Last but certainly not least, here's the run-down from 5-1:
5. Chun-Li
First appeared in: Street Fighter II
Nationality: Chinese
The leggy Chun-Li was introduced in Street Fighter II and is often dubbed “First Lady of Fighting Games” by fans. Chun-Li entered the initial Tournament as an undercover police officer working for Interpol, she was trying to avenge her father also who met an untimely demise by the ever ruthless M. Bison and his dodgy Shadaloo.
Whilst not having a major role in the SF canon, she is often considered one of the leading characters and has appeared in all versions of SF. Often she just wants to lead a normal life.
Chun-Li’s costume is that of a Chinese qipao in blue but she also wears white combat boots and has her hair in a style like a bun.
She has some decent moves including the Spinning Bird kick which propels her in an inhuman fashion similar to a propeller blade on a helicopter. She was also very quick and was able to leap off the walls (or side of the screen) and head stomp her opponent.
Chun-Li is set to play a lead role in the upcoming Street Fighter movie, she is played by Kristin Kreuk. She also makes an appearance in IV with all the other World Warriors.
4. M. Bison (Vega – Japan)
First appeared in: Street Fighter II
Nationality: Unknown (Secret Society of Shadaloo)
So, here I was playing Street Fighter II on the arcade and eventually I got past all the other bosses and encountered M. Bison and thought “Who’s this pansy? I should be able to finish this guy off easily.” M. Bison handed my ass on a plate. From that point on I belittled Mr Bison by guessing his first name was Mildred or Milton.
Bison is considered the main antagonist in the SF series and is often a recurring character and final boss.
Other than looking more like a character who should appear in the YMCA song, Bison is one mean mother, he has some particularly devastating moves. Namely the Psycho Crusher and the Scissor kick. He also had a particularly nasty head stomp move.
Bison’s dress sense leaves a lot to be desired with an all red military uniform of sorts and hat with the Shadaloo skull on it. Mitchell and Webb take note. In some instances of the series Bison seems to mimic Dhalsim in that he has been known to have pupil-less eyes and is able to teleport.
During M. Bison’s evil reign in Shadaloo he has bumped off numerous characters including Chun-Li’s father and notably Charlie. He has also converted Ryu to his cause, has links with Cammy, Rose and T. Hawk.
Bison returns for SF IV and is a playable character in both the arcade and home versions of the game.
3. Sagat
First appeared in: Street Fighter I
Nationality: Taiwanese
Some people may be surprised to see Sagat so high in my list but for me he is one of the characters that epitomises SF.
Sagat’s first appearance was as the final boss in SF I where the player (Ryu or Ken) would play through every fighter and then encounter Sagat’s apprentice Adon in Thailand and then finally Sagat himself. If the player defeats Sagat he would declare than they are “Strongest Street Fighter in the world.”
One of the traits of Sagat is that he is extremely tall and muscular, other than becoming a professional basketball player Sagat decided Street Fighting was for him. He also has an eye-patch over his right eye which doesn’t appear to hamper him whilst fighting. He lost his eye in a fight with Dan’s father Go Hibiki in which Sagat exacted revenge for this loss by killing Go.
Sagat has had several run ins with several characters throughout the series, notably Ryu who defeated him at the conclusion to SF I and left a massive scar across Sagat’s chest which is a constant reminder to the Thai fighter.
Sagat is considered by many to be extremely powerful in the series, especially in Super Street Fighter II, where his Tiger Uppercut hits multiple times causing a large amount of damage, also he has a low and high Tiger Shot (similar to Hadoken) which was difficult to avoid. His move set was similar to that of Ryu and Ken in execution but his range was vastly superior.
Sagat has been an antagonist in the majority of instances during the series however he does aid Ken and Sakura in releasing Ryu from the clutches of M. Bison showing he does at least have honour.
As with all the characters from SF II, Sagat makes a re-appearance in IV.
2. Ken
First appeared in: Street Fighter I
Nationality: American
Ken Masters is one of the most iconic characters of the series and has close ties to the main protagonist Ryu. Other than being a close friend of Ryu, they were both mentored by Gouken.
Originally Ken features in Street Fighter mainly as a duplicate of Ryu for Player 2. Whilst normally the player wasn’t able to play through the game as Ken, if Player 2 was to defeat Player 1 Ken would play through the single player tournament instead of Ryu.
Ken largely remains unchanged since his early days in SF; he wears a red karate gi with yellow wristbands, later versions of the game sees Ken wearing brown gloves.
The only notable difference between the various series’ is Ken’s age. SF Alpha sees a very young looking Ken but SF III sees him looking notably older. He is also considered the ultimate family man as he is married and has a son, Mel. Ken also isn’t adversed to mentoring younger students like Sakura and Sean.
The majority of SF and SF II gamers will remember that Ken and Ryu had identical moves and Ken’s sprite was a head swap of Ryu. Ken gradually moved away from being a clone of Ryu in SF II Champion Edition, Ken’s moves began to take a more unique form and by Super Street Fighter II Ken’s Shōryūken hit a multiple of times and his fist was streaked by flame. It was by that time that Ken’s moves although still very similar to Ryu’s were noticeably showier. Ken’s throw involved a rolling move that indicated perhaps Ken had more style than Ryu.
He is set to make a return in IV and I’m already looking forward to another Ken vs Ryu match. Bring it on!
1. Ryu
First appeared in: Street Fighter I
Nationality: Japanese
The face of SF and the main protagonist throughout, Ryu made his bow in SF I as the main character.
Despite his simple design, Ryu has undergone a few changes throughout his SF standing. Originally he had red hair and sported red slippers with a white headband and tattered white gi. His gi has remained consistent but he lost his red slippers and red hair in his incarnation in SF II. Also Ryu wears a red headband rather than a white one however this is later revealed in SF Alpha 2 to be a gift from his friend and rival Ken.
Ryu is depicted as the ultimate travelling warrior who seems to be fiercely independent and focussed on improving his abilities. He has picked up a lot of rivals during his time, Sagat always holds Ryu in contempt following his defeat and scarring in the events at the end of SF I. As a fellow pupil of Gouken, Ken has always had a friendly rivalry with Ryu.
Ryu’s winning phrase in SF II is now a thing of legend in that he states in the English translation "You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance." Although this actually was a mis-translation in that he should have stated "If you cannot break through the Rising Dragon Punch, you cannot win!" However this led to a lot of SF II fans thinking he is referring to a person named Sheng Long, probably his sensei.
The magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly stated in 1992 that Sheng Long was a secret character in the arcade version but you had to beat the game with Ryu without being hit. This was in fact an April Fools joke.
Fans still speculated that “Sheng Long” would appear in SF III in 1997 and EGM ran with this too for another April Fools Joke. This time however Ryu and Ken’s sensei was named as Gouken in Japan but EGM stated the American version of Gouken would be called Sheng Long. He didn’t however appear in SF III.
Thankfully Gouken does make an appearance in SF IV and his name is confirmed as Gouken rather than Sheng Long.
Ryu is often considered a good option for beginners to pick up the game but is also readily picked by intermediate SF gamers. Ryu’s moves are iconic to the series from his “Hadoken” to his “Tatsumaki-Senpū kyaku” also his super power moves like “Shinkū Hadōken.”
It has often been debated by many enthusiasts as to what is the correct pronunciation of Ryu’s name. Many pronounce his name Rai-yu which is an anglicized pronunciation however the official correct pronunciation of his name is Ree-oo. Which kinda makes this whole feature null-and-void as I always pronounced him Rai-yu! What do I know eh?
5. Chun-LiFirst appeared in: Street Fighter II
Nationality: Chinese
The leggy Chun-Li was introduced in Street Fighter II and is often dubbed “First Lady of Fighting Games” by fans. Chun-Li entered the initial Tournament as an undercover police officer working for Interpol, she was trying to avenge her father also who met an untimely demise by the ever ruthless M. Bison and his dodgy Shadaloo.
Whilst not having a major role in the SF canon, she is often considered one of the leading characters and has appeared in all versions of SF. Often she just wants to lead a normal life.
Chun-Li’s costume is that of a Chinese qipao in blue but she also wears white combat boots and has her hair in a style like a bun.
She has some decent moves including the Spinning Bird kick which propels her in an inhuman fashion similar to a propeller blade on a helicopter. She was also very quick and was able to leap off the walls (or side of the screen) and head stomp her opponent.
Chun-Li is set to play a lead role in the upcoming Street Fighter movie, she is played by Kristin Kreuk. She also makes an appearance in IV with all the other World Warriors.
4. M. Bison (Vega – Japan)First appeared in: Street Fighter II
Nationality: Unknown (Secret Society of Shadaloo)
So, here I was playing Street Fighter II on the arcade and eventually I got past all the other bosses and encountered M. Bison and thought “Who’s this pansy? I should be able to finish this guy off easily.” M. Bison handed my ass on a plate. From that point on I belittled Mr Bison by guessing his first name was Mildred or Milton.
Bison is considered the main antagonist in the SF series and is often a recurring character and final boss.
Other than looking more like a character who should appear in the YMCA song, Bison is one mean mother, he has some particularly devastating moves. Namely the Psycho Crusher and the Scissor kick. He also had a particularly nasty head stomp move.
Bison’s dress sense leaves a lot to be desired with an all red military uniform of sorts and hat with the Shadaloo skull on it. Mitchell and Webb take note. In some instances of the series Bison seems to mimic Dhalsim in that he has been known to have pupil-less eyes and is able to teleport.
During M. Bison’s evil reign in Shadaloo he has bumped off numerous characters including Chun-Li’s father and notably Charlie. He has also converted Ryu to his cause, has links with Cammy, Rose and T. Hawk.
Bison returns for SF IV and is a playable character in both the arcade and home versions of the game.
3. SagatFirst appeared in: Street Fighter I
Nationality: Taiwanese
Some people may be surprised to see Sagat so high in my list but for me he is one of the characters that epitomises SF.
Sagat’s first appearance was as the final boss in SF I where the player (Ryu or Ken) would play through every fighter and then encounter Sagat’s apprentice Adon in Thailand and then finally Sagat himself. If the player defeats Sagat he would declare than they are “Strongest Street Fighter in the world.”
One of the traits of Sagat is that he is extremely tall and muscular, other than becoming a professional basketball player Sagat decided Street Fighting was for him. He also has an eye-patch over his right eye which doesn’t appear to hamper him whilst fighting. He lost his eye in a fight with Dan’s father Go Hibiki in which Sagat exacted revenge for this loss by killing Go.
Sagat has had several run ins with several characters throughout the series, notably Ryu who defeated him at the conclusion to SF I and left a massive scar across Sagat’s chest which is a constant reminder to the Thai fighter.
Sagat is considered by many to be extremely powerful in the series, especially in Super Street Fighter II, where his Tiger Uppercut hits multiple times causing a large amount of damage, also he has a low and high Tiger Shot (similar to Hadoken) which was difficult to avoid. His move set was similar to that of Ryu and Ken in execution but his range was vastly superior.
Sagat has been an antagonist in the majority of instances during the series however he does aid Ken and Sakura in releasing Ryu from the clutches of M. Bison showing he does at least have honour.
As with all the characters from SF II, Sagat makes a re-appearance in IV.
2. KenFirst appeared in: Street Fighter I
Nationality: American
Ken Masters is one of the most iconic characters of the series and has close ties to the main protagonist Ryu. Other than being a close friend of Ryu, they were both mentored by Gouken.
Originally Ken features in Street Fighter mainly as a duplicate of Ryu for Player 2. Whilst normally the player wasn’t able to play through the game as Ken, if Player 2 was to defeat Player 1 Ken would play through the single player tournament instead of Ryu.
Ken largely remains unchanged since his early days in SF; he wears a red karate gi with yellow wristbands, later versions of the game sees Ken wearing brown gloves.
The only notable difference between the various series’ is Ken’s age. SF Alpha sees a very young looking Ken but SF III sees him looking notably older. He is also considered the ultimate family man as he is married and has a son, Mel. Ken also isn’t adversed to mentoring younger students like Sakura and Sean.
The majority of SF and SF II gamers will remember that Ken and Ryu had identical moves and Ken’s sprite was a head swap of Ryu. Ken gradually moved away from being a clone of Ryu in SF II Champion Edition, Ken’s moves began to take a more unique form and by Super Street Fighter II Ken’s Shōryūken hit a multiple of times and his fist was streaked by flame. It was by that time that Ken’s moves although still very similar to Ryu’s were noticeably showier. Ken’s throw involved a rolling move that indicated perhaps Ken had more style than Ryu.
He is set to make a return in IV and I’m already looking forward to another Ken vs Ryu match. Bring it on!
1. RyuFirst appeared in: Street Fighter I
Nationality: Japanese
The face of SF and the main protagonist throughout, Ryu made his bow in SF I as the main character.
Despite his simple design, Ryu has undergone a few changes throughout his SF standing. Originally he had red hair and sported red slippers with a white headband and tattered white gi. His gi has remained consistent but he lost his red slippers and red hair in his incarnation in SF II. Also Ryu wears a red headband rather than a white one however this is later revealed in SF Alpha 2 to be a gift from his friend and rival Ken.
Ryu is depicted as the ultimate travelling warrior who seems to be fiercely independent and focussed on improving his abilities. He has picked up a lot of rivals during his time, Sagat always holds Ryu in contempt following his defeat and scarring in the events at the end of SF I. As a fellow pupil of Gouken, Ken has always had a friendly rivalry with Ryu.
Ryu’s winning phrase in SF II is now a thing of legend in that he states in the English translation "You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance." Although this actually was a mis-translation in that he should have stated "If you cannot break through the Rising Dragon Punch, you cannot win!" However this led to a lot of SF II fans thinking he is referring to a person named Sheng Long, probably his sensei.
The magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly stated in 1992 that Sheng Long was a secret character in the arcade version but you had to beat the game with Ryu without being hit. This was in fact an April Fools joke.
Fans still speculated that “Sheng Long” would appear in SF III in 1997 and EGM ran with this too for another April Fools Joke. This time however Ryu and Ken’s sensei was named as Gouken in Japan but EGM stated the American version of Gouken would be called Sheng Long. He didn’t however appear in SF III.
Thankfully Gouken does make an appearance in SF IV and his name is confirmed as Gouken rather than Sheng Long.
Ryu is often considered a good option for beginners to pick up the game but is also readily picked by intermediate SF gamers. Ryu’s moves are iconic to the series from his “Hadoken” to his “Tatsumaki-Senpū kyaku” also his super power moves like “Shinkū Hadōken.”
It has often been debated by many enthusiasts as to what is the correct pronunciation of Ryu’s name. Many pronounce his name Rai-yu which is an anglicized pronunciation however the official correct pronunciation of his name is Ree-oo. Which kinda makes this whole feature null-and-void as I always pronounced him Rai-yu! What do I know eh?
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