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Ryu was born the son of a German businessman and his Japanese wife. Living in Japan, Ryu's mother was not expected to work, but merely to care for her son. In doing so, she taught her son everything she could, including the fundamentals of Karate that she had learned from her father. It didn't take long for Ryu to progress to the limits of his mother's knowledge of the art.
Recognizing her son's ability in martial arts, Ryu's mother managed to enroll him in the dojo of the great Gouken, Grand Master of Shotokan Karate. Ryu trained intensely for many years. Gouken, recognizing Ryu's ability, took Ryu as one of his private pupils.
Under Gouken's guidance, Ryu mastered the Dragon Punch and the Hurricane Kick. He also mastered the difficult Fireball maneuver, learning to channel his body's Chi into deadly flaming projectiles.
When Gouken told Ryu and Ken to leave and prove their art through combat, Ryu immediately entered his first underground tournament. Ryu did not disappoint his Sensei, eventually rising to World Warrior status and winning the World Championship from Sagat, the mighty Thai Kickboxer. Ryu defeated Sagat with a Dragon Punch so powerful it burned a scar across the Thai fighter's chest.
After that victory, Ryu moved on, searching for ever greater challenges to test his abilities. He went all over the world fighting, but found few opponents worthy enough to fight. Eventually, he retreated to relative seclusion in Japan, where he currently hones his skills to perfection and beyond.
Playing Ryu: You tend to be grim and taciturn. Others respect your intensity, determination and drive, but some wonder if you have any feelings beyond your love of fighting. In truth, very little else matters. You care nothing for prizes or ceremonies, but only for the fight.
Recently you have been captivated by the beauty of the Chinese fighter Chun Li, but you do not have time for romance. It is a distraction from training. You must put her out of your mind -- somehow.
Appearance: Ryu wears the traditional white or gray Karate gi without the sleeves. His dark eyes burn with intensity during a fight.
