“She took the kids Ryu”
Last week’s Street Fighter 6 leaks dropped the details on dozens of characters old and new. And while some were curious about new fighters, and others mad that Cammy was wearing tights and not a singlet (even though her classic outfit is shown in one of the video leaks), many were just flat out concerned about Ken Masters.
The classic red-gi’d, blonde-haired mirror to Street Fighter flagship character Ryu has been a staple of the series since the first game. But his character design has undergone a lot of changes over the years. And now in the latest reveal, a dishevelled looking Ken is prompting a mix of jokes and concern.
Sporting messy hair, a ragged outfit, his son’s dog-tags, and an ill-kempt beard, Ken’s new appearance isn’t exactly the glow up that the likes of Ryu, Chun-Li or any of the other Street Fighter staples received.
Instead fans are shocked by Ken Master’s divorced-dad energy. They’re wondering what happened to the young, vibrant fighting game character of the past.
Ken’s story from Street Fighter 6 leaks
Allegedly, the source of the Street Fighter 6 leaks had some additional information about some characters, including Ken Masters. In these leaks, Ken’s interactions with characters such as Laura and Sean (his former pupils) say they’re going to bring him back. Meanwhile other characters call him “washed up.”
For whatever reason this prompted the meme “She took the kids Ryu” to spread like wildfire. This is a complete turn around from the happy-ending of Street Fighter III: Third Strike, where Ken is shown balancing his family, training, and responsibilities. And Twitter has latched onto this dramatic assumed twist.
"She took the kids Ryu."
The source of Ken’s downfall isn’t clear. But that hasn’t stopped fans from making up their own canon. With the most common thread being that he lost it all in NFTs. While it’s unlikely this will be in the official story, it definitely taps into the energy that Ken is bringing to the table now. It's more likely that Ken’s desire to match and keep pace with Ryu caused him to abandon everything, even his family. Actually, after typing that out, the NFT thing doesn’t sound so depressing.
Luckily for Ken, the confines of a Fighting Game story-mode are probably one of the best places to try and get back on your feet. Mr. Masters will quite literally be able to punch his way out of this situation by defeating a slew of enemies. And with the developers mercy, he’ll get back on his feet by the end of things. Get better soon Ken, we’re all rooting for you!