Part of the biggest appeal of Fighting Games is the distinct history and design behind its characters, so getting fans invested in a brand-new fighter can be tough. This is especially true for long-lived franchises, whose efforts to introduces newcomers can be met with indifference at best and discourse at worst. Although some characters warm up to audiences over time, others are instantly accepted, either through fascinating visual appearance or gameplay that entices many players to embrace them right away.
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New characters are almost necessary for a fighting game, both to invent a fresh roster, but also to give new players someone to try who doesn’t have an intimidating legacy. Although fighting games that come back after a long hiatus tend to avoid newcomers in favor of re-imagined favorites, many series tend to have original characters as indications of a franchise’s future. Some examples, such as Luke from Street Fighter, take a long time for players to accept, as many can easily be considered “wasted slots” if not presented as equally interesting as iconic series regulars.
5. Isla (The King of Fighters XV)
While the character Shun’Ei in The King of Fighters 14 was criticized for his overly complicated design as SNK made its first forray into 3D models, Isla was praised in the series’ next title. Isla is, in many ways, a version of Shun’Ei with greater hindsight, reflecting a newcomer with a much stronger visual identity. The twin ghostly hands of Isla had more to do in her gameplay as well, allowing her to express herself with far more fluidity than her counterpart.
Isla’s fighting style revolves around using her hands to fight, rather than only being tied to one or two special moves. She also has many techniques tied to spray paint, both in her climactic super attacks and other inputs that contribute to her main strategies. Isla’s brightly colored clothing, mask, and hair all reflect someone who is a street artist, with her hat also adding to a far more appealing vibe than other serious newcomers in The King of Fighters‘ recent history.
Along with the fighting game innovations SNK included in KoF 15, Isla represents an evolution in their growing mastery of creating 3D character models. Along with Dolores, another great newcomer for KoF 15, Isla has an interesting story and relationship with Shun’Ei that makes the latter character more fleshed out as a result. Little quirks like painting the nails of her spectral hands (also named Amanda) makes Isla far more charming, improving the cast of a game that is known for iconic fighters from across multiple series.
4. Geras (Mortal Kombat 11)
Geras was introduced in Mortal Kombat 11, and if his appeal wasn’t already noticeable, his return in Mortal Kombat 1‘s main roster should be an indication. Geras was a new antagonist in MK11, serving the final boss Kronika similar to how Goro and Kintaro were sub-bosses before Shang Tsung and Shao Khan in Mortal Kombat‘s history. As a protector of the celestial Hourglass, Geras could manipulate the sands of time, creating a play style that was instantly flashy compared to other characters.
Among ninjas, sorcerers, and gods, Geras fit right in. His heavy-hitting and brawling style made him far more intimidating than other characters, but his ability to freeze opponents in time was a huge highlight. This character also threw a wrench into usual violence, being able to regenerate himself no matter how gory of a fatality he was subjected to. Although he is now an ally of Liu Kang in a new timeline in MK1, Geras’ status as a newcomer was instantly memorable, and enough to keep him around as a welcome addition to bring back in future games.
3. Marisa (Street Fighter 6)
Street Fighter 6 hits the nail on the head when it comes to excellent newcomers, with even someone like Luke gaining a huge glow-up from their initial appearance in SF5. Manon, Kimberly, JP, and Jaime are all never-before-seen character to the Street Fighter series, but Marisa was by far the one that fans of all kinds had nothing but compliments for. Marisa breaks the traditional idea of what a female fighting game character can look like, especially when compared to the “same face syndrome” of other titles like Tekken or Marvel Rivals.
Using an ancient Greek martial arts style called Pankration, Marisa is a big, muscled woman who loves fighting, with a blend of submission wrestling and boxing integrated into her gameplay similar to series regulars like Balrog or Zangief. Every attack from Marisa hits hard, leading to exciting moments of heavy impact that fans have gravitated toward since SF6‘s launch. As arguably the most exciting newcomer to the series, Marisa easily steals the show, especially when you see her grapple a lion in the game’s World Tour story mode.
Armored moves and large amounts of health also make Marisa very easy for new fighting game players to pick up, acting as a great introductory character for the genre. In some respects, Marisa can be attributed to Street Fighter 6‘s huge success with new players, helping many of them fall in love with the genre. For that alone, Marisa is an impressive newcomer, and one who may have inspired the Year 4 Character Pass, which is almost all series-first fighters like the upcoming Yasmine.
2. Leroy Smith (Tekken 7)
Similar to Street Fighter 6, the last few Tekken games have seen great newcomers, both on their main roster and through DLC additions. Tekken 8‘s Victor offers a sleek new fighter that plays like a ninja/spy, but Leroy Smith in Tekken 7 took the entire fighting game world by storm. Meant to be an homage to the culture of New York City, Leroy is an old master of Wing Chun, a martial arts form that revolves around rapid-fire chain punches, close-quarters combat, and highly effective counters.
Already a stylistic fighting style used in movies like the Ip Man series with Donnie Yen, Leroy was tailor-made for a game like Tekken. Leroy’s sense of style is still unmatched by many veteran fighting game characters, featuring a look that has quickly become iconic, even being cosplayed by celebrities like T-Pain. The bare-knuckle brawling Leroy uses only becomes better when he fights with his pitbull Sugar, a chonky dog that only adds to the character’s charm.
Although Leroy would release as a completely OP and broken character in Tekken 7, players still revere the newcomer, to the point where his inclusion in Tekken 8 was not just expected, but demanded. Everything about Leroy still attracts many players to pick him up, from how his counter hits are extra brutal to the cinematic style behind his Wing Chun moves. Considering how Leroy even appeared in the Tekken: Bloodline animated miniseries as a character retconned into Tekken‘s illustrious past story, it’s easy to assume he’s a character here to stay in the series.
1. Nagoriyuki (Guilty Gear Strive)
Nagoriyuki is a character design that instantly makes you think “this might be one of the coolest characters ever,” even in a series with fantastic fighters all around. The visuals of Guilty Gear are iconic, with the anime and heavy metal inspirations reflecting a singular vision of the series creator Daisuke Ishiwatari. Every figure in the game, like franchise face Sol Badguy or others like Slayer, May, Johnny, Dizzy, or Ky Kiske all are beloved by players, so it is a testament to how well Nagoriyuki was made to say that he stands among that cast easily.
Wearing a massive cloak and a sharp horned mask, Nagoriyuki is similar to an Oni of Japanese myth and legend, but wields a huge katana like a samurai from a Kurosawa movie. Within Guilty Gear‘s extensive lore and story, Nagoriyuki is not only hundreds of years old, but also one of the rare vampires like Slayer. This bloodlust is shown through his explosive playstyle, where Nagoriyuki collects the blood of his enemies to control himself in battle. Extremely aggressive but restrained gameplay creates a constant ebb and flow for players, making Nagoriyuki an engaging fighter to play as.
The story mode of Guilty Gear Strive also shows off Nagoriyuki extensively, as an antagonist alongside another series newcomer, Happy Chaos. However, the intimidating presence and status as the game’s main boss puts Nagoriyuki into a legendary position, making him easily one of the best new characters in any fighting game series of recent memory. Even as Guilty Gear Strive enters another Season of DLC fighters, Nagoriyuki remains a gold standard for many franchises to follow when it comes to getting your audience immediately invested in a new face.
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