Ken Masters

For the main character of Street Fighter 2010 whose localized name is also Ken, see Kevin Straker.

Ken Masters (ケン・マスターズ, Ken Masutāzu^?) is the deuteragonist of the Street Fighter series, first appearing in the original Street Fighter. Similar to his longtime best friend and rival Ryu, Ken's goal is to test his power against many different fighters and strives to become stronger, but holds more restraint due to not wanting to jeopardize his family life.

Biography

Appearance

Ken is most easily recognized by wearing different sparring gloves that are either the color of his blonde hair or his bright red gi (he wears brown gloves in most other appearances) that features neatly torn off sleeves, similar to Ryu's (Capcom has officially stated that a red gi was chosen to stand out and to reflect his more flashy style of fighting)^{[citation needed]} and it is usually seen in better shape than Ryu's (except for in the Street Fighter III series), since he can easily afford to keep up with and/or own spares. Ken's natural hair color is as black as his long and spiky eyebrows but he has dyed it blonde.^[2][3] He wears a black belt at his waist and fights without footwear.

In the Street Fighter Alpha series, he had longer hair tied into a ponytail with a red ribbon. The official event that took place where Ken gives up his ribbon is that he passes it down to Ryu during Street Fighter Alpha 2 (as stated in Ken's own ending); Ryu was distracted during his fight with Ken because he had just fought Sagat and ended up losing. To remind him of their fight, Ken handed his friendly rival his own ribbon that would later become the signature red headband worn by Ryu since Street Fighter II and onward.

In Street Fighter II V, Ken's hair is dyed red, similar to the live-action movie and the animated series. Ken usually wears casual outfits throughout most of the episodes; for example, he dresses in a yellow formal suit jacket with a red tank top, matching white pants with a black leather belt to his waist and black dress shoes, but he still does sports the same signature bright red gi, though he always fights barehanded.

By the time of Street Fighter V, Ken's appearance has undergone the first major design change in the character's history. Ken's gi top now hangs around his waist and he wears a black v-neck training shirt with several red linings in its place. He sports matching black sparring gloves and his hair has grown longer, to the point of being tied in a topknot. Most likely due to events yet undisclosed instead of hanging loose which it was grown into medium length after the events of Street Fighter IV series and now wears black ankle wraps with red linings instead of just barefoot.

His second alternate costume is one of his disguised forms in Pocket Fighter but updated; he wears a black leather jacket with maroon outlines and a white tank top underneath, red denim pants with a black belt, a neon yellow buckle on his waist and black leather shoes. His sunglasses are hanging loose on his tank top. His medium-length hair is shorter.

In Street Fighter 6, his blond hair returns to his original look from his playable appearance in Street Fighter III sub-series and is no longer wearing a red gi. His main outfit was based on his first alternate costume in Street Fighter IV; his leather jacket is replaced by a hooded jacket that reaches below the knee and the sign "Eagle Shipping Company" ("E.S.C." for short) at the back of his jacket and has white folded sleeves that reaches through his mid-forearm. Underneath is a black tank top, red trousers with a loose gray drawstring and yellow high-top sneakers with blue linings at the back. Ken also wears his classic yellow gloves, along with a pair of black training gloves and a family necklace on his neck.

His third alternate costume has his blond hair grown into a ragged shoulder-length hairstyle. He wears a red rider jacket that reaches through his elbows, a black fitted turtleneck, black jeans with a white belt around his waist and red short rider boots, he also wears a black fingerless rider gloves.

Concept

When Akiman draws Ken, he uses Benny Urquidez’s appearance in the Square Jungle (Shikakui Jungle, 四角いジャングル) as inspiration. The manga was written by Ikki Kajiwara the same author who made Karate Baka Ichidai (Karate Master) where Ryu and Sagat’s origins reside.^[27] Ken's Hell Wheel was also inspired by Ikki Kajiwara's manga, Jūdō Icchokusen (“Jūdō’s straight line”).^[28][29] In Street Fighter V, Ken was given a new look that highlights his playful personality. They aimed for an atmosphere in line with a successful and well-liked person with a family.^[30]

Ken could have also been inspired by real-life Karate world champion, Joe Lewis. Like Ken, Lewis was a blonde American who trained a traditional style in Japan, then went back to the U.S to become a famous champion. Lewis also founded Full Contact Karate and became a world champion at that as well. In addition to his similar looks, Lewis was also known (as were many American Karate fighters of his time) for using colored Karate uniforms, including a red one. Lewis notably appeared on the the cover of Combat Magazine dressed in red with a black belt.^{[citation needed]} He was challenging of traditional Karate ways and modified much of his original "Shorin Ryu" style, similar to Ken's modifications that distinguish him from Ryu, a traditional fighter.

Ken was originally named Yu (ユウ), being named after Street Fighter planner Hiroshi Matsumoto. However, Hiroshi changed Ken's name to mean "fist" instead during development.^[31][32] He gained his last name when toy company Hasbro got the license to add the characters from Street Fighter II to their G.I. Joe toyline. It is widely believed, though never confirmed, that the name was given to avoid copyright confusion with the character Ken Carson from Mattel's Barbie toyline. It is also widely believed (and unconfirmed) that the name stems from Mattel's Masters of the Universe toyline, in reference to the character He-Man.

His later incarnation as a down on his luck "streetwise" fighter and "tough guy" forced on the run takes inspiration from Terry Bogard, the main character of the sibling fighting game series Fatal Fury, and Kayin Amoh of the first 3D weapons fighting game series and Capcom publisher licensed Battle Arena Toshinden. In the 1990s, Terry and Kayin were believed to have been made as direct parallel to Ken's prestigious upbringing, instead referencing the tough and rough nature of urban American blue collar and "living on the edge" independent street life.

Personality

While Ryu is serious and stoic, Ken is his opposite—stylish, unorthodox, unpredictable, and more aggressive. Ken has a big ego, often boasting about his greatness. Despite his brashness and arrogance, he has a kind heart, is friendly, easygoing, and values family. He never backs down from a fight, no matter how tough it seems. The only exception to this is in Dan Hibiki, who ridiculed and taunted him unprovoked before, only to be beaten by him after.

Like Ryu, Ken believes in honor, hard work, discipline, and respect, which he learned under Gouken's tutelage. He treats rivals and mentors like Gouken, Ryu, Terry Bogard, and his brother-in-law Guile with high regard. Ken is also a devoted family man, almost skipping the tournament in Street Fighter IV to stay with his wife Eliza near her due date, only entering after she reassured him. Even during the event, he called her to check in and remind her about being careful around the stairs.^[33] Both Menat and Rose note that starting a family has softened his once-fiery spirit, making them wonder how long his drive to improve will last compared to Ryu's.

In Street Fighter 6, Ken appears more somber after the Nayshall incident. He lost control of his own company, and is framed, with people being wary or hostile at him. His desperation to save his son Mel leads him to detonate a hijacked drone and fight Luke, leaving Luke scarred. Working at Eagle Shipping Company and mentoring the Avatar, Ken regrets his past recklessness, seeing it as among the cause of his troubles. His thirst for vengeance against JP for framing him leaves him torn over whether to take lethal action. He declines Guile's assistance and refuses to return, not wanting to endanger his family and brother-in-law. In Terry’s storyline, their rivalry turns friendlier, with Terry sensing Ken’s depression. After their fight, Terry’s encouragement lifts Ken’s spirits slightly.

Character Relationships

Friends/Allies

Ryu

Ryu is Ken's best friend from his childhood, as the two have trained in the same art of Ansatsuken for a long time. They share a very close bond with each other and will help out each other no matter the cost. Both of them have also trained together under Gouken. One can see that they care for each other and never quarrel. Ken’s able to notice when Ryu isn’t in the right state of mind as shown in the Alpha series, where Ken gave him his red headband in order for Ryu to stay focused and not lose his way. And then in Street Fighter V where he tells Hinagiku that only he will show up alone, and encourages Ryu to continue his training before facing Shadaloo.

Although Ryu spends his time training, Ken will go as far as inviting him to his wedding and Ryu will answer the call (seen in Ken's ending in Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix) and also invite him to the Japanese hot springs (in Street Fighter III: New Generation/2nd Impact).^[34][35] In Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind , Ken always assumed that Ryu found him trivial since he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, whilst Ryu is an orphan who at the time lost the man who adopted him.^[36] In contrast to this, Ryu believed Ken was the only one he can reach out to when it comes to his internal struggle with the Satsui no Hado. Ken also gets annoyed when multiple people ask where Ryu is, making it seem like Ken is Ryu’s personal assistant. ^[37] The two usually greet each other by exchanging fist bumps, usually before starting a friendly sparring match. In 3rd Strike, it's revealed that Ryu has won more fights between him and Ken, a fact that Ken is bummed out about.^[38]

Chun-Li

To be added

Gouken

His old master in Ansatsuken. Unlike Ryu, Ken didn't have much faith in Gouken's teaching ability, but he'd later grow to respect Gouken and his teachings.^[39]

Guile

He is Guile's brother-in-law because his wife, Eliza, is the younger sister of Guile's wife, Julia. He may or may not be aware that Guile has reservations about certain aspects of his personality, but this doesn't prevent them from getting along. As seen in Street Fighter 6, these two men share a closer bond than initially portrayed, especially with the two looking out for one another in their own ways.

In collaborative works, their familial bond is demonstrated with Ken knowing what Guile likes and frequently shares interesting information with him, such as Yanagiya's J-GEL hair gel.

Sakura

Sakura is a friend of Ken who he met during the Alpha series. In Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind , when Sakura showed up to his house in hopes of finding Ryu, Ken was shocked that “his stalker” couldn’t find him herself.

Sean

Ken highly respects Sean's abilities, enough to make him his personal disciple. Sometimes they can be sarcastic at each other and trade jabs but are at very good terms.

Zangief

Zangief is an old friend who's fought against Ken many times in the past.^[40] In SFIII, Ken brings Ryu & Sean along to watch Zangief face off against Hogan.^[41] Zangief was able to take a direct hit from Ken's strongest Shoryuken without toppling over. Despite hitting his jaw, Ken describes it as hitting steel instead of human flesh.^[40]

Karin

Karin holds Ken in high regard, due to his superior fighting ability. Especially after losing to him during the events of Street Fighter Alpha 3.^[42] Ken told her that there’s more to a fight than just winning, and that the fight itself is more important. In Street Fighter V, they’re shown to be on good terms, as Karin invited Ken to her party and Ken decided to go even though it was his only day off. Karin also bring's Zangief and Mika along to Ken's winter home to bring Mel presents.^[40]

R. Mika

R. Mika is someone Ken has crossed paths with many times before in his life as a fighter. She accompanied Zangief in surprising Mel with a present.^[40]

Luke

To be added

Hokuto

Their first encounter wasn't a friendly one as Hokuto doesn't allow strangers near her dojo. However once Ryu introduces Ken as his friend and rival she apologies for her rudeness and remains on good terms with him. She originally tries to fight Ken so Ryu wouldn't find out that he's gotten weaker but Ken brushes her off as he's only interested in facing Ryu.^[43] Eventually Ken does take Hokuto up on her offer and she defeats him.^[44] In the Street Fighter EX2 Drama CD (Extra Dra Night of Nanase and Hokuto), Ken helps her set up the computer and internet since Hokuto couldn't do it herself.

Neutral

Dan

Despite having been students together under Gouken, Ken does not think highly of Dan, going so far as to say that Dan "just sucks" directly to his face, after being challenged. This may be due in part of his first impression of Dan consisting of empty showboating and arrogance. He considers Dan to be a waste of his time to fight. Even his wife doesn't have good things to say about Dan.

Indirectly, this may have caused Sean to look down upon Dan too.

Rufus

Rufus is a comic foil to Ken in the same sense as Dan. Rufus constantly wishes to fight Ken, but Ken keeps forgetting who he is.

Kairi

Ken fought and lost to Kairi in the Street Fighter EX continuity. He compares Kairi to Akuma when it comes to their ki and the smell of blood. Kairi however, doesn't know who Akuma is.^[45][46]

Enemies

M. Bison

Ken is aware of Bison's villainy and seeks to defeat him. During the events of the Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, and canonically Street Fighter Alpha games, as mentioned by Ken in Street Fighter 6, Bison brainwashed Ken into Violent Ken.

Akuma

Like Ryu, Ken is aware of the threat Akuma possesses over humanity, but regards him with less caution than Ryu does when fighting him.

JP

At first, Ken and JP were on good terms, with Ken even complimenting him for establishing an I.T. nation that integrates Nayshall's ancient tradition with modern technology. However, after learning that JP was the one who framed Ken and kidnapped Mel, Ken begins to hate JP, even threatening to kill him if he hurt his son. Framed from Nayshall and thought to be a terrorist by a terrorist group called Amnesia. He remains in low profile and now works for a construction company. He seeks to clear his name and put a end towards his plans,

Story

Background

Born and raised in Japan, Ken lived a normal life with his Japanese father and ½ Japanese American mother.^[21][11][14] When he was in junior high school, Ken started dyeing his hair blonde and became a delinquent. The reason behind this is due to his parents being at odds with one another while neglecting their child. Both were on the verge of divorce until Ken started misbehaving, which resulted in his parents settling down and living in harmony. Ken, however, kept his hair blonde as a warning to his parents so they’ll never forget the events that transpired. ^[47]

When Ken was about 12 years old, his father sent his son to train under his best friend during the summer, the mysterious karate master Gouken.^[48] At first, Ken was very hesitant to learn from Gouken, even questioning his training methods, but later began to respect his master.^[39] Ryu and Ken would later become best friends and each other's principal rivals.

When Ryu was 23, Gouken decided that both of his pupils had grown up to be fine fighters and decided that their training was over and could now leave the dojo.^[49][5] After Ryu and Ken's training was complete, Ken casually asks Ryu which of the two will be the most famous martial artist first. While Ken goes to the United States, Ryu travels to Thailand alone, in order to face Sagat, the Emperor of Muay Thai, which is said to be the strongest martial art.^[50] After arriving in the United States, Ken competed in many different Martial Arts tournaments, winning most of them.

Winning the U.S. Tournament and fighting Shadaloo

Main Article: Street Fighter Alpha

Ken fought in (and won) the premiere U.S. Martial Arts tournament that had been previously won by Charlie Nash, as well as meeting a very attractive girl named Eliza, who became his girlfriend.

A few months later, the heroic story that Ryu defeated the Emperor of Muay Thai reached his ears.^[51] Ken put his physical and Qigong training to the side so he could fly back to Japan to fight his friend.^[52] When Ken finds Ryu, he asks Ken what it means to be a true fighter, he wonders if he should use the same fist he used to defeat Sagat or the one Akuma uses to murder people. Ken sees that Ryu's gone back to his usual bad habit of overthinking things and fights him as an attempt to wake him up.^[53] After defeating Ryu, Ken realizes he has been deeply troubled since his last victory over Sagat. He reminds Ryu to keep fighting in order to find the answer and gives him his red hairband and that whenever he feels lost, he should use it as a reminder of their fight and to keep fighting to find the answer. Ryu happily takes the headband and they both go their separate ways.^[54] Ken returns home and, with Eliza's support, begins training harder, knowing even with his recent feelings, that Ryu is always stronger than he looks.^[55]

Ken begins to wonder about his own life. Ryu seemed to be on the right track again, but what of him? Along the road to proving himself again, he encounters Karin, who tells him she has followed his career and is trying to best her rival Sakura to prove she is superior. Ken advises her it's good to have a rival, not for supremacy, but to keep on training harder and focusing. With this, Ken finds himself again and is focused once more.

Going off to meet up with Sakura, they have a friendly match and Ken finally realizes that Ryu has the right idea all along. Both he and Sakura begin to travel to find Ryu, but their path crosses with that of Shadaloo dictator M. Bison. Ken confronts him but is easily defeated and placed under Bison's hypnosis. Bison then uses brainwashed Ken to lure Ryu out of hiding. Once Ryu shows up, Bison makes Ken fight him. Ryu wins and manages to release Ken of Bison's mind control.

Ryu then proceeds to fight Bison but loses and, just like Ken before him, is turned into a slave of Bison's Psycho Power. Sagat appears and, enraged by Bison's actions, engages Ryu in an attempt to break Bison's mental grip on him. Ken, now free and aided by Sakura, attacks Bison. This intervention, along with Sagat's presence, makes Ryu come to his senses.

Recovered, Ryu takes on Bison once more. Bison senses Ryu's dark power (which Bison describes as "The ultimate form of Psycho Power") and attempts to manipulate Ryu's mind once again. At his friends urging, Ryu resists and defeats Bison with a powerful Hadoken. Ken is happy to see his old friend again. With a promise of a new duel, the two part their ways.

The World Warrior Tournament, marrying Eliza

Main Article: Street Fighter II

Ken traveled to the United States after promising Ryu to reunite for a match after they mutually became stronger, but during his warrior’s pilgrimage he paid more attention to his girlfriend Eliza. This resulted in Ken giving up on martial arts and losing his fighting spirit. One day, Ken receives a letter at his beach house from Ryu where he describes his consistent immersion in daily training which rekindled Ken’s fighting spirit. Realizing that he’s been slacking on his own training, Ken goes back into the world of fighting.^[11][21][56]

At some point during the tournament, Ken battled Chun-Li and Vega.^[57]

After the events of Street Fighter II, Ken is married to Eliza, something he had apparently vowed only to do after winning a decisive victory against Ryu. However, it is unknown if the two fought during the tournament or if Ken actually won if they even did. No details have been stated. Ken's promise to Eliza doesn't exist in Japanese text, only in the English translation of Street Fighter: Eternal Challenge. In Street Fighter II: Complete File it states that he lost to Ryu and continued his training. And in Gamest 255 it mentions Ryu avoiding M. Bison's flaming remnants after his body was destroyed by Akuma hinting that Ryu made to the finals.^[58]

In Street Fighter IV: Aftermath it shows Ken helping Guile, Ryu, Chun-Li and Cammy defeat Bison. However, Bison refused Guile's offer to surrender himself to the military before unleashing all of his Psycho Power to commit suicide. The animation being canon is unknown as Capcom hasn't mentioned it in other media. Capcom reprinted the All About Street Fighter books for the 30th Anniversary Collection that mentions Akuma defeating M. Bison. Capcom revisits Akuma killing M. Bison in SFV where Akuma's SFII ending is the only one that shows M. Bison being killed, along with SFV April Fools 2019. Currently there's no official winner of the tournament and what happens during and after the tournament is unknown.^[59]

Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind

After the opening credits, it shifts to the Masters Foundation headquarters, where Ken refuses to be interviewed by a woman named Maya. Later, he talks about his last fight with Ryu, the Satsui no Hado and his personal life, now thinking he is no longer a fighter. After hearing news from Sakura that fighters have been disappearing and that they were possibly going after Ryu, he joined the fight. After learning that Eliza was pregnant, this renewed Ken's passion for fighting as this gave him a new reason.

Fighting Seth and becoming a father

Main Article: Super Street Fighter IV

When a new tournament is announced, Ken is unsure whether to compete, as Eliza is now far along in pregnancy and he doesn't want to leave her. Sensing his inner conflict, Eliza assures him that she'll be fine and that the baby isn't due for a while yet, so he should go meet up with Ryu and tell him she says hi. Ken enters, and in the absence of gas stations near the location for the final, he parks his SUV in a convenient spot, calls Eliza to check on her, and continues the rest of the way on foot. Over the course of the tournament, he encounters his self-appointed rival, Rufus, although the results of that match are unknown. It is later implied that Ken may have defeated M. Bison in the tournament.

After the tournament, it is discovered that Gouken is still alive, and Ken and Ryu pursue him as he leaves. Ken is upset that Gouken has not said anything to them, but Gouken counters that they no longer need a master. Ken and Ryu head home on foot, and Rufus passes them by on his motorbike, calling them losers. Soon however, Rufus' bike runs out of gas, and Ken and Ryu reach the SUV; Ken offers Rufus and his girlfriend Candy a lift, but Rufus refuses.

Upon arriving home afterwards, he tells Eliza that although he did indeed get to fight Ryu, they had been so busy with the rest of the unfolding events that they hadn't been able to give it their all. Soon afterwards their son is born ^[33] and they name him Mel.

Street Fighter V

As expected, Ken returned in Street Fighter V as of July 9, 2015. In the game, he has a different outfit and hairstyle, and his moves have been altered to further distance him from Ryu.^[60]

Character story

Ken, Eliza and Mel are invited to a party hosted by Karin. During the party, Ken reflects on the various sparring matches between him and Ryu. The family gets lost on the way to the party and encounter Birdie, who thinks they’re trespassing, resulting in a fight with Ken. Karin arrives and offers Ken a pre-meal fight as an apology for Birdie attacking him, which Ken accepts. Afterwards, he and Eliza wonder about why Ryu isn't at the party.

A Shadow Falls

In the main story, Ken came to visit Ryu, who was in the middle of meditating. After getting defeated in a sparring match to Ken, Ryu tells him that he will join them when his training is complete. Later, Ken arrives with the rest of the fighters called by Karin to the Kanzuki Estate, where they plan their first infiltration of the Shadaloo base.

Ken, Chun-Li and Cammy travel to Brazil to search for the first missing chess piece, held by Laura Matsuda. While there, he saves Sean from F.A.N.G, but is then attacked by his older sister Laura, who mistakes him for an enemy. After the fight, Sean sorts out the misunderstanding by indicating the unconscious Shadaloo soldiers. Laura then decides to join them, but on the condition that Ken add Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu to his selection of online karate classes, which he agrees to. Chun-Li then leaves to assist Karin in the group's first infiltration. Ken remains with Laura and the duo fend off more Shadaloo soldiers, with Ken taking out three with a single Shinryuken.

Ken reunites with Ryu just before the group begins the final assault against Shadaloo.

After Bison's final defeat at Ryu's hands and Shadaloo's destruction, Ken finds Ryu alone and meditating, and decide to have another friendly sparring match to see if Ryu had found his 'true answer'. Ryu manages to defeat Ken, but drops his red headband; Ken hands it back to him, figuring he might still need it. The two are later seen sharing a friendly fist bump.

Street Fighter III

Ken and his family move to southern California from Washington State. By this time, a Brazilian teenager named Sean had been pestering him to become his student and Ken reluctantly accepted, beginning to train him. Maintaining a home and raising a child has strained his relationship with Ryu.^[61] Ken gets in touch with Ryu and invites him to Japanese hot spring inn, Ken also brings Sean along, but decides to do last minute shopping for Eliza before flying to Japan. In reality, Ken purposefully left Sean alone to see how he'll do in a street fight.^{[62][34][35][8]} Ken, Ryu and Sean later spectate a WWCA title match between Zangief and Hogen. After being hit by Zangief's Double Lariat, Hogen went on a rampage while returning to the ring and picked up a chair and threw at a woman in the crowd, Ryu deflected the chair and Sean knocked him out to avoid injury to the audience. Ken reassures the woman's safety. ^[41][63]

Ken then entered the World Warrior tournament. In his ending, Ken begins to train his son Mel in rudimentary fighting techniques. He also told Sean to go find Ryu and challenge him, giving him some free time with Eliza.

A year later, Ken hears about a mysterious organization and goes to investigate in order to alleviate his boredom, and he may have confronted Urien.^[9][64] He learned that Ryu had sought him out and travelled all the way to New York from Oakland for their long-awaited rematch. Tossing some friendly jabs at each other, the two fight, ultimately won by Ryu. Since then, Ken has continued to train Sean and Mel, handle his family and business, and keep up with his old friend Ryu.

Before the tournament, Ken tells Sean that his current ability is embarrassing, prompting Sean to devloping his own style that'll impress Ken.^[65] In Sean's ending, Ken wakes up Sean who was beaten unconscious after being knocked down by his opponent in the first round. In Ken's ending, he wins his third straight U.S. Martial Arts tournament, which is a new record and offers the trophy to Sean who turns the offer down, wanting to earn it for himself.

Street Fighter 6

Former US National Fighting Champ, and ex-VP of the Masters Foundation. Accusations of orchestrating a criminal plot have forced Ken to abandon his family and business and go into hiding.

Days of the Eclipse

In Chapter 1, Ken is talking with some men working at the Masters Foundation, who aren't happy that the company is including projects like cryptocurrency and micro-insurance to the communication infrastructure business in Nayshall, while some other economic aid projects feel rushed, but Ken explains that being an isolated nation that's on the rise, it could be swallowed up instantly if one of the surrounding countries changes. However, they're still concerned with Ken spending one point five billion dollars, including additional funding, and they advise him to consult to his father about this. Ken refuses, telling the men that he's acting chairman of the board. The board members are confused that holding a fighting tournament within an ancient arena is an economic support project. Ken's advisor, Jackson, tries to reason with Ken, but he explains that this isn't about him and that this is a good chance of working and the members are simply stalling, however he's interrupted by his son, who calls him after he arrived at the airport. Ken talks to his son about Nayshall and says that he'll have an incredible experience, but Mel confesses that he's frustrated that his dad doesn't care about what he really wants, which angers Ken. Luke, who's escorting Mel, then interrupts, saying that he picked up Mel and the two should arrive soon, and offers to take him to the venue before the rehearsal starts. At the arena, a secretary named Kalima informs Ken that she has arranged for a special emergency passageway to the infirmary, even though it's still under construction. They then meet JP, and Ken compliments him for having an amazing venue, and for establishing an I.T. nation that integrates Nayshall's ancient tradition with modern technology. Ken notices that the drone is an AI referee, and Kalima explains that it can safely follow all of the fighters' quick movements during a match, but Ken quickly demonstrates that while the drone's fighting expertise isn't bad, its reaction speed needs improvement. The king of Nayshall, Shari, appears and gifts Ken with a sacred cerulean cloth for supporting the country, which, in ancient times, represents the successor to the throne. The king invites Ken to participate in the tournament and he tries to explain that he no longer fights, but the young king insists. Later, Ken asks Jackson what his father would do in a situation like this, and Jackson says that he would have been just as unsure as Ken is, and when he first met him, he knew he was a man he could trust. Ken tells Jackson that he has made his decision, however the two notice a roadblock filled with protestors, and Marvin, who's driving the car tries to back up and take a detour. Among the protestors, some individuals are wearing cloaks and masks. While backing up, both Jackson and Ken get shot and their car gets hit by a moving truck. Ken manages to escape and tries to help Jackson, but he tells Ken to escape, and the car explodes, killing Jackson and Marvin. A woman and a man named Tsujimoto pick up Ken, who's unconscious, and the two drive off with the injured champion.

In Chapter 2, Ken wakes up in a apartment and sees Tsujimoto, who's watching him. Ken asks who he is and tries to get up, but he's still recovering from the gunshot wound. Chun-Li then shows up commenting that Ken shouldn't move yet. Ken asks what happened to Jackson, and she says that they couldn't get to him in time, and Ken is saddened to hear of his death. After Chun-Li explains to Ken about the video transmitted by Amnesia and that he's in custody of Interpol, Ken gets angry and shouts that he had nothing to do with this, but Chun-Li knocks him back and points a gun at him, telling him to calm down. She's aware that Ken is being framed and that they're currently looking for a way to prove his innocence, however because the whole world saw the video, he wouldn't be safe, and so he can't leave. Ken then asks what happened to Mel, and Chun-Li is shocked that his son is here. Ken begs that he needs to call his son, however she leaves the room and makes a call, making Ken frustrated. Ken asks Tsujimoto if he could help with the gunshot wound and he complies, only for Ken to knock him out and to find the culprits behind this and to clear his name.

In Chapter 3, Ken wakes up from a nightmare and starts to walk away so that no one spots him. While avoiding the military personnel, Ken notices a man running away and accidently trips over a kid. Ken tries to help him, but the two are caught in an explosion. Ken asks the kid if he's alright, but he recognizes Ken from the news and runs away. Due to the explosion, two personnel spot Ken and he's forced to flee. Luke then meets up with the two and they start to chase Ken. Upon entering an abandoned building, Ken is greeted by JP. Ken asks him how he was able to find him, and he explains that he used the surveillance network system, which was developed by his funding. Ken then asks how he knew he would stumble upon the building, but JP interrupts him saying that Ken's chapter was always meant to end there. After revealing his plan, Ken tries to attack JP to no avail, and the businessman uses his drone to show Mel, tied up in a chair and blindfolded. Mel tells his father that he knows that he would never do anything bad no matter what, however the transmission gets cut. Ken threatens to kill JP if he hurts his son, but he points to Ken that under the chair that his son is sitting in, there's a drone, and gives Ken his phone that he dropped when he was attacked. The phone then shows a map of the old town with several drone icons and a button with the word detonation. JP explains that if Ken pushes the button, he will save Mel, but instead, another drone will explode elsewhere and could kill others. Ken thinks that he's bluffing, however, one of the drone icons is triggered and causes an explosion. JP tells him that he doesn't bluff and decides to give Ken a little motivation, showing Mel once again, but with a timer displaying 3 minutes. Ken begs JP to stop, but he uses his cane to decrease the timer, and tells Ken that he hopes that he'll make the right choice. Ken is able to save Mel but loses contact with his son. Luke then demands Ken to surrender but hears a noise and a woman grabs Ken and the two jump through a window and they land on a river.

In Chapter 4, Ken is with Kalima and admits to her that she was right about him not thinking about her, the people and the country. However, he asks why she helped him, and wonders if this is part of the setup and if the video clip was her idea. Kalima tells that it wasn't her, but Ken gets angry and calls her a liar, saying that everything was planned by JP and her people. She explains that she's not like JP and that the opposition had nothing to do with these recent events, since she's a part of the opposition. Ken once again accuses Kalima and the opposition for the attack and getting his friend Jackson killed but explains that they had nothing to do with the group in masks who attacked him, and that she was also tricked by JP. Kalima mentions that because of the video and the bombings, many of her comrades were arrested under false charges, and that they are only seeking the independence of Nayshall, and that JP is "a vampire who will suck their country dry". Kalima explains that while the projects to establish their nation and the infrastructure plans are legitimate, and that his NGO is well established, it was all a bait, and that his true interest is to broadcast the tournament worldwide, and that his top priority was to convince Ken to quickly fund the tournament. She adds that he's using the tournament as means to launder money and plans to move funds within the online betting system and steal everything. And Ken realizes that JP wanted to make sure that Ken was behind the whole operation. Kalima warns Ken that he will use Mel to draw him out, and that she wanted Ken to understand how the people of Nayshall feel, saying that if he didn't try to save his son, she wouldn't have risked saving Ken. She then tells Ken that only the citizens can solve the problems of their country and asks the champion what he will do next. Ken corrects her, saying that he's a retired champion, and that the Masters family never quit halfway, and that his son is waiting for him. At the arena, Ken, who's avoiding the officers, finds Mel's room, but he's no longer there. He then spots a fighter named Borris, who's with an officer, and steals his clothes. Ken confronts JP and Luke tries to stop the former champion. Luke advises Ken to stand down and JP mocks him, saying that he's disappointed in Ken and that they'll take good care of his son, and this angers Ken. Ken then attacks Luke and injures his right eye. Luke says to Ken that for a national champion, he likes to play dirty, and accuses him of teaming up with terrorists. Ken replies saying he doesn't know anything, and Luke agrees and the only thing he knows is that he doesn't show mercy to monsters like Ken. Luke says that his father was in the army and was killed by terrorists like Ken, and that Mel trusted him. Ken then starts thinking about his son and starts hearing his voice. Ken is able to get up, but opens the gunshot wound. Luke tells Ken that if he surrenders, he can see Mel again, but Ken denies saying that he needs to let him see his father fight until the end. He apologizes Luke for the injury and gives him a free shot. This triggers Luke and hits him with an uppercut. The two continue to fight, and Ken defeats Luke, but Ken surrenders and he's arrested. Some time later, Ken, who was released, is walking down the street, depressed. However, his fighting spirit remains unbroken when he raised his fist.

Arcade Mode

• Transcript

Ken: Questions Without Answers

After being detained in Nayshall, Ken's name was cleared, but due to recent events, things can't go back like they used to, and Ken is forced to go into hiding, where he is able to get a job at the SiRN construction company in Metro City. Since then, his reason for fighting has been flipped on its head.

Guile: In-Laws

Guile finds Ken and tries to convince Ken to come back home as Eliza and Mel worry for him. But Ken refuses due to the events that transpired on him, as Ken can't really return home until he gets back at JP for what he did & put him through.

Terry: The Journey

After encountering Terry after 20 years, they celebrate their reunion with a fight. After the fight, Terry finds out that Ken's attacks weren't as "red hot" as they once were in which Ken explains that he has a lot in his mind. Terry encourages Ken that whatever trouble he has in his mind, he can fight on and that there will be someone that'll always be ready to give him "the fight of a lifetime". Terry then asks Ken to bring "the extra hot stuff" next time they meet and battle which made Ken perk up and promise that he would before calling Terry a good guy and parting ways.

World Tour

Undying Dragon. Blazing Heart. Weight of the World. (不滅のドラゴン。 燃えるハート。 世界の重さ。, Fumetsu no doragon. Moeru hāto. Sekai no omo-sa.^?)

"Don't waste time on words---just press on. Leading the way is strength all of its own. (言葉に時間を無駄にしないでください。ただ押し続けてください。 道を導くこと自体が強さです。, Kotoba ni jikan o muda ni shinaide kudasai. Tada oshi tsudzukete kudasai. Michi o michibiku koto jitai ga tsuyo-sadesu.^?)"

—Ken's advice after completing training & achieving Mastery

When the player Avatar is about to be hit by a bag of hard cement, after rescuing a construction worker from falling metal I-bars that were accidentally hit by a lifted container, Ken saves the former using Tatsumaki. The said player Avatar approaches to be his master. Ken is initially reluctant at first, until seeing the Avatar's indomitable fighting spirit reminds him of his younger self. Worried about his family's company, Masters Foundation, but unable to resurface because of his ruined reputation that forced him to go hiding from the public, Ken requests the Avatar patrol the Foundation's building. Ken soon learns from the player Avatar that the thugs still believe JP's lies about the crime he did not commit to make Mel's life miserable, until the Avatar rescues the boy. As the Avatar masters his techniques, Ken tells them about his past lives and encounters, and his time with Ryu, including the Nayshall incident where JP framed him and nearly ruined his life.

After M. Bison was revealed to be alive and currently suffering with amnesia, the Avatar sought Ken and other fighters who knew about M. Bison to find who he was prior to the climax of A Shadow Falls event. Ken explains to the Avatar of his experiences of being brainwashed by M. Bison prior to Street Fighter IV event.

Other appearances

Street Fighter EX series

Background

Ken has little more motivation to join the Street Fighter EX tournaments than his pure love of fighting, and the chance of being pitted against his best friend and rival Ryu in combat. After returning to the United States for the first time since he left as a child to begin his training in Japan, he has been an unstoppable force in the American fighting circuit, although he never earned the opportunity to fight the reigning champion, Allen Snider. Much to Ken's delight, it turned out that he would get such an opportunity in the first round of the first EX tournament.

The match turned out to be a bit of a let down for Ken, achieving an easy victory over Allen, who used a variant form of Ken's own fighting style. Astounded by the ferocity of Ken's attacks, Allen was overwhelmed and asked where Ken trained. Ken informed him of his life in Japan, and from that point on, Allen vowed to travel all over the world to become not only America's greatest fighter, but the world's as well.

Ken advanced several rounds in the tournament until he got what he had wished for: a match with Ryu. When the match started, Ryu didn't seem overly thrilled to see Ken. In fact, Ken wasn't sure if Ryu knew who he was at all. As the match progressed, Ken realized that Ryu was not himself, and his technique had changed. Ken stopped fighting Ryu and refused to strike back, insisting that Ryu regain his senses. Struggling against Ryu, Ken held his ground and the sight of Ken struggling caused Ryu to snap back to his former self. When Ryu returned to normal, the sound of laughter could be heard. They both turned to face the man that had cause Ryu to lose his mind, M. Bison.

Together, they launched an attack on him that sent M. Bison reeling. Right about that time, Guile and Chun-Li burst through the door together, but Bison hit a switch that allowed him to escape capture. Ryu thanked Ken for his efforts and said that he needed to travel more to better understand himself and the Satsui no Hado inside him. Ken understood. They had a friendly rematch in the second tournament, and entered the third tournament as partners.

Endings

Street Fighter EX

"See, I knew I was strong! If you truly want to beat me, then you might as well bring a tank with you next time. I better get lost now or Eliza will be mad at me. Ryu, next time we'll meet things will be different"

Street Fighter EX Plus α

"I won, just like usual!" Polishing his unique skills, Ken is a man whose fighting spirit burns for a match with his eternal rival Ryu. Will Ken be the victor this time? Or else...? The battle of this fighting genius continues.

Street Fighter EX2

His beloved wife Eliza told him a story about none other than his brother-in-law Guile.
"Guile's one tough fellow, even if our fighting styles are different. He would definitely make a worthy sparring partner. Alright Eliza, make arrangements for my trip!"
Ken, a man who was raised as a carefree martial artist. It's only a matter of time before this soaring dragon reaches the skies before us.

Street Fighter EX2 Plus

"The winner, Ken Masters!"
The hall was overflown with the voice of great joy. Ken befriended his opponent and smiled.
"You were a good sport! But that's no reason to laugh at him."

Street Fighter EX3

Ken sits inside a rainbow by a waterfall and reflects up his past, "Nothing has changed at all since then..." As he thinks about the days when he trained with his friend, he can't remember all of the defeats, but he can clearly see each and every victory. He thinks, "Yes. We must challenge again. I'll find you again. my friend... And this time, there will be only one winner!"

Street Fighter EX3 (in team with Ryu)

Ken laid his hand on Ryu's shoulder and says, "Do you remember the days we fought against our master together?" In a rare mood Ryu jokingly replies, "...I could be more confident about our win than before." Surprised Ken remarks, "Humph! Don't forget that I see you not as the most reliable partner but as the toughest rival. Keep that in mind, buddy."

Crossover appearances

Marvel vs. Capcom series

Ken appears as a playable character in several games in the series: Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes.

Ken's name can be seen in a board in the background in Ryu's Marvel vs. Capcom 3 ending, where he prepares for a match against Marvel Comics character Mr. X.

In Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, Ken makes a cameo in the New Metro City - Downtown stage, where an ad for a special match between him and Marvel's Iron Fist can be seen in the background.

SNK vs. Capcom series

Ken appears as a playable character in all the games of the SNK vs. Capcom series.

SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium

Ken who has the title of the "National Fighting King" enters and hosts the tournament alongside Robert Garcia after seeing Terry Bogard's name in the invitation, he enters to in order to fight the hero of Southtown who heard he heard rumors about.^[66]

Pocket Fighter

Ken appears as a playable character in Capcom's Pocket Fighter, where he grows bored of married life and looks for a pretty girl to hang with. He eventually finds Morrigan, and has tea with her until Eliza sees them both.

Cross series

Ken appears as a playable character in most games of Namco's Cross series.

Strategy RPG series

He is teamed up with Ryu in Namco × Capcom. When his partner turned into Evil Ryu due to Akuma’s presence, Ken uses Shin Shoryuken as a tribute to get his friend back.

He later reappears in Namco X Capcom's spiritual successor and sequel series, Project X Zone. In this game, he is commonly pairing with Ryu within the Pair Unit like its predecessor game.

• Ken, alongside Ryu, Chun-Li, Juri, and Seth, makes an appearance in its first game, where is paired with Ryu as a Pair Unit. Batsu Ichimonji from Rival Schools series also appears, and notes that some of his friends have learned moves from Ken via his online karate courses, much to the chagrin of Ryu, who not only feels that their master would be disappointed, but he is also annoyed that Ken seems to have forgotten about their style's bloody roots.
• In Project X Zone 2, once he and Ryu arrived from a Martial Arts tournament in New York, they appear chasing a robotic Axel Stone (named Brave in Japan) to the party, who are tied up fighting M. Bison and Juri along with their lackeys. Ryu and Ken agree to join the party after destroying the robotic Axel. However, in Chapter 29, Ken is brainwashed by M. Bison at Sword Valley, along with one of Ken's cohorts who keeps falling by the Shadaloo leader’s brainwashing second times, Lady Estellise. In his brainwashed state, he once again calls for Ryu to fight him. Ryu agrees, assuring Ken that he will never win while under M. Bison's mind control, and willingly submits to the Satsui no Hado in order to use techniques powerful enough to beat the Psycho Power out of Ken and restore him to his senses. The two then rejoin the party and defeat Bison together, causing Bison to muse about Ken's Power of Nothingness briefly before fleeing. The party would later encounter Bison multiple times throughout the remainder of the story.

Street Fighter X Tekken

When Ryu heads to Antartica to search for Pandora, fearing it has a connection with the Satsui no Hado, Ken joins him. The two head to the South Pole, fighting those who they meet along the way, a list which includes Kazuya Mishima and Nina Williams. When they reach the place Pandora crashed and defeat Ogre, Ryu vanishes with the box, leaving behind only the headband that Ken gave him. Ken searches all over the South Pole for Ryu, but finds nothing. However, Ken remains confident that his best friend will come back.

Super Smash Bros. series

Ken appears as a collectible trophy in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U, using his model from Super Street Fighter IV. Three versions of his Street Fighter II theme, including a new remix made for the game, is included in the Wii U version.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Ken made his playable debut; he is an "Echo Fighter" (a cosmetically unique character with different attack animations and voice clips but functionally similar in gameplay and attack data to another character) to Ryu. He was first leaked on September 21st, 2018 and later officially confirmed on November 1 the same year. As the 'original' echo fighter within fighting game history, Ken is based primarily on his Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers incarnation (most further one is from Turbo), with details such as his eyes being colored blue as opposed to amber, palms appearing in his Hadoken and his Roundhouse Kick special moves, executed with the same motion. He retains many of his differences from Ryu, such as a multihit Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku, a flaming Shoryuken, his kick Focus Attack from Street Fighter IV and his Turbo Heavy Kick as his Forward Smash Attack instead of Ryu's Joudan Sokutogeri. His Final Smash changes depending on the distance to the nearest opponent, so if no one is directly in front of and close to Ken, he performs a Marvel vs. Capcom-styled Shinryuken. If there is an enemy within melee range, he instead performs the Shippu Jinraikyaku, which has few spinning kick-based essences based on his Guren Senpukyaku and Guren Enjinkyaku from post-Street Fighter III games.

Animations

Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie

In this film, Ken Masters is Ryu's long time friend and sparring partner; a flashback reveals that Ken gave Ryu his ponytail wrapping to use as a headband after the latter had hit his head falling down some stairs.

Currenty, Ken has settled down with his girlfriend, Eliza, but still yearns for a good challenge, and desires a rematch with Ryu. During a tussle with T. Hawk, who had sought out Ken to challenge him, Ken is unknowingly monitored by a cyborg, who sends footage of the fight to the Shadowlaw base. Bison sees the footage and, knowing of Ken's history with Ryu via his other monitor robots, decides to hunt him down and brainwash him in Ryu's stead.

Ken is captured, brainwashed and sent to fight against Ryu, keeping them preoccupied while Bison tracks down Guile. When Ryu undoes the brainwashing, Bison uses his Psycho Power to cast Ken before turning his attention to Ryu, who defends himself against Bison, initially with little success. Fortunately, Ken uses his master's teachings to mend his body and joins the fight.

With their combined forces, Ryu and Ken eventually pummel Bison into submission and seem to finish off the dictator for good with a combined Hadoken. After defeating Bison, Ken and Ryu part and go their separate ways, with Ryu starting his journey anew.

Street Fighter (TV series)

Ken appears as a major character in the TV series, voiced by Scott McNeil. Much like his live-action movie counterpart, Ken is shown to be greedy and adventurous, looking for all kinds of treasure, keeping up with his role as a con-man; Guile even states that Ken views the duties and responsibilities of being on his team as simply meaning he has to "party less".

For most of Season 1 in the series, including the intro, Ken has his usual blond hair, but for the remainder of the series, he has red hair instead. This version of Ken is also stated to be even stronger than Ryu, defeating Akuma during their battle.

Street Fighter II V

In this series, Ken and Ryu are best friends who trained under the same master; he is the 17-year-old son of the extremely rich Masters family. He lives in San Francisco with his parents in a very large mansion − it takes twenty minutes to drive from the front yard to the main house. He too spends a lot of time training as well, but not as much as Ryu. Ken also rides a motorcycle.

After Ryu and Ken get into a fight with Guile and realize there a lot other stronger fighters out there in the world and plan on going on a world tour together. On their journey Ken has faced strong fighters like Fei Long while they are in Hong Kong. When they reach Spain, Ken encounters Vega who develops an attraction to Chun Li and develops a rivalry with Vega. They have a deadly fight in a steel cage match to the death in order for Ken to free Chun-Li from a trance put her in from a love potion. Later on Ken also learns to use the power of Hadō later on while being held captive by Shadoloo. Ryu knows the Hadoken, while both he and Ken know the Shoryuken. Ken later upgrades the Shoryuken to the Hadou Shoryuken and then shortens it to the Hadou Shoryu. Interestingly, in the English dub Ken still called the move Shoryuken while Ryu called it by its English translation: Rising Dragon Punch. After freeing himself from his prison he encounters both Ryu and Chun Li who have been brainwashed by M. Bison. He is able to free them from their control and team up to defeat M. Bison. Also in the series, Ken becomes smitten with Chun-li to the point where he takes her on a shopping spree and buys her things.

Most of Ken's personality from the games is the same in Street Fighter II V. The only difference is at times he'll use his wealth to solve some problems such as bribing a bouncer at a bar, bribing his way into the military base to fight Guile, giving a man cash in exchange for his motorcycle and paying for hospital expenses for a doctor in India. Just like Ryu, he never turns down a good fight and is willing to help those in need. He is voiced by Kenji Haga in Japan, Jason Douglas in the English ADV dub and Stephen Apostolina in the English Animaze dub.

Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation

While visiting Gouken's grave, Ryu meets his old friend, Ken. They are both approached by a young boy named Shun, who claims that he is Ryu's long-lost brother. According to Shun, their mother raised Shun in Brazil until her recent death and she sent Shun to find Ryu before she died. Ken is skeptical, but Ryu decides to take Shun in and notices the boy's potential as a fighter. One night Ryu succumbs to the Satsui no Hadou nearly killing Ken. Fortunately Ken punches him in the stomach. Ryu then returns to normal. Later that night Ken talks to Ryu about his Satsui no Hadou. Ryu instructs Ken to kill him if he's ever completely possessed by the Dark Hadou. Ken is reluctant at first, but then agrees.

Street Fighter Alpha: Generations

Ryu seeks out Akuma and the fight begins. During their hard battle Ken confronts the old man and is easily taken down, being subdued to ensure that the battle between Ryu and Akuma must not be interrupted or interfered for its right conclusion between the two. It is here that old man tells Ken about the Satsui no Hado. He states that the Satsui no Hado is a mysterious evil life force that dwells within certain fighters. As this life force is exploited it grows stronger until it consumes its possessor. Once the person is consumed by the Satsui no Hado they cannot be released from is hold. He states that the Satsui no Hado is ancient, that even old warlords knew of its existence.

Comics

Street Fighter II manga

Ken appears in Street Fighter II manga as he was kidnapped by Shadaloo and was brainwashed by Bison to carry out his evil, he was later freed by his mind control and was seeking out Bison to avenge Cho who was a target for Shadaloo.

Street Fighter Alpha manga

Ken makes an appearance in Street Fighter Alpha manga as he helps Chun-Li with finding out information on missing people who have been kidnapped by Shadaloo and helping Ryu with his own inner demons.

Sakura Ganbaru!

In Sakura Ganbaru!, Ken is visited by Sakura and Dan who are looking for important information on Ryu.

Street Fighter III: Ryu Final

This section is currently incomplete. Please assist the Street Fighter Wiki, and complete the section if you can.

Street Fighter Gaiden

This section is currently incomplete. Please assist the Street Fighter Wiki, and complete the section if you can.

Drama CD's

Street Fighter II Drama CD Chun-Li Flying Legend

Although Ken doesn't appear in the Drama CD, Ryu goes to America to meet Ken at the Hamburger Shop and mentions his name later in the story.^[67]

Street Fighter II Mad Revenger Vengeful Warriors

At the start of the Drama CD, Joe was supposed to fight Ken at the National Martial Arts Open Tournament held in San Francisco. Before they could fight in the finals, Sagat defeats Joe and would then go onto defeat Ken.

Street Fighter EX Drama CD

This is the first Drama CD where Ken is the main character. After winning multiple tournaments in America, Ken began to get rusty. The reason Ken got weaker is because he only cared about maintaining the title "champion", however after remembering Ryu's words towards M. Bison, he realizes seeking stronger opponents is more important.

UDON

Street Fighter vs. Darkstalkers

Ken appears in Street Fighter vs. Darkstalkers.

Archie Comics crossover: Worlds Unite

Ken makes an appearance in the Mega Man/Sonic the Hedgehog crossover story Worlds Unite, as he was called upon by Chun-Li after hearing about their home world being planned to be taken over by a robot named Sigma, he helped Ryu, Guile and Chun-Li fight against Sigma's army while teaming with Sonic character Knuckles.

Street Fighter: The Novel Where Strength Lies

Hearing rumors about his friend beating opponents all around the world within an inch of their lives, Ken sets out to confirm these rumors. Eventually he confronts Evil Ryu, at first Evil Ryu had no recollection on who Ken was, but once he remembers he begins to belittle him. Evil Ryu crushes Ken both physically and mentally, but Ken keeps fighting to help his friend and lands a couple of hits, one being a Shoryuken. Unfortunately none of the hits had any effect and Evil Ryu beats Ken to near death, Evil Ryu delivers the finishing blow and Ken accepts his death as it’s at the hands of his best friend. Evil Ryu leaves Ken to die from blood loss, but a mysterious person takes Ken to hospital.

Live-action movies and series

Street Fighter (film)

In this film, this is the first version of Ken Masters where he has red hair, but it also appears to be short and well-kempt compared to his usual shoulder-length wild hair and long spiky black eyebrows which are both lacking in his appearance. Much like Ryu, Ken is seen throughout half of the movie wearing business suits to make every criminal think he is a successful black-marketer, but is later seen in a uniform at Bison's Fortress in what appears to be Ken's signature sleeveless red karate-gi, it features a Bison-Troop patch, black sparring gloves with sparring shoes, and no tatters on the sleeves.

He and his best friend Ryu Hoshi are two clean-cut and well-groomed American con-men who try making a deal of selling toy guns to some terrorists. Later they get involved with Shadaloo in plot to infiltrate their base. In this series Ken develops a rivalry with Sagat who is an arms dealer. Later on in the movie Ken tries to leave the fortress during the final battle only to be goaded by Ryu to help the other street fighters find and rescue the hostages as well as take down Shadaloo once and for all.

Street Fighter: Legacy

Christian Howard played Ken in Street Fighter: Legacy which was co-directed by Joey Ansah and Owen Trevor.

Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist

In the series, Ken and Ryu are depicted during their early days training under Master Gouken. The series explains how Ken is left under Gouken's wing in order to channel his anger and frustration so he won't cause to much trouble for his father's company.

Ken is shown as impatient and eager to progress through his training without learning the basics. During their training, they are taken to a special site that is to be used for their final test. While there, Ken is tempted to learn the Dark Hado techniques after finding Akuma's old journal. He attempts to do a move until Gouken finds out and stops him, making him swear to never perform dark hado. During their training, Ken attempts to persuade Ryu to visit a nearby town for some fun. Ryu is reluctant at first, but follows him there.

Ken is later visited by his dad who wants him to return home and join the family business. However, Ken believes he is not ready yet and decides to finish his training with Ryu and Gouken. As they progress in their training, Ken and Ryu are ready for the test in their training hand to hand combat. Though while they fight, Ryu eventually becomes overwhelmed by Ken and succumbs to the dark hado. After the fight Ken explains to Gouken what happened and Gouken decides to let them pass and allows them to journey to outside world in order to completely master their skills. Ken decides to return home and help his father with his company.

Street Fighter: Resurrection

Howard reprised his role as Ken in Street Fighter: Resurrection.

Street Fighter: World Warrior

Howard was intended to reprise his role as Ken Masters in the second season, Street Fighter: World Warrior.

Gameplay

Fighting style

Ken Masters, like Ryu, is a student of the unnamed Ansatsuken art referred to as Shotokan, though this only applies to his normal attacks with slight traces of Hapkido (as stated in the in-depth Japanese sources for his normal attacks' names). In the original Street Fighter and the first iteration of Street Fighter II, Ken was a clone of Ryu, with only one attack (a throw) appearing to be aesthetically different.

In later Street Fighter II editions, Ken's character was modified to focus on style and attack speed, along with a notable focus on more brutal judo throws (such as his trademark knee striking grapple) and with some aspects of Kyokushin Karate. As a foil to Ryu, Ken's trademark technique is instead his Shoryuken.

Moveset

Ken's entire moveset would continue to develop around the Shoryuken and multi-hit combos as the series progressed. His overall style of gameplay revolves around a rushdown strategy that executes powerful combos off of quick hit-confirms while maintaining mobility; Ken's moves generally come out fast, and can be used fluidly to create several such combos. However, this requires him to stay dangerously close to his opponents; in addition to having limited ranged tools, many of his moves can also leave him open for an easy counter if properly defended.

This also ties into a weakness he shares with Ryu, which tends to be his mediocre physical range that causes him to rely more on zoning with his Hadoken as opposed to playing footsies in the neutral game; though unlike Ryu, most of Ken's moves are geared towards multi-hits as aforementioned, which on top of his mix-ups make him much more geared towards safe pressure and being able to get in.

Ken's playstyle makes him quite easy to pick up and learn, to the point that he is one of the most used characters in the Street Fighter III and IV series. At one point, this resulted in the emergence of "Flowchart Ken" - a strategy for beginner and intermediate Ken players that was literally outlined in a flowchart style. Said strategy would go on to dominate a large portion of high-level play in Street Fighter IV. One of Ken's winning quotes even makes a jabbing reference to this in Super Street Fighter IV.^[68]

In Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix Ken retains most of his moves, his Tatsumaki Sempukyaku are embedded with fire and enables him to shoot a Shakunetsu Hadoken. His Shoryureppa enables him to hit three times and his Shinryuken is much like his appearance in the Alpha games but Ken can be seen being burned up during the execution and his Shippu Jinraikyaku as well as all of his Super Combos serves as his Mighty Combos.

He carries a large broken mallet consist of 100 tons to flatten his opponent to deal damage and has three disguises serving as his special attacks (Eg. a soccer player, a cowboy outfit while using a horse to knock his opponents and his casual outfit). During his Shippu Jinraikyaku Mighty Combo, Ken can sometimes be seen wearing his casual outfit during the execution of his kicks.

Street Fighter V promised to put a new spin on Ken's playstyle, featuring a more "in-your-face" approach, much more akin to a rushdown character. Of particular note are the changes made to his Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (all three versions will now cause a knockdown and his hard kick variation now travels in an arc as opposed to horizontally across the arena). His EX Tatsumaki attacks are also revamped (his ground version traveling upwards diagonally and his airborne variation shooting down diagonally). His V-Skill, Quick Step, enables faster advancing movement against a foe and his V-Trigger, Heat Rush, imbues all of his special moves with fire and giving them enhanced properties (such as guaranteed knockdown when a Hadoken connects). His Shinryuken Super Combo returns as his second V-Trigger.

Street Fighter 6 keeps the trend of distinguishing Ken to Ryu, taking from SVC Chaos his chain Kicks, now called Jinrai Kick, and bringing a new move in the form of the Dragonlash Kick, in which Ken quickly jumps before delivering a flying kick. Not only the Fierce version of it is imbued with flames, but it any of it's inputs can also force a side switch, reminding the foe to keep its eyes open.

Compared to Ryu, Ken is often seen as a more flashier foil, often coming up with several new deviating moves on the spot as opposed to sticking to the fundamentals as often as Ryu does. His creative mind allows his fighting style to always stay fresh for new arts on the fly at any given time.

Techniques

As mentioned before, Ken uses the same moves as Ryu: he possesses a slightly weaker Hadoken, a more horizontal Shoryuken that can hit up to three times and set opponents ablaze and a Tatsumaki Senpukyaku that can land up to five hits without knockdown. He also gained a series of command normal kicks; in the Street Fighter Alpha series only, these would be incorporated into his standard move list with his other special attacks.

Super/Ultra Combos

Ken's Super Combo in Super Street Fighter II Turbo is the Shoryureppa, a string of consecutive Shoryukens. In the Street Fighter Alpha series, he would gain another Shoryuken-based Super Combo in the Shinryuken, a vertical spinning Shoryuken with a 'vortex' effect that can be used (sometimes exclusively) in midair. The Street Fighter III series would reuse those moves as Super Arts; Ken also gains the Shippu Jinraikyaku, a powerful series of kicks followed by a rising Tatsumaki. The move would later appear as a Level 3 Super Combo in Street Fighter Alpha 3.

In the Street Fighter EX series, Ken gains a Meteor Combo known as the Kuzuryu Reppa, which effectively combines the three aforementioned Super Combos; it leads with Shippu Jinraikyaku's kicks and instead of a Tatsumaki, Ken follows with three Shoryukens (the same as his Level 3 Shoryureppa in the Alpha series) and finishes with a Shinryuken. Kuzuryu Reppa would be seen again in SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom, also appearing as one of Violent Ken's Super Combos.

In the Street Fighter IV series, Ken uses the Shoryureppa as his Super Combo; his first Ultra Combo is the Shinryuken, and his 2nd Ultra is a new move known as the Guren Senpukyaku, a flaming horizontal Tatsumaki that adds a final finisher kick at the end "for good measure".

In Street Fighter V, Ken uses a powerful version of Guren Senpukyaku known as Guren Enjinkyaku as his Critical Art (where he launches himself at his opponent with a fierce kick that sends them airborne then follows them up with a flaming Tatsumaki to the face before kicking them away). The Shoryureppa returns as well, acting as his EX Shoryuken.

Street Fighter 6 combines his Shinryuken and Shoryureppa in the form of the Level 3 Super Art Shinryureppa. The 3rd Shoryuken from the string is actually a Shinryuken. As a Critical Art, the animation also adds Ken knocking the foe back to the ground with the opposite fist on which he raised his target. Shippu Jinraikyaku returns as his Level 2 Super Art, the kicks now amidst flames, and Dragonlash Flame, a string of midair Dragonlash Kicks, is his Level 1 Super Art.

Violent Ken

Main article: Violent Ken

Violent Ken is an alternate version of Ken that mades his debut in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos. He is the result of Ken being brainwashed and controlled by M. Bison's Psycho Power. He returned in Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers as a new character alongside Evil Ryu. He is faster than Ken and has two new moves; a teleport, dash move, the Rasetsu Kyaku, and his super combo, the Shinbu Messatsu, where Violent Ken does a series of punches and kicks and ends with a fiery Shoryuken. In SVC Chaos, he automatically teleports, making it more similar to the Raging Demon. But in The Final Challengers, he simply does the move, however it is possible to do the Shinbu Messatsu out of a Rasetu Kyaku immediately.

Actors

While his original voice was a re-use of the Ryu audio samples, beginning with Super Street Fighter II Ken's voice was performed by Kenji Haga, who also did his voice in the Street Fighter II anime movie. Tetsuya Iwanaga did Ken's voice in the Street Fighter Alpha series, and Koji Tobe did Ken's voice in the Street Fighter III games. In SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, he was voiced by Atsushi "Monster" Maezuka, who voiced a number of SNK characters.

He was voiced by Scott McNeil in the Street Fighter animated series. He was voiced by Kazuya Ichijo in Japanese and Steven Blum in the dub for the Street Fighter Alpha movie. In Street Fighter II V, he was voiced by Jimmy Theodore and in Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, he was voiced by Eddie Frierson. In Street Fighter IV, he is voiced by Reuben Langdon in the English version, who also voices Dante from the Devil May Cry series. Langdon also voices Ken in Disney's 2012 film, Wreck-It Ralph.

In Street Fighter 6, Langdon was replaced by David Matranga in the English version and is best known for voicing Genjo Sanzo in the manga/anime, Saiyuki.

Damian Chapa portrayed Ken in the 1994 Street Fighter movie, where he is a con artist alongside Ryu. After the two unsuccessfully try to scam Shadaloo Tong leader, Sagat, they are arrested by Allied Nations forces. Guile offers them their freedom in exchange for infiltrating Bison's base (to whom Sagat runs guns) and revealing its location so that the AN can make a military strike and free the hostages captured earlier in the film.

Ken and Ryu are forced to betray the vengeful GNT news-crew (Chun Li, Balrog and Honda) in order to gain Bison's trust, but later try to free them and are captured. When Guile eventually infiltrates Bison's base and chaos ensues Ryu and Ken try to help free the hostages but split up when the AN forces arrive (according to Ken the soldiers get paid and that they should not risk their lives). Ken later comes to Ryu's aid when he is ambushed by Vega and Sagat. While Ryu defeats Vega, Ken defeats Sagat and drops a heavy golden statue on his hands before delivering a parting line: "If I hadn't met you, I might have become you.".

Interestingly, Ken and Sagat are portrayed as rivals, switching the usual scenario from the games, with Ryu's rivalry switched to Vega.

Street Fighter x Tekken: The Devil Within

Ken's voice actor Reuben Langdon portrayed Ken in the short film Street Fighter x Tekken: The Devil Within.

Christian Howard played Ken in Street Fighter: Legacy, which was co-directed by Joey Ansah and Owen Trevor. Howard reprised his role as Ken in Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist, Street Fighter: Resurrection and Street Fighter: World Warrior.

Subpages

Quotes

Ken Masters/Quotes

Pop Culture

Ken Masters/Pop Culture

Gallery

Ken Masters/Gallery

Sprites

Ken Masters/Sprites

Music

Title	Game	Artist	Track
Street Fighter II
Ken Stage	Street Fighter II	Yoko Shimomura
Ken's Ending	Street Fighter II	Yoko Shimomura
Ken's Ending 2	Street Fighter II	Yoko Shimomura
Ken Stage	Street Fighter II (SNES)	Yoko Shimomura
Ken's Ending	Street Fighter II (SNES)	Yoko Shimomura
Ken's Ending 2	Street Fighter II (SNES)	Yoko Shimomura
Ken Stage	Street Fighter II (Game Boy)
Ken's Ending	Street Fighter II (Game Boy)
Ken's Ending 2	Street Fighter II (Game Boy)
Ken Stage	Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition
Ken's Ending	Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition
Ken's Ending 2	Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition
Ken Stage	Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers	Syun Nishigaki
Ken's Ending	Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers	Syun Nishigaki
Ken's Ending 2	Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers	Syun Nishigaki
Ken Stage	Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (SNES)
Ken's Ending	Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (SNES)
Ken's Ending 2	Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (SNES)
Ken Stage	Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (Sega Genesis)
Ken's Ending	Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (Sega Genesis)
Ken's Ending 2	Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (Sega Genesis)
Ken Stage	Super Street Fighter II Turbo (3DO)
Ken's Ending	Super Street Fighter II Turbo (3DO)
Ken's Ending 2	Super Street Fighter II Turbo (3DO)
Ken's Theme	Street Fighter II Mad Revenger Vengeful Warriors	Kunitoshi Tojima
Fight it Out (KEN)	Street Fighter II Collector's Box
Breath Again	STREET FIGHTER II ALPH-LYLA with YUJI TORIYAMA	Yuji Toriyama
Ken Stage	Street Fighter Tribute Album	Hiroaki Yoshida
Made in U.S.A. HD (Ken Stage)	Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix	OverClocked ReMix
Ken Stage	Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers
Street Fighter Alpha
Ken Stage	Street Fighter Alpha	Naoshi Mizuta
Ken Ending	Street Fighter Alpha	Naoshi Mizuta
Ken Stage	Street Fighter Alpha (PSX and Saturn Versions)	Naoshi Mizuta
Ken Ending	Street Fighter Alpha (PSX and Saturn Versions)	Naoshi Mizuta
Ken Stage	Street Fighter Alpha 2	Tatsuro Suzuki
Ken Ending	Street Fighter Alpha 2	Tatsuro Suzuki
Ken Stage	Street Fighter Alpha 2 (PSX and Saturn Versions)	Tatsuro Suzuki
Ken Ending	Street Fighter Alpha 2 (PSX and Saturn Versions)	Tatsuro Suzuki
Active Red	Street Fighter Alpha 3	Isao Abe
Street Fighter EX
Light Guardian/Hikari no Shugoshin	Street Fighter EX	Ayako Saso
Light Guardian/Hikari no Shugoshin	Street Fighter EX -Arrange Sound Trax-	Ayako Saso
Light Guardian/Hikari no Shugoshin	Street Fighter EX Plus α	Ayako Saso
Street Fighter III
Good Fighter	Street Fighter III: New Generation	Hideki Okugawa
Good Fighter [bliriant mix]	STREET FIGHTER III NEW GENERATION ORIGINAL ARRANGE ALBUM	Yohito Teraoka
Funky Bay	Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact	Hideki Okugawa
JAZZY NYC '99	Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike	Hideki Okugawa
JAZZY NYC '99 -Subway Station-	Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition	Hideki Okugawa
Street Fighter IV
Theme of Ken -SFIV Arrange-	Street Fighter IV	Hideyuki Fukasawa
Ken (S.S.F.4 PS mix)	Super Street Fighter IV: PachiSlot Edition	kamejack
Street Fighter V
Theme of Ken	Street Fighter V	Masahiro Aoki
Eternal Rivals	A Shadow Falls	Hideyuki Fukasawa	-
Street Fighter 6
Spirit of the Flame	Street Fighter 6	?
Safety First	Street Fighter 6
The Hottest Construction Site in Town	Street Fighter 6
Ken Style: Mastery	Street Fighter 6
Capcom Games
Stage Ken	Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo	Tatsuro Suzuki
Stage Ken	Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (PSX and Saturn Versions)	Tatsuro Suzuki
Marvel vs. Capcom
Ken Theme	X-Men vs. Street Fighter	Yuki Iwai
Ken Theme	Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter	Yuki Iwai
SNK vs. Capcom
Ken No Tema	SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium
Namco X Capcom
Stage U.S.A Ken	Namco X Capcom
Super Smash Bros.
Ken Theme	Super Smash Bros. Ultimate	Rio Hamamoto

Videos

Trivia

• Ken has been playable in every installment of Street Fighter, much like Ryu (a distinction that is unique to them), both main series and spinoff. However, Ken is not playable in a few crossover titles, such as Capcom Fighting Evolution, both versions of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom and Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds and the updated "Ultimate" version. He is also not playable in Super Smash Bros. 4, as Ryu is the only playable Street Fighter character (Ken's theme is able to be selected to play on Ryu's stage). This is likely due to a desire not to take up many spaces in their rosters with overly similar characters. He does, however, appear as an "Echo Fighter" in the sequel.
  • His upcoming appearance in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves marks the first time Ken makes a crossover appearance in a video game without Ryu.

• Ryu can use Ken's moveset in Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes via Mode Change.

• When fought as a CPU opponent in some games, particularly Street Fighter Alpha and Street Fighter EX, Ken will occasionally do a light Shoryuken, followed by a medium one as soon as he lands, and then a strong one. This AI behavior has remained consistent in most of his appearances.

• Ken is one of the eleven playable Street Fighter characters who are married or in a romantic relationship.

• In Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact, if Ken defeats Sean, he would say to him "You must defeat Ryu to stand a chance!" This is based on Ryu's infamously mistranslated win quote ("You must defeat my Shoryuken/Sheng Long in order to stand a chance!").

• In the SFIII Q&A from Gamest's SFIII Fanbook, when asked if he's still entering fighting competitions after having a son and moving to the west coast, Ken confirms that he's not been able to after Mel's birth. But he'll make an exception if Ryu participates.^[69]

• When asked if Ken will make Mel into a martial artist, Ken says it's up to Mel.^[69][70] Ken also mentions in the interview that seeing Sean reminds him of himself when he was young.

• In the Street Fighter III games, Ken seems to break the fourth wall in one of his quotes against Hugo or Gill in Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact ("It's losers like you that make this game boring!").

• Ken's birthday is on St. Valentine's Day.
  • Ken shares his birthday with Kolin and Natsu Ayuhara.

• Though born in the United States, Ken is actually only one quarter Anglo-American and three quarters Japanese.^[2][3] This is justified as his father was also likely born in the States but is half Japanese.
  • A misconception seen from western Street Fighter fans is that Ken's Japanese heritage was a retcon in order to dilute his American side. In reality Ken always had a Japanese descent, as evident by the fact his name is spelled in kanji (拳) in the Street Fighter's flyer and Ken being listed as Japanese alongside Ryu and Retsu.^[10][71] In Street Fighter II, it states that he’s born and raised in Japan and that he’s ¼ American since his maternal grandfather is American. He then moved to the USA to continue his training and that USA is his mother’s homeland.^[21][11][13] Manabu Takemura confirms that Ken represents a typical young man who likes American culture and wants to become an American.^[72] And in ALL ABOUT Street Fighter III The Characters, the first sentence under the 家族/family section says 日本出身 (nihon shusshin).^[14]

• Ken's stage in Street Fighter Alpha 2 has cameos by several other Capcom characters, including those from the Darkstalkers series and Captain Commando from the arcade game of the same name.

• In SNK vs. Capcom: SvC Chaos, as Violent Ken, his battle stance in his intro is similar to Akuma's and Evil Ryu's; however, he turns clockwise instead of counterclockwise.

• Ken's win quote against Lei Wulong in Street Fighter × Tekken is based on Lei resembling Jackie Chan.

• In the original Street Fighter, there's unused audio in the game files for a "Fire Kick", along with unused graphics that suggest Ryu and Ken were planned to have a fourth special move. Had that been the case, then the move could have been similar to the Tenmakujinkyaku or Senpukyaku.^[73]
  • Ironically, some of Ken's kick-based moves would later involve fire.

• Ryu and Ken's fighting style have gone through many changes over the course of the series. In the original Street Fighter, Ryu & Ken were genius martial artists who learned martial arts from an early age and created their own martial arts style.^[74] This would carry over to SFA3 where Ryu adopts various techniques from karate, jūdō and taekwondo to create his own style.^[75]However, in Ryu's SFIII bio it states that he uses martial arts based on karate.^[76]It wasn't until SFIV where Ryu & Ken's fighting style became a "martial art rooted as an art of assassination".^[77]

• In Street Fighter: Resurrection, Ken's birthyear is mistakenly listed as 1966 while his official (former) birthyear is 1965.

• Street Fighter II suggests that Ken is from or around Detroit, Michigan as that location shows up on the map when he is selected as an opponent.

• It have been pointed out that Ken's theme sounds similar to the Cheap Trick song "Mighty Wings" from Top Gun. Street Fighter II composer Yoko Shimomura stated in an interview: "I have heard people say that and I watched the movie before I composed the song, so I can't deny I may have been inspired subconsciously. But I didn't go into it thinking, 'OK I'm gonna make this song sound like Mighty Wings.'".^[78]
  • It was also stated that Ken's theme was originally going to be Guile's. This would make sense, as Guile is in the US Air Force, like the characters in Top Gun.

• Ken's first alternate costume in Street Fighter IV is the costume for King Cobra, a character that was scrapped in favor of Rufus.

• The part in Ken's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate reveal trailer where he is seen flirting with Zelda, could be a reference to his Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix ending, where Ken was seen flirting with a female character who wasn't Eliza.

• In Street Fighter V, Ken has a downloadable costume in the form of Dante's clothes from Devil May Cry 4.
  • Additionally, holding a button combination after equipping Ken in the Dante costume unlocks the Devil Arm Gilgamesh as part of the Dante costume for the match.
  • Coincidentally, both Ken and Dante are voiced by Reuben Langdon.

• In Street Fighter 6, the word ESC on his hooded jacket means "East Shipping Company".

See also

• Ken's moves in Street Fighter
• Ken's moves in the Street Fighter II series
• Ken's moves in Super Street Fighter II Turbo: HD Remix
• Ken's moves in Street Fighter: The Movie (the arcade version)
• Ken's moves in Street Fighter: The Movie (the console version)
• Ken's moves in Street Fighter Alpha 3
• Ken's moves in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
• Ken's moves in Capcom vs. SNK 2
• Ken's moves in Street Fighter EX plus α
• Ken's moves in Street Fighter EX2 Plus
• Ken's moves in Street Fighter EX3
• Ken's moves in Street Fighter IV
• Ken's moves in Super Street Fighter IV
• Ken's moves in Ultra Street Fighter IV
• Ken's moves in Street Fighter Online: Mouse Generation
• Ken's moves in Street Fighter X Tekken
• Ken's moves in Street Fighter V
• Ken's moves in Street Fighter 6

References

Street Fighter series Playable Characters
Main Series
		Ken · Ryu
	The World Warrior	Blanka · Chun-Li · Dhalsim · E. Honda · Guile · Zangief
	Champion Edition	Balrog · M. Bison · Sagat · Vega
	Super	Cammy · Dee Jay · Fei Long · T. Hawk
	Super Turbo	Akuma
	Ultra	Violent Ken
	Alpha	Adon · Birdie · Charlie Nash · Dan · Guy · Rose · Sodom
	Alpha 2	Evil Ryu · Gen · Rolento · Sakura · Shin Akuma
	Alpha 3	Cody · Juli · Juni · Karin · R. Mika
	Alpha 3 Upper	Eagle · Maki
	Alpha 3 MAX	Ingrid
	New Generation	Alex · Dudley · Elena · Ibuki Necro · Oro · Sean · Yang · Yun
	2nd Impact	Gill · Hugo · Urien
	3rd Strike	Makoto · Q · Remy · Twelve
	IV	Abel · C. Viper · El Fuerte · Gouken · Rufus · Seth
	Super	Hakan · Juri
	Arcade Edition	Oni
	Ultra	Decapre · Poison
	V	F.A.N.G · Laura · Necalli · Rashid
	Season 2	Abigail · Ed · Kolin · Menat · Zeku
	Season 3	Falke · G
	Season 4	Kage · Lucia
	Season 5	Akira · Eleven · Luke
	6	Jamie · JP · Kimberly · Lily · Manon · Marisa
	Year 1	A.K.I.
	Year 2	Mai (Guest) · Terry (Guest)
Spin-offs
		Arkane · Blade · F7 · Khyber · Sawada
		Cyborg
	EX	Allen · Blair · C. Jack · Darun · D. Dark Hokuto · Kairi · Pullum · Skullomania
	EX Plus	Bloody Hokuto · Cycloid-β · Cycloid-γ · Garuda
	EX2	Hayate · Nanase · Shadowgeist · Sharon
	EX2 Plus	Area · V. Rosso
	EX3	Ace · Bison II
	MSHvSF	Cyber-Akuma · Dark Sakura · Mech-Zangief · Shadow
	MvC	Shadow Lady
		Shin

Street Fighter Characters
Playable	Ken · Ryu
CPU Only	Adon · Birdie · Eagle · Geki · Gen · Joe · Lee · Mike · Retsu · Sagat

Street Fighter II Characters
The World Warrior	Blanka · Chun-Li · Dhalsim · E. Honda · Guile · Ken · Ryu · Zangief
Champion Edition	Balrog · M. Bison · Sagat · Vega
Super	Cammy · Dee Jay · Fei Long · T. Hawk
Turbo	Akuma
Ultra	Evil Ryu · Shin Akuma · Violent Ken

Street Fighter: The Movie Characters
Core Roster	Akuma · Balrog · Cammy · Chun-Li · E. Honda · Guile · Ken M. Bison · Ryu · Sagat · Sawada · Vega · Zangief
Arcade Only	Arkane · Blade · F7 · Khyber
Console Only	Blanka · Dee Jay
CPU Only	Super Bison

Street Fighter Alpha Characters
Alpha		Adon · Akuma · Birdie · Charlie · Chun-Li · Dan · Guy Ken · M. Bison · Rose · Ryu · Sagat · Sodom
Alpha 2	Original	Dhalsim · Evil Ryu · Gen · Rolento · Sakura · Zangief
	Console	Shin Akuma
	Gold	Cammy
Alpha 3	Original	Balrog · Blanka · Cody · E. Honda · Juli · Juni · Karin · R. Mika · Vega
	Console	Dee Jay · Fei Long · Guile · T. Hawk
	Upper	Eagle · Maki · Yun
	MAX	Ingrid

Marvel vs. Capcom Characters
X-Men vs. Street Fighter	Akuma · Cammy · Charlie · Chun-Li · Dhalsim Ken · M. Bison · Ryu · Zangief
Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter	Cyber-Akuma · Dan · Dark Sakura Mech-Zangief · Sakura · Shadow
Marvel vs. Capcom	Captain Commando · Shadow Lady
Marvel vs. Capcom 2	Guile
Marvel vs. Capcom 3	C. Viper · Haggar

Street Fighter EX Characters
EX	Original	Akuma · Allen · Blair · Chun-Li · C. Jack · Darun · D. Dark · Guile Hokuto · Kairi · Ken · Pullum · Ryu · Skullomania · Zangief
	Plus	Bloody Hokuto · Cycloid-β · Cycloid-γ · Evil Ryu · Garuda · M. Bison
	Plus α	Dhalsim · Sakura
EX2	Original	Blanka · Hayate · Nanase · Shadowgeist · Sharon · Vega
	Plus	Area · Sagat · V. Rosso
EX3		Ace · Bison II
CPU Only		Shin-Bison · Cycloids · Zako

Street Fighter III Characters
New Generation	Alex · Dudley · Elena · Ibuki · Ken · Necro · Oro · Ryu · Sean · Yang · Yun
2nd Impact	Akuma · Gill · Hugo · Shin Akuma · Urien
3rd Strike	Chun-Li · Makoto · Q · Remy · Twelve

Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix Characters
Akuma · Chun-Li · Dan · Ibuki · Ken · Ryu · Sakura · Zangief

SNK vs. Capcom Characters
The Match of the Millennium	Akuma · Chun-Li · Dan · Evil Ryu · Guile Ken · M. Bison · Ryu · Sakura · Zangief
Millennium Fight 2000	Balrog · Blanka · Cammy · Dhalsim · E. Honda · Sagat · Vega
Mark of the Millennium 2001	Eagle · Kyosuke · Maki · Rolento · Shin Akuma · Yun
SVC Chaos	Hugo · Violent Ken

Street Fighter Online: Mouse Generation Characters
Akira · Batsu · Chun-Li · Guile · Ken · Ryu · Shin · Zangief

Street Fighter IV Characters
Original	Abel · Akuma · Balrog · Blanka · Chun-Li · C. Viper · Dhalsim · E. Honda El Fuerte · Guile · Ken · M. Bison · Rufus · Ryu · Sagat · Vega · Zangief
Console	Cammy · Dan · Fei Long · Gen · Gouken · Rose · Seth · Sakura
Super	Adon · Cody · Dee Jay · Dudley · Guy · Hakan · Ibuki · Juri · Makoto · T. Hawk
Arcade Edition	Evil Ryu · Oni · Yang · Yun
Ultra	Decapre · Elena · Hugo · Poison · Rolento

Street Fighter X Tekken Characters
Core Roster	Abel · Akuma · Balrog · Cammy · Chun-Li · Dhalsim · Guile · Hugo · Ibuki · Juri Ken · M. Bison · Poison · Rufus · Rolento · Ryu · Sagat · Vega · Zangief
Downloadable	Blanka · Cody · Dudley · Elena · Guy · Sakura

Street Fighter V Characters
Original	Birdie · Cammy · Chun-Li · Dhalsim · F.A.N.G · Karin · Ken · Laura M. Bison · Nash · Necalli · R. Mika · Rashid · Ryu · Vega · Zangief
Season 1	Alex · Balrog · Guile · Ibuki · Juri · Urien
Season 2	Abigail · Akuma · Ed · Kolin · Menat · Zeku
Season 3	Blanka · Cody · Falke · G · Sagat · Sakura
Season 4	E. Honda · Gill · Kage · Lucia · Poison · Seth
Season 5	Akira · Dan · Eleven · Luke · Oro · Rose
CPU Only	AS · Aprile · Decapre · Enero · Février · Juli · März · Peter Phantom Bison · Santamu · Satsuki · Shadow · Shadow Lady · Two P

Street Fighter 6 Characters
Original	Blanka · Cammy · Chun-Li · Dee Jay · Dhalsim · E. Honda · Guile · Jamie · JP · Juri · Ken · Kimberly · Lily · Luke · Manon · Marisa · Ryu · Zangief
Year 1	A.K.I. · Akuma · Ed · Rashid
Year 2	Elena · M. Bison · Mai (Guest) · Terry (Guest)
CPU Only	Albert Jackson · Andore Family · Antler · Axl · Azam · Bosch · Bred · Carlos Miyamoto · Carol · Chandi · Damnd · Eliza · Eternity · F.A.N.G · Fair Libra · G. Oriber · Gerald Golby · J · Kalima · Keiko Asano · Kenichi Kakutani · Li-Fen · Max · Mel · Retsu · Rewancha · Roxy · Rudra · Sheng Long · Somsak · Yua