Summary
- Street Fighter Alpha introduced in-game rival matches, which have become a staple of the series.
- Ryu has multiple iconic rivalries, including Ken, Akuma, and Sagat, with each relationship evolving and growing over time.
- M. Bison is one of the main villains of the series and has a long list of enemies, including Seth, Cammy, Juri, Ryu, Sagat, Chun-Li, and Guile, who all have personal reasons to hate him.
Street Fighter is one of gaming's most storied franchises. With six mainline entries spanning over three decades, plenty of spin-offs, and enhanced re-releases, Street Fighter has amassed a huge cast of beloved characters with rich relationships and plenty of lore. Some rivalries in Street Fighter, such as that of Ryu and Ken, are relatively simple and well-known, while others are less recognizable and have messier histories.
Street Fighter Alpha was the first game to formalize the series' rivalries with in-game rival matches. In the arcade mode, characters face off against their rival for their final match which is accompanied by some lore. Later games in both the Alpha subseries and mainline series included these rival matches in different ways, but they have remained a series staple since their original inclusion, and appear once again in the recently released Street Fighter 6.
Ryu Has Many Rivalries
Until Street Fighter 6's Luke Sullivan, Ryu was the undisputed face of the Street Fighter franchise, and as such his rivalries are some of the most iconic. Ryu and Ken are one of the most recognizable duos in gaming. The two have faced off in every series entry, and Ken has often brought out the best in Ryu, helping him in his battle against the Satsui no Hado and Akuma. Ryu has in turn provided comradery for Ken and challenged him to grow. Akuma is another rival of Ryu. Akuma hopes for Ryu to give in to the darkness of the Satsui no Hado and face him in a battle to the death. While Akuma is morally devious, he eventually respects Ryu's rejection of this evil power as the two continue to fight.
Ryu has one more important rivalry. One of his earliest foes is Sagat, who received his iconic chest scar in his fight against Ryu in the original Street Fighter after he gives into the Satsui no Hado. Sagat becomes filled with murderous rage after this loss and seeks revenge. As the series develops, however, he comes to regret giving in to this darkness, especially as he sees Ryu battle to control the darkness of the Satsui no Hado that is sealed within him. After facing off again, the fighters come to develop respect for one another and their rivalry becomes a friendly one. Ryu and Sagat's story is a complex one and could be a fitting plot for the upcoming Street Fighter movie.
Everyone Hates M. Bison
The character with the most enemies in the series is M. Bison, who serves as one of Street Fighter's main villains. Seth and Cammy hate Bison because they were developed in a lab to serve as his new body but managed to escape. Juri lost her mind and became evil because he killed her parents and left her blind in one eye. Ryu wishes to defeat Bison because he repeatedly tries to capture him as a potential vessel with hopes of unleashing the Satsui no Hado, and Sagat hates Bison for doing this to Ryu, whom he greatly respects. Chun-Li's father was murdered by Bison and as a police officer she is a threat to his Shadaloo crime organization.
Perhaps the most iconic rival of M. Bison, though, is Guile. Bison killed Guile's friend Charlie Nash and in turn he made Bison's defeat his life's goal. Guile, like Chun-Li, sees Bison's actions as a blight against humanity. This leads him and the other world warriors to destroy Shadaloo and kill Bison in Street Fighter 5. Now that Bison is defeated, the characters that saw him as their enemy have been able to move on, meaning Street Fighter 6 is good for new players who want to dive into the lore of the series. As this new chapter of the Street Fighter saga unfolds, players will surely be treated to exciting new stories and rivalries.