Tekken 8 Should Double Down on a Tekken 7 DLC Crossover

Game ZXC

Tekken 8

Highlights

Excitement is brewing for potential licensed DLC characters to debut in Tekken 8.
Fans are clamoring for the inclusion of Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy 7, while another character from The Walking Dead, such as Michonne, would also be excellent in Tekken 8.

Tekken 8 is the latest entry in the long-running fighting game franchise. The title was one of 2024's first, a year which marks the series' 30th anniversary. Tekken has been around for decades, but some of the series' traditions are newer than others. For instance, Tekken 7 was the first game to emphasize the inclusion of guest characters. Currently, no guests have been announced for Tekken 8, but many fans are clamoring for their return. If Bandai Namco wants to establish a tradition of consistently including guest characters similar to Mortal Kombat, there is one series Tekken should cross over with again.

Tekken 7 included Akuma from Street Fighter, Noctis from Final Fantasy 15, and Negan from The Walking Dead as guest characters. Now, with the launch of Tekken 8, fans have been clamoring for the inclusion of Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy 7. Tifa would be a natural fit for the series and the demand for her from fans is unsurprising considering Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is right around the corner. The demand for Tifa in Tekken 8 is so great, in fact, that the game's director responded to it on social media. However, while fans want more Final Fantasy representation, Tekken 8 should also feature a guest from another series it has collaborated with before: The Walking Dead.

Tekken 8: 7 Best Special Intros

Tekken 8 introduces special intros that play when two specific characters face off against one another, but these ones are among the very best.

The Walking Dead and Tekken Go Well Together

Tekken 7 featured Negan as one of its Season Pass 2 DLC characters. At first, his reveal for the game came off as odd to fans, but the character quickly found himself at home in Tekken. Using his bat, Lucille, Negan was something of an oddity for the series, in which few fighters use weapons. Despite this, his fighting style is grounded and mostly realistic, and as such, he felt less at odds with the game than some other crossover characters like Noctis. The grounded nature of Negan's fighting style is a trait that can be found in many of The Walking Dead's characters and their approach to combat, so another character from the series would likely fit right into Tekken.

Which Walking Dead Characters Could Appear in Tekken?

Negan Smith was already given his time to shine in Tekken 7, so if the two series are going to crossover again, there should be a different representative from The Walking Dead. The obvious choices for crossover characters are Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, and Michonne. These three characters are all well-liked and it would please fans if they were included in a fighting game. Of these three characters, Michonne seems like the best fit for Tekken due to her iconic sword and penchant for melee combat. She will also find herself at the center of an upcoming The Walking Dead spin-off entitled The Ones Who Live alongside Rick.

How Would Michonne Play in Tekken 8?

Like Negan, if Michonne was in Tekken, she could use a combination of short-ranged punches and kicks as well as her katana. Tekken 8 has two sword wielders already, and how Michonne uses hers could draw inspiration from either. Victor Chevalier keeps his sword sheathed most of the time and pulls it out for specific attacks; Tekken's Yoshimitsu, on the other hand, keeps his sword drawn, and it is a more fundamental part of how he works. Michonne could potentially split the difference, featuring a stance where it is drawn and one where it is not. This would give her a lot of versatility as a character and make her a unique member of Tekken 8's roster.

While Final Fantasy fans are clamoring to get Tifa into this newest installment, The Walking Dead is another franchise that deserves to return in a Tekken game. Negan introduced a unique combat style to Tekken 7 and a character like Michonne could do the same in the eighth entry. The Walking Dead is a series with visceral, grounded combat, a trait that it shares with Tekken, and if there are going to be guest characters in this newest entry, its developers should consider including a character from The Walking Dead again. While awaiting news about guest characters, fans can check out the conclusion of the Mishima saga in Tekken 8.