Arcade mode illustration of Ryu in Street Fighter 6 brings fans up to date on his adventures throughout the series
Takayuki Nakayama recently reposted (first seen in November) an arcade mode illustration of Ryu in Street Fighter 6. This provides fans with quite a review of Ryu's journey leading into Street Fighter 6.
On the top left panel of the illustration, Ryu can be seen performing a friendly fist bump with Ken Masters. Being that Ryu and Ken were both trained by Gouken, Ken is longest-standing friend and rival within the Street Fighter series.
The first time we saw the scene of Ryu and Ken doing a fist bump like this might've been in Street Fighter 3 with a specific intro that happens if Ryu and Ken are selected as the two opposing characters. Since then, the two have performed this gesture many times.
In the bottom left pane, Zangief, Dhalsim, Guile, Chun-Li, E. Honda and Blanka can be seen. These are the fighters that first appeared as the "World Warriors" in Street Fighter 2. Notably, all six of these characters are returning in Street Fighter 6.
The right pane of the illustration appears to be a space symbolizing the major antagonists that have been part of Ryu's journey. Although Retsu might seem out of place here, it's worth mentioning that Retsu was the very first opponent that Ryu fought against in the first Street Fighter game.
Before the events of Street Fighter, Retsu was barred from his temple as he was caught using forbidden techniques. His fight with Ryu would cause Retsu to change his ways.
Although Retsu has never officially been playable, he apparently has ties to Gouken, Dhalsim and even Oro in the lore. In one of the stages of Street Fighter 6, it's believed that Retsu can be spotted in the background.
The side of Sagat's face can also be spotted in the antagonist section of the of Ryu's arcade illustration. Needless to say, Sagat has had a very important role in Ryu's story since he was the final boss of the original Street Fighter arcade game.
Although Sagat nearly won his fight against Ryu, the thought of defeat caused Ryu to briefly succumb to the Satsui no Hado. The scar on Sagat's chest is forever a reminder of how Ryu nearly killed Sagat.
Swearing revenge against Ryu, Sagat would join Shadaloo as one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Shadaloo. However, Sagat eventually realized that he shouldn't allow himself to be blinded by rage or hatred, and has since had a more friendly rivalry with Ryu.
M. Bison has been a major antagonist towards Ryu throughout the events of the Street Fighter Alpha series, Street Fighter 4, and Street Fighter 5. It seems that M. Bison seeks to use Ryu as a host body to harness the power of the Satsui no Hado.
At the end of Street Fighter 5, Ryu is finally able to defeat M. Bison. While M. Bison's body was destroyed, his spirit, however, appears to live on.
Akuma, as he appears in Street Fighter 5, can also be seen in the panel. It was originally believed that Akuma had killed Ryu's master, Gouken during the events of Street Fighter 2.
Above all else, Akuma seeks to have a battle to the death against a worthy opponent, following his own code. It would appear that Akuma's ultimate goal is to force Ryu to fully embrace the Satsui no Hado so that Akuma have find that worthy opponent he's been seeking.
The manifestation of the Satsui no Hado within Ryu, Kage, can also be spotted in the panel. Although we only see Kage from the backside, the way that Kage wears the red headband over his neck is unmistakable.
At the end of Street Fighter 5, Ryu was able to conquer the Satsui no Hado and embrace the Mu no Ken — also known as the Power of Nothingness — instead. Ryu, as he appears in Street Fighter 6, is in the very center of the illustration.
Ryu now dons a kasaya (Buddhist robe), which is said to be reminiscent of his master Gouken. As of right now, Gouken's status in Street fighter 6 is unknown, but there are implications that seem to suggest that Gouken may now actually be deceased based on Ryu's new appearance and how Ken wears his belt around his arm.
We'll just have to see what Street Fighter 6 has in store for Ryu going forward.
