Edmund Honda is the former Yokozuna, or "Grand Champion," of sumo wrestling. Yet he heard many snide remarks from others whom thought that sumo wrestlers could not be considered as great fighers. Outraged by this, Honda renounced his title as Grand Champion, and donned the kabuki makeup. He combined his love for the kabuki stage with his athletic and graceful sumo talent and emerged as a premier street fighter, to prove to the world that only a sumo can be the world's strongest.

E. Honda found a friend in the Japanese fighter known as Ryu sometime after the first Alpha tournament. Ryu met Honda in India, where Honda was engaged in battle with Dhalsim. Thanks to Ryu's unintended intervention, Honda won the fight. Honda quickly befriended Ryu, and the two lived together for a short while, until Ryu was one day attacked by Bison.

Then came the second Street Fighter tournament. It was at this tournament where Honda met and fell in love with Chun Li. Chun Li had bested him in their fight, and he found himself awestruck by her strength and beauty, and began avidly pursuing her, but she showed no interest. He was among the witnesses who saw Ryu take down M. Bison at his Shadowloo headquarters in Thailand. Afterwards, he returned back to Japan to continue to train, and began to teach students in the way of sumo.