With launch roster's 18 characters they'll try first.
Street Fighter 6 also adds a handful of fresh faces to the roster, including Marisa, Lily, and Luke, the poster boy of the series' new direction. While many of these characters have the advantage of surprise - even veteran players have yet to familiarize themselves with their movesets - returning characters also have some new tricks up their sleeves. The options are pretty well-balanced, but some characters just do better than others from the very start, and many of them make ideal choices for brand-new Street Fighter players.
10 Kimberly
One of the new additions to Street Fighter 6, Kimberly is a breath of fresh air and a bundle of energy. A quick-kicking ninja by day, she's a graffiti artist by night, and incorporates colorful spray paint cans into some of her moves. She's definitely designed to be easy for new players to pick up, but simple as they may be, her combos are fast and unpredictable. Her upward, spinning kick Bushin Senpukyaku is a versatile option for stopping enemy combos short. Kimberly works best at close range, first backing her opponent into a corner and then painting the town red.
9 Ken
Ken has been a part of Street Fighter since the very beginning, diametrically opposed to his best friend/rival Ryu. Ken and Ryu have always been excellent entry points for new players, with relatively easy combos and well-balanced fighting styles. In Street Fighter 6, Ken is almost invariably the better choice. Like Kimberly, he can corner opponents using his run move, and then pressure them with hard-hitting combos. He also has access to the iconic Shoryuken uppercut and Hadoken projectile, useful for long-range damage and helpful in balancing his fighting style.
8 Guile
Another returning Street Fighter icon, Guile is more powerful than ever before in Street Fighter 6. Guile's greatest strength is in the variety of his moveset; almost anything his opponents can dish out, he has an answer to. As a result, new players can hold their own when picking Guile, while inveterate players can pull off some impressive extended combos. His powerful sonic attacks are further boosted in Street Fighter 6 with the addition of a system that rewards perfect timing, adding an element of rhythm to his style.
7 Luke
Luke's smug grin and windswept moptop are the first two things players will see when they pick up Street Fighter 6, as he adorns the game's cover and poster art. In many ways, he's a successor to Ryu, as the mascot of the game and an easy first choice for newcomers to the series. Luke excels when keeping the enemy on their toes at medium and close range, but has some useful long-range options as well for closing the distance. He also has access to some hard-hitting Super Arts to land showstopping blows.
6 Marisa
Another new addition to the Street Fighter 6 roster, Marisa hits hard, if not often. Some of her combos can wipe out up to 70% of the opponent's health in one barrage of blows. Her attacks all have long reach, so she can come right out of the gate with terrifying strength, overwhelming the opponent quickly. Marisa's most useful move is Scutum, a parry which can combo into powerful counterattacks. She's incredible when it comes to ground offense and defense, but weaker in the air, so Marisa players should always endeavor to keep their feet planted.
5 Cammy
A returning Street Fighter champion, Cammy's known for her aggressive and tricky style. She can trap the enemy at close range, subjecting them to a devastating series of attacks. Her Hooligan Combination, one of her classic moves, has her balling herself up and flinging herself toward the enemy, and can be followed up with any number of powerful strikes. One of the fastest and most adaptable characters in Street Fighter 6, Cammy is a great pick for players old and new.
4 Zangief
Zangief, the rough-and-tough Russian grappler, is a charming holdover from the Street Fighter series' Cold War origins. He's one of the strongest characters in Street Fighter 6 just by virtue of how hard his throws and suplexes hit. In particular, his Screw Piledriver can easily knock off a significant chunk of the opponent's health. However, Zangief moves slowly, and many of his strongest moves require complicated inputs. Although a strong option for the more seasoned Street Fighter player, newcomers might struggle to adapt to Zangief's moveset.
3 Chun-Li
Chun-Li is one of the hardest characters to learn in Street Fighter 6, but in the right hands, she can mop up any competition. Extremely quick on her feet, Chun-Li is best known for her extended kick combos, most notably the aptly-named Hundred Lightning Kicks. She's also got a wide variety of aerial moves in her arsenal. What really sets Chun-Li apart, however, is her ability to switch stances using Serenity Stream, which she can string into her extended combos. This gives her access to a whole new set of powerful strikes.
2 Dee Jay
Dee Jay may also be a difficult character to pick up, but when he gets going, he's delightful to watch. Street Fighter 6 plays more like a rhythm game than a fighting game when picking the cheery music superstar Dee Jay. He's known for using distracting feints like Jus Cool to trick the opponent, then punishing them when they attempt to capitalize. Dee Jay can pull off some impressive rhythmic combos, but these actually require the player to hit the right inputs on beat. Practice makes perfect when it comes to Dee Jay, but once players have ascended his learning curve, he's really fun to play.
1 Ryu
Ryu shares a lot of similarities with Ken. They've both been with the series from the beginning, their movesets are similar, and they share the Hadoken and Shoryuken abilities. They're easy, well-rounded characters for new players to learn. However, Ryu is a jack of all trades, but a master of none. His unique Denjin Charge, which allows him to boost the power and speed of his special moves, is easy to understand and simple to execute. Playing as Ryu can be useful for new players to learn the general concepts and flow of the game, as he has many options at his disposal.
With 18 characters to choose from in Street Fighter 6, and more certainly coming in future updates, players are spoiled for choice in this latest entry of the landmark fighting game series. While these are some of the best characters all around, that doesn't mean they're the only viable ones. In the hands of a practiced player, even characters who didn't make this list can take down their opponents with ease. When it comes to choosing a character in Street Fighter 6, it's more important for the player to weigh their strengths and weaknesses against the opponent's than to pick someone who's generally considered strong.
