Breaking down all confirmed Street Fighter 6 characters (so far)

In the past few weeks, Capcom has revealed the aesthetic, gameplay, and a host of new features for the upcoming Street Fighter 6. The most notable change is the new Drive System system replacing the classic EX meter. Others include real-time commentary, a potential adventure mode, and more.

Unfortunately, some unwarranted information on the game also found its way to the public. The entire starting roster of Street Fighter 6 was leaked shortly after Capcom's presentation. The company seemed to confirm that the leak was accurate. To familiarize yourself with the Day 1 roster, here's a breakdown of all the fighters that were part of the leak.

One of the most influential characters in gaming history, Ryu is the poster boy of the Street Fighter series. He is a nomadic martial artist obsessed with becoming the strongest fighter he can be. Ryu is a humble and soft-spoken individual renowned for his intense focus.

Since debuting in the very first  game as the default playable avatar, Ryu has appeared in every other Street Fighter installment since. He is the originator of the “shoto” character archetype used in almost every fighting game. Ryu also appears in every SNK vs. Capcom and Marvel vs. Capcom game as well as the Super Smash Bros. series.

Ken Masters is Ryu’s best friend from childhood and shares similar ambitions. He aims to test himself against the world’s strongest warriors to increase his own abilities. In many of the early games Ken had more or less the exact same moveset as Ryu. This has been changed over the years to distinguish him from his fellow shoto, particularly in Street Fighter V.

While their fighting techniques are alike, Ken’s personality differs from Ryu in that he’s cocky, flashy, and often reckless. He also has a wife and son, which he will put ahead of his martial arts if necessary.

The first female fighter in the series, Chun-Li is arguably the most popular Street Fighter character of them all. She is not only a video game icon but a general staple in pop culture. Though disciplined and honorable, she still seeks revenge on M. Bison, the man who killed her father.

Chun-Li’s Lighting Kick and Spinning Bird Kick are two of the most revered attacks in all of fighting games. The former even has a special place as part of the most legendary clip in FGC history. 

Zangief is a professional wrestler well-known for his mohawk, beard, and chest hair. He is also covered in scars from constantly sparring with bears. 

A national hero in Russia, he fights for the pride and glory of his home country. Zangief is one of the first grapplers in fighting games and helped set the blueprint for the archetype.

Though he identifies as a pacifist, Dhalsim has cemented his status as a mainstay in the Street Fighter series. The Indian yoga master has one of the most unique styles in all of fighting games. He is able to stretch his limbs to great lengths in order to hit his opponents from afar.

Because of his long-range gameplay, Dhalsim is one of the earliest examples of a “zoner” in fighting games. He can also teleport and conjure fire in various ways.

Guile is another icon of the series instantly recognizable by his flat-top hairstyle, aviator shades, and patented tattoo of the American flag. He is a major in the United States Air Force and carries that military mindset with him at all times. 

As a charge character, Guile can buffer Special Moves while he is also moving forward or backward. He is the current main of legendary Street Fighter player Daigo “The Beast” Umehara.

Edmond Honda is a world-renowned Sumo champion from Japan. He highly values honor and tradition, which makes him close-minded at times. 

Signature attacks like Hundred Hand Slap and Sumo Headbutt are famed in Street Fighter lore. Despite his massive frame, Honda is a surprisingly speedy character who excels at maintaining pressure. 

Hailing from the Amazon jungle, Blanka blurs the line between man and beast. In actuality he is a feral human whose skin turned green and sanity withered away.

Blanka is normally docile and friendly, but fights like a wild animal when enraged. He has the ability to generate electricity in many of his Special Moves.

Cammy is the second female character to appear in a Street Fighter game. The blonde femme fatale is notorious for her rushdown playstyle. She frequently appears at the very top of nearly all Street Fighter V tier lists.

Originally Cammy was a clone assassin for the villainous Shadaloo criminal organization. She has since broke free of their oppression and now operates as an MI6 agent.

Dee Jay is a kickboxer who incorporates breakdancing into his fighting style. He has also achieved worldwide recognition as a superstar musician.

After appearing in nearly every installment since his debut, Dee Jay was absent for Street Fighter V. The character will make his return after nearly ten years in Street Fighter 6. 

Known as Gouki in Japan, Akuma is one of the primary antagonists of the Street Fighter series. He is a demonic shoto devoid of compassion who is obsessed with mastering the dark forces. 

Akuma has a similar moveset as Ryu and Ken, though he relies on high-risk/high-reward mixups over solid fundamentals. He has even invaded the lore (and meta) of Tekken and is a character that transcends fighting games into pop culture.

Juri Han is a deranged Taekwondo artist who also utilizes ki charge properties in her attacks. She gets great joy from the pain of others and has a sadistic sense of humor. Since debuting in Super Street Fighter IV, Juri has become one of the series’ most popular female fighters.

As an expert in Taekwondo, most of Juri’s Punch Attacks are actually kicks. This combined with her ki-charged Special Moves make her one of the game’s most unique characters.

Rashid is a tech-savvy parkour runner from the Middle East. He frequents the internet and social media, even referring to Ryu as “that guy from Twitter.”

Along with his acrobatic fighting style, Rashid has the ability to harness the wind and create small cyclones. He is a top-tier character in Street Fighter V and is commonly used in high-level tournaments.

Ed is the protege of world champion boxer Balrog, though his punches are also infused with Psycho Power. He was captured by Shandaloo with the intent of making him a host body for the villainous M. Bison.

Ed actually debuted as a child in Street Fighter IV. The adult version wouldn’t become playable until the second DLC season of Street Fighter V.

The newest character to the franchise, Luke Sullivan debuted as Street FIghter V’s final DLC character. While arrogant and immature, he ultimately wants nothing more than to help other people. 

Luke instantly vaulted to the top of tier lists upon his release and many pros dropped their mains for him. Early promotions suggest that he has replaced Ken as the secondary protagonist in Street Fighter 6, as well as Ryu’s new rival.

In addition to returning fighters, there are seven new characters making their debut in Street Fighter 6. The leak revealed all of their names and visual appearance, but not much else. Jamie is the only one whose gameplay has been showcased, as seen in the official game trailer.

New fighters include:

This article will be updated as more characters are confirmed to appear in Street Fighter 6.

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