Tekken: 7 Best Intro Movies, Ranked (2024)

Alongside a unique cast of characters and flashy combat, the Tekken series over the years has also become well-known for its movie intro cinematics. These short sequences are designed to give the player an idea of what they'll be experiencing when jumping into the game, while also introducing some of the key players who they may want to think about testing out in the practice room for themselves.

Bandai Namco always goes above and beyond to make these intros as big and bombastic as possible though, often featuring some dazzling visuals and an upbeat music track to fit the style and aesthetic of the game. Now that Tekken 8's intro movie has been revealed to the world, it's time to see where it ranks when stacked up against the incredibly memorable and iconic intro cinematics that were seen in the previous games.

7 Tekken Tag Tournament

The First Tag Tournament Intro Features Some Stunning Shots Of Iconic Characters

• Release Date: October 2000
• Developer: Namco
• Platforms: PlayStation 2

Tekken Tag Tournament does an excellent job at hooking the player in right from the start, with a beautiful shot of Kazuya looking over a peaceful city, quickly switching over to an intense police car chase in the middle of a bustling street. It's at this point where the iconic piano melody starts to pick up while a whole lot of action takes place in the background, especially when it centers on Bryan who's in the middle of gunning down a horde of people.

While there have been plenty of Jun scenes throughout the games, Tekken Tag Tournament also includes one of the best shots ever seen of the character, showcasing her gazing across a glistening pool of water before the camera switches back and forth to Jin. The intro, unfortunately, doesn't include much of any actual fighting, but it's still a joy seeing these iconic characters going about their daily lives nonetheless.

6 Tekken 2

Tekken 2 Goes All In With Showcasing The Backstories Of Multiple Fighters

Despite the game coming out over 20 years ago, the intro to Tekken 2 still looks pretty good given its age, and it primarily focuses on the backstories of some of the game's main fighters. For example, while there's a powerful shot of Michelle discovering that her parents have been kidnapped, there's also a scene of a disillusioned king being thrown his now signature mask. Although these sections might be short, they do just enough to tell the player what drives these characters and who they are as people.

There's also some stunning cinematography on show in this cinematic, such as when Law is kneeling down in his dojo with the sun peeking through the windows or the bird's eye view of Jun strolling through the busy streets of Japan. While Tekken's graphics have received a huge visual upgrade since Tekken 2, this intro is still just as stylish as it was back in 1996.

5 Tekken 6

Tekken 6's Intro Gives Both Newcomers And Returning Characters Plenty of Time To Make Their Mark

Tekken 6's intro strikes a nice balance of showing off some of the newcomers to the series, such as Miguel and Leo, while also letting players know what exactly is going on with a few of the returning fighters, especially Kazuya and Jin, who get a lot of screentime. While the intro starts off very slowly, showcasing the massive Mishima Zaibatsu military in action, it soon dials up the action by showcasing a few intense fights between some of the game's most recognizable combatants.

Whether it's Asuka trying her best to outmaneuver her old rival Lily or Paul and Bryan having a scrappy duel to see who's truly the strongest, these scenes are really where the cinematic shines the most, and they do a great job at showcasing just how visually impressive Tekken had become by that point. Pair this with a fantastic final shot of the mystical beast known as Azael, and it results in an intro that is guaranteed to get the player hyped up for the battles ahead.

4 Tekken 3

The Fast-Paced Nature Of Tekken 3's Intro Is Enough To Get Anyone Pumped For The Next Battle

• Release Date: April 1998
• Developer: Namco
• Platforms: PlayStation

Unlike a lot of other intros in the series, Tekken 3 doesn't spend too much time focusing on one particular character at any given time. Instead, the whole cinematic is constantly flicking between multiple fighters, which makes it extremely fast-paced and action-packed, featuring some incredibly memorable scenes such as Forest and Marshall Law beating up thugs in a restaurant or King pumping some serious iron in the gym.

Pretty much every character in the intro is also made to look as cool as possible. Hwoarang, for example, is shown off relaxing on a motorbike, while Yoshimitsu can be seen falling from a tree while remaining invisible before revealing himself, and even Xiayou gets a scene of her flipping her way around a group of soldiers. It's hard not to get excited about trying out all of these characters in the game after seeing this fantastic intro movie.

3 Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Kicks Off With A Stunning Spectacle Of Epic Proportions

While the Tekken Tag Tournament 2 intro starts off on a fairly comical note, showcasing the immensely powerful Jinpachi getting a cab ride to the Iron Fist Tournament, the rest of the cinematic is incredibly intense and exciting. The first portion focuses on characters like Kazuya and Jin making their way to the tournament, the rest is focused on the fights actually taking place, and since it's a tag tournament, it results in some pretty funny match-ups, such as Nina and Anna, who begrudgingly form a team.

Things start getting even more crazy when the game's version of Ogre, who's sporting multiple snake heads and a giant pair of wings, bursts through the floor and engages in combat with the one and only Angel, who herself is said to possess an absurd amount of power. The whole sequence is paced in a way so that the player's eyes never need to leave the screen, and it's without a doubt also one of the best-looking intros from a graphics standpoint.

2 Tekken 8

Every Character Gets Time To Shine In Tekken 8's Beautiful Intro Cinematic

Considering just how many amazing intros the series has had over the years, some fans were skeptical that Bandai Namco could really create one that was worthy of standing among its predecessors in Tekken 8, but it's fair to say that they knocked it out of the park. Every single character gets their own time to shine in this intro, but it's clear that the main focus is on the tense relationship between Jin and Kazuya, which results in some stunning fighting scenes between the two.

There's also a good amount of time spent on exploring some of the newcomers, such as the coffee-loving Azucena, who can be seen showing off her dance moves, or the endlessly stylish Victor, who admires the view of Northern France from a cruise ship. One of the most jaw-dropping scenes that many fans have picked up on is the gigantic battle near the end, where all the characters can be seen throwing down with an army of robots, looking like something that was ripped straight out of a high-budget movie. Bandai Namco clearly poured a lot of time and effort into Tekken 8's intro sequence, and it certainly paid off considering how much praise it has received by fans.

1 Tekken 5

The Intro To Tekken 5 Manages To Combine Story, Style, And Action All Into One

Tekken 5's intro cinematic is often praised as one of, if not the most iconic introduction to any fighting game, and that's because it manages to merge style, action, and story all into one without feeling too jarring or messy. The cinematic starts off with a bang as Kazuya and Heihachi engage in an explosive battle, where it's then confirmed by Raven that Heihachi has actually been killed, lending so much mystery and intrigue to the whole plot of the game. Things are only getting started, though, as the cinematic then focuses on the other characters who are all training in their own unique ways, with King and Marduk fighting it out in a wrestling ring, Steve and Hwoarang taking part in a street fighter, and Anna testing out her brand new rocket-launcher on Nina.

This is also the trailer that featured the scenes of characters practicing their moves in front of a blank screen, which was so beloved that Bandai even brought it back as an Easter egg in the Tekken 8 intro cinematic. It also needs to be said just how energetic and exciting the sporting theme is, providing a perfect balance between techno and more lo-fi melodies that perfectly complement the style of the cinematic. When bringing all this together, it's really no wonder why so many longtime fans of the series love this intro as much as they do.