If you’ve hyped for Tekken 8, you’re probably wondering what character you should pick and searching for a Tekken 8 tier list. Like past Tekken games, Tekken 8 is launching with a diverse roster. No matter what style of play you prefer – relentless rushdown, careful poking, strong defensive play, or tricky mix-ups – there’s a character in Tekken 8 for you. Most of Tekken 8’s roster is made up of familiar faces, but there are a couple of new additions, too, like the coffee-obsessed Azucena, who was announced at EVO.

For this tier list, however, we’ll be focusing on the 16 characters that were playable in the Closed Network Test (CNT). Tekken is a game of fundamentals, and legacy skills developed during previous titles can play a big role in your success, Since every character in Tekken 8’s CNT was a returning face, and almost all of them are playable in Tekken 7, you might want to get a head start by running some sets with these Tekken 8 characters in Tekken 7 to prepare.

Tekken 8 tier list

Here’s the current Tekken 8 tier list:

• S-Tier: Hworang, Claudio, Jin, Jack-8, Bryan, Jun
• A-Tier: Kazuya, Paul, King, Ling Xioayu, Asuka, Lili
• B-Tier: Leroy, Law, Nina
• C-Tier: Lars

Tekken 8 is still in development, and a lot will change between now and the Tekken 8 release date (and probably between now and the next beta), including combos that are currently “too long,” “chip damage pressure” and “overly flashy effects.” We can expect a lot of changes overall, including to Tekken 8’s Heat system.

Our list is based on our hands-on time with the game for our Tekken 8 preview during the CNT, and will likely change quite a bit during later tests and when Tekken 8 launches on PC, Xbox, and PS5 next year. Until then, though, consider this list a jumping-off point for future discussions. Fighters within tiers are not ordered, but you can find a deeper dive into each one below.

S-Tier

Hworang

Hworang’s stances make him one of the most complicated characters in Tekken, but his pressure is no joke, and he has a lot of ways to make himself plus on block. Hworang’s pressure is suffocating, but he’s traditionally suffered when it comes to getting in because you could sidestep a lot of his pressure starters.

This is harder in Tekken 8, especially since a couple of them are Heat Engagers. His Heat allows him to build up a lot of chip damage, and once you’re blocking, it’s very hard to get out of his pressure. His damage isn’t incredible, but his pressure makes him quite scary.

Claudio

In Tekken 7, Claudio has the fewest moves out of any member of the cast, but his core tools were quite strong, with a variety of keep-out and approach tools, as well as strong pressure options. He’s even stronger in Tekken 8, with perhaps the best Heat moves of anyone in the cast.

His moves deal tons of chip damage on block while in Heat, and he can make himself extremely plus on block to enforce his pressure. He also deals absolutely outrageous damage on hits and has a number of incredibly strong moves.

Jin

Another strong character in Tekken 7, Jin returns with the same balanced toolkit he had previously, just cranked up to eleven. He has some of the best normals in the entire game, many of his best buttons launch on Counter Hit, and he greatly benefits from Heat and Tekken 8’s increased damage.

As before, his pokes are fast and safe, making it easy for him to play a solid neutral game and pressure you when he gets in. Jin felt very strong in Tekken 7, but it was hard to see what his weaknesses were in the CNT.

Jack-8

Tekken 7’s Jack 7 was a fundamental character that used an excellent backdash and long limbs to poke from a distance and cash out for huge damage when he got the right starters. The problem was that he was slow, and his moveset was fairly limited. Jack-7 players had to play pretty cleanly to win.

Jack-8 is an entirely different beast because he’s essentially a combination of Gigas and Jack-7. That means he has access to Jack’s great backdash and poking game as well as stance mix-ups he inherited from Gigas. He also has enormous damage potential and activating Heat improves his already potent pressure game and forces a lot of chip damage into Heat Smahes with the right moves. Jack-8 was a rare sight in the CNT, but there’s no denying his potential.

Bryan

Bryan’s another one of those characters that is quite strong in Tekken 7 and seems to be better in Tekken 8. Bryan still has the absurdly large damage that has been a core component of his design, but in Tekken 8 he gains access to several safe new launchers.

He also has great space control and his Snake Eyes stance is extremely strong and leads to even more (super fast) launchers. Bryan also has some of the best wall carry in the game. And, of course, his pressure greatly benefits from Heat.

Jun

It’s been a hot second since Jun was in a main series Tekken game – the last time she appeared was Tekken 2 – but Mama Kazama hasn’t been slacking during her time away. She was an absolute powerhouse in Tekken 8’s CNT. Her moves are graceful, but don’t let that fool you. Jun hits like a truck, her punishment game is top-notch, she has great wall carry, and because many of her strings include parries, she can knowledge-check you at will.

In addition, she has moves that deal damage to both herself and her opponent on block, but these same moves recover chip damage while in Heat mode. Many of these moves are also plus on block. Jun also has a stance that can restore her health and allows her to use projectiles. She is by far the most unique new character in Tekken 8.

A-Tier

Kazuya

Kazuya is known for his strong punish game and exceptional defense, though his pressure can be quite strong in the right hands. He has gained access to a strong new string in Tekken that takes about 40% of your life. His damage is quite high and his combos are quite long, but he’s generally hard to play, as are all Mishimas, and side steps are quite good against him.

His Heat Engagers give him access to moves from his Devil form, and he has access to some potent mix-ups. Oh, and then there’s the Electric Wind God Fist, which now does chip damage. Kazuya is deadly… if you have the skill to play him.

Paul

Paul still felt a lot like Paul in the Tekken 8 CNT. His damage is extremely high, especially if you manage to land Deathfist or one of his counter-hit launchers, and if he takes you to the wall, it’s over. Paul can put you in 50/50s and force you to guess, and his chip damage is quite high while in Heat, though his pressure in Heat is pretty linear.

While his poking game is pretty average and his lows don’t typically lead to big combos, Paul has all the tools you need to succeed. He just requires good reads, a strong understanding of how to use his neutral tools, and solid defense.

King

King was very strong in the Tekken 8 CNT. A grappler, his damage is quite high, and several of his moves have armor. His counter-hit game is terrifying, especially since counter-hit throws are much harder to break in Tekken 8, a system change that helps him immensely.

Oh, and his Heat pressure is very, very good. King has a couple of downsides, though. Many of King’s moves are quite risky, and he can’t backdash. He’s high risk, high reward, but in the right hands, King is a monster.

Ling Xiaoyu

Xiaoyu is a mix-up character who was considered below average in Tekken 7, but Tekken 8’s system mechanics help her out quite a bit. First, the reduced strength of low parries helps out her already strong lows, and she now has multiple launching throws, which is a boon to her low damage.

Her evasion, always a strength, also returns here, and her mobility, which is boosted by the unique stances she can use, is quite good, too. Her low damage holds her back, but once you get knocked down, you’re going to be blocking some very tricky mix-ups, and if you’re wrong, Xiaoyu will put you back on the ground and make you guess again.

Asuka

Asuka thrives on a strong keep-out game, powerful okizime, good whiff punishes, and great evasion options. She also has several command grabs and counter stances and has the ability to put you into some really nasty 50/50s with the right set-ups.

While her damage isn’t as high as the top-tier characters, her pressure when in Heat is exceptionally strong, and she has some of the best Heat Engagers in Tekken 8. While she does have weaknesses that hold her back from top-tier status, she’s still quite good when played well.

Lili

Lili was one of the most popular characters we ran into during the Tekken 8 CNT. Her combo potential is high, and she deals a lot of damage when she hits you. In addition, she has great movement and sidestep options, and she’s quite strong when using Heat. Trust us, you do not want Lili to hit you when she’s activated Heat.

Her offense is risky, however, and open to punishment and sidestepping if you know what you’re doing, but she’s extremely capable with the right player piloting her.

B-Tier

Leroy

Though it pains me to say it because he’s so cool, Leroy’s been whacked with the nerf bat a bit in the Tekken 8 CNT. His hellsweep, a very powerful mix-up option, is now locked behind one of his stances, and several of his normals are not as good as they were previously. That said, Leroy still has impressive strengths.

He has some of the strongest strings in the game, and many of his moves and strings allow you to parry your opponent’s attacks, which can make it difficult to know when to contest him. He also has great pressure and chip damage when he activates Heat. His combos do good damage, but you generally need specific moves to make them work. Leroy is still a very solid character, but he could use a little love.

Law

Law suffers the same fate as Leeroy in Tekken 8. He’s solid, but not as strong as he was in Tekken 7. Some of his neutral moves and combo launchers have been nerfed, as he’s dependent on Heat or landing-specific moves to get damage that used to come naturally to him.

His mobility has also taken a hit in Tekken 8, and given how much movement factors into Tekken, that’s a sizeable nerf. Law isn’t bad, but he has to work harder for the same thing the top tiers get for free.

Nina

Nina is another character who also feels like herself. Her twin pistols juice her wall carry and provide many options for chip damage, and she still has many of the throws she’s always had. Nina’s real problem is that she relies heavily on long combos for damage, and it’s hard to start her combo game outside of highs and mids. She also has limited defensive options.

She’s a powerhouse if she can get going, but it can be a little harder to get her started than the top tiers. Opinions on Nina are pretty mixed at the moment, but while she didn’t do anything special to impress us during the CNT, she also didn’t do anything to convince us she was in a bad spot.

C-Tier

Lars

Like Paul and Nina, Lars is still Lars. The difference is Lars is widely regarded as a low tier in Tekken 7, and Tekken 8 hasn’t done much to change that yet.

Lars is one of the easier fighters to pick up and play, and he can be frustrating for newcomers, but he doesn’t have many of the techniques and punish options other fighters do, and his game plan is pretty simple, which is a detriment in high-level play. That said, however, he does benefit from the Heat System and his Heat attacks deal good chip damage on block and can lead to some good damage on hit.

And that about wraps up our tier list for Tekken 8. Remember, we’re ranking them based on the July CNT, and they’ll probably change substantially between now and the release. We’ll stay on top of other tests and update this ranking between now and then. In the meantime, why not get a head start on learning Tekken 8 with our overview of the Tekken 8 rollback netcode implementation and Tekken 8 crossplay online?

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