'Tekken 7' Tier List: Best characters ranked by Japanese pro-players ahead of U.S. release

Impact
By Alex Borkowski

Tekken 7, the latest entry in Bandai Namco's non-sword-based fighting series, is getting a re-release on PlayStation 4 come June 2. If you've already re-familiarized yourself with the game's famously byzantine plot thanks to Bandai Namco's handy 8-bit recap, why not re-familiarize yourself with the characters as well?

If you're coming back to the series after a long absence, or this is your first Tekken game, we've got a Tekken 7 tier list to help you figure out which characters to pick — and who to avoid.

Tekken 7 tier list: Mainstays like Steve Fox, Hwoarang and Marshall Law are still great

Ranked Boost compiled a tier list for the game based on three Japanese pro-player tier lists found online. The argument being that Japanese players, who've had access to the game for longer than American audiences, would probably have more insight into who the best characters are. With that in mind, here's their list from best to worst.

S-Tier

• Steve Fox

A-Tier

• Marshall Law

B-Tier

• Heihachi Mishima

C-Tier

• Paul Phoenix

D-Tier

• JACK-7

F-Tier

• Asuka Kazama

As you can see, series regulars like British boxer Steve Fox and South Korean Taekwondo expert Hwoarang hang out near the top of this tier list, while Kazumi and Street Fighter's Akuma are the only two newcomers added to the series to even crack the top three tiers. That said, there are some caveats to keep in mind with this list, namely that Tekken 7 has 37 playable characters according to Ranked Boost, and yet their tier list only has 29 entries, leaving eight fighters unranked.

Additionally, rankings like these are only really going to make a noticeable difference in competitive play — if you're just looking to play with friends or explore the absolutely wacky story mode, you should just play whomever you think looks cool or interesting. 

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