Street Fighters been part of video game culturehell, pop culturesince…well, the second game.
Nobody ever cared about the first game.
Kind of sad, really.
Capcoms series has been reinvented many times over the last 30 years.
Theyve had movies, animated adventures, lots of comics, and a really cool web series.
Hey, people seemed to like it whenI did the same forMortal Kombat.
Only makes sense to try the World Warriors while Im at it.
Of course, figuring out the guidelines was a bit tricky.
Not you, Skullomania.
Youre still my hero.
As with theMortal Kombatarticle, Im ranking these based on style, storyline, and personal preference.
Not over who has the better infinite combos, hitboxes, or whatever wins you tournaments.
Now, theMortal Kombatcast is completely scattershot in quality.
Keep that in mind when your favorite ends up in the late-30s or wherever.
Now lets start with the worst of the worst…
78.
Lee falls behind the most with me.
Hes just so boring and looks like a dork.
At least with the otherStreet Fighter 1characters, I can imagine them being badass.
Just looking at him saps away at my creativity and will to be productive.
How funny that the very worstStreet Fightercharacter shares the same name as the very bestTekkencharacter.
Further Reading: The Forgotten Fighting Games of the 90s
77.
JOE
Joe is the most basic, generic character Ive seen in a fighting game that isntVirtua Fighter.
Hes just a shirtless guy in red pants who does nothing special outside of a jumping roundhouse kick.
Every single enemy fromFinal Fighthas a more interesting design than this man.
Yet while Lees blandness puts me to sleep, Joes generic design intrigues me.
I kind of love it in an ironic way.
Instead, Capcoms stayed away from him and made him that guy.
MIKE
Mike is baaaaasically Balrog, but not really.
Officially, Mike and the boxer from Shadaloo are two different people!
They even made an inspired joke about it inStreet Fighter Vs arcade mode via Balrogs Street Fighter 1 ending.
Hes worthless outside of having that sweet Mount Rushmore stage.
Further Reading: Street Fighter Story Timeline Explained
75.
And he looks really, really stupid.
Then Ryu just shrugs at him until he dissipates.
Evil Ryu never did much for me to begin with and giving him his own body didnt help.
We have enough of those as is.
For one, those eyebrows.
Those wonderful, wonderful eyebrows.
Like the way Capcom had official art of him beating the crap out of Dan Hibiki back in theAlphadays.
I kind of get why people keep clamoring for him to make a comeback.
It feels like he actually could be someone worth mentioning if they gave him the chance.
Instead, hes just another forgotten relic.
Further Reading: 20 Characters Missing from Marvel vs. Capcom
73.
Its a sore thumb.
Ingrid was originally created forCapcom Fighting Jam, which was never finished.
Then they used her forCapcom Fighting Evolution, which was the laziest fighter Capcom ever made.
Since they had her sprites done, they put her inStreet Fighter Alpha 3 Maxfor PSP.
Ingrid breaks theStreet Fighteruniverse.
Shes essentially the Phantom Stranger, only shes a cosmic teenage girl becauseanime.
But if you were to canonize it, it would just feel off.
Plus her insertion into the story really cheapens M. Bison.
Therefore, it says a lot that I have a luchador this low.
Believe me, I was pumped when he was announced, but the spark quickly dimmed.
When I see hes my next opponent and hes leaping in with, ITS SUPER DYNAMIC COOKING TIME!
I cant press the skip button fast enough.
Further Reading: 25 Best Crossover Moments in Street Fighter History
71.
Despite being a guy based on dancing, hes still somehow the most boring guy from theStreet Fighter IIgames.
The first live-actionStreet Fightermovie improved Dee Jay by making him nothing like the game version.
JULI
First appearance: Street Fighter Alpha 3
M. Bisons Dolls are a pretty cool concept.
He has his own set of buxom, young, brainwashed assassin women to do his dirty work.
In theory, theyre great, but as playable characters, they leave a lot to be desired.
Theyre just lesser versions of Cammy with the foresight to wear leggings.
Juli got shoved into a T. Hawk storyline despite not being the Native American Doll.
But Noembelu wasnt playable, so they shoved a square peg into a round hole instead.
Further Reading: 20 Best Altered Fighting Game Characters
67.
She just doesnt introduce anything new the series, though.
Shes yet another escaped M. Bison host body/Doll who really hates Shadaloo.
Sorry, but monotone Cammy just doesnt do it for me.
Hes just not that interesting.
Interestingly enough, he tends to be the tallest guy on most rosters.
Also, he looked like a total doofus when flying around in the cartoon.
Further Reading: The Forgotten Street Fighter/Mortal Kombat Crossover
65.
LAURA MATSUDA
Of the initial four new characters introduced inStreet Fighter V, Laura is the worst.
She has an interesting design and the introduction of Brazilian jujutsu is welcome.
When first introduced, she seemed like she had potential.
She instead turned out to be incredibly annoying with little to add to the roster.
Her attributes appear to be that shes Seans less-interesting sister.
TWELVE
If theStreet Fighter IIIgames didnt look so damn good, Twelve would rank even lower.
I will say, Twelves use in the UDON comic is pretty baller.
I shouldnt really say what it is since it spoils a neat surprise.
Further Reading: Revisiting ClayFighter, the Forgotten Fighting Game Series of the 90s
63.
Really, with all the ninjas out there, how many actual throwing star attacks are there?
Not all that many.
Anyway, Gekis topped off with the cool claw thing.
Capcom decided they could reinvent the whole concept better in the sequel, meaning Geki fell to the wayside.
Makes sense, considering his first appearance made him the king of the Andore types.
Yeah, thats his entire deal.
At least its fun punching people like a speed bag.
Further Reading: Street Fighter IIs Mystery Characters Finally Get Backstories
61.
SETH
Yeah, of all the major villains inStreet Fighter, Seth is easily the lamest.
Seths main saving grace is his fighting style, making him a mix between Necro and Taskmaster.
He steals the moves of world warriors, including some who arent even in the game to begin with.
But more than that, he uses his sci-fi artificial body to get creative with it.
The last thing we need is aSoulCalibur Vsituation with our replacements.
Further Reading: The Strange History of Street Fighter Comics
59.
Unlike other obsessed characters, like Sakura and Rufus, Maki didnt have much to hang on to.
Id like to see her return just to see Capcom give her some new direction.
Further Reading: The Most Amazing Fighting Game Combos
57.
YUN
Yun gets some points for hisCapcom vs SNK 2andAlpha 3 Maxdepictions.
At leastAlpha 3 Maxhad some fun with the constantly reused ending images (ie.
ELENA
Though gorgeously animated in her initial appearance, Elenas design never caught on with me.
I never found her that fun to play with and, I want to be everybodys friend!
always hit me as kind of lame.
I changed my tune a little bit withUltra Street Fighter IV.
A quick montage revealed a somewhat confused Akuma holding a cell phone for a selfie as Elena hugged him.
Further Reading: Guilty Gear Characters Ranked
55.
CRIMSON VIPER
Viper is like a collection of ideas that dont really come together.
Shes a secret agent.
She has a daughter.
She has the worst hair in the series.
Theres also that part in theTies That Bindanime movie where she grabs Cammy by the boob and electrocutes her.
Thats just sexy as helwrong.
I meant to say thats just wrong.
SODOM
First appearance in Street Fighter: Street Fighter Alpha
Im a bit torn on this guy.
When he was introduced inFinal Fight, he was the epitome of badass.
A huge, armored behemoth with two katanas that you had to fight in an underground wrestling ring.
If anyone was asking for an expansion, its that guy!
And so he showed up in theAlphagames as a dorky white guy pretending to be Japanese.
I mean…its funny, dont get me wrong.
I love his bigass truck, too.
I just feel that it wasnt the best way to answer his mystique.
Further Reading: Mortal Kombat Characters Ranked
53.
Otherwise, she seems kind of tame compared to the rest of theThird Strikecast.
DHALSIM
First appearance: Street Fighter II
And now weve hit the original twelve fromStreet Fighter II.
Dhalsim is a novelty that never seemed as fun to play as he should have been.
Anyway, I cant hate on Dhalsim too much.
The guy once invited Shuma-Gorath to his home for a dinner date.
Further Reading: The Strange History of Tekkens Mishima Family
51.
I like that).
I wasnt too sold on Abel until seeing him shine inStreet Fighter X Tekken.
EAGLE
At first, Eagle was created as an homage to Robert Bakers character inFist of Fury.
Between that and his snazzy escrima sticks, he definitely stuck out among the other originalStreet Fightercharacters.
So Eagle kind of rules.
And that came from a dandy who works as a bar bouncer!
Further Reading: Why Tattoo Assassins Is the Strangest Mortal Kombat Knockoff Ever
49.
EDMUND HONDA
Honda is just such a likable guy.
On one hand, hes this beloved, knowledgeable sumo master, followed by devoted students.
No wonder Ryu hangs out with him for the rest of the movie.
I know I would!
Im disappointed we didnt get a Honda/Hakan team inStreet Fighter X Tekken.
We need those two playing passive-aggressive buddies more often.
Hondas also a trailblazer for the series.
Then years later, they brought her back and gave her a more bland design.
The story made it very apparent that she was working for Gill the very moment Urien showed up.
You dont need to go all cloak and dagger about it.
Her fighting style feels original and it makes sense that shed have a taste of his ice powers.
It also ties into how hard they lean into her whole Soviet identity.
Even Zangief thinks its a bit much.
Further Reading: The Legacy of Marvel vs. Capcom
47.
FEI LONG
Having a Bruce Lee clone in a fighting game is like having a Starbucks in your mall.
Its pretty much expected.
Fei Long lacks originality, but I respect the fact that hes self-aware.
Bruce Lee is a dude who existed in theStreet Fighteruniverse.
Fei Long just honors him by being basically the same guy.
And does this mean Eagles aware that hes derivative of a movie character?
The kid does a Shoryuken with two fists like that will make it better.
Hes overcompensating for his greenness.
In the end, Dan has plateaued and has mastered the little that hes worth.
Sean is still young and might one day reach the point of at least getting past tournament prelims.
Further Reading: The Strange History of Tekken Comics
45.
Im going to call a spade a spade here and say thats pretty fucked up.
Capcom actually did right by not making that a punchline.
Having Rolento on drums is just plain inspired.
ROSE
First appearance: Street Fighter Alpha
Rose begins as this interesting, tragic, and mysterious character.
Shes set up to fail becauseAlphais a prequel and we know Bison exists afterward.
Its a bummer, but a fitting end.
Further Reading: Tekken Characters Ranked
43.
RAINBOW MIKA
Zangief represents the pinnacle of athleticism and the human spirit.
Hugo represents using power to garner fame, fortune, and respect.
El Fuerte represents…lets not talk about him anymore.
R. Mika, on the other hand, is all about the pageantry of wrestling.
Its almost like shoving all the wrestling tropes on her protects Zangief from being a parody of himself.
Not, you know, tests of strength and will in the name of victory.
You are guaranteed to have family members randomly walk into the room while that ones happening.
BLANKA
Blankas height on this list mostly comes from his first appearance inStreet Fighter II.
Why wouldnt he be?
And you know what?
They barely even explained any of that!
Blanka just is and, damn it, we accepted him!
It was enough to get him major roles in the American movie and cartoon series.
Then Capcom rested on using Blanka for a while.
I feel that by that point, there were better oddball designs out there.
His fixture as the token freak didnt carry the same weight.
Further Reading: King of Fighters Characters Ranked
41.
More power and less wasted movement.
He also gets props for Akira Koieyamas portrayal of him inStreet Fighter: Assassins Fist.
One of the highlights, as far as Im concerned.
Further Reading: Are Fighting Games Too Difficult?
Bison is cartoonishly evil and Gill is just…cartoonish.
At the time, the way Gill was implemented into the games engine was kind of revolutionary.
Theyre both equally badass and nonsensically batshit.
NECRO
Necro seems like a 90sX-Mencharacter who somehow wandered into the series.
I also feel that he uses the gimmick better than the other two.
Further Reading: The Characters That Didnt Make It into Street Fighter 5
37.
GEN
AnotherStreet Fighter 1original, Gen found a new life as Akumas rival.
Turns out, Gen is that man.
It makes their rivalry seem a bit more fresh.
Gen is a killer on his last legs, with nothing left to look forward to.
Going out in a blaze of glory is a better way out than succumbing to illness.
He can either lose fulfilled or win and be empty.
IBUKI
The energetic ninja girl is too fun not to like.
And she has a raccoon because why not.
Plus she has that slick slide into neck snap attack.
Someone needs to call him out on being a nut, even if he wont listen.
Further Reading: 20 Underrated NES Games
35.
ORO
Not every super-powerful character needs to be an end boss or space goddess or whatever.
Oro is played as the new Gouken or maybe Gen, while distanced from all the Akuma drama.
Hes basically the Yoda ofStreet Fighter.
Small, wrinkly, lives in the wilderness, is kind of off his rocker, etc.
But hes also a totally wise mentor character who can mess you up if he really wants to.
Its rather impressive how they were able to take a head-swap and make him seem so completely different.
Instead of having control over fire and ice, Uriens got a body of iron with control over electricity.
Urien knows whats up.
Further Reading: 25 Underrated SNES Games
33.
RUFUS
Rufus is an obnoxious delight.
He really came into his own in theTekkencrossover.
Eds new deal inStreet Fighter Vis the creation of Neo Shadaloo, which at this point is morally ambiguous.
Further Reading: 25 Best Game Boy Advance Games
31.
And hes just a dude in an orange vest and ninja pants with Nikes on.
Guy just exudes cool.
Okay, maybe Im a little annoyed.
BIRDIE
Birdie rides the fine line of cool and a total mess.
Hes like the evil version of Jeffrey Lebowski in a way.
While not exactly bright, hes still head and shoulders above Balrog and definitely more ambitious in overthrowing Bison.
After that, Birdie had Ryu tag along with him in criminal matters.
To Birdie, this was a genuine act of friendship.
Hell, that little development made me like both characters a lot more.
It works out that hes recently become more of a good guy, even if driven by gluttony.
Further Reading: 20 Underrated 3DS Games
29.
Necalli is Ryback or 2001 Diamond Dallas Page.
Basically, Necalli came out looking like the new-age Akuma.
Hes metal as fuck.
He spends the entirety ofStreet Fighter Vs story mode getting chumped again and again.
Instead of being this nightmare made of pure doom, hes just a pest.
The only guy who gets bested by him is Ryu, whos immediately bailed out by Dhalsim.
Then Ryu beats up Necalli later on anyway.
At least have him feast on Joe or Lee or something.
CHUN-LI
Look, I get it.
Shes the godmother of fighting games.
The one all other fighting game women are measured against.
Spinning Bird Kick and all that jazz.
Bouncing off heads like Mario.
I know, I know.
I just dont think shes THAT great.
Not top ten great at least.
There are better female characters on the roster.
Besides, have you SEEN thatLegend of Chun-Limovie?
Further Reading: How Arcades Are Making a Comeback
27.
HAKAN
First appearance: Super Street Fighter IV
Yes, Hakan is a spot higher than Chun-Li.
Come at me, bro.
Eh, who am I kidding?
You already clicked the corner X halfway into reading that last entry.
Hakan is the bees knees.
How can anyone hate this guy?
For real, including him in theStreet Fighter X GI Joecomic became the ultimate selling point.
He even beat up Roadblock!
The same goes for hand grenades.
Thats a weapon that doesnt get used enough in fighting games.
Thank God we have Rolento Schugerg to fulfill that quota.
Rolento is kind of a low-level Bison who is less evil and more straight-up crazy.
He wants to rule the world through military takeover but in the name of the greater good.
If it wasnt for Rolento missing from the SNESFinal Fight, I wouldve wanted him inStreet Fighterway earlier.
His bag-of-tricks military fighting style lends itself well to the engine, while making him incredibly unique.
Further Reading: 25 Best Japanese Games Not Available in the US
25.
DUDLEY
Part of theStreet Fighter IIIoverhaul was about introducing a checklist of new characters who scratched an old itch.
Theres the giant wrestler, the stretchy guy, the karate guy who sucks, and so on.
With the token boxer, they decided to go the complete opposite direction of Balrog.
Dudley is suave and refined.
Hes speed and precision over pure power and hardheaded anger.
Politeness over violent hatred.
Hes everything Balrog isnt, except equally exceptional with his two fists.
The man oozes style in everything he does, whether its before, during, or after the fight.
Like draping his coat over his shoulders while calling his fallen enemy gutter trash.
Dudley simply is the man.
Introduced as playable inUltra Street Fighter IV, Decapre appeared to be more than just an expected Cammy clone.
At least in her playstyle.
Youd expect Decapre to meet with Cammy in the battlefield, remember their bond, and then move on.
No, not quite.
Decapre spent her life in pain, being used as nothing more than a weapon.
Her existence is torture.
That was a lie.
Cammy is a liar and Decapre refuses to forgive her for it.
Further Reading: 25 Underrated Video Game Soundtracks
23.
Even with their experience, theyre eventually left obsolete and old.
Someone like Gouken is better off dead than a supporting character.
Zeku was first introduced in GuysAlpha 2ending as a master who was about to be rendered obsolete.
He had a promising design, but what would Capcom do when it came time to flesh him out?
The studio actually did a great job making his retirement the first step in a new direction.
WhileStreet Fighter Vdidnt have him outright find his place, it did give us a fantastic twist.
ZANGIEF
Hell yeah, Red Cyclone!
Further Reading: 50 Underrated Multiplayer Games
21.
But thats okay because Q is more than just an enigma.
Hes also a creepy, menacing, hard-hitting tank not to be messed with.
For real, Capcom needs to put this guy in a new game already.
At least they gave us G to tide us over.
KEN MASTERS
Welllll, if you werent mad at me for Chun-Li, youre probably mad at me now.
Thats not to say I dont dig Ken.
Hes reached the point of the list where Im mostly dishing out compliments.
I just dont find him as necessary as theotherbig main character in the series.
In terms of Ryus rivals, Kens third place at best.
Further Reading: 60 Underrated PS1 Games
19.
BALROG
First appearance: Street Fighter II (unofficially Street Fighter)
Skeletor needs his Beast Man.
Bison needs his Balrog.
Fighting dirty and without any kicks whatsoever, nearly every landed punch hits like a Greyhound.
Catching your opponent with a dashing uppercut or straight punch to the skull is always satisfying.
Then his leadership sunk them within several months…and he couldnt grasp what went wrong.
Now he has a different story thread where hes become a father figure to his psychic sidekick Ed.
Wouldnt mind seeing some follow-up on that in a later game.
Ryu has to go fight Akuma, but defeating him might cost him his soul.
Its really on the nose because he means it will literally turn him into a senseless killing machine.
Plus whoever came up with the idea of the Sonic Boom deserves a raise.
Further Reading: 50 Underrated PS2 Games
17.
JURI HAN
Juri is a foil for Chun-Li and is way more interesting.
Why does he have aDragon Ball Zpower scouter?
I have no idea.
Its never really brought up.
Even Charlies redemption is brought on by Rashids charming and friendly personality.
Further Reading: 25 Underrated PS3 Games
15.
Karin should by all means be a villain with the way she holds herself above the common folk.
Maybe its because her rivalry with Sakura has taught her humility.
I love that kind of thing.
M. BISON
Can I just post, it was Tuesday, and move on?
Bison is a visionary.
A real tastemaker, that Bison.
Hes just so infectiously cheery about being an absolute dirtbag.
Its hard not to get behind his one-liners that bring out his zest for kung-fu treachery.
His in-game catchphrase is, This place will become your grave!
and it sounds badass no matter which language youve chosen for him.
Hes too valuable a villain.
Further Reading: The Many Lives of M. Bison
13.
Hes Andre the Giant (part ofan entire family of Andre the Giants!)
who fights like Zangief being attacked by bees.
Like, come on.
When someone asks why you should care about the stories and endings in video games, there you go.
ADON
If Adon is in the game, hes my main.
Im not very good with him or anything, but hes my main.
Hell, my email is named after one of his moves.
Adon is this grating, hateful man who doesnt seem to like anyone else.
Normally, that would easily make him fit into the role of villain.
Hed be gunning to take over Shadaloo or something of that nature.
In one of Adons endings, Bison comes to him with an offer to join Shadaloo.
Yes, thats right.
Adon has a higher moral standing than Sagat!
He isnt a monster.
Hes just a heel.
CHARLIE NASH
Charlie and Guile are like Captain America and Bucky Barnes with the roles reversed.
Recently, Charlies resurfaced as a deranged, mindwiped freakshow.
Further Reading: The Strange History of Charlie Nash
10.
ALEX
In a way, Alex is like a parody of Guile.
While Guile abandoned his family in the name of revenge, there was still righteousness to his mission.
The guy has a short fuse and doesnt think things through, is what Im getting at.
Alex is the highlight ofStreet Fighter IIIfor me.
Something about his line delivery gives it an extra bit of oomph when youre slamming your opponent.
Even him yelling something as simple as WEAK!
G is visually a mixture of Q, Abraham Lincoln, Uncle Sam, Goldmember, and a hobo.
2where hes the living avatar of Earths spirit.
Or maybe hes something more sinister.
Either way, light it up!
I love this guy.
(Bison is kind of an odd guy.)
Shes Jamie Lee Curtis main, by the way.
Who are you to question Jamie Lee Curtis?
Shes Ryus fangirl, but more than that.
She represents all thats good and wholesome about Ryu and his actions.
She may fight like ghetto Ryu, but shes able to carve her own path.
DAN HIBIKI
How could I not have the Master of Saikyo in the top ten?
Even though hes a joke, Dan still has a somewhat serious story arc that makes him endearing.
His father was killed by Sagat.
He learned just a little bit under Gouken, but was kicked out for wanting vengeance.
He came out all right in the end.
CODY TRAVERS
Cody started out as the boring one in theFinal Fighttrio.
He was neither the American ninja nor the prototype Jesse Ventura.
He was just the guy in street clothes who got the girl.
Then he showed up in the U.S. cartoon and he was a terrible redneck mess.
But Cody immediately became amazing the moment they put him inAlpha 3.
Instead of living happily ever after,Final Fight Revengeruined him completely on an emotional level.
Cody is what Ken could have become.
Cody still holds two secrets in him.
The other is that Cody is apparently one of the best fighters in theStreet Fighteruniverse.
Hes supposed to be on Akumas level, but doesnt assert himself enough for anyone to really take notice.
Hes too busy acting out of boredom and handicapping himself with giant handcuffs to really fulfill his potential.
Its the perfect ending of his story and an even better starting point if they allow it.
VEGA
Few people in this world have ever had their shit figured out more than Vega.
Hes a matador by day and a ninja assassin by night.
He spends his spare time killing people in cage matches.
He has his own personal sense of honor, but in a disgusting, self-serving, prejudice way.
Further Reading: The Strange History of Street Fighters Vega
3.
AKUMA
First appearance: Super Street Fighter II: Turbo
Akuma is the boogeyman of the martial arts world.
A twisted monster who murdered (sort of) his own brother to prove a point.
He wants to drive Ryu to darkness for the sake of competition.
Yet at the end of the day, its hard to even label him as simply evil.
Hes beyond the duality.
He foregoes the ideas of being merciless for the sake of being merciless.
Even his behavior around Ryu amounts to: This is what you want!
You dont seem to grasp it, but this is exactly what you want!
Further Reading: The Violent History of Akuma
2.
RYU
Ryu is so boring.
nearly everyone
I dont agree.
I used to, but Ryus grown on me over the years.
Strange to Mr. Game and Watch.
Thats not what makes him so interesting, though.
That story was about Ryu coming to terms with what he truly is.
Ryu is the saint of battle.
Hes likely the main reason Ken remains in the circuit.
He holds the world together.
Further Reading: The Epic History of Ryu
1.
SAGAT
Like I mentioned before, Ryus inner-battle storyline is a bit too on the nose.
The plot machine he struggles with (the Dark Hadou) is basically magic.
It makes him a more complex person who spends various games walking through an arc of redemption and self-discovery.
Sagat starts the series off as a kind of shitty guy with a gigantic ego.
Sagat redeems himself in various ways and ends up seeing the world the way Ryu does.
All that and the guy is a stone cold badass.
Hes a statue made of battle damage.
His ending inStreet Fighter X Tekkenhas him turn his back on gaining godly power because its beneath him.
Hell, go check out his subplot inRyu Final.
Kind of like Ryu, but far more blunt, unforgiving, and controlling.
There are no kid gloves on him.
The King of Muay Thai demands excellence and wont settle for less.
Gavin Jasper writes forDen of Geekand probably wouldve put Mike Haggar in the top ten if he qualified.
Oh well.Read Gavins other articles hereand follow him on Twitter@Gavin4L
