The difference between Ryu and Ken in EVERY Street Fighter Game!!

Today we're doing something fun! We're running through the differences between Ryu and Ken in EVERY SINGLE Street Fighter game! These characters play very similarly, but as the years went on, Capcom made them more and more different, eventually evolving them into diverse characters with completely different playstyles. Hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane!
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[@kaiser8773]

Well, to start... Ken actually has a life.

[@knightsoul2430]

that burned ryu more than any fire shoryuken ever could

[@Frandelicious1337]

Ken is a successful CEO of a multi-billion dollar compary, a happy family man and a martial artist champion. Ryu is a hobbo with a fighting obcession that is a borderline mental issue lol

[@nickclark1815]

Ken stressfully juggles being a CEO, a father and husband, and a professional martial artist. Ryu's out here just living his best life.

[@thecensoredcrusader]

@@nickclark1815 i disagree, Ryu has no friends and no life

[@malacara1335]

And he is still jealous or Ryu's skill while Ryu is none the wiser.

[@TheSBleeder]

Ken has a girlfriend and a bunch of fans on a yacht cheering him on. Ryu lives alone in a dojo in the mountains eating Ramen Noodles and watching anime.

[@DanielFlores-fo1ee]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@troysalur4779]

Lowkey Ryu’s life is better.

[@whiskizyo2067]

then most of the people here on the internet will be able to relate to Ryu much more :p

[@richardbroski2933]

Ryu has a lot of similarities in how he lives to the people who still play this game.

[@philipplee78]

I want ryus life

[@Naregnemyes]

We always preferred Ken when we were kids because his moves felt flashier. Capcom took that difference and ran with it, increasing the separation between the two characters to where Ryu was generally selected by people with a balanced or defensive playstyle and Ken was chosen for aggressive/rush-down play.

[@lightup6751]

I think universally Ryu was more popular and usually picked. Because he was a bad ass and the poster boy of the franchise

[@forestcityfishing4749]

@@lightup6751 We picked Ken mostly because his dragon uppercut animation moved a lot more forward than Ryus, whos went straight up

[@lightup6751]

@@forestcityfishing4749 We picked Ryu because his fireball recovery was better and he was the bad ass main character of the game

[@RoflJoker1994]

@@forestcityfishing4749 ken’s shoryu-ken is also faster

[@Naregnemyes]

@Zedrik Allen my first game didn't have Akuma as a playable character to my knowledge. By the time I got the later games I was already a Ken fan and I never got past Akuma's hit points issue.

[@henrysimmons6767]

RYU always felt stronger and slower to me where as Ken always felt faster with better agility. Even the way they move around feels felt that way for me from the start.

[@meldrickedwards1892]

Good point.

[@kaizikorugwm9251]

Ryu is more balanced when ken is more the aggressor.

[@JackieNose-vk1re]

I concur sir.

[@YinWhoo-zx2sz]

Ken has better throws in Street Fighter II

[@umarudoma1811]

A lot of people think that Ken is an English name. It's actually means "Fist" in Japanese and Ryu means "Dragon". That's why they share the same move with their names in it " Sho -RyuKen " The Dragon Fist

[@The_Crouton]

I’m know about the ken part because of hxh

[@yetijunior]

Actually it translates to Rising Dragon Fist, further signifying why it’s an uppercut and not just a regular ole punch.

[@endertube-gu7ux]

Petition to make sho a character

[@jashthemad5]

But he is american so it is an american name

[@spawnreloaded4423]

Wow, u guys really know your stuff huh! 😲☺️

[@okisemporium]

Ryu sleeps in a racecar bed, Ken sleeps in a big bed with his wife.

[@redshady4182]

I prefer the race car bed 🏎️

[@williamcortelyou9072]

Yeah, but Chun Li pops in to that race car bed occasionally. Way better then a wife whos always there.

[@theblizzard8735]

I still can't get over the fact Ryu is a Hobo LMAO

[@capscaps04]

Didn't Ken's wife dumped him once?

[@capscaps04]

@IceCat7 That´s not what I saw.

[@s1svegeta]

When they took away Ken's roundhouse kick I was devastated, it was one of my favorite to use against jumpers to knock them back along with a dragon punch

[@philithegamer8265]

Cool move. I hate you, Capcom...

[@ericbiggdogg7337]

Hus mid level round house is a poke move,they did that to make the diffrence between the two noticable

[@s1svegeta]

@@ericbiggdogg7337 yeah I know but it sucks cuz it was very effective against jumpers

[@ericbiggdogg7337]

@@s1svegeta not really thatsxwhy you got the dragon punch,the high round house was easily very dodgable if you didn't jump in to deep,which I have done many times plus you can duck it

[@s1svegeta]

@@ericbiggdogg7337 bro I can tell you I've used it many times as a defensive move more than an offensive one, but to each their own.

[@robertjohnson8806]

I have always noticed Ryu is stronger, but Ken has way more of the technique and flashier moves as the series progress.

[@doublep1980]

Fun Fact: both Ryu and Ken are actually inspired by real-life Karatekas. Ryu was inspired by Mas Oyama,the founder of Kyokushin Karate. Like Ryu,he also spend time on a reclusive mountain,training for 18 months and then travelled all over Japan,challenging famous Karate champions and Masters to full-contact sparring matches.He was known for wearing an old,wore down white Gi just like Ryu in these matches.The dude is a legend,who influenced even Bruce Lee (both believed in full-contact sparring under real conditions) and there are a shitload of movies,books and even mangas based on his life. And Ken is based on Joe Lewis,the legendary US full-contact Karate and Kickbox champion. The guy was a former Marine who learned Karate while serving in Okinawa,where he earned his black belt in 7 months! Undefeated champion,friend of Bruce Lee and he had a rivalry with Chuck Norris going on.(Chuck actually chickened out when Joe challenged him to a full-contact fight) He was known for wearing a red Karate Gi like Ken. Oh and Sagat is also based on a real-life,legendary Muay Thai champion, Sagat Petchyindee is his name. He's retired now and runs a Muay Thai academy in Thailand, where he trains young fighters.

[@Z3Ghost]

That's really interesting as a martial arts fan, thanks for sharing.

[@FredMaverik]

@@AG-ur1lj Everything on your second paragraph is confirmed though....

[@seanrochford3161]

thanks for the info didnt even have to watch the dumbass in the video cheers brother

[@Slumppy]

Source : dude, trust me.

[@LionelAgyeman]

@The Alpha and Omega i have a feeling Guile could be based on Dolph Lundgren. What do you think 🤔

[@iqumigt4310]

BRO. I love how Ryu and Ken do a fist bump before fighting in the older games

[@dekudakhan]

Me too

[@roxqu]

interaction rather than just talking to another would be pretty cool for 6

[@lll.24601]

They still do that now

[@fightingforce8498]

I think evil Ryu and gouki in Street Fighter zero 3 is cooler.

[@jaykay3512]

@@roxqu Nope not everything has to be sugar coated and clear cut ffs. Simple fist bump THAT'S ALL.

[@jahnelss]

I've always personally like Ken more. Has a swag to him. They eventually gave him his own fighting style which is dope.

[@cedric_legend]

Yes

[@Tangsters]

Totally agree.

[@E-flat]

Fr

[@MrClutch038]

Ryu>

[@hua..]

And now he's a bum in sf6

[@felphero]

I still think it's so interesting that back in the day the thought of two players using the same character was sacrilege, thus Ryu and Ken were born as a way of allowing 2 people to play as the same style character

[@philithegamer8265]

Ha

[@CptJistuce]

I mean, OBVIOUSLY they can't play the same character. That makes no sense, there's only one of each person!

[@MrRoboto-nl3gs]

I still think it is. I HATE mirror-matches...

[@catisreckless4647]

Too bad they don't have the characters physically interact anymore during the intro sequences. It would be nice to have Ken put Ryu in a headlock again. It was a good way to show both their differences in personality, and the brotherly bond that they have.

[@NikkoNikko98]

I will always love that little touch from the older games :,)

[@DoihaDX]

I want the fist bump when Ryu is on P1 side, and when Ken is on P1 side, Mel is throwing some punches, Ken turns around and he and Ryu smile at each other

[@JonoB758]

Good idea

[@adriangoodman8901]

The fist bumps are the best interactions, nothing says time for a friendly bout like fist bumps. Third strike ftw

[@jasonsoliva6678]

They should do that with all the characters, not just Ryuken

[@gon3302]

People disrespecting Ryu in the comments yes some see ken as more “successful” but Ryu has dedicated his life to self improvement and self discovery. Gotta respect him.

[@piedramultiaristas8573]

Maybe some of them are not disrespect but an explanation of why Ryu is stronger.

[@erigor11]

Not only is it respect worthy; it makes him more successful. Success is only about material possessions if you live a poor life.

[@marshallinnocent5275]

@@erigor11 that's what losers everywhere say

[@krys8494]

Marshall Innocent 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@erigor11]

@@marshallinnocent5275 Seems to be that my words hurt you. I wonder how close to home they landed.

[@patrickwalsh5153]

By the last game, it seems pretty apparent that Ken is doing sport or Kyokushin karate and ryu is sticking with traditional Okinawa karate. Hence Ken’s using kaiten doumawashi, while Ryu uses deflections and otsuki.

[@TheRealMycanthrope]

Can we get that in non weeb language for the English speakers?

[@yeyo1019]

​@@TheRealMycanthrope there's this amazing thing called the search bar, really cool to know all sorts of things

[@tillburr6799]

@@TheRealMycanthrope no, you cant.

[@battleangel1506]

@@tillburr6799🗿

[@Scatmanseth]

@@TheRealMycanthropejust Google the terms, this isn’t Wild West internet anymore dude

[@prawnk1ng]

Since the early games has such subtle changes, you missed one key change. From CE Ken’s DP has more horizontal movement than Ryu’s and in ST it’s more noticeable.

[@stargazers185]

Ryu is living the life he wants Ken is living the life he wants Both of them are cool

[@PremachandranEK]

I agree on both of them are cool but ryu isn't living the way he wants because nobody would like being possessed by a murderous demon

[@sizzxrk]

@@PremachandranEK I dunno, Akuma wouldn't mind would he?

[@PremachandranEK]

@@sizzxrk akuma doesn't mind because he wants power and he thinks the only way is to give in to the satsui no hado.on the other hand ryu wants to help people and not kill anyone and his goal in the games is to get rid of it.

[@sizzxrk]

@@PremachandranEK So he would still like being possessed by a murderous demon then.

[@PremachandranEK]

@@sizzxrk see,akuma kills people in order to get stronger.ryu doesn't want to kill anyone and only wants to seek strength in his opponents.

[@JanJanNik]

7:44 I mastered that technique in real life

[@mastervinay82]

🤣🤣

[@butterccm]

Same

[@soriya3833]

I do it all the time. Sometime the kamehah mehahhhh

[@butterccm]

soriya yeah you just have to hold it for a little longer

[@aegontargaryen1500]

Yes. Me too. I bait people with it. And they call the police on me...

[@Mr2Reviews]

Ryu's character was partly inspired by a real Korean-Japanese fighter named Mas Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin Karate. There's a great Korean martial arts movie about him called, Fighter in the Wind (2004). Highly recommend.

[@goldtiger9453]

Not many people kno about tht movie

[@RushianRichard]

Thanks for the info but I won't watch... Signed, a Sagat main. ☝️😑🐯👍

[@Dusty-Lynx]

3:55 that flame animation honestly looks so good, im impressed

[@Jimalcoatl]

I've always wondered why Capcom pushed Ryu as the fireball guy and Ken as the dragon punch guy and not the other way around. In lore, Ryu's dragon punch was a huge deal in SF1 and the first iterations of SF2. He won the first tournament by hitting Sagat with a dragon punch (causing Sagat's chest scar) and his win quote even references the dragon punch.

[@Delightfully_Bitchy]

It threw me through a loop growing up as well, but if I had to gues; later on someone decided that Ryu's name and demeanor favors a more spiritual style, and Ken favored a more rushdown style. It seems like a sort of, "Damn, why didn't I think of that sooner?" Type thing.

[@Mondragora99]

Maybe Im wrong but I think Ken invented the Shoryuken in lore. Or was on The Animated Series.

[@garou12]

@@Mondragora99 the animated series is not canon

[@CAFields1981]

@@Mondragora99 Yeah in the anime Street Fighter 2 V, used a Dragon Punch vs Vegas claw dive and learned to infuse it with Hado when Bison captured them

[@kinganarkzie]

I think it was down to the way they programed the a.i of SF2. Ken would always do a bunch of dragon punches while Ryu would throw lots of fire balls, I don't think at the time any thought went into it other than having the computer fight differently but I guess it grew into their identity.

[@jameshook2932]

I thought, historically speaking, Ryu has the strength advantage while Ken has the advantage of speed.

[@cosme28]

I think that Ryu's greatest strenght is his endurance.

[@WdnUlik2no]

same here

[@blackkratos2170]

That's facts

[@MegaMiquelon]

I played SF 4 quite seriously and competitively with my friends. I gotta say Ryu is more "basic" as in, if you understand the basic with Ryu, you'd do very well in SF in general. Not great, not much trick, but very powerful basic. As for Ken, he's rush down, more combo, more 'faint' and guessing games if you play against him. Ken is more my style, but I always have problem with strong Ryu player

[@luziaflone1951]

True. But when raw strength vs speed and agility, speedster always win.

[@augiemesa9429]

If I'm not mistaken, in SF2 Ken's dragon punch also goes forward a tiny bit while Ryu's goes kinda straight up. We got a couple arcade versions where I work and my buddy pointed it out to me. After that, I always pick Ken. I always thought the back roll with the throw was cool since I was little.

[@hinkhall5291]

I’ve always said that if Ryu spends all his life training, fighting, and denying himself pleasures, while Ken does not, and he’s only marginally better than Ken, then he’s doing something wrong.

[@azuresaiyan9005]

Ken has always been regarded as a prodigy. There’s nothing wrong with that.

[@neutralwarlord]

Ryu: Speaks about the road of fighting Ken: Speaks about funny fire

[@Silent0Xs]

Ken: I'm hot Ryu: which way? Eliza: I think i know.

[@Dwayne3007]

Fun fact Ken and Guiles wives are sisters making them brothers in law

[@Rayutomoto]

That's pretty neat

[@otherhalf228]

Is this true? Where u hear this?

[@Diggz24]

True story

[@jenpachi2408]

@SNES Nes I care

[@mapsynth1596]

@SNES Nes oh god this is some god tier bait right here

[@mustafaunsoy]

There are other diffirences between Ryu and Ken even in World Warrior. Ken's Shoryuken covers a longer horizontal distance, but if he misses, he falls in front of the opponent due to this extra reach. This makes Ken's a little more aggressive, Ryu more deffense oriented. Also, Ryu's punch has a very slightly longer reach, Kens kick has very slightly longer reach.

[@dmb198302]

Kind of late to the conversation here, but if you look at 1:54, it looks to me like Ken did almost twice as much damage with his special attack. The damage bar above RYU goes well past the 'U' but it doesn't get past the 'E' in KEN

[@KaitouKaiju]

In that game damage was more or less randomized

[@piccolomair]

something that always bugged me was that Ryu had a winning quote talking about how powerful his dragon punch was...even though Ken ultimately became the dragon punch master lol.

[@jelehu]

While Ken has more variations, Ryu still has the single most powerful dragon punch super in the series.

[@CageVsCage]

He just wanted to gloat lmao 😂

[@zinzeta]

Not exactly. He just said that his opponent must defeat his dragon punch to stand a chance. Doesn't necessarily mean that his dragon punch was the strongest move in his arsenal.

[@andrewjames3361]

Kens looks better ryu one is just devastating the life it takes off is amazing i find ryu more defensive and ken more attacking for me anyways

[@Lost_idiot223]

Ken's dragon punch is more flashy while setting your opponent ablaze looks awesome. But Ryu's dragon punch pretty much disfigure your face in mid flight. 😂

[@InsomniaDaydreamer]

Ken is Guile's brother in law and Ryu likes water without ice, stale bread, and dirt.

[@lestatcanada]

Don’t forget the fact that ryu likes the newest seasons of the Simpsons

[@InsomniaDaydreamer]

@@lestatcanada I just didn't want to bring whatever that is into my sentence.

[@fl1x_gud]

and jumping into late fierce

[@idk72.]

And he's also from streets and will see everybody on street fighter five

[@InsomniaDaydreamer]

@@idk72. Street Fighter 5 already released

[@tahirsanli]

Great video man, a lot of thought and love has gone into this, it's very apparent. Thanks a lot for all your effort :)

[@ry4n737]

Epic classic battles with my friends back in the day.... fun to watch..great video

[@nickclark1815]

These differences make Ryu a more patient and defensive character, while Ken is more aggressive and fast-paced. It's easy to see in gameplay, as Ryu throws more fireballs and approaches less, where Ken's doing whatever he can to get in and pressure.

[@JJEHUTYY]

@Fwuffycodbunny then its safe to say there is no real definitive play style for them

[@MGSBigBoss77]

*No character has one single playstyle (most of the time)* ^Most of the older SF games were like this until SF4? Where it became more of a flowchart B.S. way of playing to the frame data instead sadly! Most of these newer games i feel restrict the playstyles of the past.

[@nickclark1815]

It's true that Ryu CAN be agressive, and Ken CAN be defensive, but their movesets obviously compliment a specific style. The fun part of fighting games though, is that you can always play the character the way you want to, even if they weren't designed that way. Shotos are the best example, as their movesets are quite flexible. I mean, they ALL have the same three base moves, so you could make whatever style work.

[@MGSBigBoss77]

Unless you're playing Dan in any one of the games of course? Lol, he's meant for a bit of a piss take at the KOF games by Capcom. But good luck trying to win any major tournaments with him in a serious manner!

[@MentalDeviant]

@@MGSBigBoss77 Dan was made to make fun of Robert from King of fighters(really from Art of fighting) but if you go back before kof 96.In King of fighters 94, 95 and his 98 alternate form, Robert was a powerhouse and his fireball went all the way across the screen. He had a flying kick that went all the way across the screen and hit two times. And A dive kick that knocked down. Plus other badass moves. And Robert and Ryo could do a Huge super fire ball without meter in 94!

[@joaoguilhermebastos519]

it really looks like as they get older and more experient they start to add and remove techs from their styles. they are two masters of ansatsuken building their own branches of the art

[@a.g.r.v.3144]

Problem is that SF's chronology doesn't follow the games release order, SF3 is supposed to be set after SFV if im not mistaken

[@philithegamer8265]

The current timeline goes Street Fighter 1 > Alpha series > Street Fighter 2 > Street Fighter 4 > Street Fighter 5 > Street Fighter 3...

[@quisisreal]

@@philithegamer8265 that's insane

[@drodrig1]

@@philithegamer8265 and then street fighter 6

[@sonic-bb]

@@philithegamer8265 i wish ryu would look like how he looked in the alpha series again :,( like even in street fighter 3 he looks better than 4 and 5 imo

[@boodro2122]

Thanks for the great sound quality. Listening with headphones. It makes a difference.

[@ranma36]

God I was so in love with how great the graphics looked in Alpha! Sega Saturn Alpha2 was my fave SF ever.

[@sonic-bb]

the alpha games and the street fighter 3 games had the best pixel art indeed :)

[@vegitoboi]

I’ve always believed that Ken was faster and Ryu was stronger. Over time, Ryu focused on his Hadoken while Ken focused on his Shoryuken.

[@Aggrofool]

Ken is the 1% while Ryu has to pay off his satsui student loans

[@cornbreadthedog]

That's funny and topical. Thank you. Very cool.

[@ooferrell]

Lol

[@ooferrell]

While everyone thinks he fights to get stronger lol

[@Wolfsbane909]

that why ryu can do the forbidden dark hadou but ken can't. ryu has lots to rage about

[@FALL-LAFF-7477]

Wonder if SF6 would make them closer to their similarities or getting broad than ever. Also, Priest Ryu and Undercover Hobo on the Run Ken would be a great discussion on this.

[@IHATEDRIVING2]

you forget about Ryu's Super Shoryuken in SF3. It's very different from the one we saw in SF Zero or Alpha. Here its always do a lot of damage. It was my favorite move in this game.

[@itraynell]

Btw Jmcrofts, Ryus Vskill 2 in SFV is also a counter. If they hit while he is stepping in, he will counter their attack and deal damage. You can cancel it into dp if you have Vtrigger.

[@ordinaryshiba]

also, for ken's Vtrigger 2 you have to mash buttons after activation to get the full thing

[@hyliandoctor]

Apparently, the only problem with Ryu's VS2 is that the parry window isn't really active for a lot of frames, especially considering how long the startup is. I mean, sure, you get more damage in if you counter with it and you can combo into it, but how does one even combo out of it?

[@paorasimon4957]

Ryu's vskill 2 and vtrigger 2 are trash

[@hyliandoctor]

@@paorasimon4957 you can still get real good shit off of VT2, but VS2? Yeah. Rest in spaghetti.

[@paorasimon4957]

@@hyliandoctor VT2 is fun against low ranks but its a waste of VT at high level and is really hard to land. VT1 is superior and even more so in this season.

[@wellesradio]

“Ryu has a shinko tatsumaki .” That sounds delicious. I’ll order one of those for lunch.

[@CageVsCage]

Lmao 😂😂 .. ill have one too thanx 👍🏿🔥

[@yopeepthestyle8308]

Dont forget about that yoga fire curry and the sonic boom burger

[@Lolololololololololo123]

Ken has shippu jinrai kyaku

[@Lolololololololololo123]

Also it's "Shinku Tatsumaki"

[@f1r3hunt3rz5]

You are thinking of "takoyaki" lmao

[@WarriorsPhoto]

When your video opened and discussed they were the same. I was shocked since only at the beginning were they the same. Thankfully you illustrated for us the differences. (:

[@OtomoTenzi]

If I recall correctly, in SF2T Ken's fireball was supposed to have less delay... Meaning, it still traveled at the same speed as in the 2 previous games but his recovery animation right after he threw them was shorter. Most people prolly never notice that, because the game was already sped-up and that made everybody's projectiles seem to move alot faster.

[@vram1974]

Ken is the guy at the party that div s off the roof into a baby pool of beer. Ryu walks around, collecting car keys.

[@gustavopena7300]

Lmao

[@lightup6751]

nah kens a rich brat, ryu is a martial artist and grandmaster bad ass

[@sytherchain7571]

Kens a rich brat that bought a yacht with his face and name on it XD

[@Arcademan09]

@@lightup6751 and yet he can keep up with Ryu

[@JozefLucifugeKorzeniowski]

Yeah Ken is awesome

[@princeekeson12]

Ryu: Power Ken: Speed

[@ToxicSHDAgent]

Yes and....Ryu got even buffed in SfV...now he is over OP. Even Sagat is less powerful in terms of damage! This has no sense!

[@Roasty420]

Akuma > Ryu > Ken > Garbage > Dan #Facts

[@princeekeson12]

@@Roasty420 Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. What about Sean? Sakura? Allen Scheinder?🤣

[@BadguyEX]

@@princeekeson12 Allen Schneider isn't a street fighter character, he's a Fighting Layer character. ARIKA did a cross game with Capcom, but Allen Schneider is not Capcom's.

[@snakepliskin23]

Kamehamehadou-ken! Ken! Ken! Ken..

[@deadbeef6332]

watching these sprites get better as time goes on is pretty cool

[@JayInVA22]

I love the video!! I did notice some of the changes through SF4 versions I didn't see mentioned. EX dp-fadc in usf4 had full animation for Ryus U2, Ken can land his U2 off of ex air Tatsuya, far-stand jab, or Fireball FADC. Ryu's heavy DP isn't focus cancellable but does good dmg. Ken gets full animation U1 on counter hit DP fadc->U1. Ryu EX fireball knocks down, but on counter hit you can land any normal or special move (EX fireball heavy dp works on counter hit) SF4's my fav of the bunch, used to study all of this stuff like home work. Plz keep making videos I'm a fan fosho!

[@max-d8105]

Ryu's EX fireball on counter hit also gave you full U2 animation. I didn't know that until my roommate told me.

[@KaptainFalkon]

Imagine being this wandering warrior seeking true enlightenment through battle, and this blonde, banana haired sob keeps up with you every step of the way while doing less than half the training you do?

[@SanSolo22]

Ken trains just as hard tho. Probaly not 6 hrs a day like ryu does because he has a family to look after and a business to attend to. But Ken ain't no slouch

[@KaptainFalkon]

@@SanSolo22 I appreciate the Ken love, but Martial Arts was always Ken's hobby. But for Ryu it was his LIFE. He was raised into it by Gouken and fighting is incorporated into every philosophy in his life. Ryu is definitely the true warrior.

[@KaptainFalkon]

@@SanSolo22 Ken probably has a better fighting sense then Ryu innately. He is skilled enough to keep pace with Ryu even though their level of commitment is night and day, and Ken doesn't struggle the same way Ryu does with the Satsui no Hado. Strength is something Ryu craves, much like Akuma, but for Ken it's not the most important thing in his life. He has loved ones that keep him grounded and pushing himself to be a better man, not just a better fighter. Which also might be a factor as Ryu has to constantly hold himself back during fights whereas Ken can fight with all his strength and not lose himself to the dark hado. That's why Oro chose Ryu to be his Successor because he realized Ryu has a large amount of untapped potential he can't draw from and needs help fostering.

[@rebirth2526]

Well, all Ryu's training and traveling expenses are likely paid by Ken as Ryu look like he has no job at all. Maybe Ken has Ryu endorse his dojo too?

[@SanSolo22]

@@KaptainFalkon that could also be the factor. But ken is also known for holding back as well but it with Ken's level of concentration. Also like ryu, ken has hidden potential that he hasn't tapped into fully. You cant ignore the fact that ken won there first sparring encounter. Although not by much, the match stopped because of ryu blood spilling all over his face which is the reason why he wears that head band that was originally used for Ken's pony tail

[@jonathanw1019]

Ryu's backwards throw is the Tomoe Nage circle throw from Judo. Ken does an extra flip and calls it the hell wheel. Over the shoulder throw is ippon seio nage, also from Judo.

[@Apex.AM1]

Seoi nage

[@kingkrispy5289]

Sakura’s back throw is one of the realest throws in the game lol

[@sabishiihito]

Their fighting styles are weird. Both incorporate moves from various martial arts, even Taekwondo (axe kick/neryo chagi).

[@Rhiorrha]

Ken has the Jigoku Gurama/Hell Wheel...which takes FAR more strength than any of Ryu's throws. Benefits of a home gym and daily training vs wandering around, doing useless kata, and getting into a fight every couple weeks.

[@Pazuzu-]

@@Rhiorrha Kata is crap indeed.

[@wakebreaker]

I legit have been wondering about this in my mind for weeks. Never searched it out tho. Thanks for the content and edits ❤

[@jbmmm4028]

Really enjoyed this video. Thanks for your hard work.

[@jonnylyden]

Ryu’s play style is more reserved and balanced, Ken’s style demands being the offensive/aggressive player

[@jaysonrainey8180]

Facts

[@SanSolo22]

I can play aggressive or defensive with ryu. Ken I have no choice but to be aggressive he got so much speed

[@saysoun752]

@@SanSolo22 I play aggressive with Ryu as well and he's usually the stronger fighter. However, with Ken, it's all about aggressiveness.

[@n1hondude]

GruntCannon it reflects Ken being an impatient American and Ryu a slow Japanese that takes forever but does things right

[@daniprepper9812]

Yes, GruntCannon... except Ryu from SF III Third Strike with Super Art 3. (The electric hadouken).

[@Myrhakul]

For years I've always told my friends that Ken leaned more towards speed where Ryu leaned more towards power.

[@rageflash9]

I agree with this..this is very evident in 3rd strike..also another notable difference between them in 3S is when you do jumps with these 2 ryu feels "heavy" while ken is noticeably "light"

[@ethangilworth7891]

Neil Manila ken just has a higher and faster jump

[@RanbuMotion]

@@ethangilworth7891Which would make Ryu feeling heavier than Ken, make sense?

[@shikarbabulall3897]

Well I guess the guys who played champion edition in the arcade ftom the 90's figured it out

[@Jkev24]

@@rageflash9 while not cannon, this is totally true in smash ultimate, which I think they did because that's how they interpreted the difference between the characters in the actual Street Fighter series.

[@JacksonDarcus]

Wow, this video was great! Great memories indeed of saving quarters to play at the arcade. We even knew regulars (by nicknames no-less!) skill levels so we could make stratagies vs. them. Yada yada, great times bro, great times.

[@PeeGeeThirteen]

Hi! Nice compilation. One thing you missed in ST was Ryu’s jumping medium punch juggle which introduced juggle combos for Ryu. Ken’s jumping medium kick was changed in ST snd was a crossup monster

[@bockerwright4132]

The amount of coins I spent in chip shops, taxi ranks, Chinese takeaways and arcades in the UK when I was a kid on The World Warrior and Champion Edition doesn't bare thinking about. Good days.

[@blacksunshine7485]

My mind is blown. Playing Street Fighter my whole life and I never knew Ryu can fake a hadoken in Alpha 3.

[@CageVsCage]

How much did you play alpha 3 ?

[@ziakhan1070]

@Cage Vs Cage i never played street fighter alpha 3 much due to worse musics of each characters. Also in end when Bison defeats us we loose the game and can't continue.😥

[@yopeepthestyle8308]

Zia Khan fighting games are not meant for single player

[@suprshin]

Lmao!

[@ziakhan1070]

@@yopeepthestyle8308 Yeah I remembered playing street fighter with my dad and brother. It was so cool 👍

[@redzcorpionh3874]

Thanks for keeping the nerd inside me alive, this a a trip down memory lane for me.

[@GeraldAlpinePerry]

Don't forget, one of the fighting cabinets had pressure sensitive punch and kick buttons to initiate whether or not you got off a hurricane kick or the fireball.

[@-castradomis-1773]

It seems with each installment Capcom was ironically making them more and more like Ryo and Robert. One is traditional, one is flashy.

[@copperface3574]

If those SNK haters could read they would be pretty upset.

[@timothyparham5064]

Didn't SNK and Capcom both make spoof characters over the other the past years?

[@khaled3433]

Actually capcom made Dan a combination of Ryo and Robert but super dorky just to tease SNK for copying them

[@timothyparham5064]

@@khaled3433 That makes sense

[@Hinshu85]

The Good times. SF Alpha 2 vs KOF 97.

[@nap.of.the.earth...]

I've always seen it as Ryu is stronger and Ken is faster.

[@mariomario7379]

Until Ken's strong shoryuken hits up close

[@conanthebarbarian7223]

That’s basically it. Ryu also has mastered the basics which is key in martial arts 🥋

[@NinjaNezumi]

I grew up in the SF2 era where nobody wanted to fight a dragon punching Ken.

[@shozinryu4]

Exactly Miamed Fascia!!! Same here. I was just trying to explain that with my comment.

[@danthemancushecan]

@@NinjaNezumi same here friend. He was a nightmare in those days.

[@felipeqfdesouza]

Ryu's V-Trigger II is a clear throwback to his SFIV parry (I don't remember the actual name of it). Awesome recollection video of all the differences btw them though. Nice!

[@jgood9716]

Really cool video. Thanks for making this.

[@nicholashawkins4441]

Ken is Barbie's boyfriend and Ryu just walks around the woods arguing with hiself

[@patricknelson1471]

hahahhaa epic

[@nicholashawkins4441]

@@patricknelson1471 😝🤟

[@KEN-1991]

My girlfriend is Barbie to.

[@robertsilvermyst7325]

Ryu: Wandering forever alone Ken: The family man

[@Eliburgo]

Guile "go home and be a family man"

[@wings4837]

Ryu with them introvert vibes

[@bash2345s]

@@sridrawings4510 she's married to ehonda

[@CageVsCage]

Lol yea

[@JosephFlores-yn4yi]

@Kevin Byrnes it was stated that Ken wins too, it just that Ryu has the better record

[@phillipdupor3393]

Excellent video my guy!

[@zufani570]

In summary, Ryu is stronger but Ken has more potential.

[@TariqYasiinProd]

They had to change the artstyle... The animé style looked a lot better especially those smooth Animations in SF3 3rd Strike

[@KEN-1991]

You know what's worse than changing the art style? Ruining the entire SF lore with retcons that shouldn't be canon.

[@BEkov-kd8cf]

@@KEN-1991 what retcons? I'm new to the series and am curious

[@alexojideagu]

Street Fighter 2 art style is better than the Alpha Cartoon style imo. I miss the shading quality.

[@alexojideagu]

@@miguelaviles3637 Alpha style looks too Cartoony and the great shading is gone. Look how amazing the shading is on Ryu's level in the World Warrior with that sunset

[@alexojideagu]

@@miguelaviles3637 look up videos that compare the SNK style to Capcom on Street Fighter characters.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

Ryu is more on the spiritual while Ken focuses on the physical

[@Hammerhead1986]

I'd say Ryu has a pretty severe steroid problem

[@Rhiorrha]

@@Hammerhead1986 maybe...more like Japanese company has to make japanese flagship character who just wanders around missing meals, not hitting the weights, just doing kata, and maybe getting into a fight ever couple weeks SOMEHOW the physical equal of a guy with ROBUST european genes (Ken's dad was JACKED), who works out multiple times a week in his million-dollar home gym, spars with others and competes in way more tournaments (Ryu just gets into random street fights, and competes in the SF tourneys...that's about it). Ryu should have his Street Fighter 1 physique, while Ken's Street Fighter 5 physique is pretty accurate.

[@EruNgatai]

@@Rhiorrha you're forgetting ryu can channel his chi, shoot fireballs and has a powerful violent spirit inside of him giving him the ability to dodge bullets(sf4 movie) and set shit on fire 🤣

[@CoralCopperHead]

Sho Ryu Ken "Rising Dragon Fist." The Dragon spits fire at range, while the Fist deals major damage when up close. It's literally in their names, and I love it.

[@anthonymoss275]

In SF2, Ryu's light kick and punch were WAAAY faster and could be used to stunlock opponents. Ken had the cornering advantage with the rolling throw, Ryu had the edge in speed. It was a way to showcase Ryu's dedication to his training and Ken's natural athleticism.

[@philithegamer8265]

Yep

[@sonnysumo8172]

Really digging the variety in these videos.

[@thomasgoddokken]

Yeah jmcroft branching out is cool. That he bothered to collect all the information for this video is great stuff and very appreciated! Even though I knew that ryu and ken is different in the older different games, this in depth analysis is really nice and interesting.

[@bloodydragon]

Ken: I'm successful Ryu: I'm vibin'

[@hyperboi87]

Loved this video, got some nostalgia and some thing pointed out I didnt notice before, now I want to play my game now lol

[@MrJ33352]

Thanks for all your hard work on this video 📹

[@SnackCannon]

"You mastered the Hadouken, and I mastered the Shoryuken." - Ken

[@WAdams-ps9st]

Where is that from?

[@keidasshu6209]

True but Ken is more dynamic than Ryu and hits less hard whereas Ryu is slower than Ken but he hits harder .

[@FredMaverik]

@@keidasshu6209 That comes later but generally yes.

[@flashhundred-yarddash6743]

When Ken begins a Family, he falls off the record... He thus tells Ryu that hes lost his will, & Ryu is the strongest... It is also known that Ryu has always been Street Fighters sorta like Hero, kinda guy... He continues to prove things no one else can... The 4th Animated Movie states that Ryu was never interested in power, he wanted something even higher then that... While Seth just wanted power... & he fought in a whole other league then Ken... This also happens with SF2 Animated Series, but gets reversed by the SF2 Movie... So, I mean for the most part? I find Ryu & Ken the 2 Stars, but Ryu overall is more the Main Hero... In Game format? Ryu's Fireballs are the strongest in power, but he really only has the 1 Ultra which makes him great at long range. Ken on the other hand, has 2 Ultra's Flaming Uppercut, & Flaming Kicks, which makes him great at close Range, but over all? 2 Ultras are sorta starting to make Ken a better choice in Gameplay... Yes, Ryu has a 2nd Ultra, but it's not really all that Signature or famous as to his Hadoken, though... Where as Ken's 2 Ultras both feel much more Siganture like... This is just how I felt about them... Ryu is stronger, but in Gameplay Ken is starting to win popularity choice, no?

[@BadguyEX]

Arguable considering Shin Shoryuken does more damage than Shoryureppa or Shinryuken, and Ryu's Shoryuken has hard knockdown, while Ken's Shoryuken has a graze effect that can do minimum damage and leave an opponent standing.

[@Benni-rp9or]

The real question I need to know is do they differ in Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game?

[@THENAMEISQUICKMAN]

That game is basically just a presentation swap of Super Turbo, so the differences are pretty much identical to that.

[@emerestthisk990]

lol I remember that crap game when I was a kid, never played it though

[@gunzishere]

Asking the real questions

[@CageVsCage]

Lol that would be good to know

[@repeataftermeme75]

Reading the text in the description box, I wanted to add one more thing. They also evolved and their paths separated more and more even within the comic book. Although tournaments still take place and more story development is in the comics, they really have a different feel to them altogether in the different medias they’re in.

[@pelvist]

The original arcade version of SF2 had a bug with Ryu's hitboxes, making him more vulnerable in certain animation states. Not a lot of people know that.

[@DarthNVious]

Ryu's forward and backward movement speed are almost identical. Ken on the other hand has a faster forward movement speed and a slower backward movement speed. This is true for all Street Fighter games.

[@normalpsychology]

Noel Villarin Is this... true?

[@DarthNVious]

@@normalpsychology Play the games and see for yourself.

[@marcoquiroz3893]

Noel Villarin you still didn’t answer the question

[@DarthNVious]

@@marcoquiroz3893 I didn't need to. Please re-read my original post. I said "This is true for all Street Fighter games."

[@marcoquiroz3893]

Noel Villarin true fact: out of the 8 basic players from street fighter are only 2. 1. Zangief. Super Suplexes 2. Guile. Invisible throw

[@QuietstormRB]

I always kept it simple: Ryu is stronger while Ken is faster. This was an interesting in depth take.

[@kratosgow2]

Agree. When I was younger I always thought, Ryu was stronger, and Ken is faster.

[@darrallshamarwilliams7560]

Those Ryu fireballs were faster than Ken in street fighter 5

[@derek-64]

@@kratosgow2 i was under that exact same impression when i was younger. and playing having played with both ry and ken i preferred ryu.

[@kratosgow2]

@@derek-64 Me too. I always prefer Ryu over Ken too

[@theedwardian]

Ryu is more defensive and zoning based, Ken is more offensive and rush down based. Also Ryu has more hard-resets to neutral, ken has more soft-resets to neutral.

[@psykowarior]

thanks for the hard work. I Always wanted what was the difference between them. Now I know, thanks to you.

[@mantissaPuc]

The changes on SF2 CE, while smalls, where already enough to make them different for serious players (if you get tier lists on the internet normally Ryu is on a higher tier then Ken). And since that, the differences just becomes bigger. Just to note, tiers normally put Ken higher than Ryu on SFA2 too, besides SF3Third.

[@HadoukenShoryuken]

Em Street 2 turbo eles são equivalentes em poder.

[@johnmecca9008]

I’ve always been more Ken-sided and preferred the longer reach of his dragon punch over Ryu’s. But both super iconic characters. U can’t ever think of one of them without also thinking of the other. Great vid!👍🏽

[@THENAMEISQUICKMAN]

The issue in later Street Fighter games is that Ken's fierce DP can hit the opponent but actually be too far away to launch since it's a three-hit move. Many an online match has been lost because someone shoryuken'd a pixel too far away, connected with the first hit, but didn't catch the opponent and got punished. It's why the more vertical DP is actually a lot safer of a move.

[@johnmecca9008]

Shinku Quickman that’s true. It kind of happened at 0:50 in the video where Ken’s dp hit once and left him open.

[@ezzyfiretv8922]

Kens moves are more flashy and he's abit faster however ryu's moves cause more damage to opponents overall

[@jacobtroutman2723]

Can you do this for the mishima's in tekken?

[@dinoboy9362]

MainmanSwe made a video on that

[@junior1388666]

Up

[@agentsmith9858]

It's obvious on the mishimas that they have different moves

[@GreenEyesGian]

Long story short Kazuya: defensive/punishment Heihachi: offensive Jin(if he still classifies as a Mishima): middle ground Jinpachi: BS😂

[@KamenKami]

Heihachi is the strongest. Why? He don't need devil genes or hax powers to be bad ass. Dude is pure human, like Yujiro form Baki.

[@Ixapter]

Thanks for explaining!

[@crypticscorpio936]

Appreciate the video JMcrofts! I may be stretching but the lunge punch they gave him in SF5 reminds me of the same attack he does to Dudley in the SF3: RYU FINAL manga by Masahiko Nakahira.

[@K0DeX]

"You guys were a little confused about my placement of Ryu and Ken in different tiers, so I spent about a dozen hours compiling why." We need more players like you, dude. Thank you for being the one that's up for putting the effort in.

[@sir_will_iam]

Ken is a martial arts millionaire with a loving wife, 2 adorable kids and a Brazilian fan(Sean) Ryu is a martial arts hobo with split personality, an evil uncle figure chasing him down to just be the worst possible influence, and cute high school protege.

[@waffles7z]

Now i'm imagining Akuma hiding behind a tree while Ryu goes to take a walk

[@rusdanibudiwicaksono1879]

Ken is a dudebro. Ryu just plain nice.

[@captainpancake8177]

Eh sakura isn't a protege anymore

[@rusdanibudiwicaksono1879]

@@captainpancake8177 Fine. 'And had a cute high-school junior.'

[@captainpancake8177]

@@rusdanibudiwicaksono1879 that's one way to call her lmao

[@Hazama91350]

Beautiful work mate

[@Herobrine100x]

In alpha 3 (in the Street Fighter 30th anniversary collection's command list), the Shin Shoryuken is called Metsu Shoryuken. Edit: according to Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, SFIII and SFIII 2nd Impact came out b4 Alpha 3.

[@juniormynos9457]

There's another difference between Ken and Ryu in SFII Champions Edition that wasn't mentioned. Ken's uppercut (Shoryuken) covered some horizontal ground while going upwards unlike Ryu's uppercut which goes directly upwards with very little horizontal movement. This might sound trivial but just that little difference made a huge difference in gameplay between both characters so much so that gamers at the time favoured Ken because his uppercut had more lateral range than Ryu making it excellent for whiff punishes and wake ups.

[@MrGoodboyjoy]

Great for corner pushing and punishing

[@xelementzgaming7171]

8:02 in this game you forgot to mention they have their own fighting stance.. you can see Ryu just go up and down... where as Ken does a little front to back... you have to really look to notice

[@liquidpersuasion]

Also, in SF4, there's a very slight difference in how their fireballs look. Ken's looks smoother and has a subtle "shiny" effect while Ryu's has a messier looking fireball trail. I think this is because Ryu is struggling with his evil side which is causing a disturbance in his ki, while Ken's ki is at peace because he's balling in life.

[@johnmecca9008]

xElementZ GAMING yes!!! I noticed Ken’s more back and forth faster stance. Ryu’s is steady up and down and slightly slower.

[@johnmecca9008]

liquidpersuasion that is actually a pretty deep perspective that is extremely possible. Good eye and theory on that!👍🏽👍🏽

[@t1msus]

Loved this since it came out. As soon as I could I became a Ken fighter. Ken is more aggressive and his dragon punch actually travels forward way more than Ryu.

[@JH-vs5wr]

👍🏼 Noticed that too. Ken’s shoryuken has more run than Ryu’s, which is just a vertical rise without noticeable horizontal travel. As a result, Ken’s uppercut draws a larger arc, which I find is more visually pleasing

[@FidelTshivhasa]

nice vid and breakdown, I obviously haven't been a gamer in a while. I'm still stuck in the Street Fighter 2 days.

[@metatronyt]

I loved this video! Exceptionally well made and my gosh, it must have taken you forever to make it! I do have a question, where is Street Fighter Ex? Did you choose not to include it? And if so, how come? I mean I know it was bad but it would still be a trip to memory lane I suppose :D Keep it up!

[@raveelemental4928]

Street Fighter EX trilogy is not counted in the Mainline series (a.k.a. the numbered games and their various versions)

[@fixedcross]

I real like to play it, especially the Hokuto characters.

[@vDeadbolt]

He said mainline games only. EX was a spinoff that turned into it's own series.

[@I_AM_HAT]

Didn't expect to see The Metatron here! Love your channel. Cheers mate!

[@007alztruli]

Street Fighter EX was NOT bad

[@itraynell]

Such a creative video topic, only a minute in and I know it's going to be enjoyable.

[@DanielBrown-nb9zz]

Guy in the Red Ripped up Clothes VS Guy In the White Ripped up Clothes... Who both have nearly identicle attacks and attack powers in nearly every game... lol

[@pedrolima1319]

Awesome video mate