Street Fighter is a Capcom flagship series that’s been around for more than 30 years now and is a household name with a massive presence on the EVO main stage. One of the most iconic and recognizable fighting game franchises, Street Fighter, features a cast of diverse warriors, all with something to prove or goals to achieve through their strength.

How mighty are these warriors, though? It’s no secret that just about every Street Fighter character is looking to make their case as the strongest in the world. This list will look at characters’ overall canon presence, accomplishments, feats, and track records to decide the strongest Street Fighter character. We won’t be getting too complex with the fighting game lingo, but thankfully, we’ve got a glossary for anyone unfamiliar with the genre.

Updated May 18, 2022, by Chris Sanfilippo: Capcom has made plenty of announcements regarding its flagship series, Street Fighter’s, thirty-fifth anniversary. Some of these statements are smaller, like their plans to launch the Capcom Fighting Collection. However, other reports are significant, including Capcom’s announcement of Street Fighter 6. In honor of the series’ thirty-fifth anniversary and its upcoming sixth entry, we decided to revisit our list of the strongest Street Fighter characters!

15 Luke

There’s a lot of anticipation for Street Fighter 6. But, we still don’t know much. However, Street Fighter 5’s last DLC season introduced us to one of the upcoming sequel’s titular characters, Luke Sullivan. Luke is an MMA fighter whose father passed away rescuing civilians from an IED planted by terrorists in a shopping mall. To honor his father’s memory, Luke joins the military to combat terrorism. However, he later realizes that this endeavor did not fulfill this wish as he thought it would. So, after conferring with his superior, Guile, Luke decides to travel a new path.

Luke’s appearance in Street Fighter 5 has given us a taste of the power he possesses. So far, between his quick rushdown and powerful combos, like the Thermobaric Thrash, Luke seems promising. However, seeing him go toe to toe with Ryu in the recent SF6 teaser is our biggest hint that he may become more powerful than we think. This older version of Luke is intimidating enough, especially with his veiny, smoke-emitting arms. Yet, seeing Capcom position Luke as a possible parallel to Ryu, one of the series’ strongest characters, makes us believe Luke may be one of the strongest Street Fighter characters.

14 Dhalsim

Dhalsim is an enigma. He’s a yoga master and a complete pacifist, yet he’s also said to be one of the strongest fighters in the franchise. But, because unleashing his power is always in conflict with his desire for peace and harmony, Dhalsim rarely exhibits his full abilities in battle. Still, his abilities are numerous: teleportation, stretching his limbs across the screen, floating in the air, mind-controlling people (to a certain extent), and even breathing fire (though this fire is illusionary).

Dhalsim’s fighting style is the embodiment of Yoga, plain and simple. Dhalsim travels the world, helping the needy as much as possible, being the spiritual guide for characters in need — such as Ryu whenever he starts falling prey to the Satsui No Hado. Sadly, we can’t put Dhalsim any higher since his pacifism gets in the way in a fighting situation, but there’s no doubt the guy is a powerhouse in his own right. Dhalsim is both the most peaceful and one of the strongest Street Fighter characters.

13 Juri Han

Juri is a sadistic Taekwondo master with a vendetta against M. Bison and Shadaloo. She’s a talented fighter, but what makes her terrifying is that little gadget implanted in her eye: the Feng Shui Engine that increases her already quite powerful martial abilities. While new to the series, Juri has made a reputation as one of the best Street Fighter characters.

Her first appearance was in Super Street Fighter 4. In a short period, she’s accumulated an impressive number of accomplishments. Her feats include single-handedly bopping all 12 of Bison’s dolls in one go, defeating Chun-Li, and even taking on the likes of Guile and Cammy simultaneously, holding her own against both and even managing to knock Guile out. A good majority of the Street Fighter roster has their work cut out against this crafty and venomous spider as she’ll do whatever it takes to get her revenge on Bison. Her aggressive fighting style is a testament to that.

12 Alex

Alex is the “main” character of Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike, and the game made it seem like he would replace Ryu as the series’ protagonist. However, Capcom kept Ryu around. It’s an actual Goku/Gohan situation. While Alex isn’t as strong as Ryu, he is one of the only people to get a legitimate win on Gill. Therefore, it’s safe to say Alex deserves to be on here, especially since he doesn’t use any supernatural powers like Psycho Power, elemental abilities, and so on, yet still manages to hold his own against people who do.

Alex’s fighting style is a mix of wrestling moves and kickboxing, and his mastery of both puts him on relatively equal footing with other martial arts masters. And, if you need any more proof, look at the guy! With pecs like that, who is doubting that he belongs here among the strongest in the franchise?

11 Ryu

The guy, the legend, the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series, Ryu, is a wandering world warrior, always looking for his next challenge. Trained by Gouken with his best friend Ken, Ryu aims to become as strong as possible. While on this constant journey for strength, he’s achieved plenty of accomplishments, such as winning the first World Warrior tournament against the tiger king Sagat, defeating M. Bison twice, and even harnessing the Power of Nothingness.

While Ryu is no one to fool around, some of his achievements are questionable. His most significant issue is the multiple run-ins with his dark side, the Satsui No Hado. For example, to win against Sagat in their first fight, Ryu unknowingly released his dark powers on the Muay Thai Emperor after the fight concluded. Likewise, his victories against Bison were often products of his allies weakening Ryu before Ryu delivered the final blow. And it isn’t like he hasn’t taken his fair share of bopping or been shown up by some of his peers or teachers. Ryu is powerful, but he still has a long way to go before becoming the strongest Street Fighter character.

10 Sagat

The Emperor of Muay Thai himself, Sagat, is probably one of the more formidable-looking characters on this list. Standing at a whopping 7’5” (2.29 meters), Sagat is a warrior and has the battle scars to prove it. Moreover, he’s undoubtedly the strongest Street Fighter character to have ever worked under Bison.

While Sagat’s track record mainly consists of fights with Ryu in which circumstances were not fair for either fighter, Sagat’s skills and techniques that rival and maybe even surpass Ryu’s speaks for themselves. It’s also worth mentioning that, while it took Ryu quite some time to tap into the Power of Nothingness and control his Satsui No Hado, Sagat did it unknowingly in almost no time at all, albeit on a smaller scale. Sagat and Ryu are basically at the same level or are very close, but Sagat’s expertise, dedication, and drive seem to beat Ryu’s by just the tiniest margin. Therefore, Sagat’s one of the best Street Fighter characters and certainly the most dedicated.

9 Urien

Urien is superhuman like many other big villains of the Street Fighter series. From the young age of six, he and his brother Gill were experimented on by the Illuminati, a secret society devising a new world order. As a result, most of Urien’s stories are focused on him trying to take GIll’s position as Illuminati head or beating him in a fight. Still, while overshadowed by his brother, Urien is a brilliant character and one of the strongest Street Fighter characters in the franchise.

Like Gill, Urien’s fighting style dates to the ancient Greek art of Pankration, but unlike Gill, Urien can manipulate lightning and make his own body metallic. These superpowers, combined with his overall physique and his Aegis Reflector (one of the Secret Society’s Sixty-Six Secret Arts), put Urien in the upper echelons of Street Fighter warriors. Urien has lost to people other than Gill, but these fights’ circumstances were less than optimal. Still, because of his supernatural powers, Urien is a bit stronger than regular humans like Sagat, Ken, or Ryu.

8 G

G is such an absurdly weird character. He looks like a blond Abraham Lincoln, has obvious connections to fan-favorite character Q, has gold patterns all over his body, and can manipulate both earth and magma for some reason. Oh, and he’s also apparently the self-proclaimed “President of the Earth.” Most of what G spouts during battles or throughout his story mode seems nonsensical, but it always contains a grain of truth.

As for his fighting style, it’s hard to describe. G has said he’s a practitioner of Earth’s many fighting styles, but we’re unsure if this statement is true. Regardless, G is not a character to be underestimated for his outlandish claims. He has gone head to head with Gill, easily defeated Menat, and Rose herself even believes he is one of the only people who can stand against M Bison. But, because he’s so new and his full power is still completely unclear, this is the highest we can put him in the ranking. Perhaps Street Fighter 6 will confirm whether G is the strongest Street Fighter character.

7 Gill

Secret Society emperor and messiah of the world, Gill, is the older brother of Urien and the main antagonist of Street Fighter 3. From a young age, he and his brother were trained in the Secret Society’s fighting techniques and given genetic enhancements that allowed them to access the power of certain elements. While Urien garnered significant accomplishments early in life, Gill’s were always more incredible.

Gill is so low on this list because of his unimpressive track record. Even though he boasts great power — enough to even be able to resurrect himself — his only recorded wins against anyone significant in the series are with his brother and the minor character Tom, Alex’s teacher. With his absurd appearance, you would think Gill boasts the power of a god, but Gill scarcely exhibits his true abilities. Therefore, while Gill is impressive, we’re not sure he is the best Street Fighter Character or the strongest Street Fighter character. Maybe he’s the most red and blue Street Fighter character?

6 Rose

Rose is an Italian fortune-teller who is a manifestation of all the good energy that M. Bison expelled from his being. Therefore, you can consider Rose the perfect foil that stands a chance of defeating him. Rose has fought Bison on more than one occasion, though never managing to kill him for good. However, these are still exemplary accomplishments as Bison has proven a slippery and crafty villain.

What takes the cake, though, is Rose’s run-in with Akuma. She didn’t exactly win against him, but it’s a big feather in her cap for having managed to fight him and come out alive. Usually, Akuma will kill anyone he thinks is worthy of death in a fight, so if Rose managed to escape, it probably means that Akuma at least thought she put up a good fight. Now, like most other fighting games, fans will always be desperately fighting for their favorite classic character to make a return in the newest game. And, thankfully she was added to the playable cast of SF5 in the fifth season of DLC fighters, though her power levels have wained in this appearance. Still, Rose is essential to the series’ plot, making her one of the best Street Fighter characters.

5 Gen

Though he may not be the most physically imposing character on this list, Gen is an example of why you should never judge one by their looks. Gen was a martial arts master and assassin of legendary status in his heyday. He even taught Chun-Li in her youth.

After contracting a terminal illness, this guy thought it’d be better to die in battle than in bed. So, he willingly harms himself, looking for a fight to end his life. While seeking his ultimate death, Gen fought Akuma multiple times. The two of them have brought each other to near-death on occasion. His advanced age and illness certainly aren’t doing anything to enhance his power, but it seems neither do much to hamper it either. Even while coughing up blood, this guy will still bop you. Think of him as a slightly less powerful Gouken with nothing to lose. Fighting through illness with such enthusiasm and effectiveness earns Gen the distinction of one of the top five strongest Street Fighter characters.

4 M. Bison

The main antagonist of Street Fighter, M Bison, is a megalomaniac who would love nothing more than complete world domination. Bison learned Psycho Power from an unknown master before killing him. He then traveled the world, seeking more power before finally founding the evil organization Shadaloo. Honestly, M Bison is one of the most overpowered fighting game characters.

Bison has taken his fair share of beatdowns from many others in the cast, but he’s also served up his share. Plus, it often takes a group of fighters to take him down. Not to mention he’s always managed to come back, even from the dead, thanks to his creepy ability to possess other bodies. Still, Bison’s biggest weakness is his dependency on science and amplification. After all, the black moons from SF5 are an outside source of strength, not Bison’s. Plus, Bison is weaker than he used to be with every new body he inhabits. It would be explosive trouble if Bison found and possessed the perfect vessel, but he never seems to get his way. Therefore, M Bison will always be a body short of becoming the strongest Street Fighter character.

3 Gouken

The master of Ryu and Ken, and Akuma’s older brother, Gouken, was a student of Goutetsu along with his younger brother. Growing apart as they trained together, Gouken wanted to master the good aspects of Goutetsu while Akuma only wished to master the dark aspects. This schism led to their never-ending grudge and subsequent confrontations.

Gouken and Akuma have fought tooth and nail numerous times, with Gouken even coming out on top on occasion. However, Gouken’s most considerable feat comes from a battle he had with Akuma in which he lost but managed to cheat death through a unique technique that left him in a coma. In addition, his mastery over the Power of Nothingness is excellent, using it to seal away Ryu’s dark side, even if just for a little while. Therefore, we argue that Gouken is on another level. Not only is Gouken one of the strongest, but he’s held his own against and trained some of the strongest Street Fighter characters.

2 Oro

By far the oldest character on this list at the tender age of around 130 to 140 years old, Oro is a hermit who wants to pass down his knowledge to a worthy student. As a hermit, he spent every waking moment of his life mastering his art, proving that dedication and hard work pay off even if it takes you 100 or so years.

Oro’s biggest claim to fame is fighting with one arm — even against Karin Kanzuki’s grandfather or Akuma, the former of which he supposedly fought for three days straight, and the latter had matched him in battle. In short, Oro is the second strongest Street Fighter character, and he accomplished this with a hand tied behind his back!

1 Akuma: The Strongest Street Fighter Character

If you’ve been paying attention, you could probably guess who would be number one. The undisputed supreme master of the fist — his name translates to Devil or Demon — Akuma is in a class by himself. The younger brother of Gouken, he killed his master after learning his techniques and is focused on mastering its dark aspects. Furthermore, Akuma even shows up in the Tekken 7 storyline, sharing a unique connection to Kazumi Mishima. In other words, his power transcends Street Fighter canon!

His resumé speaks for itself. First, Akuma has bested, or at least matched, almost everyone he fought, including half the people on this list and two from Tekken. He’s got a ton of experience under his belt, the most accomplishments, some of the most significant feats, and an almost flawless track record. Lastly, his Shun Goku Satsu, the Raging Demon, is the most destructive attack in the series. Akuma is, without a doubt, the strongest Street Fighter character.

NEXT: Ranking Every Character From Super Street Fighter 2, From Worst To Best