Fighting: The 5 Most Iconic Video Games Franchises of All Time

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Fighting games has spawned numerous legendary franchises that not only entertain but also shape the evolution of the gaming industry as a whole.

From iconic special moves to in-depth narratives and graphical innovations, several series have stood tall as pillars of the genre.

This article will take you through five of the most iconic fighting game franchises of all time, each with its own unique story and influence.

These franchises are not only commercially successful, but they have also shaped gaming culture, introducing innovative gameplay mechanics and creating unforgettable characters.

The Street Fighter franchise, developed and published by Capcom, is one of the most influential and highest-grossing fighting game franchises of all time.

Although the first game was released in 1987, Street Fighter II, released in 1991, is widely recognized for establishing many conventions for the one-on-one fighting genre.

Street Fighter II was the first one-on-one fighting game to allow players to choose from a variety of characters with different moves.

The franchise has sold a total of 59 million units worldwide as of May 2026.

Characters like Ryu, Ken, and Chun-Li have become incredibly recognizable, with Chun-Li being the first female playable character in the fighting game genre.

Mortal Kombat is a fighting game franchise known for its graphic violence, particularly the "Fatalist" feature.

A Fatality is a brutal finishing move that the winner of a match can perform on the defeated opponent.

The concept of the Fatality was originally intended for just one character, Shang Tsung, but was later expanded to include all characters.

The violence in Mortal Kombat led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in the United States.

Some of the most iconic Fatalities include Sub-Zero's "Spine Rip" and Scorpion's "Toasty!"

The franchise has been around since the 1990s, with total sales reaching 100 million units.

Tekken is a Japanese fighting game franchise developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, known for pioneering 3D fighting.

The first game was released in 1994, and the franchise quickly distinguished itself with its polygon-based graphics and innovative control system where each button represented a different limb of the character.

The series centers on the King of Iron Fist tournament, organized by the Mishima Zaibatsu, with the Mishima family conflict being a central focus of the plot.

Tekken has been universally acclaimed and commercially successful, having sold over 61 million copies as of 2025.

Tekken 3 in particular is considered one of the most iconic entries in Tekken history and video gaming as a whole.

Super Smash Bros. is a series of platform fighting video games published by Nintendo, known for its crossover nature, featuring numerous characters from various Nintendo video game series and other developers.

Created by Masahiro Sakurai, the series features gameplay that differs from traditional fighting games.

The first game, Super Smash Bros. (1999) for the Nintendo 64, featured characters from Nintendo franchises such as Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Kirby, and Pokémon.

The series has received critical acclaim and been commercially successful, with combined sales of over 77 million units as of 2025.

Marvel vs. Capcom is a crossover fighting game series developed and published by Capcom, featuring characters from its own video game franchise and comic book series published by Marvel Comics.

The series originated as a coin-operated arcade game, and its gameplay borrows heavily from Capcom's previous Marvel-licensed fighting games such as X-Men: Children of the Atom and Marvel Super Heroes.

However, instead of focusing on single combat, these games incorporate tag-team combat.

Players form teams of two or three characters and can swap characters during the match, allowing team members to replenish their health.

X-Men vs. Capcom: Ultimate (2018) Released in 1996, Street Fighter established the series' basic gameplay conventions by combining Street Fighter-style fighting with tag-team gameplay.

As of December 31, 2021, the series has sold approximately 10 million units.