The ‘Grandmaster of Drip’ Leroy Smith returns in Tekken 8

The S-Tier Terror is Back

Bandai Namco, still on a seemingly unstoppable marketing drive, has released another new character trailer for its flashy-looking fighter Tekken 8 — This time around, we focus on the enviable style and undeniable power of one of the series’ most recent addition: grandmaster Leroy Smith.

Having made his debut as a Tekken 7 DLC character, Smith is still a relative newcomer to the Tekken franchise. Turning heads immediately with his slick style and cool-as-a-cucumber attitude, Leroy would make his presence felt in double-quick time, becoming one of the most dangerous characters on the roster and a frequent winner on the game’s competitive circuit. Leroy has developed a mastery of the high-speed kung-fu form, Wing Chun, which allows him to move with quiet grace and precision, before suddenly unleashing rapid, lightning-like blows on his opponent’s noodle.

As a child, Leroy grew up mired in the violence of 1980s New York, where gang warfare, complete with integration by crooked cops and politicians would see the young fighter lose his entire family. Brutally injured, and guided by little else but fate, Leroy traveled the world, searching for enlightenment and inner peace while honing his bewildering fighting abilities. Decades later, Leroy returned to America, aiming to stamp out all forms of injustice and corruption wherever it may lay — a path that ultimately leads him to the doors of the Mishima Zaibatsu.

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