| Kenzo Sawada | |
|---|---|
| Street Fighter character | |
 Captain Sawada inStreet Fighter V | |
| First appearance | Street Fighter: The Movie (1994) |
| First game | Street Fighter: The Movie (arcade game) (1995) |
| Created by | Steven E. de Souza |
| Based on | Kenya Sawada |
| Portrayed by | Kenya Sawada |
| Voiced by | Michael Dobson (TV series)[1] |
| In-universe information | |
| Fighting style | List
|
| Origin | Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
Kenzo Sawada,[2] commonly known asCaptain Sawada, is a character in the 1994filmStreet Fighter. Portrayed byKenya Sawada, he came about due to Kenya originally being cast asRyu throughCapcom's wishes, but was recast by writer-directorSteven E. de Souza as an original character called Captain Sawada, created to give him a role. He lost the role due to De Souza wanting an actor who had a better grasp of English.
He later appears as a playable character in both thearcade game adaptation andconsole game adaptation, both in 1995. He usesMuay Thai, as well as techniques based onharakiri andkamikaze. The game has come to be known as the "Sawada Game" due to his involvement. His techniques, particularly the harakiri technique, contributed to him becoming a cult favorite among fans. He has also been compared to the characterFei-Long fromStreet Fighter II, suggested to have replaced the character in the film.[3]
Captain Sawada is a Japanese man[4] who works as the second-in-command in the Allied Nations to the characterGuile.[citation needed] He uses aspects of multiple fighting styles, includingMuay Thai,Shorinji Kempo,Ninjitsu, and Sawada-ryu kenkajutsu.[5][6][7][8] He is portrayed in the 1994 filmStreet Fighter byKenya Sawada. He envisioned the character like asamurai, with strengths including being powerful, humble, honest, and faithful.[9] Kenya stated that he came toLos Angeles after hearing that a movie based onStreet Fighter II was in the works, eventually contacting the casting directorMary Joe Slater through trial and error. He added that Slater introduced him to producerEdward Pressman and writer-directorSteven E. de Souza, emphasizing his physique and action to make up for his lack of English skills.[10] Kenya was considered a "safe, familiar choice" byCapcom according to De Souza, and was originally slated to play the role ofRyu, having portrayed a character similar to Ryu in commercials.[11] De Souza wanted to castChinese-American actorByron Mann, and De Souza chose to not cast Sawada as he wanted someone who had comic timing and better English skills.[12]
According to Kenya, his physical abilities helped Pressman take notice of him.[9] In order to keep Kenya in the cast, De Souza and Capcom invented Captain Sawada, as no one inStreet Fighter II fit what Capcom wanted out of him, which De Souza said was "essentially another Ryu."[11] Because of Sawada's relatively lacking lacking English skills, he was the only character dubbed into English for the US release.[11] The character was named Sawada due to a combination of it being Kenya's name and it being easy to pronounce "for all the world."[9] De Souza recounted that Sawada "stared daggers" at him.[12] According to anInside Games writer, Kenya ad-libbed in the role, though they stated that this was a rumor.[13]
Captain Sawada first appeared in theStreet Fighter film. He is an associate ofGuile. He says relatively little, and serves a minor role in the film.[14][15] He leads a small number of troops in laying siege to villainM. Bison's fortress.[15] He later appeared in twovideo game adaptations of theStreet Fighter film,one on arcades andone on consoles. While most of the cast originates from theStreet Fighter video games, Captain Sawada is one of a handful of characters from the movie.[15] He uses techniques based on Japanese concepts, likeharakiri andkamikaze,[16] a katana-based attack, and a modified version of Guile's flash kick technique.[17] He also appears in theanimated TV series[18] the manga adaptation by Sakayuki Sakai[19] and treet Fighter Brazilian comics.[20]
During the development ofSNK vs. Capcom Card Fighters DS, the game's artist,Falcoon, made his first request for a character to be included was Captain Sawada, but it did not pan out due to copyright issues.[21] Sawada appears in the video gameMainichi Issho, where he provides an introductory lesson to self-defense techniques.[22] He also appeared as a character in the puzzle gameNeco Drop 2 in 2021, the first time he had appeared alongside otherStreet Fighter characters since appearing in the console adaptation of theStreet Fighter movie.[23] InNeco Drop 2, a cat based on Sawada is featured.[24]
In 2021, Sawada was given a profile in Shadaloo Combat Research. It states that he is participating in operations to eliminate Shadaloo once and for all.[7]
According to theStreet Fighter World Warrior Encyclopedia – Arcade Edition (2020), Sawada is a member of theUnited States Air Force.
Captain Sawada has been received well by fans and critics, ranked among the top 50Street Fighter characters in an official poll.[25] His popularity among fans of the game have led to the game being nicknamed as the "Sawada Game."[16] Due to his appearance inNeco Drop 2, speculation occurred as to whether he would return in aStreet Fighter game.[24] He has been compared to the characterFei-Long byDestructoid writer Zoey Handley andRetro Gamer writer Nick Thorpe, the latter believing he replaced him in the film. Despite this, Thorpe stated that the two did not play alike at all.[26][15]
Captain Sawada was identified as one of the most unusual fighting game characters byAutomaton Media writer Naohiko Misuno, noting that he has developed a cult following. Misuno noted that multiple standout qualities, including his personality and his move where he commits harakiri to damage the opponent with his blood.[27]4gamer writer Yoshida noted that his harakiri move contributed to the cult success of the video game adaptation of the film, stating that Sawada was loved by fighting game fans. He identified himself as a fan of both the character and his actor, appreciating his appearance inMainichi Issho.[22]Excite writer Kukanshakyo felt that he had an overwhelming presence in the game, owing to his harakiri technique, as well as his kamikaze technique.[16]IT Media writer Gameman found Sawada to be a strong character in the game, noting that despite having multiple interesting attacks, the harakiri attack stands out.[28]Retro Gamer writer Nick Thorpe felt that the move was both offensive and stupid, appreciating that Sawada never appeared in anotherStreet Fighter game and that the actor had a successful career after the film. He believed that his addition was "Hollywood politics."[15]
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