- This article is about the Final Fight character. Mike may also refer to Mike, Mike Moh, or Mike Lunn.
- "Well done."
- —Haggar (Final Fight Revenge)
- "Hold back if you want. It's your funeral."
- —Haggar (Marvel vs. Capcom 3)
Michael "Mike" Haggar (マイケル・"マイク"・ハガー Maikeru "Maiku" Hagā?) is the deuteragonist and prominent protagonist of the Final Fight series, and an ex-wrestler from Slam Masters. Though he doesn't appear as a playable character in the Street Fighter series, he still plays a role in the back-stories of Cody and Guy, and is a major enemy to the Mad Gear Gang characters such as Hugo, Sodom, Poison, and Rolento. He also makes many cameo appearances in Street Fighter stages and in several characters intros and endings.
Haggar made his debut in the original Final Fight, originally released for the arcades in 1989. He is described as a former "Street Fighter" and pro wrestler turned mayor of Metro City. As of Street Fighter V, he has passed the position of Metro City's mayor to Cody.
Biography
Appearance
Haggar is a tall and muscular man in every appearance, sporting brown hair and a brown mustache. His general look consists of a brown bandolier, green pants and black boots. Shadaloo C.R.I profile artwork of Haggar shows him wearing this as well, but also wears glasses, a white shirt underneath and a watch.
In artwork of the original Final Fight, a young Mike Haggar sports this with a tan shirt, yellow arm bands and no mustache.
In Final Fight 2, he wears a slightly changed bandolier, blue jeans, blue gloves and orange boots.
In Final Fight 3, Haggar has longer hair in the form of a male ponytail. Changes to the attire are blue green gloves, shorts, brown boots along with sliver knee guards and green shin guards.
In Final Fight: Streetwise, an older Haggar seems closer to his usual appearance with his original hair. He wears a gray tank top, brown bandolier, brown pants, black gloves and boots.
In Saturday Night Slam Masters, Haggar wears a wrestling outfit involving a blue bandolier, black arm bands, blue tights sporting red stripes on the sides. The tights also have red knee guards matching black boots with yellow lining.
Personality
Concept
Among several different inspirations, Mike Haggar was influenced by both Jean Valjean,[7] the lead character of Les Misérables who becomes a city major in the latter half of the story and "Sleepy" John Estes, the main protagonist from the 1986 manga/anime series Mad Bull 34.[7]
Haggar seems to have been loosely modeled after the late real-life wrestler "Macho Man" Randy Savage in the game; his ring name in Slam Masters is Mike "Macho" Haggar, and the games even feature a winning pose in which he lifts his daughter Jessica onto his shoulder, a possible nod to Savage and his late valet/ex-wife, Miss Elizabeth. Also, Haggar switches his career from wrestler to politician sometime between Slam Masters II and Final Fight. Coincidentally, Jesse "The Body" Ventura would go on to be the Governor of Minnesota from 1999 through 2003, years after retiring from wrestling.
Additionally, Haggar may have been modeled after real-life former wrestler Don Frye, who in turn would years later portray Haggar in The Broken Gear: A Final Fight film, the fan-made film prequel to the original Final Fight.
Haggar's full name "Michael Haggar" is a nod to Van Halen members Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar, the respective bassist and vocalist of the band during the development time of Final Fight.
While perhaps unintentional on behalf of the creators, Haggar bears a strong resemblance to Paul Pons, the first world champion in Greco-Roman Wrestling, including his short hair, mustache and the belt worn across his chest.
Relationships
Allies
Cody
When Haggar met Cody, he didn't exactly approve of him, seeing him more as a troublemaker than anything else. Most likely, this initial doubt only grew when Cody started dating Jessica. However, during the events of the first Final Fight, Haggar warmed up to the idea of Cody being a good guy and came to respect him as a man, ultimately approving Cody dating his daughter, mostly because he would also risk his life to rescue her. Cody was often annoyed by his lecturing though. However, after his return to Metro City, Cody started getting into trouble more and more. This made his relationship with Haggar turn sour again.
Despite this, Haggar never lost hope of him one day becoming the great man he once found when they fought the Mad Gear Gang together.[8] With this in mind, Haggar once again tried to help Cody out of his bad habits and miserable life. This eventually would end with Cody being elected to be his successor as Mayor of Metro City.[8] While Haggar knew he wouldn't like the job at first, he completely believed Cody was the right man for the job, as he knew his sense of justice was much greater than his internal demons.[8] He'll do whatever he can to make Cody's job a lot less troubling, especially if it involves something about Mad Gear.
Jessica
His only daughter that he truly loves and cares for the most. Haggar can be easily enraged when it comes to Jessica being in danger.
Guy
His ally and friend who had helped him out through the years in cleansing Metro City of its crime and violence.
Maki
Haggar knows the Bushinryu kunoichi quite very well through Guy and that he had worked alongside with her and Carlos from within their battle against the Mad Gear Gang in Final Fight 2.
Carlos
An old friend who he met after a wrestling tournament in Mexico.[9] Owing a past debt to both Haggar and Guy, Carlos works alongside with him and Maki from within their battle against the Mad Gear Gang in Final Fight 2.
Lucia
Haggar met and trained her prior to Final Fight series, and possibly during Slam Masters event, where her flaming ki first manifested. Upon discovering she was falsely charged for a past corruption she did not commit, Haggar cleared her name, by the time he became a mayor. Feeling in debt, Lucia works alongside with him, Guy, and Dean as an act of gratitude from within their battle against the Skull Cross Gang in Final Fight 3. Despite having had Cody to succeed him as a new mayor, Haggar orders her to aid Cody in keeping the peace, especially if something about Mad Gear arises.
Dean
Although Haggar didn't trust Dean at first during the Skull Cross Gang's downtown riot in Metro City, he eventually accepts him as an ally after learning of his tragic backstory and works alongside with him, Guy, and Lucia from within their battle against the Skull Cross Gang in Final Fight 3.
Enemies
Mad Gear Gang
During the events of Final Fight, Mad Gear had attempted to bribe Haggar into letting them do as they please like the last mayor did before him, but Haggar had refused their demands, leading to Mad Gear kidnapping Jessica and kicking off the plot of the game itself.
Skull Cross Gang
After Mad Gear's downfall and destruction, Skull Cross had established itself as the new dominant criminal organization of Metro City and attempted to take over the entire metropolis, but Haggar, Guy, Lucia, and Dean had fought against and defeated Skull Cross from within their efforts.
Hugo
Ever since Haggar had defeated him in Final Fight, Hugo has held and maintained a personal grudge towards Haggar and vowed to one day defeat him in order to avenge his past loss.
Story
Slam Masters series
Haggar's early career was as a pro wrestler, although it's suggested that before this, he was a "champion street fighter". Whatever the case, Haggar gained enough fame and respect that he began serving as a mentor for up-and-comers like Biff Slamkovich and Gunloc. They eventually signed for the CPWA. There, Haggar formed a tag team with Alexander the Grater, calling themselves the "Knuckle Busters".
Final Fight series
After retiring from wrestling, Haggar ran for mayor of Metro City and won, swearing to diminish the city's ever-increasing crime rate after winning the election. The plot of Final Fight centers around the Mad Gear Gang's attempt to manipulate the newly elected Haggar by kidnapping his daughter, Jessica. Instead of submitting to the gang's demands, Haggar enlists the help of Jessica's boyfriend Cody and his friend Guy, to combat the gang and defeat their leader Belger.
Haggar's story in Final Fight Revenge revolves once again around the disappearance of his daughter, who has vanished following a series of riots in Metro City. Jessica's disappearance is not resolved in Haggar's ending, which is instead a recreation of Rolento's ending in Street Fighter Alpha 2, which depicts Rolento's attempt to take over the city. The Street Fighter Zero 3 Secret File Book would later establish that Haggar was able to rescue and save his daughter Jessica and that Jessica herself had eventually left Metro City around the time of Street Fighter Alpha 3, being estranged with Cody after he couldn't give up his destructive addiction to fighting while also being subsequently arrested for aggravated assault and that Jessica had decided to study abroad in France.
In Final Fight 2, Haggar sets out to defeat the newly revived Mad Gear Gang led by Retu in order to rescue Guy's girlfriend and master. Haggar is joined by Maki, Guy's future sister-in-law and Bushin-style fighter, and Carlos Miyamoto, a South American swordsman friend of Haggar staying with him at the time.
In Final Fight 3, Haggar is rejoined by Guy and the two team up with Lucia, a female cop, and another ex-Street Fighter named Dean to battle the Skull Cross Gang, a new criminal organization that has taken over Mad Gear's position by becoming the new dominant gang of Metro City.
Street Fighter Alpha series
Mike Haggar appears in the background of Guy's stage in Street Fighter Alpha 2, where he is seen putting J into a headlock. He is seen in the background of Guy's Street Fighter Alpha 3 stage as well.
Super Street Fighter IV
In Super Street Fighter IV, Haggar makes five cameo appearances. First, a statue of Haggar can be seen in the background of the Skyscraper Under Construction stage. Second, the bonus car stage has a billboard of Haggar which can also be seen in the background. The third cameo is seen during Cody's prologue, which shows a picture of him, Guy, and Haggar on a poster (with the caption "THE HEROES SAVED OUR CITY", a reference to the aftermath of Final Fight). The fourth is when he suddenly pops out of a false platform in the Mad Gear Hideout stage. Finally, one of Zangief's alternate costumes is based on Haggar's outfit in a reference to their rivalry and similarities.
Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition
In Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, Haggar exonerates Cody and was later succeeded by him as the mayor of Metro City. In Cody's character story, Haggar was mentioned by Cody's assistant Marlowe when she informs Cody to fix his behavior and dealing all of the responsible duties as mayor. Haggar also makes an appearance in Lucia's character story, informing the latter that the Mad Gear Gang are plotting to oppose the current mayor of Metro City.
Street Fighter III series
Though Haggar doesn't appear and is never seen in the Street Fighter III games, he's briefly mentioned in one of Hugo's endings in Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact, where he forms a tag team with Black Widow. According to this ending, Haggar is still a wrestler as of SFIII, which indicates that he may have gone back to wrestling after his period as mayor ended. However, this could simply be a continuity error.
Street Fighter 6
Although Haggar does not appear in Street Fighter 6 and is never seen in the game, a memorial fighting stadium and a bronze statue were built in his honor at Metro City's Urban Park, as seen in the game's World Tour. It's important to note, however, that there is no implication within the game that Haggar has passed away, despite the fact that such memorials are typically dedicated to those who have.
Other appearances
Capcom Fighting All-Stars
Mike Haggar was planned to be a playable character in Capcom Fighting All-Stars but the game was canceled. If this game came out, it would have been the first time Haggar was playable in a fighting game that also featured characters from the Street Fighter series; instead, he makes that appearance in Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
Capcom Fighting Evolution
Haggar makes a non-playable appearance in Alex's CFE ending where he is seen wrestling him.
Mighty Final Fight
Haggar is one of the playable characters.
Final Fight: Streetwise
In Final Fight: Streetwise, Haggar is no longer the Mayor of Metro City and now runs a gym, "Mike's Mat and Muscle" as well as a dock, "Mike's Maritime Maintenance". He has isolated himself from most of Metro City and bemoans how many of its residents have forgotten him. He aids Kyle by teaching him grappling techniques and advises him to find Guy if he wants information on finding his missing brother Cody.
Namco × Capcom
Haggar makes an appearance in Namco x Capcom as an ally character, where he is voiced by Tesshō Genda.
Marvel vs. Capcom series
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Ultimate
Mike Haggar is one of the many playable characters in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and its update; his attacks consist of moves using a steel pipe (his main weapon from Final Fight), his normal wrestling moves from Final Fight, and some of Zangief's moves. In his ending, his political career skyrockets after he defeated Galactus, eventually making him the President of the United States of America with Tony Stark as his Vice President, being supported by Captain America and Chris Redfield.
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite
Haggar returns as a playable fighter in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. In the story mode, Haggar is the mayor of New Metro City (a fusion of Marvel's version of New York City and Metro City). He also became a sworn ally of Marvel's Spider-Man while protecting the city from the villains such as Ultron Sigma and A.I.M.Brella (a terrorist organization merged of Resident Evil's Umbrella and the Marvel Universe's A.I.M.).
At some unknown point during Haggar's duty as a mayor, he is suddenly kidnapped by one of the A.I.M.Brella agents and about to be transformed into a Symbiote-infused B.O.W.. Thankfully, Chris Redfield and his, unofficial teammates, Spider-Man and Frank West finds Haggar inside the A.I.M.Brella's container in time during their infiltration inside the organization’s lab to get the Mind Stone from M.O.D.O.K.. Upon hearing Frank's voice, Haggar awakes and break out from the container. Haggar first mistaken Chris' team as one of A.I.M.Brella abductors who kidnapped Haggar in the first place, until Spider-Man explains the situation to him, calming the mayor down. As Haggar ask why he's in A.I.M.Brella's containing room, Chris hears a conversation between M.O.D.O.K. and Jedah Dohma, who happens to have the Soul Stone with him. Nemesis then approaches Haggar, Chris, Spider-Man and Frank and after the team defeats the Tyrant, Spider-Man gets the Mind Stone from M.O.D.O.K.. However, just as Jedah and his large symbiote under his command emerge from the portal leading to the Dark Kingdom, the heroes runs out of the building.
Haggar and Frank try to rescue Spider-Man (the symbiote's liquids having splattered to Spider-Man's suit, turning it into his cursed Black Symbiote suit) from the symbiote’s control. Frank hits multiple cars that projects sound noise, weakening the symbiote and saving Spider-Man.
After the final battle against Ultron Sigma, Haggar returns to his office to resume his usual mayor’s duty.
Street Fighter × Tekken
Haggar briefly appears in a cinematic trailer for Street Fighter X Tekken. He is seen being suplexed by King. In the promotional animations made for the PlayStation Vita release of the game, a byline on a TV screen states that Haggar was elected mayor of New York City, which can be seen while Blanka is chasing after someone he believes to be Dan.
Animations
Street Fighter cartoon
He appears in the episode titled "Final Fight", in which his daughter Jessica is kidnapped by the Mad Gear Gang. Haggar is warned by Belger to not interfere in Mad Gear's criminal activities or else risk having potential harm be inflicted upon Jessica by Mad Gear themselves and because of this, Haggar is unable to fight back against the Mad Gear Gang from within his own personal time. Despite this and still quite very resolved and determined to save his daughter from the current danger, Haggar has Ryu and Ken go undercover and join Mad Gear in order to find and rescue Jessica while also instructing Cody and Guy to help them out as well. At the very end of the episode, Haggar, deciding that he can't just sit back on the sidelines and let the events play out without his own assistance, surprisingly and unexpectedly kicks down the door to Belger's office and briefly helps out in rescuing and saving Jessica while Cody and Guy defeat Belger with the assistance of Ryu and Ken.
He also makes a brief appearance in the episode "New Kind of Evil", where he's seen fighting Blanka in a wrestling ring.
Comics
UDON comics
Haggar makes an appearance in a bonus comic that details his origin.
In UDON's Street Fighter comics, Haggar is depicted as getting tired of calling in favors to keep Cody out of jail. After one brawl too many, Haggar berates Cody and gives him a lecture, at which Cody is unimpressed. Haggar finally gives up and decides that he can't keep Cody out of jail forever.
Hagger also appears in UDON's Super Street Fighter comics.
Gameplay
Fighting style
Mike Haggar fights using Wrestling. Haggar's moveset is most notable for being the basis for Zangief's moveset. In canon, Zangief having Haggar's moves was explained as Zangief seeing one of Haggar's fights and deciding to use the "Double Lariat" in his array of techniques. Due to this, Haggar responded by using the "Spinning Piledriver" as if it were his own. To reelect their similarity, one of Zangief's alternate outfits in Street Fighter IV is Haggar's attire from the first Final Fight.
Moveset
In Final Fight, of the three playable characters in the game, Haggar is the slowest but most powerful. He uses wrestling techniques such as a piledriver and the spinning clothesline. In addition, he also specializes in the use of a steel pipe (a pick-up weapon in the game), swinging it faster than the other characters. In Final Fight 2, he gained Zangief's spinning piledriver, replacing his regular piledriver, as a special move. In Final Fight 3, Haggar was also given a new super combo called the "Final Hammer", which is actually a series of various wrestling moves.
Subpages
Gallery
Sprites
Quotes
Music
Title | Game | Artist | Track |
---|---|---|---|
Final Fight | |||
ROUND1 SLUM1/ROUND4/ROUND6 | Final Fight | Manami Matsumae | |
Haggar's Theme | Final Fight Revenge | Jim Wallace | |
Slam Masters | |||
Theme of Haggar | Saturday Night Slam Masters | Alfh Lyra | |
Theme of Haggar | Ring of Destruction: Slam Masters II | Alfh Lyra | |
Marvel vs. Capcom | |||
Mike Haggar Theme | Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds | Hideyuki Fukasawa | |
Mike Haggar Theme | Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite |
Trivia
- Haggar is the only Final Fight protagonist character who has been playable in every Final Fight game.
- As the original Japanese plot shows, the Slam Masters games are set before Final Fight and depicts Haggar's professional wrestling career prior to being elected mayor but the English localization of the series removes all references of the games being set in the past and even goes as far to describe Haggar as the "former mayor of Metro City".
- Haggar is of Scottish ancestry. He also bears the Scottish flag in his gym in Final Fight: Streetwise.
- Mike Haggar is the only character from the Final Fight series to be playable in the Marvel vs. Capcom series (a case of irony, since he has yet to debut as a playable character in the Street Fighter series). By extension, he's also the only Slam Masters character to be playable in a crossover game.
- This was mentioned in his Shadaloo C.R.I. profile, and Sgt. Ashida even joked that fortunately, he was never an antagonist, referencing Zangief's portrayal as a villain in related media, which is inconsistent with the main canon.
- In Street Fighter X Tekken and Ultra Street Fighter IV, Haggar appears in the background of the Mad Gear Hideout stage, he is seen chasing Sodom from the end of Round 2 onwards.
- His career in UDON comics is based on that of Arnold Schwarzenegger, going from an athlete to an action star to a politician.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Street Fighter V Character Encyclopedia: Mike Haggar
- ↑ Mike Haggar's Final Fight profile.
- ↑ Saturday Night Slam Masters profile.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mike Haggar's Final Fight 2 profile.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 30th Anniversary Character Encyclopedia
- ↑ https://twitter.com/CrankyJ/status/1157078970606559233
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Shadaloo Combat Research Institute: Final Fight Developer's Interview
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 https://www.eventhubs.com/news/2018/may/26/dear-mayor-cody-capcom-gives-us-another-street-fighter-5-tease-letter-mike-haggar-mayor-cody-travers/
- ↑ • Carlos: "Gimme a bowl of chili any day. I couldn't get enough of it back when I lived in Mexico, way back then."
• Carlos: "Ah, that's right! That's where I met the major!"
• Carlos: "Only, he wasn't a major yet. He was Mike Haggar, professional wrestling phenom."
• Carlos: "I met him at a wrestling tournament. We became fast friends, and before I knew it, he was letting me stay at his place."
• Carlos: "Heh. Feels like it was only yesterday."
Carlos's dialogue from World Tour Mode.
Slam Masters Characters | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday Night Slam Masters | Biff · Grater · Gunloc · Haggar · Jumbo Oni · Rasta · Scorpion · Stingray · Titan | |||
Ring of Destruction | B. Widow · Ortega · Saber · Wraith |
Final Fight Revenge Characters | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Playable | Cody · Damnd · Edi. E · El Gado · Guy · Hugo Haggar · Poison · Rolento · Sodom | |||
CPU Only | Zombie Belger |
Capcom Fighting All-Stars Characters | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Returning | Akira · Akuma · Alex · Batsu · Charlie · Chun-Li · Haggar · Poison · Ryu | |||
Original | D.D. · Death · Ingrid · Rook |