Hadoken/Pop Culture

The Hadoken has been referenced countless times in popular culture ever since its introduction in the original Street Fighter.

Capcom Games

• In the game Mega Man X, if the player collects all items and completes Armored Armadillo's stage five times, at the end of the level above the boss door, the player will find a secret capsule in which Dr. Light (dressed as Ryu) will teach X the Hadoken. The way it is performed is the same as in the games. Unlike the usual Hadoken from the Street Fighter series, it is quite lethal, as it can kill all bosses in one hit, although X will need to be at full health in order to use it.
  • Also in Mega Man X4, the boss Magma Dragoon uses this as one of his attacks, the depiction of this attack is a stream of fire rather than energy; Dragoon can also fire Hadokens while crouching, similar to Sagat's Tiger Shot.
  • In both of the Mega Man X Game Boy Color Games Mega Man Xtreme and Mega Man Xtreme 2, X can receive both the Hadoken and Shoryuken from a hidden Dr. Light capsule in either game. To use them X needs to have his X-Buster fully charged, and holding down when firing it allows the Hadoken to be used (whereas holding up would activate the Shoryuken). Unlike their SNES counterparts, they can no longer kill bosses in one hit, though X does not need to be at full health in order to use either move.

• Hideo Shimazu from Rival Schools also possess a Hadoken dubbed as "Seihaken" and his burning vigor, "Shimazu-ryuu Seihaken", resembles Ryu's Shinku Hadoken.
  • Batsu Ichimonji, the main protagonist of the series, also has a similar ability to the Hadoken dubbed as "Kiadan" (Guts Bullet) and his burning vigor as "Zenkai Kiadan" (Super Guts Bullet).
  • In Project Justice, the main antagonist, Kurow Kirishima (under his disguise as Batsu's doppelganger, "Vatsu") and Batsu's burning version also have this ability.
• Wang-Tang from the Power Stone series in his Power Change form uses an ability called Dragon Fireball where he could shoot energy blasts in each palm similar to Gouken's Gohadoken. In his anime appearance, his hand gesture during the execution of the move resembles the Hadoken.

Other Games

• In Shanghai Kid, the first installment of Culture Brain's Hiryū no Ken series, the main protagonist Ryuhi can shoot a fireball. Since Shanghai Kid predates the original Street Fighter game by two years, it is one of the earliest (if not possibly the first), "fireball" special attack in the fighting game genre.

• The Hadoken appears as a taunt attack in Valve's FPS, Team Fortress 2, and is used by the Pyro unit. If the fireball connects, it instantly kills any enemy player unfortunate enough to be hit. While it is called "Hadoken", technically it is a Shakunetsu Hadoken (as the attack is in itself a melee-range puff of flames that leaves its victims on fire).

• In the Battle Arena Toshinden series, Eiji Shinjo and Kayin Amoh can shoot projectiles (named "Rekkuzan" and "Sonic Slash" respectively) which resembles a Hadoken. Eiji's older brother, Sho Shinjo, can use this ability and both Shinjo brothers have their special attack called "Enjinshouraha", also known as "Double Rekkuzan", which is two large projectiles.
  • In Battle Arena Toshinden 3, Leon also copied Eiji's Rekkuzan move, but as an ice-esque projectile named "Nitrogen Breath" while Abel and Veil have a projectile named "Hakidan" which resembles a small Hadoken. Their soul bombs, however, enables them to shoot more projectiles and create a massive aura blast.
  • Battle Arena Toshinden character Sofia also have an ability called "Thunder Ring" which resembles a lightning based Hadoken. In Battle Arena Toshinden 3, Sofia's counterpart, Zola had copied Sofia's Thunder Ring and named her own projectile as "Flash Ring".
  • In Toshinden Subaru/4, both Subaru Shinjo and Naru Amoh had gained both Eiji and Kayin's own moves. Eiji also gains a Hadoken-like move called "Shin Rekkuzan".

• In Double Dragon (Neo-Geo), the Lee brothers Billy and Jimmy have a projectile named "Sosyuga" and both characters will move when executing their projectile to his opponent in a close range instead of the projectile being in long range. Both of their super finishing moves creates a shadow version of Ryu's Shinku Hadoken in three hits despite the attack is in close range and deals heavy damage. In their transformed state however, they can shoot projectiles in a long range by one hand similar to Gouken's and also to shoot dragon projectiles.

• In the Tekken series, Jinpachi Mishima (in his "evil spirit" form) has an unblockable Shakunetsu Hadoken-like move and in Tekken Tag Tournament 2, he can also shoot projectiles similar to the Hadoken.

• In the PlayStation 3D fighting game Evil Zone, Alty Al Lazel has a fire based Hadoken-like moves similar to the Shakunetsu Hadoken. In one of his captures, He charges a fire-based Shinku Hadoken.

• In the Nexon-imported game Dungeon Fighter, the Fighter possesses a Hadoken-like move, Nen Blast, that uses the same command as Hadoken. This could be seen as a nod to the legacy of the attack.

• In Square's fighting game, Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring, Prince Doza/Naseem has a fire-based hadoken called "Rocket Fist".

• In Konami's Suikoden II, the character Long Chan-Chan has a White Tiger Rune. When he activates his rune, he charges and shoots a fireball similar to a Hadoken to his opponent. Another character, Wakaba can also shoot two projectiles (with kicks) when her White Tiger Rune is activated.

• In Legend of Legaia, the villain Songi has the ability called the Hyper Wave which resembles both Akuma and Ryu's Shakunetsu Hadoken. When he charges this ability, he shoots his opponent in critical damage much like how Ryu charges his Shakunetsu Hadoken in Street Fighter X Tekken.

• In The Legend of Dragoon, the character Haschel has an addition move called the Flurry of Styx as the last part of the move resembles Sakura's charging Hadoken. In his Violet Dragoon Form, the last part of his Dragoon Attack resembles Ryu and Gouken's Denjin Hadoken.
  • Dart's father, Zieg Feld's Flame Shot magic resembles a powerful version of Ryu's Shakunetsu Hadoken.

• In the Super Smash Bros. series, both Mewtwo and Lucario's standard special moves (Shadow Ball and Aura Sphere, respectively) seem to resemble the Denjin Hadoken, both in pose and projectile.

• In the popular MMORPG World of Warcraft, the Troll's spell-casting animation mirrors the Hadoken.

• In the Worms game series, there is an attack called the "Fireball" (later renamed as "Dragon Ball"), which is a clear parody of the Hadoken.

• In one scene in Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time, Dr. Nefarious plays a game, where he uses an attack which parodies the Hadoken.

• In Killer Instinct and Killer Instinct 2, the character Jago uses an attack that is respectively similar to the Hadoken, called Endokuken. However, unlike the Hadoken, this one is released one-handed.

• In the game The Adventures of Dr. Franken, Franky uses a fireball projectile that greatly resembles the Hadoken. He also uses similar-looking Sonic Boom and Flash Kick-like moves. This can be seen at 2:54 in this video.

• In Nintendo's Kirby series of platform games, Kirby's Fighter ability allows him to use a fireball that resembles the Hadoken, and even wears a headband as a tribute to Ryu.
  • To go even further, in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, pressing down, forward, and then "1" on the Wiimote, Kirby can perform an instant fireball. This is similar to the actual move's activation.

• In the Jak and Daxter series of action-adventure games, Dark Jak's "Dark Strike" move is used in a similar way to a Denjin Hadoken; Jak charges dark energy, with dark sparks being created, and mimics the hand thrust of the Hadoken fireball being released. However, the Dark Charge projectile itself is two dark-powered fireballs twirling at once.

• In Final Fantasy VI (Final Fantasy III in North America), one of Sabin's Blitzes, "Aura Cannon", has the same button commands as the Hadoken, and is visually similar to the crossover variant.

• In one of the Saints Row: The Third clips, called Saints Flow, Pierce uses a move similar to the Shakunetsu Hadoken at one point. There is also a taunt named "Quarter circle forward + A" in the game, and it does a stance similar to a Hadoken.^{[citation needed]}

• In Call of Duty: Black Ops, Takeo, the stereotypical Japanese character from the Zombies Mode, will yell "Hadoken!" at certain times in the game (usually when he gets a gun that shoots electricity, which is unavailable most of the time). In one of the maps, Kino Der Toten, it's a quote that didn't make it into the final version of that map, but it's hidden within the files on the disc. In other maps, he actually does say the quote, though very rarely.

• In the Sonic Rush series, Blaze in her Blazing form can throw fireballs similar to the Shakunetsu Hadoken.

• In Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game, NegaScott can perform a Shakunetsu Hadoken as one of his tech attacks. When performing the move, NegaScott's hand movements are near identical to the hand thrust used for the attack. The Hadoken ignores collision and can attack multiple enemies.

• In The Simpsons Game, an enemy in the level "Enter the Cheatrix" has similarities to Ryu, and fires Hadokens at the player.

• In Ragnarok Online, both male and female Monk and Champion class can unleash a move called Occult Impaction which resembles the Hadoken that deals multiple hits.

• In the online game, RAN Online, the male and female Brawler job does a Rays Cyclone technique which resembles Sakura's Shinku Hadoken as well as its gesture during execution.

• In the French version of Pokémon Red and Blue, the fighting game is hinted to be a Street Fighter II title, with explicit, if misspelled references to the Hadoken being used during a battle between Ryu and Ken.
• In the online card game Kongai (which has art illustrated by UDON), the character Angelan Series D has a move which shares the same name.

Comics and television

• In Episode 33 of the manga/anime series Keroro Gunso, the character Tamama uses a parody version of the Shinku Hadoken called Shinku Tamamaken; the attack looks exactly the same.

• In Episode 41 of the manga/anime series Yu Yu Hakusho, the main protagonist, Yusuke Urameshi has a Spirit Wave ability similar to the Shinku Hadoken when he uses this to knock Jin in mid-air with one powerful punch, creating a powerful wave. In Episode 49, Genkai's Spirit Reflection Blast also has a resemblance of the Shinku Hadoken when she absorbs Shishiwakamaru's energy twice. She turns on her younger appearance using the Reihado-ken during the absorption in Shishiwakamaru's spirit energy to take the initial hit on her Spirit Reflection Blast on him. In another episode, Episode 51, Minorenjya's projectile is similar to Ryu's Hadoken in Street Fighter II V, but in acidic properties as everyone including the referee Juri are complaining about the disgusting smell from his projectile as Koto also remarks that this projectile can melt everyone in excruciating in pain when it was unleashed.

• In Mobile Fighter G Gundam, the God Gundam (or Burning Gundam in the English version), and its pilot, Domon Kasshu, possessed a move called "Sekiha Tenkyoken", which bears a faint resemblance to the Shinku and Denjin Hadoken in pose and/or projectile; with Domon's Shuffle Alliance insignia branded in front.

• In one of the episodes of Random Cartoons!, during the short "Hero Heights", Brainiac does a move similar to the Shinku Hadoken, yelling out "HADAYUKEN!".

• In the Family Guy episode "Tiegs for Two", during the parody of Street Fighter II, where a fight is escalated between Peter and Mr. Washee Washee, Peter performs the Hadoken. Peter goes on to use the other two Ansatsuken techniques as well.

• Stand-up comedian Daniel Tosh references the Hadoken as a "finisher" in order to kill his grandmother in his stand up special, "Happy Thought's". However, he implies that it is from Mortal Kombat, another popular fighting game in which a player can finish their opponent by using a "Fatality". Tosh also yells "Hadoken" during Force Field Paul's web redemption (he says it at the 6:20 mark).

• In one of the episodes of the Brazilian MTV show, Tela Class (which shows little-known movies with spoofed dubbing in Portuguese), a scene shows characters in a brawl at a casino. The brawl starts as soon as the word "Hadoken!" is shouted, though the character who says it does so while punching another one's face instead of shooting any sort of projectiles. The dialogue for the scene (seen here, starting at 4:41) is as follows:

A: If you're gonna mess with him, you're messing with me too! 'Cause I'm his protector!

B: Protector? You're an idiot, that's what you are!

A: Oh yeah? HADOKEN!!!

• In The Amazing World Of Gumball, during a fighting scene that parodies the fighting game genre, Darwin and Gumball use the Hadoken, and their attacks resemble Ken and Ryu's, respectively. Darwin also says "Big Head!" as he uses the attack.

• In some episodes of Pokémon: DP Battle Dimension, the Gym Leader, Maylene does the Hadoken gesture when her Pokemon, Lucario uses Aura Sphere on its opponent.

• In Pokémon the Series: Black and White, Cilan's Pansage does a Shinku Hadoken gesture while executing its Solar Beam. In one episode, Pansage teaches Chili's Pansear with the same gesture and its ability. Ash's Oshawott also does a Shinku Hadoken gesture while executing his Hydro Pump.

• In Pokémon the Series: XY, Ash's Froakie's Water Pulse has a resemblance to Sakura's charged Hadoken.
  • Korrina's Lucario (in its Mega Evolved form) and Machoke fired an Aura Sphere and Focus Blast respectively that resembles a Denjin Hadoken.
  • Serena's Pancham's Dark Pulse has a resemblance to Ryu's Shinku Hadoken.

• In some season two episodes of the French cartoon series Zig & Sharko, Sharko uses a Hadoken-like attack to hurt his "opponents" (usually Zig).

• In the twenty-second episode of Miraculous Ladybug, there were a number of Street Fighter references during the battle against Gamer.
  • When the robot unleashes its projectile called Catouken, the animation is similar to Ryu's Metsu Hadoken from Street Fighter IV.

Films

• In the film Ready Player One, Parzival uses the Hadoken against Sorrento during their battle.

Webcomics

• In Brawl in the Family, a reputable comic series inspired by Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series, Kirby can use Hadoken after inhaling and copying Konami character Solid Snake (one of his special moves in-game), and shaving his beard, leaving his headband, which resembles Ryu's.

• In the webcomic 8-bit Theater, created by Brian Clevinger, the character Black Mage uses the Hadoken to deal massive amounts of damage to different enemies. The move looks like a steady stream, similar to its appearance in the Vs. series, and is a play on how the original Final Fantasy for the NES saw Mage characters cast their spells in a fashion similar to the Hadoken.
  • At one point, Fighter tries to perform the Hadoken but performs the Shoryuken instead, saying he "messed up the buttons".
  • Several "variants" of the move appear:
    • Black Mage performs a "Fighterdoken" by throwing Fighter at enemies.
    • Later, Fighter uses the move against Drizz'l, calling "Me-doken!"
    • After the party changes classes, Red Mage mimcs the attack, yelling "HADOYASTOPTHIS!?"
  • In Episode 376, Fighter also inexplicably forces Black Mage to use a fire-element spell on Vilbert Von Vampire. When asked to explain, he replies that he simply used "a half-circle from back to front".

Music

• London indie rock band Hadouken! (using the Wāpuro-romanized spelling), is named after the move.

Web TV

• The Angry Video Game Nerd uses the Hadoken various times while fighting the Nostalgia Critic.

• The Angry Video Game Nerd also uses the Hadoken, along with the Sonic Boom, in his Top Gun review.