Here’s our first big look at Tekken 8’s sexy exorcist Claudio

The exorcist enters the ring

Bandai Namco has just unveiled the next fighter returning for Tekken 8. Coming back after his introduction in Tekken 7 is Claudio Serafino, the closest we’ll ever get to an Italian Final Fantasy protagonist.

Who is this literal godsend?

Claudio is the greatest exorcist in the world and de facto leader of the Archers of Sirius, an order of exorcists that I assume has been KO’ing demons for centuries. He entered Tekken lore in Tekken 7 as Heihachi Mishima contacted his group to get help against Devil Kazuya. Claudio reluctantly joined Heiachi’s organization, but his tenure with Mishima Zaibatsu comes to a close by the end of the game as Heihachi believes he’s finally gotten rid of Kazuya.

While we don’t know anything about the plot of Tekken 8, we do know Kazuya is still very unsurprisingly alive in it, so Claudio’s service may become of use to Heichachi once again.

But really, how will Claudio play?

For the most part, Claudio is a well-rounded character. What makes Claudio special is “Starburst”. That’s Claudio’s unique stance that he can enter once he lands certain hits. Starburst arms him with an array of empowered single moves and combos that turn him into a fearsome enemy. The trailer shows off some of Claudio’s moves and an unbelievably cool Mortal Kombat-esque arena.

The character doesn’t seem to have gone through many technical changes. Still, his combos are now adorned by animation effects that look straight out of Final Fantasy. The trailer concludes with Claudio absolutely obliterating poor Bryan Fury with a mystical arrow seemingly capable of murdering the devil himself. That’s not just for the video — it’s just his regular special move.

Tekken 8 is currently in development for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X. Bandai Namco expects it to launch in late 2023 or early 2024. Be sure to check out the previous trailers for Hwoarang, Jin Kazama, Marshall Law, Nina Williams, King, Paul Phoenix, Jack-8, Lars Alexandersson, Kazuya Mishima, Jun Kazama, Ling Xiayou, Asuka Kazama, Leroy Smith, and Lili Rochefort.