To say Street Fighter captivated the world when it debuted would be something of a lie. Though revolutionary, its awkward arcade cabinet, with two massive paddles you had to punch to control characters, was cumbersome, if not downright painful. However, thanks to the success of Street Fighter II, it's now one of the greatest video game franchises of all time, which means spin-offs.
Street Fighter is predominantly an anime franchise, but there have been a few live-action projects over the years. From 1994 to the present day (thanks to a new movie that is currently in development), we’ve put together this guide on how to watch every Street Fighter movie and TV show in the order they were released.
Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie (1994)
One of the first Street Fighter adventures outside of games was the landmark 1994 Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, which set the tone for plenty of future adaptations in both games and anime. This animated film, initially released in Japan in 1994 and dubbed for the US in 1995, follows the various World Warriors as they come into conflict with M. Bison and his Shadowlaw organization. The anime was a surprising success, even receiving a Japanese exclusive video game adaptation. Today, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie is revered by die-hard Street Fighter fans and remains a standard-bearer for other releases.
Street Fighter (1994)
If Street Fighter: The Animated Movie set the tone for future adaptations, then 1994’s infamous 48 Hrs scribe Steven E. de Souza, the film cast Jean Claude Van Damme as the all-American soldier Guile and Raul Julia as the scheming terrorist leader M. Bison. The film was a flop when it was released, but over the years, it has gained an appreciation among fans who laud it for its camp and tongue-in-cheek tone, as well as the charismatic performance of Raul Julia, in what would be the actor’s final role.
Street Fighter II V (1995)
Building off the success of Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie and the explosion in popularity of Street Fighter II following several high-profile arcade updates, 1995’s Street Fighter II V featured many characters who had appeared in the latest game in the franchise, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, in an action-packed 29-episode anime series. The series follows best friends/rivals Ryu and Ken on a journey of personal growth before they’re thrust into a battle against M. Bison and Shadowlaw. Unlike the film that preceded it, Street Fighter II V (the V being short for Victory) expanded on the then-fledgling universe of Street Fighter lore. However, this resulted in some oddities for the franchise, such as Ryu being depicted as far more naive than usual and Ken becoming more of a jock, in contrast to their more even-tempered modern depictions.
Street Fighter: The Animated Series (1995)
If Street Fighter II V continued the incredible legacy of the animated movie, then 1995’s Street Fighter: The Animated Series continued the infamy of the films. Running for 26 episodes, this animated series reimagined Street Fighter not as a tournament, but as a military organization led by Guile. Most often aided by Chun-Li and Blanka, the show notably features appearances not just from other Street Fighter characters like Ken and Ryu but also other Capcom franchises, such as Final Fight. Despite an impressive cast of characters, the show suffers from being incredibly toned down to appeal to an all-ages audience, losing the appeal of the brutal action depicted in the games.
Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation (2000)
After a brief hiatus, Street Fighter returned to animation with Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation. In essence, this is a prequel (much like the critically acclaimed Street Fighter Alpha trilogy of video games), though it has no relation to the previous animated films or series. Set between the games Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams and Street Fighter Alpha 2, this title focuses on a young Ryu and his quest for revenge after his master is slain by Gouken (a renamed Akuma). The film features numerous cameos from other Street Fighter characters and fleshes out the then-new concept of Evil Ryu, a version of the character possessed by a malicious energy known as the Satsui no Hado, but none of the film’s events are canon to the game franchise.
Street Fighter Alpha: Generations (2005)
While the title may imply this is a sequel, 2005’s Street Fighter Alpha: Generations actually has nothing to do with any of the films that came before it. The title tells a new, stand-alone tale, which explains why it takes so many beats from the previous film. Released specifically for the US market, Alpha: Generations again sees Ryu seeking out Akuma (renamed Gouki here) in an effort to avenge his slain master while also fighting against the Satsui no Hado and his Evil Ryu persona. Unlike previous films, the cast and scope are much more limited, with only characters directly related to Ryu and his direct arc appearing.
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009)
There’s really no way to describe Smallville star Kristin Kreuk and depicted not as a stoic Interpol agent, but a vengeance-seeking concert pianist and martial artist. The plot seems to go on rails for the most part and makes some fairly bold decisions with its casting, the most notable perhaps being Neil McDonough portraying M. Bison as a scheming real estate mogul with an Irish accent who became evil after mystically transferring his good conscience into his unborn daughter. The film is regarded as the absolute low point of Street Fighter, bringing none of the campy fun that the ‘94 film had.
Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind (2009)
Unlike every other Street Fighter film to date, Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind is unique in that it was used to directly promote the game it released alongside. This animated feature was originally included as a bonus feature in the home console release of Street Fighter IV and serves as a prequel to the events of the game. It follows Cammy’s Team Delta Red on an investigation, and Guile and Chun-Li teaming up to find missing martial artists, but the crux of the film is Crimson Viper’s mission to capture Ryu, whose growing Satsui no Hado powers are sought after by Street Fighter IV’s big bad, Seth.
Street Fighter: Round One: FIGHT! (2009)
If you see this title and think you missed a hot new Street Fighter anime, don’t get too excited. Street Fighter: Round One: FIGHT! is actually an animated comic, as was the popular trend in 2009, following the success of animated comic DVD releases like Marvel’s Black Panther and DC’s Watchmen. In this instance, the then-current UDON comic book is used as the basis, with artwork and s from the comics slightly animated and voice-acted to create an approximation of action. Like other Street Fighter tales of the time, the plot revolves around Ryu seeking revenge for his fallen master while struggling to resist the Satsui no Hado.
Super Street Fighter IV OVA (2010)
As is customary, Capcom released an upgraded version of the original Street Fighter IV in 2010. To promote Super Street Fighter IV, they also released a new OVA as DLC. Sometimes referred to as Juri OVA by fans, this anime feature focuses on the new character Juri, a vicious fighter working underneath Seth. Hunting down former Shadaloo agents, Juri comes into conflict with Guile, Chun-Li, and Cammy. There’s not a lot here other than some fights and an intro to some new characters, but the story does serve as a good springboard into Super Street Fighter IV’s narrative if you are looking to know more before starting the game.
Street Fighter: The New Challengers (2011)
By 2011, Street Fighter was gearing up for celebrations. Street Fighter IV had been out for two years by this point, but the 20th and 25th anniversaries of Street Fighter and Street Fighter II, respectively, were fast approaching. Sadly, the only film release fans would get was Street Fighter: The New Challengers, a sequel to the Round One: FIGHT! motion comic. Again using voice actors and UDON Comics artwork, The New Challengers expanded the universe, focusing on Cammy, Guile, and Chun-Li as they circled the Street Fighter Tournament in pursuit of M. Bison and his criminal organization, Shadaloo.
Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist (2014)
In the mid-2010s, the coolest thing your favorite video game franchise could have was a Machinima web series. Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist was just that. This 12-episode web series was released following the success of a 2010 fan film and tells the story of Ryu and Ken first learning how to fight. The story is intercut with flashbacks of their master, Gouken, as he learns alongside his own rival, Akuma. Assassin’s Fist is a genuinely impressive effort that was acclaimed for its stunning costuming and impressive action. Sadly, like other Machinima projects, it’s nearly impossible to watch today, as it was removed from streaming services following Machinima’s closure.
Street Fighter: Resurrection (2016)
Though Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist was popular enough to initially warrant a second season, it had the misfortune of coming as Capcom was spinning up the promotional machine for Street Fighter V. The cast and creative team instead returned for a rebooted four-episode web series, Street Fighter: Resurrection. Designed to more closely tie into the game, Resurrection sees Ken and Ryu facing an undead assassin who is hunting down former Street Fighter tournament champions. This series was received roughly as well as Assassin’s Fist, but no movement was announced for a follow-up after its run concluded, ending Street Fighter’s tenure as a web series.
Street Fighter (TBA)
As of this writing, it has been nearly a decade since any kind of supplemental Street Fighter project, despite Street Fighter VI being one of the biggest video game releases of all time. That hasn’t stopped a project from entering production, though. After years of trying to put a project together, Legendary announced a The Eric Andre Show director Kitao Sakurai. However, the last update for the film was a grim one, as Sony removed it from their release calendar in March 2025. The film is now undated, and with no casting having been announced, the film looks like it may have slipped back into development hell.
Where To Watch Street Fighter Movies And Shows Online
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