30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #6

At one point in time, 30 years ago to be precise, the world's strongest fighter was named Sagat. That title didn't come with a trophy or a belt. It wasn't celebrated on television or reported in the newspapers. It was only by word of mouth that his reputation traveled. People around the globe eventually learned of the man. Those that knew their history, were familiar with underground fighting scene knew who the real world champ was. It was understood that the seven-footer was the most dangerous man on the planet. How long did he hold the reputation? Perhaps years, but more likely decades. He lost his left eye in a fight. He killed the man that took his eye in that fight. He was never the same after that, not physically and not mentally. One day a young kid from Japan beat Sagat in a fight. His reputation exploded. Sagat disappeared after his defeat. Some thought he died. He was actually recovering and training. He had become more dangerous than ever before when he returned. 

When it comes to fighting game design there may never be a better template to work from than Sagat. The bald, eyepatch-wearing giant was a master of Muay Thai. It was one of the longest-lived and certainly most lethal of the South Asian fighting arts still being practiced today. Fighters can not only punch and kick but can also grapple their opponents and use knee and elbow strikes. In some versions of the sport the punching gloves are replaced by braided cord which causes massive cuts to their opponents. Matches are often very violent and very bloody. It's actually amazing that Sagat didn't kill more men in the ring based on his style. From a design standpoint there was a problem with the character. Somebody so monstrous could only be used as the final boss one time. It was shocking to see someone that big and fast in the original game. It would have however been anticlimactic if he were the final boss two times in a row. The new final villain in the game, Vega / The Dicatator was so unique that he rewrote the book on final boss design. Sagat remained in the series as the eternal rival to Ryu. He returned in Street Fighter II as a sub-boss. He had changed considerably. He had a massive scar across his torso and a new move, the Tiger Punch that he created to destroy Ryu. 

By all accounts Sagat should have died after the events of the original Street Fighter. The Shoryuken or Dragon Punch that Ryu used against him was supposed to be a lethal strike. The punch was powerful enough to split boulders. It was a sacred technique known only to Ryu, Ken, and their seniors Gouken and Gouki. Sagat was almost cut in half but he survived and somehow became a more powerful in the process. It was a profound bit of storytelling and character evolution. Sagat was inspired by real world fighters and comic book characters, but somehow he rose above them to become his own legend. On the anniversary of Street Fighter I want to remind you all about the original champ. As always if you enjoyed this blog and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!