Few genres are defined by their selection of characters quite like fighting games are. There really is a character for everyone in fighting games, and while it’s great to have options, it can make the task of choosing your fighter very daunting.
Related:Fighting Games With The Largest Rosters
For those unsure of who they want to play, you can rarely go wrong with the protagonist characters. While not always the case, fighting game protagonists are typically well-rounded characters that can fit any playstyle, and give players a general idea of the ins and outs of how to play the game. While their personalities and designs may vary, they each represent their game well and are great characters to choose for fighting game newcomers and veterans alike.
8Ragna The Bloodedge - BlazBlue
BlazBlue’s hot-headed protagonist is one of the wildest protagonists in all of fighting games. At a glance, Ragna is rude, curses at a moment’s notice, and is willing to push anyone to the side to accomplish his goals. While he is best known for his delinquent-like personality, he has a sympathetic side to him, caring for many of his colleagues, and refusing to kill even his most sworn enemies.
In terms of gameplay, Ragna is exceptionally engaging for a protagonist character. He has a lot of standard tools like fireballs and uppercuts, but also has a lot of options that enable Ragna to go berzerk. This gives him options that fit any playstyle, as well as adjust between playing patient and playing aggressively, making him a very well-rounded fighter.
7Haohmaru - Samurai Shodown
The most well-known samurai in fighting games has to be Haohmaru fromSamurai Shodown. Based heavily on the historic Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, Haohmaru lives for combat, striving to improve his technique and loving the thrill of battle above all else. While he is best known as the protagonist of Samurai Shodown, he has made guest appearances in other games, like Capcom Vs. SNK 2 and Soul Calibur 6.
Related:Best SNK Fighting Games
Haohmaru is the definition of a heavy hitter. His fighting style revolves primarily around swinging his sword in a way that covers a lot of range and dealing a lot of damage with every hit. While he does fight with his fists from time to time, his sword-fighting ability is where he shines. His unmatched attitude and immensely powerful fighting skills offer a fighter that represents the premier samurai fighter perfectly.
6Liu Kang - Mortal Kombat
Liu Kang is one of theMortal Kombatuniverse’s most triumphant fighters, and he has remained a staple of the series for a reason. He is regarded as one of the most prestigious fighters of the Earthrealm, and has come out victorious in every Mortal Kombat tournament he has participated in, as well as defeating some of the series' most powerful villains, like Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn.
He boasts a fighting style comprised of many different martial arts, best known for his flying kick and bicycle kick, which he uses in conjunction with his incredible speed. He also has control over fire, allowing him to shoot fireballs and light his own limbs on fire to make his kicks even deadlier. He is a speedy all-rounder that can dish out damage, and his unmatched fighting record solidify him as the most renowned fighter in the series.
5Kyo Kusanagi - The King Of Fighters
Among SNK’s treasure trove of iconic fighting game protagonists, Kyo Kusanagi represents their most popular series,The King of Fighters. Kyo is a cocky, confident fighter who is willing to take on any challenge. While he is aware of his great responsibilities, he is mostly motivated by his own values, particularly his sense of justice. One of the most defining aspects of Kyo is his rivalry with Iori Yagami. The two have a deep hatred for each other, yet neither goes as far as to kill the other, and they even work together if the matter is urgent, making for one of the best rivalries in the genre.
The King of Fighters is best known as arushdown game, and Kyo is the embodiment of this fighting style. He is an in-your-face, pressure character who wants to crack open the opponent by any means necessary. This makes him a great character to learn KoF’s system with, as he teaches the foundation of the game’s offense excellently.
4Jin Kazama - Tekken
Tekkenhas had a handful of protagonist characters throughout its history, and while Heihachi and Kazuya are iconic characters of the series, Jin has been the series' most frequent protagonist since Tekken 3, his debut. After being trained and eventually betrayed by his grandfather Heihachi, Jin took it upon himself to put an end to the Mishima family’s terror and has made it his goal ever since.
Since Jin denounced the Mishima style, his gameplay took a big turn in Tekken 4. While Kazuya and Heihachi are heavy hitters, Jin is more of a finesse, poke-based type character who wants to capitalize off the mistakes of his opponents. He still retains some of the Mishima mobility options, like their crouch dash, but Jin finds ways to set himself apart from the other Mishimas, making him unique among the group.
3Morrigan Aensland - Darkstalkers
Female protagonists were a rarity in the ’90s,especially in fighting games, but Capcom delivered with Darkstalkers’ protagonist, as Morrigan has remained one of the most popular fighting game characters all these years later. Darkstalkers is a series that is primarily consists of characters based on monsters, and Morrigan takes the role of a succubus, featuring a seductive personality to boot.
Related:Coolest Darkstalkers Characters, Ranked
While her origin is evil, she is best described as an anti-hero, as she has a compassionate side to her, and finds herself siding with the heroes frequently. Her playstyle varies a lot from game to game, in Darkstalkers she is a patient, defensive character, in Capcom Vs. SNK she is a rushdown, mixup-heavy character, and in Marvel Vs. Capcom she is a terrifying zoner. While there hasn’t been a new Darkstalkers in decades, Morrigan has left her mark as one of Capcom’s most beloved fighters.
2Ryu
The most iconic fighting game character of all time has remained one of the genre’s greatest protagonists over 35 years later. Boasting the title of The World Warrior, Ryu is a character that illustrates fighting games to a tee. His main motivation isn’t fame, fortune, or others’ approval, he is strictly driven by the desire to become stronger. During his iconic ending inStreet Fighter2 during the awards ceremony, he isn’t seen collecting his reward, but rather looking for his next challenge.
In battle, Ryu is typically a character that has every tool necessary to win. With fireballs to keep his opponents out, uppercuts to stop them from jumping in, and moves to poke in neutral with, he has every tool necessary. While he is rarely the best character in the game, he is almost always one that can tackle any situation thrown at him. For those looking for a fair fight and are driven by self-improvement, Ryu is the perfect fighter.
1Sol Badguy
One of the mostexplosive fighting game characters, Sol Badguy is an all-out brawler with an unmatched attitude. His no-nonsense personality and unwillingness to work with others give him a very tough personality, though he is known to have a compassionate side, caring for many other characters like Sin, Elphelt, Dizzy, and Ramlethal for one reason or another.
For a fighter who is known for only putting as much effort in as needed, you’d find it hard to believe how powerful he is without giving it his all. His moves hit exceptionally hard, and one well-placed attack from him can be enough to erase his opponent’s life bar. His damage in conjunction with his over-the-top move makes him one ofGuilty Gear’s most exciting fighters, and a perfect protagonist to represent the series.
