The new Street Fighter 6 character is really into nail art

Street Fighter 6's next character is "A.K.I.," a tall, sinuous woman with poisonous fingernails who'll make her series debut this fall. In her teaser trailer, Aki delights in poisoning someone who just wanted to buy some medicine, stalking about them in a circle and describing the horrible effects of the botulinum toxin she's just dosed them with. Not very nice!

SF6's official accounts describe Aki as "a maniacal poison aficionado" who "can’t wait to sink her nails into her opponents." Some are speculating she might be the heir to, or apprentice of, poison master F.A.N.G. from Street Fighter 5. Either way it's clear she's squarely in the villain camp.

Tall and armed with long vicious claws atop her fingernails, Aki has a few places she could obviously slot in SF6's lineup of fighters and fighting styles. Her fast movements and claws give her rushdown fighter potential, but with her height and Fang connection there's a chance she could be more of a zoner who wears down opponents from mid-range.

Street Fighter 6's first Year 1 DLC character was Rashid, who released this summer. He's a returning character from SF5 with windy powers who can blow up a tornado and cut down opponents midair with his curving projectile attack. After Aki this Autumn, Year 1 Character Pass owners will also get Ed and Akuma.

SF6 has been a hit, selling past two million copies in just five weeks. We gave it an 89% review, with Mollie Taylor calling it "a bombastic, colourful, all-out package that is ready to cater to every playstyle and skill level, doing it with a degree of finesse that has well and truly set the bar high for the next generation of fighting games."

I can't help but be worried for the Street Fighter community, though, because their general response to Aki's reveal suggests they're down bad. "I can fix her," say many on social media. 

OK, but first, say "ahh."

Street Fighter character Aki holding up a pill, eyes wide, telling the viewer to "say ahhhh"

(Image credit: Capcom)
Contributor

Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.

Read more
Mai in Street Fighter 6 with flaming fans
Mai in Street Fighter 6 isn't just good—she has me howling for Capcom vs. SNK 3
Ubisoft says that Assassin's Creed Shadows' ninja will be 'the fastest Assassin' it's ever done
Clive in Tekken 8 gameplay trailer screenshot
'Fight me': Ben Starr humorously responds to disappointment about Clive Rosfield in Tekken 8 by showing off his cosplay of the Final Fantasy character everyone thought it would be
Freja - new Overwatch 2 hero
Overwatch 2's upcoming hero is a DPS with an explosive crossbow, a bola that pulls enemies together, and a whole bunch of annoying ways to zip around
Screenshot from Shinobi Art of Vengeance, showing a white-clad warrior battling with sword and magic
Controllers beware: The much-loved and much-hated Shinobi series is being revived
Nu Udra, a horrible octopus monstrosity, wrestles a poor hunter as it prepares to belch fire in their face.
Monster Hunter Wilds director is proud of his horrible, oily giant octopus son that belches flame and writhes in the muck, says it's a technical challenge he's 'finally getting to attempt'
Latest in Action
Monster Hunter Wilds' stockpile master studying a manifest
Monster Hunter Wilds' new gyro controls are a fantastic option for disabled and able-bodied players alike
Commander Shepard in Mass Effect 3.
Mass Effect's Jennifer Hale, who played femshep, 'saw no line' before she recorded them for Bioware's flagship trilogy: 'It was all cold reading on the spot'
A hunter hefts a massive Mega Barrel Bomb in Monster Hunter Wilds.
Monster Hunter Wilds players can't stop blowing themselves to smithereens with its rollable barrel bombs
A hunter poses with a large hammer as their palico cheers nearby in Monster Hunter Wilds.
Monster Hunter Wilds weapon tier list
Naoe looking at the wrist blade in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Ubisoft backflips, says Assassin's Creed Shadows will support Steam Deck at launch, but I doubt I'll actually want to play it there
character creation in Monster Hunter Wilds
The best Monster Hunter Wilds mods
Latest in News
Will Poulter holding a CD ROM
'What are most games about? Killing': Black Mirror Season 7 includes a follow-up to 2018 interactive film Bandersnatch
Casper Van Dien in Starship Troopers
Sony, which is making a Helldivers 2 movie, is also making a new Starship Troopers movie, but it's not based on the Starship Troopers movie we already have
Assassin's Creed meets PUBG
Ubisoft is reportedly talking to Tencent about creating a new business entity to manage Assassin's Creed and other big games
Resident Evil Village - Lady Dimitrescu
'It really truly changed my life in every possible way': Lady Dimitrescu actor says her Resident Evil Village role was just as transformative for her as it was for roughly half the internet in 2021
Storm trooper hero
Another live service shooter is getting shut down, this time before it even launched on Steam
Possibility Space concept art.
Possibility Space owners sue NetEase for $900 million over allegations it spread 'false and defamatory rumors' of fraud at the studio that ultimately forced it to close