Ryu

Origin

Ryu is an orphaned child with no knowledge of who his parents are or if they are still alive. When Ryu was a young child, he was adopted by Gouken and began living with him as well as learning the mysterious and dangerous martial art known as Nin-Ansatsuken. Gouken later trained his best friend's bratty son, Ken Masters, who served not only as a sparring partner for Ryu, but also to give Ryu some company since Gouken was the only person Ryu had seen in a long time due to the seclusion of Gouken's dojo. Ryu looked up to Gouken as a father figure during his early years and Ken as a best friend. When Ryu was about 23 years old, Gouken thought that Ryu was ready to travel the world in order to test his skills against the best fighters in the world. With this, Ryu left Gouken to fight in the first World Warrior tournament.

Character Evolution

Street Fighter

With the blessing of his master Gouken, Ryu entered the World Warrior Tournament. Thanks to his great skill and tutelage at the hands of master Gouken, Ryu was able to defeat every other fighter in the tournament. With his wins over all the other competitors, Ryu was qualified for the final championship fight, in which he would have to face Sagat, The Emperor of Muay Thai and the host of the tournament.

The odds were not in his favor since Sagat, with his imposing figure, was the best Muay Thai fighter in the world and a national hero in his native Thailand. As the battle begun, Sagat quickly took advantage of his sheer strength coming close to beating Ryu many times. Nevertheless, Ryu was able to embrace his dark side, delivering a devastating Mestsu Shoryuken which left a permanent and clearly visible scar on Sagat's chest. With this powerful attack and his subsequent Hadouken, Ryu was able to defeat Sagat and was crowned the World Warrior Tournament Champion. After the battle, Sagat swore revenge on Ryu.

Street Fighter Alpha

After wining the World Warrior Tournament, Ryu went back home to Gouken's dojo. Ryu finds Gouken dead and finds out that Akuma (who is actually Ryu's biological father and Gouken's brother) had fought Gouken and killed him. After learning this, Ryu began to search for Akuma to avenge his master's death. Ryu finally finds Akuma on an island and attempts to fight him. Akuma, realizing that Ryu has many of the same abilities that he has, tells Ryu of the powerful fighting method called Satsui no Hadou which lets a fighter embrace his dark side and makes a fighter's desire to win so great that he is willing to kill his opponent. After telling Ryu this, Akuma punches the island and smashes it, leaving Ryu stranded.

Ryu eventually gets off the island and encounters Ken which had returned to visit him. Ryu and Ken start a friendly battle and Ken easily comes out on top. After the battle, Ken sensed that Ryu was not quite himself anymore and gives him his red hair band, urging him to stay focused.

After his encounter with Ken, Ryu was approached by a young girl named Sakura who idolizes him.

im and wished to be trained by him. Ryu politely waves Sakura off telling her that he is not ready to teach because he himself has a lot to learn. Sakura swears that one day she will be his apprentice.

Two years passed after that and Ryu is still haunted by Akuma's words. Ryu meets Rose a tarot card reader who warns him that Doomsday is coming and the only way to stop it was to fight the evil M. Bison, leader of Shadoloo crime organization. Rose also warns Ryu, telling him that if he ever tries to fight Bison he will lose his soul. When Ryu finally confronts Bison, he is beaten to a semi-conscious state, which allows Bison to brainwash him. Under the effects of the brainwash, Ryu embraces his Satsui no Hado side and turns into Evil Ryu.

Soon after this, Ken, Sakura, and Sagat all barge into the room, having had searched for Ryu all for different reason; Ken because he was worried about not having heard from Ryu, Sakura still seeking to be Ryu's apprentice, and Sagat for his revenge. Ken and Sakura start fighting Bison, while Sagat is given the chance to finally fight Ryu for his revenge. Sagat fights Ryu but notices that Ryu has turned much more aggressive. Realizing that Ryu is not fighting as himself, Sagat urges Ryu to snap out of this brainwashed state. With Sagat's words Ryu was able to snap out of it and quickly help Ken and Sakura who were in a heap of trouble fighting Bison. The group then finally forces Bison to retreat.

Street Fighter II

Ready for battle

During the World Warrior tournament, Ryu enters to test his skills, and defeats many of the new warriors. It is unknown how far Ryu progressed through the tournament (although, many signs point to Ryu losing to Ken in the Second World Warrior tournament, missing his chance to go up against Bison as well as a

rematch with Sagat).

Years later, Ryu enters the third World Warrior tournament to further advance his fighting abilities.

Powers and Abilities

Ryu is a powerful and honorable karateka Zen; he represents the essence of a martial art fighter who has cultivated his spirit in the way of the warrior. As such, he has surpassed his own level and skill of fighting due his solid principles of honorability in battle and by his immaculate meditation. This has allowed him to strengthen his fighting spirit by accepting his worst fears and the surpassing of them.

Ryu's Hadouken

His Buddhist meditation has led him the pursuit of the purest state of lighting, at the point, that he has developed all his senses a million times more acute than any human being, being able to integrate his spirit with the all in the nature.

His kindness connected with meditation, the values and the practice of the martial arts discipline has given him full control of breathing, and hence, on all energy emanations from the human body's meridians (Chakras) and the energy emanating from the nature (KI). Due this, he can manipulate and concentrate in his hands a mass of blue energy that has a destructive effect of great power. From this, came the quintessential technique called Hadouken.

The Ryu's fighting style can be defined within the various disciplines of Japanese martial arts as a combination of karate Shito Ryu (school) with Judo, but has an option to function as an assassination technique. This relates with the "assassination fist" or Ansatsuken fighting style.

Ryu usually wears a white kimono or karategui, a red band on his forehead and wearing red gloves. In animated versions of anime, sometimes he is seen wearing street clothes.

Special Moves

• Hadouken
• Shoryuken
• Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku
• Jouden Sokotou Geri
• Metsu Hadouken
• Shinku Hadouken
• Denjin Hadouken
• Shin Shoryuken
• Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku

Other Media

In this comic series, Bison holds a tournament in an attempt to capture the worlds greatest fighters and use them to power his psycho drive. This would cause Bison to grow even more powerful and help him succeed in world domination.

Ryu successfully makes his way through the tournament. This includes soundly defeating his old rival, Sagat. Ryu makes it to the final round against Bison, but Bison has Ken and many others under his control. As they are about to battle, Akuma interrupts, for he has been searching for Ryu. Akuma easily handles Bison and when his psycho drive is destroyed, is powerless to stop Akuma from destroying him.

The Final Test

Seeking vengeance for the death of his master Gouken at Akuma's hands, he glady begins the battle. But he refuses to unleash his full potential, which Akuma considers a weakness. Unable to defeat Akuma without succumbing to the Satsui no Hadou, he chooses death over betraying his masters teachings.

As Akuma is about to land the killing blow with Bison's island slowly sinking in lava around them, Gouken appears from the dead. He tells Ryu that he has passed his final test and one day he will surpass even himself. Gouken battles his brother while Ryu begins to black out from the smoke. Dhalsim rescues him before he falls into the lava.

Ryu returns to Japan and rebuilds Gouken's Dojo, planning on getting a fresh start. He may not have beaten Akuma but he has won the battle and continues to focus on his training and bettering himself.

Film and Animation

• Street Fighter
• Street fighter II: The Animated Movie
• Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation

Characteristics

• Height: 5'9"
• Weight: 150 lbs

• Nationality: Japanese

• Martial Arts Style: Shotokan Karate, Shito Ryu and Judo

Video game appearances

• Street Fighter (first appearance)

• Street Fighter II

• Street Fighter II Champion Edition

• Street Fighter II Turbo Hyper Fighting

• Super Street Fighter II

• Super Street Fighter II Turbo

• Super Street Fighter II Revival

• Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

• Street Fighter IV

• Super Street Fighter IV

• Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition

• Street Fighter Alpha 3

• Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper

• Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max

• Street Fighter Alpha Anthology

• Street Fighter EX 2

• Street Fighter EX 3

• Street Fighter III: New Generation

• Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact

• Street Fighter III 3rd Strike: Fight For the Future

• Street Fighter X Tekken

• Capcom vs SNK

• Capcom vs SNK Pro

• Marvel vs Capcom

• Marvel vs Capcom 2

• Marvel vs Capcom 3

• X-Men vs Street Fighter

• Namco x Capcom

• Capcom Classics Collection

• Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded

• Capcom Classics Collection: Volume 2

• Capcom Fighting All-Star

• Capcom Fighting Evolution

• Pocket Fighter

• Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes

• Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All Stars

• Tekken X Street Fighter