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{{short description|Street Fighter character}} | |||
{{Unreferenced|date=December 2007}} | |||
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Guile (''Street Fighter'')}} | |||
{{General CVG character | |||
{{cleanup rewrite|date=April 2023}} | |||
|name=Guile | |||
{{Infobox character | |||
|image=] | |||
| name = Guile | |||
|caption=Guile in '']'' (SNK Groove) | |||
| image = Guile (SSFII).png | |||
|series=] | |||
| image_size = 200px | |||
|firstgame='']'' | |||
| caption = Guile in '']'' (art by Bengus) | |||
|artist= | |||
| series = ] | |||
|voiceactor=] (''Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie'') | |||
| first = '']'' (1991) | |||
|japanactor=] (''Street Fighter EX'' series, ''Street Fighter II V'')<br>] (''Street Fighter Alpha 3'', ''Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes'')<br>] (''SNK vs. Capcom'' series)<br>] (''Capcom Fighting Evolution'')<br>] (''SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom'')<br>] (''Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie'')<br>] (Japanese dub of the live-action ''Street Fighter'' film) | |||
| creator = ]<ref>{{cite tweet |last=Yasuda |first=Akira |user=akiman7 |language=Japanese |number=201213042883694592 |title=スト1組、リュウケンサガットのリニューアル、春ガイル本田ブランカザンギは俺で、ベガが中山、バイソンが松なんとか、ダルシムは王子、バルログが影山、ドッターはまたそれぞれ分担が違ってて、ドッターによってまたデザインが微妙に変質しています RT @tekkotz: スト2のキャラデ|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002113334/https://twitter.com/akiman7/status/201213042883694592 |archivedate=2018-10-02}}</ref> | |||
|liveactor=] | |||
| designer = | |||
|inuniverse={{Street Fighter character | |||
| voice = {{Collapsible list|title=] | |||
|birthplace = {{flagicon|USA}} ] | |||
|] (''Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie'', ''Street Fighter II V'', Animaze dub) | |||
|affiliation = ] Major | |||
|] (''Street Fighter II V'', ADV dub) | |||
|fightingstyle = Military Special Forces Training | |||
|] (TV series) | |||
|specialskill = ''Sonic Boom'' | |||
|] (''SFIV'', ''SFxT'', ''SFV'', ''SSBU'') | |||
|likes = American Coffee | |||
|] (''SF6'') | |||
|dislikes = ] (Fermented soybeans) that ] forced him to try | |||
|] ('']'')}} | |||
|height = 6'1" | |||
{{Collapsible list|title=] | |||
|weight = 191 lbs. | |||
|] (''SF EX'' series, ''Street Fighter II V'') | |||
}}}} | |||
|Toshihide Tsuchiya (''SFA3'', ''MvC2'') | |||
{{nihongo|'''Guile'''|ガイル|Gairu}} is a ] in ]'s '']'' series of ]. Although his role in the ''Street Fighter'' story is minimal, he is considered the third leading male character in the series, after ] and ], largely due to his effectiveness as a character and his popularity.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} In the live action '']'' movie, Guile is given the full name of '''William F. Guile''' with the military rank of colonel, although Capcom did not canonize it. However, the name was also used in the US '']'' ]. In the ''Udon'' ''Street Fighter'' ], Guile is the character's first name. | |||
|] (''CvS'' series, ''Capcom Fighting Jam'') | |||
|Takenosuke Nishikawa (''SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos'') | |||
|] (''SFIV'', ''SFxT'', ''SFV'', ''SSBU'', '']'', ''SF6'') | |||
|] (''Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie'') | |||
|] (Japanese television dub of the ''Street Fighter'' film) | |||
|] (Japanese video and DVD dub of the ''Street Fighter'' film) | |||
|] (''Street Fighter II: Mad Revenger'') | |||
|] (''Real Battle on Film'')}} | |||
| portrayer = ] (''Street Fighter'' film, game) | |||
| origin = ] | |||
| nationality = ] | |||
| fighting_style = ]<ref>''Street Fighter IV: Master Guide'' (in Japanese), Enterbrain</ref> | |||
}} | |||
{{nihongo|'''Guile'''|ガイル|Gairu|lead=yes}} is a ] from ]'s '']'' series of ]s. He debuted as one of the original eight World Warriors in 1991's '']'' and appeared in the game's subsequent updates. In the games he is portrayed as a pilot in the ] who is seeking to avenge the death of his Air Force buddy ] at the hands of the villainous dictator ]. He started out as a ] of the Air Force, until he is promoted to a ] rank in '']''. | |||
One of the most popular characters in the series, Guile has appeared in other ''Street Fighter'' games, including the home port versions of '']'' (where he is a playable character alongside Charlie), and '']''. He is also a playable character in various spin-off titles, such as the '']'', '']'', and '']'' series. | |||
==Story== | |||
When Guile was a Lieutenant in the ], he befriended his superior officer, ] and asked Charlie to teach him in his unique form of fighting, which Charlie agreed to do. Guile learned the style, but his hot temper caused him to be not as proficient in the moves as Charlie was (shown in how Charlie can shoot sonic booms with just one hand while Guile needs both, also Charlie's flash kick hits twice vs Guile's once). | |||
Guile has also appeared in other ''Street Fighter'' media: the main protagonist in the 1994 live-action '']'' film and its ], as well as one of the main characters in '']''. The character has also been featured in various official comics and merchandise. His music theme, known simply as "Guile's Theme", has been used multiple times, usually to give a sense of victory. | |||
In ''Street Fighter'' continuity, Guile was not introduced to the series until the events of '']'', when he was sent by the United States Air Force to look for his senior teammate and best friend ], who had gone missing during a secret investigation. Guile's search eventually led him to the ] investigator ], who warned him not to follow Charlie due to the danger involved. Guile demonstrated his fighting ability, and assured Chun-Li that he would not let their friend come to harm. He eventually found the ] base in Japan along with the missing Charlie. The sinister and powerful ] appeared and attacked the two soldiers, daring them to follow him inside his Shadoloo base. As Chun-Li investigated another area, Charlie and Guile began to set explosives around their mission objective: Bison's source of power, the Psycho Drive. However, Bison surprised them, and a fight ensued. Charlie convinced Guile to escape while he held Bison off, so Guile took Chun-Li and escaped, right before the base exploded, with Charlie and Bison caught in the blast. Standing on the top of a mountain, Guile says he will always believe in Charlie's memory. | |||
Guile has been perceived as unique among ''Street Fighter II'' characters in both appearance and gameplay. He is noted as having only two signature moves in the game, both of which are performed by first holding a direction on the joystick and then pushing in the opposite direction with a punch or kick - the Sonic Boom and the Flash Kick, respectively. Guile has been well received, with the character often placing highly in various lists of the best ''Street Fighter'' characters of all time.<!--We already know that his theme goes with everything. It's already in the article. Don't add in unnecessary places.--> | |||
Holding Bison responsible for the death of his best friend, he seemingly dedicated his whole life to exacting revenge on Bison, who had by then somehow survived the explosion. A court case against the Shadaloo dictator failed when Bison bribed all the judges to let him go free. Bison, by this time wanted revenge on Guile, Chun-Li, and many other people who had hindered his syndicate's efforts. To this end, he set up the second World Warrior tournament to trap them. | |||
==Conception and design== | |||
Although the circumstances on how Guile approached Bison is sketchy, he managed to corner Bison and asked him if he remembered him or his friend Charlie. While Guile threatens the defeated Bison with the intent to kill him, he is stopped. | |||
Early '']'' sketches and notes suggest that Guile was developed specifically to appeal to American fans.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615070321/http://www.insertcredit.com/features/makingsf2/ |date=2011-06-15 }} by Chris Kohler, Insert Credit. Retrieved on 2008-01-10</ref> In an interview with ''Game On!'', Capcom Research and Design head Noritaka Funamizu stated that of the more popular characters in the series with western audiences, Guile was most likely considered the game's main character.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Staff |year=1996 |title=A Fighter Speaks |journal=Game On! |volume=1 |issue=1 |page=6 |publisher=Horibuchi, Seiji}}</ref> Guile's design and hairstyle is based on ] and ], characters from the manga '']''.<ref>Interview with Noritaka Funamizu - Weekly Famitsu Issue 1998/9/25</ref> Guile's name is not a reference to ], whose name was also referenced in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/origins-street-fighter-ii-character-names | title=A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names | access-date=2023-06-07 | archive-date=2023-06-02 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602141916/https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/origins-street-fighter-ii-character-names | url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
== |
==Appearances== | ||
Guile has a wife, Julia, and daughter, Amy, who appear and urge him not to kill the psychotic dictator, claiming that such behavior could destroy him. They tell him that the past is in the past and that he does not have to pursue his life of revenge. Realizing they are correct, he abandons his pursuit of Bison and retires happily to be with his family. | |||
Also, Julia and Eliza are actually sisters, making Ken and Guile brothers-in-law. However, this is not often discussed because Guile does not think very highly of Ken, believing him to be a spoiled rich kid. | |||
===In video games=== | |||
==Alternate stories== | |||
Guile was first introduced in '']'' (]) as one of the eight selectable characters featured in the first release of the game. The former elite ] teammate from the United States, Guile along with his best friend and co-pilot Charlie Nash were missing in action during a mission in Shadaloo, Thailand six years prior in 1987 during the events where Ryu fights Sagat in the ] tournament. After many months of being Shadaloo POWs in Cambodia, he and Nash have succeeded their prison break from their cell to escape the jungle camps. During their perilous trek to civilization, Guile witnessed the ambush and murder of Nash at the nefarious hands of a caped dictator in a red uniform, this has stricken Guile with grief and vengeance ever since. In the present year of 1993, Guile is now affiliated with the ] under the rank of Major, and has deserted both his wife, his daughter, and his nation for the opportunity to compete in the World Warrior tournament as an opportunity to avenge Nash against the sponsor of the competition. In his ending, he defeats Bison and lifts him on his knees by his throat to finish him off just after reminding him of who he murdered, but is dissuaded from killing him by his wife Julia (Jane in Japan) and their daughter Amy (Chris in Japan and ''Street Fighter 6''), he then spares the bruised and bloody Bison and returns to his country to spend ] with his family. | |||
Guile's war buddy Charlie would appear in the later prequel series '']'', although Guile himself did not appear in this sub-series until the console versions of '']'' (1998). They originally made Guile a hidden character in the initial PlayStation version of the game, though subsequent versions made him part of the initial roster. In his storyline in the game, Guile is an Air Force JTAC ordered to track down Charlie, who has gone missing. Guile eventually fights Charlie, as well as Bison as his final opponent. In his ending, Guile infiltrates Bison's base with Charlie and sets explosives on the Psycho Drive, only for the two to be caught in the act by Bison. Charlie holds off Bison while Guile escapes and the base explodes with Charlie still in it, resulting in his death. This ending, however, is retconned by ''Street Fighter V'', which portrays Charlie's death in ''Street Fighter Alpha 2'' at the hands of his own men secretly working for M. Bison as official canon. | |||
==Street Fighter 2:The Animated Movie== | |||
In Street Fighter 2:The Animated Movie,Guile is given the rank of captain.Unlike in the games,his family ,not being mentioned in the film at all,seem nonexistant.Instead, he is single.Another noncanon event in the film is that Guile,after meeting Chun Li,begins to have feelings for her.Proof for this would be when Guile went to the hospital, and upon seeing Chun Li`s body and believing that she died,tells her to rest in peace,and that M. Bison`s base got destroyed line.As he says this,a tear could be seen falling from his eyes.However Chun Li was just playing a prank,and after being fooled,Guile laughs and plays with her.Like in the games,he spends most of the time in the movie seeking M.Bison,trying to avenge Charlie`s death. | |||
Guile also appears as a playable character in '']'' (1997) and its two sequels, '']'' (1998) and '']'' (2000). The storyline of the ''EX'' series takes place at the same time as ''Street Fighter II''. In addition to tracking down Shadaloo to avenge Charlie, Guile is also hunted by a mercenary named Doctrine Dark (another playable character in this sub-series), who is actually a former subordinate named Holger. His relationship with ] as brothers-in-law (with their respective wives being sisters) is mentioned for the first time in the games in Ken's ending in the Japanese version of the original ''EX2''. | |||
==Street Fighter 2V== | |||
Like in the animated movie,Guile`s family don`t exist in Street Fighter 2V.Like in the games,he is given the rank of Sergeant.Unlike in the games,Charlie is not dead at the start of this anime adaption.Instead, Guile is just a regular soldier,who spends most of his time training physically and who has great pride in the U.S. Airforce..He has won at least one trophy for boxing.He seems to have a more brutal nature in this anime series,as shown during his fight with Ryu in the second episode.Throughout the series,Guile eventually becomes friends with Ryu,with one episode showing him train Ryu.He eventually gets involved in trying to stop M.Bison.One noticable thing in this anime adaption is that Guile lacks the ability to shoot Sonic Booms,instead relying on his fighting skills. | |||
Guile returns as a playable character in '']'' (2008), where he seeks authorization to conduct a search for his friend and comrade Charlie, whom he believes to be missing, but his request is rejected by his superior as he gives Guile a dog tag that belonged to Charlie and telling Guile to investigate S.I.N. and their connection to Shadaloo. In his Street Fighter IV ending, Guile is searching for ] after he defeats Seth. However, Seth finds Guile and he was rescued by Abel (who mentioned that he had seen a man (Charlie) that uses Guile's Sonic Boom move), and they were able to rescue Chun-Li. After that, Guile is sent home and reunited with his family. In '']''{{'}}s ending, Guile visits Charlie's grave and tells him that Shadaloo's plans are not over yet. Guile has an alternative costume that resembles Charlie's outfit in Street Fighter IV omega mode. | |||
==Live Street Fighter movie== | |||
In the live Street Fighter movie,Guile is given the rank of colonial.In this live adaption,Guile is commanding the U.N. forces as he searches for M.Bison.His motivation in the movie for searchng for M.Bison is not to avenge Charlie`s death(Charlie is alive throughout the film and gets turn into Blanka by M.Bison`s scientists) but to end M.Bison`s corrupt organization. | |||
Guile also appears as a supporting character in the crossover fighting game '']'' (2012), with Abel as his official tag partner. | |||
Guile returns as the first of the delayed characters in '']'' (2016–2022), as one of 6 DLC characters that were released after the game's launch in 2016. In this game, he is now promoted to a colonel rank. During Shadaloo's final scheme under a Black Moon-based Operation C.H.A.I.N.S., Guile suddenly encounters Charlie, who was resurrected by an unknown assailant (Illuminati), and joined the said third party side, despite their motives for Shadaloo's downfall are same. After Charlie cures Abel of M. Bison's Psycho Power, Guile reconciles with his undead friend. Guile joins the heroes who Karin recruited who join a final assault against the Shadaloo, with the help of a group of heroes who are recruited by an unknown assailant such as Charlie himself and Cammy, as well as a Middle East fighter Rashid, including Juri. While Rashid managed to shutdown Shadaloo's Operation C.H.A.I.N.S, Guile, Ryu, and Chun-Li watch Charlie a final time where the latter sacrifices his life to weaken M. Bison, with Ryu finishes his job to seemingly destroy M. Bison. Now finally at peace and becomes a national hero, Guile decides to retire from fighting to be with his family and become a mentor of the son of late-Robert Sullivan, Luke. Because the military which Luke joined in does not grant him the satisfaction to honor his late father, Guile convinces the military to release Luke from the army and advises the young man to pursue competitive fighting circuits across the globe and fight stronger opponents there, allowing Luke to become an independent man like his father before him. | |||
==Appearance== | |||
Early '']'' sketches and notes suggest that Guile was developed specifically to appeal to American fans.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} | |||
His physical appearance is strikingly different from the many Asian characters in the ''Street Fighter'' series, with light blue eyes, a chiseled jaw, and a particularly tall ] haircut. The length of Guile's hair varies greatly from appearance to appearance. It is relatively realistic in ''Street Fighter II'', and impossibly tall in '']''. Capcom sourcebooks suggest that Guile's famous hairdo is styled with a special-order army hair spray to keep it up (though he ends up fixing it quickly after a match).{{Fact|date=December 2007}} | |||
As Guile was absent from '']'', which took place several years after ''Street Fighter V'', Guile returns in '']'' (2023), which itself takes place after ''Street Fighter III''. Guile returns to his duty to investigate the ongoing conspiracy at Nayshall caused by the Amnesia terrorist organization led by JP, ever since they framed Ken for the crime he did not commit. | |||
Another way Guile's image differs from the Asian combatants in the series is his ] tattoos. Currently, he has one on each ], which is a ] from the initial one he had in ''Street Fighter II'' artwork (due to sprites in most videogames being forced to be symmetrical). | |||
Guile appears in both the ] and ] of ''Street Fighter: The Movie'', which were two separately-produced 1995 fighting games that used digitized footage from the live-action ''Street Fighter'' film, in which Guile was the lead character. Actor ] posed for Guile's animation frames in the game. | |||
Finally, Guile's Army fatigues complete his all-American look. The image of the uniformed American soldier is well-known in Japan due to the number of United States Armed Forces bases present in that country.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} | |||
The ''Alpha 3'' incarnation of Guile appears as a selectable character in several fighting game crossovers which including '']'' (2000), '']'' (2000), '']'' (2001) and '']'' (2003). He also appears in the SNK-produced installments of SNK/Capcom crossovers in '']'' (1999), '']'' (2003) and the '']'' series. A super-deformed version of the character is playable in the mobile puzzle game ''Street Fighter: Puzzle Spirits'' (2014).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.mmosite.com/content/2014-10-13/capcom_announces_new_street_fighter_mobile_title_with_puzzle_element.shtml|title=Capcom Announces New Street Fighter Mobile Title with Puzzle Element|publisher=MMOsite|date=October 12, 2014|access-date=October 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015033106/http://news.mmosite.com/content/2014-10-13/capcom_announces_new_street_fighter_mobile_title_with_puzzle_element.shtml|archive-date=October 15, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
Guile wears Charlie's ] alongside his own, as he searches for Bison. | |||
Guile appears in Charlie's ending in '']'' (he is not identified by name, only as "Charlie's friend"), swearing revenge on Bison for apparently killing Charlie. A Guile-inspired costume for players to use in Sony's '']'' was released as ].<ref>Acevedo, Jay (2008-12-12). {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723030032/http://www.gamefocus.ca/news/3420.html |date=2012-07-23 }}. Game Focus. Retrieved on 2008-12-18.</ref> Guile appears as an assist trophy in '']'', using Flash Kick and Sonic Boom. Guile was also added to '']'', along with ] on August 3, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/fortnite/22608424/fortnite-guile-cammy-street-fighter-skin-outfit-bundle|title=Fortnite getting another round of Street Fighter characters with Cammy and Guile|website=]|date=3 August 2021|access-date=4 August 2021|archive-date=4 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804003640/https://www.polygon.com/fortnite/22608424/fortnite-guile-cammy-street-fighter-skin-outfit-bundle|url-status=live}}</ref> A playable Guile skin will also be added to '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/06/ryu-guile-get-exoprimal-makeovers-for-street-fighter-6s-first-capcom-collaboration-dlc|title=Ryu, Guile Get Exoprimal Makeovers for Street Fighter 6's First Capcom Collaboration DLC|last=Barker|first=Sammy|website=Push Square|date=June 8, 2023|access-date=June 10, 2023|archive-date=June 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609175614/https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/06/ryu-guile-get-exoprimal-makeovers-for-street-fighter-6s-first-capcom-collaboration-dlc|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
==Gameplay== | |||
Guile is generally considered a top tier character in the Street Fighter 2 series.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} He is considered by most players as the best character after Ken and Ryu.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} Guile is the first of many characters to introduce the "charge" gameplay style, in that a player must hold in a direction for a few seconds and press in the other afterwards to pull off a special move.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} This type of gameplay can make Guile a defensive character.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} Because of the short lag after his Sonic Boom, though, he can follow it and use his various forward-moving attacks to pressure the enemy, which makes him offensively very powerful as well.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} | |||
The English version of '']'' implies that the character Gunloc is related to Guile. The video game adaptations of ''Street Fighter: The Movie'' expand on this, stating that Gunloc is Guile's brother. | |||
===Techniques=== | |||
Guile's two primary Special moves are the Sonic Boom (Projectile based attack) and the Somersault Kick (an anti-air attack). Both moves require a charge motion of-course. Throughout the series, these have been Guile's main special attacks and has been known to have more Super Attacks than special moves. The "Sonic Hurricane" is not a projectile but if it connects, it traps the opponents in and does multiple hits. Somersault Strike is basically his Somersault Kick with two more kicks added in. It acts like Ken's ShoryuuReppa in that it performs three Somersaults. It is also considered one of Guile's most difficult moves to perform. In ] he gained another Super Move called "Total Wipeout" which allows him to do consecutive punches that end with a final Backhand punch that knocks the opponent away. This move is similar to a super move he had in the EX series called "Opening Gambit", which also features consecutive punches but ends with a modified side Somersault kick instead of a backhand. | |||
===In other media=== | |||
==Actors== | |||
In the 1994 live-action '']'' film, Guile (given the full name of '''William F. Guile''') is played by ] and is the main protagonist instead of ] and ], to appeal to American viewers and for high-grossing purposes. Van Damme's line in the film, "Are you man enough to fight with me?", is taken from ''Street Fighter II'' and its follow-ups. His character is given the rank of Colonel. In this live adaption, Guile is commanding the A.N. (this film's version of the United Nations) forces as he searches for General M. Bison. His motivation for searching for Bison is not to avenge Charlie's death (who is alive, but kept prisoner by Bison), but to end Bison's corrupt organization and to rescue Charlie, although he receives a great deal of help from Ryu and Ken to find Bison's base, and is aided in his mission by ], ], Chun-Li, Balrog and E. Honda. Jean-Claude Van Damme's hair lacked the three-inch blonde flattop from the games as it is instead a bleached and gelled strawberry-blonde blowout hairdo, and even though the character was portrayed as American, Van Damme's Belgian accent was very noticeable, which implies that he is French-American. Van Damme, also put no effort into using the same fighting styles as Guile who uses a ] and is skilled in both ] and ] moves as seen in the games, instead the actor uses a ] and fights with ] throughout his entire fight scenes just like in most of his films. He does, however, execute his Flash Kick from the games during his fight with Bison. | |||
] | |||
Guile has had many ]s in the games he has appeared in, but he is voiced by Tesshō Genda in the majority of them. He is played by ] ] ] in the ] ] '']'', where he is the main character. Van Damme's line in the movie "Are you man enough to fight with me?" is straight from the game. | |||
Van Damme was approached to reprise the role in the reboot, '']'', but ultimately did not appear. | |||
==See also== | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
Guile was planned to appear in the second season of '']'', titled ''Street Fighter: World Warrior''; series creator ] was interested in casting ] as Guile.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://shogungamer.com/news/15587/street-fighter-assassins-fist-interview |title=Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist [Interview] |access-date=2013-04-30 |archive-date=2013-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807160339/http://shogungamer.com/news/15587/street-fighter-assassins-fist-interview |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gamereactor.eu/articles/87514/Street+Fighter:+Assassin%27s+Fist+Interview/ |title=Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist Interview |date=20 August 2013 |access-date=2013-09-10 |archive-date=2014-02-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140217181024/http://www.gamereactor.eu/articles/87514/Street+Fighter%3A+Assassin%27s+Fist+Interview |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/comic-con-capcom-greenlights-street-fighter-sequel-series-world-warrior-1201269367/|title=Comic-Con: Capcom Greenlights 'Street Fighter' Sequel Series 'World Warrior'|publisher=Variety|access-date=July 25, 2014|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108060153/https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/comic-con-capcom-greenlights-street-fighter-sequel-series-world-warrior-1201269367/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''World Warrior'' was eventually scrapped in favor of '']''; Guile was mentioned by Ken in the ''Resurrection'' episode "Fight & Flight" but did not appear in the series. | |||
==External links== | |||
* Guiles's , , , and entries at | |||
* | |||
Guile is one of the main characters in the 1994 anime film '']'', where he is voiced by Masane Tsukayama in the Japanese original and by ] (credited as Donald Lee) in the English dub. Guile, serving as a jet fighter pilot and ranked as a ] (O-3) in the U.S. Air Force, is assigned to work together with ] in order to take down ], whose organization ] (Shadowlaw in the English dub) has been kidnapping several martial artists and brainwashing them to do his evil bidding. Guile is at first far from happy to work with another person on the case, claiming loudly that "Bison's ass is mine", but a "special" friendship builds up between him and the Interpol agent. The film follows Guile's plot from the video game in Guile tracking down Bison to avenge ]'s death, and his vendetta is amplified when Chun-Li is hospitalized by Vega on Bison's orders (though Chun-Li manages to defeat Vega first). Near the end of the film, Guile manages to track Ryu down but is followed by Bison and a brainwashed Ken. Guile engages Bison in combat but is outmatched by the crime lord's overwhelming speed and only manages to damage his cape with a Sonic Boom. Bison then finishes the fight by blasting Guile down a chasm. Guile survives this, although exhausted and bloodied, and when Bison finds Guile, he decides to spare him as an insult, and leaves. Guile is rescued along with ] by ]. In his final scene, Guile, fully recovered, is moved to tears when informed that Chun-Li survived Vega's attack. | |||
{{Major Street Fighter Characters}} | |||
Based loosely on the storyline of the 1994 film while combining elements from ''Street Fighter II'', Guile serves as the main protagonist of the '']'' animated series, and is depicted as the leader of an organization of Street Fighters consisting of himself, Chun-Li, ], T. Hawk, Cammy, ] and ], with Ryu, Ken, ] and ] as loose associates. Bison has survived his battle with Guile following the events of the film, and Guile's sole goal is to destroy Bison once and for all. The cartoon ran for two seasons (October 21, 1995 – May 14, 1997) with a total of 26 episodes. | |||
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Guile appears in the 1995 anime series '']'', where he is voiced by ] in the Japanese original and once again by Kirk Thornton in the English Amimaze dub and by Rob Mungle in the ADV Films dub. In this TV series, Guile is a ] (E-7) in the ], who spends most of his time training physically and who has great pride in the Air Force. He faces Ryu in a bar fight after Ryu and Ken beat up some of his men (although it was Guile's men who started the fight in the first place when Ken stole one of their dates). Guile easily defeats Ryu, only to face Ken, who challenges him in an air force base to avenge Ryu. Despite a severe hangover, Guile is able to defeat Ken, which motivates the duo to start a training journey and improve their martial art skills by challenging opponents around the world. While in India, Ryu fights an imaginary Guile during a training session, but stops the fight and acknowledges his respect for the Sergeant for showing them how arrogant they were and inspiring them to travel the world. Later in the series, Guile is recruited by Ken's father along with his friend Charlie (who retains his Japanese name, Nash, in the dub) when Ryu, Ken and Chun-Li are taken captive by Shadaloo. He faces ] while infiltrating Bison's base, while Nash confronts Bison himself. Guile knocks Zangief out, but is unable to save Nash from Bison, who pits a brainwashed Chun-Li against the enraged Sergeant. Outside, Guile fights Chun-Li until Bison's demise snaps her out of her brainwashing, and he is last seen showing admiration for Ryu and Ken when they emerge unharmed from the battlefield. | |||
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In ] ''Street Fighter'' ], Guile is given a central role alongside Chun-Li, particularly in the first arc but he also is a frequent cast member in later arcs. Similar to the official story, Guile is chasing after Shadaloo to discover the whereabouts of his Air Force buddy, Charlie Nash. Guile is first introduced to Charlie after his aircraft is shot down and Charlie commands a black-ops mission to rescue him. Like the official story, Charlie teaches Guile to fight. For the first arc of the comics, Guile spends his time looking for Ryu, believing to there to be a connection between him and Shadaloo. He traces him to the US and then back to Japan. While in Japan, he and Chun-Li engage a Shadaloo-controlled Charlie (codenamed "Agent ]") and fight him off. At the end of the first story arc, Charlie regains his senses and rejoins Chun-Li and Guile before they're attacked by M. Bison. Charlie unleashes his latent Psycho Power abilities and sacrifices himself to take out Bison (Charlie giving his own life to stop Bison echoes Guile's ending in ''Street Fighter Alpha 3''), leaving Guile distraught and swearing vengeance against Shadaloo. Afterwards, Guile continues to assist Chun-Li in looking for Bison (whom they believe survived his encounter with Charlie) but all the while juggling his struggling relationship with his wife, Julia, and their daughter, Amy. Eventually the family reconciles at the end of the comic's second arc. Guile isn't heavily active during the second series of comics (''Street Fighter II'') but he is given an invitation to Bison's tournament, which he accepts as his final bid for vengeance. The final series (''Street Fighter II Turbo'') documents Guile's entry into M. Bison's fighting tournament. While on Shadaloo island, he is contacted by Cammy, who needs his help but cannot openly assist him as she is attempting to fool Bison into thinking she is under his control. Through a carefully woven set of scripted matches, Guile and Chun-Li get themselves eliminated from the tournament and successfully free the Delta Red squadron. Together they manage to locate and destroy Bison's Psycho Drive before evacuating the island as it sinks. The aftermath of the tournament show that Guile is satisfied with the results, believing he has successfully avenged Charlie, and is now comfortably living with his family. | |||
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Guile also appears alongside other ''Street Fighter'' characters in the ] crossover event ''Worlds Unite'', which featured various Capcom and ] franchises guest-starring in the ''], ], ]'', and '']'' comics. | |||
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==Reception== | |||
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Since his introduction, Guile has been positively received, ranking 4th in ''Gamest'' magazine's list of Best Characters introduced in 1991.<ref name=gamest68>{{cite journal|journal=GAMEST|issue=68|page=4|url=http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~dummy/gamest/magazine/gamest/v068.html|script-title=ja:第5回ゲーメスト大賞|language=ja|access-date=2009-04-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708023228/http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~dummy/gamest/magazine/gamest/v068.html|archive-date=2008-07-08|url-status=dead}}</ref> '']''{{'}}s D. F. Smith stated that while "there's nothing too fancy about him. He's just your basic, no-nonsense, all-American tough guy", his unique hairstyle and aesthetics helped give him enough personality to stand out.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/18/top-25-street-fighters-the-final-five?page=4 |title=Top 25 Street Fighter Characters – The Final Five |website=] |first=D. F. |last=Smith |date=2012-06-15 |accessdate=2023-12-18 |archive-date=2018-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930052352/https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/18/top-25-street-fighters-the-final-five?page=4 |url-status=live }}</ref> In another article for the website, he argued that the image of an "American soldier" is often the first that comes to mind for the Japanese, and felt of the whole cast the most like a "regular guy" in many ways. He voiced some disdain for how different the character was in the live action film, noting that despite Van Damme being a good fit physically, the rest of the aspects deviated too far.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/01/30/the-many-looks-of-the-street-fighter |title=The Many Looks of the Street Fighter |first=D. F. |last=Smith |website=] |accessdate=2023-12-18 |date=2012-06-16 |archive-date=2023-12-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218174301/https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/01/30/the-many-looks-of-the-street-fighter |url-status=live }}</ref> '']''{{'}}s Gavin Jasper praised Guile's backstory of revenge, and how the cost of his "soul" in the metaphorical sense helped make the conclusion of his story in ''Street Fighter II'' one of the best in video games overall. He further argued that compared to Chun-Li's own story of revenge, his was more compelling, stating "he has actual issues to work through".<ref>{{cite web |first=Gavin |last=Jasper |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/street-fighter-characters-ranked/ |date=2019-02-22 |title=Street Fighter Characters Ranked |website=Den of Geek |accessdate=2023-04-30 |archive-date=2023-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407014634/https://www.denofgeek.com/games/street-fighter-characters-ranked/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Nicholas Ware in a dissertation titled ''You Must Defeat Sheng Long to Stand a Chance'' suggested Guile acted as a connection for the series to American ] films, comparing him to characters such as ] or those played by ] who were often involved in quests for vengeance. He further argued that Guile's military background was not only intended to reflect the "one man army" hero archetype common in American films, but also reflect Japanese views of foreign military forces, establishing him to Japanese audiences as different from themselves compared to Ken for example, and thus not portrayed as crucial for inclusion in subsequent ''Street Fighter'' entries. Ware elaborated further to state he represents "both a trust in and a fear of white Western power, particularly military/martial power."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ware |first1=Nicholas |date=2010-08-01 |title='You Must Defeat Sheng Long To Stand a Chance': Street Fighter, Race, Play, and Player |url=https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_olink/r/1501/10?clear=10&p10_accession_num=bgsu1277062605 |journal=OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center |pages=48, 62–64 |access-date=2023-02-27 |archive-date=2023-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228045756/https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_olink/r/1501/10?clear=10&p10_accession_num=bgsu1277062605 |url-status=dead }}</ref> University of Delaware professor Rachel Hutchinson also discussed the use of imagery and military aspects to illustrate Guile as "not Japanese", stating that combat was "militarized and sexualized" through the presentation of his character and aesthetics in ''Street Fighter II''. She also noted the increased use of American iconography in this regard, namely in comparison to the first ''Street Fighter'' game, and how significant it was to Guile as a character through aspects such as his tattoos.<ref>{{cite book |title=Japanese Culture Through Video Games |page=83 |publisher=Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. |date=December 2020 |isbn=9780367728151 |last=Hutchinson |first=Rachael}}</ref> | |||
Guile has also appeared in the ] '']'' by Rensuke Oshikiri. The series' main character, Haruo Yaguchi, is a fan of ''Street Fighter II'' and always plays as Guile. This tends to be exaggerated to the point Haruo suffers from hallucinations where he talks to Guile while playing the game or interacting with other gamers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.retrorgb.com/netflixs-hi-score-girl-is-a-love-letter-to-retrogamers.html|title=Netflix's "Hi Score Girl" is a Love Letter to Retrogamers|date=29 December 2018|publisher=Retrogb|access-date=December 14, 2019|archive-date=14 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214182309/https://www.retrorgb.com/netflixs-hi-score-girl-is-a-love-letter-to-retrogamers.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/arcade-culture-takes-center-stage-in-netflixs-newest-an-1831466569|title=Arcade Culture Takes Center Stage In Netflix's Newest Anime Offering|date=3 January 2019|publisher=Kotaku|access-date=December 14, 2019|archive-date=14 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214182306/https://kotaku.com/arcade-culture-takes-center-stage-in-netflixs-newest-an-1831466569|url-status=live}}</ref> In Japan, the character has been used by cosmetic company Yanagiya as a real-world spokesman for their "J-Gel" hair products.<ref name="mashable">{{cite web |url=https://mashable.com/article/street-fighter-hair-gel |title=Japanese hair gel finds the perfect spokesperson: A 'Street Fighter' character |website=Mashable |first=Kellen |last=Beck |accessdate=2023-12-18 |date=2017-08-03 |archive-date=2023-12-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218151123/https://mashable.com/article/street-fighter-hair-gel |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
==References== | |||
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Latest revision as of 01:08, 21 December 2024
Street Fighter characterThis article may need to be rewritten to comply with Misplaced Pages's quality standards. You can help. The talk page may contain suggestions. (April 2023) |
Guile | |
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Street Fighter character | |
Guile in Super Street Fighter II (art by Bengus) | |
First appearance | Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991) |
Created by | Akira "Akiman" Yasuda |
Portrayed by | Jean-Claude Van Damme (Street Fighter film, game) |
Voiced by |
English
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In-universe information | |
Fighting style | Marine Corps Martial Arts Program |
Origin | United States |
Nationality | American |
Guile (Japanese: ガイル, Hepburn: Gairu) is a fictional character from Capcom's Street Fighter series of fighting games. He debuted as one of the original eight World Warriors in 1991's Street Fighter II and appeared in the game's subsequent updates. In the games he is portrayed as a pilot in the United States Air Force who is seeking to avenge the death of his Air Force buddy Charlie at the hands of the villainous dictator M. Bison. He started out as a major of the Air Force, until he is promoted to a colonel rank in Street Fighter V.
One of the most popular characters in the series, Guile has appeared in other Street Fighter games, including the home port versions of Street Fighter Alpha 3 (where he is a playable character alongside Charlie), and Street Fighter IV. He is also a playable character in various spin-off titles, such as the Street Fighter EX, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and SNK vs. Capcom series.
Guile has also appeared in other Street Fighter media: the main protagonist in the 1994 live-action Street Fighter film and its animated spin-off, as well as one of the main characters in Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. The character has also been featured in various official comics and merchandise. His music theme, known simply as "Guile's Theme", has been used multiple times, usually to give a sense of victory.
Guile has been perceived as unique among Street Fighter II characters in both appearance and gameplay. He is noted as having only two signature moves in the game, both of which are performed by first holding a direction on the joystick and then pushing in the opposite direction with a punch or kick - the Sonic Boom and the Flash Kick, respectively. Guile has been well received, with the character often placing highly in various lists of the best Street Fighter characters of all time.
Conception and design
Early Street Fighter II sketches and notes suggest that Guile was developed specifically to appeal to American fans. In an interview with Game On!, Capcom Research and Design head Noritaka Funamizu stated that of the more popular characters in the series with western audiences, Guile was most likely considered the game's main character. Guile's design and hairstyle is based on Rudol von Stroheim and Jean-Pierre Polnareff, characters from the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Guile's name is not a reference to The J. Geils Band, whose name was also referenced in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
Appearances
In video games
Guile was first introduced in Street Fighter II (1991) as one of the eight selectable characters featured in the first release of the game. The former elite SOF teammate from the United States, Guile along with his best friend and co-pilot Charlie Nash were missing in action during a mission in Shadaloo, Thailand six years prior in 1987 during the events where Ryu fights Sagat in the Street Fighter I tournament. After many months of being Shadaloo POWs in Cambodia, he and Nash have succeeded their prison break from their cell to escape the jungle camps. During their perilous trek to civilization, Guile witnessed the ambush and murder of Nash at the nefarious hands of a caped dictator in a red uniform, this has stricken Guile with grief and vengeance ever since. In the present year of 1993, Guile is now affiliated with the USAF under the rank of Major, and has deserted both his wife, his daughter, and his nation for the opportunity to compete in the World Warrior tournament as an opportunity to avenge Nash against the sponsor of the competition. In his ending, he defeats Bison and lifts him on his knees by his throat to finish him off just after reminding him of who he murdered, but is dissuaded from killing him by his wife Julia (Jane in Japan) and their daughter Amy (Chris in Japan and Street Fighter 6), he then spares the bruised and bloody Bison and returns to his country to spend Christmas with his family.
Guile's war buddy Charlie would appear in the later prequel series Street Fighter Alpha, although Guile himself did not appear in this sub-series until the console versions of Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998). They originally made Guile a hidden character in the initial PlayStation version of the game, though subsequent versions made him part of the initial roster. In his storyline in the game, Guile is an Air Force JTAC ordered to track down Charlie, who has gone missing. Guile eventually fights Charlie, as well as Bison as his final opponent. In his ending, Guile infiltrates Bison's base with Charlie and sets explosives on the Psycho Drive, only for the two to be caught in the act by Bison. Charlie holds off Bison while Guile escapes and the base explodes with Charlie still in it, resulting in his death. This ending, however, is retconned by Street Fighter V, which portrays Charlie's death in Street Fighter Alpha 2 at the hands of his own men secretly working for M. Bison as official canon.
Guile also appears as a playable character in Street Fighter EX (1997) and its two sequels, Street Fighter EX2 (1998) and Street Fighter EX3 (2000). The storyline of the EX series takes place at the same time as Street Fighter II. In addition to tracking down Shadaloo to avenge Charlie, Guile is also hunted by a mercenary named Doctrine Dark (another playable character in this sub-series), who is actually a former subordinate named Holger. His relationship with Ken as brothers-in-law (with their respective wives being sisters) is mentioned for the first time in the games in Ken's ending in the Japanese version of the original EX2.
Guile returns as a playable character in Street Fighter IV (2008), where he seeks authorization to conduct a search for his friend and comrade Charlie, whom he believes to be missing, but his request is rejected by his superior as he gives Guile a dog tag that belonged to Charlie and telling Guile to investigate S.I.N. and their connection to Shadaloo. In his Street Fighter IV ending, Guile is searching for Chun-Li after he defeats Seth. However, Seth finds Guile and he was rescued by Abel (who mentioned that he had seen a man (Charlie) that uses Guile's Sonic Boom move), and they were able to rescue Chun-Li. After that, Guile is sent home and reunited with his family. In Super Street Fighter IV's ending, Guile visits Charlie's grave and tells him that Shadaloo's plans are not over yet. Guile has an alternative costume that resembles Charlie's outfit in Street Fighter IV omega mode.
Guile also appears as a supporting character in the crossover fighting game Street Fighter X Tekken (2012), with Abel as his official tag partner.
Guile returns as the first of the delayed characters in Street Fighter V (2016–2022), as one of 6 DLC characters that were released after the game's launch in 2016. In this game, he is now promoted to a colonel rank. During Shadaloo's final scheme under a Black Moon-based Operation C.H.A.I.N.S., Guile suddenly encounters Charlie, who was resurrected by an unknown assailant (Illuminati), and joined the said third party side, despite their motives for Shadaloo's downfall are same. After Charlie cures Abel of M. Bison's Psycho Power, Guile reconciles with his undead friend. Guile joins the heroes who Karin recruited who join a final assault against the Shadaloo, with the help of a group of heroes who are recruited by an unknown assailant such as Charlie himself and Cammy, as well as a Middle East fighter Rashid, including Juri. While Rashid managed to shutdown Shadaloo's Operation C.H.A.I.N.S, Guile, Ryu, and Chun-Li watch Charlie a final time where the latter sacrifices his life to weaken M. Bison, with Ryu finishes his job to seemingly destroy M. Bison. Now finally at peace and becomes a national hero, Guile decides to retire from fighting to be with his family and become a mentor of the son of late-Robert Sullivan, Luke. Because the military which Luke joined in does not grant him the satisfaction to honor his late father, Guile convinces the military to release Luke from the army and advises the young man to pursue competitive fighting circuits across the globe and fight stronger opponents there, allowing Luke to become an independent man like his father before him.
As Guile was absent from Street Fighter III, which took place several years after Street Fighter V, Guile returns in Street Fighter 6 (2023), which itself takes place after Street Fighter III. Guile returns to his duty to investigate the ongoing conspiracy at Nayshall caused by the Amnesia terrorist organization led by JP, ever since they framed Ken for the crime he did not commit.
Guile appears in both the arcade and home versions of Street Fighter: The Movie, which were two separately-produced 1995 fighting games that used digitized footage from the live-action Street Fighter film, in which Guile was the lead character. Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme posed for Guile's animation frames in the game.
The Alpha 3 incarnation of Guile appears as a selectable character in several fighting game crossovers which including Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (2000), Capcom vs. SNK (2000), Capcom vs. SNK 2 (2001) and Capcom Fighting Jam (2003). He also appears in the SNK-produced installments of SNK/Capcom crossovers in SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium (1999), SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos (2003) and the SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash series. A super-deformed version of the character is playable in the mobile puzzle game Street Fighter: Puzzle Spirits (2014).
Guile appears in Charlie's ending in X-Men vs. Street Fighter (he is not identified by name, only as "Charlie's friend"), swearing revenge on Bison for apparently killing Charlie. A Guile-inspired costume for players to use in Sony's LittleBigPlanet was released as downloadable content. Guile appears as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, using Flash Kick and Sonic Boom. Guile was also added to Fortnite Battle Royale, along with Cammy on August 3, 2021. A playable Guile skin will also be added to Exoprimal.
The English version of Saturday Night Slam Masters implies that the character Gunloc is related to Guile. The video game adaptations of Street Fighter: The Movie expand on this, stating that Gunloc is Guile's brother.
In other media
In the 1994 live-action Street Fighter film, Guile (given the full name of William F. Guile) is played by Jean-Claude Van Damme and is the main protagonist instead of Ryu and Ken Masters, to appeal to American viewers and for high-grossing purposes. Van Damme's line in the film, "Are you man enough to fight with me?", is taken from Street Fighter II and its follow-ups. His character is given the rank of Colonel. In this live adaption, Guile is commanding the A.N. (this film's version of the United Nations) forces as he searches for General M. Bison. His motivation for searching for Bison is not to avenge Charlie's death (who is alive, but kept prisoner by Bison), but to end Bison's corrupt organization and to rescue Charlie, although he receives a great deal of help from Ryu and Ken to find Bison's base, and is aided in his mission by Cammy White, T. Hawk, Chun-Li, Balrog and E. Honda. Jean-Claude Van Damme's hair lacked the three-inch blonde flattop from the games as it is instead a bleached and gelled strawberry-blonde blowout hairdo, and even though the character was portrayed as American, Van Damme's Belgian accent was very noticeable, which implies that he is French-American. Van Damme, also put no effort into using the same fighting styles as Guile who uses a southpaw stance and is skilled in both Kickboxing and Wrestling moves as seen in the games, instead the actor uses a front stance and fights with Taekwando throughout his entire fight scenes just like in most of his films. He does, however, execute his Flash Kick from the games during his fight with Bison.
Van Damme was approached to reprise the role in the reboot, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, but ultimately did not appear.
Guile was planned to appear in the second season of Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist, titled Street Fighter: World Warrior; series creator Joey Ansah was interested in casting Scott Adkins as Guile. World Warrior was eventually scrapped in favor of Street Fighter: Resurrection; Guile was mentioned by Ken in the Resurrection episode "Fight & Flight" but did not appear in the series.
Guile is one of the main characters in the 1994 anime film Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, where he is voiced by Masane Tsukayama in the Japanese original and by Kirk Thornton (credited as Donald Lee) in the English dub. Guile, serving as a jet fighter pilot and ranked as a Captain (O-3) in the U.S. Air Force, is assigned to work together with Chun-Li in order to take down Bison, whose organization Shadaloo (Shadowlaw in the English dub) has been kidnapping several martial artists and brainwashing them to do his evil bidding. Guile is at first far from happy to work with another person on the case, claiming loudly that "Bison's ass is mine", but a "special" friendship builds up between him and the Interpol agent. The film follows Guile's plot from the video game in Guile tracking down Bison to avenge Charlie's death, and his vendetta is amplified when Chun-Li is hospitalized by Vega on Bison's orders (though Chun-Li manages to defeat Vega first). Near the end of the film, Guile manages to track Ryu down but is followed by Bison and a brainwashed Ken. Guile engages Bison in combat but is outmatched by the crime lord's overwhelming speed and only manages to damage his cape with a Sonic Boom. Bison then finishes the fight by blasting Guile down a chasm. Guile survives this, although exhausted and bloodied, and when Bison finds Guile, he decides to spare him as an insult, and leaves. Guile is rescued along with Balrog by E. Honda. In his final scene, Guile, fully recovered, is moved to tears when informed that Chun-Li survived Vega's attack.
Based loosely on the storyline of the 1994 film while combining elements from Street Fighter II, Guile serves as the main protagonist of the Street Fighter animated series, and is depicted as the leader of an organization of Street Fighters consisting of himself, Chun-Li, Blanka, T. Hawk, Cammy, Dee Jay and E. Honda, with Ryu, Ken, Fei Long and Dhalsim as loose associates. Bison has survived his battle with Guile following the events of the film, and Guile's sole goal is to destroy Bison once and for all. The cartoon ran for two seasons (October 21, 1995 – May 14, 1997) with a total of 26 episodes.
Guile appears in the 1995 anime series Street Fighter II V, where he is voiced by Tesshō Genda in the Japanese original and once again by Kirk Thornton in the English Amimaze dub and by Rob Mungle in the ADV Films dub. In this TV series, Guile is a Master Sergeant (E-7) in the U.S. Air Force, who spends most of his time training physically and who has great pride in the Air Force. He faces Ryu in a bar fight after Ryu and Ken beat up some of his men (although it was Guile's men who started the fight in the first place when Ken stole one of their dates). Guile easily defeats Ryu, only to face Ken, who challenges him in an air force base to avenge Ryu. Despite a severe hangover, Guile is able to defeat Ken, which motivates the duo to start a training journey and improve their martial art skills by challenging opponents around the world. While in India, Ryu fights an imaginary Guile during a training session, but stops the fight and acknowledges his respect for the Sergeant for showing them how arrogant they were and inspiring them to travel the world. Later in the series, Guile is recruited by Ken's father along with his friend Charlie (who retains his Japanese name, Nash, in the dub) when Ryu, Ken and Chun-Li are taken captive by Shadaloo. He faces Zangief while infiltrating Bison's base, while Nash confronts Bison himself. Guile knocks Zangief out, but is unable to save Nash from Bison, who pits a brainwashed Chun-Li against the enraged Sergeant. Outside, Guile fights Chun-Li until Bison's demise snaps her out of her brainwashing, and he is last seen showing admiration for Ryu and Ken when they emerge unharmed from the battlefield.
In UDON's Street Fighter comic adaptation, Guile is given a central role alongside Chun-Li, particularly in the first arc but he also is a frequent cast member in later arcs. Similar to the official story, Guile is chasing after Shadaloo to discover the whereabouts of his Air Force buddy, Charlie Nash. Guile is first introduced to Charlie after his aircraft is shot down and Charlie commands a black-ops mission to rescue him. Like the official story, Charlie teaches Guile to fight. For the first arc of the comics, Guile spends his time looking for Ryu, believing to there to be a connection between him and Shadaloo. He traces him to the US and then back to Japan. While in Japan, he and Chun-Li engage a Shadaloo-controlled Charlie (codenamed "Agent Shadow") and fight him off. At the end of the first story arc, Charlie regains his senses and rejoins Chun-Li and Guile before they're attacked by M. Bison. Charlie unleashes his latent Psycho Power abilities and sacrifices himself to take out Bison (Charlie giving his own life to stop Bison echoes Guile's ending in Street Fighter Alpha 3), leaving Guile distraught and swearing vengeance against Shadaloo. Afterwards, Guile continues to assist Chun-Li in looking for Bison (whom they believe survived his encounter with Charlie) but all the while juggling his struggling relationship with his wife, Julia, and their daughter, Amy. Eventually the family reconciles at the end of the comic's second arc. Guile isn't heavily active during the second series of comics (Street Fighter II) but he is given an invitation to Bison's tournament, which he accepts as his final bid for vengeance. The final series (Street Fighter II Turbo) documents Guile's entry into M. Bison's fighting tournament. While on Shadaloo island, he is contacted by Cammy, who needs his help but cannot openly assist him as she is attempting to fool Bison into thinking she is under his control. Through a carefully woven set of scripted matches, Guile and Chun-Li get themselves eliminated from the tournament and successfully free the Delta Red squadron. Together they manage to locate and destroy Bison's Psycho Drive before evacuating the island as it sinks. The aftermath of the tournament show that Guile is satisfied with the results, believing he has successfully avenged Charlie, and is now comfortably living with his family.
Guile also appears alongside other Street Fighter characters in the Archie Comics crossover event Worlds Unite, which featured various Capcom and Sega franchises guest-starring in the Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Universe, Mega Man, and Sonic Boom comics.
Reception
Since his introduction, Guile has been positively received, ranking 4th in Gamest magazine's list of Best Characters introduced in 1991. IGN's D. F. Smith stated that while "there's nothing too fancy about him. He's just your basic, no-nonsense, all-American tough guy", his unique hairstyle and aesthetics helped give him enough personality to stand out. In another article for the website, he argued that the image of an "American soldier" is often the first that comes to mind for the Japanese, and felt of the whole cast the most like a "regular guy" in many ways. He voiced some disdain for how different the character was in the live action film, noting that despite Van Damme being a good fit physically, the rest of the aspects deviated too far. Den of Geek's Gavin Jasper praised Guile's backstory of revenge, and how the cost of his "soul" in the metaphorical sense helped make the conclusion of his story in Street Fighter II one of the best in video games overall. He further argued that compared to Chun-Li's own story of revenge, his was more compelling, stating "he has actual issues to work through".
Nicholas Ware in a dissertation titled You Must Defeat Sheng Long to Stand a Chance suggested Guile acted as a connection for the series to American blockbuster films, comparing him to characters such as Rambo or those played by Charles Bronson who were often involved in quests for vengeance. He further argued that Guile's military background was not only intended to reflect the "one man army" hero archetype common in American films, but also reflect Japanese views of foreign military forces, establishing him to Japanese audiences as different from themselves compared to Ken for example, and thus not portrayed as crucial for inclusion in subsequent Street Fighter entries. Ware elaborated further to state he represents "both a trust in and a fear of white Western power, particularly military/martial power." University of Delaware professor Rachel Hutchinson also discussed the use of imagery and military aspects to illustrate Guile as "not Japanese", stating that combat was "militarized and sexualized" through the presentation of his character and aesthetics in Street Fighter II. She also noted the increased use of American iconography in this regard, namely in comparison to the first Street Fighter game, and how significant it was to Guile as a character through aspects such as his tattoos.
Guile has also appeared in the manga Hi Score Girl by Rensuke Oshikiri. The series' main character, Haruo Yaguchi, is a fan of Street Fighter II and always plays as Guile. This tends to be exaggerated to the point Haruo suffers from hallucinations where he talks to Guile while playing the game or interacting with other gamers. In Japan, the character has been used by cosmetic company Yanagiya as a real-world spokesman for their "J-Gel" hair products.
References
- Yasuda, Akira (May 12, 2012). "スト1組、リュウケンサガットのリニューアル、春ガイル本田ブランカザンギは俺で、ベガが中山、バイソンが松なんとか、ダルシムは王子、バルログが影山、ドッターはまたそれぞれ分担が違ってて、ドッターによってまたデザインが微妙に変質しています RT @tekkotz: スト2のキャラデ" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2018-10-02 – via Twitter.
- Street Fighter IV: Master Guide (in Japanese), Enterbrain
- "The Making Of Street Fighter II (or, Writing is Rewriting)" Archived 2011-06-15 at the Wayback Machine by Chris Kohler, Insert Credit. Retrieved on 2008-01-10
- Staff (1996). "A Fighter Speaks". Game On!. 1 (1). Horibuchi, Seiji: 6.
- Interview with Noritaka Funamizu - Weekly Famitsu Issue 1998/9/25
- "A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names". Archived from the original on 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- "Capcom Announces New Street Fighter Mobile Title with Puzzle Element". MMOsite. October 12, 2014. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
- Acevedo, Jay (2008-12-12). Weekly Playstation Store Update – December 12 Archived 2012-07-23 at the Wayback Machine. Game Focus. Retrieved on 2008-12-18.
- "Fortnite getting another round of Street Fighter characters with Cammy and Guile". Polygon. 3 August 2021. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- Barker, Sammy (June 8, 2023). "Ryu, Guile Get Exoprimal Makeovers for Street Fighter 6's First Capcom Collaboration DLC". Push Square. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- "Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist [Interview]". Archived from the original on 2013-08-07. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - "Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist Interview". 20 August 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-02-17. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
- "Comic-Con: Capcom Greenlights 'Street Fighter' Sequel Series 'World Warrior'". Variety. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
- ^ Beck, Kellen (2017-08-03). "Japanese hair gel finds the perfect spokesperson: A 'Street Fighter' character". Mashable. Archived from the original on 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- 第5回ゲーメスト大賞. GAMEST (in Japanese) (68): 4. Archived from the original on 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
- Smith, D. F. (2012-06-15). "Top 25 Street Fighter Characters – The Final Five". IGN. Archived from the original on 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- Smith, D. F. (2012-06-16). "The Many Looks of the Street Fighter". IGN. Archived from the original on 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- Jasper, Gavin (2019-02-22). "Street Fighter Characters Ranked". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
- Ware, Nicholas (2010-08-01). "'You Must Defeat Sheng Long To Stand a Chance': Street Fighter, Race, Play, and Player". OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center: 48, 62–64. Archived from the original on 2023-02-28. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
- Hutchinson, Rachael (December 2020). Japanese Culture Through Video Games. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. p. 83. ISBN 9780367728151.
- "Netflix's "Hi Score Girl" is a Love Letter to Retrogamers". Retrogb. 29 December 2018. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
- "Arcade Culture Takes Center Stage In Netflix's Newest Anime Offering". Kotaku. 3 January 2019. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
External links
- Media related to Guile (Street Fighter) at Wikimedia Commons
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