If you're a fan of fighting games, you've probably wondered which are the strongest characters in Street Fighter. The fighting game franchise that emerged in the late 1980s has seen dozens of characters introduced and developed since its launch, so how do we put together our list?
First of all, it's important to point out that this list will be based on the characters' achievements within the history of the franchise, and not on the mechanics presented within the games. For example: Ken being a very strong character in Street Fighter 2 doesn't mean that within the history of the franchise he is a powerful character. Want to find out who the strongest Street Fighter characters are? Then follow the list!
Gen
The first character on our list is the stereotypical martial arts master, old, with a long white beard and close-cropped hair. However, don't let appearances fool you, Gen is definitely one of the 5 strongest characters in Street Fighter. He uses Chinese martial arts to quickly defeat his opponents.
As well as having fought Akuma several times, almost killing him, he was also the sensei of Chun-Li, one of SF's most popular characters, when she was just a child. One of the character's most striking features is that, unlike the other most powerful Street Fighter characters, he is not at his physical peak.
M. Bison
Our runner-up in the list of strongest Street Fighter characters is also the franchise's most famous antagonist. M. Bison, first introduced in Street Fighter 2, has a very striking design and unique powers that set him apart from all the other fighters in the franchise.
One of the main arguments supporting the dictator as one of Street Fighter's strongest characters is that, in most of his defeats, it took a group of fighters to beat him. Among his greatest achievements, perhaps the most impressive is his ability to come back from the dead using his ability to possess other bodies. However, every time he comes back, he's a little weaker.
Gouken
In the middle of our list we have the sensei of our two protagonists, Ken and Ryu, Master Gouken. Although he has been known almost since the beginning of the franchise, Akuma's older brother has only been playable since Street Fighter 4. Gouken specializes in the so-called Power of Nothingness, a technique that allows the user to completely empty their mind during combat.
The simple fact that he is the sensei of the two main characters in the series makes him one of the strongest characters in Street Fighter. However, what really sets him apart from the rest are his fights against Akuma, where he won a few times. In addition, Gouken has already managed to seal away Ryu's dark side, even if only temporarily.
Oro
Oro is another case where appearances can be deceiving. As the oldest character in the Street Fighter games, he is also probably the most experienced, which makes him a lethal opponent despite his 140 years of life. His goal is to find a student who is worthy of his knowledge accumulated over more than a century.
He is known for fight with just 1 hand while in the other he carries a turtle, something completely surreal considering that he fought Akuma and Karin's grandfather. We could even argue that, because he only uses one hand, Oro would be the more powerful character if he started using both during his fights.
Akuma
First place in our list of the strongest Street Fighter characters goes to none other than the acclaimed Akuma. His name alone, which means demon in Japanese, carries a lot of weight, as he is one of the most popular antagonists in gaming history. After defeating his brother, Akuma took an interest in Ryu, as he carries the same power as him, although he doesn't use it as the demon would like.
Among his main achievements in battle are defeating his older brother several times, defeating and eliminating his sensei and winning all the battles he had with Ryu. In addition, Akuma has fought practically everyone on the list above, surpassing or equaling their power. In short, the demon is definitely the strongest character in Street Fighter.
Do you agree with our list of the strongest Street Fighter characters? Who would you remove or add to the list? Let us know in the comments! Want to read more about games? Then take a look at our article on how to capture bosses in Palworld. Now, if you want to know more about Street Fighter's most powerful characters, click on the video below!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the criteria for determining the strongest character in Street Fighter?
Among the main criteria we can highlight the result of past fights, if the character in question has defeated several powerful characters, he will probably be high on the list. Another criterion would be their fame within the Street Fighter universe, all the fighters on our list are known for being extremely powerful among the franchise's characters.
Which Street Fighter characters have the best attack and defense stats?
In the latest game in the franchise, Street Fighter 6, the most powerful character available for players to use is Guile. All it takes is for the opponent to make a single mistake and Guile will dominate the fight with a final combo.
