Street Fighter is a Japanese video game series focused on a collection of fighting games created and released by Capcom. The first game in the series was introduced in 1987, and since then, six main games, along with other related games and team-ups with characters from different series, have been made. The most popular game, Street Fighter II, which was released in 1991, introduced many common features of the one-on-one fighting game genre.

Street Fighter is one of the most successful video game series in history and a key series for Capcom. As of March 2025, it has sold 56 million copies worldwide. It is also one of the most successful media franchises and the longest-running fighting game series.

Games

Street Fighter, created by Takashi Nishiyama and Hiroshi Matsumoto, was first released as an arcade video game in 1987. In the game, players control a martial artist named Ryu as he competes in a global martial arts tournament across five countries against 10 opponents. A second player can control Ryu's American rival, Ken Masters. Players can use three basic attacks—punches and kicks—each with different speeds and strengths, and three special moves: Hadōken, Shōryūken, and Tatsumaki Senpūkyaku. These special moves are performed by pressing specific button and joystick combinations.

Street Fighter was later made available for many home computers, including MS-DOS. In 1987, it was released for the TurboGrafx-16 CD add-on console as Fighting Street by Hudson Soft. In 2005, the game was included in Capcom Classics Collection: Remixed for the PlayStation Portable and Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is also available in the 2018 compilation, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows.

Street Fighter II was released in 1991 after an earlier attempt to market the 1989 game Final Fight as a sequel to Street Fighter failed. It was one of the first arcade games developed for Capcom's CP System hardware and was designed by Akira Nishitani and Akira Yasuda, who also created Final Fight and Forgotten Worlds.

Street Fighter II: The World Warrior was the first one-on-one fighting game to allow players to choose from multiple characters, each with unique fighting styles and moves. Each character has around 30 or more moves, including grappling and throwing techniques, and two or three special attacks. In single-player mode, the player faces seven other main characters before battling four final bosses controlled by the computer. A second player can join at any time for competitive matches.

The original Japanese version of Street Fighter II included an African-American boxer boss character modeled after real-life boxer Mike Tyson. This character was initially named "Mike Bison." To avoid a legal dispute, Capcom changed the names of three boss characters for international versions. The final boss, named Vega in Japan, became M. Bison. The Spanish warrior, named Balrog in Japan, was renamed Vega. The boxer became Balrog. In a 2019 interview, Mike Tyson said he was "honored by the impersonation."

Street Fighter II became more popular than its predecessor, turning Street Fighter into a multimedia franchise. It had a major impact on gaming, with over $10 billion in inflation-adjusted revenue earned by 2017, mostly from arcade machines. Over 14 million cartridges were sold for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive.

The first major update to the series was Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, called Street Fighter II Dash in Japan. This version allowed players to control the four computer-controlled boss characters, with two players able to choose the same character using alternate color patterns. It featured improved graphics and refined gameplay. A second update, Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting (Street Fighter II Dash Turbo in Japan), was created to address bootleg versions of the game. It offered faster gameplay, new character costumes, and special techniques. Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers introduced a complete graphical and musical redesign and added four new playable characters. It was the first game for Capcom's CP System II hardware. The fifth arcade version, Super Street Fighter II Turbo (Super Street Fighter II X in Japan), brought back the fast gameplay from Hyper Fighting, introduced "Super Combos," and added a hidden character, Akuma.

Many home versions of Street Fighter II were released after the original game. The original version, Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, was released for the Super NES in 1992 and became Capcom's best-selling game by 2008. A Japanese-only version of Street Fighter II Dash was released for the PC Engine in 1993. That year, two home versions of Hyper Fighting were released: Street Fighter II Turbo for Super NES and Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition (Street Fighter II Dash Plus in Japan) for Genesis. Super Street Fighter II was also released for Super NES and Genesis in 1994. That same year, Super Street Fighter II Turbo was released for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and Windows, by GameTek.

In 1997, Capcom released Street Fighter Collection for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. This compilation included Super Street Fighter II, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, and an updated version of Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold (Street Fighter Zero 2′ (Dash) in Japan). It was followed by Street Fighter Collection 2 (Capcom Generation Vol. 5 in Japan), which included the original Street Fighter II, Champion Edition, and Hyper Fighting. In 2000, Super Street Fighter II X was released for the Dreamcast in Japan as part of the Matching Service, featuring an online two-player mode. In 2003, Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition was released in Japan and Asia to celebrate the series' 15th anniversary. This version combined elements from all five previous Street Fighter II games and was later released in North America and the PAL region as part of the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection alongside Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. In 2005, the three games in Street Fighter Collection 2 were included in Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 1 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. A version of Super Turbo and the original Street Fighter was later added to Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Street Fighter II and Super Street Fighter II are also available as downloadable games for some cellular phone services.

An updated version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo, called Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, was released on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in 2008. This version features fully redrawn artwork, including HD sprites 4.5 times larger than the original, created by artists from UDON. It is the first time Street Fighter characters have had new sprites since Capcom vs. SNK 2 in 2001. The game includes gameplay changes to address balance issues but also allows players to choose between original arcade gameplay and the updated version.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is an updated version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo released for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. It offers two graphical styles—classic pixel art and updated high-definition art—and includes new gameplay mechanics and modes. The game also features two additional characters: Evil Ryu and Violent Ken, alternate evil forms of Ryu

Other media

• The first animation based on the Street Fighter franchise was made in South Korea in 1992. It is called Street Outlaw (Hangul: 거리의 무법자; RR: Geori-eui Mubeopja). The story follows characters named Soryong and Saeng as they enter the world of Street Fighter to fight M. Bison. The film was created by Daiwon Animation and directed by Sang Il Sim. It includes characters from other games, such as April O'Neil, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dracula, and Frankenstein's monster, without official permission. The film was never officially released outside of South Korea and is not well known.

• In 1994, an anime film titled Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie was released in Japan by Group TAC. A version for English-speaking audiences, made by Manga Entertainment, was released on home video in 1995.

• Group TAC also made an anime TV series called Street Fighter II V, which first aired in Japan in 1995. They also created a two-episode OVA (original video animation) series called Street Fighter Alpha: The Movie, released in 1999. Both were adapted into English by Manga Entertainment. An earlier English version of Street Fighter II V was made by ADV Films for the UK in the 1990s.

• An American-made animated TV series based on the games, called Street Fighter, was created by InVision Entertainment. It aired in North America on USA Network from 1995 to 1997. The show follows Guile as he leads a group of "Street Fighters" to battle Bison and his followers.

• In 2005, an OVA called Street Fighter Alpha: Generations was made by Studio A.P.P.P. specifically for English-speaking audiences.

• In 2004, a short educational animation called Street Fighter: Return to the Fujiwara Capital was released in Japan. It features Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and E.Honda traveling back in time to learn about Japanese history. The film has no battles and was first released on video in 1996, later re-released on DVD.

• In 2009, an OVA titled Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind was made by Studio 4°C. It was included as a bonus disc in the Collector's Edition of Street Fighter IV for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The film was part of Capcom's 2008 launch of the game, which also included a potential TV series.

• In Asia, a downloadable movie featuring Juri from Super Street Fighter IV was included in the Collector's Edition of the Xbox 360 version. The 35-minute film tells Juri's story and was released in English but not outside Asia until 2012 as part of the Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector's Set.

• Four animated trailers for Street Fighter IV were made to serve as prequels to the game's story.

• The 2012 movie Wreck-It Ralph includes brief scenes with characters from Street Fighter.

• The 2018 movie Ready Player One includes animated characters from Street Fighter as avatars in a virtual world.

• The first live-action movie, Street Fighter, was released in 1994. It stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile, Raúl Juliá as General M. Bison, and Kylie Minogue as Cammy. It inspired an arcade game and a console game, both titled Street Fighter: The Movie. It also inspired an animated TV series that aired from 1995 to 1997.

• A live-action movie titled Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li was released in 2009, starring Kristin Kreuk as Chun-Li. It is considered one of the worst films ever made.

• In 2010, a live-action short film called Street Fighter: Legacy was made by Joey Ansah and Owen Trevor. It stars John Foo as Ryu and Christian Howard as Ken. Both Howard and Ansah also appear as Akuma. Capcom confirmed more Street Fighter films were in development.

• In 2014, a TV series called Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist was released on Machinima's YouTube channel. Howard and Moh reprise their roles as Ken and Ryu, with Mike Moh replacing John Foo as Ryu. A second season, Street Fighter: World Warrior, was planned for 2017 but canceled.

• A web series called Street Fighter: Resurrection aired on Machinima in 2016, with Moh and Howard as Ryu and Ken.

• A scene in the 2018 movie Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween shows Slappy the Dummy using magic to bring action figures of Ryu and Ken to life.

• A live-action movie titled Street Fighter is scheduled to be released by Paramount Pictures on October 16, 2026, in IMAX.

• Masaomi Kanzaki's Street Fighter II manga was translated into English as Street Fighter II in the US. It was originally published in three volumes in Japan and later released in eight issues in the US. The US version was rearranged to read left to right.

• Masahiko Nakahira created four Street Fighter manga series: Cammy Gaiden, Street Fighter Zero, Street Fighter: Sakura Ganbaru!, and Street Fighter III: Ryu Final. Some of these were translated into English by UDON. Characters like Evil Ryu and Karin Kanzuki, created by Nakahira, appear in the Street Fighter video games.

• Super Street Fighter II: Cammy Gaiden (1994) – A manga about Cammy in seven chapters. It was first published in Japan in 1994 and later released in English by Viz Communications in 1997. The seventh chapter was added as a bonus but never translated officially

Traditional games

• An Irish computer company called CryptoLogic created a slot machine that looks like the Street Fighter II game.
• In 1994, White Wolf made a game called Street Fighter: The Storytelling Game. It is based on the Street Fighter series and includes characters from Super Street Fighter II. The game used rules similar to those in the World of Darkness games.
• In 2006, Sabertooth Games made a Street Fighter-themed set for its Universal Fighting System (UFS) collectible card game.
• Another trading card game, called Epic Battles (made by Score Entertainment), included Street Fighter characters. It also included characters from other fighting games, like Mortal Kombat. This game is no longer available.
• In 2018, Jasco Games started a popular Kickstarter campaign for Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game. The game was supposed to be delivered in 2019 but was delayed and finally delivered in 2021.

Characters

In addition to the characters listed below, some titles in the Street Fighter series have introduced characters that are only officially part of their specific media. These include the Monitor Cyborg from the Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie and related game, Shin from the browser game Street Fighter Online: Mouse Generation, and Blade, Arkane, Kyber, F7, and Sawada from the arcade game based on the 1994 Street Fighter film. Many characters from the Street Fighter franchise also appear in Street Fighter EX and later versions of the game. Although these games added new characters, they later became their own separate series called the Fighting EX Layer series, with connections to the Street Fighter cast removed. Street Fighter 6 was the first main series game to include playable characters from other games, adding Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui from SNK's Fatal Fury series in the game's second season pass.

Each character listed below is based on their playable version in the most complete home versions of the game and major releases. Note that in the first Street Fighter game, only Ryu and Ken are normally playable. More details about the characters can be found in the sections about their specific games.

Reception

Since the first Street Fighter game was released in August 1987, the series sold 35 million home versions by 2014 and 46 million by 2021. It also sold over 500,000 arcade cabinets, earning more than $1 billion from arcade sales. This made Street Fighter one of the best-selling video game franchises. As of 2014, Street Fighter was Capcom’s second-largest franchise, behind Resident Evil. By 2021, it was Capcom’s third-largest software franchise, after Resident Evil and Monster Hunter.

The most successful game in the series is Street Fighter II, which earned over $10 billion in total revenue, mostly from arcade machines. More than 14 million cartridges for the Super NES and Sega Mega Drive/Genesis versions were sold. As of 2017, Street Fighter II was one of the top three highest-grossing Japan-made arcade games of all time, following Taito’s Space Invaders and Namco’s Pac-Man.

In 1994, Capcom called Street Fighter "the most successful video game series of the decade" while promoting Super Street Fighter II.

Esports

Daigo Umehara, known as "Daigo" or "The Beast" in the West and "Umehara" or "Ume" in Japan, is the most famous Street Fighter player in the world. He is often considered the greatest player of the game. He holds a world record in the Guinness World Records for being "the most successful player in major Street Fighter tournaments."

"Evo Moment 37," also called the "Daigo Parry," is a part of a Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike semi-final match from the Evolution Championship Series 2004 (Evo 2004). The match was between Daigo Umehara and Justin Wong. During the match, Umehara blocked 15 hits in a row from Wong's "Super Art" move while having very little health left. Umehara then won the match. "Evo Moment #37" is often described as the most famous moment in the history of competitive video gaming. At one time, it was the most-watched competitive gaming moment ever, and it has been compared to famous sports events like Babe Ruth's called shot and the Miracle on Ice.

Hajime "Tokido" Taniguchi is currently ranked as the top Street Fighter V eSports player in the world according to SRK Data eSports rankings. From Japan, he has won the Evolution Championship Series three times and is widely considered one of the best players in the game's history.

Mike "BrolyLegs" Begum was a well-known "disabled" player who reached as high as number 378 in the world rankings. He was featured on ESPN E:60 for using only his mouth to control the game.

In popular culture

Street Fighter influenced mixed martial arts (MMA), a type of combat sport. The first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) MMA event happened in 1993, the same year that Super Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat II were popular video games. At first, UFC promoters compared these games to real-life fighting tournaments.

Street Fighter II was used in hip hop music. Artists like The Lady of Rage, Nicki Minaj, Lupe Fiasco, Megan Thee Stallion, Dizzee Rascal, Lil B, Sean Price, and Madlib included parts of the game in their songs. This began in 1993 with Hi-C’s song “Swing’n” and DJ Qbert’s track “Track 10” in 1994. The Street Fighter movie soundtrack from 1994 was the first major film soundtrack mostly made of hip hop music. DJ Qbert said, “I think hip-hop is a cool thing, I think Street Fighter is a cool thing.” Vice magazine wrote, “Street Fighter’s mix of competition, confidence, and individuality fits well with the challenges rappers face.” Grime DJ Logan Sama said, “Street Fighter is a huge cultural thing that everyone grew up with, leaving a lasting impact.” Jake Hawkes of Soapbox explained, “Grime music focuses on lyrical battles, and these one-on-one clashes match Street Fighter’s 1v1 fights.” Grime artists like Dizzee Rascal used Street Fighter II in songs starting in 2002, and many grime musicians sampled the game. Street Fighter II became part of BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Charlie Sloth’s “Fire in the Booth” segments, where he used sounds like “Hadouken,” “Shoryuken,” and the “Perfect” announcer from the game.