Strider Hiryu

Strider Hiryu is the main protagonist from the Strider franchise.

As an active Strider agent, all personal data such as real name, age, nationality, career and any other background information are top secret, although official speculation states that he's an Asian male somewhere around 20 years of age. The youngest Strider ever to reach Special A-Class in the organization's history, Hiryu completed the Striders' hellish training program among the top ten percentile. He is a professional expert in sabotage and assassination, as well as a master spy.

In battle, Hiryu is incredibly focused, appearing silent but stern. He shows super-human capabilities, heightened by his impressive agility and speed, which allows him to dodge barrages of bullets. Hiryu fights like a fierce deity while remaining both calm and collected emotionally. He epitomizes the strength a Special A-Class Strider possesses.

Appearance
Hiryu wears a bluish-purple colored sleeveless Strider uniform resembling the clothing worn by ninjas in popular media that shows the kanji for the first character of his codename imprinted in red on the upper left of his chest, shin and wrist wraps, and a loose, metallic belt over a red sash. Sometimes he is seen wearing a red scarf that he uses to mask the lower portion of his face.

In the 2014 game, Hiryu's new uniform consists of a skintight wetsuit used below a Hard rubber armor made of a set of chaps and a chest piece, a separate metallic insignia with the red "Hi" kanji imprint strapped to his chest and a face mask. Instead of a physical scarf, he has an energy scarf of sorts made of excess plasma he's constantly releasing from his body. He also sports a single shoulder pad on his right shoulder, fingerless gloves and a mechanical Gauntlet, elements borrowed from his manga design.

Personality
In the manga, he's calm and quite amicable when not on duty, but he gets very involve donce/if the bad guys messes with his friends. And that's not counting if you really piss him off.

Abilities
Hiryu shows super-human capabilities during battle, heightened by his impressive agility and speed. While he rarely fights unarmed, Hiryu has mastered hand-to-hand martial arts (Taijutsu, or unarmed body skills) to a super-human level and possess above-normal physical strength, being powerful enough to hack through his enemy's limbs using only his bare hand as though he was slashing at them with his Cypher. Hiryu's physique has been honed through special training, granting him the ability to move around freely in any location or position, even while climbing or hanging off structures; as well as nimble movements and agility to perform high acrobatic moves such as cartwheel jumps and back flips. Hiryu also posses a gifted speed, easily reaching supersonic levels as shown when he evaded "Shadow Tag Bullets", a man-sized anti-aircraft machinegun known for their ability to hit super sonic targets automaticaly thanks to an advanced radar system. His speed possibly reaches hyper sonic and above, but that is yet to be shown. He's shown moving and attacking faster than the human eye can perceive, moving across large distances in the blink of an eye and moving at such speed that he leaves several after-images of him behind. He's also implied (but not shown) to have outran an explosion while standing close to it, is seen outrunning the chain of explosions of mines as he steps on them and has dodged the combined fire of three Shadow Tag Bullets by moving so fast their radar system couldn't find him, while cornered inside a room with little moving space.

Hiryu favors the plasma sword Cypher as his weapon of choice, which he can freely use from any position. His mastery over the Cypher is well known among the Striders, to the point it is said there are none more skilled than him wielding it. Hiryu's primary strategy is to close the distance with his target and then attack with a single Cypher strike to cut the enemy in half, a tactic facilitated by his trained physique and technique.

In Strider (2014), the Cypher instead channels plasma energy generated within Hiryu's body. Hiryu can concentrate this energy in different amounts to generate new attacks, as well as change its properties to create elemental edges such as fire or ice-based ones.

Primary equipment:

 * Cypher: Hiryu's primary and preferred weapon.
 * Climb Sickle: A climbing tool which allows him to climb any geographical feature with ease. Although very rarely, Hiryu has used it as a weapon as well.
 * Glider: a flying hang-glider. Hiryu can seemingly summon it when needed to silently fly across the sky at high speed.
 * Options: A set of support robots that he can call in for assistance.
 * Option A: A small, mushroom shaped bipedal robot which surrounds Hiryu and protects him from harm, while assisting with ring-shaped lasers. Hiryu can only keep up to two at a time.
 * Option B: A tiger-shaped robot which lunges at enemies with its sharp claws. Hiryu can only summon it alone for a limited amount of time.
 * Option C: A bird-shaped robot which swoops down from above to slice enemies with its sharp wings.

Secondary equipment:

 * Kunai: Hiryu carries a set of Kunai he uses as throwing weapon.
 * Bombs: As part of a Strider's equipment, Hiryu carries a number of miniature bombs he can place during battle and detonate remotely.
 * Boots: Special boots which allows Hiryu to walk on water and across magnetic walls, as well as upgrade his Slide In.
 * Plasma Capacitors: A set of small capacitors installed in Hiryu's boots, which allow him to release focused bursts of plasma for different purposes, such as enhancing his Slide Kick or to perform a Double Jump.
 * Gauntlet: A mechanical gauntlet worn in his right arm, which also works as a plasma capacitor. It charges up an amount of plasma to be later used in the Plasma Catapult, and uses a laser sight to guide the technique's path. It can also absorb plasma upgrades.
 * Option-D: A small Option used for communication with HQ and navigation, it can perform several tasks including mapping out surrounding areas, tracking power sources and discover weakness in structures and enemies.

Mobility Skills

 * Double Jump: Hiryu can perform a second jump in mid-air.
 * Cartwheel Jump: Hiryu does a long cartwheel jump forward. He can do it while standing still or running.
 * Acceleration Jump: By running down steps or inclines, Hiryu uses the momentum to perform a longer jump. It's used most effectively to clear large pits.
 * Triangle Jump: By jumping into a wall and then jumping in the opposite direction, Hiryu can perform a wall jump and reach places that are otherwise inaccessible.
 * Hassou Jump: While clinging to a wall, Hiryu can propel himself off it and perform a mid-air dash forward. Can be used to switch positions or move faster in between locations.
 * Backward Somersault: While in the middle of a sliding kick, Hiryu quickly makes a somersault back flip in the opposite direction.

Offensive Skills

 * Slide: Also known as Slide In. Hiryu's signature sliding kick attack, which he can use to go below hazards and enemy attacks.
 * Slide Assault: By focusing plasma on his feet, Hiryu can perform a high-speed slide kick that can slice any enemy in his path, as well as break through closed ducts.
 * Savage Slash: Also known as Midare-Giri. Hiryu jumps in mid-air and does several slashes in quick succession all around him.
 * Plasma Catapult: Hiryu can travel in the air like a bullet by ejecting plasma energy from his feet. This technique requires recharging after each use.
 * Down Strike: A powerful downward thrust with concentrated plasma on the Cypher. It releases a shockwave upon landing that destroys nearby enemies, and can break through specific floors.

Offensive Attacks

 * Boomerang throw: Using a special function of the Cypher, Hiryu can throw it away and it will return to him. He's usually seen using it to distract an enemy or for sneak attacks.
 * Cypher Power-Up: The range of the Cypher's plasma blade is extended for a short period of time.
 * Charged Cypher: Similar to the above, Hiryu can charge up plasma in the Cypher to perform a stronger slash with extended reach.
 * Plasma Arrow: Charging up plasma energy in the Cypher, Hiryu can release it in the form of a projectile attack.
 * Boost: Upon activation, each swing of the Cypher releases plasma waves which home-in on nearby enemies and slices them apart.

Cypher Forms

 * Reflect Cypher: Hiryu infuses a coating of concentrated plasma energy in the Cypher's blade, which generates an electromagnetic field capable of repeling enemy bullets[26]. When used with the Kunai, it allows them to bounce off surfaces, and when used with the Catapult, the plasma trail can reflect any shot coming in its path.
 * Explosive Cypher: Known as the Burst Cypher in Japanese. Infusing the Cypher with the heat emitted from plasma energy, its edge is wreathed in flames. The Cypher's power increases and its attacks can set enemies on fire. When used with the Kunai, they become timed bombs that stick to any surface and enemy and produce a fiery explosion; and when used with the Catapult, the plasma trail can damage and set enemies on fire.
 * Ultra-Cold Cypher: Hiryu generates cryogenic plasma energy by clearing his mind, wrapping his Cypher with a frozen edge that reaches absolute zero and freezes anything who enters in contact with. When used with the Kunai and Catapult, both abilities gain the same freezing power.
 * Magnetic Cypher: Hiryu is able to generate magnetic force by focusing the plasma energy produced by his body, enabling him to shoot plasma waves that fly back to his Cypher much like a boomerang. When used with the Kunai, they will home-in on any nearby enemy; while when used with the Catapult, the plasma trail will stun any enemy in its path and attract any bullets shot toward them.

Power-up Modes

 * Bunshin: Hiryu moves at such speed that he generates three clones of himself that mimic his every move and attack. Hiryu also becomes invincible for the duration of the technique. This power-up lasts 30 seconds.
 * Charge Mode: Hiryu's body is wrapped up in white-hot plasma, enhancing the strength and range of his Cypher strikes and allowing him to view everything in slow-motion. This power-up lasts 5 seconds.

Trivia

 * There is debate over whether the Hiryu in Strider 2 is the same one or an incarnation of the original, primarily stemming from the game's backstory which sets the game 2000 years after the original, and Grandmaster Meio's last words in the ending wondering if he is the same man who defeated him back then and if he has "come to finish what he didn't". The Strider Hiryu Visual Chronicle artwork, however, states the Strider 2 Hiryu carries the same nickname of the original, implying they are two different people.
 * Going from the above, its a common but mistaken assumption that Hiryu has lived and is well over 2000 years old, a "fact" usually accompanied by giving him the completely arbitrary age of 2021. This, however, has never been backed up by any official source, making the claim completely fan-made. Hiryu having survived two centuries by using the "advanced medicine of the future" is also false, another unsourced and arbitrary assumption pushed forward in Hiryu's appearance on the web series Death Battle.
 * Another long-held misconception in English-speaking communities was that Hiryu's voice actor in the first two Marvel vs. Capcom games was Kosuke Toriumi, who was attribued the nickname "Tomomi Fube". In truth, Tomomi Fube is actually a female seiyû who probably voiced one of the Special Partners in the first Marvel vs. Capcom.
 * Hiryu was one of six Strider characters to rank in the "Best Characters" category of Gamest magazine's "3rd Gamest Grand Prix", ranking in 3rd place. His Marvel vs. Capcom incarnation later ranked 21st in the "Best Characters" category of the 12th (final) Gamest Grand Prix.