Street Fighter’s Chun-Li Wildly Reimagined by Electronic Arts Artist

The thing about fictional characters is that they rarely get to age. The fact of the matter is that these characters are meant to be somewhat timeless, and making them age realistically would make it harder for the characters to stay relevant, while also putting a strain on the artists that have to constantly reinterpret them. Of course, some do that just for fun, like Electronic Arts artist Xavier Garcia. In a piece of art released on Twitter, Garcia reimagined Street Fighter’s Chun-Li as a 52-year-old woman. The art shows Chun-Li looking just as muscular as ever, but at an age in keeping with the character’s originally established background.

Street Fighter II: The World Warrior gave each of the game’s playable characters a specified birthdate, with Chun-Li’s being March 1st, 1968. That game came out in 1991, however, which would have made Chun-Li 23-years-old. At the time, Capcom likely had no idea how long-lasting the franchise would become, or how these birthdays might age the characters, as a result. Since then, those birthdays have been basically retconned out of future installments, but it’s still fun to see them addressed.

There’s definitely a charm to Garcia’s take on Chun-Li, and it would be very cool to see the artist take on other characters from the Street Fighter franchise, at their previously established ages. Ryu turns 56 this summer; as one of the biggest stars of the series, he would definitely make the most sense as a follow-up. Of course, Dhalsim turns 68 this year, making him one of the older characters in the franchise. It would be nice to see if he would still remain as flexible, at that age!

Since making her debut, Chun-Li has become one of the most recognized characters in Capcom’s fighting franchise and, arguably, one of the most recognized video game characters throughout the world. As the first playable female character to appear in a fighting game, Chun-Li has made a number of appearances outside the games, including cartoons, two live action films, and a plethora of merchandise. All in all, she’s done pretty well for herself over the years!

What do you think of Garcia’s take on Chun-Li? Would you like to see the artist reimagine other characters from the series? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!