5 Missing Street Fighter Characters That The Sequel Desperately Needs to Include

The new Street Fighter movie is off to a strong start in the box office, earning $31 million in a cinematic knockout during its first weekend in theaters. It delivered video game levels of craziness as we all hoped (even if the critical reception hasn’t been the most positive) ,and gave us iconic versions of some fan-favorite characters whose last live-action outing in 1994 wasn’t exactly the stuff of legend. With so much excitement around a potential sequel, the question now is which fighters should join the roster for the next match? There’s really no wrong answer to this one, but we’ve got a few suggestions you might not expect that would really shake things up.

Frankly, there are very few characters people would consider “bad” or wouldn’t want to see in live-action form in some capacity. With so many characters to choose from across countless games in the franchise, chances are your favorite might not be on this list (this time). For this selection, I’m thinking about who would offer the most with the limited screen time they would have while also factoring in their martial arts abilities and how they translate to a movie. None of these are necessarily going to be the driving factor in a plot, but a cameo and fight scene from them would be jaw-dropping and deliver the perfect amount of fan service and action all in one strike.

5) Elena

Debuting in Street Fighter III, Elena uses Capoeira to take down her opponents in a very flashy and unique way. This elusive and swift martial artist could have a beautiful fight scene that focuses less on brutality and more on the elegance of her chosen style. Of course, she would still be slamming and decimating her rivals, but it would look much prettier than what most of us are accustomed to.

Elena’s philosophy on martial arts would be a stark contrast to many of the other fighters we saw in the movie. She is looking for the rhythm of life and a balance of consciousness, something that Capoeira does in a very different way compared to other self-defense and fighting systems. In the video game lore, Elena is able to do the unthinkable by befriending Akuma, seeing past his threatening exterior to the deeper core of who he is and what he stands for. In a movie that often feels over the top, Elena might surprisingly be the element that can ground its characters and help them deal with the heart of the matter that isn’t just uppercuts and fireballs.

4) Rufus

El Fuerte might not have had the strongest showing for a Street Fighter IV character, but Rufus can fill that void in more ways than one. This super-sized street fighter has a history with Ken Masters, or at least he does in his own mind. A self-taught martial artist, Rufus’ design and concept took inspiration from Chris Farley in Beverly Hills Ninja, but don’t be lulled into a false sense of security based on his appearance. Just because Rufus tips the scales, it doesn’t mean he isn’t a threat to be taken seriously.

Rufus would be perfect for some physical comedy a la Kung Fu Hustle, but the laughs would lead to some very exciting fight sequences. Imagine the time he would spend chasing Ken through a movie only to learn that Ken has no idea who he is. Add into the fact that he often mistakes others for his imaginary rival, and you’ve got a recipe for a fun side-plot that offers a taste of fan service with a whole lot of belly laughs.

3) Fei Long

Fei Long was born to be a star, and according to his bio, he already is. There’s no guessing needed with who this character is based on, because how could there be a fighting game that doesn’t pay homage to Bruce Lee? Fei Long had big shoes to fill, especially being one of the new characters in the early days of the franchise when he debuted in Super Street Fighter II. His popularity has remained, and his move-set is still feared on the tournament circuit when in the hands of a skilled player.

If we were looking for a pure martial artist or fighter, we could go with Abel, Adon, Makoto or a number of others, but I’m looking for some charisma to play against Ken, Ryu or even an overconfident Guile who isn’t ready for what Fei Long has to offer. I’d take this Hong Kong stuntman over many other characters thanks to his personality – cocky yet honorable, and calm until provoked. If you’ve ever seen a Bruce Lee movie, you know it doesn’t take much to provoke him, and watching him give Dan — or anyone else, but especially Dan — a whipping would bring many audience members a lot of joy.

2) Sakura Kasugano

Sakura started as annoyance for her idol Ryu, but evolved into a competent opponent and disciplined warrior who could make for an interesting sidekick in a future sequel. Similar to Rufus, there is the element of her chasing him around the world to feed her obsession. That infatuation could lead to instances of perceived jealousy with others, and we know what happens when a fighter doesn’t know how to control their emotions when faced with another fighter.

I don’t want to use the trope of “strong female protagonist,” but Sakura would be a fascinating one to watch grow in the movies since she doesn’t exactly fit the mold. She’s fairly flawed in the beginning due to that fixation with Ryu, but over time she learns to channel it into a way that betters herself. Sakura is a relatable example of what martial arts can do for the mind and body, but she’d also be an amusing counterpart to the more serious combatants in the franchise.

1) Guy

You might consider this one a bit of a cheat, but hear me out – I’ve got a strong reason for this choice! When Guy made his world warrior debut in Street Fighter Alpha, he was already an established personality in a different Capcom franchise. As one of the main characters in the side-scrolling beat ’em up Final Fight, Guy was a surprising addition to the Alpha roster that opened the door for a world of possibilities. This was during a time when internal crossovers were becoming the norm with Capcom’s brawlers, but Guy was more than a gimmick. In the right hands, he was a deadly adversary whose story tangentially intertwined with the world of Street Fighter.

Adding Guy into the mix means that Mayor Mike Haggar and Cody wouldn’t be far behind, and neither would the Mad Gear Gang. In other words, if Capcom wanted to start making a shared universe for their properties, Street Fighter and Final Fight are cousins waiting to share the stage together. Introducing this killer combo leaves the door open for Darkstalkers, Power Stone and even Rival Schools to get a piece of the action. Imagine the potential match-ups that could all stem from this character kicking off a new frontier of fighting flicks from one of the most beloved game makers of all time.

What characters do you want to see in the next Street Fighter movie? Let us know in the comments below!

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