Street Fighter Alpha/Evil Ryu

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

Satsui no Hadou (literally "Surge of Murderous Intent") is the forbidden power depicted through Capcom's Street Fighter Alpha and Street Fighter II series. It was first introduced in Street Fighter Alpha 2, in which Ryu realized that this forbidden power was building within him — the main reason why Sagat was nearly killed.

In the Street Fighter Alpha series, there is a selectable version of Ryu called Evil Ryu known in Japan as Satsui no Hadou ni Mezameta Ryu (meaning "The surge of murderous intent awakened in Ryu"). He was originally introduced in a Street Fighter Zero manga series authored by Masahiko Nakahira and later adapted in the Street Fighter canon by Capcom. He is the version of Ryu should he succumb to Satsui no Hadou, and depicts Ryu's struggle to resist the urge. Gameplay-wise, Evil Ryu has more powerful attacks than the original, strikes faster and possesses some of the attacks of Akuma (such as the Shun Goku Satsu). The only time Evil Ryu actually appears in Street Fighter canon is at the end of the first World Warrior tournament. According to the Street Fighter Alpha series, Sagat, the defending champion, crushed Ryu, and was about to deliver the final blow. Ryu was so consumed with the desire to win that he gave into the Satsui no Hadou ("Evil Intent" in the American version) and executed a Metsu Shoryuken, scarring Sagat's chest and his pride.

Since then, Evil Ryu has occasionally appeared in various Capcom games featuring Ryu. Nevertheless, Evil Ryu does not exist as a separate character and is only an alternate, "what if" version of Ryu. Despite the brief brush and/or temptation from the Satsui no Hadou, canonically, Ryu rejected the Satsui no Hadou, and has made mass innovations to Gouken's style which helped him bring Ryu's personal fighting style up to par with Evil Ryu by Street Fighter III.

Like Akuma, Evil Ryu has a signature symbol that appears when he performs the Shun Goku Satsu. Evil Ryu has had two different symbols: In Alpha 3, his symbol was Satsu, for "Murder" (殺), though it only appears in his ending, not during gameplay, and in Capcom vs SNK 2, the symbol was Metsu (滅) for "Destruction."

Satsui no Hadou

To tap into Satsui no Hadou, a fighter must be so consumed with the desire to win that they are willing to kill. As a result, only people who push themselves to be the best at all costs can take advantage of it. However, the untrained mind can be driven to a temporary insanity if they have not prepared for it. For those who do succeed in controlling it, they develop an almost cold, clinical detachment from themselves. After Akuma tamed the Satsui no Hadou, he lost all of his humanity and became a fighter who only seeks to become the strongest in the world. As such, Satsui no Hadou makes a human unbelievably powerful but at the cost of losing one's humanity. Akuma's understanding of Satsui no Hadou is so great, he can seal himself off from it, giving lesser opponents a fighting chance. Learning Satsui no Hadou is the first step in learning the most fatal technique known to all of their martial art, Shun Goku Satsu.

Goutetsu himself was once seen meditating while tapping into Satsui no Hadou, so he probably encouraged, or at least accepted, it. This was also how both his students Gouken and Akuma were introduced to the power. Goutetsu would also have had to teach Satsui no Hadou to his pupils if he did teach them the Shun Goku Satsu. Finally, he was actually pleased with his student Akuma for tapping into Satsui no Hadou during a life or death battle for control of their school. Gouken, a student of Goutetsu who taught a toned-down derivation of his style, detested Satsui no Hadou since he believed it encouraged killing. He condemned his brother Akuma for corrupting his Chikara no Hadou (Surge of power).

Originally, Ryu scarred Sagat with a single Shoryuken. It was later retconned that Ryu lost control of himself by rising up fist first, upsetting Sagat (and nearly killing him) with a Metsu Shoryuken. His attack took on the properties of Goutetsu's original art despite having never been taught it by his master Gouken. Although Sagat wanted revenge for his scarred chest, he never knew that the scar came from the Satsui no Hadou, a dark power that consumed Ryu. During Street Fighter Alpha 2, Ryu finally realized that the Satsui no Hadou was the culprit behind his cheap victory over Sagat. Knowing about this dark intent, Ryu has vowed to reject the Satsui no Hadou. It was not until the end of Street Fighter Alpha 3 that Ryu was able to fully reject the Satsui no Hadou.

Key Battles

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

Techniques

Name	Description
Hadouken	Evil 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.
Shakunetsu Hadouken	Evil 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	Evil 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.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	Evil 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.
Ashura Senkuu	Evil Ryu has small mastery over the ability to employ his ki to move his body through space. While doing so, Ryu is invulnerable to attack. Ryu can move forward or backward, by a short distance or a long one. However, he becomes completely vulnerable immediately after leaving this state.
Seichuu Nidan Tsuki	Evil 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	Evil 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	Evil Ryu can perform a roundhouse kick that is a shortened version of his Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku.
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.
Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	Evil 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.
Messatsu Gou Shouryuu	Evil Ryu does two Shoryuukens in a row, and if it's a level 3, finishes with another Shoryuuken. This is an assassination technique developed by Goutetsu and has the potential to be lethal.
Shun Goku Satsu	Evil Ryu Ashura Senkuus forward and if he comes into contact with an opponent, the screen will turn black and Ryu delivers the power of the 16 hells on the opponent. If the opponent is KO'ed by this it will be accompanied by a "ping" sound and the kanji 天.

Moves

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	+
Ashura Senkuu Forward	+	or
Ashura Senkuu Backward	+	or
Shinkuu Hadouken	+
Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	+
Messatsu Gou Shouryuu	+
Shun Goku Satsu

Street Fighter Alpha 3

Available for play in SFA3 Upper and SFA3 MAX

Name		Input
XAV Seoi Nage	or +
XAV Tomoe Nage	or +
XAV Kuuchuu Seoi Nage	or +
X V Seichuu Nidan Tsuki	+
XAV Sakotsu Wari	+
XAV Senpuu Kyaku	+
XAV Hadouken	+
XAV Shakunetsu Hadouken	+
XAV Shouryuuken	+
XAV Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	+
XAV Ashura Senkuu Forward	+	or
XAV Ashura Senkuu Backward	+	or
A  Shinkuu Hadouken	+
A  Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku	+
A  Messatsu Gou Shouryuu	+
XA  Shun Goku Satsu