Tekken 7 is one of the most complex modern fighting games, but don’t let that stop you from picking it up. There are plenty of beginner-friendly characters that teach newcomers the fundamentals through intuitive design.

Each one is easy to play so you can focus on basic combo execution and strategy. Some Tekken veterans might even benefit from using them in the lab. These characters emphasize universal skills like neutral that help the entire cast, while more advanced character-specific techniques such as stances only help a few fighters.

Practice one of these five characters until you can win matches, then try other fighters before choosing a main.

Alisa

Alisa Bosconovotich is a great pick for players that need to learn the fundamentals of Tekken 7. The pink-haired android has a simple moveset and some of the best movement in the game. Her gameplan is centered around patient pokes and defense, although she can also exert extreme pressure in Destructive Form.

Alisa has easy to learn bread-n-butter combos but they deal modest damage and have lackluster wall carry. Given that her strengths are defense and chipping away at life bars with pokes, Alisa sometimes struggles to mount large comebacks. She is a favorite amongst pro players thanks to her diverse toolkit and movement, including top American player Jeannail “Cuddle_Core” Carter.

Asuka

Defense is the name of the game for Asuka Kazama. The bike-riding schoolgirl excels at turtling out her opponents offense and has an array of parries to take advantage of mashers. Expect standard moves, easy bread-n-butter combos, and little wall carry. However, she can use the White Heron Dance combo finisher to unleash huge damage when opponents are backed against the wall.

Asuka’s many safe on block attacks make up for her relatively slow speed in comparison to the rest of the roster. Forward 2 (colloquially known as “Tooth Fairy”) is her best launcher at the cost of safety. Avoid carelessly using it to give your opponent less opportunities for combos. High-level Asuka players are not common, but pros like Ireland’s Fergus “Fergus” McGee continue to show her capabilities in tournaments.

Claudio

Claudio is great for players that want unconventional, yet easy gameplay. The Italian sorcerer has a unique ability called Starburst. Land certain moves to upgrade specific attacks for one input. Starburst upgrades must recharge after every use.

This Tekken newcomer has one of the smallest move lists in the game, making it easy to learn all of his options. Claudio’s main weakness is that he has a lot of unsafe attacks on block. Figure out his frame data to play smarter and safer.

Evo 2021 Online champion Marquis “Shadow_20z” Jordan is considered the world’s best Claudio, but Finland’s Joni “Jopelix” Huovinen shares just as effective lessons.

Leroy

If you are brand new to Tekken 7, consider yourself lucky you didn’t have to fight the game’s first broken character at launch during Season 3. Leroy has big damage options in almost every offensive and defensive situation. The worst part — he is extremely easy to play.

Leroy was hit hard with justifiable nerfs. Now he’s top 3 and can still carry lesser players. Beginners should look to Leroy if they are seeking early success, but not if they want to make new friends.

Shaheen

Shaheen is arguably the game’s most beginner-friendly character. This new character has a short, simple move list and balanced game plan that keep him fundamentally sound. Look forward to solid, consistent options without flashy animations. If you want an easier alternative to characters like Law and Lee, Shaheen has similar slide mixups.

He is a popular character in Asia. Korean player Sun-woong “Lowhigh” Yoon even won Evo with him in 2018.

Remember to never let other players have too much of an impact on your character choice. Will you use one of these characters to win bragging rights in the Open Series?