With Tekken 7 revealing the true origins of the Devil Gene that plagued the Mishima family for generations, fans of the acclaimed Tekken franchise return once again to another King of Iron Fist Tournament to finally put an end to this saga of the fighting game series. Featuring a slate of 54 playable characters, players may take their favorite Tekken 7 fighters to a rich multiplayer scene to further their mastery over the flexible mechanics of the game.
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However, with each character boasting unique fighting styles, players may find themselves stuck as to which characters to choose for their competitive experience. For those newcomers looking to master the game quickly, there may be some go-to combos that players need to learn immediately - be it to get a unique edge or to get a head-start against players that may spam them.
Updated on June 10, 2024, by Rhenn Taguiam: With Tekken World Tour 2024 gearing up to test just who’s got what it takes to be the true champion of the King of Iron Fist Tournament, fans of the acclaimed fighting game franchise might want to brush up their skills - especially with the more feature-complete Tekken 7 while Tekken 8 is still picking up steam. In this regard, a rule of thumb for any fan learning a character is to learn the most viable combos and moves from their movelist - be it an annoying trick, an opening, or a finisher that would pave the way to more complicated mix-ups. Among must-tries include a popular swing from Armor King, a masterful poke from Fahkumram, a punisher from Lidia, and the ever-annoying flashy interruption from Yoshimitsu.
15 Burst Claw Lead-In (Eliza)
Damage: 69
Eliza adds a new supernatural spin to the Tekken franchise as an awakened vampire, this time specializing in a 2D fighter moveset that favors cornering enemies in neutral with her backwards-feinting pokes, projectiles, and faraway dives. Eliza’s high-damaging Burst Claw Lead-In combo, in particular, takes advantage of her rather retreat-heavy toolkit and should be one of the first sequences a Tekken 7 beginner should learn in her kit.
Eliza starts her combo with a Burst Claw and a Leading Knee, followed up by a Low Kick and a Dark Blade towards an EX Moon Glide. Afterward, Eliza proceeds with a Shadow Ring and a moon Glide into Neutral before capping with a Left-Right Slap going to a Meteor Burst.
14 Feinting Retribution (Hwoarang)
Damage: 93
Compared to other fighters, Hwoarang, as a Tekken 7 character, favors multiple stances to facilitate different directional kicks. Depending on his foot’s direction, kicks can come out in different formats, paving the way not just for flexible combos but also for numerous feints. Hwoarang’s tendency to lure opponents into a false sense of security is reflected in Feinting Retribution, where feints lead into various traps.
Hwoarang begins with a Left Plasma Blade before proceeding to Right Flamingo Feint and then into another Left Plasma Blade. Afterward, he goes Forward and a Hard Forward into a Right King Combo to Chainsaw Heel. This goes straight into a Middle Claymore and a Left Flamingo Feint before ending with a fierce Rage Art.
13 Mishima Wind God Punisher (Heihachi)
Damage: 106
Worst Grandfather of the Year Nominee Heihachi Mishima dominates Tekken gameplay with his staple pressuring toolkit, something the Electric Wind God Fist exemplifies as a trademark Mishima punisher. In fact, his Mishima Wind God Punisher combo emphasizes the use of this move to lead into other heavy-hitting attacks.
This combo begins with an Electric Wind God Fist, capitalizing on an enemy’s stun time for a repeat. Afterward, Heihachi pursues a Pressure Point and a Tenma Barrage before Dashing into a Rage Drive 1 and ending with an Omen Dragon Uppercut. This combo’s reliance on the EWGF plays well into Heihachi’s aggro-heavy kit, giving him opportunities to punish whiffs and even set up wall attacks.
12 Devil’s Launch Storm (Devil Jin)
Damage: 125
Compared to heavy-hitter Jin, his unhinged Devil Jin counterpart is a pressure monster in Tekken 7 gameplay. While it’s viable to spam EWGF when air-juggling opponents, a deadlier Devil Jin combo may come in the form of Devil’s Launch Storm. This combo relies heavily on Devil Jin’s EWGF, as it’s one of the game’s best launchers for its fast-paced nature, encouraging a pressure-heavy strategy.
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After beginning with the EWGF, Devil Jin attacks with a Hellfire Cannon before going for an Emperor’s Sword 2. This should finish with a Forward Dash that proceeds into a Heavy Punch and a Rakshasa’s Fury and another Dash towards a Rakshasa’s Fury. When this gets into a Wall Splat, Devil Jin should Dash to go for a Rakshasa’s Rampage to Heaven’s Door that results in a Floor Break. Afterward, Devil Jin can go for a Malicious Mace that gets into another Rakshaga’s Rampage to Heaven’s Door.
11 Shadow Cutter Entries (Lars)
Damage: 70
One of the most surprising revelations in the Tekken series during the 2010s era of fighting games was the arrival of Lars Alexandersson, revealed to be the illegitimate child of Heihachi Mishima. With his Tekken Force Martial Arts, Lars’ techniques resemble the rapid movement of Shorinji Kempo, which he uses efficiently with the Shadow Cutter Entries.
As the name implies, Lars begins this combo with the low-sweeping Shadow Cutter and then rushes forward with the first move of Flashing Strike. This ensures enemies stay in place, allowing him to use Double Tap. Players then follow up with the complete Flashing Strike to screw or send the enemies upward. This is the perfect time to zoom in for a Dynamic Entry with a High Punch and then dish out an Impulse Kick to Silent Entry, which gives players room to finish with a devastating Lightning Thrust.
10 Dragon’s Lance Launcher (Law)
Damage: 91
Heavily inspired by Bruce Lee to a tee, Marshall Law is one of the most flexible characters in the Tekken franchise due to his mastery of his Marshall Arts, also based on Jeet Kune Do. As such, Law mains can annoy enemies to oblivion through quick dodges and swift strikes, especially when he begins a juggling rhythm through Dragon’s Lance Launcher.
This begins with Body Blow to Dragon Lift that raises opponents in the air, through which they can follow up with the upwards Crescent Kick Combo. While the enemy recovers, Law can do the entry of Knuckle Back Blow twice and initiate the full string on the third set. This moves enemies backward, allowing Law to rush in with the Dragon’s Lance and finish with the Junkyard Kick.
9 Three-Move Spam (Paul)
Damage: 62
Aside from his rather iconic high flat top, Paul Phoenix is a hotheaded fighter, ever-determined to win the King of Iron Fist Tournament. While not possessing incredible powers and having a more humorous exterior in the Tekken franchise, Paul’s hybrid Judo-Karate fighting style allows players to dish out hard-hitting combos much easier compared to other characters.
Doing this combo is relatively easy, provided players get their input right. Paul first rolls forward for a Neutron Bomb to disorient the opponent. Upon connection, Paul does a one-two punch-kick with his Piston Fire and then finishes off with Phoenix Smasher that throws enemies away. Theoretically, players can spam this combo by Dashing and then ending with another Neutron Bomb.
8 Electric Wind Stunner (Kazuya)
Damage: 75
Serving as one of the deuteragonists and antagonists of the fighting game series, Kazuya Mishima has mastered the Mishima Style of combat to the point of domination. Kazuya can easily dish out powerful moves with simple prompts, with Electric Wind Stunner capitalizing on his style’s hard-hitting moves. This combo necessitates Kazuya to be on the neutral and as close to the opponent as possible, making this an effective starter or punisher.
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Players begin with the Electric Wind God Fist, which throws the opponent in the air. Timed properly, Kazuya can juggle opponents twice with two Abolishing Fists before enemies get thrown away. Kazuya can chase them afterward with Rampaging Demon but skip the last move in the string. This sends enemies flying, through which players can Dash and pull off Rampaging Demon to Left Hook. When the enemy flies again, players can Dash and finish off with a Slaughter High Kick.
7 Twister Mirage Devastation (Eddy)
Damage: 81
Capoeira master Eddy Gordo has become the bane of a lot of Tekken players' existence due to his rather unpredictable moveset, courtesy of his fighting style. Having entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament to exact revenge on Kazuya for murdering his father, Eddy utilizes the dance-like grace of Capoeira to dominate his foes. A popular combo set players can use with the character is the Twister Mirage Devastation, which uses a lot of Eddy’s signature moves.
Eddy begins with an elegant Twister Mirage, doing a backward slap before a somersaulting spin kick that sends the enemies upward. He follows up with a Knee Thrusten to Heran Bago, essentially a knee-kick combo that ends up with him on the ground. Afterward, Eddy returns upright with the three-hit twirl of Batuque Direito and then sends the enemy away with the forward Godeme to Galcanheira. Eddy finishes the combo with a Dash to Left Kick.
6 Arm Breaker Set 4 (King)
Damage: 65
Pro Wrestler and Tekken grappler King serves as one of the most popular characters in the franchise, primarily for his masked appearance. Unlike the more aggressive Tekken character Armor King, this luchador focuses on a more defensive approach to combat, relying more on grapples to fight foes. And while lacking optimized ranged options, getting close to a King main can spell death, especially when he uses his Arm Breaker Combo.
Known as one of the most popular combos in the game, the Arm Breaker begins with the eponymous grappling move and can diverge into one of four sets. Its most dangerous iteration is the one that leads into Chicken Wing Face Lock and ends with the Rolling Death Cradle. The latter, in particular, is one of the hardest moves to pull off but may be able to kill off opponents when timed properly.