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A fan favourite right from the very start, Tekken 8 Paul is an icon in the Tekken franchise, and is as popular now as he was 30 years ago. With his high-damage moves and fairly lenient execution, he makes a great option for new players to pick up. That’s why we’ve put together his move list and some simple combos to help you get started.
If you’re new to the series or just haven’t played in a while, be sure to check out some of the new mechanics like Tekken 8 Special Style and the Tekken 8 Heat System. And to see what other characters have made it, our Tekken 8 character list has them all. With that, let’s get into our Tekken 8 Paul guide.
Tekken notation
Before you can start learning moves and combos, it’s important to know Tekken notation. This helps quickly explain specific inputs in one or two characters instead of having to write out the full thing every time. Our move list and combos use the notation below, so make sure to refer back to it to know exactly what to do.
| Notation | Action |
| 1 | Left Punch (Square / X) |
| 2 | Right Punch (Triangle / Y) |
| 3 | Left Kick (Cross / A) |
| 4 | Right Kick (Circle / B) |
| N | Neutral (Pressing nothing) |
| f | Forward |
| b | Back |
| u | Up |
| d | Down |
| d/f, d/b, u/f, u/b | Down Forward, Down Back, Up Forward, Up Back |
| qcf / qcb | Quarter Circle Forward / Quarter Circle Back |
| SS / SSR / SSL | Sidestep / Sidestep Right / Sidestep Left |
| FC | Fully Crouched |
| WS | While Standing / While Rising |
| WR | While Running |
| () | Rapidly press one after the other |
Paul move list
If you’ve played Paul before, many of his moves are returning, but some haven’t made the cut and have been replaced with brand-new ones. Here is Paul’s Tekken 8 move list in full.
Heat System
- All moves will deal chip damage on block
- A Heat Dash can be used when a Heat Engager hits or is blocked (after activation, Heat will end)
- Heat Smash, a move that causes critical damage, can be activated (after activation, Heat will end)
- Allows the use of the powered-up version of Phoenix Smasher
- Powered-up version of hold moves can be used
Heat Moves
- Heat Burst: (When Heat activation available) 2+3
- Phoenix Hook, Tiger Claw: f2
- Stone Lion: f4
- Moonfall: u/f2
- Phoenix Smasher: (During Cormorant Step) qcf2
- Rubber Band Attack: (During Sway) qcb2
- Demolition Ball: (During Heat) 2+3
Rage Moves
- Big Bang Phoenix Smasher: (During Rage) d/f1+2
Normal Moves
- Left Right Combo: 1, 2
- Reverse PDK Combo: 1, 4
- PK Combo: 2, 3
- PDK Combo: 2, d, 3
- Piston Fire: 3, 2
- Half-step Phoenix Smasher: 1+2
- Half-Step Phoenix Smasher: 1+2 Hold
- Burning Fist: 1+2 Hold (Max)
- Phoenix Hook, Tiger Claw: f2
- Lion’s Tempest: f3, 1
- Stone Lion: f4
- Hammer of the Gods: f1+2
- Shoulder Tackle: f1+4
- Lion’s Roar: d/f1, 1, 2
- Kurenai: d/f2
- Phoenix Wings: d/f3, 4
- Tiger Claw: d/f4
- Hammer Punch: d1
- Hammer Punch > Phoenix Smasher: d1, 2
- Hammer Punch > Phoenix Smasher: d1, 2 Hold
- Hang Over: d1, 4, 2
- Bone Breaker: d4, 2
- Demolition Man: d4, 2, 1+2
- Shoulder Smash: d1+2
- Shoot the Moon: d/b2
- Chain Breaker: d/b1+2
- Double Wing: b1, 2
- Crushing Wind: b2, 1
- Crushing Wind: b2, 1 hold
- Lights Out: b3
- Leg Sweep: b4
- Hassou Strike: b1+2
- Wrecking Ball: u/b2
- Moonfall: u/f2
- Shredder: u/f3, 4
- Rising Toe Kick: u/f4
- Delayed Rising Toe Kick: u/f, N, 4
- Juggernaut: f, f2, 1
- Phoenix Bone Breaker: f, f2, 1 (Perfect Input)
- Bulldozer: f, f2, 2
- Double Hop Kick High: f, f3, 4, 4
- Triple Kick Combo: f, f3, 4, f4
- Double Hop Kick Low: f, f3, 4, d4
- Neutron Bomb: f, f4
- Turbulent Hammer: WR2
- Burning Spear: b, f1
- 10 Hit Combo 1: 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1
- 10 Hit Combo 2: 1, 2, 3, 1, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1
- 10 Hit Combo 3: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2
Special Move
- Ki Charge: 1+2+3+4
Moves While Crouching
- Enfolding Dragon: While Rising 1, 2
- Thunder Palm: While Rising 2
- Shioh: While Rising 3, 2
- Toe Smash: While Rising 4
- Somersault Kick Warm-Up Moves: While Crouching, d
- Incomplete Somersault Kick Warm-Up Moves: u4
Moves During Sidestep
- Turn Thruster: (During Sidestep) 1
- Pump in Pedal: (During Sidestep) 3
Moves During Cormorant Step
- Cormorant Step: qcf
- Thruster: qcf1
- Phoenix Smasher: qcf2
- Gengetsu: qcf3
- Gunba: qcf1+2
- Mountain Raze: qcf3+4
- Deep Dive: (During Cormorant Step) d/f
- Quick Pedal Strike: (During Deep Dive) d/f2, 1
- Quick Lightning Breaker: (During Deep Dive) d/f2, 3
- Bigetsu: (During Deep Dive) d/f4
- Incomplete Somersault: (During Deep Dive) d/f3+4
Moves During Sway
- Sway: qcb
- God Hammer Punch: qcb1
- Rubber Band Attack: qcb2
- Rapid Fire > Petal Strike: qcb3, 2, 1
- Rapid Fire > Lightning Breaker: qcb3, 2, 3
- Kawaragoma: qcb4
- Unseen Gust: qcb1+2
Throws
- Over the Shoulder: (Approach Opponent) 1+3
- Shoulder Pop: (Approach Opponent) 2+4
- Dragon Screw: (Approach Opponent from left side) 1+3
- Fall Away: (Approach Opponent from right side) 1+3
- Reverse Neck Throw: (Approach opponent from behind) 1+3
- Piggyback Throw: (Approach opponent from behind) 2+4
- Chest Crusher: (Approach Opponent) 2+4 b
- Kongo Blast > Phoenix Smasher: (Approach Opponent) d/f1+2, qcf2
- Foot Launch: (Approach Opponent) b1+4
- Twist and Shout: (Approach Opponent) u/f1+2
- Push Away: (Approach Opponent) f, f1+2
- Ultimate Tackle: 1+2
- Ultimate Punch: 2, 1, 2, 1
- Ultimate Punishment: (During Takedown) 2, d1, 1, 1+2
- Arm Breaker: (During Takedown) 1+2
Attack Reversal
- Attack reversal: (Time with opponent attack) b1+3
- Low Parry: (Time with opponent low attack) d/f
Moves While Opponent is Down
- Down Strike: (While opponent is down) d2
Paul combos
Paul boasts some incredible damage, but his combos will require you to make good use of his Sway stance. Luckily, once you get that down, the structure for most of his combos is fairly similar, so you’ll be able to pull it off no matter what launcher you use. Here are a few simple bread-and-butter Paul combos to get you started:
- Combo 1: qcf1, d/f4, 3, 2b, (during Sway) 1+2, DASH, WR2 (qcf1 can be replaced with d/f2 or u/f3, 4 for an easier combo starter but with slightly less damage)
- Combo 2: f, f2, 2, 3, 2b, (during Sway) 1+2, DASH, WR2
- Combo 3: WS2, 3, 2, 3, 2b, (during Sway) 1+2, DASH, WR2
- Wall Carry Combo: d/f2, d/f3, b1, 2, DASH, b1, 2, DASH, 1, qcf2 (use 1, qcf2 when they hit the wall)
Top Tip
For Paul combos ending with WR2, you can instead finish with Demolition Man (d4, 2, 1+2). This will send your opponent flying, potentially leading to a wall splat which you can follow up on with Phoenix Smasher (qcf2)
Paul’s combo game is fairly simple, relying heavily upon hitting that 2b into 1+2. Once you’ve got that part down, you’ll be able to mix and match your combo starters and enders for a much more flexible approach to your gameplay. And if all else fails, throwing out a Phoenix Smasher every now and again won’t hurt!
Hopefully this helps you get started with Paul in Tekken 8. For more beginner help, check out how to block in Tekken 8 and how to break throws in Tekken 8. And if you’re looking for which characters are in the Tekken 8 DLC, we have you covered.
Tekken 8 Jin FAQs
Is Paul a good character for beginners in Tekken 8?
Paul is a fairly good character for beginners in Tekken 8, thanks to his high-damage moves and fairly easy execution.
Is Paul good in Tekken 8?
While not among the outright best fighters in Tekken 8, Paul’s strong damage, simple combo game and good fundamentals make him a strong, high-tier character.
