Abel (アベル) is a mixed martial artist who first appeared in Street Fighter IV. He is described as a amnesiac, a "man with no past" looking to defeat surviving members of Shadaloo. Later in the game, it is revealed that he is the same as Seth - a spare body created for use by M. Bison. which explains the changes in eye color Abel experiences when he does his Soulless Ultra Combo.

He believes himself to be a French mercenary, but does not know where he was born. It is established in Street Fighter IV that Abel once worked for a French mercenary group, but knew nothing of his past. Abel is a fan of Fei Long because of his movies, and also recognises Zangief most likely from watching wrestling.

Official Profile:

Birthdate: November 5

Birthplace: Supposedly France (actual birthplace unknown)

Height: 6' 6" (198 cm)

Weight: 187 lbs (85 kg)

Eye color: Blue (White with black sclera during Ultra)

Hair color: Blonde

Blood type: A

Fighting style: Traditional wrestling, MMA, Judo, and Full Contact Karate

Likes: Dogs, Bears and Fei Long's films

Dislikes: Oysters, Shadaloo

Rival(s): Seth, Guile, Fei Long, Zangief, Shizuru Fujino (SFxMH)

Hobbies: Sewing

Alignment: Good

Moveset: Wheel Kick, Marseilles Roll, Tornado Throw, Change of Direction, Falling Sky

First game: Street Fighter IV

English voice actor(s): Jason Liebrecht

Japanese voice actor(s): Kenji Takahashi

Bio

Appearance

Abel is a very well built individual. He towers over many of the other characters, being almost on par with Zangief in terms of bulk. 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.

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 (and bears as seen in Street Fighter X Tekken), and is a big fan of Fei Long.

Story

According to the official website[4], Abel is "actually nothing more than a genetically engineered replacement body created for use by M. Bison. He was to be disposed of with the other failed creations, but he alone managed to survive and escape ".

Abel was found in an abandoned Shadaloo base suffering from amnesia and raised by a mysterious soldier. Abel claims that the man who found him died recently, and Abel feels that he has had no family. After finding a stray puppy and taking him in,[5] he starts a journey of discovery to find who he really was and where he came from, after which he says he will be able to name the dog. He first goes to the detective, Chun-Li, who is investigating Shadaloo. Upon hearing his connection to Shadaloo, she recommends that he participate in the S.I.N. Tournament to learn more about his past.

During the course of the tournament, he comes across Guile, who is able to use the moves the soldier he was nursed back to health by had used. When Abel recognizes Guile's techniques, Guile realizes that Abel must have known Charlie, and immediately starts pressing him for answers. Abel refuses to reveal secrets to someone he's never met before and their fight escalates. Guile then learns that the man who saved Abel could use the Sonic Boom, and tells Abel that it must have been Charlie. Abel also encounters Fei Long at some point, and the movie star is impressed with the mercenary's ability. Abel eventually arrives at S.I.N. headquarters around the same time as Guile and Chun-Li. As Guile races to rescue Chun-Li from Vega's trap, Seth (or one of the 26 copies of Seth) stops Guile in his tracks. Abel tackles Seth, allowing Guile to reach Chun-Li before she dies. Abel is surprised to find that he and Seth look identical. Abel is called "imperfect" as Bison appears from behind and destroys "Seth". Bison allows Abel to leave unharmed for unknown reasons. Abel is later seen looking at the ruined S.I.N. base with Guile and an unconscious Chun-Li.

After the tournament, Abel informs Chun-Li that he's going to go on another journey to find more answers.[5] He also goes to Fei Long, warning him of the dangers he may face from S.I.N. and offering to help.

Abel was the first person to be chosen by Bison to be converted into a doll (Seth - alike). Unlike other dolls which are marked by number, this successful one was named "Abel". Based on UDON's Street Fighter IV comic, after Bison's doll No. 15 lost his battle with Akuma, his head was kicked hard, resulting in the software installed by Bison being destroyed and No. 15 becoming free. He named himself Seth. "The first incubator to have a name was my brother, Abel. A character in a book I read with that name had a younger brother... his name would be an appropriate one..."

Abilities

Abel has a very aggressive fighting style, and uses Combat Sambo (Russian wrestling with military elements) and various MMA styles mixed with Judo, according to the Street Fighter IV Strategy Guide. Abel is mainly a grappler, and many of his moves either chain into a throw or set a foe up for one; several moves also take advantage of the foe's direction. Since he moves rather slowly, one would assume he would have a difficult time getting close enough to throw an opponent; however, most of his techniques get him either behind an enemy or right in their face. Abel is also capable of grounding airborne foes, getting very close in the process. Abel is a strong character who needs to get close to finish a fight, and has plenty of moves to achieve that end.

Because he has great combo potential, several grabs and lacks a projectile, Abel is generally played as a mixup-based character. He is also equipped with a good variety of crossups and overheads, an anti-air grab and a command grab; this makes Abel great for keeping opponents guessing, and punishing their mistakes.

Trivia

-It is implied that the soldier who cared for Abel was either entrusted with him by Charlie or is Charlie himself. He is only seen in shadow (possibly a call back to his identity of Shadow in Marvel vs. Capcom). However, this soldier's hair is much shorter than Charlie's signature style. According to Guile, the only two men on Earth who can use the Sonic Boom and Flash Kick are himself and Charlie (though it must be noted that Seth throws the move with one arm like Charlie). Abel mentions that the person who saved him told him to stay away from Shadaloo.

-Although Abel is one of the characters to be mistaken for Ken by Rufus, he is the only person who claims he is not Ken Masters in his win quote. ("I'm not Ken Masters. Until today, I've never been told I even look like him.")

-Abel, is said to be a big fan of Fei Long and his movies. In Street Fighter X Mai-HiME, another one from the Mai-HiME roster shares this trait - Nagi Homura.