Ryu (リュウ, Hepburn: RyÅ«) is a fictional Japanese fighting character and the main protagonist of Capcom’s Street Fighter series. Having premiered in the first Street Fighter in 1987, Ryu appears as the game’s lead character alongside his best friend Ken Masters. He is the longest running fighting game character.
Akuma (悪é”, Japanese for “Devil”, “Demon”), known in Japan as Gouki (豪鬼, lit. “Great Demon”), is a fictional character and secondary antagonist of the Street Fighter series of fighting games by Capcom. Akuma made his debut in Super Street Fighter II Turbo as a secret character and Boss. In the storyline of the Street Fighter video games, he is the younger brother of Gouken, Ryu’s and Ken’s master. In some games he also has an alternate version named Shin Akuma or Shin Gouki (真・豪鬼, the “True Great Demon”) in Japanese. Since his debut, Akuma has appeared in several subsequent titles and has been well received by both fans and critics.