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Ryu and Ken's master, Gouken
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Holy shit.
Brother to Gouki/Akuma, sensei and mentor to Ryu and Ken Masters, Gouken finally makes his debut in Street Fighter 4.
There's not much on Gouken's background, but I'll give it a shot.
Gouken's Background
Nationality: Japanese Date of Birth/Age: Unknown/Unknown, probably in his late sixties Height: Unknown Weight: Unknown Hair: White Eyes: Brown Blood Type: Unknown Allies/Friends: Retsu, some also say he's friendly with Gen Enemies: Gouki Family: Gouki, younger brother; had a daughter whom Ryu and Ken called 'Little Miss' (whereabouts unknown); Ryu, student/foster son Fighting Style: Ansatsuken, trained by Goutetsu
While earlier Street Fighter games made references to Ryu and Ken's master, the character made his first illustrated appearance in Masaomi Kanzaki's manga adaptation of Street Fighter II, originally serialized in Family Computer Magazine in 1992. According to the comic, Gouken accepted Ryu and Ken as his pupils and taught them their fighting style in his solitary home located in the Japanese wilderness. However, one day M. Bison and his men stormed the dojo and killed Gouken, leaving Ryu and Ken with the duty to avenge their master's death.
While the comic itself was non-canonical in the video game Street Fighter continuity, Gouken's name and character design was adapted in the Street Fighter video game series with the introduction of Akuma in Super Street Fighter II Turbo.
According to Capcom's official account of Akuma's backstory for Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Akuma and Gouken were practitioner of an unnamed assassination style taught to them by their master Goutetsu. While Akuma embraced the killing aspect of the art to the point of succumbing to the "killing intent" (Satsui no Hadou) and killing Goutetsu, Gouken developed his own style, turning techniques such as the Hadouken and Shoryuken into pure defensive non-killing techniques. Gouken would go on to pass his knowledge to Ryu and Ken before being challenged by Akuma and supposedly killed in combat. Gouken makes his first appearance in the video games in the first Street Fighter Alpha game in Akuma's ending in the game alongside their fallen master.
Gouken appears in Street Fighter IV as a secret computer-controlled challenger. His presence in the game was hinted months before his official appearance in the game, with Street Fighter IV project manager Natsuki Shiozawa showing a silhouetted illustration in his blog, claiming that the character was "Sheng Long" (a hoax character once assumed to be Ryu's and Ken's sensei as a result of a localization error), as well as featuring the character in an animated teaser for the console versions of Street Fighter IV and in Akuma's ending in the game.
Gouken throws the Hadoken with one hand, and if used as an EX move, he throws a second one upward at a 45 degree angle. He possesses Akuma's Hyakki Shu somersault move, as well as a special move version of his Super Art from the Street Fighter III games, the Messatsu Gou-Rasen, apparently called the Gou-Rasen Senpu Kyaku. His Super Combo is the Kinjite Shoryūken or "Forbidden Dragon Punch", while his Ultra Combo is the Shin Shoryuken, one of Ryu's Super Arts from Street Fighter III. Gouken's Focus attack is a high kick similar to Ryu's Joudan Sokutou-Geri from the Street Fighter III games.
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Chuck Norris learned his trademark move, along with his sense of duty and justice, from Jesus after watching Him roundhouse kick a money changer out of the temple.
Gouken's pretty cool. He kicked the crap outta Akuma when they were young and I think Gouken coulda stopped himself from catchin an SGS if he wasn't actin like such a pussy. The mans the master of 2 styles. An Akuma VS Gouken thread would be good when SFIV finally comes to consoles.
For some reason I feel like Gouken's appearance wont be canon tho.
__________________ "Step back loser! Make way for the winner!" -Anakaris-
I really doubt age is a factor in the SFverse. Age hardly is a factor in video games. Gouki fought Gouken and lost in their first encounter. Then after Gouki mastered the killer intent Gouken fell to Gouki. So in a way Gouken was holding back. Say what you want if you are not fighting to kill and your opponent is; you are indeed holding back and an idiot. >_>
Now the question would be how in the **** did Gouken survive the Shungokusatsu and/or how did he resurrect, if in fact he did. There are 2 possible answers since Gen did resist the Shungokusatsu by clearing his mind and crap, and Gill has resurrected from it in SF3. I think a combination of the 2 previously seen results might be the answer.
Gouken actually defeated Gouki a second time as well, then because Gouken did not finish him, Gouki got back up and performed a Shun Goku no Satsu to kill him.
I have a theory. In the vid which shows him fight, the prescreen thing that shows the fighters actually shows Gouken surrounded by what appears to be the aura of the Satsui no Hadou.
I had that theory as well. That perhaps Gouken fell to the Killing Intent and is now back with a vengence, but then I started to think that would ruin his character. However they pull this off every time so it is quite possible.
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Sep 29th, 2008 04:08 AM
