User blog comment:MrPacheco101/Enter The Gate of Oblivion! The Lone Wanderers Walk The Pathway To Hell: Scorpion vs. Ryu/@comment-4661256-20140711231157

El Alamein's Edges:

 Normal Combat Skills:  When it comes to basic combat, Scorpion is certainly more durable physically, considering he's not... well, human. Ryu's fleshy meatbag of a body is going to be a lot more susceptible to damage than Scorpion will be, especially when you factor in Scorpion's bladed swords and spear chains vs. Ryu's fists. Weapons traditionally defeat pugilist fighting techniques. However, I find this to be an exception. Scorpion's use of weapons is slow and showy - his swords and chains are both medium-ranged weapons that will be difficult to use effectively once Ryu closes the distance, fists a-blazing. Scorpion is stronger and more durable than Ryu, but I think that Ryu's more disciplined technique, coupled with his superhuman reflexes and agility, will allow him to at least hold his ground against Scorpion on a basic level. If the fight carries on for some time with Ryu maintaining a close-quarters battle, he might even be able to press an advantage.

Edge: Ryu

 Magic Combat Skills:  Hellfire vs. Hadouken - interesting. The Hellfire is probably the more lethal of the two signature abilities, simply because of its overwhelming annihilating potential. It's not normal fire (which would be bad enough) - but some sort of mythic flame straight from the bowels of hell itself channeling its way through Scorpion's body. The Hadouken is a more mild ki energy - it's certainly going to hurt, but as the Street Fighter games demonstrate, they aren't always enough to drive an opponent to unconsciousness (as they always end in KOs) whereas Scorpion's Hellfire is enough to outright kill an enemy. And when you consider Scorpion's rage-fueled vengeance as his driving motivation behind his fighting, it's going to be a lot more forceful than Ryu's self-moderated growth and patience. Scorpion's going to try to kill Ryu right off the bat, and with magic like Hellfire and the ability to traverse across the battle space using it, he'll have the ability to do so. Even if Ryu recognizes the danger his life is in, and even if he chooses to act on it and defend himself with lethal force it might be too late. I just don't see Shoryuken and other "ante-upped" versions of ki-based energy attacks as enough to overcome Hellfire, never mind some of Scorpion's more powerful abilities (like his aggressive Hellfire teleporation maneuvers and the Scorpion Sting). And once you mix Scorpion's use of weaponry with his Hellfire and get things like Flaming Spear Throw as a result, he's just got an overwhelmingly awesome arsenal of attacks (alliteration intended) that will leave Ryu hammered on all sides.

Edge: Scorpion

 X-Factors:  This is tricky. I believe that, in terms of technique and discipline, Ryu has a definite edge. First of all, he's not letting his emotions cloud his judgment and become his sole reason for fighting. Ryu fights because he wants to become stronger, to become better, and to become one with himself. He is patient - and it's payed off. After fighting for (what is presumably) years and participating in a whole host of martial arts tournaments, he has exposed himself to a large variety of fighting styles and has proven himself capable of adapting and overcoming the vast majority of challenges presented. On top of that, his sense of honor means he won't fight dirty (maybe not the wisest of choices to make when fighting someone like Scorpion), but it also means that he has honed his preferred style of fighting to a state of near-perfection. And his honorable mentality may drive him to fight harder against a deceptive foe like Scorpion.

On the other hand, Scorpion has a huge advantage just by bringing weaponry to the battle. It might not be honorable or a decent thing to do (as Ryu would prefer), but the thing about Scorpion is that he doesn't give a damn. His anger may present a disadvantage when it comes to actual combat - he might overextend his abilities or make a normally forseeable mistake. But it also means he will start the match giving his all - ready to kill from the first second. Ryu won't be like that. If Scorpion pushes hard enough and takes advantage of his opponent's unwillingness to use lethal force, he could quickly flip the battle in his favor.

It's hard to give an edge here. Ryu is balanced and has what it takes to hold off against a slightly more powerful foe. Scorpion has weapons, though, and Ryu will find it harder and harder to hold off the more angry Scorpion gets. Ultimately, I think Ryu has a slight edge thanks to his patience and discipline - the minute Scorpion allows his anger to get the better of him, Ryu can exploit that slip-up and make a decisive strike.

Edge: Ryu

WINNER: SCORPION

Like a lot of people below have said, Ryu is certainly the better character from the more innovative game series. But he really does himself a disservice with his fighting style. Traditionally, the Street Fighter characters fight to the knockout - and yeah, I'm certain that if he's pushed enough, Ryu won't shy away from using lethal force. But it's just not the fighting mentality he brings to the game. With weapons and highly lethal Hellfire, Scorpion is going to rush headfirst into battle, blades swinging and with deadly intent, and Ryu won't be prepared to hold off that initial assault. Ryu may be a better warrior - I bet if it was a "fair" fight, mano-a-mano with rules established, he would win. But this is a fight to the death, Scorpion is a seasoned killer, and that's the way he's going to walk into this fight. And as a result of that mentality, it also means he's going to walk out.