A Full Roster (With More Characters on the Way)

One of the most exciting things about following a new Street Fighter game is the anticipation of whose going to be in it. So come and check out this list of all the confirmed characters in Street Fighter V.

Ryu

Ryu is back once again to join the roster of Street Fighter V. Having been in every game in the series since its arcade debut in 1987, Ryu is considered Street Fighter’s most recognizable character. He is a practitioner of Shotokan-style Karate and mostly spends his life alone wandering from town to town looking for challenging opponents to fight. Ryu’s primary ambition in life is to become the strongest fighter he can possibly be.

Ken

Ken, the best friend, rival, and former sparring partner of Ryu, is coming back in Street Fighter V. Alongside Ryu, Ken is a longtime series character who has also appeared in every single major Street Fighter game. Despite being trained under the same master as Ryu, Ken differs from him in his more fiery and rambunctious personality. But like Ryu, Ken also wants to find a challenging opponent to help him become stronger. However, he often grapples with this desire because he doesn’t want to jeopardize the safety of his family.

M. Bison

A visibly older version of the treacherous Street Fighter antagonist M. Bison is set to appear in the roster of Street Fighter V. M. Bison has been a playable character in nearly every single game in the series with the exception of the first and third games. He is the leader of a crime syndicate known as Shadaloo and is the wielder of an evil energy known as Psycho Power. Being the evil man that he is, M. Bison is the instigator of several grudges from many characters in the series, such as Chun-Li, Guile, and Cammy. His main goal is to rule the world at any cost for his own selfish benefits.

Cammy

Cammy first debuted as a playable character in Super Street Fighter II and has since appeared in both Street Fighter Alpha and Street Fighter IV. She used to work for Shadaloo as one of M. Bison’s brainwashed servants. However, after successfully breaking free, she was stricken with amnesia. Slowly regaining her memories ever since, Cammy now works an operative of Delta Red, a counter-terrorism task force for MI6.

Charlie

Charlie is a fighter who has been very much a part of the Street Fighter lore for quite some time. He was central to Guile’s backstory in Street Fighter II, but never appeared in the game. However, he eventually made an official appearance as a playable fighter in Street Fighter Alpha. As Guile’s military comrade, Charlie has many of the same techniques, such as the “Sonic Boom” and “Flash Kick.” As lore would have it, Charlie suffered an early death during the end of Street Fighter Alpha, although the official canon explanation of how he died is unclear.

Chun-Li

Street Fighter’s iconic fighter Chun-Li will be coming back once more in its fifth entry. As a constantly recurring series character, Chun-Li has appeared in all of its games except Street Fighter and the first two editions of Street Fighter III. She is a master of Chinese martial arts and has a longstanding career in law enforcement. Having a strong sense of justice and honor, she always seeks to eliminate the injustices of M. Bison and those associated with him.

Birdie

Birdie is a classic series character who has only appeared in the original Street Fighter and the Street Fighter Alpha games. His fighting style traditionally consisted of charging attacks and long distance grapples, but it appears he now has access to additional moves in Street Fighter V involving throwing food at his opponents and spewing fire from his mouth. Birdie is most notably characterized as an antagonist in the series due to his history working as an agent of Shadaloo.

Necalli

Necalli is the the first of the four brand new characters set to appear in Street Fighter V. He appears to be a formidable foe with a fighting style involving pounding the ground, clawing at his opponents, and channeling a powerful mysterious energy that transforms his appearance. Currently, not much is known about Necalli’s backstory.

Vega

Vega, the infamous Spanish cage fighting ninja, returns in Street Fighter V brandishing yet again his iconic mask and three-pronged razor sharp claw. He first appeared in Street Fighter II as a boss character, but became playable in that game’s Championship Edition. He has since appeared in every main series game onward with the exception of Street Fighter III. Vega is a suave but narcissistic nobleman obsessed with beauty that often moonlights as a serial killer preying on those he deems physically ugly. In the past, he had once served as one of M. Bison’s three personal Shadaloo Grand Master bodyguards.

Rainbow Mika

The flamboyant professional wrestler Rainbow Mika will be returning for Street Fighter V. Her presence in the roster marks her first appearance since her debut in Street Fighter Alpha 3. However, Rainbow Mika won’t be alone this time around, she’ll be accompanied by her tag team partner Yamato Nadeshiko, who assists her in special attacks while in V-Trigger mode. For the uninitiated, Rainbow Mika is a young wrestler that travels the world fighting strong opponents to promote herself to achieve her dream of becoming the “Star of the Ring.”

Rashid

Rashid is the second of the four brand new characters set to debut in Street Fighter V. Equipped with a variety of wind-based attacks, he’s a nimble fighter capable of creating cross-ups that can easily pile on pressure against his opponents on both sides.

Karin Kanzuki

The aristocratic Karin Kanzuki will be entering the Street Fighter V roster after a long absence from the series. First introduced in Street Fighter Alpha 3, she’s a self-styled rival to the series’ famous teenaged fighter, Sakura Kasugano. While she was the young heir to a powerful and wealthy family during that time, she has since grown up to become the head of its business dynasty. Karin’s fighting style is a form of martial arts style she created herself, which makes use of various attacks focusing on pacing, dashing strikes, and aerial attacks.

Zangief

Everyone’s favorite Russian grappler Zangief, aka the Red Cylone, is coming back in Street Fighter V. First appearing in Street Fighter II, he has been featured in every major series entry except Street Fighter III. Zangief started out his career as a professional wrestler, but was soon hired by the Russian government to represent them in the world street fighting circuit. Becoming a national hero not long after, Zangief fights to bring honor and strength to his Motherland.

Laura Matsuda

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner Laura Matsuda will be making her grand debut in Street Fighter V. As the third of the four new characters to be introduced in the game, Laura is a character best suited for players who are fond of command grapples and mind games. She travels the world searching for strong opponents to test her skills against, all while spreading the legend of her family’s unique style of Jiu-Jitsu across the world.

Dhalsim

The fan favorite Yoga master Dhalsim is returning in Street Fighter V and is for the first time sporting a new look with a long beard. He first appeared in Street Fighter II and has been featured in the roster of every game in the the series except Street Fighter III and the first edition of Street Fighter Alpha. While Dhalsim holds pacifist beliefs, he constantly fights as a contestant in the World Warrior Tournament in order to help raise money for his struggling village.

F.A.N.G.

F.A.N.G. is the final new character being added to the game’s initial roster. Described as an eccentric and dangerous assassin, F.A.N.G. is second-in-command to M. Bison in Shadaloo. He also works as a researcher for the organization, conducting secret experiments from their various facilities. In combat, F.A.N.G. makes use of poisonous attacks that can continuously damage his opponents after making contact. But when this special ability is combined with his long range and swift movements, he becomes an even more menacing opponent.