Amir-Hamza
- Oct 9, 2020
- 8 min read

World Fighting Game Characters Asia Part 5: Main Land Japan

Updated: Nov 3, 2021

Street Fighter's Ryu vs Tekken's Jin vs King of Fighter's Kyo

As Japan is a heavily over represented country in the martial arts industry, Fighting Games are no exception, we have an entire article dedicated to the characters from Japan. We won;'t be covering Japanese Diaspora characters, Ethnic Minority characters in Japan or ethnic ambiguous ones that were included in the last article because this article would be too long. For Mainland Japan we will separate the characters by their fighting styles or archetypes.

.No Social, Political or otherwise unnecessary offensive comments please as this article is to share and celebrate culture and diversity

Japan

Kung-Fu

Red Dragon from 3 Count Bout

Gato from Fatal Fury

Hotaro Futuba from Fatal Fury

Shiroh Karasuba from Fighters' Impact

Reiji from Kakuto Chojin

(Does Jeet June Do specifically)

Akira Kazama from Street Fighter

(Bajiquan)

Miharu Hirano from Tekken

(Uses Baguazhang and Piguaquan styles)

Akira Yuki from Virtua Fighter

(Practices Bajiquan)

Street Fighting/Brawling

Joe Kusanagi from Aggressors of Dark Kombat

Goh Kidokoro from Aggressors of Dark Kombat

Ninjutsu

Eiji Kisaragi from Art of Fighting

(Kisaragi-Ryuu Ninjutsu)

Jin Fu-Ha from Art of Fighting

Mondo from Battle Arena Toshinden

Toujin from Battle Arena Toshinden

Miyabi from Battle Arena Toshinden

Gozu from Battle of the Beast Gods

(Practices "Jaguar Martial Arts" though his oversized Tekko-Kagi Claws and outfit seems to be mostly inspired by Ninja)

Mezu from Battle of the Beast Gods

(Same as his brother Gozu. Practices Jaguar Martial Arts with Tekko-Kagi and ninja attire)

Saizo Tobikageno from Breakers

Kasumi from Dead or Alive

Ayane from Dead or Alive

Ryu Hayabusa from Dead or Alive

Raidou from Dead or Alive

Hayate/Ein from Dead or Alive

Genra Omega from Dead or Alive

Momiji from Dead or Alive

Kanae Ozawa from Dual Blades

Mirei Ozawa from Dual Blades

Sasuke from Ehrgeiz

Shadow Yamato from Eternal Champions

Mai Shiranui from Fatal Fury

Sokaku Mochizuki from Fatal Fury

Hokutomaru from Fatal Fury

Sessyu Tsukikage from Fighting Layer

Gekkou from Kaiser Knuckle

Koyasha from Mace: The Dark Age

Scorpion from Mortal Kombat

(real name Hanzo Hasashi blatantly a ninja)

Saizo Hattori from Power Instinct

Kuroko from Power Instinct

Hizumi Yukinoue from Power Instinct

Takumi Hattori from Power Instinct

Ayame from Powerstone

Genan Shiranui from Samurai Shodown

(despite being an alien who uses "The Way of the Evil Path" style. His association with the Shiranui clan and his use of tekko-kagi claws resembles ninja)

Hanzo Hattori from Samurai Shodown

(Iga-Ryu Ninjutsu)

Kazuki Kazama from Samurai Shodown

(Kazama Ninja Arts)

Sogetsu Kazama from Samurai Shodown

(Kazama Ninja Arts)

Natsu from Soul Calibur

(She is Taki's disciple, her blonde hair is something to do with Arahabaki)

Taki from Soul Calibur

Yoshimitsu from Soul Calibur/Tekken

(This is legacy title meaning the Yoshimitsu in Soul Calibur is the ancestor to Yoshimitsu in Tekken. Won't bother having two on this page)

Geki from Street Fighter

(There is also a Geki II but not playable)

Maki Genryusai from Street Fighter

(unlike her Brother in Law Guy. She is stated to be a Japanese citizen only. Though her Sister looks fully Japanese. Maki looks mixed. Best guess she dyed her hair blonde. She happened to be visiting Metro City in Final Fight 2 when Guy was in Japan and her Sister was kidnapped by the villains in his absence)

Ibuki from Street Fighter

Zeku from Street Fighter

(Bushin Ryu just like his students Guy and Maki. But also is inviting a new style which is heavily implied to become the Strider style by his young form's appearance and his older forms suggesting the name striders as their new clans name)

Kunimitsu from Tekken

(Practices Manji Ninjutsu arts)

Kunimitsu II from Tekken

(Just like her mother, she uses Manji Ninja arts)

Hanzo Hattori from World Heroes

(Based off the real Hattori Hanzo)

Kotaro Fuuma from World Heroes

(Based off the real Fuuma Kotaro)

Karate

Ryo Sakazaki from Art of Fighting

(Kokugenryu Karate)

Takuma Sakazaki from Art of Fighting

(Kokugenryu Karate)

Yuri Sakazaki from Art of Fighting

(Kokugenryu Karate and a mix of others)

Sho Kamui from Breakers

Ken "GodHand" Mishima from Ehrgeiz

(Practices Mishima style Karate)

Karate Kenji from Fight Fever

Makoto Mizuguchi from Fighter's History

(Practices Jissen Karate)

Tetsuo Kato from Fighting Layer

(Uses Kato Style Karate)

Kazuya from Kaiser Knuckle

Jin from Martial Champion

(Inspired by Street Fighter's Ryu and is most like a Karate fighter)

Reiji Oyama from Power Instinct

Rin Oyama from Power Instinct

Ryu from Street Fighter

(Practices Ansatsuken a fictional style meaning Assassin's Fist apparently the indigenous roots of Japanese Martial Arts for the Street Fighter universe,, but in game is mostly based off Karate)

Goki/Akuma/Oni from Street Fighter

(Same style as Ryu)

Sakura Kasugano from Street Fighter

(initially imitates Ryu, but has trained with him and with Dan's Saikyo style)

Makoto from Street Fighter

(Fictional style of Karate called Rindo-Kan)

Goken from Street Fighter

(Same as his student Ryu and his Brother Goki)

Kazuya Mishima from Tekken

(His Mishima style Karate is mostly based off Shotokan Karate)

Kuma family from Tekken

(They are Japanese Brown Bears that was taught by Heihachi Mishima their own style called Kuma Shinken likely based off Heihachi's Karate style)

Heihachi Mishima from Tekken

(His Mishima Style Karate is mostly based off Goju-Ryu Karate)

Jin Kazama from Tekken

(Interesting case, he initially practiced Kazama style and Mishima style together but has since abandoned both styles and decided to learn Traditional Karate in Australia, his new style appears to be mostly based of Kyokushin Karate)

Jinpachi Mishima from Tekken

(Uses the same Mishima Style as his son Heihachi based off Goju-Ryu)

Kazumi Mishima nee Hachijo from Tekken

(Does a hybrid of her family's Hachijo Karate and her husbands Mishima Karate)

Aikijutsu/Aikijujutsu

Ryuhaku Todoh from Art of Fighting

(Todohryu Aikijutsu)

Kasumi Todoh from Art of Fighting

(Todohryu Aikijutsu)

Touji Sakata from Fatal Fury

Kaede Minamoto from Fighters' Impact

Jun Kazama from Tekken

(Her Kazama style martial arts is mostly based off Daito-Ryu Aikijujutsu)

Asuka Kazama from Tekken

(Same as her presumed Aunt Jun Kazama)

Aoi Umenokoji from Virtua Fighter

Samurai Kenjutsu/Kendo/Iaido

Eiji Shinjo from Battle Arena Toshinden

(Specifically from Aizu prefecture)

Gaia from Battle Arena Toshinden

(Unspecified style, uses dual blades)

Sho Shinjo from Battle Arena Toshinden

Subaru Shinjo from Battle Arena Tohsinden

Bishamon from Darkstalkers

Kanae Ozawa from Dual Blades

Garuda from Fighting EX Layer

Hayate from Fighting EX Layer

Hayate Kumite from Fighting EX Layer

Baiken from Guilty Gear

Takeshi Tsunami from Mace: The Dark Age

Ichiro Tsunami from Mace: The Dark Age

Shinjuro Goketsuji from Power Instinct

(Was a Samurai in his younger years)

Ryoma from Powerstone

Genjuro Kibagami from Samurai Shodown

(Specifically practices Ko'in Ittou Ryu)

Haohmaru from Samurai Shodown

(Allegedly self taught)

Jubei Yagyu from Samurai Shodown

(Practices Yagyu Shinkage Ryu Kenjutsu)

Shiki from Samurai Shodown

(Uses Dual Katanas)

Shizumaru Hisame from Samurai Shodown

(Hittou Ryu Scarlet Blade Style)

Takechiyo from Samurai Shodown

(Kenjutsu)

Ukyo Tachibana from Samurai Shodown

Zankuro Minazuki from Samurai Shodown

Heishiro Mitsurugi from Soul Calibur

(Based on Miyamoto Musashi)

Hybird/Other

Nagisa Iwashiro from Battle Arena Toshinden

(Being a Police Detective he likely practices Kendo and Judo as they are mandatory skills for the Japanese Police force especially if you look into the Metropolitan Police Academy of Tokyo)