5 familiar faces returning to the Street Fighter world

Get a sneak peek of the first episode of "Street Fighter: Resurrection" above.

With the start of "Street Fighter: Resurrection," and the launch of Street Fighter V, there are some familiar faces returning to the Street Fighter universe. If you haven't been following the series for a long time you might not know that hardcore fans have been waiting years to see some of their favorite characters appear again.

We'll count down the five world warriors who came back this year in "Street Fighter: Resurrection" and Street Fighter V, so you can be up to speed on everything Street Fighter related.

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1) Charlie Nash

The main antagonist of "Street Fighter: Resurrection," Charlie Nash has been a fan favorite ever since his appearance as a playable character in 1995's Street Fighter Alpha, a prequel to the Street Fighter canon. He was a first lieutenant in the Air Force until he was murdered by the nefarious M. Bison, and while he made some cameos in other games afterwards, he has been MIA from the Street Fighter world for a while.

That is until the events of "Street Fighter: Resurrection" kick off, where he is reanimated from death by Bison, but is now a pawn in a larger game, used as a puppet by Bison to seek revenge on his former allies. Nash returned as a playable character in Street Fighter V doning stitches, dead skin, and a mind control gem, suggesting that Bison and his crime syndicate Shadoloo revived him with different people's body parts in an effort to reuse his body for evil.

For years, Street Fighter developer Capcom had changed Nash's name in different regions. In the west, he was known as Charlie, and in the east he is Nash. During a comic book series it was revealed that his full name was Charlie Nash, thus making it easier for an international audience to recognize him. But with his return in the Resurrection series, Nash isn't quite himself, so we aren't sure what to make of his new form!

2) Karin Kanzuki

Karin has only appeared in one game, Street Fighter Alpha 3, but that did not stop fans from asking for her ever since. She finally became a playable character again with SF5, and she is even more deadly now than she was back in the '90s.

Karin is the daughter of a rich mogul, and has a whole corporation tied to her name. Living on a grand estate, and hanging out with her personal butler Ishizaki, Karin still decides to become a world warrior instead of resting on her laurels. If you play Street Fighter V you'll likely remember Karin from her discernable and iconic laugh. If you lose to her, it's like she is adding salt to wounds.

3) Rainbow Mika

Mika Nanakawa is a professional wrestler who dons the moniker 'Rainbow Mika', or R. Mika as she is known to Street Fighter players. She too was only in one other game before now, Street Fighter Alpha 3, but fans continued to champion for her return. Mika is special for being one of the few female fighting games characters ever to be a heavy hitter and a grappler, opting to utilize power over speed or finesse. In game, she relies on her tag-team partner Nadeshiko to catch her opponents off guard, making her quite unique in the Street Fighter series.

4) Alex

The first downloadable character coming to Street Fighter V (coming later this month), Alex was the main protagonist to the Street Fighter III games back in the late '90s and early '00s. While he didn't catch on as the most popular character, he created a passionate fanbase and ended up being included back into the SF lore. Alex is a native New Yorker, a blue collar guy who gets sucked into tournament after tournament because of lies and deceit. He can be currently seen in the background of the Wall Street stage of Street Fighter V but soon you'll be able to play him, a first for a Street Fighter game in over a decade.

5) Birdie

The last returning face from the past is Birdie, a British punk rocker with an appetite for donuts, soda, and junk food. He's gotten quite fat since his last playable appearance in the Street Fighter Alpha titles, but that doesn't make him any less of an effective fighter. Birdie also chooses to go with brute strength over subtleness, and bashes his head into opponents at will, throws around a chain he wears to grab fighters closer to him, and constantly uses food to his advantage during battles. If you thought slipping on a banana peel was a problem in real life, try playing against Birdie in game!