Top 5 Characters for Beginners in Tekken 8

New to Tekken 8 but want to climb the ranked ladder? Start your journey with these beginner-friendly characters

Author:
Norris Howard
Publish date:
Jan 29, 2024 10:12 AM EST

Tekken 8 is chalking up rave reviews and pushing the series forward into the next-gen on the right foot. But if this is your first experience with Tekken perhaps you’re a bit overwhelmed on which character to start with. There are a few characters that are tailor-made for those new to the world of Tekken and in these fighters, you’ll find all the tools you need to start improving fast. So here are five of the best characters for beginners in Tekken 8.

Jin Kazama

Jin is the hero of the story and because of this he’s been somewhat re-imagined for Tekken 8. In many ways, he’s been dumbed down a bit and gets some additional attacks from his Devil counterpart. Because of this he’s a great character to pick up for beginners. He’s got no real glaring weaknesses and ways to attack from all angles. He’s even got a parry that lets you counterattack instantly by just pressing forward.

Jin is able to play in any style. His parries, Zanshin and Zeshin stances give him some mix-up potential and his Electric Wind Hook Fist is still a great tool. Putting some time into Jin has never been easier than it is in Tekken 8.

Paul Phoenix

Paul’s a long-standing fighter in Tekken and that means much of his game plan has been established for years. He’s a good all-around character even if he is a bit slower. But he hits like a truck and has a combo string for almost any situation. All in all he’s an easy to pick up and play character that’s going to help you build the fundamentals of Tekken.

His signature move, Phoenix Smasher, is still one of the most devastating moves in Tekken and can totally crush opponents who are playing too aggressively. And when powered up by Heat, he can enhance certain moves by holding the inputs down.

Feng Wei

This Kung-Fu master has been a powerhouse for a while now, and that continues in Tekken 8. He’s generally got a low execution on many of his moves but has excellent range. In addition to that, he has big damage on lots of his attacks. Feng is a great character when you’re learning because he doesn’t get punished for some of his stronger attacks, meaning you can play him a bit more aggressively than most.

He’s got a great tool in Tiger’s Claw which moves him forward a ton and is also a power crush, meaning it can absorb attacks. His Fei He Zhang backsteps before attacking making it a great evasive option as well. Piercing Arrow also gives him another strong poke that can lead into a launching throw if counter hit.

Marshall Law

Let’s face it, you want to play the Bruce Lee clone. And much like his inspiration, Law is all about technique and speed over raw power. Law has super easy-to-execute combos (some just take one button) and flashy moves that are sure to impress your friends. What Law lacks in damage he makes up for in agility and style points.

Furious Rush and Rave War Combo are both one button three hit combos. If nothing else, that’s a big advantage to learning Law. He’s also got Dragon Cannon which is a great long-reaching power crush and heat initiator. Throw in his Dragon Charge/Nunchuck moves and you’ve got a character that’s going to give you a solid foundation in Tekken 8.

Jun Kazama

Jun is ridiculous. Literally, she is an absurdly powerful character in Tekken 8. She’s got great mix-ups from her stances, great damage, low execution combos, and fantastic low attacks. On top of all this, she’s also got projectiles AND some of them can even launch. Jun is easily one of the best characters in the game right now. If you’re new, it might take some extra time to learn what she can do in each of her stances. But once you do, you’ve got an absolute monster of a character in your hands.

Because of her projectiles and stances, she’s able to confound opponents who can’t guess which attack is coming next. Her Miare stance lets her summon light beams that can hit from almost anywhere on the screen and set up combos as well. Demon Slayer is contending for the best launcher in the game and her Izumo spin can lead to lows, launchers, ground bounce and throws. She’s one big guessing game in one character.