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Chun-Li. Chun-Li in the center of cover art by Shinkiro for Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001. " I am the strongest woman in the world! Chun-Li (チュンリー) is the main female protagonist of Capcom 's Street Fighter series, as well as a reoccurring character in the SNK vs. Capcom series. She will appear as a DLC guest character ...
- Chun-Li
Chun-Li is a character in the Street Fighter series. She is...
- Chun-Li
Chun Li, an agent of Interpol, is hot on the trail of the Shadaloo organization. She is intent of bringing M. Bison to just for the death of her father. Moves List
- Overview
- Biography
- Gameplay
- Story
- Crossover appearances
- Live-Action Movies and Series
- Animations
- Comics and Manga
"I am the strongest woman in the world!"
—Chun-Li (Street Fighter II)
"Are you ready? (準備はいい？, Junbi wa ii?)"
—Chun-Li (Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike])
"You ready for this? (覚悟はいいわね？, Kakugo wa ii wa ne?)"
—Chun-Li (Street Fighter IV series)
Concept
Chun-Li was designed by Akira "Akiman" Yasuda. According to Akiman, Chun-Li was modeled after Tao from Shotaro Ishinomori's Genma Wars: Harmagedon movie, which was the #1 box office anime movie of 1983. Chun-Li originally had big, wide legged pants and had a front and back apron. Akiman changed it because she didn't look "very sexy" and the design lacked visual impact and personality. Around the 11th hour, he experimented with her outfit choices. Finally, he decided to give her bare legs and a bodycon dress, making her look more like a professional wrestler. This became the finalized design for Chun-Li. She shares similarities to Tong Pooh, from Capcom's Strider franchise. The Street Fighter III: New Generation Secret File appears to make a nod to this fact, showing a picture of Tong Pooh in a TV while wondering if it'd be the "next Chun-Li".
Name
Chun-Li's name is Mandarin for "spring beauty" (春 chūn, "spring"; 麗 lì, "beautiful"). It is properly romanized as chūnlì in pinyin and pronounced "Chuen-lee", despite westerners commonly pronouncing it as "Chuhn-lee". The Japanese on'yomi rendering of the name is Shunrei. Older official sources from the early 90's indicate Chung was Chun-Li's surname, although it is worth noting this could very well not be the case anymore. In the live-action Street Fighter movie, Chun-Li was given the surname Zang/Xiang, but Capcom has not officially recognized it. Several Japanese drama CDs and novels created based on the series have given her surname as both "Feng" (楓, "Feng"?) and "Wang" (王, "Wang"?), though these are also not officially recognized by Capcom.
Appearance
Chun-Li's appearance has differed several times in the Street Fighter series, as well as in official art and cameos she has made in other works. She is known for her very muscular thighs.
Chun-Li is the original fast character in the Street Fighter series, utilizing multiple rapid attacks rather than the slow, damaging strikes of larger characters like Zangief. Her agile and swift movements are a favorite amongst game-players. It is interesting to note that in the early days of arcade fighting games, many other female characters played in a similarly speedy style, following the example set by Chun-Li. In previous games (mainly Street Fighter II) she was basically a charge character along with Guile and E. Honda but her style was changed in later games to give her a more technical feel as well as her trademark "speed" granted to the player.
Much of her basic moves involved brute force mixed with agility for a mixed fighting style in many cases, while also focusing on Chun-Li's thigh-build, giving her various types of kicking attacks. However, as the games progressed as of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Chun-Li's animations began to deviate from her original ones, and she adopts a more graceful approach to her martial arts (with some versions of her crouching stance instead making assume a lotus position of sorts).
Early Life
At the age of five, Chun-Li saw her first classical Chinese play, Peking Opera, and her first Bruce Lee movie, which fascinated her and also became part of the reasons why she started practicing martial arts. She began by learning Tai Chi. However, Tai Chi was much different from the gorgeous movements she remembered from Peking Opera. Soon afterwards, her father taught her Hongquan as well as various basic exercises from then on. With that, Chun-Li’s skills in Chinese martial arts improved rapidly. Chun-Li used mostly kicks when fighting. This was something she picked up from her father, who was also said to have "legendary legs." Chun-Li continued to develop her kick attacks, embracing techniques from a variety of fighting styles, such as Chinese martial arts, capoeira, battle karate, and taekwondo, thus eventually creating her own style. Chun-Li would later become a detective at the age of eighteen in hopes of finding her missing father. She later followed in her father's footsteps and become a narcotics investigator at the I.C.P.O (International Criminal Police Organization), also known as Interpol, working as the organization's anti-Shadaloo investigator. Chun-Li was known as the "black sheep of the I.C.P.O.", as she was investigating Shadaloo for the illegal sales of narcotics and weapons when said evil organization got their hold of the high-ups of Interpol.
Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams
In Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams, Chun-Li attempts to arrest M. Bison for drug dealing, in which they fight shortly afterwards. M. Bison, amazed by Chun-Li's strength, beauty, and anger, invites her to join Shadaloo, in which Chun-Li promptly refuses. M. Bison reveals to Chun-Li that he's the one who killed her father, and, catching her off guard, hits her in the stomach with his Psycho Punisher before escaping. Chun-Li then wakes up in a hospital bed before being briefed on M. Bison's escape to Thailand.
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Street Fighter Alpha 2 retcons the events of Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors Dreams Chun-Li was an Interpol investigator who had been searching for clues to the recent disappearance of her father. Getting into a friendly spar with an old teacher of hers and friend of her father, Gen, he gives her a lead into who may have killed her father—the mysterious crime syndicate Shadaloo. Finding its leader, M. Bison, she demands he tell her what happened to her father. To her surprise, Bison attacks and basically makes quick work of her, then retreats to his jet in the sky. Before he leaves, he reveals that he was responsible for her father's death, and if Chun-Li were to come after him, he'll kill her like he did with her father. Finally, the horrible truth that Chun-Li had been searching for has been revealed. Later, at the China Branch Interpol Headquarters, Chun-Li is appointed Special Investigator of Shadaloo. With tears in her eyes (the last she swore to ever shed), Chun-Li swore vengeance.
Over the years, Chun-Li has appeared in almost all of Capcom's fighting games. With the release of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, she became the only character besides Ryu, Ken and Akuma to appear in all three major Street Fighter incarnations (Street Fighter II, Street Fighter Alpha and Street Fighter III).
Chun-Li is a regularly-used cameo character in Capcom games. She makes a cameo appearance in Mega Man 9 as a television news reporter during a prologue scene where Mega Man and Dr. Light are watching a breaking-news report. She appears as a boss in the semi-official crossover Street Fighter X Mega Man. Mega Man can obtain the Hyakuretsukyaku as a weapon by defeating her. She is also seen during the ending of the DLC expansion Nirvana of Asura's Wrath, apprehending a reincarnated Kalrow; the game refers to her simply as "Policewoman".
1994 live-action film
Chun-Li was portrayed by Chinese-American Ming-Na Wen (who would later voice one of the Disney Princess characters Mulan in the 1998 Disney animated film of the same name) in the 1994 film. Rather than being an INTERPOL officer, however, Chun-Li Zang is depicted as a news reporter working for GNT News, in pursuit to seek revenge on M. Bison for her father's death. Other than her change of occupation, her personality and motivations remains the same.
The Legend of Chun-Li
In October 2006, Hyde Park Entertainment and Capcom announced its intention to produce another film adaptation with the storyline to focus on Chun-Li. This film will be more character-centered and story-based rather than following a "nebulous plot." Also, apparently it won't be just a Street Fighter movie with Chun-Li as the main character, along the lines of Guile in the first one, but it will be an actual Chun-Li film. Screenwriter Justin Marks was attached to write a script for the adaptation. Street Fighter is set for a 2008 release for the 20th anniversary of the fighting game series. The film adaptation was part of Capcom's multi-platform launch for 2008 that also launched video games and a potential TV series in 2008. Canadian actress Kristin Kreuk known for Smallville stepped down from the show to accept the role of Chun-Li in the 2009 adaptation.
Power Rangers Legacy Wars - Street Fighter Showdown
Gemma Nguyen played Chun-Li in Power Rangers: Legacy Wars - Street Fighter Showdown.
Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie
Chun-Li was featured as a main character of the Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. As an Interpol agent, she requests to work with Guile to investigate Bison's organization. Guile at first doesn't want to work with her, more eager to pursue Bison himself, but Chun-Li remains persistent and she teases him into openly attacking her to get the frustration out of his system and showcase her martial art abilities. She convinces Guile that it is more important to put personal feelings of revenge aside and instead be practical and focus on how to work together. The two remain essentially inseparable afterwards until Bison becomes aware of their activities. Despite her importance to the games, Chun-Li does not meet either Ryu or Ken or participate in the final battle against Bison in this movie, as she was ambushed in her apartment by Vega, Shadaloo's top assassin. Their battle was brutal, and both fighters fought until fatigued. However, Chun-Li, before passing out from blood loss and exhaustion, defeats Vega and kicks him through the brick wall of her appartment. Guile arrived shortly after to help as she slips into a coma. A distraught Guile promised her he will bring Bison down and pursues the investigation without her, successfully tracking down Ryu minutes before Bison arrives. Following Bison's defeat at the hands of Ryu and Ken, Interpol tracks down Shadaloo and destroys its central headquarters. Chun-Li eventually awakens from her coma, and pulls a comical and cruel prank on Guile by making it appear she has died, before surprising him with a newspaper headline announcing the downfall of Bison's operations. The two celebrate with an embrace. In the original version, Chun-Li was given a shower scene before her fight with Vega, which has been censored to varying degrees in all American releases. The recent re-release of the film by Manga Entertainment now offers both the "uncut" UK and original JP versions of the film.
Street Fighter II V
In the 29-episode anime series, Chun-Li appears as the spirited tour guide to Ken and Ryu. Her character in this adaption is a far cry from the world's strongest woman since she is only 15 in this series, and is a Kung-Fu student under the guidance of her father, the highest-ranked police chief in Hong Kong. Chun-Li plays a sizable role in the finale when she is brainwashed by Bison's psycho power. She and Ken become something of an item during the Vega arc. She also challenges Bison to a fight and is defeated by him. Following this, she becomes one of Bison's brainwashed soldiers. It is not until after Bison is defeated by both Ryu and Ken that she regains consciousness again and reunites with the two fighters.
Street Fighter (Animated series)
In the American Street Fighter animated series, Chun-Li was a regular character and was voiced by Donna Yamamoto. This version had a darker skin tone as compared to her other appearances. Like in the games, she seeks to avenge her father's death, who was killed by Bison and like her movie counterpart, she also works as a news reporter instead of working at INTERPOL. She first appears in the first episode "The Adventure Begins" where she meets up with Guile, Ryu and Ken in Brazil to fight against M. Bison who was causing trouble with Lucinda and some other scientists who were trying to find a cure a disease that was plaguing the area. In "The Strongest Woman in the World" we learn that Chun-Li saw her father killed by Bison when he was the only person to stay and defend their village. Chun-Li is then put with the dilemma of either allowing Bison to escape or have a nuclear plant destroy many innocent people in her home country China and is forced to let him go so the innocent people can be protected. In "Getting to Guile" Chun-Li fought off El Fideo's best men in a street fight in order to obtain some information she needed but while waiting in her hotel room for the information she was called to save Guile from Bison's mind control.
Street Fighter II manga
In a Street Fighter II manga published in the early 1990s (written by Masaomi Kanzaki), Chun-Li remains in her established role of an Interpol agent investigating Bison, but she constantly references and reflects a desire to earn the critical praise of Ryu as a fighter, she is also portrayed as a more emotional and light-hearted person. As the manga progresses, she eventually participates in a tournament arranged by Shadaloo, and outlasts many of the other warriors, eventually coming up against Vega, portrayed here as her father's killer. Chun-Li defeats Vega, but as in the SFII movie, she cannot continue, and she is pulled from the tournament. Her injuries prevent her from doing much when Ryu and Bison confront one another, except call off an air-strike by Interpol as the two fight. Chun-Li appears one final time in the closing pages of the final issue of the manga in a panel illustration depicting her arrest of a drug peddler, she remains eager to prove herself to Ryu, and sends him a letter conveying that determination. Much like the anime SF II movie, the story stands alone from the established canon. Chun-Li's hero worship of Ryu was likely later used for the character of Sakura in the Alpha games.
Street Fighter Alpha manga
In the manga based on Street Fighter Alpha, Chun-Li is again an agent of Interpol (as she is in almost all iterations save for the live action film). In the manga, she encounters Ryu, who has fallen from grace when he began to give in to the Satsui no Hado, and had hired himself out as a bodyguard to some drug smugglers. She winds up befriending Ryu and Birdie as well as Ken; and Chun-Li, Ken, and Ryu begin trying to deal with the Satsui No Hado, though Chun-Li plays mostly a minor role in that regard. However, the three friends encounter members of Shadaloo, and Chun-Li, at the end of the first volume of the manga, rescues Cammy from being captured (or possibly killed, the manga doesn't say which, only that losers are 'stored' somewhere) after having her hand apparently crushed or at least injured in some way by Sodom. Shadaloo in the manga is once again responsible for the death of her father, though the exact identity of the killer has yet to be revealed.
Sakura Ganbaru!
Chun-LI makes an appearance in the second volume of the manga.
- 3 min
- 7
Chun-Li is a character in the Street Fighter series. She is the first female player character that appears in the series, one of the series' major lead characters alongside Ryu and Ken and the first playable female character to appear in a 1-on-1 fighting game.
May 29, 2018 · From her skillful strikes and powerful air throws to her infamous Spinning Bird Kick, Chun-Li’s offensive capabilities proved she was a woman who could finally fight on an equal playing...
- Christobel Hastings
Sep 26, 2024 · With hatted hero Terry Bogard joining Street Fighter 6 this week, and buxom babe Mai Shiranui on the way, it looks like the two fighting game titans are trading characters at this point. During a ...
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Chun-Li (/ tʃʌnˈliː / ⓘ; Japanese: チュン・リー, Hepburn: Chun-Rī) is a character in Capcom 's Street Fighter video game series. She first appeared in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior in 1991 and is the first female playable character to appear in a fighting game to gain mainstream recognition.
