| “ | Oy! It ain't too late to run off to Mum now... | „ |
| ~ Birdie, Street Fighter V |
Birdie is a redeemed villain from the Street Fighter series, first appearing as a non-playable opponent in the original Street Fighter, before becoming playable in Street Fighter Alpha. He is an obese British bar bouncer who fights using chains.
Appearance[]
Birdie's appearance has changed with each of the Street Fighter games that he is featured in, though he is generally depicted as a very tall (about the height of Sagat), late 1970s British punk rocker. In the original, he is shown as a tall, muscular man with pale skin a blonde mohawk (depicted as orange-red during combat); his outfit is that of a typical punk rocker, with blue jeans and a dark leather vest, studded bracelets, and combat boots. Interestingly enough, Birdie's early Street Fighter V design was nearly identical to his original appearance.
In the Alpha series, Birdie is a hulking, black man with blonde mohawk and a wide, pointy brown mustache that extends to the sides of his head to become sideburns. His lips are now larger, and he also has a tattoo of a red heart on the side of his head and sports a patently impossible hole in the center of his Mohawk, giving his unique hairstyle the appearance of a sharp bird's beak. Birdie's excuse for his drastic change in appearance is that he was pale due to being sick.
His outfit is also changed: his leather vest is now blue and sports a wide, pointed collar; he also wears a necklace with rectangular, yellow beads and a round, red one in the middle, along with several other accessories. These include round, red earrings; fingerless blue gloves; thick, metal bracelets; and brown, oddly pointed shoes, which are more common to punks in Japan than in England.
In Street Fighter V, Birdie has gained a beer belly, and appears much more overweight, in addition to looking grimy and disheveled. His punk attire is updated, with torn jeans, a chav-punk jacket with a large up-turned collar and more detailed combat boots that have replaced his brown pointy shoes. He also gains a tattoo on his stomach, reading "Life Like Dice". His Mohawk is also animated more realistically due to the shift from sprites to 3D models; the unusual hole is also absent. His alternate costume is a yellow and black biker jumpsuit similar to Rufus' but in a Shadaloo motif.
His second costume appears similar to the late Freddy Mercury of the U.K. rock band Queen. His Mohawk is loose downward and, along with his mustache, dyed in black. He wears a yellow flak vest, white shorts with red outlines and matching white and red sneakers. The tattoo on his stomach is not seen.
Abilities[]
Although he is impulsive at times, Birdie is fairly skilled in criminal activities and knew that Shadaloo was just using him. Likewise, he has masterful control over his chains, which are used for many complex techniques. He was stated to be a great fighter and his style is mostly self-made. Karin considers him a good training partner, when Birdie has proven his worth against formidable opponents, including more than ten trained assassins sent after him.
Personality[]
Birdie's character is very fitting of the "dim-witted brute" archetype. He is violent, short-tempered and generally unkind to others around him, and has an unsettling habit of licking his chain attached to his wrist before and/or after combat. However, he is shown more positively in the expanded media of Street Fighter; for example, in the Alpha manga, he is shown to be friends with Ryu, and allies himself with Chun-Li.
In Street Fighter V, Birdie completely deserts Shadaloo, and wants nothing more to do with them. He ends up working at Karin's estate, serving as her sparring partner as well as a security guard. It's implied that Birdie also left Shadaloo because he became disgusted by their increasingly crueler actions, the real reason he left was because F.A.N.G. forced him to wear a hat that would ruin his hair, rather than out of morality. The only reason he stays with Karin is because she feeds him and gives him a place to stay, though he seems to have more or less come around by the end.
Story[]
Past[]
Prior to his criminal career, Birdie was a professional wrestler, teaming with occasional rival Titanic Tim as the "500 Million Trillion Powers". He turned to a life of crime when his wrestling career ended, doing some street fighting on the side to add to his income, as well as nightclub bouncing.
Joining Shadaloo[]
Despite this setback, Birdie rose up the criminal ranks. He eventually became aware of an organization called Shadaloo and, tracking down their leader, M. Bison, demonstrated his fighting skills to join them. However, Bison only wanted a test subject, and used Birdie to perform painful and demeaning experiments. Birdie resolved to get even.
Street Fighter Alpha 3[]
Sneaking into a Shadaloo data room, he learned about the Psycho Drive machine, not aware that M. Bison was watching him. Thinking he could use it to overthrow Bison and become lord of Shadaloo himself, he set out to find it. Bison sent Balrog to kill Birdie, but Birdie convinced Balrog to help him instead by telling him how the Psycho Drive could make them powerful. Hindered by Balrog's incompetence, however, Birdie couldn't find the Drive before it exploded.
Street Fighter V[]
Prologue - 'On The Run: Extreme Hunger!'[]
In his character story, Birdie is shown walking out, fed up from Shadaloo and ignoring F.A.N.G (who is the reason for him leaving); after losing them, and fending off Chun-Li (who was trying to arrest him for questioning), he ends up at the Kanzuki Estate. He fights Karin, and leaves her impressed with his skills; when she asks why he left Shadaloo, Birdie (while having a sumptuous meal) casually answers that he "didn't like how they handled business" (the last straw being that of their newest dress code, and ultimately irritated by being told mandatory orders to wear a hat, hiding his hairdo).
Karin decides to offer Birdie to stay at the Estate as her guest, wishing to test her leadership abilities (reasoning that, if he were to betray her, it would mean she is unworthy still); he eagerly accepts when he is reassured that it means free and unlimited food, whenever he wants. As first order of business, Karin smugly presents him with the challenge of facing one hundred of her bodyguards, much to his shock.
A Shadow Falls[]
Birdie plays a small role in the general story. He is first seen gorging down chicken legs when the first Black Moon detonates over New York, powering off electricity there and signals. Later, Birdie holds März captive while all the other fighters are getting the keys for the Black Moons at the Kanzuki Estate after being captured during an attack by Karin. März escapes after Birdie is beaten down by Aprile and Noembelu. Birdie participates in the second attack on the Shadaloo base, fighting Février, complaining that she is using guns, while she points out he uses his chains as a weapon. He is with the rest of the other fighters as the base explodes, meeting with Ryu and Chun-Li, who got out after defeating M. Bison.
Gallery[]
