Bilawal Bashir 
Old favorite Raven and a newcomer in Azucena were both officially revealed for Tekken 8 at Evo 2023.
Tekken creator Katsuhiro Harada took the stage before the Tekken 7 top-six playoffs began to reveal two new characters. The first was Raven, the Master of Shadows who first appeared in Tekken 5 and remained on the roster in Tekken 6. He was replaced by Master Raven in Tekken 7, his teacher who had him step aside for “retraining.”
This time around the original Ninjutsu master is back with evolved moves. The trailer showed off an ability to create clones, Naruto-style. His moves are methodical, technical, and involve teleportation. The old move set left him open to attacks so players preferred to play defensively with him. He had strong tools for poking and footsies with some reliable parry and reverse attacking prowess.
It remains to be seen how Tekken 8 Raven plays. The trailer showed a mix of his signature moves and new abilities. The clone ability may impact how players approach Raven. Raven can be devastating in the right hands, confusing opponents and moving around the stage.
Peruvian coffee queen Azucena is coming to Tekken 8
Another trailer shown at during the Evo 2023 finals introduced Azucena, a coffee lover from Peru. She is a brand new character that is powered by caffeine. Azucena has a fast moveset, with her trailer showing off a mix of fast combos and counters.
Her bubbly, carefree personality combined with her diverse arsenal may make her a fan favorite. The trailer showed her sparring with Lily. Coincidently, Azucena also means “Lily” in Spanish.
Both Raven and Azucena were part of leaks. While Azucena wasn’t mentioned in the initial batch of Tekken 8 roster leaks, her name was making the rounds on social media even before she was officially revealed. This suggests that at least a fair number of the rumors circulating about the game are true.
Will There Be More Tekken 8 Characters?
Tekken 8 is likely to see several more characters revealed over the coming months.
According to leaks, Tekken 8 could see Claudio Serafino, Yoshimitsu, Shaheen, and Zafina. Another leak also mentions Heihachi Mishima, Julia, and Eliza joining the fight. Some or all of them will likely be confirmed, but there’s always the possibility of DLC or a late change of plans.
Tekken also has a history of guest characters. Most recently, Akuma from Street Fighter and Geese from Fatal Fury both appeared in Tekken 7, alongside some more surprising inclusions such as Negan from The Walking Dead and Noctis from Final Fantasy 15. The tradition will likely continue with Tekken 8 as well. Tekken 8 doesn’t have a release date yet.
