The ultimate Tekken 7 Tier List for 2022

S Tier

S+

• Akuma - Street Fighter's iconic demon shoto breaks the rules of Tekken 7 for a serious advantage. Akuma can convert nearly any move into a full combo when he has meter, including just a single jab.
• Lidia - The Polish Prime Minister’s speed, safety, and myriad of stances allow her to unleash unwavering pressure on her foes. With defensive maneuvers like parries and a highly evasive hopkick, Lidia is as complete a character there is in Tekken 7.
• Fahkumram - The imposing Thai kickboxer has insane damage output that eviscerates health bars in a flash. He has several unique attacks that are plus on block and have an unblockable stun effect against the wall.
• Julia - This staple of the series is a high-risk, high-reward character with huge damage output. That combined with fast pokes, insane wall carry, and a litany of mixups make Julia an unrelenting offensive force.
• Marduk - The Australian vale tudo fighter’s tier list placing in Tekken 7 can be summed up with one move: Tackle. This mid, nigh-unbreakable throw deals little damage but follows up with a guaranteed mixup situation, and is one of the most spammable moves in the game. Marduk relies heavily on holding momentum with okizemi pressure using tech traps, ground throws, and stance mixups.

S

• Devil Jin - The best Mishima in Tekken 7 has a straightforward style that is unstoppable in the right hands. Devil Jin possesses an array of powerful moves and the best Hellsweep in the game, but requires strong patience and fundamentals to play.
• Zafina - Using three special stances to go along with her standard set of moves, Zafina has a wide variety of attacks at her disposal. Her many launchers and counter-hits make opponents hesitant to challenge her pressure, and her defensive movement is among the best in the game.

A Tier

A+

• Kunimitsu - The spunky masked shinobi has an offensive option for almost any situation and several helpful defensive tools. Kuni uses fast pokes, multiple stances (including back-turned), and unusual mixups to keep foes confused and often frustrated.
• Feng - The Chinese Kenpo master excels at staying in his opponent’s face with heavy pressure and dealing huge combo damage. His evasive Kenpo Step and patented Shoulder punish allow Feng Wei to switch to a keepout style when needed.
• Geese - Another 2D guest character, Geese Howard brings a lot of tools from The King of Fighters over to Tekken 7. He deals serious damage and keeps moves safe with meter and has incredible comeback potential when in Rage thanks to several Super Moves.
• Master Raven - The mysterious special forces ninja has an unconventional toolkit that is a handful for inexperienced opponents. Master Raven is strong and well-rounded, but requires a lot of character knowledge and practice to learn her tricks.

A

• Leroy - The former scourge of Tekken 7 was absolutely broken upon his release, but has since been nerfed into a more respectable option. Leroy still has powerful offensive tools and an oppressive set of parries that make him a very strong character.
• Bryan - The deranged cyborg uses plus frames and powerful counter-hit launchers to crush the spirits of his foes. At advanced levels, Bryan’s unblockable Taunt Jet Uppercut is an extremely useful move when his opponent is trapped near the wall.
• Steve - The British boxing champion combines fast pokes with the game’s best counter-hit launchers for a truly balanced approach. Steve requires an acute sense of timing as well as precise combo execution to play. 
• Alisa - The chainsaw-wielding android has a strong poke game and great movement to create spacing for whiff punishes. Alisa’s Destructive Stance is very explosive while Boot and Dual Boot allow her to get in on her opponent with ease. 
• Eliza - The sleepy vampire combines 2D tactics with Tekken’s classic 3D gameplay. Eliza can extend combos with meter and her wall carry allows her to consistently unleash maximum damage.

A-

• Paul - A Tekken mainstay, Paul Phoenix is infamous for his hard-hitting attacks. His signature move, the ever-threatening Death Fist, deals full combo damage with just one hit.
• Bob - This portly but nimble fighter uses a versatile set of pokes to chip away at health bars. Bob is often considered a pseudo-Mishima, given that he has a wave dash with a Hellsweep to create threatening mixups.
• Armor King - While he used to be one of the worst characters in Tekken 7, several buffs in Season 4 have made Armor King much more formidable. His strong pokes, extensive set of throws, and an underrated counter-hit game make him a versatile option.
• Claudio - The Italian sorcerer’s game plan is incredibly simple, but he has all the tools to shut opponents down. Landing certain attacks activates Starburst, a power-up that boosts the strength and utility of Claudio’s moves.

B Tier

B+

• Jin - the series poster boy has safe and well-rounded attacks, but requires heavy execution at advanced levels. Jin is designed to be easy to learn, but hard to master.
• Katarina - the Brazilian fashionista has a strong counter-hit game and creates heavy pressure with her forward-moving Harrier stance. Katarina’s lack of whiff punishers limit her ability to play defensively. 
• Anna - the younger Williams sister is Tekken 7’s queen of making foes guess with her powerful array of mixups. Anna is the definition of high-risk, high-reward.
• Kazuya - the most mixup-heavy Mishima, Kazuya’s Hellsweep sets up his entire offensive approach. Forcing ducks to land powerful mid launchers is the name of his game.
• Law - inspired by Bruce Lee, Marshall Law is one of Tekken 7’s most explosive characters. He has a well-rounded toolkit but requires heavy execution to master.
• King - gaming’s most famous jaguar-masked luchador wields the most extensive throw game in Tekken 7. King’s chain throws wreak havoc on unfamiliar foes, while his pokes and wave dash make him unexpectedly versatile.

B

• Hwoarang - the hot-headed taekwondo prodigy is the premier rushdown character in Tekken 7. Thanks to lightning-fast pokes and a plethora of stances, Hwoarang’s pressure is a headache to deal with.
• Dragunov - the Russian Sambo master is one of Tekken 7’s most well-rounded characters. Dragunov can chip away with pokes or get heavy damage off combos, and his Razer attack is arguably the best low in the game.
• Lee - the “silver-haired demon” excels at keepout and counter-hitting opponents when they overextend. Lee is considered to be among the hardest characters to play in Tekken 7.
• Lucky Chloe - the cat-loving breakdancer uses a variety of funky moves that can confuse unfamiliar foes. Chloe doesn’t have many launchers, but her follow-ups dish out huge damage when they connect. 
• Kazumi - the matriarch of the Mishima family is a fundamentally sound character with a heavy focus on chipping away with pokes. Kazumi used to be ranked S on many Tekken 7 tier lists, but a host of nerfs have humbled her a bit.

B-

• Heihachi - Conversely, the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu was formerly considered low on Tekken 7 tier lists until a banquet of buffs came in Season 4. Heihachi’s jab now has incredible reach, and he is the safest option out of the three Mishimas (Kazuya and Devil Jin).
• Negan - No one could’ve ever guessed that The Walking Dead’s Negan would make it in a Tekken game, let alone be a solid option. His pressure and damage output make him intimidating, but he is also pretty risky to play. 
• Asuka - The queen of defense in Tekken 7, Asuka uses tools like parries and her Tooth Fairy whiff punisher to make opponents pay for every mistake. The vast majority of her attacks are safe on block, though she struggles with block punishing herself due to weak jab strings.
• Josie - The Filipino kickboxer’s Switch Stance is plus on block and has several counter-hit options to catch mashing opponents. Josie’s lack of range ultimately holds her back, as it forces her to stay on the offensive.

C Tier

C+

• Lili - Another benefactor of Season 4 buffs, Lili now possesses lethal damage from counter-hits. She has the game’s best sidestep but is also susceptible to getting stepped herself since her offense is very linear.
• Miguel - The Spanish streetfighter has hard-hitting attacks and Savage Stance to create pressure. Miguel has good low pokes but poor mixups and struggles to open up opponents at times.
• Xiaoyu - Tekken 7's most acrobatic character excels at being unpredictable and frustrating foes with her AOP and back-turned stances. Xiaoyu has lackluster pokes and unsafe launchers, leaving her too reliant on playing risky.

C

• Nina - The iconic femme fatale has great pokes and an evasive crouch dash that allow her to get in on her opponent with ease. Nina’s execution barrier is incredibly high and her most essential moves and combos are often the most difficult.
• Shaheen - One of the game’s most beginner-friendly options, Shaheen has a basic toolkit that is overshadowed by many other characters. His crouch mixup is very strong, as he can unleash a low slide or hopkick into a full combo.
• Ganryu - The sumo champion has one of the game’s most unique move lists and hits like a truck. Ganryu is extremely slow and even his jab is 12 frames instead of 10.
• Noctis - A guest character from Final Fantasy XV, Noctis has a lot of flashy moves including a full-screen projectile. Unfortunately, many of his best attacks are unsafe and several are launch-punishable.

C-

• Lars - As a result of being a Top 2 character in Tekken 6, Lars has held a spot in the basement in most Tekken 7 tier lists. He can deal out intense pressure, but his attacks are so unsafe that the risk is rarely worth the reward.
• Yoshimitsu - The eclectic swordsman has the game’s most extensive and unconventional toolkit. Yoshimitsu has good pokes, but you are often required to use his entire move list in unruly fashion to maximize his potential.
• JACK-7 - The hulking robot has an impressive backdash for his size, but his sidestep is nearly non-existent. JACK is best played defensively, which contradicts his hard-hitting attacks.
• Gigas - A monstrous brute, Gigas hits hard but struggles to open opponents up. His attacks are slow and unsafe, while his movement is probably the worst in the game.

D Tier

D+

• Lei - This kung-fu master uses numerous stances and wacky mixups to keep foes guessing. Lei’s unpredictability is his only real positive attribute. 
• Leo - While she has a fun and unique moveset, Leo is probably the most hamstrung character in Tekken 7. She’s slow, has poor mixups, and all of her best lows can be launched on block.
• Eddy - The iconic capoeira fighter has the best backdash in the game, but this rarely comes in handy since most stages have walls. Eddy’s damage output is arguably the worst in Tekken 7.

D

• Kuma/Panda - The bears hit hard and have some odd mixups, but not much else. They are slow, big targets, and very risky to play.