By Andrés "AndrewEast" Aquino
No FGC name carries broader name recognition than the Beast himself, Daigo Umehara. A six-time Evo champion who has defined an entire generation of fighting game competition with feats like Moment #37, Daigo has only added to his living legend status in Street Fighter V.
Initially a Ryu main, the 39-year-old veteran immediately shut down those who doubted he would be able to keep pace by placing fifth at both DreamHack Summer and CEO in 2016. He managed to go toe-to-toe with Tokido, falling agonizingly short of eliminating the eventual CEO 2016 champion.
Daigo truly hit his stride though, upon his switch to DLC fighter Guile in 2017. Included among his improved results with the character, Daigo earned fifth at Thaiger Uppercut 2017, seventh at Capcom Cup 2017, third at Evo Japan 2018, second at NorCal Regionals 2018, and ninth at CEO 2018.
At VSFighting 2018, Daigo would triumph over Fujimura, Sako, Big Bird, and Ryan Hart on his way to a first-place finish, his last recorded tournament win in SFV. Even without major wins, though, Daigo has managed to stay relevant, successfully earning his way into every SFV Capcom Cup dating back to 2016. Daigo will always find a way to adapt and overcome whatever challenges come knocking at his door next.
By Nathan "Blackimar" Cole
A Rashid main since the very beginning, Gachikun is well known as one of the best wielders of the turbulent wind in the business. He’s also a very distinct Rashid, using the character in a more methodical way than most. Gachikun's mastery of Rashid, as well as his great fundamentals, have led him quite far in SFV.
Gachikun procured some noteworthy placements in SFV's first two seasons, such as seventh place at CEO 2017 and second at EGX 2017, but 2018 was when he rose to prominence. During Season 3, Gachikun took seventh place at Stunfest, fourth at Final Round and Evo, and first at the CPT Asia Regional Finals.
This would culminate in his victory at Capcom Cup, where he took down some of the best in the world, including Tokido, Fujimura, and Itabashi Zangief. He remained a consistent threat the year after, taking seventh at VSFighting, fifth at Combo Breaker and NorCal Regionals, and second at SEA Major.
Gachikun’s Capcom Cup victory was just one of three wins for him in the PGRSF dataset, the fewest of anybody in the Top 10. But he was a constant threat, making the top 8 in 20 of his 45 events (44.4 percent), and despite his relative lack of attendance, he was one of just six players to win 10 sets against the PGRSF Top 3. His trophy case may not be as full as some on this list, but anybody in the Street Fighter world knows Gachikun is a name to be feared.
By Brandon "Writewell" Brathwaite
Honored with the title of Lord and regarded as the best M. Bison player in the world, Benjamin “Problem X” Simon has been a champion of the United Kingdom Street Fighter scene in the Street Fighter V era. Whether it's his staple Bison or his ferocious Abigail, Problem X has defined himself by his ability to punish mistakes and whiffed buttons along with a mixture of ridiculous pressure, constantly making his opponents second guess their own offense.
Problem X made a name for himself early in the life of SFV by beating Street Fighter IV Evo Champion Luffy to win Hypespotting V in 2016. The following year, Problem X began to blossom as a player and gained more confidence in his Bison. He took first place at Sonic Boom in Spain and absolutely took over Europe for the month of September with tournament wins at Celtic Throwdown, Street Grand Battle, EGX 2017 and the EU Regional Finals at Milan Games Week. He finished 7th at Capcom Cup, which stands as his best finish in his four appearances.
In 2018, Problem X became more than just a European powerhouse when the magic run struck at Evo 2018, where he beat Gachikun, Fuudo, and Evo 2017 winner Tokido to win his first ever Evo title. The Evo champion expanded his trophy case and top place finishes in 2019 with wins at April Annihilation, Reflect, Sonic Boom 2019.
Bringing the second ever Street Fighter Evo title to Europe is reason alone to give high praise. However, with a career of dominance in his region and wins over the greatest players in the world, Problem X deserves the distinction of one of the game’s best.
By Andrés "AndrewEast" Aquino
Masato "Bonchan" Takahashi, the king of all Sagat players, had a conundrum early in his Street Fighter V career without the Muay Thai expert in the roster. In his absence, Bonchan landed on Nash, one of Season 1's most powerful characters, and slowly brought up Karin as a pocket pick. New character, no problem. Bonchan still garnered prime results — 13th at South East Asia Major 2016, fifth at Canada Cup 2016, fourth at NorCal Regionals 2017, and ninth at both Evo 2017 and Capcom Cup 2017.
With the release of Sagat in August 2018, Bonchan, who had already cemented himself as a top competitor, rose to a whole new level. Co-maining both Sagat and Karin, the 33-year-old dominated the scene throughout 2019. He obtained trophies at Versus Masters, CEO, VSFighting, Evo, and Celtic Throwdown with victories over Xian, Fujimura, Punk, iDom, Infexious, and Big Bird, making Bonchan the man to beat last year. And he pulled all of that off while adding a new role to his resume: father of twins, born in fall of 2019.
An off day at Capcom Cup saw him bow out at 25th, but we are sure a player with the resilience and patience that Bonchan exhibits will bounce back once the Capcom Pro Tour returns. With his trusty Sagat back at his side, nothing feels impossible for Bonchan.
By Nathan "Blackimar" Cole
After becoming one of the best Guile players during the late years of Street Fighter 4, Nuckledu came out the gate swinging, becoming SFV’s first Capcom Cup champion. Combining his Guile with an explosive R. Mika, NuckleDu was quick to take his spot as one of the greats of the game, becoming the face of the new generation of Street Fighter players. His signature hyper-aggressive Guile play deviated heavily from the norm and his infamous taunting is now synonymous with new school Street Fighters.
Whether he’s throwing sonic booms with Guile or his opponents with R. Mika, Du is a force of nature. Some of his big placements include first at Canada Cup 2016, second at Norcal Regionals 2017, first at Combo Breaker 2017, second at the North America Open 2019, and fourth at Evo Japan 2020. Nuckledu also has positive set counts against the likes of Problem X (5-2), Justin Wong (9-4), Fuudo (5-1), and Oil King (4-1).
Nuckledu appeared in 43 Top 8s in the PGRSF dataset, second to only Tokido’s 46. With 14 tournament wins, Nuckledu is tied for second with Tokido, trailing only Punk’s 18. He goes down as one of the most prolific Street Fighter V players of all time, and had he competed at Capcom Cup 2017, which he withdrew from for personal reasons, he could have pushed even higher on this list.
After surviving a car crash in June 2020, NuckleDu announced his attention to step away from competition. However, NuckleDu returned to compete in Street Fighter League later that summer, and also entered the second online qualifier for eastern North America in 2020's CPT online season. Should NuckleDu decide to pick up his stick when offline competitions return, we have no doubt he'll be a force to be reckoned with once again.
By Ryan "Saint Cola" Collins
For the longest time, Keita "Fuudo" Ai was mere matches away from hitting first place in a Street Fighter V major. His career was littered with dozens of close shots, but he was never able to truly take over a tournament. He reached second at Evo 2016, Final Round 2017, Saigon Cup 2018, and Fighter’s Spirit 2018, and more. It seemed like he’d always fall short of victory. Then, at E-Sports Festival Hong Kong 2018, it happened.
At the climax of the tournament, he faced off against NL, dragging his opponent’s Cammy down into the losers bracket for a reset and then beating him there. Fuudo had finally gained what he so longingly desired. A year later, he defeated Gachikun in the grand finals of CPT Asia Regional Open at SEA Major Singapore 2019, proving again that he has what it takes to go all the way.
Fuudo’s consistency shines above all, though. Not a single player ranked 31-50 on the PGRSF managed a winning record against Fuudo, and it’s the fact that even these titans of the game couldn’t scratch him that kept him as such a consistent Top 8 contender throughout his SFV career.
Though his other placements are nothing to scoff at in the least, Fuudo desires first place above all else. For him, it’s no longer a matter of if he can land first anymore. It’s a matter of when he'll do it again.
Very few players have exploded onto the scene like Victor “Punk” Woodley, but explosive encapsulates everything he is. Known for his destructive whiff punish game, his intimate knowledge of the character Karin, and his incredible ability to talk trash, Punk has been able to establish himself as one of the Street Fighter greats.
Punk kicked open the door into the Top Player’s Lounge at Red Bull Battle Grounds 2016 and has had a permanent seat at the table ever since. After running the gauntlet in a first-to-three with FChamp and then blowing Justin Wong out of the water, the then 17-year-old Punk was able to secure third place.
From then on, all eyes were on him. He continued his success by grabbing hold of the second place spot at Evo 2017, falling to Tokido. From there on almost without fail if there was a street fighter V tournament, you would see Punk’s patented aggression in the Top 8. 2019 saw Punk finish atop the Capcom Pro Tour points leaderboard, thanks in part to wins at Frosty Faustings, Final Round, Combo Breaker, East Coast Throwdown, First Attack, and many more in a fantastic season that resulted in a second-place finish at Capcom Cup World Finals.
Despite all of his success, Punk remains hungry for a first place finish at a future Capcom Cup. Don't stand in his way—you’ll get crushed in his wake.
Atsushi “Fujimura” Fujimura, Japan’s hidden gem of Street Fighter IV, has stood firm as a remarkable foe in his time playing Street Fighter V. A methodical and dangerous Ibuki, Fujimura always calculates exactly the right amount of hits to drain out your health bar
A C.Viper player in SFIV, Fujimura blasted into the SFV scene with his legendary Nash run at Evo 2016, as he beat out fighting game veteran GO1 as well as Nemo and Eita en route to a third place spot at the biggest tournament in the world. After a quick switch to Ibuki, Fujimura has remained a force to be reckoned with. With a winning record against both Tokido and Fuudo across four years of play, Fujimura has proven himself at the pinnacle of Street Fighter.
Fujimura’s margin over Punk is miniscule, and it’s his positive record over a trio of Japanese legends that puts him over the top.: 8-6 vs. Tokido, 6-3 vs. Bonchan, and 6-3 over Daigo. No other player can boast a winning record over all three.
After amazing showings at CEO 2019, EVO 2019, and wins at SEA Major 2019 and Taipei major, Fujimura’s path continues to show victory. It's easy to wonder what he could have done with a 2020 CPT season, and he should be one of the game's most feared players when offline competition resumes.
By Andrés "AndrewEast" Aquino
One of the Five Gods of the FGC, Hajime "Tokido" Taniguchi's accomplishments have made him reach legendary status thanks to his prowess across different titles — from Street Fighter II Turbo to King of Fighters XIII — rising as one of the greatest to ever pick up a stick.
Tokido's journey in Street Fighter V started without his signature Akuma, who wouldn’t arrive until Season 2’s DLC, Tokido instead landed on Ryu amid a shift to his approach that would see the three-time Evo champ play a more fundamentals-based style. He would land important results like second at both Final Round 19 and NorCal Regionals 2016.
At CEO 2016, he would overcome one of his hardest hurdles by beating the South Korean, and once Akuma joined the cast, there was no stopping Tokido. His run at Evo 2017 is one of the most impressive in the history of the FGC. After losing to Punk in Top 32, the 34-year-old made his way through losers over Haitani, Filipino Champ, Nuckledu, Itabashi Zangief, Kazunoko, and finally, the runback against Punk.
The wins for Tokido haven’t stopped piling up since: the trophies for Thaiger Uppercut 2018, Tokyo Game Show 2018, Canada Cup 2018 and 2019, and NorCal Regionals 2019 all belong to him. We're sure he won’t be stopping anytime soon.