Why Does Capcom Keep Doing This?

[@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.

[@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.

[@Boss__CQC]

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).

[@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.

[@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

[@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?

[@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.

[@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

[@KORNEWARRIOR]

​@@camronh14disgusting wow

[@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

[@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

[@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

[@Dante_yo_son_of_sparda_yo77]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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."

[@Boss__CQC]

The path never ends

[@LeeONardo]

@@Boss__CQC 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.

[@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!

[@jpstyles14]

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

[@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.

[@EMdemo]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@carlfjnon]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@terrelltownsend8016]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@supersonicsaint3702]

Can't get rid of THE Shoto.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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"

[@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!

[@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.

[@SilverNargacugaLucentNargacuga]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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).

[@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.

[@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

[@satriaariwibowo1118]

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.

[@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.

[@amitypredator9385]

Because Capcom doesn't learn from their mistakes.

[@darksoulquis5643]

Boys got too much money

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@keylimecookies]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@Poiyokai]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@rammart8762]

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

[@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

[@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

[@m8x425]

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

[@PrinceShivan]

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

[@vin1701]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@sunsfssb7699]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@Justinian.Tumberlake]

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

[@frandonfrank10]

That is a genius idea

[@chrisl5711]

Ryu, Ken and Chun-Li need to be in EVERY game. Period.

[@acousticcollege123]

Veloc1raptor's work ethic is unmatched 💪

[@arinthium4018]

I CAN FEEL IT COMIN OVER ME, I FEEL IT ALL AROUND MEEEEEE I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT ALL MY LIFE, IT’S MY DESTINYYYYYYYYY

[@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 😂😂

[@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.

[@alvarocortez1919]

Only Ken could replace Ryu as a protagonist.

[@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.

[@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!!!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@kildaver]

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

[@FGC_Jaha_SUPER_TRASH]

"Evo 2024 has reportedly become the largest Street Fighter 3: Third Strike event of all time" MVC2 & X-Men vs Street Fighter: Are you shure about that? 😄

[@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.

[@royshaheer]

Ryu had his arc completed so I feel like he is the main staple of the game. It's like how their competitor SNK did by having different protagonists for their story arcs. Capcom is doing the same but had it rough, given the expectation and comparisons.

[@robertstull8759]

It's because Ryu's personality is boring to non-existent. He's thematically perfect for the games, but narratively very one note. His whole story is to become the best fighter by overcoming his greatest challengers, whether their internal or external. That works great at getting the main appeal to fighting games across in the marketing. But when it comes to trying to flesh out a greater setting and plot it doesn't leave a lot of creative room to play with. So, they introduce new characters with other goals to help drive the story in different directions and flesh out a roster of diverse characters for players to choose from. Because, make no mistakes, fighting games live and die by the diversity of their characters' appearance and play-style.

[@UnifiedEntity]

Sounds like a creativity issue. Its not hard to find ways to make Ryu more involved narratively. For starters you could have him enjoy life in different ways to enjoy fighting more, be a sensei and mentor people like Sakura, actively fight against evil forces like Bison and if he had to Akuma. Ken the party boy recently just had his life taken away, who wouldve thought the one note charismatic party boy would have a story point where hes on the run.

[@nappa1381]

"Protagonists" of Street Fighter games: SF1: Ryu. SF2: Ryu. SF3: Alex, muscly blonde ex-military guy. SF4: Abel, muscly blonde mercenary guy. SF5: Nash, muscly blonde ex-military gu- wait, it's Rashid? Really? SF6: Luke, muscly blonde ex-military guy. CAPCOM certainly has a type. If only they could commit.

[@Sjono]

While Ryu is the main character, his role in the stories of most of the games tends to be minimal; at the most, he is a Living MacGuffin. Guile was the focus of Street Fighter II due to his motives against Bison, while Abel's mysterious origins serve are the focal point of Street Fighter IV. Street Fighter III has Alex replacing Ryu as the protagonist. Within the series as a whole, most of the major heroic acts are done by Chun-Li while Ryu is focused on finding strong opponents. The Street Fighter Alpha trilogy as well as Street Fighter are the only installments in which Ryu has any importance to the story, even having the most developed endings.

[@LeeONardo]

SF2 anime (which Capcom used heavily in Alpha) solidifies Ryu as the main protag in SF2 era, with Bison wishing to gain his power and of course brainwashing Ken. Guile and Chun li are strong second tier characters that work alongside Ryu. Ken is always between 1st and 2nd tier as he is important to Ryu. However I do know that in SF2 the developers state that each character IS the protag, whoever you picked was the hero. Capcom just put all the endings together as storyline after the fact.

[@DeadwaveCarrier-oc1wo]

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

[@666slateran666]

Alex is the 🐐

[@Leahcimmichael]

His theme has the sauce

[@Monhamd1000]

Capcom needs to get this through their greedy skulls that Ryu is irreplaceable. Because of that, Street Fighter is starting to age.

[@myfaves2974]

The winner of SF2 are Guile 😊

[@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

[@darkshortyx]

What I think (and proof behind it) Main Characters SF1 Ryu SF2 Guile SFAlpha Zero Nash SF3 Alex SF4 Abel SF5 Rashid SF6 Luke My proof is one Luke's ending artwork pieces in SF5 that has all the main characters along with Dan Main Bosses SF1 SAGAT SF2 BISON SFAlpha Zero Akuma SF3 Gill SF4 Seth SF5 G SF6 JP Main Female Leads SF2 Chun li/Cammy SFAlpha Zero Sakura/Karin (or Sakura/Rose) SF3 Ibuki/Makoto (or Elena /Ibuki) SF4 Juri/C.Viper SF5 Laura/Falke???? SF6 Marisa/Manon

[@sweetblazincronic9]

rip eventhubs youtube channel?

[@TheVoIchok]

They want to create a another popular character. Thats why.

[@RogerioPereiradaSilva77]

Well, it is not working. Luke is as bland and drab as it can possibly be. It is like they're trying their darndest to please school boys by making Kpop idols the stars of a fighting game franchise. SNK has been trying that lately, too.

[@TheVoIchok]

@@RogerioPereiradaSilva77 Couldn't agree more.

[@VitalityRichPlus]

​​@@RogerioPereiradaSilva77Honestly I think that would be a step up, though I'm thinking J Rock band members as I'm an old fart. Luke is so "How do you do fellow kids?" by making him some young American MMA dude who likes video games and looks like a KZbin influencer. And trying to link Captain Commando to him? Really, Capcom?

[@Brandonweifu]

​@VitalityRichPlus the only one calling him captain commando is weirdo fans lol yall weird

[@Brandonweifu]

​@RogerioPereiradaSilva77 Luke's been pretty well received by fans,cept yall kind I think