Ryu

"Ryu Seeks A Challenge!"

Ryu is the primary protagonist of the Street Fighter series, debuting in the 1987 original and appearing in nearly every title since.

He is also a playable character in Nexed.

Real-World History
When designing Ryu for the original Street Fighter, Capcom's Takashi Nishiyama drew inspiration from real-life karate master Mas Oyama, as well as Yoshiji Soeno from the manga Karate Baka Ichidai. Manabu Takemura also helped design the character, wanting him to resemble a true martial artist as opposed to the more flamboyant Ken. Ryu was originally meant to be called Ryūichi, but it was eventually shortened.

Ryu would go on to be redesigned for Street Fighter II, trading out his former sandals for bare feet and turning his red hair black. This would go on to be the definitive Ryu design for the franchise, with another redesign planned for the upcoming Street Fighter 6.

Since his debut, Ryu would go on to become an iconic character in gaming. In addition to appearing in nearly every Street Fighter game and appearances in other Capcom titles such as Marvel vs. Capcom, he is also known for appearing in crossover roles in other franchises, such as Fortnite and Super Smash Bros.. Ryu has also appeared in comics, manga, and films based on Street Fighter.

Gameplay Information
"Trained in the martial art of Ansatsuken, Ryu strives to improve upon his skills and travels the world in search of strong opponents. While he doesn’t consider himself a hero, Ryu has stepped up to clash against those who do the world harm. Despite his heroism, his true goal is unwavering; To train and hone his technique.

Ryu’s journey has taken him to many fascinating worlds; He’s clashed against ordinary street fighters, superheroes, demonic beings, and so many others. Naturally, he has seen the Nexus Tournament as a chance to continue his journey, ready to fight against heroes and villains from across the multiverse."

Ryu, similarly to his appearance in the Street Fighter series, is a ground-orientated fighter with powerful attacks. He is a heavyweight character with high combo potential for the weight class, as well as being difficult to get comboed by opponents. This, combined with his high shield pressure, makes him powerful from up close, while his specials allow him to pressure opponents and close gaps.

However, Ryu does have a few weaknesses. While his aerial attacks are fairly strong, his aerial mobility pales in comparison to his ground movement. In addition, Ryu lacks the ability to "force" KOs, requiring players to execute combos to KO opponents unless they were already at a high percentage. Overall, Ryu is a character who plays very similarly to his appearances in Street Fighter games, with many of the same strengths and weaknesses.

Moveset

 * Command Inputs: Each of Ryu’s special attacks has a command input (a series of button presses) attached to them, resembling the respective inputs from the Street Fighter series. Upon successfully using a command input, Ryu will perform the corresponding move, with a visual indicator and different voice clip to indicate the input’s success. However, command inputs do not affect their corresponding moves in any way aside from aesthetical differences.
 * Hadoken: ↓ ↘ → + Attack/Special
 * Tatsumaki Senpukyaku: ↓ ↙ ← + Attack/Special
 * Shoryuken: → ↓ ↘ + Attack/Special
 * Focus Attack: Guard + Attack + Special

Grounded Attacks

 * Jab: Ryu throws a quick punch.
 * Dash Attack: Ryu throws a flying kick.
 * Forward Light: Ryu throws a hook punch resembling the Collarbone Breaker from Super Street Fighter II Turbo, which hits twice.
 * Up Light: Ryu throws an elbow strike.
 * Down Light: Ryu throws a crouching shin kick.
 * Forward Strong: Ryu throws Joudan Sokutogeri from Street Fighter III, a side kick.
 * Up Strong: Ryu throws an uppercut.
 * Down Strong: Ryu throws a leg sweep.
 * Counter: Ryu throws a hook punch resembling his forward light attack.

Aerial Attacks

 * Neutral Air: Ryu throws a knee jab.
 * Forward Air: Ryu throws a flying kick.
 * Back Air: Ryu throws an outside crescent kick.
 * Up Air: Ryu throws an uppercut.
 * Down Air: Ryu throws a downward angled cross.

Grabs / Throws

 * Grab: Ryu grabs the opponent with one hand.
 * Pummel: Ryu knees the opponent’s gut.
 * Forward Throw: Ryu performs a Judo throw resembling his punch throw in Street Fighter II.
 * Back Throw: Ryu performs the Somersault Throw from Street Fighter II.
 * Up Throw: Ryu launches the opponent with a stretch kick followed by an axe kick.
 * Down Throw: Ryu performs a knifehand strike after pinning the opponent down.

Stage Intro
Ryu steps out of a cloudy fog, entering his battle stance. This resembles his stage intro from the Super Smash Bros. series.

Taunts

 * Ryu tightens his headband while saying “Come on!”
 * Ryu folds his arms and looks to the side, resembling one of his victory animations from Street Fighter II.
 * Ryu holds his fist forwards while saying "Talk is cheap!"
 * Ryu performs a sumo stomp, resembling his taunt from Street Fighter III.

Victory Animations
Ryu's victory theme is the Match End jingle from Street Fighter II, recomposed for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.
 * Ryu punches at the camera before posing with an uppercut. While doing this, he says "Your range is one fist short." This resembles his right victory pose from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
 * Ryu slings his bag over his shoulder while saying "The journey has just begun." This resembles his up victory pose from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
 * Ryu looks down at his fist before turning and beginning to walk away from the camera, resembling his victory animation from Street Fighter V.

Colors / Costumes


Gameplay-Related

 * Ryu's attacks use hit sounds sourced from Street Fighter as opposed to the standard hit sounds from Nexed.