him. Right before the events of Tekken 7, the man vanishes and Katarina enters The King of Iron Fist Tournament to win the funds to find him.
Katarina is an offensive character with strong moves and combos that are some of the easiest in the game to pull off including her hopkick, which is one of the best in the game with its excellent range and crushing properties. Like with others on this list, beginners may need some time to remember all her moves that transition into her Harrier stance.
Top 5 moves
- Nimble Cutter (4, 4, 4)
- Tucano Tail (d/f+3+4)
- Slipping Tail (d/b+4)
- Wing Cutter (u/f+4, 4)
- Plover Kick (f, f+4)
Beginner-friendly rating: 94/100
1. Noctis Lucis Caelum
Noctis is a guest character from Square Enix’s 2016 release Final Fantasy XV who was included in Tekken 7 as a DLC character for Season Pass 1. Though not officially part of the game’s story, his character reveal trailer shows him sharing a friendship with Lars Alexandersson.
Noctis’ weapon summoning grants him attacks with stupendous range, not to mention other great properties on some of his best moves. The game’s Season 2 update saw him get some nice buffs that suddenly thrust him up tier lists across the community to add to his popularity with casual players.
Top 5 moves
- Warp-Strike (f+2)
- Royal Edge (d/f+2)
- Delta Thrust (d/b+2)
- Royal Slash (d/b+1+2)
- Shadow Scissors (f, f+1+2)
Beginner-friendly rating: 96/100
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