The Street Fighter series is filled with memorable fighters. With every new game, Capcom introduces new blood to the fighting arena, always trying to outdo itself with a stylish design or a complex new combat style. That said, only a few characters have proven to have the power to take almost all comers and end up on top. These fighters aren’t just great at punching and kicking; they’ve turned it into a deadly art form and become masters of their craft.
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Here are the five strongest characters in Street Fighter‘s long history.
5) M. Bison
While characters like Gen, Gill, and Rose were in with a shout to make this list, I ultimately decided to kick things off with M. Bison. As the main antagonist of the Street Fighter series, Bison is almost always depicted as one of the biggest chunks of beef you’ve ever seen. However, it’s not just physical strength that makes Bison so intimidating.
The guy is so evil that he has expelled all the good out of his soul to become even more powerful. Then, he can take it one step further by tapping into his Psycho Power and unleashing fight-changing moves in a flash. The leader of the Shadaloo can also use his vast criminal network to strike terror into the hearts of people worldwide. Sure, he’s been defeated several times, but it usually takes a village to kill him, and Bison always comes back.
4) Gouken
At one point, Gouken probably would’ve been higher on this list. After all, Ryu and Ken’s master once fought his younger brother Akuma and came out on top. Not many characters can say the same. In fact, the brothers trained together, and Gouken was generally seen as the better fighter. Things took a turn when Gouken committed himself to mastering the pure aspects of Goutetsu, while Akuma was not afraid to take on the evil aspects of the art.
That led to a breakup between the brothers, turning them into fierce rivals who have fought several times. Since embracing the dark side, Akuma has become a much stronger fighter. At one point, he seemingly killed Gouken, but it was later revealed that the older brother had invented a counter at the last second to put himself into a coma instead of dying. Gouken is the polar opposite of Akuma, helping hold him in check while also assisting Ryu in overcoming his own dark side.
3) Akuma
Speaking of Akuma, this force of will could easily make a case for the top spot on this list. His first appearance in Super Street Fighter II Turbo is a memorable one. He pops in for a few seconds, taking just long enough to demolish M. Bison in a single move. That guy is supposed to be the main baddy of the series, and Akuma just ends him with ease. That’s kind of become his gimmick, also adding Gill to the mix from time to time.
Akuma just loves to show up and quickly end a fight, and potentially a life. If he needs a power boost, Akuma can tap into his Shin Akuma or Oni forms. While in those forms, he could likely vaporize most fighters and potentially destroy the entire planet if he wanted. Seriously, this guy is a force to be reckoned with, and I wouldn’t fight you too much if you wanted to move him up a spot or two.
2) Oro
Oro is an old hermit who has some impressive muscles, but doesn’t really compare to some of the beefier characters in the franchise. And when I say old, I really do mean it. This guy is easily over 100 years old, making his physique even more impressive. You might think that means he’s a pushover, but Oro has spent every waking second of those 100+ years mastering his fighting style.
His whole mission is to find a student to pass his knowledge on to. Because he doesn’t want to kill his opponent, Oro fights his opponents with one hand. Sure, Akuma has world-ending power at his fingertips, but Oro can take out pretty much anybody with an arm tied behind his back. The two have fought. It ended in a stalemate as the men assumed a full-force battle would likely end with both of them dead. With that in mind, you can essentially consider these two tied in the ranking.
1) Ingrid
Ingrid is 5’0″ tall and weighs 86 pounds. Don’t let that fool you, Ingrid is a cosmic being. The fighter you see isn’t her true form. That resides in a higher dimension that mere mortals like Akuma and Oro can’t even comprehend. Her abilities can literally break reality, which easily puts her on another tier of fighter than anyone else on this list.
She can travel between dimensions and time, uses all kinds of energy blasts to attack, and has one of the most unorthodox fighting styles in series history. At times, it feels like Ingrid is toying with the strongest fighters Street Fighter has to offer as she dances around them with ease. Then, she unleashes one of her massive special attacks, ending the fight in seconds. She’s the most powerful fighter in the series, and it’s not particularly close.
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Courtesy of Shueisha
