Moment subpages are Spoilers Off. You Have Been Warned!
Maybe he also enjoys building 40K models?If all else fails...
Despite being one of the bleakest entries in the series yet, leave it to the folks at Bandai Namco to have some much-needed levity to balance the darkness of the game's lore out.
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Pre-Release & Trailers
- How was Tekken 8 teased earlier? By showing a clip of Kazuya's memetic arcade ending from the original Tekken (which then switches to Kazuya looking ominously at the audience with a sinister smile, now rendered in Unreal Engine 5) while Harada harassed the commentators during EVO 2022
. To summarize one tweet:>drop a 2-second tease of Tekken 8
>comes and shake the commentators
>doesn't elaborate
>leaves - Harada has a special message of the announcement at The Video Game Awards 2022:Harada: Don't ask me for shi—
- In a Freeze-Frame Bonus during King's trailer, In-Universe Product Placement for a business called Volcano Fist Fitness can be seen among the stage. Now given that Kazuya is very likely the host of The King of Iron Fist Tournament after the events in the last game - and being the new CEO of the G Corporation since 6 - it's very likely that VFF is a G-Corp sponsored business. The funny part comes in the name and if you remember what became of him in Heihachi's Tekken 2 ending. Guy's got a twisted sense of humor, to say the least.
- Funny Background Event: If you look more closely at the crowd in the Arena, you'll find plenty of them holding their phones!
- An unintentionally funny moment occurs in Jun's reveal trailer, where she confronts Kazuya when he discovers she was alive all along. After Jun's "Kazuya..." line, it immediately cuts to Jun delivering a savage uppercut to Kazuya and beats the shit out of him. Family reunion, Mishima/Kazama-style, folks.
- Tying neatly with the above, it's rather appropriate that Asuka's opponent in her reveal trailer is none other than Jin (her cousin) himself. Her calling Jin a bonehead (as per usual) during her Rage Art is icing on the cake. Kazama family reunions are definitely as chaotic as those of the Mishima family, that's for sure.
- Another unintentionally funny moment in Leroy's reveal trailer comes when you realize that Leroy was unveiled at EVO Japan 2023... not three years after he practically dominated the Top 8 for the last game.
- Related to the above, only two non-Leroy characters finished in the Top 10 at that tournament, Julia, and the character revealed alongside Leroy, Asuka.
- Heck, his official title of the "Grandmaster of Drip" (no kidding) is so on the nose you can't help but chuckle.
- When the announcer is going ham on the introductions as per usual during his trailer, Hwoarang's usual intro has some of the funniest (unintentional) comedic timing shown so far; almost as if he inadvertently told the announcer to cork it.Hwoarang: Yeah, yeah, shut up already.
- Azucena. Just… Azucena in general. Watching her dodge her opponent's attacks while teasing them is as amazing and satisfying to watch as it is hysterical. Even better since she's shown going up against Bryan, Nina, and Hwoarang, three of the most aggressive (notoriously so in Hwo's case) characters in Tekken.
- The hilarity is further compounded by her love for coffee. Which is so intense, in fact, she fights Lili (who prefers tea) to prove to her that coffee is in fact, the number one drink in the world.
- Her Rage Art starts with her coming in from the side and startling the opponent, then caps off with an amusing flick of the fingers to her opponent's face, and a very cheesy plug for her family's business after the fact if she gets a KO with it!
- Hilarious in Hindsight moment if you've played Eliza's Character Story back in 7: one of the things Lili tells Eliza before she falls asleep on her is that she needs more coffee and less blood. Now re-read the above and remember just who Azucena is performing her Rage Art on in her debut trailer.
- Before the reveal of Reina's trailer, Harada brings up one comment about Heihachi's fate in 8 (spoken in English, leaving no room for ambiguity):Harada: JCDR, I have one comment for you. Heihachi Mishima is completely dead.
- Reina's trailer has her face off against Kazuya and Jin, whose reactions can basically be summed up with, "Who the hell are you?" It's meant to be dramatic and add to the speculation of who Reina might be, sure, but the way it's executed makes it unintentionally amusing. Kazuya especially, seeing as he looks genuinely confused when meeting Reina, not unlike Saitama's first meeting with Tatsumaki.
- Even better is Jin and Kazuya treating Reina like an Unknown Rival coming across as Tempting Fate, with Kazuya especially getting on the losing side of Reina's Rage Art. And the cherry on top being Reina's quotes to them, where she smack-talks two of the most powerful fighters on Earth (both of which have the Devil Gene)... And beats both their asses, and doesn't even act like either of them was a real challenge to her.Reina: (To Jin) Jin-senpai. We finally have our chance to fight! (After beating Jin) Well, that was amusing. (doing a familiar Badass Arm-Fold) Next!
Kazuya: Who the hell are you...?
Reina: (To Kazuya) *Sinisterly giggles* You'll understand soon enough. (Unleashing her Rage Art) Submit to me. Bow to me! Know your place! (After beating Kazuya) I'm way out of your league.
- Even better is Jin and Kazuya treating Reina like an Unknown Rival coming across as Tempting Fate, with Kazuya especially getting on the losing side of Reina's Rage Art. And the cherry on top being Reina's quotes to them, where she smack-talks two of the most powerful fighters on Earth (both of which have the Devil Gene)... And beats both their asses, and doesn't even act like either of them was a real challenge to her.
- In the final trailer, we are treated to an otherwise serious scene where Claudio, Zafina, and Xiaoyu running away... with Panda following them at all fours.
- The story recap trailer is a nice and handy way to get players up to speed on what had happened since the series' beginning. Who happens then to be the narrator of such a tale? Brian Cox, who - to put it mildly - probably has a fair amount of experience in dealing with a Big, Screwed-Up Family like the Mishimas.
- Alisa's trailer has a moment where she politely bows before fighting Jack... only for her head to drop off. Jack actually complies with her request for help and reattaches it by throwing it at her shoulders.
Story Mode
- While Jin riding a bike on the side of a building just to bring down Kazuya's helicopter is meant to be awesome, there's something oddly amusing about Kazuya just casually walking out of the wreckage unfazed after the fact. Even further still, he bluntly calls out his son on his actions two games prior (e.g., causing World War III and killing millions to draw out Azazel), clearly unamused at his theatrics.
- When Reina requests to join Yggdrasil, Jin demands to know how she knows the Mishima techniques. Reina responds by stating she "copied it off the internet". Jin clearly doesn't buy it, but ultimately relents and lets her join Yggdrasil anyway.
- In Chapter 5, Lili and Asuka get into an argument as Hwoarang butts in, who audaciously calls the latter as Jin's sister, much to her chagrin.
- In the battle of Yakushima between Yggdrasil/UN and G Corp, you would understandably think that the former would be annihilated by all the military equipment the latter wields. Instead, Yggdrasil's non-bulletproof fighters goes straight for the G Corp forces with only motorbikes and both sides fight mainly with their fists, with bullets not even hitting any of the fighters. It is so ridiculous that you can't help but be laughing at the sheer audacity of it all.
- Leo ends up having to fight Azucena, who cheerfully admits that siding with G Corp gives her better brand optics for her family's coffee, to Leo's bewilderment. Azucena also doesn't seem bothered at all at having lost to Leo as they explain how they're a big fan of her coffee, casually stating she'll express mail some coffee to their country before happily bidding them goodbye.
- Paul and Marshall end up coming to blows with each other. Meanwhile, Kuma watches the fight from a distance and sees it as his chance to finally get rid of Paul, charging into the fray to beat his ass. Unfortunately, a missile also flies at the same time Kuma's charging, and Kuma ends up getting hit and is launched onto the ground. A shocked Paul thinks that Kuma saved him, all while the bear is grumbling at how he has the wrong idea, all while a crappy flute rendition of the game's opening theme plays in the background.
Character Episodes
The majority of the non-canon Character Episode endings are Lighter and Softer, and form the bulk of the game's hilarity.
- Kazuya's ending in the Arcade is a documented interview with the man himself.Question #1: His Thoughts on Conquering the World
Kazuya: A foolish question. Next!
Question #2: About His Leading Lady —Then and Now—
Kazuya: Pathetic drivel... The path I've tread is one consumed by conflict. And our first encounter was on the field of battle. Conflict and combat are a regular part of my life. I have no use for weaklings. And she... [Kazuya throws a golden statue of himself, only for Jun to appear out of nowhere and catch the trophy, sporting a Grin of Audacity that screams "You're goddamn right I'm strong."] is strong. That's all. Next!
Question #3: His Hobbies
Kazuya: [a door opens behind Kazuya, revealing a room of sneakers] Hahahaha! Anything and everything shall be mine! Heehahahaha!- For bonus points, this is a Call-Back to Kazuya's likes in Tekken 1 including sneakers - the thought that Kazuya Mishima, the Devilman who leads the largest N.G.O. Superpower in G. Corp, is a sneakerhead is a bit amusing, to say the least. Considering Heihachi is dead, it's perhaps unsurprising that Kazuya has to take the reigns of having the silly ending; unless if you count Reina (see her section below).
- What's even more hilarious is his body language when the question is asked. He slams his palms on his desk and stands up, before smiling as the door to his sneaker collection opens up behind him. You could almost tell that he was waiting for someone to ask that question in his lifetime and he now has a chance to show it off.
- Marshall Law is the resident Butt-Monkey of most of the endings he shows up in:
- In Bryan's ending, which is basically a Shout-Out to Mad Max, we see Bryan leading an army sitting on top of a tank, featuring Paul, Law, and Hwoarang. The Blood Talon casually relaxes on the roof of an APC while Marshall joyrides on Hwoarang's bike. As soon as guns start blazing, Paul manages to avoid the tank's turret. Marshall, on the other hand, ends up getting slapped off by the turret. What makes this scene more hilarious is Hwoarang keeping a straight face while lying down upon seeing Law being sent flying and rag-dolled onto the pavement. It's doubly ironic considering Law's story arc in Tekken 5, where his son Forest got hospitalized from a joyriding gone wrong with Paul's bike. Here, we see Marshall riding on Hwoarang's bike, the student of his former Arch-Enemy Baek Doo San, only to be chucked out of the motorcycle by a tank turret.
- Hwoarang's ending has him trying to run Jin off the road, and the latter realizes they almost sandwiched Paul and Marshall who just passed by during the ensuing melee drive by. Hwoarang immediately dismisses it and they proceed to duke it out on the highway. As for why they made a Freeze-Frame Bonus cameo in there? Well...
- In Paul's ending, Law wakes up on the sidecar of Paul's bike on the way to the tournament venue (immediately following Hwoarang's ending, in fact, given they're travelling down the same stretch of road alongside another reason that makes itself very obvious rather quickly). As soon as Paul puts the pedal to the metal, they run into an oncoming armored vehicle that spontaneously bursts one of its tires, and Marshall is almost an inch away from having a face full of rubber from an armored truck... and Paul's course correction ends up running the bike off the road. To add insult to injury, the venue is closed (as Hwoarang already won the tournament) as the scene ends with a Big "NO!" from Paul.
- Lili's ending has him try to butt into a conversation between her and Leroy, ending with her smashing his head into the ground, and Leroy having a good laugh about it; with Sugar lying down next to a barely conscious Law. Before that, Lili was doing other kinds of poses being pictured while delivering a speech, and while greeting Leroy, she admits to being nervous during her speech.
- And then there's Marshall's own ending has him basking in the riches of the Mishima Zaibatsu, only for Paul to tell him that the UN sent him a bill for the damages of World War III... one with so many zeroes that Marshall straight up dies from the shock, complete with ghost and halo. Paul himself is horrified by this... because he hasn't even been paid yet.
- The punchline is that technically anyone else who won the Mishima Zaibatsu also would've to deal with the cost of World War III but it got quickly brushed aside and we only see Law's. Trying to imagine what the other characters' reactions would be like if they saw that ridiculous bill would be a barrel of laughs by itself. Maybe there's another reason why Jin himself doesn't take charge at the end of 8...
- Paul's face in utter despondence and resignation when he presents the bill to Marshall. Then again, this is nothing new for both of them since 5, as if Paul is already anticipating Marshall about to blow up a gasket.
- Azucena's ending has her continue her coffee VS tea rivalry with Lili, even asking an alpaca at one point which is better, to predictable results. Azucena has a flash of inspiration, and decides to blend both coffee and tea together to Lili's consternation, calling it cultural appropriation... and the alpaca from before immediately chugs it all down, creating a brand new joint product that becomes an instant sensation (with said alpaca's goofy smiling face becoming the new product's logo)!
- Jun's ending has her watch over Kazuya and Jin bonding with a spar, and Kazuya lands a blow directly into Jin's face. It's sadly revealed to be a dream, but it's amusing to think that even in an ideal world where the conflict didn't happen, father and son still insist on throwing hands with each other. Then again, this is Tekken.
- Jin's ending has him settle back down in Yakushima, declaring that he'll win against Kazuya next time instead of just a draw. In the meantime, he eats lunch prepared by Jun, consisting of nothing but a ginormous bowl of raw peas, beans, nuts, and mushrooms that he happily eats anyway. Since Jun is a Lethal Chef, she couldn't possibly be able to cook the stuff. The ridiculous sight of Jin Kazama chewing with a mouthful of peas is hilarious enough, but the look on his face and the way he simply says "This is quite the spread" shows that while he is definitely not enjoying the meal, he's eating it anyway because his mother made it.
- Asuka's ending has her finally clean up her dojo, hoping the disciples will come back. Asuka off-handedly wonders what Lili's been up to, instantly causing Lili to appear with a huge pile of dojo signs. Turns out, Lili's been going all over Japan, beating down dojos to claim their signs, and declares that attempting to buy Asuka's dojo from the previous game was a mistake, and that she must earn it through a fair fight, something which Asuka gladly obliges.
- Nina's ending has her post a meet-up flyer, to which Lee picks up and encounters her. Nina immediately proceeds to thrash Lee, stating it as payback for blowing up the entire building, calling it even and then blowing him up with a grenade.
- Alisa's ending has her apologize profusely to Lars after defeating him. Lars reassures her that he's okay, and thanks her for helping him fulfill their goals by his side. Lars takes Alisa's hand... causing the android to become so flustered that she yeets Lars across the room and her head suddenly pops out. Alisa desperately tries to catch her head, before being caught by Lars, which promptly explodes, further beating the poor guy down to Alisa's horror.
- Panda's ending has her conducting an interview about her plans for Mishima Zaibatsu. At the end she announces her plans to use the resources to look for Jin on Xiaoyu's behalf, having placed missing posters all over a city. While she explains this a confused Jin walks into frame on the screen showing the city, causing Panda to do a Double Take and try to get up, only to accidentally break the chair she's sitting in.
- Though All Just a Dream, Reina's ending has Kuma, Jin, Victor, Lars, and Lee acting as her vassals and they present her Kazuya on chains imbued with Sirius magic. When Kazuya breaks free, Kuma uppercuts him into the air, followed by Reina stomping him back on the ground. Reina takes her time trampling on her brother while laying on the floor. The scene ends with her declaring preserving Heihachi's legacy, even Kuma joins with her Evil Laugh as the moon projects Heihachi's face.
- Dragunov's ending has him building pink model tanks, only to find that the turret set wasn't manufactured due to the company closing as a result of an economic recession caused by G Corporation. Dragunov's solution? Take the head of a miniature Mokujin and use that as a substitute for a tank turret.
- Steve's ending; between games, Steve has lost all sense of purpose in life. Even when he finds his mother, she doesn't even want him. Steve's solution to this identity crisis? Compete in literally every boxing division he can. Cut to him fighting progressively higher and higher weight rankings, only for Paul and Marshall to check in on him prior to taking on the heavyweight challenge. When the two find Steve, he is completely unrecognisable; his entire body moreso resembles when someone maxes out the "muscles" slider in a character creator rather than an actual heavyweight boxernote , with the sudden change in physique stunning Paul and Marshall silent - before both let out a scream loud enough to shatter the glass window behind them!
- Feng's ending has him jump off from an airliner and executes a Diving Kick a-la Kamen Rider down towards a thundercloud. Once at the surface, Feng assumes his cooldown stance, proclaiming having achieved greater heights... only to be interrupted by Sugar, the pet dog of his nemesis Leroy, who is taking a whizz right around Feng. The scene ends with Feng blowing up a gasket.
- Jack-8's ending has him win The King of Iron Fist tournament, followed by Jane aweing over Jack. At this point, she starts looking over the data Jack collected from the tournament by having him mimic the moves of the fighters he fought, which includes one of Lee's kicks, Steve's Gatling Gun move and, to Jane's horror, Alisa's Spam Bomb move. Yes, Jack replicates the move where Alisa removes her head and gives it to her opponent before it explodes.Jane: You didn't have to learn THAT!
- Kuma's ending has him finally pouring out his true feelings for Panda in space. Only for it to be cut short when a meteorite shaped after Heihachi's face punctured his space ball ride, propelling the poor bear into the fabric of space. Made even funnier when he wakes up from a dream, and realizing he just lost to Xiaoyu during the finals.
- Lars's ending has him film a recruitment ad for Yggdrasil with Alisa and Lee in the style of Starship Troopers. After the shooting is done, Alisa runs up to Lars and praises his role in the act, hoping they receive many applications. As Lars and Alisa chat, Lee snaps his fingers with his trademark "Excellent!" as a romantic spotlight shines down on the two, and they don't even seem to be aware of it!
- One part of the ad brings up how "there's plenty of fun to be had" in Yggdrasil, depicting one of its soldiers fishing (and wearing a fishing hat) from a picnic bench being carried by a chopper over an ocean.
- Xiaoyu's ending has her give a victory speech over having claimed the Mishima Zaibatsu as her own and having formed a truce with G Corporation. Xiaoyu sadly wonders where Jin's run off to again, right as Panda points out his presence, standing outside the room. Panda playfully shoves Xiaoyu forward, causing her to vault right over the tray Claudio's carrying to quickly reach Jin. As Xiao finally comes face to face with Jin, Panda is shown weeping Tears of Joy and Claudio applauds the sight, using his Sirius magic to fire an arrow that forms a heart in the sky.
- Victor's ending has him tussling with random G Corp soldiers in style, with assistance from Raven. With all said and done, he orders the UN soldiers to clean up the mess as he goes out for a stroll with "a lady he can't bear to keep waiting". This is followed by a reaction from one of the soldiers:UN Soldier A: Don't tell me he deployed a submarine to impress a woman. Is this normal in France?
Raven: No, it's just him.
UN Soldier B: So that's why he didn't have his sword... - Leo's ending has them and their father exploring a tomb before coming across a crystalline structure. Niklas very promptly takes out a smartphone and taking very goofy selfies before accidentally breaking a piece off. Cue a spiked crystal ball chasing the two out of the tomb.
- King's ending has him fight a charity match against Steve. Steve gets the upper hand initially, only for King to turn the tables and utterly beat him down. As the scene ends, Steve starts complaining that King didn't have to go all out like that in a charity event.
Gameplay
- While most of the fighters in the Character Select screen all have animations that range from mundane to charming, if you highlight Lili, you're treated to the sight of her... petting her cat Salt. Even more amusing is how deadpan she is as she looks dead at the camera until you finally select her.
- Law's intro against certain well-off characters like Lili. After stylishly swinging around his nunchaku, he poses and bluntly proclaims in the hammiest way, "I hate rich people!"
- Which is made hilariously ironic considering how brazenly self-centred he acts in his character episode ending.
- Speaking of Law, whenever he usually does his Run Up to Drop command grab (f+2+3 in Tekken notation), he just does a battle cry as he falls on top of the opponent. But in Tekken 8, though?Law: [while climbing the opponent] I'm a dragon! [thud as he lands on top of them]
- Whenever Claudio uses his back throw, he'll randomly let out a "Mamma mia!" An amusing Easter Egg given how back throws are rarely seen in actual matches.
- In her special pre-fight intro with Jack-8, Alisa's head falls off when she bows to greet him. A confused Jack-8 tosses her head back into place, and she thanks him just in time before the match starts.
- One of Steve's new win poses has him climb a (conveniently placed) boxing ring, proclaiming, "These are the fists of a champion!" Like a lot of props for various characters' intros and win poses (e.g., Marduk's SUV in the previous game, Paul's brick wall), this boxing ring can be anywhere, including in outer space!
- Tekken Ball in its entirety. Especially if you're coming from the otherwise very bleak main story. Mood Whiplash is probably too tame to describe the sheer chaos that ensues in this mode.
- The ball designs range from mundane to outright absurd. One of them even being Azazel's core, for crying out loud!
- Another ball, the Tekken Ball, has some rather amusing flavor text:A ball created to make fun of the world-spanning and intergenerational Mishima family conflict. (Sets off fireworks after a K.O.)
- Kuma and Panda's special pre-fight intro. Kuma, in love with Panda as usual, tries to propose to her. The item he gives? A FISH. Panda slaps the fish away and subsequently sniffs her paw before the match starts.
- Kuma's Rage Art. He uses a fish to launch his opponent into the air, professional golfer style, before holding his fish in a way that makes him look like he's about to eat it. The fish starts flopping in Kuma's paws and bounces high into the air before turning into a homing missile that flies into the airborne opponent before blowing them up. Kuma can be seen rubbing the back of his head afterwards.
- It seems Jun is aware of Paul's rivalry with Kuma, and she's not happy about it, being a W.C.C.C. officer.Jun: There's no excuse for animal abuse!
- In the Ortiz Farm stage, if you look carefully you can see a flying saucer swooping around in the distance and abducting an alpaca.
- On any stage with a crowd (such as the Arena or Urban Square), King using his Tijuana Twister or Giant Swing command throws will result in the crowd cheering.
- Lee decides that even death will not stop him from making a mockery of Heihachi. So, he built a virtual assistant* named Hachi, who is a miniature Combot head with papery fins taped to the sides and a scowl drawn on it with permanent marker, mimicking Heihachi. It's a Call-Back to his hilarious non-canon ending in Tekken 5 where he made Heihachi his servant wearing nothing but a speedo (the "Two Fingers!" one), and it is shown blatantly when he wins a match in 8...
Kazuya: I will collect every last trope! Heehahahaha!
