Ken Masters

"Come on! Let's turn up the heat!"

- Ken "Attack me if you dare, I will crush you!"

- Ken Ken Masters (ケン・マスターズ Ken Masutāzu?) is a hero and deuteragonist of the Street Fighter series, first appearing in the original Street Fighter. Similiar to his friend Ryu, Ken's goal is to test his power against many different fighters and strives to become stronger, but holds more restraint due to not wanting to jeopardize his family life.

Appearance
Ken is most easily recognized by his sparring gloves (yellow in the Alpha series, brown elsewhere) and bright red gi with the sleeves ripped off, similar to Ryu's (Capcom has said that a red gi was chosen to stand out and to reflect his more flashy style of fighting). His gi has the sleeves neatly removed, and it is usually seen in better shape than Ryu's (except for in the Street Fighter III series), since he can easily afford to keep up with and/or own spares. He has blonde hair (his natural hair color is black but he dyes it blond) and long eyebrows. He wears a black belt at his waist and fights barefooted.

In the Street Fighter Alpha series, he had longer hair that he tied back with a red ribbon into a ponytail. The official explanation for the loss of the ribbon is that he gave it to Ryu to wear during the events of Street Fighter Alpha 2 (as stated in Ken's own ending); Ryu was distracted during his fight with Ken because he had just fought Sagat, and ended up losing. Ken gave Ryu the headband to remind him of their fight.

In Street Fighter II V, Ken usually wears casual outfits throughout the episodes; a yellow formal suit jacket with a red tank top, matching white pants with a black belt to his waist and black shoes.

By the time of Street Fighter V, Ken's appearance has undergone the first major design change in the character's history. Ken's gi top now hangs around his waist and he wears a black v-neck training shirt with several red linings in its place. He sports black sparring gloves and has his hair tied back in a topknot instead of hanging loose which it was grown into medium length after the events of Street Fighter IV series and now wears black ankle wraps with red linings instead of barefoot.

His second alternate costume is one of his disguised forms in Pocket Fighter but updated; he wears a black leather jacket with maroon outlines and a white tank top underneath, red denim pants with a black belt, a neon yellow buckle on his waist and black leather shoes. His sunglasses is hanging loose on his tank top. His medium-length hair is shorter.

Concept
Though unconfirmed, it is possible that Ken could have been inspired by real-life Karate world champion, Joe Lewis. Like Ken, Lewis was a blonde American who trained a traditional style in Japan, then went back to the U.S to become a famous champion. Lewis also founded Full Contact Karate and became a world champion at that as well. In addition to his similar looks, Lewis was also known (as were many American Karate fighters of his time) for using colored Karate uniforms, including a red one. He was challenging of traditional Karate ways and modified much of his original "Shorin Ryu" style, similar to Ken's modifications that distinguish him from Ryu, a traditional fighter.

Personality
While Ryu is the more serious and stoic of the two, Ken is the complete opposite - flamboyant, unorthodox and unpredictable. He is an alpha male with a giant ego and constantly reminds his opponents about his greatness. While he can be brash, egotistical, and arrogant at times, his heart is pure. He is generally kind, friendly, a good person, and very easygoing. He never backs down from a fight no matter how difficult it looks.

Like Ryu, he believes in honor, hard work, endurance, and discipline. He always gives his opponents the utmost respect, whether it is his master Gouken, his best friend Ryu, or his Capcom vs. SNK rival, Terry Bogard. He is also a worrywart when it comes to his family, nearly missing the tournament in Street Fighter IV because he didn't want to leave Eliza so close to her due date, and only entered when she assured him she'd be fine. He still called her to check in and tell her to be careful on stairs.

Background
When Ken was about 12 years old, his father, a rich hotel tycoon, thought that his son needed to learn about discipline, or his son would become a spoiled brat all of his life and try to leech onto the Masters' family fortune. In order to do so, the elder Masters sent Ken to Japan to train under his best friend, the mysterious karate master Gouken. At first, Ken was very hesitant to learn from Gouken, wanting to go back to the United States, but later began to respect his master. He even enjoyed the company of Gouken's adopted son, Ryu, since he had a foil to finally pull pranks on, although this got Ken into a lot of trouble. Ryu and Ken would later become best friends and each other's principal rivals.

When Ryu was 23, Gouken decided that both of his pupils had grown up to be fine fighters and decided that their training was over and could now leave the dojo. Ryu decided to travel the world in order to continue his training, whereas Ken was finally happy to be going back home to the United States after his years of straining his back for his master, Gouken, and finally learning the meaning of humility. After coming home, Ken competed in many different Martial Arts tournaments held in the United States, winning most of them.

Street Fighter Alpha
Ken did not participate in the first World Warrior tournament; instead, he fought in (and won) the premiere U.S. Martial Arts tournament that had been previously won by Charlie Nash, as well as meeting a very attractive girl named Eliza, who became his girlfriend.

After winning the U.S. martial arts tournament, Ken returned to his training ground to tell his master Gouken the good news. There, he witnessed his master's death at the hands of Akuma. Enraged and grief-stricken, he attacked Akuma, only to be knocked to the ground by a single blow.

Ken began wandering the world in search of Akuma, and his friend and fellow student Ryu; he wanted to tell Ryu what happened to their master, and also hoped to win a match against him. He eventually finds Ryu in seclusion. Ryu is dejected upon seeing his long-time friend, but Ken makes him go try out a spar anyway. After winning, Ken realizes how stressed out his best friend is since his fight with Sagat. Ryu explains to Ken that deep within him there is a burning rage - a power trying to overcome him. Giving Ryu his red headband, Ken tells him to stay focused, which greatly cheers Ryu up. Ken returns home and, with Eliza's support, begins training harder, knowing even with his recent feelings, that Ryu is always stronger than he looks.

Ken begins to wonder about his own life. Ryu seemed to be on the right track again, but what of him? Along the road to proving himself again, he encounters Karin, who tells him she has followed his career and is trying to best her rival Sakura to prove she is superior. Ken advises her it's good to have a rival, not for supremacy, but to keep on training harder and focusing. With this, Ken finds himself again and is focused once more.

Going off to meet up with Sakura, they have a friendly match, and Ken finally realizes that Ryu has the right idea all along. Both he and Sakura begin to travel to find Ryu, but their path crosses with that of Shadaloo dictator M. Bison. Ken confronts him but is easily defeated and placed under Bison's hypnosis. Bison then uses brainwashed Ken to lure Ryu out of hiding. Once Ryu shows up, Bison makes Ken fight him. Ryu wins and manages to release Ken of Bison's mind control.

Ryu then proceeds to fight Bison but loses and, just like Ken before him, is turned into a slave of Bison's Psycho Power. Sagat appears and, enraged by Bison's actions, engages Ryu in an attempt to break Bison's mental grip on him. Ken, now free and aided by Sakura, attacks Bison. This intervention, along with Sagat's presence, makes Ryu come to his senses.

Recovered, Ryu takes on Bison once more. Bison senses Ryu's dark power (which Bison describes as "The ultimate form of Psycho Power") and attempts to manipulate Ryu's mind once again. At his friends urging, Ryu resists and defeats Bison with a powerful Hadoken. Ken is happy to see his old friend again. With a promise of a new duel, the two part their ways.

Street Fighter II
Ken received an invitation to the second World Warrior tournament; however, since his last U.S. Martial Arts tournament, he had let himself spend too much time with his girlfriend, Eliza, rather than training. Only Ryu's personal challenge rekindled Ken's fighting spirit and persuaded him to enter the second World Warrior tournament.

After the events of Street Fighter II, Ken is married to Eliza, something he had apparently vowed only to do after winning a decisive victory against Ryu. However it is unknown if the two fought during the tournament, or if Ken actually won if they even did. No details have been stated, although it is heavily implied that they indeed did fight, and Ken won.

Super Street Fighter IV
When a new tournament is announced, Ken is unsure whether to compete, as Eliza is now far along in pregnancy and he doesn't want to leave her. Sensing his inner conflict, Eliza assures him that she'll be fine and that the baby isn't due for a while yet, so he should go meet up with Ryu and tell him she says hi. Ken enters, and in the absence of gas stations near the location for the final, he parks his SUV in a convenient spot, calls Eliza to check on her, and continues the rest of the way on foot. Over the course of the tournament, he encounters his self-appointed rival, Rufus, although the results of that match are unknown. It is later implied that Ken may have defeated M. Bison in the tournament.

After the tournament, it is discovered that Gouken is still alive, and Ken and Ryu pursue him as he leaves. Ken is upset that Gouken has not said anything to them, but Gouken counters that they no longer need a master. Ken and Ryu head home on foot, and Rufus passes them by on his motorbike, calling them losers. Soon however, Rufus' bike runs out of gas, and Ken and Ryu reach the SUV; Ken offers Rufus and his girlfriend Candy a lift, but Rufus refuses.

Upon arriving home afterwards, he tells Eliza that although he did indeed get to fight Ryu, they had been so busy with the rest of the unfolding events that they hadn't been able to give it their all. Soon afterwards, their son is born and they name him Mel.

Street Fighter V
As expected, Ken returned in Street Fighter V as of July 9, 2015. In the game, he has a different outfit and hairstyle, and his moves have been altered to further distance him from Ryu.

Prologue
Ken, Eliza and Mel are invited to a party hosted by Karin. During the party, Ken reflects on the various sparring matches between him and Ryu. The family gets lost on the way to the party and encounter Birdie, who thinks they’re trespassing, resulting in a fight with Ken. Karin arrives and offers Ken a pre-meal fight as an apology for Birdie attacking him, which Ken accepts. Afterwards, he and Eliza wonder about why Ryu isn't at the party.

Main Story
In the main story, Ken came to visit Ryu, who was in the middle of meditating. After beating him in a sparring match, Ryu tells him that he will join them when his training is complete. Later, Ken arrives with the rest of the fighters called by Karin to the Kanzuki Estate, where they plan their first infiltration of the Shadaloo base.

Ken, Chun-Li and Cammy travel to Brazil to search for the first missing chess piece, held by Laura Matsuda. While there, he saves Sean from F.A.N.G, but is then attacked by his older sister Laura, who mistakes him for an enemy. After the fight, Sean sorts out the misunderstanding by indicating the unconscious Shadaloo soldiers. Laura then decides to join them, but on the condition that Ken add Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu to his selection of online karate classes, which he agress to. Chun-Li then leaves to assist Karin in the group's first infiltration. Ken remains with Laura, and the duo fend off more Shadaloo soldiers, with Ken taking out three with a single Shinryuken.

Ken reunites with Ryu just before the group begins the final assault against Shadaloo.

After Bison's final defeat at Ryu's hands and Shadaloo's destruction, Ken finds Ryu alone and meditating, and decide to have another friendly sparring match to see if Ryu had found his 'true answer'. Ryu manages to defeat Ken, but drops his red headband; Ken hands it back to him, figuring he might still need it. The two are later seen sharing a friendly fist bump.

Street Fighter III
Sometime before the series, Ken and his family move to southern California from Washington State. Ken then entered the third World Warrior tournament. By this time, a Brazilian teenager named Sean had been pestering him to become his student, and Ken reluctantly accepted, beginning to train him. He fought Sean in the tournament and won against him; however, he drops out upon realizing Ryu was defeated by Oro. Ken begins to train his son Mel in rudimentary fighting techniques. He also told Sean to go find Ryu and challenge him, giving him some free time with Eliza.

Though bored, Ken hears about a mysterious organization and goes to investigate, and he may have confronted Urien. He learned that Ryu had sought him out and traveled all the way to New York from Oakland for their long-awaited rematch. Tossing some friendly jabs at each other, both have a good fight, ultimately won by Ryu. Since then, Ken has continued to train Sean and Mel, handle his family and business, and keep up with his old friend Ryu.

In Sean's ending, Ken wakes up Sean who was beaten unconscious after being knocked down by his opponent in the first round. In Ken's ending, he wins his third straight U.S. Martial Arts tournament, which is a new record, and offers the trophy to Sean who turns the offer down, wanting to earn it for himself.

Project X Zone
Ken makes an appearance in Project X Zone. He is a playable character who is paired with Ryu.

Crosspedia Entry
The All-American Martial Arts Champion and a student of the same school as Ryu. Working as the President of the massive Masters Corporation, he lives a busy but happy life, supported by his wife Eliza and young son Mel. Having removed himself from the strict daily routine of training, he has started to feel a gap between himself and Ryu, his friend yet also his rival. For a while this concerned him, but Ken finally came to understand that his desire to protect his beloved family is a source of power unique to himself, and he decided to seek strength in a different manner from Ryu. The opposite of the stoic Ryu, Ken has an affable and friendly personality. Although extremely confident, he also has the ability to back that confidence up.