What Is Eternity’s Gender in Street Fighter 6?

The Street Fighter franchise long featured a diverse cast, but it wasn’t until recently that things started to change. According to an interview with Fanbyte, they spoke with Black consultants and employees to make Kimberly, our first Black female fighter, more authentic. That’s why it was a pleasant surprise to see the NPC host of the Battle Hub was not only a POC, but there’s a strong chance they’re a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Known only as Eternity, their appearance in Street Fighter 6 left some questions about their gender.

[Updated August 29, 2024 – revamped some details]

All About Eternity in Street Fighter 6

eternity street fighter 6 — Image Source: Capcom via The Nerd Stash

Since the launch of the beta, Capcom has remained quiet about Eternity. So, all we can do is go by what we see. And what we see is that Eternity has a loud and proud flamboyant style. They’re dripped out from head to toe. From the colored hair, the jewelry, and the rather form-fitting clothes.

In Street Fighter 6, Eternity is only found in the online realm of the Battle Hub. So, there aren’t many interactions with them. When you do talk with them, their voice strays from the typical “masculine” tone despite their primarily masculine features.

If anything, Eternity effortlessly boasts an effeminate nature in Street Fighter 6 that can easily allow their gender interpretation to lean more toward non-binary. The NPC bred some heated discussions, but Capcom still kept its silent stance on the matter. A lack of commentary isn’t much of a shock, however, considering past discussions with a character like Poison.

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For now, it’s all fan interpretation concerning Eternity’s gender in Street Fighter 6. Personally, I feel sticking with non-binary terms is a safe bet until otherwise noted. Eternity does give off Ruby Rhod vibes (The Fifth Element), but at the same time, they have a style not too far from what you’d see in anime.

But it is a bit disappointing (yet unsurprising) witnessing Eternity’s divisive community response. Perhaps a firmer stance on the matter and Capcom providing the same effort into designing potential LGBTQIA+ characters as given to POC characters like Kimberly will prevent any questions in the future. Only time will tell.