User blog comment:Nkstjoa/Liu Kang vs. Ryu/@comment-176.61.110.217-20141227193555/@comment-5035900-20141227230851

Technically, the only two times in the series there's been anything even close to resembling Evil Ryu has been when Ryu nearly lost to Sagat and when Ryu was angered by C. Viper torturing Cammy. Otherwise, the separate playable character is effectively a non-canon what-if?.

As for Death Battle using it, it was due to the fact that once Ryu was trapped in the Netherrealm, he had no chance of destroying Scorpion without it.