Guilty Gear Strive’s roster is full of unique and memorable characters that return time and time again. Not all characters secure a roster spot, though. Series veterans could appear in the story of the game and still show up absent when the base roster arrives; this is the case for many beloved characters.

Guilty Gear is no stranger to revisions and rereleases of games – and especially not DLC characters – with multiple editions of the same game with minor tweaks and DLC characters included. With five characters expected for the first season pass, there are a few worthy candidates for those spots.

10 Jack-O Valentine/Aria

Jack-O technically wouldn’t be able to come back into Strive as the same character, she’d be coming back as Aria. She fused with Aria and her appearance changed slightly but her soul is completely dominant in the body.

Jack-O has been shown a lot of love outside of competitive communities but the casual fanbase loves to see her. She’s still in the story of Guilty Gear, even if not as important as before. It’d just feel a bit odd to not see Jack-O in a modern Guilty Gear title considering how much screen time she’s had in recent memory.

9 A.B.A

A.B.A hasn’t been seen for a while now. Her last mainline entry was Guilty Gear XX, which was released back in 2006, with revisions dropping in 2012 and 2019 if Switch ports way after the lifecycle of the game are counted. All that to say, your favorite homunculus hasn’t been in a Guilty Gear roster for a while.

A.B.A could be incorporated back into the story with some effort, and her slow and defensive playstyle could offer something new to Strive’s fast-paced and high damaging roster. Her defensive ratings might reach the level of some of the bulkier characters in the cast.

8 Johnny

Johnny is the captain of the otherwise female-exclusive Jellyfish Pirates, with May taking all of the glory for herself in Strive. It’s a shame he can’t be there to witness his home turf as one of the best arenas in the game.

Johnny’s slow nature and katana-wielding might fool series newcomers into thinking that Nagoriyuki more than fills his shoes. However, Johnny has the potential for decent zoning and pressure in neutral with his coins. When combined with his use of hand-to-hand combat that’s present in his combos, there are no worries about the two fighters feeling too similar.

7 Slayer

Slayer has been in so many Guilty Gear games and revisions that it feels weird to not see him on the Strive roster in some capacity. He’s living his best life in the story but his retirement has never stopped him from getting back in the ring. Your favorite spiffy vampire assassin needs to come back.

The blood-sucking mechanic comes back in Nagoriyuki but that doesn’t mean that Slayer can’t use it again. His teleportation and a big emphasis on air combos add some fun to his otherwise punishment-focused close-range combat.

6 Jam Kuradoberi

Not too many characters in Guilty Gear fight with their bare fists – Jam is a much welcome exception to the rule. Jam’s rushdown style fits into Strive’s faster-paced gameplay and would be a treat to play for Giovanna or Leo mains.

However, Jam strays away from Leo’s gorilla style of rushdown attacks and aggression, a lot of her inputs require some forethought and charging to make full use of her kit. Although, yeah, Jam is pretty beginner-friendly and you could just go full rushdown mode.

5 Venom

Honestly, Venom’s design is a big reason why he should come back. It’s also odd to not see him return after being in the franchise since the second entry. He won’t have the same design that fans love, instead he’ll probably continue wearing his new chef jacket or tie his hair back.

It’d be interesting to see how a zoner focused on chip damage and set-play would turn out with Strive’s new focus on neutral and heavy-hitting combos. A revamp might be needed for Venom’s moveset, at least with enough changes to be drastically different from how he played in Xrd Rev 2.

4 Elphelt Valentine

Elphelt doesn’t feel like a matter of “if” but rather a matter of “when”. As a Valentine, she’s as important to the story as anyone else could be. Her recent introduction into the franchise leaves a lot of room for exploration and a lot of possibilities going forward with her playstyle.

Elphelt’s variety in her moveset gives the developers endless possibilities. She already had great damage, good moves for zoning, and a tool for just about every situation. Elphelt was one of the more well-rounded characters in Xrd Rev 2 and she could be taking on a very similar role to Ky Kiske in Strive… maybe a little stronger, please?

3 Dizzy

Dizzy has been such a crucial character in Guilty Gear for so long that it’s criminal that she’s been absent from so many rosters. She made a cameo in Strive so there’s always a possibility she could hop right back into it, after all, she was DLC for Xrd Rev.

Dizzy’s neutral would be focused very heavily on zoning with her projectile attacks before going in and finishing an opponent off with heavy-hitting close-range attacks. Her tension management is always tricky and adds some layer of depth to playing her character.

2 Happy Chaos Valentine

Alright, technically, Happy Chaos isn’t coming back to Guilty Gear. If they’re included as DLC, it will be their first time as a playable character. In Strive, Happy Chaos takes on a much more prominent role than his brief mention in Xrd’s story.

Happy Chaos Valentine plays such an important part in Strive’s story mode that it’d be a shame to not see him take the stage and become a playable character. Also, it’d be a shame to see that design go to waste.

1 Baiken

Baiken is a big point of discussion in the Guilty Gear community. There’s a reason that “No Baiken, No Buy” exists – she has a very dedicated fanbase and is essentially a series staple. It’s sort of sad that Baiken wasn’t even there for the defeat of Happy Chaos – formerly known as “That Man” – and only received the news of her enemy’s death after the fact.

Baiken is always fun to play; Her playstyle focuses heavily on defending and punishing your opponent’s mistakes and openings. However, her drawback is that she’s also very susceptible to being punished for any minor mistakes. In a game where momentum is as important as Strive, it’d be possible that this is the perfect environment for Baiken.

NEXT: Guilty Gear Strive: Tips On Using Training Mode To Get Better