Mai will be one of SF6’s most popular characters, but not for the reasons you think

Mai Shiranui is the latest character kicking her way into Street Fighter 6’s roster, but there’s more to the buxom ninja than her good looks and charm.

The rekindled relationship between SNK and Capcom is bearing some serious fruit as Mai launches into the fray as SF6’s second guest character from Fatal Fury.

It’s not hard to see why she’s one of the most popular female figures in fighting game history, but her eye-catching visual design isn’t the only thing that’s going to make her a staple for Street Fighter 6 players.

We got the chance to test out Mai prior to her February 5 release date courtesy of Capcom, and it’s safe to say that she’s bound to be a big hit — for more than the obvious reasons.

Mai Shiranui is a surprisingly great fit for Street Fighter 6

Mai is a character who’s fairly easy to use and understand on a base level. Her moveset is simple, and she even has a cute little light-kick target combo to help you get started whacking out some major damage.

She has great tools for controlling space, too, including her fans (‘Kachousen’) and ‘Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi,’ a cartwheel move that allows you to cross a good amount of ground before launching your opponent into the air as part of a combo.

Similar to Manon’s Medal Level system, Mai’s got a passive ability that stacks on additional damage after it’s activated. Five flames are stocked once she pulls off her Level 1 Super Art, ‘Kagerou no Mai,’ giving you an extra edge early on in the fight — but it only lasts for the rest of the round.

On top of this, she’s also got some good ‘get-off-of-me’ moves that are extremely helpful for overwhelming situations (such as ‘Ryueenbu’). Her forward standing medium punch (where she baps you on the head with her fan) is a solid overhead move to catch crouching opponents off-guard, and her airborne ‘Musabi no Mai’ diagonal tackle all combine to make her an pretty strong character with a great kit who’s easy for newer players to learn.

She’s also very much like her SNK iteration in this game, so there’s nothing to fear for KOF players looking to cross over. She’s also got some throwback moves from her Fatal Fury 2 days that hardcore fans will undoubtedly get a ‘kick’ out of. Compared to Terry, we’d say she’s far more approachable as a character, to boot.

Her strength, mobility and ease of use are reminiscent of Cammy, but she’s more of a mid-range specialist than our Killer Bee, so bear that in mind.

Moveset aside, Mai is simply a fun and hilarious character. Her personality truly shines through in this game, and it’s clear that Capcom committed to focusing on more than just her looks by developing a real, loveable character players will undoubtedly get attached to.

Her win quotes toward other fighters are bound to get a chuckle out of players (especially the one where she mentions Juri’s feet), along with her meme-worthy in-game quips like, ‘Let’s cook!’ Her pre-match game faces are also good fun, adding even more personality to the fierce-but-flirty ninja.

She may not be from the Street Fighter universe, but Mai Shiranui is a fantastic fit for SF6’s vibrant cast of fighters. In a world of increasingly common video game crossovers, Mai feels like she was made not to sell more copies, but to make a game that’s truly better off with her in it.

Mai’s got a fiery spirit and equally fiery moves, and we predict she’ll be a fan favorite for years to come as the Street Fighter 6 team continues to knock these character releases out of the proverbial park (or, in this case, battle stage). It’s safe to say that this ninja is more than meets the eye. Hi-ya!