The Tekken series has strayed away from the continuity that kept it alive in its earlier years, but we still have enough evidence to determine which characters have been the strongest seen thus far. The series has a whole has been squarely focused on the Mishima clan and the beings they encounter when trying to further their own intentions.

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Since the main characters and antagonists are the strongest, you can expect to find them here, but there are a few characters that have defied the status quo and rank high enough to surprise you. If you’re a newbie and want to know which characters represent ultimate power in the Tekken series, then check out this list to learn more.

Updated on March 14, 2024, by Gonçalo Santos: Tekken 8 brought a new life to an already successful series. The game's launch was a complete success and has ensured that the Tekken series is heading into its third decade better than it's ever been.

This entry took everything to another level, including how powerful characters can get. With stratospheric battles and Dragonball-esque stakes, Tekken 8 gave us some of the strongest characters we have ever seen in the series, which inspired us to update this list.

17 Feng Wei

God Fist

Feng Wei strikes a pose in Tekken 7

Feng’s introduction to the series was based on his quest to become the greatest fighter in the world. He went so far as to kill his own master after the latter had scolded Feng for his brutal ways. Even when his goal of achieving the famed scroll turned out to be for naught, Feng continued his quest for power.

He’s been shown completing extraordinary feats of strength despite not having the boost in abilities like the Mishima clan. Feng has still been beaten by wiser masters like Wang Jinrei but his overall quality is almost second to none.

16 Yoshimitsu

Mechanized Space Ninja

Yoshimitsu holds his katana in Tekken 5

One of the mainstays of the Tekken series, Yoshimitsu has been a mysterious figure at times for appearing as a mixture of alien and insect species. Regardless, he’s made good use of his sword and survived every tournament.

Thanks to his skills as a ninja, Yoshimitsu has managed to appear invisible at times, as well as accomplishing victory over empowered beings like Bryan Fury. He might not be in the elite level, but he’s very close to it.

15 Kuma

Master Of The Salmon

Kuma practices in Tekken 6

While considered as more of a joke character, Kuma has still had an impressive outing in the Tekken series. The only ones he hasn’t been able to beat are Paul and Jin, who happen to be top-tier characters. However, Kuma does have a victory over Paul, meaning he’s right up the ranks as well.

Having been Heihachi’s pet, Kuma has picked up on his master’s fighting skills and become a force to be reckoned with. It’s only his comedic role that’s denied him from cementing his place in the big leagues.

14 Wang Jinrei

Master Fighter

Wang-Jinrei's entrance

He’s been old seemingly forever, but Wang Jinrei always reaches the end stages of the King of Iron Fist Tournament whenever he enters. In Tekken 2, he never lost, and drew Marshall Law instead; Tekken 5 had him lose to the eventual winner, Jin Kazama, and that too because Wang had become advanced in age by then.

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Wang’s fighting style is one of tranquility; opponents underestimate him, only to be overcome by his timed shots. Wang never goes in for the kill, choosing to put his opponent down enough for them to admit defeat. Just imagine how unbeatable a young Wang Jinrei would’ve been.

13 Hwoarang

Blood Talon

Hwoarang strikes a pose in Tekken 7

His barrage of kicks should be enough to tell you that there’s almost no going past Hwoarang’s all-out assault style. As far as feats go, he’s only ever lost to Devil Jin. He was able to beat Human Jin when the latter was vulnerable—and being overcome by the Devil gene—and thus has never actually lost to a regular person.

Still, you have to believe that Kazuya or Heihachi would probably be the kind of opponents who could beat Hwoarang, so he can’t rank all the way up there. However, being in the top-10 itself is immensely impressive considering the names Hwoarang finds himself in the company of. Due to his laser-focus to beat Jin, almost no one can beat Hwoarang fair and square.

12 Lars Alexandersson

Lion Of The Rebellion

Lars-Alexandersson strikes a pose in Tekken 7

Since Lars was the protagonist of Tekken 6, we never saw him lose to anyone. He ended up either stalemating or winning against Jin (the narration wasn’t clear) in the end and walked off toward another assignment.

The fact that he’s never lost to anyone gets him a position in the topmost rankings, but plot armor did do the trick for him here, so you can’t call Lars the best ever. Regardless, his fighting style speaks for itself, as Lars’ erratic offense looks impossible to read for everyone. His youthful rage only contributes to his attacks, making Lars a truly dangerous individual.

11 Paul Phoenix

Hot-Blooded Destroyer

Paul-Phoenix gets ready to fight in Tekken 7

He’s never had plot armor or any intrinsic powers, but Paul has beaten the best out there purely because of his skills. Tekken 3 saw Paul beat Ogre, and he should’ve been the rightful winner of the tournament, but Ogre turned into True Ogre before Paul came to know of this.

We don’t need to list any more Paul skills since Ogre was confirmed to be the greatest fighting monster who ever lived by that point; Paul not only beating him but also walking away unscathed proves he was the most superior human being of all-time. It’s a shame Tekken 5 onwards he’s been made to look like a joke, as Paul is on par with characters like Kazuya Mishima.

10 Kazumi Mishima

Kazuya's Mother

Kazumi Mishima strikes a pose in Tekken 7

Having been the one to inject the devil gene into the Mishima bloodline, Kazumi is an easy addition to this list. She may have not been as powerful to defeat Heihachi, but the enduring devil gene inside of her has meant her son and grandson have continued to be fed from this power.

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Kazumi also had her own fighting skills that made her a threat, even without the benefit of the devil gene. Being a karate master, she could take on the very best and emerge as the victor.

9 Heihachi Mishima

The King Of The Iron Fist

Heihachi Mishima looks somber in Tekken 7

Heihachi’s source of powers remains wonky, since we don’t know how he was able to beat Devil Kazumi and Devil Kazuya, despite not having the devil gene and Heihachi wanting that gene to become powerful. Yet, that doesn’t really matter seeing as Heihachi still has achieved those feats.

His total acceptance of his evilness has meant he’s been able to become more dangerous when wanting to achieve his mission. He beat Jinpachi and sealed his father away to die; Heihachi also killed his wife and son on fair grounds. There’s nothing this guy won’t be able to achieve when he puts his mind to it. He ranks here only because everyone above him has either beaten him or been proven to be more powerful.

8 Akuma

Master Of The Fist

Akuma looks angry in Tekken 7

A character who transitioned from the Street Fighter series into the Tekken universe, Akuma instantly established himself in a class of his own. This was through his defeat of Heihachi, who had to fake his death to escape.

Akuma has the ability to transform himself into a being of higher power and was undefeated in Tekken 7, with his final clash with Kazuya left to the interpretation of the player. Not having a distinct martial arts style, Akuma is impossible to predict and combines this with his extreme power.

7 Kazuya Mishima

Ice-Cold Heir

Kazuya-Mishima looks angry in Tekken 7

Before Tekken 7, we’d have ranked Kazuya lower than Heihachi, but the former’s victory in the game's ending sealed it that Kazuya was more powerful than his father. Whenever Kazuya’s human form starts to lose, you can bank on the Devil to consume him and claim victory.

Even on his own, Kazuya has only ever been beaten by a handful of characters; this usually involves Kazuya’s inflated ego making him lose more than anything. No human character can hope to beat Kazuya definitively, and only supremely powerful beings stand a chance to fight the Devil. Like Heihachi, Kazuya’s total lack of morality has meant he’s brutally slain his opponents when needed – his father included.

6 True Ogre

God Of Fighting

True-Ogre screeches in Tekken 3

Since Ogre had beaten every single supreme fighter in the world (except Paul), we can be certain that True Ogre eclipses everyone else. This being could breathe fire on his opponents and could fly as well. Even Paul would’ve lost to True Ogre, as there’s no way any mortal man had a chance against this creature.

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Heihachi was out of his league with True Ogre and needed to manipulate Jin to do his dirty work in beating True Ogre. On paper, True Ogre should be able to beat Jin as well, and he only lost because of storyline purposes. Without any plot involved, True Ogre is supremely powerful, thanks to his mysterious abilities.

5 Jinpachi Mishima

Strongest Fist

Jinpachi-Mishima strikes a pose in Tekken 5

The first of two bosses that made us rage quit a Tekken game, Jinpachi Mishima was a true beast when it came to fighting him. He had incredible powers, such as stunning the fighter into inertia, having a belly that could spit fireballs and an exterior that was almost impenetrable.

Till the game's end, the true form of Jinpachi was never fought in the story, and this version had devilish horns along with the ability to fly. Gameplay wise, you always need specific fighters that can beat Jinpachi, otherwise the character always beats you. The mysterious devilish creature that consumed Jinpachi also enabled him to live without food for half a century, and it never reached its ultimate form.

4 Azazel

The Rectifier

Azazel's first showing in Tekken 8, in a cutscene.

Now this being was just ridiculously powerful, and we hate him for it. Azazel not only made us rage quit, he probably made more than a few destroy their consoles out of frustration. We can’t even list the number of powers this being had; you can just imagine any power in the book and Azazel had it.

Even Jin’s victory over it was due to some plot device that saw him “punch” Azazel to its death, which was a lazy way to defeat him. Other than that punch, Azazel no-sold every other attack against him. His return in Tekken 8 made him seem weaker by comparison, but that's only because Kazuya had achieved previously unseen levels of power. His enormous size and massive attacks, especially in the gorgeous UE5 renders of Tekken 8, show how intimidating and powerful this character still is.

3 Jin Kazama

The Child Of Destiny

Jin-Kazama holds up his fist in Tekken

This is the guy who’s beaten every person/being ranked on this list. Jin Kazama is the unquestioned main character of the Tekken series, with this bringing him victory against every opponent he’s faced.

Chronologically, he beat True Ogre in Tekken 3, Kazuya and Heihachi Mishima at the same time in Tekken 4, Jinpachi Mishima in Tekken 5, and either stalemated or beat Lars in Tekken 6, before one-shotting Azazel of all beings at the end of that game. He’s been heavily protected by the plot, but that’s no excuse to deny Jin the top spot. The only reason why he doesn't take it here, is because a better version of himself steals that spot.

2 True Devil Kazuya

Cold-Blooded Oppressor

Kazuya Mishima after he reaches his True Devil form in Tekken 8.

This improved version of Kazuya Mishima made him the strongest villain the series has ever seen. Not only does he destroy dozens of satellites on a whim, and blows cities up, he summons Azazel simply to smack him into submission, using him to achieve this form.

If having complete control of the Devil wasn't impressive enough, True Devil Kazuya controls both it and Azazel's power, simultaneously. This new form feels genuinely unfair to fight against, and gives Kazuya the look of a fearsome god, one ready to control the entire planet.

1 Angel Jin

Lightning Of Fate

Jin Kazama after attaining the Angel form in Tekken 8.

As the aforementioned true protagonist of the series, Jin Kazama obviously had to take this spot. With that said, this isn't the Jin we've seen for decades. While Kazuya rose to god-hood through his True Devil form, Jin went the opposite way, to reach an arguably stronger form.

Angel Jin is the result of the acceptance of his Devil Gene, with his mother's purification powers. Although Jin doesn't outright beat True Devil Kazuya in this form, the fact that he can stand up to him without the aid of a god like Azazel, makes Angel Jin the strongest Tekken character.

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