The fighting genre is one where individual player skill reigns above all else. Most games have very few luck-based elements, and while there is room for unfamiliar situations in matches that could be described as “lucky”, overall the interactions between characters in fighting games are usually consistent.

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With that being said, some characters have luck-based elements associated with them that add an extra layer of chaos to the game. That's not saying they revolve completely around luck; these characters certainly require a level of skill to win with. However, they have elements about them that neither player has any level of control over. Here are some of Lady Luck’s favorite fighting game characters.

6 Phoenix Wright - Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3

Phoenix Wright using his level 3 super in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

Phoenix Wright is by no means a fighter. However, he made an appearance in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 as a character who defeats his opponents by discovering evidence about them and then defeating them in court, you know, in typical Ace Attorney fashion.

Upon selecting Phoenix Wright, you will realize he is one of the weakest characters in the game. He is very slow, doesn’t deal a lot of damage on hit, and his moves have very little range, this is by design, however. Phoenix Wright is supposed to spend the first phase of his fight collecting evidence, allowing him to activate “turnabout mode”, where he becomes a very powerful character, and the game even turns on his signature “cornered” theme.

While he becomes a great character in this mode, getting to this point is unfortunately determined by luck. He must obtain three pieces of legitimate evidence, and he has no control over whether he gets good evidence or bad evidence. Couple this with the fact that the opposing character is usually strong from the start, and he becomes one of the most high-maintenance characters in the game, usually relying on assists and Maya to protect him while he searches for his evidence.

Regardless of his weaknesses, he is one of the most creative concepts for a character across all fighting games, and the fact that the developers were able to transform a stylish lawyer of all characters into a fighting game character is a wonder to behold.

5 Neco-Arc - Melty Blood: Type Lumina

Neco-Arc in Melty Blood: Type Lumina

The tiny, cat-like parody of Melty Blood’s protagonist Arcueid made a return in Melty Blood: Type Lumina, and with her came a slew of luck-based moves to cause chaos with. Neco-Arc’s main luck move comes from her move called Neco Packet 2022, in which she plays a gacha game on her phone (fitting as this is a Type-Moon game) and summons attacks at random. While the powers she summons are up to chance, there is some manipulation she can do, as the A version and B version of this move will summon different attacks.

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Many of these attacks involve other Neco-Arcs flooding the screen. However, some give Neco-Arc special abilities, such as Neco-Arc getting angry over Twitter and having armor for a period of time, or the Neco-Arc broadcast, which covers both players' healthbars. While she may not be the strongest character, her luck-based elements give her gameplay the chaotic feel she is known for and may be enough to catch some players by surprise.

4 Dan - Street Fighter 5

Dan Hibiki in Street Fighter V

Typically starring as Street Fighter’s signature joke character, in Street Fighter 5, Dan has a unique luck-based element. When Dan initially launched, he had an infinite combo that lasted as long as the Dan player could execute it. His infinite combo made use of his fireball, and in a very unconventional way of removing his infinite combo, Capcom changed the properties of his fireball so that 15% of the time he will fire a “lucky red fireball.”

This fireball is more powerful and will knock the opponent down. However, if Dan gets this fireball in the middle of his infinite combo, the combo will come to an end. So while his infinite combo still exists in the game, it's now impossible to land a combo that lasts forever due to the existence of the red fireball. While it is arguable that his luck mechanics make him a weaker character, Street Fighter 5 isn’t a game known for having infinite combos, so it was a necessary and creative way to limit his combo ability and add luck that reflects Dan’s persona also.

3 Platinum The Trinity - Blazblue

Platinum using her astral finish on Terumi in Blazblue Centralfiction

Blazblue’s signature magical girl who is known for fighting with her giant magical wand also happens to be the game's main luck-based character. Every character in Blazblue has a “drive” ability, and Platinum's drive has her using her magic wand to summon items to fight with at random. These items include hammers, bombs, boomerangs, and a wide variety of others. Each item has a limited number of uses, and when the uses run out she must pull out another randomly selected weapon.

While her items are selected at random, an item can’t be re-selected until every other one has been used, meaning that the chance of getting a specific item increases every time she uses her drive button. Once she goes through all eight of her items, the queue resets, and she must go through all eight once again.

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She has another, albeit much less well-known luck mechanic regarding her 5A. When she presses 5A, she will do one of three similar-looking animations in which she will throw rock, paper, or scissors. If two Platinum players press this attack at the same time, the player who wins in rock paper scissors will hit the other one.

This situation is very uncommon, but it is a funny addition to the game. While her luck factor goes down as she uses her items, there is no getting around having to use all of her items in an inconsistent order, and those who want to play the character must learn how to use all of them effectively to master her.

2 Hero - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The many variations of Hero in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Hailing from one of the most iconic JRPG series of all time, it’s no surprise that when Dragon Quest’s “Hero” was added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, he had a degree of JRPG-inspired luck added to his kit. His most infamous luck-based move is undoubtedly his down special, which activates a menu prompt where four randomly selected spells will pop up, and he gets to choose between them.

They all cost varying amounts of MP, meaning that while his spells are random, he has to select his spells carefully while keeping track of how much MP he has. Some of his spells aren’t too strong, however, the strong ones are devastating, such as a projectile that puts enemies to sleep, a big explosion that covers a large portion of the stage, and a move that instantly K.Os other players upon contact.

His luck doesn’t stop there, as he has a critical hit mechanic, giving each of his smash attacks a one-in-eight chance of dealing extra damage and knockback. While all these elements make up for a very wild character, he is one of Smash Ultimate’s most entertaining characters, and they translated the concept of a JPRG character into the fighting game world excellently.

1 Faust

Faust after using his Instant Kill in Guilty Gear Xrd: Rev 2

The first luck-reliant character to really leave a major impact in fighting games has to be Faust from Guilty Gear's, whose signature item toss mechanic has inspired many other fighting game characters. When Faust throws an item on the screen, it is completely up to chance on what item he gets. Many of his items are capable of impacting both players, such as food which will heal whatever player picks it up first, or the bomb which will hit both players upon explosion, however, sometimes his items strictly benefit himself.

Some of these include meteors that fall from the sky, a mini-Faust that crawls toward the opponent, or the 100-ton weight that knocks the opponent to the ground for an extended time. Even aside from his item toss, he has some luck-based elements, such as his super in Xrd in which the other player has to guess between three reapers and one angel underneath cups, and even if they guess correctly, there is still a chance the angel will hurt them.

Faust's goofy personality and over-the-top moveset has made him one of the most beloved characters in Guilty Gear, and his influence can be seen in just about any luck-based fighting game character since his arrival.

Next: Best Characters In Guilty Gear Xrd