Before the creation of Ryu as the main protagonist of the first Street Fighter game, Capcom designer Takashi Nishiyama had initially envisioned a different character for the role.

However, this idea was eventually set aside in favor of creating a character who practiced karate and wore a traditional dougi, leading to the creation of Ryu.

Still wanting to utilize the concept, after subsequently transitioning to SNK, Nishiyama later implemented the character as Terry Bogard, who debuted as the protagonist of 1991's Fatal Fury: King of Fighters.

[4] Nishiyama's inspiration for Ryu was Mas Oyama, who was depicted as the protagonist in the kung fu manga and anime series Karate Master by Ikki Kajiwara.

[5] Whereas Ryu was based on Oyama, his rival Sagat was also influenced by the protagonist's rivalry with a bald Muay Thai martial artist from the series.

[7] In an interview with Game On!, Capcom Research and Development head Noritaka Funamizu said that of the series' characters, Ryu was one of the most popular with American audiences, alongside Zangief and Guile.

[13] In Street Fighter IV, Ryu and Ken were meant to have an acrobatic bald slender black male wearing a gi named "King Cobra", who became Rufus.

As the series progressed, his design was made more muscular to coincide with the concept, while his white gi, considered his most defining characteristic by the development team, let viewers know he was "a karate master at first sight".

Despite being Japanese, Capcom described him as an American martial artist which led to the creation of Makoto whose design was based on an Eastern point of view.

[32] Capcom regularly calls Ryu's fighting style "Ansatsuken Karate",[33] despite also mentioning others such as Kyokushin, Shotokan, Kempo, Taekwondo and Judo.

The first is the Hadouken (波動拳, hadōken) energy attack was based on the wave motion gun from the titular spacecraft in the sci-fi anime series Space Battleship Yamato, which Nishiyama watched during the seventies.

His other two techniques from the first Street Fighter game, Shoryuken (昇龍拳, Shōryūken) and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (竜巻旋風脚) were inspired by actual martial arts moves, which were exaggerated for the character.

[7] Because Ryu was the only playable character in the original Street Fighter game, his designer Manabu Takemura wanted him to be easy for players to relate to.

[48] While Ryu has retained his original white gi outfit in most games, Capcom tried using an alternate high school uniform for Street Fighter V where he was presented as a rebel.

[58] Game designer Masahiro Sakurai said that for Super Smash Bros., Ryu was recreated to showcase his Street Fighter II persona while having new moves because the controller had more buttons.

[74] Ryu later appears in Street Fighter V, set between IV and III, where he destroys Bison once and for all with help from Charlie Nash after purging himself of the Satsui no Hado within him using the Power of Nothingness (無の拳, Mu no Ken).

[77][78][79] Byron Mann portrays the character in the separately produced arcade and console games based on the American film of the series, both titled Street Fighter: The Movie, where he wears Ryu's characteristic white karate gi and red headband.

[114] Ryu is played by Byron Mann in the 1994 film version of Street Fighter, where he serves as a supporting protagonist, as Guile is the main character.

[117] Ryu appears as a main lead alongside Ken in Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist portrayed by martial arts actor/stuntman Mike Moh.

Near the end of the series, however, the story shifts focus to Ryu and Ken, making them more prominent as they face several enemies such as the Mad Gear gang.

In the manga Street Fighter II by Masaomi Kanzaki, Ryu believes M. Bison murdered both Gouken and Ken and goes on a quest to avenge them.

While synonymous with the Street Fighter franchise, he's also gone toe-to-toe with SNK's finest, The Darkstalkers line-up and half of the Marvel stable, only to emerge unscathed and victorious nine bouts out of ten.

[148] Henry Gilbert wrote in a 2009 GamesRadar article that Ryu was "the heart and soul of the Street Fighter series" and "probably the most well known fighting game character in the world".

[149] Lucas Sullivan of GamesRadar described him as the perfect representation of fighting game characters due to his constant desire to push his limits and face tougher rivals.

[162] Polygon found the large built of Ryu in the trailer to be ridiculous at first glance, pointing at the size of his shoulders and that his head looks small in comparison.

[166] Briana Lawrence of The Mary Sue said that she was leaning on Ryu's screencap on Street Fighter 6 trailer being more unintentional moment than Lady Dimitrescu, a character from the horror game Resident Evil: Village notable for her sex appeal.

Hiraki understood the importance of creating a character with a unique personality and design in order to stand out and appeal to players on a similar level.

[27] Sheng Long appears as a non-playable character in the "World Tour" mode of Street Fighter 6 whom players fight atop the SiRN building at night after completing the game.

[174][175] In 1993, Hong Kong artist Situ Jianqian based characters in his comic Supergod Z: Cyber Weapon on Ryu, Ken, and Chun-li.

[176] In a scientific study conducted in 2019, researchers reached a conclusion regarding the physical requirements for Ryu to successfully execute one of his signature moves, the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku.