Editing Ken Masters (section)

==Reception==
===Promotion===
Ken artwork was featured on an officially licensed NubyTech/[[UDON]] joypad for the [[PlayStation 2]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amazon.com: Official Street Fighter Anniversary Edition Controller - Ken : Video Games |url=https://www.amazon.com/Official-Anniversary-Controller-Sony-PlayStation-2/dp/B00062W2GM |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728044308/https://www.amazon.com/Official-Anniversary-Controller-Sony-PlayStation-2/dp/B00062W2GM/ |archive-date=2023-07-28 |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=www.amazon.com |language=en-us |url-status=live }}</ref> which was announced on September 27, 2004;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Tyrone |date=2004-09-27 |title=Nubytech Street Fighter Anniversary Edition Controller |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/27/nubytech-street-fighter-anniversary-edition-controller |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> and a [[Mad Catz]] joypad for the [[PlayStation 3]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001M1ZA1U |title=Mad Catz PS3 Wireless Street Fighter IV FightPad - Ken (PS3): Amazon.co.uk: PC & Video Games |publisher=Amazon.co.uk |access-date=2012-07-26 |archive-date=2021-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308192124/https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001M1ZA1U |url-status=live }}</ref> Ken has also been popular thanks to [[Evo Moment 37]]. With 26&nbsp;seconds remaining, [[Justin Wong]] had the option to [[run out the clock]], but he was eager to end the match.<ref name= RollingStone>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/why-street-fighter-match-is-esports-most-thrilling-moment-w430344|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|title=Flashback: Why 2004 'Street Fighter' Match Is Esports' Most Thrilling Moment|last=Baker|first=Chris|date=2016-07-21}}</ref> [[Daigo Umehara]]'s Ken parried Chun-Li's multihit Super Art II move,<ref>{{Cite web|title=システム紹介|publisher=[[Capcom]]|website=capcom.co.jp|url=http://www.capcom.co.jp/newproducts/arcade/sf3rd/system.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510023122/http://www.capcom.co.jp/newproducts/arcade/sf3rd/system.html|archive-date=2010-05-10}}</ref> within six of sixty frames of the impact animation&nbsp;– about a tenth of a second.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/the-beauty-of-street-fighters-parry-1698221787|title=The Beauty Of Street Fighter's Parry|work=[[Kotaku]]|last=Bowling|first=Steve|date=2015-04-17|access-date=2022-02-21|archive-date=2022-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219062420/https://kotaku.com/the-beauty-of-street-fighters-parry-1698221787|url-status=live}}</ref> Umehara had to predict when his opponent would start his Super Art Move, essentially making the first parry before the move even started,<ref name=RollingStone /> and then perform the same split-second timing on all 14 of the remaining hits. Umehara did so, and went on to counter a final kick of Chun-Li in mid-air before launching a 12-hit [[Combo (video gaming)|combo]], capped by Ken's Super Art III. The crossovers with SNK games though became popular as [[Terry Bogard]] from ''[[Fatal Fury]]'' was also created by Ken's creator. In ''Street Fighter 6'', Terry was included as a guest since Nishiyama had created the first ''Street Fighter'' during his time at Capcom Terry and Ken have had past dialogue between them; They were very conscious of their relationship when they created them.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.famitsu.com/article/202406/7728|title=『スト6』ベガ、テリー、不知火舞、エレナが登場するYear2インタビュー。ベガは肉体も中身も正真正銘のベガ本人。エレナのヒーリングについては中山D「安心してください」|magazine=Famitsu|access-date=September 5, 2024|language=Japanese}}</ref>
===Critical response===
''[[GamePro]]'' said Ken and Ryu were the most notable palette swapped characters,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/208570/17-best-palette-swapped-characters/ |title=Palette Swapping: 17 Games that Did it Right |magazine=[[GamePro]]|access-date=March 25, 2010|date=January 13, 2009|author=Koehn, Aaron|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208102954/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/208570/17-best-palette-swapped-characters/|archive-date=2009-12-08}}</ref> with [[GamesRadar]] writer Tyler Wilde noted they have their own development.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/street-fighter-week-the-evolution-of-ken-and-ryu/|title=Street Fighter Week: The evolution of Ken and Ryu|work=[[GamesRadar]]|access-date=September 6, 2011|author=Wilde, Tyler|date=18 March 2008|archive-date=14 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014044702/http://www.gamesradar.com/street-fighter-week-the-evolution-of-ken-and-ryu/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, IGN's Jesse Schedeen stated that Ken could "easily suffer from [[Luigi]] Syndrome" for his resemblance with Ryu, but thanks to the sequels, Ken gained his own fighting style separated from Ryu's.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stars.ign.com/articles/954/954754p2.html|title=Hero Showdown: Ryu vs. Ken|work=[[IGN]]|access-date=September 6, 2011|author=Scheeden, Jeese|date=17 February 2009|archive-date=26 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326015225/http://stars.ign.com/articles/954/954754p2.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Comic Book Resources]] specifically mentioned how Capcom made Ken more on his social life than Ryu that made his character more unpredictable to see what would happen to see him in every installment. His marriage is noted for changing his personality as the character decided to choose his wife over life competitions despite still being a playable character in every installment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/street-fighter-ken-history-explained/|title=Street Fighter: Ken Will Never Be the Best - But That's a Good Thing|website=Comic Book Resources|date=8 May 2021 |access-date=September 14, 2024}}</ref> In "“You Must Defeat Shen Long To Stand A Chance”: Street Fighter, Race, Play, and Player", Nicholas R. Ware from [[Bowling Green State University]] said Ken was Ryu's American counterpart due to their multiple similarities with Akuma instead being the darker one. However, both Ryu and Ken were noted by the writer to be nearly identical when it comes to gameplay in early installments of the ''Street Fighter'' franchise and only stand out due to their visual differences. The narrativge of ''Street Fighter IV'' would however explain this as the new character Gouken is revealed to be their mentor and he also uses variations of their three common special moves.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/send_file/send?accession=bgsu1277062605&disposition=inline|title="You Must Defeat Shen Long To Stand A Chance": Street Fighter, Race, Play, and Player|author=Ware, Nicholas R.|publisher=Bowling Green State University|year=2010|access-date=February 14, 2025}}</ref> Benjamin Wai-ming Ng from the [[University of Hong Kong]] further added that while characters like Ryu, Ken, and Chun-li may have been popular in Japan and other parts of the world, in China, they were overshadowed by the main characters from SNK's ''[[The King of Fighters]]'' series.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamestudies.org/0601/articles/ng |title=Street Fighter and The King of Fighters in Hong Kong: A Study of Cultural Consumption and Localization of Japanese Games in an Asian Context |publisher=[[Chinese University of Hong Kong]] |author=Wai-ming Ng, Benjamin |access-date=1 December 2019 |archive-date=17 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017214504/http://gamestudies.org/0601/articles/ng |url-status=live }}</ref> In the book ''Japanese Culture Through Video Games'', Ken is seen to be used to reinforce "national-cultural fantasy" as done with Ryu's characterization of a Japanese fighter with supernatural powers. After the first game, Ryu kept overshadowing Ken and newcomer Chun-Li as Ryu kept being used as the main figure of ''Street Figher II''. Moreover, the original duo eventually came across as "dull" in sequels when compared to the rest of the cast.<ref>{{cite book|title=Japanese Culture Through Videogames|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=2019|isbn=9780429655944|author=Hutchinson, Rachael}}</ref> In ''Street Fighter V'', Ken was given a major redesign that stood out within game journalists for how different he was from his original look while also employing unique skills.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vg247.com/street-fighter-5-ken-pc-ps4|title=Ken Masters is back for Street Fighter 5 but not as you remember him|website=VG247|access-date=April 2, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vg247.com/street-fighter-5-graphics-mode-crisp|title=Street Fighter 5’s final major update adds a beautifully crisp new graphics mode|website=VG247|access-date=April 2, 2025}}</ref>

''[[The Guardian]]'' recommended Ken alongside Ryu for beginners in ''Street Fighter IV'' with Ken being better at close-up fights as a result of his powerful uppercuts.<ref>{{cite web|first=Keith|last=Stuart|title=A beginner's guide to Street Fighter IV|date=2009-02-20|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2009/feb/20/playstation-xbox|work=The Guardian|access-date=2011-09-05|archive-date=2019-09-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909051022/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2009/feb/20/playstation-xbox|url-status=live}}</ref> In a humor article by [[GameSpy]], the ''[[Super Street Fighter II Turbo]]'' version of Ken was mentioned to have become unbalanced to the point he was the strongest character from the cast.<ref>{{cite web |first=Luke |last=McKinney |title= Lame Fighter 2: The World's Worst Warriors! |date= 2009-12-09 |url= http://www.gamespy.com/articles/105/1052969p2.html |publisher=[[GameSpy]] |page=2 |access-date=2010-03-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091213135748/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/105/1052969p2.html|archive-date=December 13, 2009}}</ref> In ''[[Street Fighter III: Third Strike]]'', Ken was also noted to be one of the three more powerful characters from the game alongside Chun-Li and Yun.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/street-fighter-iii-third-strike-online-edition/review.html |title=SFIII: Third Strike Review |publisher=GameSpot |access-date=September 7, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015045500/http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/street-fighter-iii-third-strike-online-edition/review.html |archive-date=October 15, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.play-mag.co.uk/general/self-indulgent-street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-online-post/|title=Self-Indulgent SFIII: 3rd Strike Online Post|publisher=Play|author=King, Ryan|access-date=September 7, 2011|archive-date=June 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110618012501/http://www.play-mag.co.uk/general/self-indulgent-street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-online-post/|url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, [[Dave Cook]] from Now Gamer called him and ''[[Tekken]]''{{'}}s [[Eddy Gordo]] one of the most hated characters from their franchises due to their overpowered moves.<ref>{{cite web|first=Dave|last=Cook|date=2010-08-26|title=The 10 Most Hated Game Characters Ever|url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/895433/the_10_most_hated_game_characters_ever.html|publisher=NowGamer|access-date=2011-02-12|archive-date=2013-09-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130902062622/http://www.nowgamer.com/features/895433/the_10_most_hated_game_characters_ever.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Dave|last=Cook|date=2010-06-27|title=Street Fighter X Tekken Character Wishlist|url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/895299/street_fighter_x_tekken_character_wishlist.html|publisher=NowGamer|access-date=2011-09-05|archive-date=2013-02-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205052937/http://www.nowgamer.com/features/895299/street_fighter_x_tekken_character_wishlist.html|url-status=live}}</ref>  Jeremy Parish of [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] said Ken went in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' "from garbage to glorious".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|date=2018-12-03|title=We rank the Smash Bros. (and friends)|url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2018/12/3/18120401/super-smash-bros-ultimate-character-rankings|access-date=2020-11-05|website=Polygon|language=en|archive-date=2021-10-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006074733/https://www.polygon.com/features/2018/12/3/18120401/super-smash-bros-ultimate-character-rankings|url-status=live}}</ref>

In, "Os reis da luta: representações do karate nos jogos digitais" Tiago Oviedo Frosi from [[Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul]] wrote that [[Gichin Funakoshi]]'s "[[Shōtōkan]]" is the most practiced style of Karate in the world, this was the style chosen to characterize most of the ''Street Fighter'' characters including Ken. The Kyokugenryu Ryo uses in ''Art of Fighting'' instead comes across as a fantasy version of the "knockout" [[Kyokushinkaikan]] created by [[Mas Oyama]] who serves as an influence for both Ryu's and Takuma Sakazaki's characters, leading to the similarities between two characters from different franchices.<ref name="analsys">{{cite web|url=https://lume.ufrgs.br/handle/10183/18827|title=Os reis da luta : representações do karate nos jogos digitais|work=Repositorio Digital|language=Portuguese|access-date=October 7, 2024|author=Frosi, Tiago Oviedo|year=2019|hdl=10183/18827 |archive-date=October 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008214446/https://lume.ufrgs.br/handle/10183/18827|url-status=live}}</ref> 

Before the release of ''Street Fighter 6'', fans were confused about Ken's new design as discussed by ''GamesRadar''. They noted that "he's been tossed out of the house by his wife and left in the gutter" leading to several speculations. The miserable design was also noted to contrast Ryu's better received new look.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/street-fighter-6-fans-think-kens-redesign-has-huge-divorced-dad-energy/|work=GameRadar|access-date=March 30, 2024|title=Street Fighter 6 fans think Ken's redesign has huge divorced dad energy|date=7 June 2022 }}</ref> The resulted in gags where Ryu prioritized his free time into helping his best friend and that Ken was in so poor shape that he could barely perform his own techniques according to the media.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/ken-masters-street-fighter-6-memes-divorce-eliza-shoryu-1849024285|work=Kotaku|access-date=March 30, 2024|title=Ken Masters Street Fighter 6 Memes Divorce Eliza Divorce|date=6 June 2022 }}</ref> With the reveal of Ken's narrative in the installment, ''Kotaku'' noted Ken's portrayal was hilarious as he has become "crypto-bro". The commentaries involving Ken going on a divorce and losing custody of his children led to [[internet meme]]s involving pictures of the depressed fighter. Capcom's reveal that Ken's divorce was true resulted in ''Kotaku'' noting that fans were correct with the action of making so many memes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/street-fighter-6-ken-udon-comics-ps5-crypto-meme-xbox-1850409082|work=Kotaku|access-date=March 30, 2024|title=Street Fighter 6 Comic Confirms Ken Is A Crypto Bro, Bad Father|date=5 May 2023 }}</ref> [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] comically claimed that while Ken was not divorced in response to the fandom's takes, Capcom had to explain well what disaster forced Ken to split from his family and that his new designed made him across as miserable when compared to his previous incarnations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/23355112/ken-street-fighter-6-divorced|work=Polygon|access-date=March 30, 2024|title=SWhew! Ken's not divorced in Street Fighter 6|date=15 September 2022 }}</ref> GamerFocus was pleased with Ken's inclusion in ''Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves'' due to how SNK chose to represent Capcom and become another spiritual sequel to the ''Capcom vs. SNK'' series,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamerfocus.co/juegos/ken-y-chun-li-han-sido-presentados-como-personajes-de-fatal-fury-city-of-the-wolves/|title=『Ken y Chun Li han sido presentados como personajes de Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves |magazine=GamerFocus|access-date=November 24, 2024|language=es}}</ref> while ''PushSquare'' found him as a reasonable incusion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/09/here-comes-two-new-challengers-ken-chun-li-join-fatal-fury-city-of-the-wolves|title=Here Comes Two New Challengers! Ken, Chun-Li Join Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves|magazine=PushSquare|access-date=April 2, 2025}}</ref>