Editing Ryu (SSBU)

{{Disambig2|Ryu's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''|the character in other contexts|Ryu}}

|image = [[File:Ryu SSBU.png|x250px]]

'''Ryu''' ({{ja|リュウ|Ryū}}, ''Ryū'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He is the second fighter from [[Capcom]] after {{SSBU|Mega Man}}. He was officially confirmed alongside {{SSBU|Ganondorf}} and the rest of the returning roster on June 12th, 2018 during E3 2018. Ryu is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #60]].

Ryu is once again voiced by {{s|wikipedia|Kyle Hebert}} in English and {{s|wikipedia|Hiroki Takahashi}} in Japanese, with their portrayals from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' being repurposed for the English and Japanese releases of ''Ultimate'', respectively. In the Chinese and Korean versions, Ryu uses his English voice clips.

*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Yoshi}} or any character in his unlock tree, being the 3rd character unlocked after {{SSBU|Marth}}.

With the exception of the third method, Ryu must then be defeated on {{SSBU|Battlefield}}. In World of Light, he is fought on the [[Ω form]] of [[Suzaku Castle]].

As the "all-rounder" of his home series, Ryu's overall attributes are mostly average. As a [[weight|heavyweight]] with average mobility, Ryu has decent frame data and damage output, as well as a dependable ground game due to his decent [[traction]] and average [[dash]]ing speed. However, his other attributes are polarized in an attempt to replicate the physics of ''Street Fighter''. Ryu's [[walk]]ing speed is extremely slow, and while his [[air speed]] is slightly above-average, this is counteracted by his moderately high [[falling speed]] and extremely short jumps. Additionally, he has the 2nd-slowest [[air acceleration]] and his [[air friction]] is uniquely locked at 0 while jumping or [[double jump]]ing, causing his jumps to follow a fixed "arc" unless the player steers them manually. Finally, Ryu's fast fall increases his falling speed by 40% instead of the usual 60%. Overall, this grants Ryu effective burst movement through dashing and jumping, but forces him to commit when approaching through the air and makes it difficult to land or move short distances.

Despite his average attributes, Ryu is one of the most unique fighters in ''Ultimate'', as he has access to many variations of both his standard and special attacks. His jab and tilts can either be held or tapped; tapped attacks are faster and usually combo well into themselves, while held attacks have greater KO potential and can serve as combo finishers. This also applies to his special moves (other than [[Focus Attack]]), which gain different effects like increased power or altered hitboxes when the button is held; they also see an increase in power when used with the original ''Street Fighter'' inputs. This effectively gives Ryu two movesets, one for starting combos and racking up damage, and the other for scoring KOs. This versatility gives him access to potent [[true combo]]s and mix-ups, leading to a strong punish game overall. His Collarbone Breaker (held forward tilt) deals immense shield damage, further complementing his ability to pressure and deplete shields.

Complementing Ryu's moveset and combo potential is his wide array of powerful finishers; some of his held tilts, smash attacks, and aerials are very capable KO moves due to their high speed. Held up tilt grants upper body [[intangibility]] on frames 4-10 while hitting on frame 7, making it deceptively safe for KOs when combined with its speed and tapped up tilt setups. Up smash makes an effective substitute for held up tilt as a finisher, and its wide hitbox can catch aerial approaches. While slow, Ryu's forward smash has long range and is his strongest standard ground attack, making it useful for hard punishes. Back aerial is Ryu's strongest aerial, and is fast and with good range. Forward and up aerial also serve as decent KO moves, enhancing their already impressive utility. Finally, down aerial is a powerful [[meteor smash]] with a fast start-up and long duration, making it a deadly edgeguarding tool. Combined with his excellent combo ability, Ryu's punish game is incredibly effective and versatile, being able to rack up damage or KO very easily after connecting with almost any attack.

Despite his abundance of strengths, Ryu has his weaknesses, some of which are exploitable. Despite his aforementioned recovery being very long-distanced overall, it is very short if many extendable elements, such as [[Tatsumaki Senpukyaku]], are not utilized. Focus Attack still requires a brief charge before it can be canceled. Tatsumaki Senpukyaku's long duration makes it susceptible to being interrupted by long-ranged attacks during use, and he can only use it once if airborne without landing back on stage or taking hitstun. Ryu's falling speed, low jumps and very poor air acceleration causes his vertical recovery to suffer if he is constantly forced offstage at lower trajectories, which is exacerbated by Shoryuken's recovery being almost strictly vertical while also having very high aerial lag. As such, while Ryu has a manageable horizontal recovery, his vertical recovery is easy to predict and interrupt. Additionally, while Ryu excels at shield pressure, his [[grab]] game is otherwise poor. Although his throws have decent damage output, none of them have effective follow-up or KO potential due to them having too much knockback to combo, and too little to secure stocks. Down throw is his only combo throw, but only at very low percents, while the unique mechanics of his other throws only work in [[doubles]] and [[free-for-all]]s (down throw instantly breaking shields, and up throw being capable of KOing bystanders).

Ryu's strong combo potential is also held back by his [[neutral game]], with several factors making it difficult for him to find openings. His very slow walking speed hinders the otherwise great utility of his tilt attacks, and his overall range is very short despite his good frame data (especially in regard to his tapped tilts and neutral aerial), giving him trouble with characters who possess [[Hitbox|disjointed hitboxes]], especially when including his tall stature. His only projectile, [[Hadoken]], is very easily telegraphed and punishable due to its sluggishness and lag. Overall, these two issues force him to play patiently and take advantage of any openings, due to his difficulty with contending against opposing [[camping]] and inability to force [[approach]]es. Despite the advantages granted by Focus Attack, Ryu's aerial approach is comparatively poor due to his fixed arc jumps and poor air acceleration, which forces him to commit with air attacks. Furthermore, the advantages offered by Focus Attack are match-up dependent; it is relatively ineffective against characters with several multiple hitting moves, with some characters being able to exploit it for a free hit. As Focus Attack is also one of Ryu's main methods of escaping combos against such characters, Ryu's high weight and rather quick falling speed leave him susceptible to some combos and juggles, and his slow fast-falling speed gives him occasional difficulty landing.

Notably, Ryu suffers from the inability to "force" KOs, as his KO potential relies heavily on stringing his aforementioned combo moves. While Ryu does possess some powerful moves, such as his sweetspotted forward smash and back aerial, those moves mostly require hard reads to land, while most of his other moves have low knockback scaling due to being tailored for combo use. Ryu's great combo ability compensates for this and often makes it less of a necessity for him to KO early; regardless, without the proper use of reads, setups, a heavy knowledge of Ryu's moveset, or a lack of compensating for an opponent's [[smash directional influence]], Ryu can have a difficult time taking stocks from opponents due to his significant lack of moves that can KO without prior combos. Finally, the emphasis of using Ryu's unique button inputs cause his normal specials to have lower power without traditionally inputting them, and it is possible for a simple slip of the hand to use the wrong move at an essential time, most notoriously with him accidentally [[self-destruct]]ing while recovering.

Overall, Ryu is a combo-oriented fighter with a fearsome offensive ability, due to his unique mechanics deliberately giving him the true combos necessary for many characters' competitive success; his ability to overwhelm opponents by trapping them in hitstun/shield pressure, multiple options to negate and escape combos, along with his dependable recovery all tie in to him being very rewarding and unpredictable, with his strengths somewhat outweighing his weaknesses. However, unlike his Echo Fighter, Ken, Ryu is also capable of playing a more zoning-based playstyle, thanks in part to his more damaging Hadoken projectile and his command-input Shakunetsu Hadoken, which is in line with his playstyle in his home series. However, his polarized movement, mediocre vertical recovery, and lack of approach make him difficult to use optimally without mastering his options. Possibly his biggest issue is his notably high learning curve; much practice is generally required for his command specials in order to use them reliably and consistently rather than accidentally inputting the wrong move.

Ryu was previously considered a powerful character in ''SSB4'', even consistently ranking in top tier in competitive play (being ranked 11th/12th out of 54 ranked characters near the end of the game's lifespan), thanks to a combination of an extremely powerful combo game and consistent KO potential, made better by his great endurance and the existence of rage. Likely due to some of these factors, Ryu was initially significantly nerfed in the transition to ''Ultimate'', losing many of his options and being harmed by gameplay changes, though he has also received plenty of equally significant buffs from game updates that have alleviated his direct nerfs. Nonetheless, despite now being objectively buffed as a character, the changes to the engine's gameplay means Ryu is still considered to be slightly nerfed overall.

 

Ryu has received various nerfs to his most powerful options. Light [[up tilt]] and both versions of [[down tilt]] have smaller hitboxes, and the former sends aerial targets at a less favorable angle, making it less feasible to chain multiple tilt attacks in a row. [[Up aerial]] also possesses similarly shorter range. [[Neutral aerial]] possesses far more ending lag, and the changes to the [[Sakurai angle]] make it far harder to chain into itself or combo into down aerial. [[Shoryuken]] has more landing lag and less intangibility. [[Focus Attack]] also has a lower armor threshold, boasts less range and doesn't hit behind Ryu, making it less safe of a move to use.

 

Most of the changes to gameplay mechanics have been detrimental to Ryu. Most notably, the universal increase in mobility hurts him more than any other character; he has the dubious distinction of being the only character whose [[walk]]ing, [[dash]]ing and [[air speed]]s were all completely unchanged, thus providing absolutely no benefit to him and placing him at a greater disadvantage relative to the cast's faster mobility, and it exacerbates Ryu's already commital approach. While the reductions to landing lag benefit his own aerials, they already had among the lowest landing lag in ''SSB4'', which benefits him less than most other returning veterans as it grants them combo potentials that are just as superior as Ryu's own. The toning down of [[rage]] is also harmful to Ryu, giving him more issues at KOing the opponent, most notably causing his Shoryuken to be much less threatening (though it still remains a highly powerful KO move if inputted). The changes to [[air dodge]]s make Ryu far easier to edgeguard due to the limit to one air dodge per air time, while he also gains little benefit from the mechanic due to his lackluster edgeguarding potential. The changes to knockback and the universal nerfs to grabs hinder Ryu's already poor grab game even more, as it is riskier to grab an opponent and his down throw possesses lower combo potential. Finally, the changes to [[jostling]] make [[Tatsumaki Senpukyaku]] perfectly punishable on shield, removing a mix-up.

 

However, Ryu has also received predominantly more useful buffs to both his unique mechanics and individual moves. His [[Special move canceling]] has been significantly expanded upon, as many of Ryu's moves can now cancel into his special moves, such as his light [[neutral attack]], [[down smash]], and all of his aerials; down smash, in particular, can now special cancel during its first frames (even while charging). All of his attacks (except throws and getup/edge attacks) can also cancel into his Final Smash. This has opened several now routes in Ryu's already impressive combo game, and drastically buffs his shield pressuring ability to the point it is one of the most fearsome.

Ryu now possesses a new heavy neutral attack and light forward tilt, both of which are executed when close to an opponent and can still be special-canceled, further upping Ryu's repertoire of grounded moves and making his hit confirms easier. [[Hadoken]] has been strengthened to be notably stronger, having variable speeds and overall higher damage, which helps its utility as both a zoning option and an approaching tool. Tatsumaki Senpukyaku has seen a drastic increase in versatility through his pivoting leg gaining intengibility and the move itself dealing more knockback, making the move a much more useful burst and KO option, especially out of a hit confirm.

Ryu has received a new, unique trait that makes him always face his opponent in a 1v1. This brings both good and bad points; on one hand, this hinders his air game, as he is unable to perform a back aerial freely; he has to perform the move in a [[reverse aerial rush]] in order to do so. On the other hand, this change, combined with the changes to [[dash-dance|dash-dancing]] grants Ryu a very useful retreat option in the form of a "shimmy", allows him to create ledge-traps, and makes it easier to perform command inputs for his special attacks.

Overall, Ryu's most powerful options from the previous game have all been toned down, but he has seen a general compensation through his expanded combo game and own improved mechanics, as well as a more useful move for zoning, now granting Ryu a less polarized kit. However, his playstyle fares slightly worse despite the vast amount of buffs he has received, due to the noticeable universal gameplay changes working against him. Many of Ryu's buffs were received from game updates, which have helped him boost his reward and relieve his most troublesome points, though neither them nor his changes during the advent of the game have addressed his issues from ''SSB4'', namely his prone recovery, linear approach, vulnerability to combos and necessity to force KOs. In bulk, Ryu performs worse than his previous iteration, but the vast amount of improvements he has received has allowed him to continue being an effective character.

Ryu has been significantly buffed overall through game updates, albeit not to the exact same extent as {{SSBU|Ken}}. Patch 2.0.0 improved his neutral attack and allowed his forward air to autocancel from a full hop, but at the cost of down tilt no longer allowing Ryu to jump as fast after using it. Patch 3.1.0 gave the most changes, altering many of his core moves: jab 1, jab 2 and light (close) forward tilt have a wider window to followup with a special move, while heavy (close) neutral attack has been completely changed into a low-knockback combo tool, significantly improving its utility as it was previously a heavy up tilt with no followups. Light (far) forward tilt has more range, up aerial and early [[Tatsumaki Senpukyaku]] has a larger hitbox, light down tilt has more hitstun, and heavy down tilt has decreased knockback, allowing the latter two to combo more effectively. Finally, all versions of [[Hadoken]] travel slower if tapped and faster if held, allowing the player to control the projectile's use.

Patch 4.0.0 gave Ryu the ability to turn to opponents after parrying an attack, allowing for stronger punishes. Patch 7.0.0 further enhanced Ryu's combo game by allowing his down smash to cancel into special moves (though at the expense of lowered shield damage), and significantly improved held down tilt's combo strings into Hadoken and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku by altering its launch angle (allowing the former to lock even at very high percents, and the latter to KO at a higher percent range). Hadoken's variants were all improved: Hadoken's spacing ability was buffed by increasing its shieldstun multiplier, while Shakunetsu Hadoken's looping hits now uses the autolink angle, allowing its hits to connect more reliably. Tatsumaki Senpukyaku also deals more damage, and gained more safety due to both of Ryu's legs now being intangible during use.

 

 

Overall, Ryu's renowned combo strings and patient playstyle have been significantly improved through game updates and he is now considered by most players to be more on par with his Echo Fighter, Ken.

*Ryu always faces his opponent when one is left standing, counting teammates as opponents if [[Team Attack]] is on.

*Sound effects from the ''Street Fighter II'' series, albeit heavily modified, are used when Ryu hits an opponent instead of the standard knockback sound effects. The intensity of the sound depends on the power of the move. Ryu also uses a unique sound effect when he performs a parry, which is based on the parry sound effect from the ''Street Fighter III'' series. Ryu shares these traits with {{SSBU|Ken}}.

|neutralname=Jab ({{ja|ジャブ|Jabu }}) / Body Blow ({{ja|ボディーブロー|Bodī Burō}}) / Hook ({{ja|フック|Fukku}})<br/> Mawashi Geri{{ref|a}} ({{ja|回し蹴り|Mawashi Geri}}) (Held-Far)<br/> Upper ({{ja|アッパー|Appā}}) (Held-Close)

|neutralinfdmg=10% (held-far), 12% (held-close)

|neutraldesc=''Tapped'': A jab, followed by a body blow, followed by a hook. The first two hits can [[lock]]. It is based on his standing light punch from ''Street Fighter II'' (albeit with its animation from ''Street Fighter III''), close standing medium punch from ''Street Fighter III'', and standing hard punch from ''Street Fighter III'', respectively. The first and second hits can be special-cancelled; this is recommended due to the third hit dealing comparatively low damage. At low percents, Shakunetsu Hadoken can effectively rack up damage, while at high percents, Shoryuken will act as a KO combo.

 

''Held (Far)'': A spinning hook kick. It is based on his standing heavy kick in ''Street Fighter II''. Unlike many of his other moves, it cannot be special-cancelled, though it deals enough knockback to KO at high percents and possesses good range, allowing it to act as a poking/KO option from a distance. However, Ryu's leg is positioned high during the move, allowing even medium-sized characters like {{SSBU|Mario}} to duck under it while using certain moves, or even during their landing animation after jumping.

 

|ftiltname=Side Kick ({{ja|横蹴り|Yoko Geri}}) (Tapped-Far)<br/> Hook ({{ja|フック|Fukku}}) (Tapped-Close)<br/> Collarbone Breaker ({{ja|鎖骨割り|Sakotsu Wari}}) (Held)

|ftiltdesc=''Tapped (Far)'': The yoko geri{{ref|b}}, a kick used in traditional karate. It launches the opponent diagonally upward, and grants intangibility on Ryu's leg from frames 7-12. Good for following with a dash attack or forward aerial at low percents. It is based on his standing medium kick in ''Street Fighter III''. Cannot be special-cancelled.

 

''Tapped (Close)'': An inward hook. based off his ''Street Fighter II'' close medium punch. This move causes the opponent to slightly shift towards Ryu, allowing it to combo into any of his special moves. Even at 999%, this move is incapable of KO'ing. This move can also lock, which grants Ryu a potent combo on missed techs: floored opponents can be hit by two light forward tilts, a held neutral attack, then true Shoryuken, which will deal around 50% and act as a guaranteed KO as early as 60%.

 

''Held'': The overhead of the same name that debuted in ''Super Street Fighter II Turbo''. Ryu draws his fist back over his shoulder before thrusting it forward and down. Despite its appearance, it hits twice much like the original version. Deals very high [[shield damage]], but its start-up makes it difficult to use on quick opponents. It is best used after conditioning an opponent to shield, or while they are trapped shielding near a ledge, where Ryu can use his tilts to potentially lead into a shield break.

|utiltname=Elbow Strike ({{ja|肘打ち|Hiji Uchi}}) (Tapped)<br/> Upper ({{ja|アッパー|Appā}}) (Held)

|utiltdesc=''Tapped:'' The sok ngat{{ref|c}}, an uppercut-style elbow strike used in Muay Thai. It can be used repeatedly as fast as the player can press the attack button. It has lost its misleadingly large hitbox, making it less reliable as an all-purpose move, though it is still effective at chaining into itself, leading into many of Ryu's moves for a quick finisher, or forcing opponents to hold their shield long enough to use a held forward tilt for a shield break. At high percents near the ledge, light up tilt can lead into down aerial as a powerful KO option. It is based on his close standing light punch in ''Street Fighter II''.

 

|dtiltname=Light Ankle Kick ({{ja|キック|Kikku}}, ''Kick'')(Tapped)<br/> Heavy Ankle Kick ({{ja|くるぶしキック|Kurubushi Kikku}}, Ankle Kick) (Held)

|dtiltdesc=''Tapped:'' A crouching, Hapkido-style shin kick. It can be repeated as fast as the player can press, similar to his light up tilt. If used on a prone opponent, they will be lightly launched back onto their feet, allowing Ryu to continue combos on them for extended periods of time. Ryu is unable to jump immediately after using down tilt, making special moves the most effective followup, though a forward aerial can catch a jumping opponent. It is based on his crouching light kick in ''Street Fighter II''.

 

|dashname=Tobisokuto{{ref|d}} ({{ja|跳び足刀|Tobisokuto}})

|fsmashname=Joudan Sokutogeri{{ref|e}} ({{ja|上段足刀蹴り|Jōdan Sokutōgeri}})

|usmashname=Thrust Upper ({{ja|突き上げアッパー|Tsukiage Appā}})

|dsmashname=Kaiten Ashibarai{{ref|f}} ({{ja|回転足払い|Kaiten Ashibarai}})

|nairname=Knee Kick ({{ja|膝蹴り|Hizageri}})

|fairname=Tobigeri{{ref|g}} ({{ja|飛び蹴り|Tobigeri}})

|bairname=Senpukyaku ({{ja|旋風脚|Senpūkyaku}})

|bairdesc=An outside crescent kick. It has very good reach, and its strength and fast start-up make it Ryu's most powerful aerial and a viable KOing option, able to KO at 115%. Due to Ryu always facing his opponent in one-on-one matches, it is difficult to use for edgeguarding: one must perform a reverse aerial rush, which takes longer to perform as Ryu, as he will only pivot around as part of his turnaround, and not in a dash dance (without performing a reverse aerial rush, it is impossible to jump offstage while facing towards it if the opponent is offstage). It is based on his vertical jumping heavy kick from ''Street Fighter II'', which in some sources also doubled as his Senpukyaku ({{ja|旋風脚|Senpūkyaku}}, "Whirlwind Leg") command normal/unique art from other games.

|uairname=Sukui Tsuki{{ref|h}} ({{ja|すくい突き|Sukui Tsuki}})

|dairname=Straight Punch ({{ja|ストレート|Sutorēto}}, ''Straight'')

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|pummelname=Hizageri{{ref|i}} ({{ja|ひざ蹴り|Hizageri}})

|pummeldesc=A knee strike while holding the opponent in the {{s|wikipedia|collar-and-elbow}} position. Average power, and its lower hitlag makes it faster compared to other similar pummels, being only marginally slower than {{SSBU|Kirby}}. As a result, it is very useful for racking up damage. It is based on Ken's Tsukami Hizageri ({{ja|つかみ膝蹴り|Tsukami Hizageri}}, "Grasping Knee Kick") throw in the ''Street Fighter Alpha/Zero'' games.

|fthrowname=Seoi Throw ({{ja|背負い投げ|Seoi Nage}})

|fthrowdesc=The {{s|wikipedia|seoi nage}}{{ref|j}} (a Judo throw). If the opponent does not react or jumps, this throw can lead into a down aerial meteor smash at medium percentages. It is based on his punch throw in ''Street Fighter II'', where it had the same name in most in-depth sources.

|bthrowname=Somersault Throw ({{ja|巴投げ|Tomoe Nage}})

|bthrowdesc=The {{s|wikipedia|tomoe nage}}{{ref|k}} (a Judo throw). Ryu's most damaging throw on grabbed opponents, though its launch angle makes it underwhelming for KOing at the edge. It is based on his kick throw in ''Street Fighter II'', where it had the same name in most in-depth sources.

|uthrowname=Heel Drop ({{ja|かかと落とし|Kakato Otoshi}})

|dthrowname=Tile Breaker ({{ja|瓦割り|Kawara Wari}})

|floorfdesc=Kicks behind himself and then in front of himself before getting up. The front hit is based on his crouching heavy kick in ''Street Fighter III''.

|nsdmg=Standard:<br/>9%, 9.5%, 10%<br/>Input:<br/>10.8%, 11.4%, 12%<br/>Shakunetsu Hadoken:<br/>1.1% (hits 1-4), 9.3% (hit 5)

|nsdesc=Quickly cups his hands to his side and then thrusts them forward to launch a blue ''ki'' blast from his cupped hands that deals decent damage and low knockback, is capable of locking, and may cause tripping at low percents. Using it in the air stalls Ryu and allows him to control his aerial momentum a bit, allowing him to mix up his linear recovery. Only one Hadoken can be active, as attempting to shoot another results in a puff of smoke emitting from his hands. Holding down the special button greatly increases the blast's speed and slightly increases damage output. Three versions of the move can be performed, two of which have directional inputs: a small blue Hadoken (special button only), a slighty stronger (1.2× damage) and larger inputted Hadoken (↓ ↘ → + attack/special/side taunt), and the red [[flame|flaming]] '''Shakunetsu Hadoken''' that hits multiple times (← ↙ ↓ ↘ → + attack/special/side taunt). Combos well out of his tapped tilt attacks and aerials, and is mainly used to rack up damage and control space due to its low knockback. The light version travels extremely slowly and can be used to control space and even start combos while approaching, while the heavy version is extremely fast and is useful for zoning. Shakunetsu Hadoken deals some shield damage, though not to the extent of his Collarbone Breaker. However, the Hadoken and its variants should be used wisely due to its low [[priority]]. All variants can cancel into his Final Smash.

|ssdmg=Standard:<br/>11%, 12%, 13% (front grounded)<br/>10%, 11.5%, 13% (back grounded)<br/>10%, 11%, 12% (front aerial)<br/>9%, 10.5%, 12% (back aerial)<br/>Input:<br/>12.76%, 13.92%, 15.08% (front grounded)<br/>11.6%, 13.34%, 15.08% (back grounded)<br/>11.6%, 12.76%, 13.92% (front aerial)<br/>10.44%, 12.18%, 13.92% (back aerial)

|ssdesc=A jumping, spinning crescent kick. Ryu moves in the given direction he is facing. Has sex kick properties, grants intangibility on Ryu's legs for the whole duration the hitbox is active, and deals more damage and knockback after the first few frames. Holding down the special button increases damage dealt, distance traveled, and the move's duration, also giving the attack additional knockback. Using an inputted Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (↓ ↙ ← + attack/special/side taunt) sees Ryu announce the move by name and results in it dealing 1.16× damage, covering more distance, and granting it better KOing potential. It is an almost guaranteed KO move at very high percents if held down tilt connects, can extend aerial combos on opponents that are hit horizontally, and can be used to prevent Shoryuken from getting [[stale]] as a KO option. The move can be used as a good horizontal recovery while not causing helplessness, but it can only be used once in the air without touching the ground or taking hitstun. It also cannot be canceled once used, and its slow spinning hitbox makes it very easy to punish offstage. Can cancel into his Final Smash.

|usdmg=Standard:<br/>13%, 14%, 15% (grounded)<br/>12%, 13%, 14% (early air)<br/>7% (late air)<br/>Input:<br/>15.6%, 16.8%, 18% (grounded)<br/>14.4%, 15.6%, 16.8% (early air)<br/>8.4% (late air)

|usdesc=Ryu's signature leaping uppercut, with him announcing the move's name while propelling his fist into the air at high speed. Holding the special button increases damage and height traveled. An inputted Shoryuken (→ ↓ ↘ + attack/special/side taunt) deals even more knockback, deals 1.2× more damage, has 2/3rds the landing lag, and grants Ryu both slightly more [[intangibility]] (frames 1-14 versus frame 5) and lower landing lag (16 frames versus 23 frames). Aside from being his main vertical recovery move, Shoryuken is also a viable KOing option due to its fast start-up, especially when used in conjunction with [[Focus Attack]]. In comparison, an inputted Shoryuken is Ryu's most powerful vertical KOing option overall and has the highest growth in his entire standard moveset, and can be also used as a risky method to escape combos due to its intangibility. However, it has heavy aerial lag as, alongside his low air acceleration, Ryu cannot alter his aerial drift for around two seconds after he attacks, and he becoming [[helpless]] once he descends. It is also unable to sweetspot ledges until the end, making it mandatory for Ryu to gauge his travel distance. Can cancel into his Final Smash.

|dsdesc=Assumes a focused stance while emitting a black ink-like aura, and then throws a short straight-punch. Crumples opponents where they stand with a lengthy stun animation if charged for more than half a second, which can allow for follow-ups. Ryu gains [[damage-based armor]] that can withstand a single hit below 7%-14% (scaling linearly based on number of frames charged) while charging. Ryu takes 0.5× damage during the move, effectively doubling his damage-based armor to 14%-28%. When fully charged, the attack becomes [[unblockable]] and will pierce through [[counterattack]]s. Peculiarly, if a fully charged focus attack hits a shield at any distance it will still crumple even if the shielding opponent is out of range, essentially making the move more effective on shielding enemies. The move's charge is indicated by Ryu flashing during its start-up. Level 1 is performed immediately and slightly launches an opponent. Level 2 is performed after half a second and crumples an opponent, but deals the least amount of damage. Level 3 is performed after a whole second, can block any normal single hit attack, crumples the opponent for a much longer time and deals the most amount of damage. Ryu can also perform a technique called the Focus Attack Dash Cancel. This is performed by tapping left or right twice, which cancels Focus Attack and instead propels Ryu a set distance depending on where the control stick was tapped. However if the punch misses, Ryu will be unable to cancel the move. If the move hits an airborne opponent, they will instead by launched with heavy hitlag. Although Focus Attack cannot block grabs and is countered by multiple hit attacks, it is a useful tool for baiting opponents and punishing, while its Dash Cancel can function as a horizontal recovery option while offstage.

|fsdmg=Shin Shoryuken:<br/>1% (initial hit), 10% (hits 1 and 2), 20% (last hit)<br/>Forbidden Shoryuken: 2% (multihits), 5% (last hit)<br/>Shinku Hadoken:<br/>1.5% (center multihits), 1% (edge multihits), 10% (explosion)

|fsdesc=A Final Smash that varies depending on range. At point-blank range, Ryu traps the opponent with the '''Shin Shoryuken''', a three-hit combo that launches the opponent with an even stronger Shoryuken. Begins KOing at specific percentages for every character, much like [[KO Uppercut]] and [[Limit Charge|Finishing Touch]]. At any other range, Ryu performs the '''Shinku Hadoken''', a much larger Hadoken that [[windbox#pulling attacks|vacuums]] opponents within a 35 unit (roughly the length of a {{SSBU|Battlefield}} platform) radius into it before dragging them a distance across the screen and exploding. Shin Shoryuken has much higher KO potential against a single opponent, whereas Shinku Hadoken has more range, reliably affects multiple opponents, and is capable of bypassing walls. Shin Shoryuken can be cancelled into from Ryu's neutral attacks (both tapped and held variants), tilts, smash attacks, aerials, and special moves (for the variants of Hadoken, it must be at point blank range). In particular situations (such as precise spacing or suddenly becoming intangible or invincible), it is possible for an opponent to be in range for a Shin Shoryuken but not get hit, resulting in Ryu performing the '''Forbidden Shoryuken'''&mdash;a significantly weaker failsafe&mdash;from {{iw|wikipedia|Street Fighter Alpha 3}}.

Ryu can perform a special move out of certain normal attacks, a mechanic known in his home series as special-cancelling. By pressing the special button or doing the command input after connecting with a normal attack on hit or on shield, Ryu will cancel the endlag of the normal attack and perform the move. The normal attacks that can be canceled include the first two hits of neutral attack, tapped and held down-tilt, tapped up-tilt, held up tilt, proximity forward-tilt, proximity held neutral attack and down smash. He is also capable of doing so with his aerials. Special-cancelling allows Ryu to perform blockstrings and hit confirms into Shoryuken for a kill, Tatsumaki Senpukyaku for a combo, or Hadoken or Shakunetsu Hadoken for safety and pressure. He can also bait the opponent out with a special cancel into a Focus Attack, further increasing mixup potential.

 

 

 

===[[Taunt]]s===

*'''Up Taunt''': Pulls his headband ends taut while stating "Come on!" ({{ja|かかってこい！|Kakattekoi!}}, ''Come on!'') Unlike in ''Smash 4'', Ryu does not turn around during the taunt. This is one of his taunts from ''{{s|wikipedia|Street Fighter IV}}''.

*'''Side Taunt''': Holds his fist forwards and declares "Talk is cheap!" ({{ja|拳で語り合おう！|Kobushi de katariaou!}}, ''Let your fists talk!'') This is one of his taunts from ''Street Fighter IV''. Nearly identical to {{SSBU|Ken}}'s side taunt.

*'''Down Taunt''': Stomps on the ground and grunts, causing the screen to briefly shake. This is his taunt from the ''Street Fighter III'' series.

*Adjusts his gloves. Resembles his character select pose from Street Fighter Alpha 2.

SSBURyuIdle1.gif|Ryu's first idle pose.

SSBURyuIdle2.gif|Ryu's second idle pose.

*'''Left:''' Crosses his arms, then winds back and performs a right hook with his fist facing the camera; his victory pose from ''{{s|wikipedia|Street Fighter IV}}'', saying "Give it your all!" ("{{ja|必殺のタイミングを計れ!|Hissatsu no taimingu wo hakare!}}", ''Gauge the timing of your special moves!''), one of his victory quotes from ''{{s|wikipedia|Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike}}''.

*'''Right:''' Punches once before raising his fist in the air, referencing one of his more recurring win poses while saying "Your range is one fist short." ("{{ja|その間合いじゃ、拳半分届かない!|Sono maai ja, ken hanbun todokanai!}}", ''That range doesn't reach half a fist!''). This is another one of his victory quotes from ''Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike''.

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->

 

''See also: [[:Category:Ryu players (SSBU)]]''

 

*{{Sm|Asimo|Japan}} - The best Ryu player of all-time, largely responsible for Ryu's rise in the metagame, and has been a top 30 player since 2022. He is the only Ryu player to win a major and supermajor, doing so at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 51}}, and has come close to winning several other majors, having placed 2nd at {{Trn|Kagaribi 7}}, {{Trn|Kagaribi 9}}, and {{Trn|UltCore}}.  

*{{Sm|Ikan|USA}} - The best Ryu player in North America, first known for his performances in the first half of 2022, especially his run to 9th at {{Trn|GENESIS 8}} with a long Loser's run that eliminated players such as {{Sm|Cosmos}} and {{Sm|Kurama}}. In addition, he briefly studied in France in 2023 and was the best Ryu player in Europe during his tenure there, especially known for his run to 2nd at {{Trn|Regen 2023}}, defeating {{Sm|Bloom4Eva}}, {{Sm|Luugi}}, and {{Sm|Tarik}}.

*{{Sm|Munekin|Japan}} - Co-mains Ryu with {{SSBU|Ken}} and was the best Ryu player in the world in the game's first few years. His performances in the early metagame, including placing 2nd at {{Trn|Karisuma SP 4}} and 9th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 6}}, mark the best Ryu results during this time. Although since greatly overshadowed by Asimo, he remains the second-best Ryu player in Japan, most notably placing 9th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 9}}.

 

Upon the game's release, players immediately noticed the severe amount of nerfs from ''Smash 4'', and as such, regarded Ryu as a "high risk, low reward" fighter. He was also significantly overshadowed by his own Echo Fighter {{SSBU|Ken}}, who was faster on the ground and has a more extensive combo game with two exclusive command moves, though Ken himself was also poorly regarded at launch. Although updates 3.1.0 and 7.0.0 significantly buffed both characters, Ryu remained inferior to Ken in the eyes of many players, and was therefore rarely seen in tournaments, with only successful results from co-mains such as {{Sm|Munekin}} and {{Sm|Sandstorm}}.

 

Ryu's representation began to improve gradually as players took notice of his unique perks over Ken; most notably, his Shakunetsu Hadoken granting him a more reliable neutral game. In update 13.0.1, Ryu got some buffs exclusive to him, including to the aforementioned Shakunetsu Hadoken, leading many Ken players such as {{Sm|AndresFn}} and {{Sm|Vendetta}} to also have a secondary Ryu. In addition, dedicated solo-Ryu players began appearing in the scene as the metagame progressed, especially in 2022, which saw {{Sm|Ikan}}'s run to 9th at {{Trn|GENESIS 8}} and {{Sm|Asimo}}'s meteoric rise to the top-level after becoming the runner-up at {{Trn|Kagaribi 7}}. With Ryu's representation on an upswing during this time, many players considered him to be around the same rank as Ken, with both characters being considered high-tiers. This is reflected in Ryu's placement on the first tier list, placing 36th on the first tier list, two places behind Ken and ranking as a high-tier.

 

Following the first tier list, Ryu's results only served to improve, with Asimo establishing himself as a top 30 player since 2022 and Ikan seeing further success during his tenure in Europe. In addition, Ken's representation began to dwindle as his best players, while still seeing strong performances, were also notoriously inconsistent. As such, Ryu rose to 32nd on the second tier list, ranking in the B+ tier and thirteen places higher than Ken.

Ryu's opponents are all references to characters that appear in ''Street Fighter II'' and are stamina battles with all of the stages being in [[Ω form]]. The Bonus Stage also comes earlier, similar to the car mini-game from said title. Items are disabled throughout the route. The final boss fight also includes Ken as a teammate. Both Ryu and his opponent always start with 150 HP, as well as his ally, Ken, in the final round.

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|1||{{CharHead|Ken|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Suzaku Castle]] (Ω form)||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Ken Stage Type A}}''||

|2||{{CharHead|Zero Suit Samus|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Blue}}||[[Onett]] (Ω form)||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Chun-Li Stage Type A}}''||Zero Suit Samus represents Chun-Li.

|3||{{CharHead|Incineroar|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Boxing Ring]] (Ω form)||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Zangief Stage Type A}}''||Incineroar represents Zangief.

|4||{{CharHead|Donkey Kong|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Green}}||[[Kongo Falls]] (Ω form)||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Blanka Stage Type A}}''||Donkey Kong represents Blanka.

|5||Giant {{CharHead|Little Mac|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Blue}}||Boxing Ring (Ω form)||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Balrog Stage Type A}}''||Little Mac represents Balrog.

|6||{{CharHead|Meta Knight|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Arena Ferox]] (Ω form)||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Vega Stage Type A}}''||Meta Knight represents Vega.

|Final||{{SSBU|Master Hand}} and {{SSBU|Crazy Hand}}||{{SSBU|Final Destination}}||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|M. Bison Stage Type A}}''||References M. Bison in the artwork of ''Street Fighter II: Champion Edition'', while {{Head|Ken|g=SSBU|s=20px}} Ken appears as a CPU ally, which represents the final battle against M. Bison in ''Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie''.

Although Ryu does not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene, he was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (except for {{SSBU|Kirby}}) when [[Galeem]] unleashed his beams of light.

{|class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"

!style="width:5%;"|No.

!style="width:5%;"|Image

!Name

!Type

!Power

!Stage

!Music

|60

|[[File:Ryu SSBU.png|center|108x108px]]

|Ryu

|{{SpiritType|Attack}} <center>{{color|#dc1029|Attack}}</center>

|9,000

|[[Suzaku Castle]] ([[Ω form]])

|''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Ryu Stage}}''

{{clr}}

==[[Spirit]]s==

Ryu's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}}. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Ryu has been unlocked. Unlocking Ryu in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. His fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with his artwork in ''Ultimate''.

 

Additionally, Evil Ryu was added as a primary spirit via the spirit board event, "[[Street Fighter 35th Anniversary]]".

SSBU spirit Ryu.png|977. '''''Ryu'''''

==In Spirit Battles==

|{{SpiritTableName|Karate Kong|size=64}}

|''Donkey Kong Jungle Beat''

|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}} (160 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|•The enemy's physical attacks have increased power<br>•Timed [[stamina battle]] (1:30)<br>•All fighters have reduced jump ability

|{{SpiritTableName|Knuckle Joe|link=y|size=64}}

|''Kirby'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Poo|link=y|size=64}}

|''EarthBound'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Reyn|size=64}}

|''Xenoblade Chronicles'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}} (150 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|•The enemy has super armor but moves slower<br>•Timed [[stamina battle]] (2:00)<br>•The enemy loves to taunt

|{{SpiritTableName|Sagat|size=64}}

|''Street Fighter'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (160 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Akuma|size=64}}

|''Street Fighter'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}} (180 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Sakura (Street Fighter)|size=64}}

|''Street Fighter'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}} (160 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Karate Joe|size=64}}

|''Rhythm Heaven'' Series {{Flag|North America}}<br>''Rhythm Paradise'' Series {{Flag|PAL}}

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Ouendan|size=64}}

|''Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}×3

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Filled with Hope}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Akira|link=y|size=64}}

|''Virtua Fighter'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}} (180 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Ryuichi & Ryuji|size=64}}

|''River City'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}×2

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

===Fighter Showcase Video===

*Ryu and {{SSBU|Wii Fit Trainer}} are the only two characters whose full renders are not on the [https://www.smashbros.com/en_US/index.html/ official ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' website]. In this case, the picture stops around his ankles.

**This also makes him the only character introduced as a newcomer through downloadable content to have an Echo Fighter.

**Each stage represents an opponent from the franchise: Ken (Ken), Zero Suit Samus (Chun-Li), Incineroar (Zangief), Donkey Kong (Blanka), Giant Little Mac (Boxer/Balrog), and Meta Knight (Vega/Claw). Each character's theme plays during these fights on stages that resemble their ''Street Fighter II'' home stages.

***These fights are near identical to their Spirit Battles with only Blanka and Balrog being fought on different stages.

**Ryu's bonus stage is in the middle, referencing ''Street Fighter'''s tendency to have bonus stages as midway points.

**The final two opponents before the final boss are a reference to the "Four Heavenly Kings" who must be fought as the last fighters before M. Bison, in this case, Balrog and Vega (minus Sagat) with Bison being the fourth king.

**Ryu's final stage in Classic Mode is a reference to the [https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/capcomdatabase/images/8/8b/SFIICEPCJapan.png/revision/latest?cb=20110223190039 artwork] used for ''Street Fighter II: Champion Edition'', which features a giant M. Bison towering over Ryu (represented in the game as both Master Hand and Crazy Hand) and the finale of ''Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie'', where Ryu and Ken double team against M. Bison. Additionally, M. Bison's theme plays in the background during the final battle.

**As a reference to the health bars of not just ''Street Fighter II'' but the whole ''Street Fighter'' series, Ryu uses [[stamina battle]]s in his Classic Mode route.

**Ryu's route has no items, similar to how the ''Street Fighter'' series also features no items.

*Ryu's held forward tilt (Collarbone Breaker) and the sourspot of his forward air (Tobigeri) dealing high shield damage is a reference to how [https://glossary.infil.net/?t=Overhead%20Attack overhead attacks] and [https://glossary.infil.net/?t=Cross-up cross-ups] are a common way to open an opponent's defense in traditional fighting games.

*If Ryu is set as a CPU opponent in [[Training Mode]], all three CPUs will always face the player, much like on 1-on-1 matches. He shares this distinction with {{SSBU|Ken}}, {{SSBU|Terry}}, and {{SSBU|Kazuya}}.

**This also happens if Ryu faces a single opponent in a team consisting of two or more characters in [[Team Battle]]s with [[Team Attack]] off, and in [[All-Star Mode]] when he appears.

:1.{{note|a}}translates to "Roundhouse Kick"

:2.{{note|b}}translates to "Toe Kick"

:3.{{note|c}}translates to "Uppercut Elbow"

:5.{{note|e}}translates to "High-Level Foot Edge Kick"

:6.{{note|f}}translates to "Rotating Leg Sweep"

:7.{{note|g}}translates to "Front Kick"

:8.{{note|h}}translates to "Scooping Punch"

:9.{{note|i}}translates to "Knee Kick"

:10.{{note|j}}translates to "Shoulder Throw"

:11.{{note|k}}translates to "Circle Throw"

[[Category:Third-party characters]]