Evil Ryu

''"Violence is who I am!"  - ''Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition

Evil Ryu, also known as Satsui no Hado ni Mezameta Ryū (殺意の波動に目覚めたリュウ, Satsui no Hadō ni Mezameta Ryū, "Ryu who has Awakened to the Surge of Killing Intent", Satsui Ryu in short), or Dark Ryu in the UDON comics, is a playable character in various Street Fighter games beginning with Street Fighter Alpha 2. He was originally introduced in a Street Fighter Zero manga series authored by Masahiko Nakahira and later adapted in the Street Fighter canon by Capcom. He is the version of Ryu should he succumb to Satsui no Hado to his fullest extent, and depicts Ryu's struggle to resist the urge. Like Akuma, Evil Ryu has a signature symbol that appears when he performs the Shun Goku Satsu. Evil Ryu has a different symbol: in Alpha 3 and Capcom vs. SNK 2, his symbol was Metsu, for "Destruction" (滅), though it only appears in his ending, not during gameplay. He is a popular villain from the Street Fighter series.

Appearance
Evil Ryu often appears as a palette swap of Ryu wearing a black gi, although though the Alpha series also gives him a black head band. His skin also becomes a slightly darker shade along with his hair. From CVS and onward, he has been depicted with red pupils, although some games leave his eyes entirely red. In Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition, his design was given an update, taking on a much more feral appearance with traits taken from Akuma. His eyes now glow and his hair spikes up with red tint. Most notable of all is a gaping hole bored into his chest, with a similar scar on his back that bears a glowing ten kanji. The scar resembles the effects of being hit up close with the Meido Gohado that is used by Oni. He appears far more menacing and powerful than his Alpha version.

Personality
As Evil Ryu, he becomes far more aggressive, enjoys winning quite a lot, and truly abhors weakness from anybody. Also, he becomes much angrier and loses some of his calmness. He also becomes more violent towards his opponents, and is verbally harsher than usual, such as in his win quotes.

History
The only time Evil Ryu actually appears in Street Fighter canon is at the end of the first World Warrior tournament. According to the Street Fighter Alpha series, Sagat, the defending champion, crushed Ryu, and then extended his hand to help Ryu up after thinking that he had won. Ryu was so consumed with the desire to win that he gave into the Satsui no Hado ("Evil Intent" or "Dark Hadou" in the American version), and executed a Metsu Shoryuken, scarring Sagat's chest with rage and hate and also attacking his pride.

Since then, Evil Ryu has occasionally appeared in various Capcom games featuring Ryu. Nevertheless, Evil Ryu does not exist as a separate character and is only an alternate, "what if" version of Ryu. Despite the brief brush and/or temptation from the Satsui no Hado, canonically, Ryu rejected the Satsui no Hado from losing his humanity like Akuma, and has made mass innovations to Gouken's peaceful and spiritual aspect of the fighting style which helped him bring the fighting style up to par with Evil Ryu from the Alpha series by Street Fighter III. However, there is evidence which can be interpreted otherwise in the home versions of Street Fighter Alpha 3; if the player matches normal Ryu against Evil Ryu, they have a special pre-match introduction that involves normal Ryu attacking first with a rushing elbow, and then Evil Ryu counterattacking, suggesting either a fierce rivalry between the normal Ryu and what supposedly appears to be an "evil clone" of him or that the battle is taking place inside Ryu's mind, representing his struggle with the Satsui no Hadou. Also, in the home versions of Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001, it is possible for the player to include both normal Ryu and Evil Ryu on the same team.

Evil Ryu is also a playable character in Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition. He is a secret boss in Arcade Mode, as well as being a playable character. Evil Ryu's design has been updated, now featuring red eyes and hair like Akuma, half of his gi torn, a large gaping void in the chest, and the kanji 天 carved into his back. He was unlocked on March 25, 2011.

Story
"There is an evil energy that causes absolute destruction... Ryu agonizes, knowing that he cannot control his power. Will he still become a master, or will his journey end in ruin?" - Evil Ryu's Profile in Street Fighter Alpha 3

While defeating a few fighters who are in his way, he encountered Sagat once again. Evil Ryu told Sagat to fight him. Sagat said his name and told him to look at himself as he lost control of his power, and that he is not the same man he wanted to challenge. Evil Ryu, annoyed, told him to shut up and fight. After defeating Sagat, he told him why he didn't fight with all of his strength, to which Sagat responded with "Why should I? You are not the Ryu who left a scar on my chest!" and said a warrior wouldn't allow himself to be tempted by a "cheap trick". After this, he told Ryu that he will wait for his true rival to return and challenge him. After fighting and overpowering more of his foes, he faces M. Bison. He told him that he came a long way, and arrogantly called him a kid. He then told Evil Ryu that he is only human and that he cannot resist the evil energy within, the formidable Satsui no Hadou. M. Bison continued his conversation with Evil Ryu that he will plunge deeper into the darkness as his power grows. He even said that his darkness will be powerful enough to be his source of energy. Evil Ryu then responded to M. Bison that he will not succeed. Upon defeating M. Bison, he came to Shin Akuma's location. Both of the powerful fighters used the Shun Goku Satsu on each other, only for resulting it to be completely canceled on each other, saving both of their souls. After this, he told Shin Akuma that if he knows what lies ahead and what this evil energy will bring. Annoyed, Shin Akuma said "Words do not have any meaning to us..." and told him to satisfy his rage and anger and attack him. Shin Akuma then said that only the winner will know the truth. As Evil Ryu defeated Akuma at his full potential, as Shin Akuma, as he is temporarily dizzied, and is proud of his greatest victory against his opponent. He hunched over and clutched his chest, saying that only a true martial artist could have this invincible evil power. He screamed, and it shows him using a Shoryuken against Sagat in black and white. He says that his fist is soaked with blood, "the blood of death". His eyes become red and his chest expands and screams again. The scene shows Evil Ryu has his back turned while looking at his fallen opponents. He screams one last time. He comes to Akuma's stage and is ready to punch. He states that he is "The supreme master of the fist". The Metsu kanji appears on the back of his gi. He says "Where...? Where can I find the one who can defeat me?!"

Gameplay
Gameplay-wise, Evil Ryu has more powerful attacks than the original, strikes faster and possesses some of the attacks of Akuma (such as the Shun Goku Satsu). He is also a hidden boss, known among fans as Shin Evil Ryu. He can cancel any attack with his Raging Demon attack, making it possible for him to corner any players before finishing them off with his Raging Demon.

In Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition, Evil Ryu has an updated moveset, with 1 brand new Ultra and a new Special Move, the Ryusokyaku. His Super Combo is the Shun Goku Satsu which is identical to Akuma's Super.

His Ultra Combo 1 is Metsu Hadoken, the normal Ryu's original Ultra. Unlike his standard counterpart's, Evil Ryu is able to hold onto the blast for a maximum time of around 2 seconds. The longer you charge the hadoken, the more powerful it becomes. If you charge it at its maximum and release at point blank, its animation would trigger.

Ultra Combo is Messatsu Gou-Shouryuu and it is similar to Ken's Shoryureppa. He leads out with 2 very quick Shoryukens, and if the third and final one hits and the second did not knock out the opponent, it goes into a cinematic animation, leading to him into launching the opponent into the air, gathering dark energy in his hand, and proceed to fall on the opponent with his full charged punch(similar to the misogi) and then smash him/her down into the ground below, then pulling his hand from their torso/chest once the move is finished. Its damage can vary depending on how many hits you land with the Shoryuken. The first Shoryuken does more damage than the second, but the second is needed to go into the final animation. Even though both hits must connect, only in certain situations will it trigger the full animation. Apparently the Ultra will only go into the full animation if the first hit connects with the opponent or if it lands as a Counter Hit.

Satsui no Hado
To tap into the Satsui no Hado, a fighter must be so consumed with the desire to win that they are willing to kill. As a result, only people who push themselves to be the best at all costs can take advantage of it. However, the untrained mind can be driven to a temporary insanity if they have not prepared for it. For those who do succeed in controlling it, they develop an almost cold, cynical detachment from themselves. After Akuma tamed the Satsui no Hado, he lost all of his humanity and became a fighter who only seeks to become the strongest in the world. As such, Satsui no Hadou makes a human unbelievably powerful but at the cost of losing one's humanity. Akuma's understanding of Satsui no Hado is so great, he can seal himself off from it, giving lesser opponents a fighting chance. Learning Satsui no Hado is the first step in learning the most fatal technique known to all of their martial art, Shun Goku Satsu.

Goutetsu himself was once seen meditating while tapping into Satsui no Hado, so he probably encouraged, or at least accepted, it. This was also how both his students Gouken and Akuma were introduced to the power. Goutetsu would also have had to teach Satsui no Hado to his pupils if he did teach them the Shun Goku Satsu. Finally, he was actually pleased with his student Akuma for tapping into Satsui no Hado during a life or death battle for control of their school. Gouken, a student of Goutetsu who taught a toned-down derivation of his style, detested Satsui no Hado since he believed it encouraged killing. He condemned his brother Akuma for corrupting his Chikara no Hadou (Surge of Power).

Originally, Ryu scarred Sagat with a single Shoryuken. It was later retconned that Ryu lost control of himself by rising up fist first, upsetting Sagat (and nearly killing him) with a Metsu Shoryuken. His attack took on the properties of Goutetsu's original art despite having never been taught it by his master Gouken. Although Sagat wanted revenge for his scarred chest, he never knew that the scar came from the Satsui no Hado, a dark power that consumed Ryu. During Street Fighter Alpha 2, Ryu finally realized that the Satsui no Hado was the culprit behind his cheap victory over Sagat. Knowing about this dark intent, Ryu has vowed to reject the Satsui no Hado, but it wasn't enough to completely eliminate the Satsui no Hadou, as it still resided within him. It was not until the end of Street Fighter IV that Gouken was able to seal it away using the "Power of Nothingness".

Trivia

 * The hole in Evil Ryu's chest and kanji 天 carved into his back in Super Street Fighter IV Aracade Edition is a reference to a scene in the Ryu Final manga, in which Akuma punches through Ryu’s chest in their final battle and almost kills him.
 * Ryu Final is the work of Masahiko Nakahira, who also made mangas for Street Fighter Alpha.
 * In Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition, the full animation for the Metsu Hadoken could be a nod to Street Fighter Alpha: The Movie, where Ryu destroys the first robot under the influence of the Satsui no Hado at point blank with an extremely powerful Hadoken.
 * Evil Ryu is much taller and heavier than the original.
 * In Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition, you can fight against Shin Evil Ryu. He has the ability to cancel his Ashura Senku from any of his normal or special attacks, as well as being able to cancel most of his moves with the Raging Demon. This makes it very dangerous to attack him up close.
 * Ryu's tenth color in the Street Fighter IV series resembles a weaker version of Evil Ryu.
 * Evil Ryu's win quote in Arcade Mode against C. Viper in Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition references the animated movie Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind (which is considered non-canon), when C. Viper willingly awakens Evil Ryu by torturing Cammy to gather information on his power.
 * Evil Ryu's personality is very similar to that of Akuma's, as he is uncaring about anybody's life and only seeks nothing more but a fight to the death, he is extremely negative and even believes that justice and vengeance are meaningless, he will also defend himself from anyone who tries to kill him or attack him with weapons. This was seen in his ending of Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition where two Shadowloo Soldiers tried to capture him, he easily knocks them out and looks and begins to look for a fight to the death. In the what if Story of Evil Ryu in Street Fighter Alpha 3, he Kills both Bison at his strongest and Even Kills Shin Akuma.

Quotes
Street Fighter Alpha 3

Win Quotes:
 * "Absolute destruction is the only perfection possible!"
 * "I see nothing but the destruction that I create!"
 * "It is too late to go back, now..."
 * "Nothing that stands before me will survive!"
 * "The darkness seeks out those who need it the most!"
 * "There is no place for the weak to exist!"
 * "To lose is to prove that you are worthy to perish!"
 * "Your life is not the only thing that you are risking in battle!"

Stage Theme
Street Fighter EX



Street Fighter Alpha 3



Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition