Playing fighting games typically has players get a feel of what their opponent’s tactics are when they see who’s on the opposing side. But for these characters, facing them is a completely challenging one since they possess unorthodox fighting styles or gimmicks.
These characters often possess an assortment of attacks and stances that circumvent traditional fighting game combat such as punches and kicks to keep their enemies guessing throughout the match. From erratic moves, unique combat mechanics, to unusual setups that often catch their opponents off guard and lead to wily combos, these fighting game characters make for a strange yet entertaining match ups.
7 Arakune: BlazBlue
Originally a scientist for the 7th Agency, the former Lotte Carmine was transformed into a monster made up of black liquid goo which can take up any form it wishes to quench its hunger to feed on any hapless persons or living thing it comes across.
Arakune’s transformation was the result of his human form entering the Boundary, which fractured his mind and mutated his body into the black goop that contains magical properties. His insides are filled with poisonous insects and bone-like appendages which he uses to wildly attack his targets.
On top of his ability to transform his liquid body to all manner of deadly implements, Arakune’s deadliest attacks involve his Crimson Drive. Once an opponent is cursed, Arakune gains access to his powerful and monstrous attacks hidden inside him to overwhelm and pulverize his enemies. While considered a dangerous entity, his former colleague, Litchi, continues to pursue him with the hopes of one day reverting him back to his old self.
6 Voldo: Soulcalibur
Soulcalibur is known for its varied roster of weapon-wielding warriors who showcase their specific technique with their chosen blades. But there’s one truly unorthodox fighter in these titles that emphasizes a unique fighting style, and that’s Voldo.
Voldo is a mainstay in the Soulcalibur franchise: he has been in all iterations of the game starting with Soul Edge. He doesn’t have a conventional fighting style, opting to use his self-taught contortionism to maximize the damage he inflicts with his katars. Appearance-wise, Voldo aims to shock his adversaries by donning seemingly sadomasochism-inspired attire that includes tons of leather straps, spikes, and masks. This leads to his opponents confused when fighting Voldo players since their attacks have weird angles and start-ups, on top of the various stances Voldo has access to that he can insert with his attack strings.
5 Yoshimitsu: Tekken
The whole premise of the Tekken games revolve around the King of Iron Fist Tournament. While almost all participants indeed use their fists, elbows, knees, and kicks when fighting against one another, one fighter bucks the trend by bringing a katana to a fist fight: that character is Yoshimitsu.
Hailing from the Manji Clan, Yoshimitsu is a human ninja who is notorious for his peculiar Manji Ninjutsu fighting style that involves teleportation, odd stances, and using his katana against opponents. He is notorious for being hard to read since his attacks seem to come from awkward angles, and his various stances give him advantages in battles.
The Indian Stance allows him to use the Meditation move that replenishes his HP and allows him to teleport away or behind his opponent; his Flea Stance sees him use his katana like a pogo stick which damages opponents if they get hit by the blade. His Manji Dragonfly stance lets him hover mid-air, avoiding low attacks, and grants him access to more moves that circumvent conventional defenses. That said, he also uses a form of sword stance called the Kincho stance. Yoshimitsu sheathes his sword and can perform quick slashes and stabs on his opponent.
4 Lowain: Granblue Fantasy Versus
The characters in Granblue Fantasy Versus are a mix of unique individuals, but in terms of gameplay and combat mechanics, Lowain is hands down one of their stand-out unorthodox fighters. Essentially three characters in one, Lowain has his buddies, Sammy and Tommy, to help him during matches: Lowain himself is no slouch, as he is pretty good with a dagger
Lowain is excellent at mix-ups to keep his opponents guessing. He summons Lady Katapillar, a small tank that has an upper torso that is similar to Katalina’s likeness, to strike at his enemy. Once he gets his opponents down, Lowain can call upon his Brofams, Sammy and Tommy, to set up his unblockable attacks. His bag of gimmicks demands players to know what his attacks do to ensure they don’t get blown up: Human Pyramid Attack is especially deadly if players aren’t aware of what this install super does.
3 Phoenix Wright: Marvel VS Capcom 3
It takes a lot to stand out in Marvel vs Capcom’s diverse roster, but Phoenix Wright is a good candidate. Phoenix Wright is not known for his fighting prowess, with him being a lawyer in his games, but Capcom included him to be a playable character in MVC3 and his fighting style is unorthodox, to say the least.
His gameplay revolves around looking for clues and evidence during matches which he can use to indict his opponents at the conclusion of their fight. Phoenix Wright has surprisingly good keep away moves which he uses to keep his enemies at bay while he searches for evidence.
He’ll need to collect evidence since these are required to grant the attacks during his various stances, Courtroom and Turnabout, more damage. Just like in his games, once Phoenix Wright has gathered enough evidence and proceeds to assume his Turnabout stance, he can deal tremendous damage to enemies with his Level 3 Super.
2 F.A.N.G: Street Fighter 5
As the second-in-command of Shadaloo, F.A.N.G is a flamboyant and deadly assassin who appears in Street Fighter 5. He is a tall, lanky fellow, but he is surprisingly nimble and specializes in poison attacks that deal damage over time to opponents who are hit.
This combat mechanic is unique in Street Fighter: when an opponent is poisoned, they are fighting against both time and the poison damage, adding more pressure. The poison damage can be removed by hitting F.A.N.G, but that is easier said than done.
F.A.N.G is notorious for his zoning and movement options once he poisons his enemy. He can shoot poison projectiles and spring poison plumes in front of him that allow him to slither away and keep his enemies’ poisoned. He also has deceptive reach with his strikes that can hit enemies from seemingly long distances to chip away at their HP.
1 Faust: Guilty Gear
The de facto medical madman in the Guilty Gear games, Faust is one of the most unorthodox fighting game characters. He is an extremely tall fighter who prefers to hunch down and beat enemies with his myriad of weapons. He possesses teleportation, matter and time manipulation that allows him to bend reality and utilize various objects to inflict damage on his enemies.
For instance, he can summon a door which he can use to hit enemies in front, behind, or from above. He can produce an assortment of items such as bombs or trumpets that can either inflict damage to his opponent or himself: he can use this to further bamboozle enemies while he prepares to finish them off. Ever wondered how a genius yet insane doctor who has reality-bending powers does in a fighting game? Look no further than Faust.