Tekken 8 will feature 32 playable characters when it releases in January, but only 31 had been revealed so far until very recently. In a four-hour-long Evo Tekken 8 Showcase late on Sunday, developers showed off the final member of the roster, and it’s a brand-new character who goes by the name of 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 will involve a lot of knife hands and other quick and unique movements and will allow her to enter and exit fighting distance with speed. However, she is also fluent in Mishima Style Fighting Karate and will have access to the Wind God Fist, so her style will not be completely unfamiliar to longtime players.
Purple Lightning
First shown standing before an elaborate throne wearing a baggy purple and black jacket with matching highlights in her hair, she also refers to longtime favorite Jin Kazama as “senpai” and tells him “we finally have a chance to fight”, although Jin has to ask who she is, so her background and origin may need some more exploring.
While some fans in the chat perceived Reina’s outward look and overtly bubbly personality as being one-dimensional, Game Director Katsuhiro Harada promised that she also has a mean streak, and the hosts noted that you will have to play through the game’s story to get a better feel for who she is.
With only one slot on the roster left to fill going into the event, fans have had a lot of debate on whether the last character would be a returning fan favorite or someone entirely new. However, as Harada — who spent most of the event speaking Japanese translated into English but said this particular part in English — was clear to point out, “I have one comment for you. Heihachi Mishima is completely dead,” shooting down any hope of the classic Tekken baddie returning.
If you’re excited to try out Reina or any of the other 31 characters available for play in Tekken 8, you’ll get your shot on January 26 when it releases on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Tekken 8
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, Arika