The Best Tekken 8 Fighters Ranked by Difficulty

Tekken 8 has been out for a while now, boasting a constantly expanding roster of 36 fighters. Each character offers a fairly unique playstyle, but some clearly perform slightly better than others. Balancing has always been a vital part of any successful fighting game series, and there’s no doubt you can pick up any character in Tekken 8 and have fun with them.

That said, if you’re looking for the best of the best, there are some obvious picks. This list is our ranking of what we believe are the best fighters in Tekken 8, and we’ve ranked them in order of increasing difficulty to help you pick your main.

Top 10 Best Tekken 8 Fighters Ranked by Difficulty

Picking the top 10 from 36 characters is a daunting task, but it’s made easy thanks to the fact that most of these characters require a bit less effort from players to do well, especially at lower to medium ranks. You will need to fully understand their toolkit to get the most out of them, which is why our ranking starts with the easiest in the top 10.

10) Draganov

Arguably the easiest character to play in the top 10 and is regularly featured in the top 8 of any major Tekken 8 tournament. Draganov is a well-rounded fighter with a simple game plan that overwhelms opponents thanks to his high pressure. He has everything you’d want from an S-tier character, whether that’s strong lows and mids, high combo damage, consistent wall carry, or a strong throw game.

09) Clive Rosfield

I know, I know. Everyone wanted Tifa instead, but Clive is no slouch either. Even though he’s a bit boring, Clive’s kit is unbelievably strong. His attacks have great range providing him with keep-out, and his game plan is straightforward. While his lows are a bit risky, they offer great damage if timed right. Outside of that, he has a strong neutral game and can dish out tons of high combo damage especially when his meter is fully charged.

08) Jin Kazama

The poster boy of the series, Jin Kazama is one of the best characters in Tekken 8 who isn’t that hard to pick up. Compared to other Mishimas, his execution requirement is the lowest with a considerably streamlined game plan compared to Tekken 7. His low/mid game is still a challenge to deal with even if you’re at a higher rank.

07) Nina

Another well-rounded fighter and clearly Arslan Ash’s favorite character in Tekken 8. Nina has excellent pokes, ridiculous combo damage, one of the best heat smashes in the game and a mid-power crush heat engager to turn the tide of any battle. She takes a bit to get used to, but she’s not that difficult either and pretty soon you’ll be chaining throws and doing nasty chip damage to overwhelm players.

06) Kuma

Don’t let his wacky demeanor fool you, Kuma is a beast to deal with, especially in Tekken 8. Experienced players can easily knowledge-check you, his Heat pressure is very strong, and he’s one of the best whiff punishers in the entire game.

His moveset feels vastly different from most fighters, making him unpredictable at nearly all ranks. If you’re looking to score easy wins, it’s hard to pass on Kuma. He might not teach you the game well, but there’s nothing scarier than a knowledgeable Kuma player.

05) Alisa

No one likes facing off against Alisa, and for good reason. She has a unique movement style that takes time to adapt to, making her perfect for whiff punishes, mix-ups, and fast pokes. Don’t let her nimble movement fool you, as she also exerts a lot of pressure with high combo damage. If you want to annoy your opponents, pick Alisa, just don’t complain to us when they send you an essay on why they hate her.

04) Feng

Feng is a beast, there’s no way around it. He’s one of the strongest characters in Tekken 8, and it doesn’t take much to get the most out of him. He was super powerful in Tekken 7 but lacked strong lows. This has been addressed in Tekken 8 and combined with stance pressure, excellent pokes, and high combo damage, this makes him a worthwhile pick.

03) King

King is one of the oldest characters in the series, which is why there are decades of strategies to learn for him. This also puts him at a disadvantage because a lot of players already know how to counter most of his moves. However, considering how strong his neutral game is when you put the time in, it’s hard not to see the appeal.

His combos are easy to learn, and he has the best throws in Tekken 8 which players can’t always break with traditional rules. King dominates in lower ranks, but only players willing to learn his intricacies will benefit from his extensive moveset and history in higher ranks.

02) Claudio

Claudio is a consistent presence in tournaments even if you don’t see him much in Ranked. He’s fairly difficult to learn and will take a while to get used to but he has excellent combo damage, a great heat smash, and some very strong oki.

Again, it takes a while before you understand the ins and outs of this character, but learning Claudio is a worthwhile effort. Now that he has a strong tournament presence, you can also watch high-level plays to get a better understanding of his kit.

01) Yoshimitsu

This should come as no surprise but Yoshimitsu is easily the hardest character to master in Tekken 8. He’s always been a fan favorite for messing around, but Tekken 8 has one of his best renditions, ever. Flash, even after the nerfs, is an insanely powerful move. And a good Yoshi player can knowledge-check you and take the round in a few seconds.

He has multiple stances to master, each providing a different playstyle and utility, and Yoshimitsu possibly has some of the best Oki ever. Learning to effectivity play him might take you a few months, but mastering him can take years.

What do you think about our ranking for the best Tekken 8 characters in terms of difficulty? Share your lists, rankings, and thoughts in the comments below.