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 Ken is slain by Malth's superior, an evil sorcerer known as the Jaquio, whom Ryu then kills. Ryu later enters into a relationship with CIA agent Irene Lew, who had refused beforehand to carry out an order to terminate him. In "" (1990), Ryu foils the Jaquio's demonic master Ashtar's attempt at world domination. In retaliation, Ashtar kidnaps Irene in order to lure Ryu to his home dimension. Ryu defeats Ashtar a second time, but before he can rescue Irene, she is then captured by the Jaquio, who now bears the Dark Sword, the antithesis to Ryu's signature "Dragon Sword"