• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Ryu or Ken?

Who is actually the strongest?

  • Total voters
    117
Probably Ryu.
Having a solid gameplay with good learning curve plus the support of good hadoukens, thats a great asset.
 
Excited Street Fighter GIF by CAPCOM
 
From what I remember Ken is naturally gifted but doesn't train all the time like Ryu, so he never truly reaches his full potential, just sometimes new plateaus depending on his phase in life (like losing the love of his life).

Ryu's power caps out at the fact that he doesn't accept dark side of hadou unless it's an absolutely vital moment in time.

Akuma could be the strongest as of now, but he doesn't balance out his dark hadou with the light well enough.

Gouken mastered both and should have been considered the strongest, regardless of Akuma striking him down in a cowardly manner.
 
Last edited:
March Climber said:
From what I remember Ken is naturally gifted but doesn't train all the time like Ryu, so he never truly reaches his full potential, just sometimes new plateaus depending on his phase in life (like losing the love of his life).

Ryu's power caps out at the fact that he doesn't accept dark side of hadou unless it's an absolutely vital moment in time.

Akuma could be the strongest as of now, but he doesn't balance out his dark hadou with the light well enough.

Gouken mastered both and should have been considered the strongest, regardless of Akuma striking him down in a cowardly manner.
Click to expand...
Do you remember the Oni lore? I'm pretty sure he killed or at least beat Gouken in one timeline or something. It's been years since I read SF4 lore.

Best SF shoto design regardless. Loved his Supers and Ultras.
iu
 
I choose Terry because of the hat and jacket.

Ryu lives and breaths training, Ken is almost as good with little effort. Imagine if he trained a bit more.
 
Pejo said:
Do you remember the Oni lore? I'm pretty sure he killed or at least beat Gouken in one timeline or something. It's been years since I read SF4 lore.

Best SF shoto design regardless. Loved his Supers and Ultras.
iu
Click to expand...
I completely forgot about Oni lol. Design is cool but my memory of him is hazy.
 
Generally Ken. If he had the same dedication and obsession as Ryu it would definitely be Ken.
 
Loomy said:
Generally Ken. If he had the same dedication and obsession as Ryu it would definitely be Ken.
Click to expand...

But the problem is that Ken doesn't have that dedication and obsession that Ryu does. The question was who is stronger, and Ryu is stronger because he of his dedication and commitment to training. Now if the question was who has more potential, the argument for Ken is absolutely reasonable.
 
Last edited:
In terms of gameplay in the various street fighter games, usually Ken. But in terms of lore from the game and from anime and manga, Ryu. Maybe Ryu is holding back in the games, for fear of letting go and becoming like Akuma. I dunno if Evil Ryu from Street Fighter Alpha 3 is canon or not.
 
Nelly_Nel_7.1.3 said:
Sean = Goten or Trunks

Dan = Krillin or Yamaha

Sakura = Tien Shinhan or Piccolo

Akuma = Jiren or Frieza Black

Gouken = DB Muscle Up Master Roshi when he had to use the Kamehameha wave for the first time.
Click to expand...
Akuma is more like Beerus, since Jiren was left in the dust a long time ago.
 
IFireflyl said:
But the problem is that Ken doesn't have that dedication and obsession that Ryu does. The question was who is stronger, and Ryu is stronger because he of his dedication and commitment to training. Now if the question was who has more potential, the argument for Ken is absolutely reasonable.
Click to expand...

I think even considering Ken is less dedicated, he's still just as strong. His higher natural ability + good training equals Ryu's lesser natural ability but obsessive training.
 
don't think much has changed since SF5
R

Post in thread 'Street Fighter V |OTV| BUFF MY MAIN & NERF THE CHARACTER I JUST LOST TO'

I got bored waiting for Juri and then I started thinking about how strong she actually is, next thing I know I made lore tier list.

God (∞)
  • Ingrid
Omega (SSS)
  • Oro, Akuma, Dhalsim, Cody
Super turbo (SS)
  • Juri, bison, gill, rose, necalli, ryu, gouken, goutetsu, (ed?)
Haou-shoku no Haki (S+)
  • Karin
Super(S)
  • Gen, seth, ken, urien, c viper
Busou-shoku no Haki (A+)
  • Zangief
Champions (A)
  • Sagat, Balrog, Adon, deejay
Kaio-ken (A-)
  • Chun-li, yun/yang, makoto
Ninja (B+)
  • Vega, Guy, Ibuki, Geki...
 
In terms of lore, I honestly think Ken is actually stronger. It feels like he can compete without really trying. I feel like if he was as focused as Ryu he would beat him. I feel like Ken also had to go through more struggles to get through his training as a foreigner in a foreign land. Ken also has a family which he needs to protect and come home to. That gives him more strength than a lone wolf like Ryu in my opinion.

But beyond those lore perceptions, Ken's techniques in the games just seem stronger. There's also the fact that when they tried to play many CPU vs CPU of SF2 Ken vs Ryu matches, Ken came out ahead too often to be considered random. This was actually due to a mechanic called "Core" that Capcom had tried to put into SF2 to make it so if you got hit while performing a special move you would take increased damage. Ultimately they decided against including the mechanic but they forgot to remove from Ryu's Dragon Punch so that's why he is weaker and lost more fights. Of course this is only SF2 but still... Here's Okamoto explaining it:

 


Edit: "I used to be a street fighter but now the streets are fighting me"
God damn youtube put more shit over the thumbnail.

Poor Ken

3rd strikes animation is gorgeous
 
Last edited:
winjer said:
Can I just point out how awesome this movie is.
Even after 3 decades, it's still the best Street Fighter movie ever made.
Click to expand...
Wish they'd do another with just as good animation and interesring plot device. Alpha had some nice animation ane visuals, but kinda meh with Shun and the evil lab guy. Shun was ok. Surprised none of made it to games in any form.

I remember thinking Generations was crap though.

But damn, more in SFII's 90s anime style would be so good. But ya know.. AI n all that.

Anyway, Ryu. Otherwise Akuma and everyone would be chasing Ken. Could argue Ken would be stronger with dedication but I disagree. He's talented though.

I wonder if they'll ever whip out Gouken again? Or a spirit Goutetsu.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • Featured
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties |OT| A Ryu Ga Gotoku Ryukyu Remake Set in Not-Naha
|OT|  2 3
105
798
adamsapple replied
Ken Levine's Judas details on PSBlog
2
60
1K
The artful mincer replied
Will Ken Levine's Judas ever get released?
2
63
5K
Embearded replied
JUDAS Dev Log #2: Ken Levine and team dive into the creative process and ideas that led to Judas
News  2
62
712
Sand Dan Glokta replied
Where did Crazy Ken go??!!
17
2K
digital_ghost replied
Top Bottom