Miary Zo confirmed as “Waifu Ogre” in Tekken 8 gameplay trailer

Ogre fans will be delighted with Miary Zo, as Bandai Namco show off the insane move set of their brand new Tekken 8 character in her first ever gameplay trailer. Expectations of her link to Ogre proved true. Let it be known we were the first to call her Waifu Ogre.

Bandai Namco debuted the trailer for Madagascan fighter Miary Zo during Day 3 of EVO France in front of a live crowd. Before the trailer, fans only had a few seconds of footage of Tekken 8's final DLC character of Season 2.

Miary Zo's appearance has also been altered from her initial reveal following community feedback that she looked more generic than the concept art. Bandai Namco gave Miary Zo a face redesign which we see in the new gameplay trailer. Miary Zo is the first officially African character in the Tekken franchise.

Miary Zo's gameplay trailer introduces the idea that her moves are inspired by her deep fascination with wildlife, in particular lemurs. In the first third of the trailer we see Miary Zo's basic attacks but it escalates quickly once she switches into Costume 3, revealing that she can summon weapons mid-fight, similar to Anna Williams.

Miary Zo's weapons are a blue staff and a bracelet, both of which glow with magical energy as she winds up.

The blue staff grants Miary Zo some great range options and definitely adds visual variety. We also see Miary Zo use it to avoid a low attack by Xiaoyu - I know how ironic - before twirling round her staff to deliver a knockdown combo.

Meanwhile the bracelet summons snake spirits which can grab enemies to pull off some really sick looking moves. Outside of her weapon moves, Miary Zo appears to be able to cling to walls to evade attacks, which would be a brand new game mechanic if true.

Miary Zo's Rage Art sees a gigantic serpent rise from the ground which she runs up before taking flight and bulldozing her target into the ground in an epic explosion.

As hinted at by Tekken 8 Game Director Harada, Miary Zo's red eyes are critical to her backstory. In the trailer, rumors of her link to Ogre were confirmed.

"Sure I could tell you I have the power of a fighting god, or I could just show you... with my fists," says Miary Zo during her debut gameplay trailer, which hints at a potential Ogre's third form.

For those new to Tekken franchise, Ogre is an antagonist in the Tekken franchise that is known as the "God of Fighting". The reason for his name? He can absorb the fighting skills of his opponents accessing their move set. Pretty handy.

Ogre's first appearance was in Tekken 3 as the main antagonist, and he has appeared in two forms; the humanoid Ancient Ogre and the monstrous True Ogre. Both are shown in the trailer prior to the reveal of what looks like a new version of Ogre.

This means that Miary Zo could be Ogre reincarnated in his third form or simply a vessel for his power, which explains her crimson eye color, glowing energy and mythical guardian motifs.

Alternatively, Bandai Namco could be teasing a return of Ogre in this beastly new form teased for Tekken 8 Season 3. Unfortunately, the latter seems less likely.

Miary Zo joins the Tekken 8 roster on Dec. 5, with Early Access starting Dec. 2. Her arrival comes just seven weeks after Armor King’s release, making this one of the fastest DLC turnarounds in Tekken history.

During the gameplay trailer Tekken fans got the first look at Miary Zo's four preset costumes.

Costume 1 takes inspiration from tropical and island cultures and has Miary Zo wearing a brightly patterned bikini-style top with ribbon-like straps that crisscross around the shoulders and torso. Plus black mini-shorts, half skirt, padded gloves and arm accessories.

For Costume 2 there is no clear shot of the full outfit in the gameplay trailer, but we can see it's pink and violet take of Costume 1. Costume 2 in my personal opinion is the best looking of the four.

Miary Zo's Preset Costume 3 has a lot going on and thematically seems based around her "fighting god power". Costume 3 is very intricate in its design and is a mix of martial arts gear and fantasy fashion.

In Costume 4, Miary Zo is definitely giving off Azuzena vibes. Wearing a cap, dark sleeveless crop top and light colored shorts. The slickest of the four costumes, perfect for those who aren't fussed about the lore and just want to kick ass in style.

Miary Zo looks like a brilliant addition to the Tekken 8 franchise, and has far more depth than many perhaps expected given her waifu vibe appearance. Bandai Namco have set up Tekken 8 fans for an incredible Q4.

Armor King and Waifu Ogre in one quarter? Tekken fans couldn’t ask for more.