The final Tekken 8 character has been revealed
Highlights
- Tekken 8 will have 32 playable characters, with the final addition to the roster being a brand new character named Reina, who practices the Japanese martial art Taido.
- Reina’s fighting style includes quick and unique moves, including knife hands, and she is also fluent in Mishima-style combat karate, making her style familiar to longtime players.
- Reina’s background and origins are still a mystery, but players will have to play through the game’s story to better understand her character.
Tekken 8 will feature 32 playable characters when it launches in January, but until recently only 31 were revealed. In a four-hour Evo Tekken 8 showcase late Sunday, the developers introduced the final member of the roster, a brand new character named Reina.
As revealed in the panel, Reina practices the lesser-known Japanese martial art Taido, which is based on traditional Okinawan karate. This fighting style requires many knife hands and other quick and unique movements, allowing her to quickly enter and exit the fighting range. However, she is also fluent in Mishima-style combat karate and will have access to the Fist of the Wind God, so her style will not be completely unfamiliar to long-time players.
Purple lightning
For the first time, she stands before an ornate throne, wearing a baggy purple and black jacket with matching highlights in her hair. She also refers to her long-time favorite Jin Kazama as “senpai” and tells him, “Finally we have a chance to fight”, although Jin has to ask who she is. Their background and origins may need to be explored further.
While some fans in the chat found Reina’s physical appearance and obvious bubbly personality one-dimensional, game director Katsuhiro Harada promised that she also had a mean streak, and the moderators noted that you have to play through the game’s story to get one feel better about who she is.
With only one roster spot left to fill before the event begins, there has been much debate among fans as to whether the final character would be a returning fan favorite or someone entirely new. But as Harada – who spent most of the event speaking Japanese, which was translated into English, but said this particular part in English – made clear: “I have a comment for you. “Heihachi Mishima is completely dead,” dashing any hope of the classic Tekken villain returning.
If you’re excited to try out Reina or any of the other 31 characters playable in Tekken 8, you’ll get your chance on January 26th when it launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Tekken 8
- developer
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, Arika
