The 10 Most Broken Fighting Game Characters in History – Destructoid

Broken characters aren’t a strange concept to fighting game fans, as even the genre’s most beloved and acclaimed franchises have a few in their mix.

But which of these many famous characters can be considered the strongest, or for some, the most unfair? For anyone looking to find out where their worst nightmares lie, here are the 10 most broken fighting game characters in history.

Despite being one of the weaker members of her list, Phoenix opens our list for one reason above all else, she has a boss-like second phase. To be more precise, Phoenix can transform into Dark Phoenix and recover all of her HP in all MvC3 versions if she is defeated while she has five-meter bars. But like most bosses, she doesn’t simply rise from the ashes, as the health regeneration is coupled with a full-screen Hyper, a 20% boost to all DMG, and the ability to perform upgraded versions of all of her already-higher-tier moves.

As a statement on the quality of the character, even after being heavily weakened with the release of Marvel vs. Capcom UltimatePhoenix is ​​still one of the most broken members of his roster today.

9. Hilde (SoulCalibur IV)

One of the simplest characters here, Soulcalibur IVHilde terrorized the community during the game’s heyday due to her long reach and famous Doom Combo, which allows her to either get a guaranteed escape from almost anywhere in most levels, or start an extremely damaging loop by chaining charged attacks together.

Unsurprisingly, this eventually led to her being banned from several tournaments, as matches involving her often ended as soon as she managed to score a hit.

8. Bayonetta (Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS)

In 2016, Nintendo decided to stick with a fraction of Bayonetta’s true power for its debut as the final DLC for Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS (or 4), which allowed the Umbra Witch to kill targets at zero, regardless of their placement, by performing Witch Twist mixups. But wait, what if you beat her to the punch? In that case, she can, as of now, immobilize you by performing Witch Time for a guaranteed combo as well as freeze you in place from a distance using a wide range of different projectiles that, if hit, will open the door to a TOD.

Even though she has been greatly weakened since her debut, it is no surprise that many still dread meeting Bayonetta when she returns to SSB4 on its native platforms or on the Nintendo Switch.

7. Pet Shop (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: A Legacy for the Future)

One of the most famously broken characters in fighting game history and a high point in a game famous for its imbalance, A legacy for the future Pet Shop is the very definition of a frustrating match, as in addition to being able to automatically avoid low blows and steals to create distance, he can also use homing projectiles and hit you at any time by dropping stalagmites with his Icicle Break Special.

It’s the latter that segments his place here, as his ability to use the ability while being attacked and act freely while his projectiles are on-screen allows Pet Shop to perform several unblockable mixups, many of which are known to lead to TODs.

6. Sailor Uranus (Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S: Jougai Rantou!? Shuyaku Soudatsusen)

Arc System Works Sailor Moon S is, for many, the dumbest fighting game ever released, given its exaggerated damage calculations and easy TODs, but none of its roster comes close to Sailor Uranus. The reason for this is that it doesn’t lie in its damage or the various applications of any of its special attacks. Instead, it’s all in its broken move Shadow Dash, which allows Uranus to cross almost the entire screen at unmatched speed and becomes invincible if performed in reverse when on Player 2’s side.

This allows him to both avoid most attacks and perform easy punishments, which can allow him to take TODs and some very damaging special moves. Like most of the characters here, Uranus is currently banned from many competitions.

5. Android 21 in a white coat (Dragon Ball FighterZ)

Lab Coat Android 21 is both Dragon Ball FighterZ The latest DLC character and one of the most recent personifications of the DLC meta. The reason? She was in a league of her own at launch by having both no notable weaknesses and the ability to reduce enemy DMG by 21% while increasing her special DMG by the same amount thanks to her Photon Pulse command, which, of course, could be easily executed in the middle of a combo for a sure hit.

This led to the character being slightly weakened a few months after her release, as well as being banned from several tournaments. Today, Lab Coat 21 is still considered a top tier, although she is no longer alone at the top.

Super Smash Bros. BrawlMeta Knight’s version is considered by many to be the most broken character the Smash franchise has ever produced, a title he earned in part due to his phenomenal mobility, omnidirectional movement, and ability to juggle opponents into oblivion with his Shuttle Loop attack. The main reason, however, lies in his ability to buy time, as Meta Knight players can force timeout victories by either hiding and then moving (or sneaking) underneath the arena or performing his Dimensional Cape vanishing move before performing a series of key inputs to trigger a glitch and prevent him from respawning.

Unsurprisingly, Kirby’s rival has been banned from several competitions, while those who still consider it legal have decided to apply specific rules to ensure fair play.

3. Gill (Street Fighter 2nd Impact and 3rd Strike)

Another character capable of resurrection, Gill is infamous for being considered the most broken character in the Street Fighter 3 series, which is saying a lot considering the other big surprises in the series, such as 2nd Impact Ibuki City.

First available in the home console port of 2nd ImpactGill brings everything you could want from a boss to the field, combining his aforementioned ability to respawn with unblockable AoE attacks and the ability to deal massive chip damage, the latter of which can take you down without him having to land a single clear hit. To top it all off, he can also perform TODs.

2. Akuma (Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo)

Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo‘m Akuma is both one of the most unforgiving bosses in fighting game history and one of its most broken fighters. Featuring what I can only assume is an accurate depiction of the Destroyer of the Skies’ lore, Akuma can throw extremely fast projectiles, has access to an incredible aerial fireball, and can perform enhanced versions of all of Ryu and Ken’s moves. This is then coupled with the highest damage output in the game and the ability to—like Pet Shop—perform unblockable mixups at will.

1. Ivan Ooze (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Battle Edition)

The most infamous face when it comes to broken characters and by far the most unfair to ever be featured in a fighting game, MMPR: Combat EditionIvan Ooze is a nightmare capable of a wide range of spammable and multi-hit moves, most of which have invincible variants. Also, did I mention that he is immune to throws, is the only character in the game that can fly, and his inability to block makes no sense since all of his moves (yes, all of them) can lead to TODs?

Now that you know who the most broken characters to ever make their fighting game debut are, be sure to also check out the 10 Best Fighting Games That Aren’t Street Fighter, TekkenOr MK.

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