Why Street Fighter's Worst Protagonist Didn't Work

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  • Опубліковано 21 вер 2024
  • He had potential, and maybe he still does, but Abel just did not work when he was first released as Street Fighter 4's main protagonist. Why? If we're honest, it feels like it's because Capcom decided to rip an interesting story out from under him and turn him into a boring, bland, clone that everyone would surely forget.
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 761

  • @thebibliophilering8881
    @thebibliophilering8881 5 місяців тому +344

    They didn't give him a shot because they're abelist.

    • @Null_Horse-xh5xf
      @Null_Horse-xh5xf 3 місяці тому +12

      As someone with autism, I agree with this message.

    • @frozenray0079
      @frozenray0079 3 місяці тому +6

      I see what you did

    • @cococolonel
      @cococolonel 2 місяці тому +2

      I laughed and I'm not sorry.

  • @YeldellGW
    @YeldellGW 5 місяців тому +839

    “…pretty much goes nowhere.”
    SF in game storytelling in a nutshell.

    • @protodevilin
      @protodevilin 5 місяців тому +97

      Bingo. Narrative has never been Street Fighter's strong suit. It's fun to try to piece together tidbits into something that makes sense, but it takes HEAPS of speculation to fill in all the giant gaps in the story.

    • @EventHubs
      @EventHubs  5 місяців тому +97

      Yeah but they often invest in super interesting beginnings of stories... it's a shame they seem to not pull the trigger and actually bring things to entertaining fruition IMO

    • @tracyndiyob162
      @tracyndiyob162 5 місяців тому +10

      more like mortal kombat(it'll just lazily reboot itself repeating armageddon even worse again you know it as it's just gore outside a few.)/asuka in tekken's story in a nutshell as not everything needs to be 100 hours convoluted as a square rpg to be a story as capcom has great stories street fighter 4 was just a filler game past reviving fg boom..

    • @bulb9970
      @bulb9970 5 місяців тому +12

      @@protodevilin I do think Street Fighter had good story telling back in the Alpha and SF3 days. Characters like Bison, Rose, Sagat, Akuma, Cammy, Sakura, Dan... had well written backstories, motivations and things were shaping up to move forward with the Secret Society in SF3.
      But then SF4 decided to go back to Shadaloo, the doll stuff and what they did plant in that game with Seth and Abel went nowhere. SF5 had an abysmal story mode, but what they set up there with G, Rose and Gill was genuinely great.
      This would be the perfect opportunity for SF6 to tell what happens after that, but once again this went nowhere. What happened to them or any of the Third Strike characters? All the SF2 characters are back, but honestly they just feel the same as always except for visual design. SF6 really dropped the ball when it comes to moving the story forward.

    • @craigwright8216
      @craigwright8216 5 місяців тому

      They may come back to Abel once again I Hope.

  • @Rhino-n-Chips
    @Rhino-n-Chips 5 місяців тому +482

    We saw a glimpse of how Abel's personality could be fixed in SFxT. Guile picked him for his serious nature, only to find the guy is awkward in a "little confused, but he's got the spirit" way. When he sees Kuma, he puts the mission on the line just to pet the bear. This would've been a great angle, giving this towering dude a childlike sense of wonder without making him dumb. Even though he was supposed to be a killing machine, he's moved past enjoying the little things life in ways we take for granted. I don't know if it's the best angle, but it's better than NOTHING.

    • @ShinRyojin
      @ShinRyojin 5 місяців тому +67

      That would've been a great approach to his character. Like Android 16 in DBZ.

    • @erichthegraham
      @erichthegraham 5 місяців тому +19

      I honestly don't understand the hate towards Abel, I always thought he was pretty cool, and I'd love to see him return and what his take on Neo Shadaloo would be

    • @gimmeyourrights8292
      @gimmeyourrights8292 5 місяців тому +3

      Yeah like BJ Blascowicz

    • @Gamesackfan-bn6eg
      @Gamesackfan-bn6eg 5 місяців тому +20

      He was way more entertaining in Street Fighter x Tekken.

    • @toledochristianmatthew9919
      @toledochristianmatthew9919 5 місяців тому +13

      ​@@erichthegrahamthe problem is hthat he is barely utilized heck he barely makes an impact in sf5. Abel does deserve better.

  • @CulturedDegenerate
    @CulturedDegenerate 5 місяців тому +553

    I only just noticed, but what's up with all the next generation protagonists being blonde MMA guys with scars? (Abel, Alex, Luke) Someone at Capcom has a type

    • @technounionrepresentative4274
      @technounionrepresentative4274 5 місяців тому +192

      Rashid doesn't,
      But then again Rashid does not feel like "the protagonist" of SF5 at all

    • @ricovee9715
      @ricovee9715 5 місяців тому +86

      I would have guessed Nash more than Rashid.

    • @Cam10_84
      @Cam10_84 5 місяців тому +26

      ​@@technounionrepresentative4274Rashid and F.A.N.G I would say are the 2 main pillars of the SFV story.

    • @georgehernandez2156
      @georgehernandez2156 5 місяців тому +59

      Japan loves their blonde blue eyed protagonist.
      Street fighter 1 Ken
      Street fighter 2 Guile, vega
      Street fighter 3 Alex
      Street fighter alpha cody and charlie
      Street fighter 4 Abel
      Street fighter 6 Luke

    • @MagcargoMan
      @MagcargoMan 5 місяців тому +50

      ​@@georgehernandez2156 >Vega
      >protagonist

  • @calcutlass
    @calcutlass 5 місяців тому +260

    As far as Abel and Seth looking the same, they literally do it's just that Abel actually has skin lol.

    • @CornBreadtm1
      @CornBreadtm1 5 місяців тому +6

      Well, now that Seth has a female body... when they bring back Abel, will he?

    • @gimmeyourrights8292
      @gimmeyourrights8292 5 місяців тому +38

      ​@@CornBreadtm1 They did, her name is Manon.

    • @CornBreadtm1
      @CornBreadtm1 5 місяців тому +8

      @@gimmeyourrights8292 Manon plays nothing like Abel. Only thing similar is archetype and France.

    • @gimmeyourrights8292
      @gimmeyourrights8292 5 місяців тому +38

      @@CornBreadtm1 I was making a joke, when she was announced, people were saying Able took the surgery.

    • @DontKnowDontCare6.9
      @DontKnowDontCare6.9 4 місяці тому

      Except Seth clearly shows signs of having nothing in his crotch area. Maybe Abel does too?
      We may never know...

  • @JonNewgate
    @JonNewgate 5 місяців тому +713

    Ryu is Street Fighter. When I hear the name Street Fighter, I immediately think of Ryu.

    • @axx012
      @axx012 5 місяців тому +89

      Ryu is the face of street fighter like Spiderman is for marvel

    • @DanPankrat
      @DanPankrat 5 місяців тому +51

      Despite being a mascot of the series, Ryu doesn’t fit in the “Street Fighter” title.
      When I think about fighting on the streets in video games, I imagine the various slums, city centres and highways.
      Ryu is the martial arts master to begin with. He fights on various tournaments and other places.
      “Street Fighter” series is far from “fighting on the streets”: evil organisations, cults, human experiments and other stuff, but not about fighting on the streets.
      Terry Bogard can be described as Street Fighter. Cody (Final Fight) and Axel (Streets of Rage) also can be described as Street Fighter. Maybe, Paul Phoenix.
      But not Ryu. He had created a category of characters like Akira Yuki and Ryo Sakazaki.
      Ryu is Martial Arts Fighter, World Warrior, but not Street Fighter.

    • @blackout1524
      @blackout1524 5 місяців тому +6

      @@RebornOdin How is he put in a "Master role" when he doesn't have disciples? Ryu is just...there. Not doing anything of importance and never will.

    • @Malegazeactivist
      @Malegazeactivist 5 місяців тому +17

      @@DanPankrat Street Fighter title is a reference to a classic martial arts movie of the same name. Anyone can be one no matter how they fight.

    • @dayshonsmith1485
      @dayshonsmith1485 5 місяців тому

      @@axx012ehhhh …. Spider man is My favorite superhero….. but iron man, hulk, Captain America, wolverine all scream marvel poster boy too…

  • @barrysmith4610
    @barrysmith4610 5 місяців тому +154

    I honestly never thought Abel was SF4 main character loolll I just thought it was still Ryu with Abel just being one of the new characters along for the ride.

    • @youtooberman9001
      @youtooberman9001 4 місяці тому +28

      same here, abel being the main anything is news to me

    • @Rainhands22
      @Rainhands22 4 місяці тому +17

      Yeah all of the promotion seemed to feature Ryu. Although he didn't have much a story I thought he was the main. With SF5 for example it was obvious in the promotion and story that Rashid was the protagonist.

    • @watamutha
      @watamutha 4 місяці тому +2

      Yeah who cares about MMA when Ryu has got supernatural karate.

    • @DontKnowDontCare6.9
      @DontKnowDontCare6.9 4 місяці тому +2

      Same. I actually thought Abel was one of the new SF character designed to "bring in" KOF characters (Ralph and Clark) to SF.
      The others being Crimson Viper (Terry Bogard) and Juri (Kim Kaphwan).

    • @jackjack121
      @jackjack121 3 місяці тому +2

      Yeah, I don't know if that statement was true. I don't even know that Rashid was the main protagonist of SF5. The final battle is literally Ryu vs Bison.

  • @Chop23
    @Chop23 5 місяців тому +286

    If you can describe Abel in 3 words:
    Heartless (Super)
    Soulless (Ultra 1)
    Breathless (Ultra 2)

    • @johnguerrero4546
      @johnguerrero4546 5 місяців тому +23

      Brainless (Ultra 2)*

    • @lnemf
      @lnemf 5 місяців тому +30

      @@johnguerrero4546 My friends and I STILL quote the Brainless U2. Glad know the jokes not dead

    • @eyezonly8593
      @eyezonly8593 4 місяці тому +1

      Abel is almost a grappler

    • @realpumpkinsmasho
      @realpumpkinsmasho 4 місяці тому +3

      ahh and the forth option by youtube: Show less

    • @DontKnowDontCare6.9
      @DontKnowDontCare6.9 4 місяці тому +2

      The exec who decided Abel was the new protag: Hopeless.

  • @wdcain1
    @wdcain1 5 місяців тому +138

    Abel was interesting in SFxT. There he was just a kooky cloudcuckoolander who gushes over furry animals and space aliens. This even makes him more Seth's opposite since he's so serious and laser-focused on his goals. Capcom should have stuck with this characterization.

    • @user-tzzglsstle585e38
      @user-tzzglsstle585e38 5 місяців тому +9

      Still not a good character tho

    • @DanPankrat
      @DanPankrat 5 місяців тому +17

      The problem is that SFxT is such underrated game…

  • @theredandblueyakuza
    @theredandblueyakuza 4 місяці тому +142

    Abels problem is his design, his clothes are boring as hell, if he had a more interesting design people won't care how boring he is

    • @probablyjinxed
      @probablyjinxed 4 місяці тому +39

      yeah at least the feminine-looking judo boy concept would’ve been more visually interesting…

    • @thaneros
      @thaneros 4 місяці тому +25

      It really is. Like who the fuck thought the top half of a sleeveless Gi with soccer shorts and shin guards was cool looking.

    • @jaleelkahn7032
      @jaleelkahn7032 4 місяці тому +10

      ​@@thanerosit's literally sambo 🙄 that's like complaining about classic Honda or something

    • @thaneros
      @thaneros 3 місяці тому +1

      @@jaleelkahn7032 I apologize for my western ignorance but Sambo has a different meaning in the United States.

    • @jaleelkahn7032
      @jaleelkahn7032 3 місяці тому +1

      @@thaneros I live in the US and yeah, but whose fault is that lol

  • @InvictusSolDeus
    @InvictusSolDeus 5 місяців тому +58

    Also, Abel background is to similar to Cammy. A blonde amnesiac european with conections with the main villain. He loves dogs while Cammy loves cats.

    • @Manesson
      @Manesson 5 місяців тому +22

      Not to mention the scar and military tactical combat.

    • @squirrelsyrup1921
      @squirrelsyrup1921 4 місяці тому +2

      Abel just needed to cast spoirel arrew

  • @cooppp
    @cooppp 5 місяців тому +110

    I thought Abel recognized the sonic boom because Seth could do it so either he was being taught to learn it like him in the past or just saw a Seth clone do it before he escaped

    • @EventHubs
      @EventHubs  5 місяців тому +53

      You know, Seth does the damn move with one hand too...

    • @Negajoe
      @Negajoe 5 місяців тому +7

      Hmm...that seems a little unlikely because than he'd go around telling this to everyone who Seth copied moves from. Like Dhalsim about his teleporting or Zangief about his SPD's.

    • @AcroxShadow
      @AcroxShadow 2 місяці тому

      ​@@Negajoe I think the Sonic Boom is a more distinct technique from most others he copies. It makes sense that Abel would point that one out specifically, IMO.

  • @dee_dee4640
    @dee_dee4640 5 місяців тому +46

    Since Ed returned in sf6 and looked cooler than his last appearance, I wouldn’t mind Abel returning. After all, sf6 Ed is proof you can make unpopular characters cooler.

    • @D3wd20p
      @D3wd20p 3 місяці тому +1

      My vote is to put Abel on estrogen and bring back the original design. Bridget proved us queers can do numbers for the popularity, and it would certainly be more unique.

    • @alfalldoot6715
      @alfalldoot6715 3 місяці тому +10

      ​@D3wd20p Nah don't take away the man's bulk that'd just be cruel

    • @thehevandragon
      @thehevandragon 3 місяці тому +7

      @D3wd20p
      Honestly no.
      That would be a dumb way to bring back the old design.

    • @dashieldmasta177
      @dashieldmasta177 2 місяці тому

      @@D3wd20pwhat the mcshit are you talking about

  • @mikep4957
    @mikep4957 5 місяців тому +73

    Since Abel wasn't in Ties that Bind I wasn't even aware he was the main character lmao

    • @therock238360
      @therock238360 4 місяці тому +18

      I wasn’t aware Abel was the protag until I played Vanilla SF IV for the first time ever a few days ago, and noticed the character select screen defaults to him

    • @dougfisher2060
      @dougfisher2060 20 днів тому

      He was in Ties That Bind, but only at the end.

  • @frozenray0079
    @frozenray0079 4 місяці тому +27

    Let's be honest, though. Capcom did a terrible job of marketing Abel as the new main character in SF4. TERRIBLE job. Outside of the him being the default cursor selection in the character select screen, we had no idea he was supposed to be the main character. Without extensive research, we had no idea Rashid was the main character of SF5. They did well with Luke in SF6, and did okay with Alex in SF3 Third Strike but it otherwise still felt they were marketing Ryu as the hero in almost every other entry except 6.

    • @natediaz1863
      @natediaz1863 3 місяці тому +2

      Luke looks like a child's create a character. Modern Capcom is trash tier character design. There isn't one new character that looks cool and they goofed on several old designs (wth happened to Blanka??).

  • @vitaminrstudios
    @vitaminrstudios 5 місяців тому +60

    6:08 Capcom is notorious for giving Ryu hero moments that should have went to other characters. In 3rd strike in-game dialogue between Chun-li and Urien insinuates that Chun-li played a major role in Bison/Shadaloo's collapse, then in Street Fighter 5 in the story, we see it was mainly Nash and Ryu with Ryu getting the major hero moment that put away Bison for good.

    • @falconeshield
      @falconeshield 4 місяці тому +11

      Should've been Chun Li yes

    • @Feuerhamster
      @Feuerhamster 3 місяці тому +9

      To be fair, screwing Chun Li over is very on-brand for Capcom.

  • @henriknobinder7395
    @henriknobinder7395 4 місяці тому +83

    My man honestly wants to claim that Abel is the forgettable main character and then casually drops that Rashid was supposed to be the main character of SF5. No, sorry, Rashid is the worse main character in that case. He is, in fact, the only main character that I had no idea was supposed to be main character.

    • @gabrielrizzo6969
      @gabrielrizzo6969 4 місяці тому +19

      Rashid has a banger theme song tough, but yes, SFV seemed to have Nash as a protagonist at first when playing it, that game's story modes are a mess.
      Same thing for its villain, initially propping Necalli, then dropping him for Bison again.

    • @HotelOwner-ul5nc
      @HotelOwner-ul5nc 3 місяці тому +15

      Same, this is my first time hearing that Rashid was supposed to be the protagonist of SFV lol. At least you *know* who the protagonist of SF4 is

    • @keithragin89
      @keithragin89 3 місяці тому +11

      Rashid was dlc how is he the mc

    • @keithragin89
      @keithragin89 3 місяці тому

      And that’s just you who didn’t know

    • @Hilipinapixili
      @Hilipinapixili 2 місяці тому +4

      I don't know... I still think Rashid is more memorable as a character in general even if nobody got the impression that he was the MC. And in a way that actually makes Abel even worse when you think about it.

  • @Kalebent
    @Kalebent 5 місяців тому +89

    They should have made Illuminati Nash the one to rescue Abel. And Abel should have been the one to direct Guile to Nash. That's the perfect resolution to two different storylines. Nash would have had a proper reunion with Guile this way. Remember all the build-up when Nash was first announced for SF5? THAT WAS HYPE! Capcom manages to fuck up everything promising, though.

    • @DanPankrat
      @DanPankrat 5 місяців тому +14

      Ah, yes, that story where they killed Nash quite after his resurrection…
      Capcom really fucked up with this.

    • @ShaneusSnake
      @ShaneusSnake 4 місяці тому +1

      Such a good idea

  • @waterdog737
    @waterdog737 5 місяців тому +82

    Classic case of the OG World Warriors dependance and Capcom always chasing the newer generation market with their protagonist poser boys whose name is not ryu. the ghost of street fighter 3 criticism all over again

    • @DanPankrat
      @DanPankrat 5 місяців тому +17

      I think SF2 is overrated.
      Despite the influence it had on its launch, many years have passed, many new good fighting games were released, and I’ll never deal with 6-button input controllers.

    • @technounionrepresentative4274
      @technounionrepresentative4274 5 місяців тому +13

      ​@@DanPankratsf2 really has aged,
      It's still playable but outside of it's significance in fighting games I do not see any reason to play it over other games

    • @seph13x
      @seph13x 5 місяців тому +17

      SF2 is still awesome and plays great. It's tons of fun to get back into every few years. No serious long time fighting game player has ever not put it in the top 5 or 10 of all time. No game has had the legs this game has, it's still actively played on fightcade.

    • @DanPankrat
      @DanPankrat 5 місяців тому

      @@technounionrepresentative4274yeah, good point.
      I feel the same, actually.

    • @meganinten0078
      @meganinten0078 5 місяців тому +6

      The OG World Warriors are overrated and boring at this point.

  • @belakthrillby
    @belakthrillby 4 місяці тому +21

    Very interesting video but i think it could easily be summed up as "Abel had a boring visual design, boring in game personality, and none of his moves had any flair." He doesnt fulfill any power fantasy that most players might have and his gameplay wasnt good enough to compensate for that.

    • @kirbyjoe7484
      @kirbyjoe7484 12 днів тому

      I think what you are describing is the cause behind the videos effect. I think Capcom realized they built a dud character when it came to design and how he played and then panicked to retcon the story so it didn't revolve around him so much since he was the Street Fighter equivalent of a boiled hotdog with no fixings.

  • @junkmail6274
    @junkmail6274 5 місяців тому +51

    The fact that Abel was to supposed to RVD and Fedor wasn't known to me until just now....honestly Capcom should have leaned into this more at the time...and younger me would have totally dug this...

  • @MusicInMe754
    @MusicInMe754 4 місяці тому +57

    Even with his role in the story mode, I had no idea that Rashid was considered the main character of SF5. I've been a longtime fan of Street Fighter's lore but holy fuck, Capcom itself cannot tell a SF story for shit!

    • @tek87
      @tek87 4 місяці тому +11

      Capcom needs to accept that Ryu will always be the main character of SF as long as they include him in the roster.

    • @emperormegaman3856
      @emperormegaman3856 3 місяці тому +5

      @Tek87 Capcom knows that. The goal isn't to "replace" Ryu as the main character of the franchise, it's to have one Sub-protagonist coexist with him for each specific game, while Ryu remains the face of the serie as a whole.
      Now, they generally don't succeed that well at that due to brand management errors (III) inability to tell a story (I and V), trying too hard to push the new guy (Luke on VI) though in this last case, things seems to be turning around to some extent.
      The one that unequivocally worked would be Chun-li and Guile if you consider them SFII protagonists.

    • @boisvert45
      @boisvert45 3 місяці тому

      Exactly, i found out Rashid was the "main guy" here too, i always thought it was Ryu or if not him then probably Nash

  • @essamimz
    @essamimz 5 місяців тому +44

    Actually, Capcom Street Fighter's story telling is weak most of the time, unlike SNK who always try to keeps the dots connected

    • @isaiahhellems7901
      @isaiahhellems7901 4 місяці тому +3

      Exactly

    • @obiyofi9792
      @obiyofi9792 3 місяці тому +1

      also most of the protagonists from each saga are unique and interesting. both gameplay and lore. even the character that fans disliked at first like Ash.

    • @isaiahhellems7901
      @isaiahhellems7901 3 місяці тому

      @@obiyofi9792 100%

    • @hafirenggayuda
      @hafirenggayuda 3 місяці тому +4

      ​@@obiyofi9792Ash become quite liked after his true nature revealed, his story is polished. Capcom on other hand seems just gave up fixing the new mc, and go back to old characters

  • @michaelmcdermott1624
    @michaelmcdermott1624 5 місяців тому +44

    On the subject of Alex (3:35), I think Valle observed that the character wasnt that popular during Street Fighter III's heyday and that the pro-Alex sentiment is recent.

    • @randomcharacter6501
      @randomcharacter6501 5 місяців тому +10

      He definitely wasn't popular then

    • @antonhanna2423
      @antonhanna2423 4 місяці тому +5

      @@randomcharacter6501 What didn't help his popularity was the fact that people quickly recognized that the only reason Alex existed was so that he could have a "rivalry" with Hugo (which didn't go anywhere), and the whole "Hogan vs Andre" homage didn't exactly age well due to a combination of Andre the Giant's passing and the fact that everybody (justifiably) hates Hulk Hogan nowadays.

    • @jaleelkahn7032
      @jaleelkahn7032 4 місяці тому +1

      ​@@antonhanna2423 I don't get it. Andre died quite a long time ago so I don't know how that affects Hugo, and Hogan was extremely popular throughout the 90s when the series came out.
      SFIII, meanwhile, didn't seem to have much of an audience until Third Strike hit home. Double Impact was a flop commercially and in the few states I lived in, never saw a machine for the early iterations. Alex in particular still isn't a hugely popular character to play

  • @GuileSSF2
    @GuileSSF2 5 місяців тому +28

    Abel was a pretty cool MC, just not fleshed out enough... Abel has a really cute personality, even though he had an absolutely ROUGH time in his past, yet he still remained optimistic. guy loves cute lil pups AND even bears! (as seen SF X Tekken, and idc if its non-canon its ABSOLUTELY in character for him)
    overall, hes got a good base. the first male bison doll (excluding seth), a frenchman who is also a grappler, and a really unique one at that, who has little to none of his past memories, but its shown he still has a ton of humanity in him, despite everything. If Capcom gave him more time to shine, he'd be waaay more popular than he is now. heres to hope him and Alex return in sf6

  • @SPEP363
    @SPEP363 5 місяців тому +19

    If you’re interested, I’d love a companion piece that explores how and why C. Viper-who was essentially posited as the deuteragonist to Abel’s protagonist-similarly fell short. The most obvious answer is the introduction of Juri, but even before she came along, Viper’s depiction in The Ties That Bind makes her feel, in my opinion, even more poorly executed as a character than Abel, given that he at least comes across as inoffensive by comparison.

  • @ADreamingTraveler
    @ADreamingTraveler 5 місяців тому +13

    Too bad we didn't get the original version of Abel even if it's a bit strange. Way less bland and boring than what we got lol

  • @ReverenceQ2
    @ReverenceQ2 5 місяців тому +23

    Pretty sure Seth was named after Seth Killian, a quick google search shows the below:
    The character is named after Seth Killian, Capcom's former senior manager. Killian explained in an interview dated April 2009 that it was not his idea to have the character named after himself, though he felt honored as a Street Fighter fan for being part of the series' history.

    • @SouthpawHare
      @SouthpawHare 4 місяці тому +1

      It's both. It's in honor of Seth Killian, but it also fits the biblical references they were already going for.

    • @MartezAnims
      @MartezAnims 3 місяці тому +1

      Its a double entandre

  • @jozsva8064
    @jozsva8064 4 місяці тому +10

    I always thought Nash was the main protagonist in SFV.

  • @crimsonscars8305
    @crimsonscars8305 4 місяці тому +16

    The minute they abandoned the original design that had a clear message behind it in exchange for a boring incohesive mishmash of plucking pieces from irl sources, he was doomed. You’d remember the one time SF had a tiny protagonist. You don’t remember the guy who doesn’t even manage stand out in the smaller lineup from the original version of IV.

    • @StofenThe1st
      @StofenThe1st 4 місяці тому +2

      Could of had a Little Mac style protagonist.

    • @Shyuthrosnaevin
      @Shyuthrosnaevin 3 місяці тому +2

      yeah femboy abel would've been way cooler

    • @D3wd20p
      @D3wd20p 3 місяці тому

      ​@@Shyuthrosnaevin terror twink

  • @Daniel-lg7bo
    @Daniel-lg7bo 5 місяців тому +11

    Just a head up, in the official Street Fighter timeline, as well as relationships between characters graphs, it states that Nash rescued Abel 5 years prior to SF4. So that detail is still canonical, and apparently happened during Alpha 3 events.

  • @devinfarmer6308
    @devinfarmer6308 5 місяців тому +52

    Abel was such a cool character. I liked his rush down playstyle. I hope he comes back in SF6

    • @leoalcaraz6153
      @leoalcaraz6153 5 місяців тому

      That’s why I used him it was cool using a rekka grappler

    • @aledantih6524
      @aledantih6524 4 місяці тому

      I think Manon is his replacement

  • @kevingriffith6011
    @kevingriffith6011 4 місяці тому +9

    0:06 Hell, I'd argue that Ryu wasn't even the protagonist of Street FIghter 2. Bison is *not* Ryu's villain, he doesn't know who Bison is, he doesn't care. Bison belongs to Chun Li, Guile and Cammy (And eventually Nash and Juri).

  • @meganinten0078
    @meganinten0078 5 місяців тому +9

    Abel reminds me of Taven (Mortal Kombat), because of how bland he looks.
    His personality doesn't help him 😅
    Abel IS the definition of plain.
    I even prefer Rufus over Abel.
    At least Rufus makes me feel something.

  • @JOmega2007
    @JOmega2007 5 місяців тому +5

    Boring character. Good bye and good riddance. SF4 just had a handful of boring new characters. The only one that stuck was Juri.

  • @Malegazeactivist
    @Malegazeactivist 5 місяців тому +64

    Why are Bison's clones always blonde?

    • @EventHubs
      @EventHubs  5 місяців тому +47

      Blonde and (usually) bland

    • @DanPankrat
      @DanPankrat 5 місяців тому +9

      Maybe because Bison was originally blonde? I guess…

    • @gamerguyandsomenumbers
      @gamerguyandsomenumbers 5 місяців тому

      Dictators tend to have a thing for blonde hair and blue eyes.

    • @darrellwilliams1714
      @darrellwilliams1714 5 місяців тому +30

      Hitlers idea of the perfect person. It makes sense lol

    • @ouranos0101
      @ouranos0101 5 місяців тому +25

      It's an allusion to Hitler's obsession with the Aryan race.

  • @nemesis9479
    @nemesis9479 4 місяці тому +6

    Now i WISH they kept Abel’s original design. It would’ve helped to make Abel more recognizable and memorable due to him looking different from the other protagonists.

  • @Dafirus
    @Dafirus 5 місяців тому +20

    If Daigo the beast hadn't openly badmouthed the character, perhaps Capcom would have given Abel a chance to succeed.

  • @technounionrepresentative4274
    @technounionrepresentative4274 5 місяців тому +7

    The theory proposed here would fix both remy and abel,
    Have abel be a skilled but unknown fighter that came under shadaloo's radar and was captured and used as a base for the characters like seth, have them wipe his memory and have shadaloo tell remy and his sister that he abandoned them and was killed,
    Have abel break out of shadaloo's control and help take down the orginization alongside characters like c viper and chun li
    (Spy's and agents, it makes sense that they would team up and it would give viper something more to do)
    But abel still does not remember his past, so he goes on a journey to discover who he is,
    During this time remy has become angry at his father and the world for his father dying,
    And after his sister dies he discovers that his father is actually alive and has been alive this entire time,
    Have remy attack abel
    (Who at this time has regained most of his memory)
    And have the 2 reconcile after their fight,
    It sucks that capcom seemingly picks their lore by blindly picking it from a grab bag and that street fighter 6 is seemingly an attempt to move on from the various plot threads of the past

  • @microblast3700
    @microblast3700 5 місяців тому +74

    Abel was the most bland as f character EVER

    • @ChoseDeath
      @ChoseDeath 5 місяців тому +5

      Not to play, but good GOD was his story boring.

    • @leoalcaraz6153
      @leoalcaraz6153 5 місяців тому +10

      Yes because he a doll like the millions of dolls that are not named cammy

    • @dee_dee4640
      @dee_dee4640 5 місяців тому +8

      Necalli: am I a joke to you?

    • @rimzaaah5892
      @rimzaaah5892 5 місяців тому

      @ChoseDeath he was fun? How?

    • @ChoseDeath
      @ChoseDeath 5 місяців тому +1

      @@rimzaaah5892 Trying to hit his one frame links and mixing up your opponents was great fun!

  • @AdversaryOne
    @AdversaryOne 5 місяців тому +6

    You asked the question, so I say we move on. If they didn't bother to tie up his loose ends in V, why bother now. The idea of Remmy being his son is pretty neat though.

  • @LeeComedyCave
    @LeeComedyCave 5 місяців тому +4

    A clone with amnesia!! Who writes this stuff??

  • @raphaelmarquez9650
    @raphaelmarquez9650 3 місяці тому +1

    Abel being Remy's long lost father sounds like typical MatPat theory.

  • @chidorisnake22
    @chidorisnake22 5 місяців тому +15

    Let's be real: neither Abel nor Rashid are convincing protagonists. They are MCs in name only. Rashid wasn't even among the first batch of characters announced, and even though he had some section of SFV's story focused on him, it was still ultimately Ryu that defeated Bison.
    The only *real* MC change we got after Alex was Luke because of his heavy presence in both the marketing and the story because unlike with Abel or Rashid, Capcom actually committed to the changing of the guard.

    • @ADreamingTraveler
      @ADreamingTraveler 5 місяців тому +8

      Yeah Luke is the only time Capcom has legitimately committed to having a real new main character for the series because in all the other past cases they were too afraid of not having Ryu involved to some degree. In SF6 it's refreshing that they changed things and Ryu's story arc is basically over and he's just relaxing now lol

    • @sigmalaflare
      @sigmalaflare 5 місяців тому

      Rashid stopping the black moon was the reason that Ryu defeated Bison. It was powering all the psycho powered soldiers, including dolls in their battle against the heroes. So yes, he was the protagonist and FANG was the antagonist who got stuff done, up until Rashid stopped him. If not for those two, SFV would've been another regurgitated SF story of Bison and Ryu rhetoric *yawn*

    • @chidorisnake22
      @chidorisnake22 5 місяців тому +2

      @@sigmalaflare Are we also forgetting that Nash also greatly weakened Bison before Rashid shut down the Black Moons? He wasn't even the only one to weaken Bison. In fact, you could even make a case that Nash was another "main protagonist" of SFV, so either way, no, Rashid wasn't really *the* protagonist imo when he had to share the spotlight with two other characters. And yes, the Black Moons were FANG's plan, but they were to supplement and siphon power to *the* main antagonist, who was still Bison.
      My point is there is a difference between being a protagonist and *the* main protagonist, and that certainly was not Rashid.

    • @mr.protagonist5639
      @mr.protagonist5639 4 місяці тому +3

      ​@@sigmalaflareno he wasn't. What your describing is a support role. If your reversed ryu and Rashids positions then you'd be onto something.

    • @icehulk2
      @icehulk2 3 місяці тому

      I was thought Necali was the main protagonist of SF5.

  • @EnnVP
    @EnnVP 5 місяців тому +27

    Another uninspired blonde character design with no personality. His moveset was pretty good though. I'd have rather seen him return than Ed

  • @metaltornado3457
    @metaltornado3457 3 місяці тому +2

    6:51 I like the idea of Abel being Remy's father. Great way to make them both more relevant characters and explain Remy's Sonic Boom. I somehow doubt Capcom would put the effort into salvaging Abel after they botched him so bad in Street Fighter 4. Still, there's potential...

  • @Prophet_Of_Pants
    @Prophet_Of_Pants 5 місяців тому +6

    Not for nothin but I’ve always loved Abel growing up. His theme, his voice, the soulless super, his potential connection with Nash. I wanted to know more. You posed some interesting thoughts of what could have been or what was supposed to be. There’s a structure of story events you’d laid out that I’d like to ask permission to use to potentially later down the road make a comic dub SF4 story focused on Abel.

  • @Batistadx4
    @Batistadx4 5 місяців тому +3

    It's so wild that, between the Transfem Judo Fighter and King Cobra, SF4 had great charqcter designs arguable usurped by characters that are completely irrelevant now (Abel/Rufus).

  • @inazumabeats215
    @inazumabeats215 5 місяців тому +4

    Wait... Rashid is the main character of 5? Huh?

  • @joecoolmccall
    @joecoolmccall 5 місяців тому +4

    Problem with the Remy connection- Remy's moves seem to be "light" and "darkness" connected, and not sound/wind (sonic) connected.
    For instance, his projectile is the "Light of Virtue".
    Thst said..with how everyone is related to everyone in SF, so I wouldn't be surprised lol

  • @Drianadameluz
    @Drianadameluz 4 місяці тому +2

    Alex, a Hulk Hogan tribute with grappling specials.
    "He's not a grappler".

  • @kaoko111
    @kaoko111 5 місяців тому +4

    Street Fighter has a serious problem with characters. And before anyone start to throw a fit, bear with me, i'm NOT saying the games are bad (in fact i'm still having a blast with SF VI) but character wise they are always lacking in some regards.
    I get that fighting games are not precisely Shakespeare with their stories, however there's other series, specially lately that are doing a great job polishing story modes, individual arcs and even character design to do better characters. And is not like SF can't do better, there's plenty of SF characters that have a great lore, personality and design that sometimes even goes toe to toe with gameplay. But still there's a lot of instances were they became lazy with it and is a shame because Capcom is still doing a ton of money with the series and the fans deserve better.

  • @ArkticDark
    @ArkticDark 5 місяців тому +10

    They could bring back older man Abel who remembers how to do quarter circle booms, with a command grab...

  • @rlohn2352
    @rlohn2352 5 місяців тому +4

    This was great! Love the deep dive videos into these characters, keep up the good work EventHubs!👍

    • @EventHubs
      @EventHubs  5 місяців тому +3

      Glad you like them!

  • @thehale_
    @thehale_ 3 місяці тому +2

    That theory about Abel and Remy sounds so good

  • @qcfx2a
    @qcfx2a 4 місяці тому +2

    I actually didn't know that Rashid was SFV's hero

  • @zumba.c
    @zumba.c 5 місяців тому +3

    His step kick BNB was a 1-frame link. 😬

  • @Brassmonkey3242
    @Brassmonkey3242 4 місяці тому +2

    Hold up, did you just say "spoilers" for a 2000 year old story lol? But excellent content here

  • @rgg1009
    @rgg1009 5 місяців тому +4

    What if the mercenary that helped Abel was actually Remy's father?

    • @EventHubs
      @EventHubs  5 місяців тому +4

      That'd be interesting too, though you'd still have a lot more explaining to make things make sense.

  • @CamSTL
    @CamSTL 3 місяці тому +1

    Abel: Im the poster boy of Street Fighter IV 🎉
    Ryu: Thats cute

  • @MajinAsuraPath
    @MajinAsuraPath 5 місяців тому +1

    Abel didn't have to explain to Guile where he saw the Sonic Boom because you literally fight the guy that uses it after the Rival fight. Seth.

  • @deadringer-cultofdeathratt8813
    @deadringer-cultofdeathratt8813 5 місяців тому +4

    6:02 “spoilers” 💀

  • @fakeusers2
    @fakeusers2 4 місяці тому +2

    Un-Able to have any kind of lasting impressions 😥

  • @raulseda1230
    @raulseda1230 5 місяців тому +2

    They tried to do another Cammy-esk idea backstory but flopped.

  • @UberHero17
    @UberHero17 4 місяці тому +2

    Fixing Abel
    Make him the opposite of Seth, a move stealer, by making him the MMA fighter picking up moves from friends and others into his moveset. Take characters people do not like enough to bring back as his background pals and use their moves. Take El furte and Hakan grabs and Spin/strikes from Rufus all to his strike/grab style then other low-tier fellas for specials. This would also make him a world explorer with quotes that reference these characters and would help the build-fighter move expansion.

  • @ArynBacklogDragon
    @ArynBacklogDragon 4 місяці тому +2

    honestly, femboy Able looked like a really cool idea.

  • @anthonyberno1332
    @anthonyberno1332 5 місяців тому +2

    I just don't get this approach to worldbuilding, like... why? What's the point to all this? It's such a shame because there are so many cool characters like Akuma, Cammy... but they are surrounded by an absolute brainrot of a story.

  • @Resident-of-Pluto
    @Resident-of-Pluto 3 місяці тому +3

    If only we were living in the timeline where judo femboy Abel was real

  • @XiaoFury
    @XiaoFury 4 місяці тому +1

    Street Fighter has a full vault of throw away characters.

  • @leoalcaraz6153
    @leoalcaraz6153 5 місяців тому +4

    Capcom just can’t write a coherent story but design? Able looks awesome plays awesome ( he’s a rekka grappler!!!) which sux because manon just sucks; also Alex was not popular it’s why he ,just like able, never felt like the protagonist

  • @smicksite
    @smicksite 5 місяців тому +5

    ...too bad they didn't tie Abel into Manon's back story ...I like the idea of Remy being his child ...maybe Manon could have been Remy's younger sister who was raised as an only child (...Manon's story is mostly mother-centric ...there's still nothing regarding her father yet ...?) ...ah well, just spit-balling here 😅

    • @DanPankrat
      @DanPankrat 5 місяців тому +2

      Could Manon be the lost twin of Remy’s sis?
      That would be such a twist!

    • @smicksite
      @smicksite 5 місяців тому +1

      @@DanPankrat ...Remy's older sister would be the one frozen in ice 😉

    • @DanPankrat
      @DanPankrat 5 місяців тому

      @@smicksitehuh? I don’t get it.

    • @smicksite
      @smicksite 5 місяців тому +2

      @@DanPankrat ...oh, sorry, if I remember Remy's story correctly, after you finish the final boss, Remy visits his older sister's tomb (...she's frozen in ice) ...so that sister would be too old (...and too dead) to be Manon 😅

    • @Manesson
      @Manesson 5 місяців тому +1

      Manon is designed to be in her mid to late 30s during SF6, therefore she would be in her mid to late 20s during SF3.
      According to several hints, Rémy in SF3 is designed to be somewhere between early 20s to mid 20s, Manon is most likely older than him.

  • @laffy7204
    @laffy7204 4 місяці тому +2

    I wonder what would have happened if they kept the original design. Would have Capcom gone a different direction with character story or how they play? Would he become more popular somehow? So many questions that will never get answered

    • @doodoo2065
      @doodoo2065 4 місяці тому +1

      The design was honestly cute. Capcom making a pretty male character? All the way back in sf4? That would have been hella rare, more of an Snk move than a Capcom move tbh at least at the time

  • @gamerx112
    @gamerx112 3 місяці тому +2

    They literally could've gone with the prototype and they'd been an instant classic.
    gib shota fighter :(

  • @tirion2840
    @tirion2840 5 місяців тому +4

    your theory would be awesome, never heard before (as a french players who's mains Remy in 3.3).
    Except that, i always loved Abel for his music, gameplay and i don't know my empathy to him.
    Maybe an incomplete character but not bad at all !

  • @YouGuessIGuess
    @YouGuessIGuess 2 місяці тому +1

    People look at SF4 with rose tinted glasses now, but I remember the disappointment when the four newcomers were announced. Viper looked like a KoF character, Abel looked too generic, and Fuerte and Rufus were, well, Rufus and Fuerte.
    I mostly mained Abel in SF4 because I missed Alex. Even considering that, I don't really care if he ever comes back. His plot, which was always too close to Cammy, has been duplicated by Ed anyway.

  • @jackmcslay
    @jackmcslay 3 місяці тому +1

    Crimsom Viper was also as important to SF4's story as chun li was in previous games, and she's completely gone. Capcom should take a note from SNK who can actually establish new protagonists and have them be staples of the series like K' and Ash Crimson

  • @nicodemusedwards6931
    @nicodemusedwards6931 3 місяці тому +1

    It’s a shame they didn’t go with Abel’s original vibe. It honestly woulda been kinda fun for a SF protag to not be a guy who looks like they consume a jar of Whey Protein a day. Not saying I don’t like that, just woulda been a neat deviation.

  • @sng3939
    @sng3939 4 місяці тому +1

    Capcom need to realise ryu is the face of street fighter. The fact he’s not on the cover of SF6 is just weird. It should ryu at least along with Ken would’ve been a 10/10 cover.

  • @Zetton199198
    @Zetton199198 5 місяців тому +1

    Has he forgotten that Seth can do the Sonic Boom as well?
    I always assumed thats were Abel had seen it before since he recognized Seth's appearance from before in his past.
    Least as one of the options for his story.

  • @koopatroopa
    @koopatroopa 3 місяці тому +1

    Lol saying "brainless" while showing a clip of Breathless. That's a throwback

  • @ElasticLove12
    @ElasticLove12 5 місяців тому +1

    I love his design and play style but absolutely hated his lack of character and personality I hope he returns with a glow up in SF6

  • @doodoo2065
    @doodoo2065 4 місяці тому +1

    The description you give of the grappler archetype at the start fits perfectly with the idea that the weak can overcome the strong and win, they had it served yet they decided to make a boring character instead lol

  • @streamingnowstreamingnow2568
    @streamingnowstreamingnow2568 5 місяців тому +3

    Able was a Boring snoozefest with ZERO personality.
    Alex on the other hand, Neat!
    I didn't even know Rashid was the main story character, I thought it was Charlie/Nash, then RYU came and stopped Bison... yeah.
    I thought You were the main character of SF6.

  • @tarunrobin8576
    @tarunrobin8576 2 місяці тому

    "chun Li, I hear you're a detective, have you found any new evidence"
    Imma go to a detective tomorrow and ask him this

  • @homersimpson5501
    @homersimpson5501 3 місяці тому +1

    Only now realised he was the main character in sf4

  • @MrShahrozzz
    @MrShahrozzz 3 місяці тому +1

    Being a good protagonist...
    Something he just wasn't *Abel* to do 😅

  • @abraxys
    @abraxys 5 місяців тому +9

    I enjoyed playing Abel, although he was my second to Fei Long. In certain matches Fei was massively disadvantaged so Abel provided a more balanced Vs match. I agree. I felt he was under-utilised by Capcom. I always wondered if Remi was Abel's long lost son...lol

    • @johndcoffee632
      @johndcoffee632 5 місяців тому +1

      I'm curious, who you think fei loses to?

    • @abraxys
      @abraxys 5 місяців тому

      ​@@johndcoffee632 I've always found Gouken is Fei's nightmare match. He has a counter for everything Fei can throw at him. Or is it just me not reading the game correctly haha

    • @johndcoffee632
      @johndcoffee632 4 місяці тому +1

      @@abraxys Hah i dunno, i'd say Fei has an even matchup against Gouken rather than loses to him. I can see why it's tough though, Gouken's focus and Fei's issues with dealing with focus, the fireball game, the up fireballs removing chicken wing, fireball recovery allowing him to parry jumps or ex tatsu, crazy normals that are super safe on block

  • @thathomiefox
    @thathomiefox 5 місяців тому +1

    I kinda liked Abel…if they gave him his original design or approached him more likable I would’ve mained him for sure

  • @Keaks_
    @Keaks_ 3 місяці тому

    Street Fighter boardroom meeting: "Should we build more lore behind the already massive pool of characters we have? Or just bring in new characters for the sake of it?"
    "..... New characters."

  • @Kain5th
    @Kain5th 4 місяці тому +1

    You guys should do more character specific episodes. I enjoy these

  • @batteytehoukamau9962
    @batteytehoukamau9962 4 місяці тому +1

    I really like that tie in idea you had with Remy. It’s would be cool to watch a movie about Able with that theory

  • @c7po457
    @c7po457 4 місяці тому +1

    Man, I love fighting game lore. No matter how convoluted it gets sometimes.

  • @Winterfang
    @Winterfang 5 місяців тому +1

    Capcom has being trying to replace Ryu with a Blond for years LOL

  • @zoro7838
    @zoro7838 5 місяців тому +2

    The worst SF character is undoubtedly Necalli, a bootleg of Jojo's pillar men

    • @NotaPizzaGRL
      @NotaPizzaGRL 22 дні тому

      Capcom tried with the Freddy Krueger stuff Necalli had which could've been interesting but all he did was get beat up over and over again

  • @HarunoSoul
    @HarunoSoul 3 місяці тому

    The only reason i remember Abel is his theme. He honestly felt like a complete after thought.

  • @FletcherReedsRandomness
    @FletcherReedsRandomness 3 місяці тому

    I frequently forget Abel even exists. Whenever I go to the Ultra Street Fighter IV character themes playlist (his theme is first because it goes in alphabetical order until we get to the Arcade Edition characters), my mind just goes “oh yeah Abel is a thing”. He’s so bland and inoffensive that he might just be the most forgettable character in the entire series. At least characters like FANG and Rufus have traits about them I can hate, that’s SOMETHING.

  • @Random-ig2qb
    @Random-ig2qb 5 місяців тому +1

    Not Abel to remember this character. Does he know who either?

  • @johnnormandale3290
    @johnnormandale3290 5 місяців тому +2

    Wish we got original design for able he stands out more

  • @normousontwitch522
    @normousontwitch522 5 місяців тому +1

    Tbh I don't think Abel was ever officially the main character, beyond some concept art notes.

  • @williammurphy8281
    @williammurphy8281 4 місяці тому

    I was a hard Abel main back when SF IV was the thing. He was my first grapple character, and he really showed out, moveset wise.