We’ve come a long way in the fighting game genre of video gaming. Since the very first virtual punch was thrown in Heavyweight Champ back in 1976, the video games industry has been continually innovating new ways for us to enjoy digital pugilism and creating new and now legendary characters in the fighting genre. Today we’re going to rank the 20 most legendary of them all. These are the 20 greatest fighting game characters of all time.

20. Iori Yagami - King of Fighters

He was rocking that My Chemical Romance inspired hairstyle since 1995

Appearing in the second installment of the King of Fighters fighting games. Iori Yagami is the heir to one of the three clans to have imprisoned a snake entity from legend called Orochi (who cosplays as a shirtless dude with 8 abdominal muscles and a weird circle tattoo on his chest).

He belongs to the Yasakani Clan who hold the mystical powers of pyrokinesis. He wears his family’s symbol, a crescent moon, which he sports on his jacket. He has been in the King of Fighters circuit since his debut and hasn’t looked back since.

He fights with his family’s self made fighting style which is called Yagami style of ancient martial arts with a sprinkling of good old plain fighting instinct.

What makes him stand out from his other contemporaries in the King of Fighters roster is his iconic style and his one of a kind hairstyle.

His costumes are composed of striking red overtones and his pyrokinesis which he incorporates in his fighting style that mostly comprises claw strikes with his hands.

Despite his fighting prowess, Iori actually despises violence and would rather play in his band as the lead guitarist.

Yagami’s Super Moves Evolution (No Duplicate)

19. Geese Howard - Fatal Fury/ The King of Fighters

He looks pretty cut for a 70 year old man NGL

The big bad of the Fatal Fury fighting game series and also appearing as a villain in the Art of Fighting and The King of Fighters where he passes off more as an anti-hero. Geese Howard has worn lots of suits since his debut.

Nicknamed as “Charismatic Evil”, he owns Howard Connection Agency with which he keeps the citizens of South Town, USA safe from the local mafia (Spoiler: Howard Connection Agency IS the mafia).

He gets his money from his peculiar business model with which he uses to fuel his desire for the two things he loves the most, money and immortality.

He wields the power of ergokinesis which is the ability to control electricity. He uses this power in his attacks such as his projectiles, cutting blades of pure energy, and his trademark energy geyser. 

His main fighting style is Aikijutsu which he tweaks with added chi powered punches and kicks. He has appeared in several other fighting games most notably in Tekken 7.

Although fueled by his desire for immortality, he sometimes starts things but then gets tired of them easily. In his downtime he likes to play billiards though. 

He has survived falling off his own skyscraper TWICE which just goes to show that Geese’s tenacity and sheer toughness will always push him to his ambitions and his goals no matter how impossible they may be (even if it means running a whole mafia scam under a city’s nose)

Tekken 7 - Geese Howard All Supers and Rage Arts

18. Morrigan Aensland - Darkstalkers

The succubus of your dreams

The sultry and seductive vampire succubus of the Darkstalkers franchise and probably its most famous character is Morrigan Aensland.

Morrigan was born in 1678 in Scotland. Her birth was foretold to maintain the balance of the Darkrealm, which is home to the characters in the Darkstalkers franchise. 

Even during her birth, she was already overflowing with power. If her powers were left unsupervised, she would destroy herself and everything within a 20 mile radius.

To help keep her enormous power at bay, her adoptive father decided to split her soul to keep her powers in check. One inside of Morrigan, one inside of himself, and another sent to a pocket dimension.

Her powers that were left inside of her were diminished but still extremely deadly. She uses her bat swarm to attack her enemies and can use her batlike wings to shapeshift into weapons and even a buckler to protect herself from attacks.

Her most famous attack is her ability to drain her opponent's life force via one deadly kiss. 

Her iconic appearance and her mass appeal to adolescent boys and sheer power is what sets her apart from her other Darkstalkers.

In between choosing a hopping chinese zombie or a cat nun or a sexy succubus, I’d pick the succubus any day.

Evolution of Morrigan’s Hyper Combos

17. Mai Shiranui - King of Fighters

Mai is really good at finishing off her enemies. And no theres no double entendre with that one

Mai is a ninja of the Shiranui Clan and has been trained since her childhood by her grandfather in the ways of the ninja and also by the famously perverted and deadly, Jubei Yamada.

Mai has been trained in the Shiranui-Ryu fighting styles with variations from her double training in between.

She uses the Koppo-Ken technique which focuses on pressure points and literal bone snapping. She is also trained in Judo from Jubei since her tutelage under his wing.

Mai is known for her glass cannon fighting style where her attacks take a considerable chunk of health.

But you might be wondering why she wears that “outfit” of hers. It isn't just for show but actually it's part of her offense. This particular tactic is called Kunoichi, a female ninja method of sexually distracting the foe before striking. 

Apart from her outfit, her other weapons are an unlimited number of steel fans she pulls out of seemingly nowhere. But out of all her abilities, her most famous power is her pyrokinesis.

She can make explosions, fireballs, and the ability to freely control any fire she has created.

Her definitely unique clothing choices and her deadly flames and steel fans are what endeared her to fans of the King of Fighter series and what staked her claim as the Queen of Fighters.

Mai Shiranui All Super Special Moves

16. Heihachi Mishima - Tekken

Title holder of "Worlds Angriest Grandpa"

The grandfather of Tekken’s most famous fighter and the father to Tekken’s most vicious villain, Heihachi Mishima has had a lot to deal with in his life.

Heihachi is a clever and charismatic businessman and all around badass even at the age of 75 years old.

He has appeared in every Tekken title including the crossover events with Street Fighter and even in Smash Bros and Pacman. 

As a businessman, he owns Mishima Zaibatsu which holds the international King of Iron Fist tournament where fighters all over the world duke it out to see who is the strongest.

He himself has gone into his own tournaments racking up victory over victory. 

He weaponizes his ki to enhance his already deadly moveset. Punches, kicks, uppercuts, throws, and submissions are all part of his arsenal. His signature attack is the Electric Wind God Fist which sends his opponent in the air powered by lightning.

His rivalries with his own family are legendary, even throwing his son, Kazuya, over a volcano when he was just a child. He didn't become a worldwide business magnate if he didn't play dirty and without incredible feats of his power and strength along the way. 

He crushed a freaking tomahawk with his teeth, absolutely destroyed Feng Wei, who destroyed a mountain with a single punch, and quite literally b*tch slapped the devil out of Kazuya.

With all of these powers and absolutely insane feats he’s accomplished, it’s no wonder that he is called the king of the iron fist for a reason.

Kazuya vs Heihachi Final Battle! Story Mode | TEKKEN 7 (1080p 60fps)

15. Mileena - Mortal Kombat

Fun Fact: Mileena is a fan of french kissing

Created by the sorcerer Shang Tsung as the unholy hybridization of her “sister” Kitana and Tarkatan DNA. Mileena has terrorized the fighters of Mortal Kombat and the adoration of its fans since the game’s second installment.

Mileena is the adopted daughter of Outworld ruler Shao Kahn and also serves as his enforcer. S

he uses both her Edenian and Tarkatan abilities to the fullest extent using incredible speed, brute strength, magic usage, and her signature deadly jaws to produce absolute carnage.

Her life's mission is to kill her “sister”, Kitana, and then claim her existence as her own. She could most likely pass for a twin for Kitana in all honesty, as long as she never shows her mouth or speaks ever again.

She uses her twin sais to eviscerate and maim her opponents which she can throw as daggers and recall back to her hand anytime.

She also teleports around the battlefield catching her opponents unaware and finishes them off by ripping their throats out via her deadly tarkatan jaws.

Her unique look, savagery, and overall mass appeal which led her to appear in almost every mainline Mortal Kombat game and even appearing in popular culture as her most recent appearance is in HBO’s The Last of Us series where main character Ellie is quite fond of her trademark bloodlust.

Mortal Kombat Epic Mileena vs. Rain fight Cinematic Trailer

14. Johnny Cage - Mortal Kombat

He’s got the looks and he’s got the (right) hooks to back it up

Jonathan Carlton, or better known by his screen name, Johnny Cage is Mortal Kombat’s resident movie star and all around martial artist badass.

He is one of the first seven fighters in Mortal Kombat appearing in the very first game and has appeared in every mainline Mortal Kombat game and even the spin-offs and crossovers. 

Before he joined the Mortal Kombat tournament, he was a struggling movie actor trying to find his next big break.

His search to revitalize his career eventually led him to the Mortal Kombat tournaments which, unbeknownst to him, was a tournament to decide the fate of the literal planet. 

He held his own though because he is actually a descendant of a tribe of fighters that uses mystical soul powers to fight.

He uses his shadow kick to literally launch his kicks like a missile to his opponents, throws energy orbs for ranged attacks, and most famously of all, does a perfect split to get into prime striking range to punch his opponents testicles so hard that they explode.

Johnny is also known for his quick wit and winning sense of humor which endeared him to fans of the game and also eventually got him the love of his life, Sonya Blade, and made a kid together named Cassie Cage.

Due to Johnny’s popularity in the games and in popular culture, he has appeared in live action portrayed by Linden Ashby.

Johnny Cage vs. Scorpion & Sub Zero fight scene 4K Ultra HD - Mortal Kombat X

13. Zangief - Street Fighter

He is bad guy but that doesn’t mean his is bad guy

Standing at seven feet tall and at 350 pounds, he is one of the strongest and heaviest in Street Fighter’s roster, The Red Cyclone, Zangief.

He is a champion in Russia with which he uses his push and pull wrestling techniques to throw his enemies off balance

He also utilizes sambo which is a combination of wrestling and martial arts. Although not specializing in leg locks and chokeholds which are core to sambo, his grappling submissions and his ability to keep his opponents grounded are the best in Street Fighter’s roster.

Zangief is known for his spinning Double Lariat, Atomic Suplex, Flying Power Bomb, and the Banishing Flat which is a flaming backhand he specifically learned to counter projectiles.

Since his opponents are fighters that can fire literal lasers out of their hands and throw fireballs, his flaming backhand is a surefire way to dispel any pesky lasers or fireballs that get in his way.

Out of all of his moves, his most famous one is the Spinning Pile Driver. He learned this move after getting caught in a cyclone while he was piledriving a full grown brown bear.

After people caught wind of this massive achievement, he earned his nickname as The Red Cyclone.

All of these feats and more is what made him be a mainstay in the Street Fighter roster and has been an integral part of it since its second installment up until 2023 in Street Fighter 6.

He has also appeared in other games and in popular culture also, most famously being the main motivational speaker of Wreck-It-Ralph in Pixar’s movie of the same name. 

Likewise he is a pure blooded Russian and loves his country with all of his heart willing to do anything to be a role model to the children of his country and even acts as the country’s official fighting representative. There seems to be no stopping The Red Cyclone anytime soon.

Street Fighter 6 Zangief vs. Marissa

12. Raiden - Mortal Kombat

Even when he’s evil he has to consult with the Elder Gods about it.

The protector of Earthrealm and the god of thunder, Raiden has shown up in every mainline Mortal Kombat game and even in the crossovers. 

As the defender of Earthrealm, he is the leader of shielding it from the invading forces of Outworld led by Shao Kahn. In doing so he has learned multiple fighting styles and adds power to it with his electricity manipulation.

His weapon of choice is a wooden staff which he uses to break the laws of nature and physics as he uses it to conduct electricity.

He uses taekwondo for his kicks and jiu jitsu to fight armored opponents which complement each other to take down any foe.

His signature attacks are the Vicinity Blast, Electric Fly, and the Shocking Touch.

When he uses his powerful electric attacks, he dispels so much power that his enemies explode and also seems to overload his brain as he spouts nonsensical gibberish while using these attacks.

He will stop at nothing to achieve his goal to keep Earthrealm safe and will sacrifice ANYONE for this, even his closest friends.

His iconic style and power has kept him a central figure in the Mortal Kombat universe and will be a part of the franchise for years to come. Not even death can keep the mighty thunder god down.

Mortal Kombat 11 - Raiden All Fatalities, Brutality & Fatal Blow (X-Ray)

11. Sub-Zero - Mortal Kombat

Sub-Zero never has to worry about a beer going warm ever in his life

One of the posterboys of the Mortal Kombat franchise and former rival of Scorpion, Sub- Zero has been freezing and dominating the Mortal Kombat franchise for decades.

Kuai Liang is the grandmaster of the Lin Kuei clan of assassins since the death of the original Sub-Zero, his brother Bi-Han. He made his debut in the first ever Mortal Kombat game and has appeared in every release since.

He first went under the name Tundra before fully taking up the mantle as the new Sub-Zero

Under Kuai Liang’s rule as grandmaster, he has since ended the rivalry between the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei and in doing so made peace with his former rival Scorpion.

He fights using his ninjutsu powered by powerful ice attacks.

He uses his freeze blast to freeze enemies in place leaving them open for attacks, ice slide to trip up his enemies, ice statues as a decoy, and can even craft axes, swords, and spears out of ice against his opponents. 

His long standing rivalry with Scorpion has been the Mortal Kombat franchise's bread and butter as they were the ones usually fighting in promotional trailers and in other media to promote the brutality of the Mortal Kombat games. 

Though peace has been achieved between him and Scorpion, his brutality, ferocity, and overall combat skills are unmatched and have not diminished over time.

One can even say that he got more brutal over time as he has upgraded his standard spine rip to execution style decapitations and many more brutal deaths he can be capable of.

You don't get the title of grandmaster by being soft.

MK11 All Sub-Zero Brutalities, Fatalities, Friendship, Fatal Blow & Ending

10. Ken Masters - Street Fighter

The world's toughest blonde man

The deuteragonist of the Street Fighter franchise and best friends to Ryu is Ken Masters. First appearing in the first ever Street Fighter he has appeared in every game since. 

Since becoming friends with Ryu, he has gone on to travel the world to fight the best fighters to hone his skills and become the strongest there is.

His ambitions are a bit more relaxed and holds more restraint compared to Ryu since he has to worry about keeping his family safe also.

He uses the Ansatsuken fighting style which translates to assassination fist taught to him and Ryu by Gouken.

Although used as a way to assassinate, Gouken taught them the much safer and less deadly version of it focusing mainly on high impact strikes and ki manipulation to achieve superhuman feats. 

His trademark attacks are the Hurricane Kick, Shoryureppa, and his own versions of the Hadoken and the Shoryuken. He utilizes his ki to literally set his fists on fire for maximum damage when performing his Shoryuken. 

At his strongest, he can use the Shinryuken which is an amped version of the Shoryuken where he not only sets his fist with flames hotter than normal but also creates a vacuum effect to suck in anyone within its vicinity.

His power, abilities, and overall style and look has led him to be synonymous with the Street Fighter name itself.

He has been continually uppercutting his enemies to kingdom come and setting them on fire again and again to cement his place in video game history and further prove that he is the one of the quintessential street fighters to ever compete.

Street Fighter: The Art Behind Ken Masters Moves

9. Shang Tsung - Mortal Kombat

Your soul is his

Shang Tsung is the cunning and deadly sorcerer of Outworld and the often backstabbing lackey of Shao Kahn. He is known as being the Mortal Kombat franchise’s very first big bad.

Being the most powerful sorcerer in the Mortal Kombat franchise, he is extremely adept in magic and uses it to its fullest and deadliest extent.

One of his signature attacks is literally shooting flaming skulls from his hands which is a strange way to try and beat someone but maybe Outworld sorcerers have an unlimited supply of them since he seems to never run out of it. 

He can also teleport around and behind his enemies by using a technique called the Hot Escape.

But out of all his abilities, the one he’s most famous for is his ability to morph into anyone, giving him an unlimited supply of powers and fighting styles at his convenience.

He has also been seen using a straight sword that he can pull out from anywhere which he uses as a surprise attack.

Arguably, his most dangerous power of all is his soul sucking. Years ago, he was caught cheating in the Mortal Kombat tournament which is grounds for a gruesome death.

The Elder Gods cursed him to age rapidly as punishment for his crime. To counteract this curse, he would need to continually absorb souls to keep him alive.

And since he is a thousand years old, souls are never in short supply for Shang Tsung.

He is iconic for being Mortal Kombat’s first ever boss battle and with the difficulty he has given to players all those years ago.

His constant appearance in the modern Mortal Kombat games shows that his popularity will always keep him in high demand for years to come.

MK11 All Shang Tsung Brutalities, Fatalities, Friendship, Fatal Blow & Ending

8. Akuma - Street Fighter

As we’ve established before, red eyes=evil

Akuma is the deadly and sadistic master of the assassination fist. Also known as Gouki in Japan, he is the main antagonist of Ryu and is a walking weapon of mass destruction.

Using the fullest extent of the Ansatsuken fighting style mixed in with the demonic Satsui no Hado, he has dozens of attacks and abilities to lay waste to his opponents.

He has the Gou Hadoken, a corrupted version of the famous Hadoken energy attack and the Shinku Hadoken which is a giant fireball of death.

He also uses versions of the Shoryuken uppercut, a hurricane kick, and the Hyakki-Shu or the demon flip. As he is powered by the unbridled rage of the Satsui no Hado, his energy and power levels are off the charts.

He once shattered a whole island just by punching it and vaporized a meteor headed for Earth like it was no problem.

But when he wants to eviscerate his opponents in both body and soul, his go to method of murder is the Shun Goku Satsu.

In game it just appears as a flash of sparks and light but after he has done his deed what only appears is a fallen enemy and the symbol of the demon burnt on his back.

His appearance in the Street Fighter games first started out as secret when he was first introduced as the hidden boss of Street Fighter II Turbo and since then he has left a path of destruction.

His constant presence in the world of Street Fighter and his frightening power is what makes him iconic and will continue to be as long as there are powerful fighters in the world, even if he has to crossover to the world of Tekken to do so.

SFV: Akuma Reveal Trailer

7. M. Bison - Street Fighter

He conquers villages and destroys lives like it was just another Tuesday

Master Bison is the psychopathic leader and founder of Shadaloo, an international crime syndicate.

Although he is named as M. Bison in North America, in Japan his name is Vega. The clawed fighter we know as Vega is named as Balrog and Balrog the boxer is known as Mike Bison.

The names were changed in North America due to Street Fighter 2 being released in the same year as Mike Tyson’s rape scandal in 1992.

Ever since he was a child, his bloodlust was already rampant when he freaking murdered his parents. After making himself an orphan, he eventually fell in with a tribe of gypsies which taught him his trademark Soul Power. 

But since he discovered he is half pure good and half pure evil, he literally forcefully ripped out the good parts of his soul and what's left is a being of pure power and evil.

He has since developed his own fighting style called Shadalooism which lets him perform super villain levels of power.

He uses his power for telekinesis, flight, teleportation, and psychic brainwashing. But when he needs to bust out the big guns he uses his Psycho Crusher move which turns himself into a flying flaming drill of death.

He is the overarching and most recognizable villain in the Street Fighter series where he plans to take over the world to, surprisingly, reverse the effects of global warming and heal the world and rebuild it in his own image. 

Although his goals are admirable, considering his way to do it is murder everyone who doesn’t agree with his methods, it’s safe to say that the iconic Master Bison will always be in conflict with the world's strongest fighters and he is more than glad to whip them back into submission.

Ryu vs. M. Bison - Street Fighter V Story Mode Final Boss Fight

6. Shao Kahn - Street Fighter

Jury’s out and he makes it official. He says you suck

The evil ruler of Outworld and the conqueror of thousands of other worlds is Shao Kahn. He didn’t start out as evil as one would think. He was first assigned by the Elder Gods to protect the realm of Outworld.

But when he saw that Outworld didn’t really need much protection he turned his services as the bodyguard of Outworld’s former ruler, Onaga.

When he found an opening, he murdered Onaga and then took the throne as his own.

Since then he has gone on a multi dimensional world conquering spree killing thousands whilst absorbing their souls into his making him all powerful and with an infinite supply of souls and skills to feed on.

He uses these souls as constructs for his attacks such as manifesting spears to skewer his enemies and the power to summon his iconic weapon, the Wrath Hammer, to decimate his opponents and win fights in seconds.

His most famous conquest is of Edenia where he took the queen as his own wife and the princesses as his own daughters.

His bloodlust, ferocity, and utter game breaking movesets and difficulty is what made him memorable for fans of Mortal Kombat even up until now where fighting him is a chore in and of itself. 

With his only weakness being his own arrogance where he mocks his opponents mid fight leaving him open to attacks, nothing much can get in the way of the conqueror of worlds.

Mortal Kombat: Battle of the Realms (2021) - Raiden vs. Shao Kahn

5. Terry Bogard - Fatal Fury/ The King of Fighters

Blonde dudes with long hair always kick ass

Terry was born without anyone. No literally nothing like he didn't even have a last time. He spent most of his childhood fending for himself and his brother Andy until they met Jeff Bogard who introduced them to a world of fighting and martial arts. 

Appearing in every Fatal Fury game and King of Fighter installment, Terry is the poster boy of his respective series and for good reason despite his rough start in his life.

Fueled by the desire to get revenge over the murder of his adoptive dad by the notorious Geese Howard, he has sworn to train and become stronger until he can face the man who murdered the one who took him and his brother in.

He eventually became strong enough to make himself as deadly as he can be, mastering dozens of martial arts.

He is famous for his Burn Knuckle attack, his Crack Shot axe kick, and his signature move the Power Geyser which is when he punches the ground so hard it creates a fissure of energy barreling toward his opponent.

He needed more power to take down Geese though so he learned the way of the holy fist where he channels power from the Earth itself to charge his power to insane levels.

His feats of strength are insane. He managed to destroy six falling I-beams in midair and has managed to do it so fast that no one even saw him do it.

He destroyed a building with just his power geyser attack, killed Geese Howard TWICE, and most impressive of all, he accurately guessed a woman’s measurements with just one glance. 

Acting as the King of Fighters version of Ryu or Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion, he has managed to keep himself relevant throughout the years and shows no signs of slowing down as he still kicks ass and dominates tournaments like it was nothing.

His never give up attitude, choosing to either pass out or bleed out to death rather than accept defeat is what makes him iconic to the world of fighting games. And also because he's a handsome man.

Terry Bogard Most Kickass Moments/ Fatal Fury Compilation

4. Chun-Li - Street Fighter

You ready for this?

The first lady of the fighting genre and the strongest woman in the world is Interpol detective and the person who has never skipped leg day, Chun-Li.

Trained in basic police procedures and in the martial arts of Tai-Chi and Kenpo, her mission is to bring M. Bison into justice as he is the one responsible for the death of his father.

She is known as being a rapid kicking fury with kicks not even registering in normal human eyesight. Each of her kicks are strong enough to kick people through solid concrete.

Her lightning leg kicks are rapid fire kicks that can daze or defeat enemies in one go. 

Her spinning bird kick, which defies the laws of physics, lets her fly towards her opponents like some kind of kicking helicopter lady, and the Kikoken and Kikosho which are short range ki projectiles to interrupt attacks and creates a vacuum effect to get her opponents up close to her kicks.

Being the first lady of the fighting game she has amassed quite the impressive list of achievements. Her detective work was instrumental to the taking down of Shadaloo, stopped a speeding car full stop with her Kikosho, and even became an honorary member of the X-Men.

Iconic, legendary, instrumental and inspiring, Chun- Li’s legacy will last forever and she’ll go down in history as the world's strongest woman.

All Super Moves of Chun-Li 1994-2021 Evolution

3. Jin Kazama - Tekken

The world's most dangerous Emo kid

The poster boy of the Tekken series since his debut in Tekken 3 and has appeared in every game cover of the series is Jin Kazama. 

He is the main protagonist of the series though some consider him to be more of an anti hero over the years. Nevertheless he has made it his sworn duty to end the Mishima bloodline to save the world from their evil (the Mishima bloodline is his own blood family btw).

He carries with him the Devil Gene which turns him into, well, a Devil Jin. Even without his demonic alter ego he is well versed in the fighting game without ever needing the help of his horned persona.

When Jin starts punching there's almost nothing stopping him as he is famous for juggling and toying with his opponents leaving them with no opening to counterattack.

He uses deadly uppercuts, axe kicks, and the Mishima fighting style moveset like his famous flash punch combination.

When he decides to get real serious he can let out his Devil Jin to gain an advantage over the battlefield.

When transforming into the Devil Jin he can now fly, has increased strength and stamina, and a deadly laser attack that can KO his opponents in one go.

Jin’s constant presence in the Tekken games and literally being the upfront face of the franchise is what made him famous along with his iconic hairstyle, emo demeanor, and flame printed pants has been a staple of his presentation no matter how far he tries to run away from it just like his Devil Jin.

Tekken 8 Gameplay Jin vs Kazuya

2. Scorpion - Mortal Kombat

He really wants you to get over here

Coming from the Shirai Ryu clan of assassins is Hanzo Hasashi or better known as the undead ninja of vengeance, Scorpion. He earned the nickname of Scorpion via his most famous and signature weapon, the rope dart.

Appearing in every single Mortal Kombat game and rightfully so. He uses his rope dart to pull in his opponents to get them in striking distance for his flurry of punches, kicks, stabs, and fire based attacks.

Since being resurrected as an undead ninja from the Netherrealm, he can now teleport, open portals to and from the Netherrealm, and the ability to use and control hellfire any way he chooses. 

He uses his power over hellfire via the use of exploding fireballs, summoning them under his opponent, surrounding himself in hellfire, and even the ability to breathe out fire.

And since he is an undead being, he is impervious to death via physical attacks. So stabbing, burning, punching, or kicking is useless to kill Scorpion.

His claim to fame other than his iconic yellow outfit and rope dart is his rivalry with fellow ninja, Sub-Zero.

Their legendary blood feud has spent literal decades until they eventually landed a truce in the most recent Mortal Kombat game until, SPOILER ALERT, his legit for real actual death at the hands of the Kytinn queen D’Vorah.

Despite this, Scorpion remains as one of the holy trinity of fighting game characters along with Jin Kazama. But there’s one more top guy out there to complete this terrible trio and that is

Scorpion vs. Raiden Fight Scene Cinematic

1. Ryu - Street Fighter

The legendary karate hobo of destiny

I mean who else could’ve taken the top spot here in this list. The literal posterboy of the whole fighting genre and what people first think of when they hear the term Street Fighter.

Ryu is a literal street fighter since he's basically homeless and wanders the world looking for worthy opponents to fight.

Ryu’s story starts out when he was dumped on a doorstep by his parents and then he was adopted by the legendary martial arts master, Gouken.

From then on he has been training to be the very best like no one ever was and yes that quote works for him here.

Training alongside his best friend and rival, Ken, they were trained in the non lethal version of the Ansatsuken or the assassination fist. Up until the fateful day when Gouken’s brother, Akuma, came and murdered him.

This set out Ryu on a quest to avenge his adoptive father and master while continually finding ways to better his fighting prowess.

He fights proudly wanting to fight anyone on his power level or higher. He never turns his fist on anyone undeserving of the power or the pain he can bring.

His signature moves are his patented Shoryuken, the Hurricane Kick, and the Hadoken. 

Although trained in the non violent ways of martial arts, an evil lay deep inside him since Gouken’s death. He carries with him also the Satsui no Hado, the power Akuma used to murder his old master. 

He can sometimes let this dark side of him loose for a more ferocious and terrifying version of himself. But since then he learned to control this dark side of him and has since gained the power of nothingness.

After letting go of all earthly emotions and successfully dispelling the Satsui no Hado, he can tap into this mystical power to gain the power of light and practically guarantee a win over anyone. 

Ryu’s story is a troubled but inspiring one. His quest to fight and defeat Akuma has led him to be put in the clutches and almost swayed to the dark side by Akuma himself.

This constant desire for Akuma to influence Ryu to turn to evil has led many to believe that Akuam himself is Ryu’s father.

But despite this tumultuous version of karate Star Wars, Ryu’s might, power, and overall force for good is the prime example why he is the one true face of the fighting genre.

Street Fighter 4 - Anime Scenes: Ryu vs. Akuma

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