Top 20 Weirdly Sexualized Fighting Game Characters

“Tekken 8” (2024)

Look, we can’t knock against Reina. Reina is the best girl in “Tekken 8”. And admittedly, she isn’t sexualized in any way physically, not compared to “Tekken’s” other deadly vixens like Christie Monteiro. However, everything changed when Bandai Namco Entertainment added a feature where you could choose which character you want for your menu background. Each character had unique poses, but when we saw Reina… BNE knew how to reach the internet through Reina’s flirtatious eyes. Never would expect a daughter of Heihachi to be anywhere close to having rizz.

“Bloody Roar 4” (2003)

We have nothing against Nagi as a character. Gorgeous young woman with a streetpunk look and demon powers living inside her? That’s a badass story. But when you look at the motifs of the rest of the cast and how they dress like the beasts they turn into, that’s when questions start to arise. Why is Nagi just a biker girl showing more skin in both her default form and her beast form? She’s an attractive character, yes, but why make no change to her appearance besides the red growths? It kinda makes it seem like Konami was trying to inject a little bit of “Dead Or Alive” into “Bloody Roar”.

“Street Fighter” series (1987-)

While Vega isn’t exactly sexualized, he is often romanticized. We can’t exactly blame him for looking so damn good, though. He’s got the muscle, the manly ponytail, and the fit stature. The thing is that this is a murderous man with a lethal set of wolverine claws. Nothing about the guy really fits his M-O when he’s blending bloodshed with rose petals. Perhaps that's the weird personality he needed for Capcom to make him stand out from the roster, though.

“Samurai Shodown” series (1993-)

Much like Vega in “Street Fighter”, Shiki is yet another cold-blooded killer with some sort of seduction tactic going on. Not only does she like to get up close and personal with her kills, Shiki also executes them in semi-sensual ways. We can recognize that part of her behavior is probably stemming from her desire to find the perfect body of a man to resurrect Yuga the Dark Lord. Still, does she have to be flirty with every single opponent?

“BlazBlue” series (2008-)

This handsome hunk of a man doesn’t even know what a shirt is. Whenever Azrael is on screen, the dude just has to make sure his six packs of six-pack abs are always within view. Seriously, where does his chest begin and pecs end? Regardless, it’s best you try not to focus on that for too long as he does boast some devastating abilities. Considering his raw power and excellent reach, you’d think maybe Azrael would at least wear something a bit more intimidating than just an open ab display case.

“Mortal Kombat” series (1992-)

You ever want to see Goro in a sling? Well, just look at Sheeva. In “Mortal Kombat’s” defense, the Shokan are a race of beings that take pride in their physical strength. That said, maybe there are some like Sheeva who do want to show their muscle mass. Even so, did Sheeva really have to be designed in something so skimpy? It doesn’t make sense either when Goro and Kintaro get some amount of armor plating. Oh, well…at least Sheeva got a better design in MK11.

“Mortal Kombat” series (1992-)

Okay, so we can understand Li Mei’s place in the story. She and her people were enslaved by Quan Chi after she failed to win the Deadly Alliance tournament. And so, they were forced to build the Well of Souls for the sorcerer. That’s where her story pretty much ends. So, if she is an Outworlder like Bo Rai Cho, Reiko, and Skarlet…why is she dressed like she’s ready for the beach? Li Mei did not look ready for combat at all back in the day, and even for narrative purposes, it didn’t make sense why she was designed in skimpy attire.

“BlazBlue” series (2008-)

Don’t get us wrong - “BlazBlue” is a kickass series of fighting games! We just gotta point out the weird design of Mu-12. It gives off some mecha “Kill la Kill” vibes, but for a fighting game, it doesn’t make much sense. Mu’s torso is practically exposed completely, yet all four of her limbs are decked out in majestic robot armor. All we’re saying is if you wanted to keep her sexy, you could have just left her when she’s known as Noel Vermillion. The whole “sexy robot girlfriend” angle here just doesn’t cut it even for something as extreme and odd as “BlazBlue”.

“Dead Or Alive” series (1996-)

Honoka feels as if someone’s fanfiction character is trying to weasel into “Dead Or Alive”. She is utterly useless in the story, is constantly being aloof with Marie Rose, and offers nothing interesting to DOA’s lore. Despite how awful she is as a character, Honoka is often given an obscene amount of costumes for seemingly no reason… Oh, wait, it’s actually two big reasons. The DOA ladies were already perfect in their own beautiful and sexy ways. So, when did this ditz join the fray and why is she here? Just to sell scantily-clad DLC costumes?

“Street Fighter” series (1987-)

Since her debut in “Street Fighter IV”, Juri has cemented herself as a real femme fatale. She really follows her spider motif as she often flirts with others to get them to fight her. But you know what people really seem to like about her the most? We can’t quite put our finger on it, although we have a feeling there must be a lot of love for the way she kicks, juggles, and heel stomps. Capcom has certainly shied away from this side of Juri either. Have you seen the woman’s Critical Art in “Street Fighter 6”?

“Darkstalkers” series (1994-)

Players who like clawing at their opponents can’t go wrong with maining Felicia. She’s been bringing the feline fury since the first “Darkstalkers”. However, her presence always left us so confused. Is she a busty anthropomorphic cat, or a human with feline characteristics? Based on her features, we’re inclined to believe she’s more woman and less cat. But that makes the fact she’s clad only in her own fur even more striking. Look, we love Felicia with all our heart, but if you’re going to do the whole cat-lady thing, at least go all the way like the designers did with Jon Talbain. He’s basically a full dog!

“Skullgirls” (2012)

Valentine is arguably the most, well “alluring” of the Skullgirls. Her bewitching voice, outfit, and figure certainly make her stand out. However, does anyone else get the feeling that Valentine is trying to be too many things at once? She’s double-dipping into the attractive nurse AND captivating ninja archetypes. Which are you, Valentine? A nurse with the tools of a ninja? A ninja with the tools of a nurse? Or are you just both? Do you beat people up, then nurse them back to health? It might be a good idea to pick ONE!

“Guilty Gear” series (1998-)

I-No is another example of a character double-dipping into incongruous categories. This time, as a witchy musician. Alright, we’ll admit, that combination is actually pretty cool. But I-No’s backstory is basically nonsense. When humanity was in danger of extinction, all of their hope for the future became a force known as Magical Foci. I-No came to be after this energy was placed inside of a human body. How the collective hopes and dreams of humanity resulted in a vicious, manipulative guitar-wielding fighter with a witch’s hat is anyone’s guess. All we know is that “Guilty Gear” gets really freakin’ weird.

“Dead Or Alive” series (1996-)

Sure, at a glance, there’s nothing obviously disturbing about Nyotengu. And she wouldn’t have made the list, had she been introduced a lot earlier in the series. What makes her a tad uncomfortable is that she has almost the exact same move set as the monstrous tengu Bankotsubo, the final boss of “Dead Or Alive 2”. Although we know they’re two different characters, it still feels weird playing what is essentially a more shapely version of a cruel mythical creature. It doesn’t help seeing Nyotengu occasionally lick her lips when she wins.

“BlazBlue” series (2008-)

Felicia isn’t the only humanoid animal fighter on our list. Makoto is part hyperactive squirrel, part human warrior. Which really makes you wonder: why are all the adorable animals getting thick thighs and buxom bodies? Who ever looked at a squirrel and pictured these kinds of curves and a tiny top and skirt? You know what, we don’t want to know. What makes her stand out even more is the barely-there outfit she wears in battle and in some unlockable character art. We wouldn’t know whether to give this cute squirrel girl a pat on the head or ask her on a date.

“Tekken” series (1994-)

We are aware that “Unknown” could be a version of Jun Kazama from “Tekken 2”, who would later appear in the “Tag Tournament” spin-offs. This gorgeous villainess is covered head to toe in purple slime...and that’s it! But just like the mystery of her outfit, her story has never been properly cleared up. Gameplay-wise, Unknown is basically a substitute for that wooden dummy, Mokujin. Like that character, she just copies everyone else’s moves! There was also supposedly going to be a storyline where she’s revealed to be Jun’s sister, but it never officially happened. So, we have this extremely attractive villainess in purple stuff that has no real purpose in the story. You’re basically playing as hot Mokujin!

“Samurai Shodown” series (1993-2019)

Okay, we can see the allure behind the insanely attractive Iroha. However, this character holds a dark secret that may lead you to see her in a different light. Ready for this? This buxom beauty is actually a crane that transformed into the deadly maid you see before you. This is especially evident when she performs her special move, where she lays the smackdown on her victim and briefly changes back into her true bird self. So, first, it was cats, then squirrels, and now, birds. What’s next?!

“Soulcalibur” series (1995-)

The Soul series has its own roster of good-looking guys and gals. But when it comes to the most sexualized, all eyes are on Voldo...and not in a flattering way. Just the manner in which this pale, deadly contortionist moves gives us the creeps. Is his idle moonwalk supposed to get us blushing? We’re actually more compelled to run and hide, especially when he starts walking crab-style and thrusting the air. And what’s with all the moaning and hissing? This dude’s got issues, and his freaky fighting style is just creepy!

“Dragon Ball FighterZ” (2018)

Android 21 made her debut in “Dragon Ball FighterZ” as the main antagonist of the story. And honestly, it left us feeling pretty confused about her whole existence …. as well as how we should react to it. She’s basically an attractive female version of Majin Buu with the slightly playful nature of Kid Buu! Oh yeah, and she will devour anyone who stands in her way...by turning them into a delicious cupcake or macaroon. Oh, the savagery! The inhumanity! (Why did she have to be designed like such a bae?!?)

“Mortal Kombat” series (1992-)

We return to another science experiment that likes to munch on people. Brought into existence by warlock Shang Tsung, Mileena is a cannibalistic assassin with a truly intimidating set of chompers, and who’s been depicted in very revealing clothing across the “Mortal Kombat” games. The result is an extremely weird fusion of the grotesque … and the very attractive, at least when you forget what’s underneath the mask. And, well, how she bites people and slurps up their bodily fluids and spits out their bones. It’s an extremely strange juxtaposition, but one that’s made her a VERY weird sex symbol.

Which fighting game character do you feel is unnecessarily sexualized? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo!