2) Mai Shiranui (Fatal Fury/King of Fighters)

“It was really hard going back to that Starbucks after that barista caught me searching for these pics.”

Ahhh the curious case of Mai Shiranui, always the bridesMAId, (yep we did it again, get used to it) never the bride. Next to Terry Bogard, there are few other characters as synonymous with the popular, yet arguably perpetual number two series in fighting game history.

A consistent fan favorite among gamers, cosplayers, otakus, underdogs, and weird writers of fan fiction, Mai has appeared in numerous titles for over two decades now. Despite her numerous accolades among the gaming industry and fans she still unfortunately comes up short of number one. Although we might call her number two, runner up, salutatorian, second banana, Pepsi, what have you, as good as Mai is, our number one is just too hard to top. But that doesn’t take anything away from one of gaming’s most beloved and well endowed femme fatales.

Armed with her fans and a heart of gold, the ninja from the Shiranui clan not only got fans hot with her gravity defying assets*, but her pyrokinetic abilities as well. Her bodacious bouncing was even incorporated into her fighting style to “distract” her opponents, allowing her to pull off such signature moves as the “Flying Squirrel Furiante” or “Deadly Ninja Bees.” And for once we don’t mean the deadly B’s* on her chest. In addition, her influence cannot be understated.

Like many of the attributes that made SNK unique at the time, such as two –line battles, Mai was a prime example. Without her ostentation bouncing, we might not have Kasumi from DOA, Kitanna’s deadly fans, or Black Orchid’s flash. And that my friend is not a world I want to live in! Mai has consistently been a loyal hallmark of the SNK and Neo Geo brand, brands often attached to be the number two brand in the fighting game industry. Thus her rank on this list is bittersweet, yet fitting.

*see boobs, breasts, jugs, cha chas, maguppies, etc.