Ryu is a timeless icon among fighting game characters and one of the most recognizable protagonists/heroes in video game history. He has been referenced countless times in pop culture ever since his introduction in the original Street Fighter.
Ryu had a little-known cameo appearance in the vertical scrolling shooter game Varth: Operation Thunderstorm. In the fourth level, by a section of grass and pipes on the satellite's lower-right section, Ryu will appear and perform a Shoryuken. Continuing to fire on Ryu until he disappears will yield a large amount of power-ups.
Ryu's likeness appears in Capcom's golf game, We Love Golf!, as an unlockable cosplay outfit for Tony.
In the science fiction action-adventure game Crimson Tears, after completing certain conditions, the player can unlock character skins of Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile and Sakura.
In The Simpsons Game, Ryu appears as an enemy, with Ken's gi as a color swap, in the stage "Game Over".
In the arcade version of Double Dragon Neo Geo, Rebecca wears a red headband and her aikido uniform is based on Ryu's white gi. Her fighting style however is a mixture between Ryu and Chun-Li's and she also wields a tonfa in battle.
Jin Kazama, from Namco's Tekken series, has been compared to Ryu and has some similar personality traits and fighting prowess. In Street Fighter V, Ryu's premium school costume resembles to one of Jin's customized outfits in both Tekken 6 and Tekken 7 which is the gang leader's school uniform but without the bandages on the hands and chest. He can also customized his second alternate costume but his karate pants is no longer tattered and never wears gloves or handwraps. His full beard appears in a rough style and wears his signature red headband.
Akira Yuki, from Sega's Virtua Fighter series, has similar designs and personality traits to Ryu.
Eiji Shinjo, from the Battle Arena Toshinden series, also has similar designs and personality traits to Ryu (up until Toshinden Subaru). Eiji's nephew, Subaru Shinjo, also has a similar design.
Comics and Manga
In some few other media of the series (such as Street Fighter Gaiden), Ryu has some few similar personality traits to many other Shounen manga characters such as Son Goku, the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball manga series; some of these traits were preserved in later portrayals.
Television and Animations
In season five of the Totally Spies cartoon series, the villain Sushi Bob is dressed in Ryu's design from the original Street Fighter.
Ryu makes three cameo appearances in Disney's 52nd Animated film, Wreck-It Ralph where Kyle Hebert reprises his voice role in the film. First, a 16-bit Ryu and Ken notice that the arcade is closed and decide to take a break and head off to the Tapper bar. Later, a computer-animated Ryu can be spotted as one of the customers the Root Beer Tapper has to serve. Then, Ryu can be seen passing by Ralph for a couple of seconds as Ralph is looking for a medal. Finally, he is seen in the credits in the car-breaking bonus stage alongside Wreck-It Ralph.
Ryu and Ken's cameo appearances in Wreck-It Ralph.
Ironically, in the Japanese version of the movie, he is voiced by Taketora, the current Japanese voice actor of Akuma. Ryu can also be seen in an episode of the Wreck-It Ralf TV series "Day in a zoo".
He makes cameo appearance in episode 195 of Dragon Ball Z talking with North Kaioh.
He makes cameo appearance in episode 9 of Yu Yu Hakusho.
Mr. Higashijujo, the father of Tsugumi Higashijujo in Cyber Team in Akihabara, bears a striking resemblance to Ryu's appearance in Street Fighter II V.
In the twenty-second episode of Miraculous Ladybug, there were a number of Street Fighter references during the battle against Gamer.
Ladybug's and Cat Noir's robot (right) has the same fight stance as Ryu's.
The giant robot controlled by Ladybug and Cat Noir begins the fight scene with a stance that bears a resemblance to Ryu's appearance in Street Fighter II.
The first attack the robot used is an Axe Kick, similar to Ryu's attack.
When the robot unleashes its projectile called Catouken, the animation is similar to Ryu's Metsu Hadoken from Street Fighter IV.
One of the robot's attack, Tatsu-Lady, is a reference to Ryu's special attack, Tatsumaki Senpukyaku.
One of the robot's attack is called Shoryubug, which is a reference to Ryu's special attack, Shoryuken.
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In 8-Bit Theater, two Ryu and Ken lookalikes appear in Episode 451.
Internet
Ryu fought in episode 39 of Screwattack's "Death Battle" series against Mortal Kombat veteran fighter Scorpion, and ended up losing when Scorpon dragged him down to the Neatherrealm, where Scorpion's power dramatically increases. Ryu will make his return to Death Battle in episode 95, where he will be pitted against Jin Kazama from the Tekken series.
Ryu then appeared in the Death Battle spinoff series "One Minute Melee" where he fought Jin Kazama from the Tekken series and their fight ended in a tie when they knocked each other out, in their Evil Ryu and Devil Jin forms respectively, with a punch to the face.
He also appeared in the other Death Battle spinoff series, "DBX" where he fought Lucario from the Pokémon series and ended up defeating him by decapitation via his Shin Shoryuken and then caught him on his Pokémon Go app on his phone.
Ryu is featured in the 15th episode of Bat In The Sun's Super Power Beat Down, where Tommy Oliver (Mighty Morphin Green Ranger) accepts his challenge. Evil Ryu also appears as he delivers a Metsu Hadoken at Tommy, only for him to absorb the attack with the Sword of Darkness and at the same time breaking his helmet. The battle ends where Tommy impales Evil Ryu on the chest with the said sword in a similar vein with a Fatality from the Mortal Kombat games, with Tommy saying "Welcome to my nightmare."
In the alternate ending, the fight ends when Evil Ryu fires a Shakunetsu Hadoken at full power until he reverts back to his normal self, with Tommy being unable to withstand the Hadoken. At the end, another fighter calls out Ryu for a challenge. This unnamed fighter is portrayed by Johnny Yong Bosch, who plays Adam Park from the second season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to Power Rangers In Space, and reprising his role in Power Rangers Operation Overdrive. At the same time, Bosch also provides the English voice for Yang in Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition.
