Ryu

General
Ryu is the main protagonist and mascot of the Street Fighter game series and one of Capcom's unofficial mascots alongside Mega Man. He is a Japanese martial artist who travels the world, seeking out strong opponents to fight against and improve himself. He and his fellow fighter Ken Masters use a form of martial arts that was rooted in an assasination style and taught by their master Gouken. Ryu's most well-known technique is the Hadouken, an energy attack that creates what appears to be a blue fireball that travels horizontally.

Ryu is one of the most famous fighting game characters, and he has appeared in every Street Fighter game and every crossover Capcom fighting game. He is often considered a basic, easy-to-learn fighter, and players who know how to play Ryu in one Street Fighter game should be able to pick up on his style in any other Street Fighter game rather easily.

Attributes


Ryu is in a new type of game in SSBC, but some of his strategies used in Street Fighter remain useful. Ryu is currently ranked 45th. (D tier). His Hadouken is an excellent projectile, being one of the largest and is relatively damaging for its speed. Shoryuken, his rising uppercut move, is a great way to keep enemies from jumping at Ryu, but it leaves him open to counter attacks when it misses. Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku (also called Hurricane Kick) moves Ryu horizontally and has high priority, but, like Shoryuken, it is easy to punish. His Focus Attack from Street Fighter IV also makes an appearance. Ryu's moves excel at discouraging opponents from being too close or too far away. When at medium-range distances from foes, Ryu has few options, so keeping foes out of that zone is Ryu's primary goal. Ryu is also a slow-moving character, so controlling space around him is very important. Fortunately, Ryu's Hadouken and aerial attacks make him one of the more versatile characters at Edgeguarding. Ryu may also be played as Evil Ryu, a version of Ryu that has given into Ryu's dark side and has a different set of attacks.

Ryu, Evil Ryu, and Chun-Li share the unique ability to cancel some of their normal moves into Special attacks. For example, when Ryu connects with the first two hits of his Jab, he can directly go into a Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku for a combo. This allows Ryu to "confirm" damage from attacks that normally would not cause much damage on their own.

Ryu's Normal Moves
Jab 


 * Ryu delivers a hook punch, straight punch, and then a high kick. It has slightly above-average range for a Jab. Deals up to 9%. Either of the first two jabs can be canceled into a Special Move on contact.

Forward Tilt


 * The "collarbone breaker" move from Street Fighter II, where Ryu moves forward while delivering a downwards punch. This move has above-average horizontal knockback. Hits twice for 13% damage. Upon connecting with the first hit, Ryu can cancel into a Special Move.

Up Tilt


 * The axe kick from Street Fighter games. It hits once when Ryu raises his leg, and again when he brings it down. Pretty fast move with good range. Does 3-4% with the first hit and 7% with the second. Upon connecting with the first hit, Ryu can cancel into a Special Move.

Down Tilt


 * Ryu does a crouching low kick that's quick with decent range. It can be canceled into a Special Move on contact.

Nair


 * Ryu performs a flying side kick. It gives him a lot of range, decent speed, but no knockback. It's a good way to set up for a combo on grounded targets. 10%.

Fair


 * Ryu spins slowly and does a powerful roundhouse kick that has a lot of knockback. It also has more range than Nair, but it's Ryu's slowest aerial. 15%.

Bair


 * Ryu turns backwards and does a backwards kick. This move is fairly quick and has more range than any of Ryu's other aerials. 11%.

Uair


 * A quick uppercut move that hits twice. The hitbox is positioned up and in front of Ryu, making this move good for juggling. It has deceptively good priority, but not a lot of range. 11%. Upon connecting with the first hit, Ryu can cancel into a Special Move.

Dair


 * This is Ryu's signature spike, a downwards punch. It's fairly fast, but short-ranged. 14%.

Side Smash


 * Ryu performs a long-ranged punch (similar to Akuma's standing Fierce punch in Street Fighter IV). It's a bit slower than most of Ryu's moves, but a great KO move. 15%.

Up Smash


 * Ryu's crouching uppercut move. It's fairly quick and has a lot of priority, making it a good alternative to Shoryuken for knocking enemies out of the air. This is a solid vertical finisher. 15%.

Down Smash


 * Ryu performs a quick sweep kick as seen in Street Fighter games. It's fast and sends foes out at a low angle, but it has some lag at the end. 13%.

Forward Throw


 * Ryu punches his foe in the stomach. This throw has fairly high knockback, but it rarely KO's. 8%.

Back Throw


 * Ryu's signature backwards roll throw. This one KO's more often than Forward Throw. 9%.

Up Throw


 * Ryu uppercuts his foe into the air. Will combo into Shoryuken or Up Air at medium percentages. 8%.

Down Throw


 * Ryu slams his foe into the ground behind him, bouncing his foe into the air a bit. 8%.

Dash Attack


 * Ryu performs a high knee strike. It can be canceled and has good histun, enabling follow-ups. 9%.

Ryu's Special Moves
Ryu, unlike other characters, can select from one of two Final Smashes on the Character Select Screen. Here is a table listing his Special Moves and Final Smashes:

Trivia

 * Currently, as of Crusade version 0.84, Ryu has the most alts, with a total of four alts. In 0.9, this number has been reduced to 3.

Notable Appearances

 * Street Fighter (1987)
 * Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994)
 * Tatsunko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (2008)
 * Super Street Fighter IV (2009)