Street Fighter 6‘s third season pass wraps up with the arrival of Ingrid (Rebecca Wang, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly). The interdimensional magical girl hasn’t been seen in a long time, but she’s looking to make new fans with a move set that is fun and flexible. But with so many options, you will need some solid time to fully grasp her true power.
One of the core elements of Ingrid’s kit is her Sun Crests. Able to hold up to four at a time, the player can expend them to empower some of her moves. Charging them requires the player to perform a quarter-circle back-and-light-punch motion to initiate the animation. It’s not short, so time it carefully. Holding the punch button can lengthen the animation, charging multiple crests at once.
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The ability to charge multiple crests at once comes as both a blessing and a curse. While playing this character, I found it easy to accidentally trigger the second animation, leaving me vulnerable to enemy attacks. Nothing more than a tap of the button should be used unless you intend to charge extra crests.
Managing your crests is key to getting the most out of Ingrid’s kit.
Managing your crests is key to getting the most out of this kit. Attacks change noticeably when empowered. Expecting one result from a move and getting another can frequently leave you in a bad position. Also, wanting to utilize her crests can drain her charge gauge. With overdrive attacks being some of the most aided by the custom resource, it is easy to get carried away, leaving you drained and vulnerable.
The other core element of Ingrid’s kit is her Vanishing Sun. By pushing all three kick buttons and either forwards, down, or back, Ingrid teleports in one of three directions. Back sees her go a short way backward, down sends her diagonally up and forward, launching a downward attack when she reappears; and forward makes her rematerialize forward, delivering a drop kick.
This move’s versatility cannot be understated. The ability to circumvent closing the distance with a foe is always useful, as it allows easy avoidance of pesky projectiles and other far-reaching attacks. All three can also be used as escape measures if you can time it properly. Teleporting behind a charging enemy can leave them open to all kinds of punishment, or give you the space to charge some Sun Crests.
Ingrid’s gameplay is unique and powerful.
Another unique element of this celestial visitor’s kit that shows off her otherworldly nature is Sun’s Veil. A defensive maneuver, it blocks an incoming attack and then sends Ingrid’s opponent a short distance, dropping them on the ground. The move can even block some ranged attacks, though super arts overpower the move. What can be blocked by what level of the move changes, requiring good muscle memory and quick reflexes to utilize it to its fullest.
The first special move to talk about is Sun Shot. A forward projectile, the attack moves a short distance, stops for a moment, and then moves onward. The heavy version causes the projectile to move at an upward angle, and holding the attack button can change its flight path. This attack is great for zoning out enemies. Its pause mid-flight can make it tricky to dodge and allow for clever follow-ups, and its multiple paths can leave foes guessing as to where it will go.
The next special attack is Sun Flare. This fires a more traditional beam attack. Capable of being launched from the ground or in the air, its distance and number of hits depend on the strength of the attack, as well as if crests are expended on it. It doesn’t have a light version because it is replaced with her crest charge action.
Ingrid’s most striking move in Street Fighter 6 is Order of the Sun.
Solar Rise provides the standard anti-air upwards attack when used at the light strength. When used in heavier modes, the attack incorporates other elements, making it either a great opening attack or a powerful follow-up in a combo chain.
The first super art to look at is Shining Sun. A powerful series of kicks that takes both players into the air; it can be empowered by crests to enhance its effects. It is also invincible on start-up, so it can be used to turn the tide in a dire situation if you can time its initiation properly.
Ingrid’s most striking move is the super art, Order of the Sun. This sees the character launch a ball of light straight up into the air, which returns to the battle as a rain of falling stars. Where they land depends on the strength of the attack button used, and Sun Crests can be expended to add additional stars to the heavenly rain.
This move is ripe with potential. Comboing out of the downward attacks seems like a great way to deliver a ton of punishment to foes. There are numerous viable options to mix into this attack, leaving players to experiment and learn which ones serve best under different circumstances.
Ingrid is a playful and fun godlike being… until she isn’t.
The strongest super art here is Cosmic Ray. This powerful attack delivers a gorgeous cinematic sequence as the opponent discovers the true nature of the magical girl’s powers. The attack’s damage is increased further when used at 25% health or lower.
Since they are working with a cosmically powered entity, the developers at Capcom clearly went out of their way to make Ingrid stand out against her fellow fighters. Not only are her moves far more ethereal in nature, but her personality sparkles with a flamboyant energy that would only work with one who has no chance of losing. She is always bubbly in her voice lines, frequently jesting at her foe’s expense. She even breaks the fourth wall on her continue screen, urging the player directly to keep fighting.
But while Street Fighter 6‘s newest character is mostly sunshine and lollipops, her story gives players a glimpse of another side of the benevolent being. In her final arcade mode match, we learn why she has come to Earth, and upon defeating her foe, she leaves a chilling warning about what will transpire if she needs to return to see them again. She is a playful and fun godlike being… until she isn’t.
Ingrid’s gameplay is unique and powerful, presenting the player with a move set that can be tweaked to allow for numerous circumstances, though it will take some time to fully grasp. Once mastered, however, it’s likely the character’s celestial nature will come through in the win rate of those who take the time to perfect her.
Ingrid is available standalone or as part of the Season 3 Pass for Street Fighter 6, now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
