Street Fighter 6manages to strike a good balance between adding new fighters to the series and adding in classics. There are eighteen characters to choose from, and players do not need to unlock any of them through the arcade mode. Also, there are confirmed characters on the way through future DLC, including the fan-favorite villain, Akuma.
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Now, of those eighteen, eleven of them are classics like Ryu and Chun-Li, while the other seven are new. They include Luke, Jamie, Kimberly, Marisa, Manon, Lily, and JP. It’s a good mix inStreet Fighter 6, but let’s go over who among those new fighters is the best so far.
7Marisa
Marisa is like the Zangief ofStreet Fighter 6. She is a big hulking character who loves to fight. She is a gladiator at heart, and her home turf reflects that. Her hair even looks like a Roman-style helmet, and she fights lions in the campaign.
She is a fun character who enjoys the love of combat with good sportsmanship. As charming as she can be, Marisa is not as fun to use as she is one of the slower characters to maneuver. For some, though, that will be a plus.
6JP
JP isStreet Fighter 6’s version of M. Bison. JP, as it is later revealed through arcade story monologues, used to work under M. Bison and was thus part of the Shadaloo organization. He may look like a dapper old man that can barely swing a punch, but that’s part of JP’s game.
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He wants opponents to be caught off guard by his proper demeanor. He’s well versed at using his cane to deflect attacks or to counter them. He’s not the best villain in the series, but he has some good moves, admittedly.
5Luke
Luke has one of the oddest bodies in this series. There are a lot of big beefy boys like Ryu and Zangief, but their bodies are well-proportioned. Luke’s arms look like cannons, like there is something hiding in them.
Unfortunately, despite Luke having a military background, he does not have secret weapons in those arms like some kind of Mega Man character. Oddly proportional body aside, Luke can definitely handle himself in battle as a good mid-tier character. The best part about him is his major inclusion in the World Tour campaign mode as the player-created character’s cheerleader.
4Jamie
Jamie has a relation to some legacy characters in the series. He is cousins to both Yun and Yang, who also practice martial arts. Jamie’s fighting style is a bit more unique compared to theirs as he practices the ancient style of drunken combat.
Players can take a sip of his jug in a battle to charge up. His fighting style is loose, making it easy to get in a lot of good opportunities for counters. If Jamie gets too wild, he’ll even let his hair down, which is a unique character trait forStreet Fighter 6.
3Manon
Manon is a combination of many different roles in her life. She is a runway model, dancer, and a practicer of martial arts. Her clothes and style reflect that with her spandex, open karate robe, and perfectly made-up face.
Like JP, Manon is perhaps trying to catch opponents off-guard with her looks. This is one runway models enemies are not going to want to mess with. She will kick higher than Mario can jump, and that’s saying something. As confident as she is, Manon does have some self-esteem issues relating to her mother.
2Kimberly
Kimberly is a self-proclaimed teen ninjain her story mode. She is looking for the Shadaloo organization and, thus, anyone connected to it, like JP. She desperately wants to find out what happened to her uncle, who used to work for Shadaloo. Despite his dark past, Kimberly still holds her uncle dear.
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She is another character that will probably throw opponents for a loop. What can a young teen who is listening to music on a Walkman do with spray paint? It turns out a lot because this teen ninja is a fast one. With her quick moves and wildly colorful outfit, she would fit well within the Naruto universe.
1Lily
Lily is absolutely one of the best characters in the game, although Kimberly is almost like a tie for first. They have a lot in common besides their looks. They are both fast characters, but Lily has the advantage of her twin boomerang-like weapons; this gives Lily a better reach in battle, which is like a cheat.
Weapons may not belong in a street fight, but this is also a universe whereinbeastmen like Blankacan electrocute people. If Bandai Namco ever makes anotherSoulcalibur, Lily would be a good guest character, as she already has weapons in hand. It’s worth mentioning that she also has ties to legacy characters like T. Hawk as Lily is part of the Thunderfoot people.
Street Fighter 6was released on June 07, 2025, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
