M. Bison

• Debut: Street Fighter II: Champion Edition

M. Bison is the main villain or antagonist in the franchise, and leader of the infamous Shadaloo we’ve referenced a lot. This self-imposed dictator and narcissistic maniac has but one goal, to achieve world domination. He does not care how he has to do it or who he has to kill to make it happen. Nothing is below him when it comes to achieving his goal. He has quite a force to take on but Bison himself is no pushover. He wields the “psycho power,” which makes him incredibly dangerous and very hard to stop.

Sakura Kasugano

• Debut: Street Fighter Alpha 2

We all knew when Ryu became a top figure in the world of the franchise, he would have his fans. Yet one fan, in particular, became obsessed with him, Sakura Kasugano. Her intense love for him made her want to be around him all the time, but she was but a Japanese school girl. She wanted to prove herself to him, so she watched and learned many of his techniques, then chased him around the world in hopes of proving herself. Due to learning so much, she became an amazing fighter in her own right. Of course, her outfit was clearly inspired by developer fantasies of the time so her costume has changed up some throughout the years.

Cody Travers

• Debut: Street Fighter Alpha 3

Cody Travers first appeared in that old Final Fight game from years ago before debuting in this franchise in the Alpha 3 game. When he first arrived, he was known as a vigilante who unlike the likes of Batman, ended up being reckless with his actions. Thus causing him to be caught, especially since he had to fight just to survive in the slums of Metro City from childhood into adulthood. After serving time for some of his actions, especially on trumped-up charges, he finally got out. Now on a mission to fix the system of oppression, Cody became the new Mayor of Metro City.

Vega

• Debut: Street Fighter II: Champion Edition

Vega is yet another interesting character that also served as a bodyguard for M. Bison at one point. While Vega is obsessed with his own beauty, he’s also obsessed with messing up the beauty of those he fights. This is a true narcissist who only really cares about himself unless you pay him to care about you, of course. While we’ve never heard of Spanish Ninjitsu, Vega seems to be an expert in this martial art. The Spaniard is a skilled fighter who uses his unique brand of ninjutsu as well as a trademark claw to defeat his enemies. He also has an impressive mask that has since become pretty iconic.

Ken Masters

• Debut: Street Fighter

Ken Masters is one of the most popular characters in franchise history. He is particularly interesting due to being so similar yet so different from the likes of Ryu. In a world of Asian martial artists, Ken stood out as the lone American ninja. This allowed him to become essentially the co-main character of the franchise for quite a long time. Although Ryu is his best friend, he is also Ken’s biggest rival. In fact, Ken’s entire goal is to test his power and abilities against every major fighter to become a stronger combatant. However, while he used to eat, sleep, and breathe fighting…he settled down due to his family in recent years and fights for the thrill.

Chun-Li

• Debut: Street Fighter II

Perhaps the most popular female video game character after Lara Croft, Chun-Li is now an icon in the video game industry. Like Cammy, she is a popular character in the cosplay community. Due to her bad*** energy and fighting ability, she has become one of the most beloved characters in the franchise. Trained in Chinese martial arts, she is currently an Interpol Officer seeking to take down M. Bison for the death of her father. Chun-Li is the very first female the franchise produced, making her a key figure in the series. Her popularity has since made her a must-have in every game since her debut.

Sagat

• Debut: Street Fighter

While Adon might be seeking to be the “Emperor of Muay Thai,” Sagat holds that title. The former Shadaloo member was once the main antagonist in the original version of the series. In fact, he was the final boss in the original game and one of the main bosses in the following game. Since then, he changed sides, turning on M. Bison and the Shadaloo entirely. In his quest to seek redemption, and has become essentially an antihero in the franchise. Everyone loves a good redemption story of a bad guy trying to be good, and Sagat has done this in an impressive way.

Ryu

• Debut: Street Fighter

Ryu is Mr. Street Fighter, without a doubt. Whenever someone thinks of this franchise, they will always think of Ryu right away. He is the main protagonist in the franchise and has been in every game since the beginning. This includes every crossover game, as well as special appearances in several others. While Ryu seems like he’d be a ninja of some kind, he’s actually mostly known as a karate master. However, he’s also an expert in Ansatsuken, also known as the assassination martial arts. It is really hard to dislike the man, as he’s always fun to play as.

Akuma

• Debut: Super Street Fighter II

Akuma is similar to Ryu and Ken, except so much cooler. His name essentially translates to “devil,” and his look certainly displays that. He is an emotionless warrior, known for his powerful attacks and abilities. He’s also seemingly addicted to mastering the Satsui no Hado, or “Dark Hado.” This is a dark energy force, and the opposite of the Power of Nothingness or “Sacred Hado.” You’ve likely seen Akuma in Tekken 7 too, this is due to Capcom needing a lot of help to revive Street Fighter for its fifth installment. Bandai Namco, owners of Tekken, was nice enough to help them out. Now Capcom has allowed Akuma to appear in their universe.

Where do We Find This Stuff? Here are Our Sources:

Capcom

Bandai-Namco Entertainment

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Nintendo