Rushdown characters are equipped with relentless offenses at some defensive cost, such as having low health or poor ways to break out of combos or blockstrings. Their neutral game will consist of high mobility feints in an attempt to bait a punish. The rushdown archetype excels at creating their own opportunities by forcing their opponents to whiff.
Zoning
Zoning characters are seen to be "winning in neutral" due to their often remarkable keep-out games through their projectiles or their long poking moves. While their offense may be lacking, their gameplans can be rewritten to always be advantaged by forcing your opponent to get in. In real life, a fighter with a longer wingspan will have a much easier time preventing themselves from getting hit.
Grappling
Grapplers are a beloved archetype by some and despised by others. Their patient game of careful conditioning in neutral to come in and swipe a grab or two to make up for all the work their opponent just put in. Grapplers in particular are known for their ability to dominate the mental game despite their weaker buttons and often horrible mobility options.
Jack-of-All-Trades
Also known as the "Shoto", this archetype has a little bit of everything while straying from a more defined identity. Ryu has a fluid combo game, his defensive options are fairly strong with his Shoryuken and Hadouken fireball, and his movement speed is average but not limiting. These characters can be lethal if underestimated, especially if the game systems are fundamentally volatile.
Puppet
The 2-in-1 combo deal. These characters offer a potential of endless options in neutral, offense, and defense at the cost of their remarkable difficulty in mastering and very volatile gameplans. If the puppeteer is without their puppet or is letting them die too frequently, they may as well be the worst archetype. Their power is unmatched when mastered though.