Highlights

  • Tekken 8 director Katsuhiro Harada responds to fan requests for Final Fantasy 7's Tifa Lockhart as a guest character in Tekken 8.
  • According to Harada, no decisions have currently been made by the Tekken 8 team regarding guest character inclusions.
  • Tekken 7 saw multiple guest characters included from third-party franchises, including The Walking Dead's Negan and Final Fantasy 15's Noctis.

Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada has made a statement following the heavy volume of requests from fans to see Final Fantasy 7's Tifa Lockhart added to Tekken 8. The long-awaited release of the newest entry in the fighting game franchise has already seen rave reviews from both fans and critics. Many have already referred to Tekken 8 as one of the franchise's strongest entries, praising its upgraded graphical presentation and new mechanics like the Heat system. Now, fans are clamoring for one particular character to join the roster.

Guest characters would become a staple of the Tekken franchise with Tekken 7, incorporating popular characters from other media into the fighting game. Tekken 7 would feature a crossover from one of the franchise's biggest competitors with Street Fighter's Akuma appearing as a playable character. Tekken 7 would also include The Walking Dead's Negan Smith and Final Fantasy 15's Noctis as DLC characters. The release of Tekken 8 is now seeing another fan-favorite Final Fantasy character topping fan requests, Final Fantasy 7's Tifa Lockhart.

A screenshot of Devil Jin in Tekken 8.
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As reported by IGN, Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada has made his own official statement following a deluge of fan requests for Tifa in Tekken 8. Harada begins the post by jokingly mentioning Tifa's "attractive" design while reassuring fans that no decisions have been made within the Tekken 8 team about guest character inclusions. Third-party characters like Tifa have typically been included as DLC content within the Tekken franchise, with Tekken 7 being the first game to heavily feature guest characters. Bandai Namco has already confirmed franchise mainstay Eddy Gordo as Tekken 8's first DLC character.

Fan demands for more third-party characters in Tekken 8 come as crossover fighters have become increasingly common within the gaming industry. Mortal Kombat's recent entries have often featured multiple collaborations with other media, with Mortal Kombat 1 featuring characters like The Boys' Homelander and Invincible's Omni-Man. Others like the Super Smash Bros. franchise have made the crossover element a main part of the game, including characters from several Nintendo games and third-party series. Tekken 8 has yet to announce any DLC characters past the previously mentioned Eddy Gordo.

The launch of Tekken 8 follows a year that was filled with major releases from several of the biggest fighting game franchises. June 2023 saw the launch of Street Fighter 6 to critical acclaim, with many praising its robust online modes and plethora of features. Mortal Kombat 1 would also debut in November as a reboot of the franchise, taking place in a new universe from the franchise's past games. Tekken 8's strong launch to start the year looks to give the beloved fighting game franchise a leg up on the competition.