Anna Williams is the latest character on the Tekken 8 roster, and she’s once again bringing some huge weapons with her. While she still keeps her usual breathtaking fashion, she’s also got some powerful tools in her move set that caught my attention. If you’re interested in trying out Anna Williams in Tekken 8 and seeing what’s new, you’ve come to the right place!
Editor’s note: There will be notations used in this guide to describe certain attacks. If you find yourself confused at any of these points, use the guide below as guidance:
Different Look, But Still Our Anna
Anna has been around in the Tekken series since the first game, and we’ve seen her go through many different designs. In particular, Tekken 7 was the first game where she had a drastically different outfit. And now, with Tekken 8, not only is her outfit different, but her hairstyle changed. Her new hairstyle gives me Juri vibes from Street Fighter 6, which is fitting, considering both characters have the same kind of mannerisms.
Unfortunately though, she doesn’t have her iconic red qipao dress that was present in Tekken 5, 6, and Tag 2. I thought that the developers would consider adding her nostalgia costume as one of her default outfits, but I guess perhaps they are planning that for future DLC. Regardless, red is still Anna’s favorite color, so you can rest assured that she is wearing all of that in Tekken 8. She even went out of her way to dye part of her hair red, which makes for a fabulous look.
Of course, this is her default 1 outfit that’s the standard. Her default 2 fit is the same outfit, but blue colors replace the red of outfit 1, including her hair. However, her default 3 outfit is a white and black soldier-looking attire equipped with a gun. It looks like some sort of vampire slayer outfit, and I really dig it. Finally, her default 4 fit is her Tekken 7 default costume, so I guess there is a legacy outfit in here for her.
Important Tools
When learning a Tekken 8 character, you want to figure out their essential moves. These consist of their jabs, down-forward 1’s, lows, launchers, and heat engagers. Anna has all of these in Tekken 8, so let’s go over some of them together.
Jabs
- 1 – A quick jab with 10 startup frames that is also +8 on hit. Upon hitting the opponent with her 1, you can combo into her 2 and then go into 1 jab again.
- 2 – Another quick jab with 10 startup frames that is +3 on hit. After hitting the opponent with this, you can mash 2 afterward to go into a mid attack or hold forward afterward to cancel it and go into a grab. Additionally, Anna can also do 2 into 3, hitting the opponent with a mid and going straight into a stance.
Down Forward 1
- d/f+1 – Quick attack that starts up in 13 frames and is +5 on hit. It’s also -1 on block and has very good range. This is a pretty standard d/f+1 and is solid for poking at opponents safely.
Lows
- d/f+4 – Starts up in 16 frames and is +5 on hit. Keep in mind that this is -15 on block, so it is very punishable. Even though you want to catch standing opponents off guard, use this with caution.
- d3 – Has 16 frames of startup and is -6 on hit. This is even more punishable than d/f+4 on block, leaving you at -17.
- d4 – 12 startup frames and is -4 on hit. This one is also -15 on block. This is her fastest low attack, so it has great use at least.
- d/b+4 – Starts up in 17 startup frames, but is +8 on hit. Upon hitting the opponent, you can mix your opponent with mids, highs, lows, or cancel it into doing nothing. This is -13 on block though, so use this with caution as well. However, this is her best low by far.
Launchers
The following attacks launch opponents into the air where you can do juggle combos:
- d/f+2
- d/b+3
- ff+4
- u/f+4
- qcf+2,1
Whenever you think your opponent will crouch block or whiff a button, utilize these to make them feel the weight of their mistakes!
Heat Engagers
Lastly, the following attacks are her heat engagers that puts her into a state where she is much powerful. Use these at the right time when you know they can work:
- 3+4
- ff+3-2
- while crouching d/f+1
Anna is Tekken 8 Ready!
With a stylish design and powerful move set, Anna looks like she’s ready to beat up some of the strongest cast in the game! So if you’re still planning on giving her a shot, be sure to purchase her when you can! Even if she doesn’t have her iconic red qipao dress, you can still customize her with some cool clothes. So what are you waiting for?! Nina needs to get rocket launched away!
Tekken 8 is available now for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
