Multi-award-winning Street Fighter 6 Director ⁢Yoshinori⁢ Ono has revealed the inspiration behind the ⁣flamboyant hairstyle of the game’s latest character A.K.I. According to Ono, A.K.I.’s hairstyle is based on the iconic ‘pompadour’, a style that gained widespread popularity in the 1950s. The ‘pompadour’ is characterized by a bulk of hair swept back ⁣from the forehead,​ and was often worn by male celebrities of that era.

Ono revealed the connection between the hairstyle and the Garage Punk music genre of the 1950s while speaking ‌to a fan at the Street Fighter World ‍Championship. He ​said, “The craziness of the punk scene echoed in the outrageous look of A.K.I.’s iconic pompadour. There definitely was an influence there.”

The idea for A.K.I.’s pompadour was conceived during a meeting between Ono and the character design team to discuss the game’s narrative and style. ​Ono ⁢was drawn to the popularity ​and outrageousness of the style and told the team he wanted A.K.I. to have a unique, ⁣extravagant look to‍ match his character’s personality. He said ​the pompadour suggested that A.K.I. was a rebel Yamaha mechanic, something ‍that wasn’t immediately obvious from his introduction‍ in the game.

Ono also revealed that​ the pompadour‍ was something that he personally liked and wanted to be part of the game’s aesthetic. He‍ added, “A.K.I.’s pompadour gives the game a strong sense of style and energy – something that feels very ‘Street​ Fighter’.”