Are you a die-hard Tekken 7 enthusiast or a relatively new player looking for the best characters? Either way, we love everything about the game and are here to provide you with a Tekken 7 tier list. (Special thanks to TheMainManSWE, among others, for always providing keen insights into the finer points of the best fighters in the game.)
We will only be focusing on a handful of fighters that are considered well-rounded and top tier, as there are currently 37 characters, and many are either niche, fan-favorites, or absolute trash. With that in mind, do not fret if your favorite character is not listed. In many ways, every character can dominate in online ranked mode and in tournaments, but we are choosing to point out some of the strongest.
If you're curious what the worst fighters are, we ranked the worst Tekken 7 fighters here.
Steve Fox
Steve deserves a spot on this list for a few reasons. First, he is a fantastic option, as he has only a few weaknesses. Steve is the kind of Tekken fighter that once had significant problems in previous versions. However, now he's been improved. Before Tekken 7, Steve was a decent character, at best, but thankfully, he's now received some impressive improvements and is worth revisiting.
You should keep this in mind when you are considering who to select as a main. There is nothing wrong with Hwoarang, for example, as he has had a few improvements from the previous Tekken games. Even though he is not a top tier character, we have seen him used in tournaments with effective results, even if only a handful of players still commit to the character.
King
The mask-wearing wrestler is back and better than ever in Tekken 7. We placed him among the top of the tier list for due to his numerous strengths, some of which are devastating to non-pro players and adequate against those who know him.
First, his U/F+1+2 is a plus on block, despite its range, tracking, and provides the added bonus of being able to launch.
- SS3+4 places King in a grounded state and offers mediocre punishment at best for ducking a kick that can simply dodge your offense and take half of your health total.
- B+1 is a CH stun that has both range and speed on execution.
- FC d/f+2 has a fantastic range and the step back animation makes punishment very funky.
Combined with his chain throws, this makes King an absolute menace in ranked online play. Of course, you need only learn the breaks to his throws to defeat him, but this can be said of virtually any opponent - “Just learn how to counter!”
Paul
Paul can incite pure rage from careless opponents. He is often appealing to newer players at lower ranks since, at first glance, it appears as though he is doing massive damage with only a few hits. In a sense this is true, but Paul is a fair character, as he is pretty well rounded.
Paul has the best 12-frame punish in the game by using B1,2. This offers a good range, tracks, and knocks down for a free hit at the wall. In addition, his shoulder is a 12-frame move with D+1+2, and a 14-frame launcher, B+3. His power crush is also 0 on block and has armor is at frame 8. These are among his quickest options.
Paul also closes range effectively, as using either FF+2,1 or FF+4 closes the gap with ease.
Paul earns a spot on this list because he is arguably the fairest character on the tier list. He requires skill and patience and he doesn't feel overpowered in most situations. If you are a conservative player who likes to read opponents and punish their mistakes, Paul is probably the fighter for you.
Law
Strong and balanced, Law brings everything that you need to climb ranks and dominate opponents. He has arguably the best 14 F launch of any character in the game with a great range. When one combines this with his pressure, Law can be a nightmare to fight against, as a single mistake can send opponents skyward.
Kazuya Mishima
Similar to a few other characters, Kazuya began the game at a decent spot and was improved in season 2. As always, his pressure is a weak point unless you have his timing down perfectly. Still, he is an outstanding fighter who will continue to impress at tournaments. However, he's not a good pick for those who wish for a bit more flexibility and forgiveness.
Devil Jin
In theory, we are placing Devil Jin beneath Jin on the tier list. It is a close call, though, since Devil Jin is almost perfect. While many other top-tier characters excel at some aspect of the fight, nearly every fighter has some form of weakness.
Reading opponents and knowing what each characters' weakness is is the name of the game when it comes to online ranked or tournament competition. Devil Jin is an extremely strong character due to the fact that he has so few weaknesses.
Devil Jin can punish, has outstanding range, and his Hellsweep launches. Specifically, Devil Jin has some moves that make him stand out above the rest:
- F, N, D, D/F+2 (EWGF) H i14~ +15: Talk about the best launcher in the game, and among the quickest at 14 F.
- 1,1>2 H, H, M i10 +1,-1,-17: When we talk about great punishments, this is what we refer to at 10 F, knocks down for good Wavedash mix-ups, 1,1 is -1 on block, 2 is hit conformable with practice.
- D/F+1>2 M, M i13 -3,-8: Here we have a 13f mid, mid safe string, which allows for the preparation to get into a good poke.
- D/F+2 m i15 -7: A 15f safe mid that will set up launches on CH and is one of the 2 primary CH fishing tools.
- D/B+2 l (TC) 22 RC -13: This is a strong, low poke with the potential for a high crush. Executing this leaves both you and your opponent in a crouch on hit, otherwise, it provides +4 frames on no hit, but is still a strong set up for other moves like WS4, WS1>2 or a throw after it without interruption.
Need a more in-depth explanation as to why Devil Jin is among the best of the best of the best? Check out TheMainManSWE's video.
Jin Kazama
Jin has tools for every situation, and hardly any weaknesses compared to other fighters. His toolkit allows for an aggressive style of play and lets him read his opponents before moving in with near limitless combinations of moves before getting into a position to take his opponents down.
Jin was given some buffs in season 2 that border on the absurd. So, if you used Jin during the initial launch of the game and found him to only be decent, it's worth checking him out again.
Jin’s pokes on hit leave him in a favorable position of about +2 and +6, which means that it is safe to move into uninterruptible follow-ups. His Hellsweep does incredible damage and he has a three-way throw mix-up.
As if that were not already enough, Jin has among the best keep away and whiff punishes of any fighter, a hop kick, effective block punishment, and a great parry. If you master Jin, you are likely to climb ranks in no time at all.
Conclusion
Again, there are many other characters who did not make this list who are still fantastic in their own right, but they have perhaps a few more weaknesses. This includes Dragunov, Bryan Fury, Kazumi, and others. On any given day, they might easily come out on top, so do not let that keep you from trying them as well.
However, in the meantime, you might want to try out Steve Fox, King, Paul, Law, Kazuya Mishima, Devil Jin, and Jin Kazama.