Who makes (second) impact?
Capcom has fully revealed the launch roster for its exciting-looking fighter Street Fighter 6, offering us an 18-strong cast of new and familiar faces, (with a few more fighters already waiting in the wings). It’s a wicked cast, and the buzz surrounding newcomers such as Marisa, Kimberly, and Jamie seems more fervent among the community than usual, which is a great sign for the new generation.
The overall World Warrior cast is huge, however, and unfortunately, not everybody can make the cut. But it’s always fun to speculate, and even more fun to see your article splashed on Reddit with people angrily sulking about your opinion. So, for these reasons and more, I think we should take a look at eight characters from the Street Fighter universe who I believe would fit extremely well within SF6‘s visual design, aesthetic vibe, setting, and twisted timeline. Here’s hoping we see some of these folks step back into the ring somewhere down the line.
Here are 10 World Warriors who would fit snugly into Street Fighter 6. Spoiler: No Abigail.
10. Sodom
The Final Fight and Street Fighter Alpha veteran has been missing from the franchise for a long time. And despite his weird clash of styles, (Tabi socks with 501’s, nice one), Sodom has been missed by his cult party of dedicated fans, regardless of whether they know him as Sodom or the Nintendo-friendly “Katana”.
Still, with Street Fighter 6 having deep ties to Metro City and the Mad Gear Gang, it could be the perfect opportunity for the sai-wielding maniac’s return. Sodom’s fun visual style and varied color scheme also lends itself well to SF 6‘s decidedly rainbow pallete. So let’s get this doofus back in the ring.
9. Elena
Given Street Fighter 6‘s latter-day position in the timeline, fortune favors the younger fighters of the universe, and that includes capoeira master and all-around good spirit, Elena. Having made her debut in Street Fighter III, Elena stepped somewhat into the background until her very late DLC inclusion in Ultra Street Fighter IV, where she became feared as a particularly strong character.
Her youth, exuberant energy, and acrobatic fighting style would see Elena as an exciting opponent when placed against characters like Juri, Kimberly, and Lily, and her fans would no doubt love to see their Kenyan queen return with a neat visual redesign for SF 6‘s “Back to the Streets” vibe.
8. Maki
It’s her time, and the time has never been better. Final Fight 2 protagonist Maki has been waiting in the wings for years for her return to the world of one-on-one scrapping, having made impactful appearances in Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper, and the excellent Capcom vs SNK 2.
Not only is Maki a Metro City native, (the backdrop for Street Fighter 6) but she is also a practitioner of Bushinryu, which would make her a great friend/rival to her fellow disciple, Kimberly. There has been a persistent call for Maki’s return for many years, and given the time, her background, and her visual style, Street Fighter 6 is the game to allow that comeback to finally, finally come to pass.
7. Remy
The Parisian savate fighter has been especially conspicuous by his absence ever since his first appearance in Street Fighter III, not even showing up for the roster of crossover fighters, and a rarely used background/cameo character. This is generally considered to have nothing at all to do with his stupid shoes, and everything to do with his over-similarity in fighting style to Guile.
But the GrimDark Gothboy is custom designed to fit in with SF 6‘s “underground club” aesthetic, perhaps better than anyone else on this list. Perhaps with some gameplay tweaks to differentiate himself from the Family Man, Remy could prove to be a very worthy addition to the SF 6 roster.
6. C. Viper
Incredibly, after all of the rumors and whispers, Crimson Viper failed to show up to the Street Fighter V roster entirely, despite having featured in cutscenes sporting a new redesign. The super-cool secret agent still has viability for a return, however, given the mystery behind various elements of the new game’s storyline… Who is JP? Who is behind the framing of Ken Masters? Where are the Illuminati, or Shadaloo? Somebody better call a secret agent, and I don’t mean 007.
Additionally, Viper’s distinct fighting style — all fast dashes and elemental attacks — would look absolutely stunning in the RE Engine, and would make Viper perhaps flashier in the ring than she has ever been, bringing next-level excitement to her fights, awash in electricity and flames. Let’s get her back into the fold, her kid’s schooling isn’t gonna pay for itself.
5. Adon
One of the most irritable and mean-spirited fighters in Street Fighter history, and one of the few characters whose lineage can be traced to the original title, Adon has been absent from the series since his grand comeback in Street Fighter IV, where he caused frequent online nightmares with his lightning quick divekicks.
Now completely disillusioned with his mentor, Sagat, turning over a new leaf to walk a brighter path, the time is perfect for Adon to step out of the shadows and attempt to claim the vacant throne of Muay-Thai — another visually dazzling martial arts skill that would look fantastic with a splash of paint and graffiti. Nobody likes Adon, and that’s exactly why the face-friendly roster of SF 6 needs him.
4. Makoto
One of the most re-requested characters on this list, Makoto has been itching to make a return to the Street Fighter roster. So, why now? Well, in the generational span of Ryu/Chun to Luke/Kimberly, characters such as Makoto appear at the peak of their abilities, mature enough to have honed their skills, with enough youth to still push forward on the path to true enlightenment.
A Makoto who has successfully promoted her dojo, and is now recognized as one of the planet’s finest and most dominating fighters is an awesome narrative to follow, with the karate expert’s hard work and dedication finally paying off and her resultant years being about her, recapturing the youth that she lost in her one-girl promotional tour. Besides all that, she’s simply cool as fuck, and we all want her back.
3. Balrog / Boxer
This is, quite simply, a no-brainer. Shadaloo may be done, but why would Balrog even care? This is a man who exists to simply hurt as many people as possible, and make money doing it. The fall of M. Bison’s operations would not offer Boxer any sense of shame or regret, he’d simply go looking for the next fight, the next prize purse, the next face to break. It’s all he does. It’s all he’ll ever do.
A visual redesign, which sees a greying, aged Balrog, gloves replaced by taped fists, body battered from years and years of battles, but maintaining the selfish, hateful attitude of a man who has failed to love for a single day of his life. Balrog can represent the Old Guard, but — quite unlike veterans such as Ryu, or Chun-Li, or Honda — a man whom hate has consumed entirely, displayed in every last crag on his face.
2. Sakura Kasugano
Where there is Street Fighter, there is Sakura. Beloved by all, as iconic as the characters that came before her, and welcome on the roster of any consecutive title. Having matured beyond her school days, and with her girlish infatuation with Ryu transitioned into solid, mutual respect, Sakura can stand among both the classic characters and the newcomers as a friend and rival, with her fighting style lending itself so well to Street Fighter 6‘s dynamic — visually and technically.
Frankly, I’m stunned that Sakura isn’t already on the launch roster, but then we do have a lot of new faces to introduce to the fan community, so you don’t want to post all of the fan favorites on day one. Regardless, Ms. Kasugano is conspicuous by her absence, and her addition is borderline necessary.
1. Mike Haggar
Incredibly, unbelievably, Mike Haggar has never been on the roster of a Street Fighter game. And the evening is drawing in on the former mayor of Metro City. Now out of office and pretty much retired from both politics and pro-wrestling, Street Fighter 6 likely represents the Final Fight star’s final chance at stepping into the pantheon of World Warriors, joining alumni such as Cody, Guy, Hugo, Poison, Sodom, Abigail, and Lucia. Abigail has been in a Street Fighter game. ABIGAIL.
Street Fighter 6 has its fair share of (frightening-looking) grapplers, but there’s always room for one more, and given the Metro City setting, and the legacy of its former mayor, there is no better time for Haggar to make his Street Fighter debut, even if it turns out to be his last. The pipe-wielding man of action might be getting up in years, but, as we all know, pro-wrestlers never really retire.
Street Fighter 6 launches June 2 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.
