Did you have fun with Terry Bogard? It’s time for our next combatant. Diving into Street Fighter 6 is Mai Shiranui, another iconic Fatal Fury combatant. This ninja trickster uses the talents of the Shiranui family to best her foes. As you can see in the trailer, she demonstrates those talents with colorful fire attacks and strong kicks. Mai will get to show more of her fun tricks on February 5th. Players who use the Year 2 Character Pass/Ultimate Pass will automatically gain access to her upon release. Don’t keep Mai waiting, or you risk being dazzled by her ninja trickery.
Who is Mai Shiranui?
Mai Shiranui is a Kunoichi and the heiress of the Shiranuichi family. She inherited the Shiranui-Ryuu Ninjitsu as well. Mai first makes her debut in 1992’s Fatal Fury 2, acting as the girlfriend of Andy Bogard, the younger brother of Terry Bogard. Mai Shiranui fights using the Shiranui-Ryuu Ninjitsu inherited from her grandfather, Hanzo Shiranui. This ninjitsu fighting style lets the young ninja control fire in many ways. She can also manipulate shadows, and keep herself in the air indefinitely.
Since her debut, Mai Shiranui has been in almost every Fatal Fury game, minus Garou: Mark of The Wolves. She is slated to be in the next Fatal Fury title, City of Wolves. She’ll even be sporting an alternate outfit in her Street Fighter 6 trailer. Overall, Mai Shiranui is one of SNK’s primary mascots and the leading lady of the Fatal Fury franchise. Fittingly, she has a long rivalry with Capcom’s leading lady, Chun-Li. The two finally reunite in the trailer, prompting much excitement from fans.
Shiranui Ninjitsu in Street Fighter 6:
Mai Shiranui offers an interesting playstyle to Street Fighter 6. In her home franchise, she plays as a keep-away character. She uses her graceful fans to unleash quick attacks. These fans can also be turned into projectiles for her to use. Her nimble reflexes and air mobility make it quite tricky to reach her. Observant players can recognize many elements of this playstyle that remained in Street Fighter 6. In particular, this ninja’s tricky movements and aerial combat are at center stage.
If Mai’s agility does not work, she has another trick; fire. She can unleash special fire attacks to burn her enemies. This attack manifests in raging fire spins, attack boosters, and flaming fan projectiles. The attack also appears in her supers, including a driving kick attack that pushes the enemy to the edge of the screen. Her level 3 combines nice visuals with precise strokes of her fans. Unfortunately, Ryu caught the short end of this attack in the trailer. Mai feels like a delightful addition for Street Fighter 6’s dynamic and intensive gameplay. Her playstyle feels familiar to SNK fans and enticing to Street Fighter fans who are being introduced to the character.
Capcom & SNK’s Great Bond!
Fatal Fury’s appearance in Street Fighter 6 continues the growing bond that Capcom and SNK have. For many fans, Street Fighter and Fatal Fury are iconic fighting games that offer a lot of goodwill to fighting fans. Having these characters in Street Fighter 6 is simply phenomenal. Between the two, I prefer Mai’s showcase for her flashy moves. Her skills and abilities feel like they would be satisfying to land.
Mai is a welcome addition to Street Fighter 6 in many ways. Her trailer helps jumpstart the hype train for anticipating releases in 2025. She is the second-to-last character to be featured in Year 2. Elena will be the last release, coming later this year. Are you a fan? Pun intended because this Shiranui will hit the stadium next month. Keep an eye out for her release!
