Evolution Championships 2022 wrapped up over the weekend. In addition to crowning the best of the fighting game world, it also included announcements from some of the genre’s biggest titles. Just in time for the franchise's 35th anniversary, Capcom shared two new characters from Street Fighter 6’s growing roster. But as cool as newcomer Kimberly looks with her ‘80s ninja aesthetic, the return of series regular Juri stole the show. The purple-loving adrenaline junkie has stolen the hearts of the Street Fighter fanbase.
Challenger approaching
Juri is the seventh character to be announced for the official roster of Street Fighter 6. First appearing in Street Fighter IV, Juri is a Korean fighter whose style emulates Taekwondo and focuses on offensive kicks. She will join other familiar faces in Street Fighter 6 such as Chun-Li, Ryu, and Guile, as well as an ever-growing list of newcomers. With her main drive being revenge against M. Bison, Juri is trying to figure out what is next for her since his fall in Street fighter V.
In a PlayStation Blog post, Director Takayuki Nakayama discussed the changes the team is bringing to Juri for the new game. The majority of her move set remains intact, albeit with new names in some cases. The main change from Street Fighter V is the reintroduction of the Fuhajin move which allows Juri to shoot off fireballs in different directions based on the button input. Street Fighter 6 is introducing a new move to chain Fuhajin moves together.
Juri’s wardrobe is also getting an update. Her new design retains the black and purple color scheme Juri is known for and adds bits of emerald green on her nails and spiked accessories. Black athletic tape covers her back imitating a spider, which is listed as one of her “likes” on the official Street Fighter 6 website. But perhaps most important, Juri has finally bought a case for her phone. It is pink and has little cat ears. Nakayama believes it “reflects her personality and style, don't you think?”
Warm welcome
The announcement that Juri would be returning for Street Fighter 6 has been met with a cacophony of excitement on Twitter. Fans old and new are thrilled to see the thrill-seeker return to Capcom’s fighting franchise, and they are very vocal about it.
For some, the incredible redesign of Juri is enough to pique their interest in the game alone.
While long-time fans of Street Fighter are simply happy to have Juri back and are already planning to main her when Street Fighter 6 releases sometime next year.
These are all very sweet sentiments. It’s genuinely nice to see a community get excited about a character and look forward to the next entry in such a long-running franchise. But of course, video games are no strangers to having their characters thirsted over. Juri is no exception. Here are some more reactions to Juri’s reveal.
It is good to see that Juri will be getting the respect she deserves from the community.
It is very inspiring that people want to get involved in the game because of Juri.
But at the end of the day, Juri is not just a fighter or someone to thirst after. She is a cool, badass, thrill-seeking, cute, and stylish person. I just think some people don’t love her for the right reasons...
Unlike me.
Street Fighter 6 is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC in summer 2023.
