Ryu/Overview

“*A true warrior fights with skill, not anger*”
— Ryu,   *Street Fighter Alpha*

## Ryu

Ryu's design in Street Fighter Alpha 2

Senpuu Kyaku
Hadouken
Shoryuken
Tatsumaki Senpukyaku
**Shinkuu Hadouken**
**Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku**

* General
* Character Design
* Story
***Ryu*** (リュウ Ryū) is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Capcom's Street Fighter series. He was created by Manabu Takemura and Takashi Nishiyama.
Having premiered in the first *Street Fighter* in 1987, Ryu appears as the lead character in the game, along with his best friend Ken Masters. Further games from the series show Ryu to be highly focused on his training, aiming to become the strongest he can.

However, his powers also attract several criminals who want to use him for their plans, such as M. Bison. In some games, Ryu has an alternative form known as Evil Ryu (殺意の波動に目覚めたリュウ *Satsui no Hadō ni Mezameta Ryū*, lit. "Ryu with the surge of murderous intent awakened", abbreviated *Satsui Ryu* in *Street Fighter Alpha 3*).

In the first *Street Fighter* game, Ryu wears a tattered white karate gi with the sleeves torn off, as well as a white hachimaki, red gloves, and red slippers. Also, a constant trait in his design is the Fūrinkazan (風林火山) kanji motif (meaning *Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain*), battle standard of the historical Japanese military leader Takeda Shingen, embroidered into his obi, simulating Karate Dan degrees.

In *Street Fighter II* Ryu is shown to be older, with brown hair, brown gloves, and a red hachimaki. He also fights barefooted starting in *Street Fighter II*. The *Alpha series* features a Ryu much like the one depicted in the original *Street Fighter*, with chestnut hair and a white hachimaki, but already barefoot. In the *games*, Ryu has black hair and facial stubble.* Street Fighter
* Street Fighter II
* Alpha series
* Street Fighter III series

Ryu made his debut in the first *Street Fighter* as the primary playable character in the game, with his best friend, rival, and sparring partner Ken Masters serving as the second player's character. Both compete in the tournament depicted in the game in order to test their strength against the tournament's champion, Sagat.

His next appearance was in 1991's *Street Fighter II*. Set several years after Ryu defeated Sagat in the first tournament, Ryu participates in a second tournament. In his ending in the game, Ryu wins the tournament, but does not stay for the ceremony, already seeking his next challenge.

Ryu's backstory, along with those of other *Street Fighter* characters, would be explored in the subsequent *Street Fighter Alpha* prequel series. The first game, *Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams* (1995), features Ryu confronting Sagat as his last opponent in a rematch following their first fight.

*Street Fighter Alpha 2* (1996) depicts Ryu on a quest to confront Akuma, his master's brother and enemy. After their match, Akuma reveals that Ryu possesses the "Evil Intent" (殺意の波動 *Satsui no Hadō*, lit. "Surge of Murderous Intent", sometimes translated as the "Dark Hadou") within him, the same power Akuma uses. In the *Street Fighter Alpha* series, there is an alternative selectable version of Ryu known as "Evil Ryu". Similarly to Akuma, Ryu takes this form when succumbing to the evil intent, and becomes more violent. It was not until the international versions of the game, *Street Fighter Alpha 2*, that Evil Ryu was introduced as a secret character in the games.

Evil Ryu was originally introduced in a 1996 Street Fighter Zero manga series authored by Masahiko Nakahira and later adapted in the *Street Fighter* canon by Capcom. In *Street Fighter Alpha 3* (1998), Ryu is sought by M. Bison, who seeks to use him as his next host body. The two clash and Ryu emerges victorious, causing Bison to retreat.Ryu and Ken would return in *Street Fighter III* (1997) and its updates. While Ryu's motivation in the game and rivalry with Ken would remain the same, he was also shown getting acquainted with several of the new characters featured in the game.