So. Nine-Eleven. That infamous moment in American history that even fourteen years later, still seems to ring true in the hearts of many a jingoistic American as one of the most important moments of the 21st Century. While I’m not going to rant about the sociopolitical aspects of this day of remembrance (partially out of respect to the people it actually affected and mostly because I hate even talking about the event because of just how toxic even mentioning it can be at points, depending on who you discuss it with), I will say that the timing of this recent development is nothing short of absolutely bloody poetic.

See, today, Capcom released a new character reveal trailer for Street Fighter V. Who is he? He is Rashid, of the Turbulent Wind, a Middle-Eastern fighter dressed in an outfit that looks like if Lawrence of Arabia had a homosexual love child with Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z.

You can probably guess what followed this reveal. Lots of jingoistic YouTube comments, caterwauling about terrorists, and complaints about how America seems to assume that all Middle-Easterners are terrorists. So really, par for the course. Though, to my surprise, a lot of the reception seems

The character himself appears pretty interesting. Street Fighter V’s been making a quite a lot of headway in redesigning classic fighters of late (including the return of fan favorites like Charlie Nash and Rainbow Mika, alongside drastic revamps of the classic trinity of Ryu, Ken, and Chun-Li), this is only the second of brand-new fighters for the game after the reveal Necalli. Personally, I actually welcome Rashid with open arms, seeing as he’s the first male Arabian fighter we’ve had in the roster. While his country of origin is up for debate due to a lack of a proper biography, it’s clear where his inspirations came. I’ve heard people compare him to Wammu from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, while Necalli is Kars. While I don’t know enough about JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure to confirm these inspirations, considering the fact that Rashid’s moveset heavily involves wind (particularly his Critical Art, in which he engulfs his lower body in a tornado to buffet the enemy before unleashing a powerful finishing kick) and the fact that Capcom was the developer of the cult classic “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Heritage to the Future”, I think it’s safe to say that the inspirations have some credence to it.

His move set is especially intriguing. While I admit, my knowledge of Street Fighter V’s inner workings and movesets is somewhat limited, he seems to evoke elements of Rolento and Cody, both of whom were in Street Fighter IV (and originally from the Alpha games, much like Rainbow Mika). His combat style seems very rooted in military tradition and tactical movement, like Rolento, with the wind-based projectiles and specials of Cody. His design is simple, but effective, and he seems to be very much about misdirection and cunning.

As someone of a more secular view of the world around him, I actually appreciate what Capcom was going for with this reveal. While I admit, this may be older than as I’m writing this, the idea of them releasing an Arabic fighter on a day that is primarily infamous exclusively to the United States, I think, was more to try to emphasize the franchise’s quality of having fighters from all walks of life. We’ve had fighters from England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, America, Mexico,  Japan, China, Turkey, Hong Kong, Brazil, Kenya, Korea, India, Thailand, and even Jamaica! Hell, if you count the Street Fighter EX series as canon, Rashid isn’t even the first Arab fighter in the franchise; that honor belongs to Pullum Pruna from Street Fighter EX3.

So to all of my American readers, I ask you not to panic and start boycotting Capcom. There are plenty of better reasons to do that, and this sure isn’t one of them. While I know that this is not a day to take lightly, can we at least not try and tear out Capcom’s throat for trying to include a positive representation of one of the most misunderstood cultural groupings since Scandinavia?

Besides, the game won’t be out until next year, people. Please understand that Capcom meant no offense, and give him a fair shake next time you happen to see a demonstration for the game in your area.

Adam Nelon

Hobbyist Writer, Southern-Fried chicken fanatic, and unabashed lover of adorable girls and pastel horses, Adam was born in the saddle when it comes to games. Ever since his infant days with the Genesis, he's had a fascination with gaming, and loves finding obscure and unsung games for any system he can run them on.