30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #10

Blair Dame is a very unique character in the Street Fighter universe. There have been many amazing women leading the charge but Blair is a real standout. She was introduced in Street Fighter EX in 1996. ARIKA developed their cast to be a balance for the Street Fighter II: World Warriors. Blair was the counter to Chun-Li. This meant that she had to be strong, powerful and confident. Her heritage was one of prestige and wealth but these things bored her. Her passion was in fighting. She wasn't a student of one style or form. She had fast hands in the game and equally fast feet. She could go toe-to-toe with a striker but was also a capable grappler. She could take down opponents and get them in a bone-breaking move very quickly. Her well-rounded ability made her the first mixed martial arts star in the Street Fighter universe. Alex from Street Fighter III wouldn't appear until a year later. The haughty billionaire Karin Kanzuki, from Street Fighter Alpha 3, appeared two years after Blair.

Blair is fun to play as in the series because she can string together punches and kicks so easily. Players can mix and match different moves to hit high or low depending on whatever is most effective. To confuse opponents she can even move from a strike to a tackle faster than just about any fighter. Blair also has the distinction of appearing in ARIKA's other fighting game, the Namco produced Fighting Layer. She, along with Allen Snider, helped expand the universe of Street Fighter into new uncharted territory. Granted most Street Fighter fans will never acknowledge the Fighting Layer characters as falling within canon. It doesn't mean they were not great characters to begin with. A good reason why Street Fighter II was a hit was due to Akira Nishitani and his team that founded ARIKA. Now that they are back in the business with Fighting EX Layer then it makes Blair one of the rare characters that has appeared in three different 3D fighting games.

Blair has been around 22 of Street Fighter's 30 years. There are many reasons as to why she is so long-lived in the franchise. She is an amazing character. Like most of her EX co-stars she has only become more interesting as time has gone on. How her relationship with former bodyguard Cracker Jack has changed will eventually be explored in Fighting EX Layer. What I do know is that her status in the Street Fighter universe is secure. Few women in fighting games have been as well rounded. We certainly could use more role models like her. What do you think about Blair or the other female fighters in the universe? I'd like to read about it in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!