As I mentioned earlier, the chronological order of the Street Fighter universe starts with Street Fighter 1, followed by Alpha, then 2. After that, the series jumps to Street Fighter IV and concludes the Shadaloo Saga with the fifth entry, Street Fighter V. Then, the timeline goes back to Street Fighter 3, and finally wraps up the franchise with Street Fighter 6, which covers the current events.
Street Fighter IV delivers a more cinematic campaign while keeping the classic arcade-style character backstories fans loved from past games. It also features an animated mini-series and a movie that together cover the entire Street Fighter IV storyline. The animated series, *Street Fighter IV: Aftermath*, acts as a prequel, bridging the gap by showing events after Street Fighter II and before Street Fighter IV. The second, *Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind*, presents the full Street Fighter IV story in movie form, wrapping up the fate of the S.I.N. organization and concluding Seth’s arc.
In this essay, I’m going to cover both movies that explain what happens between the prequel and the main events of the game, and I’ll also include the classic character backstories.
Street Fighter IV: Aftermath
Chun-Li is moving forward with her life as a young single woman, keeping busy by working at a local eatery or traveling. She often reflects on the memories and battles from Street Fighter II. She honestly admits to herself that life hasn't turned out exactly as she had imagined. Yet, Chun-Li feels her inner strength stirring once again, ready to jump back into action — likely to continue tracking Shadaloo's movements, M. Bison, and the S.I.N. Organization.
Meanwhile, Guile receives word from his superiors that the search for Charlie Nash will be called off, despite his strong determination to keep looking. Undeterred, Guile leaves his family once more to continue the search for Charlie.
Though the world believes Shadaloo has been destroyed, Cammy remains unconvinced. She's certain that the disappearance of M. Bison and his henchmen isn't enough proof to declare Shadaloo gone for good.
In her *Aftermath* episode, Viper is seen exploring the Temple Hideout that M. Bison once used as the final stage of his World Warrior Tournament. After the fall of Shadaloo, the temple fell into disrepair. When she reaches a nearly abandoned village near the temple, she meets and interviews the sole inhabitant, as the other villagers left following Shadaloo's collapse. The man explains that while Shadaloo did subjugate the village and used it as a base, they also provided the villagers with what they needed.
The scene then shifts to a flashback revealing the cause of Bison's death. Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, and Cammy managed to confront Bison during the tournament and defeated him in a battle in the wilderness. Despite Guile urging Bison to surrender, he refused and tried to kill them all by unleashing his full Psycho Power. However, his attack only managed to blow them back.
In the aftermath, Shadaloo scientists recovered Bison's body to revive him, while the government launched a thorough investigation of the Shadaloo base, which had been destroyed following Bison's death. Although there was no evidence confirming the deaths of other Shadaloo members, the government assumed they were also gone. However, Balrog, Vega, and Sagat were revealed to be alive and well.
After being partially resurrected, Bison sent agents to try to re-recruit the former members. While he succeeded in bringing Balrog and Vega back, he failed to recruit Sagat, who even tried to attack the agent Bison sent. The scene then shifts to Bison himself, whose body was incomplete but strong enough to stand and fight. Seth and Abel are then revealed, as Crimson Viper reflects on the flowers and their surprising ability to grow without any care or intervention.
Akuma then throws Ryu back to the ground, telling him he’s following the same path as his late master—a path leading to weakness and straight to hell. Staring into the flames, Ryu experiences a series of flashbacks: first, watching the fight between his master and Akuma; then, recalling a rainy encounter with Gen, who, after being defeated, remarked that both he and Akuma would meet death, as it comes to all who live by the warrior’s code; finally, his earliest memory of being carried by Gouken to his dojo.
As Akuma turns to leave, Ryu rises and prepares for battle. In their fight, Ryu manages to launch Akuma into the sky and begins charging a Shinku Hadoken, but Akuma interrupts, unleashing a series of Messatsu Gohados. Ryu dodges them all, lands a punch that sends Akuma crashing to the ground, and follows with a Shoryuken. He starts charging a Metsu Hadoken as Akuma rushes toward him, but just before releasing it, Ken interrupts with a Shinryuken, scolding Ryu for trying to defeat Akuma without his help.
Meanwhile, in an unknown forest, a mysterious man performs a technique at a waterfall, scattering its water in a rain-like display.
In her Aftermath episode, Dan and Blanka cheer Sakura on as she steps into the ring to face Zangief. Just as she’s about to land a punch, the scene cuts to her being swarmed by interviewers, making her uncomfortable enough to leave in a taxi with Dan and Blanka. In the car, she recalls being knocked down by one of Zangief’s punches. The story then shifts to her returning home after three grueling months of training, where her mom calls out that Kei wants to speak with her. Kei asks about her post-graduation plans, reflecting on how they once had big dreams that seemed out of reach and how people often settle for what they can achieve. Kei admits feeling a bit envious of Sakura for still chasing her childhood dreams. The scene flashes back to Sakura fighting Zangief as she wonders if her dreams will ever come true, admitting she tends to rush into goals without thinking. When things don’t work out or aren’t what she imagined, she feels down but keeps telling herself “this time is it,” believing that step by step, she’ll surpass her past self. Finally, Sakura, Dan, and Blanka are interviewed after the fight. When asked what fighting means to her, she looks at a photo she took of Ryu years ago and says it’s about seeing what kind of future she can reach and hold onto.
Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind
Ryu is being hunted by S.I.N., who seek to use his Satsui no Hado energy to power their BLECE experiments, responsible for the mysterious deaths of missing fighters and strange energy discharges in the Amazon. Haunted by Akuma’s threats, Ryu struggles to resist the dark power while traveling and reflecting on life, power, and his purpose.
Delta Red, led by Cammy, investigates the Amazon anomalies and discovers dead animals and human corpses, while Chun-Li and Guile uncover a secret S.I.N. lab and the organization’s plot to exploit fighters’ energy to create an unstoppable army. Ken, initially unaware of the full danger and that his wife Eliza is pregnant, is drawn into the mission to help locate Ryu, who is targeted for his immense power.
Crimson Viper (posing as Maya) spies on Ken and Ryu, ambushing them to force Ryu to give in to the Satsui no Hado. Sakura intervenes to keep Ryu from succumbing to the dark energy, while Ken and the team work to rescue Eliza, who is held hostage.
The climax occurs aboard a S.I.N. cruise ship, where Ryu confronts Seth. Rejecting the Satsui no Hado, he unlocks a new blue-glowing, life-affirming power—similar to Gouken’s—that allows him to defeat Seth decisively. Ken, having realized a protective power opposite to Ryu’s dark energy, rescues his wife and discovers the strength that comes from love and family. S.I.N.’s plan is thwarted, but Shadaloo is revealed as the overarching manipulator, leaving a lingering threat.
The story ends with the heroes regrouping and recovering, Ryu and Ken parting ways with mutual respect, and a post-credits scene teasing a sparring match between them, hinting at future challenges.
Alright, let's dive into the main game's events by exploring the background stories of all the characters and how they fit into the overall story. Before we get started, I want to mention that Street Fighter IV has seen several updated versions, including Arcade Edition, 3D Edition, Volt, Ultra Street Fighter IV, and Street Fighter IV Champion Edition (the mobile version). Each of these versions introduced new characters, and the final release, Ultra Street Fighter IV, features a total of 44 playable characters. I'll begin with the main cast from the original version and then do my best to include as many of the new characters as possible. Just keep in mind, the order won't necessarily follow the sequence of the versions' releases.
Street Fighter IV takes place a few months after the events of Street Fighter II. Following Seth’s escape, the S.I.N. corporation launches another fighting tournament to lure the world’s strongest fighters and complete the BLECE project. While each fighter has personal reasons for joining, S.I.N.’s true goal is to attract Ryu and study the Satsui no Hado, believed to be the final data needed for BLECE. The tournament is publicly run by S.I.N., using preliminary matches and a point system to decide who qualifies—evidenced by Seth’s conversation about Dan Hibiki barely earning enough points to make it in. It’s implied that only the playable characters in SFIV, excluding Seth, are participants.
Ryu subsequently enters a new tournament with the dual objectives of further refining his skills and reuniting with his longtime friend Ken for another rematch. During his journey, he encounters Sakura, whom he encourages to intensify her training efforts. Concurrently, Ryu reunites with Sagat; the two engage in combat, and although the outcome remains unspecified, it is implied that Ryu emerged victorious. In the final round, Ryu confronts the tournament host Seth — who is revealed to be a replica — defeating him within the S.I.N. headquarters. During and following this confrontation, the building collapses as Ryu unleashes the Satsui no Hado upon the BLECE machine, a weapon of mass destruction developed by S.I.N. that harnesses energy from the human body.
During this event, Sakura, who has been searching for Ryu, locates him and the BLECE machine; a pulse of energy from the device propels her into a wall. Ryu protects her by executing a Shoryuken against the machine, and together they exit the building, the weapon having been destroyed. Subsequently, Ryu encounters Gouken, who has survived his previous battle with Akuma. Gouken employs the "Power of Nothingness" to seal the Satsui no Hado that is consuming Ryu, rendering him unconscious. Akuma then arrives to challenge his brother to a death duel, the victor of which will claim "the cub" (referring to Ryu). The outcome of this duel remains unknown; however, given that Ryu is later observed free from the influence of the Dark Hado, it is highly probable that either Gouken prevailed or the battle concluded in a draw, possibly due to interruption.
Later, Ryu and Ken pursue their long-lost master along a cliff face, with Ken expressing a desire for Gouken to remain, while Ryu offers him well wishes. Subsequently, Ryu and Ken traverse a desert, during which Rufus mocks them from his motorcycle; however, his vehicle later breaks down, leaving him to push it while Ryu and Ken pass by in Ken's jeep. Ryu then bids farewell to Sakura as she, Dan, and Blanka depart for home aboard a cruise ship. At a later, unspecified time, having resolved that his battles have strengthened him, Ryu meets an older Sakura. The events that follow remain unknown,although it is possible that Gouken instructed Ryu in the Shin Shoryuken and Denjin Hadoken techniques at some point prior to the events of Street Fighter III.
When a new tournament is announced, Ken hesitates about competing since Eliza is well into her pregnancy, and he doesn't want to leave her alone. Sensing his worry, Eliza reassures him she's fine and the baby isn't due for a while, so he should go meet up with Ryu and tell him she says hi. Ken arrives, and since there are no gas stations near the final's location, he parks his SUV nearby, calls Eliza to check in, then continues on foot. During the tournament, he runs into his self-declared rival, Rufus, though the outcome of their match isn't revealed. Later, it's hinted that Ken might have beaten M. Bison in the tournament. After it ends, they find out Gouken is still alive, and Ken and Ryu chase after him as he leaves. Ken's upset Gouken hasn't said anything to them, but Gouken replies they don't need a master anymore. Ken and Ryu head home on foot, and Rufus zooms past them on his motorbike, calling them losers. But soon enough, Rufus runs out of gas, and when Ken and Ryu reach the SUV, Ken offers him and his girlfriend Candy a ride — though Rufus declines. Back home, Ken tells Eliza that while he did get to fight Ryu, they'd been so caught up in everything else that they couldn't give it their all. Not long after, their son is born, and they name him Mel.
Chun-Li is seen moving forward with her life as a young single woman, keeping busy by working at a local eatery or traveling. She often reflects on the memories and battles from her time in Street Fighter II. She honestly admits to herself that life hasn't turned out exactly as she had imagined. Yet, Chun-Li feels her inner strength reignite as she steps back into action, ready to continue tracking down Shadaloo's movements, M. Bison, and the S.I.N. Organization.
Some time after Shadaloo's fall, Chun-Li, Guile, and Cammy are called to a theme park to stop Juri — a S.I.N. operative from Shadaloo's weapons division — who is causing widespread chaos. While Guile and Cammy focus on evacuating trapped civilians, Chun-Li pushes forward to search for more survivors.
She reaches Juri just as Juri executes a rogue S.I.N. agent. Chun-Li confronts her but struggles to land a solid hit. Juri grabs Chun-Li's arm and twists it into an armlock. Chun-Li manages to break free by kicking Juri's leg and retreating with an air-Kikoken, which Juri blocks with one hand. Taking advantage of Chun-Li's distraction by a little boy whose mother was hurt in the attack, Juri rushes in with a kick to Chun-Li's solar plexus, sending her crashing into a wall and then to the ground. Before Juri can finish her off, she's forced to flee when Guile and Cammy arrive, her artificial eye malfunctioning. Injured and losing consciousness, Chun-Li tells Cammy about the little boy and his mother.
Chun-Li is hospitalized with multiple injuries, but once she recovers, she's back to investigating Juri and her ties to S.I.N., working from her hospital bed on a laptop. Guile and Cammy head out to confront Juri while Chun-Li monitors the S.I.N. base and their movements.
Later, Guile informs Chun-Li that they failed to capture Juri. Donning her outfit once again, Chun-Li returns to Interpol and teams up with Guile and Cammy to take down S.I.N. and uncover the truth about what happened to M. Bison. After recovering from her defeat by Juri Han, she enters a new international fighting tournament aiming to dismantle S.I.N. for good. Along the way, she's approached by Abel, who's searching for leads on the Shadaloo organization. During the tournament, she also pursues Gen, who is competing as well, hoping to learn more about her father's death. Gen refuses to share, and she can't force him. She then confronts C.Viper and nearly blows her cover because Viper was “impeding” her investigation. Later, she faces Juri again, trying to arrest her. Although Chun-Li defeats Juri, she can't bring her into custody. When infiltrating the S.I.N. dam facility, she gets trapped as Vega activates the base's self-destruct sequence. Gen protects her from the collapse, and she's eventually rescued by Guile and Abel.
In 1991, E. Honda grew frustrated that the rest of the world didn’t hold sumo wrestling in the same high regard as the Japanese. Determined to showcase its beauty, he entered the Second World Fighting Tournament. At the same time, he was investigating the Shadaloo organization after discovering sumo wrestlers were using biochemical drugs, a link he confirmed by capturing some of the dealers. His face paint and dual-nationality name helped him stay undercover during this mission, a storyline element conceived well before Street Fighter Alpha 3.
Following the tournament and Shadaloo’s downfall, Honda returned to Japan to continue sumo wrestling, run his bathhouse, and train his students. In 1994, his time back home was short-lived as he joined the Worldwide Fighting Tournament, organized by the S.I.N. syndicate. After competing, he declared, “Look out, Olympics, here I come!” But mid-flight, he realized that to get sumo into the Olympics, he would need to join the International Olympic Committee himself.
In 1991, Blanka’s street fighting skills caught the attention of Shadaloo, who sent him an invitation to compete in their Second World Fighting Tournament. This gave him the chance to travel the world like he did as a child, searching for clues about his mysterious past and hoping someone from the plane crash he survived would recognize the feral boy who fled into the Amazon rainforest. In the tournament, Blanka entered as “Challenger #3,” defeating Dhalsim in India, Chun-Li in China, Zangief in Russia, Ken in the USA, E. Honda in Japan, and Guile in the USA, before being defeated by Ryu in Japan, finishing in 6th place. If victorious, his ending shows him reuniting with his mother, who recognizes him from televised matches by the anklets she gave him before the crash. Known to her as Jimmy, Blanka had grown up in the wild but still had ties to a nearby village. Between the events of Street Fighter Alpha 3 and the Second World Fighting Tournament, he also learned to communicate with humans, likely with help from the multilingual Sakura.
In 1994, Blanka left his mother due to constant stares and went to Hong Kong with Dan, who asked him about the tournament. He, Dan, and Sakura later entered the Worldwide Fighting Tournament hosted by S.I.N., each with their own goals, with Blanka seeking respect. After losing in the final stages, he wandered through S.I.N.’s HQ, where he encountered Dan and saw flames approaching. The flames were extinguished by Sakura’s and Ryu’s Hadokens, and it was revealed that his mother had gone searching for him, leading to their reunion.
In 1991, Zangief participated in the Second World Fighting Tournament, hosted by Shadaloo, at the request of the president of Russia, which would soon cease to be the Soviet Union on December 26. Designated as "Challenger #7," Zangief advanced to the third match after defeating Dhalsim in India and Chun-Li in China, but ultimately lost to Ryu in Japan. Finishing in 10th place, and dissatisfied with the result, he returned to training in the Russian wilderness, wrestling bears. Eventually, he was approached by the world’s largest wrestling organization, eager to sign the “Red Cyclone” to their promotion. Initially declining, citing his focus on bringing honor to Russia over financial gain, Zangief accepted upon being promised a grand stage and millions of viewers to showcase his strength.
In 1994, he entered the Worldwide Fighting Tournament organized by S.I.N., determined to prove to his young fans that he remained the strongest and most indestructible fighter in the world, countering claims that martial artists were superior. During the tournament, Zangief faced Abel, seeing it as an opportunity to best a grappling martial artist, and later challenged fellow professional wrestler El Fuerte, defeating both. After the event, he realized he had no souvenir, remarking, “I didn’t even understand what the last guy was saying before I beat him.” Inspired, he posed for a photograph holding the defeated Seth, the tournament’s main boss and host, in a headlock—a moment his young fans admired, recognizing Seth as the “bad guy from TV.”
Although Shadaloo appears to have been dismantled, Guile remains convinced that Charlie may still be alive, as Charlie's body was never recovered. Guile formally requests permission from his superiors to continue the search. When his commanding officer denies this request, Guile submits his resignation. Unexpectedly, his superior disregards the resignation and assigns Guile to investigate S.I.N., an organization purportedly linked to Shadaloo. Initially skeptical about Shadaloo's persistence without Bison's leadership, Guile soon approaches his new assignment with determination.
He enlists Chun-Li to assist in the investigation, and together they enter the Worldwide Fighting Tournament organized by S.I.N., aiming to infiltrate its headquarters. During the tournament, Guile encounters a mysterious French fighter named Abel, who appears to recognize Guile's Sonic Boom attack. Since only Guile and Charlie are familiar with this technique, Guile deduces that Abel possesses information regarding Charlie's ultimate fate and immediately presses him for details about where he previously witnessed the Sonic Boom. Abel, however, is unwilling to disclose such sensitive information to a stranger who might be a spy, leading to a confrontation between the two. Although the outcome of their fight remains officially unknown, it is implied that Guile prevailed, as Abel is subsequently seen traveling with Guile and Chun-Li to the S.I.N. base.
At the S.I.N. headquarters, Guile retrieves critical data while Chun-Li is captured by Vega, with the base's self-destruction imminent. On his way to rescue Chun-Li, Guile is ambushed by one of Bison's cyborgs, similar to Seth. Abel intervenes, engaging the cyborg and directing Guile to Chun-Li's location, urging him to act quickly. The precise details of Chun-Li's rescue are unclear; Gen appears to have shielded her from the collapse and then escaped the rubble, but he is not present later as Guile and Abel observe the base's explosion, with an unconscious Chun-Li in Guile's arms.
Following these events, Guile returns to Charlie's grave, placing a beer bottle upon it as a symbolic gesture to share a drink with his old friend. He acknowledges that although S.I.N.'s plans have been thwarted, he is certain that Shadaloo has not been eliminated entirely.
In 1994, he restores the water flow to his village after S.I.N. builds a dam upstream. His son, Datta, is penpals with Chris, Guile’s daughter. When Datta tells Dhalsim that Chris’s father is away on a mission to investigate the dam, Dhalsim realizes the situation is more serious than he thought. Though hesitant to use his powers for personal reasons, he feels driven to save his village. He enters the tournament organized by S.I.N., where he meets Rufus, who interrupts their fight to ask about his yoga. After defeating Rufus, Dhalsim goes on to beat Seth. With the dam destroyed, the water returns to the village. While he believes Shadaloo embodies a darkness in humanity that can never be fully erased, he also sees that “the goodness in mankind’s heart is also endless.
When Bison returns with a newly constructed body, Balrog is quickly brought back into the fold, tasked by Bison to retrieve Seth after his defeat by Ryu, deliver him to headquarters, and guard Bison’s replacement bodies, which he calls “dolls.” Unsatisfied with this role, Balrog hatches another get-rich-quick scheme and sneaks into the S.I.N. building with fellow agent Vega. While searching for treasure in his ending, he comes across a young, bandaged boy pleading for help. Initially uninterested, Balrog notices the Shadaloo symbol glowing on the boy’s hand and realizes the child might hold valuable secrets. Thinking he’s struck gold, Balrog pulls the boy from the ruins. When he asks what the boy can do, the child admits he’s powerless alone. Though dismissing him as useless, Balrog takes him along anyway, convinced he’ll be useful later and feeling the boy owes him for the rescue.
Vega makes a brief appearance near the end, seen alongside Balrog in a Shadaloo helicopter. As a badly injured Seth drags himself aboard, Vega delivers a message from Bison, telling him that while he "put on a fantastic show," S.I.N.'s success has really been thanks to Shadaloo working behind the scenes to guarantee their luck.
What Vega was up to after Shadaloo's fall is unclear; rumors said he went back to bullfighting, and some even thought he was dead.[14] But Vega was alive, and a Shadaloo offshoot called S.I.N. tried to recruit him again. He quickly accepted, intrigued by the idea of creating new bodies to stay eternally young. Besides, he'd grown tired of the aristocratic lifestyle, seeing money and power as an "ugly" mix.
At S.I.N. HQ, while Seth was busy fighting off attackers — including a newly resurrected Bison — Vega stole valuable data on the project. When Chun-Li did the same, he tried to kill her by triggering the fire alarm, which released a toxic, fire-retardant spray. He escaped in a helicopter as the base exploded, spotting Chun-Li being rescued with her copy of the data. Slightly annoyed he didn't have the only copy, Vega decided to fix that later.
Following the World Warrior Tournament, Sagat falls into a state of depression, feeling like a failure. Seeking something to rekindle his spirit, he attends one of Adon's matches, only to be ridiculed and challenged to a fight by his former student. Sagat defeats Adon with his Tiger Destruction technique, cheered on by the crowd, which revitalizes his spirit. Motivated, he enters S.I.N.'s new tournament, aiming for a rematch with Ryu and to uncover the "ultimate purpose of the fight." Eventually, he encounters Ryu and engages in battle, though the result remains unknown.
After the tournament concludes, Sagat contemplates his fixation on Ryu, realizing that the true significance lies not in winning or losing but in expressing one's soul to the opponent through their fists. He reflects on his past self, comparing it to Seth, whose fists he describes as "mute," and wonders if he has changed. In his ending, as he returns to his village, he is welcomed by Chit, her older brother, and their local monk — characters featured in the second volume of Masahiko Nakahira's Ryu Final manga — who inquire about the tournament. Sagat responds that he "actually had fun" because he "met an old friend" (likely Ryu). Meanwhile, Adon watches him depart, vowing to overthrow Sagat and become the new God of Muay Thai.
At some point before the events of Street Fighter II, M. Bison ordered S.I.N., Shadaloo's weapons division, to create at least 26 androids. #15 — better known as Seth — was chosen to lead S.I.N., showing far greater intelligence than the others. He was even called “M. Bison's right hand” indirectly. Bison also had a Korean official and his family murdered; the official's young daughter, Juri, barely survived. Seth gave her cybernetic enhancements, deciding she could be a test subject since she was already a Taekwondo prodigy.
After M. Bison's death, #15 took the name Seth and launched his own bid for world domination, starting with announcing a new tournament. But Juri had her own plan. Apparently aware that M. Bison was still alive, she tried to set Bison and Seth against each other to get revenge for her parents' murder. Even though Bison's soul wasn't transplanted into another body, he still manipulated events from behind the scenes. He even ordered Balrog and Vega to capture Seth but later dropped him off at his headquarters, with Seth revealing that S.I.N. had been manipulating Shadaloo all along.
M. Bison then took Juri's bait and returned, his soul transplanted into yet another new body — though not as powerful as the one from his Alpha days. His scientists tried to talk him out of it, arguing that a new body capable of fully holding Psycho Power could be created in time. But Bison chose the weaker body rather than stay dead any longer, saying he never imagined Seth would go so far and that it was only a matter of time before he'd inhabit Seth's body anyway. He then entered Seth's new World Warrior tournament, completely crushing his opponents in the qualifiers. There, he even met C. Viper and threatened to kill her if she didn't hand over her gadgets. Viper refused, and they fought.
Eventually, M. Bison reached Seth's S.I.N. headquarters, leading the remaining androids and attacking Seth for rejecting his mindless servitude, which made him useless. Seth protested that he'd almost rebuilt Bison's empire, which had declined since the second World Warrior tournament. But Bison countered that everything that had happened was part of his plan all along. Standing over the helpless Seth, Bison was suddenly confronted by Juri. Her plan to have the two destroy each other had failed since Seth hadn't fought hard enough. Juri threatened Bison, who was unimpressed, and they clashed. As revealed in Bison's Street Fighter IV ending, Bison came out on top.
Meanwhile, another android fighting Abel showed signs of developing self-awareness like Seth. Bison promptly destroyed it, remarking that Abel had grown since their last unspecified meeting. Their exact relationship is unclear, but it's heavily implied Abel was somehow part of the experiments that created the androids and might even be one himself. On his way out of the facility, Bison ambushed Rose, who was also at S.I.N. headquarters. He told her she owed him something, incapacitated her, and threatened to take it back “with interest.” As he reached his jet, Guy confronted him, threatening to destroy it if Bison didn't hand Rose over. In a hurry, Bison agreed and gave up the unconscious Rose.
At some point during all this, Bison encountered Cammy and Decapre. He noted that Decapre was dying but said “a bargain could be made.” Cammy let Bison take Decapre, hoping he'd save her.
Now I will show the new characters that were introduced in SFIV:
Born in an unknown place, Abel is a genetically engineered replacement body for M. Bison. Meant to be disposed of with other failed creations, he was the only one to survive and escape. His role as a spare body is hinted at in the games, including through his Soulless Ultra Combo. Abel was the first chosen by M. Bison to be turned into a doll, but unlike the numbered dolls, he was given the name “Abel,” which later inspired the naming of another spare body.
In 1987, Abel was discovered in an abandoned Shadaloo base, suffering from amnesia, and was raised and trained by a mysterious soldier implied to be Charlie Nash. Abel says the man who found him died recently, leaving him with no family. This backstory was later retconned in Street Fighter V.
Five years after the events of Alpha 3, Abel finds a stray puppy and takes him in, deciding he’ll name the dog once he uncovers the truth about his past. His search leads him to detective Chun-Li, who is investigating Shadaloo. Learning of his connection, she advises him to join the S.I.N. tournament for answers. During the tournament, Abel meets Guile, whose fighting style reminds him of the soldier who once saved him. When Guile realizes Abel might have known Charlie Nash, he demands answers, but Abel refuses to talk. Guile figures out the man must have been Charlie. Abel also impresses movie star Fei Long with his skills. Later, Abel reaches S.I.N. headquarters alongside Guile and Chun-Li. As Guile rushes to save Chun-Li from Vega, Seth appears, and Abel tackles him, allowing Guile to reach her. Abel is stunned to see that he and Seth look alike, but Bison appears, calls Abel “imperfect,” destroys Seth, and lets Abel go for unknown reasons. After the tournament, Abel tells Chun-Li he’s setting off again to search for more clues and warns Fei Long about the dangers of S.I.N., offering his help.
JoC. Viper is seen exploring the Temple Hideout that M. Bison once used as the final stage of his World Warrior Tournament, but it fell into disrepair after Shadaloo's downfall. After reaching a nearly abandoned village near the temple, she meets and interviews the sole inhabitant, since the others left following Shadaloo's collapse. The man explains that while Shadaloo did subjugate the village and used it as a base, they also provided for its needs. Crimson Viper reflects on the flowers and their surprising ability to grow without any care.
Prior to the tournament, Crimson Viper, operating under the alias Maya, attempted to interview Ken Masters — whom she had been surveilling for some time — at the Masters Foundation headquarters but was denied. Subsequently, Crimson Viper sought out Ken's wife, Eliza Masters, at a baby shop, where she introduced herself and presented Eliza with a doll. At the Masters' manor, Eliza and a maid discussed the doll, unaware that it was bugged. The surveillance device had been planted by Crimson Viper, who then detected a S.I.N. agent spying on her. She decisively subdued the agent using her Thunder Knuckle attack and instructed him to immediately contact "his boss."
Later, Crimson Viper communicated with the CIA regarding her mission to locate Ryu, positing that Ken's involvement would be essential due to his friendship and rivalry with Ryu. Throughout this conversation, she reflected on her daughter, Lauren, and afterward, upon viewing a photograph of herself and Lauren, she discovered a "Happy Birthday Mom" card affixed to her car mirror. While drinking in her car, she observed an individual running past.
Subsequently, under Seth's orders to evaluate Ryu's abilities, Crimson Viper ambushed him and engaged in combat, employing techniques such as her Thunder Knuckle, until Cammy intervened. Cammy warned Ryu against fighting Crimson Viper, asserting that Viper sought to awaken his true power, and attempted to repel the agent. However, Crimson Viper surprised Cammy by activating the capabilities of her Battle Suit. She effortlessly caught Cammy's kick, delivered a powerful punch to her midsection, and then struck her face with a kick. Viper then lifted Cammy, placed a hand on her chest, and electrocuted her, causing Cammy to collapse in severe pain. Viper proceeded to inflict further torment by stepping on Cammy's head in an effort to compel Ryu to unleash the Satsui no Hado. After incapacitating Cammy with a Burning Kick, Viper succeeded in provoking Ryu's power surge. Nevertheless, the surge destroyed the monitoring equipment, necessitating her retreat.
At the Masters' manor, Crimson Viper contacted Ken to inform him and the other fighters that S.I.N. was holding Eliza hostage in exchange for Ryu. Onboard the cruise ship where Eliza was confined, Ken, along with Ryu, Sakura, and Chun-Li, covertly boarded the vessel. Ken confronted Crimson Viper, who refused to disclose Eliza's location, deeming Ken weak. She attempted to strike him with her Thunder Knuckle, but Ken unexpectedly blocked the attack with near invincibility. Crimson Viper escaped, acknowledging that Ken's demonstrated power was formidable, even compared to Ryu's Satsui no Hado.
At the conclusion of the film, Lauren arrived at Crimson Viper's car after school and was warmly received by her mother, who was engaged in a phone conversation.
Crimson Viper also appeared near the end of the OVA, having remotely hacked into Chun-Li's laptop to monitor her battle with Juri at Shadaloo's mountain base. Commenting on the unfolding events, she expressed hope that Chun-Li had obtained valuable intelligence on Juri and anticipated that the Interpol agent would continue pursuing the Taekwondo fighter to further Crimson Viper's objectives.
Super Street Fighter IV
Though officially employed by S.I.N., C. Viper is actually a secret agent working for a U.S. government agency, later revealed to be the CIA. Under the alias "Maya," she leads the "Battle Suit project" as a S.I.N. operative and enters the tournament they're hosting to test the prototype. If she succeeds, she'll be reassigned to the BLECE project. Alongside this mission, she's also tasked with scouting potential recruits from a list she's given, one of whom is Hakan — whom she ultimately rejects as a candidate.
Before the tournament begins, C. Viper learns that a CIA team investigating S.I.N.'s rumored ties to Shadaloo has been assassinated, realizing she's the only one left to complete the mission. During the tournament, she crosses paths with several people. She introduces herself to Cammy, who doesn't seem interested and ends up fighting her. She also encounters M. Bison, who wants her gadgets, but she refuses, leading to another fight. Chun-Li nearly blows her cover, which sparks yet another battle.
After all this, C. Viper infiltrates S.I.N.'s headquarters in search of information. There, she finds a wounded Seth, who recognizes her as a CIA agent. She finishes him off. Unfortunately, Cammy destroys the data related to BLECE before C. Viper can copy it, causing years of investigation to vanish. However, the data linking Shadaloo to S.I.N. survives and is recovered by Chun-Li before the facility is destroyed.
Back at the CIA, she reports to her superiors that "#15" (Seth) has been eliminated and that the "remaining 26" are now in her sights. She then heads home to her daughter Lauren, driving away in her car.
Rufus is an American kung-fu fighter known for his larger-than-life personality and his self-proclaimed rivalry with Ken Masters — though Ken himself doesn't really know who Rufus is. Rufus works as a mechanic at a motorcycle repair shop. Not much is known about his life before the events of Street Fighter IV, except for one memorable story: he met his girlfriend Candy after beating up a waiter who was chasing her. Rufus shares this tale in a win quote to Rose: "I'll never forget when I first met my girl. It was a rainy day in October and I was on my way home from a fight. Suddenly, this chick came outta nowhere an' was all like 'Help!' I guess she pulled a dine an' dash, so I beat up the waiter that was chasin' her!"
Rufus's passion for martial arts started when he was young, inspired by watching countless kung-fu movies. This led him to take correspondence courses and eventually ride his motorcycle all the way through China, training under various masters to separate fact from fiction. Interestingly, Rufus is also something of a legend in the biker community, though he doesn't really make a big deal out of it.
After reading an article that praised Ken as America's best fighter, Rufus naturally felt insulted. Candy suggested he prove himself by defeating Ken in front of an audience to settle who's truly the best. Rufus smiled and accepted her challenge. He eventually tracked down the tournament and found Ken, though the outcome of their fight remains unknown — though it's likely Ken came out on top.
Following the tournament, Rufus and Candy zoom past Ken and Ryu in the wasteland, stopping briefly to throw an insult their way. Not long after, Rufus is seen pushing his motorbike because it's run out of petrol. Ken pulls up in his stylish SUV, holding Candy's hat, and offers to give Rufus a tow. Proud as ever, Rufus declines, saying pushing the bike is part of his training. Ken just shrugs and drives off. Candy offers to help push, but Rufus insists she stay put, cursing Ken's bad luck.
On their way to the tournament, Rufus and Candy ride through a barren wasteland with hardly any signs of life. Rufus wonders if they're headed in the right direction and suspects Ken might have somehow misled him.
Eventually, they reach a petrol station where Candy gets the attendant to fill up the bike while Rufus cools off by pouring an entire tank of water over himself. Back on the road, Rufus asks Candy where they should head next. Candy suggests that since it's so hot in the desert, they should aim for the North Pole. Rufus enthusiastically agrees, ready for their next adventure.
El Fuerte was raised in the art of Lucha Libre by the same teacher who trained the legendary wrestler El Stingray and Meteorito Jr. While his role in the game's story is pretty light, he enters the tournament eager to face off against other champions, learn about their favorite foods, and put his lucha libre skills to the test. Along the way, he crosses paths with his rival, Zangief, and they battle to settle the question: "Is a hurricane stronger than a cyclone?"
In El Fuerte's ending, he wonders what recipe would befit a great hero. E. Honda and Zangief each suggest their favorite dishes — Chankonabe and Borscht, respectively. El Fuerte then combines them, adding chili peppers and lemon. Unfortunately, the result tastes terrible, as Honda and Zangief's faces turn blue with disgust. But El Fuerte, blissfully unaware, declares the dish "tastes so great it sends you straight to heaven!"
His story closely mirrors his Street Fighter IV tale. He joins the tournament believing that "the ultimate fighter deserves the ultimate menu!" and that winning will help him "reach the stars of ultimate delicacy!"
In his ending, El Fuerte is seen cooking in the kitchen with a fellow cook who asks about the green liquid beside him. El Fuerte explains it's Aojiru, a nutritious drink recommended by a sumo-wrestler friend, and wonders why the Japanese call it "blue juice" when it's actually green. When asked why he's adding it to chili soup, a close-up reveals a mix of unusual ingredients in the pot, including fish bones. El Fuerte's philosophy is simple: "adding one delicious thing to another delicious thing always equals... more deliciousness." To top it off, he throws in some chocolate he got from "that French mercenary," which drives the other cook to frustration, insisting El Fuerte is just making the dish worse.
Bosses and hidden characters
Seth is the 15th of at least 26 enhanced beings who use data gathered from the world warriors to develop a deadly mixed martial arts style. He claims superiority because of his humanity, viewing the others as mere puppets. Seth's storyline reveals his plan to take control of the remnants of Shadaloo through S.I.N. after M. Bison's apparent death. He also tries to recruit Juri Han, a woman with the Feng Shui Engine in her left eye who holds a grudge against Shadaloo. When she confronts Seth, she surprisingly offers to work with him, and he accepts.
Seth organizes the Worldwide Fighting Tournament following the Second World Fighting Tournament, hoping to draw out Ryu and use the Satsui no Hado to complete his BLECE project. However, he's unsettled by reports that M. Bison has returned from the dead. When M. Bison finally faces Seth in battle, he defeats him and reveals that everything that has happened was part of his plan all along. After M. Bison leaves, Juri tells Seth she deliberately set them against each other but is disappointed that Seth wasn't more of a challenge for Bison. She then destroys his Tanden Engine, leaving Seth dead and twitching on the floor.
One of Seth's brethren is discovered by C. Viper, who finishes it off. After the tournament, C. Viper reports to her superiors that the "remaining 26" are now in her sights. It's unclear if this includes the final bosses encountered by all characters; Ryu faces what seems to be another "Seth" and defeats him, destroying the BLECE machine as well. It's possible M. Bison ordered the remaining "puppets" to cause chaos around the S.I.N. compound, but it's also implied that Juri destroyed most of them.
In the movie, Seth is first seen discussing an experiment in the Amazon with a scientist, aiming to make it commercially viable. Later, he talks about BLECE with Viper, explaining that BLECE grants access to fighting energy, which is why S.I.N. abducted the fighters and is now after Ryu. C. Viper suggests Seth see Ryu's abilities firsthand.
On a S.I.N.-owned cruise ship, Ryu struggles against Seth and is losing. Seth speaks at length about obtaining ultimate power. Ryu realizes that the power he sought isn't what he thought it was, and through Seth's words, he finds his true purpose: to seek strength to protect what is good and fight evil. Seth laughs off Ryu's speech as nonsense and attacks him.
Ryu then reveals his new power, a result of rejecting the Satsui no Hado through enlightenment — the same power Gouken uses and Ken showed earlier, but even stronger, with his eyes glowing blue. This power burns the skin off Seth's hand, and Ryu defeats him with an unstoppable Metsu Hadoken, which briefly burns through the android's muscles. After his defeat, Seth is rescued by S.I.N. members.
Eventually, Seth is cornered by Guile, Cammy, and the U.S. Coast Guard, but a Shadaloo helicopter arrives to pick him up, carrying Balrog and Vega. Vega tells Seth that Shadaloo is the true manipulator behind everything.
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Sometime after the second World Warrior Tournament, Ryu and Akuma face off in a fierce duel, with Akuma clearly dominating the fight. As Akuma taunts Ryu for rejecting the Dark Hado, Ryu finds the inner strength to recover and fight back. However, Ken interrupts the battle, forcing Akuma to retreat.
Akuma also appears at the beginning of the movie, where he invades Ryu's mind and torments him. He questions why and how long Ryu plans to resist the Satsui no Hado, to which Ryu firmly replies, "Until my last breath!" He explains that he's aiming for something beyond mere power. Akuma dismisses this as the height of foolishness, pointing out that Ryu doesn't truly know what he's seeking. He insists that Ryu's blood is calling out to him, and that he must answer it with his life. But Ryu stands his ground, refusing sternly. In response, Akuma threatens to kill him himself, declaring that this mundane world means nothing to them — they grow stronger by consuming human life. Frustrated, Ryu unconsciously taps into the Satsui no Hado, causing Akuma to burst into laughter before vanishing.
During the events of Seth's tournament, Akuma continues his training and senses the Satsui no Hado stirring again within Ryu. Without hesitation, he sets off to find Ryu and push him to embrace this power, hoping to face him in battle and test his strength. Like in previous tournaments, Akuma doesn't officially enter but remains lurking in the shadows. Later, he discovers an unconscious Ryu being cared for by his brother, Gouken. Akuma notices that Gouken has mastered the Power of Nothingness. The two brothers clash, with Ryu caught in the middle as the prize. Both survive the intense fight, and Ryu is saved by Gouken.
Akuma then resumes his training and continues his search for a worthy opponent, even unleashing his power to raze an entire forest. In Elena's ending in Ultra Street Fighter IV, she is shown to have befriended Akuma in one of her flashbacks, adding a surprising layer to his story.
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After awakening two years later and rising from his grave, Gouken leaves his dojo and quietly follows his students, feeling proud of how far they've come. But watching from afar isn't enough for him — he decides to enter the new S.I.N. tournament to personally test their strength. After Seth's defeat, Gouken finds Ryu and manages to seal away the Satsui no Hado, ensuring Ryu will never have to struggle with that power again.
Shortly after, Akuma appears, furious with Gouken for completing this task. Akuma believes that now he'll never get the chance to face Ryu in battle — or for Ryu to face him. He recognizes that the power Gouken used to seal the Satsui no Hado isn't ordinary; it's the Power of Nothingness. The two brothers then clash in a rematch, with control over Ryu's fate hanging in the balance. Gen watches the fight unfold, amazed. While the exact outcome remains unknown, it's clear both brothers survive, and since Ryu doesn't side with Akuma, it's possible Gouken ultimately came out on top.
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Afterwards, Ryu and Ken ask Gouken to stay with them for a while, but Gouken gently reminds them that they're both grown men now and no longer need a master.
Additional characters added through DLCs in the basic version of the game:The home versions of *Street Fighter IV* include some extra characters that weren't part of the arcade release. Among them is Cammy, who was the top-voted character in an online poll on Capcom's English site, along with Fei-Long from *Super Street Fighter II*. You'll also find Dan and Rose from *Street Fighter Alpha*, Sakura from *Street Fighter Alpha 2*, and Gen from the original *Street Fighter* and the *Street Fighter Alpha* series. Plus, the two computer-only boss characters from the arcade version, Seth and Gouken, become playable in the home editions, and Akuma appears as a hidden character.
In Street Fighter IV, Dan is shown to be a bit annoyed that he wasn't informed about the second World Warrior Tournament. He even asks Blanka if the crowds were bored out of their minds without a star like him to bring the real excitement. The truth is, Blanka did try to reach out to Dan about the tournament, but couldn't get through because Dan hadn't paid his phone bill and his phone was disconnected. Sakura also asks Dan if he's heard anything about Ryu lately, since Dan claims Ryu was once his apprentice. To keep up appearances, Dan mentions that Ken is rumored to be entering the next World Tournament, which likely means Ryu will show up too.
Dan decides to enter the new tournament to help spread the popularity of his Saikyō style, barely scraping together enough points to qualify as a last-minute entry. At the tournament's end, Dan is seen at the S.I.N. base, where he runs into Blanka just before an explosion threatens to engulf them both. They're saved by Ryu and Sakura, and Dan warns them to be more careful, saying that even with his “awesome powers,” they might not survive the next wave. Then, to everyone's amazement, he makes his exit.
During Super Street Fighter IV, Dan tries to make the most of his connection to great fighters by broadcasting a commercial for the Saikyō-ryū dojo, encouraging people to drop by and enroll — though his phone is still disconnected. When no one shows up, Sakura points out that the ad didn't include the dojo's address. Realizing his mistake, Dan lets out a scream, which is something Poison cheekily mentions in her win quote to him.
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Fei Long is back and ready to take part in the next big event, the Worldwide Fighting Tournament, after some troubling incidents on the movie set he's working on. It seems Shadaloo agents might be behind attacks on the stage hands and co-stars. The movie's plot closely mirrors S.I.N. operations, which has definitely caught their attention and put the cast and crew in the spotlight.
As Fei Long travels, he meets a variety of fighters. First up is Makoto, a spirited young girl eager to challenge Fei Long to help build her dojo's reputation. Seeing her passion, Fei Long happily accepts. Later, he crosses paths with Abel, who admires Fei Long and asks for a fight, which Fei Long agrees to as well. After their match, Fei Long continues his investigation into the attacks on his movie crew.
Eventually, Fei Long confronts and defeats Seth — the man behind the attacks and the tournament's host. When Fei Long demands answers, Seth cryptically says, “sometimes the media can get too close to the truth.” Before more can be revealed, a kunai suddenly strikes Seth in the neck, killing him. Left without answers, Fei Long leaves the S.I.N. building.
Back on set, Abel approaches Fei Long again. Having heard about Fei Long's plans to dig deeper into S.I.N. and Shadaloo, Abel offers his help and warns him about the dangers ahead. Fei Long responds calmly, saying it's not a problem and wonders where to start.
Dan and Blanka are right there supporting Sakura as she steps into the ring to face off against Zangief. Just as she's about to throw a punch, the scene shifts to Sakura being swarmed by reporters during an interview, which makes her feel uneasy. Eventually, she decides to leave with Dan and Blanka in a taxi. While they're riding, she remembers getting knocked down by one of Zangief's powerful punches.
Next, we see Sakura coming home after an intense three months of training. A voice, likely her mom's, calls out to her, saying that Kei wants to talk. Kei sits down with Sakura and asks about her plans after graduation. She reflects on how, when they were younger, they had so many dreams, but as time goes on, those dreams can feel out of reach. Instead, they often settle for what seems possible. Kei admits she's a bit envious of Sakura because she's still chasing those childhood dreams.
As Sakura fights Zangief again, she shares her thoughts on whether her own dreams will ever come true. She admits that she often feels like she's blindly chasing goals, and when things don't work out or reality doesn't match her expectations, she gets discouraged and falls into a cycle of ups and downs. But she keeps telling herself that “this time is it.” Through this mindset, Sakura believes she'll eventually achieve her dreams — taking it step by step and pushing beyond where she was yesterday.
Finally, the scene shifts to Sakura, Dan, and Blanka being interviewed after the fight. The main interviewer asks Sakura what fighting means to her. Looking at a photo she took of Ryu a few years ago, Sakura explains that fighting is about discovering what kind of future she can reach for and hold onto.
Street Fighter IV:
Sakura is back in the fight, still on the lookout for Ryu. Some time after the second World Warrior tournament wraps up, she corners Dan, asking if he knows anything about Ryu's whereabouts. Not wanting to seem out of the loop, Dan mentions a new tournament rumored to be starting soon, with Ken set to compete — and guesses Ryu will be there too. Thrilled, Sakura bolts off to sign up. She, Dan, and Blanka set sail on a cruise ship, where she pushes herself through a tough training regimen.
During the tournament, Sakura actively hunts for Ryu and finally finds him inside the S.I.N. building, right in the middle of destroying the BLECE project. The fight's impact hits Sakura hard, knocking her out. When she wakes, she sees Ryu standing victorious over her. The two escape the S.I.N. building amid explosions — likely Vega's doing — and run into Dan and Blanka along the way.
After the tournament, Sakura and Ryu say their goodbyes, and she heads home on the ship. In her ending, a slightly older Sakura is shown walking her dog near the Overpass when she spots Ryu approaching.
Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind
After Bison and Shadaloo fell, Cammy found some peace. But while checking strange energy signals from the Amazon River area, she found dead animals everywhere and shallow graves of martial artists who had gone missing recently. Tests showed the animals' cells were heated until they boiled and then exploded. She called Guile to share this, as he and Chun-Li were also looking into the disappearances. Together, they found a lab where kidnapped martial artists were being experimented on. The lab's data showed the experiments were approved by a weapons company called S.I.N. The strange energy and boiled cells were part of a project named BLECE, which could use ki energy as a weapon. They also learned that Ryu, who has unmatched ki power, was the main target.
When they found Ryu, Cammy tried to warn him but couldn't reach him before Crimson Viper, who was thought to be a S.I.N. agent at the time. Cammy arrived soon after and told Ryu not to use his power because it could help S.I.N. get their data. Cammy then faced Viper, but Viper surprised her with her Battle Suit's powers. Cammy attacked Viper despite Ryu's warning. Viper caught Cammy's kick easily and punched her hard in the stomach, knocking the air out of her. After kicking Cammy's face, Viper lifted her, touched her chest, and shocked her with electricity. Cammy fell down in pain. Viper stepped on Cammy's head to try to force Ryu to use the Satsui no Hado power. After finishing Cammy with a Burning kick and knocking her out, Viper succeeded. But the power surge broke the monitoring gear, and Viper had to run away.
Cammy was taken away for treatment and later appeared with an arm sling. She, Guile, and the US Coast Guard surrounded Seth's cruise ship, but Seth escaped in a Shadaloo helicopter. Chun-Li, Guile, and Cammy talked about the event at the docks and found out the case was covered up. Even with the proof they had, Cammy felt upset that they were back to where they started and were seen as the enemy, not the real threat.
While an attack happens at the Heavens World amusement park, Cammy arrives with Guile and Chun-Li. An officer tells them they think the men inside the building are former SIN operatives, which makes Cammy suspicious. A big explosion goes off in the park, and Cammy is shocked by how strong it is. The three go into the building and find many people who didn't make it out. Guile tells Chun-Li to go ahead while he and Cammy help evacuate. Later, Chun-Li faces Juri but is quickly beaten. Before Juri can finish her, her left eye stops working, and Cammy and Guile arrive. Juri escapes, leaving them with the hurt Chun-Li. After checking on her, Cammy tells Guile Chun-Li needs a doctor. Chun-Li says there is still a woman and a child outside. Cammy promises to take care of it, then Chun-Li passes out.
At the hospital, Cammy thinks the woman who attacked Chun-Li is linked to SIN but doubts they have that much power. The next morning, Guile and Cammy find Chun-Li awake and working again. Cammy finally understands why Chun-Li urgently needed a laptop. Guile makes a joke, and Cammy praises Chun-Li for her hard work and injury. They soon learn the mysterious woman is heading to a research lab. Guile and Cammy go after her, while Chun-Li stays behind.
On the way to the lab, Chun-Li tells Guile and Cammy about Juri Han, her sad past, and how she lost her left eye. She remembers the eye was glowing during the fight. Cammy wonders if SIN gave Juri a new eye. When Guile lands the jet, Cammy jumps out and chases Juri, who just defeated Juli and Juni. Before Cammy can attack, Juri uses Juni as a shield. Juri mocks Cammy, saying she killed many people before but now thinks she's changed. Juri throws Juli's body at Cammy. Cammy catches her, but Juri hits Juli's stomach with a jumping kick. The hit throws Cammy to the ground on the icy floor. Before Juri can finish her, Guile steps in.
Meanwhile, Juri gathers all the Dolls and puts them on another plane. Cammy chases the plane and climbs aboard as it takes off. She fights Juri. Even with her speed and will, Cammy can't match the power from Juri's left eye. She catches Juri's Cannon Strike and hits her hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Though Cammy wins, Juri sends her a final gift. She pushes the dolly Juni is on into Cammy, making them both fall out of the plane. Luckily, a mountain and snow break their fall. Cammy promises she will never forgive Juri.
Street Fighter IV:
Juni falls into a coma, and Colonel Wolfman tells her that S.I.N. has recently built a dam in India. This dam has stopped the water supply to a nearby village where Dhalsim lives. Surveillance photos show S.I.N. agents in the area with Shadaloo's symbol.
Cammy is sent to investigate and joins the new Worldwide Fighting Tournament sponsored by S.I.N. She promises to get revenge on Juri for the dolls she sees as her "sisters." Cammy meets Juri again, but the winner of their fight is not revealed.
Later in the tournament, Cammy sneaks into the S.I.N. dam base. There, she finds computer files about a "BLECE Project." While reading the files, Crimson Viper surprises her and points a gun at her, wanting the files. To stop the data from being used to harm anyone, Cammy deletes the files. Viper then puts away her gun and escapes, upset that years of work were lost.
During the base infiltration, Cammy meets Decapre, who collapses while shouting that she hates Cammy and her face. Bison appears and tells Cammy that Decapre is dying but offers a deal. Cammy lets Bison take Decapre in exchange for saving her life.
When Cammy tells Colonel Wolfman she failed to get the files, he says he already knows and praises her for a job well done.
Cammy goes home, and soon Juni wakes up from her coma but has some memory loss. Cammy greets her warmly and promises to help Juni get better.
In 1994, Gen is troubled by nightmares where he is surrounded by the ghosts of people he killed when he was an assassin. He rejects the ghosts, saying that as long as he is alive, he will not give in like them.[8] Thinking about how Chun-Li has become a strong and admirable woman, he knows he can't protect her much longer because his time is running out. He remembers when his illness allowed Shadaloo to capture her father. Angry at his weak body, he promises not to let them escape.[9] Gen joins the Worldwide Fighting Tournament run by S.I.N. At some point, Chun-Li finds him and asks him to tell her everything he knows about her father. Gen refuses and disappears, leaving her alone. When the S.I.N. base is destroyed, Gen protects Chun-Li from the falling debris, though it is not shown how. While partly trapped under the rubble, Gen sees Akuma and Gouken fighting over an unconscious Ryu. He thinks of them as "Life and Death." He is impressed by their "ultimate battle," where both were ready to die. Gen decides not to die until their final fight and goes back to his own "fight to the death."
In 1994, after seeing in her tarot cards that M. Bison had somehow survived Akuma's Raging Demon, Rose joins the new tournament. Her cards also show "The Fool," which here means reckless heroism, and say that the person this card represents is the only one who can defeat M. Bison. She also believes this person cannot beat M. Bison until the stars are right, so she must protect him until then. But she knows she cannot beat M. Bison herself because she has the same power as him. During the tournament, she meets Ryu and tries to stop him from going further to keep him safe, saying he is "the last hope." This leads to a fight, but both are reluctant to fight.
In her ending, M. Bison surprises her and grabs her face, taking back the little power he had left in her. This wakes up memories of what he did while inside her and shows her visions of the terrible things he will keep doing. After that, he lets her live but leaves her unconscious, saying she will be good food for his endless spirit.
Rose's ending is linked to Guy's ending. Guy faces M. Bison and tells him to give Rose up or he will destroy his jet, which is his only way to escape. M. Bison agrees, and Guy keeps his promise and lets him go. Rose wakes up, sees Guy, and decides she still has work to do.
Dee Jay's role in the story is small. Feeling restless, he stops making music for a while to try out his fighting skills by joining S.I.N.'s new martial arts contest called the Worldwide Fighting Tournament. Soon, videos of him fighting one of the Seth dolls are shown all over the world. Later, he meets and fights Rufus, seemingly because he thinks Rufus has an interesting "rhythm" in his voice and belly.
NOTES:
Okay, those are all the characters from the base roster and DLC that were in the original Street Fighter IV game. From now on, I will add characters from other versions of the game, including different mobile versions (Street Fighter IV Volt and Champions Edition), the 3DS port called "Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition," and the upgraded versions of the base game: Super Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition, and Ultra Street Fighter IV (2014). Most of the new characters were added in the upgraded console version, Super Street Fighter IV. The mobile and 3DS ports kept the same roster as the original console version, with only Dee Jay and Dan added as playable characters.
In 1994, after a fight, Adon goes back to his changing room and hears about S.I.N.'s new event, the Worldwide Fighting Tournament. He knows Sagat will join and thinks of him as "a tiger who has lost his fangs." Adon decides to enter the tournament for the second time to end Sagat's suffering. Adon and Sagat fight, and Adon wins. Happy with his win, Adon watches Sagat go home to his village. He says he has "declawed and dethroned" Sagat and will show the world the power of Muay Thai by beating everyone who fights him.
Bored with prison life, Cody "casually" breaks out of prison. He tells the annoyed guard that he'll be back soon and goes outside. While outside, Cody sees a familiar face: his old friend and rival Guy, and they fight. Cody's main goal seems to be finding a way to stop being bored by joining S.I.N's tournament. After beating Seth, Guy talks to Cody again, thinking there might still be some good in him. He asks if Cody "defeated a great evil" for the right reasons. Cody doesn't say no, but says he only did it because Seth was in his way. This makes Guy think Cody doesn't plan to come back. When asked, Cody says he will go back to his prison cell, where he belongs.
In 1994, S.I.N., a part of Shadaloo, floods Metro City with weapons. Guy decides to save the city again and soon meets Cody, who has escaped from prison once more. They fight, but the result is unclear. Cody keeps going and tells Guy, "people change — I've changed, you've changed." Guy joins the S.I.N. tournament and eventually reaches its headquarters, where Bison is carrying away an unconscious Rose. Guy appears on top of Bison's plane and threatens to destroy it if Bison doesn't give her back. What happens next is not shown, but it is suggested that either Guy defeated Bison or Bison gave her up because he couldn't fight. Guy then wakes Rose up, and she is surprised to see him. Later, Guy meets Cody again and says he has noticed that even though Cody fights just for the thrill, he always goes after criminals, thugs, and terrorists, which makes him a hero in a way. Guy asks if Cody will come back, but Cody says the only place he's going back to is his prison cell, because that's where he belongs.
It might have been Ibuki who threw the kunai in Fei Long's ending, but it could also have been Guy, since Ibuki is not involved with S.I.N. in her story. Guy can also be seen at the end of Cody's intro, standing where his own intro begins.
Hakan is the president of one of the world's top edible oil companies and a champion in Turkey's national sport, Yağlı güreş. He joins the S.I.N. tournament to show his skills and travels the world looking for ideas for a new oil recipe. This happens after he catches and questions a thug he thinks is an industrial spy. During the tournament, Hakan meets E. Honda, an old friend. They start a friendly fight, each saying their fighting style is the best. Honda loses but says it was a good fight and warns Hakan not to expect an easy win next time. Afterward, Hakan thinks about the many oils in Japan and tells his family they will go there to grow their business.
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His land is starting to heal from Shadaloo's damage, but it is far from how it used to be. Because of this, and because T. Hawk could not save Julia, he feels he is not worthy to be the next chief of the Thunderfoot tribe. He decides to join S.I.N.'s next martial arts contest called the Worldwide Fighting Tournament to keep making up for his past. On the way, he meets El Fuerte, and it seems they have met before. They fight to settle their old rivalry.
In his ending, T. Hawk meets Rose, who tells him where Julia is but warns him that "she is now a shell of her former self." Following Rose's directions, T. Hawk finds Julia in a cabin in the wilderness, cared for by an old couple. However, her mind is troubled, and she does not seem to recognize him or notice he is there. It is not clear if this ending is part of the official story, since Julia appears as a Doll in Street Fighter V and is said to be T. Hawk's wife in Street Fighter 6.
Early Life
In 1984, fifteen-year-old Juri Han was the best Tae Kwon Do fighter, winning against older boys and being called the "Beautiful Genius" by her parents. Juri was proud and believed she was the best. Her father was a lawyer who fought against organized crime. Juri said her father used "justice like a blade, slaying evildoers left and right" and was respected across the country. But when he started going after Shadaloo, her family was kidnapped by them. During this, Juri lost her parents and badly hurt her left eye. After that, her father's old coworkers and their sons, whom Juri had beaten before, looked down on her. They bullied her until she fought back, and her cruel side began to show.
Ten years later, in 1994, Juri had surgery at the S.I.N. lab to put the Feng Shui Engine into her eye. The doctors noticed she stayed calm during the operation. Her first mission was to kill enemies in public to test the Feng Shui Engine. Even with guns, her enemies couldn't beat her; she took them out one by one from behind. Chun-Li was sent to stop her. Chun-Li arrived just as Juri killed the gunmen using her Feng Shui Engine from inside a building. They fought, and Juri used her eye's power to knock Chun-Li out. As Chun-Li lay on the ground, Juri was about to finish her, but the Feng Shui Engine broke, so Juri had to run back to the lab.
After fixing it, Seth gave Juri her next mission: to capture M. Bison's top female assassins, the Dolls. Juri went to the Dolls' base with some S.I.N. workers. She beat all the assassins, including Juli and Juni. While carrying the two unconscious Dolls to a S.I.N. plane, Cammy and Guile showed up. They fought hard, but Juri won and knocked out Guile. She got on the plane and tied Juni and Juli to beds with wheels. As the plane took off, Cammy jumped and grabbed the open ramp, ready to fight Juri one last time. After a tough fight, Juri pushed a rolling table with Juni on it into Cammy, and both fell off the ramp into the air. They survived because snow broke their fall. Juri flew away and was praised by Seth when she got back. She licked her lips, feeling that S.I.N. and Shadaloo would fight soon.
During the Worldwide Fighting Tournament hosted by Seth, he sends Juri to take part; she sees it as a great chance for some 'fun.' During the tournament, Juri meets Cammy and Chun-Li again; the outcomes of their fights are unknown. Juri keeps working on her secret plan. In her ending, she goes to Seth, who is hurt after Bison's harsh attack, and mocks him for "being nothing more than Bison's backup body." Before she gets rid of him, she says she was going to work for S.I.N. only as long as it helped her, since she was just trying to make Seth and Bison fight each other — a job Seth clearly couldn't do. Juri cruelly destroys Seth's Tanden Engine by stomping on it and leaves him to die.
Ibuki is a young girl from Japan who lives in a village full of ninjas, hidden from the outside world. She has trained in ninjutsu, a deadly ninja skill, since she was a child. Every day, she follows the same routine and goes to a ninja school, but she wishes to live like a normal schoolgirl. Her best friend is her classmate, Sarai. Ibuki also has a pet tanuki named Don, often called "Don-chan." Ibuki sneaks away from her clan's summer training camp to join S.I.N's tournament because she wants to meet cool and handsome guys. After the tournament ends, she realizes she will be late for camp and tries to sneak back as if nothing happened. But one of the camp's instructors catches her.
Makoto is shocked to see how run-down the dojo is and joins S.I.N.'s tournament to win money to fix it. During the tournament, she meets and fights Fei Long, hoping the attention will help Rindo-kan's reputation. In her ending, she says she "beats the pants off" all her opponents, but she didn't win any money because the tournament sponsor, Seth, was killed by Juri and S.I.N. broke up. She decides to rebuild her father's dojo herself and earn money the old-fashioned way.
The Lee Brothers were separated from their parents at birth because their father helped the bosses in the underworld and got involved in a fight, which caused both their parents to disappear. Eight important and powerful leaders in Hong Kong's underworld became their godparents and named the brothers Yun and Yang.They were raised by their grandfather, who was an herbalist and acupuncturist and the best kung fu master in the city. He taught them Chinese Kung Fu. When he was young, he was called "Blue Dragon" (青龍).
The brothers own a restaurant called Shinryuken, but they also help their community by keeping peace and solving problems. Their Uncle Lee appears in the first Street Fighter game.
In Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, Yang and his twin brother Yun join Chun-Li on her mission to stop S.I.N. They think that any fight Chun-Li chooses must be a good challenge. Yang also uses this chance to test his skills against other fighters besides Yun and their uncles.
After the mission, Yun and Yang get in trouble because they left without telling their uncles. While they are being punished, Yang meets Chun-Li and thanks her, saying he wouldn't have fought strong opponents without her influence. The brothers say goodbye and hope to see her again.
After Chun-Li stops a criminal's escape and leaves with Guile, Yun decides that the enemy making Chun-Li come out of retirement must be very strong. He wants to follow her on an adventure. Yang happily goes with him, knowing they are fighting S.I.N., a group from Shadaloo. After their adventure, they come home to find Hoi Mei angry. She grabs Yun by the ear and drags him away. While they are being punished, the brothers meet Chun-Li again. They say goodbye and thank her for inspiring their adventure, hoping to see her again someday.
Non canon: Evil Ryu and Oni Akuma.
In the original Street Fighter IV, Evil Ryu appears in Akuma's intro as a vision while Akuma is meditating in a remote cave. In his intro for Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, Evil Ryu is shown lying down in the middle of nowhere. When he wakes up, he is fully taken over by the Satsui no Hado, which gives him great power. He then says that the ultimate power has awakened inside him and sets out.
In his ending, his actions catch the attention of Shadaloo. Two soldiers come to him with guns, saying that M. Bison has called for him. Evil Ryu ignores them and growls angrily, making the soldiers scared. He kills them before they can react. As they lie on the ground, he says he is not satisfied. His Hado wants more blood and violence, and he says only a fight to the death can stop this craving.
In his intro, his roar echoes through the night. Right after, his presence makes a nearby tree explode and kills a bird. He then looks up and says he is "evil incarnate." In his ending, he stands in the middle of a volcano. Then he jumps up and strikes the ground with his hand, causing the volcano to erupt instantly and cover him in lava. As the lava bursts out, Oni flies out of the volcano unharmed, laughing wildly and shouting fiercely.
Decapre and the other Dolls are attacked by Juri at a secret Shadaloo mountain base and are quickly defeated. They are put into stasis pods and loaded onto a plane by Juri, who takes them to Seth at an unknown place where he plans to experiment on them. These stasis pods can be seen later in the Street Fighter IV series in Seth's Crumbling Laboratory stage, but the people inside are not clearly shown.
Decapre wakes up from a forced sleep inside a stasis pod thanks to S.I.N. employees, who free her from M. Bison's mental control. As she starts to think clearly again, Decapre remembers being taken by Shadaloo. She also has memories of Cammy and gets very angry, using her daggers to break open the stasis pod and leave, promising to kill Cammy.
Even so, Decapre still follows her main goal, which is to kill Seth. After she defeats him and stands over his unconscious body ready to finish her mission, Cammy interrupts her. Decapre loses control again and attacks Cammy, wanting to kill her, but suddenly her body fails because it is breaking down fast. When Cammy tries to help, Decapre takes off her mask, showing her badly scarred face and the reason she hates her clone sister.
M. Bison then appears and tells Cammy that Decapre's situation was no accident. He says Decapre will die because of a "dead man's switch" (which was mentioned before in Juli and Juni's ending in Street Fighter Alpha 3) inside her, as her mind is slowly breaking down after escaping Bison's control. Bison talks about possibly making a deal for her life, but Decapre reaches out her hand to Cammy and says it's okay, like Cammy did for her before she was put in the stasis pod. M. Bison then takes Decapre away. Back in her stasis pod, Decapre thinks, "It's alright. Your big sister is right here."
In 1994, after Rolento's army joins a conflict, Rolento gives a speech to his soldiers about their mission to save the world. He then gets a report about a private military group called S.I.N., which will test a new soldier upgrade system (BLECE) at a coming tournament. Rolento decides to join the tournament to get the upgrade system for himself and his army. In his ending, Rolento fights and beats Seth. He pretends to offer a deal but then uses the chance to blow Seth up with his grenades. After that, he tells his men that the ruined base now belongs to them and they should search it for anything useful. As the soldiers start looking through the base, Seth's badly damaged Tanden Engine is shown shutting down.
During the kidnapping of Mayor Mike Haggar's daughter Jessica, Poison was part of the Mad Gear Gang. Not much is known about what she did, except that she fought the heroes. After Mad Gear fell apart, she became a wrestling manager. But her wrestlers were not very good, and few people came to the shows. When she sees that her wrestlers are not exciting the crowd and hears people saying they want to watch "the main event" (probably the S.I.N. tournament, which has flyers around), she steps into the ring herself and beats two of her wrestlers. She then decides to join the tournament to find new talent. After the tournament, she meets her old friend Hugo. She offers to manage him, and although he is unsure at first, he agrees. In Poison's ending, she somehow gets Hugo, Rolento, Cody, and Guy to form a KISS-style rock band called the "Mad Gears" with her, while Ryu and Ken do Hadoken pyrotechnics above the stage.
Hugo is a very big man who grew up on a farm in Germany, where he mostly ate potatoes. His mother told him to grow big like a potato, which can grow well even in poor soil. When he was 20, he moved to North America. There, he used his size and strength to start a career in professional wrestling. Hugo never lost in wrestling or in ultimate fighting.
Hugo, who was called Andore back then, and some of his family were important members of the Mad Gear Gang. But Cody beat the older members in a cage fight in the West Side, and Mike Haggar embarrassed Hugo in the first Final Fight game. This made Hugo very angry. In Final Fight Revenge, Andore tried to challenge Haggar for mayor in a wrestling match on TV, but the show was never shown. Andore and his family kept joining big gangs in Metro City, like the new Mad Gear in Final Fight 2 and the Skull Cross Gang in Final Fight 3. Still, Haggar and his friends defeated all these gangs and stopped Andore's dreams.
After Mad Gear broke up, Hugo decided crime was not for him and worked as a construction worker. One day, some old Mad Gear members came to fight him, but he didn't want to fight. They found him sad and missing his mother's potatoes. When one thug said he was like a potato and hit him, Hugo got very angry and beat them all. He then decided to join S.I.N.'s new tournament to show how strong he was.
After beating one of Bison's artificial fighters in a wrestling match, his old friend Poison came to him and offered to be his manager. Hugo said no because he didn't want to take orders anymore. Poison said she wouldn't boss him but that he could use her help because he had the brain of a potato. Hugo thought about this. Poison thought he wasn't interested and said she would leave, joking that if she stayed too long, she'd become a potato too. Hugo got excited and said he would accept her offer and that she could be a potato too.
Elena is a princess from an East African country where fighting is part of the culture. Her father, Jafari, is the leader of their region and a traditional healer. He also earned a medical doctorate in France. Elena wants to travel the world and make new friends. She studied in Japan as an exchange student, where she met her best friend Narumi. Later, she continued her studies in France.
While practicing fighting with her brother Marcus, Elena feels strange because of the feelings she senses from the nearby trees. Her father, Jafari, confirms her feelings and says he already talked about this with the Shaman. They learned that a "bringer of death" once lived among their people. This person spread "seeds of sadness" around the world, causing the trees to make "strange noises." These noises can be heard by people connected to nature, like Elena and the Shaman, and are the reason she feels uneasy.
Jafari thinks this person is linked to the upcoming S.I.N. tournament. He decides to enter Elena in the tournament. As the tribe leader, he orders her (even though her brother protests) to watch the fighters and find out "the truth." Elena happily agrees.
After the tournament, Elena tells her father she made many friends. She remembers dancing with Blanka, trying El Fuerte's food, having tea with Dudley, and taking a photo with a shy Akuma. She decides to travel the world and be friends with people from every country. She plans to go to Japan next. The last scene shows a close-up of Sakura, hinting that Sakura might guide Elena in Japan.
This is the end of the part that covers the Street Fighter IV story. It ends with Seth being destroyed, along with his S.I.N organization, and the return of Bison and the original Shadaloo. The next part will cover Street Fighter V, which is the final battle between Bison and our fighters (Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, Cammy, and others). I hope you enjoy this essay and look forward to the next part exploring the Street Fighter universe.
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