Ryo Sakazaki is SNK's flagship martial artist, best known for the Art of Fighting series where he practices Kyokugenryu Karate. He typically fights alongside his best friend Robert Garcia—the two head to Southtown to rescue Ryo's sister Yuri, only to discover their family's been targeted by crime boss Geese Howard.
Beyond Art of Fighting, Ryo's become a series regular in The King of Fighters, where he competes in tournaments with his friends and family. He also shows up in other SNK games under the alias Mr. Karate II, plus various manhua adaptations and an Art of Fighting anime film.
The character has consistently ranked well in fan polls and gaming journalism popularity rankings. While some critics have noted his similarities to Street Fighter characters, most reviewers have praised how SNK developed him over time, particularly his character arc across the King of Fighters series.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
