Chun-Li
Encyclopedia
is a video game character
produced by Capcom
. First introduced in Street Fighter II
, she has since appeared as a player character
in nearly all subsequent games.
An undercover Interpol
agent, Chun-Li enters Street Fighter II 's fighting tournament
as a way of getting to its founder, M. Bison
. She seeks to avenge her father, who was murdered while investigating Bison's crime syndicate, Shadaloo. Chun-Li is notable for being the first female playable character in a fighting game
, and has acquired the nickname "First Lady of Fighting Games" among the genre's enthusiasts.
as one of the game's eight playable characters as well as the sole female character in the game before the addition of Cammy. Chun-Li's backstory centers on her quest to avenge the death of her father, an undercover police agent who disappeared while investigating M. Bison
's organization. In her ending, she fulfills her revenge and decides to return to her life as an ordinary girl. In Super Street Fighter II
(1993), the player is given the option to make Chun-Li return to ordinary life or continue her work as a police officer.
Chun-Li is brought back in Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams (1995), which is set prior to the events of the Street Fighter II. She is depicted as an undercover International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) agent who is after M. Bison and his drug cartel. In the first Alpha game Chun-Li is dressed in a Chinese acrobatics outfit, although the two sequels: Alpha 2
(1996) and Alpha 3
(1998) feature Chun-Li's original outfit from SFII as an alternate version of the character with alternate special abilities and super combos.
She appears as a playable character in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
(1997), the third iteration of Street Fighter III, as one of five new playable characters that were added, making her one of the few Street Fighter characters to appear in all major sub-series. Set years after the Street Fighter II, she has retired from street fighting
to teach martial arts to young children, but is forced to return to law enforcement after one of her students is abducted by Urien.
Chun-Li appears in Street Fighter IV
(2008) as one of the returning fighters. Her in-game narrative shows her at a current crossroads in her life, eventually returning to both street fighting and law enforcement.
In the 1996-1997 Street Fighter EX
sub-series, Chun-Li's story is similar to that of Street Fighter II, in which she is a police officer investigating Shadaloo in search of her missing father, instead of avenging his death.
in 1996) and in the Capcom vs. SNK series (also in SNK
's SNK vs. Capcom games), and in 2010's Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. She and Ryu
are the only Street Fighter characters to appear in every other crossover title by Capcom, including the 2005 tactical role-playing game Namco × Capcom (where they are partnered with Cammy) and the upcoming fighting game Street Fighter X Tekken
.
Chun-Li appears in the 1996 puzzle game Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
and its 1998 sequel Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix
, and in the pachinko
slot game Chun-Li Ni Makase China! (the first game that features her in the starring role). She also makes small cameo appearances in the 1993 beat'em-up Final Fight 2
and the 1993 role-playing game Breath of Fire
(the cameo appearance featured on Expert Gamer
s 1998 list of The 50 Greatest Video Game Secrets), and in the 2008 platform game Mega Man 9
. Alternate costumes inspired by her character were featured in the 2006 action-adventure Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
(as an unlockable costume swap for Ohatsu) and in Sony's LittleBigPlanet
(as a Sackgirl design released as downloadable content
in 2008).
, an early 20th century Chinese dress. In the first version of Street Fighter II, Chun-Li was originally depicted wearing an orange qipao instead of blue. The dress is modified to allow a far wider range of movement than a generic qipao. Her ensemble also includes a pair of white combat boots and brown pantyhose. She wears her hair in "ox horns", with silk brocades and ribbons in her hair. Another familiar part of her ensemble are the large spiked bracelets she wears on her wrists.
In the Street Fighter Alpha games (set during the time period before Street Fighter II), Chun-Li wears an embroidered vest, a unitard
, and athletic sneaker shoes. She wears her ox horns unadorned. She also wears her original Street Fighter II outfit in her X-ism mode in Alpha 3.
In Street Fighter IV, Chun-Li's alternate outfit consists of black night gown with gold accents at the bottom. She wears a black and gold sash held by a red rope-like belt. She wears her ox horns unadorned, just like in her Alpha appearance, only this time it's held by red ropes with golden balls at the tip. The outfit is completed with red shoes, gold earrings and black and gold bracelets. The outfit resembles the clothes she wore in one of the episodes of the cartoon series.
by actress Ming Na. She poses as a television reporter in order to infiltrate the nation of Shadaloo and kill M. Bison, a warlord who murdered her father during a peasant uprising during his days as a drug lord. She allies herself with E. Honda and Balrog, a former sumo wrestler and boxer, respectively, whose reputations were ruined by Bison's mafia connections, and later forms an initially uneasy alliance with Ryu and Ken, who are working with Guile to infiltrate Bison's fortress and lead Guile there. At the end of the film, she helps Ryu and Ken free Bison's hostages, and in return for her service, Guile promises her an exclusive interview.
In 2006, Hyde Park Entertainment and Capcom announced its intention to produce another film adaptation with the storyline to focus on Chun-Li, who was given the full name of Chun-Li Huang and became the main protagonist in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li
, played by Kristin Kreuk
. Street Fighter was released in 2009 for the 20th anniversary of the game series, While the games simply give Chun-Li a Chinese nationality with no further details, she was portrayed as a Chinese-American in the film, having a Chinese father and a white mother.
. An Interpol agent, she is investigating M. Bison's organization of Shadowlaw, which is suspected of murdering several diplomats. She requests to work with Guile to investigate Bison's organization. Guile is initially reluctant to work with her, more eager to pursue Bison himself. By the end of the movie, however, they have become inseparable. She is voiced by Miki Fujitani
in the Japanese release. In the English dubbing adaptation by Manga Entertainment, she is voiced by Lia Sargent
. In a famous instance of fan service
, an explicit scene shows Chun-Li showering in her apartment as a Shadaloo assassin, Vega
, arrives to kill her. The shower scene has been censored to varying degrees in versions of the English dub. Vega ends up having been kicked through a wall and hurtling several stories to the ground, but Chun-Li succumbs to her injuries and slips into a coma. She remains hospitalized for the rest of the movie, as distraught Guile promises her that he will make M. Bison pay. Following Bison's defeat at the hands of Ryu and Ken, Chun-Li pulls a prank on Guile by making it appear as if she has died while he was away.
Chun-Li was a regular character in the USA Network
's animated television series Street Fighter
. She was decipted as a reporter (as she was in the 1994 movie) and was voiced by Donna Yamamoto.
In the 1997-1998 anime series Street Fighter II V
, Chun-Li appears as the spirited tour guide to Ken and Ryu. Her character in this adaptation is a far cry from the world's strongest woman, since she's mostly a kung-fu student under the guidance of her father, the highest-ranked police chief in Hong Kong
. Chun-Li plays a sizeable role in the series'finale, when she is brainwashed by Bison's psycho power. Ken is shown having growing feelings for her, as he takes her on a shopping spree and even buys her an engagement ring in the first part of the series. In the Japanese version, she is voiced by Chisa Yokoyama
. In the Animaze dub, she is voiced by Lia Seargent, while in the ADV Films version she is played by Junie Hoang and later on by Tamara Lo.
Chun-Li also appears in the 1999 anime OVA Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation, as an Interpol agent who investigates a mad scientist called Sadler that works for Shadaloo. She believes the trail can lead her to her father, who at the time, was missing and presumed alive. She assists Ryu and Ken in finding a boy named Shun, kidnapped by Sadler to force him to succumb to the Satsui no Hadō. Yumi Tōma
voices her in the Japanese version, and once again Lia Seargent provides her voice for this OVA.
), Chun-Li remains in her established role of an interpol agent investigating Bison, yet frequently expresses her desire to earn Ryu's praise as a genuine fighter. As the story progresses, Chun-Li participates in a tournament arranged by Shadaloo, eventually coming up against Vega, portrayed here as her father's killer. She defeats Vega, but she is exhausted from the fight and is pulled from the tournament. Her injuries prevent her from doing much when Ryu and Bison confront one another, except call off an air strike by Interpol.
Chun-Li also appears in Masahiko Nakahira
's 1996-1997 manga Street Fighter: Sakura Ganbaru!
, in which she participates in a police raid to an illegal underground fighting circle. Later on, she follows the trails that lead her to an assassin which turns out to be Gen, from whom she suffers an utter defeat.
In the manga adaptations of Street Fighter Alpha, Chun- Li is again an agent of the Interpol as she is in almost all iterations save for the live action film. She encounters Ryu, who has fallen from grace and had hired himself out as a bodyguard to drug smugglers. Chun-Li winds up befriending him and Birdie as well as Ken, and rescues Cammy from being captured by Sodom. Shadaloo is once again responsible for the death of her father, though the exact identity of the killer has yet to be revealed.
produced a short-lived series of Street Fighter comics, which featured Chun-Li as a starring character. She is depicted as having known Ryu and Ken since her late teens, as well as having a romantic interest in Ryu. The story primarily focuses not on Chun-Li or Ryu in particular, but rather on the events which follow the murder of Ken Masters
. Due to the comic's abrupt end (it was cancelled after three issues), the storyline was never resolved.
When Udon comics picked up the comic book license for the Street Fighter franchise for American distribution, Chun-Li again became a central character, involved in the hunt for Bison and Shadaloo. However, in the new comic, it is not Bison who is the killer of Chun-Li's father, but rather Cammy, prior to her being freed from Bison's control. Chun-Li battles Cammy when they meet face to face for the first time and ultimately forgives Cammy and turns her sights on Bison himself. Chun-Li also meets Cammy for the second time (issue #11) and formally wins against her. Eventually, she receives an invitation from Shadaloo to enter a tournament being held by Bison. The comic appears to be mixing elements of the various games together and Chun-Li's mode of dress changes several times throughout the Udon comics, from the outfits worn in Street Fighter Alpha, to her more traditional qipao from the Street Fighter II games.
Multiple Chun-Li figures were produced by various manufacturers. Artworks of her were also featured on an officially licenced animated
Nubytech/UDON
joypad for the PlayStation 2
, and a Mad Catz
wireless joypad for the PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
.
Chun-Li was played by cross-dressing Jackie Chan
in the 1993 live-action City Hunter movie during the Street Fighter II spoof scene. In the season 6 (2010) Halloween special of the animated series American Dad, Toshi's older sister Akiko goes trick-or-treating as Chun-Li.
ranked Chun-Li third in their 2009 article Top 25 Street Fighter Characters, noting that while sexism
is factored into her initial design, "[she's] come a long way over the years. She's by far the most popular female fighting game character out there, and if you try to start naming off better-known women in videogaming period, you're going to wind up with a pretty short list." GameDaily
listed her at number one in their 2009 article Top 20 Street Fighter Characters of All Time, praising her character evolution and for balanced gameplay. The same site ranked her second in their 2008 list of Top 25 Capcom Characters of All Time with editor Robert Workman noting her to be his favorite character from the Street Fighter series because "her kicking attacks are amazing". Chun-Li was voted top in Capcom's own 2002 poll of 85 characters for the 15th anniversary of Street Fighter. In Game Informer
s 2009 list of "Top Ten Best Fighting Game Characters" Chun-Li was seventh.
Spike featured her in their 2008 article Top 10 Video Game Vixens at number four, citing a preference for her muscular thighs. UGO Networks ranked her ninth on their list of Top 50 Videogame Hotties, stating "Chun-Li's female presence and early dominance of the fighting game genre propelled her into the minds of many early fanboys." In addition, UGO placed her at #1 on their list of Fighting Games' Finest Female Fighters, stating "For the record: There's nothing wrong with Chun-Li's thighs, and they are definitely not "too big."". UGO also ranked her at #3 on their list of Top 50 Street Fighter Characters, stating "Chun-Li owns the distinction of being the first female fighting game character and is known for her balance of strength and speed. She was one of few female characters in the early 90s not cast in a role of damsel in distress, but instead showed that female characters could fight just as same as their male counterparts." She was awarded Hottest Babe of 1992 by Electronic Gaming Monthly
, tying with Blaze from Streets of Rage
. Videogamer.com writer Wesley Yin-Poole put her in the 2010 article of Top 10 Video Game Crushes commenting that gamers have liked her since Street Fighter II. Mania Entertainment writer Briana Lawrence put her second in the 2010 article 13 Video Game Women That Kick Ass, commenting that despite being the only female fighter from Street Fighter II, her special moves were appealing to gamers. In 2011, Complex ranked the 1994 anime version of Chun-Li as seventh on the list of "The 25 Hottest Cartoon Women Of All Time."
Chun-Li's return in the Street Fighter III: Third Strike has been labelled as the main and best addition to the game due to her popularity. Nevertheless, she has been noted to be one of the most overpowered characters from the game alongside Ken and Yun.
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
produced by Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
. First introduced in Street Fighter II
Street Fighter II
is a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
, she has since appeared as a player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
in nearly all subsequent games.
An undercover Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
agent, Chun-Li enters Street Fighter II 's fighting tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
as a way of getting to its founder, M. Bison
M. Bison
M. Bison, known in Japan as Vega, is a video game character created by Capcom. First introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, he is a recurring character in the Street Fighter series of fighting games, acting as the final boss and primary antagonist of the Street Fighter II and Street...
. She seeks to avenge her father, who was murdered while investigating Bison's crime syndicate, Shadaloo. Chun-Li is notable for being the first female playable character in a fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
, and has acquired the nickname "First Lady of Fighting Games" among the genre's enthusiasts.
Street Fighter series
Chun-Li was first introduced in 1991 in the original version of Street Fighter IIStreet Fighter II
is a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
as one of the game's eight playable characters as well as the sole female character in the game before the addition of Cammy. Chun-Li's backstory centers on her quest to avenge the death of her father, an undercover police agent who disappeared while investigating M. Bison
M. Bison
M. Bison, known in Japan as Vega, is a video game character created by Capcom. First introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, he is a recurring character in the Street Fighter series of fighting games, acting as the final boss and primary antagonist of the Street Fighter II and Street...
's organization. In her ending, she fulfills her revenge and decides to return to her life as an ordinary girl. In Super Street Fighter II
Super Street Fighter II
is a head-to-head fighting game produced by Capcom originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in 1993. It is the fourth game in the Street Fighter II sub-series of Street Fighter games, following Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting...
(1993), the player is given the option to make Chun-Li return to ordinary life or continue her work as a police officer.
Chun-Li is brought back in Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams (1995), which is set prior to the events of the Street Fighter II. She is depicted as an undercover International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) agent who is after M. Bison and his drug cartel. In the first Alpha game Chun-Li is dressed in a Chinese acrobatics outfit, although the two sequels: Alpha 2
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Street Fighter Alpha 2, known as in Japan, Asia and South America, is a fighting game originally released for the CPS II arcade hardware by Capcom. The game is both a sequel and a remake to the previous years Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams, which is itself a prequel to the Street Fighter...
(1996) and Alpha 3
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Street Fighter Alpha 3, known as in Japan and Asia, is a fighting game by Capcom originally released for the CPS II arcade hardware. It is the third game in the Street Fighter Alpha series, following Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams and Street Fighter Alpha 2...
(1998) feature Chun-Li's original outfit from SFII as an alternate version of the character with alternate special abilities and super combos.
She appears as a playable character in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
Street Fighter III
is a fighting game in Capcom's Street Fighter series, originally released as coin-operated arcade game in . Street Fighter III was produced for the CD-ROM-based CP System III hardware, which allowed for more elaborate 2D graphics than the CPS II-based Street Fighter Alpha games , while revamping...
(1997), the third iteration of Street Fighter III, as one of five new playable characters that were added, making her one of the few Street Fighter characters to appear in all major sub-series. Set years after the Street Fighter II, she has retired from street fighting
Street fighting
Street fighting is a colloquial term used to denote unsanctioned, illegal in some countries, hand-to-hand fighting in public places, between individuals or groups of people....
to teach martial arts to young children, but is forced to return to law enforcement after one of her students is abducted by Urien.
Chun-Li appears in Street Fighter IV
Street Fighter IV
is a fighting game produced by Capcom. It is the first numbered Street Fighter game released by Capcom since . The coin-operated arcade game was released in Japan on July 18, 2008, with North American arcades importing the machines by August...
(2008) as one of the returning fighters. Her in-game narrative shows her at a current crossroads in her life, eventually returning to both street fighting and law enforcement.
In the 1996-1997 Street Fighter EX
Street Fighter EX
Street Fighter EX is a head-to-head fighting game with 3D graphics, originally released as a coin-operated arcade game for the Sony ZN hardware in . It is a spin-off of the Street Fighter series co-produced by Capcom with Arika and was the first game in the series to feature polygon graphics...
sub-series, Chun-Li's story is similar to that of Street Fighter II, in which she is a police officer investigating Shadaloo in search of her missing father, instead of avenging his death.
Other games
As one of the symbolic Street Fighter characters, Chun Li has made appearances in many other Capcom-produced fighting games, including in all titles of the long-running Marvel vs. Capcom (since X-Men vs. Street FighterX-Men vs. Street Fighter
X-Men vs. Street Fighter is a fighting game originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in . It is Capcom's third fighting game to feature Marvel Comics characters and the first game to match them against their own, with characters from Marvel's X-Men franchise being matched against the cast...
in 1996) and in the Capcom vs. SNK series (also in SNK
SNK
SNK is a former name of SNK Playmore, a Japanese video game company . This may also refer to:* SNK European Democrats* SNK Union of Independents* Southeast Airlines ICAO code...
's SNK vs. Capcom games), and in 2010's Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. She and Ryu
Ryu (Street Fighter)
is a video game player character created by Capcom, the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series. Having premiered in the first Street Fighter in 1987, Ryu appears as the lead character from the game along with his best friend Ken Masters participating in the Street Fighter tournament...
are the only Street Fighter characters to appear in every other crossover title by Capcom, including the 2005 tactical role-playing game Namco × Capcom (where they are partnered with Cammy) and the upcoming fighting game Street Fighter X Tekken
Street Fighter X Tekken
is an upcoming crossover fighting game being developed by Capcom. The game was announced at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International by Capcom producer Yoshinori Ono. The game is set to release on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation Vita sometime in March 2012. The game...
.
Chun-Li appears in the 1996 puzzle game Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, released in Japan as and commonly referred to as Puzzle Fighter, is a one or two player puzzle game first released in the spring of 1996 by Capcom on the CPS II arcade system...
and its 1998 sequel Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix
Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix
Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix, released in Japan as , is a fighting game released by Capcom in September 1997 for the CPS II arcade system. It was ported to the PlayStation , Sega Saturn, and WonderSwan, as well as PlayStation 2 as part of the Street Fighter Alpha Anthology.The game uses the same...
, and in the pachinko
Pachinko
is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
slot game Chun-Li Ni Makase China! (the first game that features her in the starring role). She also makes small cameo appearances in the 1993 beat'em-up Final Fight 2
Final Fight 2
Final Fight 2 is a side-scrolling beat 'em up released by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in . It is a sequel to the coin-operated video game Final Fight...
and the 1993 role-playing game Breath of Fire
Breath of Fire
-Mobile games:Beginning in November 2003, Capcom began releasing Breath of Fire titles specifically for mobile phone devices in Japan. Each game was developed for use on NTT DoCoMo, au, and SoftBank brand cellphones that use the i-mode, EZWEB, or BREW services...
(the cameo appearance featured on Expert Gamer
Expert Gamer
Expert Gamer was a United States-based video game magazine that was published by Ziff Davis from August 1998 to October 2001. There are 39 issues of Expert Gamer in total. The bulk of XG's content was video game strategy guides and cheat codes...
s 1998 list of The 50 Greatest Video Game Secrets), and in the 2008 platform game Mega Man 9
Mega Man 9
Mega Man 9, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom and Inti Creates. It is the ninth numbered game in the original Mega Man series. Mega Man 9 is the first, new home console game in the original Mega Man series since Mega Man 8 and Mega Man & Bass, which were released at least one...
. Alternate costumes inspired by her character were featured in the 2006 action-adventure Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
Onimusha: Dawn Of Dreams, released in Japan as , is the fourth canonical installment of Capcom's Onimusha series, released in March 2006. Dawn of Dreams focuses on a new protagonist, Soki Onimusha: Dawn Of Dreams, released in Japan as , is the fourth canonical installment of Capcom's Onimusha...
(as an unlockable costume swap for Ohatsu) and in Sony's LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet, commonly abbreviated LBP, is a puzzle platformer video game, based on user-generated content, for the PlayStation 3 first announced on 7 March 2007, by Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California...
(as a Sackgirl design released as downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
in 2008).
Character design
In the Street Fighter II sub-series and most of her later appearances, Chun-Li wears a qipaoQipao
The cheongsam is a body-hugging one-piece Chinese dress for women; the male version is the changshan. It is known in Mandarin Chinese as the qípáo Wade-Giles ch'i-p'ao, and is also known in English as a mandarin gown...
, an early 20th century Chinese dress. In the first version of Street Fighter II, Chun-Li was originally depicted wearing an orange qipao instead of blue. The dress is modified to allow a far wider range of movement than a generic qipao. Her ensemble also includes a pair of white combat boots and brown pantyhose. She wears her hair in "ox horns", with silk brocades and ribbons in her hair. Another familiar part of her ensemble are the large spiked bracelets she wears on her wrists.
In the Street Fighter Alpha games (set during the time period before Street Fighter II), Chun-Li wears an embroidered vest, a unitard
Unitard
A unitard is a skin-tight one-piece garment with long legs and sometimes long sleeves. It differs from a leotard in that a leotard does not have long legs. The garment can be considered to be a combination of a leotard and tights...
, and athletic sneaker shoes. She wears her ox horns unadorned. She also wears her original Street Fighter II outfit in her X-ism mode in Alpha 3.
In Street Fighter IV, Chun-Li's alternate outfit consists of black night gown with gold accents at the bottom. She wears a black and gold sash held by a red rope-like belt. She wears her ox horns unadorned, just like in her Alpha appearance, only this time it's held by red ropes with golden balls at the tip. The outfit is completed with red shoes, gold earrings and black and gold bracelets. The outfit resembles the clothes she wore in one of the episodes of the cartoon series.
Live-action
Chun-Li, who is given the full name of Chun-Li Zang in the film, was portrayed in the 1994 action film Street FighterStreet Fighter (film)
Street Fighter is a 1994 American action film written and directed by Steven E. de Souza. It is based loosely on the same-titled video games produced by Capcom, and stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Raul Julia, along with supporting performances by Byron Mann, Damian Chapa, Kylie Minogue, Ming-Na...
by actress Ming Na. She poses as a television reporter in order to infiltrate the nation of Shadaloo and kill M. Bison, a warlord who murdered her father during a peasant uprising during his days as a drug lord. She allies herself with E. Honda and Balrog, a former sumo wrestler and boxer, respectively, whose reputations were ruined by Bison's mafia connections, and later forms an initially uneasy alliance with Ryu and Ken, who are working with Guile to infiltrate Bison's fortress and lead Guile there. At the end of the film, she helps Ryu and Ken free Bison's hostages, and in return for her service, Guile promises her an exclusive interview.
In 2006, Hyde Park Entertainment and Capcom announced its intention to produce another film adaptation with the storyline to focus on Chun-Li, who was given the full name of Chun-Li Huang and became the main protagonist in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is the second live-action film based on the Street Fighter series of video games. It follows the quest of Street Fighter character Chun-Li, who is portrayed by Kristin Kreuk. The story follows Chun-Li's personal history and her journey for justice. The film...
, played by Kristin Kreuk
Kristin Kreuk
Kristin Laura Kreuk is a Canadian actress and producer, known for her portrayal of Lana Lang in the American television series Smallville. She was also a regular cast member on the Canadian teen drama Edgemont, and has starred in movies such as Eurotrip and Street Fighter: The Legend of...
. Street Fighter was released in 2009 for the 20th anniversary of the game series, While the games simply give Chun-Li a Chinese nationality with no further details, she was portrayed as a Chinese-American in the film, having a Chinese father and a white mother.
Animation
Chun-Li is a central character in the 1994 anime film Street Fighter II: The Animated MovieStreet Fighter II: The Animated Movie
Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, known as in Japan and Australia, is a 1994 Japanese animated film adaptation of the Street Fighter II fighting games written by Kenichi Imai, directed by Gisaburō Sugii and animated by Group TAC. The film, originally released in Japan on August 8, 1994, has...
. An Interpol agent, she is investigating M. Bison's organization of Shadowlaw, which is suspected of murdering several diplomats. She requests to work with Guile to investigate Bison's organization. Guile is initially reluctant to work with her, more eager to pursue Bison himself. By the end of the movie, however, they have become inseparable. She is voiced by Miki Fujitani
Miki Fujitani
is a Japanese actress who was born in Nagoya.In addition to her many live-action film roles, she has had some anime voice roles as a Japanese voice actor, namely Kamiya Kaoru in Rurouni Kenshin and Chun-Li in Street Fighter II The Movie....
in the Japanese release. In the English dubbing adaptation by Manga Entertainment, she is voiced by Lia Sargent
Lia Sargent
Lia Sargent is an American voice actress. She is known for extensive anime and video game voice work and has also done ADR directing and script writing for Animaze.. iNC...
. In a famous instance of fan service
Fan service
, fanservice, or , is a term originating from anime and manga fandom for material in a series which is intentionally added to please the audience. It is about "servicing" the fan - giving the fans "exactly what they want"...
, an explicit scene shows Chun-Li showering in her apartment as a Shadaloo assassin, Vega
Vega (Street Fighter)
Vega is a fictional character from the Street Fighter fighting game series. Vega is a masked, claw-wielding warrior from Spain who uses a personal fighting style combining Japanese Ninjutsu and Bullfighting, earning him the nickname the "Spanish Ninja".Vega first appears in the original Street...
, arrives to kill her. The shower scene has been censored to varying degrees in versions of the English dub. Vega ends up having been kicked through a wall and hurtling several stories to the ground, but Chun-Li succumbs to her injuries and slips into a coma. She remains hospitalized for the rest of the movie, as distraught Guile promises her that he will make M. Bison pay. Following Bison's defeat at the hands of Ryu and Ken, Chun-Li pulls a prank on Guile by making it appear as if she has died while he was away.
Chun-Li was a regular character in the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
's animated television series Street Fighter
Street Fighter (TV series)
Street Fighter is an American animated series produced by InVision Entertainment based on the Street Fighter live action movie, which was in turn based on the Street Fighter video game franchise. The series aired as part of the USA Network's Cartoon Express and Action Extreme Team lineups...
. She was decipted as a reporter (as she was in the 1994 movie) and was voiced by Donna Yamamoto.
In the 1997-1998 anime series Street Fighter II V
Street Fighter II V
, is an anime series based on the fighting game Street Fighter II. Directed by Gisaburo Sugii , the series first aired in Japan in 1995, from April 10 to November 27, on YTV...
, Chun-Li appears as the spirited tour guide to Ken and Ryu. Her character in this adaptation is a far cry from the world's strongest woman, since she's mostly a kung-fu student under the guidance of her father, the highest-ranked police chief in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Chun-Li plays a sizeable role in the series'finale, when she is brainwashed by Bison's psycho power. Ken is shown having growing feelings for her, as he takes her on a shopping spree and even buys her an engagement ring in the first part of the series. In the Japanese version, she is voiced by Chisa Yokoyama
Chisa Yokoyama
is a Japanese voice actress and singer from Tokyo. She is founder and head of her own voice company called Banbina after leaving Arts Vision. When she was a high school student, she was an assistant of Jump Broadcasting Station of Weekly Shōnen Jump...
. In the Animaze dub, she is voiced by Lia Seargent, while in the ADV Films version she is played by Junie Hoang and later on by Tamara Lo.
Chun-Li also appears in the 1999 anime OVA Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation, as an Interpol agent who investigates a mad scientist called Sadler that works for Shadaloo. She believes the trail can lead her to her father, who at the time, was missing and presumed alive. She assists Ryu and Ken in finding a boy named Shun, kidnapped by Sadler to force him to succumb to the Satsui no Hadō. Yumi Tōma
Yumi Toma
is a Japanese singer and voice actresss from Chiba. She has been part of the singing group Goddess Family Club. Tōma also works for Aoni Production. Because of her mature voice, she often plays strong, beautiful women....
voices her in the Japanese version, and once again Lia Seargent provides her voice for this OVA.
Manga
In a Street Fighter II manga published in the 1990s (by Masaomi KanzakiMasaomi Kanzaki
is a Japanese manga artist. He has worked on titles such as Flag Fighters, Ironcat, Hagane, and Xenon. He is best known worldwide for his work on the Street Fighter II manga in the early 1990s.-External links:*...
), Chun-Li remains in her established role of an interpol agent investigating Bison, yet frequently expresses her desire to earn Ryu's praise as a genuine fighter. As the story progresses, Chun-Li participates in a tournament arranged by Shadaloo, eventually coming up against Vega, portrayed here as her father's killer. She defeats Vega, but she is exhausted from the fight and is pulled from the tournament. Her injuries prevent her from doing much when Ryu and Bison confront one another, except call off an air strike by Interpol.
Chun-Li also appears in Masahiko Nakahira
Masahiko Nakahira
is a manga artist from Kōchi City, Japan. He is best known for his numerous manga adaptations of the popular fighting game series Street Fighter...
's 1996-1997 manga Street Fighter: Sakura Ganbaru!
Street Fighter: Sakura Ganbaru!
is a manga series written and illustrated by Masahiko Nakahira. The story follows Sakura Kasugano in her quest to become a street fighter and meet Ryu.- Characters :- Volumes :Sakura Ganbaru! has been released in tankōbon and kanzenban formats....
, in which she participates in a police raid to an illegal underground fighting circle. Later on, she follows the trails that lead her to an assassin which turns out to be Gen, from whom she suffers an utter defeat.
In the manga adaptations of Street Fighter Alpha, Chun- Li is again an agent of the Interpol as she is in almost all iterations save for the live action film. She encounters Ryu, who has fallen from grace and had hired himself out as a bodyguard to drug smugglers. Chun-Li winds up befriending him and Birdie as well as Ken, and rescues Cammy from being captured by Sodom. Shadaloo is once again responsible for the death of her father, though the exact identity of the killer has yet to be revealed.
Comics
In the 1990s, Malibu ComicsMalibu Comics
Malibu Comics was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. The company's headquarters was in Calabasas, California. Malibu imprints included Aircel Comics and Eternity Comics...
produced a short-lived series of Street Fighter comics, which featured Chun-Li as a starring character. She is depicted as having known Ryu and Ken since her late teens, as well as having a romantic interest in Ryu. The story primarily focuses not on Chun-Li or Ryu in particular, but rather on the events which follow the murder of Ken Masters
Ken Masters
, originally spelled in Japanese as , is a video game character created by Capcom. As a main character, he has appeared in all of the Street Fighter games along with his best friend and rival, Ryu...
. Due to the comic's abrupt end (it was cancelled after three issues), the storyline was never resolved.
When Udon comics picked up the comic book license for the Street Fighter franchise for American distribution, Chun-Li again became a central character, involved in the hunt for Bison and Shadaloo. However, in the new comic, it is not Bison who is the killer of Chun-Li's father, but rather Cammy, prior to her being freed from Bison's control. Chun-Li battles Cammy when they meet face to face for the first time and ultimately forgives Cammy and turns her sights on Bison himself. Chun-Li also meets Cammy for the second time (issue #11) and formally wins against her. Eventually, she receives an invitation from Shadaloo to enter a tournament being held by Bison. The comic appears to be mixing elements of the various games together and Chun-Li's mode of dress changes several times throughout the Udon comics, from the outfits worn in Street Fighter Alpha, to her more traditional qipao from the Street Fighter II games.
Merchandise and other appearances
Multiple Chun-Li figures were produced by various manufacturers. Artworks of her were also featured on an officially licenced animated
Lenticular printing
Lenticular printing is a technology in which a lenticular lens is used to produce images with an illusion of depth, or the ability to change or move as the image is viewed from different angles...
Nubytech/UDON
UDON
UDON Entertainment Corporation is a studio of Asian-influenced comic book creators that provides creative services to the entertainment industry. The company is a publisher of comic books, graphic novels, and art books, as well as English editions of Japanese manga and Korean manhwa titles. Erik...
joypad for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, and a Mad Catz
Mad Catz
Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. is a peripherals manufacturer for various video game consoles headquartered in San Diego, California. It produces a wide range of accessories including control pads, memory cards, connection cables, headphones and other human interface devices.- History :The company was...
wireless joypad for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Chun-Li was played by cross-dressing Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
in the 1993 live-action City Hunter movie during the Street Fighter II spoof scene. In the season 6 (2010) Halloween special of the animated series American Dad, Toshi's older sister Akiko goes trick-or-treating as Chun-Li.
Reception
Chun-Li's character has been found as one of the most popular in the series. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked Chun-Li third in their 2009 article Top 25 Street Fighter Characters, noting that while sexism
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
is factored into her initial design, "[she's] come a long way over the years. She's by far the most popular female fighting game character out there, and if you try to start naming off better-known women in videogaming period, you're going to wind up with a pretty short list." GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed her at number one in their 2009 article Top 20 Street Fighter Characters of All Time, praising her character evolution and for balanced gameplay. The same site ranked her second in their 2008 list of Top 25 Capcom Characters of All Time with editor Robert Workman noting her to be his favorite character from the Street Fighter series because "her kicking attacks are amazing". Chun-Li was voted top in Capcom's own 2002 poll of 85 characters for the 15th anniversary of Street Fighter. In Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
s 2009 list of "Top Ten Best Fighting Game Characters" Chun-Li was seventh.
Spike featured her in their 2008 article Top 10 Video Game Vixens at number four, citing a preference for her muscular thighs. UGO Networks ranked her ninth on their list of Top 50 Videogame Hotties, stating "Chun-Li's female presence and early dominance of the fighting game genre propelled her into the minds of many early fanboys." In addition, UGO placed her at #1 on their list of Fighting Games' Finest Female Fighters, stating "For the record: There's nothing wrong with Chun-Li's thighs, and they are definitely not "too big."". UGO also ranked her at #3 on their list of Top 50 Street Fighter Characters, stating "Chun-Li owns the distinction of being the first female fighting game character and is known for her balance of strength and speed. She was one of few female characters in the early 90s not cast in a role of damsel in distress, but instead showed that female characters could fight just as same as their male counterparts." She was awarded Hottest Babe of 1992 by Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
, tying with Blaze from Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage, known in Japan as , is a side-scrolling beat 'em up released by Sega in 1991 for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It is the first installment of the Streets of Rage series which was followed by Streets of Rage 2 and Streets of Rage 3. The game was also converted over to Sega's Game...
. Videogamer.com writer Wesley Yin-Poole put her in the 2010 article of Top 10 Video Game Crushes commenting that gamers have liked her since Street Fighter II. Mania Entertainment writer Briana Lawrence put her second in the 2010 article 13 Video Game Women That Kick Ass, commenting that despite being the only female fighter from Street Fighter II, her special moves were appealing to gamers. In 2011, Complex ranked the 1994 anime version of Chun-Li as seventh on the list of "The 25 Hottest Cartoon Women Of All Time."
Chun-Li's return in the Street Fighter III: Third Strike has been labelled as the main and best addition to the game due to her popularity. Nevertheless, she has been noted to be one of the most overpowered characters from the game alongside Ken and Yun.
External links
- Chun-Li - The Street Fighter Wiki
- Chun-Li at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...