Gaming
Gaming
How to play Ryu in Street Fighter 6
If you like keeping your opponents at medium range, throwing fireballs and want access to good anti-airs, then Ryu is for you. We'll show you how to play the Shoto.
Fighting games are a complex genre and Street Fighter 6 is no exception. Although the title offers numerous opportunities to learn more about the system and the characters within the game, you may be looking for a quick overview of the strengths and strategies of the different fighters. If that's the case, then you've come to the right place.
If you are still at the beginning of your Street Fighter 6 journey, the tips in this article may be a bit too much for you. We recommend our beginner's guide for you.
Watch how the world's best players use Ryu at Red Bull Kumite in New York on March 16-17.
1 min
Red Bull Kumite 2023 official announcement trailer
This July, the most prestigious fighting game invitational tournament will come to Pretoria, South Africa.
01
Ryu's game plan
As in previous installments in the series, Ryu in Street Fighter 6 is a character best played at mid-range. Here he shines thanks to good pokes like standing and crouching medium kicks. He can also play his tried-and-true Fireball game, using projectiles to force enemies at medium or long range to jump, then scoop them out of the air with a Shoryuken.
However, in Street Fighter 6, Ryu is also a bit more complex than in previous parts of the series. His new special move Hashogeki allows for new combo routes or allows him to keep the pressure on the opponent with a charged version.
As soon as you have established yourself in the neutral with its powerful tools, you can always fight your way onto the offensive with good drive rush moves. Also, canceling a crouching medium-kick in Drive Rush can lead to heavy pressure or a hit-confirm.
Ryu rewards good fundamentals and sheds some of the boring main character reputation with his new options.
02
Notable normal moves
st.LP
Ryu's st.LP
© Capcom
- One of his two four-frame normals. Compared to cr.LP, however, the range is slightly higher
- Can be used as a confirmation in various special moves
- Good for checking or even breaking Drive Impact
st.MP
Ryu's st.MP
© Capcom
- Your go-to combo starter for medium confirms
- A simple link in cr.MP, which can then be cancelled in actually every relevant special move
cr.HP
Ryu's cr.HP
© Capcom
- Mexican uppercut
- Solid anti-air when you don't have a Shoryuken to fall back on
st.LK
Ryu's st.LK
© Capcom
- Fast move for counter-pokes
- Good for space traps
- Ideal for buffering moves in these
cr.MK
- The typical crouching medium kick of a Shoto
- Good low-hitting poke
- Usually cancel in Hadoken on block or hit
49 min
The Art of Street Fighting
The world's top Street Fighter V players prepare for the fight of their lives at Red Bull Kumite.
03
Special moves
Denjin charge
Ryu's Denjin Charge
© Capcom
⬇️⬇️+👊
- Gives you a charge of Denjin Charge
- A maximum of one charge can be collected
- It's then lost at the end of a round
- Boosts Hadoken, Hasogeki, Shinku Hadoken and Shin Hashogeki
Hadoken
Ryu's Hadoken
© Capcom
⬇️↘️➡️+👊
- The iconic Shoto fireball
- OD Hadoken grants a knockdown
- Denjin Hadoken receives another hit and flies very fast
- Denjin Hadoken does not beat OD projectiles
Shoryuken
Ryu’s Shoryuken
© Capcom
➡️⬇️↘️+👊
- Great anti air
- Invulnerable to aerial attacks
- OD Shoryuken is invulnerable to all attacks
Tatsumaki Senpukyaku
Ryu's Tatsumaki
© Capcom
⬇️↙️⬅️+🦶
- Combo tool for corner carry
- OD Tatsumaki is a good juggle starter in the corner
Highblade Kick
Ryu's Highblade Kick
© Capcom
⬇️↘️➡️+🦶
- Ryu's Donkey Kick
- Good Juggle in Super Art 3
- Medium and hard highblade kicks are relatively safe when placed correctly
Hashogeki
Ryu's Hashigeki
© Capcom
⬇️↙️⬅️+👊
- The regular versions of Hashogeki are purely combo tools
- Denshin Hashogeki is + on block
04
Super-moves
Shinku Hadoken (Super-Art 1)
Ryu's Shinku Hadoken
© Capcom
⬇️↘️➡️⬇️↘️➡️+👊
- Cancel from normal moves
- Invulnerable to strikes/throws
- Overwrites non-super projectiles
Shin Hashogeki (Super-Art 2)
Ryu's Shin Hashogeki
© Capcom
⬇️↙️⬅️⬇️↙️⬅️+👊
- Cancel from OD special moves
- Completely invulnerable
- Button can be held to charge the move
Shin Shoryuken (Super-Art 3)
Ryu's Shin Shoryuken
© Capcom
⬇️↘️➡️⬇️↘️➡️+🦶
- Completely invulnerable
05
Modern Controls Ryu
Ryu doesn't lose much if you decide to play him with Modern Controls. His biggest loss is a standing medium kick. However, this is manageable, since you keep crouching medium kick as your poke and you have standing medium punch as a confirm tool.
Both Hasogeki and Denjin Charge are not available via the Special shortcut and still need to be entered manually.
Like most characters with a "real" DP, Ryu benefits from a terrific anti-air, triggered by just a single button press, thanks to Modern Controls.
06
Tips and tricks
Denshin Hashogeki is easy to hit-confirm as the move hits multiple times. It can also just be pressed since it's + on block in the worst case. On hit, follow up with Tatsumaki or a drive rush combo.
If you finish a combo with Tatsumaki, you'll come out close enough to your opponent to get good Oki afterwards.
If you end a combo with Highblade Kick (Medium or Heavy) you have enough space to take a Denshin Charge afterwards.
OD Highblade Kick results in a wallbounce. After that you can perform a Shoryuken, Super-Art or Super-Art 2.
