History Videogame / StreetFighterIII

* HermitGuru: Oro is an OldMaster from South America. While the location of his grotto in ''New Generation'' and ''2nd Impact'' is never specified, it's based on the real-life ''tepui'' caves found in the Guiana Highlands, most commonly in Venezuela and western Guyana. This is fitting with Oro's distant and mysterious nature; the ''tepui'' caves are among the last unexplored regions of the world. It's not until ''3rd Strike'' that he's relocated to an entirely different stage that's based in Brazil.

** Yun and Yang. Yun is an absolute terror in matches due to great combos, speed, and dive kick tactics. He's especially deadly if he's using his Gen'ei Jin Super Art, which basically lets him juggle his target with impunity until the meter runs out. Yang is slower and doesn't have as many good combos or speed, but he hits hard and racks up stun damage quickly. He thrives by understanding spacing, being patient, and punishing his opponents' mistakes. Despite all of this, these BashBrothers have the least amount of health after Akuma. Their strengths also rely on momentum; if you know how to block or parry competently, you can shut down most of their best tactics, and then destroy them quickly.

** At competetive levels, the only characters who ''remotely'' stand a chance against an experienced Chun-Li are another Chun-Li, Dudley and Yun. Dudley has a superior wakeup game, and can combo/juggle a cornered, knocked-down Chun-Li relatively easy. Yun also holds a tiny advantage if the Chun-Li player doesn't know the ranges of his dive kicks, thus making her vulnerable to his Gen'ei Jin. Ken also has some solid mixups and damage output, but he can be easily countered by a defensive player. Urien can also overwhelm her if he gets enough momentum going, but that requires mastery over the buffering of his tackles and Aegis Reflector. All of these characters aside from Yun could be considered Lightning Bruisers in their own ways, but Chun-Li outclasses all of them.

* SecretCharacter: Q isn't normally seen in an arcade playthrough. In order to fight him, you have to win the first 8 matches without losing a round, remain at a D rank or higher in each match, get 5 Super Art finishes, and get 2 or more Special Points. If done correctly, a close up of his character portrait will suddenly pop up on the screen before the fight begins.

* StoneWall: Q is designed to be a defensive and parry-based fighter; his offensive options are quite limited compared to the rest of the cast. But his taunt dramatically boosts his defense stats. If you max out at 3 taunts, Q will be able to easily tank some of the most damaging combos in the game. This drags the fight out longer and gives you more opportunities to counterattack.

* GlassCannon: Akuma is gradually nerfed every time he's playable. He loses most of his lengthy ''Alpha 3'' combos in the transition to ''2nd Impact'', along with a considerable portion of his health. ''3rd Strike'' removes the borderline broken combos (of which nearly every character has) along with his ground roll. This final version has slightly reduced damage, and his health is the absolute lowest of the roster. A heavy hitter like Chun-Li needs only a couple of combos to take him out. To make up for this, Akuma is given ''one more Super Art'' - bringing the total to 5 - that can be triggered whenever his meter is completely full. He has great priority and combos, better control over his teleports, and variations on his dive kicks/throws. It's rather telling that despite his pathetic health, he's still considered a high tier character.
** Yun and Yang also qualify, surprisingly. Yun is an absolute terror in matches due to great combos, speed, and dive kick tactics. He's especially deadly if he's using his Gen'ei Jin Super Art, which basically lets him juggle his target with impunity until the meter runs out. Yang is slower and doesn't have as many good combos or speed, but he hits hard and racks up stun damage quickly. He thrives by understanding spacing, being patient, and punishing his opponents' mistakes. Despite all of this, these BashBrothers have the least amount of health after Akuma. Their strengths also rely on momentum; if you know how to block or parry competently, you can shut down most of their best tactics, and then destroy them quickly.

* GlassCannon: Akuma is gradually nerfed every time he's playable. He loses most of his lengthy ''Alpha 3'' combos in the transition to ''2nd Impact'', along with a considerable portion of his health. ''3rd Strike'' removes the borderline broken combos (of which nearly every character has) along with his ground roll. This final version has slightly reduced damage, and his health is the absolute lowest of the roster. A heavy hitter like Chun-Li needs only a couple of combos to take him out. To make up for this, Akuma is given ''two extra Super Arts'' - bringing the total to 5 - that can be triggered whenever his meter is completely full. He has great priority and combos, better control over his teleports, and variations on his dive kicks/throws. It's rather telling that despite his pathetic health, he's still considered a high tier character.
** Yun and Yang also qualify, surprisingly. Yun is an absolute terror in matches due to great combos, speed, and dive kick tactics. He's especially deadly if he's using Gen'ei Jin Super Art, which basically lets him juggle his target with impunity until the meter runs out. Yang is slower and doesn't have as many good combos or speed, but he hits hard and racks up stun damage quickly. He thrives by understanding spacing, being patient, and punishing his opponents' mistakes. Despite all of this, these BashBrothers have the least amount of health after Akuma. Their strengths also rely on momentum; if you know how to block or parry competently, you can shut down most of their best tactics, and then destroy them quickly.

* GlassCannon: Akuma is gradually nerfed every time successive game in which he's playable. He loses most of his lengthy ''Alpha 3'' combos in the transition to ''2nd Impact'', along with a considerable portion of his health. ''3rd Strike'' removes the borderline broken combos (of which nearly every character has) along with his ground roll. This final version has slightly reduced damage, and his health is the absolute lowest of the roster. A heavy hitter like Chun-Li needs only a couple of combos to take him out. To make up for this, Akuma is given ''two extra Super Arts'' - bringing the total to 5 - that can be triggered whenever his meter is completely full. He has great priority and combos, better control over his teleports, and variations on his dive kicks/throws. It's rather telling that despite his pathetic health, he's still considered a high tier character.

* GlassCannon: Akuma is gradually nerfed every time successive game in which he's playable. He loses most of his lengthy ''Alpha 3'' combos in the transition to ''2nd Impact'', along with a considerable portion of his health. ''Third Strike'' removes the borderline broken combos (of which nearly every character has) along with his ground roll. This final version has slightly reduced damage, and his health is the absolute lowest of the roster. A heavy hitter like Chun-Li needs only a couple of combos to take him out. To make up for this, Akuma is given ''two extra Super Arts'' - bringing the total to 5 - that can be triggered whenever his meter is completely full. He has great priority and combos, better control over his teleports, and variations on his dive kicks/throws. It's rather telling that despite his pathetic health, he's still considered a high tier character.

* PaperTiger: Just going by the descriptions of his character design, Twelve should be one of the most dangerous characters in the entire series. He's a VoluntaryShapeshifter whose [[ShapeshifterWeapon arsenal]] includes blades, axes, spikes, and the ability to turn into any fighter and mimic their fighting styles. He has an air glide that allows him to jump and change direction in midair, which gives him unparalleled mobility that defies the physics that the other characters are bound to. He can cancel the glide and drop at varying angles depending on what buttons are pressed, which can make his exact landing placement and incoming hits harder to predict. He can walk underneath fireballs. His taunt turns him invisible. In theory, he should be unstoppable. In actual gameplay, especially at high levels, it's the complete opposite:

* PopStarComposer: Canadian rapper and former Ghetto Concept member Infinite, who was fresh off his critically acclaimed 1998 EP release ''360 Degrees'', recorded three hip hop themes for ''3rd Strike'': "Let's Get It On", "Movin' On" and "Third Strike". Unfortunately, the full versions of the songs were never officially available until the release of ''3rd Strike Online Edition''.

** In ''3rd Strike'', Elena is typically overlooked due to her limited range, slow startup on some of her moves, seemingly low priority, and clunky hitbox. But hiding underneath all of those flaws is easily one of the best offensive rushdown characters in the entire game. This is due to a healthy dose of ConfusionFu, as she has some absurd mixups, and most opponents are unaccustomed to fighting her, and the fact that several of her attacks - both regular ''and'' EX - can be easily comboed into each other. If she connects with one of her aerial combos on an opponent and follows it up properly, she can rack up tons of damage and induce stun status in a matter of seconds. She also has an exceptional kara throw. Lastly, if her Brave Dance Super Art fully connects, it is ''slightly stronger than Chun-Li's SA2''.

** Elena in Third Strike is typically overlooked due to her limited range, slow startup on some of her moves, seemingly low priority, and clunky hitbox. But hiding underneath all of those flaws is easily one of the best offensive rushdown characters in the entire game. This is due to a healthy dose of ConfusionFu (she has some absurd mixups, and most opponents are unaccustomed to fighting her), and the fact that several of her attacks - both regular ''and'' EX - can be easily comboed into each other. If she connects with one of her aerial combos on an opponent and follows it up properly, she can rack up tons of damage and induce stun status in a matter of seconds. She also has an exceptional kara throw. Lastly, if her Brave Dance Super Art fully connects, it is ''slightly stronger than [[ThatOneAttack Chun-Li's SA2]].'' Let that sink in.
* EXSpecialAttack: Introduced in this game. By pressing two buttons of the same type while performing special attacks and spending half of a meter, you can perform a stronger special attack. Note that "half of a meter" means the exact cost varies depending on your chosen Super Art, since different ones have differently sized meters.

* PaperTiger: Just going by the descriptions of his character design, Twelve should be one of the most dangerous characters in the entire series. He's a VoluntaryShapeshifter whose [[ShapeshifterWeapon arsenal]] includes blades, axes, spikes, and the ability to turn into any fighter and mimic their fighting styles. He has an air glide that allows him to jump and change direction in midair, which gives him unparalleled mobility that defies the physics that the other characters are bound to. He can cancel the glide and drop at varying angles depending on what buttons are pressed, which can make his exact landing placement and incoming hits harder to predict. He can walk underneath fireballs. His taunt turns him invisible. In theory, he should be unstoppable. In actual gameplay (especially at high levels), it's the complete opposite:

* SnowMeansLove: Effie and Necro barely dodge SnowMeansDeath when Necro saves Effie from falling to her death in a snowy frontier place. The trope goes full-blast when Effie embraces Necro as they get away safely, and he expresses happiness regarding [[PlayingWithSyringes the heavily modified body]] [[RubberMan that allowed him to reach for her.]]

** His supposedly game-breaking ability of altering his jump trajectory is negated by its slow speed and the fact that ''you can't parry while gliding.'' Chun-Li, Hugo, or anyone else with an air grab can utterly demolish him every time he tries. Same goes with any fighter that has good juggling combos or at least one vertically or diagonally-aimed attack. So basically ''every character in the game'' can counter easily him.

** The trade-off for his exceptional mobility is his pathetically small health bar. Only Akuma, Yun, Yang, and Ibuki have less health, but they all have better moves and defensive options. A competent player can destroy him with a couple of decent combos in about 10 seconds. This includes Necro, who in the story is the FlawedPrototype while Twelve is the SuperiorSuccessor.

** The trade-off for his exceptional mobility is his pathetically small health bar. Only Akuma, Yun, Yang, and Ibuki have less health, but they all have better moves and defensive options. A competent player can destroy him with a couple of decent combos in about 10 seconds.

** His supposedly game-breaking ability of altering his jump trajectory is negated by its slow speed and the fact that ''you can't parry while gliding.'' Chun-Li, Hugo, or anyone else with an air grab can utterly demolish him every time he tries. Same goes with any character that has good juggling combos or at least one vertically or diagonally-aimed attack.

** His aerial game requires a lot of setup; you have to glide and constantly switch up move cancels to keep your opponent guessing. It's basically a slow, repetitive hit-and-run strategy. It eats up a lot of time, which means trouble when the clock is running out and your health is at a deficit. The attacks that deal the most damage - his aerial fierce kick and divekick in particular - are also the most predictable.

** The start up animation for his taunt his ridiculously slow, so you need to throw your opponent to the other end of the screen just to get enough distance between you. Otherwise, your opponent will simply dash up and combo you into oblivion.

** The trade-off for his exceptional mobility is his pathetically small health bar. Only Akuma, Yun, Yang, and Ibuki have less health, but they all have better moves and damage output. A competent player can destroy him with a couple of decent combos in about 10 seconds.
** He has only a handful of combos, most of which deal relatively little damage, connect only at close range, and are unsafe on block. They also have abysmal priority; Chun-Li can tear him apart despite having a severe range disadvantage. The few good moves he has can be easily parried by an experienced opponent. The EX versions don't do much more damage, and burn through too much meter to be practically.

* PaperTiger: Just going by the descriptions of his character design, Twelve should be one of the most dangerous characters in the entire series. He's a VoluntaryShapeshifter whose [[ShapeshifterWeapon arsenal]] includes blades, axes, spikes, and the ability to turn into any fighter and mimic their fighting styles. He has an air glide that allows him to jump and change direction in midair, which gives him unparalleled mobility that defies the physics that the other characters are bound to. He can cancel the glide and drop at varying angles depending on what buttons are pressed, which can make predicting his exact landing placement and incoming hits harder to predict. He can walk underneath fireballs. His taunt turns him invisible. In theory, he should be unstoppable. In actual gameplay (especially at high levels), it's the complete opposite:

** He has only a handful of combos, most of which deal relatively little damage, connect only at close range, and are unsafe on block. They also have abysmal priority; Chun-Li can tear him apart despite having a severe range disadvantage. The few good moves he had can be easily parried by an experienced opponent. The EX versions don't do much more damage, and burn through too much meter to be practically.

* PaperTiger: Just going by the descriptions of his character design, Twelve should be one of the most dangerous characters in the entire series. He's a VoluntaryShapeshifter whose [[ShapeshifterWeapon arsenal]] includes blades, axes, spikes, and the ability to turn into any fighter and perfectly mimic their fighting styles. He has an air glide that allows him to jump and change direction in midair, which gives him unparalleled mobility that defies the physics that the other characters are bound to. He can cancel the glide and drop at varying angles depending on what buttons are pressed, which can make predicting his exact landing placement and incoming hits harder to predict. He can walk underneath fireballs. His taunt turns him invisible. In theory, he should be unstoppable. In actual gameplay (especially at high levels), it's the complete opposite:
** The trade-off for his exceptional mobility is his pathetically small health bar. Only Akuma, Yun, Yang, and Ibuki have less health, but they all have better moves and damage output.

** His Super Arts aren't very good. The first sends out a wave of spikes that deals a ton of damage if it connects. But the start up is incredibly slow; if you don't combo into it (for which very few moves work), you'll simply telegraph and allow yourself to be easily punished. The second requires you to be airborne, but the angle and hit detection are finicky. Your opponent needs to be standing on the ground, too; if you connect in midair, the damage output is drastically reduced. The third is the only truly useful one; it lets you shapeshift into your opponent. You have the option of playing as the character normally, or repeatedly taunting to gain stat boosts. But the meter burns up quickly (and using this Super Art makes utilizing EX moves impractical), and Twelve will trigger a painfully slow transformation sequence that leaves him wide open.

** His Super Arts aren't very good. SA1 sends out a wave of spikes that deals a ton of damage if it connects. But the start up is incredibly slow; if you don't combo into it (for which very few moves work), you'll simply telegraph and allow yourself to be easily punished. SA2 requires you to be airborne, but the angle and hit detection are finicky. Your opponent needs to be standing on the ground, too; if you connect in midair, the damage output is drastically reduced. SA3 is the only truly useful one; it lets you shapeshift into your opponent. You have the option of playing as the character normally, or repeatedly taunting to gain stat boosts. But the meter burns up quickly (and using SA3 makes utilizing EX moves impractical), and Twelve will trigger a painfully slow transformation sequence that leaves him wide open.

* ArtificialStupidity: Despite its reputation for being one of the most challenging and technically demanding games in the series, some of the AI opponents consistently make really dumb decisions even on the highest difficulty settings.

** Makoto will bust out her Abare Tosanami and ''especially'' Tanden Renki at random. Both Super Arts require some setup or predicting your opponent, and doing them randomly just leaves her wide open. Poorly using the latter is especially ridiculous, as it gives her a massive [[TurnsRed attack boost]] in exchange for [[GlassCannon removing her ability to block incoming attacks.]]
** But the most egregious example is Twelve, who loves taunting almost as much as Dan. [[PracticalTaunt Twelve's taunt turns him invisible]], but the [[AwesomeButImpractical startup animation is ridiculously slow and leaves him wide open to attack.]] There are very few instances where a human player can get away with this safely, but the AI tries doing it ''randomly''. Even if he ''does'' manage to turn invisible, tracking him down and hitting back into visibility is very easy. All this predictable, mindboggling stupidity comes from the same AI that is capable of ''red parrying''.

* {{Nerf}}: Sean's infamous downgrade between 2nd Impact and 3rd Strike. In the former, he had some excellent combos, good speed, and even a glitch that allowed him to build his EX meter twice as fast as any other character. In the latter, he's lost some of his best combos, and his speed and priority are abysmal.