Best starting characters for Tekken 8
Regardless of whether you're a veteran Tekken fan or someone diving in after years away from the series, it's a good idea to know which fighters in the roster are best to start out with.
While fighting games can feel imposing to casual players, Tekken 8 is one of the most accessible titles in the genre. Take it from me, as someone whose last Tekken was Tag Tournament back in the early 2000s and still managed to kick some serious butt in the game.
Which starting characters are best in Tekken 8?
Jin Kazama
Click to enlargeStarting with Tekken 8’s protagonist might seem like an obvious answer, but sometimes the obvious choice is the correct one. Jin’s fighting style is easy to comprehend, it’s just striking kicks and punches. His devil gene gives him some flashy moves during matches, and the inputs for his most basic combos are easy to pull off.
He’s got a great little combo that sends a flurry of punches to a foe's kidneys that only requires face buttons, no diagonal nonsense or long combo strings required.
Jin is also fast and strong, perfect for Tekken 8’s focus on aggression during matches. The new heat system only lasts for a short time, so you need to use it to land as many attacks as possible. Hits landed during heat deal chip damage even through blocks, so Jin is a great option when you’re still figuring things out as you can just hammer your opponents with his fast jabs and kicks.
Reina
Click to enlargeReina is new to the franchise, making her debut in Tekken 8, and that’s what makes her such a perfect choice for beginners. The returning pros will have no idea what her moves look like, so everyone will start out on a level playing field.
If you can master her quickly, you should see yourself rise through the online ranks more quickly than if you were using a character people learned how to counter years ago.
While some of her longer combos require more complex inputs - looking at you, diagonal directional buttons -you can use the Arcade Quest story to practice, and even if you don’t, she’s got plenty of shorter combos that still stack up a good amount of damage.
She’s especially good at dealing damage to enemies on the floor, so she’s perfect for teaching you to push your combos past their natural endpoints so you can punish your opponents before they have a chance to recover.
King
Click to enlargeC’mon, who doesn’t want to play as the wrestling tiger-man? King is the character we all loved when we were kids, but sometimes from the mouths of babes comes wisdom.
King is a very heavy hitter in Tekken 8. Even his most basic combos - and especially his heat smash - deal massive damage. He’s also not as slow as you might expect for someone of his size, meaning you can surprise unknowing foes with some quick, powerful hits.
Absorbing and countering blows is a key strategy in Tekken 8, and King excels at that. As a wrestler, it’s natural for him to take a few hits and then unleash fury. The positioning of his flashier moves can be tricky to master, but as long as you’re landing a few hits, you’ll be taking chunks off your opponent’s health bar rapidly, no matter what platform they're playing on.
Honestly, whoever you like
Click to enlargeOverall, though, the best starting character in Tekken 8 is the one you feel most connected to. Mastering air combos, power crushes, and heat is challenging, and you’re not going to want to put the effort in if you’re using one of the characters above but you’re not having any fun with their move set.
If none of them are working out for you, just pick whoever you think looks coolest - that’s how everyone started playing Tekken anyway.
For more guides on all things Tekken 8, check out our homepage, our review, or see what we thought of the ending.
