Parries in Tekken are moves that intercept the opponent's attacks during the parry's active frames to avoid taking the attack's damage while giving some sort of advantage, such as plus frames or a guaranteed follow-up. On this page, the player is the defender using a parry, while the opponent is the one using an attack.
Most parries counter specific kinds of moves, such as 'all mids and highs', to 'right punches only'. Knee, elbow, head, and weapon attacks (or succinctly, non-limb attacks) cannot generally be parried, but there are exceptions, such as Jin's parry. Throws cannot be parried, and in Tekken 8, a throw used against a parry becomes unbreakable.
Most parries are heavily whiff punishable.
Often, characters with parries have the input for them on b+1+3, b+2+4, or both.
Parry Types
Generic parry
Generic parry deflects the opponent's attacking moves and gives a specific frame advantage, ranging from +6 well into +20 and more (not +20g, meaning you can combo off them).
Evading parry
Evading parry on connect grants frame advantage based on the whiff of the attacker's move, they can parry weapons, knees and elbows. The only characters with evading parries in Tekken 7 are Jin (b+1+3) and Leroy (b+2). In Tekken 8, these are Jin (b+1+3), Leroy (b+2) and Reina (b+1+3).
Follow up parry
Follow up parries have attacks that have to be inputted to come out that are only available out of successful parry. In Tekken 7, the only characters to have that are Leroy, Lee, and Lidia. Leroy's is also an evading parry.
Power crush parry
Power crush parry is a power crush that will only hit the opponent if the opponent's attack hits the player attempting a parry. Since it is a power crush, the attack's damage is still taken. In Tekken 7, the only characters with a power crush parry are Kazumi and Zafina. Both can sometimes be evaded under very specific circumstances. Devil Jin also has a power crush attack that isn't technically a parry, but acts essentially like one.
Reversal
A reversal is a parry that can be broken by the attacker. Breaking such a parry is called a chicken, because that's what the announcer says when it happens. In Tekken 8, the ability to break a reversal has been removed. Attack Reversals also now deal damage as recoverable health, making them less effective.
To chicken a reversal, the attacker has to press f+1+3 if the caught attack is a left limb, or f+2+4 if it's a right limb. Doing f+1+2+3+4 works for both cases. The chicken input has an 8[untested] frame window from when the limb is caught (i.e. after its active frames). A successful chicken deals 5[untested] damage to the defender and leaves the attacker at +?[untested].
A chicken can't be done on reaction and must be done preemptively. In most cases, it's a safe option select to chicken with every attack, but this is difficult to do in practice. Also, if the attack has a delayable string extension, the chicken input might overlap with the extension's input, and lead to the extension being performed when you don't want it. This is more likely an issue when doing f+1+2+3+4. For example, if Kazumi wants to chicken her df+1, and she does f+1+3, it's a clean option select, but f+1+2+3+4 would finish the block-punishable string (df+1,2) if the df+1 isn't parried.
Most parries which transition to a throw on success are chickenable, but this isn't a hard rule. Below is a list of reversals:
- Asuka
- b+1+3
- b+1+3*
- Anna
- b+1+3 OR b+2+4
- Dragunov
- b+1+3 OR b+2+4
- Leo
- b+1+3 OR b+2+4 (only on kick reversal)
- Lili
- b+1+3 OR b+2+4
- Nina
- b+1+3 OR b+2+4
- Paul
- b+1+3 OR b+2+4
- Hwoarang
- b+1+2
Sabaki
Sabaki parry is an Attack move that also has parry frames during the startup frames. Sabaki can still be counterhit, either by hitting outside of parry frames or by hitting with a non-parriable by the sabaki move.
Low parry
A generic parry that works against lows, it's the only parry that is universal and can be activated by properly timing df input with the opponent's low. On success, the opponent will be put in an airborne state, always allowing for a combo. Lei can also perform a low parry by holding F in Panther stance. Low weapon-hits can't be low parried like Noctis's db+2 and Yoshimitsu's FC.df+2
Automatic low crush/parry
Some stances in the game by default will react to low attacks without any defender input necessary.
- Anna Chaos Judgement - automatically performs low crushing hopkick
- Lei Crane - automatically performs low crushing hopkick
- Leroy Hermit - on success deals 15 damage, and gives +16 allowing a combo.
- Negan Intimidation - automatically performs low crushing mid kick, 3+4 transition also does that
- Yoshimitsu Flea - isn't technically, it just has a constant hitbox while not moving, creating a similar effect to automatic low crush/parry
Lei's, Anna's, and Negan's automatic low crushes do not guarantee a hit.
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