Chun-Li

"I'm the strongest woman in the world!"

Article by: Paul Watkins (watkinzez)
Pictured from: Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams
Created by: Capcom
First appearance: 1991

Bio

When possessing the weakest arsenal of a fighting lineup, one must rely on reflexes and agility to gain the upper hand in a brawl. Such is the strategy of Chun-Li, the only female character in Street Fighter II, who broke ground in the early nineties as one of the earliest feminine protagonists to gain widespread popularity. Like Samus before her, Chun-Li demonstrated that women could be portrayed in video games in ways other than the damsel in distress.

Investigator for Interpol and representing China in the game, Chun-Li's story is one of revenge for her late father. A tip towards suspect crime syndicate Shadoloo leads her to discover boss M. Bison. She's beaten with ease by Bison, and he utters a fate similar to her father's if she crosses his path again. Vying to defeat the man, Chun-Li enters the World Warrior tournament to climb up the ladder and make a name for herself.

Speed is of the essence as Chun-Li fights. Her most famous attack, the Lightning Kick, delivers a flurry of kicks from a standing position at incredible speed. Quick, fast strings of moves are the secret to Chun-Li's success as a fighter. Her clothing allows for fast movement on the stage, and has differed through the Street Fighter series — the above unitard is Chun-Li's outfit in Street Fighter Alpha. Her original appearance was in the one-piece qipao.

Chun-Li has since had many appearances within the series and various spin-offs, such as the vs. series with Marvel and SNK, and the Street Fighter movie, played by Ming-Na Wen.

Selected game appearances

Arcade

• Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991)
• Street Fighter II': Champion Edition (1992)
• Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (1993)
• Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994)
• Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams (1995)
• Street Fighter Alpha 2 (1996)
• Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997)
• Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998)
• Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998)
• Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike: Fight for the Future (1999)
• Street Fighter IV (2008)
• Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition (2010)

Super NES

• Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (1994)

PlayStation

• Street Fighter Alpha 2 (1996)
• Street Fighter EX Plus @ (1997)

Xbox 360

• Super Street Fighter IV (2010)

References

• Wikipedia - "Chun-Li"
• Street Fighter II Turbo instruction manual