Summary
- DLC for Tekken 8 will bring in new characters, and fans are hoping that there will be some guest fighters like in previous games.
- The possible fan-favorite inclusion of Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy 7 is something to consider, as are characters from Like a Dragon such as Kiryu.
- Solid Snake could be an interesting out-of-left-field pick, while Shenlong the Tiger could kickstart a Bloody Roar revival if they prove to be a hit.
Tekken 8 has been out for a little while now, and so far, fans have enjoyed their time with it. Its offline content includes both an impressive cinematic story mode and the more freeform Arcade Quest, as well as the return of pre-rendered character endings and plenty of cosmetics. Meanwhile, Tekken 8’s online, while not as good as its leading competitors, is a big step up from Tekken 7, and even allows players to compete in Tekken Ball. So far, Tekken 8 seems to be moving in the right direction.
Its first season of DLC intends to keep Tekken 8 going strong. Only the first additional character, Eddy Gordo, has been revealed, but the remaining three have release windows and confirmation that no crossovers are among their ranks. Delaying Tekken 8’s guest inclusions came as a surprise after Street Fighter’s Akuma, Fatal Fury’s Geese Howard, Final Fantasy 15's Noctis Lucis Caelum, and The Walking Dead's Negan contributed to Tekken 7's success. Fans are already discussing who could join Tekken 8, and it feels like the sky's the limit.
Tekken 8's Roster May Be Big, But It's Still Missing a Lot of Fan Favorites
While the 32-character base roster of the latest Tekken is one of the most impressive in the entire series, many fighters still had to be left out.
Tifa Lockhart – Final Fantasy 7
A common consensus is that Tekken 7’s Noctis should be played off with another Final Fantasy character, this time being FF7's Tifa Lockhart. Serving as the party's martial artist, Tifa fights with punches, kicks, magic, and several high-flying physical Limit Breaks that would translate well to Tekken. Demand for Tifa is probably higher than any other character, as Tekken 8’s executive producer Katsuhiro Harada directly addressed Tifa requests on social media. Nothing is confirmed yet, but Tifa may have a chance.
Kazuma Kiryu, Goro Majima, or Ichiban Kasuga – Like A Dragon
The runner-up fan-requested Tekken guest fighter is probably Like A Dragon/Yakuza's old protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu. He has practiced several fighting styles across Sega's Yakuza series, and his massive variety of Heat Moves alone would make him thrilling in a Tekken game. The idea of Kiryu fighting Tekken's female combatants has prompted some pushback from Like A Dragon's developers, so Kiryu may already be barred from Tekken 8. Luckily, Kiryu’s successor Ichiban Kasuga and rival Goro Majima are both great choices in their own right, each possessing a wide variety of hand-to-hand and weapon-based fighting styles.
Akira Yuki – Virtua Fighter
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth introduced an Action Star job that gave its users attacks and combos from Sega's own 3D fighting game franchise, Virtua Fighter. If Like A Dragon isn't chosen to represent Sega, then Virtua Fighter's main character Akira Yuki could do it instead. Including iconic fighting game moves like the Tetsuzanko, Akira has developed a massive move list that has already been translated into Koei Tecmo's 3D fighting series Dead or Alive. Fellow Virtua Fighter cast member Jacky Bryant would be a flashier pick, but it would be nice to see Virtua Fighter be represented by its protagonist in Tekken.
Solid Snake – Metal Gear
Less common, but still present, are requests for Metal Gear’s protagonist, Solid Snake. Spurred on by an EVO tournament video mistakenly portraying Snake as coming to Tekken 7, the desire for this classic Konami hero in Tekken is understandable thanks to how well he would fit. Following his fellow PlayStation representative Kazuya Mishima out of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Snake’s CQC and occasional firearms or explosives would work wonders in the weapon-friendly Tekken 8.
Shenlong the Tiger – Bloody Roar
With Konami games still in mind, Tekken 8 would be the perfect place to kickstart a Bloody Roar revival. The old fighting game series by Eighting still has a dedicated fan base, and adding Shenlong, the stylish clone and rival of series protagonist Long, would be a dream come true for them. Shenlong's bouncer uniform and cocky attitude suits Tekken nicely, and his silver tiger form works perfectly in Tekken 8 as a Heat transformation. It's a long shot, but Shenlong could find a new home in Tekken 8.
Tekken 8
- Released
- January 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Tekken 8 brings the fight to the latest generation of consoles, powered by Unreal Engine 5. Feel the power of every hit in Tekken 8, the latest entry in the legendary fighting game franchise from Bandai Namco. Utilising the power and realism of Unreal Engine 5, Tekken 8 pushes the envelope for fighting games by taking full advantage of the power of the latest generation of consoles. Ground-breaking new features, breathtakingly detailed character models and dramatic environments make this one of the most visually stunning and immersive titles in the genre yet. Tekken 8 picks up after the gruesome battle that ended in Heihachi Mishima’s defeat in Tekken 7, focusing on a new rivalry, pitting father against son as Jin Kazama stands in defiance against Kazuya Mishima in a city-shattering face-to-face showdown.
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, Arika
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Franchise
- Tekken
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
