Like any long-running fighting game series, Tekken’s roster has expanded quite dramatically over the years. The key to these titles, of course, is offering a varied range of characters of different fighter archetypes, allowing players to find someone that suits their playstyle. To keep things fresh, then, each new entry tends to introduce new characters to the mix.
Some of these characters, naturally, are very similar to existing ones, while others are very unique. Tekken’s roster is a bit of mixed bag as a result, offering iconic fighters like Kazuya Michima, Nina Williams and Paul Phoenix alongside utterly forgettable and/or regrettable ones. Let’s take a look at some of the best and worst.
10 BEST: Heihachi Michima
We’re going to kick things off with none other than the Michima patriarch himself: Heihachi. This dastardly family is at the route of most of the melodrama of the Tekken franchise, with their fingers in all sorts of shady pies. Heihachi may be getting a little long in the tooth now, but he can still tear things up with the very best of them.
His approach to combat is the classic Michima Style Fighting Karate, which is reflected in the fighting style of his son Kazuya and grandson Jin Kazama. It centers around heavy, punishing blows, cementing Heihachi as one of the most iconic and deadly fighters in the franchise.
9 WORST: Gon
Now, don’t get us wrong here. We can appreciate a tiny, adorable dinosaur with a devastating fart attack. We only have one real objection here: why the heck does Gon exist in the series at all?
For the uninitiated, this little guy hails from a manga (named after him), and was added mostly for the joke’s sake. As tends to be the case with fighters, the Tekken series at least offers a cursory narrative (explaining why each fighter is taking part in such-and-such a tournament), but Gon is just sort of… here. He’s a lot of fun to play and very distinct from the rest of the cast, which is refreshing (high attacks simply can’t hit him a lot of the time, but he has slim to zero range in return), but he’s definitely a throwaway character. It’s no surprise at all that he appeared only in Tekken 3 and never returned.
8 BEST: Devil Jin
As we’ve mentioned already, the Michima bloodline is the root of all kinds of evil. The series’ overarching plot is mostly the result of their scheming, ambition and general bad-eggishness. Appropriately enough, the so-called Devil Gene runs through their malevolent bloodline.
The franchise doesn’t really elaborate on what exactly this is, but in gameplay terms, it means that Kazuya and Jin (Heihachi hasn’t been shown to be infected) can transform into hideous, demonic versions of themselves. Devil Jin made a playable debut in Tekken 5, a character with super strong yet easily-punishable special moves who offers a little of everything but has to be played with care. A little generic, but one of the coolest character designs Tekken has ever seen.
7 WORST: Doctor Bosconovitch
Like Gon, Doctor Bosconovitch made his first playable appearance in Tekken 3. Also like Gon, he’s one heck of a unique character, one that would throw even veterans of the first two games for a loop. No fighters play quite like this wily old guy.
Bosconovich’s fighting style revolves around… well, the fact that he’s a feeble old man with an underlying back condition (scoliosis, a curvature of the spine). Suffering from this in his old age, he struggles with his balance, tumbling over or clutching his back in pain after initiating a lot of his moves. As a result of this, he can feint like there’s absolutely no tomorrow and his movements are super unpredictable. If you can master his very slow attacks and strange style, he can be a force to be reckoned with, but for most, he’s just an overly difficult joke character.
6 BEST: Ogre
Which Ogre, you ask? All of them, that’s which. This is what makes him so darn formidable. This lean, mean, (sometimes) green fighting machine has various forms, usually referred to as Ancient Ogre, True Ogre and Monstrous Ogre. The first is the standard form of this being, named for its great age (and supposed Aztec origins). A recurring series villain, it’s not to be trifled with, boasting an unpredictable range of moves from characters from across the series.
In Tekken 3, Ogre cranks things up a notch when it transforms into True Ogre, a large, furrier, hairer, much angrier form. Imaging a horned, winged fire-breathing Chewbacca without the lovable personality and you’re just about there. In Tekken 5’s Devil Within mode, the creature can change again into its most terrifying form of all: Monstrous Ogre, a beast much larger than True Ogre.
5 WORST: Roger And/Or Alex
We’ll level with you here, friends: we’re just not sure who gets the nod here. After all, in the silliness stakes, a kangaroo wearing boxing gloves and a velociraptor (well, deinonychus) wearing boxing gloves are more or less equal, as far as fighting game characters go. Yes, it’s also something we can thoroughly endorse, but still.
Both Roger and Alex first appeared in Tekken 2, in which Alex (the dinosaur) was simply an alternate ‘costume’ for Roger. They have some useful uppercuts and a decent range of grappler-esque moves, but that’s really it.
4 BEST: Hwoarang
With the Michimi bloodline being the plot-dominating force that it is, it’s no surprise that Heihachi, Kazuya and Jin have been the faces of the franchise since their respective introductions. Another Tekken 3 newcomer, Hwoarang, also became a series icon, thanks largely to his intense rivalry with Jin.
This impetuous taekwondo expert is best known for his arsenal of kicking moves and variety of stances he can adopt. A complex character, button-mashers will be crushed into hunks of sad, defeated spam if they try to play him carelessly. He’s very rewarding in the hands of able players, however.
3 WORST: Ganryu
Fighting games like Tekken and Street Fighter center around the concept of warriors from around the world competing together. As a result, a whole array of different fighting styles from across the globe come into play. Ganryu’s approach, needless to say, is the ancient Japanese art of Sumo.
When Ganryu was first introduced, he didn’t have a unique moveset of his own. Later in the series, he fared much better, but it was a little too late for him by then. In a popularity contest between Ganryu and Street Fighter’s E. Honda, there’s a clear winner (spoiler: it’s not this guy).
2 BEST: Kuma And Panda
Kuma (and Kuma II, after the original died after the events of Tekken 2) is, in case you hadn’t noticed, a huge, claw-y bear. In games that revolve around a whole lot of fighting, you’d probably think that these sorts of traits give you a bit of an advantage, and you’d be totally right. Well, to a point.
It’s true that Kuma/Panda is very slow and a gigantic target, but they’re also a formidable character when played well. Damage output is their main asset, so if you’re careful and pick your moments, you can devastate your opponents.
1 WORST: Mokujin
Are you one of those highly skilled players who can confidently pick Random in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? Kudos to you if that’s the case. You could probably pick the RNG-tastic Mokujin without any qualms either.
This peculiar character has no specific fighting style of its own, but randomly mimics that of another member of the roster at the beginning of every round. It moves in the same way, too, so visual clues are really all you have to go by. As a result, of course, you’re much better off simply picking a character you can use well, rather than picking a chance to get a wooden replica of a character you can use well.
NEXT: 10 Best Guest Characters In Fighting Games, Ranked
