Tekken 8 has sparked intense debate among players about which characters dominate the roster. We surveyed 13 of our competitive players from the UK and North America to rank their Top 10 characters. We've determined the top characters based on their average position from each of their opinions.

Let's dive in, we'll start at 10 and work down to the top spot.

10. Lili Rochefort - Average Position: 8.1

Lili’s agility and deceptive range secure her a high spot, especially favored by UK players. Her ability to control the pace of the match makes her a formidable opponent.

Character Breakdown: Lili’s standout feature is her sidestep, the best in the game, allowing her to escape many situations. She excels in pressure with plus frames and has strong okizeme with moves like qcf3. However, her stronger moves are slower, and she is prone to being stepped due to weak tracking.

Pros:

• Best sidestep in the game
• Strong generic tools
• Excellent plus frames pressure
• Top-tier okizeme tool with qcf3
• Strong low heat smash

Cons:

• Slow stronger moves
• Weak tracking

Recommended for players who like:

• Strong stepping characters
• Applying plus frames pressure

9. King - Average Position: 7.8

King’s grappling techniques and high damage output make him a favorite among pro players. His ability to turn the tide of battle with powerful combos is highly valued.

Character Breakdown: King is the premier grappler in Tekken 8, excelling in throws and chain grabs. His throw game is enhanced by Tekken 8’s mechanics, making him a formidable opponent. His lows are weaker, but his throws can be treated as lows, forcing opponents to duck into his mids.

Pros:

• Best throw game
• Strong okizeme
• Strong canned mixups in heat

Cons:

• Poor lows
• Poor keepout

Recommended for players who like:

• Grappler characters
• Unorthodox characters

8. Reina - Average Position: 7.7

Reina’s strong mix-up potential and pressure game earn her a spot in the top tier. Her consistent performance across different regions highlights her effectiveness in competitive play.

Character Breakdown: Reina adopts a Mishima playstyle with a hellsweep, wavedash, and EWGF. Her multiple stances allow for diverse mixups and strong pressure. However, she struggles with being stepped and her homing moves are less rewarding.

Pros:

• Great mobility with wavedash
• Strong poking game
• Strong stance mixups

Cons:

• Struggles to stop stepping
• Subpar lows

Recommended for players who like:

• Execution-based characters
• Stance-based characters

7. Ling Xiaoyu - Average Position: 7.2

Xiaoyu’s agility and deceptive range secure her a high spot. Her ability to control the pace of the match makes her a formidable opponent, especially favored by skilled players.

Character Breakdown: Xiaoyu uses stances like Art of Phoenix (AOP) to evade moves and apply mixups. Her okizeme is powerful, allowing her to relaunch opponents with correct reads. Her small hitbox benefits her defensively, while her strong stance mixups make her a threat in heat mode.

Pros:

• High damage output
• Excellent okizeme
• AOP nullifies a lot of pressure
• Strong mixups with HYP stances

Cons:

• Limited range

Recommended for players who like:

• Stance-based characters
• Creative okizeme
• Strong poke characters

6. Feng Wei - Average Position: 6.8

Feng’s versatile playstyle and strong pokes earn him a solid position. His effectiveness in close combat situations makes him a reliable pick for many players.

Character Breakdown: Feng is notable for his approach using the snake dash, which extends his range and pressure. His arsenal includes varied lows and strong panic moves, making him difficult to pressure. Despite being toned down, Feng remains a top contender due to his diverse offensive tools.

Pros:

• Amazing approach with snake dash
• Great selection of lows
• Hard to pressure due to evasion/sabakis

Cons:

• Struggles with off-axis combos
• Lackluster CH game

Recommended for players who like:

• Well-rounded playstyles
• Variety of moves to use
• Strong turn-stealing tools

5. Alisa Bosconovitch - Average Position: 6.5

Alisa’s unique tools and mobility have earned her a spot in the upper echelon of characters. Her zoning capabilities and evasive maneuvers are highly valued.

Character Breakdown: Alisa excels at chipping opponents down with a strong poking game and neutral. Her movement is among the best, with a strong sidewalk and backdash, enhancing her whiff-punishing capabilities. Her chainsaw stance applies dangerous pressure and forces opponents into difficult guesses.

Pros:

• Strong poking game
• Safe launchers
• Excellent sidewalking
• Suffocating offense with chainsaws

Cons:

• Low poke damage, struggles on a life deficit
• Slower comeback tools

Recommended for players who like:

• Simple poking game
• Strong movement characters
• Well-rounded playstyle

4. Jin Kazama - Average Position: 5.0

Jin is universally recognized as a top character, appearing in the top 10 for almost every player surveyed. His balanced move set and versatility make him a favorite among both UK and NA players.

Character Breakdown: Jin excels in space control and poking. His f4 is a crucial tool for mid-range control, and his wavedash enhances mobility. Jin’s versatility allows for both offensive and defensive play, with a strong parry system and effective homing moves.

Pros:

• Very well-rounded playstyle
• Great mobility due to wavedash
• Strong keepout and CH game
• Best parry in the game

Cons:

• Limited punishment range

Recommended for players who like:

• Versatile/flexible characters
• Well-rounded characters
• Poking characters

3. Nina Williams - Average Position: 4.9

Nina’s high mobility and rapid attacks secure her place in the top 10. Despite regional variations in her ranking, she is recognized as a strong contender.

Character Breakdown: Nina is a pure rushdown character known for her “sticky” offense. She excels in maintaining pressure with extended cancels from moves like df12 and ss1. Her strong wall carry and unique throws, which deplete grey life, make her a formidable opponent.

Pros:

• Some of the best wall carry in the game
• Insane poke pressure and cancels
• Strong wall game
• Fastest heat engagers with 11f db1+2

Cons:

• Limited range
• Takes risks to make comebacks

Recommended for players who like:

• Rushdown characters
• Poke pressure character
• Execution-based characters

2. Dragunov - Average Position: 4.1

Dragunov’s strong performance and consistent ranking highlight his effectiveness in competitive play. His solid mix-up game and pressure tactics make him a formidable opponent.

Character Breakdown: Dragunov excels in enforcing plus frames with moves like WR2 and FF3, overwhelming opponents with relentless pressure. His strong low pokes and varied throw game further enhance his offensive capabilities.

Pros:

• Super strong approach with WR2
• Relentless plus frames pressure
• Solid poking game
• Strong throw game

Cons:

• Can struggle to make a comeback against patient players

Recommended for players who like:

• Strong pokes
• Rushdown characters
• Relentless plus frames

1. Yoshimitsu - Average Position: 3.7

Yoshimitsu stands out with the highest average rating, indicating his dominant presence across the board. His unique move set and versatility make him a top pick for many players.

Character Breakdown: Yoshimitsu relies on creativity and strong okizeme to create openings. His diverse arsenal includes unblockables and unique stances, making him a wildcard in matches. His move "Flash" (1+4) interrupts opponents' moves at 6 frames, making normally safe moves unsafe. Additionally, he can lifesteal from opponents, adding a strategic layer to his gameplay.

Pros:

• The best set of unblockables in the game
• One of the best okizeme
• Strong turn-stealing tools

Cons:

• Poor basics
• Combo damage on the lower end

Recommended for players who like:

• Unorthodox characters
• Creative okizeme characters
• Freestyling offense

 

The survey reveals distinct regional preferences, with UK and NA players often favoring different characters. For example, Lili is more popular in the UK, while Reina has universal appeal. Additionally, some characters showed up in only a few players’ lists, indicating their potential as wildcards in the competitive scene.

Conclusion

The Top 10 characters in Tekken 8, based on the average rankings from our surveyed players, highlight the diversity of opinions and play styles within the community. While some characters like Yoshimitsu and Dragunov are widely acknowledged as top-tier, others show significant regional and individual variations. This diversity is part of what makes Tekken 8 such a dynamic and exciting game, with every character having the potential to shine in the right hands.

Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the series, exploring these top-ranked characters can provide a solid foundation for understanding the current competitive landscape of Tekken 8. Happy fighting!