Highlights
- Tekken 8, the eleventh game in the series, is coming soon, and fans love the diverse cast of characters representing different ethnicities.
- Popular Tekken characters include Nina Williams, a cold-blooded assassin; Steve Fox, a unique boxer; and Asuka Kazama, a powerful martial artist.
- Other iconic fighters include Yoshimitsu, a cyborg ninja; Ling Xiaoyu, an acrobatic fighter; and Hwoarang, a complex and difficult character to master.
Tekken has been widely renowned as one the greatest fighting games out there, with Tekken 8 just a matter of months away, it will mark the eleventh game in the series, between numbered entries and the Tag Tournament games. With a massive cast of characters, fans have found a lot to love about Tekken.
With great ethnic representation with characters like Miguel, King, or the beloved Eddy Gordo, fans all across the world can feel seen by finding awesome characters to represent them. The franchise has a plethora of badass, funny, endearing, and outright wacky fighters, so let’s count down the absolute best of them.
10
Nina Williams
The cold-blooded silent assassin, Nina, is a deadly fighter who has become the main female character of the series due to her veteran spot throughout its history. She first appeared in the first-ever Tekken game in 1999 and hasn’t missed a game since. She even starred in her own spin-off, Death By Degrees for the PlayStation 2 in 2005. Her fighting style is a mixture of Aikido and Koppojutsu aimed toward effective killing. Her iconic design is instantly recognizable for fighting game fans, with her violet assassin suit.
9
Steve Fox
Every fighting game needs a boxer character, and Steve might just be one of the best. Steve is a Tekken staple with his cocky and hyper personality, unique gameplay, and stylish long, slicked-back blond hair. Steve debuted in the divisive Tekken 4, a game that wasn’t well received at the time but paid off for the franchise. While every other character in the game uses two buttons for kicks, Steve employs them as boxing weaves, dodging into the left or right depending on the button pressed. He’s a widely beloved although unorthodox fighter.
8
Asuka Kazama
Asuka is the lively and confident cousin of Jin, making her a massive contrast to his brooding and somber persona. She is an expert practitioner of the traditional Kazama style martial arts, focused on defense and using the attacker’s strength against them. Asuka’s gameplay is defined by her fluid yet powerful combos and many powerful throws that completely dominate the opponent. She’s a successor of the beloved Jun Kazama from Tekken 2, Jin’s peace-loving mother. Since her debut in Tekken 5, she’s been a mainstay of the series.
7
Yoshimitsu
The kind-hearted yet badass cyborg ninja, Yoshimitsu, is one of the most famous characters in fighting games. His style in Tekken 3 is one of those iconic designs fans think of when talking about classic fighters. Yoshimitsu debuted in the first Tekken, and since his nature has puzzled fans, in every single game he appears in he bears a new, radical look. He’s been seen as a sci-fi samurai, a beetle man, and an alien-looking ninja with tendrils sprouting from his head. Yoshimitsu is an oddball fighter, who is always fun to play and watch.
6
Ling Xiaoyu
Xiaoyu is a young girl with a great talent for acrobatic fighting. She’s a famously hard character to master, as she needs a lot of practice to get right, but doing so is incredibly rewarding. Xiaoyu has been a prominent character in the series since her debut in Tekken 3. She has been searching for Jin Kazama to save him from his dark path for years. Her fun and vibrant design brings this idea of her as the Dancing Phoenix into her gameplay, turning into this fast and strong orange streak smashing her opponent despite her small frame.
5
Hwoarang
Another fan-favorite since his grand debut in Tekken 3. Hwoarang is the Korean Taekwondo representative in the games’ roster and one of the most complex and difficult characters to play. His blazing-fast kicks overwhelm the opponent, leaving almost no opening for a counterattack.
He can rain down on his foe with unrelenting attacks. His design has gone through several changes but remains recognizable and in line with his identity as this cocky and rebellious fighter that always fends for himself. An iconic part of Tekken.
4
King
Now this is the king of hype. The massive, unstoppable Mexican wrestler with the jaguar mask. King was inspired by the legendary real-life wrestler, Tiger Mask, and is one of the most popular characters not only in Tekken but in fighting games in general. He’s a character that always brings excitement during tournaments, and is always a treat to watch and play.
King is also beloved because of his immense kindness, he is the manager of an orphanage in Mexico, and as he was once an orphan in the care of his master, he now continues his work with children.
3
Jin Kazama
The Mishima family has been cursed for decades, and Jin, the son of the demonic Kazuya and the peace-loving Jun, is a man battling this curse. Jin debuted in Tekken 3, after his wise and kind mother, Jun Kazama, was killed by the ancient evil known as Ogre.
He went to his grandfather, Heihachi, to obtain the power necessary to avenge his mother. But Jin is also afflicted by the Devil Gene, inherited from his father. Since then, he’s been on a tumultuous path, balancing light and darkness. Jin is an anti-hero in the quest to defeat his father.
2
Heihachi Mishima
Heihachi is a man who has taken it upon himself to destroy the ultimate evil: his own son. Fearing the potential in Kazuya’s devil gene and the evil he may commit in the future, he tried to end his life while he was still a child. Only for him to survive, and come back for revenge. Heihachi has gone to great lengths with the Mishima Zaibatsu to destroy the supernatural threats that exist in the world, including his own family. He employs the powerful Mishima Style Karate, an unrivaled devastating martial art. But he’s still behind one character.
1
Kazuya Mishima
In the Tekken universe, evil itself is personified in the dangerous Kazuya Mishima. Kazuya has been defined by his quest for power and revenge against his father, Heihachi. Which has led him to embrace his dark inheritance, the devil gene. Kazuya is an incredibly callous and dangerous man who only looks after himself.
He fights with the Mishima Style Karate in the deadliest way possible, completely pummeling his opponents into the ground. Kazuya is the face of the Tekken franchise and one of the prime icons of the fighting game genre.
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Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
