One of the most enduringly known video game characters ever, Ryu is also unquestionably one of the most recognisable fighting game characters. And, given that Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter are the two most popular fighting game series of all time, it seems to reason that Boon would want to see Ryu square off against characters like Scorpion in a new Mortal Kombat game. Even though the Street Fighter brand has already collaborated with other fighting game series, it is exceedingly improbable that Ryu would ever appear in a Mortal Kombat game.
If Ryu appeared in a Mortal Kombat game, he would be vulnerable to being ripped to pieces, pulled apart, and brutalised in horrifically terrible ways. The Street Fighter games aren’t afraid of violence, but they do it in a much more stylized fashion. It is doubtful that Capcom will lend Ryu to Mortal Kombat, where the over-the-top graphic violence might harm the Street Fighter brand’s reputation.
