The mountain of a human being, Sagat, first appeared in the city of Nonthanburi, Thailand. The 1950s was a time of conflict in Siam; Only six years before had the puppet government of the invading Japanese been brought down, ending the years of being a marionette to be manipulated. Violence was an odd thing; It was both despised, and thirsted for. It was this atmosphere that saw Sagat through his tender years. Odd, isn't it, imagining the renowned 'Emperor of Muay Thai' as a child. But, just as the purest and most despicable men were young, as was Sagat.

The precise details of Sagat's early life are known in full by him and him alone. The vicious combatant of the modern day has no familial ties, and as far as any who know him(Or /of/ him) can recall, he had no one in contact. Any parents he may have had either died quietly during the earlier phase of his life - Wholly irrelevant existences, as Sagat is utterly isolated from any with a familial tie to him since at least the time of his very first showing in the caged ring.

Sagat enters the public eye for the first time during his teenage years. Looking to be no more than eighteen years of age, stepping into the arena of combat. Despite the violence in neighboring Vietnam, bloodsports were, as they always were and likely shall be, popular. And in Thailand, kickboxing had been huge for centuries, and it would show no signs of stopping. A money-fighter, Sagat sought only to fight for his own prosperity, something he had almost certainly never known before.

And it seemed as if some sort of divine force had created Sagat solely to enter the ring.

Towering at over seven feet tall, the monstrous /child/-man looked to be sculpted from granite and iron in place of flesh and bone. Only the youth in his face and eyes betrayed his immaturity. Hailing from parts unknown and a complete stranger to the fighting circuit, word of Sagat's first bout spread throughout the nation - And indeed, the world.

"Did you hear 'bout what happened in Chiang Mai?!"

"Is it true? Did Lo Chang go down in the /second/ round??"

"Sagat must be the Tiger King reincarnated!"

(Brief aside for historical info: The 'Tiger King' is King Pha Chao Sua, who reigned in Thailand during the 1700s. Pha Chao Sua was known for disguising himself so that he could fight among the people. He was also known for being pretty damn good, too.)

Sagat's notoriety swelled wildly in the coming years, as his string of victories extended throughout the National Circuit. Shredding up the rankings on his way from dead last-rated to the top ten, rumors of the colossal beast man who moved like a swan were rampant. By the age of twenty-five, the virtual unknown had become not only one of the most famous Muay Thai fighters on Earth, but the most feared. His skill was self-taught, the framework laid down as the young Sagat watched other fighters in their prime, mimicking and memorizing. And every time he stepped into the ring, and stepped out - He merely fortified his ability with experience.

Sagat basked in the victories he earned, one upon the other. Or at least, when he could. Those who spoke to him knew of a surpassingly focused man. In the years since he entered the fray, the fight was no longer about money. It was about competition; To attain perfection in his art. Sagat's passion for Muay Thai was staggering. A fierce fighter who never turned down a challenge from even the most pathetic of opponents

It would not take him long to secure a place at the top. Demolishing the last seven fighters who stood in his way one by one, the soon-to-be Emperor of Muay Thai came face to face with the champ. Sagat's victory over the present champion, Apidej Sit-Hirun, after three rounds with one devastating kick strike to the arm - Enough to shatter it. The shockwaves from that fierce blow extended across the globe. There was a new champion, and his name was Sagat.

But, as he never would be, the Emperor of Muay Thai - A title which would become more and more cemented to his person as the years passed - was not yet finished. There was a vast much remaining to do. He had dominated Muay Thai, but there were so many other fighters out there...

Sagat pushed himself over the many years. 'Emperor of Muay Thai' became his namesake - But it was common opinion that he was virtually the greatest fighter alive. So intimidating that many refused to even step into the ring with him, for fear of injury or even death. This, however, was not true in the case of one particular fighter whom Sagat came across. The name was Go; And the fight he gave the Emperor of Muay Thai was the most frenetic battle of his career. The exchanged bone-crushing blows for hours, until the battle seemingly concluded with Go striking Sagat with a chi attack - The first the Tiger King Reborn would personally encounter. But not the last.

When all was said and done, a slash left from the strike ran across the gigantic fighter's face - Right through his eye. Spilling blood profusely, and acting sole on pure rage and vengeance, Sagat let loose with a single knee to the face; A blow so powerful it forced the cartilage in Go's nose up into his brain. He was dead instantly. Sagat had snuffed out a human life. It was the first; And, surprisingly, one of relatively few. But the experience left Sagat scarred deeper than simply his lost eye...

By thirty-five, Sagat was acknowledged to be one of the world's greatest masters of fighting. Undoubtedly the most complete knowledge of Muay Thai existed within his mind, and his genetic code was crafted almost intentionally to it's application. The undisputed Emperor of Muay Thai, he longed only for one thing - A greater challenge. He was on top; And that was a depressingly boring place to exist. All he wanted was a /real/ bout! Something that eluded him, as he effectively beat up on the pathetic flock that came to him year after year. He came to disdain upon the weaklings that made him the fighting world; Not for any sort of ego, but for the fact that he was, undeniably, so far above and beyond anything else under the sun.

Or at least, he thought.

One particular tournament registered for Sagat. Called, oddly enough, the 'Street Fighter' tournament, it promised to be at least a level above the cannon fodder he squashed like insects to 'hold' his title. Predictably enough (for him) Sagat devastated competitor after competitor until he reached the end...To face, curiously, a newcomer to the competition circuits - Young Ryu, the First and Foremost of the Shotoclones.

And, after a long, fierce fight that drove both onto the last shred of endurance they had, Sagat had but a thought as he finally gave out, inadvertently providing an opening for the Shotokan.

He is...just as I was. ...So...What goes around comes around. Hmph. Not if I have anything to say about it!

A moment later, all Sagat felt was a mind-piercing pain as he felt almost as though he was being split into two pieces.

He was roused from what seems like and endless sleep, unaware of how long he had been out. All he knew was the blinding agony in his torso, wrapped around and around with bandages. And, like white noise rubbing out the anguish, was a rage...And that rage was focused on one name. Ryu. Disappearing from his hospital bed the same day, Sagat seemed to vanish into thin air...He had only one goal, now, and only one target with it. He would defeat Ryu, no matter what the cost. Presumably, the Emperor of Muay Thai went into seclusion to train for a rematch...Presumably.

All uncertainties were laid to rest at the next Street Fighter tournament. Now aligned with the mysterious organization 'Shadowlaw' and it's even more enigmatic leader M. Bison for no visibly obvious reason, Sagat came bearing new weapons, newly devised techniques to mimic - and hopefully surpass - Ryu's Shotokan training. And he has only one opponent on his mind.

Character Plans: Ryu is out there, as always. The Shotokan's rivalry with the Emperor of Muay Thai will never end, not even if Sagat reclaims his dominance by striking him down in combat. No, then it will only be a matter of time until they clash again. But...For now, the vengeance is all he has to drive him forward, the only lens to provide his focus. How long can a man thrive on rage alone?

There are others, as well, that Sagat is perhaps destined to encounter. A young, brash, Muay Thai fighter, who some believe to be the successor to the title of Emperor in the near future. An off-colour martial artist who seeks only revenge for the death of his father. And atop it all, the endless connection with Shadowlaw and the new world order...

Character Strengths: In blatant spite of his 'villainous' position, Sagat is a fighter cut from the purest of cloth. Though brutal and merciless in the ring, the Emperor of Muay Thai is known for his passion for combat, and his honorable behavior in the arena. Strong in character, Sagat prefers to fight his opponents at the peak of their own natural ability, and will never use underhanded tricks for his own ends. A two-edged sword, perhaps.

Also, Sagat has decades of experience and ability behind him. Built as if designed solely for Muay Thai, the massive monster's body is not only staggeringly strong, but capable of moving with a substantial grace and agility. Capable of adapting, as well, as shown by his development of Tiger techniques to counter Ryu's own moves, Sagat is well-deserved in his position as the second-ranking of the Four Lords of Shadowlaw.

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