Even though Tekken 8 is now out in the wild, the questions as to who will come next is still rampant. As I write this, my copy is forthcoming later today because of physicals / preorder bonuses. It doesn’t stop fans from speculating and of course – doing the one thing that they should not. Katsuhiro Harada – Tekken Producer and longest-running member of the team – took to Twitter to quell the machine on that one special demand.
Tifa Lockhart getting her dues in Tekken 8 as a fighter. Many knew this was coming. In less than a month, the 2nd part of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy is due to be released, and she is one of the leading ladies of the story. Of course, not everyone would want this yet.
We all know she is attractive and I understand that.
But as yet we have not decided anything about guest characters etc. https://t.co/dkuMm1pnGG— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) January 26, 2024
Harada didn’t take this one lying down or bowing to the pressure. Mr. “Don’t Ask Me For Sh!t” responded with caution. At the same time, it feels a bit odd to hear Namco Bandai admit that guests were not thought of as of yet. These are the same guys who took the reigns of the ultimate “fighting game” party franchise – Super Smash Bros – and added a whopping 80+ characters to the latest installment ranging from different backgrounds. Something is going on.
Thanks to Tekken 7, the floodgates have opened for the request lines. Fatal Fury‘s Geese Howard, Street Fighter’s Akuma, Final Fantasy XV’s Noctis, and The Walking Dead’s Neegan, made it to that King of The Iron Fist Tournament, as special guests. Akuma, however, was able to sit at the edge of the Mishima conflict to pay the debt to Kazumi and interfere with the story directly. As for Square, Noctis’s inclusion came a few years after the time of Final Fantasy XV‘s release, back in 2018.
The Case For Dolphin Blows
The Final Fantasy VII martial artist would make sense on paper being more of a kickboxing fiend than anything else. Her Dolphin Furry and her new Ki Trap, from the Remake, would make for some fascinating setups. As the fighters have their mechanics in place, it would be assumed that Tifa would get her Limit Break gauges and a possible Materia to boot. Her blistering speed during certain moves might fit well against Lars or Vincent(not to be confused with Final Fantasy VII’s “bodyguard”).
Tifa even was a roster character in the Power Stone before the Power Stone fighting game, Square/Namco-published Erhgeiz, so seeing her go toe-to-toe with Jin and the gang isn’t far-fetched. Or maybe this request is more of a Dead or Alive thing?
Tekken 8 is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | S, and Steam. We (and myself, maybe in 2 hours) think it’s a must-play so far, so check out our review of Tekken 8, also!
