While still training, Ryo receives a new training partner, the son of one of Takuma's friends, Robert Garcia. Both became the best of friends, joined by the same style. They quarrel a bit, especially when Robert gets close to Yuri. However, they both respect each other, and sometimes get in a little battle once in awhile. Both fighters become the top students of the dojo, but suddenly, Takuma disappears with no notice, and Yuri is kidnapped shortly after. Ryo is resolved to go and seek his family in the dangerous and criminal Southtown, aided by Robert. Ryo and Robert divide themselves to look out for clues of Yuri's location. Ryo then meets a lot of enemies and friends, one of them being King, a bouncer of a bar which Ryo thought to be a man, and upon using a Ko'ou Ken on her, Ryo breaks King's shirt, revealing Ryo that she is a woman. Pretty ashamed, Ryo offers to help King, and ever since, both have become the best of friends...and even a bit more than that, but both refuse to accept their true feelings...

Finally, Ryo is informed that the man who kidnapped his sister was no other than Mr. Big, one of the more important gang leaders of Southtown. Ryo and Robert go to his lair, and Ryo furiously demands Mr. Big to give him back his sister. Mr. Big obviously smiles and tells them that the won't do anything unless they defeat him. Robert takes care in doing so, but then, the defeated Mr. Big calls infor Mr. Karate. This man wore a strange "tengu" (bird) mask, and Ryo sensed a powerful, but familiar, aura from him. Mr. Big orders Mr. Karate to attack them. Robert is exhausted from his battle with Mr. Big, and Ryo takes the battle on. The two warriors fight, and Ryo realizes with astonishment that this man uses Kyokugenryo Karate as well! However, Ryo is determined to save his sister, and with an exceptional display of courage and strength, defeats Mr. Karate. About to finish him off, determining he was the cause of Yuri's kidnapping, it is no other than Yuri herself who bids Ryo not to finish him. It turns out that Mr. Karate was really Takuma, who had been blackmailed by Geese Howard, main criminal leader of Southtown, to fight for him if he did not want Yuri to die. Ryo accords to stop Geese, but he already has his hands full with the Bogard brothers, who had come to exact revenge from him for the death of their father. Ryo decides to retire back to the dojo and continue with his training, now that his father and sister are all right.

Ryo, after a few years, has been invited by Takuma to form a team with him and represent the Kyokugenryo Karate style in the new King of Fighters tournament, which introduced the team battle mode. Ryo personally refuses that Yuri to join in their team, since she is too unprepared to fight with them. So, Robert comes with them instead. Ryo then helps his father to show the world the power of Kyokugenryo Karate, and since Ryo is the heir to the family, he fights to live up to expectations, and fights with all his will. However, he dislikes being ordered to train again by Takuma after every tournament. Ryo takes a break in the King of Fighters tournament when Yuri asks him to help her in looking for Robert in Southtown, trying to help a childhood friend. After his return, Ryo is told by his father that Yuri will replace him instead. Ryo refuses that idea with fury, but Takuma has already made a decision. Not willing to stop showing the power of Kyokugenryo Karate, Ryo has to resign. He also has to keep an eye on Robert so he doesn't do anything smart as well! Ryo fights with spirit, but next year. Ryo is faced with the humilliation of the dojo being wrecked and the students in the dojo being defeated and wounded. Ryo is told by his father to go fight in the tournament once again, and clean the name of Kyokugenryo Karate. Now, Ryo is the leader of the Kyokugenryo Karate, the best martial art in the world!

Ryo does not rest his discipline even after the world was rid of the Orochi presence. He knows he must prove that the Kyokugenro Karate is the best martial art in the world any chance he can get. His efforts would soon be rewarded, as he gets another chance to fight in the King of Fighters tournament, this time fighting with his whole family, and of course, his friend, Robert. This time is better than ever to prove once and for all the true power of Kyokugenryo Karate!

The King of Fighters tournament ends once again, but the future looks bleak. Ryo is now aware of the evil at work in his own hometown, and prepares to fight the plague of NESTS by training harder every day. He knows he must become ever stronger in order to keep the Kyokugenryo name high! One night, after finishing an intense period of training, Ryo retreats to the local bar of his great friend and secret love, King. Upon entering, he finds the bar pretty much deserted. King sorrowfully explains that NESTS, due to its' huge sphere of influence in Southtown, has earned the bar a bad reputation. Unable to bear seeing King suffer, Ryo takes King in as his new team member. Ryo now had to think what he should do in order to make a vacant place in his team, but the answer arrived by its' own, when Yuri, tired of being the underdog for the Kyokugenryo masters, decides to leave in order to join her old friend Mai Shiranui. But the entrance of King does not come without opposition: King first has to deal with the enraged Robert, who previewing Ryo's intentions, challenges King to a fight to see if she's worthy. Ryo stands poised to defend the woman he loved, but King is determined to do the job herself. The inminent fight ends in a draw, as Robert and King wind up exhausted after the intense effort. This makes Robert finally accept King in the team. Knowing this was a test of fate, Ryo takes a step forward in order to concentrate all his Kyokugenryo Karate against the evil forces of NESTS!

It was real hard work for Ryo to help rebuild the Kyokugenryo dojo, which was almost totalled by the explosion in Southtown thanks to the Zero Cannon. During the process of construction, a sad Robert arrived with bad news: his company had bankrupted thanks to a world financial crisis that wiped out his foundation's savings. Ryo is determined to help his friend in need, since he has done so much for him and his family. Ryo makes it his sworn duty to enter the King of Fighters tournament, win the prize money, and destroy NESTS to cheer up his friend once more!

The raging tiger enters the fray of battle once more, this time to aid those in need of his strength. With his amazing prowess, Ryo manages to see the tournament through, as well as being a main spectator to the downfall of NESTS as their space station HQ crumbles down to nothing. Ryo is satisfied to cash the prize money, as nobody bothered to do so, and moreso, that Robert is wealthy enough to finance their needs once again! Robert shuns the Sakazaki family away, and Ryo couldn't be more happier to see that Robert has finally returned to his old self.

Ryo is a proud man, and is a very friendly man, but sometimes pretty stubborn. He cares for his sister very much, that is why he does not want her to be hurt by fighting. He also respects Robert as his friend, but since he is so jealous, he does not want him to get close to his sister. He wants to train hard to keep on to Takuma's exceptions. He is also very interested in King, but he thinks she will not pay attention to him, he tries to stay away.