Abel in Super Street Fighter IV
| “ | It seems different than a battlefield. I like it. | „ |
| ~ Abel |
Abel (アベル, Aberu), aka "a man with no past", is a French mixed martial artist in Street Fighter series who initially debuted in Street Fighter IV. He describes himself as an amnesiac man without past seeking to defeat the remaining members of the criminal organization Shadaloo. It is rumored that Abel once worked for a team of French mercenaries, but nothing else in his past. Abel is also a fan of Fei Long because he likes his martial arts movies and recognizes Zangief for what he was watching wrestling.
Biography
Appearance
Abel is a very well built individual who bares a strong look-alike resemblance with Seth. This is due to the fact that the two were originally meant to be one of M. Bison's many spare bodies. What makes him different to Seth is that due to his success, Abel was either made to look human or because he was a "mold" for all male dolls, where as Seth has grey skin and black/glowing eyes.
He towers over many of the other characters, having similar bulk to Alex. He wears a blue Sambo Gi top with white spandex shorts, blue shin guards and thick gloves, alluding to his MMA appearance. He has blue eyes and sports a "faux-hawk", and is covered in scars from head to toe, most likely from being experimented on, or from being damaged in the wreckage he was found in.
In SFIV: The Ties That Bind, Abel's gi top is black instead of blue.
In Street Fighter V, during Guile's prologue story, Abel wore a blue Shadaloo uniform under disguise. After getting injured by F.A.N.G, and the events of A Shadow Falls, he wears a casual outfit; a blue short sleeved collared shirt, white trousers and blue slippers. He has a bandaged on his arm and eye, and leg.
Concept
Interestingly, Abel's design had gone through a complete overhaul before the game's release. Abel was originally meant to be a small boy and judo fighter who could be mistaken for a girl, wearing his hair in pig tails, a top made of bandages, baggy blue pants, and sandals.
It is highly implied that Russian mixed martial arts expert Fedor Emelianenko and French judo champion David Douillet were the inspiration for the character; the fighting style reflects that inspiration, and in fact his main blue outfit is an exact replica of the gi and gloves Fedor used to wear; the only exception is that his Russian flag on his gi is inverted and misordered in color to look exactly like the French flag.
Also of note is that his hairstyle and fighting style resembles traditional wrestling and more contemporary MMA techniques, particularly MMA fighter Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko.
Several comparisons have been drawn between Abel and professional wrestler Rob Van Dam, due in part to Abel's alternate attire (a wrestling singlet adorned with the French flag and wrestling boots), highly athletic wrestling style and wheel kicks. Abel's voice acting and face resemble that of actor Jean-Claude Van Damme who has also been known to wear a wrestling singlet in his films. Van Damme himself did portray Colonel William F. Guile in the 1994 Street Fighter film.
Personality
Abel has a quiet nature that is often mistaken for aloofness and emotional detachment. In truth, however, Abel is a kind and compassionate man, though his amnesia has caused him to develop a tough outer persona. By the time of Super Street Fighter IV, though he remains somewhat aloof, Abel has become more sociable and friendly to his allies, thanking Chun-Li, and giving El Fuerte chocolate. He also shows a soft spot for puppies, something he proudly shares to cat lover Yang, a fascination to bears, as seen in Street Fighter X Tekken, and is a big fan of Fei Long..
