Street Fighter remains one of the most iconic titles in the fighting game genre - but as its characters prove time and time again, it's evolved past ordinary street fighting. In Capcom's prized fighting game franchise, iconic characters such as Ryu and Ken face criminal organizations, malevolent entities, and even beings of almost godlike power in the World Fighting Championship.
Moreover, while Ryu and his friends eventually prevailed against them - some Street Fighter characters undeniably possess power no ordinary people should have. Who among Street Fighter's roster can players consider overpowered - especially given their range of abilities?
Updated on October 1, 2021, by Rhenn Taguiam: Despite the popularity of fighters such as Ryu and Ken in Street Fighter, there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to popular characters in the acclaimed fighting game.
Lore fans in particular would note that certain characters - both overrated and underrated - might hold more power than what their popularity dictates. Aside from standouts such as Ryu, Akuma, and M. Bison, some Street Fighter characters have hidden powersets that, when utilized in the story, could shake the foundation of power scaling in the series.
15 Alex
People commonly mistake Alex as a brute due to his explosive personality. However, while his outbursts tend to land him in trouble, Alex is no mere pushover. While self-trained, Alex combines philosophies of kickboxing and wrestling to deal with any combat situation. In fact, his power-reliant combat style helped him become the next fighter crowned as Street Fighter Champion after Ryu.
While he doesn’t have any flashy powers, Shadaloo did eye him to become a Shadaloo Soldier. He attracted more attention after having defeated Shadaloo forces and simulations by himself. Another notable feat is managing to defeat Balrog and even Gill, with the latter considered as one of the most supernaturally powerful antagonists in the franchise.
14 Ken
Contrary to calm Ryu is the more outgoing Ken Masters. Commonly mistaken as a mere “clone” of Ryu, Ken has a faster and brutal approach to the Shotokan variant of the Ansatsuken. Befitting his proud and loud personality is a toolkit notable for mobility, rushdowns, and fluid combos.
Whereas Ryu has the Evil Ryu persona, Ken unleashed Violent Ken while under the control of Psycho Power. In this form, Ken gains a massive speed boost - to the point of a teleport move similar to Raging Demon. Although untapped in the story, Ken’s familiarity with the Ansatsuken should make it possible for him to tap into the Satsui no Hado.
13 G, Earth's Savior
Who better to be hailed as one of the most powerful in Street Fighter than the self-proclaimed President of Earth himself? People lucky enough to behold G will hear his proclamation of his status as Earth’s incarnation, Earth’s Savior, and the Universe in the flesh. True to his Uncle Sam inspiration, G does possess a rather supernatural powerset similar to Seth.
In combat, G can tap into the forces of the earth and manipulate earthly elements. He can assume a gold form, summon lava columns, and enhance the strength of his attacks. G claims great overall knowledge of combat styles - apparent with unique martial arts with his moves. Perhaps most notable is his toolkit based heavily on defense, implying that G may be able to use his earthly energies to withstand extremely powerful supernatural attacks.
12 Cody Travers
Cody Travers isn’t a Street Fighter alum, but rather one of the main protagonists in Final Fight. In the original beat ‘em up, Cody teams up with Guy to save the Metro City Mayor’s daughter from the Mad Gear gang. Unfortunately, his street-fighting streak eventually led him to jail. And unfortunately for jailors, Cody’s power level can enable him to casually leave whenever he wishes.
In combat, Cody uses “Underworld Brawling,” which he claims is the purest form of street fighting. One might ask that Cody is at a disadvantage given that he fights with handcuffs, but this is Cody actively restraining his abilities. Thanks to his mastery of Underworld Brawling, Cody can face multiple enemies at once and take full advantage of his situations. He also possesses immense strength - capable of tearing through concrete walls with ease.
11 Ingrid
No one knows where Eternal Goddess Ingrid comes from, except for the need to reclaim something lost to her. When in combat, a crest on her head seems to charge her light-based abilities. With this in mind, her moveset mostly consists of pairing telekinetic blasts with ballerina-like movements. However, where Ingrid truly shines would be her unexplained origins.
In terms of power sets, Ingrid’s abilities seem to be psychic in nature. She’s immediately able to recognize the Satsui no Hado in Evil Ryu and his incapacity to fully control it. Likewise, Ingrid is also capable of traveling through time. Perhaps more horrifyingly is Ingrid’s revelation that, when truly focused, she only needs 15 minutes to take care of M. Bison completely.
10 Gen
Gen might look like an unimposing martial artist at first glance - but his assassinations skills remain unparalleled to this day.
At its core, Gen can use his Mantis Style for grounded and defensive attacks. This capitalizes on spacing, blocking approaches, and even solid reversals. Conversely, his Crane Style maximizes his mobility for clearing and swiping attacks that put pressure on opponents. Despite the normal-sounding nature of these styles, they allowed Gen to go toe-to-toe with some of the world's most powerful fighters.
Gen serves as the only person aside from Gouken to have defeated Akuma. Granted, Akuma has yet to master the Dark Hado at the time. However, even their rematch - where Akuma fought Gen in full power - ended in a cliffhanger.
To add more to his awesomeness, Gen participated in Street Fighter 2 with advanced leukemia. To suffer from a terminal disease and potentially survive the full brunt of the Dark Hado is an impressive feat on its own.
9 Sagat
Sagat fulfills the "proud fighter" archetype through sheer training and efficiency. However, as one of Ryu's fiercest rivals, Sagat can go toe-to-toe with the protagonist without even relying on a power source.
Fans can remember that Sagat's scar came from a Dark Hado-infused Shoryuken - leaving only a scar on his chest when the strike could've easily killed him. In fact, the attack also passed some of Evil Ryu's Dark Hado to Sagat.
It's the presence of this Dark Hado - and Sagat's rejection of its power - that makes the Emperor of Muay Thai one of the most powerful characters in the franchise. Sagat's influence also became a driving force for Ryu to reject the Dark Hado himself.
This level of natural enlightenment may also explain how Sagat managed to reject the Dark Hado in the first place. It's said that Sagat unknowingly tapped into the Power of Nothingness to overcome the Dark Hado's influence, which is something not even warriors aware of its presence could do. Should Sagat have the training to tap into Sacred Hado, he may easily outmatch an empowered Ryu.
8 Rose
Rose remains as enigmatic as she is stylish - recognizable by her long wavy hair, as well as channeling her mysterious powers through her scarf. Originally a fortune teller, Rose soon realized she held a fracture of M. Bison's soul - and alongside this, a degree of his abilities. Whereas M. Bison utilized Psycho Power, Rose uses a mysterious ability called Soul Power.
Soul Power is mental power converted into energy-giving Rose some degree of clairvoyance, energy manipulation, and even creating illusions. She even demonstrated an ability to seal evil energy within blank tarot cards. It's thanks to Soul Power - and its connection with Psycho Power - that enabled Rose to accomplish some remarkable feats.
She survived a fight with Akuma after discovering his true nature. Moreover, she understands the Dark Hado to a degree that she instantly recognized this in Akuma, Sagat's injury, and Ryu's inner struggle. Despite only using a "part" of M. Bison's power, Rose understood her Soul Power so well she even managed to impart it to students. Her body proved strong enough to be a host to M. Bison as well, implying some form of hidden potential.
7 Gouken
Gouken's Ansatsuken is based on the assassination arts he learned from Goutetsu, his and Akuma's master. However, whereas Akuma fully embraced the Ansatsuken's connection with the Dark Hado, Gouken created his own variation of the Ansatsuken - focusing on defense and protection, and toning down the Dark Hado's effects.
In turn, Gouken has his own variant of the Dark Hado - the Hado no Chikara, one that replaces murderous intent with willpower. Albeit unexplored in the series, it's implied that Gouken can capitalize on the Dark Hado's full benefits without succumbing to murderous intent.
Likewise, Gouken himself can tap into the Power of Nothingness. It's his control of these abilities that enabled him to seal and banish the Dark Hado inside Ryu. As such, a person of incredible willpower like Gouken wielding the full extent of the Dark Hado to kill may become a force even more dangerous than Akuma. It's only Gouken's innate morality to not come to this point that makes him weaker than his brother in terms of sheer power.
6 Seth
As far as M. Bison is concerned, Seth had two purposes - one, to serve as the CEO of Shadaloo's SIN; and second, to serve as one of M. Bison's potential body replacements.
Essentially, Seth poses such a threat to the Street Fighter universe courtesy of the Tanden Engine. This device allowed specially-produced bodies like Seth to artificially harness Ki and copy the abilities and techniques of others once they're defeated. When Seth acquired Doll Unit Zero's body, the Tanden Engine became capable of copying techniques simply by scanning. Thanks to its special physique, Seth can stretch and modify his muscle mass to copy moves of the likes of Dhalsim and Zangief. Moreover, Seth's pride made it modify the techniques it copies - making them his own.
Due to its power absorption abilities, Seth managed to withstand the full brunt of Akuma's Raging Demon to free itself from M. Bison's influence. Moreover, despite its defeat at the hands of M. Bison, its ability to go toe-to-toe with the Shadaloo commander is already a testament to Seth's power.
5 Ryu
Fans love Ryu for his basic and accessible toolkit that remains useful for both beginners and experts alike. However, Ryu's true power lies not in his mastery of the Ansatsuken martial art. Rather, it's in his potential to tap into two of the most powerful energy sources in the Street Fighter universe.
First, Ryu displayed the potential to wield the Satsui no hado (Surge of Murderous Intent) - a dark force tapping the darker side of human instinct. Sadly, his lack of control over this Dark Hado can transform Ryu into a murderous beast capable of flight, power absorption, and even awakening the Dark Hado in others. When this occurs, this Dark Ryu entity breaks Ryu's moral boundaries - allowing him to even kill to achieve victory.
Secondly, Ryu can tap into Kyosui no Hado (Power of Nothingness) - a force that transcends consciousness. Unlike the Dark Hado, this Sacred Hado taps on mental refinement. In this state, Ryu acts without thought and emotion, to simply flow with creation. Ryu can tap into the Sacred Hado after clearing himself of his Dark Hado. When awoken, Ryu can seal evil power, gain invulnerability, and maximize his ki to the fullest extent.
It's his potential in these two forces that allowed Ryu to prevail against the world's greatest threats in Street Fighter games. Despite Ryu being a Superman or messianic analog, his "protagonist" status does hinder his rank as an overpowered character.
4 M. Bison
Despite M. Bison's megalomaniacal streak, he remains one of the universe's most intelligent and strongest fighters. He fights with a self-taught martial art called Lerdit, focusing on aggression and overwhelming his opponents with sheer power. Interestingly, this pairs perfectly well with his primary power source: Psycho Power.
While multiple characters can use Psycho Power, it's M. Bison specifically who managed to master its full capabilities. As a force that utilizes negative energy, M. Bison taps into Psycho Power courtesy of his hatred, anger, and fear. With Psycho Power, M. Bison can sense various forms of energy and even have incredible regeneration.
Thanks to his mastery, M. Bison acquired incredible strength alongside flight, intangibility, telekinesis, teleportation, telepathy, and even soul transference. As a Psycho Power master, M. Bison consistently became one of the most feared characters in Street Fighter lore.
3 Gill
While Urien served as President of the Secret Society, his brother Gill served as its Messiah. Believing Gill to be the next reincarnation of their Emperor, the Secret Society trained and genetically enhanced the young Gill to possess superhuman strength and speed. Outside these enhancements, Gill is already a gifted martial artist and hoped to learn "the ultimate fighting style" by practicing other techniques.
However, Gill's true power lies in his "transformation" - which makes him permanently possess a body divided into a left half with blue skin and a right half with red skin. Additionally, his "divinity" allowed Gill full control over fire and ice, enhancing his repertoire of techniques.
Moreover, it's said that Gill is practically "immortal" with his transformation. Lastly, Gill survived the Dark Hado's Raging Demon - meaning he possesses a form of spiritual immortality as well.
2 Oro
Oro might look like an ordinary hermit, but this 140-year-old man is Street Fighter's definition of a literal immortal. At its core, his most impressive feat is having mastered the secret to immortality - and with this enlightenment, Oro has acquired frightening abilities.
The immortal Oro has mastered the art of Senjutsu, a mystical martial art. Despite its true nature remaining a mystery, Oro's mastery of Senjutsu imparted incredible abilities. For instance, Oro can withstand extreme atmospheres - as evidenced by riding a plane by standing on its roof. Moreover, he has some degree of telekinesis.
His training in Senjutsu becomes incorporated into his position-heavy and mobility-reliant fighting style. His mastery over Ki endowed him with incredible stamina and strength, even with his old age. In fact, Oro considers his powers too immense that he had to magically bind one arm to give his enemies a fighting chance.
1 Akuma
Akuma uses the original and aggressive form of Gouken's martial arts, focusing on raw power, domination, and destruction before ever leaving an opening. However, Akuma's true power lies in the Satsui no Hado, or the Dark Hado that all martial artists fear.
Thanks to his mastery over the Dark Hado, Akuma had let it overcome him completely. With the Dark Hado, Akuma possesses a potent healing factor, telepathy, flight, soul manipulation, and even spreading the Dark Hado's influence. Akuma's control over the Dark Hado even allows him to control the weather and punch through mountains.
However, perhaps most frightening is Akuma's mastery of the Raging Demon. This technique, only usable via the Dark Hado, unleashes five attacks that use the target's very evils against them. In turn, those who couldn't withstand it don't just die, but their souls theoretically get destroyed, too. Akuma's ability to destroy souls at a whim, and his refusal to do so until he's met a worthy opponent, make him a frightening enemy - and perhaps, the most powerful Street Fighter character in the lore.