Action-packed fighting games, beat-em-ups, and other titles will sometimes create a character who uses wrestling techniques to take down their enemies. From traditional grappling to bombastic and explosive crowd-pleasing moves, wrestlers are full of personality that steals the show of whatever game they’re in. The best wrestlers wear their inspirations on their sleeve, punctuating their combat in ways that fans will remember long after the credits roll.
Much like how boxers are a common archetype, wrestlers are modeled after real-life figures of great renown. For example, a character like Alex from the Street Fighter series has taken recent inspiration from “heels,” or anti-hero personas from WWE and other forms of staged wrestling. The over-the-top nature of wrestling or the gritty close-quarters combat of its true sport counterpart tend to create two types of characters, who each make big impacts in whatever games they are created in.
5. Wolf Hawfield (Virtua Fighter)
With the Virtua Fighter series returning with a new game soon, it’s no surprise that the first big character reveal for its roster included the wrestler Wolf Hawfield. This fighter has been present throughout Virtua Fighter‘s history, embodying the truest definition of a pro wrestler you’d imagine. Each of Wolf’s strike hit hard, dealing some of the highest damage of any Virtua Fighter character. However, it’s the grapples, throws, and lack of gimmicks that make Wolf likely the most authentic wrestler on this list.
Almost like a mix between a spectacular WWE wrestler and an MMA fighter, Wolf has quick jab combos that set up devastating Diamond Cutter grabs. Mix-ups and other tricky combos with elbow strikes and throws that opponents have a hard time breaking out of turn Wolf into a notorious character in Virtua Fighter. As a prominent wrestler, Wolf Hawfield almost represents a test for those learning to play the 3D fighting game, testing their knowledge surrounding the unorthodox fighting he employs.
4. Juan Aguacate (Guacamelee!)
The Lucha Libre side of wrestling is in many different games, from characters like El Fuerte from Street Fighter 4 and El Blaze from Virtua Fighter paying homage to iconic pro fighters like Rey Mysterio. That being said, Juan Aguacate from the Guacamelee! series may be the best representation of this type of wrestler, simply for how he adopts not only the aesthetic of Lucha Libre, but also the mythology that surrounds it as almost a hero of folklore.
The point of a Lucha Libre wrestler is for them to use their great strength and athletic prowess to defeat the forces of evil, which Juan Aguacate does multiple times throughout his adventures. The idea of a “Técnico,” or rough-and-tumble good guy, makes for the perfect protagonist for the Metroidvania genre Juan is in for his games. Platforming and brawling combat personify the Lucha Libre style at every step, forming an excellent wrestling character that exemplifies the world they present through their actions.
3. Mike Haggar (Final Fight/Marvel vs Capcom)
Beat-em-ups are outstanding places for a wrestler to be, but Mike Haggar is one of the first wrestling archetypes to be put into a game, period. Haggar originally appeared in Final Fight, an early title in Capcom’s arcade library that featured other iconic characters like Cody and Guy. Unlike many other gaming wrestlers, Haggar represents the idea of a “retired” wrestler, or an older fighter coming out of retirement to put fists on foes once again.
Much like some figures from throughout real-life wrestling, Haggar turned his popularity into a successful political career, becoming the mayor of Metro City in the process. Haggar’s efforts to defeat the Metal Gear Gang were punctuated by heavy throws, huge strikes with giant punches, and at least one metal pipe to the head of his enemies. As one of the longest-lasting wrestlers in gaming, Haggar has appeared in multiple Capcom titles, sometimes as a cameo in the Street Fighter series or as a playable fighter in Marvel vs Capcom crossovers.
2. King/Armor King (Tekken)
The jaguar-masked legends of King and Armor King are present in multiple Tekken games, representing fan-favorite characters in the 3D fighting game series. King is arguably a must-have fighter in every Tekken title, mainly for how his wide variety of moves are references to many wrestling finishers and styles. WWE techniques like The Rock’s “People’s Elbow,” The Undertaker’s “Tombstone,” and multiple “catch” style throws and submissions make up King’s fighting style as a love-letter to pro wrestling in general.
Armor King is somewhat similar, but with more “strike” style pro wrestling attacks that add a level of aggression to match his “heel” persona. The evil-looking Armor King pairs extremely well with King, especially when you look into their origins. Both characters are based off the real figure named Tiger Mask, with aspects of Mexican wrestler Fray Tormenta integrated into their techniques as well. This blend of multiple wrestling styles creates very original and explosive characters, who remain well-known even to players who’ve never played Tekken before.
1. Zangief (Street Fighter)
Whenever a wrestling character performs a grappling throw in a game, comparisons to Street Fighter‘s Zangief are inevitable. Zangief is arguably the most recognized wrestling character of all time, sometimes remembered more than real-life figures who wrestle professionally. This Russian mountain of muscle is infamous for spinning pile drivers that defy physics, dealing the most damage of any character in games like Street Fighter 2 where he debuted.
Over time, Zangief has been included in nearly every Street Fighter title, only gaining a greater reputation in each. A body of muscled iron has always been a fan-favorite, despite the difficulty of his command grab special moves, which require a 360 degree motion input. The challenge of playing Zangief against characters who try to lock him down with fireball projectiles and other zoning techniques makes it all the more satisfying when his simple throws effectively delete his opponent’s health bar.
Unlike other characters that use wrestling, Zangief’s style is wholly unique to him, forming an archetype that every other fighting game uses in some capacity. When other games can’t help but draw comparisons to him, it clearly defines Zangief as perhaps the best wrestler that video games have to offer.
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