Editing Ryu (SSBU)

{{ArticleIcons|ultimate=y}}
{{Disambig2|Ryu's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''|the character in other contexts|Ryu}}
{{Infobox Character
|name = Ryu
|image = [[File:Ryu SSBU.png|x250px]]
|game = SSBU
|ssbgame1 = SSB4
|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]
|tier = A-
|ranking = 36
}}
'''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.

Ryu is ranked 36th out of 82 on the current tier list, placing him in the A- tier and two places below his [[Echo Fighter]], {{SSBU|Ken}}. This is a noticeable drop from his 11th/12th out of 54 placement in ''SSB4'' where he was tied with {{SSB4|Marth}}.

==How to unlock==
Complete one of the following:
*Play [[VS. match]]es, with Ryu being the 13th character to be unlocked.
*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Yoshi}} or any character in his unlock tree, being the 3rd character unlocked after {{SSBU|Marth}}.
*Have Ryu join the player's party in [[World of Light]].
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]].

==Attributes==
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.

Ryu's grounded moveset boasts considerable utility. His tapped jab and down tilt both hit on frame 3, making the former useful for relieving pressure, and the latter excellent for extending combos due to its launch trajectory being useful for followups, such as grabs. Tapped up tilt's low knockback, high speed and active frames make it effective for combos, either into itself, [[Shoryuken]], or even down aerial at high percents near the ledge. Held down tilt can be canceled on a hit into a special move, making it effective for shield pressure and damage-racking even at high percents. Down smash is quite powerful for its speed, and up smash lowers Ryu's hurtbox while charging. Both tapped forward tilt and held jab are altered at close range, both becoming very potent at starting combos into his special moves. Additionally, Ryu will automatically face his opponent in 1-on-1 matches while standing on the ground, making it considerably easier to land his effective ground attacks.

Ryu's aerial moveset is effective as well. Neutral aerial is a [[sex kick]] with low knockback and has only five frames of [[landing lag]], making it useful for combos and kill confirms even at high percents. Forward aerial is quick, highly damaging and has good range; it can be chained into itself through repeated jumps, and its sour spot deals high shield damage. Up aerial has fast startup and decently high reach, making it useful for juggling, and both it and down aerial can auto-cancel from a full hop.

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.

Ryu's signature special moves are also effective in their own ways. [[Hadoken]] is a large ''ki'' projectile, with three distinct variations, each with a different travel speed, based on input method; the standard version is capable of [[lock]]ing, while the input and Shakunetsu Hadoken deal more damage (with the latter being a multi-hit [[flame]] projectile). [[Tatsumaki Senpukyaku]] propels Ryu forward and deals more damage after an initial travel distance, while the 7.0.0 update allows the move to have Ryu travel through certain projectiles and low hits. Ryu's signature [[Shoryuken]] serves as his main vertical recovery move, it is most well-known for its offensive utility, due to its sweet spot's high knockback and brief intangibility (frame 5). The input version of Shoryuken has increased KO power, even longer intangibility (frames 4-6, with arm intangibility, frames 1-14), and lower landing lag, and can easily be chained into from Ryu's other moves. Finally, [[Focus Attack]] grants Ryu [[armor|heavy armor]] against a single hit, and incapacitates opponents when at least half-charged, allowing for followups. It can also be canceled on hit, after tanking a blow, or even while charging, allowing Ryu to fake out with a shuffle that also provides horizontal recovery distance. His close held neutral attack, first two hits of tapped neutral attack, close tapped forward tilt, held down tilt, and all aerials can be canceled into special moves, allowing Ryu to combo into Shoryuken or Tatsumaki for KOs, Hadoken for safety and damage racking, and Focus Attack for mixups and safety.

Lastly, Ryu has a long-distanced recovery and is surprisingly difficult to combo, traits not shared with most heavyweights. Tatsumaki Senpukyaku has large hitboxes and doesn't cause helplessness; this combined with canceled Focus Attack's armor and momentum boost grants surprisingly effective horizontal distance and protection. Shoryuken travels a good vertical distance, reaches above [[edge]]s, and can [[stage spike]] reckless edge guarders. Focus Attack also serves as an effective combo breaker, and neutral aerial and input Shoryuken both grant high speed and intangibility and can even lead into combo or KO opportunities respectively. These traits allow Ryu to survive to very high percents when used effectively, which also allows him to take full advantage of [[rage]].

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.

Due to his weaknesses and high learning curve, Ryu's results and representation have overall been very low so far, being one of the least used characters in competitive play. Much of his player base has either dropped him or instead use either his Echo Fighter, {{SSBU|Ken}}, or DLC newcomer {{SSBU|Terry}}, both of whom are somewhat similar to him overall. However, Ryu's copious buffs over the course of the game's lifespan have patched up many of his prior weaknesses at launch, though his current placing is still to be determined.

==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==
During the advent of the game, Ryu was significantly nerfed overall in the transition from ''Smash 4'' to ''Ultimate'', but also received significant buffs from game updates. 

Ryu has received some useful buffs; he greatly benefits from the dash-cancel mechanic as he can now dash cancel into his tilts which somewhat helps his overall poor and committal approach. Ryu can also attack cancel his standard attacks and aerial attacks into his specials which further enhances his varied combo game. He also benefits from his unique trait that makes him always face his opponent in a 1v1, as he can now create ledge-traps and lessen the chance of misinputting his special attacks. [[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. His new proximity normals allow for much more varied combo options, and with the ability to special cancel his attacks, makes his ground game much more varied and overall easier to confirm into.

However, Ryu has received many nerfs to counter the buffs. He is the only character whose [[walk]]ing, [[dash]]ing and [[air speed]]s were all completely unchanged. While this technically is not a nerf, this does put him at a greater disadvantage relative to the cast, as almost every other character had their walking, dashing and air speeds increased. This exacerbates his already poor approach (similar to {{SSBU|Ike}}, who has had the lowest [[dash]]ing speed increase). The new 1v1 mechanic also 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. Because his back aerial is his strongest and most far-reaching aerial, this does him more harm than good. His most notorious KO move from ''Smash 4'', [[Shoryuken]], suffers from increased landing lag and decreased intangibility, making it easier to punish (although it still remains as an effective KO move). Ryu's original setups into [[Shoryuken]] have also been nerfed (such as up tilt having a smaller hitbox and more horizontal), making the move much less of a threat. [[Focus Attack]] also has less range and doesn't hit behind Ryu, making it less safe of a move to use.

Overall, Ryu is considered to be noticeably worse than his previous iteration. While he has had very little results in ''Ultimate''{{'}}s early metagame, the buffs he received in {{SSBU|3.1.0}} and {{SSBU|7.0.0}} has caught the attention of many players, with some even saying they have been moved to a much higher tier. With the likes of {{Sm|Asimo}} and {{Sm|Ikan}}, Ryu has gotten very good placements throughout the post-quarantine meta of Ultimate, enough to be considered a high-tier character, though he is considered slightly worse then his [[Echo Fighter]] {{SSBU|Ken}}.
{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Ryu}}

==Update history==
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.

Another buff to his down smash (that went undocumented) is that Ryu can now Kara Cancel during the move's charging animation. Ryu could already Kara Cancel his down smash, but it was only during the first four frames of the move. Thanks to this change, Kara Cancel is now much easier to pull off and greatly improves Ryu's combo game. 

Patch 13.0.1 made his heavy forward tilt faster, gave all versions of Hadoken even more damage, and made all versions of Tatsumaki Senpukyaku safer to used on the ground. These changes significantly improve Ryu's shield pressure, as all attacks mentioned are typical frame trap combo enders that more often then not lead to either significant damage or a broken shield.

Overall, Ryu's renowned combo strings and patient playstyle have been improved through game updates, making him fare far better than at release. He is now considered by most players to be more on par with his Echo Fighter, Ken.

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|2.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/2.0.0|char=Ryu}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|3.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.0.0|char=Ryu}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|3.1.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.1.0|char=Ryu}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|4.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/4.0.0|char=Ryu}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|7.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/7.0.0|char=Ryu}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|12.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/12.0.0|char=Ryu}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|13.0.1}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/13.0.1|char=Ryu}}

==Moveset==
*Ryu always faces his opponent during a one-on-one match or when only two players are remaining in a match.
*A small flash will appear whenever Ryu does the input command version of one of his Special Moves instead of the standard B input.
*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}}.

''For a gallery of Ryu's hitboxes, see [[Ryu (SSBU)/Hitboxes|here]].''

{{MovesetTable
|game=SSBU
|neutralcount=3
|neutralinf=y
|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)
|neutral1dmg=1.5%
|neutral2dmg=1.5%
|neutral3dmg=5%
|neutralinfdmg=10% (held-far), 12% (held-close)
|neutraldesc=''Tapped'': A jab, followed by a {{s|wikipedia|short straight-punch}}, 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.

''Held (Close)'': An uppercut similar to his held up tilt, but with significantly different properties, doing virtually no knockback and being special-cancelable. This makes it extremely potent for combos, reliably cancelling into Shoryuken's sweetspot well past realistic percentages on any character.
|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)
|ftiltdmg=6.8% (tapped- far), 6% (tapped- close), 3% (hit 1, held), 6% (hit 2, held)
|ftiltdesc=''Tapped (Far)'': The yoko geri, 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)
|utiltdmg=2% (tapped), 12% (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''.

''Held:'' An uppercut. Strong for its speed and grants his upper body intangibility from frames 4-10, making it a surprisingly effective anti-air attack and KO move. If it connects, it can instantly be canceled into any version of Shoryuken. A reliable finisher for his tapped up tilt. KOs at 152%. It is based on his close standing heavy punch in ''Street Fighter III''.
|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)
|dtiltdmg=1.6% (tapped); 7% (leg, held), 5.5% (foot, 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''.

''Held:'' A lunging, Hapkido-style shin kick. Like the light version, Ryu is unable to jump immediately after using this move. Despite having low power, it can be immediately canceled into a special move if Ryu hits the opponent or their shield, allowing Ryu to pressure his opponent. As of update 7.0.0, the move's changed angle allows effective combos from held down tilt even past 180%, with Hadoken allowing a free lock at high percents, and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku being a dependable KO combo. It is based on his crouching medium kick in ''Street Fighter II''.
|dashname=Tobisokuto{{ref|d}} ({{ja|跳び足刀|Tobisokuto}})
|dashdmg=12% (clean), 8% (late)
|dashdesc=A flying kick. Possesses high base knockback for a dash attack and it can reliably combo into many of his tapped attacks as a finisher. KOs at 150%. Based on his original jumping medium and heavy kicks in the ''Street Fighter Alpha/Zero'' games.
|fsmashname=Joudan Sokutogeri{{ref|e}} ({{ja|上段足刀蹴り|Jōdan Sokutōgeri}})
|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|16}} (leg), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|17.5}} (foot)
|fsmashdesc=The side kick of the same name from ''Street Fighter III''. Moves him slightly forward and has the highest range of all his standard attacks, as it is able to hit opponents two character lengths away from him. However, it has noticeable ending lag. Deals slightly more damage and knockback when hit with Ryu's heel, and is Ryu's strongest standard attack if his heel connects. KOs at 110% with his heel and 120% anywhere else. Can cancel into his Final Smash upon hit.
|usmashname=Thrust Upper ({{ja|突き上げアッパー|Tsukiage Appā}})
|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|17}} (clean), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|13.5}} (late)
|usmashdesc=Squats and then rises up to throw an uppercut. Makes his hurtbox smaller while attacking, making this a good anti-air attack. Slight ending lag and does not have much horizontal range, though it is the highest hitting of all his standing attacks, being the only one able to hit an opponent on a Battlefield platform. His arm becomes intangible on frames 3-6. A good finisher for his tap combos. KOs at 130%. Can cancel into his Final Smash upon hit. It is based on his crouching heavy punch in ''Street Fighter'', albeit with its animation from ''Street Fighter III''.
|dsmashname=Kaiten Ashibarai{{ref|f}} ({{ja|回転足払い|Kaiten Ashibarai}})
|dsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|16}}
|dsmashdesc=A legsweep. Launches opponents at a diagonal angle and unlike most down smashes, it only hits in one direction. Has the fastest start-up of all of his smash attacks, with more range than his up smash but less than his forward smash, making it a comparably safe option. However, it has below average knockback for a smash attack, which makes it unreliable as a KOing option. Instead, it functions better as a spacing and anti-pressure option. As of update 7.0.0, down smash now deals less shield damage, but can be special-canceled just like most of his moves, repurposing it into a capable combo starter at low percents. Can cancel into his Final Smash upon hit. It is based on his crouching heavy kick in ''Street Fighter II''.
|nairname=Knee Kick ({{ja|膝蹴り|Hizageri}})
|nairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|8}} (clean), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|4.5}} (late)
|nairdesc=A downward angled knee strike. Its limited range is compensated by its [[sex kick]] properties and low ending lag. Can cancel into any of his special moves upon hit. The late hit is capable of locking. Overall, this is one of Ryu's best combo starters/breakers, as it allows him to transition to the ground and pressure opponents into shielding, or start tilt combos. It is based on his diagonal jumping light kick in ''Street Fighter II''.
|fairname=Tobigeri{{ref|g}} ({{ja|飛び蹴り|Tobigeri}})
|fairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|15}} (clean sweetspot), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|13}} (late sweetspot), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|9}} (clean sourspot), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|8}} (late sourspot)
|fairdesc=A flying kick. Ryu's foot has high launching power, while his upper leg has a sourspot and deals less damage. Despite this, the sourspot deals high shield damage. A good combo move and very damaging for its speed, but lacks KO power due to its knockback growth, making it more suitable for damage racking unless near the side blast lines. Can cancel into any of his special moves upon hit, though this is most effective when using the sourspot, which has low enough knockback to effectively combo. It is based on his diagonal jumping medium and heavy kick animation in ''Street Fighter II''.
|bairname=Senpukyaku ({{ja|旋風脚|Senpūkyaku}})
|bairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|16}} (leg), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|13}} (foot)
|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}})
|uairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|5}} (hit 1), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|6}} (hit 2)
|uairdesc=An uppercut. Despite its appearance, it hits twice, has good vertical range, and is reliable at catching opponents above Ryu. His arm becomes intangible on frames 6-10. KOs at 155%. It is also effective as a landing option, as the first hitbox starts low enough to pressure shields and start combos; it can also extend into Shoryuken in the air as a KO combo. It is based on his diagonal jumping medium punch in ''Super Street Fighter II Turbo''.
|dairname=Straight Punch ({{ja|ストレート|Sutorēto}}, ''Straight'')
|dairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|12}} (grounded opponent), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|15}} (aerial opponent sweetspot), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|11}} (aerial opponent sourspot)
|dairdesc=A downward angled cross. Hitting an airborne opponent with the attack's sweetspot (his fist as it comes down) results in a [[meteor smash]] that powerfully sends opponents diagonally downward, while hitting an airborne opponent with the sourspot launches the opponent diagonally upward with high knockback. Hitting a grounded opponent, however, results in extremely low knockback that will not KO even at 300%, but nonetheless possesses the ability to start combos. Can cancel into any of his special moves upon hit, with Shoryuken being especially useful across all percent ranges. It is based on his jumping medium and heavy punch in ''Street Fighter II'', albeit at an emphasized downward angle.
|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})
|grabdesc=Reaches out. Ryu's overall grab range is short. It is based on his grab animation in ''Street Fighter III''.
|pummelname=Hizageri{{ref|i}} ({{ja|ひざ蹴り|Hizageri}})
|pummeldmg=1.3%
|pummeldesc=A knee strike while holding the opponent in the {{s|wikipedia|collar-and-elbow}} position. 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}})
|fthrowdmg=9%
|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}})
|bthrowdmg=12%
|bthrowdesc=The {{s|wikipedia|tomoe nage}}{{ref|k}} (a Judo throw). Heavy opponents can be knocked back onto their feet with a tapped down tilt, then thrown again. 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}})
|uthrowdmg=8% (throw), 15% (kick)
|uthrowdesc=A stretch kick transitioned into an axe kick. It can combo into an aerial attack at low percents. While the axe kick cannot hit the thrown opponent, it can nevertheless hit another opponent that is too close to Ryu. Unlike the stretch kick, the axe kick deals much more damage and has high knockback (KO's Mario starting at 77% from the edge of Final Destination). Ryu's leg becomes intangible during the axe kick (frames 25-30). It is based on his close heavy kick in ''Street Fighter II''.
|dthrowname=Tile Breaker ({{ja|瓦割り|Kawara Wari}})
|dthrowdmg=5% (hit), 4% (throw)
|dthrowdesc=Pins the opponent to the ground and performs a {{s|wikipedia|knifehand strike}}. Its angle allows it to combo into held neutral attack at 0%, which can be extended into any special move. It also combos well into aerial attacks and Shoryuken until 30%, where thrown opponents are launched too high to get hit. Deals immense shield damage, enough to instantly break the shield of opponents that are right next to Ryu. Its shield-breaking properties and animation are based on the brick breaking bonus game in ''Street Fighter'', though it also resembles Akuma's Shurettō ({{ja|朱裂刀|Shurettō}}, "Vermilion Rending Blade") throw in ''Street Fighter IV''.
|floorfname=&nbsp;
|floorfdmg=7%
|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''.
|floorbname=&nbsp;
|floorbdmg=7%
|floorbdesc=Kicks around himself before getting up.
|floortname=&nbsp;
|floortdmg=5%
|floortdesc=Kicks behind himself and then in front of himself before getting up.
|edgename=&nbsp;
|edgedmg=7%
|edgedesc=Performs a crouching shin kick while climbing up.
|nsname=Hadoken
|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.
|ssname=Tatsumaki Senpukyaku
|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.
|usname=Shoryuken
|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.
|dsname=Focus Attack
|dsdmg=12% (Level 1), 10% (Level 2), 17% (Level 3)
|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.
|fsname=Shin Shoryuken / Shinku Hadoken
|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}}.
}}
===Canceling===
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.

===[[Announcer]] call===
{{audio|Needs announcer calls from other languages.}}
<gallery>
Ryu English Announcer SSB4-SSBU.wav|English/Japanese/Chinese
</gallery>

===[[On-screen appearance]]===
*Walks onto the stage from some mist in the background, then gets into a fighting stance.
<gallery>
RyuOnScreenAppearanceSSBU.gif|Ryu's on-screen appearance
</gallery>

===[[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.
<small>*Interestingly, the two taunts from ''Street Fighter IV'' have their quotes reversed in ''Ultimate''.</small>
<gallery>
SSBURyuTaunt1.gif|Ryu's up taunt.
SSBURyuTaunt2.gif|Ryu's side taunt.
SSBURyuTaunt3.gif|Ryu's down taunt.
</gallery>

===[[Idle pose]]s===
*Adjusts his gloves. Resembles his character select pose from Street Fighter Alpha 2.
*Wriggles the fingers on both hands, then crosses his arms and pumps them.
<gallery>
SSBURyuIdle1.gif|Ryu's first idle pose
SSBURyuIdle2.gif|Ryu's second idle pose
</gallery>

===[[Crowd cheer]]===
<div class="tabber">
<div class="tabbertab" title="English, Japanese/Chinese, Italian, Dutch, French">
{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"
|-
!{{{name|}}}
!Cheer (English)
!Cheer (Japanese/Chinese)
!Cheer (Italian)
!Cheer (Dutch)
!Cheer (French)
|-
! scope="row"|Cheer
|[[File:Ryu Cheer English SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ryu Cheer Japanese SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ryu Cheer Italian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ryu Cheer Dutch SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Ryu Cheer French NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Ryu Cheer French PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]
|-
! scope="row"|Description
|Ryu Ryu Ryu! || Ryu! Ryu! Ryu! || Forza Ryu! *claps 5 times* || Ry - u! || Ry - u!
|}
</div>
<div class="tabbertab" title="German, Spanish, Russian, Korean">
{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"
|-
!{{{name|}}}
!Cheer (German)
!Cheer (Spanish)
!Cheer (Russian)
!Cheer (Korean)
|-
! scope="row"|Cheer
|[[File:Ryu Cheer German SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ryu Cheer Spanish SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ryu Cheer Russian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ryu Cheer Korean SSBU.ogg|center]]
|-
! scope="row"|Description
|Ry - u! || Ryu! Ryu! Ryu! || Ryu! *claps 3 times* || Ryu! Ryu! Ryu!
|}
</div>
</div>

===[[Victory pose]]s===
*'''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}}''.
*'''Up:''' Slings his bag over his shoulder while saying "The journey has just begun." ("{{ja|旅はまだ…始まったばかりだ|Tabi wa mada... hajimatta bakarida.}}", ''Yet the journey... has just begun.''). This is one of his victory quotes from ''{{s|wikipedia|Street Fighter Alpha 3}}''.
*'''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''.
[[File:Victory! (Street Fighter).ogg|thumb|A remix of the victory theme from ''Street Fighter II''.]]
<gallery>
RyuVictoryPose1SSBU.gif
RyuVictoryPose2SSBU.gif
RyuVictoryPose3SSBU.gif
</gallery>

==In [[competitive play]]==
===Tier placement and history===
After ''Ultimate''{{'}}s launch, Ryu was met with a negative reception. Many players immediately noticed the severe amount of nerfs from ''Smash 4'', and regarded him as a "high risk, low reward" fighter. He was also significantly overshadowed by his own Echo Fighter {{SSBU|Ken}}, who is 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.
The perception of both fighters began to turn around with updates 3.1.0 and 7.0.0, which significantly buffed both. However, Ryu, though considered to be significantly improved on his own, was still regarded as inferior to Ken (now generally seen as a high tier character) and therefore rarely seen in tournament play. 

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, which once again boosted his perception.
Currently, Ryu has a decent amount of players and results; however, there is a very large overlap with Ken's playerbase, and dedicated Ryu mains remain rare. Many top players, such as {{Sm|AndresFn}}, {{Sm|Vendetta}}, {{Sm|Venom}}, {{Sm|Maeda}} and {{Sm|Munekin}}, main both characters in order to leverage their unique advantages in different matchups.
Overall, Ryu's reputation has significantly improved since the game's launch, and he is no longer believed to be significantly outclassed by Ken. Most players now rank them very close, with a few believing he is in fact slightly better. The latter belief is supported by some of the best "shoto" placements being achieved by solo Ryu players, such as {{Sm|Asimo}} finishing 2nd at {{Trn|Kagaribi 7}} and {{Sm|Ikan}} finishing 9th at {{Trn|GENESIS 8}}. Regardless, both fighters are considered to be high-tier characters at minimum, with Ryu ranked 36th on the first and current tier list.
===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 in the world. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|Seibugeki 10}}, {{Trn|Kagaribi 7}}, and {{Trn|Kagaribi 9}}, 3rd at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 26}}, and 5th at {{Trn|The Gimvitational}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}}, {{Sm|Tea}}, and {{Sm|ProtoBanham}}.
*{{Sm|Ikan|USA}} - The best Ryu player in the United States. Placed 5th at {{Trn|Ignition 300}}, 7th at {{Trn|Frosty Faustings XV 2023}}, 9th at both {{Trn|GENESIS 8}}, and 17th at both {{Trn|Glitch - Infinite}} and {{Trn|Collision 2023}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Cosmos}}, {{Sm|yonni}}, and {{Sm|MVD}}. Ranked 38th on the [[PGRU v3 NA]].
*{{Sm|Maeda|France}} - Co-mains Ryu with {{SSBU|Ken}} and is considered the best Ryu player in France. Placed 9th at {{Trn|Smash4Glory - Ultimate Edition}}, 25th at {{Trn|Ultimate WANTED 3}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|Syndicate 2019}} with wins over {{Sm|AndresFn}}, {{Sm|Manda}} and {{Sm|Greward}}. Currently ranked 45th on the [[European Smash Rankings]].
*{{Sm|Munekin|Japan}} - Co-mains Ryu with {{SSBU|Ken}} and is one of the best Ryu players in Japan. Placed 3rd at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 2}}, 9th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 6}}, 17th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 6}}, 25th at {{Trn|EVO Japan 2020}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|Umebura Japan Major 2019}} with wins over {{Sm|Etsuji}}, {{Sm|Rizeasu}}, and {{Sm|Shuton}}. Currently ranked 83rd on the [[Japan Player Rankings]].
*{{Sm|Sandstorm|USA}} - Co-mains Ryu with {{SSBU|Ken}} and is one of the best Ryu players in the United States. Placed 1st at {{Trn|DreamHack Rotterdam 2019}}, 9th at {{Trn|Low Tier City 7}}, 13th at {{Trn|Final Round 2019}}, and 25th at {{Trn|DreamHack Dallas 2019}} with wins over {{Sm|Azrael}}, {{Sm|ESAM}}, and {{Sm|Myran}}. Currently ranked 1st on the [[Central Pennsylvania Power Rankings]]. 
*{{Sm|Venom|Canada}} - Tri-mains Ryu with {{SSBU|Ken}} and {{SSBU|Kazuya}} and is considered the best Ryu player in Canada. Placed 1st at {{Trn|LAN ETS 2020}}, 17th at {{Trn|Defend the North 2019}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|Shine 2019}} with wins over players like {{Sm|Ally}}, {{Sm|Blacktwins13}}, and {{Sm|Soar}}. Currently ranked 9th on the [[Smash Canada Rankings Ultimate]].

=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Seeking a Challenge==
[[File:SSBU Congratulations Ryu.png|thumb|Ryu's congratulations screen.]]
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"
!Round!!Opponent!!Stage!!Music!!Notes
|-
|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}}''||Represents Chun-Li.
|-
|3||{{CharHead|Incineroar|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Boxing Ring]] (Ω form)||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Zangief Stage Type A}}''||Represents Zangief.
|-
|4||{{CharHead|Donkey Kong|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Green}}||[[Kongo Falls]] (Ω form)||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Blanka Stage Type A}}''||Represents Blanka.
|-
|colspan="5"|[[Bonus Stage]]
|-
|5||Giant {{CharHead|Little Mac|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Blue}}||Boxing Ring (Ω form)||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Balrog Stage Type A}}''||Represents Balrog.
|-
|6||{{CharHead|Meta Knight|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Arena Ferox]] (Ω form)||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Vega Stage Type A}}''||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''.
|}
Note: All of the matches play music from ''Street Fighter II'' regardless of the stage.

[[Credits]] roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Ryu has ''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Ryu Stage}}'' accompany the credits.
{{clr}}

==Role in [[World of Light]]==
[[File:WoL-60Ryu.jpg|thumb|Finding Ryu in World of Light|left]]
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.

Ryu only appears after the player clears the [[World Tour]] sub-area reminiscent of ''Street Fighter II'' by beating every spirit.
{{clrl}}

===Fighter Battle===
{|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]]".

<center>
<gallery>
SSBU spirit Ryu.png|977. '''''Ryu'''''
SSBU spirit Evil Ryu.png|1,513. Evil Ryu
</gallery>
</center>

==In Spirit Battles==
===As the main opponent===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
! colspan=4|Spirit
! colspan=7|Battle parameters
|-
! style="width:5%;"|No.
! style="width:5%;"|Image
! Name
! Series
! Enemy Fighter(s)
! style="width:5%;"|Type
! style="width:5%;"|Power
! Stage
! Rules
! Conditions
! Music
|-
|170
|{{SpiritTableName|Karate Kong|size=64}}
|''Donkey Kong Jungle Beat''
|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}} (160 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|9,500
|[[Kongo Falls]] ([[Ω form]])
|•Hard to Launch<br>•Hazard: High Gravity
|•The enemy's physical attacks have increased power<br>•Timed [[stamina battle]] (1:30)<br>•All fighters have reduced jump ability
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Battle for Storm Hill}}
|-
|379
|{{SpiritTableName|Knuckle Joe|link=y|size=64}}
|''Kirby'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|9,100
|[[Find Mii]] ([[Ω form]])
|•Assist Trophy Enemies (Knuckle Joe)
|•The enemy's punches and elbow strikes have increased power<br>•The enemy's kicks and knee strikes have increased power<br>•The enemy's physical attacks have increased power
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Kirby|Butter Building (Brawl)}}
|-
|574
|{{SpiritTableName|Poo|link=y|size=64}}
|''EarthBound'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|9,400
|[[Skyworld]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|N/A
|•The enemy's punches and elbow strikes have increased power<br>•The enemy's kicks and knee strikes have increased power<br>•The enemy has increased move speed
|{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Smiles and Tears}}
|-
|954
|{{SpiritTableName|Reyn|size=64}}
|''Xenoblade Chronicles'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}} (150 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|4,300
|[[Gaur Plain]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|N/A
|•The enemy has super armor but moves slower<br>•Timed [[stamina battle]] (2:00)<br>•The enemy loves to taunt
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Xenoblade Chronicles|Time to Fight! - Xenoblade Chronicles}}
|-
|988
|{{SpiritTableName|Sagat|size=64}}
|''Street Fighter'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (160 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|9,300
|[[Coliseum]] ([[Ω form]])
|•Jump Power ↓
|•The enemy has super armor and is hard to launch or make flinch<br>•The enemy's physical attacks have increased power<br>•[[Stamina battle]]
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Sagat Stage Type A}}
|-
|994
|{{SpiritTableName|Akuma|size=64}}
|''Street Fighter'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}} (180 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|13,700
|[[Suzaku Castle]] ([[Ω form]])
|•Defense ↓<br>•Jump Power ↓
|•The enemy's special moves have increased power<br>•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•All fighters have reduced jump power
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|M. Bison Stage Type B}}
|-
|997
|{{SpiritTableName|Sakura (Street Fighter)|size=64}}
|''Street Fighter'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}} (160 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|9,300
|[[Suzaku Castle]] ([[Ω form]])
|•Jump Power ↓
|•The enemy's neutral special has increased power<br>•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•The enemy favors neutral specials
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Ryu Stage}}
|-
|1,192
|{{SpiritTableName|Karate Joe|size=64}}
|''Rhythm Heaven'' Series {{Flag|North America}}<br>''Rhythm Paradise'' Series {{Flag|PAL}}
|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|9,200
|[[Suzaku Castle]] ([[Ω form]])
|•Item Tidal Wave
|•The enemy's punches and elbow strikes have increased power<br>•The enemy's kicks and knee strikes have increased power<br>•The enemy favors smash attacks
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Wii Fit|Rhythm Boxing}}
|-
|1,217
|{{SpiritTableName|Ouendan|size=64}}
|''Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}×3
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|3,700
|[[Tomodachi Life]]
|•Attack Power ↑
|•The enemy has increased attack power after a little while<br>•The enemy favors down specials
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Filled with Hope}}
|-
|1,294
|{{SpiritTableName|Akira|link=y|size=64}}
|''Virtua Fighter'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}} (180 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|13,800
|[[Coliseum]] ([[Ω form]])
|•Assist Trophy Enemies (Akira)<br>•Hazard: High Gravity
|•The enemy's smash attacks have increased power<br>•The enemy's physical attacks have increased power<br>•[[Stamina battle]]
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Cruel Smash}}
|-
|1,397
|{{SpiritTableName|Ryuichi & Ryuji|size=64}}
|''River City'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}×2
|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}
|9,300
|[[Wrecking Crew]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|•Item: [[Killing Edge]]
|•The enemy's side special has increased power<br>•The enemy favors side specials
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Mega Man|Flash in the Dark (Dr. Wily Stage 1)}}
|-
|1,513
|{{SpiritTableName|Evil Ryu|size=64}}
|''Street Fighter'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ryu}} {{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}} (150 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}
|13,700
|[[Suzaku Castle]] ([[Ω form]])
|•Attack Power ↑<br>•Sudden Final Smash
|•The enemy will suddenly have a Final Smash<br>•The enemy's special moves have increased power<br>•[[Stamina battle]]
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|M. Bison Stage Type B}}
|}

==[[Alternate costume (SSBU)#Ryu|Alternate costumes]]==
{|style="margin:1em auto 1em auto;text-align:center"
|-
|colspan=8|[[File:Ryu Palette (SSBU).png|link=Palette swap (SSBU)#Ryu|1000px]]
|-
|{{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=50px}}
|{{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Grey}}
|{{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Cyan}}
|{{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Black}}
|{{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Orange}}
|{{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Blue}}
|{{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Green}}
|{{Head|Ryu|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Purple}}
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
SSBU Ryu Number.png|Ryu's fighter card.
Ryu unlock notice SSBU.jpg|Ryu's unlock notice.
SSBUWebsiteRyu1.jpg|[[Taunting]] on [[Kongo Falls]].
SSBUWebsiteRyu2.jpg|Charging his [[Focus Attack]] on [[Wily Castle]].
SSBUWebsiteRyu3.jpg|Ryu using his [[forward aerial]] on a [[Wario Bike|bike]]-riding {{SSBU|Wario}} on [[Suzaku Castle]].
SSBUWebsiteRyu4.jpg|With [[Knuckle Joe]] on [[Princess Peach's Castle]].
SSBUWebsiteRyu5.jpg|Ryu charging his [[Shinku Hadoken]].
SSBUWebsiteRyu6.jpg|Failing to perform a [[Hadoken]] on [[Tortimer Island]], with {{SSBU|Pichu}} taunting.
SSBUWebsiteGreninja2.jpg|Fighting {{SSBU|Greninja}} on Suzaku Castle.
SSBUWebsiteIke4.jpg|Ryu getting attacked by {{SSBU|Ike}} on [[Boxing Ring]].
SSBUWebsiteMrGame&Watch3.jpg|Ryu using his forward aerial on {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}} on Suzaku Castle.
SSBUWebsiteVillager3.jpg|Ryu getting launched by {{SSBU|Villager}}'s neutral finisher on [[Coliseum]].
SSBUWebsiteSukapon2.jpg|Performing a Hadoken near [[Sukapon]] on [[Wrecking Crew]].
SSBUWebsiteKazuya4.jpg|Ryu fighting against {{SSBU|Terry}} and {{SSBU|Ken}} alongside {{SSBU|Kazuya}} on Mishima Dojo.
KazuyaTW3.jpg|Ryu fighting Terry and Kazuya on Boxing Ring.
</gallery>

===Fighter Showcase Video===
{{#widget:YouTube|id=9LAjpoI-ap8}}

==Trivia==
*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.
*Ryu's artwork pose resembles a pose from [http://streetfighter.fandom.com/wiki/File:Ryu_(SF2).png his official artwork] for ''Street Fighter II: The World Warrior'', as well as the [[wikipedia::File:Street Fighter IV (flyer).jpg|promotional poster]] for the original arcade release of ''Street Fighter IV''.
*Ryu is the only fighter who was introduced in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' to have an [[Echo Fighter]], that being {{SSBU|Ken}}.
**This also makes him the only character introduced as a newcomer through downloadable content to have an Echo Fighter.
*Ryu is one of the five veterans from ''Smash 4'' to have their [[Boxing Ring]] alias changed in ''Ultimate'', the others being {{SSBU|Link}}, {{SSBU|Kirby}}, {{SSBU|King Dedede}}, and {{SSBU|Mega Man}}.
*Ryu, {{SSBU|Ivysaur}}, {{SSBU|Olimar}}, {{SSBU|Little Mac}}, {{SSBU|Greninja}} and {{SSBU|Ken}} are the only base game characters to never appear as minions in any Spirit battles.
*Ryu's Classic Mode has numerous references to ''Street Fighter II'':
**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.

==Notes==
:1.{{note|a}}translates to "Roundhouse Kick"
:2.{{note|b}}translates to "Toe Kick"
:3.{{note|c}}translates to "Uppercut Elbow"
:4.{{note|d}}translates to "Flying Front Foot Edge''
: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"
<!-- I refrained from adding the other mentioned Street Fighter move translations (from his back air, pummel, and down throw) mostly to the note section as to avoid confusion, but also because they are only referencing moves from the other Street Fighter games. -->

{{SSBUCharacters}}
{{Street Fighter universe}}
[[Category:Ryu (SSBU)| ]]
[[Category:Third-party characters]]
[[Category:Capcom]]
[[Category:Spirits]]
[[es:Ryu (SSBU)]]
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