Capcom is ringing in 2021 with the first of five new characters for Street Fighter 5. SF5 has continued to receive DLC throughout its five-year lifespan. Each season pass has expanded the roster with six new combatants. Starting in Season 2, Capcom opted to take more risks with its DLC offerings, throwing in a mixture of established franchise favorites and brand new characters. Season 5 of Street Fighter 5 looks to be sticking to this formula, as its new additions include at least one who's never appeared in Street Fighter before.

Street Fighter 5 initially launched with 16 characters - a seemingly small roster for a franchise as rich in history as Capcom's standout fighting game. The roster grew by six characters every year, culminating in the current Champion Edition's impressive 40 characters. Celebrating the success of SFV, Capcom announced its intent give the game one more season of content, bringing in new characters, stages, costumes, and battle mechanics.

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The new characters making their way to Street Fighter 5 in the upcoming Season 5 all come from different places of Street Fighter's lore. While two of the characters made their debut in the Street Fighter Alpha series, which served as an interlude between SF1 and SF2, one of the newcomers made their first appearance in what is canonically the last series in the timeline. The last of the known newcomers comes from a series adjacent to Street Fighter, making her first appearance in Capcom's flagship fighter. The final character of the pack remains a mystery, but the other four stand out as veterans of Capcom's fighting games.

Street Fighter 5's New Season 5 Characters, Explained

Dan Hibiki and Rose are set to make their return to Street Fighter in Season 5. Both characters debuted in Street Fighter Alpha and later appeared in Street Fighter 4. Rose's story is tied inextricably to the story of M. Bison, Street Fighter's primary antagonist. Dan Hibiki's place in Street Fighter's history is that of the arbitrary joke character, with an overall weak move pool, despite having a serious story backing his appearances. Dan and Rose lead the Season 5 DLC pack, with Dan's launch set for February 2021 and Rose's for the spring.

Oro is the third character of the pack, making his first playable appearance in the franchise since Street Fighter 3: Third Strike. A martial arts master-turned-hermit, Oro is canonically one of Street Fighter's most powerful characters. This strength is emphasized by his abnormal fighting tactic of binding one arm to his side while fighting his opponents. During the events of Street Fighter 3, Oro was able to defeat Ryu and declare him a possible successor to his power. Oro's playable return is scheduled for summer 2021.

Akira Kazama joins the Street Fighter crew for the first time as the fourth new DLC character for Season 5. Akira's home game is Rival Schools, a series in which SF's own Sakura Kasugano once made a cameo appearance. She initially wears her signature biker outfit and skull helmet in an effort to hide her gender. Her fighting style is Hakkyokuken, a martial art known for its powerful elbow, shoulder, and palm strikes. Players will get to see how her brand of fighting translates to Street Fighter in the summer, as well.

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Season 5's final character remains a mystery, as Capcom has not lifted the lid on who it has planned to complete the game's roster. Street Fighter has often avoided guest characters, although this isn't beyond the realm of possibilities. If not a guest, Capcom's own roster of characters from various franchises affords the company plenty of options to round out the roster. Street Fighter 5 is expected to receive its final character in the fall, bringing its five-year saga to a close.

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