The King of Fighters '99/Benimaru

Introduction

The famous electric seducer and Kyo's Friend in KOF.

Top-tier character (best character of the game among no-banned characters).

He's chosen in all the teams or almost.

Benimaru is a poking, footsies and block strings based character.

Movelist

THROWS-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catch and Shoot >> When close - b / f + C

Front Suplex >> When close - b / f + D >> Best Benimaru's throw because it reverse knockdown opponent which helps Benimaru's okizeme gameplay

Spinning Knee Drop >> When close in the air - any dir. except u + C / D

COMMAND ATTACKS----------------------------------------------------------------

Jackknife Kick >> f + B >> No Overhead.

   Evades several low attacks.
   Can be cancelled into a special move or DM move.

Flying Drill >> In the air - d + D

SPECIAL MOVES------------------------------------------------------------------

Iai-geri >> qcf + K >> Can be followed with Handou Sandan Geri.

/Handou Sandan Geri >> After Iai-geri - d, u + K

Shinkuu Katategoma >> qcb + P

Raijin Ken >> qcf + P >>Main chip damage and pressure attack of Benimaru. The C version is generally useful to combo with striker Clark when you has no meter

Kuuchuu Raijin Ken >> In the air - qcf + P

DESPERATION MOVES--------------------------------------------------------------

Raikou Ken >> qcf, qcf + A >> Main combo ender when you have a meter. The C version is his main DM to combo with strikers

Gen'ei Hurricane >> qcf, qcf + K >> Evades 1-hit strong normal attack and specials. >> This move is unfortunately useless in kof 99

In-depth Analysis

Qualities :

• He's the only character of the game who can call a striker and guard at same time
• Builts meter very quickly
• Almost all his normal attacks get good hitboxes (so good priority), good reach (same thing for his jump attacks), fast recovery and startup (that permits him to have a good frame trap gameplay thus)
• very good mixups with his crossup j.d (good for okizeme), his air throw, his option select cr.b > cr.c (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEGLuOaBdwY), his meaty cl.d
• He fastly stuns the opponents
• His normal attacks manage opponent's striker well (especially the most used strikers Clark and Kasumi)
• His cr.c is low crouching that permits to pass opponent's jump attacks
• Easy to play. The only combo that requires execution skills is : cr.Bx1-3 > qcf,qcf+A

Faults :

• no reversal (he lost his Super Inazuma Kick and his Benimaru Collider from kof 98)
• Gen'ei Hurricane (qcf, qcf + K) is really useless most of the time
• bad damage to a top tier

Combos

Normal Combos

• cr.Bx1-3 > qcf+K > d,u+K

• cr.C > qcb+C or qcf,qcf+A

• j.B or j.C or j.D> cl.C or cl.D > qcf+A or qcf+K or qcb+P or qcf,qcf+A

• cr.A > cl.D > qcf+A or qcf+K or qcb+P or qcf,qcf+A

• cr.Bx1-3 > qcf,qcf+A

Fastest Attacks

• 0F: C throw; D throw
• 1F:
• 2F: cl.D ; cr.B ; nj.D
• 3F: cl.A ; cl.B ; far.A ; far.B ; cr.A ; j.B
• 4F: cl.C ; cr.C
• 5F: far.C ; cr.D ; j.A ; j.C ; j.D ; nj.A ; nj.C
• 6F:
• 7F:
• 8F:
• 9F:
• 10F: qcf.C

Frame Data and Hitboxes

Red Color = Hurtbox

Purple / White Color = Hitbox

H = High

L = Low

C = Cancel

For Special Moves :

Black Color = Hitbox

Yellow = Fireball

	Frames	Advantage	Cancel	Block	Hitbox		Notes
Standing Close
	3/2/9	+1/-1		HL			This move is really useless in many situations. The top players almost never use it.
	3/5/7	0/-2		HL			Like cl.A, generally it's not a move you will use often in matches situations
	4/3+3/15	-1/-3	1st hit :	HL
	2/6/16	-2/-4		HL			Nice as meaty attack. You can also combo it after cr.A.
Standing Far
	3/4/9	-1/-3		HL			Solid move vs short hop
	3/7/9	-4/-6		HL			Very splashable move of Benimaru, with wonderful priority, reach and startup. This is the best poke move of Benimaru and even of game. You can use it also as chain ender. This move is also really good in frametrap situations
	5/6/18	-4/-6		HL			Very good mid-range poke move of Benimaru with good priority. Effective vs short hop. However it whiffs on crounchers.
	11/5/16	-1/-3		HL			Slow move but very good long/mid-range poke move of Benimaru also which beat many standing and normal moves of game. You can escape low crounchers moves like Ralf's cr.D for example.
+	17/4/20	KD/-2		HL
Crouching
	3/4/5	2/0		HL			1 frame slowest than cr.B but with better recovery. Links into cl.D and can combo into qcf+A or qcb+A for block string Chain: repeatable
	2/4/7	1/-1		L			Benimaru's great normal move. This is also his main combo starter and his "footsies" move. Chain: repeatable
	4/3+3/24	-10/-12		HL
	5/6/23	KD/-11					Interesting move as meaty attack and whiff cancelable if someone short hops it.
Jump
	5/9/-	-/-	-
	3/12/-	-/-					Benimaru's instant overhead. This move is fast, great priority, is active a long time and can crossup. His 2nd best jump-in after j.D
	5/3+7/-	-/-
	5/8/-	-/-	-				Good air-to-air move. Good priority, good reach and easily crossup. Generally his main jump-in
+	14/5/-	KD/-		HL			Slow but with good priority to air-to-ground situation
Neutral Jump
	5/9/-	-/-	-
	3/12/-	-/-					This neutral jump is especially interesting as instant overhead
	5/3+7/-	-/-
	2/10/-	-/-	-				Benimaru's best neutral jump, with very fast startup, good reach and splendid priority
+	14/5/6	-/-		HL
Command Normals
+	19/3/27	-10/-12		HL			Jackknife Kick - f+B You can use it on block strings combos and cancel into qcf+A or qcb+A
,+	13/1(1)2(2)2/-	-/-	-	HL			Flying Drill - d+D (air)Useful move to BEnimaru's pressure/mixups.
Special Moves
+	12/5(3)4(3)3/24	-6/-8	When opponent in air : , In Counter Mode :	HL			Raijin Ken - qcf+A Benimaru extends his arm forward and a ball of energy surrounds his hand. His main block string and combo ender move.
+	10/5(3)4(3)4/25	/	When opponent in air : , In Counter Mode :	HL			Taikuu Raijin Ken - qcf+C Benimaru extends his arm diagonally upwards and a ball of energy surrounds his hand. His move is useful as anti-air and to combo with strikers when you has no meter.
,+	/ /	-/-	Fi	HL			* similar to his qcf+P except done in the air. Benimaru does the attack diagonally downward and it comes out fairly fast make Benimaru float in the air for a bit, before coming down if Benimaru jumps over the opponent and does this move, Benimaru will face the correct direction free cancellable into
,+	/ /	-/-	Fi	HL
+	/ /	KD/	In Counter Mode :	HL			Shinkuu Katategoma - qcb+P
+	/ /	KD/	In Counter Mode :	HL				Shinkuu Katategoma - qcb+P
+	/ /	/	In Counter Mode :	HL			Iai Geri - qcf+K Benimaru does a quick knee If the second active period hits, it couses hard knockdown, and on counterhit, counterwires. can be followed up by Handou Sandan Geri d,u+K on hit or whiff, 5 frames after the active period. free cancellable into