Characters / Strider Organization

Strider Character Index
Strider Organization | Villains from the Strider Games | Villains from the Strider Manga

The main good guys in the series, the Striders are an organization of freelance mercenaries who claim descendance from the ninja of ancient times. Their agents are experts in fields such as subterfuge, demolition, espionage and assassination; and carry out assignments to their very end, even at the risk of their lives.

The Striders' organization is the central focus in the manga's story, while serving a simple background role in the games themselves.

Common tropes

• Absurdly Sharp Blade: The Cypher, most iconic weapon wielded by Hiryu and other top-rank Striders, a Laser Blade that can slice through anything by generating an edge of white-hot plasma energy.
• Brought to You by the Letter "S": A recurring motif of Striders' uniforms: Hiryu and Hien have the first kanji of their names embedded on the chest, while Kain and Matic have a "C" and "M" respectively. The Fallen Striders in the 2014 game all also wore a chestplate with either the first or second kanji of their names, featured in the background of their profiles.
• Code Name: No Strider has a known real name, they all go by codenames.
  • Animal Theme Naming: The 2014 game establishes that higher-ranking members (A class and above) are allowed to adopt an animal-themed codename, usually in the form of kanji representing an adjective and an animal.
• Ninja: The Striders have the looks of one, and descend from them.
  • Cyber Ninja: Although Striders are 100% human, their use of advanced technology makes them fit the trope.
• One-Man Army: Even the weakest members of the Striders are on par with entire special force units. As a Strider of the highest order, Hiryu can effortlessly take on entire armies made up of both man and machine all alone.
• Rank Inflation: The Striders go from C to A, and then Special (or Super) A.
• Redshirt Army: In the 2014 Strider, the group kept sending in Striders to kill Meio, only for them to get offed by him and his many followers. Hiryu's the 12th and final Strider to be sent. In the game, Nang Pooh seems to lampshade this as well:
  "Another Strider. There must be a whole village of you somewhere."
• Super-Soldier: The Striders are super mercenaries.
• Training from Hell: The specifics are not revealed, but the Striders' training program is said to have a mortality rate of around 90%.

Hiryu

Click ^here : for his design from the first arcade game.

Click ^here  for his portrait from the 2014 Remake.

Voiced by: Kaneto Shiozawa (Strider for PC-Engine), Kosuke Toriumi (Strider 2, Namco's ''Cross'' series), Marc Biagi (Strider 2014), Yuji Ueda (Japanese, Marvel vs. Capcom series), T.J. Storm (English, Marvel vs. Capcom series)

"You must be kidding. Are you sending a toy into battle?"

The main protagonist of the series. An orphan since he can remember, Hiryu joined the Striders at a young age and survived its training program to become the youngest member in the organization's history to attain the highest rank, Special-A Class. An specialist in sabotage, assassination and espionage as well as an expert of martial arts, Hiryu favors the use of the Cypher, a plasma-enhanced sword wielded only by the best members of the Striders and capable of cutting through virtually any material effortlessly. A Consummate Professional of few words, he's the strongest Strider in history.

• Assist Character: The Options serve as this in the original Arcade game and its 2014 remake: Option A is a set of satellite drones which protect him while shooting at enemies; Option B is a robotic saber-toothed tiger which lunges at enemies; and Option C is a robotic eagle/hawk which swoops down to slash enemies apart.
• Audible Sharpness: Quite well known for the sweet "schwing!" sound his weapon produces.
• Badass Arm-Fold: Can be seen taking this stance several times during the 2014 game, possibly inherited either from Hien from Strider 2, or his Ultimate self.
• Badass Family: A lot of Isuke's scenario drafts revolve around Hiryu's lineage, and it's a doozy alright, starting with a split in the family when Aya, the Heir to the Dojo, and Shii, Aya's younger sister, were born in the later half of the 19th century:
  • Aya herself played a pivotal role in Russia's defeat against Japan during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, where she sabotaged Russia's entire Baltic Fleet. The result of this mission raised Aya and her descendants into becoming one of the most prestigious families in the Striders.
  • Though Shii was disregarded by the main family and merely instructed to provide the organization with progeny for training, her daughter Tsukiyo became a renown Iaijutsu Practitioner who could disable enemies in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, like her mother, Tsukiyo was never summoned to any meaningful mission due to the main branch family secretly manipulating mission assignments and opportunities to display talent as a way to maintaining control over the Striders. So Tsukiyo moved to America instead, where she spent the rest of her life fighting against the Italian Mafia and taking down gang organizations in Hell's Kitchen. At some point she also gave birth to a daughter, Namikage.
  • Kozue, Aya's granddaughter, was a Manipulative Bitch who shaped world events and the economies of entire nations during the 20th Century in order to ensure the prosperity of the Striders, culminating in her actions leading to World War 2, which created plenty of work opportunities for the Striders and filled their coffers, but also led to the death of many of its top talents as a result of the violence generated by both the war itself and the Cold War that followed. As she only left a son behind, and men weren't eligible to become heads of the family, Kozue's death marked the end of Aya's prestigious lineage.
  • Tsukiyo's daughter, Namikage, perfected her mother's Iaijutsu skills to the point that she was said to be so fast that she could "shatter light as if it were glass." That said, Tsukiyo's primary field of experise wasn't physical battle, it was negotiation and intelligence warfare: During the Cold War she managed the dissemination of on-site KGB agents across Europe and, after the war, indulged in battles of wits and pursued to beat both the CIA and the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) at interpersonal negotiations. Following Kozue's death, the main branch family temporarily passed the title of family head to Namikage and assigned her the tutorship of Kozue's son, Katsu.
  • Katsu was Kozue's son and Aya's descendant. Unknown to the main branch family, Namikage held deep resentment for the organization's traditional system, blaming it for how her mother and grandmother were never allowed to prove themselves. As a result, when she became Katsu's teacher, Namikage started sending Katsu into suicide missions, expecting him to die... He never did... During Namikage's time engaging in negotiations, Katsu became her secret escort, providing vital assistance to Namikage's negotiation skills: Katsu's presence hidden in the shadows would wear down on Namikage's opponents until their determination faltered and they broke down, allowing Namikage to win their disputes... Namikage would eventually put her resentment behind her and, as their feelings for each other grew stronger, she and Katsu would in time have a daughter, Shouko.
  • Shouko was blessed with The Gift, surpassed her father at age 12 and mastered her mother's Iaijutsu technique. She had innate battle instincts and could reflexively respond to an enemy's hostility before they could even reveal their weapon. Unfortunately, this talent — coupled with the fact that she was born at a time when the Striders organization was losing its authoritative power — lead Shouko to become an Arrogant Kung-Fu Girl and an incorrigible Thrill Seeker who eventually abandoned the organization for a life of self-fulfilment. She eventually died in an accident while having a chicken race against a low-ranking Yakuza, leaving her daughter, Midori, to fend for herself... and, oh boy, did she ever...
  • Midori, Hiryu's grandmother, was trained away from the Striders by a defector known as Suegami. During this time she developed the climb sickle, which would later become a staple tool for the Striders. Then, in the summer of 2006, at 22 years of age, Midori declared war against Japan. She single-handedly destroyed all ports and harbours, airports and other flying facilities, bridges, railroad tracks, traffic routes, and by taking down distribution networks and almost all means of communications she effectively isolated the island. When the Japanese Self-Defense Force and the American army joined forces to stop her, she took them down at each location and followed them into their bases, strategically eliminating entire army sites. She defeated the Self-Defense Force on all fronts, forced the American army to withdraw off the island, and almost entirely obliterated Japan's functions as a country. Kuramoto, the leader of the Striders, took advantage of this event as propaganda, as Midori has proved that a single Strider can cripple an entire nation, while at the same time denouncing her actions and signing the Striders up for assisting in her capture. Midori would have a daughter, Shusui, two years after the incident, and the two would remain on the run from pursuers until the year 2024, when Midori died fighting Kuramoto.
  • Following her mother's death at the hands of Kuramoto, Shusui would join the Striders on the condition that she would be allowed to retain her autonomy: she'd only answer when given an order, and she wanted her mother's lineage to be trained only by her and her descendants, seeing her mother's bloodline as too different from the Striders. A year later, Shusui had already become adept at wielding both the recently-developed Cypher and the sickle and not long thereafter she achieved enlightenment. In 2031, Shusui gave birth to Hiryu, and two years later she had a daughter. Shusui eventually handed Hiryu over to be trained by Kuramoto... and the rest is history.
• Battle Aura: Hiryu's Scarf of Asskicking in the 2014 game is actually a trail of plasma that is beyond his body's ability to channel into his Cypher (as his body is producing so much that it's above his ability to use it all). Despite not covering his body, for all intents and purposes it fits the trope.
• Berserk Button: In the manga, threatening or making use of innocent people is a big no-no, and doing so to children is a surefire way to get bisected instantly.
• Blade Spam: Encouraged in his origin series, where one of Hiryu's staples is his incredibly fast slashing attack, which the player can repeat indefinitely without ever pausing, atleast for as long as they keep pressing the attack button.
  • A straight example can be seen in his Savage Slash move from Strider 2, where Hiryu performs several slashes of his Cypher in such a way they appear to surround him from all directions.
• Burning the Flag: Not in a literal sense, but the scarf Hiryu wears was torn from an Imperial Japanese flag displayed in a WW2 museum. The defacement of the flag was both to express his disdain at Japan's glorification of the past as well as the actions and ideals the flag represented. And if they want that strip of cloth back to mend the flag again? Then they're going to have to get it over Hiryu's dead body.
• But Not Too Foreign: Hiryu is styled as Japanese and even speaks the language in the first game (where every character speaks his/her native tongue), yet according to official sources, he was born in a village in eastern Siberia. The manga does sort of imply he was raised by the Striders' director, a Japanese man, however.
• Characterization Marches On:
  • Hot-Blooded: In the manga, he's calm and quite amicable when not on duty, but he gets very involved once/if the bad guys messes with his friends. And that's not counting if you really piss him off...
  • Heroic Mime: In the Arcade game, where he has only two lines (demanding Tong Pooh to take him to her boss, and calling the Aerial Battleship a toy). He's not much better in the NES game, where he gets around 4/5 brief lines, most of which are to himself.
  • The Quiet One: In Strider 2, carried over from Marvel vs. Capcom. He's only got brief talk backs to some of the bosses, often to shut them up. Toned down in the 2014 game where he gets a lot more lines, though only when directly speaking to someone. He still gets at least two "..." lines, and most of the time he's very terse and business-like.
• The Cameo: He appeared as a challenger in the game Adventure Quiz: Capcom World 2 and as one of several guests in Ken's stage in Street Fighter Alpha 2. His uniform was also included as DLC in Monster Hunter Generations and its Updated Re-release Generations Ultimate.
• Child Prodigy: The youngest Strider to attain the greatest rank in the organization.
• Consummate Professional: Describes Hiryu's personality very well.
• Conveniently an Orphan: As mentioned by Hiryu in the manga.
• Cool Mask: Combined with Scarf of Asskicking usually. His design in the 2014 game is actually a separate, techno-looking mask since the scarf is now a trail of energy rather than a piece of clothing.
• Crossover: He's a playable character in the Marvel vs. Capcom games (save for the original release of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 due to licensing issues) as well as the Monolith Soft-developed and Namco-published RPGs Namco × Capcom and Project × Zone 2.
• Death Seeker: In the manga's "Gaiden" side-story, he's lost the will to live and seeks to die during a mission as a result of the overwhelming guilt he feels over having killer his sister.
• Determinator: If Hiryu is given a mission, he'll see it to its end no questions asked. Even if it means turning the entire world against him.
• Experienced Protagonist: Hiryu's already a full-fledged Strider, as well as the youngest to have attained the top title, by the time the manga/games begin.
• Flash Step: A common skill given his Super-Speed, best observed during the manga.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom: In the manga, whenever Hiryu gets really angry and start speed-blitzing everyone, his eyes glow an eerie white.
• Half the Man He Used to Be: The fate of most mooks who crosses Hiryu's path, be it in the games or the manga.
• Highly-Visible Ninja: Certainly stands out with that huge red scarf and glowing sword, eh?
• Important Haircut: In the manga, he cuts down his ponytail following Sheena's death, and places it on her grave as a promise to make those responsible pay.
• Kill the Ones You Love: Hiryu was forced to do this to his sister Mariya after she went insane and started murdering other Striders. He tried to talk her out of fighting, but being unable to, was finally forced to fight back and pierce her through with his Cypher. This would weight heavily on his mind afterwards, eventually leading to him leaving the Striders.
• Kite Riding: A modern version, as he has a technological hang-glider he uses to infiltrate locations. The Dynamic Entry he performs in the first and 2014 games are prime examples of this.
• Legacy Character: Although debated for years, the Visual Chronicles artbook implies the Hiryu in Strider 2 is a successor bearing the same codename of the legendary Strider who defeated Meio over 2000 years ago.
• Made of Explodium: Present in all his appearance, including the Vs. series. When out of life, Hiryu explodes and dissipates into energy waves.
• Off with His Head!: If not cut in half, this is the other common fate of anyone on the wrong end of His Cypher.
• Parrying Bullets: Gains this ability in the 2014 Strider.
• Rage Breaking Point: In the manga and the NES Game, the reveal that his late sister Mariya and his friend Cain were victims of the ZAIN Mind Control Project was this to him, the manga drives the point home further as the brainwashing resulted in Mariya killing ten trainees and Cain killing his and Hiryu's friend Sheena, also when the captive chief of Kazakh's corrupt secret police force mocks Cain over the fact that he killed Sheena, Hiryu was quick to shut him up with a punch.
• Razor-Sharp Hand: Hiryu is shown severing the hands of two enemy Striders bare-handed early on in the manga.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Hiryu in the 2014 game has glowing red eyes at all times. That should hint you up to stay far, far away.
• Ret-Canon: Many elements from Hiryu's depiction in the Marvel vs. Capcom series were later introduced in his later solo ventures, such as his general design and many of his animations.
• Retired Badass: Starts as one in the manga and NES game, having retired from the Striders 2 years prior.
• Scarf of Asskicking: A long, crimson-red scarf he wears to cover his mouth. Has been an Iconic Item of his in all his appearance save the original Arcade game.
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: How his interactions with enemies usually go: they mock or threaten him, he shuts them up with a quick, short and sweet sentence or two and then gives them a Cypher to the head.
• Sleeves Are for Wimps: Hiryu displays his well-toned arms proudly.
• Slide Attack: One of Hiryu's regular skills whenever he's playable.
• Super-Speed: A constant in all his appearances: he's fast. Really fast.
  • Speed Echoes: A common occurence in the manga. The first Arcade game adapted this into an Invincibility Power-Up which makes him leave 3 copies of himself as he moves.
• Unstoppable Rage: A few times in the manga an enemy manages to truly piss him off, Hiryu goes all-out and leaves no survivors. Kain notes that, in this state, not even himself is confident on taking him on.
• Wall Crawl: One of Hiryu's primary skills is his ability to climb through any surface or feature with the assistance of a small climbing hook.

Kain

"No telling what evil lies ahead... personally, I'd prefer a cute girl...!"

Hiryu's best friend since training school and a Special A-Class Strider. Although he conducts himself like an aloof goof during missions, this is merely a facade he hides under, and in truth he's a very competent Strider who knows when to start taking the situation seriously, and established to be unrivaled in the Striders when it comes to fighting skills, standing on equal grounds to his friend. While in the middle of a mission in the Kazakh Federation Kai ends up captured by enemy forces, and is up to Hiryu to rescue him...under orders to eliminate him for having been captured.

• Almost Dead Guy: In the NES game, after Matic fatally injures him he clings to life long enough to transmit a message to Hiryu revealing Matic's location.
• Badass in Distress: He gets captured by the enemies in Kazakh and brainwashed. He comes back for double duty when fighting Matic's subordinates, being captured and tied to a tree by Arana and injured and almost eaten by crocodiles when facing Kubira.
• Big Damn Heroes: In the manga's final chapter, Kain appears just in time to dispatch the mooks at Matic's side and allow Hiryu to get him one-on-one.
• Brains and Brawn: While Hiryu is the unstoppable force in this duo, Kain is the more analytical and strategical one, finding the enemy's secret bases and coming up with plans and distractions on the spot.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: He's subjected to the ZAIN Project and effectively becomes paranoid and aggressive toward Hiryu and Sheena out of nothing, leading him to attack the two and fatally wound Sheena before the chip that caused the brainwashing is removed by Hiryu.
• The Casanova: Kain acts like one during the rebel meeting, making several advances to "go out for coffee" with a female rebel.
• Contract on the Hitman: Hiryu is forced into one to find and eliminate him once he gets captured by the Kazakh forces, ordered by Matic.
• Death by Adaptation: He survives in the manga but gets killed near the end of the NES adventure.
• Due to the Dead: Kain finds the rebel lady he was wooing a few moments ago has died during the raid and respectfully closes her eyes, lamenting they didn't got to properly know each other.
• Fighting Your Friend: Ends up fighting with Hiryu after being subjected to ZAIN's brainwashing.
• Killed Offscreen: He's killed by Matic while Hiryu/the player is busy dealing with the ZAIN Terminals.
• Mirror Boss: In the NES game, where Kain's sprite is very similar to Hiryu (only gray) and his attack is the same Cypher swipe Hiryu uses.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: Kain enjoys playing dumb, making himself to be a total jerk or cracking jokes at times, but when the chips are down, he'll respond with the same seriousness and fighting prowess as Hiryu.
• Spell My Name With An S: His name is written "Kain" in the NES game, but given that big "C" imprint on his uniform and common sense, it should be written Cain.
• True Companions: He, Sheena and Hiryu ever since their time as trainees.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: How he gets captured in the manga: he believes a little girl (coerced to fake being injured under false promises they will release her father from prison) Kain comes across lying on the group was hit by some stray bullets, and when he approaches to check he gets shot a tranquilizer dart.
• Zero-Effort Boss: He becomes a boss battle mid-way during the NES game...but is defeated by a single strike to the back.

Sheena

"Well, now that you're back, Hiryu... there's nothing left to fear!!"

Hiryu and Kain's close friend, also from way back in training school, and an A-Class Strider with a preference for firearms. She appears distant and stern most of the time, and is a woman of few words during an assignment. In the manga, after Kain was captured by the Kazakh Secret Police, Sheena stood behind to try and rescue him, and is eventually reunited with Hiryu. Together they track down and rescue Kain, although Sheena is unaware of Hiryu's orders to kill him. In the NES adaptation, she's entrusted to take care of the injured Kain by Hiryu as he leaves to destroy the ZAIN Terminals, but Kain eventually slips out and she has to search for him, worried over his wounds.

• Action Girl: She's the one to take down the helicopter in the first chapter, and is ranked as an A-Class Strider.
• Attack Its Weak Point: How she deals with the armored chopper in the first chapter of the manga. Once her bullets prove ineffective against its armor, she aims at the tail rotor and sends it crashing into a nearby building.
• Demoted to Extra: In the NES game, she gets exactly 1 scene (to discover Kain got away) before being found dying. This in despite being prominently featured in the intro.
• The Gunslinger: Favors firearms over melee weapons and can be seen wielding a sub-machinegun, plus atleast one side pistol during the manga.
• Dying Declaration of Love: She manages to tell Hiryu how glad she was at having seen him one last time before dying.
• Killed Offscreen: In the NES game. By the time Hiryu finds her, she's about to die from her injuries.
• Sacrificial Lamb: She dies at the hands of a brainwashed Kain in the second chapter of the manga, and her death serves as the catalyst for Hiryu and Kain to stop Enterprise and avenge her death.
• Sacrificial Lion: She dies a good part of the way into the NES game, her last words being a request to stop Matic and avenge her death.
• Shipper on Deck: Hiryu's one for her and Kain, telling her they make a nice couple.
• The Stoic: During the first chapter of the manga she displays this attitude, ignoring Kain's silly antics and focusing on preparing her gun. She makes a full 360 once she reunites with Hiryu, however.
• True Companions: She, Kain and Hiryu ever since their time as trainees.

Director Kuramoto

"You've gotten stronger, Hiryu"

The aged founder and Director of the Striders. In his prime he was a respected and feared Strider himself, gaining himself the title of "God of Death". In his old age, however, he appears to have lost his edge and is now close to senility, spending most of his days alone in his personal room at HQ, watching his collection of Japanese films, leaving Matic unopposed control of the group. Hiryu treats him with the utmost respect, and Kuramoto likewise considers him like a son.

• Badass in Distress: In the NES game, he's put on basically house arrest by Matic and is constantly watched over by his men.
• Cool Old Guy: Quite a nice guy for everyone but those on the opposite side.
• The Dreaded: Back when he was an active member, and enough he became known as the "Shinigami"/"God of Death".
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": In the NES Strider, he's only ever adressed as "The Chief".
• Iaijutsu Practitioner: He's a master of Iaijutsu in the manga, effortlessly murdering three assailants in a blink.
• My Greatest Failure: In the Gaiden chapter, he starts to really regret being the one who assigned Hiryu the duty of stopping his sister, as it has come to really eat away at Hiryu's conscience and the guilt is turning him almost suicidal.
• Obfuscating Disability: As some of Matic's men discovered with their lifes, Kuramoto's senility was merely a ruse he played so the traitors within the organization would reveal themselves. Once accomplished, he quickly reclaimed control of the group.
• Old Master: Serves as one to Hiryu, and has probably trained him personally.
• Parental Substitute: He serves as one for Hiryu.
• Scatterbrained Senior: Appears to be hit by senility strong enough he's virtually dropped from active duty as Director.
• Sword Cane: His walking cane conceals a Iai sword.

Mariya

"H...Hiryu...what on Earth...have I..."

Hiryu's sister and accomplished Strider as the first woman ever to reach the A-Class in the group. One day, however, something went wrong and Mariya turned insane, killing around 10 Strider trainees. As no one could match her skills, Hiryu ended up being selected for the mission, and although he tried hard to reach her with words, he finally was forced to stab her through with his Cypher in self-defense, killing her on the spot. As Hiryu dearly loved her, this would eat away at his mind for a while and eventually lead to his resignation from the organization.

• Action Girl: Being the first woman to reach the 2nd highest honor in the Striders certainly qualifies her for that.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: Hiryu later figures out she was brainwashed in the same way Kain was, noting a little bud on her neck identical to the one Kain has, hiding the ZAIN transmitter which mind-controlled the both of them.
• Continuity Nod: In the NES version, Hiryu makes one brief reference to "his sister" after dealing with Kain, proclaiming she was the same when she lost her mind. The manual also mentions the event, but the writer bungled the text so it stated Hiryu killed "the sister of a mad A-Rank Strider".
• Dying as Yourself: She managed to recover her mind for the last few seconds she had after being struck down, enough to weakly ask Hiryu just what did she do.
• Post Humous Character: It's been 2 years since her death by the beginning of the manga and NES game.
• Sinister Silhouettes: She's framed in one at the beginning of Hiryu's flashback, complete with eerie white eyes.
• Tragic Keepsake: In the manga's Gaiden chapter, Hiryu keeps a necklace that belonged to her. It ends up saving his life in the nick of time.

Ryuzaki

"Go after Matic! It's all his scheme!"

A character from the NES Strider, Ryuzaki is a low-rank Strider the player runs into at some points in the story. He's working on his own behind the scenes and has seemingly discovered Matic's betrayal of the group, so he helps Hiryu by providing hints in certain stages to proceed or to find useful items such as the Attack Boots.

• Non-Action Guy: He really does nothing but stand in places, giving Hiryu the occasional help or hint. This despite him figuring out the Big Bad early on!
• Mauve Shirt: He wears the same uniform as all the unimportant mook Striders in the manga, but he has actual lines and even a name.

Matic

"Striders can only die in battle. That is a Strider's destiny..."

Vice-Director of the Striders and main antagonist of the manga and NES game. Following Kuramoto's semi-retirement, he has taken up de-facto control over the organization, and has secretly struck an alliance with Enterprise to help the development of the ZAIN mind control weapon. Matic is cruel, amoral and ambitious to no end, and his ultimate goal is to take over the world with the Striders' power and Enterprise's technology on his side. He fights with a customized Cypher of his own, and favors manipulation, underhanded tricks and dirty tactics.

• All-Encompassing Mantle: He wears a white one during most of the manga, befitting of the sub-leader of the Striders.
• Ambition Is Evil: He's all about fulfilling his ambitions, and wouldn't mind killing allies, subordinates or even innocent people in the way to achieve them.
• Asshole Victim: In the manga, he gets impaled in the heart by Yggdrasil, the heart of the ZAIN Project he desired for a long time, given everything he did, there's absolutely no sympathy for him.
• Bad Boss: He couldn't care less about his subordinates. When he reveals Hiryu killing Clay was part of his Evil Plan, the side revelation is that he basically sent his loyal followers on a Suicide Mission fully expecting them to fail/die.
• Combat Pragmatist: The man is unrepentantly evil and has no qualms over using underhanded tactics and manipulation to get what he wants, in spite of the fact that, as the Striders' second-in-command, he'd be a certified One-Man Army. This is best demonstrated in the final chapter, when he corners an exhausted Hiryu with two armed mooks, and gloats he's in no shape to avoid the bullets this time. When forced into a one-on-one confrontation with him, however, he finds himself intimidated by Hiryu's determination to win, and so after noticing a large crowd of lesser Striders has gathered (which he believes are all loyal to him), wastes no time in ordering them all to kill Hiryu on the spot.
• Counter-Attack: Matic's entire strategy in the NES game's Boss Battle is to stand still, and if the player dares to strike at him, he will retaliate instantly and strike the Cypher out of Hiryu's hands, leaving him defenseless until he retrieves it, at which point he resumes his stance.
• Dies Differently in Adaptation: In the manga, he gets impaled by Yggdrasil, what other continuity he appears in, he is bound to die in a different matter than in the source material:
  • In the NES Game, Hiryu dispatches disarms him of his cypher and cuts him down.
  • In Isuke's scenario draft, Kuramoto lobs his head off.
• Dragon with an Agenda: He seems to be working to realize Faceas Clay's vision of a perfectly regulated world, but in truth he's only bidding his time to take the whole company over for his own ambitious plans of world domination.
• Evil Brit: A British Strider and likely the most evil one in the franchise.
• Evil Gloating: In the NES game's final stage, Matic can't stop gloating at Hiryu about how he can't be beaten, he will "dance on his grave" and make him "the rust on his Cypher".
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: Has quite the big scar crossing the right side of his face.
• Hate Sink: He manages to be a bit detestable before the reveal he was evil, it's implied he had a hand in the brainwashing of Hiryu's late sister Mariya, which got ten Strider trainees killed, forcing Hiryu to kill her himself, and also, while bad enough that he ordered Hiryu to kill his friend Cain who got captured by enemy forces, it's also implied he was the reason Cain was captured and brainwashed in the first place, all so that Hiryu can kill Faysus Clay as part of his plot to take over the ZAIN Project. In the manga, he also planned on using Hiryu and Cain as scapegoats in the attempted assassination of Kuramoto.
• Humans Are Bastards: Not only is he the most evil Strider, but also the most vile human in the franchise.
• Iaijutsu Practitioner: In his Boss Battle, he wields his Cypher in a battoujutsu stance.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: On the receiving end of it from Yggdrasil in the manga.

• Karmic Death: In the manga, he gets impaled by Yggdrasil, the heart of the ZAIN Mind Control Project he desired for so long.
• Kick the Dog: Matic's first action when arriving at Mongolia in the manga? Kick a poor sheep away! The monster!
• Manipulative Bastard: His entire Evil Plan relied on him manipulating the Enterprise higher-ups and Hiryu into conflict, so Hiryu would unknowingly take care of them for him.
• Named by the Adaptation: Isuke's scenario draft gives him the last name Leopard.
• Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: He tried to force Hiryu to kill his friend Cain with the threat of killing innocent civilians if he refused. Supposedly this was for the good of the Striders, while at the same time Matic was in league with Enterprise, the creator of the ZAIN Project. As it turns out however, Matic planned for the death of Enterprise President Clay so he can take over the ZAIN Project, while also intending to to keep his grip on the Striders so he can set his plans for global domination in motion. It's also implied he had a hand in the brainwashing of Hiryu's late sister Mariya and Hiryu's friend Cain.
• Off with His Head!: In Isuke's scenario draft, Kuramoto decapitates him.
• Puzzle Boss: Trying to attack Matic like any other boss is a bad idea, as you'll only lose your weapon. The trick is to use one of Hiryu's projectile skills to shoot the sword out of Matic's hands, leaving him vulnerable to being struck as he frantically jumps to retrieve it.
• Sinister Shades: Matic wears a set of round glasses at all times. As they are Opaque Lenses as well, we never get to see his eyes.
  • Four Eyes, Zero Soul: The guy's truly irremediably evil too.
• Smug Snake: Right until the end, Matic really cranks it up, thinking he's got everything under control.
• The Starscream: He betrays Kuramoto to gain control of the Striders, and then plans on betraying Faceas Clay to take over Enterprise as well.
• Treacherous Advisor: Hiryu really doesn't trust the man the second he appears on Mongolia, but nonetheless he's not aware of his betrayal until the Kazakh Director blurts it out accidentally.
• Villainous Breakdown: In the manga's final chapter, Matic corners an exhausted Hiryu after he murdered Clay (as he wanted), explains to him all his plans to take over both the Striders and Enteprise, and is about to execute Hiryu when Cain comes to the rescue. From there, it's all downhill for him: he fights an injured and weakened Hiryu, but backs away when Hiryu adamantly refuses to go down, then finds the Striders he thought were his lackeys don't follow his orders, and then Director Kuramoto (who he ordered his execution) was not only alive, but on to his treason. Cornered, he breaks down and threatens all present with a bomb, only to be Impaled with Extreme Prejudice seconds after by the main Zain computer he desired for so long.

Arana

One of Matic's subordinates. A Special A-Class Strider whose specialty is the use of a fine, almost imperceptible razor wire to set up trap zones capable of cutting up flesh by mere contact, or otherwise ensnare and capture targets. The way he uses the wire is comparable to a spider's web, and he himself acts like one and keeps pet tarantulas around him at all times. He was tasked by Matic to stop Hiryu and Kain at the Amazon.

• Anime Hair: He's got spiky hair ending in several different "spikes" going upward, sorta resembling spider legs.
• Bilingual Bonus: His name is the Spanish word for spider.
• Chekhov's Gun: Hiryu takes some of Arana's wires with him, and he later uses them to avoid being electrocuted with Kubira during their battle.
• Continuity Cameo: Appears as a minor generic enemy in the Africa stage of the NES Strider.
• Die Laughing: After learning of Hiryu and Kain's plans to infiltrate Enterprise, he dies with a subdued laugh.
• Face Death with Dignity: He takes his defeat and impending death quite gracefully, asking Hiryu a few things and even requesting he let his tarantulas free after he's gone.
• Razor Floss: The wire he manipulates can easily cut through flesh. In the manga, a startled bird gets bisected by simply flying into it.
• Spider Motif Character: He styles himself after a spider, using his razor wire to create traps in the form of a spider's web, and using it to move across trees and hang upside-down like one.
  • Meaningful Name: Extends to his name, which is Spanish for "spider".

Kubira

One of Matic's subordinates. An A-Class Strider who has subjected himself to Bio-Augmentation, turning himself into a scaly, reptilian-looking monstrosity with enhanced water-fighting skills, being able to breath and move with incredible speed and precision underwater. Kubira has known Hiryu from their time at training school, and he's well aware of his skills with the Cypher, and has prepared his own strategy to counter and kill him. Ordered by Matic to assist Arana in stopping Hiryu and Kain.

• The Brute: Appearance-wise he may appear to be one, but his fight with Hiryu proves he's quite the cunning fighter.
• Combat Pragmatist: Kubira knows he's no match to Hiryu and his Cypher having known him from back in their training days, so he takes up any advantage he can in order to win, such as putting Kain in danger and forcing Hiryu underwater where the Cypher's electric output makes it unusable.
• Continuity Cameo: There are crocodile enemies in the Africa stage of the NES Strider, which may possibly be representing him. Further reinforced in that they appear close to the area where "Arana" appears as well.
• High-Voltage Death: For all the troubles he went through to prevent it, Hiryu eventually manages to stab him with the Cypher and electrocute him to death.
• Lizard Folk: His body modifications has left him with scaly skin and very sharp teeth, bringing them to mind.
• Loincloth: His only piece of clothing, probably because it makes diving underwater on a pinch easier.
• Slasher Smile: Displays one while confronting Hiryu.
• Super-Toughness: He was able to swim all the way from Africa to the Amazon/South America, without any visible sign of exhaustion.
• Taking You with Me: In his last moments Kubira is actually content knowing Hiryu will die with him, as he was forced to use the Cypher in the middle of the river they were fighting, and would be unable to avoid the fatal electric discharge. Unfortunately for him, Hiryu already planned for a way to quickly move away and avoid dying.
• Walking Shirtless Scene: In all his scaly glory!

Dragon Fiend

One of Matic's subordinates from the NES Strider. A Strider who fancies himself as a samurai, fully clad in a red, samurai armor and wielding a katana with plasma-shooting capabilities. Dragon Fiend was tasked by Matic to keep watch over Kuramoto at his residence in Japan and kill anyone who attempts to see him.

• Hit-and-Run Tactics: His boss strategy in a nutshell: Approach, swing sword 2-3 times, back away, shoot plasma, repeat.
• Katanas Are Just Better: Befitting his samurai image, his weapon is shaped like one.
• Manual Misprint: The manual calls him "Dragon Friend". Friendly is far from describing him!
• Samurai: Styles himself as one. Funny given he's part of what basically amounts to a clan of ninja.
• Sword Beam: Can shoot Plasma Arrow projectiles just like Hiryu's Cypher.

Badger

One of Matic's subordinates from the NES Strider. Quite a stout fighter, Badger chooses to fight wielding a short sword and a large riot shield, slowly approaching his enemies while keeping his shield in front of him at all times. Hiryu first runs into Badger in the Chinese base, and he'd face him a few more times afterwards.

• Attack Its Weak Point: No frontal attack will ever faze him, but sneak behind him and the story's different.
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: His shield will protect him from anything thrown at him from the front. Now, about the back...
• Mirror Boss: In a sense, since Badger will imitate the player's actions, crouching if they crouch and jumping if they jump.
• Moral Myopia: In the final chapter of the NES Game, he calls Hiryu a traitor, despite siding with Vice-Director Matic, who betrayed Director Kuramoto.
• Puzzle Boss: Beating him requires one to bait him into jumping (by jumping oneself), sliding/moving under him and then quickly turning around and striking at his back as he comes down.

Flash Blade

One of Matic's subordinates from the NES Strider. A quiet Strider decked in a purple uniform, he wields two long blades on each hand which he uses to block attacks by crossing them in front of him, and to perform a top spinning attack which sees him fly all around the room like a tornado. Seemingly a close subordinate to Matic, he's only faced in the game's final chapter.

• Dual Wielding: Two long blades or possibly wristblades.
• Purple Is Powerful: Wears a purple uniform and stands as the strongest of Matic's subordinates in the game.
• The Speechless: Unlike the other 3 mini bosses in the game, Flash Blade never speaks a single line of dialogue.
• Tornado Move: His signature attack is to spin so fast he becomes one and starts flying around and bouncing off walls.

Navigator

A character introduced in the PC-Engine port of Strider. A member of the group who assists Hiryu from the Strider Base with intel about the mission and the areas he visits.

• Canon Foreigner: Created exclusively for the PC-Engine version of the arcade game.
• The Ghost: We only hear her voice.
• Mission Control: Provides instructions to Hiryu prior to each mission.
• No Name Given: She doesn't even have a codename.

Hinjo

The main character in the non-canonical Strider Returns, a simple white and neon green palette swap of Hiryu's sprite. Hinjo has not much going on about him, outside being touted as the "most pumped out Strider of them all" and having to go on a quest to save his girfrield from "The Evil Master".

• Canon Foreigner: As the entire game was made off-shore by the British Tiertex. Suffice to say the Japanese people at Capcom probably don't even know he exists.
• Captain Ersatz: A quick color-edited Hiryu, at that. Apparently a necessity due to Hiryu's complex dual ownership barring Tiertex from legally using him.
• Exiled from Continuity: His sole appearance has been struck from continuity.
• Totally Radical: The way he's described in the game's manual fits this so much it hurts. For one, Hinjo is called the "Strider Dude". Seriously.

Hien

Voiced by: Kosuke Toriumi (Strider 2, Namco × Capcom)

Introduced in Strider 2, Strider Hien is a Special-A Class Strider and a close friend of Hiryu, having worked together in several missions beforehand. Feeling jealousy of Hiryu's strength and reputation among the Striders, however, Hien decided to betray them and join Grandmaster Meio, releasing the overlord from its confinement and sabotaging the Striders, leading to their elimination. Still caring about his old friend, however, Hien will attempt to coerce Hiryu into dropping his mission to assassinate Meio and join him, citing the futility of his mission now that the group is gone and the fact Meio is the Creator of the world and how pointless would be to oppose him.

• Adaptational Heroism: The 2014 game implies that in that continuity, he didn't sell out the Striders to Meio in exchange for a lofty position, and in fact died against the Grandmaster.
• Always Someone Better: The main reason behind his motivation to defeat Hiryu; he's jealous that someone so young could be talented enough to earn the highest honor bestowed to a Strider and the praise that came with it.
• Badass Arm-Fold: His idle stance in Strider 2 has him standing upright, arms folded.
• Bifurcated Weapon: Hien's weapon, the Geometrical Cypher, consists of two Cyphers that can be attached by the handle to form a single weapon. Hien wields it in different forms, including as separate swords and combined into a boomerang.
• The Cameo: He has also been a color choice of Hiryu in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and later a DLC costume for him in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.
• Can't Catch Up: The root of his jealousy stems from his inability to be as good as Hiryu is, no matter how hard he tries.
• Crossover: He appears as a boss character in Namco × Capcom.
• Demoted to Extra: He became a Posthumous Character and cosmetic costume of Hiryu in the 2014 Strider.
• The Dragon: Serves as Grandmaster Meio's representative in the secret organization that worships him.
• Dude Looks Like a Lady: A pretty face and that long ponytail can do the trick for ya. This got to the point that early on when Strider 2 was in development, fansites reporting on him called Hien a "new female Strider".
• Fighting Your Friend: From Hien's point of view, he's fighting a friend too boneheaded to realize his mistakes. From Hiryu's point of view, however, he's fighting a traitor that has no right to complain over the situation they are in.
• Genocide from the Inside: Hien betrayed the Striders to side with Meio and was behind its almost-complete extermination.
• Head Swap: Hien's sprite in Strider 2 is merely Hiryu's body with a white palette and Hien's face. This means it has no resemblance to Hien's artwork, who shows him with his very own Strider uniform.
• High-Altitude Battle: His boss battle in the final stage has him and Hiryu fighting on the back of a mechanical Segmented Serpent as it flies over a Bottomless Pit.
• Posthumous Character: In Strider (2014), he was one of the 11 Striders sent before Hiryu, and came the closest to accomplishing his task for him — perishing at the hands of Grandmaster Meio.
• Precision-Guided Boomerang: Hien's distinguishing feature is his Geometrical Cypher, a combining weapon which he can throw like a boomerang, and it will indefinitely return to him.
• Promoted to Playable: Becomes a playable character in the PlayStation port of Strider 2.
• Recurring Boss: Becomes one in the Playstation version, as he's the Final Boss of its exclusive stage as well as the 3rd-to-last boss in the last stage.
• Secret A.I. Moves: Hien's boss incarnation can perform a lot more interesting moves than the playable Hien, including attacking with both Cyphers separately, a dashing strike and a huge laser beam.
• Stance System: Hien's weapon works like this, having three different "forms" depending on how they are attached together: the first Form is both swords used separately, the second Form is both swords joined in a straight line and the third Form has both joined in a v-shape.
  • The Four Gods: Form 1 is named "Twin Tigers", Form 2 is "Dragon Claw" and Form 3 is "Phoenix", paralleling three of the four gods. There's apparently no form for the Black Turtle, though.