Ibuki (Street Fighter)
Encyclopedia
is a video game character
from the Street Fighter
fighting game
series. She along with Elena
were the lone female characters in the Street Fighter III
series, until 3rd Strike, where they were joined by Makoto
and Chun-Li
. Despite her debut in a relatively obscure entry in the series, Ibuki has become one of the most popular Street Fighter female characters.
, consisting of a sleeveless upper garment, baggy pants, arm guards, and a mask that conceals the lower half of her face. Her footwear consists only of cloth bandages wrapped around her shins, ankles, and instep. Ibuki's alternative (everyday) costume is a blue-and-white schoolgirl uniform.
, Ibuki is an ordinary high school girl with a fascination for pop idols. Although a bit carefree, she can be strong when she needs to be. She uses a form of ninja taijutsu
that combines several ancient martial art styles from Japan.
Ibuki lives in a village composed entirely of ninja. She has been trained from childhood, but resents her lot in life. The other ninja in Ibuki's clan include Sanjou, Enjou, Genda, Raion, and Homura Yuuta. Ibuki also has a pet tanuki
named Don. While she is a trained warrior, she also shows a "valley girl
"-ish side, stating that she finds her ninja clothes ugly and her daily training strange, and jumping back into her civilian clothing as soon as she wins a bout. In Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Ibuki shares a special pre-fight intro with Makoto, showing that the two consider each other as special rivals of sorts.
In the original Street Fighter III and 2nd Impact, Ibuki is sent by her clan to retrieve the mysterious "G file" from Gill's organization. In Ibuki's ending, Gill hands her the file after their battle, as the project was already underway. In 3rd Strike, Ibuki is preparing to graduate from high school and is studying for her college application exams, hoping to move away from home and find a nice boyfriend. As part of her final exam, Ibuki is sent out to find and defeat Oro, who despite his legendary martial arts seems to act quite lecherous around her. In her ending in 3rd Strike, Ibuki gets accepted by , which is secretly an elite ninja training camp.
The other members of Ibuki's ninja clan that appears in her stage in the first two Street Fighter III games includes , , , and . Her pet tanuki
is named . Ibuki's friend in her endings in the original game and 2nd Impact is named , who lives in the same village and attends the same high school. The young boy who is sparring with Ibuki before a CPU match in 3rd Strike is named . Geki from the original Street Fighter
game was rumoured to be her father.
A kunai
resembling Ibuki's is seen in Fei Long's ending in Street Fighter IV
and a teaser image for Super Street Fighter IV
shows one of the characters blocking another. She was later revealed to be playable in SSFIV. Her backstory for the game has her cutting class to have fun and to look for boys to date. She even meets Sakura, whom Ibuki recognizes as a high school student based on her uniform, as she tries to get Sakura to introduce her to a boy.
, in which she sneaks off from her ninja training to eat an ice cream in Tokyo, and makes a cameo appearance in Capcom Fighting Jam
. In 2011, Ibuki was announced to return as a playable character in the crossover fighting game title Street Fighter X Tekken
.
called her to be the "most similar" to Cammy and Geki. According to UGO Networks, Ibuki "has the strength and speed to face off against any top-tier character", as she is "quick, somewhat unpredictable and easy to pick up" ("She's just as likely to attack an opponent from the front as she is to dash into the air and rain down kunais. It's this type of diversity in fighting that makes her attractive to players").
published a special 4-issue mini-series Street Fighter Legends: Ibuki.
. She also placed 15th in the list of Top 20 Street Fighter Characters of All Time by GameDaily
in 2009. In 2004, 1UP.com
ranked Ibuki as the sixth overall best video game ninja character, calling her "one of the coolest-looking characters" in Street Fighter III but "also one of the least capable in competition". In 2008, IGN
ranked Ibuki as the 22nd top Street Fighter character, stating: "...you only need one ninja, though, as long as it's the right ninja, and Ibuki's a pretty sharp one as far as ninja go," and in 2009 featured her among the character they wanted to appear in Street Fighter IV. GamesRadar
also listed her among the characters they would like to see in SSFIV, despite her being "one of the weaker characters" in SFIII, citing her "enduring popularity", "rapid, skill-centric combos and high-flying special moves" and "her costume – which leaves her hips conspicuously bare and devoid of any sign of underpants" to explain their choice. In 2011, an editor for UGO.com featured her on the list of the 25 "foxiest fighting females to ever be pixelated", with a comment saying that Ibuki is "not only super-hot, but she's also a ninja, which is like a 'chocolate in my peanut butter' situation".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Street Fighter
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
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...
series. She along with Elena
Elena (Street Fighter)
is a fictional character in the Street Fighter series. She first appeared in the arcade game Street Fighter III: New Generation, and appeared in several revisions of it, including Street Fighter III, Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact, and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike...
were the lone female characters in the Street Fighter III
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...
series, until 3rd Strike, where they were joined by Makoto
Makoto (Street Fighter)
is a fictional character from the Street Fighter video game series. She is a Tosan fighter and a Rindōkan karate expert from Japan. She first appeared in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, and again in Super Street Fighter IV. She wears a white dougi and a yellow hachimaki around her neck, intended to...
and Chun-Li
Chun-Li
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....
. Despite her debut in a relatively obscure entry in the series, Ibuki has become one of the most popular Street Fighter female characters.
Character design
She is slim and athletic, her black hair held tightly back in a topknot that drops behind her well beneath her waist. Ibuki's outfit is a traditional type of ninja dogiKeikogi
or dōgi is a uniform for training, used in martial arts derived from Japan, or budō. . The prototype for the modern keikogi emerged in the late 19th century. The keikogi was developed by judo founder Kano Jigoro...
, consisting of a sleeveless upper garment, baggy pants, arm guards, and a mask that conceals the lower half of her face. Her footwear consists only of cloth bandages wrapped around her shins, ankles, and instep. Ibuki's alternative (everyday) costume is a blue-and-white schoolgirl uniform.
Street Fighter series
Ibuki is a teenage girl from a small mountain village in Japan that is actually the home of an ancient ninja clan. In spite of her training in the deadly arts of ninjutsuNinjutsu
or may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...
, Ibuki is an ordinary high school girl with a fascination for pop idols. Although a bit carefree, she can be strong when she needs to be. She uses a form of ninja taijutsu
Taijutsu
is a Japanese blanket term for any combat skill, technique or system of martial art using body movements that are described as an empty-hand combat skill or system. The term is commonly used when referring to a traditional Japanese martial art but has also been used in the naming of modern martial...
that combines several ancient martial art styles from Japan.
Ibuki lives in a village composed entirely of ninja. She has been trained from childhood, but resents her lot in life. The other ninja in Ibuki's clan include Sanjou, Enjou, Genda, Raion, and Homura Yuuta. Ibuki also has a pet tanuki
Tanuki
is the common Japanese name for the Japanese raccoon dog . They have been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times...
named Don. While she is a trained warrior, she also shows a "valley girl
Valley girl
Valley Girl is a stereotype leveled at a socio-economic and ethnic class of American women who can be described as colloquial English-speaking and materialistic...
"-ish side, stating that she finds her ninja clothes ugly and her daily training strange, and jumping back into her civilian clothing as soon as she wins a bout. In Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Ibuki shares a special pre-fight intro with Makoto, showing that the two consider each other as special rivals of sorts.
In the original Street Fighter III and 2nd Impact, Ibuki is sent by her clan to retrieve the mysterious "G file" from Gill's organization. In Ibuki's ending, Gill hands her the file after their battle, as the project was already underway. In 3rd Strike, Ibuki is preparing to graduate from high school and is studying for her college application exams, hoping to move away from home and find a nice boyfriend. As part of her final exam, Ibuki is sent out to find and defeat Oro, who despite his legendary martial arts seems to act quite lecherous around her. In her ending in 3rd Strike, Ibuki gets accepted by , which is secretly an elite ninja training camp.
The other members of Ibuki's ninja clan that appears in her stage in the first two Street Fighter III games includes , , , and . Her pet tanuki
Tanuki
is the common Japanese name for the Japanese raccoon dog . They have been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times...
is named . Ibuki's friend in her endings in the original game and 2nd Impact is named , who lives in the same village and attends the same high school. The young boy who is sparring with Ibuki before a CPU match in 3rd Strike is named . Geki from the original Street Fighter
Street Fighter (video game)
is a 1987 arcade game developed by Capcom. It is the first competitive fighting game produced by the company and the inaugural game in the Street Fighter series...
game was rumoured to be her father.
A kunai
Kunai
A is a Japanese tool possibly derived from the masonry trowel. Two variations are the and the . It is a good example of a very basic tool which, in the hands of a martial arts expert, could be used as a multi-functional weapon...
resembling Ibuki's is seen in Fei Long's ending 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...
and a teaser image for Super Street Fighter IV
Super Street Fighter IV
is a 2010 fighting game produced by Capcom. It is an updated version of Street Fighter IV and has been said to mark the definitive end of the Street Fighter IV series. Having been deemed as too large an update to be deployed as DLC, the game was made into a standalone title, but given a lower price...
shows one of the characters blocking another. She was later revealed to be playable in SSFIV. Her backstory for the game has her cutting class to have fun and to look for boys to date. She even meets Sakura, whom Ibuki recognizes as a high school student based on her uniform, as she tries to get Sakura to introduce her to a boy.
Other games
Ibuki is also a playable character in the fighting game Super Gem Fighter Mini MixSuper 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...
, in which she sneaks off from her ninja training to eat an ice cream in Tokyo, and makes a cameo appearance in Capcom Fighting Jam
Capcom Fighting Jam
, released in North America as Capcom Fighting Evolution, is a head-to-head fighting game from Capcom. It was originally released as a coin-operated arcade game for the Namco System 246 hardware and ported to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox...
. In 2011, Ibuki was announced to return as a playable character in the crossover fighting game title 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...
.
Gameplay
GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
called her to be the "most similar" to Cammy and Geki. According to UGO Networks, Ibuki "has the strength and speed to face off against any top-tier character", as she is "quick, somewhat unpredictable and easy to pick up" ("She's just as likely to attack an opponent from the front as she is to dash into the air and rain down kunais. It's this type of diversity in fighting that makes her attractive to players").
Promotion and merchandise
Ibuki has been a favorable character for use in promotional artwork and had several figurines and action figures made in her image, most notably from Megahouse, Sota and Capcom themselves (specifically one designed by Street Fighter III character designer, Kinu Nishimura). She also appeared in several of Street Fighter comic books. To coincide with the release of SSFIV, UDON EntertainmentUDON
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...
published a special 4-issue mini-series Street Fighter Legends: Ibuki.
Reception
Ibuki was met with a positive critical and fan reception regarding her character design, albeit with some reservations regarding her gameplay issues. In 2002, Ibuki was voted the 12th most popular Street Fighter character in Capcom's own poll for the 15th anniversary of Street FighterStreet Fighter (video game)
is a 1987 arcade game developed by Capcom. It is the first competitive fighting game produced by the company and the inaugural game in the Street Fighter series...
. She also placed 15th in the list of Top 20 Street Fighter Characters of All Time by 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...
in 2009. In 2004, 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
ranked Ibuki as the sixth overall best video game ninja character, calling her "one of the coolest-looking characters" in Street Fighter III but "also one of the least capable in competition". In 2008, IGN
IGN
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 Ibuki as the 22nd top Street Fighter character, stating: "...you only need one ninja, though, as long as it's the right ninja, and Ibuki's a pretty sharp one as far as ninja go," and in 2009 featured her among the character they wanted to appear in Street Fighter IV. GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
also listed her among the characters they would like to see in SSFIV, despite her being "one of the weaker characters" in SFIII, citing her "enduring popularity", "rapid, skill-centric combos and high-flying special moves" and "her costume – which leaves her hips conspicuously bare and devoid of any sign of underpants" to explain their choice. In 2011, an editor for UGO.com featured her on the list of the 25 "foxiest fighting females to ever be pixelated", with a comment saying that Ibuki is "not only super-hot, but she's also a ninja, which is like a 'chocolate in my peanut butter' situation".