Here's how you play Blanka in Street Fighter 6

Do you want to learn to play Blanka in Street Fighter 6? Street Fighter 6 has a roster of new and returning fighters, each with their own moves, strategies, and stories. Blanka has been a mainstay of the series since Street Fighter 2 and a fan favorite ever since. A lot has changed in those 30+ years, so let's take a look at our rundown of Blanka in Steet Fighter 6.

The basics of using Blanka

The two words that best describe Blanka's playstyle are pressure and movement. Blanka is a charge character, meaning some of his most useful moves need to be charged. For example, to perform his Rolling Attack you need to hold back for about a second, before pressing forward and a punch button.

This can be tricky to get the hang of, but learning how and when to charge your attacks is a big part of becoming a good Blanka player. Even if you find those tricky to use, Blanka has many useful tools in his arsenal.

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From medium range, Blanka can quickly close the distance with Rolling Attacks coming from all angles, Amazon River Run which closes the gap and hits low, his Wild Hunt leaping command grab, or simply using Surprise Hop to move quickly and keep your opponent on their toes.

Blanka is strongest when he is moving a lot, changing the range of the fight in a flash, and hitting his opponent from as many different directions as possible. Blanka is chaos, in all the best ways.

Blanka's moves and basic combos

Blanka has added some new moves to his classic repertoire, giving returning fans some new tools to play with. Below are his special moves, unique attacks, as well as some basic combos to show you how to use them.

Special Moves

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Unique Attacks

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Super Arts

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Combos

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As is customary for many Street Fighter characters, Blanka often initiates combos with crouching medium punches and kicks. He isn't the most combo-focused character, but you have some options when you get in close. If you are quick with the charge, you can follow up with a Rolling Attack.

Otherwise, your best bet is to use Electric Thunder, which can combo into a Super Art or use Surprise Hop to jump to the other side of the opponent and catch them off, guard.

This all relies on your ability to get in close, which is Blanka's strength. Use Rolling Attacks and Amazon River Run to get in front of your opponent, Surprise Hops to confuse them, then hit them with a quick combo.

The backstory of Blanka

Blanka, believe it or not, is human. His birthname was Jimmy, but after a plane crash, he was lost in the Amazon jungle as a child. He survived the crash and grew up in the wild. Somehow, his life in the jungle led him to develop green skin, sharp teeth, and the ability to create electricity from his body.

Eventually, he discovered civilization and became friends with Dan Hibiki. Through this friendship and others, Blanka learned to speak and began to claim some of his forgone humanity. His priority was finding his mother, and after competing in the World Warrior tournament he was reunited with her.

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Blanka returned to the jungle he called home, which is where we find him in Street Fighter 6. Word of a "jungle spirit" has gotten around, a creature named 'Blanka-chan' which looks suspiciously like someone in an oversized Blanka costume.

Sure enough, the spirit is Blanka himself, and this whole charade is his attempt to share his love of the jungle with others, while also helping him to find his spirit again.

For more on the game, check out our Street Fighter 6 commentators guide.