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Best lead protagonist in a fighting game?

SolVanderlyn

SolVanderlyn

Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
Fighting games aren't exactly know for their stories, but they almost always have extremely iconic characters that are full of personality and individuality. I think my favorite aspect of fighting games is that they're brimming with characterization. Asking who your favorite fighter is could lead to hundreds, if not thousands, of responses, so let's narrow it down to lead protagonist.

This means lead protagonist. Ken Masters is iconic, but he's not the main character.

I have a lot of characters swirling around in my head, but my favorite is probably Sol Badguy, from Guilty Gear.

sol-tyrantrave.gif
Click to expand...

I love how he carries the fire motif so well, and his design is so striking. He really helps to represent his series as a whole. I also love his music.
 
I have a soft spot for Ryu, I feel he's the character to represent the genre as a whole. Next best would probably be Jin.
 
Are you okay?

terry-12s.gif
terry-bwg.gif

Terry Bogard

Street fighting guy that is just so strong that no one can match him.

Feats:
-Killed his rival in the first game.
-Took rivals' son and raised him into also awesome fighter.
-Can (power) dunk on anyone, including basketball based fighting game characters.
-Actually changed outfits.
-Sometimes looks like a Pizza Hut delivery man from the '90s.
-Is a nice guy.
-Rising taco.
-Busta Wolf.
 
Ryu will always be my favorite, his character is just perfect for fighting games and always pumps me up. He isn't sassy or rude, he isn't hyper or bouncy; not even a goody two shoes, he's just a fighter who wants to better himself.
 
SonicTHP said:
Are you okay?

Terry Bogard

Street fighting guy that is just so strong that no one can match him.

Feats:
-Killed his rival in the first game.
-Took rivals' son and raised him into also awesome fighter.
-Can (power) dunk on anyone, including basketball based fighting game characters.
-Actually changed outfits.
-Sometimes looks like a Pizza Hut delivery man from the '90s.
-Is a nice guy.
-Rising taco.
-Busta Wolf.
Click to expand...
Okay you sold me on Terry. My favorite would be Ryu, but it's undeniable that Terry is a really cool lead too.

Also, in my eyes Chun Li is the lead character in Street Fighter. Nope, no one is convincing me otherwise!
 
I guess I'm the only one that'll say Ragna, but I really like Ragna. Super shit life, but is still a pretty chill guy. Plus both his English and Japanese VAs are fantastic, which I can't really say for most of the BB crew.
 
I've always liked Ryu. He's a good guy. He has his struggles. He doesn't know everything, isn't the greatest at everything, but he puts in work, and tries to be better.

After him, Jin Kazama's interesting. Doomed by his fucked up bloodline, but he tries his damnedest to fight it, and not always in the best way. And it seems a lot of people talk shit about Filia but I like her :T
 
SonicTHP said:
Are you okay?

terry-12s.gif
terry-bwg.gif

Terry Bogard

Street fighting guy that is just so strong that no one can match him.

Feats:
-Killed his rival in the first game.
-Took rivals' son and raised him into also awesome fighter.
-Can (power) dunk on anyone, including basketball based fighting game characters.
-Actually changed outfits.
-Sometimes looks like a Pizza Hut delivery man from the '90s.
-Is a nice guy.
-Rising taco.
-Busta Wolf.
Click to expand...

CreeperBlocks said:
Terry Bogard, I love this guy I was one of those kids who played Fatal Fury more than the Street fighter games.
Terry10.gif

"Hey c'mon c'mon!"
Click to expand...

Rm88~ said:
Okay you sold me on Terry. My favorite would be Ryu, but it's undeniable that Terry is a really cool lead too.
Click to expand...

Terry is the greatest fighting game protagonist. After he defeats the big guy, he essentially just seems cool about everything going wrong in shit after Fatal Fury/KOF. Because when you beat Geese Howard, you aint gotta worry bout shit anymore.

Rock's cool too.

Rock-terry-artwork2.jpg


Mesoian said:
Wouldn't Kyo be the main protag over Terry?
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Everything up until Garou: MoW, Terry is the star.
Kyo is only really the protagonist during the Orochi Saga of KOF (94-97.) K' took the lead during NESTS (99-'01), and Ash took the lead during Those from the Past ('03-XIII)
 
Mesoian said:
Wouldn't Kyo be the main protag over Terry?
Click to expand...

Terry was the protagonist in all things Fatal Fury. Maybe in King of Fighters he would, but I'm not that well verse in that lore. I'm going by the two Fatal Fury movies which I assume to be cannon. Anyone can feel free to correct me.
 
SonicTHP said:
Are you okay?

terry-12s.gif
terry-bwg.gif

Terry Bogard

Street fighting guy that is just so strong that no one can match him.

Feats:
-Killed his rival in the first game.
-Took rivals' son and raised him into also awesome fighter.
-Can (power) dunk on anyone, including basketball based fighting game characters.
-Actually changed outfits.
-Sometimes looks like a Pizza Hut delivery man from the '90s.
-Is a nice guy.
-Rising taco.
-Busta Wolf.
Click to expand...

The Man.
 
SonicTHP said:
Are you okay?

terry-12s.gif
terry-bwg.gif

Terry Bogard

Street fighting guy that is just so strong that no one can match him.

Feats:
-Killed his rival in the first game.
-Took rivals' son and raised him into also awesome fighter.
-Can (power) dunk on anyone, including basketball based fighting game characters.
-Actually changed outfits.
-Sometimes looks like a Pizza Hut delivery man from the '90s.
-Is a nice guy.
-Rising taco.
-Busta Wolf.
Click to expand...

HEY, YOU!
 
SonicTHP said:
Are you okay?

terry-12s.gif
terry-bwg.gif

Terry Bogard

Street fighting guy that is just so strong that no one can match him.

Feats:
-Killed his rival in the first game.
-Took rivals' son and raised him into also awesome fighter.
-Can (power) dunk on anyone, including basketball based fighting game characters.
-Actually changed outfits.
-Sometimes looks like a Pizza Hut delivery man from the '90s.
-Is a nice guy.
-Rising taco.
-Busta Wolf.
Click to expand...
[Fatal Fury] Terry...... BOGARD! [/The Motion Picture]
He also had the best movies, I didn't play the fatal fury games til later but those movies were great!
 
Another choice would be Alex from Street Fighter 3's run.

tnzirNx.jpg


Unlike Ryu, Alex seems to have a lot of character that differentiates himself greatly from Ryu. He's a grouch and in the ring he things real highly of himself. He can be a real dick, but when you're that strong I think you deserve that attitude.
 
Who would you all see as the Mortal Kombat lead protagonist?

Lui Kang obviously makes the most sense, but it often feels like MK uses Scorpion and SubZero as the mascots at times.
 
Quick ranking, because I like ranking stuff:

1- Ryu (Street Fighter)
2- Terry (Fatal Fury)
3- Ryo (Art of Fighting) [I have a soft spot for AOF, Ryo is basically angrier orange Ryu]
4- Batsu (Rival Schools)
5- Kasumi (Dead or Alive) [It's kind of refreshing seeing a female lead]
6- Hanzo (World Heroes) [I love World Heroes, come at me]
7- Haohmaru (Samurai Shodown)
8- Sol (Guilty Gear) [I'm quite under-exposed to GG but he's a really cool design]
9- Kyo (KOF)
10- Jin (Tekken)
11- Akira (Virtua Fighter)
12- Liu Kang (Mortal Kombat) [I like him as a joke character, I guess]
13- Jago (Killer Instinct)

Is Mitsurugi SC's lead character?
 
Silky said:
Another choice would be Alex from Street Fighter 3's run.

tnzirNx.jpg


Unlike Ryu, Alex seems to have a lot of character that differentiates himself greatly from Ryu. He's a grouch and in the ring he things real highly of himself. He can be a real dick, but when you're that strong I think you deserve that attitude.
Click to expand...
Ah shit yiss. Alex is the fucking man.
 
Emarv said:
Who would you all see as the Mortal Kombat lead protagonist?

Lui Kang obviously makes the most sense, but it often feels like MK uses Scorpion and SubZero as the mascots at times.
Click to expand...

Liu Kang is the protagonist in MK 1-4, but since he dies in MK5 Deadly Alliance, I'd say they shifted to Raiden being the protagonist for that game and Sub Zero for MK6 (but probably is supposed to be Shujinko). After Liu Kang's revival though, it's harder to say as I think Sub-Zeros story influence is waning but Raiden's is increasing.
 
Saikyo said:
Errr...about that, he did survive using his "hakama" as a parachute (seriously), he just died on Real Bout, and even in this game Terry tried to save him...
Click to expand...

Point taken. Still most fighting game villains stick around. Terry makes them rotate at least.
 
About Terry, I liked that in Garou he
didnt interfered in Rock choice in joining Kain
other protagonists would go "NO HE IS EVIL, YOU ARE EVIL TOO NOW!", shame that Garou 2 wasnt released : \
 
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