Gouken

Gouken (剛拳) is a playable character in the Street Fighter series. He is Ryu's adoptive father, Ryu and Ken's martial arts master, Dan's former master as well as Akuma's older brother. Gouken is most often depicted as an elderly man with a white beard and prayer beads around his neck. In his most recent Street Fighter IV appearance, Gouken wears a single sleeved,Navy Blue colored karate gi and sports a long, white braid of hair adorned with a single prayer bead. Gouken plays an integral role in the series' backstory, and was first depicted as a picture in Akuma's ending in Street Fighter Alpha. Gouken's first actual appearance as a character was in Street Fighter IV, as a boss character. He is an unlockable character in the home console version of the game.

History
While earlier Street Fighter games made references to Ryu and Ken's master, Gouken made his first illustrated appearance in Street Fighter II RYU, Masaomi Kanzaki's manga adaptation of Street Fighter II. Since then, Gouken has appeared in several Street Fighter movies and comics, including UDON's Street Fighter line of comics, and the Street Fighter Alpha: Generations movie. Before having a canonical illustration in Street Fighter Alpha, Gouken's appearance would differ vastly between media.

Story
According to Capcom's official account of Akuma's backstory, the two brothers were once students of Goutetsu, a practitioner of nameless martial art that was original developed with the intention of killing an opponent, which origins are rooted back to Japan's feudal age. Goutetsu taught his skills to Gouken and Akuma. Eventually, the two brothers began to differ in the methods and usage of their fighting style. Akuma became bent on completely mastering the style, and embraced the killing aspect of the art to the point of succumbing to the Satsui no Hadou, or "killing intent". Gouken, on the other hand developed his own style: turning fatal techniques such as the Hadouken and Shoryuken into tools for self-defense, removing their killing potential. After succumbing to the Satsui no Hadou, Akuma would fight and murder Goutetsu, before leaving behind both his master's dojo and his brother in order to train by himself.

During this time period, Gouken would found his own dojo, and took Dan Hibiki as his first pupil. However, Gouken learned that the reason Dan wanted to learn martial arts was for revenge, and rejected him for his motives. Later, Gouken would find an abandoned orphan, Ryu, and take him under his wing. Ryu was joined by a second student, Ken Masters, who was sent from America by his father, a good friend of Gouken's, in order to learn humility and respect. After Gouken began to train the two boys, Akuma would make a sudden appearance at Gouken's dojo. There, Akuma would challenge Gouken to a fight. Akuma was soundly defeated by his brother, but Gouken spared his life even after Akuma's insistence that Gouken should kill him. After Akuma's arrival and departure, Gouken would continue to train the two boys. Eventually, Gouken would find his two students adept enough to leave the dojo and travel the world to continue their studies.

Afterwards, Akuma would reappear at Gouken's dojo, and challenge his brother to a rematch. This time with Akuma ending up as the victor and supposedly killing him with the Shun Goku Satsu. However, because Gouken used a technique similar to Gen's and emptied his soul of emotions, he was merely left in a deep coma. Because he was unconscious for an extended period of time, Ryu and Ken believed their master to be dead, and left him as such.

Super Street Fighter IV
After awakening, Gouken leaves his dojo and tails his students, pleased that they have come so far. However, he is not satisfied just watching them, and enters the new S.I.N. tournament in order to test their strength himself. Gouken successfully finds Ryu after Seth's defeat, and manages to seal the Satsui no Hadou. Akuma appears afterwards and is furious at Gouken for completing this task. The two brothers then face off in another rematch, with control of Ryu's fate as the prize. The outcome of this fight is unknown, though it is known that both survive and that Ryu does not go to Akuma. Afterwards, Ryu and Ken ask Gouken to stay with them a while, but Gouken tells them that are both grown men and no longer need a master.

Techniques
Gouken's special techniques in Street Fighter IV include the Gō Hadōken (剛波動拳?, "Strong Surge Fist", spelled with a different kanji from Akuma's version), a variation of the Hadōken projectile techniques which he performs with only one hand, in addition to being able to launch them at an angle and delay their release, similarly to Urien's Metallic Sphere technique in the Street Fighter III series (he can throw two at the same time as an EX Move as well); the Senkugōshōha (閃空剛衝波?, "Warping Strong Pierce Wave"), a technique in which Gouken advances (while passing through attacks and fireballs) towards his opponent in a pose similar to Akuma's Ashura Senkuu pose in Street Fighter EX and attacks with a powerful palm; the Tatsumaki Gō Rasen (竜巻剛螺旋?, "Strong Tornado Spiral"), a vertical version of the Tatsumaki Senpū Kyaku; and the Kūchū Tatsumaki Senpūkyaku (空中竜巻旋風脚?, "Aerial Tornado Whirlwind Kick"), Ryu and Ken's Aerial Hurricane Kick from Street Fighter II′: Hyper Fighting. While Gouken doesn't use the Dragon Punch as a regular special technique, his Super Combo is the Kinjite Shōryūken (禁じ手・昇龍拳?, "Forbidden Hand ・ Rising Dragon Fist"), while his Ultra Combo is the Shin Shōryūken (真・昇龍拳?, "True Rising Dragon Fist"), which was originally one of Ryu's Super Arts from the Street Fighter III games and a Super Combo in Street Fighter Alpha 3.[3] In addition, he also has Ryu's Denjin Hadouken as a second Ultra Combo in Super Street Fighter IV; much like the original, it can be charged for greater damage and stun, and even provides a wall bounce. Additionally, His Boss counterpart in Super Street Fighter 4 has powered up special moves quite similar to that of playable Gouken's EX moves and sports a Light Blue Green Gi.

Trivia

 * Gouken is one of the 19 characters in Street Fighter 4 to not have second rivals in Super Street Fighter 4, despite having a ultra combo video to include his second rival (Ken).

Special Moves Video
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Gallery
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