Fighting games are famous for having immensely creative characters from an undead pyromaniac ninja, to nomad karate masters who shoot blue fireballs from their hands. It’s hard to imagine these franchises without their punch-happy warriors but what about the villains?
Sure, Ryu gets rewarded for uppercutting people all the time, but when Bison does it, everyone gets all uppity! Well, no more!
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Today, we are going to talk about a few amazing fighting game villains. In no particular order, only one villain per game will be included here. The only requirement is that they must originate from the game. So sorry Dr. Doom fans, but we’ll have to go over the infamous footdive some other time.
10Eliza - Skullgirls
Boys, prepare the limo! Eliza might not be the main villain from the Skullgirls series, but she is the most stylish. This Egyptian diva has it all. Fame, fortune, and power. But unlike most game villains, her loyal servants actually play a role in her gameplay.
With a snap of her finger, she can call them in for a quick attack or toss a defending opponent back into a combo! But if that wasn’t enough, there’s also her sentient skeleton partner, Sekhmet, who at any time, can lunge out of Eliza’s body and become a completely invincible, bony enemy!
9Shao Kahn - Mortal Kombat
When it comes to the famous fighting game bosses, there are none quite as famous as Shao Kahn. Hailing from the well-known fighting game series, Mortal Kombat, Shao Kahn has terrorized both the characters and gamers alike. But not before taunting them and reminding them that they suck.
In a world of gods, flying demons, four-armed men, and reptile people, Shao Kahn was always the number one big bad of most of the games. And with his surprising cunning and ridiculous strength, it is clear to see why.
8ARIA - Killer Instinct
The robotic newcomer, ARIA had a lot to contend with for her first ever Killer Instinct game. This is a franchise where monsters, ghosts, skeletons, and cyborg dinosaurs all come together to bash each other’s faces. A monster bash, if you will. (Get it?) But for her first appearance, ARIA is a really threatening antagonist.
ARIA believes that humanity has gotten weak, so it is up to her to present them with two options. Her opponents can either adapt and evolve into something greater or die at her hands. Unfortunately, most people she would face would barely have enough time to react before she starts to ready all of her weapons… She doesn’t really make things easy, does she?
7Rugal - King of Fighters
The returning menace of SNK, Rugal steals a spot on this list. Appearing in the King of Fighters series back in 1994 Rugal was a brutal foe. Stealing the moves of two other powerful fighters, he comes equipped with two projectiles that he can change the speed of to throw off his adversary. Trying to zone him out with your own projectiles though, and he just sends it right back
But he is arecurringvillain, and with each appearance he just gets deadlier and deadlier! In the crossover game SNK vs Street Fighter, the man even defeats and tosses out the dude who was supposed to be the arcade boss as God Rugal. That’s right! He’s attained power to rival the gods!
6M. Bison - Street Fighter
Getting scissor kicked to death in the older Street Fighter titles was perhaps the worst day of many gamers' lives. But for him? It was a Tuesday. M. Bison is the main antagonist and main menace to the Street Fighter gang. Like Shao Kahn, if gamers paid attention to any fighting game in arcades or on older consoles, they have seen him at least once.
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From a surprising distance, he can easily close the gap with a long reaching kick. Or if he’s feeling particularly flashy, he can do his signature Psycho Crusher. And don’t even think about trying to zone out this dictator as he can and will teleport to anywhere on the screen and laugh at the opponent for even trying.
5Heihachi Mishima - Tekken
Welcome to the King of the Iron Fist Tournament. Where ancient ninjas, fighting robots, and literal bears are somehow the least of the contenders’ worries. Heihachi Mishima, up to Tekken 7, was the biggest bad of the series. So much so that villains and anti-hero alike would join forces to bring him down.
Being arguably the main person to set the events of the series in motion, this elderly fighter is a threat to most of the cast. He may not have the powers of a demon on his side, but he is just as powerful, able to deflect missiles with nothing but his bare hands. A man so deadly that not even the Mishima family ritual of chucking him into a volcano can truly stop him.
4Hilda - Under Night: In Birth
Combining a smug attitude and amazing zoning potential, Hilda steals a spot. Sure, she might not have the most wild design in Under Night but her better-than-you demeanor and cocky animations make her one of the more recognizable of the cast.
Hilda is a character who is arguably powerful enough to defeat an enemy if she really tried. But she doesn’t. Instead, she would rather sit on a throne of shadows and let one or two magical spikes stab through the opponent than put in any actual effort. She is a zoner character who wants to see the opponent struggle to get close as she turns the arena into a pointy obstacle course. And really, isn’t that just the embodiment of a zoner? The only thing missing is her pulling out a bowl of popcorn.
3Hazama - Blazblue
Snazzy and crazy. The perfect combination. Hazama is one of the villains of the Blazblue series and technically part of a different character which is a whole… other story. But basically, no one seems to like him. Possibly because the very top of his to-do lists usually involves spreading chaos and misery just to see people’s reactions.
Which is a shame because he looks really cool when sicking his snakes on them or just kicking them to the stratosphere. He never once has missed leg day. If there’s anything to take from this character, it’s that suits are never out of style, and that Micheal Jackson’s Smooth Criminal goes with any fight he’s in.
2Jedah - Darkstalkers
Does anyone remember Darkstalkers? Well, coming from the Darkstalkers franchise, Jedah is pretty deserving of a spot. Like ARIA, he comes from a game filled with all kinds of monsters and supernatural figures. And just like ARIA, while his ways may be violent and evil, his intentions are for the greater good, as he wants to destroy the world to create a better one in its place. The difference is that Jeddah came first.
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Plus, look at that outfit! The man had style! While he only appeared in one of the three Darkstalkers games, the character became a fan favorite villain pretty quickly. With an incredibly creepy stage associated with the character and creative, bloody special moves, it’s no wonder Jedah was one of the few Darkstalker characters to reappear in Capcom’s many crossover titles. Now if only Capcom would make a Darkstalkers 4…
1Android 21 - Dragon Ball FighterZ
While this is a character belonging to an anime IP, she only really exists in the games as of now. More specifically originating from Dragon Ball FighterZ and was made exclusively for that game. Her devious plan involved cloning all the warriors from the series while they’re weakened and eating the clones to increase her power.
But her gameplay is where she really shines! 21 can copy the power of any character up to four times and use it once for some flashy damage. And her supers range from destroying the environment, destroying the arena, or just… eating the opposition. The character was so popular, she was even put into other Dragon Ball games! That’s pretty impressive for a non-canon one-off villain!
