The Legend of Lightning Legs: A Chun-Li Retrospective

Image via Complex Original

Video game/movie: Street Fighter II Series
Date: 1991

It all started here, when Chun-Li was the only woman amongst seven men. Chun-Li was the fastest fighter with the highest jumps. What she lacked in strength she made up for in quickness—particularly with her Head Stomp (hold Down and Forward Kick midair). Alongside Guile, she had the most personal reason for entering the tournament—to avenge her father's death at the hands of M. Bison. In the Turbo editions, Chun-Li gained a 'Kikoken' fireball, but she would always remain a high flying, hand-to-hand fighter.

Video game/movie: City Hunter
Date: 1993

Everyone loves dressing up as Chun-Li. From the 'ox horns' hairstyle to the blue qipao, Chun-Li's look is just so iconic. Still, however, we never expected to see something like this. In the Hong Kong film City Hunter, Jackie Chan cross dressed as Chun-Li and executed her trademark Spinning Bird Kick. He even did her victory pose at the end of the fight, jumping up and down and giggling. Very funny, Jackie. Now let's never speak of it again.

Video game/movie: Street Fighter: The Animated Movie
Date: 1994

This was fan service at its most obvious. Chun-Li soaped up in a shower, butt naked, for all the fanboys to see. In the Japanese original, she actually appeared topless. Seconds later, she engaged in a brutal one-on-one with Vega. She disfigured his face, he tore up her torso. It's still one of the best fight scenes ever animated.

Video game/movie: "Street Fighter"
Date: 1994

Yeah. This movie hasn't aged well. In this film adaptation of the original game, Ming-Na played Chun-Li, an undercover news reporter(??) who seeks revenge against M. Bison. Aside from Raul Julia, who played M. Bison to perfection, the entire cast looked like they'd rather be somewhere else. Any film that places Jean Claude Van Damme front and center can only be so compelling.

Video game/movie: Street Fighter Alpha Series
Date: 1995

The Alpha series was a prequel to the Street Fighter II series—Charlie was still alive, and M. Bison hadn't consolidated all of his power. Chun-Li, meanwhile, was an Interpol agent investigating the death of her father. At the end of the game, she found out that it was Bison, and she swore her revenge. Chun-Li's Alpha outfit—a one piece bodysuit with a styled vest and sneakers, was more practical and athletic than her original duds.

Video game/movie: Street Fighter III Series
Date: 1999

Chun-Li was most powerful than her Street Fighter III depiction. She was top tier alongside Yun—a perfect 'turtle and chip' character for professional gamers. She had a flawless defensive game, wonderful pokes, priority frame data, and one of the best Super Moves in the game. The title 'First Lady of Fighting Games' was never more appropriate.

Video game/movie: Street Fighter IV Series
Date: 2008

We had to wait nearly ten years for a proper sequel, but the final result was worth our patience. Street Fighter IV was an HD, visual feast with a 2.5D approach. Chun-Li had never looked better, although there was controversy when Capcom released her concept art. Some fans grumbled that her thighs were too big. What exactly did they expect the 'strongest woman in the world' to look like? She wasn't there to striptease—she was there to kick some ass.

Video game/movie: The Legend of Chun-Li
Date: 2009

Oh no. The second attempt at a live action Chun-Li went worse than the first attempt. The Legend of Chun-Li got panned by critics and killed at the box office—it didn't come close to earning back its budget. Video game movies are always hit and miss, but most fans—even the die-hards—seemed to pass on this one. It'll probably be awhile before a third attempt is made. Hell, it took 15 years to make this one.

Video game/movie: Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Date: 2011

People always unfavorably compare the third Marvel vs. Capcom to the second, but it's not entirely fair. Marvel vs. Capcom reused sprites from previous games to create a massive, 56 character roster. Capcom had to build Marvel vs. Capcom 3 from the ground up, and one of the characters they selected was Chun-Li. To play as Chun-Li was to play like a pitbull—chasing down your opponent, getting in close, and using her Lightning Kick for maximum punishment.

Video game/movie: Street Fighter vs. Tekken
Date: 2012

It's a match made in heaven. The Street Fighter and Tekken franchises have always valued substance over flash, and so it made perfect sense to combine the two. People speculated about the roster endlessly. Who would be included? Who would be excluded? Chun-Li fans, however, never had to worry.

After close to 25 years, Chun-Li is Street Fighter—there couldn't be a tournament without her. As we look to the current generation of consoles and beyond, we know that Chun-Li will be a constant standard—a fierce combination of sex appeal, strength, and spunk—unmatched by her competitors.