Summary

  • Beginners should start with easier-to-play characters like Tekken's Hwoarang, Street Fighter's Cammy, or Guilty Gear's May to improve their fighting game skills.
  • Using characters like Ryu, Ken, or Scorpion can help beginners with their fundamentals and provide a strong jumping-off point.
  • Defensive characters like Asuka Kazama and mixup characters like Blanka offer unique playstyles that cater to different beginner preferences.

Fighting games can be quite difficult. Players have to get good, or they won’t get to even play. Weaker players can be forced to endure essentially a minute to ninety-second long cutscene of their character getting beaten up. Some characters have key moves that require frame-perfect or near-frame-perfect timing to pull off.

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All of this makes fighting games extremely daunting for beginners. How do they get better if they can barely pull off a dragon punch? How can a player pull off a combo if doing so seems like rocket science? For most beginners, starting characters matter. While characters such as Tekken’s Kazuya might seem really cool, starting with him will be extremely difficult for newcomers. Sometimes, it’s best to pick a beginner-friendly character and move up.

10 Tekken: Hwoarang

A Side Of Mash

Tekken 8
Fighting
9 /10

Released
January 26, 2024
Developer(s)
Bandai Namco Entertainment, Arika
Genre(s)
Fighting
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Hwoarang is a staple of the Tekken series. Having been in the series since Tekken 3 he’s a good pick for any beginner who wants some longevity in their character. As for how he plays, all that’s needed is to pick up the controller, figure out the kick buttons and mash them.

Of course, it is more complicated than that. Hwoarang is hyper-aggressive and relies on mashing to pressure his opponents into stupid mistakes. This low bar for entry makes him one of the game's most popular characters. His only downsides are that he becomes harder to play with against a more experienced opponent and that his divergence from the fundamentals of Tekken makes it hard to use him as a jumping off point into other characters.

9 Street Fighter: Cammy

A Human Missile

Street Fighter 6
Fighting
9 /10

Released
June 2, 2023
Developer(s)
Capcom
Genre(s)
Fighting
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

For those who want to leap across the screen and play extremely offensively, Cammy is the girl. Her moveset is lighting fast, allowing players to bombard the opponent with a flurry of long-range, hard-hitting moves making her one of the franchise's strongest characters.

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She is the perfect character for any beginner who is struggling with Street Fighter’s “zoners”, the characters that use projectiles to keep opponents away. Moves such as Quick Spin Knuckle and Cannon Strike can be used to punish passive players. Cammy’s normals are excellent, so once a special move has gotten her in she can really pressure the opponent.

8 Guilty Gear: May

Attack Of The Killer Dolphins

Guilty Gear -Strive-
Fighting

Released
June 11, 2021
Developer(s)
Arc System Works
Genre(s)
Fighting
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

May is on the surface a cutesy, fun character, but beneath that facade is one of the most aggressive characters in the entirety of Guilty Gear. A charge character, meaning she only has to hold down or back for a period before pressing up or forward depending on the move; Her inputs are a matter of timing rather than complex finger motions.

With her sidekick “Mr Dolphin” May can turn a match into hell for her opponent. Constant cries of “Totsugeki” bounce around the arena as she forces the other character into the corner. Her ease of use and hyper-aggressive playstyle make her a great choice for anyone looking to start playing Guilty Gear.

7 Street Fighter: Ryu/Ken

Classics Never Die

Street Fighter 6
Fighting
9 /10

Released
June 2, 2023
Developer(s)
Capcom
Genre(s)
Fighting
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Ryu and Ken have historically been extremely similar. And even though Street Fighter 6 has given them both differing new moves, they’re still very similar. The progenitors of the “Shoto” archetype in fighting games, Ken and Ryu rely on Hadoukens, Shoryukens, and Tatsu Kicks to create a very well-rounded moveset.

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Beginners have two choices here, Ryu is more defensive, relying on fireballs to chip opponents away at a distance, but has the tools to hold his own up close. Ken, on the other hand, has weaker fireballs, but his Shoryukens are much stronger, leading to a more aggressive playstyle. Both are extremely rewarding to play and will take players far in their fighting game journey.

6 Tekken: Asuka Kazama

Defensive Rage

Tekken 8
Fighting
9 /10

Released
January 26, 2024
Developer(s)
Bandai Namco Entertainment, Arika
Genre(s)
Fighting
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Asuka is Tekken’s angriest Kazama. Once slated as the protagonist of the series, she has since been passed over for Jin Kazama, her cousin. Asuka is still a Tekken mainstay, featuring in every game since Tekken 5.

Her playstyle is extremely defensive. Asuka works by turning the opponent’s momentum against them. Her Sabaki parries can toss opponents around the room, and her counter-hit moves can easily launch an overly aggressive character into a combo. She’s perfect for beginners who are struggling against more offensive playstyles.

5 Mortal Kombat: Scorpion

Get Over Here

Mortal Kombat 1
Fighting
8 /10

Released
September 19, 2023
Developer(s)
NetherRealm Studios
Genre(s)
Fighting
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Mortal Kombat is generally considered on the easier end of fighting games.The dial in combo system and lower emphasis on footsies makes the game much more accessible than most other franchises.

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That being said, a mainstay of the franchise and one of the more beginner-friendly characters, Scorpion is a blast. Visually stylish and iconic as they come. Scorpion’s moves can vary from game to game due to the nature of the series, but Scorpion tends to be on the easier end of the roster.

4 Street Fighter: Blanka

Green and Fierce

Street Fighter 6
Fighting
9 /10

Released
June 2, 2023
Developer(s)
Capcom
Genre(s)
Fighting
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Blanka is an extremely entertaining and extremely simple character. His gameplan is to confuse his opponent and aggressively throw himself around the room.

Blanka’s moveset is very mix-up heavy, confusing and frustrating his opponents to open up their guard and pressure them into making mistakes. Mixup characters are usually among the harder characters to play in fighting games, but Blanka’s moveset is visually very similar, requiring the opponent to guess his next move, without knowing how to set up many mind-games.

3 Guilty Gear: Giovanna

The Size Of The Dog In The Fight

Guilty Gear -Strive-
Fighting

Released
June 11, 2021
Developer(s)
Arc System Works
Genre(s)
Fighting
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Giovanna is unique on this list as she is new to Guilty Gear, appearing only in its most recent iteration, Guilty Gear Strive. A secret agent with a wolf spirit helping her fight, Giovanna is visually pretty unique.

Giovanna is what’s known in fighting games as a “rushdown” character. She plays an aggressive, pressure-based game, forcing her opponent back into a corner. She has a lot of moves reminiscent of Cammy from Street Fighter, avoiding projectiles and using strong normals to keep her opponent guessing.

2 Tekken: Jack

Metal Meets Face

Tekken 8
Fighting
9 /10

Released
January 26, 2024
Developer(s)
Bandai Namco Entertainment, Arika
Genre(s)
Fighting
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Jack is one of Tekken’s oldest and most enjoyable characters. Boasting a comedic look and personality, Jack can be a blast to play. His moveset is relatively easy to learn by Tekken standards, and he goes all the way back to the first game in the series so that he can be used no matter the entry.

Jack is a mix between a mid-ranger, and a grappler. His arms afford him a very long range, combined with a quick counter-hit move that allows him to knock down overly aggressive opponents. Meanwhile, should players choose to Jack can deploy a plethora of grabs up close that give him a more offensive edge. Combine with some joke moves and Jack becomes a balanced and funny character that any beginner can pick up and play.

1 Feng Wei

Strongest There Is

Tekken 8
Fighting
9 /10

Released
January 26, 2024
Developer(s)
Bandai Namco Entertainment, Arika
Genre(s)
Fighting
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Feng is a secondary villain from the Tekken series and he is one of the best characters in the series for beginners.

Players can expect a fundamental-based, all-rounder with an emphasis on mixups and counter hits. Feng also comes with a variety of advanced techniques such as snake dashing and a stylish moveset full of flashy kung fu antics. He’s also a very strong character despite being nerfed. A perfect choice for any beginner looking for a character that will hold up both as a beginner and a pro.