Tekken 8’s Final Character Reveal Is Reina, Perhaps the Spiritual Successor to Heihachi

Tekken 8’s roster of playable characters is now complete with the announcement of Reina, the final launch character.

Reina, aka the Purple Lightning, is “surrounded by mystery”, but we do know she is a student at the Mishima Polytechnical School, and is particularly interested in fighting Jin.

Check out Reina in the screenshots below:

Potential Tekken 8 story spoilers are ahead.

Reina may in fact be the spiritual successor to Heihachi, who is dead in the ongoing Tekken story. She uses an acrobatic fighting style rooted in Taido, and plays a “vital” role in Tekken 8’s story mode, The Dark Awakens. Reina even uses some classic Mishima moves, including Wind God Fist and Spinning Demon, and the Heaven’s Wrath stance once used by Heihachi. Her offensive capabilities near walls, in particular, are among the most potent of all characters.

Is Reina in fact a secret descendant of Heihachi? Neither Heihachi’s son Kazuya or Jin seem to know who she is in the gameplay trailer, below. We’ll find out soon enough.

Tekken 8 launches with 32 playable characters and a storyline that revolves around Jin and Kazuya. Expect the likes of Tekken veterans Paul, Yoshimitsu, Jun Kazama, and Raven to return alongside three newcomers: Azucena, Victor Chevalier, and Reina.

Tekken 8 launches on January 26, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC. While you wait, check out IGN’s Tekken 8 hands-on preview for more.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.