Street Fighter’s soft-spoken and hard-hitting martial artist might not boast the loudest personality ever, but Ryu comfortably ranks among the fighting genre’s most iconic creations. After all, Ryu was deemed worthy of an invitation to join Super Smash Bros, a prestigious achievement that has generally alluded fighting games.

The master of the Shotokan fighting style, Ryu is not only the quintessential all-rounder, but he is a pretty great choice for cosplay. Along with boasting a costume that is not too difficult to put together, Ryu is also instantly recognizable by anyone who has ever heard the word “Capcom.”

10 Marvel Vs. Capcom: Cosplay

Image uploaded by KillerGio.

Capcom loves a good crossover. As one of the company’s most famous faces, Ryu has met his share of strange personalities over the years. Out of all of Capcom’s crossovers, the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise is definitely the most popular, even after Infinity’s best efforts to prove otherwise.

One of the great things about conventions is that they tend to bring together fans of different licenses, serving as a middle-ground where everyone comes together to just relish in their shared passions. There will always be a few Black Widows and Ryus at cons.

9 In An Alternate Reality…

Genderbend cosplay is a popular sub-genre that – as implied by the name – involves flipping a famous character’s traditional gender. Although gaming has always been for everyone, it has grown into a mainstream medium that cares not for its target audience’s gender or background.

For this entry, Cosplay Girl stepped into Ryu’s iconic gi. The cosplayer changed a few aspects of the costume’s iconic look, but the cosplay still retained Ryu’s essence.

8 Fight!

Street Fighter actually has quite an extensive plot, with each character receiving a detailed backstory that adds to their appeal. However, that is just something extra to complement the core gameplay. Arguably more than any other genre, fighting games can be boiled down to just their central combat. It is about mastering a character and defeating the opponent.

This cosplay blends real life and video games in a way that is endearing and effective. Stripped of any fluff, this scene is Street Fighter.

7 Hadoken

Sort of like gaming’s answer to Dragon Ball’s Kamehameha, the Hadoken is synonymous with Ryu. Contrary to the martial artist’s understated personality and aesthetic, the Hadoken is reasonably flashy, as Ryu sends out a fireball-esque attack towards his opponent.

Cookinintights’s Hadoken adds an element of electricity to Ryu’s trademark move, and it is all the better for it.

6 Sakura Will Follow Ryu Anywhere

Image uploaded by xLil-Hatakex.

Introduced in Street Fighter Alpha 2, Sakura is Ryu’s biggest fan. The young martial artist turns to the legendary fighter for inspiration; Sakura models her ideology, life, and moveset after Ryu.

Like a student in awe of her master, xLil-Hatakex’s Sakura sneaks a glance as Algerot Blacksmith’s Ryu. Besides just being a cool photo, this scene does a great job of conveying the pair’s dynamic.

5 Overwhelming

Bringing together two beloved franchises, this photo should be enough to sell most people on the idea of conventions. Where else could someone see Ryu, Ken, and Master Roshi together? Ryu and Ken’s Hadoken are, naturally, quite impressive; however, the Kamehameha does tend to pack a bit more of a punch.

Ryu and Ken might be expert martial artists, but they could probably learn a thing or two from Master Roshi.

4 Final Fighter

Despite falling somewhat by the wayside in the last two decades, Capcom’s Final Fight series has not been totally forgotten by gamers or cosplayers. Out of the franchise’s characters, Poison is arguably the most famous, and she continues to live on through the Street Fighter series.

Along with Bunnybii’s amazing Poison, megaforcemichael’s Ryu is also very impressive. It is tiny details like the slightly torn sleeves that really sell the outfit.

3 Atmosphere

For a character like Ryu, there is not all that much room for experimentation when it comes to the costume itself. Even the character’s alternate outfits tend to be pretty basic, as anything too flashy would not suit Ryu’s personality.

As such, quite a few cosplayers use a photo’s environment to enhance their version of Ryu. Ryu_brasileiro’s cosplay is already perfect, but the backdrop elevates it to new heights.

2 Ryu Is Ripped

While not the type to typically show it off, Ryu is undoubtedly built like a rock in the games. Capcom’s design suggests the martial artist can feasibly win a fight against a moving train.

Understandably, this is one aspect of the character that is difficult to replicate when it comes to cosplay. Vipergq’s Ryu looks like he could enter Street Fighter’s World Warrior Tournament and win.

1 Street Fighter’s Superstars

Image uploaded by 14vegeta.

While Ryu might be Street Fighter’s poster boy, in terms of popularity, Chun-Li can give him a good run for his money. Both characters are expert martial artists who generally fall on the side of good, so Ryu and Chun-Li do share quite a bit in common.

14vegeta’s Chun-Li is spectacular, and the same can be said for DeathstrikeCosplay’s Ryu. The setting is also a fitting choice for both fighters.

NEXT: 5 Fighting Games That Are Beginner-Friendly (& 5 That Are For Experts)