Best characters in Tekken 8: Beginner fighters & how to pick a main

Joseph Pascoulis
leroy and feng matching kicks in tekken 8

Wondering who the best characters are in Tekken 8? Here’s everything you need to know, from the best beginner fighters to choose to how you can pick a main in Tekken 8.

Tekken 8 is host to the new Heat system and over 30 characters for players to pick up and learn. With so many options comes a difficult choice of who to main.

There are new characters and some returning favorites, so those familiar with the series may already have their eyes set on a particular fighter due to their past experience. However, it’s not such an easy decision for beginners.

To help you out, whether you’re a new or returning player, here are the best characters in Tekken 8, including the best ones to pick for beginners and how you can choose a main.

Every Tekken 8 character ranked: Tier list

Here’s a complete breakdown of every Tekken 8 character ranked, from best to worst:

  1. Jin Kazama
  2. Jack-8
  3. King
  4. Jun Kazama
  5. Bryan Fury
  6. Feng
  7. Steve Fox
  8. Paul Phoenix
  9. Leo
  10. Xiaoyu
  11. Nina Williams
  12. Shaheen
  13. Zafina
  14. Lars Alexandersson
  15. Lili
  16. Hwoarang
  17. Claudio
  18. Reina Mishima
  19. Devil Jin
  20. Kazuya
  21. Marshall Law
  22. Azucena
  23. Alisa
  24. Dragunov
  25. Raven
  26. Lee Chaolan
  27. Victor Chevalier
  28. Yoshimitsu
  29. Asuka Kazama
  30. Leroy
  31. Kuma
  32. Panda

More characters are set to join the roster through Tekken 8 DLC, so we’ll be sure to update this once characters like Eddy drop.

Jin Kazama in Tekken 8
Jin is once again a solid pick in Tekken 8.

Who is the best character in Tekken 8?

The best character in Tekken 8 is Jin Kazama, as they have all the tools they need to dominate all aspects of Tekken 8. Whether on the defensive or offensive, Jin is a very strong character for winning matches, but he takes some time to master.

That said, the best character can be subjective, as there are many great options in the game and the devs often introduce buffs and nerfs to mix things up. So, we don’t recommend picking up Jin just because he is at the top, as you may be more effective with another character.

Best Tekken 8 character for beginners

The best Tekken 8 characters for beginners include Law, Paul, Victor, Dragunov, Shaheen, and Alisa, as these characters don’t possess many complex stances or playstyles.

We recommend that beginners stay away from characters that have large move lists and complex inputs with many stances, as this can become overwhelming. Stick with the simple characters that have a limited gameplay style that you can learn and master.

tekken 8 marshall law fighting paul phoenix
Both Paul and Law are great characters for beginner players in Tekken 8.

How to pick a main in Tekken 8

The best way to pick a main in Tekken 8 is to try out all the characters that look appealing to you and pick the one who you connect with the most. Head into Practice with these characters and test out their moves, see which one you like the most, and stick with it.

The most important part of picking a main in Tekken 8 is making sure you enjoy the character, as you’ll need to spend a lot of time in the lab mastering them, so you want to enjoy that process rather than picking a character just because they’re high on a tier list.

Ultimately, if you master any character in Tekken 8 you’ll be able to climb the ranks, so sometimes it’s best to ignore where they are in the tier list.

That was everything you need to know about the best Tekken 8 characters for beginners and how to pick a main. For more Tekken guides, check out:

Will Tekken 8 be on Xbox Game Pass? | Will Tekken 8 have crossplay? PC, PlayStation & Xbox cross-progression details I Tekken 8 pre-order bonuses: All editions & prices | Will Tekken 8 be on PS4 & Xbox One? | Will Tekken 8 be on Nintendo Switch? | What is Tekken 8 Arcade Quest? New mode explained | Is Tekken 8 the last Tekken? | How old are Tekken 8 characters? Every fighter’s age | Tekken 8 cast list – All voice actors | Tekken 8 PC requirements

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About The Author

Joseph is a Senior Writer at CharlieIntel, specializing in shooters such as Call of Duty, Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Overwatch. He also enjoys Souls-likes, the Resident Evil franchise, and Tekken. After writing for KeenGamer, he joined CharlieIntel in 2021. If Joseph isn't writing about games, he's most likely playing them. You can contact him at [email protected].