Ryu

	Ryu
Full Name	Ryu Hoshi
First Appearance	Street Fighter
Species	Human
Latest Appearance	Street Fighter IV

Ryu is a main fighter from the Street Fighter series of games and was in every Street Fighter game to date. He usually enters fighting tournaments along with his best friend, Ken Masters. He's very serious and has a bad sense of humor, but when he's with Ken, he's usually over-shadowed by his friend's light-hearted personality. Ryu can be seen in the same attire as he has in the popular Street Fighter II.

History[]

Early Life[]

When Ryu was very young, he was orphaned, left with no memory or knowledge of his parents. A fighter named Gouken decided to adopt him and trained him as he grew. Ryu learned how to fight and was trained in martial arts. Pretty soon, a rich American typhoon decided to send his son, Ken Masters, to learn discipline in Japan. Ryu and Ken were the same age, so they quickly became friends and rivals. Their friendship was strong, and it continues to this day. When Ryu turned twenty-three, Gouken decided it was time for Ryu to hone his skills in the World Warrior tournament.

Street Fighter[]

Ryu was one of the participants in the first World Warrior tournament. After defeating all of the fighters, Ryu makes it to his last opponent, Sagat. Ryu almost gets beat into unconsciousness. Sagat infers that he won and tries to help Ryu up. Ryu, having such a strong desire to win, allows himself to be engulfed by the Satsui no Hado (殺意波動, Satsui no Hadou, literally "Surge of Murderous Intent"), which is a power he got because his desire to win was so strong, he was willing to kill. He performs a fatal Metsu Shoryuken, scarring Sagat's chest and claiming Ryu the victor. When Sagat becomes conscious again, he realizes what happened and swears vengeance on Ryu.

Street Fighter Alpha[]

After defeating Sagat, Ryu returns to his home only to find that his trainer and adopted father has been, apparently, murdered. Ryu sets out to find the one responsible, and bumps into Akuma. Akuma notices that Ryu has a lot of power, also noticing the Satsui no Hadou. Akuma informs Ryu of what he can do with that power, at the expense of killing the victim. Ryu refuses to unleash the power and Akuma becomes angered. Ryu then bumps into his friend, Ken Masters, who defeats him in a match. Ken notices that Ryu is troubled and gives him his red headband as a sign to stay focused. Soon afterwards, he encounters a fourteen year old fan of his named Sakura. Sakura asks Ryu if he can train her, and Ryu responds by saying that he still has a lot to learn, but he allows her to take a picture. Two years pass. Ryu soon encounters Rose, who, he can tell, is bonded in some way to M. Bison. She tells him that he cannot defeat Bison unless he fights him at the cost of his soul. Ryu attempts to defeat Bison and puts up a fight, but fails. Bison starts to brainwash the semi-conscious Ryu, using the revelation that Bison's Psycho Power is similar to Ryu's Satsui no Hadou. 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 . 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.

Street Fighter II[]

In Street Fighter II, Ryu is one of the participants of the second World Warrior tournament. It is unknown how far Ryu gets, since it's up to the player what character they choose, but it is believed that he got far, as he's the main protagonist.