Most Broken Video Game Characters: Ivan Ooze
The Search for the Most Broken Video Game Character
The search is over—there is no comparison. Ivan Ooze is, without question, the most broken character in video game history. Whatever argument you want to make for any other character, you're wrong.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Fighting Edition hit shelves in 1995 as a tie-in to the first film, and just like in the movie, Ivan Ooze served as the game’s final boss. Players who managed to conquer Story Mode on Hard unlocked him for Versus Mode.
"The Boogeyman is taking over."
From the moment the fight starts, Ivan Ooze throws out the rulebook. While every other character in the game is bound by gravity, Ivan casually floats—constantly. He never touches the ground and can drift to any corner of the screen, places most fighters can’t even dream of reaching, and he can stay there as long as he wants. His floating also makes him immune to low attacks and completely untouchable by throws. This character is already broken, and we haven't even gotten into his attacks—which are just as ridiculous and broken.
Energy Ball is one of Ivan's basic attacks—emphasis on basic. It’s not some special combo or command input—it’s just one button. It’s a homing projectile that not only chases opponents but also absorbs incoming projectiles and hits multiple times, meaning it can lock opponents in place long enough for Ivan to follow up with devastating combos. Combine this with his ability to hover in his unreachable safe zone, and you’ve got a character who can literally spam this attack endlessly, shutting opponents down with no real counterplay.
Oh, and he’s not done. Ivan can also summon giant columns of fire out of nowhere. These flaming pillars absorb enemy projectiles, just like his Energy Ball, while also moving forward to push the opponent into the corner.
But among all the unfair moves in Ivan's arsenal, there’s one so broken it simply shouldn’t exist.
"Zords-Schmords. I'll crush them like roaches."
As much of a rule-breaker as Ivan Ooze already is, Invulnerable Strike is where his true absurdity shines. This move generates a damaging field around him, hitting any opponent who dares to get close, while at the same time launching a relentless barrage of fireballs. On top of that, it makes him completely invincible for two full seconds—with zero startup lag.
But hold on—we haven’t even gotten to the worst part yet.
What makes Ivan Ooze truly and unequivocally broken is that he can activate Invulnerable Strike while in hit stun. For those unfamiliar, hit stun is the window after a character is struck where they can’t do anything—no blocking, no attacking, no special moves—just directional influence and recovery options like teching. It’s a core rule in virtually every fighting game.
But once again, Ivan Ooze simply doesn’t care.
He can break out of hit stun whenever he wants by using Invulnerable Strike, completely ignoring one of the most basic, universal mechanics of the genre.
Sure, Ivan can’t block—but why would he need to? With an arsenal this broken, defense is irrelevant. The best defense is overwhelming offense—and the best kill is overkill.
