Julia Chang, the long-tenured Tekken combatant, has returned to the playable roster in Tekken 7 via the latest downloadable update. She’s now a streamer, posing for the camera and acknowledging her audience while laying a beatdown on her opponents. These small nods will be made all the more satisfying when you use our quick beginner’s guide to Julia to earn a few victories in the arena.
A quick note: we will be using numbers to designate attack buttons, so please use the following key to figure out which button is which depending on how you’re playing:
Left Punch = 1 = Square (PlayStation 4) = X (Xbox One)
Right Punch = 2 = Triangle (PlayStation 4) = Y (Xbox One)
Left Kick = 3 = X (PlayStation 4) = A (Xbox One)
Right Kick = 4 = Circle (PlayStation 4) = B (Xbox One)
Spin Around with Julia
Julia thrives on constant mobility, with her Spin Behind (2 then hold Back) being a big contributor. Julia throws a quick punch and, if it connects, immediately spins behind the opponent facing her opponent’s back. She has one follow-up move in the Double Fist (1+2 during Spin Behind) but she can also follow up with a grab or a quick combo to the opponent’s vulnerable back.
This is a great way to open up an unsuspecting opponent for big damage, as a quick jab immediately leads to the opponent being vulnerable. A quick-witted opponent could feasibly counter this, but Julia definitely holds the advantage.
Roll Like The Wind
Aside from the basic sidestep Julia also has a Wind Roll (3+4 or Up+3+4), a quick spin to one side that chains into multiple other moves. It’s a fluid motion that can dodge incoming attacks and immediately counter, making it a strong part of Julia’s game.
Some of her other attacks also move right into the Wind Roll, which not only can reset the damage on a major combo but also continue an attack string for multiple hits. The Left Right Combo (1,2,3 or 1,2,4) is a perfect example of how this can work, so making it part of your repertoire will be key in kicking butt.
Fake Out Game Strong
Misdirection is key in Julia’s game, with Swift Step (Forward + 3) leading the charge. This quick step has a few chain attacks that follow it, the most effective of which is the super quick Deceptive Kick (Forward + 3, 4). Julia will step forward, then poke her opposite foot out for a quick Low hit. If that counters an opponent’s answer to your Swift Step, you’re about to inflict a ton of damage.
There’s a few other moves where Julia can go one of two ways, keeping the opponent guessing every time she attacks. One great example is the Lashing Arrow (Forward + 3 then 1), where if you press 1 right after activating Swift Step Julia instead lunges forward with a punch instead of the passive step forward. Another is the Razor’s Edge Blast (Down + 4, 1 then 2) where instead of the normal Razor’s Edge uppercut Julia takes an extra step and throws a huge palm. These moves have brackets in the movelist to show what buttons need to be pressed quickly, but make sure you learn them just as fast!
Putting It All Together
Chaining all of those mobility options will form Julia’s strongest offense, as an opponent could have no idea where she will be attacking from next. Making sure to mix up those options is important too, as becoming too predictable will severely hamper your chances of winning.
Keep Swift Step combos for when you want to close the gap, while Spin Behind and Wind Roll options will confuse and disrupt opponents when you’re in there. Remembering the chains that end in Wind Roll will keep players second guessing, sometimes expecting a roll when you don’t actually perform one.
Versatile Throws
Some of you newer Tekken fans may not know this, but back in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 there was a female luchador wrestler named JayCee. She seemed familiar to the Tekken faithful, and she should have, because she was Julia Chang in disguise. (Her name is a play on her initials. Clever.)
I bring this up because Tekken 7 Julia seems to have retained some of the wrestling moves she sported in her time under the mask, with the Seesaw Toss (Back+2+4), Arm Lock Suplex (Up-Forward+1+2), and Mad Axes (Down, Down-Back, Back, Forward+2) all special throws. Breaking one of these out once in a while will make an opponent hesitant to close in on Julia, allowing you to misdirect the poor sap into the ground.
Julia is a tough customer that can be hard to nail down, so keep light on your feet and throw in a power move or two when necessary and you’ll be on your way to victory.
For more, check out our guide on the other fighter to hit the game today, Negan from The Walking Dead, and elsewhere here’s our coverage on what’s joining Tekken 7 at EVO 2019.
