BLOOD WORK: TOP TEN DARKSTALKERS CHARACTERS

TOP TEN DARKSTALKERS CHARACTERS

Back in the late 90's, while staying at an Embassy Suites hotel, I came across a recreation room filled with arcade cabinets. Naturally I had to check it out. And there I discovered DARKSTALKERS. The sprites and basic mechanics reminded me of my beloved STREET FIGHTER ALPHA 3. But what really caught my eye were the characters, all of them MONSTERS! Quarters went in and I immediately started playing. Capcom sold me on yet another of their fighters.

Darkstalkers is a marriage of two of my favorite things: fighting games and monsters. Included in this roster of characters were a bigfoot, werewolf, vampire, mummy, a Frankenstein monster, gill-man, zombie, ghost, possessed-person, and more. Capcom took the same archetypal character approach as Street Fighter and applied it to classic monsters. It's a no-brainer of an idea for a cast of characters and a natural fit for a fighting game. Monster characters had appeared before in fighting games but Darkstalkers would go on to be the definitive monster fighting game.

Debuting in July of 1994, Darkstalkers was the first time Capcom adopted an anime art style for their game design, an approach Capcom would later use for numerous fighting games thereafter (including Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter III, the Versus series, and more). Darkstalkers was also the first time Capcom utilized their new gaming engine which would later run the bulk of their fighting games for many years to come. It was a beta test essentially for the future of Capcom. So you could say that we have Darkstalkers and its success to thank for the amazing fighting games that followed.

Not only is Darkstalkers an important piece of video game history... it's a really great game too! Darkstalkers spawned two sequels, an anime series, an American cartoon series (don't watch it), comic books, manga, action figures, statues, and more! Despite this, Capcom has let this great series wither. There hasn't been a new game in the series since 1997. Sure there's been some collections of the series released in the interim, but that's it. It's a real shame and a head-scratcher as to why Capcom had ignored this series for over twenty years.

At the very least a handful of these characters have popped up in several different video games since like Capcom's VS series, Puzzle Fighter, and Gunbird to name a few. One character from this series I'd dare say is as iconic to fighting games as Ryu or Scorpion, not to mention one of the most recognizable video game characters in general (I think you know the one).

Anyway, without further adieu,

Here are my favorite characters from the Darkstalkers series!

THE BONUSES

#12
HUITZIL

Debut Game: Darkstalkers (1994)

He doesn't look like much at first, but Huitzil is a deceptively cool and crazy character. At first glance he has that classic "minimalist" robot design, which I kinda dig. It reminds me of classic cinematic robots like Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still and other blocky looking characters. It's sleek design hides a ton of variations that appear while performing his moves. The moveset itself is fun and well balanced making for a solid character overall. Huitzil doesn't get enough love in my opinion. So here's to the deadly robot of classic science fiction/horror.

#11

SASQUATCH

Debut Game: Darkstalkers (1994)

Top contender for goofiest character in a fighting game, certainly the goofiest in Darkstalkers, Sasquatch if a furry ball of fury. He's silly looking and his moveset is just as ridiculous. He's definitely not the first character people talk about... or even think about when Darkstalkers comes up. Despite this, he is a well-balanced and fun character in the franchise. In the right hands Sasquatch can be one formidable opponent. He's a great character to throw your opponent off their game.

THE TOP TEN

#10

VICTOR

Debut Game: Darkstalkers (1994)

Victor Von Gerdenheim is the place holder for Frankenstein's Monster (obviously). I've always loved Frankenstein since I was a kid and getting a chance to play as him in a video game was irresistible. Victor was one of the first Darkstalkers characters I remember seeing and was the initial draw towards the game. He's a simple character with a fairly straight-forward design, the standard "Big Guy" of the fighting game, like Zangief sorta. His moveset is fun and leans hard into the more cartoony esthetics of the franchise, like the previous character on the list. He's nowhere near my best character in the game but I still enjoy playing as him when I get the chance.

PYRON

Debut Game: Darkstalkers (1994)

The original boss of the Darkstalkers series, Pyron is a fiery energy based alien who's evolved to a new level. Pyron seeks to conquer the universe and only the Darkstalkers stand in his way. The artwork really doesn't do Pyron justice. A simple orange humanoid design, but seeing him in action takes him far beyond such a simple idea. His sprite animation is wicked and impressive and he makes for a great boss that you love to hate. Seriously, this dude is one mean villain (and frustrating as hell to play against... like an SNK boss). The anime NIGHT WARRIORS: DARKSTALKER'S REVENGE does a great job of portraying how awesome this character is.

HSIEN-KO

Debut Game: The Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge (1995)

A Chinese vampire/zombie, known as a Jiang Shi, preys upon its victims at night, hopping after them with arms outstretched to devour their lifeforce. I had never heard of a Jiang Shi before meeting Hsien-Ko. She instantly stood out as a unique character to me as a result, possessing a very cool and fresh design. In addition to the design, she has a surprising and exciting moveset. Her sleeves are huge and as one might imagine you never know what she has hiding up her sleeve. Hsien-Ko is fun, surprising, and totally original in the world of fighting games. All this and she's great to play as too.

LORD RAPTOR

Debut Game: Darkstalkers (1994)

This zombie rocker is anything but a zombie. He's wild and crazy and practically trembling at the thought of ripping you apart. I guess in that respect he's more of a speedy zombie than a shambling one. Lord Raptor is like the fighting game personification of metal album covers like Eddie from Iron Maiden and the like. He's an extremely wicked design and easily the goriest character in the game. His moveset is one of the more creative in the game too, literally stretching his bones and flesh into various edged weapons. He's an incredibly striking and memorable character, not just in Darkstalkers, but in fighting games overall.

RIKUO

Debut Game: Darkstalkers (1994)

The Darkstalkers' very own Gill Man archetype, Rikuo is one of the franchise's wildest characters (in a cast of wild characters!). His design is incredibly eye-catching accompanied by beautiful sprite animation. Then seeing his moveset in action is eye-opening. In this respect he kinda reminds me of Blanka from Street Fighter (now there's a character who'd be perfect for Darkstalkers). Don't let the "cool walking away" pose fool you though. Rikuo is a joyous fellow with a fun personality adding another layer to his disarming character.

FELICIA

Debut Game: Darkstalkers (1994)

Japanese certainly love their "Cat Lady" archetypes (and it's easy to see why with this one). Felicia is the cute "ball of energy" fun-loving catwoman. Despite her happy disposition she'll claw your face off in seconds. To go along with her personality she's fun to play as too. Designwise Felicia is fairly unique among fighting game characters, balancing between being cute and provocative. She's not my first character I go to but I am always happy to play as her (although she can be a nightmare in the hands of the computer). Only a handful of Darkstalkers characters have ventured beyond the franchise, making guest appearances in various other games. And really only two Darkstalkers characters have gone on to become recognizable outside the franchise. Felicia is one of them.

TALBAIN

Debut Game: Darkstalkers (1994)

What horror cast of characters is complete without their very own lycanthrope? But did you ever wonder what Bruce Lee would be like if he were a werewolf? Well wonder no more. Talbain is the world's first ever Kung Fu Wolf-Man (I think). The design of this werewolf is simply amazing. The design itself is fairly simple, mind you, but it is rendered to perfection. And seeing Talbain in action is simply amazing. One of the finest aspects of Darkstalkers are the beautifully animated and striking sprites. And Talbain is one of the shining examples of the game. He has an incredibly fast and powerful moveset that is overwhelming to one's opponent in the right hands. As you can imagine I love Talbain and his martial artist personality definitely puts a unique and memorable spin on what, at first glance, appears like a fairly typical werewolf.

BISHAMON

Debut Game: Darkstalkers (1994)

I have a soft spot for Japanese culture, especially Japan's warrior culture. Equally interesting to me is Japanese spiritualism. The various yokai and spirits that populate Japanese mythology are endlessly fascinating. The Darkstalkers character Bishamon is a perfect marriage of samurai warrior culture and mysticism. According to the actual mythology the Japanese deity Bishamon was an armored god of war. In the Darkstalkers mythology the armor of Bishamon possessed a samurai warrior transforming him into a bloodthirsty phantasm. Bishamon hungers for blood and a worthy opponent. Needless to say, the idea behind the character is just awesome, ripped right from a horrific Japanese ghost story. And he plays almost as good. He nearly makes my second place spot... if the next guy wasn't so cool, that is.

DEMITRI

Debut Game: Darkstalkers (1994)

A powerful and imposing vampire, Demitri is essentially the "Dracula" of the series and one of the most badass characters Capcom has produced. Demitri carries himself with all of the power and menace you'd expect from the lord of the vampires, including having a host of vampiric brides with him. He also has a solid moveset to go along with his terrifying personality. Demitri is easily my second best character in the game and his super combo is one of the coolest among all of the Darkstalkers characters. The anime NIGHT WARRIORS: DARKSTALKERS REVENGE is a killer representation of Demitri as well.

This sprite is from SNK Vs Capcom: Chaos

MORRIGAN

Debut Game: Darkstalkers (1994)

Maybe it's the green and purple color scheme (they work so well together). Maybe it's the wicked bat wings. Maybe it's the balance of allure and threat the character strikes (she's a soul devouring succubus afterall). Whatever it is, there is something about Morrigan that has captivated fans the world over. Since she's basically the protagonist of the Darkstalkers series, Capcom has invested the most time into her character and story, fleshing her character out more than most. She has a sort of repressed "Disney Princess" personality. Like Ariel or Jasmine, she has an air of naivete, wanting to see the world, carefree and in pursuit of excitement. But when threatened, Morrigan can turn on a deadly, confident, and badass persona, far beyond a damsel in distress.

Sure, her design and character are great, but unless you can play as her that design doesn't count for much. Morrigan has an amazingly balanced moveset. Her base moves are great and really all you need. But then her special moves are just as effective. There is a grace and elegance to her moves that suit her design and personality. She's perfectly set up to be your entry character to the series (just as Ryu is for Street Fighter). But where Ryu's moveset is all the character has going for him, Morrigan has an infinitely more interesting design and story. If a character is equal parts design and mechanics then Morrigan represents one of the best characters in video games. For me it is all of these things plus her balanced gameplay.

While Capcom has sadly let the Darkstalkers franchise fade away, they know what they have in Morrigan and have kept her ever present in the gaming world. She's appeared in many other fighting games and non-fighting games like Monster Hunter Frontier, Gunbird 2, Project X Zone, Puzzle Fighter, and many more.

Anyway, Morrigan is my main when it comes to Darkstalkers and one of my favorite video game characters overall.

On a side note: there is (or was) a mindset in the west (USA) that character colors signify who the heroes and villains are. In particularly comic books would use the colors red and blue as heroic colors and purples and greens as villainous colors. There are exceptions obviously (Hulk, Green Lantern) but these color signifiers were used quite extensively. Personally, this color bias is criminal! I mean, just look at Morrigan! Green and Purple should be used more often 😏

And there you have it!

My favorite Darkstalkers characters!