Examining Sagat’s story lines through the years
With Sagat’s release right around the corner, August 5, 2025, I wanted to re-explore his various endings, intros and quotes to see all the things leading up to Street Fighter 6.
The most notable event in Sagat’s history is losing to Ryu’s Shoryuken in the first game from 1987, Street Fighter 1, which may or may not have been a sucker punch, depending on who you ask.
This single event is absolutely central to Sagat’s entire plot line, as the scar… literally and figuratively are still haunting him to this very day.
Sagat claims that Ryu took his honor and he must be destroyed, but after he defeats Ryu in Street Fighter Alpha 1, he said it feels like an empty victory, as he doesn’t know if Ryu held back and fought to his full potential.
Ryu also looks at Sagat with pity after losing, which is one heck of a next level mind game.
After the victory, M. Bison flies in on his plane with Balrog and Vega and recruits Sagat to Shadaloo with the temptation of learning Psycho Power.
Sagat seeks out another bout against Ryu, despite Ryu saying that Sagat hasn’t fully recovered yet.
Sagat wins again, but for the second time in a row feels the victory is hollow. He leaves Shadaloo HQ to explore a path on his own, but before doing so, asks Bison to show him Psycho Power.
Bison asks him to come back when he’s stronger, and then Sagat develops his Tiger Uppercut move (replacing the Tiger Blow).
Things get a bit murky here in terms of the timeline, as either Sagat reverts to his previous vengeful state, or his Alpha 3 story takes place afterwards. We’re going with the latter here, as endings jumping around to various points in the timeline aren’t unheard of in this franchise.
In Sagat’s Champion Edition ending, he says that the title of the world’s greatest meant nothing to him, it’s the power of the fight and defeating a worthy opponent that he lives for.
In Super Street Fighter 2, his anger is fully directed once again at Ryu, noting that he holds the title of world’s strongest, and it’s not the first time.
However, he says the last time he lost it to a mere boy, but deep down he knows that Ryu is more than just a mere boy, as the scar on his chest reminds him just how much untapped power Ryu has.
Sagat says the next time he and Ryu meet, one of them will not survive.
As part of his pre-fight introduction, Sagat has realized that the power of hatred is limited now.
Sagat gets upset after he beats Dan, he realizes that the Saikyo fighter is consumed with vengeance like he once was, and he doesn’t want to be anything like Dan.
Later on, M. Bison infuses Ryu with Psycho Power, which upsets Sagat, because he wanted to fight Ryu when he uses his true power from within, reaching his full potential.
Sagat actually helps save Ryu from M. Bison, and they’re able to defeat him together, but he still wants to face Ryu in his final form at some point.
While there are not a lot of details in Sagat’s story mode in this game, it completes his redemption arc, as he feels like he’s changed and goes to find Ryu to see if it’s true. This is after Sagat defeats Seth.
Literally almost everything that happens to Sagat in Street Fighter 4 can be summed up with the above paragraph.
We’ve already discussed extensively what happens to Sagat in this game, being infected with the Satsui no Hado and trying to overcome it.
Sagat is trying to find who he truly is, and this is one of the better written and executed plot threads in all of Street Fighter 5, which sets up the events for the next game.
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