Luke

Story

As a young child, Luke nearly became a victim of a terrorist attack. His father found an IED rigged to explode when they walked about the shopping mall. Despite being a calm and tempered man, he raised his voice at Luke for the first time and hit him to get him out of a shocked stupor. While Luke ran to safety, his father stayed behind to guide others and lost his life in the explosion. Later, Luke was told that the casualties would be far more significant if not for his father's efforts.

Following this incident, Luke chose a path of fighting terrorism. He joined the army and spent countless days training, working, and fighting, but there was still something missing. He felt an emptiness inside. Luke's commanding officer was concerned about his future and asked Guile for help, who approached Luke and invited him to a sparring fight. Afterward, the two of them sit down with some drinks and have a heart-to-heart conversation. Luke confesses to Guile that he's planning to quit the military, not because of being tired or disliking it, but because he's unsure if it's the right path for him. Despite Luke being a valuable asset to the army, Guile understands his struggle and encourages Luke to go out and fight on his own terms and fight until he's satisfied.

Personality

Luke can come off as brash and a bit of a show-off as he's always eager to fight and display his skills. However, he's a very lighthearted guy and looks for the best in his opponents. No matter who he fights, Luke often leaves respectful remarks regarding their strengths and unique features and thanking those who helped him improve. Outside of competition, Luke is a very dedicated man with deep respect and admiration for his father, doing his best to one day become a man just like him.

Appearance

Luke is a man of average height with a lean build, blue eyes, and stringy, slicked-back blonde hair. His body features many star tattoos and a large V tattooed on his chest and back. Luke's default outfit is MMA gear with black lycra tights, yellow and blue shirts, and matching sparring gloves.

Playstyle

Luke's kit is heavily centered around mid-screen control and rushdown. All of his punch normals slightly advance him forward and have great reach. With great counter-hit potential and links, Luke can heavily punish mashing opponents and punished whiffed attacks. With a strong focus on movement, Luke tends to get into the other characters' faces where he can maintain pressure with many frame traps that can follow into highly punishing combos. His unique V-trigger ties everything together. Unlike other characters who can only deplete their V-gauge over time, Luke gains V-meter back when successfully landing hits on his opponents and loses it upon being hit. This unique take on the SFV's core mechanic greatly rewards Luke players who effectively utilize his offensive moveset.