Top 12 Tekken Beginner Friendly Characters That Are Powerful
If you are new to the Tekken series, finding a character can be difficult . Tekken 8’s roster is diverse with wildly different fighting styles from Karate to Pro Wrestling. There are some characters that are designed to be easy to learn. They all have great tools that can take you far on the ranked ladder. If you want to find out who is the best beginner character in Tekken 8, look no further.
12. Alisa
Ease of Use (3.5/5)
Don't let her sweet looks fool you. Alisa is a deadly fighting robot armed to the tee. Her unorthodox moveset involves jetpacks, chainsaws and even and even an exploding head (Don’t worry, it grows back) .Alisa can frustrate opponents with her deceptive range and monstrous pressure. Her chainsaws in particular do a ton of chip damage making encounters much more dangerous. This android is truly state of the art.
Why you should pick Alisa
- Alisa has great pokes to bait and punish the opponent
- She does great chip damage with her chainsaws, especially in Heat
- Alisa is somewhat of rare character, meaning many players won't know how to deal with her strange attacks
- Alisa has powerful keep out attacks that can defeat more aggressive players
Alisa’s head is explosive
11. Paul
Ease of Use (3.5/5)
Paul Phoenix is one of Tekken’s most beloved characters and one of the few to appear in every installment. Paul might act goofy, but his strength is nothing to scoff at. In fact he canonically fought Kazuya Mishima to a draw in the first tournament. Paul has many tricky offensive tools that can mix up his opponent. Paul’s infamous “Death Punch” does ridiculous damage and will steal rounds when used properly. While many of his attacks are telegraphed and unsafe on block, with practice matchup knowledge, Paul can get the job done.
Why you should pick Paul
- Paul has easy 50/50 mixups that can bully your opponent
- Paul has amazing combo potential and can deal heavy damage quickly
- Paul has great punishment tools from standing and crouching position
- He has a sway stance that can evade certain attacks and cause whiffs
When used sparingly, Death Fist can steal victory from the jaws of defeat
10. Hwoarang
Ease of Use (3.5/5)
Hwoarang is a stylish character that is great for beginners. He has been a fan favorite (Especially with the female fanbase) since the third installment and is a rival of Jin Kazama. As a master of Tae Kwon Do, this motorcycle punk has more than enough kicks for the entire Tekken roster. He has great range, powerful stances, varied strings, and can literally trip up new players with his low attacks. Since most of the cast use some form of stance I feel that Hwoarang can be a great character for beginners to learn.
Why you should pick Hwoarang
- Hwoarang mostly utilizes kicks, giving him great range on many of his attacks
- Thanks to his many strings, Hwoarang can be difficult to defend against, especially in the corner
- Hwoarang has a strong whiff punish game that can quickly delete opponents health bars
- With four stances Hwoarang’s skill ceiling is high, meaning he can do well at all levels at play
Hwoarang rides a motorcycle (Nuff Said)
9. Shaheen
Ease of Use (3.8/5)
While Shaheen might be written off as a boring character, his play style rewards strong fundamentals.. He has a solid mixup plan and has one of the few charge inputs in the game. Shaheen has an interesting gimmick where he can delete gray life with specific moves, making his pressure a serious threat. If you are looking for a rare character with untapped potential, let this Desert Falcon take you under his wing.
Why you should pick Shaheen
- Shaheen is one of the rarest characters in the game, which can be enough to throw off your opponent
- Many of Shaheen’s moves leave him in a ducking stance, which can lead to mix up situations
- Some of Shaheen’s moves can eliminate gray, recoverable health
- Shaheen has plenty of mid poke options for ducking opponents
Shaheen riding his opponents like a surfboard is always funny
8. Law
Ease of Use (4.0/5)
Marshal Law has always been a formidable opponent at all levels of play. I always sigh in anxiety whenever I get matched with him. He is a mix up monster who can delete a health bar in seconds. He also has strong strings that can mix up unaware opponents. In Tekken 8 he has been made even more deadly thanks to his dual nunchucks. If you’re looking to get into Tekken and love Bruce Lee films, give Marshal Law a try.
Why pick Law:
- Law’s strings are very effective in the lower ranks of the game
- Law has good mid attacks to punish ducking opponents
- His nunchucks do great chip damage in heat
His Rage Art has special animation if it kills (It’s Hilarious)
7. Jin
Ease of Use (4.0/5)
Jin could be considered the definitive beginner character of Tekken 8. He has a ton of offensive and defensive tools that are strong at all levels of play. He has a powerful punishment game plan that can lead to devastating combos and 50/50 mixups on knock down. Jin players become even scarier as you move up the ranked ladder. You don’t want to anger this devil.
Why you should pick Jin:
- Jin has powerful strings that can open up an unsuspecting opponent
- Jin’s parry is a great defensive option
- Jin has a ducking stance that can go under high attacks
While in Heat, Jin gains new moves and his electric attacks become easier to execute
6. King
Ease of Use (4.0/5)
King is a character that is almost universally hated in the lower ranks of Tekken 8. The biggest complaint is that his throw game is too strong. As a King veteran myself, I have a biased opinion in favor of the muscle man in the jaguar mask. King is fundamentally easy to pick up but will take time to master. While his throws will do critical damage to your opponents you should not underestimate his combo game. You have to use a variety of attacks to set up those powerful throws. If you want a character with presence and power, step into the ring with King.
Why you should pick King
- King has the most moves out of the entire Tekken roster, giving him versatility at all levels of play
- King has several chain throws that can do ridiculous damage to your opponent. In Tekken 8 you can spam the punch buttons to execute them but will do more damage with proper inputs
- King can grab ducking opponents or launch them for decent combo damage
- His Jaguar run is a great mobility option that can be canceled if you expect a punish
- Many players will have an innate fear of facing a King giving you an edge in the mental battle
5.Dragunov
Ease of Use (4.5/5)
Fun fact: Dragunov has been a mainstay character in the Tekken franchise since his debut in 5 Dark Resurrection. It was only recently that I noticed he has never spoken in the series. Even without words, Dragunov has always had a reputation for being among the top tiers of any Tekken roster. He has a powerful grab game and hard to read strings making it difficult for an opponent to counter attack. Many of his moves also have plus frames making his pressure truly frightening in the corner. Dragonov has seen numerous balance changes since Tekken 8’s launch. While not the monster he was in the beginning he is still a great character to learn the game with.
Why you should pick Dragunov
- Dragonov has various plus frame moves that make his pressure terrifying, especially at the wall.
- Dragunov has unbreakable throws in Heat that can easily catch an unsuspecting opponent
Dragunov has great whiff punishment tools that can bully the opponent and start combos
4. Victor
Ease of Use (4.5/5)
Noctis was a divisive character addition to the Tekken 7 roster. His use of weapons, insane range and ease of use earned him the label of the “Noob Character.” In Tekken 8 Victor acts as the successor for Noctis’ fighting style. He wields various weapons including Swords, Daggers and even a Pistol. He is one of my more hated characters to go up against due to the huge range of his normals and sneaky low attacks. In my opinion, just like Noctis before him, I feel he would have been a better fit for the Soul Calibur series.
Why pick Victor
- .Excellent whiff punishment with his monstrous range.
- Victor’s Expulsion move is possibly the cheapest move in the game and does insane chip damage
- Victor’s has solid low pokes that can frustrate your opponent
A word of warning: You will get a lot of “colorful” messages online if you play Victor
3. Azucena
Ease of Use (5/5)
Azucena was a menace during the early days of Tekken 8. Her moves had too much plus frames and her auto dodge was way too overpowered. Thankfully, after several balance changes, her power level has lowered to reasonable levels. Even her weaker state, she is still a powerful character with many options to frustrate your opponent. Her stances can be unpredictable and can lead to dangerous situations. If you like a strong mix of defense and offensive, Azucena is the perfect blend for you.
Why you should pick Azucena
- Azucena’s auto dodge mechanics can frustrate players who don’t know the match up
- Azucena has great 50/50 mix ups from her stances
Azucena is a great character to learn the fundamentals of stance transitions
2. Reina
Ease of Use (5/5)
Whenever I see a Reina player online I always prepare for the worst. Reina is an oppressive newcomer to the series that has easily earned her place in Tekken history. Her infamous one button string is very powerful. She has most of the advantages of the Mishima style with a lowered skill floor. She also adds in her own unique flavor to stand out from her spiky haired peers.. She has stances that can go under high attacks and deal devastating counter hits. If you want to dominate your opponents with a powerful offense, Reina is the one for you.
Why pick Reina
- Reina is a rushdown monster with huge damage potential
- Reina has a right punch string that lowers her execution floor when compared to other Mishimas
- With various strong options from her stances her pressure game is insane
Reina’s mid hitting kick when coming out of stances can go under high and start combos on counter hit
1. Eddy
Ease of Use (6/5)
No, the score is not a typo. Eddy Gordo is without a doubt the most autopilot fighter in the Tekken 8 roster. He is the epitome of a knowledge check character meaning you have to understand his moveset to counter him effectively. He has visually bizarre stances that can hit you in unpredictable ways. While these strengths alone make him powerful, what really makes him the ultimate beginner character is his one button combo. By simply tapping the left kick button Eddy will perform a sequence that will launch an opponent if not blocked correctly. This combo was so powerful, an AI bot was able to get into the orange ranks using only this strategy. Of course this strategy would crumble in the face of a veteran player, but Eddy has enough room to grow at higher levels of play.
Why pick Eddy
- Eddy’s stances can throw your opponents off just from a visual standpoint
- In ranks Vanquisher and below, spamming left kick can actually be a legitimate strategy
- Eddy has strong keep out options, most notably his armored back left kick. It’s never a good idea to run at Eddy
- Eddy’s long punishment tools are death sentence for people who whiff their attacks regularly
Why you should NOT pick Eddy
If you care about having friends don’t pick Eddy
Tekken 8 has plenty of characters that are accessible to those new to fighting games. Some characters can carry you all the way to the higher ranks with enough practice and knowledge. That being said, do not be afraid to try the more advanced fighters once you have a feel for the game. The secret to success in fighting games is to always be ready to adapt.
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