Hiryu (飛竜, Hiryū), more commonly known as Strider Hiryu (ストライダー飛竜, Sutoraidā Hiryū), is the main protagonist of the Strider series of action platformer games.
Biography
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Story
Backstory
Hiryu is a special agent known as a Strider. The Striders are a elite team of hi-tech ninja-like mercenaries specializing in kidnapping, assassination, demolition, and other types of missions that they have performed throughout history in service of the greater good. They are one of the world's most influential secret maneuvering groups, having been descended from the ninja of the feudal era of Japan.
As an active Strider agent, all personal data about Hiryu are top secret, although spare details are known. He was born in a Tungusic village and was drafted into the Strider's training program at a young age. Despite the odds of surviving such training regime (only 10% of all applicants survive) he excelled at every category and became the youngest agent to reach the highest rank (Special-A Class) in the group's history. Hiryu favors the plasma sword Cypher as his weapon of choice, which he can freely use from any position.
Strider (classic version)
In the year 2042, an evil supergenius by the name of Grandmaster Meio appeared and, in five years time, had taken over the nations of Earth, and exerts control over the human race with an iron fist and powerful militia. Having uncovered the secrets of life in the Amazon, Meio plans to utilize his artificial city, the Third Moon, to cause a mass extinction event on Earth, seeing it as nothing more than his own plaything, and creating his own lifeforms to populate his new world.
In 2048, A resistance force comes to the Striders to stop Meio's diabolical plans. Hiryu, who retired from the group two years prior, returns and is tasked to take down Meio and his machinations. After bringing down his followers in the Kazakh Federation, the Grandmaster offers a bounty for his head and sends assassins and bounty hunters to kill him. Hiryu eventually finds the Grandmaster's base in the Third Moon, infiltrates it and finishes his mission.
Strider 2
2000 years after Grandmaster Meio's defeat, a Strider carrying the same codename of the man who miraculously defeated him two centuries ago rises up to confront a world who worships him. Shortly after receiving the mission, however, the Striders were betrayed by Hien, a fellow Special-A Strider and friend of Hiryu, who released the Grandmaster from his tomb to reclaim his world. Rather than lingering over his feelings for the defunct group, Hiryu decides to carry out their final mission instead: to find and eliminate the Grandmaster.
After facing the Grandmaster's followers across the world, Hiryu eventually reaches the rebuilt Third Moon, where he faces and eliminates both Solo and Hien for the last time. Then he reaches to top of the station and confronts the Grandmaster himself, finally defeating him. The Grandmaster wonders if the man in front of him is the same one who defeated him 2000 years ago, but Hiryu provides no answer and cleaves him in two, ending his tyranny.
Strider (2014)
In this retelling of the original story, Strider Hiryu is the latest in a line of Striders that were sent on a mission to eliminate Grandmaster Meio, who has taken over the world and now resides in a military base at Kazakh City. Hiryu is the 12th Strider to attempt the mission, all others having died during the infiltration. Hiryu begins his mission by infiltrating Kazakh Ciy in the year of "Meio 0048".
Other appearances
Capcom World 2
Strider Hiryu was featured in the obscure Japan-only game Capcom World 2 as one of the characters providing quizzes to the player.
Marvel vs. Capcom series
Hiryu has appeared as a playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
Namco ✕ Capcom
Hiryu also appeared in Namco x Capcom as one of the protagonists.
Project X Zone 2
Hiryu appears in Project X Zone 2 as one of the playable protagonists. He is paired up with Hotsuma from Sega's Shinobi series.
Monster Hunter series
As part of a special collaboration event, Hiryu's uniform and Light Sword Cypher will be English-exclusive equipments available in Monster Hunter Generations
Cameos
- Hiryu makes a minor cameo in a newspaper ad in Capcom Baseball.
- Hiryu makes a cameo in Street Fighter Alpha 2, as one of the many guests at Ken's wife Eliza's birthday party. He is seen in his normal attire, except for wearing a bowtie and holding a teddy bear.
- Hiryu and his three Option robots appear as cards in the SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash series.
- Hiryu was one of many Capcom characters featured in Minna to Capcom All Stars.
- Hiryu appeared as two cards in a special promotion for Dragon's Dogma Quest.
- Hiryu's satellite assist robot or "Option A" appears as a power-up item in Super Ultra Dead Rising 3' Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX + α.
- Hiryu appeared as five different cards in the crossover mobile game Street Fighter × All Capcom.
Trivia
- Hiryu was originally said to have been kept out of the original Marvel vs. Capcom 3 due to legal troubles with his manga company, despite the massive fan demand for him. When explaining about Hiryu's playable appearance in Ultimate, Ryota Niitsuma said that because of the fan demand, they decided to work something out with his manga company.
- Due to the vague backstory in Strider 2, it was a long-held belief that Hiryu is somehow immortal and over 2000 years old. The Visual Chronicle artbook, however, implies the Hiryu in Strider 2 is a successor carrying the same codename from the original who defeated Meio.
- Hiryu was slated to appear in the canceled Capcom Fighting All-Stars. Capcom Fighting All-Stars' gameplay was more down-to-Earth and as such, Hiryu's fighting style was considerably more subdued than in his Marvel vs. Capcom incarnation. In All-Stars, 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 Hiryu was considered as an alternate costume for Guy, before they ultimately chose a slightly altered version of his Final Fight outfit. Interestingly enough, Hiryu has an alternate costume in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and the 2014 Strider which uses Guy's color scheme.
Gallery
For more of this character, see their gallery.
External Links
- Hiryu at the Strider wikia.
- Strider Hiryu at the Marvel vs. Capcom wikia.