What are some of the most CREATIVE fighting game characters out there?

Don't know how to elaborate really...oh, by creative, I don't mean their outfits are creative and awesome. And I don't mean the fighting game, I mean CHARACTERS within the fighting games.

Be it fighting style, implementation, etc.

I'll give a really really old school example that no longer works. Imagine this is a long long time ago. Street Fighter's Dhalsim. He doesn't seem all that special now, but back then the concept of this character was definately new and creative. His normal attacks were ranged attacks, and they put up a real effort to make him balanced.

Another one must be Zappa, whose fighting style randomly changes based on what ghost possesses him midfight.

PS - EXPLAIN your reasons why too.

edited 13th Aug '11 5:31:44 PM by Signed

Voldo from Soul Calibur. Just ask anyone who's played the game. And my friends tend to remember nothing but Ivy when playing SC 4, but that's probably not what you're looking for.

Mr. Game & Watch!

Hyperspace Arsenal of items from all the games he starred in implemented in various creative ways. DAT TURTLE!

Also catches projectiles with a bucket. A BUCKET!

edited 13th Aug '11 5:34:38 PM by Folt

Carl from Blaz Blue, due to having control over a whole other character as well. Although, really, Blaz Blue has a lot of unique characters.

edited 13th Aug '11 5:32:12 PM by Beorc

Explain what makes them unique compared to other characters in the game or fighting game characters in general...

edited 13th Aug '11 5:33:09 PM by Signed

Each character has an entirely unique gameplay mechanic with the Drive system. Things like the power to control the wind, transforming back and forth between human and wolf forms, magnetizing the opponent to pull them closer, etc.

Litchi from Blaz Blue, she she has a weapon that she can control that moves independent of her, allowing for all sorts of weird and unique strategies to countering and comboing with her. See this video for a small taste of the wide variety of things that she can do with that spinning stick.

Carl is also a good example, having what basically amounts to a second character that you can also control on screen.

Game & Watch is probably the biggest Improbable Weapon User I have ever played. Smash your opponents with a cement block, or combo them a bit with a insecticide spray. Take out DAT TURTLE, attack them with a Manhole, Stab them with a key, throw sausage at them, or hit them with a torch or a scuba helmet. No fighter ever uses so many improbable weapons as Mr. Game & Watch.

And as said above, he catches projectiles with a bucket.

edited 13th Aug '11 5:42:59 PM by Folt

Venom from Guilty Gear. The fact he fights with a pool cue is awesome enough on its own but it's pretty nifty how you can set his balls up and the way they react to each other on hit, traveling at different angles and such.

Nakoruru from Samurai Shodown as well due to being one of the first characters that used animals to assist them during battle. It was really neat back in the day seeing Nako sick her hawk follow her around and be launched on her enemy, as well as being able to pick her up.

Shang Tsung circa MK 2-3 for being able to turn into the rest of the cast at will... seldom-seen ability for a playable character.

Damn, ya beat me to Zappa.

Had Sheik's "able to change between 2 characters at will" been used prior?

90% of every character made by Arc System Works

I raise you an Olimar.

I'd say Liesolette from Arcana Hearts is pretty interesting. She's got the spirit of her dead sister locked in a suitcase she fights with, whom she can release to fight independently, admittedly at her direction. Not a completely unique idea, but well executed with some nice, creepy backstory to it.

Well there's Faust and Zappa.

I've never played GG and whenever I see footage of it I have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on

I fear what watching an Eddie vs Testament would do to you then.

I feel that Dorothy from Arcana Heart counts.

You need to learn her moves and what button brings out what because most of Dorothy's move involve dealing out playing cards and making poker hands. She can only bring out 10's, the royal suits, and aces though so you don't need to memorize too much but you do need to remember what cards you put out on the field and poker hands to really use Dorothy well.

Each hand you make with a set of 5 cards has a different effect.

Ex. Making a Royal Straight Flush (Have a 10,J,Q,K,A of the same suit out on the field at the same time) causes the cards to transform into bouncing projectiles that go toward your opponent.

She can also trick a human opponent by input. Misdirection looks just like she's about to perform a super but instead it brings out a Joker. You can use this move to not only trick your opponent to attacking you, but you can also create a Five of a Kind and really send your opponent into a world of hurt.

Some of her normals have pretty unique properties, too.

Ex. Jump 2B actually causes her to use her wand as a pogo stick and she can bounce off the ground or the opponent.

Watching people play characters like that well makes me sad.

My most complicated main is freaking Baiken

edited 13th Aug '11 7:38:01 PM by Thorn14

...makes me wish I have the console to play it.

I don't understand...is that very creative by SSB standards?

edited 13th Aug '11 7:42:49 PM by Signed

Darkstalkers hasn't been mentioned yet why?

Well...what characters do they have that's creative by fighting game characters that rivals Zappa or that Arcana Hearts character?

The Touhou fighting game series' Saigyouji Yuyuko is rather unique within the genre. Generally speaking, when playing as her, you can ignore most of what your opponent is doing. Her attacks are mostly wide-reaching enough that aiming isn't required. As long as you keep your offence up you hold your opponent at your mercy. Your attacks, however, will inevitably create opening, so it's important to mix them up so that your opponent will have a harder time taking advantage of them.

On the other hand, if you lose advantage, you really have to fight to get it back. Due to the nature of her moves, the opening windows your opening typically gives out are smaller than usual, and you're placed at an effectively opposite situation as when you have the advantage.

Another... interesting, although I'm not quite sure about "creative", character from the same series is Moriya Suwako. She effectively has four "modes" from which she can launch attacks, each of which is unique: Air, Ground, Underground, and Lilypad. Her mobility is very unorthodox and is very good at mixing up the high-low game. Using her requires relearning how to simply move within the game.

The Toehoe fighting game characters are different from other games period. The only characters in any other fighting game that are so danmaku-centered are either SNK Bosses or broken. Even the melee expert is more Krizalid than Ryu.