Street Fighter movie breakdown: Every clue about where the franchise goes next

Directed by Kitao Sakurai, Street Fighter is a martial arts comedy film. It is the third live-action feature-length film based on the popular video game series by Capcom. The cast features Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Cody Rhodes, Jason Momoa, and Vidyut Jammwal, to name a few.

According to Variety, the film follows Ken and Ryu, who train under the strict sensei Gouken. Ryu, a Japanese warrior, was the winner of the first-ever World Warrior tournament in 1987. This victory puts him in danger as he faces Gouken's demonic brother, Akuma. According to Fandom Wire, the Street Fighter movie ends with Ryu defeating his master's murderer, Akuma. Meanwhile, as Ryu and Ken recover from the battle, the Shadaloo leader, M. Bison, escapes with Akuma, whose power he could steal.

Ryu's opponent in the first World Warrior Tournament, Sagat, might become the next threat. M. Bison's approach teases a possible alliance between a villain seeking more power and a fighter seeking revenge.

Here's what happened in Street Fighter.

Street Fighter movie ending explained: Ryu's transformation into Evil Ryu sets up a darker future

Ryu transforms into evil Ryu to fight Akuma (Image Via YouTube/@paramountpictures)

According to Fandom Wire, Akuma killed Gouken, Ryu, and Ken's master. Unfortunately, his death created a rift between Ken and Ryu. Ryu held Ken partially responsible for failing to save Gouken's life. On the other hand, Ryu feared that surrendering to the dark energy might make him an evil one. He withdrew from fighting. However, Bison's World Warrior Tournament drew him back. Bison wanted to capture Ryu to steal his powers.

Akuma, on the other hand, wants Ryu to embrace the darkness.

Ken initially seemed likely to win, but he abandons his championship bid to help Chun-Li to save Ryu. Thus, Ken's abandonment of the championship bid made Joe the winner.

Ryu finally confronts Akuma. However, to fight Akuma, he has to transform into Evil Ryu. He defeats Akuma, but his powers become uncontrollable. Akuma loses the fight, but he gets what he wanted for so long: for Ryu to embrace darkness. Ryu's thirst for revenge for his master's death led him to unleash his evil side.

Akuma's capture opens the door for Bison to strengthen Shadaloo

Noah Centineo plays Ken (Image Via YouTube/@paramountpictures)

Ken eventually unlocks his own Hadouken to stop Ryu. Ken abandons the tournament to save Ryu. Ryu can overpower Akuma, but he needs Ken's help to survive. Akuma, in the end, is defeated. However, he is still alive. He is taken away by Bison's forces. Bison sees it as an opportunity to extract the power that he planned to get from Ryu. Akuma's capture thus becomes an advantage for the enemy.

The ending, however, does not show Bison extracting Akuma's abilities. Thus, it leaves him with the opportunity to keep Akuma captive and extract his powers in the future. Cammy helps Bison and destroys the hero's vehicle. Ryu, Ken, Dan, Chun-Li, Dhalsim, and Guile continue their pursuit. The tournament brings the heroes together, but it also leaves the opportunity to get ample power to Bison's Shadaloo.

Will Sagat and Bison team up against Ryu?

During the mid-credit scene, Bison is seen approaching Sagat, who was defeated by Ryu in the first World Warrior tournament. Six years have passed, yet Sagat is still furious. Bison offers Sagat another confrontation with Ryu. Thus, in the upcoming franchise projects, Bison and Sagat might team up to defeat their enemy, Ryu.

Interestingly, this pairing also hints at the original video games. It turns out Sagat was the original Street Fighter's final opponent before turning into Bison's pivotal fighter in Street Fighter II. This alliance could put Ryu in grave danger in the future. Bison's resources and Sagat's revenge can bring Ryu down. Ryu was pushed to the brink of death while he was avenging his dead master, Gouken, and now the threats seem larger than ever.

Elsewhere, if Bison can extract Akuma's powers, Ryu and Ken will have to face a stronger villain. Thus, winning the next final battle seems to be a tough challenge for Ryu.

The ending of Street Fighter leaves several possibilities for the franchise's future. Bison's meeting with Sagat hints at an alliance that is driven by revenge and can plunge Ryu into great danger. Akuma's capture raises questions about whether Bison could be successful in stealing his powers and strengthening Shadaloo. Ryu's transformation to Evil Ryu introduces a dangerous internal conflict that could shape the next chapter. While Ken and Ryu have teamed up again, the next film could test their bond further.

Follow SoapCentral for more such updates on Street Fighter.