Lili, a side character who first appeared 18 years ago, is making a comeback in Tekken 8, as confirmed in the latest gameplay trailer. The upcoming installment in the popular fighting game franchise was officially announced for PlayStation 5 during the PlayStation State of Play livestream in September 2022, shortly after a teaser at EVO 2022. Bandai Namco has since been gradually revealing more about Tekken 8’s roster and gameplay, although no release date has been announced yet.
Tekken 8 boasts a roster packed with fan favourites from previous iterations of the long-standing series, including notable family rivals Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. Other beloved fighters set to return include Leroy Smith, Asuka Kazama, and Paul Phoenix, to name just a few.
Surprisingly, Jun Kazama, the estranged wife of Kazuya and Jin’s mother, also makes a return in Tekken 8, despite being presumed dead for over ten years. Now, another familiar character from the PlayStation 3 era has been confirmed to make an appearance in the upcoming title.
Brand New Gameplay Trailer For Lili
Bandai Namco Entertainment America released a new character gameplay trailer for Tekken 8 on their official YouTube channel yesterday. The trailer showcases Emilie De Rochefort, also known as “Lili,” as she demonstrates her skills as the “Fighting Heiress.” Lili is seen chasing after her cat Salt before unleashing a series of graceful yet powerful kicks and karate chops on Leroy. She then engages in a dance-like Special Move, dominating her arch-rival Asuka before celebrating with Salt after the match had finished.
Lili made her first appearance in the Tekken series in 2005’s Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, where she was introduced as the daughter of Mr. De Rochefort, the founder of the wealthy oil company Rochefort Enterprises. Since then, she has appeared as a playable character in every mainline Tekken game, often pitted against her rival Asuka Kazama or seeking revenge against the Mishima Zaibatsu corporation. Lili has also made appearances in various Tekken spin-offs, including the crossover game Street Fighter X Tekken in 2012, where she teamed up with Asuka to battle Chun-Li and Cammy.
Now she returns as a playable character which will please the hardcore fan-base. As the release date for much-loved fighting game remains unknown, fans can anticipate that Bandai Namco will gradually reveal more playable characters in the lead-up to the launch.