Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is not a fighting game that simply lets players mash buttons and expect to win. Developed by Arc System Works, the game combines a 4v4 format with assists, character switching, Link Attacks, Skills, Supers, and individual character mechanics. That creates a surprisingly deep system for newcomers to learn. Thankfully, the developers have also made accessibility a clear priority. The character select screen features an ease of use rating, with more stars indicating characters that are easier for new players to understand, at least until DLC characters are added.
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That distinction matters because learning a fighting game is often about finding a character who teaches useful habits without overwhelming you. Marvel Tokon is a challenging game, with each character having their own gimmick and playstyle. That said, some are simpler than others and can be easy to pick up and act as good gateways to other characters. I have always found that the best beginner characters are not necessarily the simplest characters in a roster. They are the ones that teach fundamentals you can carry into the rest of the game. These five are excellent starting points for doing exactly that
5) Carnage
Carnage might look like an odd choice for beginners because his entire design revolves around aggression and a distinctive symbiote mechanic. However, that is exactly why he can be a useful character for players who want to learn how Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls rewards pressure. Carnage applies a unique status effect to opponents, allowing his special moves to deal additional damage. That gives new players a clear objective beyond simply attacking: get the effect onto the opponent, then capitalize on it.
The important distinction is that Carnage is not being recommended because he has the same beginner rating as Captain America, Ms. Marvel, Wolverine, or Spider-Man. Arc System Works specifically identifies those characters as easier choices for newcomers. Carnage instead works as a slightly more ambitious gateway. Once a player understands basic attacks, assists, blocking, and Link Attacks, his aggressive game plan provides a straightforward way to start thinking about character-specific mechanics.
That makes Carnage particularly useful for players who have already spent some time with Marvel Tokon but want to take their first step toward a more specialized character. His game plan encourages players to think about maintaining pressure rather than simply waiting for openings. That is an important lesson in a 4v4 fighter where assists and offensive momentum can dramatically change an exchange. Carnage is therefore less of a first-ever character and more of a first character for players ready to move beyond the absolute basics.
4) Spider-Man
Spider-Man is one of the strongest beginner recommendations because Arc System Works itself lists him among the relatively easy characters to learn. That makes sense when looking at his broad toolkit. Spider-Man combines speed, mobility, web-based attacks, and multiple ways to approach an opponent. His Web Zip ability can also be used in the air and has directional variations, giving players considerable movement flexibility without requiring them to understand an extremely complicated character-specific system from the beginning.
There is also a useful lesson in choosing Spider-Man: movement matters. New players often concentrate almost entirely on learning combos, but knowing how to get into range, escape pressure, and attack from unexpected angles is just as important. Spider-Man naturally encourages that behavior. His mobility allows newcomers to experiment with approaching opponents instead of standing still and hoping the other player makes the first mistake. His fast-paced style can also make basic Link Attacks feel more dynamic while players learn the game’s fundamentals.
Spider-Man can consequently serve as a bridge between beginner fundamentals and more advanced movement. Once players understand his basic attacks and web abilities, they can start experimenting with aerial approaches, directional movement, assists, and character switching. That makes him valuable beyond the first few hours. He can introduce concepts that become increasingly important as opponents become better at defending predictable approaches. For a player who wants a beginner-friendly character without feeling restricted to basic fighting-game fundamentals, Spider-Man is an excellent choice.
3) Wolverine
Wolverine is arguably the most natural choice for players who want to learn through aggression. Arc System Works specifically identifies him as one of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls’ beginner-friendly characters, and his aggressive melee style makes his basic objective easy to understand. Get close, attack, keep pressure on the opponent, and use the game’s team mechanics to extend opportunities. The official beginner guide even uses Wolverine as an example of a close-range specialist who can complement a character with stronger ranged attacks.
That straightforward game plan makes Wolverine useful for learning one of the most important skills in any fighting game: understanding what your character wants to do. Instead of asking a new player to manage several complicated resources at once, Wolverine encourages them to focus on spacing and pressure. Players can learn how to recognize when an opponent is vulnerable, how to maintain offensive momentum, and when an assist can help continue an attack. Those skills transfer extremely well to other rushdown characters.
Wolverine is also a good reminder that beginner-friendly does not mean shallow. A player can start with his basic attacks and simple Link Attack sequences, then gradually incorporate more advanced combinations and team interactions. Marvel Tokon allows players to repeatedly press the same attack button to perform accessible combo sequences, while more advanced routes combine different attacks with Skills and Assemble mechanics. Wolverine gives beginners a comfortable place to learn those systems before gradually increasing the complexity.
2) Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is another character that Arc System Works explicitly recommends to newcomers, and her flexibility makes her particularly valuable for players who are still figuring out what kind of fighting-game character they enjoy. She was also one of the characters available during earlier testing, where her range and flexibility stood out. Rather than forcing players into an extremely narrow game plan, she gives them opportunities to experiment with how they approach opponents and control space.
That versatility can be especially useful for someone who does not yet understand fighting-game archetypes. A new player might think they prefer close-range combat, only to discover that they enjoy controlling space or attacking from unusual distances. Ms. Marvel gives them room to explore those possibilities. She therefore works as a teaching character because learning her can help players identify which parts of Marvel Tokon they enjoy before committing to a more specialized fighter.
There is another reason Ms. Marvel works well as a gateway character: she can teach adaptation. Marvel Tokon is built around teams rather than isolated one-on-one battles, and players can use assists or switch characters during matches. Learning to adapt a flexible character’s approach to different opponents provides useful preparation for that broader system. The game’s official beginner guide recommends experimenting with teams and finding combinations that suit individual preferences, rather than presenting one universally correct team. Ms. Marvel fits that philosophy particularly well.
1) Captain America
Captain America is the obvious number one choice because Arc System Works literally uses him to teach the game’s fundamentals. The Startup Battle tutorial has players learn the basics while playing as Captain America, covering everything from Light, Medium, and Heavy attacks to combos, Skills, and character-specific actions. The tutorial is divided into Basics and Assemble sections, allowing newcomers to learn individual-character mechanics before moving into the game’s team-based systems.
His value extends beyond the tutorial, however. Captain America provides an excellent introduction to the fundamental rhythm of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls. Players can start with simple Link Attack strings, then learn how those attacks connect into Skills and stronger abilities. They can also practice blocking before moving into Assemble Counter and Crossover mechanics. This creates a natural learning curve where players can add one system at a time rather than trying to understand the entire 4v4 structure immediately.
Most importantly, Captain America teaches skills that remain useful after a player moves to another character. The official beginner guide recommends learning basic combos and defense before worrying about more complicated routes. It also recommends Quick Skills for players who are unfamiliar with fighting games, with Command Inputs available later for players who want to pursue greater damage and Skill Gauge generation. That makes Captain America more than an easy character. He is an effective training ground for understanding what makes Marvel Tokon work. Once those fundamentals become second nature, moving to characters with more unusual mechanics becomes much less intimidating.
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