The History of Guest Characters in Fighting Games

While Tifa Lockhart is a Final Fantasy 7 icon first and foremost, the fighting game community has been eyeing her for years. We have grown accustomed to seeing wild outsiders enter the ring during recent-generation fighting games.

Previously, guest characters were associated with Soulcalibur's zanier choices. The roster has seen everything from Yoda to Ezekiel and even our very own PC Gamer mascot, Geralt of Rivia.

Modern titles have continued this trend of stuffing weird outsiders into their rosters. Consider these notable guest appearances:

  • Negan from The Walking Dead in Tekken 7
  • Noctis from Final Fantasy 15 in Tekken 7
  • 2B from Nier: Automata in Soulcalibur 6 and Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising

Why Tekken Players Are Asking for Tifa

It was never totally out of the realm of possibility that Tekken 8 could feature another Final Fantasy character. The community campaigned harder than almost anyone for Tifa to join the fray. Her brawler archetype and overall vibe feel perfect for a high-intensity 3D fighting game.

The only other character fans were pushing for as hard was Kiryu from the Yakuza series. However, the dream hit a roadblock at the end of the first season when we received our Final Fantasy guest. Instead of a Lockhart, we got Clive Rosfield from Final Fantasy 16.

While Clive is a cool character in his own right, he simply isn't the same. The chances of a second Final Fantasy character appearing in Tekken are already slim, but new rumors suggest they might be non-existent.

Is Street Fighter 6 Poaching Tifa?

Whispers are now bouncing around the FGC suggesting that Tifa might actually end up in Capcom's Street Fighter 6. This rumor has left many members of the Tekken community in absolute shambles.

The reaction on social media has been a mix of humor and heartbreak. "The Tekken bros shouldn't have asked for Tifa," one Reddit comment joked, referencing former Tekken head Katsuhiro Harada's famous mantra: "Don't Ask Me For Shit." Another user was more blunt, stating, "If this is true then this is a big fumble for Tekken."

One redditor summarized the collective disappointment perfectly: "I just never ever imagined in SF’s 30+ history, we would potentially be getting Tifa as a playable character. The one character Tekken fans have been asking for since 8 came out no less."

There is a tiny, secret possibility that she could appear in two different fighting games simultaneously. However, unlike the era of Soulcalibur 6, Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 are both current-generation titans. For now, we must wait for Capcom to reveal their next season of fighters to see if these rumors hold weight.