Tekken 8 Best Characters Tier List (Strongest And Weakest Characters Revealed)
Do you want to know who is the strongest fighter in Tekken 8 right now. Having been out for almost a year, Tekken 8 currently has 35 characters with another one expected some time during the winter. There have been various balance patches to the game that have shaken the balance of power. While every character can be tournament viable, there are some who are clearly more privileged than others. Let’s take a look at the current metagame of Tekken 8.
Tiers Explained
SS Rank
These characters are the current top dogs of TEKKEN 8. Each of these fighters can deal significant combo damage, have strong punishment tools, and a versatile move list for most situations. These characters also have few glaring weaknesses, which make fighting against them difficult. If you choose these characters in a tournament, you have an excellent chance of winning.
- Dragunov
- Nina
- Yoshimitsu
- Reina
- Jin
- King
S Rank
While these characters are below the most powerful ones in the game, they are still solid options to choose. Many of the current roster fall into this ranking on the tier list. With further balance patches down the road, they could even rise to become SS rank. These characters have a solid game plan, and excel in most areas of the game, just falling short of being overpowered.
- Alisa
- Xiaoyu
- Kazuya
- Feng
- Lee
- Jun
- Law
- Shaheen
- Bryan
- Lili
- Victor
- Lars
- Hwoarang
A Rank
These characters are well rounded and have a few gimmicks that can be effective in the right situations.. They are perfectly fine to use in a tournament but will require the player to work harder to win against higher tier fighters. The good news is that these characters are often underrepresented meaning that their move sets can catch opponents off guard.
- Claudio
- Heihachi
- Leo
- Shaheen
- Steve
- Eddy
- Zafina
- Jack 8
B Rank
These characters are currently fighting an uphill battle against the rest of the roster. Some of them were higher on the tier list before being weakened through a balance patch. While these characters can still win, they need to put in more effort than average. These characters rely on gimmicks that can be countered by an experienced player.`
- Devil Jin
- Raven
- Azucena
- Asuka
- Leroy
- Lidia
- Kuma/Panda
Paul
Top 10 Strongest Characters in Tekken 8
1o. Victor
Victor is a newcomer to the Tekken series and serves as a replacement to Noctis from the predecessor. He is an easy character for new players to pick up with his own one button string. Many of his attacks are long range and can lead to solid combos. He has a teleport gimmick that can trip up enemies that do not know how to react. His weaknesses include being sidestepped to the left on certain attacks as well as having a lot of unsafe moves. Overall, Victor has a low skill floor with a lot of room to grow.
Why you should play Victor
- Easy execution
- An abundance of long range attacks
- Teleport mixups
- French
9. Law
Marshall Law is one of Tekken's most beloved characters. Despite playing no major role in the main story his Bruce Lee mannerisms and friendship with Paul Phoenix are always entertaining. He’s no slouch in a fight either. Lee is well rounded with his pokes and mixups. In Tekken 8 he has added his nunchucks to his combat making him more dangerous in close quarters. He is a common pick among all skill levels due to his simplistic move set.
Why you should play Law
- Strong pressure
- Good mix up potential
Nunchucks do good chip damage
8. Feng
Feng has always been a respected character in terms of his gameplay. Personality wise he is as deep as a puddle after a few hours in the sun. It’s hard to believe he’s canonically 27 years old ( A year younger than me!) Feng has a strong poking game as well as evasive stances. He has really annoying low poke that can hit from very far away making him hard to run in on. In heat, his pressure becomes much more dangerous. Feng is also not too hard to pick up at the start giving him appeal at all levels of play.
- Why you should play Feng
- Strong keep out options
- Evasive stances
- Strong pressure in heat
7. Xiaoyu
Going against a strong Xiaoyu player can be a nightmare. She has low stances that can make attacks whiff over her. She is also one of the few characters who become more dangerous with their back turned to the opponent. Xiaoyu will steamroll players who do not understand her unconventional fighting style. Xiaoyu also has quick low attacks and strong launchers that can easily set up combos. If you enjoy annoying your opponents, Xiaoyu is the character for you.
Why you should play Xiaoyu
- Evasive Stances
- Strong High/Low Mixup
Fantastic pressure
6. King
King is Tekken’s signature grappler and my personal main. He is a damage machine that can quickly deplete life bars. Many players (especially newer ones) despise facing the professional wrestler due to his arsenal grabs. He also has many popular pro wrestling moves such as the “People's Elbow” and the “Rock Bottom”. In fact King has the moves out of the entire roster giving answers to many different situations. While he may face trouble against low profile stances and players that can break grabs, he should never be underestimated.
Why you should play King
- Various throws for different situations
- Variety of defensive tools
- Heat recharges when landing throws
Long range Heat Smash
5. Reina
Reina is another newcomer to the Tekken franchise and has been met with critical praise from fans. She is a new Mishima archetype character with interesting new tools and somewhat of a lower skill floor. She has a one button string making her more accessible for casual players. She has the iconic Electric Wind God Fist and has great pressure and mixup with her stances. While her limbs are somewhat stubby, many of her moves actually advance her forward. Her power and ferocity make her a deadly force in the right hands.
Why you should play Reina
- Aggressive play style
- Easy execution for newer players with plenty of room to grow
- Strong mixup
4.Yoshimitsu
This masked samurai has been with the Tekken series since the beginning. He started the trend of fighters using weapons in the King of the Iron Fist Tournament. Yoshimitsu is one the most complex and annoying characters to fight in Tekken 8. His moves are so unorthodox, with sword attacks, multiple bizarre stances and some self harm techniques. He has good damage as well as strong mixup potential. Players need to put in the time to learn how to counter Yoshimitsu’s game plan.
Why you should play Yoshimitsu
- Strong mixup with unusual moves
- Great combo damage
Evasive stances
3.Nina
Nina has a reputation for being one of the more difficult characters to use in Tekken. She has a short range and requires execution to pull off her numerous strings. If you put in enough effort you will find that Nina has strong pressure that can overwhelm the opponent. While in heat she will do great chip damage with her two pistols. Nina is also the character of choice for current Tekken Evo Champion Arslan Ash.
Why you should play Nina
- Challenging and rewarding character
- Can eliminate white health
- Strings that can mix up the opponent
- Twin Pistols are deadly and badass
2. Jin
Jin is the archetypal protagonist fighting game character. He is easy to pick up for new players while also having plenty of depth to explore. Jin has great pokes, a strong combo game, parries and even a low profile stance. His Mishima tools make his offense even more dangerous. Even without high execution, Jin’s defensive tools can easily win matches. With practice and dedication Jin can excel at all levels of play.
Why you should play Jin
- Jack of all trades
- Good combo game
Great pokes along with Electric Wind God Fist
1.Dragunov
Dragunov has always placed high on tier lists since his debut in Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection. He is a brawler/grappler hybrid that can quickly KO an opponent. He has quick lows that chip away at health and start combos. Dragunov also has a variety of plus on block attacks making it hard to take back your turn. Since Tekken 8’s release many pro players have taken a liking to him shown by his representation in tournaments.
Why you should play Dragunov
- Monstrous pressure with plus frame attacks
- Sneaky grabs
- Great pokes
- Nicknamed the White Angel of Death
Tekken 8 will continue to evolve as new characters are added and further balance patches are applied. My tier list is subjective and is in no way definitive or set in stone. The state of the metagame will constantly change in new ways that we will not expect. Enjoy whatever character you like playing and play to gain skill instead of chasing wins.
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