Summary
There are a multitude of martial artists in video games, especially when it comes to classic fighting franchises likeMortal Kombat,Tekken,andStreet Fighter. When it comes to true martial arts masters, though, the list gets shorter. From wise, elderly men to classic Shaolin monks, these martial arts masters are the best of the best.
In this context, a martial arts master refers to characters who have taught the greatest martial artists in video games, and are therefore themselves masters of the art, or they are students who have surpassed their original teacher to become the true master. However they earned the title, these characters are ridiculously strong and are very proficient in martial arts.
For any gamers unfamiliar with theType Moonfranchise, and specificallyWitch on the Holy Night,Aoko Aozakimight seem like a strange choice to include when talking about video game martial arts masters. However, this strong-willedred-headed mage brawleris genuinely one of the strongest fighters from any video game franchise.
So how does it make sense that a mage also uses martial arts? Well, martial arts are mixed into her specific style of magecraft. Her combat emphasis is on melee and strength and her punches pack a serious punch. A lot of her moves are mirrored Shizuki, her fellow student and former roommate, heavily implying that Aozaki taught Shizuki martial arts. Gamers don’t have to play any game with her involved for long to understand her mastery of combat.
Yang’sachievements as a monk speak volumes of his abilities. He spent much of his life among the monks in the Kingdom of Fabul and has excelled through the ranks tobecome the strongestof them all. Despite this, Yang is very much a humble man and will never use his position to boast about his success.
Yang is an extremely skilled fighter and has a distinct understanding of the ways of the Shaolin monks. He is one of the strongest characters that players can add to their party inFinal Fantasy 4, as well as its sequel,Final Fantasy 4: The After Years. He even trains his daughter, Princess Ursula, to become an extremely talented martial arts fighter herself.
Players might expect to seeRyumuch higher on this list, but what many often forget is that there are actually even stronger characters in theStreet Fightercanon who trained Ryu and allowedhim to become the iconic fighterin gaming’s most well-known brawling franchise. Sure, Ryu is an extremely strong and capable fighter, but is he the strongest? No!
By all means, though, Ryu is most definitely one of the strongest martial arts masters now. What makes Ryu special is his dedication to training and his will to become the absolute best. He’s a great example of what anyone can achieve should they put their mind to something, and even though there are stronger martial arts masters in other video games, Ryu will always remain the most iconic one of all.
Lan Di,otherwise known as Longsun Zhao, is an incredibly talented master of the martial arts who, unfortunately, does not use his skills for good. Lan Di is the leader of the Chinese cartel group, the Chi You Men, and appears as the main antagonist inall three Shenmue games.
Lan Di murders series protagonist Ryo’s father in an act of false revenge, demonstrating his ruthless yet talented skills. Ryo’s father, Iwao, was a masterful fighter himself, so for Lan Di to overcome him so easily speaks volumes of his abilities. Lan Di has an extensive mastery of the Tiger Swallow Style, the martial art he uses to fatally strike Iwao down.
5Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden)
The Martial Arts Ninja
Ryu Hayabusais the protagonist in theexcellentNinja Gaidenfranchiseand has an astounding mastery of martial arts. Ryu’s specialty is a martial art called Hayabusa style Ninjutsu, which centers around the use of katanas, shurikens, and swords. Whilst not a traditional martial art form akin to others that primarily use fists, Ryu Hayabusa’s skills should be judged no differently.
This is an extremely powerful character and genuinely one of the strongest martial arts masters to ever exist in gaming. Ryu Hayabusa has studied multiple other martial arts styles, so he’s not completely reliant on his iconic weapons. He was originally trained by his father but swiftly surpassed him in skill and rightfully earned his martial arts master status.
Goukenis strong, incredibly strong, and he also happens to be an absolute master of martial arts. This is the man who trained the World Warrior Ryu, and even though Ryu is more recognized, it’s actually Gouken who is more powerful.
His distinct martial arts style is rooted in Ansatsuken, but it also takes on its own unique form. Gouken has the more traditional appearance of an elderly, bearded man that many forms of media often use to depict martial arts masters. However, he’s surprisingly underutilized in theStreet Fightervideo games and extended mangas. Despite this, Gouken is incredibly strong and raises Ryu to become a worthy master in his own right.
Wang Jinreiis the exact character that most gamers would think of when they picture a martial arts master. He’s a tall, skinny man, with a white beard and an inherently wise gaze. But don’t let that fool anyone, as Wang is one of the strongest martial arts masters in gaming and is capable of taking down the toughest opponents.
Wang has trained manycharacters from theTekkenfranchise, earning himself the worthy title of a martial arts master. He has a background in traditional Chinese martial arts, especially Chinese Kenpo, which is echoed through his moveset. Combining powerful strikes, throws, and counters, Wang is still faster and sharper than any of his opponents, despite his old age.
It’s crazy to think that the strongest martial arts masterfrom the Yakuza franchiseonly appeared in a PSP spinoff, and its sequel.Black Leopard: Like a Dragon New Chapterwas released exclusively for the PSP in 2010, and only came out in Japan. It has not received any remake or re-release, so most players won’t have even experienced this awesome title.
This shouldn’t take anything away fromTatsuya Ukyo, the game’s protagonist, because let’s just say he is one of the most powerful martial arts masters to ever grace a video game screen. Tatsuya is an MMA champion and has a total mastery of 20 different martial arts. I’s obvious why no one would want to go up against this guy… not even Kiryu!
TheMortal Kombatfranchise is filled with extremely powerful and talented martial arts masters, but it’s definitelyBo' Rai Chowho is the strongest. Firstly, Bo' Rai Cho has one of the most diverse fighting styles of any martial arts master in video games. He has a complete mastery of the Drunken Fist (Mi Zongquan) and Hua Chuan styles, with his Drunken Fist being innately strong due to its unpredictable nature.
Bo' Rai Cho is also an extremely wise and experienced fighter and has taught many characters himself. Among his students are the masterful Shaolin monks Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Kai, and although all three are extremely strong themselves, none have managed to surpass their teacher. Bo' Rai Cho is an extremely strong fighter and one of the most powerful martial arts masters to exist in gaming.
