Street Fighter Alpha/Ryu

Click here for more information about Ryu's other fighting game appearances.

In the original Street Fighter, Ryu is one of the participants of the World Warrior tournament. After defeating all challengers, his skills earn him the right to fight its host, Sagat. Despite nearly losing against the "Emperor of Muay Thai," Ryu secures a difficult victory, and is crowned champion.

Later games elaborate on the final battle between Ryu and Sagat. In this version of the battle, Sagat nearly beats Ryu into unconsciousness. Ryu, however, having such a strong desire to win, allows himself to be engulfed by the Satsui no Hadou and he strikes Sagat with a nearly-fatal Metsu Shoryuken that it not only knocks Sagat unconscious but also marks his chest with a great scar. After regaining consciousness and discovering what had happened, Sagat swears vengeance on Ryu.

In the Street Fighter Alpha series, Ryu leaves Sagat behind and returns to his home only to find that Gouken, his master and adoptive father, has been murdered. Learning that Akuma had fought and killed his adopted father, Ryu began to travel the world to find this man.

He encounters and fights Akuma on a secluded island known as Gokuentou, but Akuma was only testing him. He senses that Ryu has the same powers as he does, and tells Ryu about the Satsui no Hadou - a power that consumes the practitioners of their shared fighting style, driving them to win even when it means killing the opponent. Ryu refuses to unleash this power within, and Akuma uses his fist to smash the island, leaving Ryu stranded.

Sometime after escaping the island, Ryu battles Ken and loses. Ken realizes Ryu is not himself and has been deeply troubled since his last victory over Sagat. He gives him his red hairband as a reminder to stay focused, which Ryu was sincerely grateful for. Soon thereafter, a fan of his, named Sakura, comes up and expresses her desire to train under him. Ryu replies that he himself still has much to learn, but allows Sakura to take a picture of him. She swears to make him accept her eventually.

Two years later, Ryu continues to be troubled by what Akuma had told him, compounded by his encounter with Rose, who has intricate ties to M. Bison. She tells him that he cannot defeat Bison unless he fights him at the cost of his soul. True to form, when Ryu confronts Bison, he is defeated despite putting up a valiant fight. Bison takes the semi-conscious Ryu and begins brainwashing him, using the revelation that the Satsui no Hadou - the dark power Ryu struggles to avoid using - is akin to Bison's own Psycho Power.

This scene is interrupted by the entrance of Sagat, Ken, and Sakura, each of them having followed Ryu for their own reasons. While Ken and Sakura distract Bison, Sagat challenges the brainwashed Ryu (different versions of this story coexist; in one version, Sagat is offered this battle as an enticement to stay with Shadoloo.) Sagat quickly notices the effects Bison's brainwashing have had on Ryu, and, at Sagat's urging, Ryu comes to his senses and helps Ken and Sakura force Bison to retreat.

Key Battles

Battle	Opponent
Street Fighter Alpha Boss	Sagat
Street Fighter Alpha 2 Mid-Boss	Sakura
Street Fighter Alpha 2 Boss	Akuma
Street Fighter Alpha 3 5th Fight	Rose
Street Fighter Alpha 3 9th Fight	Ken
Street Fighter Alpha 3 Boss	M. Bison

Techniques

Name	Description
Hadouken	Ryu gathers all of his ki into his fists and releases it by pushing it forward through the air. He can release it at three different speeds. Opponents who do not block or dodge the resulting energy experience the same force as if Ryu had punched them himself.
Hadou no Kamae	Ryu cups his hands together then pushes forward but nothing happens. This is a good move to confuse opponents.
Shakunetsu Hadouken	Ryu is able to infuse thermal energy into his ki. The resulting burst will light an opponent on fire if they are struck by it. The opponent will be knocked down if hit from up close, and stunned if hit from far away. It has the ability to do more damage than a normal Hadouken but it takes Ryu more time to recover from this technique, making him more vulnerable to counter-attack.
Shoryuuken	Ryu crouches down low to the ground, before springing off the ground, leading with his fist. The force of the jump causes Ryu to rise off the ground, performing a ground to air uppercut. Ryu can rarely strike his opponent more than once before knocking them to the ground but it can happen depending on the distance to the opponent and the level of strength used.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	Ryu leaps off the ground, twisting his feet as he does. Then, extending one leg out, he approaches the opponent spinning around as if in a whirlwind. Since Ryu puts all of his ki into the attack, it immediately knocks down the opponent on the first hit. Ryu is also able to use this in the air.
Seichuu Nidan Tsuki	Ryu holds out his elbow and dashes at the opponent, hitting them at the solar plexus. The move inches Ryu closer to the opponent. This move resembles the Hatobi Kutaki from Super Street Fighter II Turbo.
Sakotsu Wari	Ryu rushes forward with a high fist than he eventually turns downward, striking opponents on the head. Opponents must block high in order to avoid taking damage from this attack.
Senpuu Kyaku	Ryu does a hopping roundhouse kick similar to a Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku, but it last shorter and only hits once. This move moves Ryu forward a little bit.
Shinkuu Hadouken	This super move is a special version of the Hadouken. The excess energy gathered throughout the fight is gathered into a single burst of energy before Ryu releases it all at once. This compressed Hadouken has the ability to strike an opponent multiple times before dissipating. The amount of hits it deals is dependent on the level during A-ism. It also has the ability to cancel out, and pass through, oncoming projectiles. The X-ism version is bigger and more powerful.
Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	Ryu rears back as he gathers his excess energy then does a powered up version of his Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku. This version is entirely stationary, and opponents that get caught in it will get juggled by the kicks. The higher the level of the super, the more kicks dealt. Against an airborne opponent it hits far less.
Metsu Shoryuuken	Ryu, through pure will to win, does a crippling elbow to the gut, then two powerful Shoryuukens. This is the move that gave Sagat his scar and allowed Ryu to win the first World Warrior tournament.
Shin Shoryuuken	If Ryu is too far away to fully connect Metsu Shoryuuken's initial gut punch, he will use a weaker version of the Metsu Shoryuken, which is still stronger than a regular Shoryuuken.

Moves

Street Fighter Alpha

Name		Input
Seoi Nage	close, or +	or
Tomoe Nage	close, or +	or
Sakotsu Wari	+
Senpuu Kyaku	+
Hadouken	+
Shouryuuken	+
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	+
Shinkuu Hadouken	+
Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	+
Alpha Counter	+	while blocking

Street Fighter Alpha 2, 2 Gold

Name		Input
Seoi Nage	close, or +	or
Tomoe Nage	close, or +	or
Sakotsu Wari	+
Senpuu Kyaku	+
Hadouken	+
Hadou no Kamae	+
Shakunetsu Hadouken (SFA2 Gold)	+
Shouryuuken	+
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	+
Shinkuu Hadouken	+
Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	+

Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold

Name		Input
Seoi Nage	close, or +	or
Doujioshi Special	+	+
Doujioshi Special	+	++
Hadouken	+
Shouryuuken	+
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	+

Street Fighter Alpha 3

Name		Input
XAV Seoi Nage	or +
XAV Tomoe Nage	or +
XAV Kuuchuu Seoi Nage	or +
X V Seichuu Nidan Tsuki	+
XAV Sakotsu Wari	+
AV Senpuu Kyaku	+
XAV Hadouken	+
AV Hadou no Kamae	+
XAV Shakunetsu Hadouken	+
XAV Shouryuuken	+
XAV Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	+
XA  Shinkuu Hadouken	+
A  Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	+
A  Metsu Shouryuuken	+	close up
A  Shin Shouryuuken	+	from far away