What do Street Fighter and Fast X have in common? Well, two things, actually. Both feature Jason Momoa playing a chaotic figure with great hair. Beyond that, however, both are big, bonkers action movies that end on a cliffhanger.
Written by Kitao Sakurai and T.J. Fixman, and helmed by the former, Street Fighter takes place in 1993, when a power-hungry M. Bison (David Dastmalchian) mounts the second World Warrior Tournament. His goal is to lure out the first tournament champion, Ryu (Andrew Koji). But after the death of his sensei, Gouken (Don Lee), Ryu went into hiding, even becoming estranged from even his best friend, Ken Masters (Noah Centineo).
Chun-Li (Callina Liang) is tasked with gathering the world's best fighters for Bison's tournament. But when she invites Ken, she's pretty up-front that his exploits fighting animals and vehicles have made him a joke. He's being invited chiefly as bait to attract Ryu to the event. With a chip on his shoulder, Ken travels to the tournament to prove himself. But he soon learns there's a bigger battle brewing.
What is M. Bison's plan?
Bison is seeking to increase his own fighting abilities by draining the "psycho power" out of other warriors. While early test subjects die without giving Bison the juice he desires, he becomes convinced that Ryu's special brand of power is what he needs. The initial plan seems to be to siphon it from Ryu during the tournament's fights.
However, after a bar brawl ends with a bunch of the contenders KO'ed in a street, Ryu is imprisoned and forced to combat the green-skinned redhead Blanka (Momoa). During this cage match, Bison's team of terrorized scientists use special devices to try to harness Ryu's power. But his power is so great that it blows out the machines.
However, in the end, Bison seeks a new target for his power-drain: Akuma (Joe "Roman Reigns" Anoa'i).
Who is Akuma?
Introduced in the 1994 fighting game Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Akuma is younger brother of Gouken in the franchise's lore. His origins in the movie are less clear. In animation flashbacks, Street Fighter reveals a pivotal battle between Gouken and Akuma, witnessed by the former's adopted sons/proteges, Ryu and Ken.
In this battle, Akuma, whose eyes turn red to reflect his evil power, urges Ryu to rescue his master by surrendering to the darkness inside himself. Even while gasping for breath, Gouken advises Ryu against this, even if it means his death. And the pupil listens. Ryu does not deliver the Hadoken blow. And Akuma kills Gouken in front of him.
How does Street Fighter end?
In the movie's finale, Akuma crashes the tournament expecting to face off against Ryu. But instead, he finds Joe (Alexander Volkanovski), an Aussie fighter swiftly demolished so that only his flashy belt remains.
When Ryu arrives at the arena, he surrenders to the darkness to combat Akuma. His white gi turns black, and his irises turn red to reflect his turn into Evil Ryu, a playable variant in Street Fighter Alpha 2. With this power surge, Ryu is able to best Akuma, knocking him into the stone bleachers, where he falls unconscious in the rubble. But the real battle is not over.
Still fueled by his dark side, Ryu does not welcome the arrival of allies Ken, Chun-Li, and Dan (Andrew Schulz) to the arena. Instead, he attacks them. They gang up on him, fighting not to kill but to break him out of this rampage mode. But they are no match for Evil Ryu.
Then, Ken, determined to fulfill his promise to their departed master that he'd protect Ryu from himself, unlocks his full power to knock Ryu out — or knock some sense into him. His blow sends Ryu out of the darkness, but also into unconsciousness. But after a passionate sing-along of 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up?" Ryu is restored, and the friends are happily reunited.
But in the meantime, Bison and his Dolls have taken off with Akuma, setting up a sequel.
Street Fighter 2 would be a rematch.
If Street Fighter makes enough to kick off a sequel, Sakurai and Fixman have established the battle lines. M. Bison and his ferociously devoted underlings Vega (Orville Peck), Cammy (Mel Jarnson), and Juli (Rayna Vallandingham) are on one side. Plus, they've got a captive (or rescued?) Akuma, who shares their hatred for Ryu.
On the other side, Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and Dan are joined by Guile (Cody Rhodes) and Dhalsim (Vidyut Jammwal). In the film's final sequence, this United Air Forces fighter and yogi buddy pick up the other four as they hitchhike on a rural road. Plus, there's the possibility that Blanka could come back, as he considers Ryu a friend now.
But the mid-credit scene reveals Bison has picked up a new ally of his own.
What happens in the Street Fighter mid-credit scene?
To explain this, we need to go back to the film's anime opening.
In the original World Warrior Tournament, Ryu was readying for the championship bout against Sagat, when Ken finds him trying to relax by listening to "What's Up?" (Who would have thunk Linda Perry would get such love from Street Fighter?)
A final boss in several Street Fighter games, Sagat is known as the "Emperor of Muay Thai," and a former bodyguard for Bison. In the movie, he's only shown in animation and given no backstory.
In the opening battle sequence, he is a mighty combatant. But Ryu taps into his own darkness to deliver a brutal blow across Sagat's chest for the win. Then, in the movie's mid-credit scene, Bison and his allies — in another anime sequence — find Sagat on a tropical island. Now, he's brandishing his signature scar across his chest, a mark made in the movie by Ryu.
This suggests that if a sequel should come, Sagat will join the live-action cast. Begin your fancasting posts now.
Street Fighter is now in theaters.