Street Fighter is an iconic arcade-style game series which has been played by millions of people around the world. Over the years, this beat-em-up franchise has grown in popularity. A lot of its success down to the characters gamers can take into battle. And, with so many cool fighters to choose from, we’ve picked out some of the best.
Guile
We kick off our list of cool characters with Guile. The muscle-bound fighter with an impressive haircut debuted in Street Fighter II, a game which was so successful, NetEnt created an online slot based on The World Warrior. Many players will be put off by Guile having only two special moves to his name – Flash Kick and Sonic Boom – but this is in no way a negative. In terms of mastering a character, Guile is one of the best, as there is a lot of anticipation involved.
Ken
Ken, like another character who will undoubtedly appear in our list, is a Street Fighter original. He’s been around since the beginning and is many a player’s favourite to go with when enjoying some button-bashing action. What makes Ken such a great character is his rivalry with another Street Fighter character. In our opinion, he’s the more exciting to go with, and more fun to use, but it’s always been a close run thing between Ken and the next player to appear on our list of the coolest characters from the Street Fighter series.
Ryu
You can’t have Ken without Ryu. In terms of being the face of the Street Fighter franchise, Ryu is it. He is the most popular character, but as mentioned above, it’s always a close call with players of the original release between him and Ken. What sets Ryu apart in many respects is that players can, of course, throw fireballs. Ryu’s dragon punch and hurricane kick also help him to stand out from the crowd too, making him an iconic character of the video game fighting scene.
Chun-Li
When Chun-Li was introduced in Street Fighter II, it was a game-changer for arcade-style fighting games. It was the first time a female character was playable in the genre, and she quickly became popular with gamers eager to try her out against male counterparts. Thankfully, Chun-Li didn’t disappoint by proving herself more than a match for anyone on the Street Fighter II roster. Her moves Lightning Kick and Spinning Bird are legendary in the game series and have been enough for her to defeat even the toughest of opponents.
Sagat
We end our list with Sagat, a player from the original Street Fighter. Sagat, in many respects, is Ryu’s nemesis, and this immediately makes him a compelling character in the franchise. He, of course, is an effective fighter, with the Tiger Knee move one of the most powerful in the game. Sagat looks the part too, as he comes with a gory scar across his chest and the iconic eye-patch. When you factor in his storyline and his status as a bit of an anti-hero, it’s easy to see why so many decide to select him when playing Street Fighter.