These fighting game characters don’t just have dark tendencies, they have a full-on evil version of themselves as characters in their games.
Fighting games tend to introduce a lot of archetypal characters as their story moves along. A common trope in many games is an « evil » version of a character. There are no definitive circumstances that lead to such a character. Oftentimes, a supernatural force of some sort is involved, but this is by no means a necessity.
Sometimes there is a more conventional reason behind the crafting of such an identity, such as circumstances that make the use of an alias preferable. However they came to be, these characters reflect, in their own way, the darker side to a character, even if some were evil from the start.8 Evil Ryu
Platforms
PlayStation 2, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, SNES, PC
Released
September 30, 1996
Developer
Capcom
Perhaps one of the most well-known characters in this category, Evil Ryu is a « what if? » character not recognized as canonical to Street Fighter lore. He is specifically an alternate version of Ryu who succumbed to the Satsui No Hado, a form of dark energy used commonly by Akuma. The Satsui No Hado is apparently connected to fighting styles crafted with the intent to kill, something retroactively established for the Ansatsuken, the fighting style used by Street Fighter characters known as « Shoto » or « Shotokan. »
Satsui No Hado is itself described as the intent to kill becoming a physical power. Akuma notably holds back his power against most foes; he views them as not powerful enough to kill. His stronger, often unplayable version, known as Shin Akuma, is him fighting at full power. Ryu is ultimately able to reject the Satsui No Hado, instead utilizing the Power of Nothingness (or Kyoi no Hado) to purge it from himself. However, this has led to the evil energy taking on a form of its own, known as Kage.
Kage was shown to have a desire to face off against some of Ryu’s greatest rivals, namely Sagat and Akuma, to prove himself as essential to Ryu’s being. However, due to the fighter’s control over the Power of Nothingness, Kage proved unable to corrupt him.7 Devil Jin
Jin Kazama, despite being variably considered a hero or villain depending on how far he is willing to go with his actions, is ultimately recognized as less evil than his father, Kazuya, or grandfather, Heihachi. However, he still has the power of the Devil Gene, which originates from his relation to a clan of assassins known as the Hachijo. One of their number, Kasumi, was romantically involved with Heihachi, but also assigned to assassinate him. She was ultimately killed by her lover, but not before bearing Kazuya.
The Devil Gene was inherited by Kazuya, in a manner that seemingly corrupted his entire being. However, after a liaison with a woman known as Jun Kazama, this control was challenged in various ways. Their son, Jin, inherited the Devil Gene, allowing him to also tap into its powers, and take away half of the Devil from Kazuya. While Kazuya’s Devil Gene seems firmly in control of him, Devil JIn is a different story, with his own host actively despising this form due to its connection to the hated branch of his family. The Devil Gene’s powers are capable of being neutralized by the Kazama clan, which is presumably the reason why Jun was able to bond with Kazuya.
After acknowledging the Devil Gene as a part of himself, Jin taps into his Kazama heritage to combine it into a new form, known as Angel Jin. This powered-up version of Jin maintains his goal of ridding the world of the Devil Gene, within both himself and Kazuya.6 Orochi Iori
Platforms
PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Neo Geo CD, Neo Geo AES
Released
July 28, 1997
Developer
SNK
Iori Yagami is hard to consider « good » on his best days, yet he does show a willingness to set aside his grievances with Kyo Kusanagi for the sake of the greater good. Despite this, he is often an unpleasant figure, prone to fits of violence, and often looking down on others. The Yagami clan, formerly the Yaskani clan, were among those responsible for sealing Yamata No Orochi, alongside the Kusanagi and Yata clans.
