One of the final fighters to be added to Street Fighter V isn't even a Street Fighter character. Alongside Oro and new character Luke, the roster will be further bolstered by the presence of Akira. This marks the young fighter's first appearance in the Street Fighter series, but she debuted in another Capcom franchise entirely.

Hailing from the Rival Schools games, Akira is a quiet but fierce biker girl who retains her original moveset while amplifying it with new attacks. A friend of Sakura's, Akira's playable role in the game could lead to more synergy between the various Capcom fighting game franchises in the future.

RELATED: Fortnite: Everything You Should Know About Street Fighter's Guile

Who Is Akira?

Akira Kazama, as mentioned, hails from the Rival Schools series, which was a franchise of 3D Capcom fighters similar to Street Fighter EX. Akira was one of the main characters in the first game, along with her older brother Daigo. The two are orphans, and was Daigo went missing, Akira went undercover as a boy to try to find him. She did so by dressing up in biker gear, having learned quite a bit about motorcycles after her parent's deaths. Her seemingly tough demeanor hid a shy and compassionate young girl that desperately loved her brother.

She became the main character in the Rival Schools sequel, Project Justice, where she had transferred to Seijyun High. She would find herself having to fight her older brother Daigo, who had been brainwashed since the events of the last game. In Street Fighter V, she's friends with Sakura Kasugano, which makes sense given the console version of Rival Schools featured Sakura as a guest character.

RELATED: Fortnite: Everything You Should Know About Street Fighter's Cammy

Akira's Moves & Systems

Akira's fighting style is a version of the iconic Chinese martial art Bajiquan, which utilizes rushes, palms and elbows in its attacks. In the Rival Schools games, she had both a regular form and a "powered" form which gave her a different stance and new moves. Those who used her in those titles won't have much of a learning curve, as Akira retains much of her moveset from there. These attacks combine her original moves with that of her powered form.

Her first V-Skill is the Kiko Rensei, which powers her Kiko Kai projectile. Doing so makes the move stronger afterward, allowing the Kiko Kai to hit enemies multiple times. The second V-Skill, Tsutenda, sends her opponent flying into the air, after which Akira can capitalize on their launch by unleashing several air combos. This is similar to how good of a "juggler" she was in the old games, which allowed her to volley enemies in the air and hit them hard.

Her V-Trigger, Otoko No Senaka, summons her older brother Daigo and has him beat up on her opponent, while Akira can either move out of the way or join in on the fun. The Haten No Kamae V-Trigger puts Akira in a special stance, after which she can perform one of three special combos twice before the timer runs out.

RELATED: Fortnite Adds Street Fighter's Cammy and Guile

When Does Akira Release?

It's been a while since Street Fighter V players could play with a new fighter, with Rose releasing in last spring. Thankfully, the former Rival Schools fighter will be available in the coming days, just in time for the new school season.

Both Akira and fellow "returning" fighter Oro will be launching as DLC for Street Fighter V on August 16th for the PlayStation 4 and Windows, with Akira helping to bring class back into session. They're the penultimate DLC before new character Luke wraps up Street Fighter V's run this fall.

KEEP READING: Street Fighter V Announces Final DLC Character