Ken Masters

## Character Relationships

### Ryu

Ryu is Ken and Zen's best friend from his childhood, as the three have trained in the same art of Ansatsuken for a long time. They share a very close bond with each other and will help out each other no matter the cost. All of them have also trained together under Gouken. One can see that they care for each other and never quarrel. Ken and Zen able to notice when Ryu isn’t in the right state of mind, where Ken gave him his red headband in order for Ryu to stay focused and not lose his way. He tells Hinagiku that only he will show up alone, and encourages Ryu to continue his training before facing Shadoloo.

Although Ryu spends his time training, Ken will go as far as inviting him to his wedding and Ryu will answer the call and also invite him to the Japanese hot springs. Ken always assumed that Ryu found him trivial since he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, whilst Ryu is an orphan who at the time lost the man who adopted him. In contrast to this, Ryu believed Ken and Zen was the only one's he can reach out to when it comes to his internal struggle with the Satsui no Hado. Ken also gets annoyed when multiple people ask where Ryu and Zen is, making it seem like Ken is Ryu and Zen's personal assistant. The three usually greet each other by exchanging fist bumps, usually before starting a friendly sparring match. As of 3rd Strike, Ryu has won more fights between him and Ken. Ken knows that Ryu have a crush on his twin brother Zen.

### Zen

Zen is Ken twin brother, he trained with his best friend Ryu from his childhood, as the three have trained in the same art of Ansatsuken for a long time. They share a very close bond with each other and will help out each other no matter the cost. All of them have also trained together under Gouken. One can see that they care for each other and never quarrel. Ken love spending time with him.

Zen was with his brother at his brother's wedding and also invite him to the Japanese hot springs. Multiple people ask how he finds Ryu and he never tells them how he finds him.

### Gouken

His old master in Ansatsuken. Unlike Ryu, Ken didn't have much faith in Gouken's teaching ability, but he'd later grow to respect for Gouken and his teachings.

### Sakura

Sakura is a friend of Ken. Sakura showed up to his house in hopes of finding Ryu, Ken was shocked that “his stalker” couldn’t find him herself.

### Rufus

Rufus is a comic foil to Ken in the same sense as Dan. Rufus constantly wishes to fight Ken, but Ken keeps forgetting who he is.

### Sean

Ken highly respects Sean's abilities, enough to make him his personal disciple. Sometimes they can be sarcastic at each other and trade jabs but are at very good terms.

### Zangief

Zangief is an old friend who's fought against Ken many times in the past. Ken brings Ryu, Zen & Sean along to watch Zangief face off against Hogan. Zangief was able to take a direct hit from Ken's strongest Shoryuken without toppling over. Despite hitting his jaw, Ken describes it as hitting steel instead of human flesh.

### Karin

Karin holds Ken and Zen in high regard, due to thire superior fighting ability. Especially after losing to them. Ken told her that there’s more to a fight than just winning, , and that the fight itself is more important In *Street Fighter V* they’re shown to be on good terms, as Karin invited Ken to her party and Ken decided to go even though it was his only day off. Karin also bring's Zangief and Mika along to Ken's winter home to bring Mel presents.

### R. Mika

R. Mika is someone Ken has crossed paths with many times before in his life as a fighter. She accompanied Zangief in surprising Mel with a present.

### Dan

Despite having been students together under Gouken, Ken does not think highly of Dan, going so far as to say that Dan "just sucks" directly to his face, after being challenged. This may be due in part of his first impression of Dan consisting of empty showboating and arrogance. He considers Dan to be a waste of his time to fight. Even his wife doesn't have good things to say about Dan.

Indirectly, this may have caused Sean to look down upon Dan too.

### Kairi

Ken fought and lost to Kairi in the *Street Fighter EX* continuity. He compares Kairi to Akuma when it comes to their ki and the smell of blood. Kairi however, doesn't know who Akuma is.

#### Hokuto

Their first encounter wasn't a friendly one as Hokuto doesn't allow strangers near her dojo. However once Ryu introduces Ken as his friend and rival she apologies for her rudeness and remains on good terms with him. She originally tries to fight Ken so Ryu wouldn't find out that he's gotten weaker but Ken brushes her off as he's only interested in facing Ryu. Eventually Ken does take Hokuto up on her offer and she defeats him. Ken helps her set up the computer and internet since Hokuto couldn't do it herself.

### M. Bison

Ken is aware of Bison's villainy and seeks to defeat him. During the events of the Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, Bison brainwashed Ken into Violent Ken.

### Akuma

Like Ryu, Ken is aware of the threat Akuma possesses over humanity, but regards him with less caution than Ryu does when fighting him.

## Story

### Background

When Ken and Zen was about 12 years old, thire father, a rich hotel tycoon owner, He thought that Ken needed to learn about discipline or his son would become a spoiled brat all of his lifes and try to leech onto the Masters' family fortune. In order to do so, the elder Masters sent Ken to train under his best friend during the summer, the mysterious karate master Gouken. At first, Ken was very hesitant to learn from Gouken, even questioning his training methods, but later began to respect his master. He even enjoyed the company of Gouken's adopted son, Ryu, since he had a foil to finally pull pranks on, although this got Ken into a lot of trouble. Ryu and Ken would later become best friends and each other's principal rivals. While Ken is training, Zen been playing baseball, he was very good and he like being with his team very much. Oneday his father want Zen basebakll practise talk to his coach

Ken and Zen shows up with Zen

When Ryu was 23, Gouken decided that both of his pupils had grown up to be fine fighters and decided that their training was over and could now leave the dojo. Ken casually asks Ryu which of the two will be recognized as reputable martial artists first. While Ken goes to United States, Ryu travels to Thailand alone, in order to face Sagat the Emperor of Muay Thai which is said to be the strongest martial art. After arriving in the United States, Ken competed in many different Martial Arts tournaments, winning most of them.

### Winning the U.S. Tournament and fighting Shadaloo

###### *Main Article:* *Street Fighter Alpha*

Ken fought in (and won) the premiere U.S. Martial Arts tournament that had been previously won by Charlie Nash, as well as meeting a very attractive girl named Jazzabell, who became his girlfriend.

After winning the U.S. martial arts tournament, the heroic story that Ryu defeated the Emperor of Muay Thai reached his ears. Ken put his physical and Qigong training to the side so he could fly back to Japan to fight his friend. When Ken finds Ryu, he asks Ken what it means to be a true fighter, he wonders if he should use the same fist he used to defeat Sagat or the one Akuma uses to murder people. Ken sees that Ryu's gone back to his usual bad habit of overthinking things and fights him as an attempt to wake him up. After defeating Ryu, Ken realizes he has been deeply troubled since his last victory over Sagat. He reminds Ryu to keep fighting in order to find the answer and gives him his red hairband and that whenever he feels lost, he should use it as a reminder of their fight and to keep fighting to find the answer. Ryu happily takes the headband and they both go their separate ways. Ken returns home and, with Eliza's support, begins training harder, knowing even with his recent feelings, that Ryu is always stronger than he looks.

Ken begins to wonder about his own life. Ryu seemed to be on the right track again, but what of him? Along the road to proving himself again, he encounters Karin, who tells him she has followed his career and is trying to best her rival Sakura to prove she is superior. Ken advises her it's good to have a rival, not for supremacy, but to keep on training harder and focusing. With this, Ken finds himself again and is focused once more.

Going off to meet up with Sakura, they have a friendly match and Ken finally realizes that Ryu has the right idea all along. Both he and Sakura begin to travel to find Ryu, but their path crosses with that of Shadaloo dictator M. Bison. Ken confronts him but is easily defeated and placed under Bison's hypnosis. Bison then uses brainwashed Ken to lure Ryu out of hiding. Once Ryu shows up, Bison makes Ken fight him. Ryu wins and manages to release Ken of Bison's mind control.

Ryu then proceeds to fight Bison but loses and, just like Ken before him, is turned into a slave of Bison's Psycho Power. Sagat appears and, enraged by Bison's actions, engages Ryu in an attempt to break Bison's mental grip on him. Ken, now free and aided by Sakura, attacks Bison. This intervention, along with Sagat's presence, makes Ryu come to his senses.

Recovered, Ryu takes on Bison once more. Bison senses Ryu's dark power (which Bison describes as "The ultimate form of Psycho Power") and attempts to manipulate Ryu's mind once again. At his friends urging, Ryu resists and defeats Bison with a powerful Hadoken. Ken is happy to see his old friend again. With a promise of a new duel, the two part their ways.

### The World Warrior Tournament, marrying Jezebel

###### Main Article: *Street Fighter II*

Ken traveled to the United States after promising Ryu to reunite for a match after they mutually became stronger, but during his warrior’s pilgrimage he fell in love with Eliza. This resulted in Ken giving up on martial arts and losing his fighting spirit. One day, Ken receives a letter from Ryu where he describes his consistent immersion in daily training which rekindled Ken’s fighting spirit. Realizing that he’s been slacking on his own training, Ken goes back into the world of fighting.

After the events of *Street Fighter II*, Ken is married to Eliza, something he had apparently vowed only to do after winning a decisive victory against Ryu. However, it is unknown if the two fought during the tournament or if Ken actually won if they even did. No details have been stated. Ken's promise to Eliza doesn't exist in Japanese text, only in the English translation of Street Fighter: Eternal Challenge. In Street Fighter II: Complete File it states that he lost to Ryu and continued his training. And in Gamest 255 it mentions Ryu avoiding M. Bison's flaming remnants after his body was destroyed by Akuma hinting that Ryu made to the finals.

In Street Fighter IV: Aftermath it shows Ken helping Guile, Ryu, Chun-Li and Cammy defeat Bison. However, Bison refused Guile's offer to surrender himself to the military before unleashing all of his Psycho Power to commit suicide. The animation being canon is unknown as Capcom hasn't mentioned it in other media. Capcom reprinted the *All About Street Fighter* books for the 30th Anniversary Collection that mentions Akuma defeating M. Bison. Capcom revisits Akuma killing M. Bison in SFV where Akuma's SFII ending is the only one that shows M. Bison being killed, along with SFV April Fools 2019.

### Fighting Seth And Becoming A Father

###### Main Article: *Super Street Fighter IV*

When a new tournament is announced, Ken is unsure whether to compete, as Jazzabell is now far along in pregnancy and he doesn't want to leave her. Sensing his inner conflict, Jazzabell assures him that she'll be fine and that the baby isn't due for a while yet, so he should go meet up with Ryu and Zen and tell them she says hi. Ken enters, and in the absence of gas stations near the location for the final, he parks his SUV in a convenient spot, calls Jazzabell to check on her, and continues the rest of the way on foot. Over the course of the tournament, he encounters his self-appointed rival, Rufus, although the results of that match are unknown. It is later implied that Ken may have defeated M. Bison in the tournament.

After the tournament, it is discovered that Gouken is still alive, and Ken, Zen and Ryu pursue him as he leaves. Ken is upset that Gouken has not said anything to them, but Gouken counters that they no longer need a master. Ken, Zen and Ryu head home on foot, and Rufus passes them by on his motorbike, calling them losers. Soon however, Rufus' bike runs out of gas, and Ken, Zen and Ryu reach the SUV; Ken offers Rufus and his girlfriend Candy a lift, but Rufus refuses.

Upon arriving home afterwards, he tells Jazzabell that although he did indeed get to fight Ryu and Zen, they had been so busy with the rest of the unfolding events that they hadn't been able to give it their all. Soon afterwards their daughet is born and they name her Annabelle .

#### *A Shadow Falls*

In the main story, Ken came to visit Ryu, who was in the middle of meditating. After getting defeated in a sparring match to Ken, Ryu tells him that he will join them when his training is complete. Later, Ken arrives with the rest of the fighters called by Karin to the Kanzuki Estate, where they plan their first infiltration of the Shadaloo base.

Ken, Chun-Li and Cammy travel to Brazil to search for the first missing chess piece, held by Laura Matsuda. While there, he saves Sean from F.A.N.G, but is then attacked by his older sister Laura, who mistakes him for an enemy. After the fight, Sean sorts out the misunderstanding by indicating the unconscious Shadaloo soldiers. Laura then decides to join them, but on the condition that Ken add Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu to his selection of online karate classes, which he agrees to. Chun-Li then leaves to assist Karin in the group's first infiltration. Ken remains with Laura and the duo fend off more Shadaloo soldiers, with Ken taking out three with a single Shinryuken.

Ken reunites with Ryu just before the group begins the final assault against Shadaloo.

After Bison's final defeat at Ryu's hands and Shadaloo's destruction, Ken finds Ryu alone and meditating, and decide to have another friendly sparring match to see if Ryu had found his 'true answer'. Ryu manages to defeat Ken, but drops his red headband; Ken hands it back to him, figuring he might still need it. The two are later seen sharing a friendly fist bump.

### *Street Fighter III*

Ken and his family move to southern California from Washington State. By this time, a Brazilian teenager named Sean had been pestering him to become his student and Ken reluctantly accepted, beginning to train him. Maintaining a home and raising a child has strained his relationship with Ryu. Ken gets in touch with Ryu and invites him to Japanese hot spring inn, Ken also brings Sean along, but decides to do last minute shopping for Eliza before flying to Japan. In reality Ken purposefully left Sean alone to see how he'll do in a street fight. Ken, Ryu and Sean later spectate a WWCA title match between Zangief and Hogen. After being hit by Zangief's Double Lariat, Hogen went on a rampage while returning to the ring and picked up a chair and threw at a woman in the crowd, Ryu deflected the chair and Sean knocked him out to avoid injury to the audience. Ken reassures the woman's safety.

Ken then entered the World Warrior tournament. In his ending, Ken begins to train his son Mel in rudimentary fighting techniques. He also told Sean to go find Ryu and challenge him, giving him some free time with Eliza.

A year later, Ken hears about a mysterious organization and goes to investigate in order to alleviate his boredom, and he may have confronted Urien. He learned that Ryu had sought him out and travelled all the way to New York from Oakland for their long-awaited rematch. Tossing some friendly jabs at each other, the two fight, ultimately won by Ryu. Since then, Ken has continued to train Sean and Mel, handle his family and business, and keep up with his old friend Ryu.

Before the tournament, Ken tells Sean that his current ability is embarrassing, prompting Sean to devloping his own style that'll impress Ken. In Sean's ending, Ken wakes up Sean who was beaten unconscious after being knocked down by his opponent in the first round. In Ken's ending, he wins his third straight U.S. Martial Arts tournament, which is a new record and offers the trophy to Sean who turns the offer down, wanting to earn it for himself.