Coming back to this, I always heard people talk about how their moves are similar, but now it actually makes MORE sense when you consider that his story mode has everyone talking about how they don't care about him and they don't see him as a threat. That's so Dan.
Fun fact about that actually: in the comics dan actually was able to use the satsui no hado/ raging demon, however he tripped on a bookbag, I think it was Sakura's, and he lost it.
The red string/bandana is probably actually a reference to the Buddhist practice of sealing evil spirits with ropes, and may also reference the concept of "the red string of fate". Kage wearing it shredded is meant to show that he's broken out of Ryu's restraint.
Also I personally belive the headband is around his neck cuz ryu has stopped tightening it. There are A LOT of times ryu starts a fight NY tightening it. Naturally through not doing that it'd fall
Man, going with Ryu becoming Kage as a V-Trigger is actually brilliant, and would actually make Necalli more relevant to the game. Make Kage a “full round” trigger like Necalli’s too.
He means lore wise, necalli is stuck in that weird one off cheatacter syndrome like G, or most of SF3. Characters who could have more interesting origin stories/ could have their enhanced modes more elaborated on.
@@ewa1020 It's explained more in Necalli's video on the topic, but basically he could have been a LOT more interesting in his debut if he served as both a mechanical AND thematical bridge between Bison and Ryu's journeys to power. One grows through perseverance, dedication and discipline, while the other chose to weaponize his very soul to exact his inhuman cruelty and contempt on the world. Necalli seems to be kind of a weird middle ground between them, so he's basically what a wasted opportunity looks like, much like Kage being an actual character instead of just being Ryu's V-trigger 2.
@@joshualowe1821 While it would be cool it would be a bit weird, Ken isn't really all about fighting and power (and Ryu always had trouble with the Satsui No Hado it's kind of his thing don't take that away from him it's all he has)
No because Dan is a amalgumation/parody of Ryo and Robert from Art of Fighting, even though Dan wants to be the King of Fighters he hates the Art of Fighting (and yes, this is a win quote from Alpha3 I discovered on the GBA!)
Joshua Lowe not if he doesn’t abandon the power of nothingness, he’ll just become Shin Ryu, the form he used against Gill & Oni in the comics signified by a red & blue aura that is perfectly balanced like all things should be.
the concept of having Evil Ryu as a transformation via super combo is literally what I've always wanted out of the character. outside of sf4ae he was always the weird midpoint between ryu and akuma.
Actually I thought E-Ryu was solidly designed in SSF4. Daigo's E-Ryu is an example considering he also played vanilla SF4 Ryu and succeeded with him. He can still play Ryu's DP/Fireball game but the wrinkle came in the confirms and the combo potential along with the usage of focus. Akuma's signature is that he's a glass cannon with the ability to approach you in variable ways in neutral, pressure and oki situations. Why do you think SF4AE Akuma was notorious for his consistent and safe vortex?
Having Kage as Ryu's VT is an awesome concept. 3 bars/permanent like Necalli, only with a glass cannon effect(high damage/lower vitality)? That would be interesting as hell.
Its ironic considering the gate way to playing 'fundamental' SFV even back in S1 wasn't even through Ryu but through Necalli. Would've been interesting for Ryu to be one of the other characters with a perma VT change and you commit to that in the match.
I never cared for “Ryu is trying to control the evil of Satsui no Hado”. His “I live for the next fight” is absolutely fine. By fighting others from around the world, he learns more about the world. For all its faults, Street Fighter II V had the best story arc for Ryu outside of the games.
@@oiopquatro4846 Balrog as a government agent secretly a mole for Shadaloo was VERY strange. I recently rewatched the series and it’s still kind of hard to resolve the two disparate interpretations. Sagat, on the other hand, was a reinterpretation I liked very much and was very cool to see Ryu and Sagat leave with respect for one another.
My favorite response to cheap clones like Kage and Decapre was when *Skullgirls* added Fukua as an April Fool's joke in 2014. They made a whole character! Even a funny parody launch trailer for her.
BallotBoxer You say that as if Capcom was expected to be salty about it. And I still wished Fukua was a hidden slot in the final build for nostalgia sake since, I admit, first time I played the build with her included, I had to ask some guy where she was in the character select screen cuz I was a dumbass. Didnt see that gimmick for a while and its a shame they got rid of it.
The funny plot twist here is that if you look at SF4 Dan's moves, they're just more flimsy versions of what Kage has. This means that Kage was the closest thing we had to Dan for a while in SFV. This demonic entity is comparable to the running gag of the series.
5:38 I wouldn't say a V Trigger but more of possibly a secret command (Like what they did to give you Ken/Akuma's moveset in Marvel Vs Capcom) before loading into the match, giving Ryu a special intro where he's holding his chest and this evil aura is around him before turning into Kage/Evil Ryu.
The most interesting thing about Kage is that his "new" moves are suspiciously similar to Dan's, which makes me feel Capcom is trying to imply that Dan may have been tapping into the dark hadou unconciously.
@@flamescorpio5850 Nope he edit it im pretty sure but if it was a mod that would be sick~! but its a complete character stance change and i dont know if mods are up there
@@Hellkerbces108 i mean you can see the sheep not being cut and also the waterfall stops and begins again during the v trogger activayion, same for akuma so it seems like a mod to me
For some reason I thought that Kage wasn't really meant to be E. Ryu but a physical form of the Satsui no Hado left undisciplined and out of control. That would explain why all of his techniques are much more casual looking than those of Akuma. Akuma harnesses and controls that power Kage is all that power without any dicipline hence his obsession with Ryu. He wants for Ryu to let go of his more disciplined personality and allow himself to be consumed by the Satsui no Hado. In other words, Kage is an incomplete Oni.
They literally are the same lmao. It's just the Satsui seperated from Ryu, but if you put those two together it makes Evil Ryu. It doesn't take a scholar to put two and two together lol
I mean Kage isnt meant to be ryu, he is the personification of the satsui no hado, which is why he has a more oni approach because basically it explains it in his story that not even Akuma goes full satsui, its heavily implied that Akuma going full satsui would become Oni which is why Kage a pure form of satsui after ryu banishes him is basically just Oni lite, its a little lame but it actually explains why he looks like that in his story and through association.
This. I’m fine with him disliking the character, but flat out ignoring his reasoning for some of his design points, AND EVEN SAYING he looks like Oni, seems biased
That's a good explanation, but they could've maybe changed his design up a bit, so he didn't look so goofy around the head and face area. They could've maybe given him the teeth that Akuma had in his SFA3 portrait (Kage's teeth in Bengus' art of him are pretty similar; kudos to Bengus, also, for not entirely sticking to the design of Kage), long hair and longer, non-glowing horns that would protrude from his forehead, and hell, I quite like A.B.I.'s idea of having Ken's ribbon wrapped around Kage's hand and would even have the ribbon briefly flash a dark grey, since it'd be "as though he were crushing Ken's friendship", but they had to give him a design that wouldn't feel out of place in a more comedic kids cartoon. Jeez, it's no wonder that Bengus refused to draw Kage's tusks in his Story Mode art.
I think Kage's arcade mode should've been "Ryu is consumed by the Satsu Ino Hado, then goes on a rampage, only to realize what he's doing and feel extreme remorse"
I was waiting for you to mention Shadow as in the Persona series (P4) It will actually make sense because those Shadows once they got "out" of the host's body act like... well... Kage (Shadow).
I actually LOVE your idea that Kage's headband should be wrapped around his fist and crushing it. It gives Kage more of a tragic feel. Its even shown in SF4 win quotes that ken is horrified of what his best friend has become. Kage's headband crushing I see as a symbol of Ken's failure to keep his best friend from turning down a dark path
Asura is the only game where I was begging for the normal gameplay to be over and for the next cutscene/quicktime event to start. And yes, the designs were awesome.
I rather choose Evil Ryu over Kage. The design may be a change of palette color for the main character, but unlike Kage, he represent the evil that struggle within Ryu through his story. With Kage's design appear as they tried way too hard to be an edgy opposite of Ryu, as making him shirtless, red, little horns, sharp teeth and dark eyes. Even Akuma, have better design than this moffo.
I would argue that the main problem is that they tried too hard, as you say. The color of his clothing, the tanned skin, the hair, the face... Through all of this Akuma became a character that we could remember. His design was extremely similar to Ken and Ryu but he had enough to seem unique, helped by his violent yet honourable personality. The guy is so well known cause he has the perfect elements to be memorable and a great impact on the story. This dude? It looks like they copied what Tekken did with Devil Jin. The design is tryhard, boring and not unique at all, and he has next to no personality besides "WAAAARGH I'M EVIIIIIL!". Shame, some of the newcomers for SFV were great.
"The design may be a change of palette color for the main character" While that is the case for almost all of Evil Ryu's appearances, his design was given quite an update in SSFIV. I quite like that design, to be honest. I do agree with you, though. In fact, I can't agree with you more. Kage looks so fucking goofy. I mean, who okayed that design for him? Who thought that it'd be taken seriously? Mate, when I saw him in his character trailer, I was already thinking of better designs, mainly for his horns and teeth. Disgraceful.
Capcom made a mistake when they added the second set of V-Triggers and they *didn't* make Ryu's two V-Triggers his Mu and Evil Ryu transformations. It is like SFV was designed for it. Players would be able to choose between Ryu with his cinematic story mode magic butterfly power-up (including the Marvel-like beam super he uses in the ending) or traditional Evil Ryu. Necalli had already set a precedent for a full match transformation, or they could have just made it a timed transform like G, or even a "rest of the activation round" middle ground.
About the scarf thing. Since Kage is almost a different person I'd like to think that the scarf represents Kage's cutthroat mentality and views on power and death. The power thing because the scarf is red, in Kage's case because of blood, and the willingness to achieve absolute victory over his opponent (aka commit lifeline deletus). If you do take a deeper dive into Kage as a character he is plauged by one thing: being tethered to Ryu. Ken's headscarf around his neck is not a symbol of him being above friendship. It's a symbol of him loathing Ryu (as far as he is considered his only true rival) and attempting to cast aside what binds him from achieving his goals, hence why it is so long and trails away from his body. It's almost always elevated (in the artwork) showing that feels so close to his goals, but at the same time shackled by his "double" as it is double layered around his neck with two somewhat even strands. I say he feels close to his goals because it's loosely fitting around his neck, while still retaining a grip onto him, indicating that he's close to discarding it altogether. The rips in the scarf indicate that the two (Kage and Ryu) are both damaged in some way. Kage's strand is ripped the most. The horns and fangs just look really dumb and more people need to roast this man.
@Robotboi WOKETH The scarf gets a pass from me too, it holds more meaning on his neck than wrapped around his fist. A full demon makeover has some kind of a point too, evil Ryu was just Ryu under snh influence and this is the hado itself that borrowed ryu's form and the most basic idea of his moves which it uses without any grace or proper form. It does make sense in a way, but it could have been done much better indeed.
Honestly, if Kage were my design, that red scarf would be dangling from the top hem of his gi pants, suggesting that he's using it like toilet paper. That ought to twist Ken into Violent Ken real nice....
I'd say the bandana being around Kage's neck is supposed to symbolize his connection to Ryu's humanity. As you said, Ryu's bandanna is symbolic of his relationship with Ken, who is one of, if not the closest person to Ryu, so it makes sense that their relationship would be at the core of his humanity. Ryu has the headband tied very tight to his head, which says a lot about how much he values said relationship, and by extension, how in tune he is with his own humanity. The fact that the bandana has now loosened and slipped down around Kage's neck tells us that his connection to Ryu's humanity is also loosening and slipping away as he becomes more and more disconnected from Ryu himself. Also, I feel it looks pretty cool personally. Never really bothered by the fangs and horns either.
Just cracks me up, every time I look at this video and see the ending credits, with Ryu in the background looking like he's about to end the World with the most powerful sneeze this Planet has ever seen...6:58 😂😂☠☠
If I were to redesign him, what I would immediately do is to wrap his bandana around both of his hands, the concept being that Kage rips the bandana into two using his own hands, and now wears them by wrapping them around his hands. This would convey a more obvious visual message of how Kage is willing to rip apart his friendship with Ken in pursuit of more power.
i like the idea of Ken's ribbon around is neck. is like, it slipped there when he transformed, and he doesn't care about it to the point that he doesn't even bother to remove it. wrapping it around his hand would have given exacly the opposite feeling, that he is trying to say "look, i value this thing so low that i use it to crush my enemies", but in fact, if he has taken the trouble of remove it from his head to wrap it around his hand, he's just demonstrating that he care, that that thing still means something to him
"Fighting to improve oneself is pretty boring." "NO, YOU'RE NOT ME! I'D NEVER SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT! EVER!" "Looks like someone just ordered a stupid looking character! HAHA! HAHAHAHA!" I couldn't resist.
My problem with Kage is that he doesn’t add anything besides being edgier Dark Ryu. They could’ve added any of the cameo characters that show up in the story modes but decided to add Kage because I assume they just lazy.
I remember seeing a mod that replaced Kage’s model with evil ryu from usf4, not only ported over but also completely remade. It looked amazing to say the least, and then someone made a mod that also completely remade the actual Kage model; which I’m still wondering why they didn’t have a similar vision to that.
The Decapre decision was likely because people had demanded R.Mika but the developers wanted to keep her for the sequel. As for Kage....it's not a good sign if even Mr. Ryu himself, Daigo, isn't using him😕
It's interesting you say here that people don't pick Ryu because of his philosophy, but because of his moveset. Because of how he functions. In other words, people pick the Ryu "function." yet when combofiend said that everybody got mad (yeah yeah i know, he was the official capcom person and it was a shitty answer, but still - he said the truth) Your idea for Evil Ryu/Kage being a V-Trigger is really cool though, and now I hope someone does this at some point.
Not sure if I agree with replacing KAGE as a character by a V trigger ability, but damn... I have to admit that the idea of choosing between a "honest" and "evil" play style, just like Ryu does when trying to contain the satsui no hado, was just beyond creative
I will say, pointing out how implementing Kage as an alternative VT2 for Ryu rather than as a separate character to the SFV roster would have actually been a far better choice than announcing him as the start of Season 4--and having nothing in line so for said Season 4. Huh...
I kinda hope Kage returns in SF 6, lol. They could do him right and make him more interesting. He realises that he is not the epitome of strength. And it's not like he asked to be born. It's not his fault he is the way he is. Turning him into a flailing, miserable, raging object of pity might be pretty cool. Seems to me like all he really wants is to have his strength validated. And to him, since all that matters is strength, and he views himself as strength personified, in a way, all he wants in his personhood to be validated. He just wants people to view him as a living, thinking being. The only way he knows how to express this desire is through fighting, since that is literally all he knows. Why does he want Ryu to accept him as his strongest part? Because he wants Ryu's acceptance. He IS Ryu. He's trying to find purpose. His life is meaningless. No one is afraid of him. He isn't the strongest. He doesn't even have his own memories. He is pure evil, but it's not like he chose to be born. He's not even a year old. He's just a kid, really. Lashing out. That's what I think they should do with kage, lol. Edit: Also, his tusks should get really big. They get so big they grow through the top of his mouth and out his head, becoming a larger, second pair of horns. His existence is pain.
6:44-6:56 perfectly describes how the community feels about Street fighter 5 right now. The game feels incomplete if they decide kage is the last Character. Where is Rose, C Viper, Oro Etc. It's still alot of fan favorites still missing from this game.
I think the bandana around the neck was supposed to look more like a collar that's come loose or the pieces of cloth that Kongōrikishi (basically buddha's angry bodyguards) wear but reversed as he's evil
I like the small details Kage has going for him: the scars on his skin with glowing purple energy and even the bandana/scarf combo but I agree they should have pushed the design all the way if they were going to make him look like the upper echelon of the Satsui no Hado. The Evil Ryu skin from MvCI still looks better.
This struggle has a good example in League of legends, when you use yhe Champion Kayn, he can change his form mid game reflecting one of his sides which was sucessful. Mechanicaly, the player can choose which side willl win simply attacking a ranged or melee unit, even this system is translated in the lore. Kage, evil Ryu and any other bad fighter in SF franchise can be used in the same way. Put Ken V- trigger (or a new system) like his embrace the flaming kicks style being unable to use the old hadouken an Dp for example
I fucking love JaboodyDubs' SF OVA fandubs. Akuma: "You know, you should really give the Dark Hado a try, it's pretty cool. You can teleport around like me."
Kinda late to say this, but if VTs were that deep and complex SFV would might actually be a good game. But we all know Capcom just wanted to make a buck. So instead VTs just crank the stats and frame datas up to 11 and inspire robbery and 1 sided fun gameplay.
No updates are likely due to SF5 being released in Japanese arcades. I predict that Capcom is silently changing to a more traditional Street Fighter upgrade, rather than update, model. Does anyone else remember the Super SF5 leak?
@@NinjaWorldWarrior16 There is no SSFV! I want an update as much as anyone else, but I settled with it that they've stopped working on the game and pushed onto SF6
@@NinjaWorldWarrior16 - If we get Super, perhaps we'll get one more upgrade in 2020. That will fulfill Capcom's 5 year plan, stated early on. Didn't the leaks mention an Ultra version, or something similar?
i like the scarf thingy. the animation doesn't look good in game but the concept of it being blown-up and just kind of floating around him is really and i think it feats the fact he is kind of a ghost and not a person. his story is great and works in it's simple lesson
Kage is the Waluigi of Street Fighter. A reflection of a reflection. A character that only exists in reference to other characters. But at least Waluigi has memes but Kage has nothing going for him.
goku black doesn't have anything to do with goku himself other than some dude stealing his body, and yet it might be the best evil version of the MC i have ever seen
I honestly love the design of Kage. The horns and fangs I don’t mind as the bandanna as a scarf is good. It’s a basic design that’s an alteration of an already basic design, but I feel it can work. The only thing I’d add is maybe something on his body, like scars or something. Cuz the big scar on his chest was good. That’s my only gripe with the design.
Thing you miss about Kage (and that I only realized a bit _after_ watching this video for the first time) is that, yes, he _is_ essentially Evil Ryu... but he's Evil Ryu without any of the Ryu. He doesn't have Ryu's drive towards self-betterment or a proper fighting spirit, and all that's left is someone who's willing to fight and kill _anything and anyone_ simply because he can. Also, I 100% agree with his fangs being stupid, but I wouldn't say the same about the horns, since they're literally just energy shaped into such rather than being a physical part of his body. And the headband being turned into a "scarf" is (and it's not a joke) because it went loose and fell off his head, and he doesn't care enough to put it back on properly.
You can really tell just how excited A.B.I is about making this video. The defeated exhaustion coveys his love of Kage with every single word he has to say for 7 tortuous minutes.
Ok now that we know this is pretty much the Las showing of evil ryu as in 3 and 6 Ryu is super zen. Him being treated as a jobber and going out with a whimper is kinda smart. Ryu doesn't defeat his internal demons in a big old scream match or heroic balance at a moment of tension. Just by striving to go clear headed and basically outgrowing him.
This is a great video. I have one comment on the idea of Kage being Ryu's V-Trigger. While it would be cool and fun, it contradicts Ryu's determination of not wanting to be evil. It was not his choice
The only reason why Capcom decided to change Evil Ryu into Kage was so they could have Evil Ryu in SFV and future Street Fighter titles without it contradicting the story. Ryu has expunged his Satsui no Hado and embraced Mu no Ken so he can't become Evil Ryu anymore but fans still want him in the game. Solution: change the name and make Evil Ryu a separate entity. That way you can have both Ryu and Evil Ryu in the game and the lore stays intact. Fun fact: you can find Kage listed as CHAR_EVIL_RYU in the game files so the name change was probably a very recent idea.
I like Kage, if only because of what he adds to Akuma's character. Akuma's whole deal is that he wants to transcend humanity via fighting/the satsui no hadou, but he hates Oni and whenever he's not fighting he's a pretty chill guy. The little bit he says when Kage claims they're the same (transcend humanity to become a demon, then transcending that to reach heaven) makes it sound like mastering the satsui no hadou and becoming a demon is just a step towards transcendence: Kage (who is the living manifestation of the satsui no hadou) and Oni represent dead ends in his eyes.
![“อ.เบียร์ คนตื่นธรรม” มาตามคำเรียกร้อง แหกศาสตร์ฮวงจุ้ย เตือนสติอย่างมงาย | แฉ 7 พ.ย. 67 [1/3]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5fc4S3xBNfc/mqdefault.jpg)
Plot twist that makes the design work perfectly: Kage isn't Evil Ryu. Kage is Evil Dan.
This.... Makes more sense then i'm comfortable with.
Don't his normals have more similarity to Oni? I've seen the Dan comparisons and it is indeed humourous.
Coming back to this, I always heard people talk about how their moves are similar, but now it actually makes MORE sense when you consider that his story mode has everyone talking about how they don't care about him and they don't see him as a threat. That's so Dan.
Unfortunately Dan is now in the game which in turn debunks this interesting theory
Fun fact about that actually: in the comics dan actually was able to use the satsui no hado/ raging demon, however he tripped on a bookbag, I think it was Sakura's, and he lost it.
Your point about the V-trigger would've been a fantastic way to deal with this subject.
Also, it's already kind of been done before with Kilik's Soul Charge into his corrupted form in Soul Calibur VI.
It does not because of how the story ended. It will follow (or continue) the path to SFIII, Ryu that is matured then trained by Oro.
And it would've made Kage that much cooler. An entire Evil Ryu shoved into a V-Trigger? People would have eaten that up.
Yeah, that was pretty brilliant i must say.
Having Kage work as his 2nd V trigger
Holy shit it makes so so SO MUCH SENSE it's so incredibly depressing to realize such a wasted opportunity
The red string/bandana is probably actually a reference to the Buddhist practice of sealing evil spirits with ropes, and may also reference the concept of "the red string of fate". Kage wearing it shredded is meant to show that he's broken out of Ryu's restraint.
Also draws a parallel to akuma‘s prayer beads which he also wears around his neck
It also possesses collar or leash symbolism, again echoing the idea of a broken restraint.
If that's the case then it still looks silly round his neck. I think a better idea would be of him buring the string in his intro.
Also I personally belive the headband is around his neck cuz ryu has stopped tightening it. There are A LOT of times ryu starts a fight NY tightening it. Naturally through not doing that it'd fall
If that's the case that's actually really cool, it's just a shame that it doesn't look very good
Kage: RAAAH! I AM DEATH AND DARKNESS INCARNATE! FEAR ME!
Everybody else: Lol nice horns nerd
i love Capcom for this story telling of Kage
Sorry...Death....Darkness incarnate?.... Tell that to Noob Saibot The Destroyer of Worlds
@@竜きん GodDAMN, your voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard.
TITANia U would be right actually
@@竜きん Erron Black saying that just makes every MK fan relate 😁😁
I would pay good money for an alt outfit for Kage wearing a shirt saying "Hi I Am Demon."
The modding community probably has you covered. 😉😂
If that were in the game, I’d at least give the devs credit for having a sense of humor
Sounds like something Tekken would do.
Man, going with Ryu becoming Kage as a V-Trigger is actually brilliant, and would actually make Necalli more relevant to the game. Make Kage a “full round” trigger like Necalli’s too.
and how would that make necalli more relevant ?
He means lore wise, necalli is stuck in that weird one off cheatacter syndrome like G, or most of SF3. Characters who could have more interesting origin stories/ could have their enhanced modes more elaborated on.
@@ewa1020 It's explained more in Necalli's video on the topic, but basically he could have been a LOT more interesting in his debut if he served as both a mechanical AND thematical bridge between Bison and Ryu's journeys to power. One grows through perseverance, dedication and discipline, while the other chose to weaponize his very soul to exact his inhuman cruelty and contempt on the world. Necalli seems to be kind of a weird middle ground between them, so he's basically what a wasted opportunity looks like, much like Kage being an actual character instead of just being Ryu's V-trigger 2.
Kage: Evil Dan but taken seriously... _Storywise_
honestly i loved the idea kage was evil dan
I wish there was an evil KEN....and not Violent Ken where Ken gets controlled by Bison's Psycho power.
@@joshualowe1821 While it would be cool it would be a bit weird, Ken isn't really all about fighting and power (and Ryu always had trouble with the Satsui No Hado it's kind of his thing don't take that away from him it's all he has)
@@Igneeka i agree with you maybe ken can tap into his phyco powers and have his own non evil power up like ryu.
No because Dan is a amalgumation/parody of Ryo and Robert from Art of Fighting, even though Dan wants to be the King of Fighters he hates the Art of Fighting (and yes, this is a win quote from Alpha3 I discovered on the GBA!)
If Ryu accepts Kage as himself, then he'll unlock his Persona Benkei.
Wait, wrong series.
But it would betray his nindo!
Kage is actually his zanpakuto's true form
No he unlocks Shin Ryu or true Ryu the form he used against Gill & later Oni in the comics. A perfect balance between Kage & The power of nothingness
Bret Ginn Then Evil Ryu will be born again.
Joshua Lowe not if he doesn’t abandon the power of nothingness, he’ll just become Shin Ryu, the form he used against Gill & Oni in the comics signified by a red & blue aura that is perfectly balanced like all things should be.
V-Trigger idea is solid gold, and has precedent. Ryu used to be able to switch between, ryu, ken, and akuma styles in the first Marvel vs Capcom game.
the concept of having Evil Ryu as a transformation via super combo is literally what I've always wanted out of the character. outside of sf4ae he was always the weird midpoint between ryu and akuma.
Dark sakura is literally that in mvc2
Pick sakura get 3 bars
Super
Boom non canon character
@@nodot17 and it was already done in Marvel vs Capcom.
The Sakura transformation is one of those amazing things nobody does hahaha
Actually I thought E-Ryu was solidly designed in SSF4. Daigo's E-Ryu is an example considering he also played vanilla SF4 Ryu and succeeded with him. He can still play Ryu's DP/Fireball game but the wrinkle came in the confirms and the combo potential along with the usage of focus. Akuma's signature is that he's a glass cannon with the ability to approach you in variable ways in neutral, pressure and oki situations. Why do you think SF4AE Akuma was notorious for his consistent and safe vortex?
If Kage was just a V Trigger then he would be perfect.
Having Kage as Ryu's VT is an awesome concept. 3 bars/permanent like Necalli, only with a glass cannon effect(high damage/lower vitality)? That would be interesting as hell.
Too bad that the idea to implement came 1 year to late kek. Story wise it wouldnt make much more sense tho since during sf3 Ryu has already matured.
Its ironic considering the gate way to playing 'fundamental' SFV even back in S1 wasn't even through Ryu but through Necalli. Would've been interesting for Ryu to be one of the other characters with a perma VT change and you commit to that in the match.
Losing health to become a glass cannon.... naw im good with having a full health bar and just playing a glass cannon from the start.
@@zakki9491 3 years too late, but V takes place before the events of 3, just wanted to point that out
@@cyanide167 i know. i just meant back then that having kage happen before 3 makes sense because Ryu is matured in 3.
I never cared for “Ryu is trying to control the evil of Satsui no Hado”. His “I live for the next fight” is absolutely fine. By fighting others from around the world, he learns more about the world. For all its faults, Street Fighter II V had the best story arc for Ryu outside of the games.
Street Fighter 2 V is really cool. But I think there was not enough Sagat or Balrog in it.
Ken vs Vega was cool tho
@@oiopquatro4846 Balrog as a government agent secretly a mole for Shadaloo was VERY strange. I recently rewatched the series and it’s still kind of hard to resolve the two disparate interpretations. Sagat, on the other hand, was a reinterpretation I liked very much and was very cool to see Ryu and Sagat leave with respect for one another.
My favorite response to cheap clones like Kage and Decapre was when *Skullgirls* added Fukua as an April Fool's joke in 2014. They made a whole character! Even a funny parody launch trailer for her.
BallotBoxer You say that as if Capcom was expected to be salty about it. And I still wished Fukua was a hidden slot in the final build for nostalgia sake since, I admit, first time I played the build with her included, I had to ask some guy where she was in the character select screen cuz I was a dumbass. Didnt see that gimmick for a while and its a shame they got rid of it.
Am i crazy decapre cheap clone? Other than some of the normals cammy and decapre are completely different. One is runaway one is rushdown
1:50 friendship was choking him amd stifling his power
The funny plot twist here is that if you look at SF4 Dan's moves, they're just more flimsy versions of what Kage has. This means that Kage was the closest thing we had to Dan for a while in SFV. This demonic entity is comparable to the running gag of the series.
Man I forgot about Decapre.
The fact that Akuma pulls of the Oni look much better just hurts Kage more.
Holy shit, I would heavily consider maining Ryu if Kage was a V-Trigger. That'd be so cool.
5:38 I wouldn't say a V Trigger but more of possibly a secret command (Like what they did to give you Ken/Akuma's moveset in Marvel Vs Capcom) before loading into the match, giving Ryu a special intro where he's holding his chest and this evil aura is around him before turning into Kage/Evil Ryu.
Coolest idea I've heard
The most interesting thing about Kage is that his "new" moves are suspiciously similar to Dan's, which makes me feel Capcom is trying to imply that Dan may have been tapping into the dark hadou unconciously.
*Everyone talking about how good or bad kage is*
*Me*
5:38
"OOOOH~!!! pretty editing~!! Cool video~!!"
Indeed, that cut was amazing.
Was it? It looks like a mod
@@flamescorpio5850 Nope he edit it im pretty sure but if it was a mod that would be sick~! but its a complete character stance change and i dont know if mods are up there
@@Hellkerbces108 i mean you can see the sheep not being cut and also the waterfall stops and begins again during the v trogger activayion, same for akuma so it seems like a mod to me
@@flamescorpio5850 clearly haven't done good cutting jobs before pff
SNK violent Ken > Capcom Kage/evil ryu
Diablo Rojo What about USF2 Violent Ken??
@@joshualowe1821 Came from SNK
I like violent Ken.
Kuzuryu Reppa! Best (Violent)Ken Super ever!
Yeah even smash has evil ken reference even though i pick joker to defeat that evil and change his heart 😁
For some reason I thought that Kage wasn't really meant to be E. Ryu but a physical form of the Satsui no Hado left undisciplined and out of control. That would explain why all of his techniques are much more casual looking than those of Akuma. Akuma harnesses and controls that power Kage is all that power without any dicipline hence his obsession with Ryu. He wants for Ryu to let go of his more disciplined personality and allow himself to be consumed by the Satsui no Hado. In other words, Kage is an incomplete Oni.
Almost like Sugarpunch misses the point again.
They literally are the same lmao. It's just the Satsui seperated from Ryu, but if you put those two together it makes Evil Ryu. It doesn't take a scholar to put two and two together lol
That V-Trigger idea was the first time in my life I've cared about either Evil Ryu or even Whitebread Ryu.
I wish that was an actual thing...
5:38 putting this time stamp here because that transition was so damn clean!
Now that you're done reviewing the New SFV Characters, can we have your opinions on MK11 and it's new characters?
I cant wait for the video about:
Nightmode Tremor.
Avatar Cetrion
And of course
WB interactive.
Nicky Walcott
Or at least the new take on Erron Black?
Please no, enough MK vídeos
@@StellaEFZ Ok, fine, what about a Samurai Shodown Video?
Geras and Cetrion looks more like injustice characters to me.
Kage literally translates to 'Shadow'. Wow, so subtle on the name, guys
I dont think they gave a shit about how subtle it was lol
Ow the edge
Your design shop content really has expanded my appreciation of the art. Great quality! Super unique fighting game content. So lucky to have you.
I mean Kage isnt meant to be ryu, he is the personification of the satsui no hado, which is why he has a more oni approach because basically it explains it in his story that not even Akuma goes full satsui, its heavily implied that Akuma going full satsui would become Oni which is why Kage a pure form of satsui after ryu banishes him is basically just Oni lite, its a little lame but it actually explains why he looks like that in his story and through association.
This. I’m fine with him disliking the character, but flat out ignoring his reasoning for some of his design points, AND EVEN SAYING he looks like Oni, seems biased
This needs to be grasped by more. So many opinions are being drawn comparing Kage with evil ryu, except he isn’t exactly evil ryu.
That's a good explanation, but they could've maybe changed his design up a bit, so he didn't look so goofy around the head and face area. They could've maybe given him the teeth that Akuma had in his SFA3 portrait (Kage's teeth in Bengus' art of him are pretty similar; kudos to Bengus, also, for not entirely sticking to the design of Kage), long hair and longer, non-glowing horns that would protrude from his forehead, and hell, I quite like A.B.I.'s idea of having Ken's ribbon wrapped around Kage's hand and would even have the ribbon briefly flash a dark grey, since it'd be "as though he were crushing Ken's friendship", but they had to give him a design that wouldn't feel out of place in a more comedic kids cartoon. Jeez, it's no wonder that Bengus refused to draw Kage's tusks in his Story Mode art.
I think Kage's arcade mode should've been "Ryu is consumed by the Satsu Ino Hado, then goes on a rampage, only to realize what he's doing and feel extreme remorse"
I was waiting for you to mention Shadow as in the Persona series (P4)
It will actually make sense because those Shadows once they got "out" of the host's body act like... well... Kage (Shadow).
I actually LOVE your idea that Kage's headband should be wrapped around his fist and crushing it. It gives Kage more of a tragic feel. Its even shown in SF4 win quotes that ken is horrified of what his best friend has become. Kage's headband crushing I see as a symbol of Ken's failure to keep his best friend from turning down a dark path
That V Trigger point was amazing. Kilik shows us that an evil power up can be amazing.
Oni Ryu never looked sicker.
And I mean that in an "eh" way.
I see some Asura's Wrath stuff in this video, is it a sign for a future design shop for that game? Those character designs are really cool
Yeah that would be pretty cool
@Queen_Bratz Doesn't change the fact that it would be nice
Asura is the only game where I was begging for the normal gameplay to be over and for the next cutscene/quicktime event to start. And yes, the designs were awesome.
@@LordBaktor time to shut Wyzen up
I rather choose Evil Ryu over Kage. The design may be a change of palette color for the main character, but unlike Kage, he represent the evil that struggle within Ryu through his story. With Kage's design appear as they tried way too hard to be an edgy opposite of Ryu, as making him shirtless, red, little horns, sharp teeth and dark eyes. Even Akuma, have better design than this moffo.
I would argue that the main problem is that they tried too hard, as you say. The color of his clothing, the tanned skin, the hair, the face... Through all of this Akuma became a character that we could remember. His design was extremely similar to Ken and Ryu but he had enough to seem unique, helped by his violent yet honourable personality. The guy is so well known cause he has the perfect elements to be memorable and a great impact on the story.
This dude? It looks like they copied what Tekken did with Devil Jin. The design is tryhard, boring and not unique at all, and he has next to no personality besides "WAAAARGH I'M EVIIIIIL!". Shame, some of the newcomers for SFV were great.
"The design may be a change of palette color for the main character"
While that is the case for almost all of Evil Ryu's appearances, his design was given quite an update in SSFIV. I quite like that design, to be honest. I do agree with you, though. In fact, I can't agree with you more. Kage looks so fucking goofy. I mean, who okayed that design for him? Who thought that it'd be taken seriously? Mate, when I saw him in his character trailer, I was already thinking of better designs, mainly for his horns and teeth. Disgraceful.
Akuma has one of the best designs in street fighter imo (besides his sfv look)
@@pabloosset2533 "WAAAARGH I'M EVIIIIIL!".
isnt that kinda the point? I mean, even the cast of the game treat him like a joke?
I only play him because of the Asura skin
Spot on video; Kage Trigger makes absolute sense!! 💯
Capcom made a mistake when they added the second set of V-Triggers and they *didn't* make Ryu's two V-Triggers his Mu and Evil Ryu transformations. It is like SFV was designed for it. Players would be able to choose between Ryu with his cinematic story mode magic butterfly power-up (including the Marvel-like beam super he uses in the ending) or traditional Evil Ryu. Necalli had already set a precedent for a full match transformation, or they could have just made it a timed transform like G, or even a "rest of the activation round" middle ground.
About the scarf thing. Since Kage is almost a different person I'd like to think that the scarf represents Kage's cutthroat mentality and views on power and death. The power thing because the scarf is red, in Kage's case because of blood, and the willingness to achieve absolute victory over his opponent (aka commit lifeline deletus). If you do take a deeper dive into Kage as a character he is plauged by one thing: being tethered to Ryu.
Ken's headscarf around his neck is not a symbol of him being above friendship. It's a symbol of him loathing Ryu (as far as he is considered his only true rival) and attempting to cast aside what binds him from achieving his goals, hence why it is so long and trails away from his body. It's almost always elevated (in the artwork) showing that feels so close to his goals, but at the same time shackled by his "double" as it is double layered around his neck with two somewhat even strands. I say he feels close to his goals because it's loosely fitting around his neck, while still retaining a grip onto him, indicating that he's close to discarding it altogether.
The rips in the scarf indicate that the two (Kage and Ryu) are both damaged in some way. Kage's strand is ripped the most.
The horns and fangs just look really dumb and more people need to roast this man.
@Robotboi WOKETH The scarf gets a pass from me too, it holds more meaning on his neck than wrapped around his fist.
A full demon makeover has some kind of a point too, evil Ryu was just Ryu under snh influence and this is the hado itself that borrowed ryu's form and the most basic idea of his moves which it uses without any grace or proper form. It does make sense in a way, but it could have been done much better indeed.
Honestly, if Kage were my design, that red scarf would be dangling from the top hem of his gi pants, suggesting that he's using it like toilet paper. That ought to twist Ken into Violent Ken real nice....
Did you just say that people play Ryu for his functions? Naughty naughty.
EDIT: 5:22
I am laughing from remembering that quote in the MvC video he made. Come on, A.B.I.
I'd say the bandana being around Kage's neck is supposed to symbolize his connection to Ryu's humanity.
As you said, Ryu's bandanna is symbolic of his relationship with Ken, who is one of, if not the closest person to Ryu, so it makes sense that their relationship would be at the core of his humanity. Ryu has the headband tied very tight to his head, which says a lot about how much he values said relationship, and by extension, how in tune he is with his own humanity.
The fact that the bandana has now loosened and slipped down around Kage's neck tells us that his connection to Ryu's humanity is also loosening and slipping away as he becomes more and more disconnected from Ryu himself.
Also, I feel it looks pretty cool personally. Never really bothered by the fangs and horns either.
This is probably one of the best videos. So hillarious. And enjoyable.
Just cracks me up, every time I look at this video and see the ending credits, with Ryu in the background looking like he's about to end the World with the most powerful sneeze this Planet has ever seen...6:58 😂😂☠☠
If I were to redesign him, what I would immediately do is to wrap his bandana around both of his hands, the concept being that Kage rips the bandana into two using his own hands, and now wears them by wrapping them around his hands. This would convey a more obvious visual message of how Kage is willing to rip apart his friendship with Ken in pursuit of more power.
i like the idea of Ken's ribbon around is neck.
is like, it slipped there when he transformed, and he doesn't care about it to the point that he doesn't even bother to remove it.
wrapping it around his hand would have given exacly the opposite feeling, that he is trying to say "look, i value this thing so low that i use it to crush my enemies", but in fact, if he has taken the trouble of remove it from his head to wrap it around his hand, he's just demonstrating that he care, that that thing still means something to him
"Fighting to improve oneself is pretty boring."
"NO, YOU'RE NOT ME! I'D NEVER SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT! EVER!"
"Looks like someone just ordered a stupid looking character! HAHA! HAHAHAHA!"
I couldn't resist.
"Through the power to reject the Hado Ryu optained a new evil form, Edgy Oni Man" "Too bad you'll never use him in Battle"
i like the horns and underbite, they're goofy yes but that's why i like them
My problem with Kage is that he doesn’t add anything besides being edgier Dark Ryu. They could’ve added any of the cameo characters that show up in the story modes but decided to add Kage because I assume they just lazy.
No that's because Evil Ryu was heavily requested amongst the fans so they tried to find a way to implement him into sfv story
Actually SF4 Evil Ryu is one of the most popular characters in that game, so he was quite heavily requested.
My first reaction was: "Really?". Was kinda expecting it to be Evil Ryu but maybe more badass
Kage
Moveset: cool and epic combos
Persobality: EVILER RYU
Music: EPIC
Design: lol
I remember seeing a mod that replaced Kage’s model with evil ryu from usf4, not only ported over but also completely remade. It looked amazing to say the least, and then someone made a mod that also completely remade the actual Kage model; which I’m still wondering why they didn’t have a similar vision to that.
I like your take on Kage and your idea of how you would make the Evil Ryu into Ryu. Cheers!
KAGE SUX and SFV too!
Home
The Room
The Living Roomuu
KAGE
“I’ve never liked Evil Ryu as a character”. Glad someone finally said it. And yes, I too called bullshit on Decapre.
The Decapre decision was likely because people had demanded R.Mika but the developers wanted to keep her for the sequel.
As for Kage....it's not a good sign if even Mr. Ryu himself, Daigo, isn't using him😕
@Fwuffycodbunny Guile is his main tournament option, but he does fall back on him IF the match up is better.
It's interesting you say here that people don't pick Ryu because of his philosophy, but because of his moveset. Because of how he functions. In other words, people pick the Ryu "function."
yet when combofiend said that everybody got mad
(yeah yeah i know, he was the official capcom person and it was a shitty answer, but still - he said the truth)
Your idea for Evil Ryu/Kage being a V-Trigger is really cool though, and now I hope someone does this at some point.
So Basically Ryu should be his MvC 1 counterpart.
That V-Trigger concept is actually amazing.
This is gold.. The honesty, the spot on explanation of your opinion.. Love it
Choosing Kage as a V-Trigger is genius. Incorporating story into gameplay in a seamless, interesting way. Great idea!
I always saw the red bandanna as a collar or leash, something that holds Ryu back from being Kage
Not sure if I agree with replacing KAGE as a character by a V trigger ability, but damn... I have to admit that the idea of choosing between a "honest" and "evil" play style, just like Ryu does when trying to contain the satsui no hado, was just beyond creative
I will say, pointing out how implementing Kage as an alternative VT2 for Ryu rather than as a separate character to the SFV roster would have actually been a far better choice than announcing him as the start of Season 4--and having nothing in line so for said Season 4. Huh...
Not gonna lie, I kind of perfer Evil Ryu a little bit more than Kage
Everyone does
Lucas Vinicius Why did they changed his name? There is already a character named shadow and that's Shadow Jago
yeah because Evil Ryu has a Soul, Kage does not ^^
Ryu Kusanagi Indeed
@@竜きん yet I like the Idea for an Evil Ryu Playstyle-representation after Ryu mastered the Path of Nothingness
I kinda hope Kage returns in SF 6, lol. They could do him right and make him more interesting. He realises that he is not the epitome of strength. And it's not like he asked to be born. It's not his fault he is the way he is. Turning him into a flailing, miserable, raging object of pity might be pretty cool. Seems to me like all he really wants is to have his strength validated. And to him, since all that matters is strength, and he views himself as strength personified, in a way, all he wants in his personhood to be validated. He just wants people to view him as a living, thinking being. The only way he knows how to express this desire is through fighting, since that is literally all he knows. Why does he want Ryu to accept him as his strongest part? Because he wants Ryu's acceptance. He IS Ryu. He's trying to find purpose. His life is meaningless. No one is afraid of him. He isn't the strongest. He doesn't even have his own memories. He is pure evil, but it's not like he chose to be born. He's not even a year old. He's just a kid, really. Lashing out.
That's what I think they should do with kage, lol.
Edit: Also, his tusks should get really big. They get so big they grow through the top of his mouth and out his head, becoming a larger, second pair of horns. His existence is pain.
Holy fruckles. The V-trigger idea is so damn good, that now I'm sad for the devs not having figured this out in time.
I really like Kage but wow that V Trigger suggestion of swapping mid match sounds amazing
If Kage is the Satsui No Hado persona that controlled Ryu, what kind of persona will Akuma have if he is ever freed from HIS Satsui No Hado?? Oni??
6:44-6:56 perfectly describes how the community feels about Street fighter 5 right now. The game feels incomplete if they decide kage is the last Character. Where is Rose, C Viper, Oro Etc. It's still alot of fan favorites still missing from this game.
mickjagger223
Rose, Poison, Honda, Marz, C. Viper, etc.
No Guy? Profound sadness
Dont worry street fighter 3 is next
I think the bandana around the neck was supposed to look more like a collar that's come loose or the pieces of cloth that Kongōrikishi (basically buddha's angry bodyguards) wear but reversed as he's evil
Im so happy this video is in my recommendation. Your channel is dope man!
I like the small details Kage has going for him: the scars on his skin with glowing purple energy and even the bandana/scarf combo but I agree they should have pushed the design all the way if they were going to make him look like the upper echelon of the Satsui no Hado.
The Evil Ryu skin from MvCI still looks better.
It's extremely hard for me to dislike Kage when his theme is playing like that.
Kage being Ryu's vtrigger 2 would've been awesome
Kage is what edgelords mistake for dark.
This struggle has a good example in League of legends, when you use yhe Champion Kayn, he can change his form mid game reflecting one of his sides which was sucessful. Mechanicaly, the player can choose which side willl win simply attacking a ranged or melee unit, even this system is translated in the lore. Kage, evil Ryu and any other bad fighter in SF franchise can be used in the same way. Put Ken V- trigger (or a new system) like his embrace the flaming kicks style being unable to use the old hadouken an Dp for example
I actually like Kage a lot and I think he's cool as hell, but I can understand your opinion and I respect it completely
I fucking love JaboodyDubs' SF OVA fandubs.
Akuma: "You know, you should really give the Dark Hado a try, it's pretty cool. You can teleport around like me."
Hey Sugarpunch! Any chance for Lucia?
And maybe Seth if we wanna really stretch the definition of a new character really far?
Kinda late to say this, but if VTs were that deep and complex SFV would might actually be a good game. But we all know Capcom just wanted to make a buck. So instead VTs just crank the stats and frame datas up to 11 and inspire robbery and 1 sided fun gameplay.
I'm going to name my future daughter Angry Lil Punch Queen.
No updates are likely due to SF5 being released in Japanese arcades. I predict that Capcom is silently changing to a more traditional Street Fighter upgrade, rather than update, model. Does anyone else remember the Super SF5 leak?
Doubt it...
Yeah. Instead of multiple small updates, they just want to release one giant upgrade, which is Super SFV coming in December.
@@NinjaWorldWarrior16 There is no SSFV! I want an update as much as anyone else, but I settled with it that they've stopped working on the game and pushed onto SF6
@@bfFAN221 There is a SSFV, and it'll be the last main update to the game.
@@NinjaWorldWarrior16 - If we get Super, perhaps we'll get one more upgrade in 2020. That will fulfill Capcom's 5 year plan, stated early on. Didn't the leaks mention an Ultra version, or something similar?
i like the scarf thingy. the animation doesn't look good in game but the concept of it being blown-up and just kind of floating around him is really and i think it feats the fact he is kind of a ghost and not a person. his story is great and works in it's simple lesson
Kage is the Waluigi of Street Fighter. A reflection of a reflection. A character that only exists in reference to other characters.
But at least Waluigi has memes but Kage has nothing going for him.
He has a cool theme and actually is enjoyable to watch fight. Waluigi only has memes.
They could make Kage more of a gray area type of character and doesn't mind working together with Ryu
goku black doesn't have anything to do with goku himself other than some dude stealing his body, and yet it might be the best evil version of the MC i have ever seen
Agreed.
I honestly love the design of Kage. The horns and fangs I don’t mind as the bandanna as a scarf is good. It’s a basic design that’s an alteration of an already basic design, but I feel it can work. The only thing I’d add is maybe something on his body, like scars or something. Cuz the big scar on his chest was good. That’s my only gripe with the design.
Thing you miss about Kage (and that I only realized a bit _after_ watching this video for the first time) is that, yes, he _is_ essentially Evil Ryu... but he's Evil Ryu without any of the Ryu. He doesn't have Ryu's drive towards self-betterment or a proper fighting spirit, and all that's left is someone who's willing to fight and kill _anything and anyone_ simply because he can.
Also, I 100% agree with his fangs being stupid, but I wouldn't say the same about the horns, since they're literally just energy shaped into such rather than being a physical part of his body. And the headband being turned into a "scarf" is (and it's not a joke) because it went loose and fell off his head, and he doesn't care enough to put it back on properly.
You can really tell just how excited A.B.I is about making this video. The defeated exhaustion coveys his love of Kage with every single word he has to say for 7 tortuous minutes.
These videos are always top notch
Yoooooooo, the the decapre reference got me dieing
that kage vtrigger transition was smooth as hell gj
Ok now that we know this is pretty much the Las showing of evil ryu as in 3 and 6 Ryu is super zen. Him being treated as a jobber and going out with a whimper is kinda smart. Ryu doesn't defeat his internal demons in a big old scream match or heroic balance at a moment of tension. Just by striving to go clear headed and basically outgrowing him.
Dude, that vtrigger idea was soooo dope holy shit!
This is a great video. I have one comment on the idea of Kage being Ryu's V-Trigger. While it would be cool and fun, it contradicts Ryu's determination of not wanting to be evil. It was not his choice
the home, the room, the livingroom... KAGE
5:23 So you're saying people select Ryu because of his "functions"? (Props to those who get the reference)
The only way to make the horns look cool is to have them be bigger horns like a bull or a goat
Please look at the moves Kage can use and look at the moves Dan can use, you might like what you find
The only reason why Capcom decided to change Evil Ryu into Kage was so they could have Evil Ryu in SFV and future Street Fighter titles without it contradicting the story. Ryu has expunged his Satsui no Hado and embraced Mu no Ken so he can't become Evil Ryu anymore but fans still want him in the game. Solution: change the name and make Evil Ryu a separate entity. That way you can have both Ryu and Evil Ryu in the game and the lore stays intact. Fun fact: you can find Kage listed as CHAR_EVIL_RYU in the game files so the name change was probably a very recent idea.
I like Kage, if only because of what he adds to Akuma's character. Akuma's whole deal is that he wants to transcend humanity via fighting/the satsui no hadou, but he hates Oni and whenever he's not fighting he's a pretty chill guy. The little bit he says when Kage claims they're the same (transcend humanity to become a demon, then transcending that to reach heaven) makes it sound like mastering the satsui no hadou and becoming a demon is just a step towards transcendence: Kage (who is the living manifestation of the satsui no hadou) and Oni represent dead ends in his eyes.