Top 10 Best Fighting Game Characters of All Time
Fighting games have been throwing punches (and fireballs, and spinning kicks, and soul-sucking fatalities) at gamers for decades, and in all that time, one thing has remained constant: the characters are everything. Sure, flashy graphics and combo-heavy mechanics keep the genre evolving, but it's the fighters themselves who keep you coming back for one more match. They're the reason you mash buttons in a blind panic, memorize 12-button combos like you're cramming for finals, and rage quit when your cousin spams the same move over and over. You know who you are.It all kicked off in the arcades of the late '80s and early '90s where games like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat weren't just popular, they were absolute quarters-magnets. Back then, these characters weren't just fighting. They were building legacies. They had rivalries, iconic outfits, catchphrases, and moves you still remember decades later. You didn't just pick a fighter based on stats. You picked one because they felt like you. Or who you wanted to be, if you had abs of steel and a flaming skull for a head.
Over time, the genre grew. Tekken brought the heat with fluid 3D movement and melodramatic family drama. SoulCalibur threw in weapons, swirly stages, and a lot of yelling. Smash Bros. blurred the lines completely and said, "Hey, why not have a plumber brawl with a space mercenary and a Pokémon?" And through it all, the characters kept evolving. They became more complex, more stylish, and sometimes, let's be honest, more ridiculous.
Now it's your chance to throw your opinion into the ring. Pick the fighters who made you cheer, curse, or straight-up scream. If they got you hooked on the genre or always land that final blow when the announcer yells "Fight!", they deserve your vote.
Once a member of the Shirai Ryu clan, Hanzo Hasashi was resurrected as a specter after being killed by Sub-Zero. He wears a yellow ninja-like outfit and uses teleportation, fire-based attacks, and a rope spear to engage opponents. I love how he speaks (GET OVER HERE!) and he's my favorite character in any Mortal Kombat game. Even Ryu is good too, but it is a really different game. Like superpowers and shoryuken or something. But I vote for Scorpion.
Scorpion wins! Fatality!
Yeah, a character that iconic easily deserves his place in this top ten list. What else could I say? "Come here."
Most of all, his signature moves are legendary moves.
Best moves, easy to play with, cool ninja costume, and a very catchy catchphrase. Scorpion is a total package.
Ryu is a wandering martial artist who dedicates his life to training and seeking stronger opponents. He wears a white gi and fights using Ansatsuken, a discipline combining powerful punches, kicks, and energy projectiles like the Hadouken. By far the main fighting character, he has the traditional karate fighting style that beats a Samurai Shodown style. He is truly the King of Fighters, and no one can Tekken his crown. He can be in a Mortal Kombat and win, even if he represses his Killer Instinct.
Ryu, the One.
The one true epitome of ALL fighters and fighting games. Hands down, I've played virtually all fighting games (OG geek), and Ryu has earned his rightful place as number 1. Scorpion is extremely overrated. He's the John Cena of fighting games because we hate him. Ryu is the BEST.
Sub-Zero is the codename used by two brothers from the Lin Kuei clan, both of whom possess cryomancer abilities. Clad in blue, he uses ice-based attacks to freeze enemies, shatter defenses, and control the battlefield. Sub Zero is just cool. I'm surprised that he isn't in the top 5 (Remember I wrote this on Nov. 30th, 2018), as he is basically the poster boy of Mortal Kombat with Scorpion. I'm surprised that characters like Fulgore, Cinder, Shadow Jago, and Glacius from Killer Instinct aren't even in the top 10.
He and Scorpion are like the Ken and Ryu of Mortal Kombat. Sub Zero is an amazing character and a very patient, calm, and reserved character.
Sub-Zero is literally the coolest fighter around! And nobody does brutal elegance like he does.
King is a professional wrestler and orphanage caretaker who enters tournaments to support underprivileged children. He wears a jaguar mask and fights using Lucha Libre, emphasizing grapples, chain throws, and power moves. His look, with a Jaguar mask, is what turned me on to this character. I got more in-depth into his story, and I find it more intriguing than the Mishima storyline, lol. King is one of the most badass characters in fighting game history. I find him better than Jin and Kazuya.
Been my main since Tekken 3. Played every other fighting game but always came back to the King of Iron Fist, King. One appeal to me is that it could be me under the mask.
Originally an elite assassin for M. Bison's Shadaloo organization, Cammy later joined the British special forces unit Delta Red. She wears a green leotard and uses fast, acrobatic moves focused on precision strikes and grappling techniques. Best girl of Street Fighter. Cammy is an icon in fighting games.
Nitara is a vampire from the realm of Vaeternus who seeks to free her world from its bondage to Outworld. She has bat-like wings, fangs, and uses aerial maneuvers combined with blood magic in combat.
Vega is a narcissistic Spanish assassin who works for Shadaloo and values beauty above all else. He wears a mask and claw, fights with a blend of acrobatic maneuvers and slashing attacks, and often uses the cage wall to his advantage. While some fighters focus on overwhelming power alone, Vega understands the importance of speed and grace. His attacks are swift and brutal, and his tekkō kagi claw makes them no less brutal. When this character is used right, his moves, combined with his speed and good form, make him a lethal fighter all the same.
My first fighting game was Street Fighter 4, and I always played as Vega when I was a little kid. Now I'm 16, and I still love Vega. Such an awesome character.
Reptile is a member of the Saurian race who serves various Outworld rulers in hopes of restoring his extinct people. He is often depicted in green attire and fights using a mix of stealth, acid spit, and reptilian agility. Reptile is one of the first secret characters in fighting game history. But they ruined him by turning him from a badass reptilian-like ninja to a damn lizard (MKDA).
Johnny Cage is a Hollywood actor and martial artist who joins Earthrealm's defense against supernatural threats. He fights using flashy martial arts, shadow-enhanced moves, and taunts, often wearing sunglasses and tactical gear.
The Newcomers
King Hippo is a heavyweight boxer hailing from Hippo Island, known for his immense size and unique vulnerability. He is massively overweight, fights with overwhelming strength, and must be hit in the gut when his shorts fall down.
Carmine is a volatile In-Birth who enjoys inflicting pain and uses his own blood as a weapon in combat. He fights with a reckless, high-risk style that involves creating blood constructs and damaging himself to attack.
Kasumi is a runaway shinobi from the Mugen Tenshin clan, searching for her missing brother while being pursued by her former allies. She wears a blue ninja outfit and specializes in fast, agile combat using traditional ninjutsu and acrobatic counters. Not just beautiful but an effective fighter that inspired me to love 3D fighting games. I still love 2D games.
Guile is a major in the U.S. Air Force seeking justice for the disappearance of his friend Charlie. He uses a military fighting style focused on charge-based moves, including the Sonic Boom and Flash Kick, and sports a flattop haircut and camouflage pants. My favorite goody-goody Street Fighter.
Link is the Hero of Time from The Legend of Zelda series, known for protecting Hyrule from evil forces like Ganon. He carries a sword and shield and uses a variety of tools like bombs, arrows, and a boomerang in a balanced combat style. Has an amazing move set and is a really well-balanced character.
Morrigan is a succubus and high-ranking noble of the Makai realm who thrives on the thrill of combat. She has bat-like wings and uses illusion-based magic, energy attacks, and aerial combos to overwhelm opponents. Darkstalkers should never compare her to any other character in the series. Why Capcom does not throw her in all Capcom crossovers is beyond me!
Hsien-Ko is a Chinese jiangshi created when she and her sister combined souls to fight evil supernatural forces. She wears traditional burial robes and uses clawed weapons, teleportation, and floating projectiles in battle.
Jin is the son of Kazuya Mishima and Jun Kazama, caught in the conflict between the Mishima family and the Devil Gene within him. He fights using traditional Karate, wearing a red-gloved martial arts outfit with lightning motifs. We all have played fighting games (either Tekken, Street Fighter, both, or something else), but it's certain that we all have played and loved Tekken as well as Jin. Most gamers have identified with this epic character!
He can transform into Devil Jin and beat you up like no one else. I'd like to see Scorpion take him on in devil form.
From being a discount Kazuya to one of the strongest fighters in the Tekken universe.
Meta Knight is a mysterious warrior from the Kirby series who often appears as both rival and ally to Kirby. He is a small, masked swordsman with a cape that transforms into wings, emphasizing speed, teleportation, and aerial combat. Meta Knight is everything. He's all you ever wanted. You can win a set now, even if you never won it before. Clashes? He always wins trades. They ain't ever gonna happen. You want him forever, and on any counter pick, he's better.
Aerial is down. Press it while I'm jumping up. Then hit the B button like I don't give a care. I know you wait for it, but you're out of luck. I can do the same thing every single time.
Meta Knight the best,
Meta Knight the best,
Meta Knight the best,
Meta Knight the best.
Now Donkey Kong is mad, DDD is mad, Mario is mad, Ice Climbers are mad, Lucario is mad, Diddy Kong is mad, Falco is mad, Sonic mains are mad, Wario is mad, Fiction is mad, everybody's mad, Game and Watch is mad, Fox mains are mad. But TKD ain't mad. Still, everyone is mad. I say Meta Knight the best.
Okay, for real, outside of Ivan Ooze, Meta Knight is probably the best character compared to most fighting game characters in terms of efficiency. It's hilarious how many advantages he has and how his only weakness is something that can be lengthened via momentum canceling: his lightness.
With highly ranged attacks, some of the best frame data for ANY fighting game character, and transcendent priority, in other words, even if your attack was 999% damage, but it was close to your hurtbox and not very ranged, MK's attacks could slice through the hitbox and hit you anyways. They don't clash like they normally should unless there's a 9% difference in the attack damages. He also has the best recovery in the game. Six jumps? Check. Two glides that go across the screen and have high verticality as well? Check. Four different hard-to-interrupt recovery moves? Double check.
He may not be the best character in terms of whether or not he'd be your favorite, but in terms of effectiveness, he's only outclassed by Ivan Ooze. Let's face it, there's a reason he's a boss character.
Voldo is the blind guardian of his former master's treasure vault, driven mad by isolation and devotion. He wears eccentric leather gear and fights with dual katars using unpredictable, contorted movements and ambush tactics.
Jade was once Princess Kitana's bodyguard and ally who later becomes a revenant after her death. She fights with a green bo staff and razor-sharp boomerangs, using speed, precision, and mid-range control.
Fulgore is a cybernetic warrior created by Ultratech as a prototype combat unit combining advanced tech and human elements. He is equipped with retractable blades, energy projectiles, and teleportation, blending ranged and close-quarters combat.
Noel is a former soldier of the Novus Orbis Librarium who becomes entangled in a larger conflict involving powerful entities and lost memories. She wears a blue uniform with a beret and fights using dual pistols and drive attacks that unleash rapid, chained combos.
Sheik is the alter ego of Princess Zelda, assumed to hide her identity and move undetected during her quest in Hyrule. Sheik wears a ninja-like bodysuit and uses quick attacks, needles, and acrobatic movements for evasive, combo-heavy combat.
Once a pirate possessed by the cursed sword Soul Edge, Cervantes was resurrected after being slain in his quest for power. He wields dual swords, one of which can fire projectiles, and uses teleportation and aggressive slashing techniques.
Yuri is the younger sister of Ryo Sakazaki and a fighter from the Kyokugenryu Karate school. She wears a headband and sleeveless outfit, fighting with a modified Kyokugenryu style that incorporates acrobatics and energy blasts.
Raiden is the God of Thunder and protector of Earthrealm who often guides its warriors in Mortal Kombat tournaments. He wears a conical hat and robes, harnessing lightning attacks, teleportation, and flight in his fighting style.