The Tekken series isn’t just known for its slick 3D fighting. Like the Soul Calibur series, Tekken has become just as celebrated for its excellent character customizer over the years. As seen with Street Fighter 6‘s create-a-character, if you give players access to a tool this powerful, then you can expect tons of designs ranging from jaw-droppingly impressive to just plain weird.
In Tekken 8‘s case, players immediately began creating their own dream guest characters using the customization mode once it launched. It’s almost scary how official some of the custom creations we’ve seen so far are, bringing characters from entirely different games into the ring. So many have blown me away already, so I’m taking a break from the grind to share some highlights. Who knows? Maybe it’ll inspire you to create something of your own.
Tifa
It’s obvious, with so many fans clamoring to see Final Fantasy 7‘s Tifa in Tekken, that she would show up immediately through the power of customization. Thanks to her signature fighting style, she’s a natural fit for the roster. Most players, like Twitter user ts__villa, have used Jun Kazama as her basis thanks to her hairstyle and personality fitting best, but others prefer Reina. I just hope we get her added officially so I can drop everyone else and choose her as my forever-main character.
Bayonetta
I didn’t think anything could look better than Tifa running around, but the custom Bayonetta edits I’ve seen are downright unbelievable. You’d think she was officially in the game. When I saw how well people like Twitter user nob_matrix Bayonetta’s design worked for Zafina, my jaw dropped. That’s kicked off a trend, too. Once players caught wind of the Umbra Witch in Tekken 8, tons of variations started popping up across the game. That’s probably a sign that Bandai Namco should consider making her a permanent roster member.
Leon S. Kennedy
Another beloved game hero to make his way into Tekken 8 is Leon S. Kennedy from Resident Evil 4. If you’ve played online, you’ve probably seen his iconic jacket, haircut, and shotgun on a multitude of characters. While a lot of players use Dragonuv as a basis because of his military fighting style, I, and others like the creator of this specific look, pittuchamp, have gone with Hwoarang instead. He just fits the look and attitude of Leon way more.
Lara Croft
Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft is another common character that Tekken fans have long wanted to see in the series. Her chances of ever appearing are low, but seeing creators like Redditor TripleHGH have made it happen. That’s accomplished by having Nina run around in her classic outfit. Her very fitting fighting style is close enough to Lara’s to make it work with some imagination. When I first saw a picture of this custom, I thought it was from an official Tomb Raider game, so that’s quite an accomplishment.
Mileena
While we’re definitely never going to be getting a Mortal Kombat vs Tekken crossover anytime in the future, players have put the clash together themselves. The most popular custom from the gore-filled fighter has been Mileena, using Reina, as seen here from Redditor RipMrMufasi. That’s not all, though. I’ve seen Scorpion and Sub Zero come to the roster through a Raven edit and Sonya Blade, thanks to Nina. Who needs Mortal Kombat 1 anyway?
2B
One of the most simultaneously fitting and unfitting customs in online servers right now has to be 2B from Nier Automata, who is built on Alisa (this version comes from Twitter user my_livinglegacy). The android body, the fighting style, the robotic voice — it all comes together so perfectly that, like the other customs mentioned here, you’d think it was an official addition to the game. Considering that 2B actually did appear in another fighting game, Soulcalibur 6, she has the best chance of becoming an actual fighter in Tekken 8 one day.
