Balrog (Street Fighter)
Balrog is a male video game character who features in Street Fighter.
Contents |
Biography
Balrog was a male human where it was said that he had lived a life of poverty in his childhood. To survive, he developed a ruthless and cutthroat nature in order to live on the streets. In time, he became a great boxing champion and prize fighter who fought his way to the top. This saw him enjoying great fame where he came to live in Las Vegas. However, he engaged in illegal manoeuvres where he permanently injured an opponent and accidentally killed another leading to him being banned from boxing. As he valued money over glory, he came to fall into criminal endeavours leading to him eventually joining Shadaloo where he became the chief enforcer of its leader M. Bison.
While running errands for Bison, he killed Dhalsim's elephant with a single Gigaton Punch. In one mission, Balrog was sent to terminate Birdie, although he did not know the reason for this mission. Birdie told him about the Psycho Drive, and Balrog agreed to help him find it, thinking he could make money from it. When the Psycho Drive exploded, Balrog realized that he had not been paid recently. When Bison committed suicide after being defeated by the other World Warriors, ownership of Shadaloo was transferred to the former prize fighter. Unfortunately, due to his lack of experience and lack of decent management abilities, he ended up running the entire organization into the ground in no time. After the fall of Shadaloo, Balrog ended up back on the streets, working menial jobs such as casino security. When Bison makes his return through the construction of his new body, Balrog is immediately brought back into the organization, hired by Bison to pick up Seth after he was defeated by Ryu before dropping him off his headquarters and guard Bison's replacement bodies, which Balrog refers to as "dolls". Balrog is not satisfied with this, however, and forms a new get-rich-quick scheme. He manages to make his way into the S.I.N. building. While looking for treasure in his ending, he stumbles across a young bandaged boy begging for help. Initially disinterested, Balrog notices a mark in the shape of the Shadaloo symbol glowing on his hand. Realizing the boy could hold some valuable secrets, Balrog pulls him out of the ruins, believing he's finally lucked out. However, when Balrog asks what the boy can do, he reveal that he is powerless on his own; though Balrog assumes he's useless, he carries the boy off anyway. Balrog is convinced that the child will be of use to him later, and owes his as much in return for rescuing him.
F.A.N.G came to be impressed to see Balrog had found the bandaged boy from the S.I.N laboratory who is revealed to be Ed. F.A.N.G informs him about their plan namely Operation C.H.A.I.N.S. which was now in full swing and to keep this information a secret. He also remarks that his actions are considered betrayal which causes Balrog to fight him. After the commotion, Balrog manages to knock F.A.N.G's hat off before retreating saying that he has work to do. When he calls Ed to come out, Ed manages to burn the hat into ashes. In China, Balrog and Ed meet up with Urien then Necalli confronts them in order to devour their souls. Urien tells Balrog to beat Necalli down for some reward money, which Balrog excitedly agrees as he fights off Necalli. When Necalli was defeated, he turns into dust. Urien pays him the reward and wants him to deliver the data of Operation C.H.A.I.N.S. in exchange for his service at Shadaloo with Balrog accepting the payment. Back at the Shadaloo Base, Ed remarks that Urien was more of a jerk. Balrog reveals that will bash his face once the job is done. Ed agrees to his plan as both he and Balrog walk away.
In New York, F.A.N.G, Balrog, and Vega bicker about the success and failures of Operation C.H.A.I.N.S. When Bison appears for a report of "the other device", F.A.N.G brings forth two Shadaloo soldiers to test out against Balrog and Vega. After defeating the soldiers, the two kings threaten F.A.N.G. Chun-Li and Guile appear and take notice of the carnage, before finally seeing Bison. Chun-Li confronts them, despite Guile's efforts to stop her. Bison steps forward and engages her himself, stating she was foolish to come. With a burst of Psycho Power, Bison throws Chun-Li to the floor. Guile rushes to her aid, but is intercepted by Vega who challenges him. Later, after retrieving the control piece in India, Zangief and Guile are attacked by two Shadaloo soldiers. Balrog appears with Ed, unimpressed how weak the soldiers still are. Santamu jumps off of a rooftop and attacks Guile. While the two engage in combat, Balrog battles Zangief who easily endures one of his punches. As Balrog prepares to fight, Ed observed Zangief curiously. Ed informed Balrog that Zangief may have one of the control pieces. While Balrog distracts Zangief, Ed uses his Psycho Power to retrieve the piece. The duo then makes their escape, leaving behind Santamu and another Shadaloo soldier to hold off Zangief and Guile. Balrog is next seen during the Street Fighters' assault on Shadaloo's base of operations. There, Ibuki and Mika, now separated from the group, spot Balrog and Ed passing by with a control piece. Balrog challenges the two, in which Ibuki obliges. Despite her efforts, Balrog doesn't stay down. He attacks, but Mika saves Ibuki to return the favor. As Mika takes her turn in fighting Balrog, Ibuki focuses on the oncoming Shadaloo soldiers. Balrog remains standing, but Ibuki and Mika nod to each other as if they have a plan. Mika grapples Balrog, which prompts Ed to assist; only to be foiled by Ibuki's smoke bombs. They then stole the piece from Balrog and made their escape.
After the fall of Shadaloo and death of Bison, Ed and Balrog take refuge near a waterfall at New Zealand. However, Ed experiences another one of his nightmares and is about to be possessed by the spirit of M. Bison himself. Ed fights off the spirit and prevents it from possessing him before leaving the tent they're sleeping in to travel elsewhere. Balrog wakes up and asks him what was troubling him. Ed somberly replied that he feared if they stay together, Balrog would eventually get hurt, to which Balrog stated that Ed is too weak to hurt him and that chumps like Ed should shut up and follow orders. Angered and annoyed, Ed retorts that he's no chump and that the boxer's nothing without him before telling him to go away, while at the same time remembering fonder times together when Balrog was training him and praising him. This erupts into a fight between the two of them, with Balrog insisting that he can't hurt, but Ed prevails. Balrog, in a very uncharacteristic moment, expresses sadness by sobbing while he tries to hide behind his usual wall of toughness and anger, revealing that he didn't want Ed to leave and genuinely cared, and likewise, so did Ed, who leaves behind his only friend and paternal figure.
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Balrog was a tall, heavily built and very muscular African-American man.
Typically, he was shown as having a self-centered, hot-tempered, arrogant and sadistic personality.
A greedy American boxer, he loved booze, gambling and women. His motivations had always been to attain massive wealth, fame and glory so that his life would be easy.
It was his ambitious nature that led to him rising from the lower ranks of Shadaloo to one of the organizations executives.
However, he was shown to lack leadership skills and the ability to manage an organization. This was seen when Bison was believed dead whereupon Balrog came to assume the position after it fell on him. The organization then almost immediately collapsed under his leadership forcing him to work security at casinos and other places in order to get by in life.
Though seen as stupid, he was actually quite devious and capable of devising successful plans.
He came to be responsible for raising Ed (エド Edo?) after taking the boy in.
Powers and abilities
It was said that he was armed with the world's strongest punches. Such was his skill that he came to be the former heavyweight boxing champion.
Among the techniques known to him included:
- Gigaton Blow (ギガトンブロー Gigaton Burō?) :
- Dirty Bull (ダーティーブル Daatii Buru?) :
- Buffalo Breaker (バッファローブレーカー, "Baffarōburēkā") :
- Buffalo Head (バッファローヘッド Baffaroo Heddo?) :
- Violent Buffalo (バイオレンスバッファロー Baiorensu Baffaroo?, Violence Buffalo) :
- Crazy Buffalo (クレイジーバッファロー Kureijii Baffaroo?) :
He came to be a member of the Shadaloo (シャドルー Shadorū?) where he stood among its top executives as one of the Four Heavenly Kings (四天王 (してんのう) Shitennō?).
Notes
- Balrog was created by Capcom where he featured in the setting of the Street Fighter universe.
- In Japan, the character was known as M. Bison (マイク・バイソン Maiku Baison?).
- The character was loosely based on the real-life semi-retired boxer Mike Tyson.
In other media
Television
- In Street Fighter, Balrog appeared in the setting of the 1990s animated television series where he was voiced by actor Paul Dobson.
- In Street Fighter II V, Balrog appeared in the setting of the anime television series where he was voiced by Japanese actor Tomomichi Nishimura and by English actor Joe Romersa in the dub. Balrog was a Shadaloo spy who had infiltrated Interpol where he hired Cammy to assassinate Chun-Li's father Dorai, under the false pretense that Dorai was the Shadaloo spy. Though Cammy carried out the assassination, Balrog later learnt from his superiors that Dorai survived and Interpol were covering it up to lure the spy up. In a panic, Balrog demanded that Cammy finish Dorai off, which led to a fight between her and Fei-Long inside Dorai's hospital room, during which Cammy learns of Balrog's treachery. Balrog was later confronted by Cammy and he attempted to kill her, but with help from Fei-Long and the Interpol chief, he was subdued and arrested.
Films
- In Street Fighter, Balrog appeared in the setting of the 1994 live action film where he was portrayed by actor Grand L. Bush. Balrog, G. had been a former boxer who refused to throw a match leading to Sagat ruining his boxing career. This led to him holding a grudge against the Shadaloo Tong headed by Sagat where he eventually became a videographer in Chun-Li's news crew.
- In Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, Balrog appeared in the setting of the 1994 anime film where he was voiced by Japanese actor Jouji Nakata and by English actor Joe Romersa in the dub. He was portrayed as one of Bison's three top men like in the Street Fighter II games, serving as a representative and informant for Bison during a drug deal in Las Vegas and ends up fighting against E. Honda during the final battle. Honda defeats him off-screen and later carries him to safety. He is presumably handed over to the authorities after Bison is defeated by Ryu and Ken. In battle, he wears dark green cargo pants instead of his boxing trunks, and lacks his boxing gloves.
- In Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, Balrog appeared in the setting of the 2009 live-action film where he was portrayed by actor Michael Clarke Duncan.
Video games
- In Street Fighter X Tekken, Balrog appeared as a playable character in the setting of the crossover fighting video game where he was tagged with his partner Vega.
Appearances
- Street Fighter II: The World Warrior: (1991)
External Links
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