With the recent reveal of Street Fighter 6's initial character roster, it's clear that Capcom have prioritized getting their heavy hitters on board. Alongside a smattering of newcomers, most of the franchise's familiar faces will be making their return, in particular those that have been around since the days of Street Fighter 2. This is an understandable approach, but when the inevitable slew of DLC fighters comes around the corner, who else can we expect to be joining their ranks?
While the easy answer would be to bring in even more obvious fan favorites, what if Capcom took a slightly different approach? Many fighters haven't been as lucky as the likes of Dhalsim or Zangief, only making single appearances or falling out of favor with fans. But with Street Fighter 6 being set the furthest forward in the timeline so far, it's the perfect opportunity to breathe some new life into these underdogs.
8 C. Viper
Of the new arrivals in the Street Fighter 4 games, Juri has clearly come out as the favorite among the fans. Super-spy C. Viper has been less warmly received, by comparison, often being criticized for not meshing stylistically with the rest of the cast. At one point Capcom was confident enough to include her in the roster of Marvel vs. Capcom 3, but since then her appearances have been more sparse.
Capcom haven't completely brushed her aside though, having her pop up in several characters' story mode cut-scenes in Street Fighter 5. That's more than can be said for some of her contemporaries like El Fuerte or Rufus, so reintroducing her as a playable character isn't out of the question.
7 Fei Long
Characters inspired by Bruce Lee are a dime a dozen in the fighting game sphere, with Fei Long being one of the earliest and purest examples. He has always stuck very closely to this template, while similar characters like Liu Kang of Mortal Kombat and Marshall Law of Tekken have had a bit more room to diversify themselves. Fei Long's adherence to the Bruce Lee archetype has even led to rumors that he will not return to the series at all, for fear that the actor's estate would take issue with it.
Thankfully Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama has since dispelled these rumors, indicating that future Fei Long appearances are not off the table. It would be a great opportunity to develop his character and make something more of him than just another Bruce Lee clone.
6 Sodom
Of the many Final Fight characters to make the jump to the Street Fighter series proper, Sodom has been conspicuously absent after Street Fighter Alpha 3. After that, the hulking Japanophile has been relegated to nothing but cameos, while his other Mad Gear cohorts such as Rolento, Hugo, Poison, and Abigail have been much more fortunate.
With Metro City seemingly being one of Street Fighter 6's main settings, it would make sense for Sodom to pop up again in some capacity. Whether he's still trying to revive the Mad Gear Gang or has found a new calling remains to be seen; although it's a safe bet that his grasp on the Japanese language hasn't gotten much better.
5 Q
The iron-masked enigma Q has been an ongoing mystery since he debuted in Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike as a playable character and hidden boss. Capcom has stayed silent about his backstory, leaving fans to speculate what purpose (if any) he has within the series' lore. The mystery only deepened with the introduction of G in Street Fighter 5, whose similar name and alternate costume suggest some kind of connection between them. The two also share some attacks, although Q's movements are much more clumsy by comparison.
Their similarities have raised more questions than they've answered. Is Q a brainwashed G? An unsuccessful clone of him? Or perhaps just one of his followers? Whatever his true nature might be, reintroducing Q into the story would open the door to finally getting some answers. Hints that G himself might make an appearance at some point may dash any hopes of Q's resurgence, but stranger things have happened in the Street Fighter universe.
4 Retsu
Several characters from the original 1987 Street Fighter have returned to the series after long absences, including Birdie, Adon, and Gen. One fighter who has yet to reappear is Retsu, the very first opponent that players would have faced. A Shorinji Kempo teacher who was expelled for his foul temper and use of forbidden martial arts, his run-in with Ryu inspired him to clean up his act and atone for his mistakes.
A friend of Ryu and Ken's master Gouken and Dhalsim, as well as having a history with the powerful hermit Oro, Retsu has subtle connections to many Street Fighter mainstays. Despite this, other than a planned appearance in Capcom Fighting Evolution that didn't make the cut, he has never been playable before. Perhaps now would be the time for him to come out of retirement, if only to see how far that youngster who defeated him long ago has come.
3 Decapre
A failed product of Bison's Doll program, Decapre got a cold reception from fans when she was first unveiled for Ultra Street Fighter 4. Both a literal and figurative clone of Cammy in a series that already had a surplus of them, she was considered a rather unimaginative addition. After that she was relegated to being an unplayable opponent in Street Fighter 5's cinematic story mode A Shadow Falls, albeit one of the more fleshed-out ones.
But a lot has changed in the Street Fighter story since then. At the end of A Shadow Falls, Cammy and Decapre appear to reconcile after she and the rest of the Dolls are freed from Bison's mind control. What exactly becomes of them in a world without Shadaloo? It's a question with a lot of potential to be explored in the future, and would make a good excuse to revamp Decapre's move set to further differentiate her from her "sister."
2 Necro
When gamers criticize Street Fighter 3's roster as being full of freaks, Necro is arguably the main offender. A genetically modified Russian who can extend his limbs and electrocute opponents, he's something of an oddball even among the other New Generation additions. His yearning for freedom and relationship with his partner Effie humanizes him, but he still comes off to many fans as a weirdo who is best left in the franchise's past.
That's not to say Capcom shouldn't try to do more with the poor mutant; now that he has his freedom, what would someone so strange and out of place do with himself? It might prove a challenge to get him to fit in with the new direction Street Fighter 6 is moving in, but seeing him try to make a new life for himself and his girlfriend could help make Necro a much more relatable, likable character.
1 Sean Matsuda
First introduced in Street Fighter 3: New Generation, Sean is a disciple of Ken's who has had a rough time living up to his teacher's legacy. He is considered one of the worst characters in Street Fighter 3's final iteration 3rd Strike. Fans often make unflattering comparisons to Dan Hibiki due to his similarly poor imitation of Ryu and Ken's fighting style. His last appearance was as a cutscene-only character in Street Fighter 5's story mode, set before the events of Street Fighter 3, where he spent most of his screen time being menaced by F.A.N.G. and bullied by his sister Laura.
However, as Street Fighter 6 is set after the series' third installment, Sean would have had plenty of time to improve since then. With how rough things seem to be going for Ken Masters, he could do with the support of an older, more confident Sean who's had the time to develop his own style and strategy.