The King of Fighters XIII/Benimaru

Benimaru

In a nutshell

Fill this in with a general overview of the character.

Move List

Normal Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Standing Light Punch

kof.lp

25

chaincancel cancel

Standing Light Kick

kof.lk

30

Standing Heavy Punch

kof.sp

80

Close Heavy Punch

Close kof.sp

70

cancel

Standing Heavy Kick

Close kof.sk

80

Close Heavy Kick

kof.sk

70

cancel

Crouching Light Punch

d + kof.lp

25

chaincancel cancel

Crouching Light Kick

d + kof.lk

30

low chaincancel cancel

Crouching Heavy Punch

d + kof.sp

70

cancel

Crouching Heavy Kick

d + kof.sk

80

low softknockdown cancel

Blowback Attack

kof.sp + kof.sk

75

softknockdown specialcancel

Jumping Light Punch

Air kof.lp

Jump: 45
Hop: 40

high cancel

Jumping Light Kick

Air kof.lk

Jump: 45
Hop: 40

high cancel

Jumping Heavy Punch

Air kof.sp

Jump: 72
Hop: 70

high cancel

Jumping Heavy Kick

Air kof.sk

Jump: 70
Hop: 68

high

Jumping Blowback Attack

Air kof.sp + kof.sk

Jump: 90
Hop: 80

softknockdown cancel

Unique Attacks

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Jackknife Kick

f + kof.lk

65

specialcancel

Flying Drill

Air d + kof.sk

25×n

aironly

Throw

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Catch and Shoot

f or b + kof.sp or kof.sk (While Close)

100

throw softknockdown

Spinning Knee Drop

Air f or b + kof.sp (While Close)

125

airthrow hardknockdown

Special Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Raijinken

qcf + p

p : 35×2
ex : 50×3
Air ex : 50×4

airok
Ground: supercancel
Ground kof.sp and ex : softknockdown

Benimaru Lancer

qcb + p

p : 35×2
ex : 150

softknockdown

Super Inazuma Kick

dp + k

kof.lk : 60
kof.lk (Lightning Strike) : 40
kof.sk : 70
kof.sk (Lightning Strike) : 50
ex : 80+30×2

startupinv drivecancel

Iaigeri

qcf + k

k : 45
ex : 70

drivecancel

Handou Sandangeri

Iaigeri, then d u + k

kof.lk : 40
kof.sk : 50
ex : 70+50×3

drivecancel

Benimaru Collider

hcb f + p

p : 13×15
ex : 15×15

throw
p : hardknockdown
ex : crumple

Desperation Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Raikouken

qcf qcf + p

p : 35×4+60
ex : 27×9+70

softknockdown maxcancel
ex : startupinv

Rolling Thunder

qcb qcb + p

0+13×14

startupinv softknockdown

Raiouken

qcf qcf + kof.lk + kof.sk
(Can be directed uf or df after activation)

50×9

softknockdown

Strategy

Move Analysis

Normal Moves

• Standing Light Punch () - A standard, Standing Light Punch anti-air attack. Usually Standing Light Kick is the better anti-air against hops; and angles of jumps that Standing Light Kick can't cover but Standing Light Punch could is covered better by Close Heavy Punch/Kick or a Super Inazuma Kick ( + ).

• Standing Light Kick () - One of Benimaru's best anti-air attacks. This move is quick, has little recovery, and has long range. So. it's difficult to punish with a sweep at times, especially when Benimaru follows up immediately with a Standing Heavy Kick that goes over most crouching attacks and is fast enough to counter poke most sweeps before the sweep come out. Sometimes, a myriad of Standing Light Kicks and Standing Heavy Kicks encourages the opponent to try to full jump or super jump to get over both normal moves while staying outside of the hop range. In this case, it's easy for Benimaru to react to that sort of jump and anti-air with a Super Inazuma Kick ( + ).

• Standing Heavy Punch () - In application, this move is a more damaging Standing Light Kick. It's faster than Standing Heavy Kick and is almost as horizontally long but whiffs against crouching opponents (the larger crouching characters such as Goro are exceptions.) This could reach and punish moves that Standing Heavy Kick is too slow to punish at times. Standing Heavy Punch is a good move to use instead of Standing Light Kick in terms of damage if the player is sure of the opponent going to hop. Due to the recovery compared to Standing Light Kick, it has more risk against sweeps and other attacks.

• Close Heavy Punch (Close ) - Typical, fast Close attack. Close Heavy Punch is faster than Close Heavy Kick but has a smaller window of time to confirm a cancel. The activation range is shorter than Close Heavy Kick; but in certain circumstances, the player may want to use Close Heavy Punch to punish an opponent's mistake given the spacing and the faster speed that Close Heavy Punch has over Close Heavy Kick.

• Standing Heavy Kick () - One of the better grounded pokes in the game. This move is relatively fast and it beats a plethora of standing and crouching normal moves and there are just only a few attacks that could actually beat it such as Iori's sweep (risky for Iori though since his sweep is incredibly unsafe on block/whiff and Benimaru could easily respond with his own sweep to punish Iori). Due to its function as a sobat similar to Guile's Standing Forward Kick from the Street Fighter series, not only does Standing Heavy Kick goes over most low attacks but over most slides as well. Sometimes, both the Standing Heavy Kick and particular slides completely miss each other depending on timing and spacing. Sometimes this move acts as a preemptive anti-air from situations such as the opponent blocking two of Benimaru's Crouching Light Kicks and the opponent commits to a hop/jump afterwards only to be hit by an immediate Standing Heavy Kick. Since this move covers a deal of ground space close to Benimaru, the opponent will be encouraged to approach from about mid to mid-close screen with a hop or a jump. In this case, Benimaru could readily anti-air the opponent with a Standing Light Kick, a Standing Heavy Punch, a Super Inazuma Kick ( + ), one of Benimaru's jumping normal moves, or an air throw. Just don't be caught being lazy and accidentally commit to a Standing Heavy Kick while the opponent is already at the peak of the opponent's hop.

• Close Heavy Kick (Close ) - Benimaru's other close heavy attack. Due to it's wider activation range than Close Heavy Punch, Close Heavy Kick could anti-air neutral jumps on reaction more easily and be used in frame traps such as going from Crouching Light Kick to Close Heavy Kick better than Close Heavy Punch could. This attack is also preferred in option select Close / situations.

• Crouching Light Punch ( + ) - Fast cancelable normal. Doesn't have much of a point since Crouching Light Kick is about just as fast, and Crouching Light Kick has longer range while at the same time hitting low. Crouching Light Punch might have some applications as a frame trap, but there are better set ups that the player could spend Benimaru's time on.

• Crouching Light Kick ( + ) - Another one of Benimaru's great normals. Fast, cancelable, and mid ranged crouching attack that's great for pressuring and spacing Benimaru for setting up cross-up attempts. It's threatening because of its ability to break alternate guard attempts and confirms into decent damage with a knockdown. The opponent would rather try to block Crouching Light Kick most of the time rather than try to alternate guard against tick command throw attempts. One of the key functions of Benimaru's pressure. Crouching Light Kick is also good for shrinking under and punishing bad hop and jump attempts. It also could be used in pressuring blockstrings and frame traps such as canceling a Crouching Light Kick into a Raijinken ( + ) and what not.

• Crouching Heavy Punch ( + ) - A long, low-to-the-ground cancelable normal. It's Benimaru's longest normal move that could cancel into a special without knocking down the opponent. Crouching Heavy Punch is better as an anti-air this time around in King of Fighters XIII, but not by that much. As a crouching punch attack, of course it doesn't have low hitting properties. Mainly used in frame trap situations to continue pressure, such as after a blocked Crouching Light Kick blockstring. Similar to quite a number of Crouching Heavy Punches and Crouching Heavy Kicks in the game, this move could cancel upon whiff as well.

• Crouching Heavy Kick ( + ) - Nice cancelable sweep. Has relatively moderate range amongst the cast, but it's one of the faster sweeps and works well to punish opponents. Also another tool to use in blockstring as it cancels as well. Could almost simultaneous control ground and airspace by canceling itself on whiff into Raijinken ( + ) or any other anti-air Special Move.

• Blowback Attack ( + ) - Similar but slightly slower and shorter in range than Standing Heavy Kick; but, it is cancelable on whiff and on hit like all Blowback Attacks. Doesn't have too much usage on its own or at all.

• Jumping Light Punch (Air ) - Has little to no point. Jumping Light Punch is irrelevant because the speed and the range it covers is outclassed better by all of the other jumping normal attacks Benimaru has.

• Jumping Light Kick (Air ) - A fast jump in with good air-to-air and cross-up properties. Think of M. Bison's (Dictator) Jumping Forward Kick from the Street Fighter series. Due to the kind of hop and jump arc Benimaru has compared to any other character in King of Fighters series, Jumping Light Kick functions even better as an air-to-air. Given the situation just like with Jumping Heavy Kick, Benimaru could air-to-air an opponent and have enough time to land to run under the opponent as the opponent lands on the ground, thus setting up for a mix-up. Typically this happens as Benimaru connects his attack from the peak or descent from a hop as the opponent is hit from a full or super jump. If Benimaru air-to-airs an opponent that also hops, Benimaru is unlikely to be able to run under at all.

• Jumping Heavy Punch (Air ) - An air-to-air normal that covers the range near Benimaru's head. Covers that range above Benimaru that Jumping Light Kick and Jumping Heavy Kick don't reach. Jumping Heavy Punch also doubles as an air throw option select. If the player executes Jumping Heavy Punch while holding or , there's a chance that the opponent might happen to jump or hop given the set up and be hit by an air throw, Spinning Knee Drop (Air or + [While Close] ) Given the proper spacing, this attack is known to cross-up.

• Jumping Heavy Kick (Air ) - Great overall jumping attack. It works well as an air-to-ground, cross-up, air-to-air move. Although an air-to-ground, it has huge problems against certain slide attacks. As mentioned with Jumping Light Kick, this attack could set up into a run under opportunity given the correct air-to-air set up. Although a good air-to-air and has more horizontal range over Jumping Light Kick, it lacks the speed Jumping Light Kick has. Each move has its own utility and situation.

• Jumping Blowback Attack (Air + ) - This attack is an air-to-air attack similar to Jumping Heavy Kick, but angled and curved more upwards. In past games, the shape of this move in King of Fighters XIII was actually Benimaru's Neutral Jumping Heavy Kick. The previous Jumping Blowback Attack was a kick attack that was 45° angled downwards that was used often early during a hop as a frame trap that catches preemptive anti-air attempts by the opponent. Now that Benimaru could do Raijinken ( + ) attacks during a hop this time around, it replaces the function that the old Jumping Blowback Attack had. So overall, the current Jumping Blowback Attack has little, if not, no useful application.

Unique Attacks

• Jackknife Kick ( + ) - Although Jackknife Kick cancels from many of Benimaru's normal moves, it doesn't actually combo from any of them. Due to its slow speed, Jackknife Kick is mainly used to mix-up and stagger blockstrings to make the opponent mess up counter pokes or Guard Cancel Blowback timings. On its own, Jackknife Kick is too slow to be used as a practical anti-air attack.

• Flying Drill (Air + ) - An aerial, diving drill attack similar to Dhalsim's Drill Dives from the Street Fighter series. In this iteration of KOF, the Flying Drill doesn't induce much push back upon block as it used to. In past games, the push back made Flying Drill spaced away from the opponent upon landing, making the Flying Drill safe and giving neutral frame advantage. This allowed Benimaru go for a 50/50 mix-up in previous games. Now, the attack barely pushes the opponent back and it requires more minute spacing in order to make Flying Drill safe. The recovery feels about the same but the amount of blockstun induced upon an opponent feels decreased, making Benimaru move vulnerable to punishes, especially command throws. The actual descent of the Flying Drill is faster; as applied as a means of changing aerial momentum and direction, Flying Drill is still useful for running away from an opponent or maneuvering around projectiles.

Throw

• Catch and Shoot ( or + or [While Close] ) - A standard throw. What makes this throw useful is the kind of option select mix-up it has. As with most grapplers or characters with command throws if a knockdown is scored upon an opponent, the player may go for a safe jump/hop set up and safely lead into an empty hop > command throw mix-up. Since the opponent should be scared in this situation and recognizes if the player does not do a jump-in attack, that the opponent wouldn't be able to alternate guard to force the command throw to miss. So, the opponent's option in this case would be to hop or jump out of the situation. If the playe knows that the opponent will jump/hop, the player could have Benimaru or any other character with a command throw to land and go for a normal throw (in Benimaru's case, his Catch and Shoot.) If the opponent jumped/hopped, the opponent will be hit with a Close Heavy Punch or Heavy Kick since normal throws don't have whiff animations. If the opponent, for whatever reason, decided to stay grounded, then the opponent will be thrown. Be cautious, more wary players might try to read this set-up and just tech Benimaru's normal throw. In this case, the mix-up would be an actual command throw.

• Spinning Knee Drop (Air or + [While Close]) - A simple aerial throw attack. Further details upon its option select is in the description for Jumping Heavy Punch.

Special Moves

• Swag ( + ) -
  • Swag ( + + ) -

Desperation Moves

• Super Saiyan Swagger ( + ) -
  • Super Saiyan Swagger ( + + ) -

Combos

0% Drive

0 Bar

• cr.B x3 xx qcf+K > du+K

Basic Strategy

Offense

• Sirlin Wall of Normals

Defense

• Sirlin Wall of Normals

Advanced Strategy

• Use Polnareff's Stand