Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's recent DLC character, Kazuya Mishima from Tekken, may be one of the most mechanically complex DLC fighters yet, making him the perfect character to represent the storied Tekken franchise. That being said, Kazuya's complex playstyle can be tough to fight against, making him both a fun character to play and a difficult character to play against.
Much like with Sephiroth, Smash Bros. series director Masahiro Sakurai outlined the general principles behind Kazuya's play style during his showcase. In general, Kazuya plays very similarly to other fighting games characters that have crossed over into Smash. He excels at being up-close and has a few moves to help him close the distance between his opponent. Going off of the Sakurai Presents showcase, it seems as though Kazuya's playstyle focuses on getting the opponent off stage for a quick KO. His diverse playstyle is complimented by some unique features, making him a difficult fighter to play with.
The first unique aspect to note is Kazuya's wide range of special inputs. Like other fighting game characters in Smash, Kazuya has unique moves that players can do with the right directional input. Even if players aren't looking to main Kazuya, they should still look at what kind of moves he can throw out so they know what to look out for. For players willing to put in the time, knowing the moves that can start Kazuya's combos can help avoid getting stuck in one of his many strings.
Kazuya's Rage mechanic is more straightforward. Whenever Kazuya reaches 100% damage or has 25% of his HP remaining in a Stamina match, he'll become surrounded by a red aura that means he's entered Rage. Rage makes Kazura an even more terrifying opponent up-close by increasing the damage of his attacks and giving him an incredibly powerful grab attack called Rage Driver.
Rage Driver is immensely powerful, but attempting the attack and missing will force Kazura out of Rage much quicker. While Kazuya is too new for many solid strategies to have been developed, a way to combo into Rage Driver may eventually be discovered. Knowing this combo and how Kazuya players will attempt to initialize would be vital to getting in close for a KO blow.
Outside of his massive list of attacks and his Rage Driver, Kazuya's Devil form makes an appearance as well. This doesn't play too heavily into how players should fight against him, though it does give Kazuya's opponents a pretty significant visual clue. Whenever Devil Kazuya appears during a move, it indicates that particular move is notably powerful. Those playing against a Kazuya player should use this visual cue to help avoid some of his more terrifying attacks.
So, how should a Smash player deal with Kazuya? The best strategy is to keep a solid distance and only move in when there's an opportunity for attack. Steve, Isabelle and Ness all have playstyles that may work well against Kazuya, as all three of those fighters are fairly effective zoners. Another strategy is to try and predict, or read, what a Kazuya player will attempt to go for. Any playstyle focused on getting combo strings tends to be a bit more predictable than others, though it is easier said than done.
If keeping away from Kazuya isn't an option, players should take advantage of any ranged melee attacks or projectiles that could keep a Kazuya player from getting combo inputs in. Samus, Dark Samus, Zero Suit Samus or any of the Star Fox characters work well for this. Trying to overpower Kazuya with someone like Ryu, Terry, or Little Mac may work, though trying to approach The Iron Fist of Darkness in a one-on-one fight could easily be the last mistake someone makes.