Akuma has always been the "balance" between Ryu's excessive defense and Ken's excessive offense. His playstyle is very technical and he requires a lot of practice, but the payoff is well worth it. Akuma players live by one simple motto: "The best defense is a good offense." Akuma has the second worst health and the worst stun in the game, but his extremely high speed and massive damage output more than make up for it. His vortex game is absolutely unparalleled, and is practically the defining point of his playstyle. He has so many options at his disposal that the very prospect itself can be downright frightening. If you like playing mind games with your opponents, or if you feel that Ryu and Ken aren't challenging enough, Akuma may be for you. Players to Watch Infiltration (Korea) Tokido (Japan) Eita (Japan)

Ultra SFIV Changes(From Ultra SFIV Arcade Japan) Close MK: Now forces stand on hit; startup reduced to 4 frames from 5 frames; Hitbox expanded downward Crouch HK: Can no longer be cancelled into Wrath of the Raging Demon (UC1) Zanku Hadoken: All versions done during back jump have recovery increased by 2F, to 18 frames from 16 frames for Light, Medium, and Hard versions and to 11 frames from 9 frames for EX version EX Zanku Hadoken: Can now be performed during the start of Light, Medium, and Hard Hyakkishu (Demon Flip) as well Goshoryuken: 2nd hit of Medium version can no longer be EX Focus cancelled on block Goshoryuken: 2nd and 3rd hit of Hard version can no longer be EX Focus cancelled on block Goshoryuken: Hard version startup invincibility reduced to 5 frames from 6 frames L, M and H Goshoryuken --> EX Focus Cancel --> Forward Dash is now -5 on block at best (New to Ultra SFIV Console Digital Release) Close MK: Attack range recognition increased Stand HP: Damage reduced to 90 from 120 Stand HP: Can now be canceled into Special Moves, Super, or EX Focus Attack EX Shakunetsu Hadoken: Startup reduced to 19 frames from 25 frames Tatsumaki Zankukyaku: Light version Hitbox expanded downward (New to 1.04 Update) Gohadoken: All versions' startup reduced to 13 frames from 14 frames Character Specific DataAkuma VITALS

Health: 850 Stun: 850 W-Ultra Scaling: 75%

WALKING DASHING

Forward Walk Speed: 0.055 Forward Dash Distance: 1.00

Back Walk Speed: 0.04 Forward Dash Total Frames: 18

JUMPING Back Dash Distance: 0.90

Jump Height Apex: 1.76 Back Dash Total Frames: 25

Jump Total Frames: 40 (4+36) Back Dash Invincibility: 8

Forward Jump Distance: 1.92 Back Dash Airborne: 10

Back Jump Distance 1.92 Back Dash Recovery: 7

THROWS WAKE-UP TIMING

Forward Throw Range: 0.91 Face Up Total Frames: 31

Back Throw Range: 0.91 Face Down Total Frames: 21

NOTABLE MOVE CLASSES

High Attacks: Zugaihasatsu, Tenmakujinkyaku Hard Knockdowns: Crouch HK, Hyakki Gozan, Hyakki Gosho, Hyakki Gosai

Low Attacks: Crouch LK, Crouch MK, Crouch HK, Hyakki Gozan Armor Breakers: Hyakki Gosho, Demon Armageddon

FOCUS ATTACK DATA

Level 1 Focus Startup Frames: 21 L1 EX Red Focus Attack Combo Lead-Ins: Close MP, Close HP, Far HP, Crouch HP, GoHadoken (Corner Only), MP/HP Goshoryuken (1st Hit), MK/HK Tatsumaki Zankukyaku (1st Hit)

Level 2 Focus Startup Frames: 29

Level 3 Focus Startup Frames: 65

L1 Focus Attack Forward Dash: -2 L2 FA Forward Dash (On Block): +4

L1 Focus Attack Back Dash: -9 L2 FA Back Dash (On Block): -3

Frame Data (At A Glance)More detailed Frame Data Table at bottom of page. Move Name Nickname Damage Stun MeterGain HitLevel CancelAbility Startup Active Rcvry Adv OnGuard AdvOn Hit

Close LP Close 30 50 20 HL ch/sp/su 4 2 6 +3 +6

Close MP Close 70 100 40 HL sp/su 3 2 13 -1 +4

Close HP Close 100 200 60 HL sp/su 4 2 26 -10 -6

Close LK Close 40 50 20 HL - 5 2 7 +2 +5

Close MK Close 70 100 40 HL su 4 2 14 -2 +1

Close HK Close 40*70 125*75 60*20 HL su*- 6 2(4)4 17 -3 +2

Far LP Far 30 50 20 HL ch/sp/su 3 2 5 +4 +7

Far MP Far 80 100 40 HL su 4 2 13 -1 +2

Far HP Far 90 200 60 HL sp/su 6 3 16 -1 +3

Far LK Far 40 50 20 HL - 3 2 8 +1 +4

Far MK Far 80 100 40 HL - 9 2 13 -1 +2

Far HK Far 50*30 125*75 60*20 HL - 8 2(8)2 16 -2 +5

Crouch LP Crouch 30 50 20 HL ch/sp/su 3 2 7 +2 +5

Crouch MP Crouch 60 100 40 HL sp/su 4 3 9 +2 +5

Crouch HP Crouch 100 200 60 HL sp/su 6 4 23 -9 -4

Crouch LK Crouch 20 50 20 L ch/sp/su 4 2 9 0 +3

Crouch MK Crouch 60 100 40 L sp/su 5 3 13 -2 +1

Crouch HK Crouch 90 100 60 L - 6 3 24 -9 -

Zugaihasatsu + 30*50 50*50 40*20 H - 17 2*2 17 -5 0

Move Name Nickname Damage Stun MeterGain HitLevel CancelAbility Startup Active Rcvry Adv OnGuard AdvOn Hit

Neutral Jump LP Neutral Jump 50 50 20 H - 4 7 - - -

Neutral Jump MP Neutral Jump 80 100 40 H - 5 3 - - -

Neutral Jump HP Neutral Jump 100 200 60 H - 6 3 - - -

Neutral Jump LK Neutral Jump 40 50 20 H - 5 6 - - -

Neutral Jump MK Neutral Jump 80 100 40 H - 6 4 - - -

Neutral Jump HK Neutral Jump 100 200 60 H - 5 3 - - -

Diagonal Jump LP Diagonal Jump 50 50 20 H - 4 7 - - -

Diagonal Jump MP Diagonal Jump 80 100 40 H - 5 3 - - -

Diagonal Jump HP Diagonal Jump 100 200 60 H - 6 3 - - -

Diagonal Jump LK Diagonal Jump 40 50 20 H - 4 6 - - -

Diagonal Jump MK Diagonal Jump 70 100 40 H - 6 3 - - -

Diagonal Jump HK Diagonal Jump 100 200 60 H - 7 3 - - -

Tenmakujinkyaku (air) + 60 100 40 H - 12 Until ground - - -

Move Name Nickname Damage Stun MeterGain HitLevel CancelAbility Startup Active Rcvry Adv OnGuard AdvOn Hit

Focus Attack (Level 1) Level 1 Focus 60 100 20 HL - 10+11 2 35 -21 -21

Focus Attack (Level 2) Level 2 Focus 80 150 40 HL - 18+11 2 35 -15 -

Focus Attack (Level 3) Level 3 Focus 140 200 60 - - 65 2 40 - -

Goshoha Forward Throw 130 120 40 0.91 - 3 2 20 - -

Syuretto Back Throw 130 120 40 0.91 - 3 2 20 - -

Move Name Nickname Damage Stun MeterGain HitLevel CancelAbility Startup Active Rcvry Adv OnGuard AdvOn Hit

GoHadoken GoHadoken 60 100 10/20 HL su 14 - 30 -4 0

EX GoHadoken GoHadoken 60*60 100*100 -250/0 HL su 14 - 30 -1 -

Shakunetsu Hadoken Shakunetsu Hadoken 50 200 10/30 HL su 25 - 25 -4 -

Shakunetsu Hadoken 35*35 50*100 10/16*16 HL su 25 - 32 -3 -

Shakunetsu Hadoken 33x3 35x3 10/16x3 HL su 25 - 38 -1 -

EX Shakunetsu Hadoken Shakunetsu Hadoken 47x3 70x2*100 -250/0 HL su 19 - 25 +18 -

Zanku Hadoken Zanku Hadoken 40 50 5/20 HL - 14 - After landing 16[18] - -

EX Zanku Hadoken Zanku Hadoken 40*40 50*50 -250/0 HL - 8 - After landing 9[11] - -

Goshoryuken Goshoryuken 100[70] 100 30/40 HL su 3 14 17+18 -28 -

Goshoryuken 70*60 80*50 30/30*16 HL su*- 3 2*12 25+18 -34 -

Goshoryuken 70*50*30 70*50*30 30/30*10*10 HL su*-*- 3 2*2*12 28+18 -37 -

EX Goshoryuken Goshoryuken 80*60*50 100*50*50 -250/0 HL su*su*su 3 2*2*12 28+18 -37 -

Tatsumaki Zankukyaku Tatsumaki Zankukyaku 70 50 20/20 HL - 11 2(6)2 12+8 -9 -

Tatsumaki Zankukyaku 80*40*40 100*50*50 20/20*10*10 HL su*-*- 5 2(5)[2(5)2](5)1 16+12 -8 -

Tatsumaki Zankukyaku 80*40x3 100*50x3 20/20*10x3 HL su*-(x3) 5 2(5)[1(5)1](5)[1(5)1](5)1 13+8 -1 -

EX Tatsumaki Zankukyaku Tatsumaki Zankukyaku 35x5 40x5 -250/0 HL - 11 1(3)1(3)1(3)1(3)1 18+3 -1 -

Air Tatsumaki Zankukyaku Air Tatsumaki Zankukyaku 60 50 10/30 HL - 9 [2(6)2](6)2 After landing 10 - -

Air Tatsumaki Zankukyaku 70 50 10/30 HL - 9 [2(6)2](6)2 After landing 10 - -

Air Tatsumaki Zankukyaku 80 50 10/30 HL - 9 [2(6)2](6)2 After landing 10 - -

EX Air Tatsumaki Zankukyaku Air Tatsumaki Zankukyaku 40x5 50x5 -250/0 HL - 7 1(3)1(3)1(3)1(3)1 After landing 4 - -

Hyakkishu Hyakkishu - - 20/- - - - - - - -

EX Hyakkishu Hyakkishu - - -250/0 - - - - - - -

Hyakki Gozan Hyakki Gozan 100 200 0/40 L - 39+7 15 14 -11 -

Hyakki Gosho Hyakki Gosho 110 200 0/30 HL - 27+8 2 After landing 4 - -

Hyakki Gojin Hyakki Gojin 70 100 0/30 HL - 27+11 Until ground After landing 4 - -

Hyakki Gosai Hyakki Gosai 150 150 0/60 0.9 - 27+3 2 After landing 17 - -

Ashura Senku (Far) Ashura Senku (Far) - - - - - - - Total 61 - -

Ashura Senku (Close) Ashura Senku (Close) - - - - - - - Total 53 - -

Move Name Nickname Damage Stun MeterGain HitLevel CancelAbility Startup Active Rcvry Adv OnGuard AdvOn Hit

Raging Demon Raging Demon 330 0 -1000/0 0.9 - 1+0 36 13 - -

Move Name Nickname Damage Stun MeterGain HitLevel CancelAbility Startup Active Rcvry Adv OnGuard AdvOn Hit

Wrath of the Raging Demon Wrath of the Raging Demon 510 0 0/0 0.9 - 0+5 33 19 - -

Demon Armageddon Demon Armageddon 50*450[421] 0 0/0 HL - 0+14 2 46 -27 -

Move Name Nickname Damage Stun MeterGain HitLevel CancelAbility Startup Active Rcvry Adv OnGuard AdvOn Hit

MovesStanding Close Normals Name Nickname Command Notes

File:Example.png Close LP Close Jab Close

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Aside from being able to combo into Akuma's cr. HK, you won't find too many uses for this move.

File:Example.png Close MP Close Strong Close

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~You could potentially use this as a frame trap and fish for a counter hit, letting you combo into cr. HK and a few other normal moves.

File:Example.png Close HP Close Fierce Close

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~This is the go-to normal if you want to start any bread and butter or punish combo. You can link into this normal off of cr. LP and cr. MP, letting you dish out more damage than usual.

File:Example.png Close LK Close Short Close

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~It leaves you at a frame advantage on block, and also leaves you at enough frame advantage to link into cr. MP. You can sometimes start a block string with cr. LK, then follow it with a chain cancelled close st. LK and can either continue block string pressure, fish for counter hits, or go for a throw.

File:Example.png Close MK Close Forward Close

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~The release of Ultra Street Fighter IV made this move shine. In the previous versions, Akuma had limited combo opportunities (outside of counter hits) if his opponent was crouching. This move now forces opponent to stand, so you can do way more damaging combos to crouching opponents than you could have done before. What's also nice is that you can hit your opponent with two cr. LP's or one cr. MP, and you'll still be in range for Akuma's close st. MK to connect.

File:Example.png Close HK Close Roundhouse Close

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~There's practically no use for this move. Even if you land a counter hit, it tends to push the opponent far away to land useful combos.

Standing Far Normals Name Nickname Command Notes

File:Example.png Far LP Far Jab

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~This is a great move to use if you need to punish something that requires tight timing, such as Balrog's LP Dash Straight. You can combo into cr. HK or far st. HP off of this move as well.

File:Example.png Far MP Far Strong

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~A mostly useless normal.

File:Example.png Far HP Far Fierce

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Akuma's far st. HP has many uses. The change made in Ultra Street Fighter IV is that this move is now special cancellable, meaning you can cancel a far st. HP into a special move. This is a great buff because against most characters, you cancel into LK Tatsu and it will still connect, even from the tip of the st. HP. It can also be used for pressure because fireballs can be tighter block strings than they were before. Even better is that if you happen to land a counter hit with this move while you were pressuring the opponent, you can link into cr. HK as well. This move can also be used as an anti-air as well. There are times when the opponent will jump from a range where your Goshoryuken might whiff. In those instances, this is the anti-air move to go for. There are times when the opponent will jump from a range where your Goshoryuken might whiff. In those instances, this is the anti-air move to go for. Combined with the ability to special cancel, if you manage to successfully hit your opponent out of the air, you can cancel into a LK Gohadouken for safe chip; by the time you opponent lands from the move and the fireball connects, you will have already recovered before the opponent can attempt an anti-projectile move.

File:Example.png Far LK Far Short

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~You might occasionally be able to hit your opponent out of the air with a far st. LK, but it's not that reliable for the purpose of anti-air. It's mostly used to feint a fireball after you do a quarter-circle forward motion.

File:Example.png Far MK Far Forward

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~This is nothing compared to Evil Ryu's far st. MK, but using this once in a while as a poke can have its advantages. Otherwise, its uses are limited.

File:Example.png Far HK Far Roundhouse

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~A pretty nasty move, this move can frustrate opponents while playing footsies. Akuma will do a series of two roundhouse kicks, and if the second hit connects, it gives you enough frame advantage to link into most of his other normal moves. You can also use this to pester opponents who likes to focus a lot, since this move hits two times. You can still be hit by the focus in between the kicks, but it requires some timing from the opponent to be able to hit you out of this. While this move has many uses due to having two hits and lots of combo potential, this move should be used sparingly in high-level matches. Opponents may be looking for this move outside of its range and will neutral jump to counter you, so don't abuse this move too much. Also, the second kick will whiff against certain opponents when they are crouch blocking.

The second hit of far st. HK will whiff on the following characters when they crouch block: Blanka, C.Viper, Cammy, Chun-Li, Cody (will kick twice a bit up close), Decapre, Dee Jay, Dhalsim, Dudley (will kick twice a bit up close), El Fuerte (only at further ranges), Elena, Evil Ryu, Ibuki, Juri, Ken, M. Bison (at further ranges), Oni (at further ranges), Poison, Rose, Rufus, Ryu, Sakura, Yang, Yun.

Crouching Normals Name Nickname Command Notes

File:Example.png Crouch LP Crouch Jab +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~A fairly common combo starter, but it can also be used to punish certain moves as well. You will most likely use this move to start hit confirming, as it is both advantageous on both block and on hit. You can apply safe block string pressure, or you can link into most other normal moves.

File:Example.png Crouch MP Crouch Strong +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Another nasty move in Akuma's arsenal. You want to use his cr. MP to fish for counter hits, because the amount of things you can do off of landing a counter hit cr. MP is insane. You can link into cr. HK for a hard knockdown, giving you a mix-up opportunity. At closer ranges, you can even link into far st. HK, letting you do combos with ridiculous damage and stun. Even if you fail to land a counter hit cr. MP, you're not missing out entirely, since you can still combo into other normal moves such as another cr. MP, cr. MK, or close st. HP for big damage too. This move is also safe on block, so when you're applying pressure up close, this is a godlike normal to go for.

File:Example.png Crouch HP Crouch Fierce +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Akuma raises his fist upwards, and this is actually a solid anti-air normal. It's nothing like an uppercut where it would knock your opponent down, but this is the anti-air to go for if your opponent is directly above. Things like a cross up tatsu attempt, Honda's Sumo Splash, or Vega's wall dive will get hit by cr. HP. If you're also not prepared to do a Goshoryuken, cr. HP will also do a decent job hitting opponents that jump towards you from up close.

File:Example.png Crouch LK Crouch Short +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~This move is a solid normal to use to apply pressure on opponent's wake up. However, don't just input a meaty cr. LK. It's best to press both cr. LP and cr. LK so that if the opponent tries to throw you on their wake up, you can also tech their throw. If the opponent blocks the meaty cr. LK, a common frame trap setup is to follow it up with a close st. LK afterwards, then mix the opponent up with either a throw or a cr. MP to fish for a counter hit.

File:Example.png Crouch MK Crouch Forward +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~This is one of Akuma's primary pokes. It's not as good of a cr. MK in comparison to Ryu's since it has less active frames, but it can still get the job done in a poking war. I would argue that with the release of Ultra Street Fighter IV, this should be the poke that Akuma should go for more often rather than the cr. HK. It may have shorter range, but the fact that you can cancel into special moves and Ultra more than makes up for it. There are many things you can answer to from a cr. MK. If the opponent focuses your poke, you can cancel into HK Tatsu to punish them for trying. If the move connects (hit or block) mix it up with doing just a simple cr. MK or cancel it into a Gohadouken to keep the opponent guessing. Note that a cr. MK cancelled into a Gohadouken is not a true block string from further ranges, which is why it is advised to mix it up. Lastly, if the opponent jumps, you can buffer the Wrath of the Raging Demon to convince your opponent that they are a fool for jumping at you while you have an Ultra stocked up.

File:Example.png Crouch HK Crouch Roundhouse +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~In the previous versions, one of the reasons why Akuma was hated on so much was because of his cr. HK. It seemed completely safe to use without much thought, as it had great range, was difficult to punish, and even if a character could punish a blocked cr. HK, Akuma would have usually been able to just easily cancel into Wrath of the Raging Demon to counter the punish attempt. That is no longer the case in Ultra Street Fighter IV. This move has lost the ability to cancel into Wrath of the Raging Demon, although it can be cancelled into the Super Raging Demon (which is pointless because the Super does not have any invincibility). Therefore, this move will lose to Focus Attacks now, and can also be countered with a jump attack if predicted. It still has great reach and somewhat difficult to punish on block. While it is -9 on block, it does quite a bit of pushback, so some characters may have trouble trying to punish it. You can still use this somewhat in footsies, as long as you don't abuse it like you could've in the previous versions. However, rather than using this to stick out a poke, it's better to use this to whiff punish your opponent's pokes due to its range. Also, it gives you a hard knockdown, giving you the opportunity to mix your opponent up on his or her wake up.

Neutral Jumping Normals Name Nickname Command Notes

File:Example.png Neutral Jump LP Neutral Jump Jab +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Akuma uses his elbow to hit a jumping opponent. It's the fastest neutral jumping attack that Akuma has, so it can sometimes be used in air-to-air situations. The only problem is that the range isn't that great, but you can use this in a pinch if you need to quickly hit an opponent in the air.

File:Example.png Neutral Jump MP Neutral Jump Strong +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~If you have the opponent in the corner, this normal move may have its uses. If you opponent tries to jump his or her way out of the corner, you can peg him with a nj. MP. It's not as fast as nj. LP, but it has better range.

File:Example.png Neutral Jump HP Neutral Jump Fierce +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Like nj. MP, this can also be used to trap a jumping opponent to keep him or her stay in the corner.

File:Example.png Neutral Jump LK Neutral Jump Short +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~This move is pretty much useless. It has almost no range, and you have better neutral jumping normals for air-to-air situations, so avoid using this.

File:Example.png Neutral Jump MK Neutral Jump Forward +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~This move can be used in most air-to-air situations. It has pretty decent range, and it can be used to hit an opponent trying to jump in on you. It is on the slow side of things unfortunately, but it will work every now and then at the right ranges.

File:Example.png Neutral Jump HK Neutral Jump Roundhouse +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~This is a worse version of the nj. MK. It is slower, but it also has decent range for air-to-air situations.

Diagonal Jumping Normals Name Nickname Command Notes

File:Example.png Diagonal Jump LP Diagonal Jump Jab / +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Although uses for j. LP is limited, you can use it for sneaky tick throw setups off of safe jumps.

File:Example.png Diagonal Jump MP Diagonal Jump Strong / +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~A useless jump attack. There is almost no utility behind a diagonal j. MP.

File:Example.png Diagonal Jump HP Diagonal Jump Fierce / +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~This move can have its uses. You can use it as a jump-in, for air-to-air counters, or to bait out a Zanku Hadoken.

File:Example.png Diagonal Jump LK Diagonal Jump Short / +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~This is a sneaky jump attack to use on the opponent's wake up. You can setup an ambiguous cross up, but it does not provide as much frame advantage on hit as j. MK or HK.. It can become difficult for the opponent to guess whether this move will hit from the front or the back, since it is not as obvious as a cross up j. MK. This can also be used for tick setups as well, due to the little amount of block and hit stun this move does.

File:Example.png Diagonal Jump MK Diagonal Jump Forward / +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Akuma's diagonal j. MK is his primary cross up move. You can also use this move to hit the opponent from the front as well, depending on how you spaced your jump attack.

File:Example.png Diagonal Jump HK Diagonal Jump Roundhouse / +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~This is one Akuma's primary jump-in attacks, since it hits more downwards than the diagonal j. HP. If you predict a fireball or a poke with lots of recovery, you can use the occassional jump-in HK to hit your opponent. It leaves you at tremendous block and hit stun, so you can apply pressure or perform combos if the opponent fails to anti-air you.

Unique Attacks Name Nickname Command Notes

File:Example.png Zugaihasatsu Overhead +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Akuma's overhead can be used once you condition your opponent to block low. It can catch your opponents by surprise sometimes when they are not expecting it. Be aware that you're at -5 on block, so it can be punished if the opponent guesses correctly. What makes the overhead really scary is that it is one of his primary tools to kara-cancel into his Raging Demon.

File:Example.png Tenmakujinkyaku Dive Kick (in air) +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Holding down and pressing medium kick at the peak of Akuma's forward jump will give you his dive kick. At first, this move may seem useless, but it can actually be pretty dangerous if used correctly. At certain ranges, when you want to jump over an opponent's projectile, but he or she hasn't thrown a projectile, the dive kick might save you from an anti-air move... as long as you didn't press a button in the air beforehand. Just don't abuse this tactic because your opponent may catch on and just walk forward and anti-air you out if they start seeing a pattern. This can be pretty useful on the opponent's wake up as well. Let's say you successfully knocked an opponent down, and you're at a range where a diagonal j. MK would cross the opponent up. Well, if they're expecting that cross up, use the dive kick to hit the opponent from the front instead. If this hits meaty, it provides enough frame advantage to combo into big damage.

Focus Attacks Name Nickname Command Notes

File:Example.png Focus Attack (Level 1) Level 1 Focus +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Akuma's Focus Attack can be useful because Akuma steps back a before he unleashes his his attack.

After a Level 1 Focus Attack forward dash, Akuma is at -2 on block and on hit.

File:Example.png Focus Attack (Level 2) Level 2 Focus +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Akuma's Focus Attack can be useful because Akuma steps back a before he unleashes his his attack.

After a Level 2 Focus Attack forward dash, Akuma is at +4 on block, which makes this a great pressure tool if the opponent blocks. Akuma's Focus Attack isn't exactly the fastest in the game though, so use it with care.

File:Example.png Focus Attack (Level 3) Level 3 Focus +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~You're most likely going to land this only when your opponent is dizzy, or if your opponent just doesn't realize what you're planning in time.

Throws Name Nickname Command Notes

File:Example.png Goshoha Forward Throw or + +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Akuma will hit the opponent hard in the chest and send him or her flying. Landing a forward throw sets your opponent up for your deadly mixups.

File:Example.png Syuretto Back Throw + +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~The back throw has much less utility than his forward throw. If you do land a back throw, you can apply meaty pressure on your opponent's wake up.

Special Moves Name Nickname Command Notes

File:Example.png GoHadoken Fireball +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Akuma's fireball is projectile thrown on the ground. It's main use is for zoning and FADC combos. The punch button pressed determines the speed the fireball will travel at. LP Gohadoken will travel the slowest, HP Gohadoken will travel the fastest, and MP Gohadoken is somewhere in between.

LP Gohadoken can be used for a few different reasons. Akuma will recover fast enough that he can somewhat follow the fireball and use it as a shield. It's nothing like a Guile Sonic Boom or Poison Aelous Edge, but it can be used to serve that purpose. HP Gohadoken can be used as a poke in footsies, since at closer ranges, it can be hard to react to the fireball. You can use MP Gohadoken at that range as well, or just for general zoning from far or mid range.

Gohadoken is also useful for FADC combos. If you cancel a Gohadoken into an FADC forward, you'll be at enough frame advantage to combo into many of his other normal attacks too.

EX Gohadoken hits twice, and the second hit will always knock the opponent down on hit. If you hit the opponent in the corner with an EX Gohadoken at close range, you can juggle into a HP Goshoryuken for bigger damage.

File:Example.png Shakunetsu Hadoken Red Fireball +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~You should definitely consider having a meterless Shakunetsu as a privilege, since not every character has a meterless multi-hitting projectile. Akuma will charge up a little bit and throw a red fireball, and this will knock the opponent down on hit. The LP Shakunetsu hits once but recovers the fastest, MP Shakunetsu hits twice but recovers slower, and HP Shakunetsu hits three times but recovers the slowest.

The Shakunetsu can be very useful in a projectile war. When Akuma and his opponent are exchanging projectiles full screen, throwing a Shakunetsu will help you gain more advantage. The opponent sees Akuma charge up, thinking he's about to throw a multi hitting projectile. Whether you threw the LP Shakunetsu or the MP Shakunetsu, your opponent will likely either jump or block the fireball, and you'll have time to throw another fireball to help you gain the advantage. HP Shakunetsu can be used occassionally in fireball wars, but the slow recovery can become a hindrance, so use it wisely.

EX Shakunetsu has been changed in Ultra Street Fighter IV to make it a much more viable tool. The startup on the move has been reduced, so you can now combo from a far st. HP cancelled into an EX Shakunetsu. It does decent chip damage and you'll recover just as fast the LP Shakunetsu.

File:Example.png Zanku Hadoken Air Fireball (in air) +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~This move is one of the reasons why Akuma is hated on by many. It outclasses so many other tools in the entire game in terms of utility, and it makes his zoning very difficult to deal with for most characters. Having a projectile that covers both the air and the ground is a godsend, so use it well.

LP Zanku Hadoken travels at a steep angle that will land close to you, the HP Zanku Hadoken will land at a 45 degree angle, and the MP Zanku Hadoken will land somewhere in between. You want to use each different versions for different uses. You want to use the LP Zanku Hadoken to try to discourage your opponent from trying to close in on you, and the other versions should be used to irritate your opponents from further ranges. Note that all versions of the EX Zanku Hadoken have recovery on landing, so certain moves will be able to punish you on landing (such as a projectile timed to hit you as you land, or any well timed anti-projectile moves). So even if you have a fantastic zoning tool at your disposal, don't get too cocky with it because you could risk getting punished heavily if you're not careful.

There are certain setups on the opponent's knockdown where you can do a tiger-knee air fireball to mix the opponent up; sometimes you will cross the opponent up and sometimes you will just hit in front. EX Zanku Hadoken can be used both as a keep-away tool and a get-in tool. If you feel your opponent is starting to close in more, throw an EX Zanku Hadoken to further push the opponent away from you. You can also use EX Zanku Hadoken as you jump forward so that they will feel restricted to try to anti-air you. Of course, don't overuse this tactic because eventually they can just walk right under and punish you. EX Zanku Hadoken can also be very nasty in the corner because it will keep them locked down. If timed so that you throw it lower to the ground (ie just before you land), it will give you enough block stun for you to continue applying pressure. If both fireballs hit, it will give you so much frame advantage to hit your opponent with a big combo.

Akuma can also cancel any of his Demon Flips into an altered version of his EX Zanku Hadoken. You can trick your opponent into thinking that you're going to take a risk doing a full screen Demon Flip, then trick them and do an EX Zanku Hadouken for trying to counter. Even if the opponent doesn't do anything, you will still gain space at the cost of one bar.

File:Example.png Goshoryuken Uppercut +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Akuma's Goshoryuken is his primary anti-air option, but it can also be used as combo enders and frame traps. It has more recovery than most other uppercut special moves in the game, so be careful when using this.

LP Goshoryuken has limited uses. It isn't that great of an anti-air, since it has very little invincibility and bad angle. You're most likely to trade if you use this as an anti-air, and most trades will not be in your favour. If you do land a successful LP Goshoryuken, consider FADC'ing forward and follow it up with a HP Shakunetsu for additional damage.

MP Goshoryuken should be your go to anti-air. It has the most invincibility out of all the other non-EX Goshoryukens, so you won't be trading that often if you use this as an anti-air. Try to hit deep because a single hit MP Goshoryuken does very little damage; you want both hits to connect.

HP Goshoryuken should be used mostly as a combo ender. You can use it as an anti-air, but the problem is you need to make sure the first hit of the HP Goshoryuken hits to dish out full damage. It's very difficult to time the HP Goshoryuken to have all hits connect on an airborne opponent, and a two-hit HP Goshoryuken does less damage than a two-hit MP Goshoryuken. However, most juggle moves will let you hit a full HP Goshoryuken afterwards. These include LK Tatsu and a cross up air Tatsu. If you're feeling brave, you can use HP Goshoryuken as a frame trap, but be aware that you can only FADC out of the first hit, and you're also at a disadvantage if your opponent blocks. If you're feeling even braver and feel like spending 3 meters, try to frame trap with a HP Goshoryuken and cancel that into EX Red Focus. If that hits, pat yourself on the back for a good read; you earned that combo.

EX Goshoryuken has uses for both anti air, combo enders, and amazing ability to kill opponents by chip. EX Goshoryuken has ridiculous amount of invincibility, and what's even better is that it is fully invincible, even while it's active. That means if Zangief jumps up and he does the Siberian Blizzard Ultra, if you do a regular Goshoryuken then he will catch you. If you use EX Goshoryuken to anti-air, you will be completely safe from the Ultra and even hit Zangief out of the air. If you also manage to land a bread and butter combo that normally ends with HP Goshoryuken, and your opponent is very low on health, consider using the EX Goshoryuken to finish the combo instead. You will either leave your opponent close to a KO, or you might even do enough damage to get the win. EX Goshoryuken also does quite a bit of chip, so if your opponent is in his or her last few pixels of health, EX Goshoryuken will usually deliver the kill.

File:Example.png Tatsumaki Zankukyaku Hurricane Kick +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~LP Tatsu is probably one of Akuma's most used special moves. It is used primarily for combos, as it sets you up for a free juggle into most normal or special moves. You will most likely follow any LK Tatsu juggle into HP Goshoryuken, as it gives the most amount of damage without using meter. On certain characters, you can land a cr. HK off of a LK Tatsu juggle, but this is entirely character specific. Also be aware that this is unsafe on block, so make sure you hit confirm successfully before committing to LK Tatsu.

MK Tatsu doesn't have much utility. It acts similarly to HK Tatsu, but it does less damage and hits.

HK Tatsu is a multi-hitting hurricane kick that hits up to three times. There will be times where some hit confirms will leave you too far away for the LK Tatsu to connect, in which you'll have to resort to using HK Tatsu to finish the combo instead. Another use for HK Tatsu is if your opponent likes to focus you at footsie range, cancelling a cr. MK cancelled into HK Tatsu will punish him.

EX Tatsu keeps Akuma in one place instead of having him moving forward. It is usually used for combos when opponents are crouching, since regular Tatsu's don't hit on crouching opponents.. This isn't as big of an issue due to Akuma's close st. MK buff, but it's still a combo to use against crouching opponents if you have trouble linking into a close stand MK. It is also very useful if you manage to hit the opponent when he or she is cornered, as it lets you juggle into HP Goshoryuken for more damage. It can also be used as a frame trap if you time it right.

File:Example.png Air Tatsumaki Zankukyaku Air Hurricane Air Tatsumaki Zankukyaku

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~There's very little utility for this move outside of mixups, but it can be deadly if you do successfully knock your opponent down. In neutral, one of the few uses can be to build bits of meter, but you have better options for that. The most likely use of an air Tatsu is to cross the opponent up on his or her wake up. From there, you're given a free juggle between any normal move. You can either go for a reset by hitting the opponent with a normal cancelled into a Demon Flip for another mixup. You can also just end the juggle with a cr. HK to set up for another mixup. If you want to go for damage, juggle with HP or EX Goshoryuken.

File:Example.png Hyakkishu Demon Flip +

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Hyakki, AKA the Demon Flip, is Akuma's primary mix up tool. Akuma will do a big leap forward, and the kick button pressed will determine how far he will travel across the screen. LK Hyakki won't move him much forward, HK Hyakki will fly him across almost 3/4 of the screen, and MK Hyakki is somewhere in between. EX Hyakki will travel a lot faster and home in on the opponent.

What you do after a Hyakki is determined by what you pressed after Akuma has reached the peak of the Hyakki.

File:Example.png Hyakki Gozan Demon Flip Slide No input after performing Kyakkishu

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~There is absolutely no reason to ever use this. If you press nothing after performing a Hyakki, you will do a slide that will knock the opponent down. It is ridiculously unsafe on block, and all variants of Hyakki can be blocked by defensive crouch, so this is essentially next to useless.

File:Example.png Hyakki Gosho Demon Flip Palm Perform during Hyakkishu

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Hyakki Gosho, aka the Demon Flip Palm, has many uses such as safe jumping, armor break, and plays a part in Akuma's side-to-side mixups.

In neutral, if you want to build meter from full screen, the Demon Flip Palm is good to use along with his projectiles. Akuma will land almost instantly if he does the palm, and you can go back to mixing up with different fireballs and Demon Flip Palm to build meter quickly.

This is also a terrific option to use on the opponent's wake up. Depending on the distance, you can use MK Demon Flip Palm to safe jump and bait the enemy's reversal, or you can use the HK version to go behind the opponent as he or she gets up. Speaking of safe jumping, if your opponent has a reversal that has armor properties, this will instantly break armor and knock the opponent down. You can set up for a tiger knee fireball and make the opponent guess whether you will hit up front or cross up.

File:Example.png Hyakki Gojin Demon Flip Dive Kick Perform during Hyakkishu

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~An awesome move, this is another way of safe jumping the opponent. Most reversals will either whiff or even get stuffed if timed right. Akuma is given a lot of advantage on block, so the opponent is in your world while you go for pressure. If the opponent guesses wrong and gets hit, have fun doing your big damage combos. This move will hit up front about 90% of the time, but on rare occasions it will cross up. This is very strict on timing, distance, and the match up, so this where you just have to study whether you have a cross up Demon Flip Kick setup or not.

File:Example.png Hyakki Gosai Demon Flip Throw + Perform during Hyakkishu

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~This is a beautiful move, both aesthetically and technically speaking. Akuma will grab the opponent's head and hurl him or her some distance away. Be careful that if this move is whiffed, you are very much punishable due to its long recovery, so use it with caution. Once you land the throw, you're given a few setup opportunities. See strategies.

File:Example.png Ashura Senku (Far) Punch Teleport (far) or + moves Akuma forward; moves Akuma backwards

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~If Akuma isn't hated enough due to air fireballs and insane mixups, this is probably the other reason why Akuma is hated. Akuma will teleport to safety, and depending on whether you did a forward dragon punch motion or a backward dragon punch motion, you will teleport in different directions. You are completely invincible while the teleport is active, but there is quite a bit of recovery once the move finishes, so you can risk eating a big punish if the opponent successfully chases you down. You can cancel the teleport from some of its active frames with Demon Armageddon. What's even better is that the teleport gives Akuma the ability to combo from a normal move cancelled into a teleport into the Ultra.

The PPP version will travel very far, but it has longer recovery time.

File:Example.png Ashura Senku (Close) Kick Teleport (close) or + moves Akuma forward; moves Akuma backwards

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~If Akuma isn't hated enough due to air fireballs and insane mixups, this is probably the other reason why Akuma is hated. Akuma will teleport to safety, and depending on whether you did a forward dragon punch motion or a backward dragon punch motion, you will teleport in different directions. You are completely invincible while the teleport is active, but there is quite a bit of recovery once the move finishes, so you can risk eating a big punish if the opponent successfully chases you down. You can cancel the teleport from some of its active frames with Demon Armageddon. What's even better is that the teleport gives Akuma the ability to combo from a normal move cancelled into a teleport into the Ultra.

The KKK version will have a shorter travelling distance, but it has shorter recovery time.

Super Combo Name Nickname Command Notes

File:Example.png Raging Demon Super Combo

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Akuma's Super is a 0 frame grab. This means that if the opponent is in range to get grabbed by the Raging Demon, he or she cannot escape from the Super. The opponent must also be in a throwable state for the Super to land, meaning that any opponent in block stun or hit stun will not be grabbed by the Raging Demon. See the strategies section to find various setups to land the Raging Demon.

Ultra Combos Name Nickname Command Notes

File:Example.png Wrath of the Raging Demon Ultra Combo I

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Wrath of the Raging Demon is probably one of the scariest Ultra Combos in the game. It can be used to punish certain moves on block, and it can also serve as a fantastic anti-air and anti-focus tool. Unlike the Super, Ultra is not a 0 frame grab, so even if the opponent is in point blank range, he or she can still jump away from the Ultra. It does 510 points of damage with maximized Ultra meter, so you can expect to do brick tons of damage if the opponent makes a crucial mistake. See strategies for more detailed methods on how to land the Ultra.

File:Example.png Demon Armageddon Ultra Combo II + Can be used in the middle of Ashura Senku

~~ Uses and Strategies ~~Akuma's Ultra II also comes with a lot of uses. One of them is to punish anybody that tries to punish your teleport with an Ultra or a special move if you can react fast enough. Unfortunately, if you cancel the teleport into Demon Armageddon, the damage to the Ultra will scale down, but it's more than worth it if you need to escape safely from the opponent. The hitbox of Demon Armageddon will also expand if you cancel the teleport into it. Speaking of cancelling from a teleport, you can combo into Ultra II off of a normal. To elaborate, if you manage to hit the opponent with any normal with enough hit stun, cancel that into the teleport and then quickly cancel into Ultra II, you will be rewarded with tons of damage.

Against characters with large hitboxes (such as Sagat, Balrog, Abel, Rufus etc), you can juggle into Ultra II with a cross up Tatsu. Timing is tighter than juggling into other normals or special moves however.

The BasicsAkuma is a very versatile character. He has everything you need for every situation. He has the fastest walk speed alongside Chun-Li, M. Bison, and Vega, so his ground game is already very strong. He also has amazing zoning tools, thanks to his arsenal of great normals, three different types of projectiles, and a variety of anti-air options. If that's not enough, he also has an amazing teleport that can be pretty difficult to punish, since there's no indication of which way he'll be going. Not only can he annoy you with amazing keepaway zoning tools, but if he manages to land one hard knockdown, his opponent is in his world. Even with delayed wake up, Akuma's mixup potential still stands strong. He has many options that he can do as you get up, only to knock you down again and even looping you into his vortex until his opponent dies.

That said, even though Akuma may have amazing abilities at his disposal, being able to win consistently takes lots of practice. By no means is he an easy character, in fact some may even argue that he is one of the most technical characters in the game. Not only is he difficult to win with because of execution requirements and knowledge of how to properly use his tools, but he also has the lowest health and stun in the game. You can only get hit so much before falling dizzy and eventually falling dead, so you must strive for perfection before being able to win consistently with Akuma. Another factor that plays into the difficulty of using Akuma is that a lot of his setups vary from character to character, so matchup knowledge is a requirement as well.