Animated series like Avatar: The Legend of Korra and Voltron: Legendary Defender are renowned for their smooth animation, action-packed sequences and memorable characters. The same thing can be said of certain fighting games: classic franchises like Street Fighter remain timeless due to their colorful casts and appealing gameplay. The two aren’t as different as one might think, and the multiple animated features inspired by the games encapsulate these traits.

Joaquim Dos Santos, director and animator of the aforementioned series, seems to agree. Animated ventures like the SFII and Alpha movies could have gotten another member to their ranks: Joaquim admitted in a Twitter post that he had once planned on creating an animated series in the same vein of his previous works to expound upon the Street Fighter universe.

Animation from arcade origins

Joaquim’s inspiration for the idea was birthed during the arcade haydays of the late '80s and early '90s. “I grew up when there was still a very active arcade culture here in the states,” he explained. “There was not a 7-11 or liquor store that didn’t have at least one or two machines. When Street Fighter landed, I remember being absolutely mesmerized. It was unlike anything anyone had seen before. We had games like Karate Champ and Urban Champion, but nothing on the level of Street Fighter.”

The game’s originality and competitive aspect stuck in Santos’s mind, rendering it an unforgettable staple that would eventually influence both American culture at large as well as his own life. “I remember accidentally throwing a fireball for the first time and then me and my friends dumping all our money into the cabinet to try and make it happen again,” he recounted. “Those types of button and joystick combos simply didn’t exist at that time. It was completely uncharted water. This was all pre-internet, so as the game grew in popularity, kids would pass along techniques and rumors about the game at school. It was a real cultural phenomenon.”

SFII’s vibrant world warriors and then-groundbreaking graphics stuck out to Santos. “Beyond the gameplay, the characters and environments were absolutely mesmerizing,” he said. “The game just looked better than anything out at the time. Truth be told, I actually kind of stink at the game. I was for sure the worst amongst my friends, and at that time, the only way to play the game was to either keep winning (which meant you had skills), or have enough money to continually feed the machine.”

In fact, it was Santos’s lack of both that led him to think critically about the game’s art, and what began the foundation for his secret Street Fighter brainchild. “I was in short supply of both skill and funds, but that meant I got to really focus on the art in the game,” he stated. “I’d sketch all the characters while my friends played the game. [I’d] Imagine stories involving them, just kind of absorb it all. As time went on, the game and the property blew up (as we’re all aware), and while there have been some pretty sweet adaptations, I’ve always felt like there was still room for more.” Santos explained that this was a common occurrence for media that resonated with him, and Street Fighter certainly struck a chord. “I’ve just always loved art,” he said. “Whenever I watched a film, read a book, or played a video game that resonated with me, the first thing I wanted to do was try and draw it. It’s just something that has always been with me.”

A sneak peek of the Street Fighter concept

Santos’s concept for the show centers around the Street Fighter series’ second iteration of the World Warrior Tournament. “It was in the really really early stages,” he admitted. “Without giving away the whole deal, the basic concept was to heavily focus on the World Warrior Tournament itself, to try and capture the ‘anything can happen’ aspect of the game.” It was this concept that Santos wanted to focus on: the idea that any character could take a set if played well. “I remember being amazed that the game had this wide array of characters of all shapes and sizes, and any one of them could be the winner. It wasn’t just the archetypal ‘heroic' characters. This was made even more apparent when Championship Edition was released. You just never knew who was going to win, and every character had an equal opportunity to be victorious, good, bad and everything in between. We really wanted to bring that aspect into the project, and keep viewers on their toes the way they’d be watching an actual match.”

While Street Fighter was the central influence for Santos’s project, it wasn’t his only inspiration. He also expressed a love for martial arts in cinema, taking inspiration from greats like Bruce Lee and famous wrestlers, too. “Growing up, I loved martial arts films,” he said. “Bruce Lee was a prominent figure in my house. I was a huge fan of pro wrestling in the '80s and early '90s. [I was also] a massive animation fan, and video games were an absolute obsession. Street Fighter was the culmination of all those things.”

His love for the game draws from all of these interests, and is a testament to the massive cultural impact the game had on society. “To be honest, Street Fighter was such a force of nature when it came out that you almost couldn’t but help but get caught up in it. If you say ‘Hadouken!’ to anyone under 40, nine times out of 10 they’ll know what you’re talking about.”

Sending Street Fighter to the small screen

Santos’s work on highly acclaimed animated series has been both fruitful and fulfilling. “Being a part of those productions has been an absolute dream come true,” he stated. “Art and storytelling is pretty much all I’m qualified to do in this world. Without it, I’d be pretty lost.” He feels confident that the mix of his skills and Street Fighter’s timeless characters could make for a well-received show. “I think Street Fighter would make an amazing series,” he said. “There’s a rich cast of characters and a ton of story to mine.”

While Santos’s story has yet to come to fruition, there is little doubt that it would well-received should it take to the small screen. After all, Street Fighter’s animated renditions (with the exception of the 1995 American cartoon) have proved to be much more successful than their live-action counterparts. A Street Fighter animated series in the style of Voltron and Korra would be a thrilling sight to behold--and it might come to life sooner than expected.