A/N: I know, I know, the pilot's name is actually Ryu Suzaku and he had the American 4Kids name, Rick Wheeler. And they always say that 4Kids sucked since they sugarcoat and Americanize everything and not embrace the Japanese culture very much. A lot of people prefer the original, but I grew up with the other name, after all he's still the same guy, right? But what many consumers may not know is that he was based off of Ryu from Street Fighter, and then his name drastically altered for US audiences. So here's what I'm gonna do, I'm going to try and take on both sides. I've been thinking about this for a short while now, so I'm glad to put it out there. And one more thing, this is only a personal theory and it's not really an official fact, so it's non-canon.
At the Falcon House, Burt was serving the usual to his common customer, Rick. Clank was confidently running the place by his side, and Tinsel was sitting beside her best friend.
She's been asking a lot of Rick's past out of sheer curiosity and interest, and each answer was more fascinating than the last. Then, it came one day when Rick told her that he actually wasn't called that, and he showed her his ID card, which indicated that it had two names, instead of one. There was his usual title, Rick Wheeler, but also an alternative, Ryu Suzaku. She guessed it was some Japanese name, and she was pretty much correct. She asked how he managed to get both tags.
It was dated back to 1941, when his ancestors were discreetly moving away from their home land ruled by pure dominance and corruption. The emperor of Japan had just bombed Pearl Harbor and tension was building all over the Pacific. It was a part of the Imperial Japanese's conquest of the Dutch East Indies and Malaya for Japan to take over Southeast Asia without interference and resistance. They nuked the US as an unofficial warning and threat to keep their military at bay. The invasion of Manchuria and the Pacification of Manchukuo also took place for their goal on expansion and plunder. The Empire of Japan surrendered and ended World War II after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, and a declaration of war was sounded by the Soviet Union as they took over the Japanese-held Manchuria.
Because of the endless bloodshed and tyranny, as well as an act of protest against their unfair practices, including that the age of consent was at a disturbing 12, they decided to live in a more prosperous life in America instead. By the time they arrived within the California shores, however, they were forced to live in a concentration camp. And until the second World War ended in September 2, 1945, they were free to leave. So their next destination was to Ellis Island.
The husband refugee was the first person that carried the name, Ryu Suzaku. Rick's distant family went with their surname for several generations until World War II was coming to a close. So by then, they did the unthinkable. They had decided to give it up and go with a new last name, Wheeler. And the fact that his parents were into racing, as was he since he was a toddler, it was pretty fitting. Aside from that, they didn't surrender their ancient customs, and Rick had quite a few. He occasionally wore a white robe and works out in it from time to time, he still has a huge appetite for Asian food, particularly Ramen noodles, being and dealing with Samurai Goroh somehow reminded him of his roots in a bizarre way, and he was deeply fascinated with Haruka, who also had her family relocated to the Great American Melting Pot when she was a child. Finally, during an anniversary of their bloodline's horrid fate, Rick's parents passed on the name of his common ancestor to him, bestowing him as Ryu Suzaku II.
Tinsel was fascinated by the revelation, as she never saw him in that type of attire. She more or less thought he was of the Brooklyn type since he grew up there before it was even established as Mute City. According to records, his family 150 years ago was only 1/8 of Japanese blood, that was why it didn't seem noticeable. Regardless, she felt it was intriguing to know about his heritage, especially going as far back as to the late 20th century. She wished she could attain more knowledge of her own personal background, though she wasn't sure if she was Polish, Hungarian, or even German. Her mind was at a complete fog, as her own family weren't really traditionalists.
Nevertheless, it was fun to listen to. Tinsel stated to Rick that his family does have a budding legacy; and she was definitely glad that he was able to share the tale since it's possible that he may be the only one carrying the torch after surviving Zoda's fatal accident 150 years ago. She was certain that Haruka would be very proud of him, as his parents and ancestors. They embraced for a brief period and he hoped that Tinsel would find the answers on her genealogy. She just wanted to see where she came from, other than that it was of little concern to her. Even Clank wanted to get himself involved in the mystery, solving his own past as well as his friends'.
In any case, the future looked a lot brighter for Rick Wheeler. His friends are more than willing to lighten the weight on all the pressure that his life and living legacy shall provide.
A/N: One reason for a name change is people might pick a given name that is very American and sounds somewhat like their original name. It's also possible that an ancestor could have used that same name change, not an inspector of Ellis Island. I've decided to add Ryu Suzaku II to symbolize Rick using one of his descendants' names. It may not be possible for an immigrant to use both names and switch them once a name has been chosen.
I came up with this story on a whim and I decided to wing it right after I saw the Nostalgia Critic talk about Sailor Moon. From there, I received a disturbing fact, that the Sailor Scouts are actually 14 years, not the presumed 16, and the age of consent happens to be 12. It is a part of Japanese culture, but I'd rather have it like we have it here in the States, or better yet when people are married first. I was appalled after finding that out, hence one of the reasons why Rick's ancestors left, despite the war.
Also, this was done to hopefully solve a pointless debate as to which name is better for Rick/Ryu. So I've decided to try and appeal both sides of the international coin. Being that I'm a fan of Rick Wheeler and the anime. I thought this was a pretty good theory as to have both names, instead of one. Hopefully, I'll get back on the band wagon for Ending it All, so take care.