The King of Fighters XIII/Kensou

Kensou

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

low cancel

Standing Heavy Punch

kof.sp

80

Close Heavy Punch

Close kof.sp

70

cancel

Standing Heavy Kick

kof.sk

70

cancel

Close Heavy Kick

Close 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 cancel

Jumping Light Punch

Air kof.lp

Jump: 45
Hop: 40

high cancel

Jumping Light Kick

Air kof.lk

Jump: 45
Hop: 40

high

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)

Back Ten

kof.lk + kof.sk

startupinv specialcancel

Throw

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Ryuuhousui

f or b + kof.sp or kof.sk (while close)

100

throw softknockdown

Special Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Choukyuudan

qcb + p

p : 65
ex : 120

supercancel

Ryuutouda

qcf + p
ex (1): qcf + kof.lp + kof.sp
ex (2): ex Ryutesshou (1), then qcf + p

p : 30
ex : 45

drivecancel

Ryuutesshou

Ryuutouda, then qcf + p
ex (1): ex Ryuutouda (1), then qcf + p
ex (2): ex Ryuutouda (2), then qcf + p

p : 30
ex : 45

drivecancel

Hasei Shikkuu Zanryuukyaku

Ryuutesshou, then qcf + k
ex : ex Ryuutesshou (2), then qcf + k

p : 75
ex : 100

hardknockdown

Ryuubokko

dp + p , press p repeatedly
ex : dp + kof.lp + kof.sp

p : 10×15+95+70×5
ex : 15×16+120

drivecancel
Last hit: softknockdown

Ryuugakusai

rdp + k

kof.lk : 30+35(30)+30
kof.sk : 40+40(30)+30+30
ex : 60×2+35×5

drivecancel

Ryuusougeki

qcb + p

p : 50
ex : 15×n+50

aironly softknockdown drivecancel

Shikkuu Zanryuukyaku

qcf + k

k : 75
ex : 160

hardknockdown

Desperation Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Shinryuu: Choukyuudan

qcb qcb + p

p : 200
ex : 330

softknockdown

Shinryuu: Seikoushou

qcf hcb + p

(8+0)×24+20

hardknockdown maxcancel

Seigan: Senki Hakkei

qcf qcf + kof.lp + kof.sp

(16+0)×22+16+100

hardknockdown

Strategy

Move Analysis

Normal Moves

• Standing Light Punch () - A quick backfist and one of the few Standing attacks that connects against crouching opponents. The player can use this attack as a standard anti-air answer against a hop, though Crouching has a slightly higher hitbox for anti-airing.
  • A nice attack to pressure the opponent with due to the mid-hitting hitbox and fast startup. Tryy walking forward and quickly using Standing while remembering the option to cancel the attack into a special.

• Standing Light Kick () - A low -hitting kick aimed at the opponent's feet. Fully cancelable, but can't be chained into any other normal. Seeing as Kensou's Crouching hits low, chains into itself, cancels into specials, and leaves the player with a better frame advantage on block, Standing doesn't have much use.

• Standing Heavy Punch () - A downward arm smash, or a ghetto Iori Standing if you will. Unlike Iori, Kensou cannot cancel this normal into anything which reduces the effectiveness of his Far . Occasionally works as a heavy poke to incorporate into a blockstring, but leaves both players at a more neutral spacing and equal advantage on block.
  • It's possible to land Standing and cancel into Hyperdrive Mode for a combo in certain situations or odd punishes.

• Close Heavy Punch (Close ) - Standard fare Close Heavy normal. Deals heavy hitstun and blockstun and cancels into special moves nicely. Good in blockstrings, after a jump-in, or as a punish to start a combo.

• Standing Heavy Kick () - Kensou's high kick that cancels like a Close Heavy normal, i.e. it can be canceled on hit or whiff. This move is primarily an anti-air that covers the space just above and in front of Kensou's head. Most successful in anti-air attempts if Kensou's foot either hits the opponent early in a jump arc as a preventive anti-air, or if his foot hits deep inside an opponent's jumping attack. An easy way to set up a either anti-air respectively is to run forward at the opponent and press if the player confirms a jump or hop, or to run forward underneath an aerial opponent before pressing in order to attack under or behind the enemy's active hitbox.

• Crouching Light Punch ( + ) - A unique Crouching that doesn't have much use up close to the opponent due to the poor horizontal range. Instead, Kensou performs a jab similar to Standing but at a higher vertical angle while crouching down and reducing his vulnerable hitbox. The extra size reduction and upward attack angle makes this normal better suited for anti-airing hops, where Standing 's horizontal range makes for a better offensive move.

• Crouching Light Kick ( + ) - The player's fastest and safest low-hitting attack. Kensou has the benefit of having a directly cancelable Crouching which makes for an easy hitconfirm when chained into itself. A good light attack for dealing guard damage, gaining frame advantage, canceling into specials, and opening up an opponent along with Standing . Easily converts a tripguard meaty into a knockdown, so punish poor jumping attacks with this attack for a combo.

• Crouching Heavy Punch ( + ) - Odd-looking diagonal double-fist thrust, as if Kensou is trying to fire a beam from his hands. Functions as an anti-air similar to other Crouching uppercuts, though the vertical reach isn't quite as long as other uppercuts. The player can use Standing for vertical reach, where Crouching has more horizontal length. A neat move in blockstrings due to the heavy hitstun making for tighter blockstrings into Choukyuudan ( + ) and also because Kensou doesn't have many other horizontally-reaching and cancelable normals.

• Crouching Heavy Kick ( + ) - A fundamentally good sweep with an modest range; Kensou's longest grounded normal. More importantly, the player can thankfully cancel the sweep on hit of whiff into a special (namely Choukyuudan ( + )). A strong option on the offensive for locking an opponent down with projectiles, normals, and normals 2-in-1'd into Choukyuudan to bait an impatient mistake or roll. Canceling on whiff from midscreen can bait an opponent to jump over the sweep, only to be anti-aired by Choukyuudan ( + ).
  • Also works as a tripguard meaty with more range than Crouching .

• Blowback Attack ( + ) - Kensou scoots forward and attacks with both his fists. Like most Blowback Attacks, the active hitbox is large and cancelable which makes for an occasional anti-air if timed correctly against jumps, on reaction. There's too much startup and not enough range for a player to safely use this attack as a poke outside of a sort of anti-air. Once in on an opponent with a little frame advantage, this attack becomes much more useful as a heavily blockstunning tool for canceling into Choukyuudan ( + ). The forward movement and big hitbox keep Kensou close enough for the attack to connect even after being pushed back from a few blocked light attacks, while the opponent can be counterhit and knocked down out of a poorly-placed attack or hop.
  • Kensou's front leg sticks out in front of the active hitbox, increasing the vulnerability to low attacks at all times. This doesn't apply too much if the player uses the Blowback Attack up close, though it increases the already significant risk of whiffing the attack from midscreen.

• Jumping Light Punch (Air ) - Downward punch with a deep vertical hitbox that hits close in to Kensou. Decent enough hitstun to be used as a jump-in into a combo or blockstring, and canelable into Ryuusougeki ( + ).
  • Certain close spacings make this attack more useful than Jumping due to the closer hitbox connecting earlier in the hop arc which shortens the time the opponent can react with an anti-air. Outside of this close range, a Jumping or or Blowback Attack would be more optimizal.

• Jumping Light Kick (Air ) - A slightly downward-angled horizontal kick that has the most horizontal reach of all of Kensou's jumping normals. The kick's range can help in air-to-air situations against horizontally adjacent players, though if the opponent is approaching from above Kensou's leg then Jumping would work better as an air-to-air. This attack works great for tipping the opponent with the end of Kensou's foot to get in, though the hitstun induced is lengthy enough for the player to land and combo if done up close or 'deep'. The vertical hitbox doesn't reach deep enough to hit very low-to-ground attacks or beat out any anti-airs, though it still functions decently from a close-up hop.
  • Works as a crossup.

• Jumping Heavy Punch (Air ) - A flying elbow drop that reaches further horizontally that Jumping . Deals an average amount of block and hitstun, but the attack has a bit of startup and lacks a large active frame window unlike Jumping or . Good as an air-to-ground attack against further out opponents Cancels into Ryuusougeki ( + ).
  • Can be used to cross up an opponent, though the spacing is much stricter than with Jumping .

• Jumping Heavy Kick (Air ) - Kensou kicks his foot with an absolute upward vertical angle. This move best works as an air-to-air attack against opponents above the player though it can sometimes work in a horizontal approach if the opponent uses a poor air-to-air. The poor downward vertical range allows the opponent to crouch and meaty a whiffed Jumping with a low attack.

• Jumping Blowback Attack (Air + ) - 45° downward kick with a big hitbox that inflicts a large amount of blockstun, but does not hit as an overhead. The angle of Kensou's Jumping Blowback Attack suits it for going on the offense to beat an opponent's attempted anti-air or to set up for Kensou's close pressure game if the opponent blocks the attack. Covers the lower horizontal area stronger than any of Kensou's other jumping attacks.
  • Unlike other Jumping Blowback Attacks, the downward angle makes it difficult to set up a for a situation where the player can air-to-air and capitalize off of a counterhit for a juggle.

Unique Attacks

• Back Ten ( + ) -

Throw

• Ryuuhousui ( or + or [while close]) -

Special Moves

• Choukyuudan ( + ) -
  • Choukyuudan ( + + ) -
• Ryuutouda ( + ) -
  • Ryuutouda ( + + / Ryuutesshou (1), then + ) -
  • Ryuutesshou (Ryuutouda, then + ) -
    • Ryuutesshou ( Ryuutouda (1)/(2), then + ) -
    • Hasei Shikkuu Zanryuukyaku (Ryuutesshou, then + ) -
      • Hasei Shikkuu Zanryuukyaku ( Ryuutesshou (2), then + ) -
• Ryuubokko ( + , press repeatedly) -
  • Ryuubokko ( + + ) -
• Ryuugakusai ( + ) -
  • Ryuugakusai ( + + ) -
• Ryuusougeki (Air + ) -
  • Ryuusougeki (Air + + ) -
• Shikkuu Zanryuukyaku ( + ) -
  • Shikkuu Zanryuukyaku ( + + ) -

Desperation Moves

• Shinryuu: Choukyuudan ( + ) -
  • Shinryuu: Choukyuudan ( + + ) -
• Shinryuu: Seikoushou ( + ) -
• Seigan: Senki Hakkei ( + + ) -