Zangief
Zangief, while being a name impossible to render in the Russian language, is a massive Russian wrestler famed for beating bears in the yearly Hell in a Cell matches in Moscow. This generally involves trapping their heads between his legs and then sitting down, or spinning around with his arms outstretched as you used to do as a child in order to get a head rush.
In a nutshell
Zangief is a get-in-or-die-trying character. Your match will either be a painful experience at distance walking into projectiles or long range fists, or a close range glorious explosion of nearly unstoppable throwing. If you like to grapple your opponent into submission and don't mind working for your reward by taking a bunch of hits to do so, Zangief is your man.
Character Specific Information
Color Options
| Default | Start |
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Moves List
Normal Moves
- Standing Normal Moves (st.)
- Close Standing Normal Moves (cl.)
- Crouching Normal Moves (cr.)
- Jumping Normal Moves (nj.)
- Diagonal Jumping Normal Moves (j.)
Unique Moves
Throw Moves
Special Moves
The Basics
Zangief's crouching Roundhouse is probably his best normal. Abuse it.
Make the opponent block crouching Short to tick into SPD.
Advanced Strategy
Combos
-j.d.HP,c.MK,Lariat
-j.d.HP,c.LPx2.s.LK,c.HK
Match-ups
- Vs. Balrog (boxer):
- Vs. Blanka:
- Vs. Chun-Li:
- Vs. Dhalsim:
- Vs. E. Honda:
- Vs. Guile:
- Vs. Ken:
- Vs. M. Bison (dictator):
- Vs. Ryu:
- Vs. Sagat:
- Vs. Vega (claw):
- Vs. Zangief (self):
Hitboxes
Standing Normals
- Standing LP:
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| 2 | 4 | 5 | |
| 2+1 | 4 | 5 |
- Standing MP:
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| 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 2+1 | 3 | 5 | |||
- Standing HP:
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| 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | |
| 1+6 | 6 | 29 | |||||
- Standing LK:
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| 2 | 2 | 5 | ||||
| 7 | 4 | 7* | ||||
- Standing MK:
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| 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6+1 | 4 | 9 | ||||
- Standing HK:
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| 4 | 8 | 1 | |||
| 1+4 | 8 | 11 | |||
Close Standing Normals
- Close Standing LP:
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| 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | 2 | 9* | ||||
- Close Standing LK:
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| 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 14 | 4 | |||||
- Close Standing MK:
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| 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 12 | 6 | |||||
- Close Standing HK:
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| 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||
| 12 | 6 | |||||||||
Crouching Normals
- Crouching LP:
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| 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 9 | 3 | ||
- Crouching MP:
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| 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| 7 | 3 | |||
- Crouching HP:
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| 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 1 |
| 8 | 6 | 18* | ||||
- Crouching LK:
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| 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 5 | 4 | 7* | ||||
- Crouching MK:
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| 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 5 | 4 | 7* | ||||
- Crouching HK:
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| 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 1 |
| 8 | 4 | 18* | ||||
Aerial Normals
- Neutral/Diagonal Jumping LP:
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| 2 | 3 | 20 | 3 | ∞ |
| 5 | 20 | ∞ | ||
- Neutral Jumping MP:
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| 2 | 3 | 12 | 3 | ∞ |
| 5 | 12 | ∞ | ||
- Diagonal Jumping MP:
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| 2 | 3 | 12 | 3 | ∞ |
| 5 | 12 | ∞ | ||
- Neutral Jumping HP:
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| 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | ∞ |
| 1* | 3* | ∞ | ||||
- Diagonal Jumping HP:
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| 2 | 3 | 6 | ∞ | |||
| 5 | 6 | ∞ | ||||
- Neutral Jumping LK:
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| 2 | 3 | 20 | 3 | ∞ |
| 5 | 20 | ∞ | ||
- Diagonal Jumping LK:
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| 2 | 3 | 20 | 3 | ∞ | |
| 5 | 20 | ∞ | |||
- Neutral Jumping MK:
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| 2 | 3 | 12 | 3 | ∞ | |
| 5 | 12 | ∞ | |||
- Diagonal Jumping MK:
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| 2 | 3 | 12 | 3 | ∞ | |
| 5 | 12 | ∞ | |||
- Neutral Jumping HK:
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| 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | ∞ | |
| 5 | 6 | ∞ | |||
- Diagonal Jumping HK:
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| 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | ∞ | |
| 5 | 6 | ∞ | |||
Unique Moves
- Headbutt: (Jump straight up, ↖/↑/↗ + Strong/Fierce)
Strong
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| 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 9 | 7 | 2 | ||
Fierce
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| 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 9 | 7 | 2 | ||
Flying Body Attack a.k.a. Chest Splash: (Jump diagonally, ↙/↓/↘ + Fierce)
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| 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 9 | 7 | 2 | ||
Double Knee Drop: (Jump diagonally, ↙/↓/↘ + Short)
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| 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 9 | 7 | 2 | ||
Throws
Standing Normal Grabs Throwboxes:
| Damage | 20+(4*n) | File:Sf2hf-zangief-throw.png | |
| Duration | 130 | ||
| Stun | 5~11 | ||
| Stun Timer | 60 | ||
| Range (from axis) | 64 | ||
| Range advantage | 35 | ||
Pile Driver: (←/→ + Strong) Zangief's most commonly-used Normal Throw. Zangief sits on the opponent's head, opponent always stays in front of Zangief. Sets up a cross-up Chest Splash when unteched. Because of that, it's incredibly good against Old Characters (since they can't tech throws) because you can "loop" it. It works like this: after you grab them, do a Green Hand, cross-up Splash, and now you can mixup with 0~2 Crouching Jabs and then Throw again.
Iron Claw: (←/→ + Fierce)
Zangief does, I don't know, something to the opponent's face for multiple hits. Should never be used on purpose.
Brain Buster: (←/→ + Forward)
Zangief throws the opponent over his head, opponent always ends up behind him. Not as useful as the Strong Throw because the opponent is Thrown too far for a cross-up, but if Zangief is in the corner and you want the opponent cornered, here ya go. Kamitsuki a.k.a. Bite: (←/→ + Roundhouse)
Leg Throw: (Zangief and opponent in air, ↖/↙/←/→/↘/↗ + Forward/Roundhouse)
Special Moves
- Double Lariat: Press all Punch Buttons
| File:Sf2hf-zangief-dl-s1.png |  |
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| 3 | 52+ |
- Quick Double Lariat: Press all Kick Buttons
| File:Sf2hf-zangief-qdl-s1.png |  |
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| 3 | 52+ |
Misc Animations
| Walk back | Neutral | Walk Fwd | Crouch |
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File:Sf2hf-zangief-crlp-r3.png |
- Standing reel:
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- Standing gut reel:
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- Crouching reel:
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File:Sf2hf-zangief-creel3.png |
- Dizzy:
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File:Sf2hf-zangief-dizzy5.png |
| General | Game Mechanics | Strategy | Tiers | |
| The Characters | Balrog (Boxer) | Blanka | Chun-Li | Dhalsim | E. Honda | Guile | Ken | M. Bison (Dictator) | Ryu | Sagat | Vega (Claw) | Zangief |