The iconic fighting game franchise Street Fighter is host to some of the most iconic video game characters ever, with Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Guile all being known to some degree the world over. The various new entries in the series since its landmark second game have all added new fighters who've gone on to achieve their own varying levels of success, and the eventual Street Fighter VI will likely be no different.
Capcom would be wise, however, to add one of its forgotten fighters to the roster of its upcoming sequel. Sawada was an attempt by Capcom to have an international real-life mascot back in the '90s, and this legacy could be brought back by his return in Street Fighter VI. In fact, the seeds may have already been sown for a return.
The Story of Sawada
Sawada debuted not in a video game, but instead in the infamous adaptation, Street Fighter: The Movie. The character of Captain Sawada was played by the actor Kenya Sawada, who had hoped to play the role of Ryu. Ryu had already been cast, however, with Sawada's lack of much English knowledge being a huge detriment. Still, Capcom wanted the actor to be involved and created a brand new character for him to play. Captain Sawada is a member of the Allied Nations group that opposed Shadaloo, who has a presence in the film but feels more like a cameo than an attempt at creating a new character. Capcom's push for Sawada's involvement was meant to reflect his being a sort of mascot for the company, though the lack of momentum for this idea stemmed from the actor's own lack of international success.
His role in the movie had him essentially replacing Fei Long, who was the only World Warrior besides Akuma from the second game that did not appear in the film. He would also be playable in both versions of the Street Fighter: The Movie video game, wherein he had Fei Long's theme music from Super Street Fighter II. He later appeared in various Street Fighter-related comic books and 1995's Street Fighter animated series. Outside of these cameos, though Sawada has been largely forgotten in the world of Street Fighter.
Why Street Fighter VI Should Have Sawada
Sawada was somewhat introduced into the series' main continuity via concept art for Street Fighter V. There, he was indicated to be someone who knew Guile and Charlie Nash, reflecting his similar role in both the live-action movie and the '90s cartoon. This revealed that his current mission was to travel the world and investigate the machinations of Shadaloo, defeating them wherever they may manifest.
Sawada has also appeared in other Capcom games, such as the Japanese exclusive title Mainichi Issho and Neco Drop 2, a puzzle game involving Street Fighter characters rendered as cats. Neco Drop 2 would mark the first time that Sawada has starred alongside other characters in the franchise in almost two decades.
This all makes Sawda's chances of showing up as a playable character in Street Fighter VI all the higher, but the game's story could also do the same. The upcoming fighter may finally expand the series' story beyond Street Fighter III, which is so far the furthest in the storyline. If it does so, many of the series' most iconic characters may be too old to take part in the action. This could see certain archetypes such as Guile the "charge character" and Zangief the grappler be replaced by new fighters. Sawada would be the perfect replacement for three characters in particular. His moveset in the movie game tie-in was a mix between Guile and Fei-Long, which ostensibly makes him similar to Nash, as well. Nash is officially dead for good it would seem, and the future storyline could see both Guile and Fei-Long sitting the next game out. The only confirmed characters for the sequel so far are Ryu and newcomer Luke, so anything's possible.
Sawada would combine their archetypes into one while being both a new and old character. He would have ties to the franchise's past, while his debut in an official mainline Street Fighter would make him a "new" face. His moveset could also be slightly altered to make him even more unique and fresh.