Tekken is one of the most successful fighting game franchises in video game history; for nearly thirty years, the Tekken series has pulled in thousands of fans for its high-paced combat, 3D motion graphics, and extensive story. The Tekken series is filled to the rim with exciting characters, each more unique than the last; from leopard-headed masked wrestlers to powerhouse cyborgs and everything in between, there is a character for everyone within the Tekken 7 roster.
For new players coming into Tekken 7 or the game franchise in general, many characters help players with a simpler play style or easy-to-learn combos; here are some of the best characters for beginners in Tekken 7.
8 Paul Phoenix
Paul Phoenix is a legacy character that has been featured in every Tekken game to date; Paul uses his own style of Judo to crush his opponents and beat them to a pulp. Paul's aggressive play style is suitable for teaching new players pressure; his combos are reasonably understandable for newcomers and don't require extensive execution.
Paul's moves consist of wide arc, powerful blows that cause a lot of damage that usually comes from his powerful punches and elbows. With an adequate understanding of Tekken's mechanics, new players will have a fun time taking Paul Phoenix into battle.
7 Bob
Bob is a unique and fun character to learn in Tekken 7; while his outward appearance may not look like the most athletic, his fighting style is incredibly dynamic, with powerful sweeping attacks and acrobatic mobility. Bob uses a modified version of Karate that focuses heavily on powerful kicks that hit both high and low, respectively.
Bob’s combos are easy to learn but moderately challenging to master and do a fair amount of damage when executed correctly. Bob made his first appearance in Tekken 6 and quickly became a fan favorite in tournaments; new players will get a feel of movement and timing in Tekken 7 by picking Bob as a character.
6 Marshall Law
Marshall Law is another legacy character in the Tekken series and a close friend to Paul Phoenix in the game’s story. Law is a popular character in the Tekken community, especially for new players; Law uses a style based on the legendary Jeet Kune Do martial art by the famed martial artist Bruce Lee.
Speed and consecutive hits are the advantages that Law gives players, teaching them aggression and hit confirming during combos. Law has many avenues to begin combo strings and utilizes strong and swift punches and kicks, which also keep Law safe from counterattacks.
5 Lee
Lee is another character in Tekken 7 that focuses on rushing down opponents with fast striking blows and counters; similar to Law in fighting style, Lee has adopted the Mishima fighting style and mixed it with his knowledge of Karate.
Lee excels at opening opponents up with quick striking punches that lead to extensive combo strings; new players will get a good handle on spacing and mobility when they pick up Lee and dive into the world of competitive play. Lee is a character that takes time to fully understand taking full advantage of his movement, range, and move-set.
4 Miguel Rojo
Miguel is still a relatively new character introduced into the Tekken franchise, first appearing in Tekken 6 as a vengeful lover who seeks retribution from Jin Kazama after the murder of his bride. Miguel is very popular among the Tekken community for his rambunctious nature and is often seen in the finals of many tournaments.
Unlike many of the other characters in Tekken, Miguel does not adopt a martial arts fighting style; reflective of his personality, Miguel resorts to the violent and wild strikes of brawling. Miguel's damage and unique move set of unorthodox attacks make him a prominent threat in a match; players can learn spacing and combo timing by taking Miguel into the game's competitive game modes.
3 Heihachi Mishima
Heihachi has been one of the main antagonists in the Tekken franchise since its creation; he is the former head of the dysfunctional Mishima family and the main rival of his son Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazam, his grandson. Heihachi is a powerhouse of a combatant who has mastered the Mishima family martial art, a violent and refined form of Karate that excels in destroying opponents' bodies.
Heihachi can dish out significant amounts of damage and open up opponents with a slue of powerful strikes ranging from spinning kicks to strong fist attacks such as uppercuts and thrusting strikes. Players will get an overall course of Tekken's mechanics as Heihachi is an excellent general character in the game.
2 Kazuya Mishima
Kazuya is the mainstay of the Tekken franchise serving as both its protagonist and antagonist at one point or another; Kazuya is an unstoppable force with incredible offensive capabilities and avenues not available to the majority of the Tekken 7 roster.
Like his father, Kazuya also utilizes the Mishima family karate martial arts but has refined it more to his liking; Kazuya's move set contains swift and powerful strikes that pummel opponents with spinning moves and special attacks. Kazuya also benefits from the Mishima bloodline, which allows him to access the devil gene; the devil transformation that most of the Mishima family can use grants them enhanced abilities and moves that can deal massive damage and sets ups for completely overwhelming opponents.
1 Katarina Alves
Katarina is one of the newest characters in the Tekken franchise, revealed for the first time in Tekken 7; Katarina is a daughter searching for her lost father, who was kidnaped and experimented on by G corporation, run by Kazuya Mishima. Katarina uses a form of kickboxing known as Savate, filled with strong, fast, and consecutive strikes.
Katarina’s move set uses a wide range of wide arcing, powerful attacks that lead to long-winded combo strings that can deal impressive damage; one opening is all Katarina needs to close the gap in a life lead or completely overwhelm an opponent. Players will get a good sense of game mechanics with Katarina's versatility in the game.
Tekken 7 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC