A duo of Tekken 8 trailers shown this past weekend at EVO 2023 revealed two characters for BANDAI NAMCO’s upcoming title. The first announced the return of Raven, who makes a comeback after his absence from Tekken 7. But the second showed off a brand new character making her first-ever appearance in the Tekken series: Azucena Milagros Ortiz Castillo.
Azucena is a Peruvian MMA fighter with some “sly and unconventional” moves in her arsenal, according to Tekken 8 director Kohei Ikeda. She’s shaping up to be a welcome addition to the game’s lineup, so let’s look at who she is and what she’ll play like when the game eventually launches.
Who is Tekken 8’s Latest Character?
Azucena, who also goes by the alias “Coffee Queen,” is the only daughter of the Ortiz family. The family runs a coffee plantation in Peru called Ortiz Farm. Azucena is a proud promoter of Ortiz Farm and began training herself in mixed martial arts to show off her family’s coffee to the world. She’s renowned for her unique style in the world of MMA, as well as her happy-go-lucky attitude.
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Azucena’s primary motivation for joining Tekken 8‘s incarnation of the King of the Iron Fist Tournament is, of course, to promote her family’s farm. She hopes that joining the tournament will boost recognition for Ortiz Farm and hopefully convince more people to try their coffee.
What Will Azucena Play Like in Tekken 8?
As previously mentioned, Azucena’s fighting style in Tekken 8 will be unlike many of the other characters in the game. Not only is her style highly influenced by MMA, but it is also based heavily on her Peruvian heritage.
Rumi Maki is a form of Peruvian martial arts originating in the 1960s. According to its creator, it is a continuation of ancient traditional martial arts from Andean cultures, such as the Tiwanaku and the Moche. It is based primarily on hand-to-hand combat, such as punches, elbows, open-hand jabs, and blocks.
This influence is apparent in Azucena’s fighting style, as seen in her gameplay trailer. She utilizes a lot of quick jabs and backhands when accosting her opponents. She’s also incredibly quick, dodging and weaving through enemy attacks seemingly effortlessly. Azucena’s personality comes through a lot during the trailer–she taunts, mocks, and has an overall carefree attitude as she trades blows.
Azucena’s signature move, Ikeda says, will be called the Libertador. This move allows her to dodge incoming high and low attacks instinctively and will even automatically counter her opponent during a Heat state. This adds to the effortless, slippery nature of Azucena’s gameplay.
To top it all off, Azucena poses for a commercial advertising her family’s coffee when she gets a K.O. with her Rage Art. The coffee may be piping hot, but that move is just ice-cold. There’s no doubt that Azucena will be incredibly fun to play and will be a welcome addition to the Tekken 8 roster once the game drops.
So, are you excited to play Azucena in Tekken 8? Are there other characters you’d like to see added to the roster? Let us know in the comments!
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