Tekken 8 is still a couple months out from launch, but we now know everyone that’s going to be featured on the game’s starting roster.
During tonight’s Evo Tekken 8 Showcase event, Bandai Namco revealed Reina as the last character available at release for the 3D fighting game.
As some may have suspected, Reina appears to have some connection to the Mishima clan though the trailer doesn’t specifically state what that is.
She can fight with Mishima-style karate and uses the Electric Wind God Fist, but she’s not just a replacement for Heihachi.
The developers have also confirmed her moveset also contains Taido karate as well, which is shown with her fast kicks that resemble more of Lidia from Tekken 7 more than the rest of her presumed family.
She is first shown in a decorative chair in the new Secluded Training Ground stage that definitely does give off Heihachi vibes though that smirk of hers feels like Kazuya.
Nicknamed Purple Lightning, Reina’s purple and black design aesthetics seem to represent the two sides of her abilities between her quick mobility and kicks and then her powerful electric strikes.
Neither Jin nor Kazuya knows who she is, but she does refer to Jin as “senpai” which would imply that she is younger than him and have some potentially interesting implications.
Is she just like Lars, another secret love child of Heihachi’s that we’ve never seen or heard of up to this point?
Is she the contingency plan in case Kazuya defeated his father?
It is still probably the most likely explanation, but Reina says we’ll find out soon enough.
Reina rounds out Tekken 8’s sizable roster out the gate of 32 fighters following the recent reveals of Zafina, Lee, Alisa and Devil Jin followed by Victor Chevalier.
Alongside Azucena and Victor, Reina rounds out the only three newcomers to start out next to 29 returning warriors spanning all eras of the series.
Tekken 8 is still scheduled to launch on January 26, 2024 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
You can check out the character reveal trailer for Reina below as well as some lovely 4K screenshots.