With Tekken 7 being one of the more popular fighting games represented in large-scale tournaments like EVO on the horizon or the recently concluded CEO, there is much to look at in terms of character performance. The game has been around since 2015 in arcades and eventually to console and PC in 2017, it has undergone several balance changes, new character additions, and new mechanics. In the current year and the latest patch, who are the best characters to play? Here is a tier list depicting all the characters from best to worst in Tekken 7.
Tekken 7 Tier List
| Tier | Character |
|---|---|
| S-Tier | Akuma, Geese, Fahkumram |
| A-Tier | Jin, Devil Jin, Leroy, Julia, Lidia, Paul, Steve, Kunimitsu, Feng, Zafina, Bryan, Kazumi, Claudio, Law, King, Marduk, Master Raven, Alisa, Xiaoyu, Kazuya |
| B-Tier | Noctis, Shaheen, Yoshimitsu, Asuka, Katerina, Negan, Nina, Josie, Anna, Armor King, Dragunov, Lei, Ganryu, Jack-7, Eddy, Bob, Miguel, Lilli, Eliza, Lars, Hwoarang, Lee, Heihachi |
| C-Tier | Gigas, Panda, Kuma, Lucky Chloe, Leo |
S-Tier
Say what you want about the top tiers of the game, but it’s undeniable that these are the most consistent and high-performing characters in the current state of the game. Two of the three characters listed are just guest characters with meters. They have EX-attacks, cancels, and don’t go through the typical conventions of what a Tekken character can do. They also have superior frame data, combo potential (notoriously good for comebacks), and good spacing.
As for Fahkumram, he’s an original character from the Tekken franchise. Just like the two other contenders for top-tier, he breaks many conventions of what a fighting game character can do. He basically has mixups that make it hard to read him, but weirdly forgiving hitboxes even though he’s massive.
Every competitive player has a pocket pick for one of these characters. Despite people wanting to find the best matchup against these three, it’s still an uphill battle regardless.
A-Tier
Many of the characters listed in A-Tier are solid overall picks. They have been consistent throughout the game, with some benefitting the new mechanics added a while back like Wall Bouncing among other things. These characters may not be as “busted” as the S-Tiers but can definitely make it far into major brackets.
B-Tier
The majority of the characters who reside in B-Tier are somewhat solid picks. They can be good in the right hands, but require much more effort and careful play when pitted against the higher tiers. Frame data is okay in terms of startup and recovery, but most of them tend to have some kind of weakness.
These weaknesses come in the form of predictable movesets, heavily unsafe specials, and easily parryable attacks. The characters in B-Tier are no stranger to having some kind of annoying gimmick or being a good counter pick against high tiers, but they just are lacking good overall options when going against a good offense or defense.
C-Tier
At high-level play, it’s hard to get far using these characters. While they might be fun as gimmicks or just from any other preference, these characters tend to perform a lot less compared to even those who reside in B-Tier. From a casual standpoint, you can put in work, but most tier lists are oftentimes geared for serious online play.
With the possibility of Tekken 8 being announced as early as EVO 2022, Tekken 7 is still kicking and maintaining a dedicated player base both online and in tournaments. Hopefully, with any future announcements regarding the game, some of the lesser performing characters will see their heyday.
Tekken 7 is out now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
