Why Does Capcom Keep Doing This?

[@kenshirogenjuro873]

It’s like a lot of 80s cartoons where the main character(s) travel and come across random temporary characters whose stories are the center of that episode

[@KenMasters.]

That’s what Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation should’ve been like.

[@BiohazardScott]

Now that you mention it, it makes total sense! I mean, people already know what the guy in the white gi is up to, so Capcom says "then let's give them a story about a new character that has to do with the plot, then BAM! Karate Man breaks in and do Karate Man things".

[@BrickManLive]

Samurai Jack?

[@BiohazardScott]

@@BrickManLive Nah, he would be more like Samurai Man.

[@wentworthmiller1890]

@@BrickManLive Gosh, I was about to mention Samurai Jack - scrolled down, lo and behold! :)

[@VBrancoPT]

Remember, Street Fighter 3 was not going to have Ryu. Fans were not happy about that. Same thing goes to Chun-Li. Those two characters are way too iconic to be left out, including crossover games.

[@terrelltownsend8016]

Or Ken either. Ryu & Ken are too popular to be excluded.

[@VBrancoPT]

@@terrelltownsend8016 True.

[@rush99]

This argument it's kinda flat cause street fighter 3 wasn't even going to be a street fighter game, so it's a totally different scenario

[@VBrancoPT]

@@rush99 It's more like, Street Fighter 3 was gonna have a new protag (Alex), alongside a new cast of characters. No World Warriors from SF2, nada. I've heard that Street Fighter: The Movie was supposed to be Street Fighter 3.

[@Wert-eo7sz]

@@rush99 it wasn’t a sequel at first, but once it actually started meaningful development it was decided to be Street Fighter 3. At that point it was planned to have all new characters. Ryu was only added to avoid potential fan backlash, and Ken was only added to bulk up the roster.

[@Jaymalkin980]

Ryu isn't the main character of Street Fighter, he is Street Fighter.

[@XxDigitalDaftPunkxX]

"John Street Fighter"

[@dangerousdays2052]

Fanboy alert, lool 🤣🤣

[@wentworthmiller1890]

Ryu isn't in danger. He IS the danger. Some guy enters the ring, gets knocked down by the fireball, you think that of Ryu? No! Ryu is the ONE that hadukens!

[@yorhawarc]

@@wentworthmiller1890Ryu…. *sigh* Put your Hadoken away Ryu… I’m not havin fights with u right now

[@chaddenning]

Ken is more Street Fighter than RYu

[@BASEJOCK11]

Ryu and Ken is like Sub-Zero and Scorpion for MK. Can’t have a game without them

[@X2011racer]

Scorpion was absent in MK3 for story reasons, although he returned in UMK3.

[@kcidd12]

annoying because sub zero use to be the popular one then over the years the “GET OVER HERE” catchphrase never left anyone’s minds … also liu kang until deadly alliance ☠️

[@Ming1975]

Lui Kang and Johny Cage was suppose to be the mains in MK1 but those two ninjas were more iconic so...

[@Madworld8975]

Well scorpion is the creator’s favorite

[@robertstull8759]

They're the main marketing pull, but in recent years they're definitely no the "main characters" narratively speaking. In both MK11 and MK1 it's clearly Lui Kang and company's story with some cool side stuff involving the ninjas.

[@User-pu3lc]

It feels more like in each new installment the “main character” is just the eyes through which you watch the Ryu story progress.

[@Marzimus]

This is a great point. ☝️

[@calcutlass]

Ryu barely has a story in these games post Alpha.

[@moseslalmuanpuia8988]

​@@calcutlassIt's because he follows his own goals and takes down villains in the process. Noob fans shouldn't play these games because they do nothing but spread false information

[@saint037]

​@@moseslalmuanpuia8988nah, they should play, they just shouldn't talk

[@Ticketman99]

Even Guile and Chun-Li in SF2?

[@mrockinz]

i had no idea rashid was the main character of sfv till now

[@alexspyro563]

I always thought it was Nash but I guess I figured he is the deuteragonist

[@jeremiahhester6408]

I thought he was just a comic relief

[@jac_238]

Yeah same, especially since the story mode kinda puts him in the comedic relief role

[@BigDaddyCola]

I still dont buy it. Necalli was way more prominent in ads

[@terrelltownsend8016]

The writing in Street Fighter 5 was poor. In the end, it was Ryu who defeats Bison, not Rashid.

[@Ryusuta]

Capcom: "Rashid is the main character or SF5." Literally everyone: "Sure he is, buddy."

[@donovanlarsen7982]

Did Capcom ever say or imply that? I never bought SF5, but my cousin did, and I don’t remember Rashid as anything but one of few a newcomers.

[@GinkgoPete]

I mean for a while he was a the main character of competetive SFV lol

[@camronh14]

yep

[@WhiteRaceisOp]

​@@camronh14disgusting wow

[@hardcorecasual6608]

Capcom has been trying to replace Ryu but it directly impacts their sales. I'm Ryu for life person and there is no Street Fighter without Ryu.

[@terrelltownsend8016]

Yeah, they tried by making Alex the main character in Street Fighter 3, but that backfired. So far the reception of Luke has been a mixed baggage.

[@hardcorecasual6608]

@@terrelltownsend8016 the crazy thing is that Ryu has been given bare bones skillset in most SF iterations. They're forcing Luke now who basically has all the tools and some but Ryu has always been honest. Any victory with Ryu is rewarding as he has no gimmicks. Thankfully Capcom finally given a strong Ryu with the new patch. I hope we see him in tournament play. I'm sick of seeing Ken and Luke dominate out of the Shoto's.

[@terrelltownsend8016]

@@hardcorecasual6608 Agreed. Ryu may not have as many tools as Ken & Luke, but his damage makes up for it. This guy in the video link won a tournament as Ryu last month. kzbin.info/www/bejne/moLbnKFojNdjb9k

[@terrelltownsend8016]

@hardcorecasual6608 Agreed. Ryu may not have as many tools as Ken & Luke, but his damage makes up for it. Given how popular Ryu is, Capcom is pushing the agenda with Luke as far as trying to appeal to younger players. If you looked up the KZbinr, "MachoorTv," you'll find that this guy recently won a tournament as Ryu last month. As far as this past March's Capcom Cup X tournament, despite most of the players who used Luke, I liked that a Juri player won the whole thing instead.

[@hardcorecasual6608]

@terrelltownsend8016 yes, I totally agree the damage plus the denim charge buff makes Ryu far better and able to use normal fireballs. It's also more pleasing to watch Ryu play because he has no gimmicks and such an honest character. I've seen his channel and showed his performance winning the tournament. This is very hopeful because Ryu hasn't won a tournament since SF5 S1 before he was nerfed into oblivion. I understand Capcom doesn't want their poster boy being the best but now he has the tools to win tournaments now. Still issues with Dhalsim and Guile but the gap has narrowed. Hopefully Ryu moves up a little from the low mid tier.

[@justsignmeup911]

I don't think SFV had a central character. The story is all over the place.

[@siegfriedc2332]

True, but Ryu was the one who ultimately defeats Bison. Plus, the story ends with u playing as Ryu against Ken too.

[@terrelltownsend8016]

Story mode was poorly written.

[@aarong8099]

It was supposed to be Rashid iirc, but then development got goofed and we ended up with the scramble we got

[@siegfriedc2332]

@@aarong8099 TBF, if it was supposed to be the fall of Bison and Shadaloo, it should've focussed more on Chun Li, Guile, and the old cast anyway imo. Maybe that's why they hesitated with Rashid in the end.

[@CriticalThought004]

It was obv Necalli

[@doctorsam5771]

Capcom's fixation with coming up with a new protagonist instead of Ryu with every single game is exhausting especially when every single character they create turns out to be extremely mid. No need to fix what's not broken. Ryu is the face of the franchise. There's a reason Scorpion/Liu Kang and Kazuya/Jin are still faces of their franchises because people resonate with them the most.

[@jesse76th96]

I like that they tease different protagonists because ryu is the guy we all know but setting him always in the spotlight can make him played out. He ran the meta in n sfv early on and people got annoyed by him until luke came around. Now ryu is cool to play again in sf6

[@endersalasa3396]

Luke aint mid but Ryu’s just in a league of his own

[@Saejima_the_taiga83]

Alex is mid he's the goat

[@aj991]

Ryu is the pinnacle of karate boy. Just going hobo traveling around the world improving his martial arts skill. People can resonate with him.

[@vikingfromnorth45]

Well tekken 8 ended jin vs kazuya feud now both of them lost their powers set up reina as the sucessor to heihachi and being the current mishima with devil gene. Mk1 has kuai liang as the new scorpion

[@micshork]

Roughly 90% of the “next generation” characters never stick. They almost always resort back to the original characters. Jin Kazama is one of those few rare exceptions.

[@LeeONardo]

Juri is pretty much the only one to make it to high tier popularity I would say.

[@ninjapurpura1]

@@LeeONardo Yeah, she's already a must, either dlc or base roster

[@ΦιλήσυχοςΠολίτης]

Actually I agree. Funny how in every fighting game iteration only Tekken 3 was the one who - nailed - the new roster to replace the old one. And that was 26 years ago.

[@zerofudou5689]

@@ΦιλήσυχοςΠολίτης It helps that Tekken was still in its infancy when the major time skip happened.

[@carlosaugusto9821]

@@LeeONardo That is not the case to mention her, because this specific topic is more about actual "successions" and not a simple new char debut. Like he even highlighted Jin. And speaking outside protagonists, this is also about SF's Kimberly for example, who is the "next generation" representing Guy. Otherwise the guy's "90%" data (even though it's obviously hyperbolic) would be completely wrong and would not work even as a hyperbole. Because everyone is well aware that there is a decent number of well received new chars from the "middle age" of every veteran franchise.

[@19zach75]

Its just like when Hasbro tried replacing Optimus Prime by killing him off in the animated movie and replacing him with Rodimus Prime. Fans didn't want it or liked it. Ryu is StreetFighter...period!!!

[@Fenris30]

Rodimus was cool but hasbro overreacted to the backlash and chose to diminish him so they could bring back Optimus and not have a leadership controversy, fans are fickle as hell they only want what they've got until something better comes along. That's just human nature.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@Fenris30 What about the time Bumblebee got his own movie??????

[@Lektuerekurs]

Ouch, that hurt in my heart, even in 2024 😢 I still distinctly remember exactly how I felt watching the beginning of the movie :( especially because ULTRA MAGNUS was my favourite, too and then he craps the bed as well /the unimatrix is not "in the mood" with him

[@theguyfromtsukihime3898]

At least in the case of rodimus if he's given his own thing while keeping optimus alive he can work idws more than meets the eye is a good example of that meanwhile capcom kinda doesn't really do that on the top of my head the only one that comes to mind is nero and dante in dmc 4 and 5

[@betuna9487]

Hbomberguy - My Transformers Midlife Crisis. Really good video

[@Amateur_Hour_Pod]

Ryu is and always will be the main protagonist of Street Fighter.

[@TranceCore3]

Nah. He was only the main protag in SF1, and the plot device of the Alpha series. Meaning Chun and Charlie are trying to actually stop bison, Bison is hunting Ryu for his body. He gets brainwashed, and Sagat had to snap him out of it in Alpha 3

[@zizirobinson]

He’s definitely the face of the series but he hasn’t had the main protagonist spot of a given game in a while

[@jac_238]

Calling Ryu the protag is like calling Kyo the protag of KOF. At one point that was true but now they’re more so the posterboys of their respective series

[@a.eb.a1507]

Mascot probably but main character nah

[@similaritiesendhere]

The no personality, generic, Japanese karate man with "ancient Chinese mystical secret" trope is probably starting to age like blackface. Ryu will always have nostalgia factor but, I'm not gonna blame Capcom if they let the dude retire with dignity. I think the wake up call for Capcom was KoF's Kyo (aka what if Ryu had has life, sex drive and personality).

[@NCOcham]

I can understand Capcom wanting to highlight new characters, but they don't need to be THE main character. Seems like Capcom thinks those two things are linked and can't be separated.

[@Xenoblade47]

Your profile pic 😂

[@wakkaseta8351]

King of Fighters does it with no problem.

[@Lexicon865]

Idk, them being a main character is fine It's just that Luke was the only one to properly successfully succeed Ryu as the poster boy since not only were the rest not advertised well enough, but Ryu's arc wasn't over yet. Now his arc is done for good

[@carlosaugusto9821]

​@@wakkaseta8351 Hm, I guess it's a Yes and no in this case. KoF has an unique structure of story arcs that makes that happen nicely compared to any other fg franchise. But one problem that remains is: what if the new idea is bad? Then the company will be stuck with that bad idea until the story actually ends. In the Nests saga it was fine because K is cool, and even in the Ash saga is was ok though the community is a bit more divided about Ash. But recently, Shun'ei in KOF 14 can be considered a failure from the reactions I've seen. Like, Ash caused some division but in the case of Shun'ei there are more negative than positive feelings. So yeah, KOF's method also has its weak points. It goes well as long as the ideas of new main chars and new story are good.

[@carlosaugusto9821]

I'm not against a new SF protagonist, but first of all he must be extremely good to take that role... and imo the only ones who has ever got close to that point are Jin Kazama from TK and Rock Howard from Garou MOTW. All different SF devs along the years weren't able to match the quality reached by those two. Secondly, I think Ryu's specific place in SF, being more or less the essence of the franchise, makes it hard to totally replace him. So i think the ideal way is that the SF devs learn to write a story that doesn't exclude him (like the original plans of SF3) but take the focus out of him. Sure even that was already attempted... What i meant is doing that in an actual good story. Like, animes always were a powerful source of inspiration for fgs since the beginning, and some animes create stories or just specific arcs where the protagonist looks more distant. Like Hunter x Hunter. Maybe the devs could look more into those sources if they are so serious about new protagonists. In short, using anime analogies, SF sequels that push a new protagonist in the future should not do it like Jojo (plain and simple forced replacement) but should do it like HXH instead.

[@Saiyanryu]

It’s just like with SNK: no matter how many protagonists KOF puts out, Terry is still the company’s posterboy. That said, SNK actually give their new protags a billion times more importance than Street Fighter’s new ones storywise.

[@azhar938]

Kyo is definitely the protagonist of KOF, and Terry will always be the protag of Garou and FF but both Terry and Kyo and good MC's IMO!

[@青雷の戦士]

Terry is just an extra in KOF, he has never been relevant to the main story. The real counterpart to Ryu is Kyo, who's always relevant despite not being the protagonist anymore.

[@cidlunius1076]

​@@azhar938Wrong. KoF, unlike SF, has story arcs that span multiple games. Kyo, Iori and I forgot the name of that chick who's a boss in one KoF are only the protagonists for three games. Then a different team are the protagonists, to the point that Ash was a protagonist once.

[@Dirtyboots3strikes]

Despite how they've been pushing KoF so hard in the 90s(because I doubt they had the budget to do anything else back then. Maybe Metal Slug), they know deep down Terry is the company's main fighting game mascot the same way Ryu is Capcom's fighting game mascot. And people forgot that KOF was always their crossover game a'la MvC. Just that it ended up having original characters and lore of their own, while the characters from FF, AoF, even Psycho Soldier and just guest/crossover characters there. I just want some intro between Terry and Ryu for once instead of that forced rivalry with Kyo during the CvS2 era

[@hudysonsestari8228]

@@青雷の戦士 This is the point, although Kyo is the main character of KOF, Terry is the posterboy of SNK, so even if Terry and Ryu are treated like extras, they are the main characters for their companies.

[@MisterSinister47]

Ryu IS the main to Street Fighter and THAT'S THAT. It shouldn't change because clearly it doesn't work. Besides; a different main character for fighting games is strange and there's no REAL need to change the status quo for something like that. I think it's only worked for Fatal Fury and they still have Terry heavily involved with Rock Howard. Maybe Tekken as we'll but that's because Jin was introduced in the 2nd or 3rd game. The main character was switched over relatively early so it can be done. But as for Street Fighter? We're waaaay too far into the weeds to drop Ryu. We literally grew up with him.

[@ouranos0101]

He's irreplaceable.

[@MJ-SCUTI]

You must not know 'bout him, you must not know' bout him

[@whateveryouwantmetobe.1489]

🎶We can find another one in a second, matter-fact he'll debut in SF7🎶​@@MJ-SCUTI

[@SonicBoyster]

He’s indestructible.

[@JWolfen_TMD]

@@SonicBoysterI see what you did there 😂

[@SonicMegaKing]

He's almost nothing. You could replace him pretty easily as a character. Ryu is more of a mechanic than a character.

[@MrShahrozzz]

Instead of trying to replace Ryu... Why not just give him some better story? How long is this "Need to get stronger" thing gonna go on?

[@KenMasters.]

Ryu in a nutshell: • "I still don’t have what it takes to be a sensei, I must strengthen myself." • "The evil inside me is festering and taking me over, must fight it!" • "I will avenge you Gouken Sensei, I’m prepared for Akuma to face me!" • "Sagat, we can have a rematch anytime, but did you really have to become a criminal just to find me?" • "I don’t get b!tches, because I don't have a d!ck."

[@Amateur_Hour_Pod]

The path never ends

[@LeeONardo]

@@Amateur_Hour_Pod And that's why we like him :D

[@OniRekts]

His story actually over. He traveled the world to get stronger. He struggled with the darkness of the satsu no hado and overcame that and prevented himself from ending up like Akuma. He now follows the way of nothingness. Akuma even chilled out on trying to convince him into turning into a demon. Ryu story pretty much over. He's in his 50s, almost just wanting to live a peaceful life. Retire him with some dignity and pass the torch.

[@davidscott9257]

@@OniRekts i'm looking forward to the ryu and chun's badass kid's ark lol.

[@WAT_ru_SERIOUS]

Definitely did not know Rashid was SF5 main character🤣

[@sridrawings4510]

So is able

[@soumynona-pb1kc]

I thought it was Nash

[@ajud24]

Yeah I'm calling bs on this video

[@emperormegaman3856]

@ajud24 no, no. The problem isn't with the video. Rashid was indeed meant to be the protagonists of V (with Ryu remaining the face of the SF in general and finally defeating Bison for good, since that have been the overarching story for a while). Rashid even have more direct connections with Shadaloo's plan in this particular game. The problem is... SF V story was.. Not executed perfectly. Leading to most people not realizing Rashid was supposed to be a protagonist. Same with Abel in IV.

[@dangerousdays2052]

Street Fighter V's story mode wasn't released until like 6 months after the game came out. Most of the player based had already dropped the game by then.

[@EMdemo]

This entire video got a "wait, what" reaction from half the planet lol

[@UnifiedEntity]

I dont know how Capcom came back with a FIRE intro for Street Fighter 4 showcasing Ken and mutha freaking Ryu in all his glory fighting his best friend and firing a Hadoken of a lifetime.....and thinking Abel was enough to replace him.

[@joeschmoe4698]

I thought SFV main protagonist was Charlie Nash, his role seemed more prominent while Rashid was just a newcomer.

[@bloody4558]

Prretty much, and wasn't Nash's life time limited he may have put an end to Bison himself. So that already makes him the perfect main character for the game.

[@vyris6727]

Ono said the protag is Rashid. SF5 had funding from Saudi, so that's just how it is.

[@jpstyles14]

Just like the SF franchise, KoF introduce more main character but Kyo Kusanagi is still the most recognizable main character in the game.

[@carlfjnon]

Love that you used the Assassins Fist clips. That project deserves more attention.

[@KirbyOnCronic]

I always figured Sakura would eventually take Ryu's place as the protagonist, with Karen being her Ken.

[@carlosaugusto9821]

That part about Ryu x Ken being a base for Sakura x Karin is true... but i dont think she will ever be a protagonist. And that's not because of any personal rejection of my part. Actually the strongest factor to me is that she is a girl. Sure one could argue that Japan has gone far enough to not be as "sexist" as in the past with action heroes in their pop culture (and actually has heroines since old action animes and games), but to me SF feels like an old franchise that follows some principles of old franchises. That is like the Dragonball franchise, that has an adult protagonist since the beginning and stays that way... and even if Goku was ever replaced, he would surely be replaced by another adult. Meanwhile the large majority of modern animes focus on protagonists who are kids or teens. So even though DBS is a new product in the franchise, it works following the line of DBZ (overall) and doesnt try looking like a "modern version of DBZ".

[@donovanlarsen7982]

@@carlosaugusto9821 I think you’re forgetting that Goku started out as a kid in the beginning. Also worth noting, is that the author originally planned for Gohan to become the MC after the Cell Saga, but backtracked to having Goku in the end.

[@moseslalmuanpuia8988]

@@carlosaugusto9821 it's sad but times have changed and more newer people are taking the reigns and breaking that principle. I just hope they don't become like what mk has become. They've already ruined scorpion in mk1. And now that there's rumors of noob saibot returning but since there's no one to fill sub zero's role if noob saibot returns, they're expecting frost to become sub zero

[@notshane3827]

​@@moseslalmuanpuia8988I still can't believe they turned the younger Sub-Zero into Scorpion in MK12's timeline, wtf was that lmao

[@sonomni]

⁠@@moseslalmuanpuia8988 Honestly think we’re sooner to get Cyber Sub Zero but with Bi-Han, since he’s the one starting the Cyber Initiative in MK1.

[@ryu2683]

Capcom desperately needs a good author to give more depth to the SF stories because it sucks! Even Mortal Kombat has a much more dynamic and immersive lore.

[@drextrey]

Like most fighting games, they don't care about stories. It's just "random bullshit go!", like most of their players.

[@roflcopter117]

If you made a Mount Rushmore of video game characters Ryu has an argument to be there. He is is important and irreplaceable.

[@BeatVids]

I disagree, there is ZERO argument that he belongs there.

[@arch5701]

@@BeatVids Zero argument? I'm new to SF and don't even like Ryu or boy scout archetypes in general. But this is the OG fighting game franchise with Ryu being one of the most recognizable characters in video games. When someone says ''fighting games'' it's impossible that Ryu's hadouken silhouette won't pop up in your head.

[@BeatVids]

@@arch5701 That’s what zero argument means, boy

[@makototv1035]

I'm not sure about that. He's iconic, but maybe not enough to be up there

[@carlosaugusto9821]

Wow, that sounds extremely exaggerated to the point of ridiculous and giving off the image of a miserable fanboy totally stuck in the small bubble of his niche game genre and disregarding everything outside (though the franchises that look truly elligible for that "Mount Rushmore" never died and stayed buried for almost 10 years with its makers barely caring). The same for the people who liked the comment.

[@shawziiz5031]

Ryu : Why they try to make new protagonist? They want to replace me? Kyo : Hah, tell me about it. Last time I was important is back in 97. Now I'm just a side character... Liu Kang : Well at least they don't kill you to do that. I have to freaking die twice when they try to make new protagonist! Kazuya : I die too. They killed me and replace my goddamn son as the new protagonist. Now I'm the antagonist. Embrace the darkside!

[@mr.checkyourself4672]

And I didn't know Abel was the main character in Street Fighter IV at all Capcom did a poor job showing it and The Ties That Bind focused on Ryu and in Super Street Fighter IV literally Juri was arguably the antagonist she has her own OVA that focus on her.

[@carlosaugusto9821]

It's true that fighting game devs are not required to be master story writers... in which case it would be better for the guy to leave SF and get another job that rewards better his story writing skills. But it's crazy that these new games like SF4-5 actually try to look like they have something to tell (obviously because of cutscenes) but they completely fail making the story actually work. One strong sign of that incompetence is how many people criticise the story in those games... including other people like you admitting that they didnt even know Abel is the SF4 protagonist. Like, the inability of even presenting the protagonist and making him clearly identified is something else.

[@snoozeflu]

Good video. Admittedly, when I see SF6 box art & promotional material with Luke on it, the first thing that comes to mind is "who's this guy?" He just is not as recognizable as Ryu.

[@SilverNargacugaLucentNargacuga]

I'm still trying to figure out where Luke came from.

[@keylimecookies]

Capcom is always like “we gotta make room for the new generation” then adds 20 legacy characters

[@LowksRico]

Instead of trying to appeal to new audience they should do the current fans justice and make a main character that makes sense to the story like Sakura or Sean

[@carlosaugusto9821]

I think it would be easier to work with an existing character in this case... probably Sean, because SF5 changed Sakura in a way that kinda hurt her future as a "serious fighter" in the franchise. Like, her early drive started dropping. That could change in a sequel of course, but for now that's how it is. And the fact that actually happened isnt a good sign. So Sean looks like a more interesting option. It kinda reminds me of DBZ, how Gohan easily turned away from serious training in a simple transition of story arcs... and even though he started getting serious again in the Majin Buu arc, the simple fact that his drive cooled off so easily hurt his reputation and even his conditions to work as a potential replacement of Goku (which actually never happened, though Toriyama was trying it earlier on in the story, but gave up in the Majin Buu arc). So it's like, characters with too wavering motivation probably look like a big risk to carry a big "action franchise" (DBZ/DBS or SF) in the long term.

[@sunsfssb7699]

What happened to the podcast? Is there a new channel or have you stopped doing podcasts?

[@supersonicsaint3702]

Can't get rid of THE Shoto.

[@chumorgan443]

They say " karate man" We think " Ryu" He lives rent free in all our head.

[@wishywashy_4000]

He lives rent free in general

[@chumorgan443]

@@wishywashy_4000 lol that's true. The original " bum fighter"

[@CrisAleXtreme]

Ryu is a very big character, he is the face of the SF saga. I think who could have taken Ryu's torch would have been Batsu, from Rival Schools, this last saga, in my opinion, should have been the new generation of SF. Well that's what I believe.

[@nrosario]

I can't imagine an Street Fighter game without Ryu, the same way I can't Imagine Mortal Kombat without scorpion.

[@teddychu1177]

Or Liu Kang, or Sub-Zero, or Raiden, or Johnny Cage!

[@Ssjangel3]

Ryu is Street Fighter. He didn't make the franchise popular. The franchise is popular because of him. Put Ryu in any fighting game and everyone knows who he is. Put Alex, Abel and Rashid in any fighting game and not many people will know who he is. Capcom is at least smart enough to know they can always rely on Ryu whenever their new main character fails and focus the story on him. Ryu and Ken's rivalry and friendship is what does it for me.

[@terrelltownsend8016]

Ryu has & will always be the poster boy of the series.

[@vin1701]

SF’s new characters just get worse and worse. They literally look like they were made using a create a character mode.

[@garfunky2]

the only other thing as consistent as Ryu being the title character in every street fighter is how they never fail to draw his eyebrows growing on top of his headband

[@eaglesman19]

I don’t have a problem with Capcom trying to replace him, but the way they go about it is wrong. They keep trying to do it with a brand new character who no one’s heard of and has no development, and then try to make them the face of the series or game, it doesn’t work. They already have a replacement(s) for Ryu, one being Sakura. She makes sense she’s been a developed and established character in the series over the years and is very popular among fans. Idk why Capcom seems to over think it. It’s like with Chun Li, “oh we’re gonna make Kimberly the next Chun Li,” it’s like why?! You already have that with Li Fen! Do I think Ryu can ever be replaced, maybe not but I’d say there’s definitely a better chance if it’s done right, with a character that’s already been established.

[@amitypredator9385]

Because Capcom doesn't learn from their mistakes.

[@darksoulquis5643]

Boys got too much money

[@TonyTheTGR]

This is the case with many fighting game series. Tekken's have included Kazuya, Heihachi, Jin, and Lars. KoF's have included Terry, Kyo, K', Ash, and Shun-Ei. Usually a new game comes with new mechanics, and then a new lead character is designed with these mechanics in mind; and then legacy characters are added in for continuity's sake (and to retain fans). Ryu was really only the protagonist of SF1 - even SF2's plot mainly focused on Chun-Li and Guile; and used Ryu/Ken only tangentially and to teach people the game.

[@TonyTheTGR]

But honestly, I thought the SF4's main character was C. Viper, not Abel!

[@obadboy]

I feel like they can move on from Ryu as poster boy if they make him a final boss or hidden boss. He doesn't have to be evil but we need to be able to the 30 year progress he has made. So if Ryu and Ken get turned into mini bosses in a mainline game, I think the fans would be fine with it.

[@dexterjosefamata9083]

That is what I was thinking. Capcom can turn Ryu into a Secret Boss like what SNK did to Kyo Kusanagi in KOF 99 (where Kyo was the toughest Secret Boss in that game).

[@karisasani7006]

@@dexterjosefamata9083 They kinda did this in sf5 where he is a extra boss as the "Master."

[@dexterjosefamata9083]

@karisasani7006 I'm aware of that as well. However, it would be cooler if Ryu will be battled as a Secret Boss like Akuma by meeting several requirements throughout Arcade mode.

[@曉p-p7t]

+1 The og duo Ryu Ken should become sf legendary secret boss, then Capcom should establish new Ryu-Ken rivalry relationship with another duo. I've seen people saying Capcom had tried Sakura-Karin / Luke-Jamie but those pairs ain't fleshed out well enough, too bad

[@albertmas3752]

Fans want to be able to play with Ryu and Ken. Probably won't be their main characters but have a game where you can't play with them (at least in base game, not as unlockable characters) and SF will die instantly.

[@sweetblazincronic9]

rip eventhubs youtube channel?

[@hidralalo]

SF2 could be centered more in Guile or Chun-li as they have their revenge plot very centered in that game

[@nicoleportnov3724]

Especially Gulie with the movie and tv show and all that

[@troyrodriguez4718]

Agree with Guile and Chun LI

[@davidscott9257]

@@nicoleportnov3724 he was the main focus on the story of those cause they were made for american audience.

[@migueldegreef6565]

@@davidscott9257u nailed it

[@albertmas3752]

The game didn't have a story per se. They focused in Ryu and Ken because they were the protagonists of SF1. All the lore came after the game and most of it came from Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie. But most importantly: Capcom is japanese and wouldn't allow at that moment to have foreigner protagonists when there already was a japanese one that is the most charismatic videogame character ever.

[@101Youfail]

Capcom wants a blonde, white American man to be SF’s protagonist so badly.

[@orangeslash1667]

According to character designer Kaname Fujioka, Luke is set up to serve as the Ryu for the new generation of Street Fighter fans. He was designed to be a straightforward and easy-to-relate-with type of main character without a lot of "curveballs" in comparison to Ryu.

[@wilferod]

Well maybe you ment "a new white american boy" because Ken it is but capcom is getting rid of him too so............

[@Bloodstar-o7]

Well, technically it's had two main characters for a long time, and of them is a blonde white guy. The other is a Japanese karate man. So yeah. One thing I will say is that Japan often fails when it tries to pander to what it **thinks** Americans want. I have never liked, and will likely never like a grappler type character, lol. Let's just start there.

[@lunatic0verlord10]

3:35 Capcom had a curious interest in that guy, at the time. They even had an Onimusha character based on him...and they got him to do his voice in the French version (but not the English version, for some reasons). I would've expected Capcom to be a little more...professional...about it.

[@CoronelMargarina]

I've always thought it would be cool to see Sakura as the MC since she is an already stablished and beloved character, plus she was Ryu's pupil since the beginning, but i guess they prefer forcing these boring characters that everyone will forget when the next game comes out.

[@730Flare]

Sadly traditional sexist views that are still present in today's age won't allow it, even though Sakura has more than proven herself to be extremely popular.

[@TheSlackerNamedJack]

See, I kind of thought I was missing something for the longest time. Since Street Fighter 3 I have been finding it odd that the protagonist was only ever " just there.." After I went back with this in mind a lot more things made since.

[@akilcharles3473]

In more ways than one Ryu is now an icon of Street Fighter as before was the protagonist. He had years of story build up with his seemingly masters death and struggle with the Satsui no Hadou, whereas characters like Alex, Abel & Rashid (I'll get to Luke in a bit) has only 1 off story to each game they're in. Alex wanted to get revenge on Gill for attacking his father figure, Abel seeking out Seth to find out who he was and Rashid in search for his friend. Most of which comminated with Ryu in some way or another. However now with the recent success of SF6 it's more likely to be different with Luke taking the helm this time for there is much could be done for him for it's already been established with the ground work of who he is and his past, no antagonistic overall villian/evil rival that he needs to overcome yet and that Ryu's arch is much over with now. Plus Luke's voiced by freaking Aleks Le and his JP VA Tomoaki Maeno, the same voice actor for Kyo Kusanagi. Also you neglected to add Guile & Nash for they were protagonist as well. Hell Guile was the staring role for the live-action SF movie and cartoon series(but we talk about that much lol).

[@rollin-kimblecroskey9110]

Capcom should admit that Ryu is Street Fighter 's only protagonist.

[@nonamepasserbya6658]

They day when all FGC boomers a re gone is the day Capcom can finally stop parading Ryu's skeleton and make actual protags

[@jayohen5918]

Ryu and Ken are street fighter. You can't have a street fighter game without them. Just like how you can't have a Mario game without Mario.

[@satria_ari_777]

Oh dear, it looks like they tried this with Alex in Street Fighter III - New Generation, but it didn't quite work out. Never mind, they're giving it another go with the same idea! Unfortunately, Ryu's got such strong charisma that he's still the number one fighter in the Street Fighter universe.

[@LanceyAce]

Guile being the protagonist in the US cartoon and live action movie deserves a honorable mention.

[@albertmas3752]

Don't be a fool. Capcom is a japanese brand and to please american audience and get cash they'll allow to have a USA cartoon with an american protagonist. But for the main story they want their japanese kid that has more charisma (as a character) than all Street Fighter characters combined. Even more when he is paired with Ken.

[@IIIOldSchooLIII]

The way they handle their "protagonists," is always strange. They tend to have you looking back at the games they were in and go "Wait, that character was supposed to be the lead character? Really?" At least with SF6, they made it a bit more obvious by hyping Luke up a bit pre-release, featuring him prominently in the reveal trailer, making him the central character on the cover art for the game (love it or hate it) and happily showcasing him across various other mediums within the franchise's mythos. But still, they could have done much more than that.

[@dexterjosefamata9083]

Lore-wise, it appears that the following are the seemingly Main Protagonists of Street Fighter: Ryu for the Shadaloo Saga (covers SF1, SF2, SF0 or Alpha, SF4, and SF5) Alex for the Illuminati Saga (covers SF3) Luke Sullivan for the Nayshall Saga (covers SF6)

[@changanat]

Yup makes sense

[@Biby256]

This! I was about to comment the same. There was Hype Surrounding Abel and Rashid but they were never protagonists.

[@MrMegaman1417]

Where has this channel been?

[@tmrevenge]

Gread vid guys, thank you. Well Ryu is so cool that he will always be the main character. Probably well damn I know for sure I'd be mad if any of the newcomers beat Ryu....so maybe they try to please everyone!

[@luischeco3009]

8:13 Yo what was that sound?

[@gemininosaga]

Bro, I thought it was my neighbors xd they are black and are yelling on the driveway very loud. Aksjsjsjs as I’m typing they keep doing the same screeching sound as the one in the video.

[@lukehart7225]

It’s night time as l listen to this; and I thought something was going on 😂😂

[@lastsunofkrypton7950]

I’m Ryu for life. He doesn’t need to be the main character in every SF game, but he damn well better be IN every SF game. Same for Ken and Chun Li. The big 3 or the trinity of SF is just a staple in the series and any SF game that omits them for too long, would feel like it is missing something.

[@albertmas3752]

They're like DC's Trinity (Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman) when it comes to fighting games.

[@Shiirow]

there are like three different versions of SF3, and I dont think the first version even had Ryu in it. He didnt show up until the second version.

[@mappybc6097]

None of the supposed SF protagonists ever does s**t worth mentioning is the issue. Take away Jin from Tekken 3 or Rock from Garou and the story of those games no longer makes any sense. Take away Alex, Abel or Rashid and very little changes in SF3, 4, and 5. Nash would have been perfectly fine as SF5 protagonist for instance, if his sacrifice had came after an epic fight and actually killed Bison. Heck, I would be ok with Ed being the protagonist of SF6 and his eventual, inevitable meeting with Bison being the climax of an actual story mode, if Capcom ever decides to do one. I'd much rather have that than Ryu literally coming out from nowhere to beat/kill Bison a second time.

[@antoniodanielsantos4511]

At this point, Ryu is more like the mascot than the protagonist. Ryu is my favorite character, but sadly Capcom doesn't care enough to make him interesting. His only drive is getting strong, he is barely a character.

[@orangeslash1667]

Maybe this comes from the fact that he was created by Takashi Nishiyama in the first Street Fighter, but he left after that??? So Capcom struggles to develop Ryu compared to the other characters that they created.

[@antoniodanielsantos4511]

@@orangeslash1667 all they had to do is give Ryu a purpose. Even Akuma who was supposed to be Ryu's nemesis is all but redeemed now. No, they could very well grow Ryu as a character, they just don't feel the need to.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@antoniodanielsantos4511 Maybe because Ryu's story was already finished in Alpha 3, so Capcom wants a new character to tell a new story. It's kinda like how Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy changes characters all the time, because it make's it easier to tell a new story. What's the downside of Ryu being the main again???? You could suffer Starfox Zero disorder and do the same thing over. Or you could suffer Metroid Other M disorder and have character's actions contradict to what the character did before. You need balance and Capcom isn't smart enough to do that.

[@albertmas3752]

Just like Goku in Dragon Ball but no one seems to complain about it.

[@antoniodanielsantos4511]

@albertmas3752 what do you mean nobody complains about Goku? It's one of the main complaints people have about Super

[@kinoleogeo7998]

It probably stems from Takashi Nishiyama creating Ryu before leaving Capcom for SNK. Capcom most likely struggled to want their own Main Character but facing the reality that Ryu is both recognizable and marketable.

[@rammart8762]

without ryu, chun li, and ken street fighter is not street fighter

[@chasepalumbo2929]

Bro what happened to this channel? I used to really enjoy the conversations and debates they did

[@Poiyokai]

Ryu is well known childhood character along with other character from other game. He's more of the Father of fighting games.

[@Kuroig53]

Is alpha really set between 1 and 2? Because Sagat works for Bison in 2, but leaves him in alpha. Ik there are some stuff that is prior to it, like Cammy in aplha 3 is her past before her freedom in 2. But most I seen seems to take place after

[@wesleygriffiths8748]

But then at the end of Alpha, Ken gives Ryu his hair tie that becomes Ryu’s iconic red headband that he wears from 2 onwards. So I always figured at least some part of Alpha happened before 2

[@chrisludwig4729]

Ryu's storyline has always been pretty one-note. I'm glad Capcom seems to have moved past the dark Hadou. Evil Ryu is a cool character, but the idea of Ryu being tempted never made sense to me. He's such a kind soul with pure motivation. Ryu having so little "depth" is part of his charm. He is who he is. I think it's great to try and introduce new fighters as the focal part for story mode. Yes, Capcom often bungles the execution, but which SF games had a story that wasn't dogwater? I think Evil Ryu should still be an occassional DLC character. Capcom could make it a "what-if" kind of scenario, but there's no need to regress Ryu's growth.

[@UnifiedEntity]

The temptation was the fact that he could have more power as a fighter. Ryu has pure motivation but sometimes people dont know how deep they are until they take a step back and realize they go to far. Ryu in his past with Sagat went to far, not out of malice against Sagat but because he wants to be the best he can be as a fighter and keep pushing his limits and even win.

[@MistFortunate]

Ryu is the Luke Skywalker of Street Fighter. Appears as the obvious MC in the first 3 iterations of the franchise and while later iterations change the main character or focus, the over-arcing story is still his, whether he is directly involved in the plot or not. Not making a specific judgement on whether that is a good/bad thing because I haven't played any SF since ~3/Alpha

[@duxnihilo]

Great video! I had absolutely no idea about Abel and Rashid but, then again, I skip all the cutscenes.

[@duxnihilo]

Just a note: I don't think 'subsequent' and 'aforementioned' can be pronounced the way you did.

[@EventHubs]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@jhn6878]

Yeah, no shit, you didn't even pay attention

[@m8x425]

Ryu and Megaman Capcom's version of Mario and Link, but apparently Capcom has not figured this out yet.

[@InvaderZiim]

Any idea what happened to the channel?

[@HandlelessTML]

I grew up thinking Guile was the main character all because of a SF2 cover art of him fighting Bison. Didnt know Ryu was the main character until SF4 came out.

[@alvarocortez1919]

Only Ken could replace Ryu as a protagonist.

[@DenjinOni]

My thing is why wont they let Ryu grow? In every game you arent really given a reason to pick him outside of liking/maining him like me. But they keep pushing ken, sakura, akuma and now luke to further heights but he needs to grow in move kits like them he SHOULD be more aggressive since they removed his counters they gave him in 5. Ive always felt that ryu and ken should always be in tandem. And neither should drastically outclass the other as dramatically as they set Ken to be ahead of ryu in 6 when ryu is the one constantly training. I personally just thinking Ryu should just be the main character and let him be the legend that the game has set him up to be both in plot and play

[@DontKnowDontCare6.9]

Capcom is good at gameplay and presentation but suck at character designs and stories. SNK is good at gameplay, character designs and stories but bad at business decisions. Ed Boon's games used to be good at stories, until they decided to reboot everything. Twice.

[@IcyTorment]

If Luke was supposed to appeal to a younger generation, that tells you everything you need to know about what Capcom personnel think of the aforementioned younger generation. Very much a "How do you do, fellow kids?" thing.

[@PrinceShivan]

If Ryu isn't strong or the poster boy it's not a good SF

[@Alex_Logan22]

Luke actually makes sense since not only is he the cover guy, he’s the first/main master training you the most throughout the story, he doesn’t play 2nd fiddle to any other SF character/master. Though he probably should’ve played more of a guiding role as the story got serious instead of being MIA. His moveset is also very approachable and he’s like a modern-Ryu so to speak, I can see him being to new fans what Ryu is to old fans. He has that cool likeable Dante-style appearance/swagger to him, he’s easily the most successful new protagonist despite his initially rough entrance in V.

[@conradojavier7547]

His Appearance in 5 is more like a Sneak Preview to a New Sequel at the time.

[@kildaver]

"Japanese company wants to appeal more to an American audience." _STOP_ DOING THAT!

[@davion_4623]

Rashid's colors aren't just white to contrast with Ryu its because in a dessert environment white is generally the color you want to wear to help reduce heat

[@Justinian.Tumberlake]

I see the Ryu Season 2 DLC in SF7 selling like a mofo.

[@frandonfrank10]

That is a genius idea

[@MexicanWolf-lf3bn]

At least SNK gets story right. Ryo was the main character for Art of Fighting, Terry was the Main character of Fatal Fury, then Kyo became the Main characters for The King of Fighters. Felt so cool to have all 3 in a world tournament game. Then after that, K' was introduced as the Main character for 99, Ash Crimson was a secret Main character for the 2003-XIII series, now Shun is the main character for 14 and XV. Kyo isnt taking the spot light from any of them and they each have their own set of fans and still on going story, it pretty good world building.

[@josephjones5955]

They are not following the lore and just making up stuff

[@KenMasters.]

That's why every movie or show based on Street Fighter is mostly far-off.

[@mbphilipblack8993]

As Ryu is the poster boy/mascot character, he is more or less the same as the main character. Most of the stories/movies revolve around Ryu as hes the cornerstone of the franchise hes a lot of characters motivation and because of his drive to be better he's an integral part. It's always Ryu when they do a collab with Chun Li not far behind so i still regard him as the main character. But I'd say the majority of the World Warriors are Main characters as they're in every version of the game.

[@mcfalanncalixte6744]

He wasn't the main character of Street Fighter II. If memory serves me right it was Guile. And not talking about that film or Animated series. In the actual game, Guile was the protagonist of Street Fighter II. The original Canon story was his revenge against Bison for Charlie's death.

[@Ticketman99]

It could be argued that he shares this with Chun-Li(she's also after bison for a similar reason).

[@darkshortyx]

What happened to eventhubs YT?! It's been 2 months!!! Main characters are: Ryu (and ken), guile, Nash, alex, abel, rashid, and luke. (Dan-main character joke)

[@acousticcollege123]

Veloc1raptor's work ethic is unmatched 💪

[@DeadwaveCarrier-oc1wo]

My biggest takeaway from this video is that Rashid was suppose to the main character of 5.

[@jeremyrichard2722]

I think that to understand this, you need to realize that Street Fighter in Japan is a multi-media franchise. Japan has had a fascination with the idea of franchises that to really be understood, you need to follow multiple types of media simultaneously. Some fairly obscure things in games for example might only make sense if you read comic books or watched TV shows, such as why to retreat from a specific boss in the old game "Saga Frontier" to get the good ending from one character, or to really understand all the angles on .Hack or something like Boogiepop. The thing is that especially when it comes to long running franchises there was also a bit of racism involved, and alternate development teams who simply did things differently in the US or Japan, and trying to localize entirely for an existing market. To get to the point, going back to the 1990s when I was in with the fan subbing community and traded with them for not only anime, but translated comics and periodicals and things, I found out that there were entire comic series that had the official "Capcom" label that tied their universe together. In the US for example people are vaguely aware of how Capcom universes inter relate and go entirely based on what they see in games or learn from Capcom USA releases. They tend to think that the storylines are entirely contained in the game, and come up with explanations, oftentimes with Corpo guidance to explain things, when it might be clearer how things were supposed to work if you were to say read the official comics tie ins and crossovers, that more clearly spell out how characters like Sakura and Ryu inter relate, and the universe ties between characters from Final Fight, Rival Schools, and Street Fighter. Likewise the rise and fall of some games make more sense when you look at the overall performance of their media tie ins, and what Japanese fan reception was to certain things. I've read a fair number of comics back in the day that had the official label (translated from Japanese) that would both clarify certain things, and make other things a lot more confusing. I wouldn't be shocked to learn that characters like Abel, Rashid, or Alex had their status more obvious in tie in media. My impression also is that when they say "main character", the idea is that in the full, official, comic runs, the "main character" designation is more along the lines of the point of view character, more than the most powerful, or who beats the certain villain of the storyline. Some Animes and Mangas are like that as well, as are American TV shows where the protagonist is not really the hero, but might be an observer who simply plays a key role in some events. It might be most fair to say that Ryu and Ken are the main characters of the series, but might not be the main point of view characters of a given storyline. As far as what you hear about their intention in choosing specific characters, one thing you have to remember is that even at their most racist, they have this weird love/hate thing with America, especially when it comes to their pop culture, which they based heavily on ours to begin with. Remember they are sometimes setting entire games in the US at times, with no intention for them even being seen here. Likewise they copied stuff like pro-wrestling from the US, and even had guys like Brock Lesner headlining over there when he was on the outs with the WWE leading to legal battles over it, and even questions about whether they could prevent him from using specific moves/performances they helped him develop in another promotion. While you can point to the popularity of "Hulk Hogan" and similarities to "Alex", realize there were a lot of guys similar to that in Pro-Wrestling and I always though it was kind of a pastiche of stuff they were in love with, and remember the same thing happened in Final Fight where Haggar is sort of that, as are some of the background characters who look like combinations of Andre The Giant and Lou Ferrigno. To understand Japan's stuff, sometimes you need to understand how incestuous it can be with the US, and how at the end of the day most of their ideas originated with us, regardless of what they claim, and done to certain degrees of racism, resentment exists over this. I think the best way to view "Street Fighter" for an American might be to look back on it as say sort of like our version being kind of like what "Robotech" was in the 1990s. It was a different universe with a lot of similarities to popular Japanese series like Macross, because it was it's own thing literally created by slamming three different animes together and creating it's own universe. We have our own version that is internally consistent, but even if you look at just Macross, you'll see Japan has it's own version with some overlap, that then lead to spin off series that went in entirely different directions, yet feature a lot of the same characters doing the same things, as they are the same characters. To try and make sense of it when your missing like 90% of it usually is just going to drive you insane, and corporate doublespeak doesn't make it any easier. For those that read this far I think Capcom is best summarized through the character "Poison" and their gender identity, which due to changing American politics and Japan having no idea how to deal with that can be defined differently from interview to interview and depending on who and when you ask someone. The original problem being the American taboo against beating up girls defining them as a cross dresser, to that becoming politically offensive due to things like the current trans movement along with the idea of it being empowering for there to be a trans fighting game character.... when it's pretty obvious that the original intent was for her to just be a sexy female thug, in the same vein as those from other brawlers around the same time. Japan of course lacking the savvy to just say "Poison is and always has been female, but being in the US has spent a lot of time lying about their gender to exploit changing politics... eventually brokering it into a good deal of fame and notoriety". That would define the character and everything around it perfectly, as well as comment about both societies. Instead though Capcom feels the need to do all this reality bending around release region. Personally, I'd think it would be hilarious if Poison came out as an internet personality in the background of one of the games talking about how they lied about gender identity for years to make money and just giving the literal real world reasons and somehow claiming it was getting feedback and promotions to the point where she didn't need to be a gang member anymore. :)

[@LapillLapida]

I read the whole post. Basically since I watched Disney + Doctor Who, Doctor Who is the title and the face of that british show but not the main characters. Since that show span decades with different actors representing Doctor Who. Same with this series. Ryu is the face of Street Fighter because he is Street Fighter. But never the main character since Street Fighter 2. Like Doctor Who, Street Fighter Ryu is more of a icon rather than active participant of the story. If only other japanese media do that

[@chedysouilhi7408]

Don't see the problem with it , in other fighting games protagonists change when new story arcs are introduced and its not like the former ones disappear or anything they stick around and still have an important role in the story , tbh Ryu's story has gone on long enough like how many times he had to overcome the Dark Hadou and then defeat Bison , like bro enough is enough move on to something else

[@JOmega2007]

I love Street Fighter the most out of all the fighting games, but it has the worst story out of all of them. Not having a linear plot between games is annoying. Not focusing on Ryu as the main character is a mistake in my opinion. Now in SF 6, he is all but obsolete in the games story.

[@shinyduke1791]

If I am to take a guess base don the info of the video I think its a mix onf conflict ideas and motives within capcom. SF is a fghting game first and a story second. I think ideally a "main character" within this context is one new and returning players will use to learn about and engage with the mechanics of the game. Ryu tends to be the most balanced and beginner friendly of the main cast but he has fundemental depths that the player must work to understand. I imagine when the decision to add a new character was made, it was hard to replicate that and as the franchise continues theres sort of a debate, or push and pull on what to do with Ryu. Ryu being the marketing face and the heart of ST means you can't just not have him in the game. Business sense wouldn't allow it and as mentioned below he fufils a particular niche in each game. ST has arguably gone on too long with him being so burnt into peoples minds that its hard not to value him in some way. There's so much legacy in regards to Street Fighter and so many stories told about these old characters that unless money was tight or there was a radical need to change no one would openly accept doing away with Ryu entirely. Yet sticking with him creates another issue. You can only tell so many stories central to him and every story that could be told has been told. Fighting games live on what new characters exist. Sure Ryu may be popular but Ryu isn't everyone's main. I don't think to certain producers and makers behind the scene who is "the main character" as much as it matters which characters stick and which characters they can promote as games carry on. The point of a SF narrative isn't to tell a compelling story but to reward long time fans for sticking through it and to maintain a sense of continuity for the game. Ideally as with SF6 it also serves as a place to teach new players the core mechanics of the game. So I think, every game has debates about the story and direction but as develpment goes through mechanics and other prorities take centre stage. Marketing may hear about Abel but decide that given the current enviroment its better to play it safe and make it clear this is about Ryu. I think a good way to explain this is Final Fantasy. Each new installment fans are excited about the new cast of characters, because most of the game is spent developing them and their story. In a fighting game most of the game is meant to develop your skill with it. People tend to walk away from final fantasy thinking about say Lightning development or Cecil's stroy arc but fighting game fans walk away telling stories about how they landed a sick combo on their bro in the arcade.

[@Darthvegeta8000]

Optimus Prime and Megatron. Ryu and Bison. They might as well embrace it.

[@Bloodstar-o7]

Funny thing is they could keep Bison as a normal character and make a new villian/story. And now even Bison would be fighting the bad guy (although probably for more selfish reasons). It shouldn't be that hard to make a good story. They just fail at it.

[@Darthvegeta8000]

@@Bloodstar-o7 yup!!!

[@jayb8934]

It’s simple: each new “protagonist” is an attempt to attract a new audience. None of them have been particularly successful, and they always hedge their bets by making sure that Ryu is prominently featured.

[@LeeONardo]

Capcom is trying too hard with Luke from the very beginning. People do not like things forced onto them. Having Luke as the face of world tour/custom character? absolutely fine. He's there as your first trainer before you go off to tour the world, he is NOT the face of the franchise or it's main character. Honestly none of the young trio are. Jamie I would say is the best of them as he doesn't come off annoying but I'm sure people would prefer Yun and Yang (outside of the SF4 debut ...)? I don't like Kimberly, I would like Guy and/or Maki. Ryu however is not just the main character, he IS fighting games. He is a cultural icon and he's Capcom's first main mascot - coming out just before Megaman. The guy even got a spot on the Capcom logo for a time. EVERYONE knows the hadoken and shoryuken and how to perform them in real life (poses etc). and everyone knows what Ryu looks like from memory alone. In fact someone simply used two coloured blocks (white with red on top) alongside the other 15 world warriors in a similar way and people knew what they were. Ryu and Chun li are some of the most popular male and female game characters ever created. Luke will never attain this and should be left to naturally gain a fanbase if people like him.

[@davidscott9257]

based reply

[@wakkaseta8351]

Did you just say that Yun and Yang debuted in SF4?

[@LeeONardo]

@@wakkaseta8351 Nope, I was commenting on how they would be preferred but not their SF4 debut versions which were purposely made overpowered. I know they debuted in SF3 New Generation (as the same slot, palette swaps) :)

[@ΦιλήσυχοςΠολίτης]

I like this reply, and yes, I hate Kimberly as well. I need Guy back, really.

[@UnifiedEntity]

I definitely prefer Yun and Yang over Jamie. Jamie is cool but the shoes hes trying to fill is obviously the same kind of approach Yun and yang were going for.