Street Fighter has no reservations about going full anime when it comes to its character's hairstyles. They have some of the wackiest, most peculiar, and most physics-defiant hairdos when it comes not just to competitive brawlers, but video games in general. Some of them even look absurd now that the game has been out in 3D for a while, and the hairstyles were as spectacular as they were back when they were just 2D sprites.
Of course, some Street Fighter characters stand out more than others because the most conspicuous element of their design is their hair. The fighter's physique is only secondary to their legendary locks. Some look even borderline impossible to translate into actual cosplay using wigs. These members of the Street Fighter roster have trained their hair just as much as their fighting skills.
10 Poison
Looking like she sprung straight out of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, it's only a given for Poison to have an odd fashion sense spearheaded by her spiky hair. The lengths vary between the games, but they always have one signature look: poisonous pink; they're also always spiky, which brings into question how Poison cuts or styles her own hair.
Funny enough, it wasn't until Street Fighter X Tekken and Ultra Street Fighter 4 that Poison became a playable character. Poison's hair doesn't really factor into her fighting style or personality, as her character was mostly based on 1980s glam-metal bands. Her design was also meant to be in contrast to the game's dominantly macho and rugged character roster back then.
9 Laura
Laura is one of the latest additions to the Street Fighter roster, joining only in Street Fighter 5. She's a rather significant character when it comes to representation, as Laura is the first female Brazilian character in the series. Sure enough, her hair had to be fabulously distinct in order to set her apart.
Half of her head is in cornrows, signifying her carefree and energetic personality. One look at her and there's no denying that she's a thrill-seeker who still somewhat values tradition by keeping half of her hair in a traditional style and also preferring her family's martial arts.
8 Ibuki
There had to be a ninja in a fighting game, and Ibuki fills in for that role. In fact, one can easily mistake her for the other black or brunette-haired ninjas from other video game franchises. Her hairstyle looks familiar enough as far as female ninja designs in video games go. The difference here is that her hair defies whatever universal law keeps the strands from merging together.
Unless she waxed the full length of her hair to eliminate the strands, of course. In any case, Ibuki certainly stands out because of her hairstyle. She puts Ariana Grande to shame with that top ponytail. And grouping those bangs together to form thick strands that don't hinder her vision is quite practical.
7 Necalli
The Duke of Dreadlocks is a made-up title in Street Fighter, but there's no clearer way to describe Necalli's aggressive 'do. He has one of the longest hairs ever in the Street Fighter roster and even beats out the girls when it comes to taking care of his locks. Of course, that doesn't mean he doesn't get bad hair days.
This usually happens when he goes berserk and his dreadlocks straighten out a bit into a wavy mane. The added frustration of uncontrollable hair likely contributes to his fighting prowess. The badder the hair, the badder the Necalli. This does fit well with his feral personality. He's quite vicious and behaves similarly to Blanka.
6 Blanka
Speaking of the devil. A lot of fans most likely expected Blanka to be here. He's practically a more stylish version of the Hulk, but with fewer anger issues and less height. He's also from Brazil, like Laura, and Blanka isn't one to let Laura hog the spotlight when it comes to hairstyles. Well, "style" is putting it generously, as Blanka doesn't seem too concerned with whatever is growing on his scalp and chest.
He just lets it run wild and free. He has hair on his chest, arms, and legs, pretty standard for a mountain man. But even an animal can be spectacular in the right activity; Blanka's hair certainly helps here. Despite the appearance, though, Blanka is typically peaceful and kind in his downtime.
5 Seth
It seems the common pattern in Street Fighter games is that the villains and antagonists tend to ooze style better than the good guys. Or it could be that they're just vainer. Regardless, Seth is certainly among those villains that put the good guys' fashion sense to shame, hair included.
Granted, her hair looks simpler, but the way it drapes down his/her shoulders and the sway of his/her bangs, along with how some of the tufts form a halo at the back of his/her head, is nothing short of eye-catching. That's hair befitting a direct descendant of Adam and Eve.
4 Juri
Keeping in line with Street Fighter villains being more aesthetically-pleasing than the good guys would be Juri. She's a South Korean representative on the game's roster and was introduced alongside Seth back in Street Fighter 4.
Personality-wise, she's the opposite of Ryu and fights for the thrill of the battle and sadism. Hence, her hair somewhat reflects her philosophies, and the default hair design is styled to look like she has two horns adorned with purple ties. Still, one can't deny her sense of style, despite her using it for evil.
3 Gill
Yet again, another former villain who looks a lot more fabulous compared to the do-gooders; Gill is quite a handful when it comes to aesthetics. He was the main antagonist of Street Fighter 3: New Generation, serving as the overpowered leader of a secret Illuminati-esque organization.
And what a flashy leader they have because Gill is all about showing off. He's majestic, charismatic, and narcissistic; his hair says it all. Those golden waves put Dragon Ball's Saiyan to shame, and at first glance, one would even assume that he's a Marvel superhero.
2 Birdie
Zangeif would have made the cut (no pun intended) if it weren't for Birdie. The latter simply just has more swag than Zangeif's inadequate mohawk. Granted, Birdie's style is a little unconventional and wild, but he's confident about it, at the very least.
He usually sports a sharp and curved mohawk and he better not swim with his scalp sticking out of the water or he could easily cause a shark scare. In any case, one can tell that Birdie puts effort and pride in his slick mohawk; he even styles it in some of his introductions and animations.
1 Guile
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what Guile wants to achieve with his hairstyle. Being a military man, does he neglect it so much that it caked up into a mushroom cloud? Or does he meticulously gel and wax it every single day when he wakes up?
There are so many questions. But there's also no mistaking this hairstyle; Guile has been keeping it intact for decades. As such, this absurd caricature of an American G.I. through Japanese eyes is no doubt one of the most iconic hairstyles ever, meaning it's more than memorable.