Tekken 8: King Playstyle, Combos, Grapples

Learn about Kings backstory, his playstyle and most effective combos to earn the title of the King Of Iron Fist Tournament

King is one of the best characters in Tekken 8 because of his iconic Jaguar mask and his pro wrestling fighting style. However, King also comes in the ranks of the most powerful and most played characters in Tekken 8 because of the reduced difficulty of executing his grapple combos and the significantly increased amount of damage afflicted.

Key Takeaways
  • King is a pretty versatile grappler who can dish out a lot of damage even without using grapples.
  • You do not need to rely on hard combos to do good damage with King, as even the easiest combos can inflict great damage.
  • Using different chain grapple routes is a good way to confuse your opponent by putting them in a guessing game of what grab break to use.

King’s Playstyle

King in the wrestling ring intro in Tekken 8. (image captured by eXputer)
King in the wrestling ring intro in Tekken 8. (image captured by eXputer)

King is a pro wrestler grappler archetype who relies on quick jabs and heavy-hitting moves while mixing in extremely powerful grapples.

The Best way to play King is to learn his grapples and chain grapples always to confuse the opponent with different grab breaks. Therefore, I would suggest that instead of trying to execute the hardest combos, you should rely on outmaneuvering your opponent and looking for openings to punish your opponent successfully.

Easy Combos

Below are some combos that are easy to attempt and provide decent damage as well. You can also mix up your opponent by simply alternating between df 2 and 1 while executing these easy-to-do combos. These easy combos will help you deal greater damage than the hard-to-execute combos.

Combo 1: uf, 4, b, 1, 2, f, f, f, 2+4.

King easy combo 1 in Tekken 8. (image captured by eXputer)
King easy combo 1 in Tekken 8. (image captured by eXputer)

Combo 2: df, 2, uf, 3+4, 1+3.

King easy combo 2 in Tekken 8. (image taken by eXputer)
King easy combo 2 in Tekken 8. (image taken by eXputer)

Combo 3: df, 1, f, f, f, f, 2+4.

King easy combo 3 in Tekken 8. (image copyrighted by eXputer)
King easy combo 3 in Tekken 8. (image copyrighted by eXputer)

Combo 4: b, 1, 2, ch, f, f, f, 2+4.

King easy combo 4 in Tekken 8. (image captured by eXputer)
King easy combo 4 in Tekken 8. (image captured by eXputer)

Hard Combos

These Combos are harder to execute but offer great damage in return. Hard combos like these are for experienced King players who have a pretty good grasp on the whole character’s move set. So, if you are starting with King in Tekken 8, it is in your best interest to rely more on the easier combos rather than the difficult combos. Some of the most effective hard-to-execute combos are below:

Combo 1: df, 2, f, f, 1, df, 4, 3, b, 1, 2, f, f, f, 2+4.

King hard combo 1 in Tekken 8. (image copyrighted by eXputer)
King hard combo 1 in Tekken 8. (image copyrighted by eXputer)

Combo 2: u, 1+2, f, 4, df, 4, 3, b, 1, 2, f, f, f, 2+4.

King hard combo 2 in Tekken 8. (image captured by eXputer)
King hard combo 2 in Tekken 8. (image captured by eXputer)

Chain Grapples

Chain grapples are one of King’s most essential moves. They can inflict massive damage if they are executed fully. In Tekken 8 it has been made easier to execute these chain grapples. Chain grapples like the Reverse Special Stretch Bomb combo and the Reverse Arm Slam Combo are now reliant on a repeated single-button press route to be successfully executed.

Because using this one you can keep the opponent guessing the grab break by simply using different chain routes shown below:

Chain route 1: f n d df 2+3, 1+2, 1, 3, 3, 4, 1+2, 3+4

King chain grapple combo 1 in Tekken 8. (image taken by eXputer)
King chain grapple combo 1 in Tekken 8. (image taken by eXputer)

Chain route 2: f n d df 2+3, 1, 2, 1+2

King chain grapple combo 2 in Tekken 8. (image by eXputer)
King chain grapple combo 2 in Tekken 8. (image by eXputer)

Chain route 3: f n d df 2+3, 2, 1, 1+3

King chain grapple combo 3 in Tekken 8. (image copyrighted by eXputer)
King chain grapple combo 3 in Tekken 8. (image copyrighted by eXputer)

My Thoughts

I personally loved the humorous aspect of punishing a downed opponent with a grab which adds a unique flavor to the gameplay, but it’s crucial to be precise with the timing to avoid leaving oneself vulnerable. Overall, playing as a grappler like King can be incredibly satisfying, as the potential for high damage and crowd control is undeniable. Also, make sure to check out our Tekken 8 review as it is “A Labor of Love” according to our experienced writer Muhammad Roaim Chohan.

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Usama Mehmood is a Games Specialist, and writer on eXputer who's either hunting for the richest loot in Destiny 2 or endlessly playing his favorite games such as Yakuza or Final Fantasy. Usama has been gaming for 15+ years during which he has accumulated 4000+ hours on Destiny 1 & 2. His constant adoration for video games has allowed him to pursue eXputer as a platform to showcase his striving talents in writing helpful articles. Get familiar with Usama's extensive gaming library on his Steam, PSN, and Xbox profiles.

Experience: 2+ Years || Mainly Covers Reviews And Guides || Education: Bachelors in Physiotherapy.

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