History YMMV / StreetFighterIII

** '''Low Tier:''' Hugo[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]], Alex[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]], Q[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]]
** '''Bottom Tier:''' Remy[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]], Sean[[labelnote:Details]]After being top-tier in the previous versions, they addressed the GameplayAndStorySegregation problem by nerfing him into the ground. This would leave him with similar but subtly worse normals from other shotos and his special moveset being changed to be barely usable and mostly unsafe and has very few good special cancel opportunities. Most notably, his particularly strong Hyper Tornado super got gutted by being only able to stock one bar. Thus, he fits the JokeCharacter the writing clearly intends him to be[[/labelnote]], Twelve[[labelnote:Details]]His only strength is some great keep away normals and airdash mixups, which may be invalidated by parries. But what dooms him is that his damage output is the worst in the game with pratically zero useful special confirms from his normals, thus requiring a super to do what many characters can do with a special cancel. Most of all of his problem is that he suffers from having the worst frame data in the game, with some of his moves having -15 recovery ''unblocked''.[[/labelnote]]

** '''Bottom Tier:''' Remy[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]], Sean[[labelnote:Details]]After being top-tier in the previous versions, they addressed the GameplayAndStorySegregation problem by nerfing him into the ground. This would leave him with similar but subtly worse normals from other shotos and his special moveset being changed to be barely usuable and mostly unsafe and has very few good special cancel opportunities. Most notably, his particularly strong Hyper Tornado super got gutted by being only able to stock one bar. Thus, he fits the JokeCharacter the writing clearly intends him to be[[/labelnote]], Twelve[[labelnote:Details]]His only strength is some great keep away normals and airdash mixups, which may be invalidated by parries. But what dooms him is that his damage output is the worst in the game with pratically zero useful special confirms from his normals, thus requiring a super to do what many characters can do with a special cancel.[[/labelnote]]

** '''Top Tier:''' The most generally fixed in terms of character order. The best character in the game is Chun-Li[[labelnote:Details]]Chun-Li has amazing neutral thanks to pokes that box out most characters and the best Kara-throw in the game. [[StealthPun The real kicker]] is her ''Hoyoku Sen'' Super Art; it's insanely fast to start up and launches her across the screen in an instant, which makes it usable in just about any situation. And not only does it shave off about 30% of their lifebar if it lands, it launches the victim such that Chun-Li can follow up and carry the opponent across the entire stage. While this should make her reliant on meter to deal damage or transition from defense to offense, stronger attacks in this game build a bit of meter even if they're whiffed; Chun-Li is able to throw out buttons in neutral without much fear of retaliation, so she's often got a super ready before other characters can mount a response.[[/labelnote]], with the only other S-tier and close second being Yun.[[labelnote:Details]]Yun boasts some of the best mobility in the game: he's got a great walk speed and super jump, and his divekicks give him a degree of unpredictability in the air that most characters can't challenge. He's also got a ton of mix-ups, including a command grab and the aforementioned divekick. His biggest selling point, however, is his ''Genei Jin'' Super Art, which gives him several seconds of improved frame data and combo routes that make his offense virtually airtight; it also has a short enough meter that Yun can reliably activate it two or three times ''a round''.[[/labelnote]] A not-insignificant gap exists between these two and 3rd and 4th place, those being Ken[[labelnote:Details]]Ken in ''3rd Strike'' is the epitome of MasterOfAll; he has good movement speed, EX Tatsu allows him to escape corner pressure more easily, he's got moves that allow him to be successful in neutral or apply pressure when he's at an advantage, he can easily make himself safe by ending his combos with a Hadoken, and his ''Shippu Jinrai Kyaku'' Super Art gives him a damaging hit-confirm alongside a ton of meter to work with. While he doesn't have anything truly outstanding like the other top tiers, he has no maj weakness to exploit.[[/labelnote]] and Makoto[[labelnote:Details]]Makoto and sports an offense that is riskier than Yun's but far more explosive. Her Hayate dash punch leaves the opponent standing and is easily comboed into, which can force the opponent into a very quick series of mixups. She also has excellent uses of meter: her EX Oroshi chop is a ridiculously quick overhead that covers most options that her command grab doesn't and knocks down to ensure that the offense doesn't stop, EX Hayate allows for extra damage in the corner, her ''Seichusen Godanzuki'' Super Art offers a consistent source of burst damage, and her ''Abare Tosanami'' Super Art leads into massive damage and stun if with a well-placed command grab. If this wasn't enough, Makoto doesn't struggle to get into this position thanks to the fastest forward dash in the game and a set of long-reaching pokes that either score a knockdown or a combo.[[/labelnote]] respectively, though some place Makoto higher.

** Yun and Yang. The fact that Yun has had the most playable out-of-series appearances out of all the ''III'' characters (''[[VideoGame/CapcomVsSNK2MarkOfTheMillennium CvS2]]'', later revisions of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha 3'', ''VideoGame/CapcomFightingEvolution'') and the fandom rejoicing for the twins' inclusion in the ''[[UpdatedRerelease Arcade Edition]]'' of ''SSFIV'' cements them as this (though Yun has garnered a slightly unfavorable rep since [[TierInducedScrappy for other reasons]]).

** According to a [[http://www.eventhubs.com/news/2015/jan/02/street-fighter-5-poll-results-find-out-which-characters-eventhubs-readers-most-want-see-playable-capcoms-upcoming-fighter/ 2014 poll]], Alex and Q were the top two most desired characters for ''Street Fighter V'', and Alex eventually made it into the game as DLC. Q for his part would get the character G as a SpiritualSuccessor in ''SFV'', who has possible connections to him (and has become a darkhorse in his own right).

** Twelve is thought by many to be the hardest character in the game to learn. He's been described as a character intended as a rushdown GlassCannon, with a lot of fast melee moves, strong normals, and high mobility counterbalancing his low stamina and health, but with the crucial missing step in a Glass Cannon of actually having good damage (his damage is some of the worst in the game), and the crucial missing step in a rushdown character of being able to combo an opponent for any length of time (several of his moves have such little hitstun and long recovery that he can be ''unsafe on hit''). Usually, the most he can do with his intended gameplan is to swoop in and poke the opponent for minimal damage before either getting punished or running away, such that most Twelve players give up on rushdown altogether and focus on getting a small life lead and stalling out--and even there, he's still far from good. It's often joked about that Twelve's best move is X.C.O.P.Y., since it lets him temporarily become a different character.
** Sean was easily one of the best characters in ''Second Impact''; as a result, Capcom nerfed him going into ''3rd Strike''. Unfortunately, it also rendered Sean as the worst character in ''3rd Strike''. To briefly explain, he has similar normals as Ryu and Ken, but Sean's frame data is slightly worse. The thing that really launches him into bottom tier is his terrible special moves, as it's really hard to get a knockdown or apply pressure, as you can't combo into his tackle and his [[{{Shoryuken}} Dragon Smash]] has really crap range. Most infamously, his [[HurricaneKick Tornado]] is ''unsafe on hit'' (the EX version is safe, however)--meaning his best combo ender leaves Sean open to get punished. Other than some decent normal and anti air attacks, Sean has virtually nothing going for him. Even in same-character team tournaments in Japan, you'll see one or two all-Twelve or Hugo teams, it's rare to see an all-Sean team.

* SequelDisplacement: ''3rd Strike'' is so widely treasured that the fact it's the third revision of the ''Street Fighter III'' series is approaching lost knowledge (not even ''Super Turbo'' displaced the installments that came before it, aside from possibly ''The New Challengers''). It is the only game from the lineage that has been revisited multiple times past its initial home release on the Sega Dreamcast and the first two games weren't even revisited ''period'' until 2018's ''30th Anniversary Collection'', which is also the only time the entire family has been in a single compilation.

* VindicatedByHistory: The ''Street Fighter III'' series was ignored upon release because it was a complete departure from the considerably more user-friendly ''Alpha'' series, and some professional reviewers even went so far as to dock it for looking "like an SNES game." Eventually, tournament-level players latched onto the series as most mainstream fighting games began to resemble ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' more and more and they desired something a little more grounded and footsies-based, and casual fans discovered the game through emulation and a UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} re-release of ''3rd Strike''. And then the infamous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzS96auqau0 Daigo Parry]] occured at EVO 2004, boosting the game's popularity to newfound heights and turning it into a competitive mainstay. This came full circle with ''[[PolishedPort 3rd Strike Online Edition]]'', which ended up being better received by the fanbase than the more casual-friendly ''Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix''.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: It must have taken the animators a ton of hard work to make the sprites move as beautifully as they do.

** '''Bottom Tier:''' Remy[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]], Sean[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]], Twelve[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]]

** Right off the bat, the decision to [[PutOnABus replace most of the cast]] from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' proved disastrous. While Creator/{{Capcom}} had previously been able to successfully pull off a near complete cast changeover from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterI'' to ''II'', that was largely because the first ''Street Fighter'' game wasn't particularly successful, meaning few fans cared about those characters. Conversely, the characters from ''II'' [[IconicSequelCharacter had proven to be extremely popular]] and had subsequently reappeared in the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'' games and the various adaptations based on the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' franchise. This meant there was far more backlash to their omission than there had ever been over the cast of ''I'' not returning for ''II''. Ryu, Ken, Akuma, and Chun-Li were the only veterans from either ''II'' or ''Alpha'' to return in this sub-series. And this is before getting into the fact that many of the new generation had decidedly offputting or unusual designs, such as Oro, Hugo, Necro, and Twelve, which caused the game's roster to earn a reputation as being full of weird freaks.
** The game was more complex and difficult to master than the previous ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' games, alienating casual players even further. While ''III'' did later gain a major following among {{tournament play}}ers and in the UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity, to this day it has a reputation for being very unfriendly to newbies.

** The expensive and time-consuming process of making brand new sprites also resulted in ''III'' only having 11 playable characters (even with Ryu, Ken and Sean [[HeadSwap sharing the same body]]) at launch, which seemed downright paltry at the time. For comparison, ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroesVsStreetFighter'' and ''Tekken 3'', which were released the same year, had 17 and 21 playable characters, respectively.

* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: As a result of removing all of the old cast except Ryu and Ken, 75% of all players picked Ken, 20% picked Ryu, and 5% picked one of the other characters. It got a little better in ''2nd Impact''. But in ''3rd Strike'', not only was Ken a tad bit easier to learn than Ryu in the ''III'' series, but he was ''top-tier'' (alongside Chun-Li and Yun) in ''3S''. In other words, TournamentPlay was filled with Ken, Chun-Li, Yun, and the occasional Makoto, Dudley, and Akuma. (See CharacterTiers above for more details.) This status followed him into ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'' and ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterV V]]'', with lukewarm reception (especially in the former). There's a reason the trope [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes used to go by the name of]] "That Damn Ken."

** Right off the bat, the decision to [[PutOnABus replace most of the cast]] from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' proved to be a disastrous one. While Creator/{{Capcom}} had previously been able to successfully pull off a near complete cast changeover from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterI'' to ''II'', that was largely because the first ''Street Fighter'' game wasn't particularly successful, meaning few fans cared about those characters. Conversely, the characters from ''II'' [[IconicSequelCharacter had proven to be extremely popular]] and had subsequently reappeared in the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'' games and the various adaptations based on the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' franchise. This meant there was far more backlash to their omission than there had ever been over the cast of ''I'' not returning for ''II''. Ryu, Ken, Akuma, and Chun-Li were the only veterans from either ''II'' or ''Alpha'' to return in this sub-series. And this is before getting into the fact that many of the new generation had decidedly offputting or unusual designs, such as Oro, Hugo, Necro, and Twelve, which caused the game's roster to earn a reputation as being full of weird freaks.

* CharacterTiers: This game has been out a while, so most people agree on the general area in which each character resides with differing opinions boiling down to exact placements. Modern consensus is as follows:
** '''Top Tier:''' The most generally fixed in terms of character order. The best character in the game is Chun-Li[[labelnote:Details]]Chun-Li has amazing neutral thanks to pokes that box out most characters in the game and the best Kara-throw in the game. [[StealthPun The real kicker]] is her ''Hoyoku Sen'' Super Art; it's insanely fast to start up and launches her across the screen in an instant, which makes it usable in just about any situation. And not only does it shave off about 30% of their lifebar if it lands, it launches the victim such that Chun-Li can follow up and carry the opponent across the entire stage. While this should make her reliant on meter to deal damage or transition from defense to offense, stronger attacks in this game build a bit of meter even if they're whiffed; Chun-Li is able to throw out buttons in neutral without much fear of retaliation, so she's often got a super ready before other characters can mount a response.[[/labelnote]], with the only other S-tier and close second being Yun.[[labelnote:Details]]Yun boasts some of the best mobility in the game: he's got a great walk speed and super jump, and his divekicks give him a degree of unpredictability in the air that most characters can't challenge. He's also got a ton of mix-ups, including a command grab and the aforementioned divekick. His biggest selling point, however, is his ''Genei Jin'' Super Art, which gives him several seconds of improved frame data and combo routes that make his offense virtually airtight; it also has a short enough meter that Yun can reliably activate it two or three times ''a round''.[[/labelnote]] A not-insignificant gap exists between these two and 3rd and 4th place, those being Ken[[labelnote:Details]]Ken in ''3rd Strike'' is the epitome of MasterOfAll; he has good movement speed, EX Tatsu allows him to escape corner pressure more easily, he's got moves that allow him to be successful in neutral or apply pressure when he's at an advantage, he can easily make himself safe by ending his combos with a Hadoken, and his ''Shippu Jinrai Kyaku'' Super Art gives him a damaging hit-confirm alongside a ton of meter to work with. While he doesn't have anything truly outstanding like the other top tiers, he has no maj weakness to exploit.[[/labelnote]] and Makoto[[labelnote:Details]]Makoto and sports an offense that is riskier than Yun's but far more explosive. Her Hayate dash punch leaves the opponent standing and is easily comboed into, which can force the opponent into a very quick series of mixups. She also has excellent uses of meter: her EX Oroshi chop is a ridiculously quick overhead that covers most options that her command grab doesn't and knocks down to ensure that the offense doesn't stop, EX Hayate allows for extra damage in the corner, her ''Seichusen Godanzuki'' Super Art offers a consistent source of burst damage, and her ''Abare Tosanami'' Super Art leads into massive damage and stun if with a well-placed command grab. If this wasn't enough, Makoto doesn't struggle to get into this position thanks to the fastest forward dash in the game and a set of long-reaching pokes that either score a knockdown or a combo.[[/labelnote]] respectively, though some place Makoto higher.
** '''High Tier:''' The 5th best character was previously considered to be Akuma[[labelnote:Details]]Akuma has a lot of tools, and particularly excels at offense. His Demon Flip has a bunch of follow-ups including air fireball, a divekick (see Yun's details for why that matters), and a command grab. His combo routes offer good damage and corner carry, and in general allow him to mix up an opponent into oblivion. Akuma can also play defensively to an extent thanks to having a projectile--something that Yun, Makoto, and Dudley all lack. Unfortunately, he can only use his meter for Supers, most of which don't offer much beyond more damage (he does have an unblockable setup by kara-cancelling into ''Raging Demon'', but this costs all his meter); [[GlassCannon he also has the smallest lifebar and stun gauge in the entire roster]].[[/labelnote]], but nowadays the spot usually goes to Dudley[[labelnote:Details]]Dudley has an incredible mix-up game, especially in the corner. He has a functionally unreactable overhead, an amazing throw game, and plenty of combos including a launcher in EX Machine Gun Blow and long juggle loops. His ''Corkscrew Blow'' Super Art is much more consistent as a combo ender compared to his other supers and gives him a ton of flexibility to use EX moves. Dudley also has some great mobility; his ducking special allows him to dodge attacks and quickly punish, and his very low jump arc makes it hard to anti-air him (conversely, Dudley has quite a bag of anti-airs himself). Unfortunately, Dudley doesn't do great when he's on defense thanks to a wide hitbox that makes him the victim of character-specific combos, and he can struggle in neutral due to his best pokes being easily avoided by just crouching.[[/labelnote]] with Akuma in 6th. Yang[[labelnote:Details]][[MovesetClone Yang's moveset is largely similar to Yun's]], including his excellent mix-ups and divekick. The two deviate in special moves, where Yang trades Yun's leaping punch and shoulder check (both of which see the bulk of their use in ''Genei Jin'') for a rekka with good corner carry and high damage (particularly its EX version, which also builds just below half a stun bar for most characters) and a command dash that gives him a lot of freedom when timed right. While Yang can take any single hit further than Yun can, the lack of ''Genei Jin'''s unstoppable offense means he can't get force opponents to give him that hit nearly as consistently (Yang's equivalent Super Art, ''Seiei Enbu'', doesn't give as much flexibility as ''Genei Jin'' and the lack of meter means that Yang will have none to spend on EX rekka). Yang has to be more patient to get openings, which is easier said than done in a game where stronger characters rely on fairly airtight offense or defense.[[/labelnote]] and Urien[[labelnote:Details]]Urien's claim to fame is his ''Aegis Reflector'' Super Art, which can lock down an oppenent and force them to block for several seconds or else get hit. Urien can use ''Aegis Reflector'' to create absolutely ludicrous pressure and combos, including unblockables and even Touch of Death combos if he's got full meter. Beyond this, he's also got excellent meterless combos, most of which either carry an opponent to the corner or juggle for large damage. Despite all this, Urien lacks many solid options to actually mount his explosive offense. His pokes in neutral are solid but struggle to lead into anything, and his best defensive options require meter that he would otherwise want to put towards his combos or ''Aegis Reflector'' setups, none of which are totally guaranteed (it's also worth noting that much of Urien's biggest combos or mix-ups are character-specific). Ultimately, Urien has a lot of risk for truly astronomical reward, and he's highly reliant on meter outside of his combo game.[[/labelnote]] are generally considered similar to Dudley and Akuma in viability, if a bit lower.
** '''Mid Tier:''' Ryu[[labelnote:Details]]Ryu, like Ken, is [[JackOfAllStats a jack of all trades]], but gets a lot less reward out of any given situation compared to Ken. Ryu has two serviceable Super Arts in ''Shinku Hadoken'' and ''Denjin Hadoken''; the former augment's Ryu's basic gameplan by giving more meter to use EX specials and hitting consistently in combos; the latter is unblockable, builds a bunch of stun meter, and can be held to throw off the opponent's parry timing and build even more stun, making it an inconsistent yet powerful offensive tool. He also has great moves for neutral and can hit-confirm into a wide variety of specials. Unfortunately, compared to the higher tiers Ryu's offense is inconsistent and he can struggle to keep up offensively without spending meter. He's also forced to choose between an offensive Super Art or a versatile one whereas most characters have access a single Super that satisfies all their needs.[[/labelnote]], Ibuki[[labelnote:Details]]Ibuki has highly unpredictable pressure and excels at baiting out her opponent's defensive options. This is thanks to the fastest walk speed in the game, a great jump that can be altered with her kunai, and amazing frame data that generally lets her stay advantageous at best and safe at worst. This attack speed is offset by having poor range, so she struggles to poke and hit-confirm in neutral and is thus forced to rely on risky movement to get in--while she has the movement to make this work, her low health means that any mistake will hurt. Ibuki often relies on using EX moves for damage and her general gameplan, and generally poor Super Arts means she has less overall tools than other characters.[[/labelnote]], Oro[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]], Elena[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]], Necro[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]]

** Ibuki, to the point where she placed 22nd on IGN's List of Top 25 ''Street Fighter'' Characters. She's had the second-highest amount of non-''SF'' appearances after Yun (''[[VideoGame/SuperGemFighter Pocket Fighter]]'', ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken SFxT]]''), has cameos in ''VideoGame/CapcomFightingEvolution'' and ''VideoGame/OnimushaSoul'', was considered for ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom: [[UpdatedRerelease Ultimate All-Stars]]'', returned for ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterIV SSFIV]]'', and most recently has appeared in ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterV SFV]]'' as DLC. She and Remy were also the ''only'' new characters from the ''III'' series to be included in SOTA's popular line of ''Street Fighter'' action figures.
** Dudley. A lot of fans like him better than Balrog, to the point where he actually won a fan poll to see who fans wanted to appear most in ''Street Fighter IV''. Capcom granted the fans' wish by including him in ''Super Street Fighter IV'', [[TheRival alongside Balrog]]. In addition, he placed 25th on IGN's List of Top 25 ''Street Fighter'' Characters.
** Makoto. Unlike many of the newcomers in ''III'', she has actually been hailed as a great addition to the cast. Episode 33 of 1UP.com's ''[[http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3156908 Retronauts]]'' podcast actually singled out Makoto as being "pure ''Street Fighter''" in relation to the rest of the cast, when she placed 23rd on IGN's List of Top 25 ''Street Fighter'' Characters. Her popularity might also be due to her high-risk playstyle and high-tier status. Perhaps being savvy enough to realize this, Capcom included her in ''SSFIV''. Furthermore, when the results of the first ''Street Fighter'' Character Popularity Poll was announced, Makoto took second place, right behind fellow darkhorse [[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Sakura]].

** Elena is this as it's hard to dislike her optimistic personality and you'll find plenty of fan art of her. She even made it into ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'' as DLC and later showed up in ''Ultra Street Fighter IV''. Her ''3rd Strike'' theme is a huge contributor to this fact, being one of the most recognizable songs in the ''Street Fighter III'' series.

** In the first version, Ibuki was this due to an infinite juggle combo using her close standing hard kick. Even worse: It could be started from one of her Supers, meaning landing it guaranteed the game.
** Gill, [[SNKBoss natch]]. You will rarely ever find a tournament that makes Gill legal; his Seraphic Wing alone would probably be ban-worthy.

** In both ''New Generation'' and ''2nd Impact'', certain characters can float and reset their animations in midair. This is includes Ibuki in both games, and Ken doing a Shoryuken during Gill's Resurrection in ''2nd Impact''.

** Aside from copying Guile's moves, Remy also has one of his classic ''World Warrior'' glitches. He can freeze Urien by getting hit right after his neutral throw animation connects. The most common way to do this is when Urien's Aegis Reflector is triggered. Not only does it let you escape from the Super Art, but it completely freezes Urien as well. He will be unable to attack or even move until Remy hits him again.
** Q's Total Destruction Super Art is very finicky. Due to how it quickly drains a target's health bar instead of immediately defeating them, it's possible to beat Q during his post-attack animation frames by using a slow projectile like the Aegis Reflector. If characters trade hits during the explosion, the game won't always register that the explosion actually occurred, giving you chance to trigger a second one.
** An interesting bug that exists with Q is that, when going from a crouching to a standing position, so long as no other button is pressed during the animation, Q is throw invincible during this time, which doesn't happen with any other character. Whilst this would normally be considered a flaw, due to Q's position as a low-tier character, this gives him a unique benefit that exceptionally skilled players can use to avoid throws from other players, assuming they are good enough to predict when they are about to be thrown.

** Elena is the low-tiered version, as her lengthy animations make her parry bait.

** Sean was easily one of the best characters in ''Second Impact''; as a result Capcom nerfed him going into ''3rd Strike''. Capcom might have overdone it, as Sean is considered the worst character in ''3rd Strike''. To briefly explain, he has similar normals as Ryu and Ken, but Sean's frame data is slightly worse. The thing that really launches him into bottom tier is his terrible special moves, as it's really hard to get a knockdown or apply pressure, as you can't combo into his tackle and his [[{{Shoryuken}} Dragon Smash]] has really crap range. Most infamously, his [[HurricaneKick Tornado]] is ''unsafe on hit'' (the EX version is safe, however)--meaning his best combo ender leaves Sean open to get punished. Other than some decent normal and anti air attacks, Sean has virtually nothing going for him. Even in same character team tournaments in Japan, you'll see one or two all-Twelve or Hugo teams, it's rare to see an all-Sean team.

** Urien, due to [[ScaryBlackMan his]] [[{{Stripperiffic}} appearance]].

** Though not so prevalent in the ''III'' series, people like to joke that Ibuki, due her goal to meet "cool boys" in ''SSFIV'', is extremely horny and willing to go to great lengths to get some.

* HypeBacklash: ''3rd Strike'' is largely considered a CultClassic amongst the competitive community, but there are also vocal detractors who resent the acclaim of it being considered the "Best Street Fighter Game" let alone one of the greatest fighting games of all time. With detractors critiquing the balance and the parry system undermining both footsie and zoning playstyles.
* ItsHardSoItSucks: A common (and not unreasonable) complaint is that the game is too technical compared to other ''Street Fighter'' games and comes with a steep learning curve. This is {{inverted|Trope}} for hardcore players, who love the game and eat it up ''because'' of the learning curve and high skill ceiling.

** Makoto. Despite her rough-and-tumble demeanor and rather brawny frame, she is very much a DaddysGirl fighting for the sake of her ailing dojo. She also fangirls [[HeroWorshipper pretty hard]] over getting to meet Ryu in person.

** The ''Street Fighter Anniversary Collection'' port of ''3rd Strike'', released for the Xbox and [=PS2=]. Prior to ''3rd Strike Online Edition'', it was the best possible version of ''3rd Strike''. It contained everything from the Dreamcast version, but fixed all of its issues to make it more arcade perfect, even having the "Guard Judgment" feature set to "Old" by default so it played more like the arcade version, as the Dreamcast version featured several balance changes. It was also possible to play with the original arcade version's soundtrack as well as the arranged one only heard in the Dreamcast version. The Xbox version could also be played online, and while not perfect it was the only way to do so before the original Xbox Live servers were shut down and ''Online Edition'' was later released with rollback netcode that surpassed the original.
** ''3rd Strike Online Edition'' for the [=PlayStation=] Network and Xbox Live Arcade is the best way to play the game. It has a better Metacritic score than the original ''3rd Strike'' Dreamcast port (86 vs. 84, respectively) and runs borderline arcade perfect.[[note]]Borderline in that the code is taken from the [=PS2=] port.[[/note]] It has both original and remixed soundtracks, a ton of visual options, tutorials (including how to perform the parry and finish from EVO Moment #37), and in-game challenges where players can earn XP to unlock bonuses like concept art, movies, the soundtracks and colour palettes from ''New Generation'' and ''2nd Impact''. There's also an unlockable dip switch that lets the player customise almost all of the game's settings. The only thing that could make it better would be the inclusion of the stages from ''New Generation'' and ''2nd Impact'', along with the previous iterations of the cast from those games a la ''Hyper Street Fighter II''.
* SequelDisplacement: ''3rd Strike'' is so widely treasured that the fact it's actually the third revision of the ''Street Fighter III'' series is approaching lost knowledge (not even ''Super Turbo'' displaces the installments that came before it, aside from possibly ''The New Challengers''). It is the only game from the lineage that has been revisited multiple times past its initial home release on the Sega Dreamcast and the first two games weren't even revisited ''period'' until 2018's ''30th Anniversary Collection'', which is also the only time the entire family has been in a single compilation.
* SignatureScene: The one thing everyone remembers about this game's competitive scene, which also set into motion the eventual [[GenreRelaunch revival]] of 2D fighters? [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzS96auqau0 Evo Moment #37.]] It's to the point where [[AscendedMeme it's referenced in multiple videos made by Capcom]], and recreating it in the ''Online Edition'' is a training challenge and achievement.
* SpiritualSuccessor: Ibuki is this to Chun-Li in many ways, able to string attacks quickly, the game's example of a FragileSpeedster with much less HP than the males, and does less damage per hit than the males. Also early Chun-Li wanted to live like a normal girl. All these traits Ibuki inherited upon her debut.

* TierInducedScrappy:
** '''High tier examples:'''
*** Ken's top-tier ''3rd Strike'' incarnation receives much flak he gets for [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome being used 99.9 percent of the time online]]. Oh Ken, how you've been a flowchart over the years...
*** Chun-Li is this in ''3rd Strike''. One old Shoryuken post said that you could beat a majority of players with nothing but crouching forward, back fierce, and kara grab.
*** Makoto gets this from certain players due to the fact that from a specific spot on the screen, she can kill you in one combo.
*** While still getting a fair amount of flak from newer players due to [[CurbStompBattle how fights tend to go with him]] in the hands of a competent player, Yun actually managed to mostly avoid this despite being one of the top-tier characters in ''3rd Strike.'' While unquestionably one of the best characters in the game, he has a bit of a learning curve thanks to his Genei Jin combos, and his GlassCannon status means any mistake will hurt. However, Yun is easily a pain to fight in upper levels of play where players have maximized their Genei Jin combos and mix-up game. Yun's high tier-induced scrappy status would return in ''SSFIV: Arcade Edition'' and ''Ultra Street Fighter IV'', as explained [[YMMV/StreetFighterIV here]]. Some of [[UsefulNotes/FGCAces the top tournament players]] like Daigo, however, found their interest in ''3rd Strike'' waning long before the advent of ''SFIV'' due to Yun's shenanigans.
** '''Low tier examples:'''
*** Elena is the low-tiered version, as her lengthy animations make her parry-bait.
*** Twelve is thought by many to be the hardest character in the game to learn. He's been described as a character intended as a rushdown GlassCannon, with a lot of fast melee moves, strong normals, and high mobility counterbalancing his low stamina and health, but with the crucial missing step in a Glass Cannon of actually having good damage (his damage is some of the worst in the game), and the crucial missing step in a rushdown character of being able to combo an opponent for any length of time (several of his moves have such little hitstun and long recovery that he can be ''unsafe on hit''). Usually, the most he can do with his intended gameplan is to swoop in and poke the opponent for minimal damage before either getting punished or running away, such that most Twelve players give up on rushdown altogether and focus on getting a small life lead and stalling out--and even there, he's still far from good. It's often joked about that Twelve's best move is X.C.O.P.Y., since it lets him temporarily become a different character.
*** Sean was easily one of the best characters in ''Second Impact''; as a result Capcom nerfed him going into ''3rd Strike''. Capcom might have overdone it, as Sean is considered the worst character in ''3rd Strike''. To briefly explain, he has similar normals as Ryu and Ken, but Sean's frame data is slightly worse. The thing that really launches him into bottom tier is his terrible special moves, as it's really hard to get a knockdown or apply pressure, as you can't combo into his tackle and his [[{{Shoryuken}} Dragon Smash]] has really crap range. Most infamously, his [[HurricaneKick Tornado]] is ''unsafe on hit'' (the EX version is safe, however)--meaning his best combo ender leaves Sean open to get punished. Other than some decent normal and anti air attacks, Sean has virtually nothing going for him. Even in same character team tournaments in Japan, you'll see one or two all-Twelve or Hugo teams, it's rare to see an all-Sean team.

** While the story takes no pains to hide that she is, in fact, a girl, people not familiar with the series often mistake Makoto for a boy. But given that [[{{Tomboy}} she]] is ''[[TheLadette as feminine as a truck driver]]'', her gi is quite concealing, and that Makoto is [[GenderBlenderName a gender-neutral Japanese name]], the misunderstanding is almost expected. The fact that she's absolutely ''ripped'' for a girl her age and has ''huge'' man-like hands and feet does not help matters. Her ''SSFIV'' in-game model, however, has her cleavage slightly more exposed, enough to avoid confusion in full. Previously, it was only visible during her dizzy animation, in which the shoulder of her gi slips off.

** A strange example comes in the form of Ryu's Joudan Sokutogeri, [[FanNickname colloquially known as the "Donkey/Mule Kick"]]. As the first legitimately ''new'' special move[[note]]if one discounts the Hado no Kamae fake-out move from the ''Alpha'' series, that is[[/note]] Ryu picked up since the Shakunetsu Hadoken all the way back in ''SSFII'', fans repeatedly clamored for it to be added back to Ryu's moveset in future appearances, but Capcom would only oblige in crossovers such as ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'' and ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' (as well as, oddly enough, ''VideoGame/SuperGemFighter''). This led to a bit of an uproar when [[CapcomSequelStagnation the final update]] of ''SFIV'', ''Ultra Street Fighter IV'', ''still'' didn't include the attack in Ryu's move list despite him using it in the earlier ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken''. When the Joudan Sokutogeri ''finally'' showed up in ''SFV: Arcade Edition'', Ryu mains were able to breathe a sigh of relief at last (even if its animation and range weren't quite the same as before).

** Alex was a very contested character at first; replacing Ryu as the face was always gonna be met with concern and apprehension, and being a grappler with charge moves instead of an easy to learn {{Shoto|clone}} character didn't help. However, over the years, [[VindicatedByHistory Alex got a lot of traction from fans]] and became a classic and iconic character in his own right due in fact to his very striking and iconic design, memorable moves like the Reverse Hyper Bomb and his signature smack talk ("At Ease Losah!" "WEAK!" "I DON'T LOSE!" "YOU CAN'T ESCAPE!"). It also doesn't hurt that his theme, "Jazzy NYC", is one of the most beloved songs in the series in part to it playing in one of the most famous moments in fighting game history.

* VindicatedByHistory: The ''Street Fighter III'' series was ignored upon release because it was a complete departure from the considerably more user-friendly ''Alpha'' series, and some professional reviewers even went so far as to dock it for looking "[[CriticalResearchFailure like an SNES game]]." Eventually, tournament-level players latched onto the series as most mainstream fighting games began to resemble ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' more and more and they desired something a little more grounded and footsies-based, and casual fans discovered the game through emulation and a UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} re-release of ''3rd Strike''. And then the infamous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzS96auqau0 Daigo Parry]] occured at EVO 2004, boosting the game's popularity to newfound heights and turning it into a competitive mainstay. This came full circle with ''[[PolishedPort 3rd Strike Online Edition]]'', which ended up being better received by the fanbase than the more casual-friendly ''Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix''.

* TheWoobie: Necro and Sean.

** Right off the bat, the decision to [[PutOnABus replace most of the cast]] from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' proved to be a disastrous one. While Creator/{{Capcom}} had previously been able to successfully pull off a near complete cast changeover from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterI'' to ''II'', that was largely because the first ''Street Fighter'' game wasn't particularly successful, meaning few fans cared about those characters. Conversely, the characters from ''II'' [[IconicSequelCharacter had proven to be extremely popular]] and had subsequently reappeared in the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'' games and the various adaptations based on the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' franchise. This meant there was far more backlash to their omission than there had ever been over the cast of ''I'' not returning for ''II''. Ryu, Ken, Akuma, and Chun-Li were the only veterans from either ''II'' or ''Alpha'' to return in this sub-series.

* UncannyValley:
** Elena's animation looks pretty out of place compared to the rest of the fighters. That's probably {{Rotoscoping}} at work.
** Q. The way he moves and attacks most of the time is most certainly not human, which deliberately plays into the in-universe ParanoiaFuel-inducing conspiracy theory he is at the center of.

* ''YMMV/StreetFighter''

* ''YMMV/StreetFighterTheMovie''

* ''YMMV/StreetFighterIITheAnimatedMovie''

!!!See also:

!!!Index:

** Those advanced graphics meant that ''III'' could not be ported to most of the then-current consoles without [[PortingDisaster sacrificing animations and features]]; the only console which could have handled the game without major difficulty was the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn--which was not only the least successful console of its generation, but had Sega pull the plug on it less than six months after the game was released to arcades. Consequently, the ''Street Fighter III'' series was initially ported exclusively for the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast, which barely sold better than the Saturn did! It wasn't until 2004 when ''3rd Strike'' was re-released as part of ''Street Fighter Anniversary Collection''. [[note]]In Japan, it was re-released exclusively as a standalone game for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2.[[/note]] Because of the failure of the CPS-3, Capcom's future 2D fighters, such as the ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' and ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom'' series, were developed from assets used in ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' and the ''Street Fighter Alpha'' series and on the CPS-2 and later Creator/{{Sega}}'s new NAOMI system board. ''Street Fighter Alpha 3'' was released the following year on the CPS-2, and while the sprites weren't as good as the ones used in ''III'', it was significantly more affordable for most arcade owners. The less-refined graphics also meant it could be more easily ported to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, where it sold a million copies.

** According to a [[http://www.eventhubs.com/news/2015/jan/02/street-fighter-5-poll-results-find-out-which-characters-eventhubs-readers-most-want-see-playable-capcoms-upcoming-fighter/ 2014 poll,]] Alex and Q were the top two most desired characters for ''Street Fighter V'', and Alex eventually made it into the game as DLC. Q for his part would get the character G as a SpiritualSuccessor in ''SFV'', who has possible connections to him (and has become a darkhorse in his own right).
** A strange example comes in the form of Ryu's Joudan Sokutogeri, [[FanNickname colloquially known as the "Donkey/Mule Kick."]] As the first legitimately ''new'' special move[[note]]if one discounts the Hado no Kamae fake-out move from the ''Alpha'' series, that is[[/note]] Ryu picked up since the Shakunetsu Hadoken all the way back in ''SSFII'', fans repeatedly clamored for it to be added back to Ryu's moveset in future appearances, but Capcom would only oblige in crossovers such as ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'' and ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' (as well as, oddly enough, ''VideoGame/SuperGemFighter''). This led to a bit of an uproar when [[CapcomSequelStagnation the final update]] of ''SFIV'', ''Ultra Street Fighter IV'', ''still'' didn't include the attack in Ryu's move list despite him using it in the earlier ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken''. When the Joudan Sokutogeri ''finally'' showed up in ''SFV: Arcade Edition'', Ryu mains were able to breathe a sigh of relief at last (even if its animation and range weren't quite the same as before).

** Gilley for Gill. In Spain, he is nicknamed ''Gill-ipollas'' (after ''gilipollas'', Europan Spanish for "asshole").

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT1R21xcBUA There's a glitch that turns all the opponents into Gill,]] effectively changing Arcade Mode into a BossRush. You have to let the intro play out, let the CPU choose a character, and press Start at a specific moment during the Super Art loading screen.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVEThPhBgQo In April 2020, a glitch was discovered that changes the properties of Super Arts.]] Basically, you do the same thing as the BossRush glitch, but at a specific moment ''after'' the Super Art is chosen. This sends you to a glitched Arcade Mode opponent selection screen. Instead of choosing an opponent, have Player 2 press Start; it'll take you to a glitched Versus Mode screen. Just after Player selects their character and Super Art, Player 1 will regain control over the character selection. If done correctly, Player 1's Super Arts will now have the properties (number and length of meters, limited use of ground and aerial Super Arts, etc.) of the character chosen by the CPU. This can result in Akuma and Twelve having triple meters, Hugo and Necro having double, characters having access to ''way'' more EX meter than usual, etc.

--> ''"[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06oR0R9e-9s AHAHAHAHAHA!]] [[AGodAmI I am your god!]]"''

*** While still getting a fair amount of flak from newer players due to [[CurbStompBattle how fights tend to go with him]] in the hands of a competent player, Yun actually managed to mostly avoid this despite being one of the top-tier characters in ''3rd Strike.'' While unquestionably one of the best characters in the game, he has a bit of a learning curve thanks to his Genei Jin combos, and his GlassCannon status means any mistake will hurt. However, Yun is easily a pain to fight in upper levels of play where players have maximized their Genei Jin combos and mix-up game. Yun's high tier-induced scrappy status would return in ''SSFIV: Arcade Edition'' and ''Ultra Street Fighter IV'', [[YMMV/StreetFighterIV as explained here]]. Some of [[UsefulNotes/FGCAces the top tournament players]] like Daigo, however, found their interest in ''3rd Strike'' waning long before the advent of ''SFIV'' due to Yun's shenanigans.

See also:

Index:

** '''Top Tier:''' The most generally fixed in terms of character order. The best character in the game is Chun-Li[[labelnote:Details]]Chun-Li has amazing neutral thanks to pokes that box out most characters in the game and the best Kara-throw in the game. [[StealthPun The real kicker]] is her ''Hoyoku Sen'' Super Art; it's insanely fast to start up and launches her across the screen in an instant, which makes it usable in just about any situation. And not only does it shave off about 30% of their lifebar if it lands, it launches the victim such that Chun-Li can follow up and carry the opponent across the entire stage. While this should make her reliant on meter to deal damage or transition from defense to offense, stronger attacks in this game build a bit of meter even if they're whiffed; Chun-Li is able to throw out buttons in neutral without much fear of retaliation, so she's often got a super ready before other characters can mount a response.[[/labelnote]], with the only other S-tier and close second being Yun[[labelnote:Details]]Yun boasts some of the best mobility in the game: he's got a great walk speed and super jump, and his divekicks give him a degree of unpredictability in the air that most characters can't challenge. He's also got a ton of mix-ups, including a command grab and the aforementioned divekick. His biggest selling point, however, is his ''Genei Jin'' Super Art, which gives him several seconds of improved frame data and combo routes that make his offense virtually airtight; it also has a short enough meter that Yun can reliably activate it two or three times ''a round''.[[/labelnote]]. A not-insignificant gap exists between these two and 3rd and 4th place, those being Ken[[labelnote:Details]]Ken in ''3rd Strike'' is the epitome of MasterOfAll; he has good movement speed, EX Tatsu allows him to escape corner pressure more easily, he's got moves that allow him to be successful in neutral or apply pressure when he's at an advantage, he can easily make himself safe by ending his combos with a Hadoken, and his ''Shippu Jinrai Kyaku'' Super Art gives him a damaging hit-confirm alongside a ton of meter to work with. While he doesn't have anything truly outstanding like the other top tiers, he has no maj weakness to exploit.[[/labelnote]] and Makoto[[labelnote:Details]]Makoto and sports an offense that is riskier than Yun's but far more explosive. Her Hayate dash punch leaves the opponent standing and is easily comboed into, which can force the opponent into a very quick series of mixups. She also has excellent uses of meter: her EX Oroshi chop is a ridiculously quick overhead that covers most options that her command grab doesn't and knocks down to ensure that the offense doesn't stop, EX Hayate allows for extra damage in the corner, her ''Seichusen Godanzuki'' Super Art offers a consistent source of burst damage, and her ''Abare Tosanami'' Super Art leads into massive damage and stun if with a well-placed command grab. If this wasn't enough, Makoto doesn't struggle to get into this position thanks to the fastest forward dash in the game and a set of long-reaching pokes that either score a knockdown or a combo.[[/labelnote]] respectively, though some place Makoto higher.

* ContestedSequel: When first released, ''III'' was criticized for ditching majority of the cast from the previous games, its steep learning curve, and its [[VideoGame3DLeap "dated graphics."]] As [[VindicatedByHistory described below]], the years have been far kinder.

** Gilley for Gill. In Spain, he is nicknamed ''Gill-ipollas''. (after ''gilipollas'', Europan Spanish for "asshole")

** A few others can be found in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYKTmUUz058 this video.]]

** Urien, due to [[ScaryBlackMan his]] [[{{Stripperiffic}} appearance]]:
--->'''Urien:''' "[[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Lie there as long as you want, I've had my fun with you]]."

** Q's trenchcoat has caused some to joke that [[http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/86358/return-fire-fire-tisanes-art-dump-is-back he's a public flasher.]]

** '''Top Tier:''' The most generally fixed in terms of character order. The best character in the game is Chun-Li[[labelnote:Details]]Chun-Li has amazing neutral thanks to pokes that box out most characters in the game and the best Kara-throw in the game. [[StealthPun The real kicker]] is her ''Hoyoku Sen'' Super Art; it's insanely fast to start up and launches her across the screen in an instant, which makes it usable in just about any situation. And not only does it shave off about 30% of their lifebar if it lands, it launches the victim such that Chun-Li can follow up and carry the opponent across the entire stage. While this should make her reliant on meter to deal damage or transition from defense to offense, stronger attacks in this game build a bit of meter even if they're whiffed; Chun-Li is able to throw out buttons in neutral without much fear of retaliation, so she's often got a super ready before other characters can mount a response.[[/labelnote]], with the only other S-tier and close second being Yun[[labelnote:Details]]Yun boasts some of the best mobility in the game: he's got a great walk speed and super jump, and his divekicks give him a degree of unpredictability in the air that most characters can't challenge. He's also got a ton of mix-ups, including a command grab and the aforementioned divekick. His biggest selling point, however, is his ''Genei Jin'' Super Art, which gives him several seconds of improved frame data and combo routes that make his offense virtually airtight; it also has a short enough meter that Yun can reliably activate it two or three times ''a round''.[[/labelnote]]. A not-insignificant gap exists between these two and 3rd and 4th place, those being Ken[[labelnote:Details]]Ken in ''3rd Strike'' is the epitome of MasterOfAll; he has good movement speed, EX Tatsu allows him to escape corner pressure more easily, he's got moves that allow him to be successful in neutral or apply pressure when he's at an advantage, he can easily make himself safe by ending his combos with a Hadoken, and his ''Shippu Jinrai Kyaku'' Super Art gives him a damaging hit-confirm alongside a ton of meter to work with. While he doesn't have anything truly outstanding the likes of the other top tiers, he has no outstanding weakness to exploit.[[/labelnote]] and Makoto[[labelnote:Details]]Makoto excels at getting in her opponent's face and sports an offense that is riskier than Yun's but makes up for it with massive damage. Makoto's command grab gives her access to great damage and lets her combo into her Hayate dash punch, which leaves her opponent standing and forced into a mix-up situation that they can't escape with a delayed wakeup. She also has excellent uses of meter: her EX Oroshi chop covers most options that her command grab doesn't and knocks down to ensure that the offense doesn't stop, EX Hayate allows for extra damage in the corner, her ''Seichusen Godanzuki'' Super Art offers a consistent source of burst damage, and her ''Abare Tosanami'' Super Art allows Makoto to ''stun the opponent in a single combo'' if she lands a command grab in the right spot. If this wasn't enough, Makoto doesn't struggle to get into this position thanks to the fastest forward dash in the game and a set of long-reaching pokes that either score a knockdown or combo into Hayate.[[/labelnote]] respectively, though some place Makoto higher.
** '''High Tier:''' The 5th best character was previously considered to be Akuma[[labelnote:Details]]Akuma has a lot of tools, and particularly excels at offense. His Demon Flip has a bunch of follow-ups including air fireball, a divekick (see Yun's details for why that matters), and a command grab. His combo routes offer good damage and corner carry, and in general allow him to mix up an opponent into oblivion. Akuma can also play defensively to an extent thanks to having a projectile--something that Yun, Makoto, and Dudley all lack. Unfortunately, he can only use his meter for Supers, most of which don't offer much beyond more damage (he does have an unblockable setup by kara-cancelling into ''Raging Demon'', but this costs all his meter); [[GlassCannon he also has the smallest lifebar and stun gauge in the entire roster]].[[/labelnote]], but nowadays the spot usually goes to Dudley[[labelnote:Details]]Dudley has an incredible mix-up game, especially in the corner. He has a functionally unreactable overhead, an amazing throw game, and plenty of combos including a launcher in EX Machine Gun Blow and long juggle loops. His ''Corkscrew Blow'' Super Art is much more consistent as a combo ender compared to his other supers and gives him a ton of flexibility to use EX moves thanks to being a 3-bar meter. Dudley also has some great mobility; his ducking special allows him to dodge attacks and quickly punish, and he's got a very low jump, which makes it hard to anti-air him (conversely, Dudley has quite a bag of anti-airs himself). Unfortunately, Dudley doesn't do great when he's on defense thanks to a wide hitbox that makes him the victim of character-specific combos, and he can struggle in neutral due to his best pokes being easily avoided by just crouching.[[/labelnote]] with Akuma in 6th. Yang[[labelnote:Details]][[MovesetClone Yang's moveset is largely similar to Yun's]], including his excellent mix-ups and divekick. The two deviate in special moves, where Yang trades Yun's leaping punch and shoulder check (both of which see the bulk of their use in ''Genei Jin'') for a rekka with good corner carry and high damage (particularly its EX version, which also builds just below half a stun bar for most characters) and a command dash that gives him a lot of freedom when timed right. While Yang can take any single hit further than Yun can, the lack of ''Genei Jin'''s unstoppable offense means he can't get force opponents to give him that hit nearly as consistently (Yang's equivalent Super Art, ''Seiei Enbu'', doesn't give as much flexibility as ''Genei Jin'' and the lack of meter means that Yang will have none to spend on EX rekka). Yang has to be more patient to get openings, which is easier said than done in a game where most characters rely on insurmountable offense or preventing their opponent's offense from ever starting.[[/labelnote]] and Urien[[labelnote:Details]]Urien's claim to fame is his ''Aegis Reflector'' Super Art, which can lock down an oppenent and force them to block for several seconds or else get hit. Urien can use ''Aegis Reflector to create absolutely ludicrous pressure and combos, including unblockables and even Touch of Death combos if he's got full meter. Beyond this, he's also got excellent meterless combos, most of which either carry an opponent to the corner or juggle for large damage. Despite all this, Urien lacks many solid options to actually mount this offense; his pokes in neutral are solid but struggle to confirm into anything, and his best defensive options require meter that he would otherwise want to put towards his combos or ''Aegis Reflector'' setups, none of which are totally guaranteed (it's also worth noting that much of Urien's biggest combos or mix-ups are character-specific). Ultimately, Urien has a lot of risk for truly astronomical reward, and he's highly reliant on meter outside of his combo game.[[/labelnote]] are generally considered similar to Dudley and Akuma in viability, if a bit lower.
** '''Mid Tier:''' Ryu[[labelnote:Details]]Ryu, like Ken, is [[JackOfAllStats a jack of all trades]], but gets a lot less reward out of any given situation compared to Ken. Ryu has two serviceable Super Arts in ''Shinku Hadoken'' and ''Denjin Hadoken''; the former augment's Ryu's basic gameplan thanks to being a two-bar meter (thus giving more room to use EX specials) and hitting consistently in combos; the latter is unblockable, builds a bunch of stun meter, and can be held to throw off the opponent's parry timing and build even more stun, making it an inconsistent yet powerful offensive tool. He also has great moves for neutral and can hit-confirm into a wide variety of specials. Unfortunately, compared to the higher tiers Ryu's offense is inconsistent and he can struggle to keep up offensively without spending meter. He's also forced to choose between an offensive Super Art or a versatile one whereas most characters have access a single Super that satisfies all their needs.[[/labelnote]], Ibuki[[labelnote:Details]]Ibuki has highly unpredictable pressure and excels at baiting out her opponent's defensive options. This is thanks to the fastest walk speed in the game, a great jump that can be altered with her kunai, and amazing frame data that generally lets her stay advantageous at best and safe at worst. This attack speed is offset by having poor range, so she struggles to poke and hit-confirm in neutral and is thus forced to rely on risky movement to get in--while she has the movement to make this work, her low health means that any mistake will hurt. Ibuki often relies on using EX moves for damage and her general gameplan, and generally poor Super Arts means she has less overall tools than other characters.[[/labelnote]], Oro[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]], Elena[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]], Necro[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]]

* SignatureScene: The one thing everyone remembers about this game's competitive scene, which also set into motion the eventual [[GenreRelaunch revival]] of 2D fighters? [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzS96auqau0 Evo Moment #37.]] It's to the point where [[AscendedMeme it's referenced in multiple videos made by Capcom]].

* ThatOneBoss: Gill. He can ''[[BackFromTheDead resurrect himself]]'' after death:

** Right off the bat, the decision to [[PutOnABus replace most of the cast]] from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' proved to be a disastrous one. While Creator/{{Capcom}} had previously been able to successfully pull off a near complete cast changeover from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterI'' to ''II'', that was largely because the first ''Street Fighter'' game wasn't particularly successful, meaning few fans cared about those characters. Conversely, the characters from ''II'' [[IconicSequelCharacter had proven to be extremely popular]] and had subsequently reappeared in the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'' games and the various adaptations based on the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' franchise. This meant there was far more backlash to their omission than there had ever been over the cast of ''I'' not returning for ''II''. It was particularly telling that at first, Sean was going to be the sole representative of the Shoto archetype, but Capcom made the move to at least bring back Ryu and Ken to satiate long time fans. Those two, along with Akuma in ''2nd Impact'' and Chun-Li in ''3rd Strike'', were the only veterans from either ''II'' or ''Alpha'' to return in this sub-series.

* CharacterTiers: This game has been out a while, so most people agree on the general area in which each character resides with differing opinions boiling down to exact placements. Modern consensus is as follows.

* HypeBacklash: ''Third Strike'' is largely considered a CultClassic amongst the Competitive Community, but there are also vocal detractors who resent the acclaim of it being considered the "Best Street Fighter Game" let alone one of the Greatest Fighting Games of All Time. With detractors critiquing the balance and the parry system undermining both footsie and zoning playstyles.

** Much like ''Street Fighter III'', ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting 3'' abandoned most of the previous characters in favor of an almost entirely new cast, and introduced a smoother, more detailed animation style. It also did all of this in 1996, a year '''before''' ''Street Fighter III''.

** ''3rd Strike Online Edition'' for the [=PlayStation=] Network and Xbox Live Arcade is the best way to play the game. It has a better Metacritic score than the original ''3rd Strike'' Dreamcast port (86 vs. 84, respectively) and runs borderline arcade perfect. [[note]]Borderline in that the code is taken from the [=PS2=] port.[[/note]] It has both original and remixed soundtracks, a ton of visual options, tutorials (including how to perform the parry and finish from EVO Moment #37), and in-game challenges where players can earn XP to unlock bonuses like concept art, movies, the soundtracks and colour palettes from ''New Generation'' and ''2nd Impact''. There's also an unlockable dip switch that lets the player customise almost all of the game's settings. The only thing that could make it better would be the inclusion of the stages from ''New Generation'' and ''2nd Impact'', along with the previous iterations of the cast from those games a la ''Hyper Street Fighter II''.

* VindicatedByHistory: The ''Street Fighter III'' series was ignored upon release because it was a complete departure from the considerably more user-friendly ''Alpha'' series, and some professional reviewers even went so far as to dock it for looking "[[CriticalResearchFailure like an SNES game]]." Eventually, tournament-level players latched onto the series as most mainstream fighting games began to resemble ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' more and more and they desired something a little more grounded and footsies-based, and casual fans discovered the game through emulation and a UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} re-release of ''3rd Strike''. And then the infamous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzS96auqau0 Daigo Parry]] occured at EVO 2004, boosting the game's notoriety to newfound heights and turning it into a competitive mainstay. This came full circle with ''[[PolishedPort 3rd Strike Online Edition]]'', which ended up being better received by the fanbase than the more casual-friendly ''Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix''.

** While the story takes no pains to hide that she is, in fact, a girl, people not familiar with the series often mistake Makoto for a boy. But given that [[{{Tomboy}} she]] is ''[[TheLadette as feminine as a truck driver]]'', her gi is quite concealing, and that Makoto is [[GenderBlenderName a gender neutral Japanese name]], the misunderstanding is almost expected. The fact that she's absolutely ''ripped'' for a girl her age and has ''huge'' man-like hands and feet does not help matters. Her ''SSFIV'' in-game model, however, has her cleavage slightly more exposed, enough to avoid confusion in full. Previously, it was only visible during her dizzy animation, in which the shoulder of her gi slips off.
* VindicatedByHistory: The ''Street Fighter III'' series was ignored upon release because it was a complete departure from the considerably more user-friendly ''Alpha'' series, and some professional reviewers even went so far as to dock it for looking "[[CriticalResearchFailure like an SNES game]]." Eventually, tournament-level players latched onto the series as most mainstream fighting games began to resemble ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' more and more and they desired something a little more technical, and casual fans discovered the game through emulation and a UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} re-release of ''3rd Strike''. The series is now a mainstay at the EVO tournament. This came full circle with ''[[PolishedPort 3rd Strike Online Edition]]'', which ended up being better received by the fanbase than the more casual-friendly ''Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix''.

** Necro's girlfriend Effie. Despite her [[ElegantGothicLolita gothic looks]] and [[TheWoobie tragic backstory]], she's still happy to run out during some of Necro's win poses and join in with a rather adorable pantomime.