Short answers, pulled from the story.
Captain Sawada was created by writer-director Steven E. de Souza and Capcom executives in 1994 to accommodate actor Kenya Sawada. The character originated from a casting accident where Kenya was originally hired to play Ryu but was recast due to limited English skills.
Captain Sawada first appeared in the Street Fighter film released in 1994 and in the 1995 video game adaptations. The character was introduced to audiences during the production of the film when the creative team decided to invent a new role for Kenya Sawada.
The name Captain Sawada is a combination of the actor Kenya Sawada's real name and a moniker chosen to be easy to pronounce for audiences worldwide. The character was named this way to allow Kenya to rely on his physical presence rather than his voice in the film.
Captain Sawada died in the 1995 video game adaptations by committing harakiri, or ritual suicide, to damage his opponent with his own blood. This technique was combined with kamikaze attacks and a katana-based strike to create one of the most unusual fighting game characters ever created.
According to the Street Fighter World Warrior Encyclopedia, Arcade Edition published in 2020, Captain Sawada is a member of the United States Air Force. This military background was added to the character in the 2020 publication and was not present in the original 1994 film.
Captain Sawada is considered a cult figure because his harakiri technique and intense portrayal by Kenya Sawada created an enduring legacy despite being a placeholder character. The character has been ranked among the top 50 Street Fighter characters in an official poll and remains popular in games like Neco Drop 2 and Mainichi Issho.