Top 50 Most Iconic Fighting Game Characters - Part 1

Fighting games are very old in terms of video game age, and through these decades, we've seen hundreds of games with thousands of characters come and go. Some of these characters become fan-favorites, while the others are forgotten. But there also are those whose legacy will remain etched in the history of the FGC forever. This is our first part of the new project that celebrates the Top 50 Most Iconic Fighting Game Characters.

However, it's essential to note that while this list aims to highlight some of the most iconic characters within fighting games, the inherent subjectivity of such rankings means that many other characters may not find themselves among these fifty names. Fighting games are as diverse as the amount of existing opinions, so pardon us if one your favorite isn't on the list eventually!

In the first entry, we have a Guilty Gear icon, the Azure Knight of doom, the weirdest ninja, a seductive succubus, and the Fire God himself!

Sol Badguy

Guilty Gear

Sol Badguy is the protagonist and face of the Guilty Gear series, and he’s also deeply integral to the storylines of many characters. Portrayed as this unrefined and somewhat savage brawler, he’s lazy, crass, and grumpy, he’s nevertheless compassionate, and completely and selflessly dedicated to the task of eliminating all the Gears.

Sol Badguy is the character into whom the series creator Daisuke Ishiwatari poured all his love towards the band “Queen.” Sol’s real name is Frederick Bulsara, a homage to Freddy Mercury, whose real surname was Bulsara.

Iconic looks, gameplay, even musical themes – Sol has it all!

Siegfried Schtauffen

Soulcalibur

Siegfried’s story in the Soulcalibur series is one of sin, regret, and atonement. A young German boy gifted with immense skill and strength, he sought more power, eventually finding his downfall in the form of Soul Edge, becoming its host, Nightmare. After regaining his freedom from the terrible sword, he changes his cocky and arrogant attitude for a deep desire for atonement, as the sins he committed were plenty.

Siegfried’s tall frame and untamed long blond hair, alongside his massive zweihänder Requiem, are Soulcalibur’s trademark at this point. There are very few characters that you’d think about from the series before him, and it’s all thanks to his striking design, incredibly satisfying gameplay, and tragic story.

Morrigan Aensland

Darkstalkers

Even though the last we heard about the Darkstalkers series was the Darkstalkers Resurrection compilation more than ten years ago, Morrigan Aensland remains ever popular to this day. People don’t stop cosplaying as her, drawing her fan art, and discussing the possibilities of her becoming a guest character in various series.

This popularity isn’t accidental – Morrigan is a protagonist of her series while being an anti-hero, a somewhat evil, morally gray character, and her gameplay is satisfying. But let’s not kid ourselves; the biggest contributor to her popularity is her incredibly striking, even shocking, design. She’s a seductive succubus with bat-like wings who dresses in a leotard that leaves very little to the imagination. Coupled with her unusual hairstyle, you simply won’t ever forget Morrigan if you see her once. That damned succubi charm!

Yoshimitsu

Tekken and Soulcalibur

Yoshimitsu is the character from Tekken that everyone knows. Ask any of your friends who don’t play fighting games to name one character from this series, and chances are, it will be the weird ninja swordsman. Created by Seichi Ishii himself, Yoshimitsu was aimed to be a ninja unlike any other. And indeed, he’s not your typical stealthy, shuriken-wielding, yoroi-clad ninja. He’s loud, boastful, direct, yet deceitful. He knows many typical ninjutsu moves, yet his weapon of choice is katana, commonly associated with samurai, and his moves are that of kenjutsu, a traditional Japanese swordsmanship style.

Yoshimitsu wasn’t satisfied with only being a Tekken character, so he also became a Soulcalibur staple, serving a similar role as a master of the Manji Clan in this universe as well.

Yoshimitsu’s designs are as weird as his fighting style – in some games, he looks like an alien, a skeleton, a samurai, while in others, he’s a squid, a robot, and who knows what else!

Liu Kang

Mortal Kombat

A protagonist of the entire Mortal Kombat series, Liu Kang is often overshadowed by Scorpion and Sub-Zero but still remains one of the most popular characters nonetheless. Everything about him is iconic. He looks like the main character of your favorite kung-fu flicks, mainly because he was largely based on one – Bruce Lee. His muscular physique, his red headband, and his baggy pants are an iconic look.

But even more than that, he’s iconic for his gameplay. He can command fire and shoot fireballs, has a kick that has him fly into his opponent and has one the most famous moves in any fighting game – bicycle kicks. Every time you think about it, you can hear it!

Liu Kang’s design has changed and evolved over the years, and his popularity has also fluctuated a bit, but his essence has stayed the same forever!

Join us next week to find out who the next five characters are!