Overview

Ryu is a quite unconventional Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brawler. As a fighter comprehensively drawn from a completely different fighting game, his move set is vast, with an extraordinary range of strengths and uses, along with exclusive mechanics like special moves performed with specific control stick inputs.

While he’s one of the most difficult fighters to master, he can be highly rewarding to train with since his wide-ranging arsenal makes him incredibly versatile. Like Ken, Ryu is a fighter with a high skill ceiling—you can almost always improve upon his game, so the more your execution and timing improve, the more effective you can be. His dash speed, jump speed, and aerial Focus Attack and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku allow him to close distance and get within range to threaten with powerful Street Fighter combos, or to break shields with Collarbone Breaker (side tilt hold).

As a Street Fighter character, Ryu can rack up damage by hit-confirming his attacks into combos. For instance, you can poke with close light punch (up tilt tap) twice, verify your opponent has been hit, then cancel into heavy Shoryuken for a high-damage finisher, potentially KO’ing foes into the upper blast zone. The following are potential SF-style special-cancel combos and their practical uses:

Ryu Vitals

Movement Options

Midair jumps:	1
Crouch walk:	No
Tether:	No
Wall jump:	No
Wall cling:	No

Movement Ranks

Ground speed:	D (52)
Air speed:	B (29-30)
Falling speed:	C (36-39)
Weight:	B (22-23)

Ryu’s Street Fighter Special-Cancel Combos

Against grounded: Crouching light kick (down tilt tap), crouching light kick, crouching medium kick canceled into Hadoken ( + Attack) or Shakunetsu Hadoken ( + Attack).

Against attacker: Lv.2/3 Focus Attack (down special) released to cause crumple, then canceled into forward dash, jump, fast-falling down air attack (jumping fierce), land, Shoryuken ( + Attack [hold]).

Against airborne: Two-hit jumping medium punch (up air attack) canceled into heavy Shoryuken OR jumping light kick (neutral air attack), canceled into heavy Tatsumaki Senpukyaku.

Against hopping foe: Close light punch (up tilt tap), close light punch canceled into Shoryuken ( + Attack [hold]).

Against recovering offstage foe: Jumping roundhouse (forward air attack) canceled into Hadoken ( + Attack) OR Shakunetsu Hadoken ( + Attack)

Because he has access to variable strength attacks and special moves, Ryu is effective in almost every situation and range. Slow-traveling light Hadoken can be used from long range to cover your advance; Tatsumaki Senpukyaku allows for a burst of horizontal movement, good for both offense and defense; and his signature Shoryuken makes for a powerful combo-finisher and anti-air. Shakunetsu Hadoken is one of the best projectiles around, thanks to its damage, speed, size, and multi-hit effect. It threatens enemy shields from long range.