Bandai Namco has recently released two trailer videos featuring two of Tekken’s fan-favorite characters, Asuka Kazama and Leroy Smith.
The first video showcases Leroy’s gameplay. Introduced in Tekken 7 as a DLC character, Leroy will now become a base character in Tekken 8.
In Tekken 8, Leroy is known as the “Grandmaster of Drip.” His trailer video begins with him making a grand entrance in a bustling city area, saying, “Time to take out the trash.”
While the video reveals that Leroy will retain many of the Wing Chun moves he used in Tekken 7, he will have some new tricks. For instance, he has more than one attack using his cane, and some of his older moves now have more cinematic follow-up sequences.
Asuka Kazama’s gameplay trailer
Another returning fighter in Tekken 8 is Asuka, who has been part of the series since Tekken 5 and has been present in most Tekken media, except for live-action movies.
Asuka was first introduced as Jin Kazama’s cousin and was initially considered an important character who could solve Jin’s problems with the Devil Gene and the Mishima bloodline.
However, she gradually lost prominence in subsequent games. Like her family members, Jun and Jin Kazama, Asuka uses traditional Mishima Style karate to fight with some defensive traits, such as redirecting her opponent’s attacks.
Similar to Leroy’s, Asuka’s gameplay trailer also begins in a vibrant city as she warms up for battle. She has a visual redesign and appears to have a follow-up system for some of her attacks. This system extends the duration of some moves or modifies the properties of others, much like Claudio Serafino’s in Tekken 7.
Asuka here!
The default costume design has been renewed (And don't worry, we've got her past costumes).#TEKKEN8 https://t.co/MNi5alLpZe
— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) April 2, 2023
Ling Xiaoyu’s return
In addition to Leroy and Asuka, Bandai confirmed that Ling Xiaoyu would be returning to the game. Xiaoyu has appeared in every Tekken game since the third installment and featured in a 2-minutes trailer.
That recent video showcases her updated appearance and new moves, including a never-before-seen Rage Art that sends her opponents rolling away.
The fundamental aspects of Xiaoyu’s character seem unchanged since her initial introduction, with broad swings that can hit larger opponents from multiple directions.
In addition, she retains her fluid dance-like combos that transition between high and low stances, making them challenging to interrupt. The trailer also features her signature Art of Phoenix stance, a defining aspect of her moves since her debut.
In Tekken 8, she retains her pigtails but wears a shorter dress and no tights. The costume in Tekken 7 featured frills on the sleeves to represent her nickname, “dancing phoenix,” but in Tekken 8, her dress will have feathers, and her feet will have wings.
Her newest Rage Art move begins by delivering a powerful double-fisted strike to her opponent’s abdomen, then executes an arm-bar hold, twisting it to maintain control while attacking with a barrage of strikes.
The move culminates with an open-palm strike to the solar plexus with a twist at the end that sends her opponent flying — reminiscent of iconic kung fu movie scenes.
Tekken 8 now has 12 confirmed characters, with Xiaoyu, Leroy and Asuka joining the roster. However, there is no confirmation on whether other characters from past games will return.
Tekken 8’s release date has yet to be confirmed, but it will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
