gouken

Gouken (Japanese, Strong Fist) was the master of Ryu and Ken in Capcom's Street Fighter fighting game series. Along with his brother Akuma, he was taught the killing art of Ansatsuken by its founder, Goutetsu. However, unlike his brother and master, Gouken abhored the violence inherent in the system (Gouken excluded the Shun Goku Satsu technique and some of Ansatsuken's more life-threatening moves, such as Akuma's side-stance fierce fist). He was more interested by the spiritual side of the art. As a result, he created a toned down version of Ansatsuken that emphasized self-defense, self-improvement, and personal cultivation. Gouken even improvised a new way of drawing in and utilizing ki that didn't result in lethal force. Gouken lived very much like the ascetic yamabushi of old. He confined himself to the wild mountains where he elevated his mind and body through extremely rigorous training and meditation. He dressed in only the shabbiest of clothes and wore prayer beads. The kanji, Mu or empty was sewn to the back of his gai. Capcom doesn't say how Gouken spent his early years away from Goutetsu, or even if he was there when his master died at Akuma's hands. His first student was Dan Hibiki, a young man who had some background in Muay Thai. However, he had to let him go after finding out Dan's purpose for learning Ansatsuken was to gain vengeance for his father's death. Later, Gouken adopted an orphan named Ryu and started training the boy. He then accepted Ken Masters as a second student, as was custom for Ansatsuken. Finally, sometime during this period he had a daughter, whom both Ryu and Ken refer to as Little Miss. She only appears during the earliest years of the Street Fighter series where two official drawings of her were made. Capcom has since forgotten about her. Initially, Gouken was the stronger of Goutetsu's students. Once, Akuma challenged his brother to a duel, loudly declaring himself to be the true heir of Ansatsuken. He was soundly defeated by Gouken. As his brother slunk away, Gouken remarked to his two young students how Akuma had corrupted his Hadou no Chikara (Power of Hadou) and that when he returned, he would bring calamity to the school. Sadly, Gouken was correct. Akuma did return years later, fully embracing a dark intent called Satsui No Hadou, making Akuma many times more devastating. He killed Gouken while Ryu and Ken were taking part in their first World Warrior tournament. Gouken's daughter witnessed the whole thing, and Ken returned just in time to see Akuma deliver the final blow. Whether or not Ken fought Akuma to avenge his master's death is unknown. In the original storyline, it was M. Bison, a former disgruntled student, who had killed Gouken. However when Capcom created Akuma, this was rectonned. Gouken is buried at Suzaku castle, Ryu's stage in Street Fighter II.

Gouken

Related Characters

See also