That Street Fighter 6 whether it was a success is clear for all to see and not only because of the very high ratings received from critics: the new baby of Capcom is among the most played titles in circulation, constantly followed on Twitch by an army of users eager to steal every possible secret from the most skilled players, and already the protagonist of a series of minor tournaments, excellent as appetizers in view of the monstrous prize money foreseen for the Capcom Pro Tour.
Whether you are fighting game veterans or complete novices who have decided to approach the genre, however, you are all plausibly experiencing the same inevitable dilemma: choosing a main character to play with. The roster of Street Fighter 6 is, in fact, among the most varied and interesting ever seen in a fighting game at launch, and it is absolutely not easy to decide with whom to face the steep mountain of competitive online. Today we will therefore try to describe in broad terms the characteristics of each fighter, to help you in the very complicated situation choice of main fighter in Street Fighter 6.
Ryu
A classic that never gets old, Ryu it is the ideal choice for those who want a perfectly balanced experience. Ryu is a "shoto", or a fighter archetype equipped with almost every useful tool. Projectiles, effective anti-air moves, cancelable normals with good range, respectable movement speed, and serious damage with relatively simple combos. His current incarnation has been made more interesting with the implementation of the Denjin charge - which changes the properties of some of his special moves and allows you to perform powerful combos - but, overall, the good Ryu remains one of the best options for anyone who wants to learn properly how to play Street Fighter. He doesn't excel at anything, true, yet at the same time he has no weaknesses and is a character who embodies the fundamentals of the series more than any other: in the hands of those who have properly mastered the mechanics, he is truly fearsome.
Recommended for anyone: does not like to take risks; loves the classics; he doesn't want to have weaknesses; he wants to learn the fundamental mechanics properly.
Ken
In the past Ken he was only marginally differentiated from Ryu, but over the years he has been markedly diversified, to the point of becoming an incarnation of the "shoto" completely different from his companion. In Street Fighter 6? Well, Ken is basically a man with the speed of a racing motorbike, who can throw the opponent from one corner of the arena to another with almost unrealistic ease. Despite belonging to the same archetype as the good Ryu, in fact, Ken is an extremely more aggressive character, as well as equipped with a manual run that modifies some of his moves (and can be used during combos). With attacks of considerable range, the aforementioned ability to push to the corner effortlessly, and absurd speed when using Drive Rush, a good Ken can put serious pressure on the opponent with constant strikes and sudden approaches. The only weak point? His projectiles leave something to be desired (due to high cooldowns) and several of his moves leave him at a disadvantage (although they are still not easy to punish). He certainly seems like one of the strongest characters at the moment, but don't underestimate his complexity: he is not as simple to exploit as he might seem at first glance.
Recommended for anyone: loves to be very aggressive; it wants to move with the speed of a surface-to-air missile; he wants to constantly use Shoryuken randomly.
Luke
Luke he may not be among the most aesthetically successful characters in the series (even if in this chapter his characterization has made giant strides, it must be said), but his concept has always been extremely interesting: the Capcom developers thought of it as an evolution of the shoto we were talking about just now, with additional possibilities and maneuvers that are very different from the classic ones. In practice, Luke also has projectiles, a "dragon punch" (an anti-air move that resembles a shoryuken, to put it simply) and other tools that cancel out his weaknesses, but, in addition to having extremely efficient projectiles (they are broadsided from distance limited, but very rapid), has the possibility of load up some of his special moves to perform devastating combos. On paper it's a really strong feature, yet using it perfectly is really difficult, because it requires activating the move with impeccable timing every time. This makes Luke literally the most technical shoto of the three, as well as the one with the most potential in the long term. Of course, he's an excellent character even if used superficially, just keep in mind that to take advantage of every gem you'll have to train your timing. Ah, given certain characteristics of his attacks, it is also particularly suitable for those who use Modern commands; in fact he loses very little by exploiting them, and his supers can be abused if they start instantly.
Recommended for anyone: loves the USA; she has perfect timing; she doesn't want weak points, but she doesn't want a life that's too easy either; he wants to abuse Modern commands.
Chun Li
The dear Chun Li in this incarnation he is anything but underestimable. It has moves mixed with charge and classic inputs, and using it well requires a lot of training, as well as constant changes in strategy. The fact that they even gave her an alternative style with extra useful attacks, in exchange for some really exaggerated moves present in older chapters, led many players who liked "easy wins" to abandon her, but the suspicion is that this version of her is potentially even stronger than many of the past ones if mastered. Chun Li is also a extremely complete character with limited weak points, it's just that, whereas shoto can normally be used by players of all types, it certainly seems like a more suitable choice for already very skilled players. However, if you can't resist the call of this warrior's powerful legs, we certainly won't be the ones to stop you.
Recommended for anyone: loves to kick people in the face; loves very technical characters; he knows how to manage distances well; he can't resist the call of his legs.
Juri
From a technical character to an... equally technical character. Juri she is an incredibly strong fighter in Street Fighter 6, thanks to her impressive range normal, monstrous movement speed, and rare aggression. However, it is a choice that bases the bulk of its offense on the constant use of a unique resource (easy to reload, but still controlled) and the drive rush. To effectively exploit Juri is It is essential to manage the drive bar perfectly, all while keeping your distance from the enemy under control and taking advantage of your fast travel capabilities. It is absolutely not a walk in the park to do everything at the same time, nor to creatively exploit the many offensive options of the barefoot queen, however, if you learn some basic tricks, it is curiously possible to use her in a fairly effective way even without delving too much into the technicalities. Foot fetishists, don't despair, you can get respectable results just by using the basics. In any case, he remains a recommended character for lovers of complex and difficult to manage fighters.
Recommended for anyone: wants to move like lightning; loves having attacks with a notable range available; he is a foot fetishist; he knows how to manage the resources and the Drive Gauge perfectly.
Honda
Finally some healthy ignorance. Honda in Street Fighter 6 he's strong; much stronger than we imagined, even though its fundamentals have changed a lot. In fact, if before he applied pressure with fistfuls, now he can do it with headbutts and... butts. Honda's headbutt and his butt-butt attack are in fact devastating tools (the latter, in particular, has the advantage when hitting and is adjustable), whose speed and unpredictability makes it very difficult for the opponent to defend himself. Not only that, these attacks are easy to use, do significant damage, and have such fast recovery that they can't even be punished with a Drive Impact. Of course, Honda still remains a partially loaded character, but he is in the initial roster one of the most suitable for beginners and it's already making waves online. Over time it will become less powerful as players learn to handle it and it is still very vulnerable to parries, but we believe it is strong enough to remain competitive for a long time. Plus it's really fun to use if you want to wreak havoc during a match even with your brain turned off.
Recommended for anyone: loves grease and hates reasoning; she wants to do serious damage with simple strategies; he is a man of paunch and substance; he wants to scream DOSUKOI in front of the terrified faces of his victims.
Marisa
The local recruit is a woman with a capital D, and it is the d for "damage". Marisa he is in fact, almost without a shadow of a doubt, the character with the highest damage potential in the game. In the hands of someone with good combo optimization skills (and a full super bar) this powerful warrior is potentially capable of erasing all of the opponent's life points in two touches. This monstrous characteristic, combined with the ability to send corners with ease, is counterbalanced by a fair slowness of movement and by the fact that Marisa has limited anti-air moves (in addition to a few normal cancelable ones). That said, the Italian gladiator also has armored moves (which absorb hits and can take the opponent by surprise) and a very dangerous defensive stance that can be used in many situations to gain an advantage. In short, a fairly risky character, but capable of completely dominating games if used cleverly, thanks to the atomic - and chargeable - broadsides that she throws. Ah, she's also easy to use at decent levels, then highly recommended for beginners or for those who want a character that is also valid with Modern commands.
Recommended for anyone: loves punching in the face with the force of a small atomic warhead; he wants to see his enemies' life point bars melt away; he doesn't want an overly complex character to use.
Manon
After Italian pride, we move on to French grandeur, which surprised many. Manon he is in fact a "snowball character", i.e. a character who becomes stronger as the match progresses. To explain it in detail, in practice every "command throw" (the non-avoidable grabs that require specific inputs, not the basic ones) that hits boosts her by giving her a medal, and this increases the damage of all subsequent command throws. These medals also remain active for the entire duration of the match. So far so good: if the game doesn't go as it should, Manon is a character with many weaknesses; the problem is that the French judoka also has great anti-air moves, normal with longer range than you thought, and the ability to increase those medals with combos that are pretty easy to pull off. Not only that, his special tricks launch with great speed and have an illegal range. Manon is therefore, in short, a terrifying character to be up against, because all she needs is a couple of well-placed tricks to turn a match around. In matches that reach the third round she is constantly tense in front of her offensive, since she can easily punish poorly calculated jumps and taking a hold can be very costly. Perfect, in short, for those who love to psychologically destroy their opponent or have good predictive abilities.
Recommended for anyone: he wants to instill terror in his opponent; he loves elegance; he is able to understand in advance what his enemy will do.
Zangief
The Red Cyclone is back and in Street Fighter 6 it is more devastating than ever, because it has improved movement capabilities compared to the past. Zangief He's still a slow and difficult character to use effectively, but the monstrous damage from his grabs - as well as some useful additional tools - make him one of the most unpredictable versions ever. It should also be kept in mind that his moves require 360 degree directional movements, and that although the game has "shortcuts" in reading the inputs to facilitate their use, these are certainly not intuitive movements for those who are not familiar with them. has never used before. Using it with Modern commands makes it infinitely more accessible, but keep in mind that in a game like this you will still need to have perfect defense and calculate the movements perfectly to tear apart very strong characters from a distance. As usual, a warrior for a brave few, but always capable of having his say.
Recommended for anyone: he has muscles in his soul; he is extremely patient; she loves to obliterate an enemy with a couple of grabs.
JP
Another new face, and more precisely it is the face of the devil. JP in fact, he is not only the new "bad guy" of the series, but also the supervillain of online matches, given that he is a zoner (a character specialized in ranged combat) who does not just throw projectiles, but he can perform real combinations from afar, has a "grab projectile", uses traps from which he can teleport, and even has a counter move that defends him from both attacks and grapples! Put like this, it might seem unbeatable, and actually fighting against a good JP is equivalent to dodging a jungle of bullets; however, this muscular gentleman has several weaknesses when reached - primarily some less-than-excellent normals and various moves that leave him vulnerable - and is therefore not unbeatable. Of course, being against him online will still bring down all the saints in the calendar to the holiest of men. If you want to use it instead... well know that you are bad people, even if they are very classy. Ah, keep in mind that, although he can apply pressure with ease, he remains a rather technical warrior, who requires excellent distance management and opponent prediction skills to be truly solid.
Recommended for anyone: has a very evil nature; he loves to infuriate his opponents; he doesn't like getting his hands dirty up close; he loves characters with many tools at their disposal.
Lily
Let's stay on the new arrivals with Lily, which for all intents and purposes is a powered-up version of T-Hawk in miniature. The young warrior is among the easiest fighters to use of the game, and bases his entire strategy on the ability to remain in perpetual frame advantage by activating "wind" charges that enhance his special moves. Basic but effective, and the damage inflicted is no different. She is among the least used fighters in the game and her simplicity has led many experts to underestimate her, however we believe she is much more dangerous than she seems at first glance. She is another character who also loses very little when used with Modern commands; his only complexity lies in the management of the charges mentioned above, which can be interrupted by very aggressive players and require a sudden change of strategy in some cases. If you like to focus on the battle without worrying too much about the execution, she is the warrior for you.
Recommended for anyone: loves simple warriors both in use and in strategy; he always wants to be ahead; he loved T-Hawk.
Dalsim
The historic Indian fighter is still part of the main roster and is, predictably, still very annoying. Dalsim he is another very underrated warrior during these first months of the game, because he is very difficult to use well; in the hands of some particularly knowledgeable pros, however, he has already demonstrated his potential, which does not seem that far from what we saw in the previous chapter. Its strange timing, the "elongated" normals (but, be careful, sometimes brutally punishable) and the difficulty of executing certain combos do not make him suitable for everyone, yet if his "slow" jump does not scare you and you are very good at keeping the distant enemy, it still remains a fabulous choice. You will just need more training than normal to get it working properly.
Recommended for anyone: loves meditation and strategy; easily predicts how the opponent will move; he is very good defensively.
cammy
God Save the Queen. cammy has always been a valid character in the Street Fighter series, but her incarnation in the sixth chapter is among the fastest and most difficult to contain ever seen. She is a very fast fighter, with a really bad downward air kick when used with precision, and the ability to fool her opponent by changing the timing of certain moves. In reality, when she tries to confuse things she is more vulnerable than expected, but her normals are so effective and her speed so high that they allow her to remain competitive even by almost completely ignoring the use of the so-called "Hooligan" (a leap with a manual bow from which he can start various moves). Be careful, on paper she seems like an easy-to-use character, however she does little damage with basic combos, and is truly dangerous requires constant use of Drive Rush and perfect management of the Barra Drive similar to Juri's. We don't recommend her for beginners, although with a little practice she is more accessible than other fighters on the roster.
Recommended for anyone: has excellent taste; loves to apply constant pressure; He has quick reflexes.
Jamie
Another brand new fighter, for Third Strike nostalgics Jamie may remind you of Yun or Yang; in reality the young man functions very differently, based on the accumulation of "drinks" which strengthen him during a round and give him additional moves. Fully upgraded, Jamie is a beast with perpetual advantage moves and very high damage; without drinking he remains a solid character, but he doesn't boast the performances of other warriors on the roster. It's difficult to understand its true potential at the moment: unlike Manon, Jamie doesn't keep up the drinks between rounds (if he could do it he would be excessively strong), and therefore has to sacrifice damage and combos to power up; a downside that cannot be underestimated. He is not a very complicated character to use in a worthy way, but, as you can well imagine, requires excellent resource management and the opponent's moments of vulnerability to show off all his cards.
Recommended for anyone: loves good drink; he knows how to exploit the enemy's windows of vulnerability; he loves kung fu.
Kimberly
Guy's heir is actually significantly more fun to use and stronger than his master was. Kimberly is a hilarious new entry, equipped with a sudden (and interruptible) sprint and incredible pressure in the corner thanks to its explosive canisters. The only problem? Her normals don't have much range, and if she doesn't use Drive Rush properly, it's difficult for her to move her opponent where she wants. The girl is also a rather technical character, precisely because of the many options available; However, her moves and movement skills make her less dependent than others on the calculation of distances. Furthermore, when you consider its teleports, sometimes it almost feels like you're playing another fighting game when using it. If you don't like perfectly calculating the millimeters of distance from your opponent throughout the match and you want an aggressive choice capable of confusing ideas, Kimberly is an excellent solution.
Recommended for anyone: hates neutral; he wants to indulge in acrobatic combos; he knows how to manage the timing of his attack very well.
guile
Another classic, guile has actually changed quite a bit in Street Fighter 6. Its capabilities have improved to the point that it can even be used aggressively, even if 90% of players will continue to use it with the "turtle style", constantly closed in defense. In reality we recommend a mixture of the two things, because the mechanics of Street Fighter 6 make it really complex to defend perfectly from everything; when you want to close in like a hedgehog, however, Guile remains in all likelihood the best choice in absolute: excellent anti-air moves, irritating and flexible projectiles, one of the best normals in the game... on paper this warrior has no weaknesses. He is also simple to use at a medium level, but be careful, he remains a character almost completely with air moves charge, so it may not be suitable for everyone.
Recommended for anyone: loves to curl up; he is very good on defense; he gets away with charges.
Blanka
Okay, with Blanka the situation is more complicated. He's not a widely used character, but in Street Fighter 6 he's changed significantly, and he's crazier than ever. Outside of the classic "rolling ball" - here very useful although vulnerable to many different responses - Blanka in this chapter of the series has at his disposal a whole series of crazy tricks linked to loadable puppets, which allow him to literally drive the player crazy. opponent or to do inconceivable things in the corner. As if that wasn't enough, he also has a super that charges him electrically, gives him great aerial mobility and allows him to activate the puppet in a whole series of additional situations. The downside is that to use it properly (although it is not terribly difficult in terms of execution) you will have to spend hours in training mode. In our opinion it's fun enough to use that it's worth the time it takes to master.
Recommended for anyone: wants the opponent to go crazy; loves spending hours experimenting in training mode; he loves to mix things up by jumping all over the arena.
Deejay
Perhaps the most impressive evolution of the entire game, Deejay He is a character with immense potential. He's a mixed warrior with some charge moves, but in Street Fighter 6 they gave him tons of options, including various unpredictable feints, respectable anti-aircraft moves, and damage significantly higher than expected. On top of all this goodness, Deejay can also perform a sort of "hop" with one of his feints - frighteningly annoying on offense - and literally has the fastest Drive Rush in the game ever. If it weren't for the absence of effective cancelable low normals he would be the most complete and difficult to contain character on the roster. Even in this case we are faced with a fighter with very few weaknesses anyway, and not even terribly difficult to use in a decent way; Just keep one thing in mind: his super level two requires perfect timing, so only use it if you have rhythm in your blood. Spot on, no doubt about it.
Recommended for anyone: has rhythm in his blood; loves characters with lots of options available; He often changes strategy and offense during matches.
And that's all for today. We've tried not to go into too much detail, but we still hope that our character descriptions will help you choose who to engage in online battles with. It won't be easy however, as Street Fighter 6 has one of the most competitive and fun to use rosters ever seen in a fighting game at launch, and we're still in the midst of this dilemma too. Good luck, have fun online, and never accept a rematch against a JP.
