Hwoarang Tekken 8 Season 2 Guide by Kicking Machine

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Kicking Machine

Last updated Aug 06, 2025, Game version 2.03.00

Introduction

Hwoarang has always been one of the most offensive and aggressive characters in the Tekken series. The gameplay style of Tekken 8 fits Hwoarang extremely well. His greatest strength is applying constant pressure on the opponent and using his deadly 50/50 mixups to finish rounds.

Hwoarang deals high damage and also has strong wall carry potential. One of his main strategies is to keep the pressure going by constantly staying in plus frames and suffocating the opponent.

He has excellent moves like d+3,4 and JFSR (f,n,df:4), which are key tools in his offense. Hwoarang is a stance-based character with transitions such as Left flamingo (LFS), Right flamingo (RFS), and Right foot forward (RFF), giving him access to a wide range of options.

He also has one of the best whiff punishers in the game with B3. On top of that, he has several safe punishment options, which make him even more solid as a character.

Keep in mind, at first glance, Hwoarang may seem like an easy character to play, but mastering his stances and learning the character deeply requires serious practice.

Strengths

He is one of the best characters in the game when it comes to pressure. He has strong plus frame moves, dangerous 50/50 mixups, and one of the best counter-hit low pokes with d/b+4, which deals great damage. He also has a safe mid wall splat, a solid throw game, and several effective high crush moves like JFSR, d/f+2, and d+3+4. On top of that, he can sidestep out of many safe moves and launch with f+3, uf4, making him extremely dangerous
Counter hit. Hwoarang has one of the best launchers in the game, 10-frame counter hit launcher with Heat, making it extremely powerful (2,4~f, H.RFS f+4,4) His d/b+4 is one of the best counter hit low, dealing perfect damage. RFS f+4,4 is a deadly 8-frame counter-hit launcher, one of the fastest in the game. b+4 is a 13-frame high counter-hit move with good damage and utility. RFS 4,3 is +4 on block, safe, and causes a mid-wall splat, making it a great pressure tool. He also has guaranteed follow-ups from certain moves, like b+2, f+1+2, and RFF b+1, which is +14 on hit — allowing you to either go into a Heat Engager or use a 14-frame guaranteed punish.

Weaknesses

Even though Hwoarang is a character with many plus frame moves, he does have some clear weaknesses. First of all, Hwoarang cannot cancel his stances, which means that if you commit to a stance, you can get hit by Rage Arts or other big punishers if the opponent reads your option.
While in stance, Hwoarang is also very vulnerable to sidesteps and sidewalking, which can put him in a really bad position sometimes, even costing you the round.
Hwoarang is a high-risk, high-reward character. Moves like his 10f launcher or d/b+4 rely heavily on high attacks, which means your opponent can duck and launch-punish you if they make the right read. To avoid this, you’re often forced to use Power Crushes from stance, just to stay safe. Otherwise, characters with strong counter-hit tools can punish you hard.
Also, you can’t rely too much on lows. Against characters who can launch punish lows, you have to be especially careful with your pressure.

Heat System

Hwoarang has several safe launchers that work well with the Heat System. Examples include LFS f+3, RFS b+3, and RFF d/f+3, which is a homing launcher.
One of Hwoarang’s most common ways to activate Heat is through d+3,4, followed by a mix-up. After that, you can go for RFS d+4,3,4 (hellsweep), and if it hits, it gives you high wall splat range or the potential to break walls and balconies for extended combos. Alternatively, you can go for the safe RFS 4,3, which keeps you at plus frames and lets you continue your pressure.
The 13-frame d/f+3+4 is another very useful Heat engager. It gives you strong combo and okizeme opportunities near the wall, and it also allows you to punish the opponent and apply pressure with plus frames by entering Heat.
Heat Dash also deals solid counter-hit damage. In Season 2, Hwoarang received a damage nerf to some of his Heat tools, specifically, his 10f counter-hit launcher, which now deals around 70% of its previous damage. However, moves like d/b+4 still deal amazing damage, and when combined with his strong wall carry, Hwoarang can still dish out massive overall damage.

Top 10 Moves

D3,4

Very strong low, high move, and you can follow up with mix-ups like RFS df4, or RFS d+4,3

l, h, i17, +8 oB, +14g oH, +19 oCH

f,N,df:4 (JFSR - Just Frame Sky Rocket )

JFSR is one of his best moves, high crush, safe, good tracking, mid launcher, and crazy good damage

m, i16, -8 oB, +59 (+49) oH

d+3+4

New homing move, high crush, and after that move you will stay in LFS, so you can do LFS d+3,4 or LFS f+3 for example

L, i21~22, -14 oB, +6 oH

df+2

Safe good mid launcher,

m, i15~16, -7 oB, +34a (+24) oH

4,3

11f punish and good safe move

h, m, i11~12, -6 oB, +5 oH, +20a (+11) oCH

RFF df+3

Plus frame, homing and good range heat engager move

m, i22~24, +1 oB, +6 oH

B3

One of the best wiff punishers in the game

M, i16~17, -19 oB, +35a (+25) oH

Db+4

Good low for mix-ups and perfect counter hit damage with heat db+4~f to H.RFS f+4,4

l, i16, -12 oB, -8 oH, -1 oCH

RFS 4,3

Safe mid mid wall splat move on counter hit, and plus 4 on block, and you stay in LFS stance

m, m, i14, +4 oB, +25a (+16) oH

LFS f+3

Good for mix-ups, heat engager. On block you can do many mix-ups, launcher like LFS uf+4 or good low LFS db+3

m, i19~20, +4 oB, +26 oH

Punishers

Standing

10f 2,f+3 | 1,2,3f | 1,2,4f (good damage and mix-ups)

11f 4,3 (safe punish 2, hit wall splat on ch)

13f df1,3 | df3+4 (Heat engager)

14f uf 3+4,4

15f df2

16f b3 (one of the best wiff punish)

Crouching

10f FC d1

11f 4,4 (After hit, gives you mix-ups)

12f 1,4 (Plus frames and mix-ups)

14f 3 (after hit guaranteed 14f punish)

15f 2,3 (mid high launcher)

Whiff punishers

b3 (one of the best wiff punish in the game,)

f,N,df:4 (JFSR) (safe mid launcher )

4,3 (safe high mid )

ff+4 (heat engager safe on block)

uf3+4,4 (more mix ups)

Combos

f+4 → RFS 3~4 → uf+3+4~f → LFS uf+4 T! → deep dash → uf+3,4,3

df2

u+3 → LFS 2 → RFF 3,4 → (delay) RFS u+4, 4 T! → dash → f+3+4 → f+4~3

f,n,df:4 (JSFR)

3+4 → RFF 3~4 (backlash) → dash → 4,4,4,4 T! → uf+3+4~f → uf+3+4

Low parry

f+3+4 → RFF f+3 → LFS 2 → RFF f+3 → LFS uf+3+4 → ub+3+4

Beginner Combos

f4 → uf4 → uf3,4,3

df2

4,4,4,4 → uf3,4,3

Combo Enders

Carry

Floor break

Wall break

RFS 4~3

Wall Combos

Normal

SS 3,3 → LFS 3~f → LFS f+3

SS 3,3 → LFS 3,2

3+4 → RFF f+3 → LFS f+3 → LFS 3,f+4

With tornado

b+3 T! → 3+4 → RFF f+3 → LFS f+3 → LFS 3,f+4

Small Combos

RFF 3~4 (backlash)

dash → b+3

WS 3

uf+3+4

CH f+1+2

df+3+4

Notable Moves

u2

High, homing, wall splat.

h, i13~15, -9 oB, +15 oH

b2

Counter hit plus 14f, good for range

h, i14, -4 oB, +6 oH, +14c oCH

df4

Homing and safe mid

m, i16~17, -8 oB, +8 oH, +18a (+9) oCH

df3,4

Power crush you can delay the move also

m, m, i22~23, -14 oB, +4a oH

RFF 3~4 (backlash)

Very strong power crush high move

h, i27~30, +4-+5 oB, +47 oH

uf 3+4

Good for wall carry of if you press f you stay on lfs stance

m,h, i14, -10 oB, +1 oH

3~4

Mid wall splat and good move

m,m, i22, -3 oB, +26 (+16) oH

Stances

Left Flamingo Stance (LFS)

LFS ( f3 ) is a stance where Hwoarang lifts his right leg and stands on his left leg, with the left foot forward. It’s one of his key positions for starting pressure, creating mix-ups

Right Flamingo Stance (RFS)

RFS is ( f4 ) with this stance you can go into do hell sweep or some launch he have a very good option with this stance

Right Foot Forward (RFF)

this stance ( 3+4 ) isn’t a “flamingo” stance like LFS or RFS instead, it's a neutral standing position where Hwoarang has his right foot forward. It's a transitional stance that connects Hwoarang’s regular attacks to his more advanced flamingo stances. Many of Hwoarang’s best pokes, launchers, and setup moves come from or lead into RFF

Panic Moves

b1

-14 on block, mostly we are using this after df+1,3

m, i15, -14 oB, -1 oH

df+3,4

Power crush if we get pressured

m, m, i22~23, -14 oB, +4a oH

Frame Traps

FF3 → ff4 (This move is punishable, but you have a good pushback, many players think this move is launch punish since it looks like a "b3", but they will fail to and wiff, and you can launch)

RFF 3~4 (backlash) → b4 | df2

Knowledge Checks

ff3

After this move b4 works most of the time

M, i20~24, +6c oB, +6c oH

df1,3 into b1

even on block you can usethis move many player pressing after df1,3

db4~f > RFS f+4,4

On block if they try to punish, you can launch with counter hit

Defensive tips

Play with timing

If you can time your moves well against Hwoarang, you can catch him with a good counter hit. That’s why timing is so important in this matchup.

Use your side steps

Hwoarang has some of the highest frame advantage in the game, but he's also highly susceptible to sidestep. In particular, when he's in Flamingo stance, many of his options can be avoided with proper sidewalking or by ducking at the right time

Duck at the right time

He has tons of strings, but if you read them well and crouch at the right moment, you can get an easy launch

Don't hit when he have a heat

When Hwoarang activates Heat, he becomes extremely dangerous. Avoid attacking recklessly getting caught by a counter hit move like d/b+4 can cost you a huge chunk of health.

Defensive Move Handling

RFS d+4,3,4

Last hit is a high, you can duck and launch

l, h, h, i20~21, -9 oB, +28 (+2) oH

WS 2,3

15f low launcher, 2 hit is high, you can launch

m, h, i15~16, +3 oB, +72a (+56) oH

backlash 3~4

This move is high, not many player is ducking, you can launch at the right timing,

hwoarang Tekken 8 Season 2 Guide