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[[foldercontrol]]

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[[foldercontrol]]
This page indexes the various characters that appear in the ''VideoGame/{{Strider}}'' series.
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* Characters/StriderOrganization
* Characters/VillainsFromTheStriderGames
* Characters/VillainsFromTheStriderManga

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[[AC:Strider Series]]
* Characters/StriderOrganization
Characters/StriderOrganization [[note]]All agents of the Striders from all works in the series[[/note]]
* Characters/VillainsFromTheStriderGames
Characters/VillainsFromTheStriderGames [[note]]Enemies and bosses from the Arcade ''Strider'', ''Strider 2'' and the 2014 ''Strider''[[/note]]
* Characters/VillainsFromTheStriderMangaCharacters/VillainsFromTheStriderManga [[note]]Antagonists from the ''Strider Hiryu'' manga and its close video game adaptation for NES[[/note]]

[[AC:Crossovers]]
* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom''
** ''Characters/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfSuperHeroes'' [[note]]Strider Hiryu, Ton Pooh[[/note]]
** ''Characters/UltimateMarvelVsCapcom3'' [[note]]Strider Hiryu[[/note]]
** ''Characters/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite'' [[note]]Grandmaster Meio[[/note]]
*** ''Characters/MarvelVsCapcomInfiniteCapcom'' [[note]]Strider Hiryu[[/note]]
* ''Characters/NamcoXCapcom'' [[note]]Strider Hiryu, Solo, Tong Pooh, Strider Hien, Grandmaster Meio[[/note]]
** ''Characters/ProjectXZone2BraveNewWorld'' [[note]]Strider Hiryu, Solo, Tong Pooh[[/note]]
* ''Characters/Teppen2019'' [[note]]Strider Hiryu[[/note]]




!Others

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\n!Others----
[[foldercontrol]]
!Minor Characters



** NamedByTheAdaptation: Her one name was only ever stated in the [[AllThereInTheManual Genesis manual]].

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** NamedByTheAdaptation: Her one name She was only ever stated first named in the Master System's port manual as "Princess Magenta", and later on was named Lexia in the [[AllThereInTheManual Genesis manual]]. manual]].


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* PrincessClassic The Master System port's manual states her name is Princess Magenta, although this doesn't figure as much in-game as she was previously the leader of a planet with that name.
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* MissFanservice: Lexia's original sprite has her doing some odd hip dancing while wearing only a ripped white shirt and panties.

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* MissFanservice: MsFanservice: Lexia's original sprite has her doing some odd hip dancing while wearing only a ripped white shirt and panties.
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* DisappearedDad: Her dad was captured by the Secret Police at some point in the past, leaving her alone to fend for herself. The Commander "[[ILied promises]]" her to release him if she assists in capturing Kain.

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* DisappearedDad: Her dad was captured by the Secret Police at some point in the past, leaving her alone to fend for herself. The Commander "[[ILied promises]]" her to release him if she assists in capturing Kain. Unfortunately, she soon learns that the Commander had no intention of actually following through on his promise.

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A young girl used by the corrupt Secret Police to subdue Cain.

* NoNameGiven

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-> A minor character in the manga. A young girl living in the war-struck area of the Kazakh capital, trying to make a living by selling flowers on the streets. She's used by the corrupt Secret Police Commander to subdue Cain.

Kain.

* NoNameGiven
DisappearedDad: Her dad was captured by the Secret Police at some point in the past, leaving her alone to fend for herself. The Commander "[[ILied promises]]" her to release him if she assists in capturing Kain.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: She has no known name, and the few times she's adressed she's called "flower girl", after the flowers she sells on the streets.
* ForcedIntoEvil: She's forced into helping capture Kain under the promise of releasing her father from prison, and she doesn't like doing it. Just before Kain loses consciousness, she tearfully tells him the reason she tricked him, and Kain nods in understanding before collapsing.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: The way she tricks Kain is by lying on the ground, tricking him into believing she was hit in the crossfire during the fight between the rebels and the police. As soon as he comes to check if she's alive, the girl springs up and shoots him with a tranquilizer dart, putting him out of commission.



* CheerfulChild: To contrast Hiryu's stoic and silent disposition, she's always smiling and chatting with him. Makes the scene in which she's ''scared to tears'' of Hiryu all the more poignant.
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: It's not explicit in the manga, but everything points to Rin having no parents around when Hiryu first met her.




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* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Her name could be Rin, or Lin, or even Ling.
* TearsOfFear: When witnessing Hiryu slashing two men's arms apart (to rescue her and the other villagers, mind you), she looks away from him scared to the point of crying.




to:

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Rather than running away scared of Hiryu, he approaches him and tells him he knows he's a good guy, and that no matter his past or what he must do, Rin and everyone else understands that as well and will be waiting for him to come back.




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-> A character from the ''Strider Hiryu Gaiden'' extra. A renowned scientist in the field of nuclear fusion, he was kidnapped by the Phantom Unit and held hostage until one of their imprisoned members was released. Hiryu's final mission as a Strider was to rescue him.

* TheGhost: Dr. Hogan doesn't actually make an appearance during the ''Gaiden''. The only time "he" appears it's actually the older Zangi brother in disguise.
* KidnappedScientist: Dr. Hogan is a nuclear fusion specialist kidnapped by a terrorist cell.
* NerdGlasses: Hogan (or rather, the older Zangi's "Hogan" disguise) wears a pair of round glasses.
* PrisonerExchange: Dr. Hogan was kidnapped specifically to be exchanged for the freedom of an imprisoned Phantom Unit member.



The distressed damsel from the infamous ''Strider Returns'', Hinjo's duty is to save her.

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-> The distressed damsel from the infamous ''Strider Returns'', Hinjo's duty is to save her.



* CanonForeigner: Same deal as Hinjo.

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* CanonForeigner: Same deal Much the same case as Hinjo.anyone created by Tiertex for this game.
* ClothingDamage: Lexia's clothes are all ripped and damaged. Her original sprite in the home computer versions shows her wearing what appears to be a ripped off shirt...and ''almost nothing else''.



* HumanAliens: At least in the computer versions where she hailed from Planet Magenta.

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* HumanAliens: At least in the computer versions where she hailed hails from Planet Magenta.



* NoNameGiven: In the original game for European computers she was only referred to as a "female leader". Her one name was only ever stated in the [[AllThereInTheManual Genesis manual]].

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* MissFanservice: Lexia's original sprite has her doing some odd hip dancing while wearing only a ripped white shirt and panties.
* NoNameGiven: In the original game for European computers she was only referred to as a "female leader".
** NamedByTheAdaptation:
Her one name was only ever stated in the [[AllThereInTheManual Genesis manual]].



-> A scientist, from the 2014 Strider, who was tortured into insanity after he discovered Meio's true intentions for the Gravitron.

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-> A scientist, from support character in the 2014 Strider, who was tortured into insanity after ''Strider''. A scientist part of the Gravitron Research Staff, he discovered early on that the Gravitron represented a real danger and attempted to stop its development. His warnings fell on deaf ears, and Meio's true intentions for the Gravitron.Army eventually arrested him as an heretic. Subjected to torture in prison, he became a rambling insane prisoner.



* AxCrazy: Thanks to the torture and brain surgery inflicted on him after being arrested. He's always wearing a straitjacket and locked up, but according to his bio he periodically suffers from psychotic episodes and destroys anything in its vicinity, forcing staff to constantly move him from cell to cell.
* CassandraTruth: He was the only member of the Gravitron staff to realize the machine they were build was a very real danger, and tried to convince his peers to stop its development. No one believed him, some even thought of him as a liar, and Meio's Army eventually arrested him over charges of heresy. Once the Gravitron was completed, most of the staff discovered Meio's real intentions for it and oh surprise, he was entirely right on his fears.
* DrivenToMadness: The only goal of the torture and brain tampering was to turn him insane.
* {{Lobotomy}}: Subjected to brain surgery as part of his punishment after incarceration.
* TalkativeLoon: As part of his insanity, he tends to speak a lot and very quickly.



* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: He's only known as the "Black Marketer".



* MissionControl

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* MissionControlMissionControl: During the Insect Trooper outbreak after Hiryu defeats the Millipede, the Black Marketer assists him by directing nearby turrets against the machines. It is a bit hard to notice, however, since the player can still destroy the turrets in their way before they take aim at the enemies.




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* WastelandElder: After escaping Kazakh City and reaching its underground refugee camps, he unknowingly gained the trust of the people living there and eventually became the leader of the Resistance against Meio.
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[[folder: Dr. J. Hogan]]

[[/folder]]


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* HumanAliens: At least in the computer versions where she hailed from Planet Magenta.
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/newstrider_prisoner_art.png]]
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A youn girl used by the corrupt Secret Police to subdue Cain.

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A youn young girl used by the corrupt Secret Police to subdue Cain.

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Added more detail.


[[folder:Flower Girl]]
A youn girl used by the corrupt Secret Police to subdue Cain.

* NoNameGiven

[[/folder]]



* OnlyOneName



* NoNameGiven



* NoNameGiven: In the original game for European computers she was only referred to as a "female leader". Her name was only ever stated in the [[AllThereInTheManual Genesis manual]].

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* NoNameGiven: In the original game for European computers she was only referred to as a "female leader". Her one name was only ever stated in the [[AllThereInTheManual Genesis manual]].

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[[folder:The Prisoner]]
-> A scientist, from the 2014 Strider, who was tortured into insanity after he discovered Meio's true intentions for the Gravitron.

* NoNameGiven

[[/folder]]




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* NoNameGiven
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* [[/index]] Characters/VillainsFromTheStriderManga

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* [[/index]] Characters/VillainsFromTheStriderManga
[[/index]]

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[[index]]



* Characters/VillainsFromTheStriderManga

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* *[[/index]] Characters/VillainsFromTheStriderManga

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!Striders
The main good guys in the series, the Striders is an organization of freelance mercenaries who claim descendance from the ninja of ancient times. Their agents are experts in fields such as subterfuge, demolition, espionaje 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.

[[folder:Common tropes]]
* AbsurdlySharpBlade: The Cypher, most iconic weapon wielded by Hiryu and other top-rank Striders, a LaserBlade that can slice through anything by generating an edge of [[HotBlade white-hot plasma energy]].
* BroughtToYouByTheLetterS: 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.
* CodeName: No Strider has a known real name, they all go by codenames.
** AnimalThemeNaming: 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.
** CyberNinja: Although Striders are 100% human, their use of advanced technology makes them fit the trope.
* OneManArmy: 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.
* RankInflation: The Striders go from C to A, and then Special (or Super) A.
* RedshirtArmy: In the 2014 ''Strider'', the group kept sending in Striders to kill Meio, only for them to get offed by one of his many followers. Hiryu's the 12th 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."
* SuperSoldier: The Striders are super mercenaries.
* TrainingFromHell: The specifics are not revealed, but the Striders' training program is said to have a mortality rate of around '''90%'''.

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!Striders
The main good guys
* Characters/StriderOrganization
* Characters/VillainsFromTheStriderGames
* Characters/VillainsFromTheStriderManga

!Others
[[folder:Rin]]

-> A little girl that's part of a group of Mongolian nomads. Hiryu met her
in the series, the Striders is an organization of freelance mercenaries who claim descendance from the ninja of ancient times. Their agents are experts in fields such as subterfuge, demolition, espionaje plateau that'd become his home after retiring, and assassination; since then they live together. Outspoken and carry out assignments to their very end, even at the risk cheerful, she reminds Hiryu of their lives.

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

[[folder:Common tropes]]
* AbsurdlySharpBlade: The Cypher, most iconic weapon wielded by Hiryu and other top-rank Striders, a LaserBlade that can slice through anything by generating an edge of [[HotBlade white-hot plasma energy]].
manga.
* BroughtToYouByTheLetterS: 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.
* CodeName: No Strider has a known real name, they all go by codenames.
** AnimalThemeNaming: 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.
** CyberNinja: Although Striders are 100% human, their use of advanced technology makes them fit the trope.
* OneManArmy: 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.
* RankInflation: The Striders go from C to A, and then Special (or Super) A.
* RedshirtArmy: In the 2014 ''Strider'', the group kept sending in Striders to kill Meio, only for them to get offed by one of his many followers. Hiryu's the 12th 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."
* SuperSoldier: The Striders are super mercenaries.
* TrainingFromHell: The specifics are not revealed, but the Striders' training program is said to have a mortality rate of around '''90%'''.



[[folder:Hiryu]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/strider_1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/str_capcom_club_poster_copy.png[[/labelnote]] for his Arcade design.]]
[[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/newstrider_hiryu_artwork.png[[/labelnote]] for his portrait from the 2014 Remake.]]
-> Voiced by: Creator/KanetoShiozawa (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Creator/KosukeToriumi (''Strider 2'', [[VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom Namco's]] [[VideoGame/ProjectXZone ''Cross'' series]]), Marc Biagi (''Strider'' 2014), Creator/YujiUeda (''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 specalist in sabotage, assasination 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 ConsummateProfessional of few words, he's the strongest Strider in history.

* AssistCharacter: The Options serve as this in the original Arcade game and its 2014 remake: [[AttackDrone Option A]] is a set of satellite drones which protect him while shooting at enemies; [[PantheraAwesome 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.
* AudibleSharpness: Quite well known for the sweet "schwing!" sound his weapon produces.
* BadassArmFold: Can be seen taking this stance several times during the 2014 game, possibly inherited either from Hien from ''Strider 2'', or his ''Ultimate'' self.
* BattleAura: Hiryu's ScarfOfAsskicking 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.
* BerserkButton: 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.
* BladeSpam: Encouraged in his origin series, where one of Hiryu's staples is his incredibly fast slashing attack, which the player can repeat indefinitively 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.
* ButNotTooForeign: 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 [[AllThereInTheManual 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.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn:
** HotBlooded: In the manga, he's calm and quite amicable when not on duty, but he gets very [[ItsPersonal involved]] once/if the bad guys messes with his friends. [[BerserkButton And that's not counting if you really piss him off...]]
** HeroicMime: 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.
** TheQuietOne: In ''Strider 2'', carried over from ''Marvel vs. Capcom''. He's only got brief talk backs to some of the bosses, often to [[ShutUpHannibal 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.
* ChildProdigy: The youngest Strider to attain the greatest rank in the organization.
* ConsummateProfessional: Describes Hiryu's personality very well.
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: As mentioned by Hiryu in the manga.
* CoolMask: Combined with ScarfOfAsskicking 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.
* DeathSeeker: 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.
* ExperiencedProtagonist: 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.
* {{Fanon}}: Thanks to ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'', there are a few misconceptions about him that are becoming this, most notably that he's 2021 years old through the use of advanced medicine[[note]]two facts that have never been mentioned in the official canon, with Hiryu being stated to be around his early 20 in both ''Strider'' and ''Strider 2''.[[/note]] and the existence of a teleporting device called "Vajra"[[note]]which is merely the name of one of his ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' moves, where he uses FlashStep to gave the illusion of teleportation.[[/note]]
* FlashStep: A common skill given his SuperSpeed, best observed during the manga.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: In the manga, whenever Hiryu gets ''really'' angry and start speed-blitzing everyone, his eyes glow an eerie white.
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: The fate of most {{mooks}} who crosses Hiryu's path, be it in the games or the manga.
* HighlyVisibleNinja: Certainly stands out with that huge red scarf and glowing sword, eh?
* ImportantHaircut: 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.
* KillTheOnesYouLove: 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 [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice pierce her through with his Cypher]]. This would weight heavily on his mind afterwards, eventually leading to him leaving the Striders.
* KiteRiding: A modern version, as he has a technological hang-glider he uses to infiltrate locations. The DynamicEntry he performs in the first and 2014 games are prime examples of this.
* LegacyCharacter: 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.
* MadeOfExplodium: Present in all his appearance, including the ''Vs.'' series. When out of life, Hiryu explodes and dissipates into energy waves.
* ParryingBullets: Gains this ability in the 2014 ''Strider''.
* RageBreakingPoint: 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.
* RazorSharpHand: Hiryu is shown severing the hands of two enemy Striders bare-handed early on in the manga.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Hiryu in the 2014 game has ''glowing'' red eyes '''at all times'''. That should hint you up to stay far, far away.
* RetCanon: 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.
* RetiredBadass: Starts as one in the manga and NES game, having retired from the Striders 2 years prior.
* ScarfOfAsskicking: A long, crimson-red scarf he wears to cover his mouth. Has been an IconicItem of his in all his appearance save the original Arcade game.
* ShutUpHannibal: 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.
* SleevesAreForWimps: Hiryu displays his well-toned arms proudly.
* SlideAttack: One of Hiryu's regular skills whenever he's playable.
* SuperSpeed: A constant in all his appearances: he's fast. ''Really'' fast.
** SpeedEchoes: A common occurence in the manga. The first Arcade game adapted this into an InvincibilityPowerUp which makes him leave 3 copies of himself as he moves.
* UnstoppableRage: 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.
* WallCrawl: One of Hiryu's primary skills is his ability to climb through any surface or feature with the assistance of a small climbing hook.

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[[folder:Hiryu]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/strider_1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/str_capcom_club_poster_copy.png[[/labelnote]] for his Arcade design.]]
[[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/newstrider_hiryu_artwork.png[[/labelnote]] for his portrait from the 2014 Remake.]]
[[folder:Village Elder]]

-> Voiced by: Creator/KanetoShiozawa (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Creator/KosukeToriumi (''Strider 2'', [[VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom Namco's]] [[VideoGame/ProjectXZone ''Cross'' series]]), Marc Biagi (''Strider'' 2014), Creator/YujiUeda (''Marvel vs. Capcom'' series)

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

->The main protagonist
A minor character in the manga, an elderly man that's part of the series. An orphan Mongolian nomads and has known Hiryu ever since he can remember, Hiryu joined moved into 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 specalist in sabotage, assasination and espionage as well as an expert plateau, although was unaware 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 ConsummateProfessional of few words, he's the strongest Strider in history.

* AssistCharacter: The Options serve as this in the original Arcade game and its 2014 remake: [[AttackDrone Option A]] is a set of satellite drones which protect him while shooting at enemies; [[PantheraAwesome 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.
* AudibleSharpness: Quite well known for the sweet "schwing!" sound
his weapon produces.past as a Strider.
* BadassArmFold: Can be seen taking this stance several times during the 2014 game, possibly inherited either from Hien from ''Strider 2'', or his ''Ultimate'' self.
* BattleAura: Hiryu's ScarfOfAsskicking 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.
* BerserkButton: 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.
* BladeSpam: Encouraged in his origin series, where one of Hiryu's staples is his incredibly fast slashing attack, which the player can repeat indefinitively 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.
* ButNotTooForeign: 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 [[AllThereInTheManual 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.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn:
** HotBlooded: In the manga, he's calm and quite amicable when not on duty, but he gets very [[ItsPersonal involved]] once/if the bad guys messes with his friends. [[BerserkButton And that's not counting if you really piss him off...]]
** HeroicMime: 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.
** TheQuietOne: In ''Strider 2'', carried over from ''Marvel vs. Capcom''. He's only got brief talk backs to some of the bosses, often to [[ShutUpHannibal 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.
* ChildProdigy: The youngest Strider to attain the greatest rank in the organization.
* ConsummateProfessional: Describes Hiryu's personality very well.
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: As mentioned by Hiryu in the manga.
* CoolMask: Combined with ScarfOfAsskicking 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.
* DeathSeeker: 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.
* ExperiencedProtagonist: 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.
* {{Fanon}}: Thanks to ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'', there are a few misconceptions about him that are becoming this, most notably that he's 2021 years old through the use of advanced medicine[[note]]two facts that have never been mentioned in the official canon, with Hiryu being stated to be around his early 20 in both ''Strider'' and ''Strider 2''.[[/note]] and the existence of a teleporting device called "Vajra"[[note]]which is merely the name of one of his ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' moves, where he uses FlashStep to gave the illusion of teleportation.[[/note]]
* FlashStep: A common skill given his SuperSpeed, best observed during the manga.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: In the manga, whenever Hiryu gets ''really'' angry and start speed-blitzing everyone, his eyes glow an eerie white.
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: The fate of most {{mooks}} who crosses Hiryu's path, be it in the games or the manga.
* HighlyVisibleNinja: Certainly stands out with that huge red scarf and glowing sword, eh?
* ImportantHaircut: 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.
* KillTheOnesYouLove: 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 [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice pierce her through with his Cypher]]. This would weight heavily on his mind afterwards, eventually leading to him leaving the Striders.
* KiteRiding: A modern version, as he has a technological hang-glider he uses to infiltrate locations. The DynamicEntry he performs in the first and 2014 games are prime examples of this.
* LegacyCharacter: 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.
* MadeOfExplodium: Present in all his appearance, including the ''Vs.'' series. When out of life, Hiryu explodes and dissipates into energy waves.
* ParryingBullets: Gains this ability in the 2014 ''Strider''.
* RageBreakingPoint: 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.
* RazorSharpHand: Hiryu is shown severing the hands of two enemy Striders bare-handed early on in the manga.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Hiryu in the 2014 game has ''glowing'' red eyes '''at all times'''. That should hint you up to stay far, far away.
* RetCanon: 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.
* RetiredBadass: Starts as one in the manga and NES game, having retired from the Striders 2 years prior.
* ScarfOfAsskicking: A long, crimson-red scarf he wears to cover his mouth. Has been an IconicItem of his in all his appearance save the original Arcade game.
* ShutUpHannibal: 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.
* SleevesAreForWimps: Hiryu displays his well-toned arms proudly.
* SlideAttack: One of Hiryu's regular skills whenever he's playable.
* SuperSpeed: A constant in all his appearances: he's fast. ''Really'' fast.
** SpeedEchoes: A common occurence in the manga. The first Arcade game adapted this into an InvincibilityPowerUp which makes him leave 3 copies of himself as he moves.
* UnstoppableRage: 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.
* WallCrawl: One of Hiryu's primary skills is his ability to climb through any surface or feature with the assistance of a small climbing hook.



[[folder:Kain]]
->''"No telling what evil lies ahead... personally, I'd prefer a cute girl...!"''
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/str_manga_kain.png]]

->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.

* AlmostDeadGuy: 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.
* BadassInDistress: 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.
* BigDamnHeroes: 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.
* BrainsAndBrawn: 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.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: He's subjected to the ZAIN Project and effectively becomes paranoid and aggressive toward Hiryu and Sheena out of nothing.
* TheCasanova: Kain acts like one during the rebel meeting, making several advances to "go out for coffee" with a female rebel.
* ContractOnTheHitman: Hiryu is forced into one to find and eliminate him once he gets captured by the Kazakh forces, ordered by Matic.
* DeathByAdaptation: He survives in the manga but gets killed near the end of the NES adventure.
* DueToTheDead: 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.
* FightingYourFriend: Ends up fighting with Hiryu after being subjected to ZAIN's brainwashing.
* KilledOffscreen: He's killed by Matic while Hiryu/the player is busy dealing with the ZAIN Terminals.
* MirrorBoss: 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.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: 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.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: 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.
* TrueCompanions: He, Sheena and Hiryu ever since their time as trainees.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: 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.
* ZeroEffortBoss: He becomes a boss battle mid-way during the NES game...but is defeated by a single strike to the back.

to:

[[folder:Kain]]
->''"No telling what evil lies ahead... personally, I'd prefer a cute girl...!"''
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/str_manga_kain.png]]

->Hiryu's best friend since training school and a Special A-Class Strider. Although he conducts himself like an aloof goof during missions,
[[folder:Lexia]]
The distressed damsel from the infamous ''Strider Returns'', Hinjo's duty is to save her.

* BridalCarry: Hinjo carries her
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 way 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.

* AlmostDeadGuy: 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.
* BadassInDistress: 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.
ending.
* BigDamnHeroes: In CanonForeigner: Same deal as Hinjo.
* DistressedDamsel: Gets kidnapped by alien terrorists/Meio and her rescue is
the manga's final chapter, Kain game's main objective.
* ExiledFromContinuity
* MadeASlave: It's never actually stated, but she
appears just in time wearing ragged clothes and chained to dispatch the mooks at Matic's side and allow Hiryu floor, so...''yeah''.
* NoNameGiven: In the original game for European computers she was only referred
to get him one-on-one.as a "female leader". Her name was only ever stated in the [[AllThereInTheManual Genesis manual]].
* BrainsAndBrawn: While Hiryu is PostFinalBoss: Becomes one in the unstoppable force in this duo, Kain is Genesis version, where she's chained to a shooting platform and the more analytical and strategical one, finding player has to destroy it to end the enemy's secret bases and coming up with plans and distractions on game.
* OurPresidentsAreDifferent: In
the spot.home computer versions, she's described as the female leader of an alien planet.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: She really just exists to serve as an objective.

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: He's subjected to the ZAIN Project and effectively becomes paranoid and aggressive toward Hiryu and Sheena out of nothing.
* TheCasanova: Kain acts like one during the rebel meeting, making several advances to "go out for coffee" with a female rebel.
* ContractOnTheHitman: Hiryu is forced into one to find and eliminate him once he gets captured by the Kazakh forces, ordered by Matic.
* DeathByAdaptation: He survives in the manga but gets killed near the end of the NES adventure.
* DueToTheDead: 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.
* FightingYourFriend: Ends up fighting with Hiryu after being subjected to ZAIN's brainwashing.
* KilledOffscreen: He's killed by Matic while Hiryu/the player is busy dealing with the ZAIN Terminals.
* MirrorBoss: 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.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: 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.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: 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.
* TrueCompanions: He, Sheena and Hiryu ever since their time as trainees.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: 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.
* ZeroEffortBoss: He becomes a boss battle mid-way during the NES game...but is defeated by a single strike to the back.



[[folder: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.

* AttackItsWeakPoint: How he 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.
* DemotedToExtra: 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.
* TheGunslinger: Favors firearms over melee weapons and can be seen wielding a sub-machinegun, plus atleast one side pistol during the manga.
* DyingDeclarationOfLove: [[spoiler:She manages to tell Hiryu how glad she was at having seen him one last time before dying.]]
* KilledOffscreen: In the NES game. By the time Hiryu finds her, she's about to die from her injuries.
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Becomes one in the manga, as her death serves as the cataylist for Hiryu and Kain to stop Enterprise and avenge her death.]]
* ShipperOnDeck: Hiryu's one for her and Kain, telling her they make a nice couple.
* TheStoic: During the first chapter of the manga she displays this attitude, ignoring Kain's silly antics and focusing on preparing her gun. She makes [[GenkiGirl a full 360]] once she reunites with Hiryu, however.
* TrueCompanions: She, Kain and Hiryu ever since their time as trainees.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: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.

* BadassBeard: A long, white one complimenting his BaldOfAwesome.
* BadassGrandpa: Doesn't seem to be one anymore, given his senility...[[spoiler:later on proves he's still quite the impressive fighter, taking down three assassins at once.]]
* BadassInDistress: In the NES game, he's put on basically house arrest by Matic and is constantly watched over by his men.
* CoolOldGuy: Quite a nice guy for everyone but those on the opposite side.
* TheDreaded: Back when he was an active member, and enough he became known as the "Shinigami"/"God of Death".
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: In the NES ''Strider'', he's only ever adressed as "The Chief".
* IaijutsuPractitioner: He's a master of Iaijutsu in the manga, effortlessly murdering three assailants in a blink.
* MyGreatestFailure: 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.
* ObfuscatingDisability: [[spoiler: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.]]
* OldMaster: Serves as one to Hiryu, and has probably trained him personally.
* ParentalSubstitute: He serves as one for Hiryu.
* ScatterbrainedSenior: Appears to be hit by senility strong enough he's virtually dropped from active duty as Director.
* SwordCane: His walking cane conceals a Iai sword.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: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.

* ActionGirl: Being the first woman to reach the 2nd highest honor in the Striders certainly qualifies her for that.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler: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 him.]]
* ContinuityNod: 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 [[ManualMisprint bungled the text]] so it stated Hiryu killed "the sister of a mad A-Rank Strider".
* DyingAsYourself: 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.
* PostHumousCharacter: It's been 2 years since her death by the beginning of the manga and NES game.
* SinisterSilhouettes: She's framed in one at the beginning of Hiryu's flashback, complete with [[ByTheLightsOfTheirEyes eerie white eyes]].
* TragicKeepsake: In the manga's Gaiden chapter, Hiryu keeps a necklace that belonged to her. It ends up [[PocketProtector saving his life in the nick of time.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ryuzaki]]
[[quoteright:111:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ryuzakines.jpg]]
->''"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.

* NonActionGuy: He really does nothing but stand in places, giving Hiryu the occasional help or hint. This despite him figuring out the BigBad early on!
* MauveShirt: He wears the same uniform as all the unimportant {{mook}} Striders in the manga, but he has actual lines and even [[NominalImportance a name]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Matic]]

->''"Striders can only die in battle. That is a Strider's destiny..."''
[[quoteright:331:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/str_manga_art_copy.png]]

-> 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.

* AllEncompassingMantle: He wears a white one during most of the manga, befitting of the sub-leader of the Striders.
* AmbitionIsEvil: He's all about fulfilling his ambitions, and wouldn't mind killing allies, subordinates or even innocent people in the way to achieve them.
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: 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.]]
* BadBoss: He couldn't care less about his subordinates. [[spoiler:When he reveals Hiryu killing Clay was part of his EvilPlan, the side revelation is that he basically sent his loyal followers on a SuicideMission fully expecting them to fail/die.]]
* CombatPragmatist: 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.
* CounterAttack: Matic's entire strategy in the NES game's BossBattle 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.
* DragonWithAnAgenda: 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.
* EvilBrit: A British Strider and likely the most evil one in the franchise.
* EvilGloating: 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".
* GoodScarsEvilScars: Has quite the big scar crossing the right side of his face.
* HateSink: He manages to be a bit detestable before the reveal he was evil, [[spoiler: 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 [[WellIntentionedExtremist 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.]]
%%* HumansAreBastards: Not only is he the most evil Strider, but also the most vile human in the franchise.
* IaijutsuPractitioner: In his BossBattle, he wields his Cypher in a battoujutsu stance.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler: On the receiving end of it from Yggdrasil in the manga.]]
%%* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: In the manga, he gets impaled by Yggdrasil, the heart of the ZAIN Mind Control Project he desired for so long.]]
* KickTheDog: Matic's first action when arriving at Mongolia in the manga? Kick a poor sheep away! The monster!
* LennonSpecs: Matic wears round glasses.
* ManipulativeBastard: His entire EvilPlan relied on him manipulating the Enterprise higher-ups and Hiryu into conflict, so Hiryu would unknowingly take care of them for him.
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler: 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 [[BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood 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.]]
* PuzzleBoss: 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.
* SinisterShades: Matic wears a set of round glasses at all times. As they are OpaqueLenses as well, we never get to see his eyes.
** FourEyesZeroSoul: The guy's truly irremediably evil too.
* SmugSnake: Right until the end, Matic really cranks it up, thinking he's got everything under control.
* TheStarscream: He betrays Kuramoto to gain control of the Striders, and then plans on betraying Faceas Clay to take over Enterprise as well.
* TreacherousAdvisor: 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.
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: 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.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Arana]]

-> One of Matic's subordinates. A Special A-Class Strider whose specialty is the use of a fine, almost imperceptible [[RazorFloss 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.

* AnimeHair: He's got spiky hair ending in several different "spikes" going upward, sorta resembling spider legs.
* BilingualBonus: His name is the Spanish word for spider.
* ChekhovsGun: Hiryu takes some of Arana's wires with him, and he later uses them to avoid being electrocuted with Kubira during their battle.
* ContinuityCameo: Appears as a minor generic enemy in the Africa stage of the NES ''Strider''.
* DieLaughing: After learning of Hiryu and Kain's plans to infiltrate Enterprise, he dies with a subdued laugh.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: 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.
* RazorFloss: The wire he manipulates can easily cut through flesh. In the manga, a startled bird gets bisected by simply ''flying into it''.
* SpiderMotifCharacter: 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.
** MeaningfulName: Extends to his name, which is Spanish for "spider".

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kubira]]

-> One of Matic's subordinates. An A-Class Strider who has subjected himself to BioAugmentation, 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.

* TheBrute: Appearance-wise he may appear to be one, but his fight with Hiryu proves he's quite the cunning fighter.
* CombatPragmatist: 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.
* ContinuityCameo: 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.
* HighVoltageDeath: For all the troubles he went through to prevent it, Hiryu eventually manages to stab him with the Cypher and electrocute him to death.
* KnifeNut: Wields a hunting knife.
* LizardFolk: 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.
* SlasherSmile: Displays one while confronting Hiryu.
* SuperToughness: He was able to swim all the way from Africa to the Amazon/South America, without any visible sign of exhaustion.
* TakingYouWithMe: 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.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: In all his scaly glory!

[[/folder]]

[[folder: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.

* HitAndRunTactics: His boss strategy in a nutshell: Approach, swing sword 2-3 times, back away, shoot plasma, repeat.
* KatanasAreJustBetter: Befitting his samurai image, his weapon is shaped like one.
* ManualMisprint: The manual calls him "Dragon F'''r'''iend". 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.
* SwordBeam: Can shoot Plasma Arrow projectiles just like Hiryu's Cypher.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: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.

* AttackItsWeakPoint: No frontal attack will ever faze him, but sneak behind him and the story's different.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: His shield ''will'' protect him from anything thrown at him from the front. Now, about the back...
* MirrorBoss: In a sense, since Badger will imitate the player's actions, crouching if they crouch and jumping if they jump.
* MoralMyopia: In the final chapter of the NES Game, he calls Hiryu a traitor, despite siding with Vice-Director Matic, who betrayed Director Kuramoto.
* PuzzleBoss: 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.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: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.

* DualWielding: Two long blades or possibly wristblades.
* PurpleIsPowerful: Wears a purple uniform and stands as the strongest of Matic's subordinates in the game.
* TheSpeechless: Unlike the other 3 mini bosses in the game, Flash Blade never speaks a single line of dialogue.
* TornadoMove: His signature attack is to spin so fast he becomes one and starts flying around and bouncing off walls.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: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.

* CanonForeigner: Created exclusively for the PC-Engine version of the arcade game.
* TheGhost: We only hear her voice.
* MissionControl: Provides instructions to Hiryu prior to each mission.
* NoNameGiven: She doesn't even have a codename.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: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".

* CanonForeigner: 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.
* CaptainErsatz: A quick color-edited Hiryu, at that. Apparently a necessity due to Hiryu's complex dual ownership barring Tiertex from legally using him.
* ExiledFromContinuity
* TotallyRadical: 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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hien]]
-> Voiced by: Creator/KosukeToriumi (''Strider 2'', ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'')

-> 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 Grandmater 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.

* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: 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.
* BadassArmFold: His idle stance in ''Strider 2'' has him standing upright, arms folded.
* BifurcatedWeapon: 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.
* CantCatchUp: The root of his jealousy stems from his inability to be as good as Hiryu is, no matter how hard he tries.
* TheDragon: Serves as Grandmaster Meio's representative in the secret organization that worships him.
* DualTonfas: Hien can wield his two Cyphers in this fashion when used separately.
* DudeLooksLikeALady: 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".
* FightingYourFriend: 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 [[WeUsedToBeFriends a traitor that has no right to complain over the situation they are in]].
* GenocideFromTheInside: Hien betrayed the Striders to side with Meio and was behind its almost-complete extermination.
* HeadSwap: 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.
* HighAltitudeBattle: His boss battle in the final stage has him and Hiryu fighting on the back of a mechanical SegmentedSerpent as it flies over a BottomlessPit.
* PrecisionGuidedBoomerang: Hien's distinguishing feature is his Geometrical Cypher, a combining weapon which he can throw like a boomerang, and it will indefectively return to him.
* PromotedToPlayable: Becomes a playable character in the UsefulNotes/PlayStation port of ''Strider 2''.
** DemotedToExtra: He's since become a [[AndYourRewardIsClothes cosmetic costume]] of Hiryu in the 2014 ''Strider''. He has also been a color choice of Hiryu in ''VideoGame/UltimateMarvelVsCapcom3'' and a DLC costume in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite''.
* RecurringBoss: Becomes one in the Playstation version, as he's the FinalBoss of its exclusive stage as well as the 3rd-to-last boss in the last stage.
* SecretAIMoves: Hien's boss incarnation can perform a lot more interesting moves than the playable Hien, including [[DualWielding attacking with both Cyphers separately]], [[DashAttack a dashing strike]] and a [[SwordBeam huge laser beam]].
* StanceSystem: 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.
** TheFourGods: 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, thought.

[[/folder]]

!!Kuniang M.A. Team, a.k.a. The Four Winds
A trio of [[SameSexTriplets fighting Chinese sisters]] who uses their great mastery of martial arts to work as bounty hunters and assassins. The group is formed by middle sister and team leader, Tong Pooh; oldest sister and mood-maker Pei Pooh, and the youngest sister Sai Pooh (in the first two games)/Nang Pooh (2014 only). The team is known as "The Four Winds" (or just "The Winds") in the 2014 game. They are a recurring obstacle in Hiryu's quest.

[[folder:Common tropes]]
* AnimeChineseGirl
* AmazonBrigade: Specially in the 2014 game, where they work directly for Grandmaster Meio.
* BountyHunter: Just like Solo.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The Kuniang are [[PaletteSwap identical sprites]] in the first game (Ton Pooh = green, Sai Pooh = blue, Bei Pooh = red). Averted in the second game and beyond, where they have personalized hairstyles in addition to the color-coding (with Bei/Pei's coloring additionally becoming a lighter shade in the 2014 game).
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: In the first game, the sisters use the same {{Palette Swap}}ped sprite and have the same attack, and only their leader (Tong Pooh) got an official description and dialogue, the other two being merely {{Filler}} for the boss fight. In ''Strider 2'', the three were given different designs, techniques and hairstyles, with Bei Pooh becoming a FemmeFatale with a large ponytail, Sai Pooh getting a pigtailed childish look and Tong Pooh retaining the original design. Finally, the 2014 ''Strider'' gave each a WeaponOfChoice and fleshed out the two sister's personalities, turning [[SpellMyNameWithAnS B/Pei]] into an AxCrazy BloodKnight and Nang Pooh[[note]]Though Sai Pooh got replaced by Nang Pooh, for all intents and purposes they are the same character.[[/note]] becoming the [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]] keeping both her more hot-headed sisters in check.
* DualBoss: The sisters are always faced together in battle, save for one instance (Pei's first BossBattle in the 2014 game).
* DubNameChange: The team goes by the moniker "Three Chinese Girls" in the Arcade original, but were rebranded "Kuniang M.A. Team" in the localization of the Genesis port. Starting with the PC-Engine version, they are named "Tong Pooh Three Sisters" in Japanese. The team got renamed "The Four Winds" for the localization of the 2014 game as well.
** BilingualBonus: "Kuniang" is the chinese word for "girl".
* ExtremityExtremist: In the first two games, the sisters only ever use kick techniques to fight. In the 2014 game, they instead are almost entirely focused on using their weapons.
* FlatCharacter: Pei and Sai are practically this in the first two games, as they exist solely to pad out the boss fight, while Tong Pooh gets to appear in cutscenes and receive profile and appearances in other games. Pei Pooh got a bit better in the 2014 game, however.
* KickChick: The three Kuniang are all about kicks... that can create ''blades of plasma''.
* LadyOfWar: They move with very graceful movements while dodging and jumping. WordOfGod has said their movements were inspired by ballet dancers.
* LivingADoubleLife: In ''Strider 2'', the team is established to lead a cover life as entertainers in a Chinese acrobatics group when not out hunting people.
* OdangoHair: All sisters sport the pigtailed odango style in the first game. From all subsequent appearances, Tong Pooh appropiated it while her sisters took on different hairstyles.
* ProfessionalKiller: In the 2014 game, they are subordinates of Grandmaster Meio who are specifically tasked with assassination missions.
* QuirkyMinibossSquad: Most notably in the 2014 game.
* SameSexTriplets: They were practically identical in the first game (as they were all palette swaps), but got their own style and technique in later games.
** SiblingTeam: A trio of assassins triplets, at that.
* ShesGotLegs: Given their kick-centric fighting style, this was a given, and the focus on them has only gone up in later appearances.
* ThemeNaming: They are named after the four cardinal winds: Tong Pooh is Chinese for "East Wind", Pei Pooh is "North Wind" and Sai Pooh is "West Wind". In the 2014 ''Strider'', Sai is replaced by Nang Pooh ("South Wind") and their mentor, Xi Wang Mu, is named after a Taoist deity whose name translates to "Queen Mother of the West".
* TheSixthRanger: Though the group is always conformed by the three sisters, some times a fourth member is said to exist: the first game has three gray-colored girls who may (or may not) be Tong Pooh's clones; while the 2014 game introduced the sisters' [[TheMentor teacher]], Xi Wang Mu, as the fourth member.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Following their third battle in the 2014 ''Strider'', the Kuniang disappear entirely from the game without any conclusion. Xi Wang Mu's dialogue, however, heavily implies they died at some point afterwards, probably by Meio [[YouHaveFailedMe for failing one too many times]].
* WeaponOfChoice: Each sister got assigned a personal weapon in the 2014 game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tong Pooh]]

-> Voiced by: Creator/YumiTouma (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Yayoi Jinguji (''Marvel vs. Capcom''), Miho Yamada (''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''), Niki Kernow (''Strider'' 2014)

[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nxc_tonpooh_face.png]]
[[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/st1_tonpooh_portrait.png[[/labelnote]] for her Arcade portrait.]]
[[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pce_tonpooh_portrait.png[[/labelnote]] for her dialog portrait from the PC-Engine Port.]]
[[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tonpooh_ingame_1.png[[/labelnote]] for her Strider 2 portrait.]]
[[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/newstrider_tonpooh_art.png[[/labelnote]] for her portrait from the 2014 Remake.]]

->''"Do you really think that you can get close to our lord? The world belongs to him! And so do you, Strider! Ha Ha ha!"''

-> The middle sister and team leader of the Kuniang M.A. Team. Tong Pooh is recognized by her braided ponytails and green clothes. She's the most influential member on the team, driving her sister forward during assignments. Tong Pooh is the most skilled of the three, combining graceful movements with her martial arts to dazzle and kill her targets. She's also quite prone to anger and is very confrontational, even specifically stated to draw strength from her rage during a battle. Out of the three, she's the one to responds directly to Grandmaster Meio, to which she shows deep loyalty. This always leads to her taunting and mocking Hiryu after her defeat, proclaiming her master invincible.

* BlindObedience: She's completely devoted to Grandmaster Meio, and her lines often reflects this.
* BraidsOfAction: Her identifying hairstyle is a pair of long braids.
* BreakoutCharacter: Outside Hiryu himself, she's probably one of the better known characters and is the second with the most exposure in crossovers.
* CoolSword: Her weapon in the 2014 game is a rather obscure Chinese sword known as a "Rinkaku" (Unicorn's Horn) Sword.
* DarkActionGirl: Fierce, temperamental and very deadly. Check!
* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: All of her moves in the 2014 game feature lots of spinning motions.
* {{Expy}}: Inverted, a lot of people (specially those who first saw her in the 2014 game) believes she's an expy of [[Franchise/StreetFighter Chun-Li]], but Tong Pooh not only predates her by almost 3 years, but also actually inspired her initial designs.
* IShallTauntYou: Even in defeat, she'll be quick to mock Hiryu for his empty victory.
* MiddleChildSyndrome: Subverted. One would presume that, being the leader and most relevant character in the team, Tong Pooh would be the oldest of the three sisters. But no, she's actually the middle one.
* RazorWind: The effect of her personal kick attack resembles this, creating an arc of plasma as she performs a hopping back kick.
* RedOniBlueOni: Serves as one when compared to Hiryu, as she's quick to anger and driven by her emotions in contrast to Hiryu's stoic and straight-to-the-point persona. Among her sisters, she'd be the red oni to Nang Pooh, who is the cool-headed member who tries to keep her (and Pei) from going off the handle.
* SignatureMove: The jumping back kick all sisters used in the first game became her exclusive staple move in later appearance.
* SleevesAreForWimps: She uses a sleeveless Chinese shirt in all her appearances.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Her name is spelt "Ton Pooh" in ''Marvel vs. Capcom'' and ''Card Fighters DS'', "Tong Poo" in ''Strider 2'' and "Tong Pooh" in the 2014 ''Strider''.
* TheLeader: She's the leader and most influential member of the team.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pei Pooh]]

-> Voiced by: Moriah Angeline (''Strider'' 2014)

->''"Let the winds echo with the screams of my enemies!"''

-> The oldest sister and the "mood maker" of the Kuniang M.A. Team. Pei Pooh is recognized by her long ponytail and red clothes. Out of the three, she's the most reckless and carefree, usually jumping at the opportunity to fight by herself, much to the chagrin of her two sisters. She enjoys fighting and killing a bit too much, though she's much more focused when fighting with her sisters. As part of the team, she's in charge of supporting her sisters from afar.

* BloodKnight: In the 2014 game, she introduces herself to Hiryu by claiming for "the screams of [her] enemies!".
* CombinationAttack: Has one with Nang Pooh in the 2014 game, where they combine attacks as a blue and red yin-yang forms around them.
* CleavageWindow: Her costume in the 2014 game sports the most prominent one of the team (Tong Pooh has one, but it is mostly obscured by her collar, whereas Nang and their master lacks one altogether).
* DragonLady: Out of the three she's the one who invokes the image of one the most, specially in her design from ''Strider 2''.
* FlowerInHerHair: Starting with ''Strider 2'', she can be seen wearing a rose on her hair.
* MsFanservice: Becomes the team's representative in her 2014 design, what with her body suit being open at the crotch (displaying what really seems to be black panties), having a large CleavageWindow and using thigh-length pantyhoses. None of the other members' uniforms are this revealing.
* MixAndMatchWeapon: Her WeaponOfChoice is basically a hook-like set of blades with built-in machineguns.
* PlayingWithFire: Her weapon shoots literal fireballs.
* RapidFireFisticuffs: Her personal move in ''Strider 2'' consists of three kicks performed in quick succession.
* ShortHairWithTail: Her identifying hairstyle, a waist-length ponytail.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: She was known as "Bei Pooh" in the fandom before the 2014 game localized it as "Pei Pooh". For a while, she was also erroneusly called "Nam Pooh".

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sai/Nang Pooh]]

-> Voiced by: Creator/LaniMinella (''Strider'' 2014)

->''"Residents, observe justice! Observe what you reap when you defy the Grandmaster."''

-> Sai Pooh is the original sister from the first game and ''Strider 2'', while Nang Pooh is her replacement in the 2014 ''Strider''. Since Sai Pooh doesn't get much of a characterization, the entry is mostly dedicated to Nang Pooh.

-> The youngest sister and stern foundation of the Kuniang M.A. Team. Nang Pooh is recognized from her sisters by her blue clothes. She serves as the middle ground between her sisters, tasking herself with keeping both their hot-headed personalities on check. Being the most determined out of the three, she's always working very hard to keep up with her older sisters and to give off a strong appearance at every moment. In the team she works as the defender, attacking targets with defensive and disrupting attacks.

* BladeOnAStick: She wields a crescent spear.
** ICallItVera: Hers is named "Houtengeki" (Moon-Piercing Halberd).
* BlowYouAway: Nang Pooh's personal move consists of spinning her spear rapidly, creating powerful gusts of winds that push Hiryu away.
* CanonImmigrant: Nang Pooh in a sense: the first instance of a "Nang Pooh" character was in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', where they were [[CloneArmy clones of Tong Pooh]] serving as mooks.
* DivingKick: Sai Pooh's personal attack in ''Strider 2'', an angled diving kick with plasma energy covering the leg. The move is later borrowed by all sisters in the 2014 ''Strider''.
* GirlishPigtails: Sai Pooh's hairstyle in ''Strider 2'' is a set of chinese pigtails. Although there's not enough info to know if she was indeed childish, her artwork atleast gives off this impression, specially when compared to the sultry Pei Pooh and the dead-serious Tong Pooh.
* HairDecorations: Nang Pooh sports two quite large, glowing rings with little bells on their centers as part of her unique hairstyle.
* RedOniBlueOni: Nang is established to serve one to her two sisters, who are way more hot-headed and prone to get carried away so she does her best to keep them both in check.
* WorthyOpponent: He considers Hiryu one after he survives one of her traps in the residence area.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Xi Wang Mu]]

-> Voiced by: Creator/LaniMinella (''Strider'' 2014)

->''"Oh Strider, so eager to play, so reluctant to admit it."''

-> The mysterious master of the three sisters, introduced in the 2014 ''Strider''. An extremely powerful martial artists with an unknown background, she dutifully serves Grandmaster Meio as one of his top lieutenants. As the master of the three Wind sisters, she taught them different aspects of her fighting style, and although their relationship (if any) is unknown, she still treats them like her own daughters. Xi Wang Mu wields form-changing knuckle guards which can transform into any kind of weapon. She rarely accompanies her students into battle or fights herself publicly, making her existence an urban legend for the world at large.

* BlackEyesOfCrazy: Her portrait upon defeat shows the talismans covering her eyes ripped apart, revealing her eyes to be black with yellow irises.
** HellishPupils: They are also slitted like a cat's eyes.
* DittoFighter: She copies all the moves of the other Winds during her boss fight.
* EyeObscuringHat: Wears a very elaborate headgear with two talismans hanging on the front, covering her eyes in all but her death portrait.
* MamaBear: While whether she's their biological mother is not certain, she really does seem to treat the Winds as one, and most of her BossBanter centers on them. She explicitly says to Hiryu that, while she's being ordered his elimination, she's also [[ItsPersonal doing it in their name]].
--> "Lord Meio may have ordered your execution, but you will pay for the death of my students."
* MorphWeapon: Her knuckle guards can turn into any of the Winds' weapons.
* MultiMeleeMaster: As a result of her weapon, she can wield a sword, a spear or bladed guns efficiently. In addition, her backstory establishes she has studied all forms of martial arts.
* MysteriousWoman: Noted in her profile to be enshrouded in mystery.
* OldMaster: The master of the Winds, and although she doesn't look that much old physically, her backstory seems to imply she's [[OlderThanHeLooks older than she looks]].
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: One of her attacks has her transform into a purple panther of pure energy.

[[/folder]]

!Meio's Army
A common demonination for Earth's military armies and corrupt individuals who has pledged loyalty to Grandmaster Meio, and rule the world in his name. This includes the madmen ruling the military arm of his empire, the mad scientists performing experiments and developing machines for his sake, and his closer lieutenants and followers who do all his biddings with a smile on their faces.

[[folder:Common tropes]]
* AristocratsAreEvil: All members of the secret group from ''Strider 2'' are designed like European nobility and are established as the heads of several nations.
* ArmiesAreEvil: Usually, the armies who allied with Meio do so out of fear or self-preservation, but have no qualms on ruling with an iron fist and opressing the rest of the planet on his name.
* DirtyCommunists: The main enemy force in the original ''Strider'' was a Russian empire set on the [[UsefulNotes/{{Kazakhstan}} Kazakh Federation]].
* HeroKiller: In the 2014 ''Strider'', all of the Grandmaster's subordinates has dealt with and killed atleast one of the Striders sent in before Hiryu. In-game, only Professor Schlange makes a mention of it, however.
* FanNickname: Lacking a name, the group from ''Strider 2'' is called "Light Sword Cypher" by fans, a mistake born from a common title given to Hiryu's weapon.
* TheOmniScientCouncilOfVagueness: The group governing the world in ''Strider 2''. They are formed by corrupt corporations and criminal organizations and led by heads of states, and maintain control of Earth from the shadows while awaiting the day Meio returns to the world.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Grandmaster Meio]]

-> Voiced by: Creator/KojiTotani (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Kan Tokumaru (''Strider 2''), Tetsuo Mizutori (''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''), Eric Newsome (''Strider'' 2014)

->''"All sons of old gods, die!"''

->A mysterious being presumed to come from outer space, Grandmaster Meio suddenly appeared on Earth in the year 2042 intent on conquering it. Taking over the [[TheGreatPoliticsMessUp still-living Russian Empire]], he waged war against the world and become its ruler after 5 years. Not satisfied with merely ruling over the world, Meio wanted every living creature on the planet to recognize his superior authority. To accomplish this, he set out to exterminate all life on Earth and use his powers to create a new race to repopulate it, this way becoming [[AGodIAm humanity's undisputed God]]. Though defeated in the end, Meio somehow survived and went into a deep sleep as his plan continued on, finally awakening 2000 years later in a world inhabited by his creations, each of whom worships him as their God.

* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: [[spoiler: In the 2014 game, Meio's human visage is the way he appears to his subordinates, with his true form being revealed as the FinalBoss.]]
* ArchEnemy: To Hiryu, seemingly across thousands of years.
* BadassBoast: The Grandmaster in the final level of the first game:
--> "I shall raise the city up to the sky and rid the earth of all creatures! I will create a race to fill the new earth—all sons of old gods, die!!!"
* BadBoss: He really thinks nothing of his subordinates or the people of Earth he rules over, seeing them as mere playthings to be used to fulfill his ambitions. As soon as they serve their purpose or don't measure up to his expectatives, he decides to kill the whole planet and start anew somewhere else.
* TheBadGuyWins: Even though he was defeated in the end, Meio's plans for Earth were still carried out in his absence, and ''Strider 2'' begins in a corrupted world ruled by his human creations 2000 years after his defeat.
* BaldOfEvil
* BandagedFace: He's got his face covered in bandages in ''Strider 2''.
* BodyHorror: His design in the 2014 ''Strider'' is bizarre to say the least: he's got a single, worm-like body with a pale complexion and red veins all over, no visible legs and a core of sort embedded in his "chest".
* CognizantLimbs: [[spoiler:Meio Prime has two snake or dragon-looking arms which act on their own.]]
* CreatingLife: The Grandmaster has the ability to create any form of life at will. He created wolves, piranhas and pteranodons in his boss fight in the first game, and has created most of the {{mooks}} found in the second game.
** FlunkyBoss: In-game, this translates into him summoning enemies from previous stages to hunt Hiryu.
** For some reason this ability is absent in his 2014 incarnation, though there are hints that the clones in the Research area of Kazakh City were created by him.
* DepopulationBomb: The Grandmaster's plan, erasing all lifeforms (all the "Sons of Old Gods") off Earth so he could create his own lifeforms and thus become a god.
* DespotismJustifiesTheMeans: Everything Meio does is only to satisfy his inmense overblown ego and ambitions of [[AGodAmI godhood]], humanity be damned. He took over the world, but felt entirely unsatisfied because he wanted ''everyone on the planet'' to accept his rule, something practically impossible due to those who openly opposed him and those who weren't civilized enough to understand him. So what did he decided to do? [[DepopulationBomb incinerate all life on the planet]], [[DeathOfTheOldGods the "Sons of Old Gods"]], [[CreatingLife then use his life-creating powers to repoblate the planet with a new human race]] which would all worship him as a [[AGodAmI New God]]. And then, things get even worse in ''Strider 2'', where he finds [[CrapsackWorld Earth's corruption and decadent state]] so beyond repair that he simply decides to [[ApocalypseHow destroy the planet]] and leave to find a new planet to start the process all over again.
* EldritchAbomination: His 2014 ''Strider'' self has shades of this with his bizarre body structure and appearance, [[spoiler: and then he gets fully into it when he turns into Meio Prime, his real form.]]
* {{Egopolis}}: Meio went on [[AlternativeCalendar to name the years]] after himself in the 2014 game, since the game is set in "Meio 0048".
* EvilGenius
* EvilLaugh: The Grandmaster starts the arcade game off with a huge cackle. In ''Strider 2'', he occassionally breaks into a lower pitched, deep laughter during battle.
* EvilOldFolks: He looks quite old already, and by ''Strider 2'' he's added more than 2000 years to his age.
* {{Expy}}:
** According to WordOfGod, he was designed after Sauron from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. Although not admited, however, there seems to be a lot of influence from [[Franchise/StarWars Palpatine]] as well.
** [[spoiler: Meio Prime from the 2014 ''Strider'' is a very obvious take on the FinalBoss of ''Strider 2'', Caduceus.]]
* EvilWearsBlack: The only villain to sport a mostly black costume/color scheme, and the evilest of them all.
* {{Flight}}: Grandmaster Meio is always seen floating, his feet are never visible beneath his cloak. His 2014 incarnation doesn't even have feet at all, his body formed by his head, arms and a long piece of meat with a core as his "chest".
* GalacticConqueror: Appears on Earth one day to conquer. In ''Strider 2'', he plans on leaving the decadent Earth and find a new planet to conquer and start everything all over.
* GotTheWholeWorldInMyHand: The first visual once starting the original Arcade game is of Meio moving up the screen, holding the Earth between his sharp-nailed fingers as he cracks one impressive EvilLaugh.
* HumanoidAbomination: Most definitively in the 2014 ''Strider'', given his bizarre BodyHorror, but there are shades of this in his previous designs as well, mainly on the fact only his head and hands are ever visible, even thought his cloak ''is open from the front'', and they just seem to blend into the darkness inside it.
* KillAllHumans: His primary goal is to erradicate all life on Earth, so he can repopulate it with his own engineered life.
* InTheHood: The Grandmaster is always wearing a [[EvilWearsBlack black]] hood.
* LoadBearingBoss: Almost always averted: the only instance where Meio's defeat leads to his base exploding on its own is in the ending created for the Genesis port.
* MadScientist: Grandmaster Meio has touches of this, as he's not only the one leading research teams into creating the machines of the game, he unlocked the secret to create life through researching ancient lifeforms found in the Amazon.
** EmperorScientist
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:Grandmaster Meio turns into a humongous Caduceus-like creature named Meio Prime as the final boss of the 2014 ''Strider''.]]
* PainfullySlowProjectile: One of his attacks in the 2014 game is to sic a giant orb of energy that flies slowly at Hiryu, requiring several hits to break.
* PhysicalGod: Meio possess vast powers and the ability to create life of any kind on the spot, but he doesn't seem to be a true god, instead [[AGodIAm trying to achieve the title]] by creating his own species to rule over.
* PrideBeforeAFall: He's very boastful of himself and invariably belittles Hiryu and threatens to show him his power before the final stage. Much good it does to him in the end...
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Meio's default appearance always includes a black tunic/hood with red outlines.
* TakeOverTheWorld: By the time the games starts, it's been a few years since he's done it.
* TeleportSpam: The Grandmaster gains this tactic in ''Strider 2'' and the 2014 game, teleporting around to avoid being hit.
* TheScottishTrope: No subordinate of him ever refers to Meio by his actual name, instead calling him "lord" ([[{{Bowdlerise}} or "master" in certain versions]]). The 2014 ''Strider'' averts this trope, although only in the English script, the Japanese keeping the same appelative given in all previous games which translates roughly to "Him" or "That Man".
* ShockAndAwe: Lightning attacks are a staple of his boss fights since the beginning.
* VillainousBreakdown: His first defeat in the 2014 ''Strider'' leads into this. [[spoiler:By the time he comes back as Meio Prime, the boostful and demeaning Meio is no more, and he just rambles about the perfect world he is going to create after killing Hiryu.]]
* YouHaveFailedMe: [[spoiler:In the 2014 game, he kills Professor Schlange after the good doctor fails a few too many times. He also actually thanks Hiryu fo killing his subordinates, having grown tired of their incompetence.]]
* [[spoiler:WeCanRuleTogether: Meio offers this to Hiryu in the 2014 game. He doesn't bite.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Solo]]

-> Voiced by: Creator/ShuichiIkeda (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Hozumi Gouda (''Strider 2''), Hideo Watanabe (''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''), Dave Rivas (''Strider'' 2014)

->''"I GOT YOU!"''

->A bounty hunter and hired assassin with a reputation for being unmatched and undefeated in his profession. Very proud of his strength, Solo trusts only two things in life: money and himself, and will carry out any job no matter how risky or dirty once his costly fees are paid. In battle, he fights by using a PoweredArmor that allows him to fly and an assortment of high-power firearms, guns and explosives to exterminate from a safe distance.

-> In all versions, Solo is contracted to exterminate Hiryu after his crusade becomes a nuisance to Grandmaster Meio, but he finds himself not up to Hiryu's skills. His pride wounded, he always returns a second time to rechallenge Hiryu and settle the score.

* TheAce: Solo asserts himself to be the strongest human being on Earth, and carries the title proudly on his own name (see MeaningfulName below). Part of his interest in fighting Hiryu is to prove it by challenging a Strider in battle.
* BadassBaritone: He has quite a deep voice, specially in the first game.
* BaldOfEvil
* {{BFG}}: Solo's main weapon is usually a huge cannon of some sort. In the first game, it was a flamethrower with an attached missile launcher, while in ''Strider 2'' it is a plasma cannon. While his main weapon in the 2014 game is a much smaller rifle, he can throw some big attacks with it [[spoiler:and later replaces it with the huge flamethrower from the first game.]]
* BountyHunter: His main profession.
** ProfessionalKiller[=/=]HiredGuns: Solo is also a hired hitman.
* CameBackWrong: [[spoiler:His return as Solo ZN-2 really messed up his head, which coupled with having been defeated for the first time in his career, turned Solo into an insane, revenge-obssessed maniac.]]
** CameBackStrong: [[spoiler:Solo ZN-2 is said to be even stronger than his regular form, however.]]
* CloneArmy: The weaker "mass produced models" developed after him, featured as enemies in ''Strider 2''.
* DeadlyDisc: One of his moves in ''Strider 2'' has him create two large rings of plasma over his shoulders.
* DubNameChange: In his appearance in the Western-made ''Strider Returns'', he's called "Inferno".
* EnemyPosturing: Half the time you can actually hit Solo in the 2014 game is because he stopped flying around to mock Hiryu.
* EvilCounterpart: Can be seen as one to Hiryu: both are, in a sense, mercenaries who take up missions/contracts from clients and are determined to see them to the end, but while Hiryu does it out of loyalty to the Striders and follows his own sense of justice with no interest in any type of reward or aknowledgement, Solo does it merely for the money and to maintain his title as the strongest in the world. They are also thematically opposite, both being extremelly quick warriors, but one wearing simple clothing and a melee-range sword while the other fights in a full suit of armor and exclusively with long-ranged weaponry.
* {{Expy}}: He's one to Boba Fett, with his creation being inspired by Fett's EstablishingCharacterMoment in ''[[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack The Empire Strikes Back]]''.
* TheFaceless: Solo's face is always hidden behind his golden visor. [[spoiler:We do get a brief glimpse of his face in the 2014 ''Strider'', when he returns as Solo ZN-2 with his visor half-broken.]]
* {{Flight}}: Solo uses thrusters on his back.
* FragileSpeedster: In the original game, Solo moves really fast and has a lot of firepower... but dies in 3 hits.
* GunsVsSwords: A futuristic take, as Solo always wields plasma cannons and guns to face Hiryu and his trusty plasma sword Cypher.
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: In the original game, you can briefly see him fly away in pieces after being defeated.
* LaughingMad: Sometimes breaks into a cackle during boss battles in the 2014 game.
* MacrossMissileMassacre: One of Solo's attacks in the first game is a barrage of [[HomingProjectile homing missiles]].
* MeaningfulName: In-story, "Solo" is meant to reflect his belief and position as the "strongest man, alone at the top".
* MysteriousMercenaryPursuer: As expected of a Boba Fett {{Expy}}. A BountyHunter paid by the BigBad to kill TheProtagonist? Check. Wears an all-concealing PoweredArmor whose visor makes him TheFaceless? Check. A mysterious assassin? Check. Relentless pursues his target, and takes things [[ItsPersonal personal]] once he's defeated for the first time? Check.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: One of the only two things Solo believes in life, the other being the weapons he holds.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Given the meaning behind his name, it is possible Solo is meant to be a nickname and not his actual name.
* PartsUnknown: Unlike the other enemies in the first game, there's no clear indication of his nationality, either from design or spoken language, as he speaks English.
* PlasmaCannon: His weapon in ''Strider 2'', as well as the plasma rifle he wields in the 2014 ''Strider''.
* PlayingWithFire: His weapons tend to lean toward this. [[spoiler:Solo ZN-2 practically ''revels'' in this.]]
* PoweredArmor: All his incarnations use a flight-enabled mechanical suit equipped with lots of missiles.
* PsychoForHire: Solo's personality takes a turn to this in the 2014 ''Strider''. While previous incarnations showed him more a ConsummateProfessional focused on hunting down Hiryu, the 2014 game added a much more sadistic personality to the mix, exemplified by him taunting Hiryu mid-battle about not entertaining him enough and being generally disappointed by his performance, as well as breaking into a rather jarring EvilLaugh occassionally. [[spoiler:Once he's defeated and half-heartedly brought back to life, he goes full AxCrazy, entirely obssessed over killing Hiryu for his previous defeat.]]
* RecurringBoss: Solo is fought two or three times (depending if the player ignores the first encounter) in the first game, and twice in the second (the initial fight being now two phases). He's also fought twice in ''Strider Returns'' for the Genesis [[spoiler:and the 2014 ''Strider'' in an "upgraded" form known as Solo ZN-2.]]
* TheRival: One of Hiryu's most persistents at that.
* SkippableBoss: He can actually be ignored both times he's faced in the original Arcade game. Doing so on Siberia means the player will have to deal with him alongside the Kuniang sisters (although, again, he doesn't need to be killed to end the stage so one can try ignore him), while doing so on the final stage will have him pester the player for the following two bosses, which is not really a good idea.
* SoreLoser: Doesn't take losing well at all, best exemplified in the 2014 ''Strider'', where having experienced his first defeat on his career pushed him into insanity.
* SpeedEchoes: In the first and second game, he moves so fast he leaves residual images of himself behind him.
* SpreadShot: Solo's side arm in the first two games shoots three-way shots.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:General Mikiel (Ouroboros)]]

-> Voiced by: Kouji Yada (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Creator/ErikBraa (''Strider'' 2014)

->''"You really think you can win? You will never defeat the Master!"''

->A decorated war general from the Kazakh Federation, Mikiel is the corrupt and power-hungry head of the military council ruling the country. When Grandmaster Meio appears on Earth, however, he's quick to switch sides and become his subordinate, allowing him to keep his position of power over the country while serving Meio as his direct representative on Earth and military overseer. He appears as as the first antagonist in the first ''Strider'' and returns for the 2014 game.

-> In both appearances, Mikiel has his body modified to become a machine. In the first game, he and the other council members can merge themselves into a large, centipede-like creature known as "Ouroboros, the Iron Ruler", who serves as the first stage boss. In the 2014 ''Strider'', he has most of his body turned into a machine, making him a cyborg.

* ArcVillain: Serves as one during the first half of the 2014 game, being the one who sends troops amd the Winds against Hiryu, and then contracts Solo's services. Once he's killed, Meio takes matters into his hands and starts directly ordering the following villains to kill Hiryu.
* TheCaligula: In the first game, Mikiel's mismanagement of the Kazakh Federation has not only left the country in the brink of economic ruin, but also encouraged the rise of a rebel army out of the tired population that not only plunged the area into war, but [[NiceJobFixingItVillain actually led to them seeking the Striders and Hiryu getting involved in the first place]]. His 2014 version is even worse, as now he's punishing citizens for even the tiniest of crimes (like ''being slow in disembarking from the subway!'') in the name of preventing "social decay", constantly broadcasting orders and reminders to the citizens through speakers and wasting huge sums of money and resources in building his "Tornado", a powerful weapon that only he can drive and so expensive it can't be mass-produced. Why he ordered it built? Because he wanted one in his collection of weapon!
* CollectorOfTheStrange: In the 2014 game, he's stated to collect weapons of all kinds, including turrets, guns and even a HoverTank. His decision to mechanize himself also stems from this, as in his eyes this makes him a part of his collection.
* CoolTank: His prized possession in the 2014 game is a massive HoverTank known as "Tornado", equipped with a plethora of weapons including molotov bombs, laser beam walls, explosives and a huge cannon.
* CombiningMecha: Well, Ouroboros should count as one, the combined form of 24 Russian councilmen.
* {{Cyborg}}: Visibly becomes one in the 2014 ''Strider''.
* FakeRussian: In the 2014 ''Strider''. Instead of having him speak Russian as in the original, the developers instead went for a heavily exaggerated Russian accent instead. This applies to most of the enemies actually, but Mikiel's accent is perhaps the most obvious and noticeable one of the bunch.
* GetBackHereBoss: Although not directly faced as a boss, the player has to pursue him across several screens before fighting him in his Tornado tank.
* TheGeneralissimo: He's the despot ruler of a Eastern European country derived from the Soviet Union, having turned it into a dystopia where every citizen is monitored.
* GratuitousRussian: His lines in the Arcade game are spoken in a heavily accented Russian, making them ''very hard'' to understand.
* GloriousLeader: Has shades of this in the 2014 ''Strider'', stating things like the imposed martial law is for the people's safety and that all the strict rules and obedience is to prevent "social decay", when in truth he's only doing everything to stroke his own ego.
* HuskyRusskie: In the 2014 ''Strider'', he's the most brutish out of all of Meio's followers, being brash, overly confident and having little common sense (as his death cutscene confirms), and comes with the accent to prove his heritage proudly.
* MookLieutenant: As Grandmaster Meio's military overseer, Mikiel has total control of his armies on Earth and coordinates them in his name.
* NeverBringAGunToAKnifeFight: Mikiel brings [[NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight the stock phrase]] in the 2014 ''Strider'', telling Hiryu he has "zero chances" of winning as he wields a gun and he has just a "knife". He seems to entirely disregard the fact Hiryu has just used said "knife" to destroy his beloved (and massive) HoverTank full to be brim with missiles, lasers and turrets. Suffice to say, he doesn't live for long after that statement...
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: His appearance in the first game resembles then-president of Russia Mikhail Gorbachev.
* NoNameGiven: In Japan he was only ever referred to by monickers such as "Kazakh High Officer". Averted in the 2014 ''Strider'', where Mikiel was carried over into the Japanese version as well.
* {{Ouroboros}}: [[CaptainObvious Ouroboros represents one]], and one of its patterns has him spin around itself, reflecting its usual representation of a snake eating its own tail.
* PinballProjectile: His weapon in the 2014 ''Strider'' shoots fireballs which bounce off any surface they hit, making them hard to dodge.
* PuppetKing: Serves as one for Grandmaster Meio, as he rules in his name while Meio's occupied on more important matters.
* SegmentedSerpent: He becomes one when he merges into Ouroboros. Well, closer to a segmented {{Creepy Centipede|s}} but the feelings' the same.
* SinisterScythe & DropTheHammer: Ouroboros' two weapons. Because GloriousMotherRussia.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Strobaya]]

-> Voiced by: Creator/YukitoshiHori (''Strider'' for PC-Engine)

->''"UWAAAAH!"''

-> A Russian "enhanced human", Strobaya is a Kazakh soldier who has subjected himself to special modifications, turning himself into a Cyborg enhanced through special drugs, giving him incredible physical strength. He confronts Hiryu as the very first boss in the original ''Strider''.

* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: He's named after a brand of Russian Vodka the creator was fond of.
* AttackAttackAttack: His strategy is to constantly launch himself at Hiryu trying to grab and toss him into walls. Noted in his backstory that he's not one to think strategically, making his battle plan lineal and predictable.
* BloodKnight: His line in the PC-Engine version paints him as one, telling Hiryu he's been waiting for him to appear.
* {{Cyborg}}: Willingly becomes one.
* {{Expy}}: He's pretty much [[Film/RockyIV Ivan Drago]]'s twin brother, a blonde Russian muscle man who barely speaks and got himself extra strength through some suspicious substances.
* HuskyRusskie: Not as slow as the norm, but otherwise fits the bill as a very strong, brutish and not so bright Russian soldier.
* {{Kiai}}: Everything he does, he does while screaming his lungs out. It is noted he really enjoys shouting warcries in battle.
* RollingAttack: He rolls along the ground if his diving or lunging miss its mark.
* ShirtlessScene: His introduction has him ripping out his shirt, and he goes like this.
* SkippableBoss: In the Arcade original, the player can bypass the whole battle by doing a long jump over his room. Later ports, however, removed this making him a forced encounter.
* SuperSerum: He uses special drugs to strengthen himself. When first found, he's hooked up to a machine that's administering them, actually.
* SuperStrength: Thanks to the modifications to his body and the drugs. He's so strong he destroys the backup machine hooked up to him by merely ''flexing his muscles''.
* WrestlerInAllOfUs: If he catches Hiryu, he will either perform a shoulder throw or a head scissors leg throw to violently strike him against one of the walls.
* WarmUpBoss: The very first boss of the whole series.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Captain Beard Jr.]]

-> Voiced by: Creator/IemasaKayumi (''Strider'' for PC-Engine)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/artwork___cap_beard_jr.png]]
[[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/untitled_855.png[[/labelnote]] for how he looked in the PC-Engine version of the arcade game.]]

-> One of the Grandmaster's subordinates, and the pirate-styled captain of the Flying Battleship Balrog. Before that, however, Beard was a commander of the Earth forces opposing Meio's attempt at conquering the planet. After a particularly brutal defeat against the Grandmaster where he lost his left eye, leg and arm, Beard Jr. realized how powerful Meio truly is and switched sides. He appears as the final obstacle in the 3rd stage.

* AirborneAircraftCarrier: He's the captain of one, the Flying Battleship Balrog.
* AnArmAndALeg: Lost an arm, leg and eye to Meio.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Zigzagged. While Beard Jr. appears more capable than his men, seeing he can effortlessly whip them away from his escape ship, he's still nothing special in Hiryu's eyes, and as such goes down in measly three hits.
* BadBoss: Has no care in the world for his own underlings, as seen at the end of the stage where he's whipping away the desperate soldiers who try to jump into his escape airship as the Balrog is collapsing.
* TheCaptain
* CaptainColorbeard
* DressedToPlunder: Has most the trappings of a typical pirate design, including a NiceHat, HookHand, [[SeadogPegLeg peg leg]] and [[EyepatchOfPower eyepatch]].
* FaceHeelTurn: After getting a taste of Meio's powers, he quickly turned allegiances.
* FallenHero: He was once one fighting against Meio, but one brutal beating later he realized just how impossibly powerful Meio truly is and turned his back on everyone, becoming another subordinate of his.
* GratuitousSpanish: His line in the game is spoken in a decent, if heavily slurred and accented, Spanish.
* HookHand: Has one, and actually uses it to attack Hiryu.
* {{Pirate}}: Has the style of one, as part of his ShoutOut.
** SkyPirate: Given he leads a huge flying aircraft carrier, although he's the only one on board carrying the pirate imagery, with the rest of the crew being decked in futuristic armors.
* SeadogBeard: Has a large, brown beard.
* ShoutOut: His Japanese name (Captain Higemaru Jr.) and design are one to Capcom's old Arcade game ''Pirate Ship Higemaru''.
* UniqueEnemy: Rather than a boss proper, he's closer to an unique enemy whose death is programmed to end the 3rd stage.
* WhipItGood: Wields a whip in battle.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Desert Commander & Tank Driver]]
-> Voiced by: Koji Yada & Creator/YukitoshiHori

-> Two characters exclusive of the PC-Engine port of ''Strider''. Part of the Kazakh military, the Desert Commander appears mid-way through the port's exclusive desert stage only to be killed by a giant antlion, the actual mid-boss. The Tank Driver is the stage's end boss, driving the large tank "Sovkhoz Я".

* AntlionMonster: A huge one eliminates the Desert Commander before the proper boss fight.
* BaitAndSwitchBoss: The Desert Commander blocks Hiryu's way, threatens him like all other bosses and starts spinning on place...only to get mauled by a giant antlion, who turns into the actual boss Hiryu faces.
* CanonForeigner: Both appear in the desert level created for the PC-Engine version of the arcade game.
* CoolTank: The Tank Driver's Sovkhoz Я.
* NoNameGiven: Neither character is given any known name.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Elder Brother Honghuo]]

-> A boss introduced in ''Strider 2'', a high-ranking member of the Chinese Mafia. Honghuo has replaced most of his body with machine parts, and has outfitted himself with a number of weapons including a gatling gun for a right hand and a missile launcher on his belly. He's faced as the first boss enemy in the game.

* AllThereInTheManual: His full name is only revealed in official material, as the game simply calls him "Terrorist".
* ArtificialLimbs: Both his hands are replaced with weapons: his right hand is a [[{{BFG}} large gatling gun]], while his left is some sort of huge, two-edged weapon.
* CoolShades: Wears black shades.
* {{Cyborg}}: 80% of his body is no longer organics, replaced instead with black metal parts and weapons.
* {{Expy}}: Of Strobaya from the first game, as the two are loyal cyborg men serving evil organizations allied with the Grandmaster, as well as the very first actual bosses Hiryu faces.
* FatBastard: He's got a large, black-metallic gut.
* MeaningfulName: His name is Chinese for "Red Fire", which is fitting of a guy whose body holds a bunch of explosive weapons.
* MoreDakka: One of his attacks is to constantly pelt Hiryu with his gatling gun-arm.
* TheSpeechless: He doesn't make any sound at all. Even when hit.
* TheTriadsAndTheTongs: A high-ranking member of the "Chinese Mafia".
* WarmUpBoss: As the first boss in the game, he's quite simple to deal with.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Schlange]]

-> Voiced by: Toshihide Tsuchiha (''Strider 2''), Chris Subagio (''Strider'' 2014)

-> There are two characters who go by the last name "Schlange". The first, introduced in ''Strider 2'', is Herzog Schlange. An excentric and mysterious MadScientist dressed as an aristocrat or high noble, Herzog Schlange serves Grandmaster Meio's allies by building them machines and other weapons. He's the lord of Fortress Wahnen, an ancient castle he has rebuilt extensively, showcasing a combination of both medieval and modern technology. He's the final boss in the 2nd stage, set in his castle, together with one of his greatest creations, the "Aluminium Hydra".

-> The other is known simply as Professor Schlange, a straight-to-the-formula MadScientist reimagining featured in the 2014 ''Strider''. Professor Schlange is Grandmaster Meio's top scientist and the one in charge of his Research Facility, where both production of troopers and biological experiments take place. Rather than excentric, this Schlange is a complete nutjob, completely deranged and obssessed with his creations, and with an ego streak that borders on insanity. He pesters Hiryu throrough the Research Facility and eventually sics his greatest creation, [[KillerGorilla Mecha Pon]], at him.

* AnachronismStew: Invoked in-universe, as this is Herzog Schlange's entire schtick, shown in the stage he's the boss of: an ancient, German castle with an army of soldiers dressed as if they came straight out of a UsefulNotes/WorldWarI battlefield and an unit of ''freakin'' medieval knights standing side-to-side with mechanical horses, sentient machines and a two-legged walking tank that wouldn't be out of place in VideoGame/MetalGear.
* BackgroundBoss: The Aluminium Hydra stands in the back of the stage and only attacks one head at a time.
* BilingualBonus: German is all over Herzog Schlange and his stage. Besides his own name (seen below), there's Fortress Wahnen itself ("Delusion"), [[MechanicalHorse Metall Hengst]] ("Metal Stallion"), [[WalkingTank Sturmgeschutz V]] ("Assault Gun") and even a minor enemy, the Rasenhamer ("Lawnmower").
* BioAugmentation: Professor Schlange is all about this, as he thinks the body is nothing but a vehicle to work with. He even offers Hiryu to become immortal this way, albeit at the cost of his soul.
* BossBanter: Although Professor Schlange is not a proper boss, he'll pester Hiryu with his banter all the way through his huge research complex.
* {{Cyborg}}: Professor Schlange has no love for a biological body, thinking of it as a mere vehicle, so he has "upgraded" himself with mechanical parts, most notably having removed his entire lower half with a round contraption that connects with the facility, allowing him to quickly transverse the large complex on a whim.
* ForScience: Every atrocity Professor Schlange commits is to satisfy his desire for knowledge.
* FlunkyBoss: Schlange summons armored knights during the battle with the Hydra.
* GetBackHereBoss: Herzog Schlange appears standing on a floating platform during the BossBattle, and as he is the actual target one must shoot for, he will constantly drift back and forth, staying little time on any one spot for long.
* HighClassGlass: Herzog Schlange sports a nifty monocle, a classic fit for his aristocratic look.
* LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine: Professor Schlange has one drapped around his shoulders, wearing it like a cape.
* LackOfEmpathy: Professor Schlange feels nothing of the sort, if how easily he's willing to experiment on captured citizens and harvest their brains didn't clue you in already.
* MachineWorship: As long as the machine in question is built by him, Professor Schlange will joyfully praise its beauty and perfection to kingdom's come.
* MadDoctor: Professor Schlange also dabbles in genetic engineering as well as robotic manufacturing.
* MadScientist: Herzog Schlange is one combined with the [[AristocratsAreEvil image of an aristocrat]], while Professor Schlange is the basic, vanilla version.
* MadScientistLaboratory: Professor Schlange has the Research Facility, which combines a robot manufacturing plant, a testing chamber, a cloning and storage building and a research and experiment laboratory into one massive complex.
* MeaningfulName: "Herzog Schlange" is German for "Duke (as in the title of nobility) Snake".
* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Well, it is ''Professor'' Schlange after all.
* MixAndMatchCritters: Each one of the Aluminium Hydra's heads resemble one of six different animals: a dragon, lizard, turtle, snake, chameleon and crocodile.
* {{Orochi}}: The Aluminium Hydra was inspired by the Yamata-no-Orochi.
* PatrioticFervor: Herzog Schlange serves the Grandmaster entirely as a way of showing off his country's worth to him.
* {{Pride}}: Professor Schlange's got this overinflated, exaggerated view of himself and all things he has created, to the point he goes rambling mad the more Hiryu wrecks them.
* ProfessorGuineaPig: Professor Schlange, natch. He's performed several surgeries over his own body in order to fully integrate himself with the huge Research Facility he oversees.
* RobotMaster: Both versions are well-versed in robotics and have created plenty of strange machines for Meio.
* TopHeavyGuy: Herzog Schlange's [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/strider/images/b/be/Str2_schlange_concept.png/revision/latest?cb=20140317090006 got quite the upper body]], in spite of not being a fighter or actual boss.
* TheUnfought: Neither Schlange is actually faced as a BossBattle, although Herzog atleast appears during the boss battle as the actual target.
* VillainousBreakdown: Professor Schlange starts out smug and confident as he welcomes Hiryu to the research area and sics wave after wave of enemies while "guiding" him around the premises and telling him of his experiments, mocking him or offering him to become another test subject. As Hiryu continues surviving every trap and destroying the machines he's so proud of, Schlange starts losing his patience and the playful and mocking tone gets replaced with irritation and frustration, as he just wishes Hiryu to die already. After the Gravitron is destroyed, Schlange's finally turned into a raving madman, yelling at Hiryu for daring to destroy ''HIS'' creations and laboratory.
* WetwareCPU: Professor's Schlange "ZAIN Project v2" has this as its core, using human brains to power and control his war machines.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Merrow]]

-> A mysterious creature used as the literal heart of the Flying Battleship Balrog, encased within its Reactor Core where some sort of energy she possess is syphoned to provide motion to the air fortress.

* DeathSeeker: When Hiryu confronts her, she pleads with him to kill her and he grants her wish.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Encased in the Reactor Core and being drained off whatever power she has is far from a pleasant experience, to the point she willingly asks Hiryu to kill her.
* MercyKill: While if Hiryu meant it like this is unknown (given destroying the core was mandatory so killing her was unavoidable), either way he complies with her request.
* NoNameGiven: Merrow actually is the name of her species.
* LivingBattery: She's unwillingly supplying the Balrog as its power core.
* OurMermaidsAreDifferent: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrow Merrows]] are basically the mermaids of Irish folklore.
* RapunzelHair

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Admiral Wilhelm]]

-> Voiced by: Main/HozumiGouda (''Strider 2'')

-> A boss introduced in ''Strider 2'', a high-ranking member of the shadow organization worshipping Meio and the captain of the renewed Flying Battleship Balrog. Wilhelm is a loyal subordinate of Meio who fights with a plasma sword known as a "Shock Blade", and is very agile and nimble thanks to robotic prosthetic legs. He also ''really'' hates Hiryu for wasting his strength and talent opposing Meio.

* ArtificialLimbs: He and the soldiers under his charge have metallic prosthetic legs. In his case, they allow him to walk on walls.
* TheCaptain: The captain of an entire flying fortress, the new Balrog.
* CoolSword: A curved sabre capable of producing a large trail of plasma when swung.
* NoSell: He never flinches when hit, he's only slightly slowed down.
* SwordBeam: When reduced to half of its health, Wilhelm's sword starts throwing small homing blades of energy with each attack, like a very watered-down version of Hiryu's Boost move.
* TurnsRed: Subtle, but the color of his plasma attacks change from blue to green and purple when reduced to half of its health.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Caduceus]]

-> The final boss of ''Strider 2'', a massive otherworldly monstrosity created by Grandmaster Meio's power to serve as a vehicle to transport the seeds of his lifeforms with him once he leaves Earth for a new planet to begin his experiments again.

* BeamSpam: His most powerful attack consists of showering the whole area with laser beams.
* ColossusClimb: Since Caduceus' [[AttackItsWeakPoint only weak point is its head]], one has to climb its large arms in order to get into striking distance.
* DeathFromAbove: His biggest attack is a massve laser storm that covers almost the entire screen.
* EldritchAbomination: A massive, deformed being with a vaguely mantaray shape and enough power to obliterate a planet.
* ElementalPowers: As the FinalBoss, Caduceus can manipulate a lot of elements during his battle.
** PlayingWithFire: Can shoot fireballs from its "hands".
** ShockAndAwe: Can direct a lightning strike at Hiryu from its arms' middle joints.
** GravityMaster: Can send gravity waves off its shoulders to push Hiryu down.
* FlyingSeafoodSpecial: Has the overall shape of a giant mantaray with two big "arms".
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Outside of some obscure Japanese material, there's no explanation of Caduceus' existence, outside Meio creating parts of it as enemies during his boss battle hinting that its another one of his created lifeforms.
* HealingFactor: Anything but its head, where its core is located, can't be damaged and will repair instantly. In-game, this is shown when striking its arms: it can temporarily disable its attacks, but they will be functional again in no time.
* KillItWithFire: Caduceus' end comes about when he freefalls into Earth and burns at reentry.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Juroung]]

-> Voiced by: Eric Newsome

-> Introduced in the 2014 ''Strider'', Juroung is the self-proclaimed "true disciple" of Grandmaster Meio, a a religious follower of Meio who worships him as a true God and enforces his will and rule upon the refugees of the Underground. Juroung believes himself superior to others due to his fanatical belief in Meio and the right of his vision for the world, and has made his life's mission to assist his master in seeing this "utopia" become a reality. Juroung's primary ability lies in the manipulation of water, which he can use in a variety of forms and shapes to crush his master's enemies.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: He fights barefeet.
* TheDragon: Described as Meio's closest subordinate, and the one he trusts the most.
* ElementalBaggage: Averted. Juroung's boss room is in ankle-deep water, and he has a mechanism on his back which sucks up water up to his arms, from where he then weaponizes it.
* TheFundamentalist: As far as he is concerned, Meio is in the right to do what he plans to do and nothing will sway his conviction. He even inquires Hiryu aloud at the beginning of his battle why he remains a non-believer and refuses Meio's call.
* GiantHandsOfDoom: A lot of his attacks consist of giant hands of water he uses to clasp, crush or punch his enemies.
* GravityMaster: His water-control is achieved through this, as Juroung uses the power of a miniature Gravitron embedded within him to shape water to his will.
* GroundPound: He strikes the ground in order to create rising pillars of water as an attack.
* HolierThanThou: He's defined entirely by his devotion to Grandmaster Meio: he enforces his will among those who ''escaped'' his dystopian rule, sees himself superior to others because his belief is stronger, and believes Meio's "will" guides him to victory.
* KnightTemplar: Juroung is convinced Meio's vision is the right one for the world, and that his complete devotion will [[RightMakesMight always guide him to victory]].
* MakingASplash: Juroung's main power is the ability to manipulate and control water with devastating force.
* ProphetEyes: Juroung's eyes are completely white, denoting his status as a spiritual shaman.
* ReligiousBruiser: As the devout follower and rule enforcer of Grandmaster Meio.
* ScaryBlackMan: A tall, imposing one that's more often than not surrounded by shadows.
* SinisterSilhouettes: In his introductory cutscene he appears enshrouded in shadows.
* UndyingLoyalty: Juroung follows Meio's orders even if it means death to him.
* WarriorMonk: Invokes the image with his shaman outfit and total religious devotion to Grandmaster Meio.
* WeaponsThatSuck: Juroung's strongest attack consists of a powerful gravity pull that sucks Hiryu into the center of the screen and stuns him in place.

[[/folder]]

!Enterprise, a.k.a. the Syndicate
A large corporation featured in the manga and NES adaptation, Enterprise is mainly concerned with the development of weapons and distribution of supplies, but has secretly spent 30 years developing the ZAIN Project, a brainwashing weapon to which control all of humanity. While most of its members are interested in the power to subdue any person they desire, company director Faceas/Faysus Clay secretly plans to use it to control all of humanity and lead them into a new millenium.

[[folder:Common tropes]]
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: All high-ranking members who appear are rotten to the core.
* MegaCorp: A massive corporation with bases all over the world.
* MindControlDevice: The ZAIN Project has been developed over 30 years in order to create one. This results in the Mother Computer, "Yggdrasil", and the ZAIN Terminals.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Faysus Clay]]

-> Faysus Clay (Faceas Clay in the NES translation) is the director of Enterprise, who has spent the company's resources on the ZAIN Project for 30 years in search of a way to "evolve" humanity to the next stage, as he believes humanity to be defective since they were created by God and he plans on taking his place and finish his work. By mind-controlling the whole humanity, he'd cull their destructive impulses and lead them into a new, golden era.

* BadassMustache: An epic, sharp-pointed mustache at that.
* TheEvilsOfFreeWill: A firm believer that humanity's woes all come from their capacity to cause harm, and the only way to fix that is to remove free will entirely.
* MachineWorship: Clay views most things in technology terms, stating that his ZAIN Project will serve to "debug" humanity from its malice in much the same way one would deal with a glitch in a computer. He's also removed all human protection from his chambers, and is entirely confident the machine defense systems are enough, something that bites him in the end.
* OhCrap: His reaction once Hiryu destroys his machine defense system in the manga. Similarly, he cries out Hiryu's a "monster" once the glass shield goes down in the NES game.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: In both adaptations, he is finally confronted by Hiryu while sitting on a throne of his own.
* SkunkStripe: As seen in his colored portrait in the NES game, Clay has white streaks running on top and at the sides of his hair.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The NES Game spells his name as Faceas Clay, however, as pointed out by a fan translation, Faceas does not translate very well into the Japanese Text[[note]]フェイサス[[/note]] as it's the Japanese pronunciation of "Face Us", the characters are also used for the title of a proposed "Tales of..." game titled "Tales of Faithus" and a mailbox named the Fāssus.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Clay wants to mind-control humanity because he believes it is the only way to remove their inherent evil nature, as well as help it move into the next evolutive step. He tells Hiryu his project will prevent wars and distribute wealth equally, eliminating poverty as well, and refers to this new age as a "Golden Millenium" for humanity. When confronted with all the innocents that had died for his project, Clay states those were inevitable sacrifices required for his revolution.
* ZeroEffortBoss: For as much as he can be called a "boss" in the NES game. When confronted, Clay is defended by a shield of tempered glass, but the player only needs to strike at it a few times for it to break, ending the stage with little fanfare and no opposition.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kazakh Institute Director]]

-> The Director of the Kazakh Federation Mental Institute, an asylum front for one of the company's ZAIN laboratories. This scientist has conducted human experiments in order to perfect the ZAIN Project's faulty mind control, which thus far has turned its subjects into thinkless, barely-functioning zombies. He's also the creator of the ZAIN Terminal hidden within the building, which he treats and speaks to as if it were a children.

* AdaptedOut: Despite being the main designer of the ZAIN Terminals, he's nowhere to be found in the NES version of the story.
* DrivenToSuicide: Following the destruction of the ZAIN Terminal, he literally goes insane and lets himself burn to death inside his laboratory.
* MadScientist: Specially in his treatment of his "child", the ZAIN Terminal. Kain actually name-drops the trope at one point.
* NonActionGuy: As a scientist, he's really incapable of defending himself against Hiryu or Kain, and neither can stop them from destroying his creation.
* NoNameGiven
* UndyingLoyalty: Truly believes in president Clay's plans for humanity, and praises his name as he is consumed by the flames of his destroyed laboratory.
* VillainousBreakdown: He starts out very confident in the security he has got for his secret lab, as he tells Faceas Clay through a phone call. This confidence vanishes just as Hiryu and Cain make quick work of his men, making him jump on the phone to ask for reinforcements moments before both striders confront him. But the real breaking point comes right after Hiryu destroys the Zain Terminal, which he treated as his child: he goes Laughing Mad, mocking Hiryu and Cain that their efforts are futile since the terminal they destroyed was but one of millions and finally burns to death while fanatically praising Faceas Clay.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yuri]]

-> An Enterprise secretary who serves as the link between Matic and Enterprise, and is sent by Clay to investigate why agents of Striders are hindering their plans. Yuri is a vain executive who is truly fascinated by the prospect of controlling the entire world through the ZAIN Project, and looks down on anyone who opposes their vision for humanity.

* AdaptedOut: Entirely missing in the NES game.
* CoDragons: In a sense, he and Matic work together to realize Enterprise and Clay's goals. [[DragonWithAnAgenda Or atleast, that's what he believes...]]
* DirtyCoward: He's not a fighting man and quickly sells out his boss to Hiryu to save his life. Then, he tries to shoot him from the back, and gets sliced for his troubles.
* TheFundamentalist: Enterprise's vision and plans for humanity are correct and justified, and anyone who opposes or believes otherwise is not worth anything more than a quick death.
* PrideBeforeAFall: He's so much prideful of Enterprise that he feels offended when Matic tells him to avoid confronting Hiryu, asking him to not underestimate the power of the company. He then corners Hiryu in a trapdoor with a bunch of soldiers armed with super-sonic machine guns and brags about how Hiryu's done for. Next he knows, Hiryu has beheaded all his men and is about to do him in.
* VomitInDiscretionShot: He is visibly vomiting as his men are beheaded in front of him by Hiryu.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Keith]]

-> The Commander of a small Special Forces unit expert in close melee combat, Keith is a seasoned soldier and warrior who finds enjoyment in fighting. He and his unit were contracted by the Kazakh Institute Director following Hiryu's retrieval of Kain to serve as an extra defense for his ZAIN Laboratory.

* BloodKnight: Enjoys a good challenge and openly declares he wants to test himself against the Striders.
* CoveredWithScars: His whole body is all scarred, a quick tip about how much he enjoys fighting.
* CurbStompBattle: Keith is really confident in his skills, and claims to be above the mere soldiers Hiryu has just dispatched. Then less than a second later he gets a Cypher to the chest and can't even believe it.
* FrankensteinsMonster: Invokes the image of the creature in his look, specially in his square-shaped head.
* TheGiant: Quite the large man, with a Frankenstein feel to his design.
* KnifeNut: His whole unit specializes in hand-to-hand and melee combat, and wield combat knives as their main weapons.
* LargeAndInCharge: A rather massive muscle man and the leader of a small unit of Special Forces soldiers.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: There's less than 10 pages between his introduction and his death.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kodiak]]

-> A character from the NES ''Strider''. A mercenary who rides a futuristic one-wheeled motorcycle, he's specially intrigued by the strength of the Striders. Hiryu finds him first as he guards Kain's confinement cell on Kazakh, and later as a guard on Enterprise's HQ.

* BloodKnight: Straight tells Hiryu he wants to taste the strength of a Strider.
* HiredGuns: A mercenary for hire.
* OneWheeledWonder: Rides a one-wheeled motorcycle in battle.

[[/folder]]

!Phantom Unit
A self-proclaimed terrorist group appearing in the ''Strider Hiryu Gaiden'' chapter of the manga. They are lead by the Zangi Brothers.
[[folder:Common Tropes]]

* BigBad: The Zangi Brothers serve as the main antagonist in the ''Gaiden'' chapter.
* BigGuyLittleGuy: Aaron is a ''massive'' man, while his brother is of normal height, if perhaps a bit smaller since he's hunched over most of the time, so it's hard to tell.
* BrainsAndBrawn: Aaron is pure brute strength with no strategy backing him, while his older brother is much more analytical, formulating plans and strategies on the spot.
* DelinquentHair: Several of the unit's soldiers sport mohawks.
* TheDreaded: They have a reputation for their viciousness in battle, and are said to be as strong as an A-Class Strider.
* PrisonerExchange: The basis of the Gaiden's story is that the Phantom Unit kidnapped an important scientist to demand the release of one of their own members, imprisoned some time ago.
* SiblingTeam: They are at their most dangerous when working together.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Aaron Zangi]]

-> The younger of the two brothers, Aaron is both massive and not too bright. He puts his massive size to good use, wielding a large katana and smashing through things and enemies alike, although his go-to strategy seems to always default into "rush at target, smash".

* AttackAttackAttack: All he ever does when fighting Hiryu is rush him with his sword and try to hit him.
* BigLittleBrother: That's right, the guy towering over everything and everyone in his vicinity is the younger of the two brothers.
* KatanasAreJustBetter: He wields a massive katana scaled to his size.
* TheGiant: ''Hoooly'' Mother of God, isn't he a big guy! When face to face, he's easily three or four times Hiryu's size.
* LargeAndInCharge: Quite an understatement: a towering giant and one of the leaders of the Phantom Unit.
* LightningBruiser: Despite his size, he seems to be quite fast when rushing at his targets. Although he's still a slowpoke as far as Hiryu is concerned, obviously.
* MadeOfIron: He tanks a massive surge of electricity which killed all his other men, and comes out of it with "only" massive body burns, an almost bald head and some anger issues, but otherwise no worse for wear.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:"Elder Zangi"]]

-> The older brother and the more resourceful one. He fights with a split-ended whip with kunai attached to each end, which he uses to both ensnare and injure simultaneously. Unlike Aaron, he always observes the situation and plans ahead the best way to deal with enemies, and is also a master of disguise.

* CombatPragmatist: Has no problems in using dirty tactics, such as disguising himself as the hostage or hiding behind his brother and springing a surprise attack on Hiryu when he's most vulnerable.
* MasterOfDisguise: He manages to take Hiryu off-guard by disguising as the hostage he was sent to rescue.
* NoNameGiven: Unlike his brother, the chapter never mentions his actual name.
* ScaryTeeth: Has sharp-like teeth and a nasty personality.
* WhipItGood: He fights with a two-ended whip with Kunai attached to the ends.

[[/folder]]

!Others
[[folder:Rin]]

-> A little girl that's part of a group of Mongolian nomads. Hiryu met her in the plateau that'd become his home after retiring, and since then they live together. Outspoken and cheerful, she reminds Hiryu of his own sister. Appears in the manga.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Village Elder]]

-> A minor character in the manga, an elderly man that's part of the Mongolian nomads and has known Hiryu ever since he moved into the plateau, although was unaware of his past as a Strider.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lexia]]
The distressed damsel from the infamous ''Strider Returns'', Hinjo's duty is to save her.

* BridalCarry: Hinjo carries her this way in the ending.
* CanonForeigner: Same deal as Hinjo.
* DistressedDamsel: Gets kidnapped by alien terrorists/Meio and her rescue is the game's main objective.
* ExiledFromContinuity
* MadeASlave: It's never actually stated, but she appears wearing ragged clothes and chained to the floor, so...''yeah''.
* NoNameGiven: In the original game for European computers she was only referred to as a "female leader". Her name was only ever stated in the [[AllThereInTheManual Genesis manual]].
* PostFinalBoss: Becomes one in the Genesis version, where she's chained to a shooting platform and the player has to destroy it to end the game.
* OurPresidentsAreDifferent: In the home computer versions, she's described as the female leader of an alien planet.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: She really just exists to serve as an objective.

[[/folder]]
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%%* HumansAreBastards: Not only is he the most evil Strider, but also the most vile human in the franchise.

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[[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/str_capcom_club_poster_copy.png[[/labelnote]] for his Arcade design.]]
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[[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/st1_tonpooh_portrait.png[[/labelnote]] for her Arcade portrait.]]
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* CanonForeigner: Appeared in the PC-Engine version of the arcade game.

to:

-> 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.

* CanonForeigner: Appeared in Created exclusively for the PC-Engine version of the arcade game.



* CaptainColorbeard



[[folder:Desert Commander]]

* CanonForeigner: He appears in the desert level created for the PC-Engine version of the arcade game.
* NoNameGiven

to:

[[folder:Desert Commander]]

Commander & Tank Driver]]
-> Voiced by: Koji Yada & Creator/YukitoshiHori

-> Two characters exclusive of the PC-Engine port of ''Strider''. Part of the Kazakh military, the Desert Commander appears mid-way through the port's exclusive desert stage only to be killed by a giant antlion, the actual mid-boss. The Tank Driver is the stage's end boss, driving the large tank "Sovkhoz Я".

* AntlionMonster: A huge one eliminates the Desert Commander before the proper boss fight.
* BaitAndSwitchBoss: The Desert Commander blocks Hiryu's way, threatens him like all other bosses and starts spinning on place...only to get mauled by a giant antlion, who turns into the actual boss Hiryu faces.
* CanonForeigner: He appears Both appear in the desert level created for the PC-Engine version of the arcade game.
* NoNameGiven
CoolTank: The Tank Driver's Sovkhoz Я.
* NoNameGiven: Neither character is given any known name.



[[folder:Tank Driver]]

* CanonForeigner: Same deal as the desert commander.
* CoolTank: Pilots the Sovkhoz Я.
* NoNameGiven

[[/folder]]



-> A mysterious creature used as the literal heart of the Flying Battleship Balrog, encased within its Reactor Core where some sort of energy she possess is syphoned to provide motion to the air fortress.



* FateWorseThanDeath: Encased in the Reactor Core and being drained off whatever power she has is far from a pleasant experience, to the point she willingly asks Hiryu to kill her.
* MercyKill: While if Hiryu meant it like this is unknown (given destroying the core was mandatory so killing her was unavoidable), either way he complies with her request.



* OurMermaidsAreDifferent

to:

* OurMermaidsAreDifferentLivingBattery: She's unwillingly supplying the Balrog as its power core.
* OurMermaidsAreDifferent: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrow Merrows]] are basically the mermaids of Irish folklore.



* GiantHandsOfDoom: A lot of his attacks consists of giant hands of water he uses to clasp, crush or punch his enemies.

to:

* GiantHandsOfDoom: A lot of his attacks consists consist of giant hands of water he uses to clasp, crush or punch his enemies.



* ReligiousBruiser: As the devout follower and rule enforcer of Grandmaster Meio.



* TheGiant: Hoooly Mother of God, isn't he a big guy! When face to face, he's easily three or four times Hiryu's size.

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* TheGiant: Hoooly ''Hoooly'' Mother of God, isn't he a big guy! When face to face, he's easily three or four times Hiryu's size.
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%%* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk

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* DeathSeeker

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* DeathSeekerDeathSeeker: When Hiryu confronts her, she pleads with him to kill her and he grants her wish.
* NoNameGiven: Merrow actually is the name of her species.
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[[folder:Merrow]]

* DeathSeeker
* OurMermaidsAreDifferent
* RapunzelHair

[[/folder]]

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* HateSink: He manages to be a bit detestable before the reveal he was evil, [[spoiler: 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 [[WellIntentionedExtremist 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.]]

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[[folder:Navigator]]

* CanonForeigner: Appeared in the PC-Engine version of the arcade game.
* TheGhost: We only hear her voice.
* MissionControl: Provides instructions to Hiryu prior to each mission.
* NoNameGiven: She doesn't even have a codename.

[[/folder]]



** ExiledFromContinuity



* ExiledFromContinuity



[[folder:Desert Commander]]

* CanonForeigner: He appears in the desert level created for the PC-Engine version of the arcade game.
* NoNameGiven

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tank Driver]]

* CanonForeigner: Same deal as the desert commander.
* CoolTank: Pilots the Sovkhoz Я.
* NoNameGiven

[[/folder]]



** ExiledFromContinuity


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* ExiledFromContinuity
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* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: 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.]]

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* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: He 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.]]



* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler: On the receiving end of it from Yggdrasil]]
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: Gets impaled by Yggdrasil, the heart of the ZAIN Mind Control Project he desired for so long.]]

to:

* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler: On the receiving end of it from Yggdrasil]]
Yggdrasil in the manga.]]
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: Gets In the manga, he gets impaled by Yggdrasil, the heart of the ZAIN Mind Control Project he desired for so long.]]



* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: In the 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.]]

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* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: 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.]]

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* LivingADoubleLife: In ''Strider 2'', the team is established to lead a cover life as entertainers in a Chinese acrobatics group when not out hunting people.



* ShesGotLegs: Given their kick-centric fighting style, this was a given, and the focus on them has only gone up in later appearances.



* CleavageWindow: Her costume in the 2014 game sports the most prominent one of the team (Tong Pooh has one, but it is mostly obscured by her collar, whereas Nang and their master lacks one altogether).



* FlowerInHerHair: Starting with ''Strider 2'', she can be seen wearing a rose on her hair.
* MsFanservice: Becomes the team's representative in her 2014 design, what with her body suit being open at the crotch (displaying what really seems to be black panties), having a large CleavageWindow and using thigh-length pantyhoses. None of the other members' uniforms are this revealing.



* SomethingAboutARose: Starting with ''Strider 2'', she can be seen wearing a rose on her hair.



* HairDecorations: Nang Pooh sports two quite large, glowing rings with little bells on their centers as part of her unique hairstyle.



* EvilWearsBlack: The only villain to sport a mostly black costume/color scheme, and the evilest of them all.



* LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine: Professor Schlange has one drapped around his shoulders, wearing it like a cape.



* MadScientistLaboratory: Professor Schlange has the Research Facility, which combines a robot manufacturing plant, a testing chamber, a cloning and storage building and a research and experiment laboratory into one massive complex.



* VillainousBreakdown: Professor Schlange starts out smug and confident as he welcomes Hiryu to the research area and sics wave after wave of enemies while "guiding" him around the premises while telling him of his experiments, mocking him or offering him to become another test subject. As Hiryu continues surviving every trap and destroying the machines he's so proud of, Schlange starts losing his patience and the playful and mocking tone gets replaced with irritation and frustration, as he just wishes Hiryu to die already. After the Gravitron is destroyed, Schlange's finally turned into a raving madman, yelling at Hiryu for daring to destroy ''HIS'' creations and laboratory.

to:

* VillainousBreakdown: Professor Schlange starts out smug and confident as he welcomes Hiryu to the research area and sics wave after wave of enemies while "guiding" him around the premises while and telling him of his experiments, mocking him or offering him to become another test subject. As Hiryu continues surviving every trap and destroying the machines he's so proud of, Schlange starts losing his patience and the playful and mocking tone gets replaced with irritation and frustration, as he just wishes Hiryu to die already. After the Gravitron is destroyed, Schlange's finally turned into a raving madman, yelling at Hiryu for daring to destroy ''HIS'' creations and laboratory.




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* WeaponsThatSuck: Juroung's strongest attack consists of a powerful gravity pull that sucks Hiryu into the center of the screen and stuns him in place.

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* CodeName: No Strider has a known real name, they all go by codenames.
** AnimalThemeNaming: 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.



-> Voiced by: Creator/YumiTouma (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Yayoi Jinguji (''Marvel vs. Capcom''), Miho Yamada (''NamcoXCapcom''), Niki Kernow (''Strider'' 2014)

to:

-> Voiced by: Creator/YumiTouma (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Yayoi Jinguji (''Marvel vs. Capcom''), Miho Yamada (''NamcoXCapcom''), (''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''), Niki Kernow (''Strider'' 2014)



-> Voiced by: Creator/KojiTotani (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Kan Tokumaru (''Strider 2''), Tetsuo Mizutori (''NamcoXCapcom''), Eric Newsome (''Strider'' 2014)

to:

-> Voiced by: Creator/KojiTotani (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Kan Tokumaru (''Strider 2''), Tetsuo Mizutori (''NamcoXCapcom''), (''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''), Eric Newsome (''Strider'' 2014)



* CognizantLimbs: [[spoiler:Meio Prime has two snake or dragon-looking arms which act on their own.]]



* LoadBearingBoss: Almost always averted: the only instance where Meio's defeat leads to his base exploding on its own is in the ending created for the Genesis port.



* TakeOverTheWorld: By the time the games start, it's been a few years since he's done it.

to:

* TakeOverTheWorld: By the time the games start, starts, it's been a few years since he's done it.



-> Voiced by: Creator/ShuichiIkeda (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Main/HozumiGouda (''Strider 2''), Hideo Watanabe (''NamcoXCapcom''), Dave Rivas (''Strider'' 2014)

to:

-> Voiced by: Creator/ShuichiIkeda (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Main/HozumiGouda Hozumi Gouda (''Strider 2''), Hideo Watanabe (''NamcoXCapcom''), (''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''), Dave Rivas (''Strider'' 2014)



* TheAce: Solo asserts himself to be the strongest human being on Earth, and carries the title proudly on his own name (see MeaningulName below). Part of his interest in fighting Hiryu is to prove it by challenging a Strider in battle.

to:

* TheAce: Solo asserts himself to be the strongest human being on Earth, and carries the title proudly on his own name (see MeaningulName MeaningfulName below). Part of his interest in fighting Hiryu is to prove it by challenging a Strider in battle.



* EnemyPosturing: Half the time you can actually hit Solo in the 2014 game is because he stopped flying around to mock Hiryu.



* SkippableBoss: He can actually be ignored both times he's faced in the original Arcade game. Doing so on Siberia means the player will have to deal with him alongside the Kuniang sisters (although, again, he doesn't need to be killed to end the stage so one can try ignore him), while doing so on the final stage will have him pester the player for the following two bosses, which is not really a good idea.



* SkippableBoss: In the Arcade original, the player can bypass the whole battle by doing a long jump over his room. Later ports, however, removed this making him a forced encounter.



* VillanousBreakdown: Professor Schlange starts out smug and confident as he welcomes Hiryu to the research area and sics wave after wave of enemies while "guiding" him around the premises while telling him of his experiments, mocking him or offering him to become another test subject. As Hiryu continues surviving every trap and destroying the machines he's so proud of, Schlange starts losing his patience and the playful and mocking tone gets replaced with irritation and frustration, as he just wishes Hiryu to die already. After the Gravitron is destroyed, Schlange's finally turned into a raving madman, yelling at Hiryu for daring to destroy ''HIS'' creations and laboratory.

to:

* VillanousBreakdown: VillainousBreakdown: Professor Schlange starts out smug and confident as he welcomes Hiryu to the research area and sics wave after wave of enemies while "guiding" him around the premises while telling him of his experiments, mocking him or offering him to become another test subject. As Hiryu continues surviving every trap and destroying the machines he's so proud of, Schlange starts losing his patience and the playful and mocking tone gets replaced with irritation and frustration, as he just wishes Hiryu to die already. After the Gravitron is destroyed, Schlange's finally turned into a raving madman, yelling at Hiryu for daring to destroy ''HIS'' creations and laboratory.



* OhCrap: His reaction once Hiryu destroys his machine defense system in the manga. Similarly, he cries out Hiryu's a "monster" once the glass shield goes down in the NES game.



* SkunkStripes: As seen in his colored portrait in the NES game, Clay has white streaks running on top and at the sides of his hair.

to:

* SkunkStripes: SkunkStripe: As seen in his colored portrait in the NES game, Clay has white streaks running on top and at the sides of his hair.



-> The Commander of a small unit of Special Forces experts in close melee combat, Keith is a seasoned soldier and warrior who finds enjoyment in fighting. He and his unit were contracted by the Kazakh Institute Director following Hiryu's retrieval of Kain to serve as an extra defense for his ZAIN Laboratory.

to:

-> The Commander of a small unit of Special Forces experts unit expert in close melee combat, Keith is a seasoned soldier and warrior who finds enjoyment in fighting. He and his unit were contracted by the Kazakh Institute Director following Hiryu's retrieval of Kain to serve as an extra defense for his ZAIN Laboratory.



* FrankensteinsMonster: Invokes the image of the creature in his look, specially in his square-shaped head.



-> A character from the NES ''Strider''. A mercenary who rides a futuristic one-wheeled motorcycle, he's specially intrigued by the strength of the Striders. Hiryu finds him first as he guards Kain's confinement cell on Kazakh, and later as a guard on Enterprise's HQ.



-> The younger of the two brothers, Aaron is both massive and not too bright. He puts his massive size to good use, wielding a large katana and smashing through things and enemies alike, although his go-to strategy seems to always default into "rush at target, smash".



* LightningBruiser: Despite his size, he seems to be quite fast when rushing at his targets. Although he's still a slowpoke as far as Hiryu is concerned, obviously.



-> The older brother and the more resourceful one. He fights with a split-ended whip with kunai attached to each end, which he uses to both ensnare and injure simultaneously. Unlike Aaron, he always observes the situation and plans ahead the best way to deal with enemies, and is also a master of disguise.



* ScaryTeeth: Has sharp-like teeth and a nasty personality.



-> A little girl that's part of a group of Mongolian nomads. Hiryu met her in the plateau that'd become his home after retiring, and since then they live together. Outspoken and cheerful, she reminds Hiryu of his own sister. Appears in the manga.



-> A minor character in the manga, an elderly man that's part of the Mongolian nomads and has known Hiryu ever since he moved into the plateau, although was unaware of his past as a Strider.



The distressed damsel from the infamous Strider Returns, Hinjo's duty is to save her.

* CanonForeigner

to:

The distressed damsel from the infamous Strider Returns, ''Strider Returns'', Hinjo's duty is to save her.

* CanonForeignerBridalCarry: Hinjo carries her this way in the ending.
* CanonForeigner: Same deal as Hinjo.



* DistressedDamsel

to:

* DistressedDamsel
DistressedDamsel: Gets kidnapped by alien terrorists/Meio and her rescue is the game's main objective.
* MadeASlave: It's never actually stated, but she appears wearing ragged clothes and chained to the floor, so...''yeah''.
* NoNameGiven: In the original game for European computers she was only referred to as a "female leader". Her name was only ever stated in the [[AllThereInTheManual Genesis manual]].
* PostFinalBoss: Becomes one in the Genesis version, where she's chained to a shooting platform and the player has to destroy it to end the game.
* OurPresidentsAreDifferent: In the home computer versions, she's described as the female leader of an alien planet.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: She really just exists to serve as an objective.



[[folder:BlackMarketeer]]

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[[folder:BlackMarketeer]][[folder:Black Marketer]]

-> A support character in the 2014 ''Strider''. An old man who lives in the Underground and makes a living repairing the scrap discarded in the sewers and then reselling it to the citizens of the surface world, this serves as a mask to hide the leader of the resistance against Meio, bidding their time to reclaim Kazakh City. Before that, however, he was one of the scientists in Meio's employ and developer of the Gravitron.


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* LaResistance: He's the leader of one.

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* DragonWithAnAgenda: 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.



* LennonSpecs: Matic wears round glasses.



* TreacherousAdvisor

to:

* TreacherousAdvisorTheStarscream: He betrays Kuramoto to gain control of the Striders, and then plans on betraying Faceas Clay to take over Enterprise as well.
* TreacherousAdvisor: 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.



* BadassArmFold: His idle stance in ''Strider 2'' has him standing upright, arms folded.



* ExtremityExtremist: In the first two games, the sisters only ever use kick techniques to fight. In the 2014 game, they instead are almost entirely focused on using their weapons.



* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Following their third battle in the 2014 ''Strider'', the Kuniang disappear entirely from the game without any conclusion. Xi Wang Mu's dialogue, however, heavily implies they died at some point afterwards, probably by Meio [[YouHaveFailedMe for failing one too many times]].



* MysteriousWoman: Noted in her profile to be enshrouded in mystery.



* {{Egopolis}}: Meio went on to name the years after himself in the 2014 game, since the game is set in "Meio 0048".

to:

* {{Egopolis}}: Meio went on [[AlternativeCalendar to name the years years]] after himself in the 2014 game, since the game is set in "Meio 0048".



* {{Expy}}:
** According to WordOfGod, he was designed after Sauron from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. Although not admited, however, there seems to be a lot of influence from [[Franchise/StarWars Palpatine]] as well.
** [[spoiler: Meio Prime from the 2014 ''Strider'' is a very obvious take on the FinalBoss of ''Strider 2'', Caduceus.]]



* HumanoidAbomination: Most definitively in the 2014 ''Strider'', given his bizarre HorrorBody, but there are shades of it in his previous designs as well, mainly on the fact only his head and hands are ever visible, even thought his cloak ''is open from the front'', and they just seem to blend into the darkness inside it.

to:

* HumanoidAbomination: Most definitively in the 2014 ''Strider'', given his bizarre HorrorBody, BodyHorror, but there are shades of it this in his previous designs as well, mainly on the fact only his head and hands are ever visible, even thought his cloak ''is open from the front'', and they just seem to blend into the darkness inside it.



* PainfullySlowProjectile: One of his attacks in the 2014 game is to sic a giant orb of energy that flies slowly at Hiryu, requiring several hits to break.



* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: In the original game, you can briefly seen him fly away in pieces after being defeated.

to:

* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: In the original game, you can briefly seen see him fly away in pieces after being defeated.



* MysteriousMercenaryPursuer: As expected of a Boba Fett {{Expy}}. A BountyHunter paid by the BigBad to kill TheProtagonist? Check. Wears an all-concealing PoweredArmor whose visor makes him TheFaceless? Check. A mysterious assassin? Check. Relentless pursues his target, and takes things [[ItsPersonal personal]] once he's defeated for the first time? Check.



* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Given the meaning behind his name, it is possible Solo is meant to be a nickname and not his actual name.



* PsychoForHire: Solo's personality takes a turn to this in the 2014 ''Strider''. While previous incarnations showed him more a ConsummateProfessional focused on hunting down Hiryu, the 2014 game added a much more sadistic personality to the mix, exemplified by him taunting Hiryu mid-battle about not entertaining him enough and being generally disappointed by his performance, as well as breaking into a rather jarring EvilLaugh occassionally. [[spoiler:Once he's defeated and half-heartedly brought back to life, he goes full AxCrazy, fully obssessed over killing Hiryu for his previous defeat.]]

to:

* PsychoForHire: Solo's personality takes a turn to this in the 2014 ''Strider''. While previous incarnations showed him more a ConsummateProfessional focused on hunting down Hiryu, the 2014 game added a much more sadistic personality to the mix, exemplified by him taunting Hiryu mid-battle about not entertaining him enough and being generally disappointed by his performance, as well as breaking into a rather jarring EvilLaugh occassionally. [[spoiler:Once he's defeated and half-heartedly brought back to life, he goes full AxCrazy, fully entirely obssessed over killing Hiryu for his previous defeat.]]



* VillanousBreakdown: Professor Schlange starts out smug and confident as he welcomes Hiryu to the research area and sics wave after wave of enemies while "guiding" him around the premises while telling him of his experiments, mocking him or offering him to become another test subject. As Hiryu continues surviving every trap and destroying the machines he's so proud of, Schlange starts losing his patience and the playful and mocking tone gets replaced with irritation and frustration, as he just wishes Hiryu to die already. After the Gravitron is destroyed, Schlange's finally turned into a raving madman, yelling at Hiryu for daring to destroy ''HIS'' creations and laboratory.



* TheFundamentalist: As far as he is concerned, Meio is in the right to do what he plans to do and nothing will sway his conviction. He even inquires Hiryu aloud at the beginning of his battle why he remains a non-believer and refuses Meio's call.




to:

* MindControlDevice: The ZAIN Project has been developed over 30 years in order to create one. This results in the Mother Computer, "Yggdrasil", and the ZAIN Terminals.



* TheEvilsOfFreeWill: A firm believer that humanity's woes all come from their capacity to cause harm, and the only way to fix that is to remove free will entirely.



* SkunkStripes: As seen in his colored portrait in the NES game, Clay has white streaks running on top and at the sides of his hair.



* ZeroEffortBoss: For as much as he can be called a "boss" in the NES game. When confronted, Clay is defended by a shield of tempered glass, but the player only needs to strike at it a few times for it to break, ending the stage with little fanfare and no opposition.



-> The Director of the Kazakh Federation Mental Institute, an asylum front for one of the company's ZAIN laboratories. This scientist has conducted human experiments in order to perfect the ZAIN Project's faulty mind control, which thus far has turned its subjects into thinkless, barely-functioning zombies. He's also the creator of the ZAIN Terminal hidden within the building, which he treats and speaks to as if it were a children.



-> An Enterprise secretary who serves as the link between Matic and Enterprise, and is sent by Clay to investigate why agents of Striders are hindering their plans. Yuri is a vain executive who is truly fascinated by the prospect of controlling the entire world through the ZAIN Project, and looks down on anyone who opposes their vision for humanity.




to:

* CoDragons: In a sense, he and Matic work together to realize Enterprise and Clay's goals. [[DragonWithAnAgenda Or atleast, that's what he believes...]]
* DirtyCoward: He's not a fighting man and quickly sells out his boss to Hiryu to save his life. Then, he tries to shoot him from the back, and gets sliced for his troubles.
* TheFundamentalist: Enterprise's vision and plans for humanity are correct and justified, and anyone who opposes or believes otherwise is not worth anything more than a quick death.
* PrideBeforeAFall: He's so much prideful of Enterprise that he feels offended when Matic tells him to avoid confronting Hiryu, asking him to not underestimate the power of the company. He then corners Hiryu in a trapdoor with a bunch of soldiers armed with super-sonic machine guns and brags about how Hiryu's done for. Next he knows, Hiryu has beheaded all his men and is about to do him in.
* VomitInDiscretionShot: He is visibly vomiting as his men are beheaded in front of him by Hiryu.



-> The Commander of a small unit of Special Forces experts in close melee combat, Keith is a seasoned soldier and warrior who finds enjoyment in fighting. He and his unit were contracted by the Kazakh Institute Director following Hiryu's retrieval of Kain to serve as an extra defense for his ZAIN Laboratory.



* KnifeNut: His whole unit specializes in hand-to-hand and melee combat, and wield knives as their main weapons.

to:

* TheGiant: Quite the large man, with a Frankenstein feel to his design.
* KnifeNut: His whole unit specializes in hand-to-hand and melee combat, and wield combat knives as their main weapons.
* LargeAndInCharge: A rather massive muscle man and the leader of a small unit of Special Forces soldiers.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: There's less than 10 pages between his introduction and his death.



* BloodKnight: Straight tells Hiryu he wants to taste the strength of a Strider.
* HiredGuns: A mercenary for hire.
* OneWheeledWonder: Rides a one-wheeled motorcycle in battle.



A self-proclaimed terrorist group appearing in the Strider Hiryu Gaiden Manga.
They are lead by the Zangi Brothers.

to:

A self-proclaimed terrorist group appearing in the Strider ''Strider Hiryu Gaiden Manga.
Gaiden'' chapter of the manga. They are lead by the Zangi Brothers.


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* BigBad: The Zangi Brothers serve as the main antagonist in the ''Gaiden'' chapter.
* BigGuyLittleGuy: Aaron is a ''massive'' man, while his brother is of normal height, if perhaps a bit smaller since he's hunched over most of the time, so it's hard to tell.
* BrainsAndBrawn: Aaron is pure brute strength with no strategy backing him, while his older brother is much more analytical, formulating plans and strategies on the spot.
* DelinquentHair: Several of the unit's soldiers sport mohawks.
* TheDreaded: They have a reputation for their viciousness in battle, and are said to be as strong as an A-Class Strider.
* PrisonerExchange: The basis of the Gaiden's story is that the Phantom Unit kidnapped an important scientist to demand the release of one of their own members, imprisoned some time ago.
* SiblingTeam: They are at their most dangerous when working together.


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* AttackAttackAttack: All he ever does when fighting Hiryu is rush him with his sword and try to hit him.
* BigLittleBrother: That's right, the guy towering over everything and everyone in his vicinity is the younger of the two brothers.
* KatanasAreJustBetter: He wields a massive katana scaled to his size.
* TheGiant: Hoooly Mother of God, isn't he a big guy! When face to face, he's easily three or four times Hiryu's size.
* LargeAndInCharge: Quite an understatement: a towering giant and one of the leaders of the Phantom Unit.
* MadeOfIron: He tanks a massive surge of electricity which killed all his other men, and comes out of it with "only" massive body burns, an almost bald head and some anger issues, but otherwise no worse for wear.


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* CombatPragmatist: Has no problems in using dirty tactics, such as disguising himself as the hostage or hiding behind his brother and springing a surprise attack on Hiryu when he's most vulnerable.
* MasterOfDisguise: He manages to take Hiryu off-guard by disguising as the hostage he was sent to rescue.
* NoNameGiven: Unlike his brother, the chapter never mentions his actual name.
* WhipItGood: He fights with a two-ended whip with Kunai attached to the ends.

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* UnstoppableRage: 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.



* TheAce: Solo asserts himself to be the strongest human being on Earth, and carries the title proudly on his own name (see MeaningulName below). Part of his interest in fighting Hiryu is to prove it by challenging a Strider in battle.



* RobotMaster: Both versions are well-versed in robotics and have created plenty of strange machines for Meio.



* GroundPound: He strikes the ground in order to create rising pillars of water as an attack.



* WellIntentionedExtremist: Clay wants to mind-control humanity because he believes it is the only way to remove their inherent evil nature, and assist in moving into the next evolutive step. He tells Hiryu his project will prevent wars and distribute wealth equally, eliminating poverty as well, and refers to this new age as a "Golden Millenium" for humanity.

to:

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Clay wants to mind-control humanity because he believes it is the only way to remove their inherent evil nature, and assist in moving as well as help it move into the next evolutive step. He tells Hiryu his project will prevent wars and distribute wealth equally, eliminating poverty as well, and refers to this new age as a "Golden Millenium" for humanity. When confronted with all the innocents that had died for his project, Clay states those were inevitable sacrifices required for his revolution.


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* AdaptedOut: Despite being the main designer of the ZAIN Terminals, he's nowhere to be found in the NES version of the story.
* DrivenToSuicide: Following the destruction of the ZAIN Terminal, he literally goes insane and lets himself burn to death inside his laboratory.
* MadScientist: Specially in his treatment of his "child", the ZAIN Terminal. Kain actually name-drops the trope at one point.
* NonActionGuy: As a scientist, he's really incapable of defending himself against Hiryu or Kain, and neither can stop them from destroying his creation.


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* UndyingLoyalty: Truly believes in president Clay's plans for humanity, and praises his name as he is consumed by the flames of his destroyed laboratory.


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* AdaptedOut: Entirely missing in the NES game.


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* BloodKnight: Enjoys a good challenge and openly declares he wants to test himself against the Striders.
* CoveredWithScars: His whole body is all scarred, a quick tip about how much he enjoys fighting.
* CurbStompBattle: Keith is really confident in his skills, and claims to be above the mere soldiers Hiryu has just dispatched. Then less than a second later he gets a Cypher to the chest and can't even believe it.
* KnifeNut: His whole unit specializes in hand-to-hand and melee combat, and wield knives as their main weapons.
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* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler: 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 [[BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood 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.]]

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* BroughtToYouByTheLetterS: 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.



** 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.



* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: As mentioned by Hiryu in the manga.



* BigDamnHeroes: 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.



* DueToTheDead: 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.



* AllEncompassingMantle: He wears a white one during most of the manga, befitting for the sub-leader of the Strider.

to:

* AllEncompassingMantle: He wears a white one during most of the manga, befitting for of the sub-leader of the Strider.Striders.



* BroughtToYouByTheLetterS: His uniform has a "M" embedded on his chest.



* EvilGloating: 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".



* TakingYouWithMe: 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.



* PuzzleBoss: Beating him requires one to bait him into jumping (by jumping oneself), sliding/moving under him and then quickly turn around and strike at his back as he comes down.

to:

* PuzzleBoss: Beating him requires one to bait him into jumping (by jumping oneself), sliding/moving under him and then quickly turn turning around and strike striking at his back as he comes down.



* AristocratsAreEvil: All members of the secret group from ''Strider 2'' are designed like European nobility and are established as the heads of several nations.



* DirtyCommunists: The main enemy force in the original ''Strider'' was a Russian empire set on the [[UsefulNotes/Kazakhstan Kazakh Federation]].

to:

* DirtyCommunists: The main enemy force in the original ''Strider'' was a Russian empire set on the [[UsefulNotes/Kazakhstan [[UsefulNotes/{{Kazakhstan}} Kazakh Federation]].



* AllThereInTheScript: His full name is only revealed in official material, as the game simply calls him "Terrorist".

to:

* AllThereInTheScript: AllThereInTheManual: His full name is only revealed in official material, as the game simply calls him "Terrorist".



* BeamSpam: His most powerful attack consists of showering the whole area with laser beams.



** GravityMaster: Can send gravity waves off its hands to push Hiryu down.

to:

** GravityMaster: Can send gravity waves off its hands shoulders to push Hiryu down.



* ElementalBagagge: Averted. Juroung's boss room is in ankle-deep water, and he has a mechanism on his back which sucks up water up to his arms, from where he then weaponizes it.

to:

* ElementalBagagge: ElementalBaggage: Averted. Juroung's boss room is in ankle-deep water, and he has a mechanism on his back which sucks up water up to his arms, from where he then weaponizes it.



!Enterprise(A.k.a. the Syndicate)

to:

!Enterprise(A.!Enterprise, a.k.a. the Syndicate)
Syndicate
A large corporation featured in the manga and NES adaptation, Enterprise is mainly concerned with the development of weapons and distribution of supplies, but has secretly spent 30 years developing the ZAIN Project, a brainwashing weapon to which control all of humanity. While most of its members are interested in the power to subdue any person they desire, company director Faceas/Faysus Clay secretly plans to use it to control all of humanity and lead them into a new millenium.


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* CorruptCorporateExecutive: All high-ranking members who appear are rotten to the core.
* MegaCorp: A massive corporation with bases all over the world.


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-> Faysus Clay (Faceas Clay in the NES translation) is the director of Enterprise, who has spent the company's resources on the ZAIN Project for 30 years in search of a way to "evolve" humanity to the next stage, as he believes humanity to be defective since they were created by God and he plans on taking his place and finish his work. By mind-controlling the whole humanity, he'd cull their destructive impulses and lead them into a new, golden era.

* BadassMustache: An epic, sharp-pointed mustache at that.
* MachineWorship: Clay views most things in technology terms, stating that his ZAIN Project will serve to "debug" humanity from its malice in much the same way one would deal with a glitch in a computer. He's also removed all human protection from his chambers, and is entirely confident the machine defense systems are enough, something that bites him in the end.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: In both adaptations, he is finally confronted by Hiryu while sitting on a throne of his own.


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* WellIntentionedExtremist: Clay wants to mind-control humanity because he believes it is the only way to remove their inherent evil nature, and assist in moving into the next evolutive step. He tells Hiryu his project will prevent wars and distribute wealth equally, eliminating poverty as well, and refers to this new age as a "Golden Millenium" for humanity.

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