-->"I'll go change... into my '''gi'''!!!"
-->-[[TheVentureBrothers Hank Venture]]

Perhaps the most basic form of FightingGame character. Usually TheMario, this fighter's two most notable {{Special Attack}}s are a fireball or other projectile attack, and a rising physical attack, usually an uppercut. (The standard versions of these are the [[KamehameHadoken Hadoken]] and {{Shoryuken}}.) Wearing a ''gi'' or headband is optional. As you may have guessed, this character is essentially "inspired by" Ryu, the protagonist of the ''StreetFighter'' series.

Note that having a projectile and something vaguely resembling an uppercut will get this label slapped on a character regardless of which moves are actually their most notable.

The term {{Shotoclone}} comes from the English localization of ''StreetFighter II'' for the Super NES, which identified the fighting style used by {{Ryu and Ken}} as Shotokan Karate in the instruction manual. The martial art of Ryu and Ken has never been given a proper name in the Japanese versions (or in the games themselves), although the back-story in later games reveals that Gouken (Ryu and Ken's master) developed the fighting style from the original assassination art he learned with his brother Akuma from their master Goutetsu. For the record, Ryu and Ken's original moveset is largely based on Shotokan karate (no, not the special moves!), while in later games Ken's technique - notably his kicks - moved towards Kyokushin, in a textbook example of DivergentCharacterEvolution.

The Japanese term "Ansatsuken" (literally "assassination fist", a martial art made for killing) has been [[BlindIdiotTranslation misinterpreted]] by English-speaking fans as the name of Ryu and Ken's fighting style. This is not the name of any specific fighting style but a Japanese neologism commonly used in many martial art-related fiction to describe any hand-to-hand style with the capability of causing the death of an opponent. Gen's distinctively non-"Shoto" style has also been labeled as an "Ansatsuken" as well. The term actually predates even the first ''Street Fighter'' game, being used in ''{{Fist of the North Star}}'' to describe Hokuto Shinken, the martial art used by Kenshiro to cause his opponent's heads to explode.

The equivalent term of "Shotoclone" used by Japanese fandom is "Ryu/Ken type" or simply "Ryu type".

For characters that are clones of each other but not clones of Ryu, try SendInTheClones. ''Not'' to be confused with ShotaCon.
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!!Examples:
* The TropeMaker, of course, is the ''StreetFighter'' series itself. Ryu and Ken began purely as headswaps, and although rather more lethal, Akuma's style is not far from their own (due to Akuma training under Goutetsu with Gouken, Ryu and Ken's sensei). Dan and Sean, considered [[JokeCharacter joke characters]], tend to at least share Ryu and Ken's standard punches and kicks; although their specials are different, they tend to fit the fireball/uppercut/special-kick roles. Sakura may or may not be a Shotoclone; her unusual permutations of the basic Shoto special moves (and some different normal moves) shift her away from the model, but how different she is varies from game to game.
** In the [[{{gaiden game}} gaiden series]] ''Street Fighter EX'', there are Allen Snider and Kairi, though the former mixes in some kickboxing moves with the usual fireball and uppercut.
** Sagat shares Ryu's projectile/uppercut profile, and like him, it's frequently the bread-and-butter of his strategy. He only had the Tiger Shot in the first ''Street Fighter'' and didn't gain his Tiger Uppercut (his answer to Ryu's Dragon Punch) until ''Street Fighter II''.
** Gouken from ''Street Fighter IV'', despite being the one who trained Ryu and Ken, is a subversion from the usual Ryu-type character: his version of the Dragon Punch is a "forbidden" technique which he only uses as a Super Combo and his Hurricane Kick travels diagonally instead of horizontally.
* ''TheKingOfFighters'' has several of these. Terry and Andy Bogard are perhaps the original, a carry-over from their ''FatalFury'' fighting styles. Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia from ''[[{{ArtOfFighting}} The Art of Fighting]]'' also qualify. Capcom created Dan Hibiki as a parody of these copies (with a bit of Yuri Sakazaki mixed in). Iori Yagami and Kyo Kusanagi ''started'' as Shotoclones, but have since changed wildly. There are likely others; the only team ''never'' to possess Shotoclones on it would be Team Ikari Warriors, which is largely based around charge attacks.
** Lucky Glauber lacks a Dragon Punch, but otherwise fits. Especially in '98.
** Alba Meira of the ''MaximumImpact'' spinoff series has the classic Shotoclone stance, but completely different moves.
* Demitri Maximoff and Morrigan Aensland of Capcom's ''{{Darkstalkers}}'' series pull it off as well, but also remain distinctive. The fact that one is a Vampire and the other a [[HornyDevils Succubus]] helps a lot. Lilith (from the third game) also counts as one, but being born out of a part of Morrigan's life force, her projectile attacks aren't as powerful.
* Hanzou and Fuuma from ''WorldHeroes'' were complete and total Shotoclone ripoffs of RyuAndKen, with the only noticable difference being that they were {{Ninja}} and were (loosely) on historical Japanese ninjas Hanzo Hattori and Fuma Kotaro.
* Fulgore and Jago from ''KillerInstinct''. Black Orchid could also arguably count.
* Max from ''Power Quest''.
* Mario, Luigi, and Dr. Mario in ''SuperSmashBros.''
* Eiji Shinjo and Kayin Amoh from ''Battle Arena Toshinden'' are basically RyuAndKen with swords. Kayin even incorporates more kicks in his style like Ken does in later ''Street Fighter'' games. There's also Sho Shinjo, who is basically the Akuma of the series.
* Batsu (and all versions thereof) and Hideo in ''RivalSchools''. Sakura from ''Street Fighter'' also makes an appearance.
** Roy Bromwell uses a lot of Shoryuken moves.
* In CapcomVsWhatever games, Ryu, Ken, Dan, Akuma, Sakura, Morrigan and Batsu all put in appearances, as do [[Comicbook/{{X-Men}} Cyclops]], Comicbook/{{Spider-Man}}, CaptainAmerica, Ippatsuman and the aforementionned Terry and Ryo. And, as if this wasn't enough Shotoclones, MegaMan ''and'' [[MegaManLegends Mega Man Volnutt]] also become one. [[ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman Ken the Eagle]] would have been one if his rising move wasn't a dashing move that can be done horizontally and/or his projectile wasn't a boomerang used with a charge motion.
* Leonardo of the ''TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' becomes a Shotoclone in the ''TMNT: Tournament Fighters'' games. Michaelangelo would be one as well, if his uppercut attack weren't a charge move.
* {{Kirby}}'s Fighter copy in some of his games.
** And Knuckle Joe, the enemy/helper/character primarily associated with that ability.
* Sol Badguy and Ky Kiske from ''GuiltyGear''. Sol's "fireball" being a wave of flame (similar to Terry's Power Wave from the first FF). They both carry swords too, so maybe they're more "inspired" by Eiji and Kayin...
* In the HumongousMecha fighting game ''OneMustFall: 2097'' the Jaguar mech had a projectile and a leap attack. Though its leap attacked more forward then upward.
** The [[KatanasAreJustBetter Katana]] may be an even better fit. It has a horizontally-spinning attack like the Hurricane Kick, an invincible Dragon Punch equivalent, and, when fully powered up, a Fireball.
* Avdol in the fighting game incarnation of ''JoJosBizarreAdventure''. Considering how absolutely crazy most of the other characters' fighting styles are, it can actually be refreshing to have someone normal.
* The Dagger fighting style in ''SoulCalibur 3''. The Hadoken is throwing an infinite supply of bombs.
* X, in ''MegaManX'' and ''X2'', alternately can get the Hadoken and Shoryuken as secret moves, with the same joystick input as Ryu. He can't have them both at the same time, though, since they appear in different games.
** The Xtreme GaidenGame series have a secret capsule allowing X to use both.
** X4 features Magma Dragoon, who is basically an ''Expy'' of Akuma and uses many of the latter's moves.
* ''SamuraiShodown''. Haohmaru's Senpuuretsuzan and Kougetsuzan.
* ''GodHand'' lets you give the main character jumping spin kicks, ballerina uppercuts and a couple projectiles. It is a {{Capcom}} game, after all.
* ''LittleFighter2'' character Davis uses '''the''' Shoryuken and also has energy blasts. His uppercut is easily his most powerful and useful move. The Tatsumakisenpukakyu also makes an appearance in the game, through another character.
* Averted in ''BlazBlue''; the main character Ragna has no fireballs or flying kicks whatsoever and his moveset is built around ground combo chains. The only character that comes close to being a shotoclone is Jin, and he's just [[GuiltyGear Ky Kiske]] with ice attacks.
* ''Arm Joe'' features a nameless, rank-and-file Policeman as one of the playable characters, and his moves are heavily based on Ryu, Ken, and Akuma, with even a little bit of Ryo Sakazaki thrown in for good measure; he has the fireball, the rising uppercut, super versions of both, and even does Akuma's signature Shun Goku Satsu. This is probably a parody; as noted, the Shotoclone in this game is a nameless policeman and not remotely the main character.
* ''SuperCosplayWarUltra'' features Rario, who is basically Ryu and Mario put into [[TheFly the Brundlefly machine]].
* The ''Breakers'' games seem to cop to the fact that their main hero is a Ryu/Ken ripoff by naming him [[{{Shoryuken}} Sho]]. It's not entirely clear how self-aware this was.
* Reiji Oyama in the ''Power Instinct'' games; Keith Wayne follows the formula somewhat but he's a more obvious riff on Terry Bogard from the ''FatalFury'' series, even having Terry's long hair from ''Garou: Mark of the Wolves'' in ''Matrimelee''.
*In the NeoGeo {{fighting game}} version of ''DoubleDragon'', Billy and Jimmy were turned into analogues of Ryu and Ken. Their special techniques are basically slight variations of Ryu and Ken's three special techniques, which are replaced by slightly different variations of the same techniques when they use their transformation super move. As if that wasn't enough, Billy's other super move is a powered-up version of his "Hadoken" move, while Jimmy's second super move is a powered-up "Shoryuken", just like Ryu's and Ken's respective Super Combos in ''Super Turbo''.
** Billy and Jimmy also became this in ''Double Dragon V'', although their projectile attack uses a tapping motion.
* Parodied in ''Bleach: Dark Souls'' with Kon, a [[JokeCharacter 1-foot tall, sentient plush lion]] whose moves are almost exact copies of "Hadoken", "Shoryuken", and "Tatsumaki Senpyukyaku", even using the same commands.
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