10 Most Popular Street Fighter Characters

First Appearance: Super Street Fighter II Turbo

Brother of Gouken and apprentice of Goutetsu, Akuma is a master of the art of ‘Ansatsuken’ and wields the power of the ‘Satsui no Hado’. Goutetsu trained both brothers in these techniques and Akuma eventually surpassed and murdered his master using them.

Akuma first appeared in the Street Fighter franchise as a secret boss/character in 1994’s Super Street Fighter II Turbo, the final arcade release of the Street Fighter II series. He has been playable in every subsequent Street Fighter series. Additionally, Akuma has two other forms which have also been playable.

The first is Shin Akuma, appearing in Street Fighter Alpha 2 and later in the Street Fighter II and Street Fighter III series, which sees Akuma give in further to the Satsui no Hado. This is taken further again with the character of Oni, Akuma’s second form seen in the Street Fighter IV series, in which Akuma fully surrenders his humanity to the Satsui no Hado.

Akuma is essentially the result of the media trope to take an existing character and make a darker, evil version of them. Akuma is a more powerful version of Ryu in the Street Fighter lore, and this is often reflected in his gameplay. Fans have attached themselves to this evil persona making Akuma a very popular Street Fighter character.