I've decided to do what I thought could not be done. I'm going to create a list, counting down the greatest characters in the Street Fighter Franchise, and I'm not going to stop until I've gotten every single one of them (that's right, even the ones from EX)
So here we go, mission start.
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Alright, let's be honest here. Even though Street Fighter has had a huge range of characters, each with their own unique storyline, the story of Street Fighter has always and will always be Ryu's. Sure, he hasn't been the star of each of them, but he has helped carry the series throughout each game, he helped create the most iconic attack in gaming history, and his stoic sense of honor has helped to create an iconic gaming character type. Heck you can even see his influence on other fighting games outside of Street Fighter or even outside of Capcom, whenever you play a game and have to hit down to forward and attack, well then there's just a little bit of Ryu in that character. And for that, he takes home the number one spot.
Ryu pretty much had to be number one, but because of that it was so hard to have to move Ken down to number 2. He's Ken's eternal friendly rival, and because of this he serves as the perfect mirror to him. Similar fighting style but still different enough to be his own guy, shared parts of their history but still has his own story and supporting characters. Basically Ken is like the cool fun version of Ryu, the Ryu you'd want to have a beer with.
Hands down the leading lady of fighting games and the first crush for numerous video game nerds from my age range. She had a very unique fighting style in the first game that really showed off the range of fighters Street Fighter was capable of creating. Not to mention, the character herself showed that women in games can be strong and compete with any guy. Not to mention, who doesn't love that laugh of hers when she wins.
We in America often wonder how the rest of the world views us, and if this military flat topped stereotype is how they see us... then kick ass! Guile is a great combo of muscles and agility, which normally you only get one of in a fighting game character. He also is more connected to Bison in the first street fighter than either Ken or Ryu, almost making that game as much his storyline as theirs. And when you get right down to it, Guile is one of the strongest icons for justice and the law in any video game, making me proud to have him be our all American representative.
Chun-Li stole the hearts of many female fighter fans out there, until Cammy came along and they kicked her to the curb. Cammy not only has a great fighting style in the games, she's also got one of the best storylines. She's been a special agent, a brainwashed assassin, and now a hero in search of redemption. Her history has been closely tied to the villains and heroes of the series, making her worthy of a spot in the top 5.
Okay, enough of the heroes, time to bring on the bad guys. Bison is such an iconic villain in video game history, he's a dictator who has committed acts of terror across the globe, but he's not one of these pansy ass dictators who hides behind his subordinates. No, when you finally face him you know true horror when he crushes you, providing easily one of the greatest challenges for any kid at the arcade who just spent his week's allowance on quarters. It's common now for the final boss in a fighting game to be insanely powerful, but that all started with one massive spinning Psycho Crusher.
Sagat is the ultimate gaming half hero/half villain. He's been on both sides of the spectrum because he has had such a complicated storyline, making him one of the most three dimensional characters in fighting game history. He has served as a rival, mentor, and threat to Ryu throughout the games, and to this day when you see that gigantic bald headed eye patch wearing mountain of muscles bearing down on you, you can't help but worry that you're not making it to the next round alive.
Who doesn't love hearing "I am the Red Cyclone" being shouted out in that thick accent? Heck I'd say that Zangief has the second best accent in the game history (see further down below for number one). Zangief provides great gameplay in that he revolutionized the brawler character, creating a whole new fighting style for those who want to get up close and personal. Also he's served as an odd metaphor for the state of the world. In his first appearance the USSR had just collapsed and America was still nervous about the Soviet Union, making him a villain early on. But now that we're allies with Russia, he's become everyone's favorite big hearted Mohawk sporting wrestler.
Akuma is a demon, I don't mean literally (although that's up to debate) I mean when you fight him you might as well be fighting a demon. Akuma made one of the greatest entries into the Street Fighter world when you thought you were about to go head to head with Bison, then suddenly Akuma teleported in, the screen went black, and then you see Bison unconscious on the ground with Akuma standing over him ready to fight. For many young gamers that is a moment that will live in our memories forever. Also Akuma introduced the Dark Hado, which gives us more backstory on Ryu and really helped to make him a more three dimensional character.
Every game that comes out of Japan needs one sporty peppy girl in it, and Sakura is pretty much the poster girl for that. She's got lots of heart and lots of spunk, and we love spunk. She's a high school girl who wants to be a great fighter, so she travels after Ryu asking him to help train her. This provides some great character dynamics and relationships between them, but it also helps to show the softer side of Street Fighter's main hero. And as for her fighting style, its similar to Ryu and Ken, however each move has been altered to match her younger and more upbeat agility, creating a familiar yet unique gameplay experience.