A classic game like Street Fighter is bound to spark numerous debates and discussions among fans. It’s already been over 30 years since this globally renowned fighting game’s release. Nevertheless, one topic remains prominent: Blanka. More specifically, players and non-players who’ve seen clips have long wondered what is up with the green guy in Street Fighter and why Blanka has that skin color. Well, we’re here to dive into Blanka’s origin to figure it out.
Who Is Blanka & Why Is He Green in Street Fighter?
Blanka was the first Brazilian character introduced in the Street Fighter franchise, and he quickly became a fan favorite. He’s a burly-looking dude that will instantly remind anyone of The Incredible Hulk but with electric powers. But despite his rough appearance, he’s a kind-hearted man. Blanka’s strikingly green appearance is a hot topic, especially for players new to Street Fighter. So, why does this Brazilian man not look Brazilian? In fact, he hardly seems fully human despite his humanoid appearance.
Well, let’s start by dissecting the history of this character. Originally, Blanka was just another human fighter for the game. However, the developers suspected that the game would come across as “boring” with nothing but human characters to play as. So, he became green. And there’s your simple version of why Blanka is green in Street Fighter.
But what about story-wise? Why is there some green guy running around in the Street Fighter universe? The original version of Street Fighter II states Blanka consumed too much chlorophyll from the plants he ate. His newfound green skin did help him blend into his environment as he roamed the Brazilian jungle. Once the game shipped to the U.S., however, Blanka’s origin tale changed.
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In the U.S. version of the game, Blanka’s green skin and electric powers came to be thanks to a plane crash. There was an electrical storm that caused his plane to get struck by lightning and crash, thus giving him a new skin color and his electric powers. Devs were quick to jump on this newfound explanation to further broaden Blanka’s origin story. Now, his plane crashed because the criminal organization Shadaloo brought it down to kill a minister that happened to be on the plane.
The exact shade of Blanka’s green skin also underwent several changes in Street Fighter. He initially held a yellowish-green tint. It steadily turned into the typical bold green appearance we see now. By the time Street Fighter V was released, Blanka had a much wilder appearance, with larger and longer orange hair on his head and limbs.
Funnily enough, in the 1994 film Street Fighter, the characters of Charlie Nash and Blanka combined into one. It even changed Blanka’s green skin origin by making him a product of genetic testing.
There you have it; the origin story to answer the thought-provoking question of why Blanka has green skin in Street Fighter. Hopefully, the explanation provides even more depth to such a fun character.
Street Fighter is available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
