The 10 Most CONTROVERSIAL Fighting Game Characters

Josie Rizal

Tekken 7 (2017)

Tekken 7 saw quite a number of characters come under fire from supposed fans, and Josie was among the first to receive such scrutiny. Due to her fighting style revolving around kickboxing and Muay Thai, some folks saw her as a replacement for Bruce Irvin, who had appeared in several games before. Then, you had some people putting Josie on blast for not being representative of Filipino culture, pointing out how she spoke English instead of Tagalog. But the one aspect of her character most folks hated was how she would sometimes cry in her intro and victory animations. Josie has managed to garner a modest fanbase for herself, but the haters really made it clear that they dont want to see her ever again.

Steve

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018)

When Steve was revealed to be among Smash Ultimates second wave of DLC fighters, the internet broke. Literally. On one side, you had folks who were excited and amused about the absurdity behind Minecraft being in Smash Bros.. But on the other end of the stick, you had people complaining because, once again, the character they wanted was not the shiny, new toy. Instead, we now got this game made for little kids invading MY video game!! UGH!!! Thankfully, that crowd was quickly drowned out by those who play and enjoy video games. However, Steve came under fire in the competitive scene as the pros began discovering different setups and combos. Steves ability to manipulate the stage opened up all kinds of ways to make him virtually untouchable, and it would cause several years of debates within the community over whether he should be considered broken.

Iroha

Samurai Shodown series (1993-2019)

Since her debut in Samurai Shodown VI, Iroha has been the most taboo character SNK has ever created. Some folks really dont mind her presence while others arent afraid to call it as they see it. Iroha has often been dismissed to be the token fan service character due to her voluptuous appearance, suggestive Super, and tendency to refer to the player as Master. Some gaming outlets have even labeled her to be nothing more than a character made for the male fantasy. More level-headed players have often pointed out how, much like other Samurai Shodown characters, Iroha was based on the Japanese folk tale Tsuru no Ongaeshi, in which a man marries a beautiful woman only to soon discover she was a crane the entire time, a crane he had saved years prior.

Noob Saibot

Mortal Kombat series (1992-)

For many Mortal Kombat fans, Noob Saibot has been a point of contention in just about every single game hes been featured as a playable character. Between his Teleport Slam move and the different attacks utilizing his shadow clone, some players have gone to great lengths in arguing how busted and unpredictable he can be. In an era where competitive play is taken way more seriously than ever before (and often way too seriously), the frustration has increased tenfold. That said, if you ever dare to main Noob Saibot, be prepared to witness a lot of Quit- alities.

Marie Rose & Honoka

Dead Or Alive series (1996-2019)

Its no secret that Dead Or Alive likes to lean into its sex appeal a bit more than most other fighting games. That was sort of widely accepted within the FGC until Dead Or Alive 5 introduced two new characters: Marie Rose and Honoka. So many DOA fans, hardcore and casual, have voiced their disdain for these two over the years that you can really take your pick on what to gripe about. You can complain about how theyve been hamfisted into the story as essential characters. You can be frustrated over how both of them receive way more costume options over the rest of the cast. Or you can voice some deep concern over how both are heavily leaning into the Im actually 18 even though I look significantly younger trope. Both have been accepted by some of the fanbase over the years, but there are still some that would prefer if they go away or, at the very least, stay on the Venus Vacation side of the fence.

The Newcomers

Soulcalibur V (2012)

Soulcalibur V was and may forever be the most controversial game in the entire franchise, and it isnt just because of one character. No, it was because there were eleven new characters that seemingly replaced a bunch of characters that were series staples. Yes, you had some fighters that you absolutely could not make a Soulcalibur game without like Siegfried, Ivy, Mitsurugi, and Nightmare. But where was Cassandra? Where was Taki, Seong Mi-na, Xianghua, or Talim? Well, according to the games lore and certain story events up to that point, some of these missing characters either retired, left to go home, trained the new characters, are trapped somewhere, or were sacrificed. So many fans were upset about these decisions that Soulcalibur VI wound up retconning these decisions and attempted to reboot the series by retelling the original stories.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (2025)

At first, it seemed as if Fatal Fury was prepared to make a strong comeback. Everything was looking great with Terrys return, Mais new design, and the game just feeling great to play. But the second SNK revealed Cristiano Ronaldo as a guest fighter, the fanbase began to fracture. Some folks didnt mind, but others could not ignore the real-world issues that conflicted with the game. Many were bothered over the inclusion of a soccer player with a history of shady allegations levied against him, ranging from tax evasion to sexual assault. Others deemed this as a major overstep by the House of Saud, the family that rules over Saudi Arabia, owns SNK, and is known to have a heavy, almost intrusive hand in the world of sports such as soccer and golf. As a result, Ronaldos inclusion in City of the Wolves was the breaking point for SNK fans. Was it enough? Well, not every company like SNK sees their CEO step down less than three weeks after the launch of their new game.

Lucky Chloe

Tekken 7 (2017)

Yes, Tekken 7 makes a second appearance on this list because no other Tekken character has received as much hate as Lucky Chloe. Some have received vitriol for breaking the game, but Lucky Chloe is hated for so many reasons. The biggest one, however, is her kawaii personality. Once again, supposed fans were enraged by Chloes outgoing personality and went so far as to demand she be removed from the game before it was out. Some even tried hiding behind the veil of she doesnt fit the tone in my fighting game of martial artists, wrestlers, ninjas, robots, bears, kangaroos, demons, and dinosaurs fighting each other!! Series producer Katsuhiro Harada himself took to social media to appease these fans by saying hell make a muscular skinhead to replace her. In 2019, Harada revealed that Lucky Chloe was a major boon for Tekkens marketing and boasted a high pick rate among Tekken 7 players.

Bayonetta

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U (2014)

Upon her reveal as the final DLC character for Smash 4, Bayonetta saw a similar wave of love and resentment among Smash fans. Initially, it was your typical drama of my favorite character didnt make it into the game, oh woe is me, I hate Smash Bros now. Once Bayonetta was commercially available, the hate suddenly warped into something much more justifiable. Her aerial mobility, recovery, and ability to string combos together made her a complete menace in every possible situation. It wasnt until the notorious Grand Finals match at EVO 2018 when tournament organizers began banning Bayonetta from all of their events. To this day, any tournaments that dare use Smash 4 as their game of choice make sure to ban Bayonetta at the very start. And yet, no other fighting game character has seen as much venom spewed at them as our final entry

Ingrid

Capcom Fighting Evolution (2004)

Of all the fighting games Capcom has put out, none of them have seen as much hatred as Capcom Fighting Evolution, not even vanilla Street Fighter V. Capcom Fighting Evolution received scathing feedback from players as it fundamentally changed how many characters from other fighting games worked and how severely unbalanced the game was in general. So, where does Ingrid fit into all of this? Good question. If only there was a solid answer. Much of the hate directed towards Ingrid stems from the fact that CFE was her debut. So because shes in one of the worst games Capcom ever put out, that is apparently grounds to put her on blast whenever shes mentioned? Yeah, there are some weird corners within the FGC filled with nonsensical outrage. Ingrid has basically become the poster child of that side of the community.

Was there a fighting game character you felt received unnecessary hate? Really, maybe we should be open about Street Fighter 6 reintroducing Ingrid. It's been more than twenty years, so lets chill. But let us know your thoughts down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!