Assemble! - Fighting Game Archetype Roster - The Heroine

This is Assemble, where we look at several different characters across multiple series to form a perfect team-up. Whatever the case may be, whether it’s a fighting game roster or an RPG adventuring party, we’ll find the best team for the job. In a change of style from the more long-form articles featured here, these articles will be shorter entries, focusing on one or two characters each, and spread out over time until the complete roster is formed.

What would a fighting game be without a roster of several different, powerful, and engaging characters? In this batch of articles for Assemble, we will be assembling a fighting game roster using characters from several different fighting games based on different character archetypes. The picks will be based on where the characters fit in terms of game mechanics and their place in the story and world of the game. Only characters that originated in fighting games will be observed here. That means no guest characters, no licensed fighting games (unless their roster includes original characters), and no crossover titles. Finally, I’ll only be discussing games or characters that I am at least somewhat familiar with. While this means I won’t discuss all the fighting games out there, there should be at least some variety from just the major titles.

 
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THE HEROINE

As males can dominate most fighting game casts, the Heroine can stand out if they are the only female character in the roster, but they really stand out when they have captivating move-sets and a good motivation to fight against a big threat to the world, just as the male hero is. While there are many female fighters that could fill this slot, this pick for the Heroine goes to the one that displays the most heroic traits across their series and has the power and skill to back up their attitude in their pursuit for justice.

Our choice for the Heroine is….

Parasoul from Skullgirls.

Seems fitting for this slot that the character would come from a majority-female fighting cast. Skullgirls contains a lot of heroic female characters, but Parasoul stands out for a few reasons. She is the crown princess of the Canopy Kingdom, where the game takes place, but also takes an active role in protecting it as the leader of the Black Egrets, the kingdom’s elite military squad. She’s not afraid of jumping into a fight herself if she must, using her living weapon umbrella Krieg to deal out damage to opponents. It turns out her motivation is that her mother was forced to become the Skullgirl, the big villain of the series, and she wants to keep others from falling to a similar fate.

For being a tough and heroic woman who is not afraid to fight for what is right, we now add Parasoul to the custom roster.

ADDED!

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What did you think about this article? Want to see what other characters get picked for our roster? Do you think someone would fit this role better besides whoever got picked? Make your voice heard in the comments below. Thank you for coming.

Assemble! - Fighting Game Archetype Roster - The Rival

This is Assemble, where we look at several different characters across multiple series to form a perfect team-up. Whatever the case may be, whether it’s a fighting game roster or an RPG adventuring party, we’ll find the best team for the job. In a change of style from the more long-form articles featured here, these articles will be shorter entries, focusing on one or two characters each, and spread out over time until the complete roster is formed.

What would a fighting game be without a roster of several different, powerful, and engaging characters? In this batch of articles for Assemble, we will be assembling a fighting game roster using characters from several different fighting games based on different character archetypes. The picks will be based on where the characters fit in terms of game mechanics and their place in the story and world of the game. Only characters that originated in fighting games will be observed here. That means no guest characters, no licensed fighting games (unless their roster includes original characters), and no crossover titles. Finally, I’ll only be discussing games or characters that I am at least somewhat familiar with. While this means I won’t discuss all the fighting games out there, there should be at least some variety from just the major titles.

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THE RIVAL

This is the alternate to the main hero, in a sense, the “Player 2” to the hero’s “Player 1”. This character can be the hero’s actual rival or possibly a friend or sibling. However, this character is a clear companion piece to the hero. Sometimes, they are even a palette swap of the hero, sharing some similar moves or even the same move-set. This is the character fighting alongside the hero against the villain or trying to outdo the hero when the world is not in danger.

For this pick, we are looking for the character that serves as the best rival to their hero, a character that shares a good connection to the hero and can possibly be their partner or foil, be they a complete opposite or a mirror image of the Hero.

Our choice for the Rival is…

Johnny Cage from Mortal Kombat.

Whether you consider Liu Kang, Raiden, Scorpion, or Sub-Zero to be the true hero of Mortal Kombat, the Hollywood action hero turned real action hero is perhaps the best counterpoint to all of them. Compared to just about every other character, Johnny enters the first Mortal Kombat tournament for selfish reasons and he has a loud, playful, and obnoxious personality that most of the cast finds annoying. But while he is the group goofball compared to everyone else on the cast, he is just as powerful of a fighter as everyone else. He is one of the fighters strong enough to stand up against the forces of Outworld and the Netherrealm and, in Mortal Kombat X, he is one of the veterans leading the heroes against Shinnok and his allies.

Lethal joke character, indeed.

As for his connection to the other characters, he was directly allied with Liu Kang, Raiden, and the other Earthrealm fighters in the first Mortal Kombat tournaments, and in Mortal Kombat X in the new timeline, he, through the Special Forces, has ties to the Lin Kuei (for Sub-Zero) and an implied alliance with the Shirai Ryu (for Scorpion). And of course, he gets on all their nerves.

For carrying those ties to the main heroes and serving as an effective narrative counterpoint to them, but still managing to be a heroic character in his own right, we are now adding Johnny Cage to the roster.

ADDED!

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What did you think about this article? Want to see what other characters get picked for our roster? Do you think someone would fit this role better besides whoever got picked? Make your voice heard in the comments below. Thank you for coming.

Assemble! - Fighting Game Archetype Roster - The Hero

Here is the start of a new series of articles from the DCH Pop Culture blog.

This is Assemble, where we look at several different characters across multiple series to form a perfect team-up. Whatever the case may be, whether it’s a fighting game roster or an RPG adventuring party, we’ll find the best team for the job. In a change of style from the more long-form articles featured here, these articles will be shorter entries, focusing on one or two characters each, and spread out over time until the complete roster is formed.

What would a fighting game be without a roster of several different, powerful, and engaging characters? In this batch of articles for Assemble, we will be assembling a fighting game roster using characters from several different fighting games based on different character archetypes. The picks will be based on where the characters fit in terms of game mechanics and their place in the story and world of the game. Only characters that originated in fighting games will be observed here. That means no guest characters, no licensed fighting games (unless their roster includes original characters), and no crossover titles. Finally, I’ll only be discussing games or characters that I am at least somewhat familiar with. While this means I won’t discuss all the fighting games out there, there should be at least some variety from just the major titles.

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 THE HERO

First up is The Hero. This is the main character of the game, the face of the series, the one the big boss is destined to have an epic fight against. Gameplay wise, this character has the most basic move-set of any of the characters and is the most well-rounded character in terms of power. If the game has a tutorial mode, this character will likely be the one used to show new players how the game works.

Our pick for this character is the character who displays the most heroic traits across their series. While there are some characters that many would think fit this role because they do fight against the main villains, it’s their secondary goal to becoming the greatest warrior in the world. This character, however, makes it their main priority. It's their mission to stop the main villain’s plans and keep the city/country/world/etc. safe.

Our pick for the Hero in our custom roster is…

Sol Badguy from Guilty Gear.

Despite his name, he is actually a heroic character. He appears abrasive and aloof on the outside, but on the inside, he is constantly worried about hurting anyone with his abilities. He is on a mission to stop the Gears from threatening humanity and has the power to do so. What lands Sol Badguy in this slot is not only the forces he’s up against, but also having the power to take him on. Gears are artificially created superbeings meant to be used as weapons of war and several of them are incredibly powerful. Sol is a Gear himself, specifically a Prototype Gear, which just means he has the power to take them on. He is a strong and powerful combatant and his sword, the Fireseal, is able to use a built-in device to expel flames. 

For going up against powerful foes and being strong enough to take them head on, we are adding Sol Badguy to our custom roster.

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Honorable Mention: Ryu (Street Fighter)

Several people are probably going to wonder why Ryu from Street Fighter, the most recognizable face in fighting games, didn’t make this spot. While he does engage in heroic actions over the course of the series, those heroic actions aren’t his main goal. His main goal is to become the greatest fighter in the world, which, while a noble goal, means he falls just short of actively heroic characters like Sol Badguy.

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What did you think about this article? Want to see what other characters get picked for this? What did you think about Sol Badguy getting placed above Ryu as a great example of a fighting game hero? Make your voice heard in the comments and make sure to come back for more entries in Assemble. Thank you for coming.