Street Fighter Ending Explained: Will Bison and Sagat Unite Against Ryu?

Street Fighter ends with Ryu (Andrew Koji) defeating his master’s killer. But M. Bison (David Dastmalchian) benefits from someone else’s victory. While Ryu and Ken (Noah Centineo) recover from that fight, the Shadaloo leader escapes with Akuma (Roman Reigns), whose power he could potentially steal.

The animated mid-credits scene of the movie, which released on October 16, adds another threat: Sagat, whom Ryu defeated in the first World Warrior Tournament. Bison’s approach sets up a possible alliance between a villain seeking greater power and a fighter seeking revenge. Ryu and Ken have finally reconciled, just as their enemies find a reason to work together.

Why Does Ryu Transform Into Evil Ryu Against Akuma?

Akuma killed Gouken (Don Lee), the master who trained Ryu and Ken. His death drove the students apart, with Ken holding Ryu partly responsible for refusing to unleash his darker power during that confrontation.

Ryu fears what surrendering to that energy could make him become. He withdraws from fighting, but Bison’s World Warrior Tournament draws him back. The competition is a front for Bison’s attempt to capture Ryu and extract his power.

Akuma has a different goal. He wants Ryu to embrace his darkness and threatens to kill the tournament’s winner, making his refusal to fight potentially fatal for someone else.

Ken initially looks likely to win. However, he abandons his championship bid to help Chun-Li (Callina Liang) rescue Ryu, leaving Joe (Alexander Volkanovski) the winner by forfeit.

When Ryu finally confronts Akuma, his anger overwhelms his restraint. He transforms into Evil Ryu and defeats Gouken’s killer, but cannot regain control afterward. His friends must now survive the power he has unleashed.

Akuma loses the fight while getting what he wanted from Ryu. Revenge pushes Gouken’s student toward the corruption he spent years resisting.

How Does Ken Save Ryu, and Is Akuma Dead?

Ken finally unlocks his own Hadouken and uses it to stop Ryu, restoring his friend to himself.

His breakthrough completes the choice he made when he abandoned the tournament. Ken proves his strength by saving the person he has spent years resenting. Ryu can overpower Akuma, but needs Ken to survive the consequences.

Akuma is defeated, but remains alive. Left unconscious, he is restrained and taken away by Bison’s forces. Bison sees another opportunity to acquire the kind of power he originally wanted from Ryu. Akuma’s capture potentially turns the heroes’ victory into an advantage for their enemy.

However, the ending does not show Bison successfully absorbing Akuma’s abilities. It leaves him with the captive and the opportunity to try. Cammy (Mel Jarnson) helps Bison escape by destroying the heroes’ vehicle. Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and Dan (Andrew Schulz) are left hitchhiking before joining Guile (Cody Rhodes) and Dhalsim (Vidyut Jammwal) to continue the pursuit.

The tournament brings the heroes together, but also delivers a formidable prize into Shadaloo’s hands.

What Does Sagat’s Mid-Credits Scene Mean for a Sequel?

The animated mid-credits scene in Street Fighter shows Bison approaching Sagat, whose defeat against Ryu occurred six years earlier. Sagat’s resentment makes him a useful potential recruit. Bison can offer another confrontation with Ryu while gaining a powerful fighter with a personal stake in defeating his enemy.

The pairing also recalls their relationship in the games. Sagat was the original Street Fighter’s final opponent before becoming one of Bison’s principal fighters in Street Fighter II. His later development takes him beyond that allegiance, leaving a sequel room to complicate his revenge mission.

For Ryu, the alliance could mean facing Bison’s resources alongside Sagat’s personal vendetta. Having nearly lost himself while avenging Gouken, he could now confront someone equally consumed by settling an old score.

Akuma remains the other major concern in Street Fighter. If Bison successfully exploits his power, Ryu and Ken could face a considerably stronger villain.

These are possibilities for a continuation. Director Kitao Sakurai told ComicBook.com that he would love to return for a sequel to Street Fighter, but it depends on the audience’s response.

That leaves Ryu in an uneasy position. He has recovered his friendship with Ken and defeated Akuma, yet Bison escapes with a valuable captive and approaches an opponent hungry for revenge. Winning the final fight may have made his next battle harder.

Would you like to see Bison and Sagat team up against Ryu in a Street Fighter sequel? Share your thoughts in the comments.