Bandai Namco continues to steadily reveal more characters coming to the roster of Tekken 8. In May 2023, it announced Hwoarang, the Korean Taekwondo practitioner introduced in Tekken 3, would be making a return to the fighting series.
Fittingly, the reveal of Hwoarang was announced at the Korean gaming convention PlayX4 2023 in Seoul. A new trailer that debuted at the show revealed footage of him in action, with his signature fighting style that leans heavily on rigid kicks and spins.
Hwoarang’s new costume was designed by the Japanese illustrator known as Super Hiroaki. It’s a look with a more formal style, based around a traditional Taekwondo uniform – which is notable in a roster full of flashy and ostentatious looks. It’s also a bit surprising, given Hwoarang has previously been very susceptible to flashy fashion as the ‘bad boy’ of the series, and a rival to protagonist Jin Kazama.
For those interested in the convoluted narrative of Tekken, this could suggest a shift in Hwoarang’s character. Additionally, it’s notable that Hwoarang appears to have two functioning eyes – in Tekken 7, he sustained an injury that caused him to lose sight in one.
Read: Tekken 8 Preview – Hands-on impressions, insights from Harada
Prior to the announcement of Hwoarang, Bandai Namco announced the return of Lili, Asuka Kazama, and Leroy Smith.
In GamesHub’s hands-on preview of Tekken 8, we remarked at how much faster and more explosive the game felt – even in comparison to its already fast and explosive predecessors. That’s mainly due to Tekken 8 completely reworking the franchise from scratch, with a focus on making it more spectacular to watch and play.
Tekken 8 currently has no announced release date, though we know the game will be released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Tekken 8 – All characters confirmed so far (May 2023)
- Asuka Kazama
- Bryan Fury
- Hwoarang
- Jack-8
- Jin Kazama
- Jun Kazama
- Kazuya Mishima
- King II
- Lars Alexandersson
- Leroy Smith
- Lili De Rochefort
- Ling Xiaoyu
- Marshall Law
- Nina Williams
- Paul Phoenix
