During the recent Evo Tekken 8 Showcase Event, the final character in the roster for the 3D fighting game was revealed as Reina, dubbed ‘Purple Lightning’. However, it appears that the character completing the roster for the latest instalment in the popular fighting title is not proving popular with some fans of the franchise.
The Bandai Namco game is scheduled for release on 26 January and will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Boasting an impressive roster of 32 fighters, 29 of which are returning characters, the latest Tekken game is the first to feature on the current-gen consoles and was built using Unreal Engine 5.
What do we know about the character of Reina in Tekken 8?
The character roster for Tekken 8 is confirmed to be a mix of veteran characters alongside some newcomers, one of which is the aforementioned ‘Reina’. Bandai Namco has released a trailer for the upcoming game and it is from this that get our first look at the newest character to join the popular fighting franchise.
The fighting style of Reina is said to resemble that of Mishima-style Karate and according to a PlayStation Blog post, her acrobatic style is linked to the Japanese martial art of Taido. One thing that players should look out for with Reina is her offensive ability near walls, which is said to make her one of the most ‘potent’ characters on the roster.
Director Kohei Ikeda discussed how they worked with Mariko Shimazaki on the character of Reina. Shimazaki was previously a character designer for the previous Tekken game, Tekken 7, and despite giving her a challenging brief for the character, Ikeda believes that she has delivered an exceptional character design.
Going by the trailer it appears that the character of Reina will be an integral part of the Tekken storyline. From her attacks and the sight of her purple lightning, we can see the nod to her title and reference to her heritage as the illegitimate child of the legendary Tekken character, Heihachi Mishima.
However, it is the interactions with other characters who share the Mishima bloodline that prove to be quite intriguing. Reina has special round introductions with both Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama and with the absence of the Mishima patriarch, it could be that she is set to figure more prominently as the villain of the piece.
There has been some negative reaction to the introduction of the character of Reina and fans have taken to social media to voice their feelings about the last character to be introduced to the Tekken roster. Many of these people are questioning the necessity of having so many people from the Mishima bloodline.
Oh, the new Tekken 8 Character, Reina, is very similar to a Mishima- Oh wait, she’s one of Heihachi’s 20+ Illegitimate Kids? Oh ok-
Apparently that’s all Canon, which is hilarious to me, because an illegitimate Mishima could always just show up and no one would question it.— Bailey (@LunaSolAether) November 13, 2023
Another female who cartwheels and flips around. What a well thought out character. 😅
— Phillip (@phillipgrove) November 13, 2023
That being said, there are those fans who look forward to the introduction of Reina and see her as a worthy successor to her late father, Heihachi. Going by some of the positive comments from fans, the character of Reina has an impressive design and many fans are enjoying her fighting style.
It appears that the introduction of Reina as the latest character for Tekken 8 has split the fanbase somewhat. Whilst many are dismissive of the new character even before the game launches, many are looking forward to who the character is and what she will bring to the storyline. It remains to be seen how opinions will change once the game launches in January.
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