The Darkstalkers series is one of Capcom's most beloved series. Despite not having a new game in several years (though fans have been requesting one for several years), this series about monsters and demons of different kinds engaging in action-packed combat still gets attention in other forms like crossover games and comic books, including a recent comic crossover with the Street Fighter series.
If (or when) Darkstalkers does get a new game, one of the big things fans will get excited for is not only which characters are returning, but what kinds of new characters will join the roster. Since the characters in Darkstalkers are based heavily on classical monsters or horror movie tropes we can figure out a few ideas for what kinds of characters might make good additions.
DISCLAIMER: The following is NOT a Top 10 list. These entries are in no particular order and are not an all-inclusive list of all the ideas that could apply to this topic.
Here are 10 Concepts for New Darkstalkers Characters
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1. A Skeleton
The ranks of the undead are nothing new to Darkstalkers with vampires, ghosts, and zombies running around. So, they could add another archetype to this list and make a skeleton character. Spinal from Killer Instinct and Dry Bones and Dry Bowser from Super Mario show that interesting characters can be made with skeletons. In Darkstalkers, it could be the skeleton of a powerful mage or a large powerful demon and the bones could be reanimated by the spirit attached to them.
2. A Mad Scientist
There technically already is a mad scientist in the
Darkstalkers canon, with Doctor von Gerdenheim being the creator of Victor, but
as far as a playable mad scientist, there is no shortage of ideas here. They
can use a bunch of high-tech gadgets, they can have an army of creatures that
do some of his attacks for him, or they can go the Jekyll and Hyde route and
have him able to turn into a monster mid-match. He could even just be a human
scientist that turned himself into a monster, like he became obsessed with the
monsters from the Makai Realm and it reached a point where he wanted to be one
of them. The sky’s the limit for some of these concepts.
3. A Witch
The theme of Darkstalkers is horror-inspired fighting
characters, characters that wouldn’t look out of place in a Halloween-themed
fighting tournament. On that note, it's a bit surprising that there hasn’t
been a witch added to the cast yet. Gameplay wise, having a spellcaster
character can open the door for a lot of different playstyles. Story wise,
having some human characters able to cast magic or even connect to the energies
of the Makai Realm can raise some good potential plot points.
(On a personal note, my first exposure to the Darkstalkers
characters was the crossover game Pocket Fighter for the PS1. At the time, I thought that
Tessa from Red Earth (who was also playable) was a witch character from the
same series as Morrigan and Felicia. After finding out later that she was from
a completely different series, I was a bit disappointed that a character like this wasn’t
made yet for Darkstalkers.)
4. A Slasher
While a lot of the Darkstalkers characters are based on
classic horror tropes, some of the more modern takes on the genre have a lot to
offer as well. With Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, The
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Halloween just to name a few examples, slashers
are modern titans of terror. Often portrayed as insane or undead brutes with
large weapons and a strong desire to use them on unsuspecting victims, a large
heavy-hitting character can easily be made from concepts like this.
Just ask Netherrealm Studios if you need proof.
5. A Dragon
Dragons are less associated with horror as they are with
fantasy (unless you count Godzilla or some of the other kaiju as dragons), but
even then, dragons are creatures that embody power in just about any medium they
appear in. In so many fantasy stories, dragons are seen as the main villain, the main hero, or an otherwise powerful and imporant presence within the world. With
the large variety of powerful creatures roaming the Makai, it would make sense
that at least a few dragons or dragon-like creatures would be flying across the
landscape, ready to use their claws, fangs, and breath weapons on whoever dares to threaten them.
6. A Goblin (or Squad of Goblins)
Like dragons, goblins are more of a mainstay of fantasy than
horror, but portrayed the right way, goblins can be terrifying in their own
right. They are small, green skinned humanoids who can be very ruthless and
violent attackers when they want to be, especially when in groups. The height of these creatures might be
a challenge to work with, but Capcom could make characters like Roll and
Viewtiful Joe work in rosters filled with tall, normally proportioned
characters, so it can happen. Goblins are best known for attacking in groups, but having a squad of goblins can be worked in by having a main playable one call in the others through special moves
7. An Ogre
If you think that goblins just can’t work in a fighting
game setting, a big, brutish ogre might fit a little better. Another popular
pick for fantasy settings, ogres are known for being big, green, dirty-looking
brawlers that are strong, tough, and known to carry large weapons. There’s a lot of room in
that for some creative interpretation and that’s not even getting into oni,
which when looked at a certain way, can be shown as Japanese ogres with magical
powers.
8. A Dullahan
With anime series like Durarara and Monster Musume, the
headless humanoid known as the dullahan has been getting more attention in pop
culture as of late. It has had a history in ancient stories as a bringer of
death or misfortune, which would make it a good candidate for this fighting
series. A character like this can go one of two potential ways. The first is to
go the traditional mythological route and exploring the roots of this creature
with the fae and Celtic mythology. The second is to pull inspiration from the
story of the Headless Horseman. They could give him a jack-o-lantern for a head
or maybe have his real head sitting off to the side during a match, like Anita does
with Donovan.
9. A Harpy
Darkstalkers is no stranger to using creatures from world
mythology instead of popular horror picks, since it helps to bring in some unexpected creatures to fill out the roster in-game and easily add more to the world of the story. So, with characters with fur or scales already either in the roster or on this
list, how about one with feathers? The harpy is a creature from Greek mythology
who has been seen in the past as a tormentor, a filthy beast, or a controller
of the winds and has recently been given more attention in anime, video games,
and even some American comics. A creature like this can easily be adapted into an aerial fighter similar to Firebrand in Marvel vs. Capcom or Wrastor from Rivals of Aether.
There’s a “sky’s the limit” joke here, but I’d rather not.
10. A Blob Monster
Slimes are very variable characters, ranging from cannon
fodder enemies in fantasy games like Dragon Quest to front-and-center menaces
in horror movies like The Blob. Some even manage to become characters with
personalities like Zac from League of Legends. They can be stretchy and rubbery
or acidic and dissolving everything in their path. They can be mindless eating
machines or intelligent beings with complex motivations. This concept is practically a blank slate to create a good character around.
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What did you think about this list? What monsters do you
think would make good Darkstalkers characters? How much are you hoping that
Capcom will make a Darkstalkers 4? Make your voice heard in the comments below.
Thanks for coming!
