The Street Fighter movie has hurricane-kicked its way onto screens, and brought with it a World Warrior tournament full of Easter eggs, famous fighters, and special moves.
It might not be quite as extensive a list as our breakdown of the Super Mario Galaxy Movie Easter eggs, but the Street Fighter movie is nothing if not a love letter to the games, and features an expansive roster of familiar fighters, tonnes of special moves pulled directly from Street Fighter II (and beyond), and even several stages recreated from the games.
So head below to see what we spotted, and let us know in the comments if you clocked anything we missed! Once you’re done here, be sure to check out our Street Fighter movie review, and our deep dive into the Street Fighter movie ending.
Every fighter from the games in the Street Fighter movie
The Street Fighter movie features a massive line-up of characters from the games. Not all of them can be found on the character select screen, but most have featured in numerous Street Fighter games since the series debuted in 1987.
Most, if not all, are also rocking their iconic outfits, making this – aesthetically, at least – one of the more authentic video game adaptations ever. The full list of combatants in the Street Fighter movie in alphabetical order is as follows:
- Akuma
- Balrog
- Blanka
- Cammy
- Chun-Li
- Dan Hibiki
- Dhalsim
- Don Sauvage
- E. Honda
- Gouken
- Guile
- Joe
- Juli
- Ken
- M. Bison
- Ryu
- Sagat
- Vega
- Zangief
Special moves from the games featured in the Street Fighter movie
There are plenty of iconic special moves from the Street Fighter games that appear in the Street Fighter movie, many of which have been recreated frame for frame. You can check many of them out in Paramount’s own Street Fighter game moves video, but there are many others we spotted as well:
- Ryu – Hadouken, Hurricane Kick, Dragon Punch
- Ken – Axe Kick, Hell Wheel, Dragonlash Kick, Chinbuster
- Chun-Li – Lightning Kick, Spinning Bird Kick, Falling Crane, Hazanshu
- E. Honda – Hundred Hand Slap, Sumo Headbutt, Oicho Throw, Power Stomp
- Zangief – Russian Suplex, Cyclone Lariat
- Dhalsim – Yoga Mummy, Karma Kick, Yoga Mountain
- Balrog – Crazy Rush, Buffalo Headbutt
- Guile – Flash Kick
- Blanka – Electric Thunder
- M. Bison – Psycho Crusher
- Akuma – Empyrean’s End
Stages from the games that appear in the Street Fighter movie
Stage recreations are fewer and further between in the Street Fighter movie, as much of the fighting takes place in the World Warrior tournament arena in Metrolao City, instead of fights taking place across the globe. However, there are still some fun callbacks to several familiar stages, including:
- Ayutthaya Ruins, Thailand – the setting of Ryu and Sagat’s 1987 fight for the inaugural World Warrior tournament championship
- Car bonus stage – Ken is seen dismantling a car with his feet and fists during an early montage
- Bathhouse/Kapukon Yu – Ryu and E. Honda fight in a sauna room for a place in the second World Warrior tournament, a callback to E. Honda’s iconic bathhouse stage
Street Fighter movie Easter Eggs
Ryu vs Sagat – In the games, Ryu defeats Sagat to become the winner of the inaugural World Warrior tournament. This exact same pairing and outcome unfolds in animated flashback form in the Street Fighter movie.
“Round 1: fight!” – The iconic Street Fighter II starting announcement is heard over the Street Fighter movie’s title card.
M. Bison laugh – M. Bison actor David Dastmalchian recreates the ‘M. Bison says yes’ gif that has almost certainly popped up in your group chat at some point.
Chaos Games poster – Outside Ryu’s warehouse apartment, there are several posters for the ‘Chaos Games’. Could this be a deep cut reference to crossover fighting game SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom?
Street Fighter II intro – The iconic Street Fighter II title screen, featuring two men fighting in the shadow of a skyscraper, is recreated in the Street Fighter movie. Bonus Easter egg: the two men fighting are none other than Talk To Me and Bring Her Back directors Danny and Michael Philippou!
Street Fighter II anime callbacks – There are several references to 1994’s Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. Most notably: Chun-Li stepping into the shower in the live-action Street Fighter movie echoes an infamous scene in the anime, while Chun-Li later disfiguring masked fighter Vega also echoes the result of their face-off in the anime.
“For me, it’s Tuesday” – This M. Bison moment is a callback/straight lift of a legendary line from the otherwise terrible 1994 live-action movie. There, Raul Julia’s M. Bison says: “For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life. But for me, it was Tuesday.”
Street Fighter themes – The themes for both Street Fighter and Street Fighter II are part of the movie’s score, among countless needle drops.
Creator cameos – Several creators, influencers, and esports players can be spotted in Bison’s prison during the Blanka vs Ryu fight, including Justin Wong and Maximilian Dood.
“You lose” – M. Bison’s (anticlimactic) final line is, of course, a nod to the Street Fighter II announcer’s blunt statement when the player loses a fight. We can still sense the disappointment in his voice.
Street Fighter is out in theaters now. For more, check out our list of upcoming video game movies, and our ranking of the best fighting games.