Oro (Street Fighter)
During the development of Street Fighter III: New Generation, a character that became Oro was originally planned to be a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter. This early concept drew inspiration from the Gracie family and their martial arts lineage. As development progressed, the team looked over previously suggested designs for the roster. Of these designs, Oro's stood out to the sprite art team pushing who wanted to see the character in motion. The design was overseen by Yūji Imamura, who had previously worked as a graphics designer on Capcom's Darkstalkers series. Producer Tomoshi Sadamoto was unsure of how well Oro alongside fellow character Necro would go over with audiences so he helped oversee the characters' development directly. He stated in an interview that he formed an attachment to them along the way. The North American branch of Capcom however reacted more negatively upon seeing the new characters. Developer Chris Tang stated his reaction to Oro was to wonder if something terrible had happened. He specifically wondered if everyone behind the development of Street Fighter II had been fired.
Standing 161 cm tall, Oro is a wrinkled old man with solid red eyes and yellow skin. His head is bald with a few strands of long hair extending from his scalp while he is missing most of his teeth. His outfit consists of a dark red sash around his body tied up around his left shoulder held behind his back. One of his arms is held behind his back when he fights as a form of self-handicapping. Oro is naked beneath his robes which causes some of his animations in Street Fighter III to briefly expose his genitals. Oro's character portraits were designed to make him look more intimidating than his in-game sprites. At one point in development he was also intended to have a scar on his back. When Oro was brought back for Street Fighter V, a prequel to the Street Fighter III games, the development team had some difficulty. They felt the character was so well represented in the original 2D sprite art. While several ideas were considered on how to portray him restraining one arm, they chose to have him holding a turtle with that arm instead during the fight. His outfit was left unchanged due to his role as a hermit with the exception of an added loincloth.
Oro is an ancient martial arts master who lives a secluded life of an immortal hermit. He first appeared in Street Fighter III and decided that the only martial artist he met worthy of inheriting his secrets was Ryu. In 3rd Strike, Oro's boredom had reached its limit after many young fighters came to him trying to become his disciples but none lasted long enough. One day he happened to hear a rumor about something secular that caught his interest. A mysterious organization existed where someone mastered the art of fist which should be some fun. Oro would take on young fighters as his apprentices but no one of them lasted long. He heard rumors involving a mysterious organization and the master of the fist and he decided to investigate. In his ending, Oro is shown trying to make Ryu, who is unaware of Oro's presence in his training, his disciple again. He fights using only one arm while carrying a tortoise named Yamasen in the other.
Oro later reappears in Street Fighter V during Dhalsim's character story as Dhalsim encounters him while teaching a police officer named Mahesh how to breathe fire. Oro engages a discussion with the yoga master about mastering one skill before he leaves sensing another interesting person in the area. He was later mentioned in Karin's character story as Karin travels to India to find Oro but is told by Dhalsim that he had already left a few days prior. He is also seen in Menat's character story when Menat, sent by her master Rose, warns him of an evil power in their world. Oro is already aware of this power. He was made a playable character in the game's fifth season, in which he confers with Rose and Dhalsim about this lingering Psycho Power left behind after M. Bison's defeat. Outside of the video game series, Oro also appears in the Street Fighter Legends: Ibuki comic book miniseries where Ibuki's final ninja exam is to challenge him. Together with her friends Elena and Makoto, she goes to the shrine on Mount Atago where Oro has travelled to meditate. After the fight, Oro says that she actually made him think about using both hands and commends her on an entertaining challenge.
The symbolism of Oro's fighting stages and implications on Brazilian culture have been discussed by academics. In the journal Tecendo Sentidos published by the University of São Paulo, contributing author André de Oliveira Matumoto argued that Oro's stage in New Generation taking place in the caves of the Amazon presented a negative image of the country. His view contrasted how fellow young potential fighter Brazilian character Sean takes place in New York City. This comparison presented America as a place where Sean could pursue his dreams fully while the exoticized Brazil was presented as a suitable home for hermits inside and hiding from the world. He felt this aspect diminished as the series progressed with both characters now located in Brazil but illustrating different aspects of who they are as fighters. The sun rising on Sean's stage represents his role as a pupil while setting on Oro's represents his search for an apprentice.
Oro was met with mixed reception, with reviewers of the game feeling his design did not fit the series' aesthetic. IGNs Rus McLaughlin cited Oro as an example of the new generation of Street Fighter games that featured genetic mutants and oddballs. He didn't come close to normal and helped contribute to returning players finding it difficult to find analogues to Street Fighter II. On the other hand, Suriel Vazquez and Eric Van Allen of Paste described him as one of the strangest character designs in Street Fighter. They added that part of the character's appeal was that nobody could really figure out his fighting style. They appreciated how he handicapped himself when fighting. Retronauts on their podcast discussing Street Fighter III expressed that upon seeing Oro none of them knew what to make of the character. Some expressed they were creeped out by his alien appearance. They felt he was not a popular character with Japanese audiences either due to his odd playstyle and notable negative traits regarding exposed genitals. Gavin Jasper of Den of Geek compared him to Yoda of the Star Wars franchise as both characters were portrayed as eccentric old hermits who could also be wise mentors with great strength. He appreciated that unlike similar characters Gouken and Gen in the franchise he was not tied down to an equally strong rival.
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Common questions
Who created the character Oro for Street Fighter III New Generation?
Oro was developed by Yūji Imamura who served as graphics designer and Tomoshi Sadamoto who acted as producer. The initial concept drew inspiration from the Gracie family and their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu lineage before evolving into an ancient martial arts master.
When did Oro first appear in the Street Fighter series?
Oro first appeared in Street Fighter III: New Generation during the game's development phase. He later returned as a playable character in Street Fighter V fifth season after appearing in various story modes including Dhalsim's and Karin's narratives.
What is Oro's physical appearance and fighting style in Street Fighter games?
Oro stands 161 cm tall with yellow skin solid red eyes and a bald head featuring few strands of long hair. He fights using only one arm while carrying a tortoise named Yamasen in the other hand and wears a dark red sash around his body.
Why does Oro carry a turtle during his battles in Street Fighter V?
The development team chose to have Oro hold a turtle with his restrained arm because they felt it preserved the original 2D sprite art representation better than previous ideas. This decision maintained his role as a hermit while adding visual interest to his fighting animations.
How was Oro received by critics and audiences upon release?
Reviewers gave mixed reception noting that his design did not fit the series aesthetic or appeal to Japanese audiences due to exposed genitals and odd playstyle. Some critics compared him to Yoda from Star Wars while others found his alien appearance creepy yet appreciated his self-handicapping approach.