At EVO France 2026, the gameplay trailer for Roger Jr., the third additional character of Season 3, was revealed.
We asked the development team about the highlights and key points of the trailer. This article introduces the battle style of cute little Roger Jr. and his powerful mother, along with the over-the-top presentation.

 

▼Roger Jr. Gameplay Trailer

 

▼Roger: The Kangaroo in Boxing Gloves

[Roger]

 

Roger, who appeared in TEKKEN 2 and TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT, is a kangaroo genetically engineered as a military animal. Wearing boxing gloves and going toe-to-toe with fighters, he is a unique character that only the “TEKKEN” series could offer. Joining the battle this time is his son, Roger Jr.

 

This marks Roger Jr.’s return for the first time in over ten years, since TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2. While most of the attacks are delivered by Roger Jr.’s mother, in TEKKEN 8 we’ve prepared a wealth of animations for Jr. as well, portraying the two as truly “fighting together.” Keep an eye on the little fighter in his mother’s pouch.

 

▼Roger Jr. in TEKKEN 8: Story

Roger Jr., a second-generation kangaroo created for military purposes, lived a happy and peaceful life with his two parents. However, one day, after learning that his father, Roger, had been unfaithful, his mother sent her husband flying with a furious uppercut. Roger came crashing down on a top-secret G Corp research facility, and in the midst of trying to escape, he accidentally caused the facility to explode. Enraged by this disaster, G Corp released a wanted poster of a glove-wearing kangaroo, complete with an adorable sketch and a hefty bounty. Before long, Roger Jr. and his mother were swept up into the manhunt as assailants mistakenly targeted them day after day. Eventually, they learned that Roger was at the heart of this issue. (“We gotta help Papa—right, Mom? It was your uppercut that started all this, after all…”) Swayed by her son’s words, Roger Jr.’s mother reluctantly decided to help her husband—if only to reclaim the peaceful life she shared with her son. The two decided that the fastest way to solve the problem at its root was to take down the head of G Corp. And so, mother and son set out on a new mission.

 

■Q. Please tell us about the special touches in Roger Jr.’s bold, over-the-top Rage Art.

 

It all started with an idea: let’s recreate the scene from the endings of TEKKEN 5 and TEKKEN 6 where the opponent is blasted through the ceiling! From there, we thought, why not go all the way, launch them to the moon like in a gag manga, and destroy the moon while we’re at it? We pitched that idea, and the Rage Art animation team brought it to life brilliantly.

 

〈Rage Art〉

 

Beyond this, the character’s larger-than-life personality is reflected in other in-game presentation as well. As a fun Easter egg, the road sign that appeared in the TEKKEN 2 ending returns with its original design. Kangaroo crossing signs appear all over the place, so see if you can find them.

 

■Q. What kind of character is Roger Jr. in battle?

Roger Jr. is a close-range specialist who uses a wide variety of stances and powerful throws to drive aggressive mind games. Simple controls make Roger Jr. easy for beginners to pick up, while letting players fully enjoy the thrill of winning mind games.

 

In past titles, Roger Jr. was a character with a relatively simple battle style, constantly pressuring opponents with mind games between lows and mids. In TEKKEN 8, we kept that simplicity intact while adding many acrobatic attacks that make use of a kangaroo’s leaping ability. The result is a comical, lively character who’s even more fun to watch.

 

■Q. How does Roger Jr. approach a match?

The basic game plan is to make up for short reach with strength at close range. Roger Jr. struggles in situations where you just want to get a quick hit in with a fast move, but a wide variety of stances such as “Astronauts,” “Rocket Stance,” and “Bobbin Dance” let you shake opponents up and draw them into your own pace by constantly forcing mind games.

 

〈Astronauts〉

 

〈Rocket Stance〉

 

〈Bobbin Dance〉

 

Powerful throws such as “Whirling Punishment” are another key tool in Roger Jr.’s arsenal. Overwhelm your opponent with a wide range of offensive options.

 

〈Whirling Punishment〉

 

■Q. The comical stances really stood out in the trailer. Please tell us about “Rocket Stance.”

〈Rocket Stance〉

 

“Rocket Stance” adds more variety to Roger Jr.’s offense. It can be entered even from relatively low-risk moves, and it allows useful low attacks and certain throws such as “Whirling Punishment” and “Uluru Hurricane Bomb” to be performed with simplified inputs. This makes it the cornerstone of Roger Jr.’s game plan, letting you take the initiative while setting up mind games.

 

〈Wind-up Low Kick〉

 

〈Whirling Punishment〉

 

〈Uluru Hurricane Bomb〉

 

■Q. Please also tell us about “Astronauts,” a stance straight out of a cartoon.

〈Astronauts〉

 

“Astronauts” is a new stance that symbolizes Roger Jr. in TEKKEN 8. When certain moves hit, Roger Jr. springs high into the air with a kangaroo’s leaping ability, then follows up with powerful attacks. The stance also offers moves that keep the advantage even when blocked, Heat Engagers, and an unbreakable throw, so you can read the situation in an instant and take control of the match. Its weakness is that it can only be entered from big moves, but once you’re in, it becomes a decisive stance that forces mind games with powerful options.

 

〈Milky Way〉

 

〈Space Slam〉

 

■Q. What changes when Roger Jr. enters Heat?

During Heat, you can unleash Roger Jr.’s signature relentless offense with less risk. Force your opponent into mind games.

 

During Heat, moves that transition into a stance called “Bobbin Dance” become available, along with “Goo Goo Rush Straight” and “Goo Goo Rush Upper,” which force a mind game between a high and a mid.

 

〈Goo Goo Rush Straight〉

 

〈Goo Goo Rush Upper〉

 

The Heat Smash also keeps the advantage even when blocked and transitions into “Astronauts,” making up for short reach and keeping the match at Roger Jr.’s preferred range.

 

〈Mum’s Instinct〉

 

■Q. What kind of stance is “Bobbin Dance”?

〈Bobbin Dance〉

 

This stance can be entered from moves that are only available during Heat. The transition moves themselves have extremely strong properties, so during Heat, you can get away with offense that throws the usual rules out the window. Just go all out and enjoy attacking!

 

〈Heartwarming Sweeper〉

 

〈Tasmanian Express〉

 

From “Bobbin Dance,” you can force a mind game between an unblockable high and a mid that leads into an air combo on hit. A split-second read can decide the match.

 

〈Windmill Punch〉

 

〈Galaxy Uppercut〉

 

We designed the sequence from the stance transition to “Bobbin Dance” and then the mind game so that it flows smoothly. However, these moves come with a clear weakness in exchange for their strength: they consume a large amount of remaining Heat time. If you can’t win the mind games, they won’t pay off. Win the psychological battle with wild instinct, and wreck the match with animal power.

 

■Q. We hear there’s a story behind the “mum” necklace that Roger Jr.’s mother wears in Costume 1.

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When we first revealed Roger Jr. at the TEKKEN World Tour 2025 Global Finals, held in Sweden in early 2026, we received a huge response from fans around the world. What stood out most was the feedback from players in Australia, where kangaroos are a familiar sight. At the first reveal, the necklace worn by Roger Jr.’s mother read “mom,” but local fans let us know that in Australia, “mum” is the common spelling. In response, the development team took another look at Roger Jr.’s background. Since Roger and his family were created as biological weapons, strictly speaking, they have no nationality or country of origin. However, given that the Roger family has made its home in Australia, we decided to incorporate some Australian English. “TEKKEN” has always built its world with fresh perspectives gained from communities around the globe. This time as well, we changed the lettering on the necklace to “mum” to better reflect the Roger family’s history.

 

■Q. Costume 3 has a resort-like design. What was the concept behind it?

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To express the Roger family’s bright, comical image, we took a different approach from Costume 1 and went with a vacation look. The pattern on the shirt was the designer’s idea, based on the golden wattle, Australia’s national flower. We also gave mother and son matching outfits while adding small differences in how they wear them, so we hope you enjoy those playful details as well.

 

 

Articles featuring “Behind-the-Scenes Comments from the Director” on previously added characters are also available now!
▼Season 3 Additional Playable Character
KUNIMITSU
BOB

▼Season 2 Additional Playable Character
ANNA
FAHKUMRAM
ARMOR KING
Miary Zo

▼Season 1 Additional Playable Character
EDDY
LIDIA
HEIHACHI
CLIVE