Fighting games are expected to have a healthy roster of fighters to choose from orat leastcome with compelling enough characters to engross you. Just look at the ever-evolving iconic champions and villains fromMortal Kombat. On rare occasions, you’ll stumble upon a hidden gem: a fighting game with a robust character creation system.
10 Best Character Creators In RPGs
RPGs are known for having robust character creation tools, and here are the games that astound us with their amazing customization options.
RPG fans know just how important character customization is, but it’s a feature that understandably eludes fighters. But the opportunity to truly immerse ourselves within these gorgeous worlds is too good to miss. Just our luck then that I’ve found ten fighting games with the best character design systems that will keep you busy long before you ever throw a single punch.
There’s a mixture of old and new titles in the countdown, and the overall ranking is based on several factors like how many options we’re given and how well the design looks.
10Def Jam: Fight for NY
Character Creation or Police Sketch
Def Jam: Fight For NY
An oldie, yet still good, Def Jam: Fight for NY uses a simple, effective character creator. It’s not as intense as the others on this list, but it offers a good amount for its time. You can change your height, weight, eye shape and more.
Howit works still stands out compared to otherfighting games. You speak with a sketch artist, and every physical option selected is used as the artist’s drawing. Not many games, fighting or otherwise, can nail such a unique approach.
9Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Create a Champion for Earth
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Compared to recent MK games, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon doesn’t leave quite the punch anymore. But it still rocked a fun character creator that other fighting games lacked. you may do the basics like selecting your gender and skin color, but it has some amusing aspects.
Review: Mortal Kombat 1
Mortal Kombat 1 is a victory with most of its story, gameplay and presentation; it’s just nowhere near a flawless victory.
You can choose a specific face. The labels still make me laugh to this day from “Possessed” and “Evil,” to “Old” and “Old Evil.” I must admit, those were some of my favorites. On the serious side, you can also choose different MK races like Tarkatan.
8Smack Studio
Bringing Pixels to Life
Release Date
July 24, 2025
ThirdPixel Interactive
Smack Studio isthefighting game for players who are also artists. An indie gem, you can build a character that’s truly your own by importing your own sprites. Their system effortlessly redraws and animates them as though they’ve always been a part of the game.
Not only that, but you’re able to even build your own stages. It’s one of the best fighting games with personalized and distinct character creation and level customization.
7Jump Force
Live Out Your Anime Dreams
Jump Force
Admittedly,Jump Forcewasn’t the epic anime/manga fighter I or many other fans expected. But that doesn’t erase the excitement with the character creator. If you ever dreamed of designing an OC for your favorite manga, now’s your chance.
There areso many sliders. Enough that you’ll have plenty of fun before testing the actual gameplay. Every step offers elements typical of anime from a skin color selection that almost covers the whole rainbow to hairstyles that are as unrealistic as they are cool.
6SoulCalibur V
Create Without Restraint
Soulcalibur V
TheSoulCalibur franchiseis popularized for having a strong character creation system among the slew of fighting games available and SoulCalibur V didn’t disappoint. It improved everything fans loved in its predecessors.
There are zero restrictions here. You want to create a pretty character dressed like a pirate with the voice of a “Main Bad Guy” (whatever that means)? Go for it. Nothing’s stopping you.
5Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
Immerse Yourself in the World of Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
The Dragon Ball world is vast. So, when the opportunity to create a character presents itself inDragon Ball Xenoverse 2, it’s easy to spend quite some time at the start of this fighting game. Create a Majin, Earthling, Saiyan, Namekian, or Frieza Race and take them through the highly-entertaining storyline.
10 Fighting Games With The Best Stories
A tale for the ages; fighting is only the half of it.
What’s great is that there are also solid differences between not just the races, but also a few with gender like with the Majin race. It’s a fun way to add more depth to an already strong game.
Fight with Famous Characters
Tekken 8stands out as one of the best fighting games with a strong character creator withoutactuallyhaving a traditional creation system. Instead of building an original character, you’re using the roster of familiar fighters as a base.
Even so, fans still make remarkable designs based on real people or other famous characters.Leon Kennedyis a favorite for many. Add to that the incredible graphics and you have yourself an entertaining character design. The only reason it doesn’t make the top three is simply because you’re able to’t make a character from scratch.
3SoulCalibur VI
An Improvement of a Solid System
Soulcalibur 6
As with V, SoulCalibur VI lets you design a character perfect for the environment of the game. At this point in the series, the graphics are an obvious improvement. That certainly helps concerning the character design.
You still get numerous options from hairstyle to height and voice. The only major difference from the previous game is that you’re more limited concerning your race selection. Even with the narrowed parameters, there’s no denying how well you may come up with a personalized fighter.
2Street Fighter 6
Incredible Characters or Grotesque Monsters
Street Fighter 6
WhenStreet Fighter 6landed, it quickly became one of the most popular fighting games, and a hotly-discussed feature is its character creator. In World Tour Mode, you’re tasked to design your personalized fighter to join the ranks withpopular characters.
And the realm of possibilities is endless. There are enough sliders and options for you to build a stunning fighter. Or maybe you want a creepy abomination not meant to see the light of day? you may do that too.
Make the Best Wrestler of All Time
As a wrestling fan, there’s a lot to praise aboutWWE 2K24. One of the most delightful features besides the fighting is the character creation. Set aside some time as you’ll be there awhile, especially if you utilize the face scan feature. When you have players creating the likes of Deadpool, you know things are serious.
It’s the perfect way to stretch your creative skills and transform some of your favorite characters into famous wrestlers. You can even download other superstars made by fellow fans to add to your game too.
10 Best Free-To-Play Fighting Games
Whether you are into quick, chaotic brawls or strategic showdowns, there’s a free fighting game for you here.
