Top 10 Best Soul Calibur Characters

Few fighting game franchises do it quite like Soul Calibur. From its weapons-based combat to its over-the-top roster of warriors, this series has been delivering high-energy battles since the late '90s. With each new installment, the lineup grows, bringing in fresh faces while keeping fan favorites around for another round of duels. But when it comes down to it, who truly stands out as the best of the best?

Maybe you're drawn to the relentless brutality of a certain nightmare-fueled knight, or perhaps you prefer the fluid grace of a staff-wielding martial artist. Some fighters demand precise execution, rewarding skill with devastating combos, while others let you get flashy with unpredictable, acrobatic attacks. And let's not forget the characters with the most bizarre playstyles, the ones who make you question everything you thought you knew about fighting games.

The Top Ten

Nightmare

He can be the best character in the right hands with all his cheap shots. His design from Soul Calibur 2 kicks ass.

He has a massive sword that can demolish and eat every soul. He can also kill Kratos, no problem.

He is the logo of the development team. Can't get more definitive than that.
Talim

Talim's speed combined with her elbow blades are strong and fierce. And if that doesn't grab your attention, then her unique fighting style combined with somersaults, acrobatics, and kicks are the perfect mix for unpredictability against her foes.
But above all, her humble nature really stands out among the cast to me. As others would see as weakness, Talim's sweetness and kindness are her strongest weapons.
"Conflict lies within you." - Talim, Soul Calibur 2

The character design, personality, and fighting style are aces across the board. She's one of the few cutesy female characters that completely avoids that "sexy schoolgirl ditz" trope, nor do the creators fall into the "sexy exotic" trope. Rather, her soft-spoken and innocent nature are compounded by resilience, compassion, and strength.
Taki

Taki, known as the Hunter of Darkness, is a fictional character from Namco's Soulcalibur series of historical fantasy fighting games. She is a skilled ninja and demon hunter. Taki is recognized for her agility and mastery of dual ninjatō weapons.

I have yet to find someone who can beat me when I play with Taki. She is way too quick. I can easily take down Nightmare. Most of the time, people can't even land a hit.

Taki is fast and agile. She has pretty good combos and can dismember you in seconds - fast, effective, and graceful. Beautiful! Bring a tear to your eye.

Taki is very fast and really fun to play. She is very easy to defeat, especially slower opponents, i.e., Siegfried, Zasalamel, Nightmare, and Inferno.
Kilik

Best character in the entire game. His long-range and short-range strikes are always tricky, hard to dodge, and effective. I can sweep through the game with him! Too bad they had to replace his style with crappy Xiba in Soul Calibur 5.

Kilik needs to get his rod back or at least get his old fighting style back. Kilik as a mimic character is unacceptable.

His moves are so fluid and pro. I can beat almost anyone with this badass muthalicka!
Amy

While Amy lacks power and reach, her combos and speed are incredibly powerful. Once she gets "in the zone" and gains momentum while attacking with combos, you've basically lost.

She's quick, can string combos, and won't let you get off the floor. She's not a powerhouse like Nightmare, but she can easily avoid one and counterstrike. Besides, who couldn't love those curls?

Her moves are quick and have a large range. She has a very interesting bio and personality. She is probably my main character.
Sophitia

Kilik? Nightmare? Cervantes? Favorites, really? Talk about button-mashing idiots who think the easiest and most overpowered characters to use are the best. Sophitia is a generally good character to use. She's not simple to use but not that complicated either. She has some major advantages but also major disadvantages.
Her fighting style is very fun and unique. Her fighting style is probably 25% of the reason why she's my favorite. Most of it is this: she is the most caring and admirable character in the game. She's very strong and independent but also kind and gentle. She fights for her children and would do anything for them. Her storyline in Soul Calibur 4 proves the lengths she'll go to in order to protect her child, even if it means turning against everything she knows and sacrificing her life.
Ivy

Isabella Ivy Valentine is a fictional character from the Soulcalibur series of fighting video games. She was first introduced in the original Soulcalibur game, released in 1998. Ivy is known for her distinctive segmented blade-whip, often called a snake sword, and her complex backstory involving the... read more

Duh! Ivy. Even with some screwed-up physical changes, she was such an original all along. She looks sinister but is actually very heroic and tragic (maybe a tragic anti-hero).
Early Ivy was awesome. Don't mess with perfection! Also, her early Player 2 outfits and fighting style were very cool. Besides Ivy, I really liked playing as Voldo and Yoshimitsu. I guess the strange ones are more fun?

Ivy is the best. I mastered her from Soul Calibur 2 to 5 and Broken Destiny. She was my favorite because once she hits you, she starts to take your life until it's empty. You can't dodge her attack, even when rolling. Besides, she has many unblockable attacks, and almost all of them are useful in her combos. A bit hard to master, but when you do, you're probably gonna love her.
Mitsurugi

Simple and easy to grasp. This guy and Nightmare are simply dynamite.

He is a tank. His ring-out move is overpowered, and his A, B runs through everything. I love this guy. I used him to beat Inferno and Nightmare on hard.
Voldo

Voldo is a fictional character in the Soul series of video games developed by Namco's Project Soul division. He first appeared in the original game Soul Edge and has been featured in every main installment of the Soulcalibur series. The only exception is the spin-off title Soulcalibur Legends.

What makes Voldo a great character is his disturbing, almost slave-like appearance and odd behavior (which includes hissing, grunting, and groaning). Different stances with odd moves make Voldo super unpredictable and explosive. Although difficult to play with, a mastered Voldo player is almost impossible to defeat!

He may be creepy, but he sure knows how to fight! His story is somewhat sad and disturbing, but it's not about your past. It's about fighting! And Voldo is hands down the BEST Soul Calibur character in history! Not to mention one of the best fighting characters from any series!
Yoshimitsu

The Newcomers

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Pyrrha Omega
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Inferno

The Contenders

Cervantes

By far the best fighter in the whole series! Who the hell is Nightmare #1? Because Cervantes can destroy him any time of the day.

Best villain ever and the original holder of Soul Edge!

You shall become a part of my power. Super epic.
Siegfried

Number 16? He deserves higher! At least 5!
Tira

Tira is by far the best character in every way possible. She is really strong and fast and has an unbalanced personality, which is awesome in my opinion. She loves to kill like Jeff the Killer. She should be the main villain in all of Soul Calibur. Out with Nightmare, in with Tira!

Tira is my favorite. Her fighting style is unique as she wields a ring blade, and she uses special acrobatic skills as well as two different personalities to choose her opponents' demise.

She is my favorite character because she kills you in an instant, has very cool outfits, and the most dangerous and unique weapon of all the characters!
Seong Mi-na

Why is Seong Mi-na so low? She's one of the original eight and was the original longsword user. Better than Kilik for sure.
Raphael

The vampire that wields a sword. Too good to be true. Raphael balances his speed and power. He has one of the fastest charging unblockables.

His grab and thrust move has gotten me more ring outs than all the other characters combined.

This guy is awesome! Plus, he's French, which means he's both badass, lovely, and charming.
Cassandra

Um, how come Cassandra isn't higher up? She's always my main. She is brilliant! You can kill your opponent in three moves using her, and she is sexy.

Awesome moveset. Fun to play as. Her beautiful look made me fall in love with her. She's my "waifu," hehe.

Love her grabs, kicks, shield, costume, and different weapon choices.
The Apprentice (Starkiller)

He is as strong as Darth Vader and as fast as Yoda. How much better can it be?
Viola
Lizardman

He is half lizard and half human. Now that is just boss!
Maxi

Maxi is awesome. He's really fast, has deadly grapples, and amazing kicks. People should try playing as him. Lots of people don't even bother trying out new characters, but they should. Maxi is easy to play as. The moves can be pulled off easily, and if you get the hang of him, Maxi can be as deadly as hell. The style of fighting is great for custom characters.

Maxi is one of the best characters the Soul Calibur series created. Much like the rest of the Soul Calibur 1 cast, his move set is fluid, fun, and lethal.
At some point, I have picked up every character in Soul Calibur 2 and 4, as those are the two games I've owned. By this, I mean I have gone into practice, learned their move sets decently well, and played with them in story mode or whatever. Maxi was one of the most difficult for me to learn. Unlike other characters I had trouble figuring out and eventually gave up on because I was uninterested (Ivy, Voldo), I stuck with it for Maxi. Ivy and Voldo are great characters, but the more I used them, the less interested I became, realizing I didn't personally like their styles. Maxi, though, I really enjoyed playing with. He is fast and strong and can do cool, acrobatic flips (I realize this can be said for many of the characters), but what really intrigued me was his fluidity. Once you start to get his stances down and all the combos that go with them, you can find Maxi's rhythm. If you get the chance to figure this character out, you'll see how unstoppable he can be. Inputting move after move, he literally doesn't have to stop. Some characters are so choppy. All their moves are separate, and half of them mismatch. With Maxi, you can put everything together, find your own combos that work, and go to town. This all makes him a strong fighter, but more importantly, it makes him an incredibly fun character to use. I don't just press buttons to win. I really want to see how awesome a fight I can create with him.... read more
Link

Link refers to several different incarnations of the same protagonist in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. Each incarnation of Link is typically chosen by the gods to protect the land of Hyrule from evil forces, often wielding the Master Sword and bearing the Triforce of Courage. His main goal is... read more

When I was 10, I was at GameStop looking for a game for the GameCube. When I saw Soul Calibur II's box art featuring Link, in eight seconds I got the game. And it was WORTH IT.
Link wields the Master Sword, the blade of evil's bane. It is powerful and is used in many of Link's attacks. However, close combat is FAR from his only coverage. He also has the Boomerang as a projectile, a bunch of bombs for mid-range combat, and the Hero's Bow that shoots arrows for rapid, long-range projectiles. And, most notably, he's so much fun to play as. He's so powerful and fun to use, I forgot I could play as other characters for three months when I first got Soul Calibur II! He's so great!
Xiba
Patroklos

Patroklos is the main character of Soulcalibur V. Also Sophitia's son, he is strong, epic, and a true badass. I mean, which other character turns into an alpha?

He sucks beyond words. Sorry for anyone who likes him.
Astaroth

This guy was created by Ares, the god of war, to be one of the best fighters ever. How is he so low on the list? He is awesome.

To me, he might just be the best grappler in fighting games. He's one of the most badass characters in the series by far.
Zasalamel

The scythe is really cool - actually the coolest weapon of all. Great range, good kicks, great back grab, and his quotes are great.

A master of long and close combat. I wonder how he's not even in the top 5.