How to Wavedash and Backdash in Tekken 8

Movement is a massive part of your kit in Tekken 8. It may sound ridiculous, but you can win entire sets by knowing advanced positioning tools. If you want to move like a pro, let me show you how to Wavedash and Backdash in Tekken 8.

What is a wavedash in Tekken 8?

Just so we’re all on the same page, let me quickly explain what wavedashing is. Wavedashing is a movement technique that only Mishimas can use. Kazuya, Reina, Devil Jin, and Jin can wavedash, and it’s a trademark of their approach tools.

When you wavedash, your fighter does an evasive crouching step toward your opponent before standing back up. With practice, you can string wavedashes together to quickly traverse the arena.

How to wavedash in Tekken 8

Now for The tricky part. Below you will find the command for a wavedash. Be sure to read our guide on Tekken 8 combos:

Forward, neutral, quarter-circle forward, neutral. Or f, n, qcf, n. 

The quarter-circle forward is identical to a Hadouken motion in Street Fighter. If you’re unfamiliar, press down and slide your thumb forward, making sure to hit down + forward together during the motion. The “neutral” part of the command simply means you press nothing, and you’ll mess up the wavedash if you don’t allow those pauses.

The hardest part of learning how to wavedash is how clean your inputs need to be. My early wavedashes were unreliable as I awkwardly smudged my thumb across the controller D-Pad.

Another issue I had while learning was timing. You can wavedash quickly, but the timing window is pretty lenient, and you can input the directions slowly while practicing. A messy input usually means you crouch in front of your opponent, just asking to be launched into a combo.

Focus on doing a single wavedash at a time, then try to chain a couple together. If you’re struggling, I recommend taking Reina for a spin, as her feet spark when she wavedashes, and it’s a helpful visual indicator.

Why is Wavedashing good in Tekken 8?

Wavedashing is so much more than a stylish way to get around and can be used to ferry opponents into difficult positions. If you Wavedash toward your target, you force them into a situation we call a 50/50. 

As Kazuya, for example, you can hit your opponent with a selection of dangerous moves from a wavedash, including the legendary Hell Sweep, which hits low.

All this creates a real pain for your opponent. They can block a mid-attack and risk getting swept. Alternatively, they can duck and take a powerful mid to the face. 

Wavedashing also resets your character tracking each time you do it, so your opponent can’t sidestep to evade your attacks.

What is back dashing in Tekken 8?

While less stylish than the Mishima exclusive movement tech, back dashing is one of the most fundamental tools in Tekken. I’m not exaggerating when I say a firm grasp on back dashing will win you matches.

How to back dash in Tekken 8

Every character can backdash in Tekken 8 by simply tapping back twice. You can do this pretty fast, and it’s a superb tool to create space. You can also back dash to make your opponent whiff their attacks.

Backdashing is more effective in Tekken 8 than it ever was in Tekken 7, as your fighter covers plenty of ground with every step.

How to Korean Backdash in Tekken 8

The Korean Backdash (KBD) is a legacy Tekken movement tech that allows you to backdash faster. KBD was an essential tool in Tekken 7 and earlier games, but it’s far less helpful now. 

The command for a Korean Backdash is:

Back, back, down+back (b, b, db) 

The command looks simple but requires clean inputs. With practice, you can quickly input a string of Korean Backdashes to create space while on the defensive.

Do I need to learn how to use Korean Backdash in Tekken 8?

Regular back dashing is so strong in Tekken 8 that I no longer think learning how to KBD is essential. Besides looking pretty goofy, KBD doesn’t provide the advantages it did in previous Tekken games.

It may be something to incorporate into your movement in the future, but other fundamentals should come first. Tekken 8 heavily favors aggressive play, which means back-dashing, in general, is less valuable. Add KBD to your arsenal if you wish, but it’s not the barrier to higher ranks it once was.

If you’re learning how to wavedash, you might be trying to understand electrics too, as they are exclusive to Mishima’s. If that sounds like you, check out our in-depth guide on electrics, where I explain everything from how to do them to why you need to learn them.