Which Street Fighter 5 Character Has the Best Backstory?

Street Fighter V’s DLC release of Charlie Nash is the first time the character has appeared in Street Fighter since the Alpha series.


30 Years of Street Fighter Offers Players a Lot to Choose From

It can sometimes be hard to make sense of the Street Fighter canon. For instance, Street Fighter III comes after Street Fighter IV in the timeline.  

But for many fans, the disorder is part of the fun. Street Fighter V is the latest addition to the series, revisiting many cherished characters. Which one of these fighters has the best backstory? With 30 years of Street Fighter games to play, there’s a lot to enjoy.

Cammy is a Bad Girl Gone Good with a Soft Spot for Cats

Cammy White, better known by the codename “Killer Bee” in her early days, worked as an assassin for Shadaloo—that league of criminals responsible for much mayhem in Street Fighter.

Cammy in her Killer Bee outfit, back when she was under mind control by Shadaloo.

Somewhere along the way, Killer Bee tried to kill the yoga master Dhalsim, but he triggered her mental awakening. Killer Bee, now self-aware, became Cammy White and freed herself from Shadaloo’s control.

Cammy Fends Off Shadaloo Mind Control

It turned out Cammy was a “Doll,” the result of a Shadaloo experiment to give the villain M. Bison some backup bodies—you know, just in case. He tried to take over her brain, but she fought him off and ended up with amnesia at the headquarters of Delta Red, a British paramilitary organization.

Cammy giving Ryu the business in Street Fighter V. 

Lucky for Delta Red, Cammy retained all her combat skills. They employed her as an operative, and she became the Cammy we know and love today.

If that’s not cool enough, it has been confirmed many times in canon that Cammy has a special fondness for cats.

Nash Dies and Comes Back to Life

Charlie Nash is my other contender for coolest backstory of the Street Fighter V lineup. In V, he’s referred to officially as “Nash” across both translations, finally settling a series-long debate. 

Charlie Nash has returned in Street Fighter V, much to the shock of his friends who thought M. Bison had killed him.

A U.S. Marine who studied biology and, you know, dabbled in martial arts, Nash discovered that Shadaloo corruption extended high into the ranks of the military he worked for.  

His quest to expose undercover Shadaloo soldiers eventually brings him face-to-face with M. Bison. 

The trailer Capcom released to tease for Nash’s Street Fighter V launch. 

Nash almost defeats Bison, but the pilot flying Nash’s rescue chopper secretly works for Bison. The pilot uses the chopper to shoot Nash in the back, and Nash falls over a waterfall.  Bison doesn’t check to see if Nash is really dead before he makes his getaway.  

Fast forward to Street Fighter V, and the U.S. Air Force has officially classified Nash as dead. 

Nash’s stitched together face comes as a result of being shot by a helicopter and swept over a waterfall.

He turns up again with a patchwork body and a new personality—the calm collected Nash has become obsessed with getting revenge on M. Bison.

The reason for Nash’s single-minded quest comes later: he is dead. His body has been artificially revived, and he only has so much time to exact his revenge on Bison. Well, that explains the, uh, face.

Cammy and Nash only make up a small part of the Street Fighter cast, and this article is only one fan’s opinion, so visit the official website to learn more about Street Fighter V and the history of its fascinating characters.

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Mackenzie enjoys playing League of Legends in her spare time but makes sure she doesn't miss out on big RPGs like Sykrim and Dragon Age too.
Gamer Since: 1999
Favorite Genre: RPG
Currently Playing: League of Legends
Top 3 Favorite Games:Dragon Age: Inquisition, The Walking Dead, Fallout: New Vegas


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