6 characters who should return in Street Fighter 6

It’s a rare event that only happens once in a blue moon – it’s time for another numbered Street Fighter game. That means it’s also time for us to theories about which characters we all want to see a return in street fighter 6.

I really think a lot about SF6 – from how the esports evolved to what it takes to get right and beyond. But the character list is pretty big.

If Street Fighter 5 set a precedent, then it’s natural that in modern times, the starting lineup of characters won’t be the end. SF6 will likely be constantly updated with DLC and seasonal patches that will inevitably add new characters to the game. It will likely have a long tail – SF5 started with 16 characters and ended its cycle with over 40, so dream big.

To add some structure to this article, I’ve decided to limit my choices to six characters. That is six for six – one from each of Street Fighter’s six existing main series – these are SF, SF2, SF3, SF4, SF5 and Street Fighter Alpha. I’ve also chosen not to include the obvious picks – while classics like Guile, Chun-Li, Cammy and the like should be in Street Fighter 6, I won’t include them in this list. I figured I would generally pick less famous and acclaimed characters. But, Capcom, listen: If Cammy (my starring role since SSF2) isn’t in SF6, we’re going to have a problem.

So, here are some lesser-known picks. I only have one rule – They may not have been playable in Street Fighter 5. You must have been MIA for at least a generation. As for the SF5 characters, I have to choose the newcomers. After much agony, here is my pick…

Eagle [Street Fighter]

The original Street Fighter featured two Brits, both named after golf terms. Birdie had a resurgence in Street Fighter 5, showing he’s letting himself go with a newfound beer belly but no less passion for fighting – and in SF6 I think it’s time for Eagle to take the spotlight.

Eagle is cool for several reasons. He fights with a stick, making him one of the few Street Fighter characters to be a master of a martial art that involves a weapon beyond the body. Eagle is said to be partially inspired by Freddie Mercury, and all of his signature moves are named after English cities.

Eagle has returned before – he’s appeared in later versions of Street Fighter Alpha 3 – but he’s a character with few appearances, so designers could have fun changing things up while keeping what makes him unique. Also, imagine a showdown between Eagle and Dudley, the British gentlemen…

T Hawk [Street Fighter 2]

Pretty much the entire cast of Street Fighter 2 is massively iconic – which, in theory, makes a pick for this list meant to refer to lesser-known characters difficult. But in truth it wasn’t difficult at all because I knew straight away that it had to be this guy. T Hawk.

To be honest, T. Hawk was a character I’ve always waited for in SF5 and I’m still disappointed that he didn’t make a return in this game. A friend of mine is a T. Hawk lead man, and I genuinely miss our Cammy vs. Hawk showdowns. I also think Condor Dive has the potential to be one of the most interesting and menacing grapplers in a confined space.

With Capcom always looking for ways to make Street Fighter more accessible, Grapplers are one of the character types I’m most amazed by, with their 360-degree keystrokes that can be difficult for beginners to grasp. T. Hawk could be repurposed as a “beginner’s grappler,” which would allow Capcom to keep the truly iconic Zangief as is.

Sodom [Street Fighter Alpha]

One thing I didn’t really see until I sat down and thought about it was how much of Street Fighter Alpha made its way into SF5 – most of its most interesting newcomers show up in the SF5 cast. Of the remaining three are probably particularly interesting – Sodom, Maki, and June and July as a tag team – and I’ll put the crown on Sodom.

Sodom’s path to Street Fighter canon was the same as that of Poison and Abigail – a Final Fight boss who later had a role as World Warrior, but so far only in the Alpha series.

Sodom wears an array of samurai-style paraphernalia that hides his terrible secret – he is a Weeb. As an American obsessed with Japan, he speaks broken Japanese and, to be honest, is a bit weird. This is also said to reflect Sodom’s fighting style – a mixture of American and Japanese styles.

Dudley [Street Fighter 3]

I don’t want to make this a British love match or whatever…but we’re a British site so fuck it. SF3’s gentleman boxer is based in part on Chris Eubank, one of the most eccentric sportsmen of all time, even by British standards, and is the opposite of SF’s most famous boxer, who is of course a dirty thug based on Tyson.

Dudley is one of those characters that I don’t even really think needs to be thought through that much. It’s one of Street Fighter’s best designs – simple, understandable, and with a fighting style that perfectly suits the fighter’s style and personality.

Also, like I said, he and Eagle would make a pretty good team.

C.Viper [Street Fighter 4]

At one point, it seemed definitive that Capcom saw Crimson Viper as the next big Street Fighter character. The Collector’s Edition of SF4 came with a figure of her battling Ryu, she oversaw all of the game’s promotion and was even featured in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 as one of the representatives of the Street Fighter series. But then something happened. Yuri happened.

Yuri, an addition in Super Street Fighter 4, was undoubtedly a better character than Viper. She had a flashier design and personality, a cool move-set, a memorable voice in English and Japanese, and she fit into a new mold – where Viper was another international agent, just like Chun-Li, Juri was a mess Anti-hero, a Street Fighter archetype has surprisingly few. As SF5 rolled around, Yuri made the jump. viper not.

Apart from that I really have a lot of time for Viper. Her gadget-powered move-set of electric and fire element attacks has great potential for shenanigans in any SF6 combat system. It’s clear that Capcom hasn’t entirely forgotten about her either – she makes a brief appearance in one of the SF5 story modes, complete with a new outfit.

Sorry Abel fans. he sucks

Ed [Street Fighter 5]

I’m going to commit a sin here. I’m going to talk about Street Fighter story. In Street Fighter 5, M. Bison is finally finished – and Shadaloo, his criminal organization, is finished. Chronologically, SF3 takes place later – which is why this game has no bison. But another thing the fifth game does is introduce Neo Shadaloo – whose head is Ed.

Ed is actually a kid meant to be a surrogate body for Bison, but Balrog took him under his wing and raised him. As such, Ed has the boxing skills of Balrog and the psychic power of Bison. The potential for this fighting style is huge, although it has to be said that there isn’t much to write home about in SF5.

Also, attempts to introduce Neo Shadaloo with Lieutenant Falke and story hints fall pretty flat in SF5 – and yet I’m still intrigued by that narrative thread and where it might lead. Basically I’m saying that while there are certainly better newcomers out there – Rashid and Menat, sure – Ed feels like he’s the one who deserves another shot at fame. So he’s my choice.