As boys, Gouki and Gouken trained under Goutetsu, their father. Goutetsu had learned ways of killing opponants with a single blow by calling forth the power of Akuma (devil). This technique was called Messatsu and he decided to banish this form of fighting from his pupils' training (thus it was called Goutetsu Shotokan Karate).
Gouken had always been better than his brother Gouki, who wanted to be the best himself. He fought with his emotions while his brother fought with a calm spirit. He had often trained in the forest by himself, in attempts of beating his brother and uncovering secret techniques his father had refrained from teaching him and Gouken.
One day, he was beckoned by a voice, which he followed to a cave. Upon entering the cave, the voice asked if he really wished to learn all the secrets of Shotokan Karate and become better than his brother. Without thinking of the consequences, he accepted and the demonic spirit, Akuma, took over his body.
Returning home, he slaughtered his father, Goutetsu, with the technique he had refrained to teach, Messatsu. Going through his father's belongings, he discovered another who had trained with the Shotokan master: Gen. Now only two people had the knowledge of the existance of Messatsu, and he saw them as a threat to his power....
Ryu and Ken returned to the dojo after the Street Fighter tournament to train again only to see their master, Gouken, locked in battle with an unknown foe. They tried to rush to his aid only to see him defeated with the ultimate Messatsu blow, the Raging Demon. They watched as their master fell from the cliff battleground to a waterfall below. They tried, in vain, to avenge their master. The man batted the fighters aside and identified himself as Akuma. He told them to seek him out when they were stronger and left.
Ken and Ryu knew that they were not yet a match for the demon and again left to follow their own paths. Ryu continued to perfect his skills, in the footsteps of the late Gouken, while Ken vowed to find Akuma and avenge their master....
Upon hearing the death of his friend, Gen knew that the murderer would come after him, since he used a form of Messatsu himself. He went into seclusion to discover the identify the killer himself. During this period of time, he worked in a military camp in Shanghai. It seems his former work as an assassin had put him in bad company. The underground crime bosses of Hong Kong wanted to keep their control over their empire, even after their deaths. They asked Gen to train his grandsons in the ways of the martial arts so that they may become the leaders of the next generation. As he trained the Twin Dragons, Yun and Yang, he discovered that the killer was none other than Gouki....
Go Hibiki was a great Saiko-ryu fighter. He had taught his son, Dan, in the ways of the art, but it lacked techniques of the chi. One day, a man washed up ashore near their home. Go quickly helped the man and nursed him back to health. In return for saving his life, Gouken agreed to train Dan in the art that he lacked.
One day, a famous Muy Thai fighter and former Street Fighter Champion Sagat, came to their home and challenged Go. The battle that ensued was vicious and resulted with the loss of Sagat's right eye. The Muy Thai fighter went berserk and slaughtered Go, while Dan watched helplessly. As Sagat walked away, Dan vowed to kill Sagat himself one day.
Gouken found Dan training harder than he ever did before. He found that it consumed his life. The Shotokan master finally realized that the rage Dan felt to avenge his father may lead way to the Messatsu. Gouken quickly stopped his training and banished Dan from his sight. Dan went out to seek the killer of his beloved father...
In the streets and alleyways of Metro City, the members of Mad Gear roamed. They were a gang that took whatever they wanted, and the top of the hierarchy was very well off. Among these members were Sodom and Rolento who enjoyed the luxury of crime.
Guy was another respected member, who had abondoned his Bushin Ninjitsu training with his master, Zekuu. Although he was rather well off, his past often disturbed him. Eventually he decided to leave Mad Gear and perhaps return home.
Former wrestler Mike Haggar, came into office as Mayor of Metro City on the promise of destroying the power of Mad Gear. Luckily, he came into acquaintence with a former member, Guy. Together, they managed to bring down Mad Gear and free the people of Metro City from its grip of crime.
The top link of the hierarchy was vengeful for the lost of luxury. Both Rolento and Sodom wanted to regain what they had lost. Seperated, they both went on their own ways. Rolento searched the country for able soldiers to regain Metro City and rebuild Mad Gear. Sodom knew who was behind the fall of the successful gang, Guy. From that day forth, he searched the world for the man that took away his life.
Ken had returned to the US after the defeat of his master in search of Akuma. Instead, he was invited to the National Martial Arts tournament. Deciding that Akuma may be at the tournament and that he needs the competition, he entered.
In the opening round of the tournament, he found himself facing the defending champion, Allen Snider. Ken only sneered at his opponant, and readied for the match. There was no competition as he soundly defeat Allen and taunted him with his defeat. Ken went on to win the tournament, but had made an enemy in the process.
After being empowered a long time ago, Bison was able to amass great fortune by creating and heading a international crime syndicate called Shadowloo. He had not heeded the warnings of the spirits and his mind was no longer what it was.
James was on a plane flying over Brazil. He stared at the vast forests and jungle. The plane began to shake and rock. His mother held him close as the plane made a nose dive. The clouds whistled by, then leaves, and then there was a crash and he was knocked out.
When Jimmy woke up, he was alone and couldn't find his mother. After searching for awhile, he realized that he was in the middle of the vast jungle he had seen. He was only a boy and had no idea on how to stay alive in a jungle. Eventually he came upon a pack of wolves, that took him in. He grew up as a part of the wolf family.
One day, he came upon a group of soldiers that looked like him, and not his foster family. To his surprise, they took him hostage and performed tests on him. They managed to increase his ferocity while keeping him intelligent. Finally, they gave him the ability to produce electricity. He was no longer a human boy, he was a monster....
Charlie Nash and William Guile were soldiers of an elite special forces unit in Cambodia. They were captured by a drug ring called Shadowloo. In the maniac's care, the unit was used as experiment subjects for a drug they only knew as DOLL. Eventually the members of the unit, used their deadly skills against each other as the drug came into effect. Charlie and Guile managed to escape and learned the man behind the violent experiments, Bison.
Chun Li's father was a skilled Chinese Kenpo fighter. He trained his daughter until the day of his disappearence. Her quest had eventually led her into service with Interpol in Hong Kong. With the information she obtained as an agent, brought her into the Street Fighter Alpha Tournament....