Ryo Sakazaki (リョウ・サカザキ) is the main protagonist of the Art of Fighting trilogy as well as a supporting character in The King of Fighters series, both from SNK.
A Mii Fighter Costume modeled after him was made available as DLC for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Character Description[]
Ryo Sakazaki is a disciplined and humble martial artist. He is fiercely loyal to his friends and family, particularly his younger sister Yuri and close friends Robert Garcia and King. He is also known to be a bit blunt and old-fashioned, as well as self-admittedly being not very smart or talented, but believes they are obstacles that can be overcome through hard work and experience, much like his fighting skills.
Ryo is the firstborn of Takuma and Ronnet Sakazaki. Under the tutelage of his father, Ryo began his karate training in the Kyokugenryu style, where Takuma instilled within him lessons of self-reliance in the hopes of making him a successor to the family dojo; this mindset combined with the intense training proved to be a challenge for young Ryo, as it clashed with his kind and bashful nature. These would eventually prove useful on his 10th birthday, as Ronnet tragically died in a car accident, while Takuma mysteriously left home without warning, leaving Ryo to care for himself and baby sister Yuri. While he grew up and matured, he began to take up a job in construction to help provide for him and Yuri while trying to keep the dojo afloat. Ryo also began to be involved in street fighting, eventually becoming one of the most renowned combatants in the scene.
Art of Fighting trilogy[]
Art of Fighting[]
Ryo as he appears in Art of Fighting
One day, a now teenage Yuri is suddenly kidnapped by a man known as Mr. Big, a criminal mastermind operating in South Town. Ryo and his best friend Robert Garcia quickly follow in pursuit to rescue her. With the assistance of a bouncer named King, Ryo eventually confronts Mr. Big inside of a mysterious dojo, where a mysterious figure calling himself Mr. Karate arrives to challenge both in a three-way battle. Ryo prevails and prepares to deliver a final blow until Yuri arrives, safe and sound, to reveal to her brother that Mr. Karate is in actuality none other than their father Takuma. With the family finally reunited after a decade, they together swear revenge on the true instigator of events, being the infamous crime lord Geese Howard.
Art of Fighting 2[]
Ryo as he appears in Art of Fighting 2
One year later, as Ryo is training in the mountains, he is sent an invitation to Geese's 1st King of Fighters tournament, to which he accepts in order to test his strength. Ryo eventually reaches the finals to battle Geese, who attempts to recruit him into his business; it is then revealed that he had hired Takuma to turn him into an assassin after his disappearance and that his reasoning for leaving Ryo and Yuri was due to his fear of being targeted, as he believed Ronnet's death was planned. Ryo refuses and defeats Geese, who unfortunately escapes, thus setting the stage for the events of the Fatal Fury series.
Art of Fighting 3: The Path of the Warrior[]
Ryo as he appears in Art of Fighting 3
Although Ryo does appear in the game, he is this time relegated to a supporting character, as the story's focus is shifted to Robert one year after the events of the last game.
The King of Fighters series[]
Ryo as he appears in The King of Fighters XII as a part of Team Art of Fighting (with Robert Garcia and Takuma Sakazaki)
SNK's series of crossover fighting games take place on an alternate timeline, as many of the events that take place in Art of Fighting are largely ignored; the most obvious is the characters' ages, as in the main timeline they are older than the characters from Fatal Fury, but in KOF they are around the same age.
Ryo is one of the few fighters to have partaken in all KOF games as the leader of Team Art of Fighting. Within the continuity, Ryo enters the tournaments in the hopes of winning the prize money to help fund the family business, which continuously struggles to run two gyms in South Town and Mexico. At the end of every year's tournament, many applicants would join the dojos due to the team's strong performance, but a majority often quit due to the training's difficult regime or other people who come to trash the gyms. Though, by The King of Fighters XIV, the business has expanded to a barbecue restaurant in partnership with bar owner Richard Myer. In The King of Fighters XV, the restaurant has become immensely popular, which conflicts with Ryo's desire for him and his family to continue with their martial arts training; in his team's ending, Ryo inspires his family with a rousing speech to get them to learn karate again and not be distracted by the restaurant business, which they leave in Marco Rodriguez's hands.
Ryo's usual teammates typically consist of Robert and Takuma, though there are certain instances where he is joined by other characters, which are often Yuri and King. Other characters from Art of Fighting have also partaken to directly oppose Ryo and his team, most notably in The King of Fighters XI where previous opponents Kasumi Todoh, Malin, and Eiji Kisaragi form Team Anti-Kyokugenryu. It is also in the KOF continuity where he runs into Terry Bogard, with whom he has a friendly rivalry with.
Other games[]
Ryo as he appears in Fatal Fury Special
Ryo has the unique distinction of being the first guest character in fighting game history; he is a secret final boss in Fatal Fury Special, marking the first time any of SNK's games have had a crossover of some kind. This would eventually serve as the inspiration for the creation of The King of Fighters series.
Ryo would later be playable in the 3D fighting game Buriki One; set in Spring 1999, a now 32-year-old Ryo partakes in the World Grapple Tournament under the name of Mr. Karate II, implying that he has since inherited the dojo from Takuma. He has also since gained his own apprentice, being Marco Rodriguez (who also goes by the name Khushnood Butt) who makes his debut in Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Ryo later reuses the moniker of Mr. Karate II in Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition and NeoGeo Battle Coliseum.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]
Mii Fighter Costume[]
A costume for the Mii Brawler modeled after Ryo Sakazaki was made available as a part of the Round 4 batch of DLC costumes.
Aesthetic[]
Ryo has a random chance of appearing in the background of the King of Fighters Stadium, though he will always appear if either the songs "ART of FIGHT" or "Art of Fighting Ver.230000000.0" are used.
Spirit[]
A DLC Spirit of Ryo was added into the game as a part of the DLC Spirit Board in Terry's Challenger Pack. It is a Primary Grab Spirit under the Ace class.
His Spirit Battle uses the Mii Brawler wearing a wig from the Isaac set; its moveset references the Kyokugenryu fighting style, consisting of Flashing Mach Punch (mimicking Zan Retsu Ken), Onslaught (Ryuuko Ranbu), Thrust Uppercut (Kohou), and Feint Jump (as Ryo is known to jump off walls). Both the Mii Brawler and the player have reduced jump height as the battle is meant to mimic a traditional fighting game (hence it also being a Stamina match). The stage is the Omega Form of Suzaku Castle, meant to resemble the family dojo, with the song "ART of FIGHT" playing in the background.
If the Ryo costume has been purchased, the Mii Brawler will wear it instead after the v8.0.0 update.
| No. | Spirit | Artwork Origin | Type | Rating | Effect | Slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1361 | 
|
Art of Fighting 3: The Path of the Warrior | 
|
★★★ | Fist Attack ↑ | 3 |
Other[]
Ryo makes a cameo in Terry's reveal trailer; in it, he is the second person to try and catch the Smash invitation, only to miss it. The scene is an edited version of the opening movie to Art of Fighting 2.
Trivia[]
- Ryo's segment of the "Mii Fighter Costumes - Round 4" trailer make several references to the Art of Fighting series:
- The Ryo costume jumping out of the Wario Bike on Figure-8 Circuit references the cutscenes that play inbetween matches in the first Art of Fighting, where Ryo and Robert are heading towards their next opponent.
- The Ryo costume fighting King K. Rool is meant to mirror a match with Jack Turner, as both he and K. Rool use drop kick attacks.
- According to former Capcom and SNK developer Takashi Nishiyama, Ryo was designed originally as an homage to Ryu. In response, Capcom members working on Street Fighter Alpha created the character Dan Hibiki as an intentional parody of Ryo, igniting a friendly rivalry between both development teams throughout the 90s.
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| Background characters | |
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Introduced in
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Bronto Burt · Buzzy Beetle · Fly Guy · Goonie · Koopa Troopa · King Dedede · Moltres · Pidgey · Ridley · Whispy Woods |
Introduced in
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Banzai Bill · Chozo Statue · Cranky Kong · Four Giants · Goomba · Kraid · Lakitu · Moon · Pak E. Derm · Tingle · Toad |
Introduced in
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Azelf · Boo · Red Bulborb · Chain Chomp · Cresselia · Cubone · Drifloon · Dugtrio · Electivire · The Fish · GEKKO · Hoppip · K.K. Slider · Knuckles the Echidna · Magnezone · Mei Ling · Mesprit · Metal Gear RAY · Metal Gear REX · Otacon · Parasite Queen · Peppy Hare · Porky Statue · Roy Campbell · Polar Bear · Silver the Hedgehog · Skarmory · Slippy Toad · Snorunt · Snover · Star Wolf · Tails · Timmy & Tommy · Tom Nook · Uxie · Villager |
Introduced in
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Affinity · Alfonso · Axew · Blastoise · Clawitzer · Dragonite · Emolga · Fortitudo · Honedge · Hydreigon · Inspired · Kapp'n · Lloid · Lumas · Mii · Milotic · Mr. Resetti · Nintendog · Pikmin · Piplup · Pyroar · Scizor · Shaymin · Steelix · Toad Brigade · Toon Link · Viridi · Wailord · Whimsicott · Wii Balance Board · Yveltal · Zapdos · Zekrom |
Introduced in
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Andy Bogard · Aqua · Athena Asamiya · Billy Kane · Blue Mary · Bottles · Buzzbomb · Carmilla · Cetacea · Chang Koehan & Choi Bounge · Claude von Riegan · Death · Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd · Dracula · Edelgard von Hresvelg · Geese Howard · Goro Daimon · Gruntilda · Heihachi Mishima · Iori Yagami · Jinjo · Joe Higashi · Judd and Li'l Judd · Kim Kaphwan · King · Kyo Kusanagi · Master Mummy · Mechanica · Medusa · Mobs · Mòrag and Brighid · Mumbo Jumbo · Mummy · Nia and Dromarch · Ninjara · Pauline · Phantom Thieves of Hearts · Ralf Jones & Clark Still · Rhea · Ribbon Girl · Riku · Rock Howard · Roxas · Ryo Sakazaki · Ryuji Yamazaki · Slime · Sora · Spring Man · Terra · The Creature & Flea Man · Tockles · Tooty · Tora and Poppi α · Tung Fu Rue · Twintelle · Ventus · Werewolf · Xion · Yuri Sakazaki · Zeke and Pandoria |
 Miscellaneous third-party universes
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| Characters | Boss | Rathalos |
| Assist Trophies | Akira Yuki · Bomberman · Rathalos · Shovel Knight | |
| Mii Fighter Costumes | Akira Yuki · Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad · Arthur · Bomberman · Cuphead · Dante · Doom Slayer · Dragonborn · Felyne · Gil · Goemon · Iori Yagami · Jacky Bryant · Lloyd Irving · Monster Hunter · Nakoruru · Rabbids · Ryo Sakazaki · Sans · Shantae · Travis Touchdown · Vault Boy | |
| Background characters | Athena Asamiya · Chang Koehan & Choi Bounge · Goro Daimon · Iori Yagami · King · Kyo Kusanagi · Ralf Jones & Clark Still · Ryo Sakazaki · Yuri Sakazaki | |
| Enemies | Pooka · Bacura | |
| Items | Boss Galaga · Special Flag | |
| Music | Lists | List of Music (Namco games) · List of Music (SNK games) · List of Music (Monster Hunter / Undertale / Cuphead / Shantae) |
| Songs | "MEGALOVANIA" · "Psycho Soldier Theme" | |
| Collectibles | Trophies | 3DS Trophies · Wii U Trophies |
| Spirits | List of spirits (Others) | |
| Universe | List of minor universes | |
 Fatal Fury universe
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|---|---|---|
| Characters | Terry Bogard (Ultimate) | |
| Side Characters | Background characters | Andy Bogard · Billy Kane · Blue Mary · Geese Howard · Joe Higashi · Kim Kaphwan · Rock Howard · Ryuji Yamazaki · Tung Fu Rue |
| Related characters | Athena Asamiya · Chang Koehan & Choi Bounge · Goro Daimon · Iori Yagami · King · Kyo Kusanagi · Nakoruru · Ralf Jones & Clark Still · Ryo Sakazaki · Yuri Sakazaki | |
| Stage | King of Fighters Stadium | |
| Music | List of Music (Fatal Fury series) | |
| Spirits | List of spirits (Fatal Fury series) | |
| Related universe | The King of Fighters | |