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Arslan Ash breaks down the best characters in Tekken 8
Four-time EVO champ Arslan Ash has finally laid out his Tekken 8 character tier list, and some of his picks might surprise you.
With four EVO championships under his belt, Pakistani prodigy Arslan Ash is one of the top talents in fighting games. In his game of choice, Tekken, he is a dominant force, with his most recent accolade being the trophy at the Tekken World Finals 2023. From arcades to the biggest stages in competitive gaming, the unlikely rise of Arslan Ash is a success story like no other.
With a pedigree like this, it’s no surprise that Tekken players around the world hang on Ash’s every word. That’s why it made headlines when Arslan Ash revealed his Tekken 8 fighter tier list to the world, with some of his picks surprising fans. Tier lists rank characters by their usefulness and effectiveness, and Arslan crafted his with a blend of personal preference, community feedback, competitive scene observations and his invaluable first-hand experience as a Tekken champion.
Ash broke down his picks into four categories: S Tier (godlike characters), A+ (high-ranked characters), B (mid-tier characters) and F (‘Fail tier’ - generally avoid these characters). Join us as we take a look at his picks.
01
S Tier
Dragonuv is the most powerful fighter in Tekken 8
© Bandai Namco
Dragunov - “He has to be nerfed,” exclaims Ash, “Too much is broken - mid-range, long range…” Indeed, the Russian powerhouse has been a bugbear of the Tekken 8 community due to his extreme power and versatility. Not only are his attacks fast and powerful, but he also has a near-unbreakable parry. “He’s the number one character in the game right now,” adds Ash, “he’s the Akuma of Tekken.”
Feng Wei - “He has a solution for all moves,” says Ash. “His back turn game is one of the best.” Despite his outwardly brawny appearance, Feng is surprisingly agile, adept at evading incoming attacks and delivering punishing counterstrikes. While not outright “broken,” he is formidable against almost every other fighter on the roster.
Nina - Nina is so good that many players demand a nerf, but until that day comes, she remains one of the best characters in the game. “Nina’s power crush is still one of the best in the game and still one of the best continuous pressure [moves],” explains Ash.
Nina remains a top pick in Tekken 8
© Bandai Namco
Yoshimitsu - When it comes to diversity, Yoshimitsu is one of the strongest characters in Tekken 8’s roster. Pros like Kane have achieved wonders with the stoic samurai, so much so that Ash promised to spend more time with the character after seeing him play. “I don’t think you have to play him as a poke character,” comments Ash. “If you know how to play Yoshimitsu then you are very dangerous.”
Alisa - Alisa stands above many of her peers due to her stellar movement speed. Her spinning chainsaws also give her formidable range that's difficult to counter. “She’s got the best movement in the game,” says Ash. She has an intuitive move set that’s easy to pick up and play.
Jin Kazama - The first character to get honoured with an S Tier placement is none other than Tekken 8 cover star, Jin Kazama. Jin gets placed at the top of the pack due to his lack of weaknesses and the fact that he’s extremely powerful in the new Awakened power stance, which allows him to punish enemies with Devil powers. “Jin is given every advantage in the new stance,” says Ash.
Victor - Victor cracks the top tier for his standing counterhit move, which is one of the best in the game. His homing move is also deadly at close range and has the potential for some unconventional combos. “Running 2 is so broken,” adds Ash.
02
A+ Tier
Claudio’s heat abilities make him a top performer in Tekken 8
© Bandai Namco
Claudio - While Claudio’s Heat abilities put him near the top of Ash’s ranking, he falls down when it comes to low attacks. “One of the most broken moves in the whole game is down back 1+2,” says Ash. “That move means -2 [sic] and has a high crush - like 16 frames. It’s a very strong move and crushes every high move.”
Marshall Law - The Bruce Lee-inspired fighter clinches a high spot due to his powerful 10-frame combo in heat. He’s also dependable without Heat, with easy-to-accomplish grabs. “Down-forward 2 is also good and down 3 is good for pressurising,” says Ash. “Law is a solid character, I think, better than King.”
King - The tiger-head-wearing fighter makes A+ due to his fantastic range and ability to chain throws together. His only weakness is that his lows are fairly weak, meaning he can be bested by quicker fighters.
Ling Xiaoyu - Although not as strong as other A+ tier characters, Ling still holds her own against the game’s top fighter thanks to her excellent mobility. This character has a high skill ceiling, so you’ll need to spend a good amount of time with her to become proficient.
Bryan Fury - “Bryan is always a tough character and his taunt is very hard to hit now,” says Ash, “all heat engagers are safe.” His Snake Eyes is as vicious as it sounds, allowing you to bite your enemies with a savage blow.
Bryan is a savage fighter in heat
© Bandai Namco
Shaheen – Shaheen is a rushdown character with plenty of utility in high-level play. His wall combos are incredibly strong and can pressure characters with his basic move set. “Steve requires a lot of skill,” says Ash. “His basic is too strong but he’s not broken.”
Paul Phoenix - This blonde bombshell can be difficult to handle but has some powerful moves for those who take the time to learn him. “Death fist is very good, and many other moves hit hard,” says Ash.
03
A Tier
Ash likes Kuma for tournament play
© Mark Roe/Red Bull Content Pool
Kuma - The fighting bear is a great choice in Tekken 8 due to his extreme power in Heat. Without Heat though, the character is highly punishable, easily pressured and susceptible to chip damage. “In tournaments he is so strong, I couldn’t explain it to you,” enthuses Ash. “In Heat he becomes something else."
Lili – Chikurin has achieved fantastic results with Lili in the professional scene, but doesn’t make the top end of the ranking for Ash. “Lili is a ‘jinx’ character like Ling Xiayu, which you have to learn with hard work,” says Ash. “Down 3 is a good poke and 1 and 2 are very risky.”
Kazuya Mishima - Kazuya sits a few tiers lower than his son Jin. Ash explains that in the right hands he can be very powerful, but playing him is risky. He cites Keisuke’s bout against Atif as an example of the character being played well, but still resulted in a loss for the pro player. “Kazuya requires too much dedication, that's why you don’t see too many Kazuya players around the globe.” Not a character for beginners, but if you can put the time in to master him, he can be a great pick.
Reina - New character Reina has some strong strings, but is a risky character to play. What she lacks in defence, she makes up for in attack.
Leo - Leo is a highly situational pick and only works against specific fighters. Ash acknowledges his versatility, highlighting his strong wall game, allowing him to dole out significant damage in tight spaces.
Leo is a solid fighter when backed into a corner
© Bandai Namco
Leroy Smith - Ash admits not having played much against Leroy Smith, but recognises some great points about him. As one of the newer characters on the roster, Leroy has a complex ability system - his ability to quickly switch into Hermit Stance is particularly useful.
Jack-8 - “Some players say Jack is top tier, but I think he’s mid,” says Ash. The robotic fighter’s main weakness is his offence. While the newly introduced Gamma Stance is powerful, it falls short when compared to other heavy hitters. His lows are also lacking, meaning he feels nerfed when compared to previous versions of the characters.
04
B Tier
Azucena is a solid B-tier fighter in Tekken 8
© Bandai Namco
Azucena - Azucena is a character that has experienced big nerfs from previous games but remains a solid pick for those that take the time to learn her move set. “Her combos are improved but that means you have to play [her] differently,” says Ash.
Zafina - While undeniably fun to play, Zafina doesn’t stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the game’s stronger fighters. “I played with her myself,” says Ash. “She’s not that weak.”
Hwoarang - “I’m giving him B, because he is very good in heat,” says Ash. “But his lows are risky and you can’t do anything after down back 4.” This fighter boasts strong chains but is left vulnerable by many of his attacks, meaning he’s a high-risk, high-reward type of character.
Jun Kazama - Ash places Jun in the B tier due to her lack of pressure. Ash explains that a majority of Jun’s moves can be sidestepped and even her forward attacks will leave you open to chip damage. “Jun has nothing in sidestep and no big lows,” he says. “Overrall Jun is a weak character.”
Devil Jin - Although he looks incredibly cool (at least by early 2000s standards) this gothic version of Jin is not that useful in competitive play, at least according to Ash. “Anyone could react to [Devil Jin], even blind people,” says Ash, pulling no punches for the Luciferian fighter.
Despite his badass appearance, Devil Jin isn’t a top-tier fighter
© Bandai Namco
Asuka Kazama - Asuka is a solid character because she has excellent mobility, allowing her to dart in for quick hits and escape attacks just as swiftly. “Her back 4 is too good, and her 15-frame counter hit launcher,” Ash says, “[I’d put her in] upper B tier.”
Raven - Ash references Pinya as a pro player who has demonstrated a high level of skill with Raven, smashing opponents with his well-balanced fighting style. “His wall combos and heat engagers are good,” says Ash. “He lacks lows, but is good against some characters.”
Lars - Lars is another character who struggles with lows, which Ash says makes him less viable in tournaments. Ash does explain that Tekken Master has utilised Lars effectively in tournaments, but he’s the only pro player to do so. “His playstyle is very strange, like he isn’t playing Tekken,” says Ash. “It’s like he’s playing some other game like Mortal Kombat.”
Lars has been used effectively by pros, but isn’t a safe pick for newbies
© Bandai Namco
Lee Chaolan - Ash finds the silver-haired demon lacking, saying: “if you know this character, you will never let him win.” He does have some devious combos, but you’ll have to be incredibly skilled to pull them off and is a little too risky for all but the most dedicated players.
Eddy - Despite his capoeira fighting style looking nice and flashy, Eddy isn’t that useful in high-level play. He lacks pressure capability and is easily punished. “If you’re not running, then duck 3 doesn’t have much pressure,” clarifies Ash.
05
F Tier
Panda is about as intimidating as he looks in Tekken 8
© Bandai Namco
Panda - Ash’s opinion of this furry fighter is… less than complimentary. “Kuma is good in Heat, but Panda is useless. I don’t even know why people bother playing her. Just delete her from the game.” Ouch. (Thanks to YouTube commenter @BullC6 for the translation).
So there you have it, Ash’s tier list. While he has some strong comments on some characters, he does note that he’s not had a lot of hands-on time with certain fighters, so if you’re a hardcore Tekken player, it’s worth exploring the entire roster and seeing which fighter fits your style.
