| “ | Your words are not needed. | „ |
| ~ Sagat. |
Sagat is a recurring character, and Ryu's arch-rival in the Street Fighter franchise. He was originally a boss character in the early editions of the series. He was later turned into a regular, playable character. Sagat is also referred to as "The Emperor of Muay Thai", "The King of Muay Thai" or "The God of Muay Thai" in the games. Many Thais believe that Sagat is based on a real-life Muay Thai fighter named Sagat Petchyindee (สกัด เพชรยินดี), but Capcom has never confirmed this.
He has been voiced by has been voiced by Shigezō Sasaoka in Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, Shinichiro Miki in the Street Fighter Alpha subseries and the first three Capcom vs. SNK games, Banjō Ginga in Street Fighter II V, Sakai Albright in the Street Fighter EX subseries, Kōji Suizu in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, and Daisuke Endo in all appearances since Street Fighter IV in the Japanese version, and by the late Peter Spellos in Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie and Street Fighter II V, Robert O. Smith and John Payne in the Street Fighter cartoon, and Isaac C. Shingelton Jr. in for the rest of his apperances.
In the live-action Street Fighter movie, he was portrayed by well-known Native American actor Wes Studi.
History
Beginnings
| “ | Defeat has brought me rage... Rage that leads me to victory! | „ |
| ~ Sagat's victory quote in SFA3. |
Sagat grew up in Thailand, where the style of fighting of Muay Tai was greatly revered and he had learned it since he could walk. The title of Emperor of Muay Thai was the most honorable accolade a Muay Thai fighter could possibly receive and the bearer of this title was seen as a national hero.
Sagat challenged the reigning Emperor of Muay Thai, Nuah Kahn to a fight for his title. Sagat won the battle and became the new Emperor of Muay Thai. Sagat later defended his title of Emperor of Muay Thai against Go Hibiki, the father of Dan Hibiki. Go would wound Sagat's right eye and in return, Sagat viciously killed Go, causing him to win the fight.
Dan swore revenge upon Sagat. Sagat then hosted a World Warrior tournament, but Ryu ended his reign when he tapped into the Satsu No Hadou and used the Mestu Shoryuken on the Muay Thai emperor, giving him his trademark scar in the process. Later, Sagat's former pupil Adon challenged his master for the title of Emperor of Muay Thai and won, but not before Sagat had injured the younger man in the process.
The aftermath of the battle left Sagat a broken angry man and he was approached by M. Bison who offered him Shadaloo resources to find Ryu and have his revenge for his service. Sagat's nearly indomitable power brought him up to position as Bison's right-hand man.
As Bison's personal bodyguard, Sagat would fight second to Bison himself in the second World Warrior tournament.
Story
After joining Shadaloo, Sagat immediately set out to locate Ryu. When he found him, Ryu neglected to fight him because Sagat had not fully recovered from their last bout. Sagat would not back down, and defeated Ryu, but he couldn't help but feel that the victory was hollow somehow, and decided that Ryu had let him win. Sagat determined to train even harder and win cleanly the next time. He worked on honing the Tiger Blow, which would later be perfected as the Tiger Uppercut. Sagat later encountered Dan Hibiki, now an adult seeking revenge for his father's death in the fight with Sagat ten years ago. Dan managed to defeat Sagat somehow, which may be attributed to the fact that Sagat's mind was not clear due to his previous battle with Ryu.
During SFA3, Sagat then realized that his scar was a result of the Satsui no Hadou which possessed Ryu. Finally, he understood that true rivals should not be blinded by rage and hatred, nor be seduced by it, and realized Bison's real intentions.
However, Bison presented him with a brainwashed Ryu, and told Sagat he could have the rematch he always wanted. Despite Sagat's disappointment with fighting a corrupted opponent, Sagat still fought Ryu. To break Bison's mind control, he implored to Ryu that a true warrior would not give in to such treachery. Ryu awakened from Bison's control and, rejecting the Satsui no Hadou, Ryu defeated and destroyed Bison temporarily. Sagat finally realized that rivalries must have their limits. He tells Ryu that he was almost destroyed by the corruption. Sagat then tells Ryu that he is not yet ready to take him on again. Ryu then leaves Sagat, promising to return when he becomes a true master. Sagat realizes that he must defeat Ryu not for revenge, but as his destiny.
The second World Warrior tournament was announced, and Sagat saw an opportunity to face Ryu in a fair rematch, but Ryu was knocked out of the competition. Sagat decided to drop out of the tournament before his next match, and finished third in the tournament. Sagat continued to train his body and mind in Thailand, hoping to become the world's strongest fighter once again before he became too old to do so.
After the second World Warrior Tournament, Sagat lapses into a depression. Attending one of Adon's matches in search of something to re-ignite his spirit, he is mocked and challenged to a match by his former pupil. Sagat defeated Adon with his new move, Tiger Destruction, and was cheered on by the fans. Reinvigorated, he then enters S.I.N.'s new tournament in order to find the "ultimate purpose of the fight".
Appearance
Sagat is characterized by his intimidating appearance and towering muscular build. He wears Muay Thai trunks with colors varying from purple with yellow trim, to blue with red trim, to blue with yellow. He also wears the hand and feet wraps common to many Muay Thai practitioners. At 7' 5" (226 cm), Sagat is the fourth-tallest character in the whole Street Fighter franchise, behind T. Hawk, Hugoand Abigail. There is evidence to suggest that Sagat's height was the result of him suffering from GigantismWdisorder.
In his youth, Sagat used to have long hair, which is shown to be reddish-brown in one of his alternate costumes in Street Fighter IV. Either he lost his hair over the years or intentionally shaved them off at some point. Additionally, he wore a MongkhonW.
Ever since Sagat's right eye was gouged out in his fight with Go Hibiki before the events of Street Fighter, it is covered by a black eyepatch. Another notable injury was inflicted by Ryu during their fated fight in Street Fighter; a massive diagonal scar across his chest. Oddly enough, the Street Fighter II V anime series depicts him with neither of these injuries.
Sagat's ending in Street Fighter Alpha 2 shows him in a white muscle shirt, grey jeans and grey fingerless gloves. In the same scene, Balrog wears the same clothes (while keeping his boxing gloves on), implying that it may have been an official Shadaloouniform.
In Street Fighter V, Sagat mostly remains unchanged, he now wears a dark blue tattered capris with an orange and yellow belt and is covered with a short green tattered cloak with matching wraps on his arms and feet. He has smaller scars around his chest and covering his limbs.
Abilities
Sagat is a powerful master of Muay Thai who defeated the reigning king of the discipline when he was only a teenager. He never lost a battle prior to his first encounter with Ryu and was known to be the strongest fighter in the world. After witnessing Go Hibiki's hiza geri, he learned and improved the technique as if it was his own. Over the course of his career, when he suffered a counter attack, by learning techniques to counter them, he was able to overcome his weaknesses and blind spots. Has rebuilt his fighting style through intense training to match Ryu's and added several techniques over the course of the years. Through self-awareness, Sagat realized how pointless his hatred and rage towards Ryu were, becoming a better and wiser man, now focused on finding the true meaning of the fight itself, made of victories, losses and constant improvement.
Personality
| “ | A strong fighter is not one who always wins, but one who stands after defeat. | „ |
| ~ Sagat, reflecting his personal experience with Ryu. |
Sagat encompasses a stereotypical "proud fighter" personality since he is very powerful and strong-willed, as well as hard-working; he is dedicated to the martial arts life in both body and spirit. According to various bios, his natural size drove him to become a powerful fighter. Sagat's uncommon physical appearance makes him menacing and downright unfriendly at first glance, which is true to a certain extent.
After he was beaten by Ryu, he drew power from the hateful memories. But with his purpose later being defined by the "heart of battle", his more honorable traits came to the forefront. In his Street Fighter IV prologue an old priest who lives in the same village as Sagat noticed this change. He has a lot of regret and bitterness towards his former sins, especially the killing of Go Hibiki, despite the latter taking out his eye. Sagat spared his son Dan when he came for revenge, seeing how easily hatred can corrupt the soul.
Another sign of goodness can be seen in Street Fighter × Tekken, where he helps Dhalsim find and rescue missing village children. Even when offered the mighty power of Pandora, Sagat refuses, stating that "a king like him doesn't need the power of the Gods" and makes the children's safety his top priority.
Sagat appreciates opponents that are worthy and strong-minded while greatly despising people who take unfair and dishonest advantages in combat. His win quotes show him to be a proud and belittling man; this has long since given way to a more honest, advisory side, that still contains his characteristic straight-to-the-point bluntness.
Gallery
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Videos
Trivia
- Sagat is similar to Dinobot from Beast Wars: Transformers as both are former villains and later switched sides to fight against their former leader and both are honorable fighters.
- Sagat is also similar to Scar from Disney's The Lion King as both murdered their enemy's beloved fathers, prompting them to avenge for their deaths. Unlike Scar however, Sagat is already reformed.
