Ryu first appeared in the Ninja Gaiden beat 'em up arcade game in 1988. In that same year, Ninja Gaiden was released on the NES (Famicom, in Japan) and the Sega Master System, though these versions, being più centered around platformer-style gameplay, bore little resemblance to the original arcade game. Two NES sequels, Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos and Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, followed in 1990 and 1991 to complete the trilogy. Also in 1991, Ninja Gaiden Shadow was released on the Game Boy. Ryu's successivo few appearances were as a playable fighter in the Dead o Alive series, which saw releases on the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Xbox 360 platforms, as well as in arcades.
There is no story to the original arcade version of Ninja Gaiden, except that Ryu and an unnamed red ninja sidekick (possibly Joe/Jo/Ken Hayabusa o Momiji) who serves as the secondo player were beating up their foes throughout America. Ryu's story commences in Ninja Gaiden for the NES, when he receives a letter from his father, who has departed to fight a life o death duel. Players are left to guess as the story progresses throughout the game, as the young Hayabusa goes on his quest for revenge and to uncover the truth behind his father's disappearance. This was followed da the successivo two games of the trilogy, which have mysterious introductions that unfolded in a similar manner. In Ninja Gaiden II, players are introduced to a new villain who wields the Dark Sword of Chaos. In Ninja Gaiden III, Ryu Hayabusa is framed for killing his girlfriend.
Eventually, Ryu moved from Ninja Gaiden to Tecmo's Dead o Alive series. Taking place chronologically years after his exploits in the Ninja Gaiden series, he adopts a new, sleeker look. His story is fleshed out more, as a new ninja clan is introduced, several other supporting characters, and a new, serpentine plot that he finds himself intertwined in. He has been a participant in every DOA tournament, canonically winning the secondo tournament da killing Tengu. His cohorts have claimed the other contests.
Finally, after the long wait, Ryu returned to Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox, in a 3D action game with new and original gameplay. The prologue explains the Mythos of the Dragon Lineage who sided with the Draghi against the Evil Deities and the Tribes, and how they slew the Dark Dragon. The Draghi are described as god-like, benevolent creatures with metallic bones, teeth and claws, created da the Deity of Creation to counter the Evil Deities. The prologue includes a brief history of the two Dragon Swords. The first is the Dark Dragon Blade, carved out of the bone of the legendary Dark Dragon that betrayed his brethren out of jealousy and thirst for power, joining the Evil Deities. This blade consumes evil, charging as più evil is committed in its vicinity. As a result, the weapon turns its wielder into the devil incarnate. The secondo sword is the Dragon Sword, carved from the fang of the Dragon, and bequeathed the Dragon Lineage from generation to generation, and finally to Ryu Hayabusa. It is the same sword used da Ryu in the NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy.
The story of Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) deviated from the original NES Ninja Gaiden Trilogy da a few small retroactive continuities. Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) and it's sequels Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword and Ninja Gaiden 2 serve as prequels to the NES Ninja Gaiden series, both series are connected to the Dead o Alive series. Timeline wise the events the current Ninja Gaiden series happen first, then the NES Ninja Gaiden series, and finally the Dead o Alive series. [1]
Ryu's name as taken from the video game strada, via Fighter, the reason for this, is because the writer for the Ninja Gaiden series favourite character was Ryu.
[edit] Ninja Gaiden
[edit] Before Ninja Gaiden
Ryu bears the name 'Hayabusa' when he graduated the Hayabusa School. He's the son of Ken Hayabusa and he's a member of his father's clan called the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. His mother was neither mentioned nor seen in any NG games. He has mastered everything he learned from his school, much to the delight of his father. He has earned the titolo 'Super Ninja'.
[edit] Ninja Gaiden (NES)
Ryu received a letter from his father, Ken Hayabusa, that detto he had a duel to the death with another ninja. Ryu then prepared a keepsake sword he'd gotten from his father, the Dragon Sword, and went in cerca of his father. During his adventure, he met up with Irene Lew and faced the man who dueled his father, Bloody Malth, before being reunited with his father. However, Ken was killed da Bloody Malth's master, the Jaquio. Ryu avenged his father's death da killing Jaquio and also the Demon God.
[edit] Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
Ashtar, Jaquio's master and the Emperor of Darkness, had planned to rule the world with the power of the Demon. With the Demon dead, Ashtar kidnaps Irene to lure Ryu to his home dimension. Ashtar wields the Dark Sword of Chaos, made from the Bone of the Demon at the same time that the Dragon Sword was forged from the Fang of the Dragon. Ryu eventually confronts and defeats Ashtar, but before he can get Irene to safety, she is captured da Jaquio, who now bears the Dark Sword. Ryu confronts and defeats the Jaquio a secondo time at an altar made from the Demon's bones. However, the Jaquio's blood flows into the Dark Sword, awakening it. The Jaquio is revived da its power[citation needed], and stabs Irene with the sword[citation needed]. Ryu slays the Jaquio again, but Irene's blood empowers the sword further, and revives the Demon. Ryu fights the Demon again in a battle similar to the one in Ninja Gaiden. After Ryu kills the Demon again, the Dark Sword of Chaos shatters, and he carries Irene back to Earth, where she succumbs to her wounds and dies. Crying over her body, Ryu calls on the spirits of his ancestors, saying his victories are meaningless without her. The Dragon Sword then begins to hum and glow, emitting a blue light which flows into Irene, reviving her. The couple then watches the evening sunset (unlike the sunrise in the other two NES Ninja Gaiden games).
[edit] Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
A Ryu doppelgänger assassinates Irene and frames the original for murder. During his quest to clear his name, Ryu discovers that Irene is still alive and that his doppelgänger was a BIO-NOID sent da Irene's own boss and former acquaintance of his, Foster. This was followed da an engagement with Ryu's doppelgänger which ended in Ryu's defeat. But in their secondo encounter, Ryu turns the tables, defeating his doppelgänger instead. But in a shocking turn-of-events, Foster is double-crossed da his accomplice, Clancy, who murders him. Clancy reveals the true nature of their location, the castello Rock Fortress, as an inter-dimensional warship, which he intends to use for global dominance. With both Irene and himself caught up in Clancy's machinations, Ryu is forced to take action. Subsequently, Ryu foils Clancy's plans and flees the crumbling castello Rock Fortress with Irene.
[edit] Ninja Gaiden (Xbox)
The Hayabusa Ninja Clan was annihilated including Ryu's friend Kureha, and the Dark Dragon Blade was stolen da the evil black samurai Doku, the Lord of the Greater Fiends, and his minions. Though killed da Doku, Ryu was revived da the clan's animal spirit, the falco, falcon and goes on a journey in cerca of the stolen Dark Dragon Blade and avenge his clan's death. As he proceeded, he met the Fiend Hunter Rachel, who was in cerca of her sister. He was observed da Gamov and a mysterious associate of his, known only as the Dark Disciple. Ryu also came across Rachel's twin sister Alma, who was morphed into a Fiend. Eventually, Alma saved Rachel from Doku and Doku was defeated da Hayabusa. Ryu defeated the Vigoor Emperor and the Fiends and retrieved the evil blade. Ryu and Rachel came across two "observers" but Gamov was betrayed and killed da his own associate who was wielding the Dark Dragon Blade. The Dark Disciple was later revealed to be an ally of Ryu, Murai. Murai then betrayed him and challenged him. Despite wielding the evil blade, Murai was defeated and Ryu destroyed the sword. He then left Rachel with no further commento and brought back the Dragon Eye he got from Kureha's grave.
[edit] Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (Nintendo DS)
The story of Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword takes place six months after the events of Ninja Gaiden (Xbox). A female ninja named Momiji makes her first appearance in the Ninja Gaiden series.The story begins as Momiji is kidnapped da the Black ragno clan led da Obaba, an elderly woman. Ryu sets out to find seven Dark Dragonstones, defeating several bosses along the way. At the climax of the adventure, Ishtaros, (an ancient Fiend, who is detto to have ruled over the land along with her sister, Nicchae) steals the dragonstones from Ryu, making her stronger, and making Ryu's sword weak and useless. Ryu is quickly defeated da Ishtaros, but when Kureha, Momiji's sister, appears and fuses with Momiji's Dragon Eye, the Dragon sword becomes the True Dragon Sword once again. Once Ryu defeats Ishtaros, he must meet with Muramusa (the old man who sells wares to people in Hayabusa Village) then, after defeating the rest of the Black ragno ninja's, he meets up with Nicchae, who tried to fuse Ishtaros together with the dragonstones. The process goes awry, and after Ryu fights with Nicchae, she accepts her fate and is drawn into the cocoon with her sister, warning Ryu of what is yet to come, something she even fears. With this, Ryu must fight the final boss in the game, a dragon which emerged from Ishtaros' cocoon. When Ryu defeats the dragon, he brings Momiji back home. All of the Hayabusa Village mourn at Kureha's grave and Momiji once again starts training with Ryu, hoping to fulfill her promise to her sister to become stronger.
[edit] Ninja Gaiden II (Xbox 360)
The story begins with Sonia, a CIA agent, asking Muramasa if he knows the whereabouts of Ryu Hayabusa, telling him that she has information concerning the Archfiend. Before long, the store is attacked da the Black ragno Clan. Ryu arrives in the nick of time, but is unable to save her and she is kidnapped. He eventually finds her after travelling through the skylines of Tokyo, whereby she warns him of the plot of the greater fiends to steal the Demon Statue, which is being protected da the Hayabusa Ninja Village, in order to resurrect the Archfiend.
The Hayabusa Ninja Clan, who protect the Demon Statue, are now in grave danger. Informed da Sonia, Ryu heads back to the village to see it burning once again. Fighting his way to the castello of the Dragon where the Statue is held, he finds his father, Joe, fighting Genshin, leader of the Black ragno Clan. They are unable to stop the statue being stolen da Elizébet - one of the greater fiends - and so Ryu follows her trail in the hope of retrieving the statue. Defeating all four greater fiends along the way and later Genshin, Ryu is unable to stop the resurrection of the Archfiend. However, he ultimately destroys it before it can escape. In the aftermath, Ryu reunites with Sonia, and is last seen placing Genshin's sword among many others in a field as a symbol of his grave.
There is no story to the original arcade version of Ninja Gaiden, except that Ryu and an unnamed red ninja sidekick (possibly Joe/Jo/Ken Hayabusa o Momiji) who serves as the secondo player were beating up their foes throughout America. Ryu's story commences in Ninja Gaiden for the NES, when he receives a letter from his father, who has departed to fight a life o death duel. Players are left to guess as the story progresses throughout the game, as the young Hayabusa goes on his quest for revenge and to uncover the truth behind his father's disappearance. This was followed da the successivo two games of the trilogy, which have mysterious introductions that unfolded in a similar manner. In Ninja Gaiden II, players are introduced to a new villain who wields the Dark Sword of Chaos. In Ninja Gaiden III, Ryu Hayabusa is framed for killing his girlfriend.
Eventually, Ryu moved from Ninja Gaiden to Tecmo's Dead o Alive series. Taking place chronologically years after his exploits in the Ninja Gaiden series, he adopts a new, sleeker look. His story is fleshed out more, as a new ninja clan is introduced, several other supporting characters, and a new, serpentine plot that he finds himself intertwined in. He has been a participant in every DOA tournament, canonically winning the secondo tournament da killing Tengu. His cohorts have claimed the other contests.
Finally, after the long wait, Ryu returned to Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox, in a 3D action game with new and original gameplay. The prologue explains the Mythos of the Dragon Lineage who sided with the Draghi against the Evil Deities and the Tribes, and how they slew the Dark Dragon. The Draghi are described as god-like, benevolent creatures with metallic bones, teeth and claws, created da the Deity of Creation to counter the Evil Deities. The prologue includes a brief history of the two Dragon Swords. The first is the Dark Dragon Blade, carved out of the bone of the legendary Dark Dragon that betrayed his brethren out of jealousy and thirst for power, joining the Evil Deities. This blade consumes evil, charging as più evil is committed in its vicinity. As a result, the weapon turns its wielder into the devil incarnate. The secondo sword is the Dragon Sword, carved from the fang of the Dragon, and bequeathed the Dragon Lineage from generation to generation, and finally to Ryu Hayabusa. It is the same sword used da Ryu in the NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy.
The story of Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) deviated from the original NES Ninja Gaiden Trilogy da a few small retroactive continuities. Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) and it's sequels Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword and Ninja Gaiden 2 serve as prequels to the NES Ninja Gaiden series, both series are connected to the Dead o Alive series. Timeline wise the events the current Ninja Gaiden series happen first, then the NES Ninja Gaiden series, and finally the Dead o Alive series. [1]
Ryu's name as taken from the video game strada, via Fighter, the reason for this, is because the writer for the Ninja Gaiden series favourite character was Ryu.
[edit] Ninja Gaiden
[edit] Before Ninja Gaiden
Ryu bears the name 'Hayabusa' when he graduated the Hayabusa School. He's the son of Ken Hayabusa and he's a member of his father's clan called the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. His mother was neither mentioned nor seen in any NG games. He has mastered everything he learned from his school, much to the delight of his father. He has earned the titolo 'Super Ninja'.
[edit] Ninja Gaiden (NES)
Ryu received a letter from his father, Ken Hayabusa, that detto he had a duel to the death with another ninja. Ryu then prepared a keepsake sword he'd gotten from his father, the Dragon Sword, and went in cerca of his father. During his adventure, he met up with Irene Lew and faced the man who dueled his father, Bloody Malth, before being reunited with his father. However, Ken was killed da Bloody Malth's master, the Jaquio. Ryu avenged his father's death da killing Jaquio and also the Demon God.
[edit] Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
Ashtar, Jaquio's master and the Emperor of Darkness, had planned to rule the world with the power of the Demon. With the Demon dead, Ashtar kidnaps Irene to lure Ryu to his home dimension. Ashtar wields the Dark Sword of Chaos, made from the Bone of the Demon at the same time that the Dragon Sword was forged from the Fang of the Dragon. Ryu eventually confronts and defeats Ashtar, but before he can get Irene to safety, she is captured da Jaquio, who now bears the Dark Sword. Ryu confronts and defeats the Jaquio a secondo time at an altar made from the Demon's bones. However, the Jaquio's blood flows into the Dark Sword, awakening it. The Jaquio is revived da its power[citation needed], and stabs Irene with the sword[citation needed]. Ryu slays the Jaquio again, but Irene's blood empowers the sword further, and revives the Demon. Ryu fights the Demon again in a battle similar to the one in Ninja Gaiden. After Ryu kills the Demon again, the Dark Sword of Chaos shatters, and he carries Irene back to Earth, where she succumbs to her wounds and dies. Crying over her body, Ryu calls on the spirits of his ancestors, saying his victories are meaningless without her. The Dragon Sword then begins to hum and glow, emitting a blue light which flows into Irene, reviving her. The couple then watches the evening sunset (unlike the sunrise in the other two NES Ninja Gaiden games).
[edit] Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
A Ryu doppelgänger assassinates Irene and frames the original for murder. During his quest to clear his name, Ryu discovers that Irene is still alive and that his doppelgänger was a BIO-NOID sent da Irene's own boss and former acquaintance of his, Foster. This was followed da an engagement with Ryu's doppelgänger which ended in Ryu's defeat. But in their secondo encounter, Ryu turns the tables, defeating his doppelgänger instead. But in a shocking turn-of-events, Foster is double-crossed da his accomplice, Clancy, who murders him. Clancy reveals the true nature of their location, the castello Rock Fortress, as an inter-dimensional warship, which he intends to use for global dominance. With both Irene and himself caught up in Clancy's machinations, Ryu is forced to take action. Subsequently, Ryu foils Clancy's plans and flees the crumbling castello Rock Fortress with Irene.
[edit] Ninja Gaiden (Xbox)
The Hayabusa Ninja Clan was annihilated including Ryu's friend Kureha, and the Dark Dragon Blade was stolen da the evil black samurai Doku, the Lord of the Greater Fiends, and his minions. Though killed da Doku, Ryu was revived da the clan's animal spirit, the falco, falcon and goes on a journey in cerca of the stolen Dark Dragon Blade and avenge his clan's death. As he proceeded, he met the Fiend Hunter Rachel, who was in cerca of her sister. He was observed da Gamov and a mysterious associate of his, known only as the Dark Disciple. Ryu also came across Rachel's twin sister Alma, who was morphed into a Fiend. Eventually, Alma saved Rachel from Doku and Doku was defeated da Hayabusa. Ryu defeated the Vigoor Emperor and the Fiends and retrieved the evil blade. Ryu and Rachel came across two "observers" but Gamov was betrayed and killed da his own associate who was wielding the Dark Dragon Blade. The Dark Disciple was later revealed to be an ally of Ryu, Murai. Murai then betrayed him and challenged him. Despite wielding the evil blade, Murai was defeated and Ryu destroyed the sword. He then left Rachel with no further commento and brought back the Dragon Eye he got from Kureha's grave.
[edit] Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (Nintendo DS)
The story of Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword takes place six months after the events of Ninja Gaiden (Xbox). A female ninja named Momiji makes her first appearance in the Ninja Gaiden series.The story begins as Momiji is kidnapped da the Black ragno clan led da Obaba, an elderly woman. Ryu sets out to find seven Dark Dragonstones, defeating several bosses along the way. At the climax of the adventure, Ishtaros, (an ancient Fiend, who is detto to have ruled over the land along with her sister, Nicchae) steals the dragonstones from Ryu, making her stronger, and making Ryu's sword weak and useless. Ryu is quickly defeated da Ishtaros, but when Kureha, Momiji's sister, appears and fuses with Momiji's Dragon Eye, the Dragon sword becomes the True Dragon Sword once again. Once Ryu defeats Ishtaros, he must meet with Muramusa (the old man who sells wares to people in Hayabusa Village) then, after defeating the rest of the Black ragno ninja's, he meets up with Nicchae, who tried to fuse Ishtaros together with the dragonstones. The process goes awry, and after Ryu fights with Nicchae, she accepts her fate and is drawn into the cocoon with her sister, warning Ryu of what is yet to come, something she even fears. With this, Ryu must fight the final boss in the game, a dragon which emerged from Ishtaros' cocoon. When Ryu defeats the dragon, he brings Momiji back home. All of the Hayabusa Village mourn at Kureha's grave and Momiji once again starts training with Ryu, hoping to fulfill her promise to her sister to become stronger.
[edit] Ninja Gaiden II (Xbox 360)
The story begins with Sonia, a CIA agent, asking Muramasa if he knows the whereabouts of Ryu Hayabusa, telling him that she has information concerning the Archfiend. Before long, the store is attacked da the Black ragno Clan. Ryu arrives in the nick of time, but is unable to save her and she is kidnapped. He eventually finds her after travelling through the skylines of Tokyo, whereby she warns him of the plot of the greater fiends to steal the Demon Statue, which is being protected da the Hayabusa Ninja Village, in order to resurrect the Archfiend.
The Hayabusa Ninja Clan, who protect the Demon Statue, are now in grave danger. Informed da Sonia, Ryu heads back to the village to see it burning once again. Fighting his way to the castello of the Dragon where the Statue is held, he finds his father, Joe, fighting Genshin, leader of the Black ragno Clan. They are unable to stop the statue being stolen da Elizébet - one of the greater fiends - and so Ryu follows her trail in the hope of retrieving the statue. Defeating all four greater fiends along the way and later Genshin, Ryu is unable to stop the resurrection of the Archfiend. However, he ultimately destroys it before it can escape. In the aftermath, Ryu reunites with Sonia, and is last seen placing Genshin's sword among many others in a field as a symbol of his grave.