- "In Shadaloo, only those who wield true strength shall survive. If you had lost that strength your death would have been certain...survival is that simple."
- —M. Bison, to F.A.N.G (Street Fighter V)
Shadaloo's insignia.
Shadaloo (シャドルー Shadorū?), originally called Shadowlaw (possibly the result of mispronunciation) is a very powerful and deadly criminal organization that is responsible for dealing biochemical drugs and arms within the Street Fighter universe.
Shadaloo is headed by M. Bison and his three highest minions, Balrog, Vega and Sagat (lowest to highest). They are known as the Four Heavenly Kings (四天王 (してんのう) Shitennō?). F.A.N.G is, as of Street Fighter V, second-in-command of Shadaloo, ranking below only M. Bison and replacing Sagat after his defection.
History
Street Fighter II
Initially listed as merely "a mysterious crime organization", the game's literature mentioned little more than listing some of Shadaloo's ranks, as well as the members in order of seniority. Led by M. Bison, Shadaloo's base in Thailand (appearing to be vaguely near Bangkok) played host to the second World Warrior tournament. The Four Heavenly Kings serve as the final bosses for all playable characters.
Initially, Shadaloo's goals and scope were ambiguous at best. They appeared to be smugglers, though of what is not explained. M. Bison is described as "ruling his empire with an iron fist", possibly indicating that he controlled some independent territory. Each of the bosses were motivated by their own self-centered desires, and accepted M. Bison's offer to join his rank based on wealth or opportunity. Balrog was hired as an enforcer to expand his wealth, whereas Vega was a well-paid assassin. Sagat was M. Bison's right-hand man and personal bodyguard, who was motivated by revenge against Ryu.
Some of the other characters (specifically Chun-Li and Guile, later joined by T. Hawk and Cammy along with her unit Delta Red) entered the tournament to defeat M. Bison and Shadaloo.
Super Street Fighter II
As more games in the series were produced, more bits of information regarding Shadaloo came to light. In Super Street Fighter II, it was divulged that Shadaloo was responsible for the massacre of T. Hawk's tribe, and that it smuggled biochemical drugs and/or weapons. In addition, a storyline skimping on details was introduced between Cammy and M. Bison, alluding to the fact that Cammy worked for M. Bison before her bout with amnesia.
Street Fighter Alpha series
Shadaloo's motives, capabilities, and scope were much further revealed. The crime organization appeared to be paramilitary, with very powerful capabilities. Shadaloo bases were identified in Thailand and Brazil that seemed to contain technology and weapons sufficiently advanced to rival a medium-sized nation. M. Bison had control of a very large VTOL (vertical take-off landing) jet and employed scientists to create cyborgs, clones, human experiments, mind-control rays, satellites, powerful weaponry, large-scale attack robots, and the Psycho Drive.
In Street Fighter Alpha 3, a series of plots showed the downfall of at least one of Shadaloo's bases in Thailand and the destruction of M. Bison's current body, greatly weakening him and the organization. Nonetheless, Shadaloo would continue to have a large presence until and during the second World Warrior tournament, which resulted in the death of M. Bison at Akuma's hand. Shadaloo was shown to be one of the enemies of the Kanzuki family in Karin's storyline.
Tidbits of storyline info shown during or after the games indicate that after M. Bison's death, Balrog sought to replace him as the head of Shadaloo. Due to his being horribly inadequate for the leadership of such a vast empire, Chun-Li was able to systematically shut down Shadaloo operations to the point of its total collapse, leaving Balrog in need of a job once more, as indicated by his intro in Street Fighter IV.
Street Fighter IV series
The remaining scientists and smugglers of Shadaloo were transferred over to S.I.N. under management of Seth to work behind the scenes on new weapons and the BLECE project. Unbeknownst to Seth, the scientists also worked on a new body for M. Bison.
Street Fighter V
By the time Street Fighter V takes place, Shadaloo is still active; M. Bison has developed a new plan involving Black Moons to conquer the world. A Shadow Falls depicts the attempts of Ryu, Chun-Li and various others to stop Bison and his Black Moons; despite a few casualties and various setbacks, they ultimately succeed in vanquishing Bison, freeing the Dolls and stopping the Black Moons.
Ed later founded the Neo Shadaloo organization.
Street Fighter III series
After the events in Street Fighter V, Shadaloo has fallen (as noted by Urien in his pre-fight quote against Chun-Li) by the time Street Fighter III takes place.
Members of Shadaloo
Grand Masters/Four Kings
Shadaloo base with statues of Balrog, M. Bison, Vega and F.A.N.G
The "Four Kings" are the top-ranking members of Shadaloo, and effectively the head members. The name is based in the Buddhist context of the Four Heavenly Kings (or Shitennou), which is widely used in Japan, including but not limited to the inner circle of Shadaloo. Capcom USA localized the name as "Grand Masters" when originally releasing Street Fighter II.
- M. Bison (founder/leader/CEO)
- F.A.N.G (second in command, head of research)
- Sagat (bodyguard pre-Street Fighter Alpha 3)
- Vega (assassin)
- Balrog (enforcer)
- Cyborg (becomes a member in one of the endings from Street Fighter II: The Interactive Movie, replacing Vega)
Divisions
The Dolls
- Cammy / Killer Bee (former)
- Enero
- Février
- Marz
- Aprile
- Satsuki
- Juni (former)
- Juli
- Santamu
- Jianyu
- Xiayu
- Noembelu
- Decapre
Other Members
Experiments
- Cammy (Street Fighter Alpha 3)
- Abel (Street Fighter IV)
- M. Bison (Street Fighter IV)
- Seth (Street Fighter IV)
- Blade, Arkane, Khyber and F7 (Street Fighter: The Movie arcade game)
- Violent Ken (Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie)
- Cycloid Gamma (Street Fighter EX)
- Shadow (Marvel vs. Capcom series)
- Carlos Blanka (live-action movie)
Live-action Members
- Dee Jay (former)
- Zangief (former)
- Dhalsim (former)
- Ryu (former, working undercover)
- Ken (former, working undercover)
- The Bison Troopers
Anime-only Members
- Zangief
- Cammy White (being set up by Balrog)
- Evil Ryu (brainwashed Ryu)
- Shadow Lady (brainwashed Chun-Li)
- Rosanov
- Sadler
- Zoltar
- Edward R. Pressman (unseen true master only in the English dub of Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie)
Cartoon-only Members
Manga Members
- Adon
- Cammy as Killer Bee (pit-fighter)
- Gen (top assassin)
- Guy (former, undercover disguised as henchman)
- Eagle (pit-fighter)
- Sodom (pit-fighter)
UDON Comics Members
- Agent Zero/Charlie (brainwashed/experiment)
- Blanka (brainwashed/experiment)
- Dee Jay (brainwashed)
- E. Honda (brainwashed)
- Ken (brainwashed)
- T. Hawk (brainwashed)
Street Fighter EX Members
- Cracker Jack (US manual)
- Cycloid Gamma
- Balba Purna
Estimation of total general members, personnel, and utilities at its peak in the Alpha series
- 4000 members, 2000 of which who are trained martial artists
- 50 bases located throughout the globe
- 150 fighter jets
- 200 armored tanks
- 5 submarines
- 1 fully functional satellite (Beelzebub)
- 5 battleships
- 2 major command centers, located in both Thailand and Brazil
- 1 major science division, S.I.N.
- 1 VTOL command warship
- Billions of illegally exported black marketed drugs and weapons
- 200 helicopters (either military or civilian versions)
- 1000 missiles defense systems
- 50 radar stations
- 50 mobile artillery placements
- 1000 utility vehicles (either military or civilian version)
- 5000 well experienced scientist and doctors, some are trained in martial arts
Opposition and negative outreach
- Ryu - Considered a very high profile martial artist in the eyes of Shadaloo for his strength and standing as a fighter throughout the world. Bison hopes to gain his body to prolong his limited lifespan and push his current power to higher, untapped limits. Ryu in turn despises M. Bison for his crimes against humanity and sees him as one of his greatest enemies.
- Chun-Li - Is driven by vengeance against the crime syndicate as her father Dorai was supposedly killed by Bison himself. Has joined the ICPO (Interpol), joined forces with the US Military, and even the UN to take down the syndicate, and is one of their leading agents on the case. She also shares a mutual hatred with both Vega and Balrog.
- Charlie - Upon the interrogation of drug pushing by his fellow officers and discovering internal corruption amongst his superiors in the service, has taken it upon himself to undergo a lone vigilante mission to completely dismantle Shadaloo. After a surprise attack in Thailand on a crucial base holding the Psycho Drive with his war buddy and close friend Guile, he went missing shortly afterwards, only to surface again long after Guile presumed him dead. His quest to destroy Bison has become a personal vendetta.
- Cammy - Originally one of Shadaloo's top assassins and a possible replacement body for Bison, after she was freed by Dhalsim, she seeks to destroy Shadaloo in vengeance. She also despises Vega.
- Guy - After being warned of a great evil by his master Zeku, Guy realizes that his master was referring to Shadaloo, and the ninja sets out to destroy the organization as it is a threat to the natural order of the world.
- Rose - She considers it her personal responsibility to stop Shadaloo, as their leader M. Bison has corrupted the pure energy she uses known as Soul Power into a sinister, negative form called Psycho Power. She also possesses the light half of Bison's soul.
- Akuma - Akuma is a high priority target for Shadoloo, as they seeks to capture him in order to use his Satsui No Hado and to take vengeance for his attempt to kill Bison. Akuma tries to kill Bison, because he dislikes how the Shadaloo leader depends on his Psycho Powers.
- Guile - Believed Charlie's affirmations and joined him on his mission to dismantle Shadaloo. After the events of Alpha 3, Guile took it upon himself to finish Charlie's goals and avenge him.
- Zangief - Is not amused by Shadaloo's activities and crimes that reach his homeland of Soviet Russia. Not his highest priority, but he hopes to tackle them down for the glory of his nation and Gorbachev. Recently, he aided in foiling the Dark Moon plan.
- Abel - Abel is one of Bison's potential replacement body, who escaped during the S.I.N incident and has opposed Shadaloo ever since.
- Dhalsim - Shadaloo is said to engage in a great deal of smuggling a large portion of the spice trade in his home region of India, which is the reason why the region is greatly impoverished, and is why Dhalsim fights for the money to save his peoples. Dhalsim is the one who freed Cammy from her mind control and is one of the organization's greatest threats because of this.
- T. Hawk - As a child, had witnessed and experienced first hand of the atrocities Shadaloo commits in its agenda for world domination, as his tribe was forced off of their homelands to make way for a new base; he also witnessed firsthand of his father being executed by Bison during the struggle. In his later years, Shadaloo then kidnapped many of their tribe for their own purposes, including his lover Julia and brainwashed her into a member of Bison's personal female bodyguard team, The Dolls.
- Urien and Kolin - See Shadaloo as a potential threat to their own organization, the Illuminati. Resulting in the former bribing Balrog for information and the latter resurrecting Charlie in an attempt to take them down.
- E. Honda - While not a target priority, he is currently housing former Dolls.
- Dudley - Dudley serves as a rival to Balrog and serves as an occasional enemy.
- Juri - Seeks to kill Bison to avenge her parents and left eye.
- Seth - Seth is a rouge replacement body for Bison, who took over S.I.N and tried to destroy him.
- Birdie - Birdie abandoned Shadaloo and helped sabotage the Dark Moon plan.
- Gen - Gen attacked several Shadaloo members in order to provoke a fight to the death with it's members.
- Rolento - Rolento has attempted to take over Shadaloo through military force.
- Karin - In response to Shadaloo's latest attempt at world domination using the black moons, Karin gathered a team of fighters including Ken, R. Mika, and Ibuki in order to stop their plans.
- Rashid - A close friend of his was kidnapped by Shadaloo, thus he seeks out the organization to rescue her. However in the near end of A Shadow Falls, Rashid's close friend was revealed to be killed by F.A.N.G causing Rashid to fight F.A.N.G in a revenge-fueled outrage.
- Delta Red - A military unit that regularly infiltrates Shadaloo.
- Necalli - Necalli desires to eat Bison's soul. He has also attempted to eat Balrog's soul.
- Gill - The sinister leader of the Illuminati, who manipulated the organization from the shadows and planned Bison's death from the start.
- Garuda - Seeks to take over Psycho Power for his evil needs.
- Skullomania - Opposes Shadaloo for it's evil actions.
Logos
Despite minor changes and reformulations through every game, film, TV series and specials launched, the Shadaloo insignia essentially remains the same: a metallic or silvery skull with a menacing visual, adorned with eagle-like wings on the sides and a lightning bolt shaped as a single Nazi-esque sig rune on its forehead, the same rune regularly depicted adorning M. Bison's belt buckle.
