Top 10 Most Powerful Fighting Game Characters

“Dead Or Alive” series (1996-)

The cast of the “Dead Or Alive” games already wield some crazy abilities whether you’re talking about Kasumi and Hayabusa or boss characters like Raidou and Genra. Of them all, Alpha-152 is the best of them, and it absolutely enrages us. This abhorrent genetic lifeform constantly spams its teleporting ability and will effectively make blocking useless just from the most basic combos. Even after two entire labs collapsing in “Dead Or Alive 4” and “5”, it’s heavily implied in “Dead Or Alive 6” that Alpha-152 is still alive, waiting to be unleashed upon the world once again.

“PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale” (2012)

Yes, this is a rather odd choice at first glance, but Kratos is slapped on here for both lore AND gameplay reasons. First off, this is the Ghost of Sparta we’re talking about, the same guy who killed the entire Greek pantheon. By default, he’s already more powerful than the rest of the PlayStation family. You really expect PaRappa or Cole MacGrath to come out on top? Even without lore, Kratos can rack up AP the quickest out of all the fighters in “PlayStation All-Stars”. Most characters are still struggling to break Level Two by the time Kratos maxes out his meter!

“Soulcalibur” series (1995-)

Like “Dead Or Alive”, “Soulcalibur” features a roster of fighters that wield exceptional powers in their blades. However, Inferno has remained a consistent threat throughout the franchise as he is the legendary Soul Blade, the cursed weapon sought out by many. He can replicate anyone’s fighting style and can even alternate between them all mid-fight. This is because he has stored the memories of those he’s defeated inside himself and crystallized their souls. God help you if you play “Soulcalibur IV”, though, as Inferno plays like his own creation, Nightmare, but with a permanent maximum Soul Charge.

“Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” (2018)

There was much debate on who is the most powerful “Smash” character. Tabuu? Giga Bowser? The Hands? Master Core? Ultimately, we decided on Galeem and Dharkon. Whereas most of the “Smash Bros” fighters can hold their own against the aforementioned menaces, we all saw the opening to Smash Ultimate’s” World of Light mode. Every single character got decimated just by Galeem’s beams of light! On top of that, two of the game’s endings show what happens when one of them lives on without the other. Spoiler alert - neither of them end well! Honestly, it’s safe to call these two forces of nature in the “Smash Bros” lore.

“Arcana Heart” series (2006-11)

This is not a goddess to fawn over! Do not show any love for this blasphemous, manipulative, cheating hag of a final boss! Parace L’sia is only one of the most powerful fighting game characters because of the amount of nonsense she throws your way. Without hesitation, she will assault you with a volley of projectiles, spam teleport all over the place, and interrupt your attacks without fail. Oh, AND she can stop the fight by making a large shield around herself and recover health!! Powerful? Oh, completely. Are we happy about it? Not in the slightest. And we all thought input reading was infuriating.

“Killer Instinct” (2013)

“Killer Instinct” comes loaded with cybernetic dinosaurs, killer robots, and ass-kicking warriors, and somehow, they all have the gall to stand up to the likes of Gargos? Gargos is the fabled Shadow Lord, a half-god who can harness the essence of souls to reel worlds into an era of darkness. So, by default, he is already insanely powerful, and his abilities reflect that. In addition to creating dimensional portals and manipulating space and time, Gargos created a vast array of minions from the evil spirits known as Omen, corrupted Jago with shadow energy, and resurrected the bandit we know as Spinal. Yeah, he has quite the resumé.

“Skullgirls” (2012)

How does a spooky girl like Marie manage to beat out an interdimensional half-god like Gargos? Well, those who have fought Gargos can somewhat match his power. In Marie’s case, well, it takes a special amount of skill to take down the Skullgirl. This is no mere child! Marie wields the power to summon skeletal minions and send out shadowy figures to fight for her. She can take you down with little to no effort, and even when she’s beaten to a pulp, she will still try to fight you as a bony corpse, desperate to keep you from obtaining the Skull Heart.

“Tekken” series (1995-)

For the longest time, Kazuya has gone back and forth with his father, son, and grandfather. (Seriously, the Mishima family is nothing but throwing each other off cliffs, dropping them in volcanoes, blowing them up, the whole nine yards.) Despite everyone in his family trying to stop him INCLUDING his wife, Jun, Kazuya has managed to survive every attack without fail. Some may argue that Heihachi has survived worse, but you know what Daddy Kazuya has that Grampa Mishima doesn’t? That accursed Devil Gene, and the power Kazuya gains from that is enough to make him the most powerful character in “Tekken”.

“Mortal Kombat” series (1992-)

When thinking of the most powerful “Mortal Kombat” characters, we’d probably put Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung, or Raiden at this spot. But that’s in another timeline now thanks to “Mortal Kombat 11”. Before facing Kronika, Raiden bestows his powers unto Liu Kang, turning him into a Fire God. With Kronika defeated, Liu Kang wields Kronika’s crown, making him the new Keeper of Time. So, not only does he possess the same level of power as his master, but now he can easily erase your existence without question. We’d say that’s beefier than soul stealing powers and mystical hammers.

“Street Fighter” series (1987-)

Even after talking about time guardians, demonic beings, and gods, Akuma is still the most powerful fighting game character of all time. You know why? He is literally the Devil. His name is Japanese for “devil”, and his entire existence is like that of a devil! Akuma has utilized powers beyond even M. Bison’s comprehension, and we’ve seen Akuma’s potential across “Street Fighter”, the “Capcom Vs.” games, and even “Tekken”! The absolute worst we’ve seen him was when by Oni in “Super Street Fighter IV”. After that, there’s no question - Akuma is the most powerful fighting game character. EVER.