I Thought I Had My Main for ‘Street Fighter 6’ Figured Out Then Kimberly Spray Painted Over My Heart

During Evo 2022, Capcom revealed two characters joining the Street Fighter 6 roster. Returning to the ring is everyone’s favorite sadistic bi, Juri, who rides in on a motorcycle in search of her next great thrill. Before her reveal, though, came the reveal of a new character: Kimberly.

Now look. When I first heard about Street Fighter 6 I knew I’d gravitate toward The First Lady of Fighting Games, Miss Chun-Li, followed by Cammy and Sakura—assuming they’re part of the initial lineup. But then I saw an energetic Black girl with fantastic hair step into the scene and, well, I now know who I’m picking first when the game comes out. This vibrant Black Girl Magic has taken a hold of my Street Fighter fangirl heart.

Bushin Beats!

If you watched the trailer and got Guy or Zeku vibes, it’s because Kimberly is one of Guy’s students and uses a similar fighting style. However, it sounds like it may have taken some… persuasion to get him to become her teacher. According to the press release, “Kimberly, the newest ninja in the Street Fighter series, had an ordinary upbringing, but she’s a prodigy who graduated college early and now wants to be a full-fledged ninja. Because of this, Kimberly invited herself to become Guy’s student.”

This reminds me of the relationship between Sakura and Ryu, as Sakura idolized him and ended up copying his fighting style. That being said, it sounds like Kimberly actually did end up being taught by Guy even if she invited herself to become his student.

Kimberly is a student of Bushinryu—though she puts her own spin on it. I definitely recognize that brutal air throw and am not looking forward to trying to fight against it. “She uses Genius at Play to stock up on a spray can, which can then be thrown to the ground as a Shuriken Bomb. During Hidden Variable, Kimberly conceals herself in colorful smoke before instantly appearing in front of the opponent for a surprise attack.”

I’m head over heels in love with this. I didn’t realize how much I needed a spray paint-using Black girl ninja until this trailer.

An absolute 80s queen

You may have noticed in Kimberly’s final attack (where she spray painted poor Luke’s face before beating it black and blue) that she starts it off by listening to some sweet tunes. She’s not using any recent bits of technology to do it, though, she actually busts out a portable cassette player. Does this game take place in the 80s? No, Kimberly’s just a fan of the aesthetic. “She is infatuated with ’80s pop culture hence why she always carries a portable cassette player with her.”

I hope to GOD that she’s listening to the choppy soundtrack from the original Street Fighter game—complete with hard-to-hear voice-acted dialogue.

I’m so excited to play with Kimberly when Street Fighter 6 is released and see her interactions with the other characters. Who does she have a close relationship with? Who gets the best responses from her? What’s her character ending going to be? And, more importantly, how long before someone releases a figure of her so I can set it next to my other Street Fighter ladies?

(Featured image: Capcom)

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