Fighting game characters are made up of a wide variety of iconic archetypes that each hope to achieve victory through different play-styles. While projectile-based zoners and grab-heavy grapplers are some of the most recognizable archetypes, charge characters are an archetype that have been ingrained in fighting games since the release of Street Fighter II in 1991.
Charge characters are often some of the most defensive characters in their respective games, with the archetype named for their necessity to hold either backwards or downwards before they can use their special moves. While this necessity may appear to be a drawback that limits the aggressiveness of a given character, their special moves are often quite incredible. So today, we're going to examine the ten most noteworthy charge characters in fighting game history!
10 Parasoul - Skullgirls
Appearing in 2012's Skullgirls, Parasoul is a member of the roster who similarly to many other charge characters can be notably difficult to approach. Parasoul is capable of filling the battlefield with floating mines called "tears" by shooting them forward with one of her charge moves, or simply tossing and freezing them in the air. Once an opponent thinks that they've gotten through the worst of it, Parasoul's second charge move, the"Napalm Pillar" is an excellent anti-air reversal that can catch aerial foes off guard. The light variation of this move can even be used to preemptively detonate one's "tears."
9 Mitsuru Kirijo - Persona 4 Arena
A fighting game spin-off of the Persona franchise, Persona 4 Arena is a game full of interesting mechanics that relate to a character's given Persona. Of the cast, Mitsuru Kirijo is the only character in the game who could be considered a charge character, as she is the only member of the roster with a charge based input in the form of her "Coup Droit." While this distinguishes her among members of the roster, Mitsuru can use Coup Droit to cover great ground or punish a whiffed move from an opponent from halfway across the screen.
8 Charlotta - Granblue Fantasy: Versus
In addition to being one of the premier rushdown characters in Granblue Fantasy: Versus, Charlotta also happens to have an arsenal full of charge moves. While Charlotta is already capable of dealing massive sums of damage through her potent combos and mix-ups, one of her charge moves, Holy Ladder, is a powerful anti-air that (like many other anti-air moves of charge characters), is invincible! Additionally, Charlotta's Shining Onslaught is yet another charge move that can be used to approach foes can be quite difficult for foes to punish.
7 Blanka - Street Fighter
Blanka is one of the unforgettable original eight world warriors from the first incarnation of Street Fighter II. In addition to appearing in every version of Street Fighter II, Blanka has also been playable in Street Fighter Alpha 3, each iteration of Street Fighter IV, and most recently Street Fighter V.
While many players may associate Blanka with the electricity he can produce when his controller presses any punch button in rapid succession, Blanka is considered to be a defense oriented character due to his numerous charge moves. His rolling attack, which is often referred to as "Blanka ball" by players can be charged both vertically or horizontally. The direction this move sends Blanka is dependent on which direction the player had charged, making it unpredictable and frustrating for unsuspecting foes.
6 May - Guilty Gear Series
May has long served as one of the most notable charge characters in the Guilty Gear series. May's primary charge move, "Mr. Dolphin" has both a horizontal and vertical form, much like Blanka's roll in Street Fighter. While horizontal Mr. Dolphin can be used as both an approach option and a combo tool, the vertical version can be used as both an anti-air and a spacing tool! Additionally, May has access to a command grab and can control space is a similar manner to Parasoul by summoning other sea creatures around the stage.
5 Vatista - Under Night In-Birth
One would be hard pressed to find a charge character in a fighting game with as many different charge moves as Vatista from Under Night In-Birth or UNIST. Vatista not only possesses potent projectiles in the form of conventional charge moves, but she even has charge moves that can be used by holding forward rather than the traditional backwards. This allows Vataista to launch overwhelming sums of beams and other projectiles by simply alternating the direction they charge. As if this weren't enough, these moves can even be accessed while in the air!
4 Geiger - Fantasy Strike
Fantasy Strike is a fighting game unlike any other, removing traditional fighting game mechanics such as dashing and crouching while maintaining a great deal of depth. While all special moves in Fantasy Strike do not require a special input and are merely executed by pressing specific buttons, the character of Geiger is still able to serve as a charge character. While Geiger has access to stellar special moves, he has a character specific meter that prohibits these moves from being used if he's walked forward recently, forcing his controller to pseudo-charge their moves.
3 Chun Li - Street Fighter Series and Capcom Vs. Series
Chun Li is by and large the most iconic female character in all of fighting games. While many of her moves don't need to be charged in game's such as Street Fighter III: Third Strike, Chun Li is indeed a charge character in the majority of her appearances. The first playable female fighting game character of all time, Chun Li has been playable in numerous entries of the Street Fighter series and the Capcom Vs. series.
Chun Li's arsenal contains a charge projectile comparable to Ryu's Hadoken, the quintessential "spinning bird kick," and aerial stomps that can be repeated in succession.
2 Balrog - Street Fighter Series
Charge characters are often associated with punishing an opponent's whiffed and missed moves, and few characters embody this sentiment quite like Balrog. Known as M. Bison in Japan and simply "Boxer" in Europe, Balrog is a straightforward albeit deadly fighter who has been playable in the majority of entries in the Street Fighter series. Rather than utilizing projectiles or traps to control space, the majority of Balrog's charge moves are punches that move him forwards, swinging in different ways depending on which button was pressed. This allows Balrog to quickly apply pressure, hit an opponent from across the stage, or even punch a jumping foe out of the air.
1 Guile - Street Fighter Series
Few characters are as synonymous with an archetype quite like Street Fighter's Guile is with the charge character archetype. Guile is a character whose gameplay was perfected from the word go and he has remained largely the same across every game he's been in. Possessing excellent normals, Guile only has access to two special moves: Sonic Boom and Flash Kick.
Sonic Boom is an incredible and fast projectile that is rather difficult to punish, while Flash Kick is an invincible anti-air with an enormous hit box. While these moves would be terrifyingly overpowered were they to have quarter-circle inputs like a character like Ryu, the need to hold backwards before executing them limits their aggressive application by default. Guile's design influenced the archetype to such an extent that he is often viewed as a blueprint of how to successfully implement charge moves into a fighting game.