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Strider Hiryu

Strider Hiryu (ストライダー飛竜, Sutoraidā Hiryū?, "Hiryu" usually interpreted to mean "Flying Dragon") is best known as the protagonist of the arcade game Strider and its sequel, Strider 2.

The character is jointly owned by Capcom and manga studio Moto Kikaku due to an earlier collaboration.

Not including his own games, Strider Hiryu has appeared in three games in the Versus series, SNK vs Capcom: Card Fighters and the Japan-only release Capcom World 2.

1 Profile
2 Abilities
3 Trivia
4 Gallery

Profile Edit

Hiryu is the youngest Strider ever to acheive the rank of A-Class. His skill is unmatched by many Striders but equal to his friend Kain, whom he has known ever since he started training at Moralos. Hiryu has faced and defeated such threats as Grandmaster Meio (Hiryu's arch-nemesis), Strider Matic (a corrupt Vice Director of the Striders) and Onslaught (psyche of goodwill mutant representative, Professor Charles F. Xavier, founder of the famous "X-Men"). His weapon of choice is a Cypher which he calls "Falchion". With Hiryu's skilled swordsmanship, he is able to cut through the thickest of metals or kill a living being instantly. Hiryu has no family, and no one knows anything about his background. He remains a mystery to those around him, and a deadly threat to his enemies. (In the manga, he had a sister who he was forced to kill in mortal combat, but this is not mentioned in the game.)

AbilitiesEdit

Unlike the arcade game's high acrobatics, the NES version of Hiryu is much more restricted, being only capable of walking forward or backwards, plus the basic jump action. Hiryu's Cypher is his main offensive weapon, being able to either strike once in front of him or raise it above his head, allowing a stab upwards at enemies on higher grounds. Other abilities among Hiryu's arsenal include:

Slide In - Hiryu's classic slide technique, though in this game he's unable to damage with it until he finds the Attack Boots. Hiryu learns this ability after his first level up.

Acceleration Jump - When Hiryu runs down a slope, he speeds up. One can take advantage of this to jump farther. There are few parts in the game that allow the use of this ability.

Triangle Jump - By jumping into a wall and then jumping in the opposite direction, Hiryu can perform a wall jump and reach places that are otherwise inaccessible. This technique is quite difficult to pull off, and has become known as one of the NES's main reasons for its unresponsive control.

Plasma Arrow - An ability unlocked by a scientist during Hiryu's visit to Japan. By holding up the Cypher for three-five seconds, then pressing the attack button, Hiryu unleashes a plasma projectile in front of him. The technique is strong and costs no energy, but takes so long to use that it becomes quite useless, as few enemies stay still enough to allow the hit.

Trivia Edit

In Street Fighter Alpha 2, Hiryu makes a cameo in Ken's stage, as one of the many guests at his wife Eliza's birthday party. He is seen in his typical ninja suit, except wearing a bowtie and holding a teddy bear.

Hiryu was slated to appear in the canceled Capcom Fighting All-Stars. Capcom Fighting All-Stars' gameplay was more down-to-Earth than Marvel vs. Capcom (the three titles), and as such, Hiryu's fighting style was considerably more subdued than in his Marvel vs. Capcom incarnation. In it, he primarily used punches and kicks, with his light sword Cypher unleashed only in special attacks.

The Street Fighter IV/Super Street Fighter IV artbook shows that Strider Hiryu was considered as an alternate costume for Guy, before they ultimately chose a slightly altered version of his Final Fight outfit. Interestingly enough, Strider Hiryu has an alterante costume in Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 which resembles Guy.