The roster of Tekken 8 is already set to feature familiar names including Jin Kazama, King, and Marshall Law, and another is now set to join the roster in Paul Phoenix, who comes sporting a noticeably different look versus his appearances in previous games. The tough street fighter from America has been a mainstay of the series since the original 1994 game. It is another visual change reflective of how much time has gone by since the original Tekken, as well, which appears to be a theme with multiple series mainstays while Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima march towards what appears to be their final battle.
Tekken 8 is the latest entry in the long-running fighting game franchise from Bandai Namco, picking up six months after the events of Tekken 7's story mode. The game will see Jin Kazama march toward his proverbial fate, looking to end the chaos his father, Kazuya Mishima, and the larger family's bloodline have brought to the world. While it is not clear how some characters will fit into the larger narrative, the game also marks the return of Jin's mother, Jun Kazama, who was believed to be dead following the events of Tekken 3.
While the story will continue its focus on the Mishima clan, Paul Phoenix was the star of the game's latest gameplay trailer giving players a look at how he will fight in the upcoming game. The most striking difference, though, is the visual design of Phoenix as the trailer provided a clearer look at his redesign after the short glimpse given in Tekken 8's second trailer. Phoenix looks to be leaving his hi-top fade hairstyle behind and will sport a somewhat more relaxed hairstyle this time around, though with plenty of blonde hair to spare.
By comparison, Phoenix's look in Tekken 7 was somewhat of a middle-ground design which looked to modernize him while keeping some of his trademark features. The most obvious was his hi-top hair and sharply-cut blonde eyebrows, which hadn't changed much since he debuted in the original Tekken. His primary costume, though, saw Phoenix trade in his trademark red gi for a leather jacket and pants to lean into his love of motorcycles, which Bandai Namco looks to be leaning even further into with his design in Tekken 8.
Phoenix's redesign looks to be the most drastic compared to the other characters confirmed to be in Tekken 8, as of this writing. King and Marshall Law's overall looks fall in line with both characters' histories in the series, with only some small additions and changes to give them some extra flair. The robotic Jack and Lars Alexandersson's designs are given larger refreshes, Lars in particular with his new white suit, though both still fall in line with established themes and previous character designs.
Tekken 8 is currently in development for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
