Tekken 8: Most Popular Characters, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• Steve Fox merges classic popularity with revamped aggressive gameplay to secure the 8th spot.
• Bryan Fury’s in-your-face fighting style and flashy finishers propel him to 7th place.
• Hwoarang’s deadly kicks and revamped appearance make him one of the fastest-rising popular characters.

Ever since Tekken 8 was first released in January 2024, fans have speculated who among the plentiful list of fighters was being used the most. As a result, many tried to crunch the numbers in order to display how popular certain characters were, but fairly recently, none other than Harada himself, the lead developer of Tekken, unveiled the official stats on his YouTube Channel, Harada’s Bar.

Seeing how much certain characters are being used can give a good indication as to how most people enjoy playing the game, depending on the specific archetypes that have been ranked highly. On the other hand, it can also encourage players to try out fighters who may be a little more interesting to play than they had initially realized, so being able to peak behind the scenes to get an idea of character usage can only ever be a good thing.

8 Steve Fox

Steve’s Fast And Ferocious Fighting Style Has Won A Lot Of Fans Over

Coming in as the eighth most popular character is the series’ iconic boxer, Steve. Though Steve has always been a popular character in Tekken, his new revamped look, paired with his ultra-aggressive shut-down playstyle, has incentivized many players to pick him up. Steve’s tricky mixups and unique dodges can make him an absolute nightmare for the opponent to deal with, while simultaneously being an extremely satisfying fighter to actually use.

Not using any kicks and only resorting to punches also makes Steve a little easier to get the hang of when compared to some other characters, though mastering him and making full use of his bobs and weaves still requires a lot of practice. Bring all of this together, and it results in a character who has experienced a grand resurgence in popularity for the latest entry in the series.

7 Bryan Fury

Many Players Seemingly Enjoy Pummeling Their Opponents To Pieces With Bryan

The maniacal badass Bryan, who first debuted in Tekken 3, has once again stepped up as one of the series’ most popular combatants, and a lot of this is thanks to the way he fights. Rather than using carefully placed attacks or ranged projectiles, Bryan is all about getting in the opponent’s face and pummeling them full of hard hitting attacks before obliterating them with his explosive Heat Smash.

His multi-hitting jab and numerous launchers mean he is capable of creating combos virtually out of thin air, and when mixed with his speed, it’s enough to strike fear into anyone that comes up against him. Needless to say, there’s a lot to love about Bryan, which is why he has managed to reach the number seven position in terms of popularity.

6 Hwoarang

The Taekwondo Representative Of The Series Remains Popular Among Fans

Another lightning-fast fighter who climbed up the popularity poll was Hwoarang, the taekwondo specialist who first debuted in Tekken 3. In stark contrast to the rather controversial design he had in Tekken 7, Hwoarang was almost completely remodeled for this game, looking more realistic and closer to his classic design, but still having the signature demeaning grin plastered across his face at all times.

As expected, Howarang’s kicks are deadlier than ever, allowing him to effortlessly flick opponents up for a combo where he can then drag them to the wall to throw out a ton of damage in barely any time at all. He also has one of the flashiest finishers in the game, alongside cool intros and outros that involve his iconic motorbike.

5 Sergei Dragunov

His Status As A “Meta” Character Has Seen Dragunov Receive A Lot Of Attention

Dragunov has a very recognizable appearance, there’s no doubt about it, but the primary reason he has managed to sneak into the top five is because of his status as a “meta” character. Early on in Tekken 8, and even for a good portion of Tekken 7, Dragunov was seen by many players to be a busted character who was incredibly hard to react to due to his assortment of tricky mixups and those overhead attacks and low sweeps that are the stuff of nightmares.

As a result, his usage gradually grew as word began to spread of how good he was, even though he has been nerfed down to a manageable level since the game’s launch. Still, Dragunov’s unique fighting style, deadly grabs, and 50/50 playstyle have evidently made him the go-to character for many Tekken 8 players.

4 Kazuya Mishima

Longtime Players And Newcomers Alike Have Embraced Kazuya’s Tactical Playstyle

Considering Kazuya has been a playable character ever since the very first game in the series, there are many longtime Tekken fans who have had him as their main for many years. Add to this a stunning graphical upgrade from Tekken 7, and a few extra moves thrown into the mix, and it has also resulted in him becoming pretty popular among newcomers too.

One other reason that could explain Kazuya’s high usage is simply the fact he is still technically the villain of the series. Being able to play as the big bad boss of a fighting game to reign down chaos onto the opponent has always been an exciting prospect for fans of fighting games, so many players may gravitate toward Kazuya due to his status as a villain — or just for the fact that he and his attacks look downright incredible in this game from a visual perspective.

3 Jin Kazama

The Main Protagonist Has Been Made Easier To Learn To Bolster His Accessibility

The main character of a fighting game always tend to be among the most popular, considering they are usually easy to learn and designed with beginners in mind. While this trend certainly applies to Jin, he is also a character full of so much combo potential thanks to his newly added moves that he also takes a long time to use effectively, which explains why so many players continue to use him so frequently.

Out of all the fighters in the game, Jin is also one of the flashiest in terms of his fighting style, being able to unleash parts of his Devil Gene to decimate his opponents with electrifying launchers and attacks. Jin was actually known to be quite difficult to play in previous Tekken games, but it seems Harada and team wanted to make him more accessible for this entry, which has clearly worked out in the end if his popularity is anything to go by.

2 King

Who Could Have Guessed Such A Staggering Number Of Tekken Players Were Also Wrestling Fans

King is a character whose popularity exceeds that of Tekken, becoming a sort of pop culture icon thanks to his distinctive appearance. King’s design is only one of many reasons why he has enjoyed such an immense amount of attention, though, as his wrestling fighting style, which involves plenty of grabs and slams, is instantly recognizable and allows many players to live out their dreams of becoming a wrestler in-game.

Bandai Namco went all-in with King’s wrestling persona for Tekken 8, giving him a microphone to cut promos during his intros, and even implementing new moves like the Irish whip, which he can use to throw his opponent around the arena. While his simple grabs are easy enough to learn, King’s gigantic arsenal of moves means players can be experimenting with his toolkit for hours on end, making him incredibly satisfying to learn and use online.

1 Reina

Arguably The Best And Most Impactful Newcomer The Series Has Ever Seen

Without a doubt, Reina has been one of the best — if not the best — newcomers to ever be added to a Tekken game. Her stylish appearance, no-nonsense attitude, and familiar Mishima fighting style made her an immediate fan favorite from the moment her reveal trailer was dropped, and her character usage just goes to show the hype surrounding her hasn’t died down one bit.

Mishimas have always been popular characters, but it’s been refreshing to play as someone other than Kazuya or Heihachi who can bring something new to the table, especially with her rushdown-heavy combat style that is immensely satisfying to use. She’s also an easy character to customize and has quite a substantial role to play in the story, both of which also contribute to her being in the number one spot in terms of popularity.