Try as they might, Capcom cannot find a suitable replacement for Street Fighter's leading man. Ryu leads the pack as the most recognizable face of the entire franchise, thanks to his rugged looks, his charisma and kindness, and a host of butt-whallopping attacks that can put the greatest fighters on Earth down for the count.
The character might seem stoic and straightforward, but there's a lot of crazy facts about Ryu that fans simply don't know about. Here's 10 of the zaniest. Sheng Long demands you read this article to stand a chance!
The Dragon Connection
Ryu earned his spot in pop culture thanks to the enormous success of the Street Fighter games, and his connection with fans of the series. Many gamers take Ryu's name for granted, however.
The word "Ryu" is the Japanese equivalent of "dragon," and is masculine in tone. It can be given as an individual name, or a family name, depending on the context. All of a sudden, Ryu's Dragon Punch seems to fit a lot more with the character! Alternative definitions of the word include a school of thought or discipline.
Trading Headbands
Ryu's signature red headband wasn't always there from the start. It was a gift bestowed to him by Ken Masters, his training partner and best friend. The headband has been a popular part of Ryu's iconic look, even in the Street Fighter II Animated Movie, which sets up a scene showing how he obtained it.
In the game continuity, Ryu originally wore a white headband, which he gifted to his adoring fan Sakura before the events that transpired in Street Fighter Alpha 2.
His Sun Tzu Reference
The character has been portrayed in official Street Fighter II artwork with multiple kanji on his belt which reference Forest (Hayashi), Fire (Hi), Mountain (Yama), and Wind (Kaze). The original Street Fighter II: The World Warrior also features these kanji on a sign present in his stage.
These four kanji represent Sun Tzu's Art Of War, specifically chapter seven which discusses how battle should be conducted "as fast as the wind, as quiet as the forest, as daring as fire, and immovable as the mountain."
He Has Quite The Appetite
Several Street Fighter variant series display Ryu's enormous appetite for food, which seems to be his only real vice. The UDON Entertainment comic series was quick to showcase this, but it was beaten to the punch by the 1996 animated TV series Street Fighter II:V.
That series would also feature Ryu as a much more light-hearted and goofy character, before the plot shifts in tone and begins to show him maturing as both a fighter, and a person. Nevertheless, it's quite possible that Ryu's gluttony kept him raiding the 'fridge for a long time afterwards!
The Dark Hado Connection
Street Fighter fans are aware of Ryu's precarious vulnerability to the Dark Hado, the same murderous energy that engulfed Akuma and led him down a path of evil and destruction. Ryu has attempted to banish the Dark Hado since it first openly manifested itself, with varying degrees of success.
Actually, the Satsui no Hado first took hold of Ryu during the original Street Fighter tournament. After climbing the ranks and battling Muay-Thai master Sagat, Ryu was nearly defeated. Without realizing it, Ryu was filled with the Dark Hado and lashed out at Sagat with his Dragon Punch, inflicting his opponent with his now-recognizable chest scar.
He Almost ed The Avengers
The popular Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter series was crazy enough in its own right, but it also introduced a little bit of non-canon fun into the mix, as well. The game features Captain America personally inviting Ryu to the Avengers initiative, which he politely declines.
While it may seem silly, it's important to note that Marvel routinely flirts with alternate realities and parallel universe stories. If the entire Marvel universe can be consumed by a zombie plague, then Ryu could definitely have a spot in the Avengers roster.
The Mike Moh Connection
The popular Machinima series Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist scored a major hit with Street Fighter fans for its focus on Ken and Ryu's early days training under Gouken. Some eagle-eyed fans noted the presence of Mike Moh as the actor who portrayed Ryu in the series.
Moh would later go on to portray Bruce Lee in the super-popular Quentin Tarantino hit Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, where he delivers an almost-perfect impersonation of the iconic martial arts legend.
Wreck-It Ralph's Portrayal
The popular Disney film Wreck-It Ralph featured Ryu and Ken in a number of hilarious scenes which break their own fourth wall. In one scene, Ryu and Ken are given an all-clear that the arcade has closed, and they agree to head to Tapper's bar for a few drinks.
Ryu can later be seen chugging a beer in Tappers after the bartender serves it up, just like the original arcade version of the game.
He's Afraid Of Spiders
Psycho-powered criminal masterminds? Big deal! Dangerous Illuminati killers? No problem! Murderous demon-infused supervillains? Please! There's nothing Ryu can't handle...except spiders, that is.
Ryu's arachnophobia was first revealed in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, when Spider-Man confronts Ryu. It's hard to imagine, but then again, everyone has their irrational phobia.
His Barefoot Fetish
Ryu doesn't just ditch the shoes during a fight. He travels the world without any footwear on, at all. According to the UDON comics interpretation of the character, Ryu tells Sakura that walking around barefoot helps to build a person's character.
Various media have shown Ryu putting on shoes when needed, such as important functions like weddings, or traveling by air, but it doesn't appear like he'll break largely with tradition any time soon. That being said, Ryu did hint that he would be willing to rethink his no-shoe stance in Street Fighter X Tekken, so never say never.