Debuting in 1987, the Street Fighter series is one of the most iconic and influential fighting game series of all time. Characters such as Ryu, Chun Li, and Zangief have remained some of the most genre-defining characters in the fighting game genre, influencing countless other character designs. However, while Street Fighter is home to a wide range of easily recognizable characters that have become ingrained in video game history, not all of the series' fighters have had the same staying power.
There are several characters from throughout the Street Fighter series' history of video games that have been forgotten by many and lost to time, not making any notable appearances after their debuts. So today, we're going to examine some of the most obscure and lesser-known characters from Street Fighter's history!
Updated February 1, 2023, by Jerrad Wyche: With Street Fighter 6 looming large on the horizon, the fighting game community couldn't be more excited. The newest entry is looking to avoid the disastrous launch of the last mainline entry, Street Fighter 5, and its release as a non-platform exclusive will certainly help. With every new Street Fighter game and revision fans are excited to check out both new and returning characters, but for a series as long-running as Street Fighter, some lesser-known fighters simply get lost in time.
14 Khyber
Though his name might suggest otherwise, Khyber isn't named after the crystals in Star Wars that are placed in the hilts of lightsabers. It's the name given to the thick yellow elite soldier for the Shadaloo crime organization. He's a pyromaniac who specializes in the use of fire via pyrotechnics.
When a game features soldiers of various colors, there needs to be more personality injected into them outside of changing what type of attacks they do. Over time, he's been developed to have a sturdier unique look in comparison to other Shadaloo elite soldiers, but in the early days, Khyber was nothing more than a yellow palette swap; a practice used by numerous fighting games in their early years.
13 Dr. Jose
Street Fighter is a series with notable villains like M. Bison. Dr. Jose, on the other hand, served as a more cerebral and intellectual threat, managing to serve as the primary antagonist of Street Fighter 2010.
Sure, the game was a forgettable platformer that was released in 1990, but one would assume that the game's final boss would have possibly struck a chord with anyone in the diehard Street Fighter community. In a 2017 poll, Dr. Jose managed to come in at 105th place out of 109 qualifying characters belonging to the Street Fighter universe.
12 Ace
With a name like Ace, one would assume that this Street Fighter character is suave, cool, and desirable. Sadly, that couldn't be further from the truth for this bland government agent. He's a mimic of sorts with his greatest strength being his ability to copy the moves and skills of other fighters by analyzing them in combat. Ace is voiced by Yuji Machi and first appeared in Street Fighter EX3.
When the most notable thing about someone is that they don't like horror movies, it showcases how bland of a personality they have. Like most fighting games, Street Fighter's characters live and die based on whether or not they're able to vibe with players, which is something that Ace really struggled with.
11 Arkane
These days, Arkane is a word associated with a hit animated show based on League of Legends. In the world of Street Fighter, however, it's the name of a forgettable soldier of Shadaloo who prefers to attack with electricity.
There are numerous variants of this enemy, each finding comfort in a different element, and they feel like the equivalent of the popular color-based ninjas belonging to the Mortal Kombat fighting series. Sadly, the most memorable thing about Arkane is that he sports a blue outfight. Though they're tasked with taking out Guile, they're not much more than a simple distraction.
10 Juni and Juli
Cammy is one of the quintessential female Street Fighter characters outside of the previously mentioned Chun Li. In the Street Fighter Alpha series, characters referred to as Shadaloo Dolls were introduced to the series as henchwomen of series antagonist M. Bison.
Of these Shadaloo Dolls, two, Juni and Juli were playable. Unfortunately, they offered very little in regards to gameplay that Cammy couldn't already do, and neither has been playable since Street Fighter Alpha 3.
9 Geki
Though Street Fighter II's Vega is a fan-favorite character, fighting using a claw, he was actually not the first character in the series to do so. Geki of Street Fighter I is a somewhat generic-looking blue ninja who was one of the non-playable foes players could encounter in Japan.
In addition to wielding a claw, Geki could throw shuriken projectiles at the player. As is the case with many of the fighters of Street Fighter I, Geki hasn't been seen since his debut.
8 Sodom
Introduced in the original Final Fight, Sodom was first playable in Street Fighter Alpha I and would be playable in each Street Fighter Alpha game. Despite being dressed as a traditional samurai, Sodom is actually an American who simply loves Japanese culture.
While Sodom definitely has a design that stands out, his last playable appearance was in Street Fighter Alpha 3, though he can be seen in the background of the Mad Gear Hideout stage in Ultra Street Fighter IV.
7 Remy
Originally appearing in Street Fighter II, Guile is the definitive charge character of the fighting game genre, wielding a defensive fighting style that is based around his Sonic Boom and Flash Kick. Rather than simply including Guile, Street Fighter III: Third Strike introduced the character of Remy to street fighter, a character with a nearly identical fighting style.
As Guile is a widely popular and iconic character who has appeared in every Street Fighter game following Third Strike, Remy has yet to make another appearance, fading into obscurity.
6 Maki
Like Sodom, Maki is a character who had her start in the Final Fight series, debuting in Final Fight 2. While she was originally not playable when Street Fighter Alpha 3 was first released, she was added to the roster in the PSP port of the game.
Though she was playable in Capcom Vs. SNK 2, Maki's only playable appearance in the Street Fighter series is relegated to a system-exclusive port of a single entry. Since then, she has been largely forgotten by fighting game fans.
5 Mike
Like Geki, Mike is one of the original non-playable opponents that could be fought in the very first Street Fighter game. Though it has been specifically clarified that Mike and Balrog (whose name in Japanese is M. Bison) are different characters, Balrog has access to an alternate costume in Street Fighter V called Mike Like.
This costume alters Balrog's appearance, making him look like the Street Fighter I character. Though Mike appears in Balrog's Street Fighter I arcade ending in Street Fighter V, this ending is revealed to be a dream, meaning the character himself hasn't been present in an entry since the very beginning.
4 Effie
Though never playable, Effie is the girlfriend of Street Fighter III's Necro, appearing in not just his arcade ending, but in his winning and losing poses. Of course, players would be forgiven for not knowing that given how brief her appearances were.
While Effie's character design is blatantly inspired by DC's widely popular Harley Quinn, she hasn't been playable in any Street Fighter games, though she can be seen in the background of Street Fighter V's Spooky Arena stage.
3 Ingrid
Ingrid is a character with an unfortunate history, originally slated to debut in Capcom Fighting All-Stars, a game that was canceled and never released. She would eventually make appearances in both Capcom Fighting Evolution and the PSP port of Street Fighter Alpha 3 alongside Maki.
While Maki at least had a prominent position in her debut game, Ingrid is a character who has been relegated to sparse guest appearances. She's one of the most forgettable Street Fighter characters of all time and is unlikely to return anytime soon.
2 Joe
While Street Fighter I characters such as Mike have been featured as minor cameos in later entries in the series, Joe has the unfortunate distinction of being the only Street Fighter I character who hasn't made an appearance since his debut. Ouch.
This means that Joe hasn't been present in a video game since 1987. Though this kind of prolonged absence isn't completely unheard of, there aren't many video game characters who have been missing for more than three and a half decades.
1 Captain Sawada
Captain Sawada is a character who has only appeared in one game: Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game. Yes, you read that correctly; this is a character who was created exclusively for the video game that was based on Street Fighter's live-action spin-off movie.
A minor character even within the movie he originates from, Captain Sawada has access to one of the most laughably terrible super moves in the history of fighting games. The movie in question simply sees him raising his arms and running forward to attack his opponent.