Ryu participanted of the World Warrior tournament.
When Ryu was 23 years old, Gouken believed that Ryu was ready to travel the world. Ken served not only as a sparring partner, but also gave Ryu a friend in the form of a boy his own age. Gouken would later train his best friend's spoiled son, Ken Masters. He was adopted by Gouken who raised Ryu in his secluded dojo and trained Ryu in the ways of his martial arts. In times when his inner darkness threatens to overcome him, Ryu relies on his friends - primarily Ken, Chun-Li, and Sakura - to keep him grounded and snap him out of it.Īs a very young child, Ryu was orphaned and left with no memories about his parents. Ryu's desire to be better can sometimes make his advice to his defeated opponents seem more arrogant and judgmental than Gouken's, though he is fundamentally well-intentioned. This darker drive is fed by, and in turn feeds the Satsui no Hadou within him, an influence which Ryu must constantly fight to suppress (at least until the time of Street Fighter III). His drive to improve himself, no matter the difficulty, can sometimes develop into a drive to win and to be the best, no matter what the cost, as these two goals are so dangerously similar. He is still very quiet and reserved, but is willing to greet people with a smile and some kind advice, very much like his master Gouken. However, by the time of Street Fighter III, it seems that Ryu has developed a somewhat more friendly personality. Although he appears to be aloof and unemotional, Ryu is actually a kind and good-hearted person. To this end, Ryu plays the part of the wandering warrior, and takes both his travels and his training very seriously. Ryu's overarching goal in Street Fighter is to become a total master of his fighting style. On rare occasion, Ryu shows a very bad sense of humor. He travels the globe with a stern nature, often appearing to others as boring or detached. Ryu is usually a silent, humble, serious individual whose severity is often juxtaposed against the light-hearted, fiery persona of his best friend, Ken.
Ryu received his trademark red headband from his best friend Ken after a sparring session. In the Street Fighter Alpha series, Ryu’s hair became a lighter shade of brown, and he retained the white headband. Ryu's first appearance in the original Street Fighter replaced the red headband with a white one and depicted him with bright red hair, gray eyes, and red slippers. Ryu is portrayed as a Japanese man whose basic and most recognizable attire consists of medium-length brown hair, brown eyes, a long, red headband, a white karate gi with the sleeves ripped off at the shoulders, completely bare feet, and a black belt. He searches for Pandora to see if there is a connection between it and the Satsui no Hado. He wishes to test his mettle against fighters around the world in order to find an answer in the heart of battle. Studied the art of Ansatsuken from his master Gouken, but does not wield it to take lives. A wandering street fighter who trains rigorously in order to become a true martial artist.