Tekken 8 is all geared up for the ultimate showdown in the ring, as the hotly-anticipated fighting title has officially unviled its full roster. Newcomer Reina is the final brawler to join the 32-character launch line-up, joining the likes of Azucena and Victor Chevalier as fresh additions to Bandai Namco’s long-running franchise.
WARNING: Potential Tekken 8 story spoilers ahead!
Known as the Purple Lightning, Reina is introduced as a student at the Mishima Polytechnical School who’s “surrounded by mystery” and has a keen interest in fighting Jin. Not much else is revealed about her, though she will likely play a very important role in the story, appearing to be yet another illegitimate child of Heihachi Mishima — quite possibly the worst dad in fighting game history.
Reina’s strength lies in her speed, evident in her announcement trailer where she executes fluid, hard-hitting combos at breakneck pace. Running an acrobatic fighting style rooted in Taido, she notably uses some classic Mishima moves, including Wind God Fist, Spinning Demon, and the Heaven’s Wrath stance previously used by Heihachi.
As an enigmatic figure, there is, of course, no proof of her identity anywhere. Neither Kazuya, Heihachi’s son, and Jin know about her existence, but supposedly leaked details datamined from previous beta tests have indicated that she’s Heihachi’s daughter. Besides, Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada confirmed the now-deceased fighter had spawned over two dozen illegitimate children after the death of his wife, so the possibility is certainly there.
In any case, Reina will be the character to look out for when the game releases next year — and in more ways than one. The speedy brawler hails from Mari Shimazaki, who previously worked on the Bayonetta series, designed Tekken 7‘s Kazumi and Josie, and created the most memorable Ivy costume for Soulcalibur 5.
Tekken 8 launches 26 February 2024 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The full playable roster at launch is as follows:
- Alisa Bosconovitch
- Asuka Kazama
- Azucena Castillo
- Bryan Fury
- Claudio Serafino
- Devil Jin
- Feng Wei
- Hwoarang
- Jack-8
- Jin Kazama
- Jun Kazama
- Kazuya Mishima
- King
- Kuma
- Lars Alexandersson
- Lee Chaolan
- Leo Kliesen
- Leroy Smith
- Lili de Rochefort
- Ling Xiaoyu
- Marshall Law
- Nina Williams
- Panda
- Paul Phoenix
- Raven
- Reina
- Sergei Dragunov
- Shaheen
- Steve Fox
- Victor Chevalier
- Yoshimitsu
- Zafina
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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