History YMMV / Sifu

** Disciples, first introduced in the second level, are a huge step up from basic opponents. They are fast, resilient, and hit very hard. They also have a tricky moveset, with several moves that demand attention like a fast chest punch that can't be blocked and an incredibly fast sweep. Disciples demand mastery to fight properly. It's not uncommon to lose more lives to the pair of Disciples, one of which is a souped up mini-boss variant, fought at the end of the Club than Sean himself.

* FanNickname: Fans have referred to the unnamed player character as "Sifu Guy" or the more gender-neutral "Student". Occasionally, since the main antagonist is named Yang and wears white, the black-garbed protagonist is called "Yin" as well.

* ThatOneBoss: Kuroki can be this. Her first phase is a slow-paced fight where Kuroki attacks you with a sanjiegun customized with blades at the ends. Despite the seemingly sluggish movements she performs in this phase, the wide sweeps and hard-to-follow attacks of her staff can make for an effective ConfusionFu fighting style. Plus, players cannot simply mash the parry button and hope for the best, as the bladed sections on the end of her weapon will deal ScratchDamage that builds up fast. Kuroki is also good at keeping the player at distance to prevent them from closing in, while also not being afraid of pulling close and suffocating them in damaging staff swipes. Her second phase is easier due to being far more telegraphed, but it can still put the hurt on if you fail to block any of her kunai strikes.

** The ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' fandom gets along pretty well with the players of ''Sifu'' or are even a part of its own player base/fandom, thanks to being a fellow BeatEmUp that shares a lot in common[[labelnote:*]](taking place in a modern and urban Asian setting with a protagonist that is well-versed in martial arts and fights through large swathes of {{mook}}s alongside a few allies)[[/labelnote]]. Although if that wasn't enough, there are a few mods that even adds characters from ''Yakuza'' or soundtracks to the game.

** The music for The Club in particular is suitably high energy for the fights in the neon light-filled night club, kicking if off with the pulse pounding electronic [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YACqiV9nBU&ab_channel=SoundtrackStudio "Crash the Dance Floor".]] It then slows down, becoming more tense with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo-n_-T5HUk&ab_channel=SoundtrackStudio "Clash In the Pit"]] while incorporating more traditional instruments as The Student discovers the underground fight club within. As they delve into the deepest recesses of The Club, it's become almost entirely traditional instruments with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdJ10BnHPKs&ab_channel=SoundtrackStudio "Blood Is On Fire",]] matching The Club having ''somehow'' transformed into a traditional Chinese village perpetually aflame. The song is especially dramatic and atmospheric for the fierce battles with Sean's personal "Disciples".

** 20-Year-Old/70-Year-Old Runs. Play the game at a specific age with all the limitations it has, such as the 20-Year-Old Student having no access to many of the more powerful skills and the 70-Year-Old being incredibly fragile in exchange for their power and repertoire of skills.

* BreatherBoss: Sean; could even be considered an AntiClimaxBoss considering [[ThatOneLevel the gauntlet]] you had to run to get to him. His staff gives him good range but that's about it, as his damage isn't great and his moves are fairly predictable - and most of them hit high, so they can be dodged with relative impunity. He does get one sweep in phase 2 but if you're good at dodging his other attacks you can afford to block it, and even if you're swept it's not that big of a deal. And God help the poor bastard if you're actually good at parrying.

** The music for The Club in particular is suitably high energy for the fights in the neon light-filled night club, kicking if off with the pulse pounding electronic [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YACqiV9nBU&ab_channel=SoundtrackStudio "Crash the Dance Floor".]] It then slows down, becoming more tense with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo-n_-T5HUk&ab_channel=SoundtrackStudio "Clash In the Pit"]] while incorporating more traditional instruments as The Student discovers the underground fight club within. As they delve into the deepest recesses of The Club, it's become almost entirely traditional instruments with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdJ10BnHPKs&ab_channel=SoundtrackStudio "Blood Is On Fire",]] matching The Club having somehow transformed into a traditional Chinese village perpetually aflame. The song is especially dramatic and atmospheric for the fierce battles with Sean's personal "Disciples".
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX93hgqcy9k ''Martial Mastery'']] playing in the opening is a stirring, energetic piece with ominous undertones in the background, pefectly setting the tone for an epic revenge story [[spoiler: with a VengeanceFeelsEmpty moral at the end.]]

* MagnificentBastard:
** [[PlayerCharacter The Student]] is the Sifu’s child who vows vengeance on the Dawn group that [[YouKilledMyFather killed their father]]. Preparing their pursuit of {{revenge}} for 8 years, The Student hunts down their targets one at a time, brutalizing and killing any in their path while finding information about their next target and using the Talisman to [[BackFromTheDead resurrect]] themselves whenever they die. Eventually tracking down and killing their father’s killer, Yang, [[spoiler:The Student is sent back in time to restart their quest, where they eventually learn to forgo their thirst for revenge and spare all of their targets, achieving enlightenment and teaching students martial arts at their father’s old school]].
** [[BigBad Yang]] is the leader of the Dawn group who orchestrates an attack on his former Sifu’s school where he kills the Sifu and steals a Talisman that could [[spoiler:bring his wife and daughter {{back from the dead}}]]. To master the Talisman’s powers, Yang builds The Sanctuary, where he uses his powers to heal people and teaches them kung-fu, creating an army loyal to him. Battling The Student, Yang deduces that their Talisman has repeatedly resurrected them, [[spoiler:so he attempts to swipe their Talisman before killing them, succeeding when the Student decides to follow the [[PacifistRun path of Wude]] with implications that Yang resurrected them [[VillainRespect out of respect]]]].