In the original Street Fighter, player one controls Ryu.
Ryu is a young Japanese martial artist who enters the tournament to test and improve his abilities. The game’s single-player campaign sends him through matches in several countries, ending with the powerful Muay Thai fighters Adon and Sagat in Thailand.
Ryu and Ken share the same basic moves and special techniques in the first game, which can cause confusion. Ken is not player one’s default character: he is controlled by the second player in competitive matches. If Ken defeats Ryu, the winning player can continue the tournament as Ken.
The 1987 game established Ryu as Street Fighter’s central protagonist. Later games expanded his story and fighting style, but his role as the series’ foundational playable fighter began here.