Once again we return to the rough and tumble arena of Tekken, and this time around it’s going darker than it ever has before. With the escalating conflict between Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation, this years Tournament of the Iron Fist is guaranteed to be hair-raising. You might be asking though, “How will I know which character is best for me!?” Never fear! Gameranx is here to give you a full breakdown of characters available (including their strengths and weaknesses) for the newest installment of Tekken.
- Returning Tekken Characters
- Alisa Bosconovitch
- First Appearance: Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion
- Background: An android constructed by Doctor Bosconovitch to resemble his daughter.
- Fighting Style: This robot has a unique fighting style that utilizes her thrusters to move quickly around the screen.
- Asuka Kazama
- First Appearance: Tekken 5
- Background: Not much is known about Asuka, but she has a puzzling connection to Jin Kazama and is very pompous and full of herself.
- Fighting Style: Asuka trained in the Kazama Style Traditional Martial Arts and is one of the more defensive characters you can play as.
- Bob
- First Appearance: Tekken 6
- Background: Bob is a former martial arts champion with a big heart. Despite his large size, he is still a formidable opponent in battle.
- Fighting Style: Bob is known for his skills in Freestyle Karate and is very fast. He is best used as an offensive character.
- Bryan Fury
- First Appearance: Tekken 3
- Background: Bryan is a merciless and powerful cyborg with a cruel sense of humor.
- Fighting Style: Bryan’s particular method of combat is kickboxing and while incredibly powerful, requires players to risk rushing in for his attacks, as he isn’t good at fighting at a distance.
- Devil Jin
- First Appearance: Tekken 3 (First playable in Tekken 5)
- Background: After being overcome by the Devil Gene, Jin Kazama became Devil Jin. This arrogant fighter is not one to mess with.
- Fighting Style: Being a mixture of the Mishima Style Fighting Karate and the Kazama Style Traditional Martial Arts, Devil Jin is a well rounded character, but his more powerful moves are easy to predict.
- Dragunov
- First Appearance: Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
- Background: This Spetsnaz officer is known as “The White Angel of Death” and can quickly overwhelm his opponents with his strength.
- Fighting Style: Dubbed the “Commando Sambo,” Dragunov’s fighting style is a distinctly offensive style of hand-to-hand (CQC!) combat that centers on grabbing and throws.
- Eddy Gordo
- First Appearance: Tekken 3
- Background: Studying under The Legendary Capoeira Master, Eddy is one smooth Brazilian fighter.
- Fighting Style: Eddy’s style is Capoeira, which is a Brazilian fighting form that combines martial arts, sports, and music. Eddy is a complex character to fight with due to his multiple stances and the best players will learn how to be creative when using him.
- Eliza (pre-order bonus)
- First Appearance: Tekken Revoultion
- Background: Eliza is a centuries-old vampire that has a problem controlling her sleeping patterns (she puts Rumplestiltskin to shame).
- Fighting Style: Eliza’s style is a mix of graceful movement and extreme kicking power. Watch out though, as she will randomly fall asleep during battle.
- Feng Wei
- First Appearance: Tekken 5
- Background: This power-hungry martial artist is not one to test. While devoted to his craft, he can be ruthless and a little cruel.
- Fighting Style: Feng Wei’s style is known as God Fist Style Chinese Martial Arts and is very powerful.
- Heihachi Mishima
- First Appearance: Tekken
- Background: Almost always the catalyst of the events of the Tekken series, Heihachi is a staple in the series and often hosts the Iron Fist Tournaments.
- Fighting Style: Known as the Mishima Style Fighitng Karate, Heihachi is an aggressive fighter with a very high damage output.
- Alisa Bosconovitch
- Returning Tekken Characters cont.
- Hwoarang
- First Appearance: Tekken 3
- Background: This rash and brazen fighter is known for his pompous attitude, unless of course when speaking to Baek, his master.
- Fighting Style: Hwoarang fights using Taekwondo.
- Jack 7
- First Appearance: Original Jack showed up in Tekken
- Background: The lastest iteration in the Jack cyborg series makes its debut in Tekken 7. As a powerful killing machine, Jack is a force to be reckoned with.
- Fighting Style: Known as “Brute Force,” Jack-7’s fighting style is powerful but slow. Another positive in Jack’s favor is the range of his attacks, which has some of the best distance in the game.
- Jin Kazama
- First Appearance: Tekken 3
- Background: An anti-hero in the Tekken world, Jin is one of the protagonists of the series. Jin is a powerful warrior that was even able to fight a devil while still in the womb.
- Fighting Style: Jin utilizes Karate, which, while not as powerful as some other characters, he is great at evasion, countering, and poking.
- Kazuya Mishima
- First Appearance: Tekken
- Background: As one of the original protagonists in the original game, Kazuya is a staple in the Tekken series. As the father of Jin, Kazuya is a skilled fighter from Japan, although his allegiance often shifts from neutral to evil.
- Fighting Style: Kazuya utilizes the Mishima Style Fighting Karate and is a rather vanilla character. Although predictable in his moveset, Kazuya works well playing defensively to punish more arrogant players.
- King
- First Appearance: Tekken 3
- Background: This luchadore is a masked warrior with a penchant for brawling and a heart of gold.
- Fighting Style: Pro-Wrestling is the name of King’s style and is favored for its defensive approach to combat that favors fast hits and maneuverability.
- Kuma
- First Appearance: Tekken 3
- Background: Literally a bear bodyguard for Heihachi Mishima, Kuma is a powerful creature with a bit of a crush on Panda.
- Fighting Style: Kuma fights using the Heihachi-style Improved Kuma Shinken but can also attack using either a large salmon or a baseball bat.
- Lars
- First Appearance: Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion
- Background: A relatively new character to the series, Lars is a heroic fighter with an honorable personality.
- Fighting Style: Lars is a well-rounded fighter that is easy to learn. Mainly used for offense, Lars is great for juggling and speed attacks.
- Lee Chaolan
- First Appearance: Tekken
- Background: This smug fighter is known for his thumbs up and catchphrase “Excellent.” Just be careful not to take this sharp dresser too lightly.
- Fighting Style: Lee fights with a combination of the Mishima Style Fighting Karate and Martial Arts. He is a strange mixture of fast jabs and slower launches. He is also great at evasion.
- Hwoarang
- Leo
- First Appearance: Tekken 6
- Background: Leo’s life has been marked with tragedy, but it doesn’t stop her from becoming a awesome fighter (and spelunker!)
- Fighting Style: Baji Quan is Leo’s method of combat, which is a very balanced style, whose only fault is that she is a tad predictable to opponents familiar with her style.
- Lili
- First Appearance: Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
- Background: A high school student and child of the incredibly wealthy oil tycoon Mr. Rochefort, Lili is a friendly girl that loves to fight. Her main rival is none other than Asuka.
- Fighting Style: Lili fights with Bartitsu, which is a versatile style with high damage output and long range.
- Ling Xiaoyu
- First Appearance: Tekken 3
- Background: Ling is a simple girl who only fights so she can afford to build a theme park. Much of her fighting style is derived from her master Wang Jinrei.
- Fighting Style: Ling uses a mixture of Baguazhang and Piguaquan martial arts that originated in China.
- Marshall Law
- First Appearance: Tekken
- Background: The Tekken equivalent to Bruce Lee, Marshall Law is a powerhouse American fighter. When he’s not competing in tournaments, he’s probably teaching martial arts or hanging out with his best friend Paul Phoenix.
- Fighting Style: Marshall Law is a practitioner of Jeet Kune Do, which is fast, close, and mixing up high/mid/low combos. Despite his strengths, Marshall Law struggles with range.
- Miguel
- First Appearance: Tekken 6
- Background: Not much is known about Miguel, but he is a reckless fighter, that may or may not help him out in the long run.
- Fighting Style: As a street brawler, Miguel is all offense. With great combos and damage output, Miguels biggest faiulre is his slower speed.
- Nina Williams
- First Appearance: Tekken
- Background: Nina Williams is an Irish assassin style fighter that has been with Tekken since the beginning. She is a powerful fighter and also the mother of Steve Fox.
- Fighting Style: Her Assassination Arts make her a faster fighter with good chains. She is also great with evading and countering, although some of her combos are more difficult to preform.
- Panda
- First Appearance: Tekken 3
- Background: Who doesn’t know about panda? The bodyguard of Ling Xiaoyu is a strong fighter with a devotion to her master. While Kuma is infatuated with her, Panda does not care for him.
- Fighting Style: Panda’s fighting style is very similar to Kuma’s, but her rage art is a volleyball technique that will leave the opponent severely damaged and grounded.
- Paul Phoenix
- First Appearance: Tekken
- Background: This hot-headed martial artist is more of a joke than anything. But don’t let that fool you into taking him too lightly, and make sure you don’t mess with his best friend Marshall Law!
- Fighting Style: Paul’s Judo style is all about having a strong offense and is great when fighting against defensive characters. Additionally, Paul has a strong defense and can evade well.
- Steve Fox
- First Appearance: Tekken 4
- Background: As the son of Nina Williams, Steve Fox is a boxing champion from the UK. Despite his murky background, Steve is an honorable man that loves to be in the ring.
- Fighting Style: Steve Fox is a faster boxer that can quickly overwhelm his opponents with strong punches. Additionally, Steve’s counters are devastating.
- Violet
- First Appearance: Tekken 4
- Background: Violet is an alter ego of Lee Chaolan that Lee uses to enter the fourth King of Iron Fist Tournament.
- Fighting Style: See Lee Chaolan.
- Yoshimitsu
- First Appearance: Tekken
- Background: This classic character appear in both Tekken and Soul Caliber franchises. He is a ninja with amazing powers and a bit of an obsession with video games.
- Fighting Style: Yoshimitsu uses a type of Ninjutsu that is both unique and wild. He is one of the most complex characters, with multiple stances, but it really takes time to master this wacky guy.
- New Characters to the Series
- Akuma
- Background: You know Street Fighter, right? Well yeah, that’s him, but in Tekken.
- Fighting Style: This beast uses Ansatsuken, a fighting style iwth the focus of ending an opponents life rather than incapacitating them. Akuma is fast and ruthless, so be careful when facing him.
- Claudio
- Background: Claudio is the leader of the Archers of Sirius, a band of exorcists that intend to destroy all supernatural entities in the world. His current mission is to uncover the mystery behind Mishima Zaibatsu.
- Fighting Style: Claudio fights with the the Sirius-Style Purification Sorcery, which utilizes the holy power of Sirius through his body during battle.
- Gigas
- Background: Gigas is the result of a military arms race between Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation. With an inherent hatred of Mishima, Gigas seeks his fortune in the King of Iron Fist tournament.
- Fighting Style: RUSHRUSHRUSH. Gigas is all about cornering his foes and pounding on them. He also has exceptional range, but he falls short in the area of speed and safety with his attacks.
- Josie
- Background: Josie’s career in fighting stemmed from her parents’ obsession and their thoughts that she was too much of a crybaby. After the Tekken force arrived in her town to assist with typhoon damage, she was inspired and decided to join up with them.
- Fighting Style: Josie utilizes a form of kickboxing that is inherently defensive and focuses on grappling and disarming opponents. Josie is used best when she is countering.
- Katarina
- Background: Having been orphaned, Katarina learned to fight to fend for herself. She decides to enter the King of the Iron Fist tournament in order to make money.
- Fighting Style: Katarina is described as “beginner friendly” and fights using the Savate style.
- Kazumi Mishima
- Background: Kazumi is a serious woman who often utilizes her pet tiger in her attacks. She is also the ex-wife of Heihachi.
- Fighting Style: Kazumi’s fighting style is a mixture of Heihachi and Kazuya. She has very strong punches and can even summon her pet tiger in combos.
- Lucky Chloe
- Background: Chloe is obsessed with Japanese idol culture and determines to become one by the name of Lucky Chloe.
- Fighting Style: Chloe’s style focuses on freestyle dance and is similar to Eddy’s style.
- Master Raven
- Background: Master Raven is an agent for the United Nations’ secret intel service. Her task is to investigate the strife between Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation.
- Fighting Style: Very similar to the original Raven from previous games, but with additional features such as sword fighting. Her style is that of ninjutsu.
- Shaheen
- Background: Shaheen is a bodyguard for a private military company (PMC) that is hired out by important people across the globe. After a famous friend of his mysteriously dies, his PMC is bought, and all of his allies resign, he decides to investigate matters for himself.
- Fighting Style: Shaheen’s approach to combat is very military-based and focuses on kicks and acrobatic takedowns.
- Akuma
