Ryu (SSB4)

Ryu in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Street Fighter
Availability	Downloadable
Final Smash	Shin Shoryuken / Shinku Hadoken

“	Here Comes A New Challenger! Ryu	”
—Introduction tagline

Ryu (リュウ, Ryū) is a playable character and newcomer in Super Smash Bros. 4 as the fourth downloadable character. Ryu was revealed and released alongside Lucas and Roy on June 14th, 2015. Ryu is the fourth of five third-party characters announced for the game, alongside Sega's Sonic, Bandai Namco's Pac-Man, fellow Capcom character Mega Man, and Square Enix's Cloud.

Like in Street Fighter IV and its updated versions, Ryu is voiced by Hiroki Takahashi in Japanese and Kyle Hebert in English.

Attributes

Ryu is an average-sized heavyweight fighter with decent mobility and recovery, who possesses a mix of combo-based moves and finishing moves with very high knockback. Apart from these, some of his traits are similar to Mario's, such as his dashing speed and the individual damage output of his attacks. This owes to the fact that Ryu, like Mario, is an "all-rounder" fighter in his home series. Despite his balanced attributes, however, Ryu has low jumping force and the lowest air acceleration in the game, making his aerial approach somewhat difficult.

Ryu's controls are unique in the Super Smash Bros. series and attempt to emulate the control scheme of his home series: the strength of his attacks depend on how long the attack button is pressed (tap for a weak attack, and hold for a strong attack), and his neutral, side and up special moves can be inputted using half-circle and quarter-circle motions plus either attack button for stronger variations. Generally, his tapped tilts are good at chaining with one another due to their low knockback and speed, which gives him a unique combo-based damage racking playstyle. This works by keeping opponents in hitstun before knocking opponents away by ending any combo chain with a finisher (typically a held tilt attack or inputted special move), similar to the combos in his home series. Additionally, all of Ryu's special attacks (sans Focus Attack) gain benefit from using his unique button inputs, as they do more damage and knockback or have additional effects when done with inputs compared to just with the special button, making mastery of his button inputs imperative if the player wishes to deal higher damage and knockback at all times, especially since they can also be used as a reliable finisher for his tilt combo chains. Effectively, this means Ryu is the only character to have true combos from almost any tilt, allowing him to immediately switch from damage racking to a finisher instantaneously.

However, Ryu has some weaknesses. One of his biggest weaknesses is his recovery; despite being very long-distanced overall, it is very short if many extendable elements (such as Focus Attack and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku) are not utilized, as Shoryuken's recovery is almost strictly vertical while also having high aerial lag, making it completely stop his momentum until he is helpless. This property is exacerbated by his very slow air acceleration. He also has issues with range, as many of his attacks have poor range despite his height. This provides issues when dealing with camping, as Hadoken is a slow, low damage/knockback, and non-spammable projectile. Another weakness Ryu has is the inability to "force" KOs. While Ryu does possess some powerful moves such as his sweetspotted forward smash and his input Shoryuken, those moves mostly require reads and most of his other moves have low knockback. Without reads or proper setup, Ryu can have a difficult time taking stocks from opponents. Finally, his unique button inputs can be a double-edged sword as his standard specials have lower power without them, and it is possible for a simple slip of the hand to cause Ryu to use the wrong move at an essential time.

Hence, Ryu's moveset rewards players who know how to reliably use his special inputs and chain them together, and he excels at grounded combos that overwhelm opponents with quick, low knockback attacks that can be mixed up with his multiple special moves. Overall, Ryu's strengths overpower his weaknesses, as his unique mechanics deliberately give him the true combos necessary for many characters' competitive success. True to his fighting game origins, Ryu is considered a very strong choice for competitive play, and has the best tournament representation out of the four DLC characters so far with dedicated mains such as Trela and 9B. Despite this, Ryu's learning curve is very high; much practice is generally required for his command specials in order to use them reliably and consistently rather than accidentally using the wrong move, such as self-destructing with Tatsumaki Senpukyaku when Shakunetsu Hadoken was intended. Additionally, using the C-stick for tilts is arguably more essential to Ryu's optimal playstyle than to any other character's, due to the dexterity required to pull off his command inputs during combos, making him more difficult to play using controllers that lack a second analog stick or in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

Update history

Ryu has hardly changed since his debut in update 1.0.8. Update 1.1.0 only increased the length of his turn around animation by three frames, allowing the player to more easily use his command inputs without accidentally turning him around. However, the same update's changes to shield mechanics, most notably the universal increase in shieldstun, greatly helped Ryu by enhancing his combo game as well as Collarbone Breaker and Focus Attack's shield breaking capabilities.

1.1.0

• Turn around animation length increased: 2 frames → 5.

Moveset

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2%, 3%, 5% (tapped); 10% (held)	Tapped: Ryu performs a jab, a cross and then a hook. Tapping the button without Ryu hitting anything makes him repeat the first hit as fast as the player can tap. His weak attack combo is based off his standing light attack, close medium punch from Street Fighter II and standing hard punch in that order from Street Fighter III. Held: Ryu performs a reverse roundhouse kick. Despite being categorized as a neutral attack, it has surprisingly high knockback and can KO beginning at 125%. The held attack is based off of his standing heavy kick in Street Fighter II.
Forward tilt		Collarbone Breaker (held)	6.8% (tapped); 3%, 6% (held)	Tapped: A front kick, which sends the opponent up diagonally. Good for following with a dash attack at low percents. Based off Ryu's standing medium kick in Street Fighter III. Held: Collarbone Breaker: Ryu winds up his right fist before punching downwards, hitting twice quickly. Deals high damage to shields and is designed to break them, but the attack's start-up makes it difficult to use on quick fighters. A tapped up tilt can lead into this move.
Up tilt			2% (tapped); 8% (sourspot), 12% (sweetspot) (held)	Tapped: The sok ngat, an uppercut-styled elbow strike used in Muay Thai. It can be used repeatedly as fast as the player can press and as a result of its speed, it can also chain into itself and lead into many of Ryu's moves for a quick finisher. However, it has a small hitbox and short range. Based off of Ryu's close standing light punch in Street Fighter II. Held: Ryu does an uppercut. Can be a finisher for his tapped up tilt. KOs at 152%. Based off of Ryu's close standing heavy punch in Street Fighter III.
Down tilt			1.6% (tapped); 7% (leg), 5.5% (foot) (held)	Tapped: Ryu quickly performs a crouching, Hapkido-styled shin kick. It can be repeated as fast as the player can press, similar to his other tapped tilts. If used on a prone fighter, they will be popped back onto their feet, allowing Ryu to continue combos on them for extended periods of time. Based off Ryu's crouching light kick in Street Fighter II. Held: Ryu peforms a crouching, Hapkido-styled shin kick, similar to his crouching medium attack in the original Street Fighter II. Despite having low power, it can be immediately cancelled into a special move only if Ryu hits the opponent or their shield, allowing Ryu to pressure his opponent. Shoryuken combos well with this tilt.
Dash attack			12% (clean), 8% (late)	A flying kick. Based off of his original jumping medium and heavy kicks in the Street Fighter Alpha/Zero games. For a dash attack, it has high base knockback, and it can reliably combo into many of his tap attacks as a finisher. KOs at 140%.
Forward smash		Joudan Sokutogeri (上段足刀蹴り, "High-Level Leg Blade Kick")	16% (leg), 17.5% (foot)	Ryu performs the Joudan Sokutogeri from Street Fighter III, a powerful side kick that moves him a step forward. It has the highest range of all his standard attacks, as it is able to hit opponents two character lengths away from him, but has noticeable endlag. Deals slightly more damage and knockback when hit with Ryu's heel; it is Ryu's strongest standard attack if the heel connects. KOs at 110% with the heel and 120% anywhere else.
Up smash			17% (clean), 13.5% (late)	A crouching uppercut, based off his crouching heavy punch in Street Fighter. Makes his profile smaller while attacking, making this a good anti-air attack. Slight endlag and does not have much horizontal reach. A good finisher for his tap combos. KOs at 130%.
Down smash			16% (leg), 15% (foot)	A legsweep, which sends opponents at a diagonal angle. Unlike most down smashes, this only hits in front of Ryu. Quicker than his other smash attacks, with more range than his up smash but less than his forward smash, making it his safest smash attack at a distance. However, it deals extremely low knockback for a smash attack, which makes it unreliable as a KOing option, instead making it useful as a spacing option and as a way to force opponents off. A good finisher for his tap combos, like his other smashes. Based off of Ryu's crouching heavy kick in Street Fighter II.
Neutral aerial			8% (clean), 4.5% (late)	A short-ranged punch while in a crouching position. Its limited range is benefited by the move's function as a sex kick and, when used after a short hop, it can be a useful way to lead into his up tilt or down tilt-initiated combos until the mid-50% range. Based off of Ryu's jumping light punch in Street Fighter IV.
Forward aerial			15% (clean sweetspot), 13% (late sweetspot), 9% (clean sourspot), 8% (late sourspot)	A flying kick. Ryu's foot has high launching power, while his upper leg is the sourspot and deals less damage. Despite this, the sourspot deals high shield damage. A good combo move, and a powerful off-stage KOing option. Based off of Ryu's jumping heavy kick in Street Fighter.
Back aerial			16% (leg), 13% (foot)	An outside crescent kick. Though it has a small hitbox, its strength and low start-up make it Ryu's most powerful aerial and a viable KOing option. KOs at 115%. Based off of Ryu's neutral jumping heavy kick from Street Fighter IV.
Up aerial			5%, 6%	An uppercut that hits twice. Despite its appearance, it has good vertical range and is reliable at catching opponents above Ryu. KOs at 155%. Based off of Ryu's jumping medium punch in Super Street Fighter II Turbo.
Down aerial			12% (grounded opponents), 15% (aerial opponent sweetspot), 11% (aerial opponent sourspot)	Ryu quickly punches downwards similarly to his neutral aerial, except he uses his left fist and it has more range. Hitting with the attack's sweetspot (his fist when it comes down) makes the move one of the few meteor smashes that powerfully sends opponents diagonally downwards; the sourspot sends the opponent diagonally upwards. One of the fastest meteor smashes in the game (along with Wii Fit Trainer's forward air and Litte Mac's down air). Its angle of knockback can send opponents flying downwards off the stage if they are standing near the edge. However, it is hampered by its short range and sweetspot, which requires opponents to be right near Ryu's fist when it comes down. Hitting opponents with the sourspot can also give them an easier time recovering, as it sends them upwards. Based off of Ryu's jumping heavy punch from Street Fighter II.
Grab			—	Ryu holds his stance and reaches out with his right hand.
Pummel			2%	Ryu knee strikes the grabbed opponent. Moderately fast.
Forward throw			9%	The seoi nage, a Judo throw. If the opponent does not react, this throw can lead into a down aerial meteor smash at medium percentages. Based on his punch throw from Street Fighter II.
Back throw			12%	The tomoe nage, a Judo throw. Heavy opponents can be knocked back onto their feet with a tapped down tilt, then thrown again. Based on his kick throw from Street Fighter II.
Up throw			8% (throw), 15% (kick)	Ryu launches the opponent directly upward with a stretch kick. It can combo into an aerial attack at low percents. It can also act as an axe kick against another opponent that comes too close to Ryu after the stretch kick. Unlike the stretch kick, the axe kick deals much more knockback and can KO at 115% at the middle of the stage. Based off of Ryu's close heavy kick from Street Fighter II.
Down throw			5% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	Ryu throws the opponent on the ground and karate chops them, sending them in front of him at low percentages. Combos well into aerial attacks and a Shoryuken until medium percents, where thrown opponents fly too high to get hit. Based on the brick-breaking bonus game from the original Street Fighter.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Ryu kicks behind himself and then in front of himself. Based off of Ryu's crouching heavy kick from Street Fighter III.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Ryu kicks around himself.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%
Edge attack Edge getups			7%	Ryu crawls up onto the stage, then kicks forward, similarly to the attack he uses when he gets up.
Neutral special	Default	Hadoken	5, 5.5%, or 6% (standard), 1.25x damage with directional input, 1% (Shakunetsu's hits 1-4), 4% (Shakunetsu's last hit)	Ryu's signature ki attack. Upon usage, he quickly cups his hands to his side and then thrusts his hands forward to release a blue energy-based projectile from his cupped hands that deals low damage and knockback. Only one Hadoken can be in play, as attempting to shoot another results in a puff of smoke emitting from his hands. Holding down the special button slightly increases the blast's speed and damage output. Three versions of the move can be performed, two of which have directional inputs: a small blue Hadoken (special button only), a minutely stronger and larger inputted Hadoken (↓ ↘ → and attack button/special button), and the red flaming Shakunetsu Hadoken that hits multiple times (← ↙ ↓ ↘ → and attack button/special button). Combos well into his tapped tilt attacks, and is mainly used to rack up damage due to its low damage outputs and knockback along with its slow speed. Shakunetsu Hadoken deals some shield damage, though not to the extent of his Collarbone Breaker. However, the Shakunetsu Hadoken should be used wisely due to its abysmal priority.
	Custom 1	N/A
	Custom 2	N/A
Side special	Default	Tatsumaki Senpukyaku	8% (close), 9%, 10% or 12% (grounded), 8%, 9%, or 11% (aerial), 1.16x damage with directional input	Ryu's signature spin kick. Upon usage, Ryu moves in the given direction he is facing and performs an outside crescent kick while spinning repeatedly and hovering very slightly above the ground. The attack functions like a moving sex kick 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 (↓ ↙ ← and attack button/special button) sees Ryu announce the move by name and results in it dealing even more damage, covering more distance, and granting it better KOing potential. 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. Essentially, a high-risk, high-reward approach option.
	Custom 1	N/A
	Custom 2	N/A
Up special	Default	Shoryuken	13%-15% (grounded), 12%-14% (aerial), 12% (grounded slightly late), 10% (aerial slightly late), 7% (latest hitbox), 1.2x damage with directional input	Ryu's signature spinning uppercut. Upon usage, Ryu announces the move's name while leaping upward and spinning to perform a powerful uppercut. Holding the special button increases damage and height traveled. An inputted Shoryuken (→ ↓ ↘ and attack button/special button) deals even more knockback and damage and grants Ryu both invincibility and no landing lag penalty. Aside from being his main vertical recovery move, Shoryuken is also a viable KOing option, especially when used in sync with Focus Attack. In comparison, an inputted Shoryuken is Ryu's most powerful vertical KOing option overall and has the highest knockback in his entire arsenal. Ryu becomes helpless after he descends.
	Custom 1	N/A
	Custom 2	N/A
Down special	Default	Focus Attack	12%-17% (fully charged)	Ryu holds a focused stance while emitting a black ink-like aura and then unleashes a concentrated punch that crumples opponents where they stand with a lengthy stun animation if charged for more than half a second. Ryu can follow up with any attack while the opponent is stuck in the animation. Ryu gains super armor that can withstand a single hit while charging; a second hit will interrupt the move. He can also cancel the move by tapping left or right twice to dash a set distance either forward or backward while charging to shrug off strong attacks before retaliating, or if the attack connects, which is called a Focus Attack Dash Cancel; if the punch misses, Ryu will be unable to cancel the move. If the move connects on an airborne opponent they will instead by knocked away with some heavy hitlag. The move's charge is indicated by Ryu flashing during the start-up. With no charge, the attack will knock away opponents. At half a second, the attack will crumple an opponent, while a fully charged Focus Attack will deal more damage and crumple the opponent for longer. While the Focus Attack cannot block grabs and is countered by multiple hit attacks, it is a useful tool for baiting opponents and punishing, while the Dash Cancel can be beneficial to Ryu's horizontal recovery while off-stage.
	Custom 1	N/A
	Custom 2	N/A
Final Smash		Shin Shoryuken / Shinku Hadoken	1% (Shin Shoryuken's electricity), 10% (Shin Shoryuken's hits 1-2), 20% (Shin Shoryuken's last hit), 29%-30% (Shinku Hadoken)	A Final Smash that varies depending on range. At point-blank range, Ryu traps the opponent in a Shin Shoryuken, a three-hit combo that sends the opponent flying with an extra-powerful Shoryuken. At any other range, Ryu unleashes the Shinku Hadoken, a large Hadoken that sucks nearby opponents into it before dragging them a distance and exploding. The Shinku Hadoken is also capable of bypassing walls. Shin Shoryuken has much higher KO potential against a single target, while Shinku Hadoken has more range and reliably affects more targets.

On-screen appearance

• Walks onto the stage from some mist in the background.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Turns away from the screen and tightens his headband, while stating "Come on!" (かかってこい!, Come at me!) This is one of his taunts from Street Fighter IV.
• Side taunt: Ryu holds his fist forwards, and declares "Talk is cheap!" (拳で語り合おう!, Let your fists talk!) This is also one of his taunts from Street Fighter IV.
• Down taunt: Stomps on the ground and grunts. This is his taunt from Street Fighter III.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Oddly, Ryu's up and side taunts have their quotes swapped from Street Fighter IV. In said game, Ryu also does not turn around while adjusting his headband.

Idle poses

• Adjusts his gloves.
• Wriggles the fingers on both hands, then crosses his arms and pumps them.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Ryu! Ryu! Ryu!
Pitch	Group chant

Victory poses

A techno remix of the Street Fighter II Victory Theme.

• Winds back and does a pose with his right fist facing the screen, saying "Give it your all!" (必殺のタイミングを計れ!, Gauge the timing of your special moves!). The pose is identical to his Street Fighter IV win animation.
• Slings his bag over his shoulder while saying "The journey has just begun." (旅はまだ…始まったばかりだ, Yet the journey... has just begun.).
• Punches two times before doing a victorious uppercut, while saying "Your range is one fist short." (その間合いじゃ、拳半分届かない!, That range doesn't reach half a fist!). The uppercut is a reference to one of his more recurring victory poses, where he lifts a fist in the air triumphantly.

In competitive play

Notable players

•  6WX
•  9B
• BAM
•  DJ Jack
•  False
•  Mr. R
•  Trela

Alternate costumes

Reveal Trailer

<youtube>1kalsCPXfaQ</youtube>

Ryu's reveal trailer contains many references of Street Fighter II:

• The beginning of Ryu's reveal trailer is a remake of the intro to Super Street Fighter II.
• Part of his trailer shows him using the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku and Shoryuken while being pushed by Mario's F.L.U.D.D. This references Ryu's ending in Street Fighter II where he trains by continually performing Shoryukens under a waterfall.
• The final words Ryu uses in the video, "You must defeat my Shoryuken to stand a chance", is a correct translation (which is also used in Street Fighter IV) of his win quote in Street Fighter II, and a phrase which was famously mistranslated as "You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance": Sheng Long was a mistranslation of Shoryuken, and the name was famously suggested by Electronic Gaming Monthly (who a decade later would create the equally notorious Melee Sonic and Tails rumor) to be a secret character in-game, which it was not.
• Ryu's poster artwork is illustrated by AKIMAN, the character designer for Street Fighter II. It is a direct imitation of a piece of promotional art for that game, with Super Smash Bros. characters substituted for the Street Fighter II cast. Donkey Kong replaces E. Honda, Wii Fit Trainer replaces Zangief, Zero Suit Samus replaces Ken, Link replaces Guile, Peach replaces Chun-Li, Pac-Man replaces Blanka, and Captain Falcon replaces Dhalsim. The Super Smash Bros. poster also adds more characters around the edges of the art.

Trophies

Ryu

Ryu visits from the Street Fighter series! Ryu’s fighting style is based on karate, but he’s mixed in some other martial arts to make his own unique style. In Smash, he will perform either weak or strong attacks depending on if you press or hold down the buttons. His special attacks also have three power levels!

Ryu makes his Super Smash Bros. debut! His fighting style is based on a form of karate, but he's mixed in some other martial arts to make his own unique style. Here his attacks can be weak or strong depending on whether you press or hold the buttons. Each of his specials have 3 levels of power using the same method.

Ryu (Alt.)

Ryu’s Focus Attack move lets him withstand a blow and then counterattack.The longer you hold it, the longer your enemies will be stunned if you hit them. If it hits a standing enemy, the enemy will become defenseless. When that happens, cancel your Focus Attack and unleash a sick combo!

Ryu's down special, Focus Attack, allows him to withstand a single attack and then unleash a counter. The longer you hold the button, the longer a standing enemy will be stunned if you hit them. An enemy in the air will fall slowly, defenceless. When that happens, cancel the Focus Attack and go for the knock-out!

Shin Shoryuken / Shinku Hadoken

Use this attack when Ryu is far away from an enemy to unleash a Shinku Hadoken that penetrates through the stage. But if you use it when Ryu is close to an enemy, he’ll unleash a Shin Shoryuken uppercut attack. When it hits, Ryu will follow up with his other fist and launch the opponent up, up, and away!

Ryu's Final Smash takes on two different forms depending on how close Ryu is to the enemy. If he's farther away, he'll use Shinku Hadoken, a move that pulls in any enemies nearby. If closer, he'll instead use Shin Shoryuken. He'll hit the enemy once with a powerful uppercut, then follow it up with the other fist to finish the job!

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  Classic (3DS)

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  Alt. (3DS)

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  Classic (Wii U)

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  Alt. (Wii U)

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  Shin Shoryuken

Gallery

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  Splash art

• 

  Artwork of Ryu from the official site.

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  Shin Shoryuken used on Captain Falcon on Suzaku Castle.

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  Ryu on Orbital Gate Assault.

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  Preparing to hit Focus Attack on Link.

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  Shinku Hadoken.

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  Attacking Mario with the Shoryuken.

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  Attacking Samus.

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  Attacking Mario with Collarbone Breaker.

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  Hitting the Shin Shoryuken on Sheik.

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  Alternate Costumes.

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  Shakunetsu Hadoken.

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  Attacking Pit with the Joudan Sokutogeri.

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  Ryu's Screen KO

Trivia

A screenshot taken from the English site on the top, and the Japanese site on the bottom.

• Ryu's "Challenger Approaching" image on the official website said "Here comes a new challenger!" instead of the usual "Warning! Challenger approaching!", a reference to the classic tagline played when the arcade single-player mode in Street Fighter II is interrupted by another player's joining. Interestingly, this is done in English even on the Japanese site, where "参戦！！" is normally used.
• Ryu's attributes generally follow the mechanics of his franchise:
  • He can perform special moves without ever using the special button; he can perform them using a specific directional input and the standard attack button. This replicates the process of performing special moves in Street Fighter and most standard fighting games.
    • This also makes him the only fighter in the series who is able to perform his neutral special after obtaining a Smash Ball.
  • All of Ryu's attacks make the sound effects from Street Fighter II if landed. His shield also makes a unique sound if hit, and a perfect shield uses the parry sound effect from Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.
    • This makes Ryu the second character to use unique sound effects when fighting, the other being Snake, another third-party character.
  • Ryu's low air acceleration is possibly a nod to jumps in the Street Fighter franchise, which follow an arc and cannot be made to change direction once done.
  • Ryu's tapped and held inputs are a reference to the original Street Fighter, where the player had to tap the button for lighter attacks, or hold for stronger ones. They also, to some extent, incorporate the light, medium and hard classifications of attacks that have become the series' standard.
  • Unlike other characters, tapping and letting go of the directional button to make Ryu dash forward and stop immediately causes him to do a quick shuffle forward, replicating his dash from Street Fighter III onward. This shuffle is entirely aesthetic and functions similarly to other character's animations if they perform a similar cancelled dash. If a full dash is inputted, Ryu will perform the shuffle before actually beginning to run. This shuffle animation is similar to how dashing in standard Street Fighter functions, where characters cannot run, but instead can hop forward in order to close the distance to an opponent. His full dash is based off of his running animation from Capcom vs. SNK when Ryu is selected in the SNK style, which is modeled after the gameplay in SNK-developed fighting games, where running is a common ability, unlike most Capcom-developed fighting games.
• The kanji written on Ryu's obi are "風林火山", or "fūrinkazan", a Japanese expression meaning something along the lines of "As fast as the wind, as quiet as a forest, as daring as fire, and as immovable as a mountain", in reference to The Art of War. These same kanji appear on the signs along Suzaku Castle.
• Ryu is the first character in the entire series with two Final Smashes in the same game.
• Ryu is one of the four characters to use different voice clips when using any of his smash attacks (except his forward smash), with the others three being Wii Fit Trainer, Rosalina, and Roy. Additionally, Ryu and Roy are the only two characters to use different sound clips when using battering items.
• Ryu is the only character in the game without an aerial that lasts at least 10 frames.
• Ryu is the only character in SSB4 to have a fast-fall increase lower than 60%, with 40%.
• Ryu is the first DLC character to represent a newly-added series to SSB4, the second being Cloud.
• Ryu, Little Mac, Meta Knight, and Sonic are the only characters whose entirety of special moves can aid their recoveries.