5 Worst Guest Characters In Fighting Game History

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People who play fighting games often have mixed feelings about guest characters – they can be amazing or really disappointing. When a guest character is well-integrated, it’s exciting to see a fighter from another series battle alongside the game’s regulars. But if it’s done poorly, a guest character can be frustrating and even hurt the overall game experience.

Certain games really nail the feel of guest characters, like how well Jason Voorhees and the Predator fit into Mortal Kombat X. One-on-one fighting games are usually better suited for these additions because it’s difficult to logically include outsiders in games with large, established rosters of team fighters. When guest characters don’t match a game’s style or mechanics, it can disappoint both their fans and the existing player base.

5. Yoda (Soul Calibur 4)

Soul Calibur 4 is famous for its guest characters, rivaled only by the Mortal Kombat series. The game featured iconic Star Wars figures like Yoda and Darth Vader. Yoda was playable on the Xbox 360, while Darth Vader was exclusive to the PlayStation 3. Players could unlock Starkiller, the hero of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, on either console by completing arcade mode with Yoda or Darth Vader. Although Darth Vader and Starkiller were great additions, Yoda’s inclusion did create some issues.

Okay, so they put Yoda in Soul Calibur 4, and his moves looked pretty cool, just like you’d expect. But honestly, he was a problem. Because he was so short and agile, it was really hard to even touch him. He quickly became the biggest, most frustrating character in the game, and they ended up banning him from most tournaments. There are plenty of short characters in fighting games these days, but Yoda was just… different. Without any rules to balance things out, he was way too powerful – totally “broken” and “OP” – and that meant he wasn’t a fun guest character to play against, even if he looked awesome.

4. Mega Man (Street Fighter x Tekken)

Okay, so when most people picture Mega Man, they instantly think of the classic blue look from Mega Man 2, or maybe the updated design from the Mega Man X series. But honestly, a lot of people don’t know about the really weird version that showed up in Street Fighter x Tekken. It was basically middle-aged Mega Man in a yellow and blue suit! People call it ‘Bad Box Art Mega Man’ because it was a nod to the original North American box art for the very first Mega Man game. That old box art had a strange design that became a running joke among fans, and this version was a fun callback to it.

The cover art for this game is famously considered one of the worst ever, and it’s become a running joke, even appearing in Street Fighter x Tekken. However, given Mega Man’s popular history with the Marvel vs. Capcom series, including him as a strange nod in such a large crossover game felt like a misstep. Instead of a full character, this version of Mega Man could have simply been an alternate costume. Unfortunately, the game gives this poorly-designed character a whole story arc, further upsetting fans who were already divided about the game.

3. The Terminator (Mortal Kombat 11)

The Mortal Kombat series often features characters from other franchises, and Mortal Kombat 11 continued this tradition after including Alien and Predator in Mortal Kombat X. This time, they added John Rambo, Robocop, and The Terminator. While Spawn and the Joker were also guest characters, The Terminator is generally considered the least successful addition to the game for several reasons.

Unlike Rambo and Robocop, the Terminator doesn’t use the original actor’s voice, which can be a little strange during conversations before fights. However, this isn’t a major flaw. The bigger issues with playing as the Terminator come down to how the character moves and attacks. Many of the animations are awkward or basic, and they don’t really capture what makes the Terminator iconic from the movies.

The Terminator’s famous robotic skeleton is only visible during a rarely used, ineffective move. Beyond a teleportation ability, the character lacks strong technology and struggles to compete with other fighters in the game. Kano’s cybernetic eye beams feel more advanced, and Erron Black’s gunplay is superior, making the Terminator feel clunky and out of place even compared to the standard Mortal Kombat characters.

2. Conan the Barbarian (Mortal Kombat 1)

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s characters haven’t had much luck in the Mortal Kombat games, and even the large amount of downloadable content for Mortal Kombat 1 couldn’t improve how Conan the Barbarian plays. While MK1 features some great guest characters – Ghostface and the T-1000 are much better than the guests in Mortal Kombat 11 – additions like Omni-Man from Invincible and Homelander from The Boys actually highlight how weak Conan feels in comparison.

Compared to the outlandish abilities of other guest characters in Mortal Kombat 1 – like superpowered flight or commanding eagles – Conan feels surprisingly ordinary. While his large sword adds some interesting moves to fights, he lacks the special something that makes the other guests stand out amongst the game’s already diverse cast of ninjas, gods, and magical fighters. He almost feels too realistic, and therefore less memorable.

1. Christiano Ronaldo (Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves)

It’s unusual for real-life people to appear as playable characters in fighting games, and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves takes it a step further with two of them. One is soccer star Christiano Ronaldo, who surprisingly made the cut over established, iconic fighters. This decision frustrated many fans, even though Ronaldo’s gameplay – featuring skillful footwork and soccer ball-based moves – is actually quite interesting.

Ronaldo’s past controversies have made his appearance in the game City of the Wolves a point of contention, with some fans even choosing not to buy it because of his involvement. His history of serious accusations, including sexual assault, makes him a risky character for many games to include, as it could lead to negative publicity. In fact, the hype surrounding Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was significantly dampened by Ronaldo’s inclusion, making him arguably one of the most damaging guest characters in fighting game history, based on player reaction.

Who do you think is the most disappointing guest character in fighting games? Share your thoughts in the comments or discuss it on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-19 22:16