For years, Street Fighter lore enthusiasts have been captivated by intricate character backstories and hidden connections within the game’s universe. Back in [2020], a compelling theory emerged, suggesting a startling possibility about Sakura Kasugano in Street Fighter V. The theory posited that the Sakura we encountered was not the original, but rather a clone, secretly working as an agent for the enigmatic character, G. Intriguing design choices in Sakura’s story mode fueled this speculation, hinting at an imposter with a hidden agenda of espionage.
However, the depth of this deception ran even deeper than initially imagined. Closer inspection reveals a truth concealed in plain sight for almost four years. The announcement of Street Fighter 6 and a recent insightful YouTube analysis have finally brought this suspicion into sharp focus:
Street Fighter V’s Sakura, whether clone or the original, is undeniably an agent of G.
The astonishing aspect of this revelation is that the evidence has been readily available, yet largely unnoticed and unexamined. Sakura herself subtly foreshadowed G’s presence long before his official introduction to the game. Let’s delve into the compelling evidence within Street Fighter V and Street Fighter 6 that illuminates Sakura’s true allegiance and hints at her future trajectory.
The breakthrough in uncovering this connection stems from a video analysis by Shockdingo, a voice actor and Street Fighter lore expert. Shockdingo’s YouTube video, exploring the potential influence of Street Fighter III characters on Street Fighter 6, cited a Twitter user, @Ta_Nooki, who highlighted intriguing parallels between G and Sakura. Inspired by this analysis, further investigation reveals undeniable proof. We extend our gratitude to Shockdingo for allowing us to use visuals from his video to illustrate this theory.
Let’s examine Sakura’s character model more closely.
Sakura Kasugano profile view concealing headphones with G logo
This particular profile view of Sakura, rarely seen in official promotional material, is highly revealing. Notice how the left side of her head is strategically obscured, consistently turned away from the camera. While seemingly a stylistic choice to emphasize her facial features, this deliberate concealment serves a crucial purpose: hiding a headphone discreetly tucked behind her hair. The developers have clearly taken significant measures to keep this detail hidden from casual observation.
Sakura Kasugano side view revealing part of the hidden headphones
Sakura Kasugano close-up side view further revealing hidden headphones
However, in specific instances offering a clearer view of the left side of her body, the concealed headphone becomes partially visible.
Sakura Kasugano headphone close-up with G logo
Fortunately, the design of the hidden headphone is not left to guesswork. A readily available render of the headphone itself confirms its origin.
Headphones with G logo design
The prominent letter “G” emblazoned on the headphone is unmistakable. It utilizes the same distinct font style as the “G” featured on the Ring of Galaxy stage, a stage directly associated with the character G. This connection is further substantiated by fan discoveries of the “G” logo on the stage floor.
Ring of Galaxy stage with G logo on the floor
The presence of the “G” logo is not a mere coincidence or design anomaly. These headphones are definitively manufactured by G.
Skeptics might argue that the “G” on the headphone is simply a design element without deeper meaning, or that the silver color differs from G’s usual gold motif. However, these counterarguments become insignificant when considering further evidence from the Street Fighter 6 trailer. This trailer unequivocally confirms G’s foray into the headphone market.
Best Bespoke Beats advertisement with stylized G logo from Street Fighter 6
A Metro City advertisement showcases “Best Bespoke Beats,” headphones promising to “unlock potential” through music, or potentially, spoken word. Crucially, a stylized “G” is prominently displayed next to the product name. As previously theorized in “The Base Story of Street Fighter 6?”, this aligns with G’s established motives:
“If the Illuminati seeks to saturate Metro City with visual messaging, it is logical that G, their destined adversary, would counter with auditory influence. Given that G’s power seemingly derives from followers heeding his pronouncements, leveraging his now-global brand to disseminate audio devices would enable him to ensure his message is heard, thereby exerting control.”
Sakura’s headphone also sheds light on another intriguing question: the fate of März following her downfall at the Shadaloo headquarters. In Street Fighter V, only Sakura and März are depicted wearing single-ear headphones. While März’s headphone design is slightly different, it’s conceivable that G appropriated März’s technology, developing his own branded headphone line based on her existing design.
März wearing a single ear headphone
Beyond the headphone, another design element solidifies Sakura’s connection to G: her scarf.
Sakura Kasugano wearing a scarf with floral and chain pattern
Sakura’s scarf features a pink and white floral pattern, a fitting representation for a character named after the cherry blossom. However, closer inspection reveals interwoven gold chains within the fabric.
This detail appears to be a symbolic representation of Sakura’s permanent bond to G, with the scarf itself metaphorically representing Sakura’s soul being tethered. This interpretation gains credence when considering Street Fighter’s iconic scarf-wearing character, Rose.
Rose wearing her signature scarf
Rose’s scarf is intrinsically linked to Soul Power, the manifestation of a person’s soul energy. Rose’s narrative arc played a pivotal role in establishing G as the overarching antagonist of the Street Fighter saga.
G as the main villain
Through her scarf, Sakura now shares symbolic connections with both G and Rose. Coupled with her established relationships with Ibuki, Karin, and Akira, Sakura appears poised for a significant transformation in Street Fighter 6. Similar to Ibuki’s potential darker turn, Sakura might evolve into a villainous character, fully under G’s control.
Intriguingly, Sakura is only depicted wearing the headphone during gameplay fights. In story mode sequences, she is consistently seen without it.
Ryu and Sakura without headphones in story mode
…Nor at Karin’s tea party.
Sakura at the Kanzuki tea party without headphones
She also appears without the headphone in Ibuki’s, Dan’s, and Blanka’s story modes. This raises a crucial question: what does this discrepancy signify? It suggests that the story mode depictions represent Sakura before she dons the headphone and falls under G’s influence. The in-game model with the headphone symbolizes Sakura in the present, a state subsequent to the events portrayed in the SFV stories. The Street Fighter series has precedent for separating gameplay and canonical narrative. For instance, Nadeshiko, R. Mika’s tag-team partner, is present in gameplay but absent from the “A Shadow Falls” story mode. Therefore, Sakura wearing the headphone in gameplay does not necessarily imply she canonically wore it during the SFV story events. Alternatively, it’s possible that the current, headphone-wearing Sakura is misremembering past events, projecting the headphone onto her past self, opening intriguing possibilities regarding G’s manipulative capabilities.
Regardless of the headphone’s precise narrative placement, Sakura’s own story mode provides compelling clues regarding her path to G’s influence. After departing Karin’s estate and prior to encountering Ryu, Sakura reflects on her future, expressing a desire for financial stability to pursue her teaching aspirations. Her internal monologue reveals her ambition:
Sakura thinking about getting a real job part 1
Sakura thinking about getting a real job part 2
The repetition of “a real job” underscores her need to improve her financial standing to realize her dream of becoming a teacher. This ambition could have made her susceptible to G’s recruitment. Working for a globally influential figure like G would undoubtedly be financially rewarding and enhance her professional prospects.
However, the true cost of this alliance may be far greater than Sakura could have ever imagined.
