Poison (Final Fight)
A character whose gender remains open to interpretation.
Poison is a character in Capcom's Final Fight and Street Fighter series of video games, created by Akira Yasuda. Originally conceived as a female thug in Final Fight alongside a similar character, Roxy, she was part of the game's antagonist group Mad Gear. Her design took inspiration from Jeanne Basone's appearance as 'Hollywood' in professional wrestling magazine G.L.O.W. Poison later appeared in other Capcom-produced games, media, and merchandise, often partnering with fellow Final Fight character Hugo as his wrestling manager. She is voiced by Atsuko Tanaka since the Street Fighter III series and Masae Yumi in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Final Fight and Street Fighter
- First Game
- Final Fight (1989)
- Creator
- Akira "Akiman" Yasuda
- Designer
- Akira "Akiman" Yasuda / Trent Kaniuga (Streetwise) / Takayuki Nakayama (SFV)
- Origin
- Los Angeles, California
- Nationality
- American
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Poison and Roxy were designed as fast, athletic characters for players to encounter. Due to concerns during Final Fight's development about reactions from North American audiences to fighting women, both were labeled as 'newhalfs', a Japanese slang term for trans women. However, Nintendo of America did not consider this satisfactory, and both were replaced by male characters 'Billy' and 'Sid' in subsequent North American ports on Nintendo consoles and handhelds. Capcom and developers later gave conflicting statements: Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono stated at one point she was definitively transgender, before later stating the company's stance was that her gender is open to viewer interpretation.
Reader's Guide
Poison's significance lies in her status as an early and highly regarded example of a transgender game character, though her gender ambiguity has been a subject of much discussion and debate among fans. Her sex appeal and the conflicting statements from Capcom regarding her gender—ranging from a post-op transsexual woman in North America to a cis woman in Japan—have contributed to her lasting impact. The character's design has evolved through contributions from multiple artists, including Jun Ikawa, Trent Kaniuga, and Takayuki Nakayama, and she has appeared in various Capcom titles, often as a playable character. Her portrayal has been handled with care, including consultation with GLAAD for Street Fighter X Tekken to avoid offensive content. The mystery surrounding her gender, as noted by Ono, is considered core to her character, allowing fans to interpret her identity as they see fit.
Did You Know?
- Poison was originally conceived as a female thug alongside Roxy, but both were labeled as 'newhalfs' due to concerns about fighting women in North America.
- Nintendo of America replaced Poison and Roxy with male characters 'Billy' and 'Sid' in North American ports of Final Fight on Nintendo consoles.
- Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono stated Poison is a post-op transsexual woman in North America but simply 'tucks her business away to look female' in Japan.
- Poison did not appear in Final Fight Revenge, so any claim of her using a whip there is incorrect.
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