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Tekken 8has entered its second season and was swiftly met with uproar from the community as it seemingly quadrupled down on the aggressive nature of the game, leaving defense at the wayside yet again. While Anna Williams’s return is still exciting and remarkably fun to play, there is no doubt some of the changes are questionable.
Being that everyone is exceptionally strong now, the tiers won’t be as clear-cut as they often are, allowing us to focus on who were the biggest winners, who is still extremely strong, and the others who are also remarkably powerful but may not have received the same love as the others!
The Biggest Winners
To preface this tier, the’Biggest Winners’ofSeason 2in Tekken 8 refer to the characters that received a staggering amount of buffs or got new actions that helped them cover their weaknesses,making them substantially stronger at practically everything with very few downsides to their offense.
Whilemost of these characters are the new top tier, not all of them are.It just means they received tons of buffs that propelled them higher than they were in Season 1.These characters take the design philosophy of Season 2 and run wild with it,allowing them to apply suffocating pressure and mix you for days on end!
Reason
Jack-8
Jack-8 received a tremendous amount of buffs in Season 2, catapulting him to the top and making him one of the best, if notthebest, characters in the game. His new Jab Elbow > Make Some Noise string is pure evil, forcing players to deal with it with either a Power Crush or a well-timed sidestep, which even then isn’t guaranteed to save you. He can now store Gamma Charges from other actions, making him formidable throughout the entire match.
Bryan
Bryan was already pretty strong in Season 1, which is why it’s a bit surprising to see him get buffed as hard as he did in Season 2. In addition to his new Snake Eyes move, he can now perform a Hatchet Kick from crouching, causing a wall splat, which can lead to massive damage. He has powerful mixes and deals disgusting amounts of damage, easily making him one of the best characters in Season 2.
Paul
Paul is an absolute menace in Season 2 and can now transition into some of his stances far easier after performing specific actions, giving him a much stronger 50/50 game while maintaining his massive damage output. He also has an unblockable move that won’t be removed until the end of the month, making his checkmate situations that much more terrifying to deal with.
Jun
Jun was already flying under the radar in Season 1 but has now reached her true potential with an onslaught of buffs and a brand new ‘Kazama Essence’ install that further increases her power. She has excellent pokes, can transition to multiple stances, and has many 50/50s to accompany it. There’s no denying that Jun is one of the game’s best characters now, even before her new install is active. She’s horrifying when she gets going.
Asuka
Speaking of an onslaught of buffs, Asuka received nothing but buffs, giving her access to more follow-up options that force her opponents to guess during more engagements, a theme you will see throughout this patch. She can now delay and hold some of her more potent defensive options, making her tremendously challenging to deal with. There are very few downsides to Asuka’s gameplay now.
Devil Jin
Want another character that can obliterate you with a barrage of mix-ups? Then, look no further than Devil Jin, who now has better pokes and can even break your guard with mix-ups while in Heat, forcing you to guess correctly or pay the price, which will be a large chunk of your health being taken away. Devil Jin has finally received buffs and is now firmly one of the best offerings in the game.
Nina
Being one of the more dominant characters in Season 1, you’d think Nina would receive a fair share of nerfs in this patch, along with some buffs and new actions to help keep her relevant. However, would you believe it if we told you she barely received any nerfs, got a laundry list of buffs, and new moves on top of that? Well. She did. And she is much stronger now. Nina is much more aggressive now, which makes us shudder just thinking about it.
Victor
While Victor did receive a fair bit of nerfs, he also obtained A LOT of buffs, allowing him to transition into his many stances from other actions for tricky mixes and devastating amounts of damage. If you thought launch Victor was annoying, we believe this one clears that one, placing him as one of the best characters in Season 2. The nerfs keep him from reaching the likes of Bryan, but he’s still an excellent character now.
Kazuya
Kazuya was another one that was sort of really strong in Season 1 but could be overcome by learning how to sidestep some of his more egregious attacks. However, in Season 2, everyone gets either a new tracking move or buffs to their previously existing ones, which makes sidestepping no longer an option, even if they are faster. Kazuya has received said buffs, making his offense downright vicious and seemingly hopeless to deal with.
Lars
Next up is Lars, who also received nothing but buffs, placing him firmly in this tier. As you likely guessed, Lars can now enter many of his stances from specific actions and strings, forcing his opponents to repeatedly guess and hold his mixes as he dashes effortlessly across the arena. He is a much stronger character than ever before, even if his playstyle is now a bit more streamlined. Overall, he is remarkably strong in Season 2 and deserves to be picked up.
Reina
Reina was already a robust character in Season 1 with many mixes, with her only downside being that her lows were perilous to use, as she could be punished for massive damage if she was read. However, in Season 2, she received a new low that is far less risky to use, along with better pokes and ways to mix her opposition up. If it wasn’t evident from that, Reina now covers all her bases, making her a formidable fighter in Season 2.
Clive
Clive was a menace when he was first released. He received an emergency nerf that sort of stabilized him, only to be greatly buffed in Season 2, bringing him back to his former glory. One of his new actions is the ability to pull opponents closer to him like he’s Scorpion from Mortal Kombat, along with a stronger 50/50 game that makes his already suffocating offense even more challenging to deal with. Clive is back for better or worse.
Jin
Another character that was pretty strong in Season 1 was Jin, and he is now substantially stronger thanks to the faster startup for his Zanshin attacks, which make them considerably harder to react to. He can also extend his Heat while it’s active by remaining aggressive, which is the name of his game. Jin is a more solid version of his self from the previous season, and that’s absolutely terrifying to think of.
Eddy
Eddy may not have been the best character in Season 1 and needed some buffs to help make him competitive among some of the others. However, they may have gone a bit overboard, giving him a sea of buffs, making him a stance master, forcing the opposition to guess or die trying. Additionally, he will now automatically counter lows while in Bananeira Stance at Mandinga Level 1 or higher, which is certainly a choice. Rejoice, Eddy fans; Eddy is back to being Eddy.
Azucena
After being essentially nuked in Season 1, Azucena was less viable to use in most situations, having her drop off tremendously as the season went on. So, of course, in order to rectify that, she can now transition into her stances when executing specific actions and strings, mixing her opponents up with ease. With many plus on block actions and ways to force herself into her stances, she will be dancing all over her opposition once more.
Heihachi
Being a Mishima, Heihachi is naturally weak to sidesteps. However, in Season 2, that can no longer be the case, giving him options to cover up that weakness with more tracking moves. So, not only is his damage output remarkably high, and he has access to Warrior Instinct, but he can now stuff sidestepping with ease, making him very solid all around. Heihachi was already very good in Season 1, and now he’s just that much better.
Claudio
Claudio is another character that was very potent in Season 1, and he has only gotten stronger with a barrage of buffs, allowing him to break his opposition’s guard with his new Stardust actions. Furthermore, Claudio also has many plus on block actions now, allowing him to safely engage, earn Stardust, and begin his oppressive offense. While he didn’t change too much, he is much stronger than before, making him belong in this tier.
Lidia
Lidia is another character that was decently strong in Season 1 but was a bit challenging to play. However, in Season 2, she can transition into her Horse Stance easier, and her unique Heaven and Earth Level has more uses, which bumps her up quite drastically. While she is still a bit odd to play if you aren’t used to characters like her, she is undoubtedly stronger than ever before, placing her into this tier without question.
Raven
Raven is another odd one to place, as he isn’t the most straightforward character out there, and also isn’t the strongest offering. In Season 2, that largely remains the case, but he received nothing but buffs, making his offense even more aggressive and confusing to deal with, leaving us no choice but to place him in this tier. He has the mix game on lock and will transition into his stances to keep you guessing, but you will likely rarely run into him online, which is a shame.
Kuma/Panda
Kuma and Panda were powerful in Season 1, and that pretty much hasn’t changed in Season 2. They have only gotten stronger, so they’re in this tier, even if they didn’t get mega-buffed like Jack-8 or Bryan. Nonetheless, they now have stronger homing attacks, making sidestepping them more challenging, which should not be surprising at this point. They also received unique heat moves that are very strong, so beware of the bears for another season.
Law
Law was a tricky one to place, as he was strong in Season 1 but had a slightly steeper ease of use than others due to his Dragon Charge stance. Now, that has changed, as you’re able to buffer Dragon Charge, making it substantially easier to execute. And when paired with the other buffs he received, he becomes an absolute menace to deal with, which makes him fit in this tier as a result, as he can be downright suffocating to fight now.
Still Extremely Strong
Unlike the previous tier, the’Still Extremely Strong’crowd arecharacters that maybe didn’t receive a boatload of buffs,but theirnew actions and the few buffs they did receive kept them alive and relevant,allowing them toplay pretty similarly to as they did in the previous season, but a bit more annoyingif anything.
Theyreceived some nerfs as well, but not enough to drastically alter what makes them, well, them,which we will touch on a bit later. Overall, if you play any of these characters, they arestill more than capable of holding their ownand fit the mold of Season 2’s hyper-aggressive design philosophy!
Alisa
Alisa was annoying in Season 1, and she remains annoying now, but she received many nerfs to her staggering amounts of chip damage and is a bit more on rails than she normally was. While she is still a mix-up queen, she is a less annoying mix-up queen than before, if that makes any sense. Overall, she is still extremely strong and will be a high-tier character for months to come, making her a perfect fit for this list.
King
While King has received some potent buffs in Season 2, allowing him to go for beefed-up grabs while in Heat being one of the stronger additions to his kit, he was sort of neutralized with the universal changes to grabs. Since the window to tech throws has been loosened with this patch, you can deal with King’s overbearing pressure slightly easier than before, which helps keep his new options in check, placing him in this tier for the time being. He’s still very, very annoying, though.
Lili
Lili is still remarkably strong in Season 2, but some of her more utilized actions are now more punishable when blocked, making her play pretty similarly to where she ended in Season 1. While her new tools are excellent, and the buffs she received make her even more aggressive, she is still essentially the same character, which is a good thing. She’s not overtuned to the extent of a Bryan and kept what makes her unique, which is more than you could ask for.
Xiaoyu
In a similar vein, Xiaoyu has primarily remained the same while receiving much-needed nerfs to her Hypnotist stance, allowing the opposition to keep her in check when transitioning into it. However, she can now cancel many of her stances, which gives her lots more mix-up options than before. Still, she plays broadly similar to her Season 1 counterpart and doesn’t feel busted like some of the others, making her fit in this list perfectly.
Leo
Despite receiving nothing but buffs, Leo is still somehow only very good and not nearly as problematic as the others. They can transition into their stances easier and can be harder to react to, giving them more mix-ups and 50/50s to barrage their opposition with, but they still seem pretty grounded, at least at the moment.
Leroy
Leroy is in a similar boat as Leo and has received nothing but buffs, but he still seems pretty grounded in comparison to some of the more outrageous characters in Season 2. His once-per-match attacks have been sped up, making them harder to react to and evade, and he has more ways to enter his stances, giving him access to more mixes. While that does align with this patch’s overly aggressive design, he still feels very tame overall.
Nerfed But Still Deadly
Next up is the’Nerfed But Still Deadly’grouping of characters, which isnot synonymous with ‘bad’ or ‘terrible.‘Simply put, these arecharacters who received a large number of nerfsbut also receivednew moves and a few buffs that still made them relevant.
In some cases,they may be slightly worse off than they were in the first season, but they are often better, even if their game plan changed slightly.Again, this patch essentially made everyone immensely strong, and these are just the characters that got hit the hardest with nerfs but still came out the other side of it pretty powerful!
Dragunov
Dragunov may have received his fair share of nerfs, but, to little to no surprise, if you’ve seen the rest of the patch, he’s still remarkably strong. While he can no longer get away with murder with the same ol’ song and dance he did in Season 1, he can now enter his Pigeon Stance easier, giving him access to more options and, you guessed it, mixes. His damage output is also still very high, and his new tools still make him quite formidable.
Yoshimitsu
Yoshimitsu has received tons of nerfs in this patch but can now access his Flea and Indian Stance easier from other actions, which makes his mixes even more potent than they were before. While he may not be quite as strong as he was in Season 1, he is still pretty up there regarding offensive prowess. Yoshimitsu is still one of the better fighters in Tekken 8 but may require some relearning to reach that level again.
Hwoarang
Despite not being among the top of the top in Season 1 of Tekken 8, Hwaorang was hit with some substantial nerfs. And lots of them. However, he has received a new homing low attack that enables him to cover his weakness of sidestepping opponents. He also got another move that allows him to transition into his Right Flamingo stance, giving him more options to keep his opponents guessing and on their toes. Overall, he’s still strong but was oddly targeted with nerfs.
Feng
Feng has also received a decent amount of nerfs, but the tools he received in return place him in a better position overall than he was before. The startup speed of specific actions has been increased, making them harder to react to and counter-poke, which was one of his more common weaknesses. He can also transition into his Lingering Shadow stance more frequently, giving him access to more 50/50s. Feng may very well be better off now, even with all the nerfs.
Shaheen
Like Feng, Shaheen may be even better in Season 2 than he was in Season 1, but it may not seem like it on paper due to the slew of nerfs he received. He can access Stealth Step more frequently and can deal more chip damage, which makes him very aggressive and suffocating to go up against. Aside from that, he will still be mixing you for days while unleashing devastating combos the moment he opens you up, which is much easier for him now.
Changed For The Worse
Lastly, we have the’Changed For The Worse’tier, which issimilar to the previous tier, except their gameplan and strategies have been completely uprooted,drastically changing how you control them. This isas bad as it gets for this patch,and even then, they are still extremely strong overall.
This tier represents the fewcharacters that lost what made them special, essentially putting them on railsandforcing them to go into certain stances or follow specific routes to implement their offense.In some cases, they are a much stronger character, but they are far less fun to play than before, which is a shame!
Steve
Okay, so Steve is still very, very good in Season 2 of Tekken 8 and may even be stronger overall. However, with that said, he just is not the same, as you seemingly are forced to use Lionheart whether you want to or not, stripping him of his unique playstyle. He lost access to many of his counterplay options, making him have to utilize the Lionheart’s 50/50s to kickstart his offense. He plays so differently that he belongs in this tier, even if he might technically be stronger overall.
Lee
Lee is another character whose counterplay options are nerfed, forcing him to engage with the new tools and adopt a more heavily focused 50/50 playstyle. His Hitman stance isn’t nearly as strong as his new Heat Engager, which makes him choose between a forced mix-up. Overall, he is still very strong and more straightforward to pilot, but he just feels different and off in Season 2, and that’s not what you want to see.
Zafina
Zafina may be one of the few characters that was NERFED-nerfed, as in she may not even be as viable as she used to be anymore, even with her new options. She lost a lot of her launchers and okizeme options, completely neutering her unique and technical playstyle from Season 1. Her new tools are cool and all, but she does not feel nearly as strong or rewarding to play now. She’s a shell of her former self, and it’s such a bummer.
