Ryu is one of the 25 playable characters in Street Fighter IV. Ryu is considered to be the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series of games.

Ryu was orphaned at a young age and adopted by a man named Gouken, who raised him in Japan. Ryu studied martial arts under Gouken's tutelage, along with another young boy named Ken. Ken and Ryu became very close and are almost like brothers, though Ryu is the more disciplined of the two.

At age 23, Ryu began entering fighting tournaments around the world. He was the victor of the first World Warrior tournament, beating all entrants and even the host, Sagat. Sagat had nearly beaten Ryu when a strange force took him over and allowed him to deal the winning blow against Sagat, nearly killing him in the process and leaving a scar on his chest. For this reason Sagat seeks revenge against Ryu.StreetFighter4.org: Ryu

Ryu is a muscular fighter with short dark hair and is usually clad in traditional martial arts clothing, sporting a red headband and red gloves.Wikipedia: Ryu (Street Fighter) Series

Aside from being one of the most solid all-around characters in the game, Ryu has a number of special traits that make him easy to use and a good starting point for beginners. His Ultra move, a super fireball that travels across the entire screen and does damage, has fairly straightforward properties and a simple input command. It also can be used in a wider variety of situations that most characters' Ultras.

Instead of having to create opportunities to use his Ultra, Ryu can use it at many times. For example, throw a few normal fireballs to bait your opponent, and when they jump to dodge the next one, throw out your Ultra and hit them in the air. Or, take advantage of the Focus Attack system by knocking your opponent in the air with a Dragon Punch, canceling with a Focus Attack and a dash, and then hitting them with a Ultra as they fall to the ground. This is an intermediate combo that can teach you how to use Focus Attacks and Dash Cancels effectively.

1. Hadouken: ↓ down/right diagonal → punch

2. Shoryuken: → ↓ down/right diagonal, punch

3. Hurricane Kick: ↓ down/left diagonal ← kick

1. EX-Hadouken: ↓ down/right diagonal → punch, punch

2. EX-Shoryuken: → ↓ down/right diagonal, punch, punch

3. EX-Hurricane Kick: ↓ down/left diagonal ← kick, kick

1. Shinkuu Hadoken: ↓ down/right diagonal → ↓ down/right diagonal → punch

2. Metsu Hadoken: ↓ down/right diagonal → ↓ down/right diagonal → punch, punch, punch

1. Many effective combos

2. Can combo into Ultra easily

3. Decent Focus attack

1. Light and medium punches are weak
2. Missed Shoryukens usually leave him wide open for attack
3. Popularity means many people know his tricks

• YouTube: Street Fighter IV - Ryu's Ultra Combo (Time: 0:32)