Introduction

He believed his ancestors to be fools for sealing the Raging Demon. So what if the technique could kill the person who executed it? Akuma will do everything he can to win. By releasing the Raging Demon, he sealed his evil destiny and destroyed his own master.

Akuma's Objective is to establish close range. Akuma is a well-rounded character that can be played in a number of ways. Even so, Akuma's great combos and offense make him most effective in close range. Get in and use the diverse offensive tools at your disposal to pressure your opponent with combos and Custom Combos.

Pros:

Shoto powerhouse with his damage output
Great combo potential
Can mixup between offense/defense with ease

Cons:

Lowest defense in the game
Easiest to get stunned
No reason to really use Raging Demon except for flashiness

Moves List

Normal Moves

STANDING

	Frames	Advantage	Cancel	Block	Notes
Standing
	4	+4	C	HL	a good normal to use up close when pressuring since it has a small advantage afterwards.
	4,7	-4	C	HL	A somewhat good anti air. Totally destroys Bison headstomp.
	8	-3	-	HL
	7	-4	C	HL
	6, 16	+1	C	HL
	10	+6	-	HL
Crouching
	4	+4	C	HL
	5	+5	C	HL	an all around good poke and works well when you’re trying to AC reversal AC happy players. Also works OK as a meaty.
	5, 9	-2	C	HL	a really good anti-air for some reason in this game. It stuffs a lot of stuff clean but it doesn’t beat everything. Do not substitute this for a dp. Use this to stop crossups on top of you.
	5	+2	C	L
	6	+3	C	L	is standard shoto low medium that can cancel into fireballs. Essential poke when playing footsies.
	7	KD/-9	-	L	is also a staple shoto normal. Can cancel and is essential poke when playing foot games. Knocks down.
Diagonal Jump
	6	-	-	H
	9	-	-	H
	6	-	-	H
	8	-	-	H
	8	-	-	H
	7	-	-	H
Neutral Jump
	6	-	-	H
	6	-	-	H
	9	-	-	H
	6	-	-	H
	5	-	-	H
	13	-	-	H
Command Normals
	27, 31	+1	-	H	Overhead is great every now and then to throw off your opponent from blocking right as they’re waking up.
	24	-1	-	H	Hopkick is good for keeping the pressure on the ground.
J.	4	-1	-	HL	Use the dive kick to start your offense. If blocked, it leaves you at a slight disadvantage.

Normal Throws

/+ -

Alpha Counters

+- Works good against jump-ins done early. Do not use this to replace a dp because opponents will be able to block if their attack is done deep.

+- Useful for punishing ground attacks and some projectiles when done close. This is the AC you should be using mostly.

Special Moves

Go Hado Ken +

Zanku Hado Ken (In Air) +

Shakunetsu Hado Ken +

Go Shoryu Ken +
:
:
:

Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku +
(May also be done in air) Ground:
Air:

Zenpo Tenshin +

Ashura Senku / +/

Hyakki Shu +

Hyakki Go Zan (During Hyakki Shu)Press nothing

Hyakki Go Sho (During Hyakki Shu)

Hyakki Go Sen (During Hyakki Shu)

Hyakki Go Sai (During Hyakki Shu) + close to enemy

Hyakki Go Tsui

During Hyakki Shu) + close to enemy

(Can also be performed on a jumping opponent)

Super Moves

Messatsu Go Hado +

Messatsu Go Shoryu +
Level 1:
Level 2:
Level 3:

Tenma Go Zanku (In Air) +

Shun Goku Satsu -
(LVL 3 only):

The Basics

GENERAL STRATEGY Akuma plays like a mix of Ryu and Ken. He can zone with fireballs like Ryu or he can be in your face attacking like Ken. Due to the amount of normals he has though, Akuma is best played aggressively. A good opening to start off his offense on the ground is cr.lkx2. From this, it can lead to a couple of options: Option 1: cr.lkx2, throw (if blocked) Option 2: cr.lkx2, fireball (if not blocked) Option 3: cr.lkx2, do nothing momentarily then walk up to repeat with a different option. Since Akuma has access to a roll type move it works in the same way Ken can use it. The best version to use is the lp version. It’s fast and leaves you at an advantage when you add it at the end of your block strings. However, you want to establish a mid-range game early on with properly placed fireballs and air fireballs to kind of “feel” out the match. One of the objects of Akuma’s game is to land that custom combo. It’s very damaging and can turn the tide of the match.

Akuma works best when the opponent is in the corner and when the opponent is knocked down. After this you can begin a series of mixups:

Do nothing, if you suspect your opponent will wakeup and punish accordingly Begin a series of block strings, beginning with cr.lkx2 Jump straight up, air fireball Overhead When you’re playing Akuma, always always be thinking about trying to land that cc.

s.mk is a real good anti cross up buffer s.mp into a fireball when anti-airing Raging Demon sucks Dive kick has great priority

Advanced Strategy

Akuma's Objective

Establishing Mid-Range Offense

Your goal at mid-range is to land LP Shoryuken or cr.HK. Stand just outside of your opponents poke range and work your spacing as they move. From this distance, Hadouken beats a lot of low attacks , and its pretty difficult for your opponent to jump in on it on reaction. Anticipate the opponents attack, then throw a HP Hadouken. You can bait jumps by occasionally whiffing LP which may make them jump forward. If they do, counter with HP Shoryuken or a CC. If they don't, immediately follow up with another HP Hadouken.

You can also try walking into attack range to bait attacks from your opponent. Be ready to back away in anticipation of an attack and use cr.HK xx LP Zenpo Tenshin to whiff punish. Doing this allows you to be close enough to punish recovery roll attempts. Since it's unsafe to use recovery roll against Akuma, you can gain a positional advantage if you whiff punish with cr.HK. This sets up an option select depending on whether or not the opponent attempts a recovery roll. When you recover from LP Zenpo Tenshin, immediately perform cr.MK xx HP Hadouken. If your opponent does in fact recovery roll, the cr.MK hits cancelling into HP Hadouken for a quick 2 hit. However, if they don't, only cr.MK will come out, and you have ample time to walk forward and begin applying wake-up pressure.

Air Hadouken Pressure

Against opponents with strong air defense, you can jump forward from just outside mid-range and throw a LP Zanku Hadou. Because it is a projectile, it can be hard to anti-air effectively without meter. Whether or not it hits, you can apply mix-up pressure.

Tenma Kujin Kyaku(Divekick) Tactics

Read a ground attack and jump in on your opponent. When you reach the top of your jump arc,

Keep in mind that his MP dp doesn’t always knock down, which is a shame as it is his possible answer to lows unlike his LP dp for example.

His air fireball is not good at all, except certain special situation you should stay away from it.

Teleports are pretty bad, really just use them to get away and don’t involve it into your offense as the recovery is bad.

The divekick is great and the timing is easier then in A3. Learn that and use it. It’s his fastest air move to get you grounded and beats out quite some stuff, too.

Basic lvl 1 CC is the same as for Ken. As lvl 3 CC better use after the c.HK, qcb+HK, his red fireballs and then finish with an FP dp insted of going into a FP after the qcb+HK in a lvl 1 CC. His CC’s do a lot more damage then his supers, hit easier too, so really try to learn them quickly.

Sides canceling his c.HK on block into a Hadoken you can also use an LP roll to stay close and continue your pressure. So basically the same stuff as Ken has. Exspecially good as Akumas fireball recovery isn’t good.

You can use special moves, supers after c.LK or include them into your pressure strings. Also note the range is not as bad as it seems and you can easily throw after getting a close short blocked by your opponent.

Akumas overhead is slow as hell, so don’t use it often and if your opponent has good reaction --> never! Maybe mix some demon flips and quick divekicks into your game as overhead moves.

Combos

Cr.LK x2, LK TSK,HP GRK

(Cr.MP,Link), cr.MK,GDK

Cr.LK x2 s.LK, MGS

cr.hk XX hk tatsu, hp uppercut

j. hk, cr. mk, mk tatsu, hp uppercut j. hk, cr. mk, mk tatsu, fireball super

cr. mk xx hcb x 2 lvl 3 super (not sure if notation is right?)

c.lk, c.lk xx shoryureppa c.mk xx lk hurricane, lvl 1 shoryureppa c.mk xx lk hurricane, hp dp c.rh xx lk hurricane, activate, [lp dp, red fireball]xN air hurricane, hurricane or dp c.rh xx hk hurricane c.rh xx lk hurricane, lp dp c.lk x3 xx hk hurricane

Custom Combos

Lv1:

[CC]c.HK,LK TSK,HP S.HDK,HP HDK,HP SRK[/CC]

[CC]c.HK,HK TSK,HP SRK[/CC]

Lv3:

[CC]c.HK,HK TSK,LK TSKX3,HP S.HDK,HP SRK[/CC]

[CC]c.HK,s.HK,HP S.HDKx4[/CC]

[CC]c.HK,[LP SRK,HP S.HDK]x2,HP SRK[/CC]

[CC]c.HK,[HP G.HDK,HP SRK]x3[/CC]

Akuma: lvl 1- c.rh xx lp dp, red fb, hp dp

lvl 1- c.rh xx hk hurricane, hp dp (far cc)

lvl 2- c.rh xx hk hurricane, lk hurricane, red fb, hp dp

lvl 3- c.rh xx lp dp, lp dp, lk hurricane, red fb, hp dp

lvl 3- c.rh xx hk hurricane, lk hurricane x3, red fb, hp dp

lvl 3- c.rh xx lp dp, red fb, lp dp, red fb, hp dp (dreamfire cc)

Match-ups

Vs. Adon:

Vs. Akuma (self):

Vs. Birdie:

Vs. Charlie:

Vs. Chun-Li:

Vs. Dan:

Vs. Dhalsim:

Vs. Gen:

Vs. Guy:

Vs. Ken:

Vs. M. Bison (dictator):

Vs. Rolento:

Vs. Rose: 4-6

The best thing to do to Rose with Akuma is low alpha counter (knocks her down). Then cross her up, making sure u kick about at the point where u reach perpendicular to her head. It is a super difficult block for Rose, and she really cant consistently bock it. other usefull things to do. …Rose has a big body, so she is easy to filp grab, if you see her toss a fireball u can do a flip and grab her (depending on how close u are, it will be overhead, body to body) or just finish with the slide and she cant really hit u back…air-fireballs are good to keep her off balance, just dont get too into tossing them…sweep into hurricane kick is good for her too, cause she misses the low alpha counter

Vs. Ryu:

Vs. Sagat: 4-6

Sagat will make you do all the work the moment he corners you, or if meter is built up. Your saving grace besides the roll, is the catch the Sagat player messing up the zone game where you can go on the offensive, or time your level 2/3 CC activation to go past the tiger shot. If he throws a high one, you can safely low profile it with the roll, and get a punish on his recovery if you're in range.

Vs. Sakura: 5-5

Keep away, Dive Kick, and Shoto roll is key with this matchup. Zoning/Spacing builds meter which in return opens up alot of options with what Akuma can do. Air Fireball super can pin Sakura down if she's cornred and is forced to jump. The dive kick is really hard to react to as long as you don't become predictable with it, as you can lead up to some damage upon landing. Lastly, the shoto roll as the mixup potential with that move can be very deadly against high level Sakura players. Shoto roll into super, activate, get her to press a button out of fear so you can AC on reaction, etc. The reason why this MU is even is because once Sakura gets the knockdown, its gg the moment you get caught in the vortex. This is due to how fast Akuma can get stunned, plus his low health.

Vs. Sodom:

Vs. Zangief: