“Purple Lightning” is an apt title for the fierce new fighter.
Tekken 8 has finally completed its starting lineup of characters with the introduction of Reina. An original character for Tekken 8, she brings her quick yet brutal Taido fighting style mixed with Mishima martial arts to an already impressive starting roster.
Announced during the Tekken Talk in an Evo Tekken 8 Showcase, Reina plays a vital role in Tekken 8’s story. As shown in her reveal trailer, she seems to have more than just a few iconic Mishima moves on her. It’s been heavily hinted that she has ties to the infamous Mishima family and we’ll have to wait till we can play through the game’s story to see where those ties lead.
As charming as she looks, she has a clear violent streak as evidenced by her main fighting style. Taido employs knife-hand strikes, eye pokes, and scratching together with graceful, acrobatic movement – a clear duality of violence and style. Add to this Tekken 8’s over-the-top visual flare and we have a character who’s ready to crush any fool who gets in her way.
PlayStation Blog also revealed just how much developers Bandai Namco went all out on Reina’s overall design. They collaborated with four-time Taido World Champion Tetsuji Nakano to help flesh out Reina’s fighting style. For her character design, they once again worked with Mariko Shimazaki, the famous designer of the alluring Bayonetta. She previously worked on Tekken 7 characters such as Kazumi Mishima and Josie Rizal, making her an easy choice for designing the newcomer.
Reina is now the third new character coming to Tekken 8 together with the sleek super-spy Victor Chevalier and the coffee queen Azucena. All-in-all that’s a whopping 32 unique characters, all ready to fight come Tekken 8’s January 26, 2024, release.
Banner image from PlayStation Blog.
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