Here at Amped Asia we have compiled a list of what we consider the Top Ten Asian Femme Fatales in Fighting Games. Now before our comments section blows up with nerd rage, keep in mind our criteria for this list was based on everything from uniqueness of the characters, hotness, cultural impact, units sold, success of the game… and hell if we could have had a bikini contest mixed with a scantron test we would have! But basically, like most things it’s subjective, and this is what we came up with. Enjoy and rage on!
So let’s get started with #10!
10) Sun Shang Xiang (Dynasty Warriors)
“If she tells you they need another for Extreme Frisbee, tell her you already have plans…”
Now, I know what you are thinking, Dynasty Warriors is more of a hack and slash and less of a fighting game. BUT it started out as a one on one fighter, so technically Sun Shang Xiang counts. Plus add in the fact that “Lady Sun” is the only character on this list to have actually existed in real life. She was a major character in the Chinese epic novels “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” on which the franchise is based on. So yea, that more than qualifies her to be on this list.
9) Nakoruru (Samurai Showdown)
“The PETA people are going to be all over this one..”
Although arguably a lesser known character in a lesser known but cult hit game, Nakoruru’s character design alone deserves mentioning. Often considered the co-mascot of the series next to Haohmaru, she is a defender of mother-nature who happens to be 15, uses a kodachi paired with either a hawk or wolf as her primary weapons, and has an alter ego to boot. ‘Nuff Said.
8) Pai Chan (Virtua Fighter)
“You.. look different Pai, did…did you do something to your hair? No that’s not it…”
There’s something to be said about early adopters, and Pai Chan was one of them. During an era where 2-D fighters were king, Pai Chan held her own as leader of the new school and paved the way for future 3-D femme fatales in video games. When 3-D games looked rough and ugly, Pai made them look smooth and beautiful. Pai, along with the Virtua Fighter series gave us hope that the 3-D era would soon be awesome. Pretty good for a character once considered a Chun Li clone huh?
7) Jun Kazama (Tekken)
“Miss Kazama… we really have to talk about your son’s behavioral problems…” “*sigh* What did he do now…?”
Now some could argue if a Tekken character makes the list it should be Ling Xiayou, but here at Amped Asia we dig grown ass women, and not the dime-a-dozen Asian school girl characters that pay fan service to otakus. Mother to Jin Kazama, Jun Kazama holds it down for all the MILFS out there and anyone with an Oedipal complex and a joystick.
6) Kasumi (Dead or Alive)
“Took me about twenty minutes of staring until I realized there were flamingos in this pic.”
Coming in as one the first, of many ninjas, on our list, the buxom shadow of the night was also the lead character for the first two games of the Dead or Alive series, a rarity in a genre dominated by male protagonists that are often Ryu clones. Ironic considering that her character’s storyline would later include having her 35-21-33 measurements cloned in later sequels. Add the well known, if not gratuitous pixelated giggling of the DOA franchise, her entry is rock solid on this list, as well as male gamers when playing the DOA series.
5) Taki (Soul Calibur)
“I wonder if anyone has ever yelled ‘HEY KOOL AID!’ at her and lived to tell about it…”
Breaking into our top 5, Taki from the Soul Calibur series. Now I know what you are thinking, after the last entry: “How in the world can Taki top Kasumi?” Well my friend it simply comes down to the numbers. Taki just soul edges out Kasumi (oh yea we did that). Although there are roughly the same amount of sequels to both series, minus respective spinoffs, Taki simply has the numbers considering Soul Calibur has sold over 13 million units compared to the Dead or Alive series, which seems to be roughly around the 7 million mark. I say roughly because aggregate sales total for the DOA series is hard to find, another bad sign. Also factor in DOA’s inconsistent game reviews, technical software issues, and character exposure based on volume and Taki just has the numbers over Kasumi.
Plus she did not appear in a horrible movie adaption of the game like Kasumi did in the feature film DOA: Dead or Alive. Well at least not yet hopefully…
4) Black Orchid (Killer Instinct)
“To be fair, I’m pretty sure he already had a boner ma’am.” “The game says she is Tibetan.. but I’m wondering if she is just Paula Abdul circa 1990.”
A breakout star of the cult classic Killer Instinct games, Black Orchid became a fan favorite by mixing beauty with brutality.
The KI games filled a niche in the mid 1990s by combing audacious Street Fighter-esque combos with Mortal Kombat like gore, thus allowing fans of the respective rival series to find an ass kicking happy medium. Perhaps not quite as popular or talked about these days, the recent KI games for the Xbox give us hope that this orchid will bloom once again.
Some might say this is a bit high for her to be on this list, and others would simply say, “Dude her flash fatality!” Controversial and infamous, her fatality stood out during the days when video games as well as gamers started growing up. It might be common these days to see a bit of the ultra-violence and T&A in games, but back then Black Orchid pushed the envelope with her flash fatality. But hey, if we all got to die sometime, there could be worse ways, right fellas?
3) Kitana (Mortal Kombat)
“To be fair, you would wear a mask too if you ever smelled one of Scorpion’s farts after eating Taco Bell.”
As an Asian Femme Fatale, the Princess of Edenia is a bit of a grey area. Are we assuming she is Asian just because she LOOKS Asian? Thus perpetuating the over-simplifying of one’s existence based solely on race and visual cues? Not to mention reducing a females’ worth based again solely on looks? Does Edenia even have Asians? Wait..Isn’t Talisa Soto* Puerto Rican? But then again maybe we are just waxing semantics about a franchise that includes a four-armed half-dragon warrior named Goro who rips off your limbs and pummels you to death with them.
Either way, Kitana was so hot in this groundbreaking game of gore, that her weapons of choice? Deadly. Bladed. Fans! That’s right! If you were too hot and bothered by her she could either cool you down or kill you. What a BAMF. As a staple of the series since MK2, her character has appeared in the numerous sequels, films, cartoon series, and plethora of MK related merchandizing, much to the delight of MK fans and anyone who loves arbitrary spelling.
Not bad company to keep considering the popularity of the groundbreaking and long lasting Mortal Kombat series — a series that was often considered the direct rival to the dominant Street Fighter franchise.
* Talisa Soto is the actress who plays Kitana in the Mortal Kombat movies.
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.
AAAAND OUR NUMBER! *spoiler alert there could be only one..*
“You’ve come a long way baby!”
“Awfully hard on Dolph Lundgren there wouldn’t you say Ms. Li?”
“The rest of this shower scene is going to make this article NSFW. Google on your own time… and privately.”
“BEST. YEAR. BOOK. POSE.EEEEEEVVVVER!”
1) Chun Li (Street Fighter)
When you think of an Asian femme fatale of fighting games who do you think of? Hell she doesn’t even need to be Asian, just go ahead, try it, close your eyes and what is the first picture in your mind when you think of the quintessential female in fighting games? If you said anyone other than Chun Li, A) you are lying B) you’re an asshole for trying to make us look bad C) you probably said Samus, which fair enough she was in Smash Bros, but she isn’t Asian and shut up. Anyway…
The Queen Bee of button mashing, the Matriarch of Martial Arts, the Ovarian Overlord, Chun Li with her “Spinning Bird Kick” soars in the rarified air above all others as the undisputed champion of Asian Femme Fatales in Fighting games. Actually you know what? FEMME FATALES PERIOD. Yep, her title is so unarguably the top of everyone’s list it transcends race, time and space.
But all alliteration and terrible rhyme schemes aside, things were not always so rosy for the strongest woman in the world. During the 1990s the plethora of fighting games and wannabe mascots both female and male saturated the gaming market and fighting games were no exception. Debuting in the revolutionary Street Fighter 2, Chun Li has appeared in almost every incarnation of the seemingly countless Street Fighter games, spinoffs and crossovers, holding her own as a reliable and recognizable fan favorite of the World Warrior Tournament.
Her inclusion in itself is no small feat either, considering the myriad of characters that have cycled in and out of arguably the most popular fighting game of all time. Not only was she the first female in the Street Fighter franchise, and quite possibly all of fighting game history, but she is an agent of Interpol, an honorary X-Men, teaches martial arts to kids, and probably conquered the Thighmaster better than Suzanne Somers.
Plus she survived TWO count them TWO horrendous movie adaptations! She has the numbers, the credentials and everything else you need to be at the top of this list. A constant in video games she has even appeared across numerous platforms including T.V., movies, books, merchandizing, and undoubtedly at this moment across millions of computer screens thanks to her fan service shower scene from Street Fighter II: The Animated movie. Quite simply Chun Li is the Coke, Mcdonalds, Beyonce, Muhamed Ali, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzsky, Rolls Royce, Big Kahuna, El Jefey, etc. of the Top Ten Asian Femme Fatales of Fighting Games.
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Written by kevinhype