Ken’s story in Street Fighter 6 has seen a dramatic downturn that is unlike the character’s previous history, but aspects of this new character arc were foreshadowed in the previous installment. Ken Masters has been a mainstay of Street Fighter from the beginning of the franchise as the friendly rival to the franchise’s primary protagonist Ryu. Through it all, Ken’s story has often seen his circumstances excel from one accomplishment to another, but the story of Street Fighter 6 threatens to upend Ken’s comfortable livelihood.
While introduced in the original Street Fighter as Ryu’s Player 2 palette swap, Ken Masters would be given his own story and background starting from Street Fighter 2. As the story mode of the fighting game franchise progressed, Ken’s own narrative saw him winning championships in the United States, getting married, becoming a father, and even taking on an apprentice of his own named Sean Matsuda during the events of Street Fighter 3. Chronologically set as the latest title, Street Fighter 6 finally puts Ken Masters through hardship for the sake of protecting what he has.
The events of Street Fighter 6 place Ken Masters as the former executive of his Masters Foundation, having been accused of putting together a criminal plot and forced into hiding. In doing so, Ken Masters abandons his family as everything he has worked and fought for suddenly crashes around him. While these events seem sudden, two of Street Fighter 5’s DLC arrivals to the roster had foreseen the calamity befalling Ken’s life.
Street Fighter 6: How Ken's Misfortune Was Foreshadowed
Before the release of Street Fighter 6, Street Fighter 5 saw several seasons of DLC content, introducing characters both new and old into the fray. One of the newest additions to the franchise’s lore was Menat, the apprentice to Street Fighter Alpha’s fortune-teller Rose. In a startling piece of foreshadowing, if a player defeats Ken using Menat, Menat says, “I see two bright stars in the sky, competing to see who burns the brightest! But one seems to be fading out...”, indicating his rivalry with Ryu. Her master’s words, however, carry an even stronger sense of foreboding.
Ken Masters remained the more hot-blooded of the two rivals through their history, even as his family life began to prosper. This particular aspect of Ken’s character makes Rose’s Street Fighter 5 win quote hit even closer to home for the once-proud martial artist. If a player uses Rose to defeat Ken, she states, “Your ion burns like the midday sun. But what will you do when nighttime approaches?” providing an early hint to Ken’s fall from grace. Despite the world collapsing around Ken Masters, Street Fighter 6 may show fans Ken Masters’ fight through the impending sunset as it was foretold, uppercutting his way to a brand-new day.
