Ryu (Street Fighter) a white hachimaki, red gloves, and red slippers. Also, a constant trait in his design is the kanji motif (meaning "Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain"), battle standard of the historical Japanese military leader Takeda Shingen, embroidered into his obi, simulating Karate Dan degrees. In "Street Fighter II" Ryu is shown to be older, with brown hair, brown gloves, and a red hachimaki. He also fights barefooted starting in "Street Fighter II". The "Alpha" series features a Ryu much like the one depicted in the original "Street Fighter", with chestnut hair and a white hachimaki, but already barefoot. In the "Street Fighter
Ryu Hayabusa him among the "gaming's greatest patriots" of Japan. In 2011, "GamePro" speculated on Ryu's odds of filling the then-upcoming "Soulcalibur V's" lone guest-character slot (which ultimately went to Ezio Auditore of the "Assassin's Creed" franchise), opining that despite "Soul" regulars Taki and Yoshimitsu's "traditional place as the recognizable 'Japanese' characters, neither is a conventional ninja the way Ryu is." In 2012, after "Soulcalibur V" was released, Elton Jones of "Complex" included Ryu among fifteen guest characters he wanted in a future series entry. "We've had our fun going ninjitsu crazy with Taki and Natsu, but now it's time for Tecmo's