Returning to dish out ki blasts and spinning kicks alike,Street Fighter 6brings back one of its original heroes, Ryu. An all-around fighter with an intuitive play style, Ryu is an excellent fighter for novice and expert players alike. Armed with a wide variety of melee martial arts and ki blasts that can be effective at all ranges, Ryu is ready to take on any fighter inStreet Fighter 6.
While easy to learn, knowing how to properly execute the strategies in Ryu’s repertoire will increase his lethality, making him a near-unstoppable force. This guide will cover the best strategies and combos to use as Ryu to secure victory.
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Strategies for Ryu
Ryu excels at controlling the close to mid-range areas, utilizing his ki blasts and melee counters to open up an opportunity to lock down his opponent and dish out extreme damage.
Ryu’s Move List
Ryu has 19 total moves in his kit (excluding common moves). While he does share many special moves with his long-time friend, Ken, Ryu has a much more developed repertoire of unique melee combos, that can open up the opportunity for devastating damage.
Type
Shinku Hadoken
A highly lethal Hadoken that cannot be destroyed by other ki blasts
An enhanced Hashogeki that can be charge for increased damage
A powerful double Shoryuken combo that hits an opponents vitals
Street Fighter’s signature ki blast
A powerful upward uppercut that can counter aerial attacks
A succession of roundhouse kicks knocks the opponent back
An aerial Tatsumaki capable of hitting opponents from behind
A forward-moving thrust kick
Release concentrated ki directly to the front
Special Move
Denjin Charge
Surrounds Ryu with the Power of Nothingness, enhancing his next Hadoken or Hashogeki
An overhead attack that cannot be blocked while crouching
A strong forward-moving strike with incredibly fast recovery
A fast uppercut that can be canceled
A high kick that can be canceled into special moves
A far-reaching body kick
A high-hitting melee combo
A three-part combo that knocks enemies back
Grab your opponent and throws them forward
Grab your opponent and throw them back, switching sides
Throw
Ryu’s Best Combos
As an all-around fighter, players willing to experiment with different tactics will find there aremultiple ways to achieve victory as Ryu; however, his most effective combos will involve locking enemies down with close-range physical attacks and finishing with one of his signature ki blast attacks.
Classic Controls
Modern Controls
Forward + Heavy Punch, Forward + Heavy Punch, Down, Down-Forward, Forward + Punch
Cannot be done on Modern Controls
A great close-range combo. Catch the enemy off guard with two Solar Plexus Strikes, then take advantage of the fast recovery to unleash a Hadoken.
Forward + Light Punch, Forward, Heavy Kick, Medium Punch, Light Kick, Heavy Kick
A powerhouse damage combo that is highly effective in the corner. Open with a light punch (while inputting forward), then tap forwardagain to consume drive gaugeand unleash an empowered heavy kick, followed by the Fuwa Triple Strike melee barrage.
Back + Heavy Punch, Down, Down-Back, Back + Punch, Down, Down-Forward, Forward + Kick, Down, Down-Back, Back, Down, Down-Back, Back + Kick (Hold)
Cannot be done with Modern Controls
An incredibly punishing combo requiring expert inputs and timing, start by closing the gap to your enemy and locking them with a short uppercut. Cancel into a Hashogeki, and follow up immediately with a High Blade Kick to connect at the perfect distance and maximize damage. While your opponent is recovering (or still falling, depending on the distance to the wall) charge up a Shin Hashogeki and release it at the perfect time for an obliterating finale.
Tips for Winning as Ryu
Players who are looking to make the most of Ryu will want to master his unique attack melee combos along with their timing and cancel capabilities.
Here are some advanced tips for playing Ryu:
How to Counter Ryu
With such a versatile kit, there are not many fighters in the game that have a significant advantage against Ryu; however, since he maximizes his damage effectiveness in the short to mid-range, there are two tactics that do give players an edge when fighting Ryu. Zoning fighters like JP, Guile, or Dhalsim that can excel at dealing high damage from long range can poke down Ryu’s health while preventing him from getting in range to effectively return damage. Additionally,fighters like Zangrief and Marisathat can tank through Ryu’s attacks and out-damage him in close range will shut down a Ryu who is not playing incredibly smart and cautious.
Street Fighter 6is available now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
