Abel (Street Fighter)

Abel (アベル, Aberu), aka "a man with no past", is a French mixed martial artist in Street Fighter series who initially debuted in Street Fighter IV. He describes himself as an amnesiac man without past seeking to defeat the remaining members of the criminal organization Shadaloo. It is rumored that Abel once worked for a team of French mercenaries, but nothing else in his past. Abel is also a fan of Fei Long because he likes his martial arts movies and recognizes Zangief for what he was watching wrestling. 
He is voiced by Kenji Takahashi in Japanese, and by E. Jason Liebrecht in English.
==Biography==
Abel was found in an abandoned Shadaloo base suffering from amnesia. Abel feels as if he has had no family. After finding a stray puppy and taking him in, he starts a journey to discover who he really is and where he comes from, after which he says he will be able to name the dog. He first goes to the detective, Chun-Li, who is investigating Shadaloo. Upon hearing his connection to Shadaloo, she recommends that he participate in the S.I.N. Tournament to learn more about his past.
During the S.I.N. tournament, he encounters Guile, and notices that Guile uses the same moves as the soldier that nursed him back to health. When Abel recognizes Guile's moves, Guile then realizes that Abel must have known Charlie, and immediately starts pressing him for answers. Abel refuses to reveal secrets to someone he's never met before and their fight escalates. Guile then learns that the man who saved Abel could use the Sonic Boom, and tells Abel that it must have been Charlie. Abel also encounters Fei Long at some point, and the movie star is impressed with the mercenary's ability.
Abel eventually arrives at S.I.N. headquarters around the same time as Guile and Chun-Li. As Guile races to rescue Chun-Li from Vega's trap, Seth (or one of the 26 copies of Seth) stops Guile in his tracks. Abel tackles Seth, allowing Guile to reach Chun-Li before she dies. Abel is surprised to find that he and Seth look identical. Abel is called "imperfect" as Bison appears from behind and destroys "Seth". Bison allows Abel to leave unharmed for unknown reasons. Abel is later seen looking at the ruined S.I.N. base with Guile and an unconscious Chun-Li.
After the tournament, Abel informs Chun-Li that he's going to go on another journey to find more answers. He also goes to Fei Long, warning him of the dangers he may face from S.I.N. and offering to help. As it turns out, Abel is a genetically engineered replacement body created for use by M. Bison. He was to be disposed of with the other failed creations, but he alone managed to survive and escape. Abel was the first person to be chosen by Bison to be converted into a "doll". Unlike other dolls which are marked by number, this successful one was named "Abel". 
==Appearance==
Abel is a very well-built individual who bares a strong look-alike resemblance with Seth. He towers over many of the other characters, having similar bulk to Alex. He wears a blue Sambo Gi top with white spandex shorts, blue shin guards and thick gloves, alluding to his MMA appearance. He has blue eyes and sports a "faux-hawk", and is covered in scars from head to toe, most likely from being experimented on, or from being damaged in the wreckage he was found in.
==Personality==
Because Abel's memory fails him, he has no idea on how the man who attended to him disappeared. For months, Abel developed a personality for himself where he became interested in movies starring Fei Long and having an extensive love for animals (dogs & cats in particular) after adopting a dog, he begins a personal journey to rediscover his past. Likewise, Abel is a kind and compassionate man, though his amnesia has caused him to develop a tough outer persona. 
==Trivia==
*It is implied in the Street Fighter IV games that the soldier who saved Abel was Charlie himself, he is only seen by his silhouette (possibly a call back to his identity of Shadow in Marvel vs. Capcom). According to Guile, the only two men on Earth who can use the Sonic Boom and Flash Kick are himself and Charlie (though it must be noted that Seth throws the move with one arm like Charlie). Abel mentions that the person who saved him told him to stay away from Shadaloo.
**An official Capcom character relations chart confirms that Charlie was indeed the one who rescued Abel from Shadaloo, providing hard evidence of his survival.
**Abel's biography page in the Street Fighter: World Warrior Encyclopedia (hardcover version) backs up this evidence as well.
*In the original Street Fighter IV, Abel's name is mispronounced by the announcer upon winning a versus match and an online match, using the short "a" sound instead of the long "a" sound. The announcer in Super Street Fighter IV pronounces Abel's name correctly using the long "a" sound.
*Although Abel is one of the characters to be mistaken for Ken Masters by Rufus, he is the only person to specifically reply to Rufus in his win quote ("I'm not Ken Masters. Until today, I've never been told I even look like him.").
*Dudley shares Abel's intro quote in Super Street Fighter IV.
*Abel's design had gone through a complete overhaul before SFIV's release. As explained by SFIV battle planner Taisaku Okada, Abel was originally meant to be a small young boy and judo fighter who wore his hair in pig tails, a top made of bandages, baggy blue pants and sandals, because of this original design Abel looked like he "could be mistaken for a girl".
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