Tekken 8 has been a critical success in the fighting game community. Its fast paced gameplay and improvements over its predecessor has resonated with both newcomers and veterans of the series. While the game is still early in its lifecycle, numerous players have displayed great talent and skill online & in tournaments. Let's look at the known strongest in Tekken 8.
Tiers Explained
SS Rank
These are the current gods at the game. Anyone in this category are EVO champions or have ranked highly in tournaments come close. These players have also ranked high in previous installments of Tekken and other fighting games. If you want to learn how to improve your own skills, take note of their matches.
- Arslan Ash
- ATIF
- Nobi
- USLAN
- RAEF
- KEISUKE
- JDCR
- CBM
- Chikurin
S Rank
These players have shown consistent skill and rank well in tournaments. While not quite at the top, they can easily rise to SS rank at any moment in the game's lifecycle. These players also have more diversity in their character choices when compared to the top echelon of players.
- Knee
- Lil Majin
- Anakin
- Mulgold
- Fighting GM
- Yagami
Low High A Rank
These are rising stars in the Tekken community. While they have not reached the competitive upper echelonThey, they show great potential to grow into the next big stars. These players also tend to use lesser utilized characters and can serve as inspiration for newcomers.
- Double
- YUYU
- Rangchu
Mangja
The Top 10 Players Ranked
10. Knee
Knee from Korea is a Tekken veteran , competing since the release of Tekken 5. He has a vast knowledge of the series and plays many different characters. He has seen the most success using Feng, Bryan Fury, & Steve Fox. He won Tekken 7 EVO 2022 and has placed consistently well in Tekken 8 tournaments. He caused a mild controversy early on in Tekken 8 for8f or calling the game un-fun. While he hasn't had too much of a presence in Tekken 8 so far, expect that to change in the future.
Why he is SS Tier
- Knee plays a variety of characters in the series
- EVO champion in Tekken 7
- Has legacy knowledge of the game, competing since Tekken 5
Watch Knee’s Best Plays
9. CBM
CBM, AKA CherryBerryMango is a pro Tekken player from South Korea. He is currently affiliated with KWANGDONG FREECS. He made his competitive debut in Tekken 7 primarily as a Noctis main. In Tekken 8 he has chosen Jin Kazama to use. CBM has placed highly in several tournaments since the games launch. He won the September Cape Town Showdown.
Why he is SS Tier:
- Has strong fundamentals from his mastery of Jin
- Has powerful defense making him tough to open up
- Has excellent spacing knowledge from his time with Noctis in Tekken 7
Watch CBM’s Best Plays
8. JDCR
JDCR is a South Korea fighting game veteran. He is an Evo Champion winning the Tekken Tag Tournament 2 grand championship with Heihachi and Armor King. In Tekken 8, he has used Sergei Dragunov online and in tournaments until Heihachi was added to the game. He came in 8th at the 2024 Evo Championship. He is known for his aggressive yet technical play style.
Why he is SS Tier:
- He has years of knowledge with legacy characters
- Was able to place in Top 8 at Evo with a newly released Heihachi
- Has been known to keep a cool head under pressure
Watch JDCR’s Best Plays
7.KEISUKE
KEISUKE is a strong Tekken player making a name for himself in Tekken 7. He is from Japan and is a part of the ZETA DIVISION esports team. He has mainly played Kazuya throughout his career. He is known for his expert level fundamentals and high execution. KEISUKE won 1st in the Osaka Zero Dojo #3
Why he is SS Tier
- High execution and fundamentals
- Has a strong defensive skills
- Has strong character knowledge form his use of Kazuya
Watch KEISUKE’s Best Plays
6.RAEF
“RAEF” Alturkistani is a Saudi pro Tekken Player. He made his competitive debut in 2021 in Tekken 7 making him onea of the new rising starsstar in the fighting game community. He is currently represented by the Dragons Esports organization. He currently mains Jin in Tekken 8. Raef recently won the PlayStation Tournaments Road To Evo T8 Finals
Why he is SS Tier
- Formidable skill with Jin
- Has won several major tournaments in the span of 3 years
- Strong combo skill
Watch RAEF’s Best Plays
5.USLAN
Lim “USLAN” Soo-hoon is a South Korean Tekken player. He is currently a part of the KWANGDONG FREECS Team. He made a name for himself during the latter half of Tekken 7’s lifecycle. He played Bob and Kazumi Mishima and was praised for his methodical playstyle. In Tekken 8, currently plays series newcomer Reina. USLAN has seen great success in tournaments winning Dreamhack Summer 2024 & Esports World Cup 2024.
Why is he SS Tier:
- Known for playing unconventional characters
- Strong pressure skills
- Has had major success since the debut of Tekken 8
Watch USLAN’s Best Plays
4.Nobi
Daichi “Nobi” Nakayama is a Japanese Tekken veteran. He made his competitive debut with Tekken 6. He subsequently went on to place well in tournaments for Tekken Tag 2, Tekken 7 and currently Tekken 8. He is an EVO champion, defeating the legendary Knee in the 2015 grand championship. He is respected as one of the strongest Dragunov players in the world.
Why he is SS Tier
- Has played Tekken competitively since the debut of Tekken 6
- Has defeated Knee to become an Evo champion
- He is a Dragunov expert, who has been a consistently strong character in the series
Watch Nobi’s Best Plays
3.Chikurin
Yuta “ Chikurin” Take is a Japanese pro Tekken player representing THY Esports. He made his competitive debut in Tekken 5. He is famous for playing Lili but has also played Jin Kazama & Leroy Smith. He won the 2019 TWT finals in Tekken 7 & recently became an Evo Japan Champion in Tekken 8. Chikurin is sure to be a strong presence in the games competitive future.
Why he is SS Tier:
- A master Lili player
- Strong fundamentals and mixup skill
- Winner of Tekken 8 EVO Japan 2024
Watch Chikurin’s Best Plays
2. ATIF
ATIF Ijaz is a Pakistani Tekken professional currently representing Team Falcon esports organization. He made his debut during Tekken 7 and was infamous for his skill with Akuma. He won several tournaments and is noted for being able to play multiple characters at a high level. ATIF won the TEKKEN World Tour Finals 2022 and became world champion. In Tekken 8, his main character is Dragunov. Recently he was runner up at EVO 2024 and Esports World Cup 2024.
Why he is SS Tier
- One of the greatest players in Pakistan
- Can play multiple characters at high levels
- He is a consistent rival to Arslan Ash
- Watch ATIF’s Best Plays
1. Arslan Ash
The current King of the Iron Fist. In the Tekken community it is widely recognized that the best players of the game come from Pakistan. Arslan Ash is currently represented by two organizations, Twisted Minds & Red Bull esports. He is a 5 time EVO champion winning Tekken 7 at EVO US & EVO Japan. He recently won the Tekken 8 EVO championship quickly establishing his dominance among other players. Arslan Ash is seen as a pivotal figure in shining a spotlight on the fighting game community in Pakistan.
Why he is SS Tier
- 5 time Evo Champion and World Champion
- Can play multiple characters at a high level
- Known for his mastery of movement, offense and consistent throw breaking
Watch Arslan Ash’s Best Plays
As Tekken 8’s life cycle continues, more new players will join the community.. There will be more major tournaments hosted around the world and new talent will appear. It will be interesting to see how the competitive scene will evolve with time. Who will be the next King of the Iron Fist?
You may also be interested in:
[Top 10] Tekken 8 Best Lidia Combos To Learn
