Ryu is a vagabond who wanders the earth in search for competition. He craves nothing but the fight, and has dedicated his life to the goal of becoming a true warrior.

Ryu began training the martial arts at an early age. An orphan, he was brought up by a monk named Gouken, who trained him, and eventually his best friend and rival Ken Masters, in the art of Goutetsu Shotokan Karate.

He and Ken went their separate ways after 10 years of training under Gouken. They met up again in the very first Street Fighter tournament, and had to face each other before facing the champion. Ryu narrowly defeated Ken and faced Sagat, and won the coveted Street Fighter championship. He defeated Sagat with the powerful Dragon Punch, and left a huge scar on Sagat's chest which remains to this day, and serves as a reminder of his defeat by Ryu, for which he swears revenge.

After the first Street Fighter tournament, Ryu and Ken returned to Gouken's dojo to train. But they found their master locked in combat with a demonic foe high up in the mountains. They watched the apparent slaughter of their master, unable to overpower the skilled demon-man, who simply threw the two young boys aside. Saddened by the loss of their master, the two parted, each deciding to go his own way.

Ryu then turned his attention to honing his skills, to follow in his master's footsteps. He entered the Alpha Tournament, and again met up with his friend Ken. He also encountered an angry Sagat, who had entered the Alpha tournament in hopes of seeking revenge against his newfound foe. Upon defeating Sagat, he was confronted by a brainwashed Ken, whom was being controlled by an unknown power, who proceeded to reveal himself. The man was known to very few as M. Bison, whom then sicced Ken on Ryu in mortal combat. Ryu was able to get through to Ken, and the two combined forces to defeat the powerful dictator.

After about a year or so of a respite and training, Ryu accepted the invitation to the next Alpha tournament. In this tournament, he met his biggest fan, Sakura, and politely declined her request to train her. He also was reunited for a brief time with his friend Ken, whom he watched fight and sparred with in their spare time. Ryu took a trip to Japan, and found his friend Guy being beaten by the likes of former Mad Gear Gang members Sodom and Rolento, and quickly ended this dishonorable act by dispatching Rolento, giving Guy the opportunity to defeat Sodom one-on-one.

But Ryu finally met his greatest challenge ever at the second Alpha tournament in the form of Akuma, a demon-man whom was so powerful he destroyed the very battleground on which they fought. In a valiant struggle, Ryu and Akuma fought to a standstill. Akuma told him that he had the potential to awaken the same great powers that Akuma himself possessed. Puzzled, Ryu realized that this was the first time he had come across someone just as strong, if not stronger than he was, and committed himself to the fight, seeking to understand the meaning of Akuma's words.

Ryu entered the second Street Fighter tournament to defend his championship. The tournament was hosted by M. Bison and his powerful syndicate, Shadoloo. However, this time, Bison was taking no prisoners. He carefully calculated every move, and ensnared all the combatants in a deadly game of cat and mouse. He used his psycho powers to once again control Ken in a fight against Ryu. He was once again able to snap Ken out of Bison's control, but Ken was previously injured from his fight against Ryu's mortal enemy, Sagat, whom Bison sicced on Ken as a means to capture him. Ryu and M. Bison fought in a brutal battle among an audience of all of the Street Fighters gathered together, as well as an advancing military strike. Ryu summoned all of his inner strength and his greatest weapon, the ShoRyuKen, and defeated the mad dictator once and for all...

By the time the third Street Fighter tournament was announced, Ryu had wondered a great deal about his lifelong friend and rival Ken. Ken's path had taught him love and fatherhood, while Ryu's was still the way of the warrior. It bothered Ryu that he could not consistently control the Gou Hadou, but still, he had learned a great many things since the last tournament. But with Ken now a father Ryu was ever more desperate to find suitable competition, to push his skills to their very limits. He found that and more in spades at the third Street Fighter tournament, in which he faced many fighters with unique styles. Eventually, he reached the pinnacle of this tournament, the host, the maniacal man known as Gill. Ryu had only witnessed such powers once before, when he and Ken fought M. Bison many years ago. It took everything Ryu had just to survive the conflict this time around as Gill, master of nearly all martial arts styles, pounded him without mercy. Bloody and battered but not beaten, Ryu defeated the egotistical Gill by using the pinnacle of his power, the Shin ShoRyuKen, which harnessed the very power of the Earth itself just as Gill had called forth HIS greatest power, the Meteor Storm, to kill Ryu.

This latest threat defeated, Ryu bid farewell to Ken once again, confident with the knowledge that he perhaps had finally unlocked the key to reaching his full potential...or had he??? Only time will tell, Ryu thought to himself...