Since Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls was first revealed, I’ve watched and analyzed the roster and every new character reveal. While I love the character selections, the final roster feels a bit safe for an Arc System Works game. But what stood out to me was not a missing character, but rather a missing archetype typically featured in fighting games. The game already appears to capture the chaotic energy that made the Marvel vs. Capcom series so beloved while introducing its own mechanics through a unique 4v4 format. But I know that the chaos and adrenaline would not be complete without a grappler character.
Videos by ComicBook.com
All my friends know that when it comes to fighting games, I am always drawn to grapplers. I’ve dabbled in rushdown characters, zoners, balanced fighters, and technical specialists, but nothing gives me the satisfaction of just grabbing my opponent and throwing them around the stage. And this is what Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is missing. That absence has led me to wonder whether Arc System Works is intentionally holding back a major reveal. If that’s the case, the game may offer a secret character that slots into this archetype, and they may be hiding in plain sight: the Champion of the Universe.
Grapplers Have Always Been One of Fighting Games’ Most Iconic Archetypes
Few fighting game archetypes are as recognizable as the grappler. Since the earliest days of the genre, grapplers have represented high-risk, high-reward gameplay built around devastating command throws, armored attacks, and close-range pressure. They often move slower than other characters, but when they finally get within grabbing distance, they can completely swing a match in seconds. Yet, they are balanced because whiffing a grab often opens you up to a huge punish.
The most famous example remains Zangief from Street Fighter. Since 1987, the Red Cyclone has terrified players with spinning piledrivers and massive damage output. Other iconic grapplers followed, including King from Tekken, Potemkin from Guilty Gear, Tager from BlazBlue, and Iron Tager’s fellow Arc System Works heavyweight characters who helped define the archetype for generations of fighting game fans. Each brought their own spin to the formula while maintaining the core fantasy of overpowering opponents through sheer physical dominance, quite literally throwing hands.
Marvel fighting games have historically embraced grapplers as well. Characters like Hulk, Juggernaut, Sentinel, and She-Hulk often occupied hybrid grappler roles throughout the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise. Even when they were not pure grapplers, they fulfilled the thrill of controlling space with enormous hitboxes and punishing mistakes with devastating grabs. Because of that history, seeing a new Marvel fighting game launch without a dedicated grappler feels especially unusual.
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Has a Noticeable Grappler-Shaped Hole
Looking through the currently revealed roster of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, it becomes clear that Arc System Works has included a broad range of fighting game archetypes. Magneto appears to serve as a technical zoning character, Wolverine embraces aggressive rushdown gameplay, and characters like Doctor Doom and Storm occupy versatile all-around roles. The roster has plenty of variety, but one classic archetype remains conspicuously absent.
Ms. Marvel initially appeared to be the game’s answer to that problem. Her stretchy powers enable command grabs and unique pressure sequences, giving her grappler-adjacent qualities. However, after seeing her gameplay demonstrations and playing her in the beta, she clearly plays more like a hybrid pressure and mix-up character than a traditional command-grab specialist. Her mobility and versatility place her far outside the classic grappler mold, and she just doesn’t mesh with how I like to play.
That leaves a fascinating question: why would Arc System Works omit one of fighting games’ most recognizable archetypes? Considering the developer’s long history with grappler characters across franchises like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue, it feels unlikely that this absence is accidental. Instead, it may point toward an unrevealed character specifically designed to fill that role. And if Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls’ story mode centers around the Champion of the Universe and his tournament, there may already be an obvious candidate.
The Champion or the Promoter Could Become Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls’ Secret Grappler
The Champion of the Universe feels like the most logical choice for a secret grappler character. In Marvel Comics, the Elder of the Universe is defined by overwhelming physical strength, cosmic durability, and a love of direct combat. Those traits align perfectly with the traditional grappler archetype. Given that he serves as the central antagonist of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, it would hardly be surprising if Arc System Works saved him as an unlockable boss character or post-launch surprise.
At the same time, the Promoter may actually be the more interesting option. Introduced as the figure organizing the Challenge of the Champion tournament, the Promoter occupies a unique narrative position within the game’s story. If she were chosen to be the secret character and fill the grappler role, she would function very differently from others. The Promoter becomes a highly unconventional grappler built around manipulation, positioning, debuffs, or special command grab mechanics that reflect their role as a tournament organizer.
Of course, other Marvel characters could also eventually fill the role. Juggernaut, The Thing, Colossus, and She-Hulk all have strong grappler potential. Still, given Arc System Works’ history of surprising roster decisions and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls’ emphasis on story-driven teams, I would not be surprised if the answer has been sitting in front of us since the game’s reveal. Until then, the absence of a dedicated grappler remains one of the roster’s most intriguing mysteries, and I truly hope we get at least one grappler at launch or soon after.
How do you feel about it? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
