Many guest characters in fighting games are usually a hit or miss, but tend to follow specific patterns if the process is across multiple titles. For example, Mortal Kombat tends to use characters from horror movies, who perfectly suit the gore and blood of that franchise. However, since Tekken has only started using guest characters in its past two entries, there are far fewer examples to highlight.
Negan Smith (The Walking Dead)
Courtesy of Bandai Namco
Arguably the most surprising guest character in Tekken‘s history is Negan, a villain not from any video game originally. Negan’s origins are tied to The Walking Dead series, and is a figure tied to gruesome deaths of beloved characters from the series that popularized the zombie apocalypse formula. In Tekken 7, Negan wields his signature barbed wire baseball bat Lucille to fight, using stances and armor to brutally take down his opponents. This character even came with a custom stage, adding to their immersive inclusion to Tekken.
However, while Negan’s presence is unique, it feels somewhat out of place in Tekken. Many fighting game fans have commented on how Negan might feel more at home in Mortal Kombat, where his bloody style of fighting could be truly presented. To developer Bandai Namco’s credit, Negan has tools unlike any other Tekken character, including a well-rounded set of crushing moves to capitalize off enemy mistakes. Yet, Negan’s disconnected feel is always present, creating an oddity of a guest.
5. Gon (Gon)
Courtesy of Bandai Namco
Unlocked in Tekken 3, Gon is the first licensed guest character in the series, coming from a Japanese manga of the same name. Also known as “Mini-Godzilla,” Gon is a small dinosaur creature with boxing gloves, acting more like a secret character than an actual guest. Gon’s selection is earned when players defeat him in the spin-off Tekken Ball mode or getting a high score in Survival Mode and inputting the name “GON” afterwards. Described as a small species of Gigantosauros, this dinosaur is a strange creature.
Far from a standout boxer in fighting games like Tekken‘s Steve Fox, Gon is mostly a gag character like the kangaroo Roger Jr. or Alex the velociraptor from Tekken‘s other games. At first glance, most players wouldn’t even know that Gon is a guest, comparing him to Kuma or Panda found in later Tekken titles. Although his short stature and quick temper make Gon easy to identify, he doesn’t really bring anything special to his appearance other than a fun Easter Egg.
4. Noctis Lucis Caelum (Final Fantasy 15)
Courtesy of Bandai Namco
Noctis was included in Tekken 7 from Final Fantasy 15, showing that Tekken could expand its guest rosters beyond just cameos from within the fighting game genre. Since Noctis’ invitation, players have clamoring for more Final Fantasy characters to arrive as guests in other fighting games, such as Final Fantasy 7‘s Cloud or Tifa. In many ways, Noctis signals a shift in Tekken‘s guest philosophy, at least in the “modern” era of the franchise.
Beyond the significance of his guest appearance, Noctis brings over an impressive array of skills from the JRPG he hails from. Unlike most Tekken characters that use martial arts, Noctis brings an entire arsenal of mystical weapons to fight, as well as magic wielded from the series. From his Warp Strike to teleporting aerial combos, it often feels like Noctis is playing a different game from other Tekken characters. This is both a pro and a con, giving Noctis a fluid feel compared to other characters, but one who doesn’t always “fit” on the roster.
3. Geese Howard (The King of Fighters/Fatal Fury)
Courtesy of Bandai Namco
The guest character that has generated some of the most excitement in Tekken‘s history is Geese Howard, another fighting game icon from The King of Fighters and Fatal Fury series. Geese is often the final boss of the games he’s in, representing an overlord of Southtown as a notorious opponent to legendary fighters. The persistence of this boss character just fits into Tekken 7, especially with his martial arts style perfectly translated into the game.
Geese uses a variation of the Max Mode system from The King of Fighters, which he builds as a resource while he fights. Activating Max Mode can enhance Geese’s special moves, including palm strikes with built-in mix-ups and his signature Reppuken projectile. Even having a projectile makes Geese dangerous, but he also has powerful super moves like his Raging Storm and Final Reppuken. Geese has hidden Rage Art techniques too, including his Deadly Rave and unblockable Rashomon. With incredibly strong moves across the board, Geese made an impact on Tekken 7‘s meta, becoming a lethal and popular guest.
2. Clive Rosfield (Final Fantasy 16)
When compared to Tekken‘s other Final Fantasy guest, Clive Rosfield is one introduced with far more deliberation and personality. It helps that Clive is a more popular protagonist from the RPG series, but his explosive moves from the action-oriented Final Fantasy 16 simply translate better into Tekken 8. The aggressive nature of Tekken 8‘s Heat System fit Clive’s fighting style like a glove, before you even dig into the various Eikon abilities Clive can unleash at will.
Clive doesn’t teleport or break Tekken‘s traditional rules as much as Noctis did, instead fighting with explosive slashes and combos that feel more grounded. Much like Noctis, Clive comes with a stage from Final Fantasy 16, whose medieval feel creates a stand-out aesthetic compared to anything Tekken has adopted before. Almost every ability Clive uses in his original game is present in some way, including Limit Breaks and summon skills that were locked to specific builds before. From top to bottom, Clive’s guest status is cemented from how authentic he feels to FF16.
1. Akuma (Street Fighter)
Courtesy of Bandai Namco
The first “modern” guest character to Tekken is Street Fighter‘s Akuma, who integrates into Tekken 7 beyond just a DLC fighter. Akuma is naturally included in both the game’s story and gameplay systems seamlessly, creating a crossover fans hadn’t seen since the divisive Street Fighter x Tekken game several years prior. This single guest character galvanized conversations around a new Tekken x Street Fighter game, mostly due to how well Akuma was represented.
As a secret hunter of series legends like Kazuya and Heihachi Mishima, Akuma uses every skill from Street Fighter without any restrictions. Akuma uses fireball projectiles through his Gohadouken, a Goshoryuken uppercut, and even the traditional Shotokan hurricane kicks that Ryu, Ken, Sakura, and other Street Fighter characters are known for. However, the signature Raging Demon of Akuma is perhaps the strongest technique brought to Tekken 7, in some ways being the best version of the move ever created.
Akuma even has an appearance as a secret boss, Shin Akuma, in Tekken 7‘s Extra Battle mode once you finish the game’s main story. Shin Akuma is a nightmare to fight, even as Devil Kazuya, whose moves are already much stronger than any other character on the roster. Akuma’s use of meter acts like Street Fighter 4, giving him combos that make you feel like you are playing another fighting game entirely. Even Akuma’s jump works differently, giving him a wider range of attack options than any other Tekken character.
Seeing characters sidestep Akuma’s fireballs added a whole new layer to the 3D fighting game’s interactions, almost inventing something new and innovative from a guest that goes above and beyond. Even among other fighting games, Akuma is still one of the best ever created, giving Tekken 7 a whole new audience in the process as they reinvented the series.
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