Five Things You May Not Know About A.K.I. In Street Fighter 6

There’s something really special about a new character coming into a legacy game. This is because we get something new coming into a truly fleshed out world and now has to connect with it somehow. 

I can imagine that when Blanka or Guile joined the Street Fighter cast in Street Fighter II, it may not have been as exciting because the game was relatively new and the characters were few. 

However, with over 100 characters now, Street Fighter has a large cast, so when someone completely new comes in, they typically connect with the story through another character which further deepens the lore of the game. 

We have such a character knocking on the door right now as A.K.I. is set to join the game. 

Players ‘first’ caught a glimpse of her when the season 1 DLC characters were announced. We got to see her in action at Evo 2023 with a trailer that had everyone scrambling. 

A.K.I. is unconventional and mysterious, and this makes her incredibly interesting, something that is getting harder and harder to pull off as audiences just aren’t surprised by anything anymore. This makes A.K.I. so refreshing. 

But, who is she? We will probably know better as time goes on, but, for now, we do have a few things we have learnt that you might not know about. So, we will look over some of the information we have about her, her possible origins, and even her breathtaking potential. 

A.K.I. was Actually Introduced Way Back in 2018

A.K.I. is a character shrouded in mystery, but it is possible that the game has already told us all about her. In a side story to Street Fighter V which takes place after the fall of Shadaloo, we meet a young girl who tries to rob F.A.N.G. and finds that she has bitten off more than she can chew. Eventually, after making a rather interesting choice, F.A.N.G decides to take her under his wing and rename her Phantom. 

Phantom could very well be A.K.I. as it would fit perfectly into the narrative. We saw the same thing with the introduction of Ed in Street Fighter IV and Li Fen (she’s not playable yet, but we can dream) in Street Fighter III. 

A.K.I. was a worker in the red-light district and had a brother whose whereabouts are unknown, but she is certainly a suitable apprentice to F.A.N.G.

She Will Canonically be More Powerful Than F.A.N.G

In most character tier lists, F.A.N.G. was a bottom tier character who most people couldn’t get the hang of and usually dropped him. However, lore-wise, F.A.N.G. is pretty strong. As a member of the Nguuhao, he was a prominent assassin and his expertise with poison made him a very scary contender. He could murder with ease and it was said that his speed was incredible. Couple with this his resistance to poisons, and you have a formidable opponent. 

However, from all indications, A.K.I. is going to be even stronger. It might not translate to her position on the tier list, but, she will likely surpass her master. This was alluded to in the side story where F.A.N.G. met A.K.I.’s gaze and was ‘swallowed up in a pool of poison.’ According to the story, even F.A.N.G. had to admit that this was a strength he had not seen in himself or his other colleagues at the Nguuhao. 

Also, from seeing some of A.K.I.’s moves, it sure looks like she will be able to do a few things her master cannot. On top of that, she has more or less the same strengths as her master. 

She is Only the Second Female Chinese Character In the Game

China is one of the well represented countries in Street Fighter (especially if you count Hong Kong) and you’ll find that some of your favourite characters are Chinese including Dan Hibiki, Gen, Jamie Siu, Yun and Yang. However, there haven’t been many women from there with Chun li being the only female playable character from the country. 

But, once A.K.I. joins the cast, she will be another woman from China, and from the looks of it, she’ll be an excellent addition. 

She And Rashid Might Be Rivals

So, going by the lore of Street Fighter V, Rashid and F.A.N.G. absolutely hate each other. This is due to the latter killing Rashid’s friend. Rashid is also a character that hates the use of poison as he doesn’t see it as an honourable way to fight. 

From one of the prequel comics for Street Fighter 6 which featured both Rashid and A.K.I., the two fight and it is clear that A.K.I. wants to kill Rashid and she tries, but eventually fails. Rashid has no idea who she really is, but it is very likely that based on the relationship with F.A.N.G. and A.K.I.’s devotion to her master, the hatred for Rashid has been inherited. Once Rashid finds out the connection between A.K.I. and F.A.N.G. he is likely to not like her very much either. 

A.K.I. is Based on Snakes

A.K.I. loves snakes! Her official snippet on the Street Fighter website says this and it is all over her design. Just as Juri was inspired by a spider motif, A.K.I. is also designed with snakes in mind. Her clothing, movements, and personality. 

According to the game’s developers, the serpentine shape from her chest to belly resembles a snake as do some of her moves like the ‘Sinister Slide.’ 

Also, her hairstyle depicts the symbol of an assassin, ‘Kasa’ (Umbrella in Japanese) and her hair is supposed to look distinct from the side and alluring too.

Tomorrow, 27th of September 2023, is the day that we’ll see A.K.I. in Street Fighter 6. Are you excited for her?