UNKNOWN (EFZ)

Introduction

UNKNOWN is a small agile character, and uses various toys and her ghostly abilities to fight. She can control space well with her multiple ranged attacks, and has the ability to completely control her flight in midair. Her projectiles are large and linger on the screen for a substantial amount of time, so they can be used for offense or defense. However, she has a harder time dealing damage than many of the other characters.

UNKNOWN is actually a character from ONE, a visual novel produced by Tactics in 1998. Her resemblence to a younger Mizuka is positively uncanny. During ONE, she gets to meet Kouhei again in the world of eternity...

She is also known as "Mirror Mizuka".

Stage: World of Eternity (永遠の世界)

BGM: Eternity (永遠)

Character-Specific Notes

• UNKNOWN is able to air jump once, and air dash/backstep once.
• UNKNOWN's ground dash has some unique properties. First, her dash ignores the opponent's body completely, allowing her to dash through the opponent as if she was not there. Secondly, UNKNOWN disappears soon after her dash starts, and reappears as soon as her dash stops. While she is invisible, she cannot be hit by any attacks.
• Her "Outside the Window" specials (excluding the C version) can be thrown out at long range by inputting the command a second time.

Normal Moves

The notation for the movelists can be found under Move List Notation (EFZ).

Move	Hits	Damage	Guard	Move Cancel	Jump Cancel	IC Cancel
5A	1	180	Ground	Yes	Yes	Yes
2A	1	200	Low	Yes	Yes	Yes
j.A	1	220	High/Air	Yes	Yes	Yes
66A	1	250	Ground	Yes	No	Yes
662A	1	200	Low	Yes	No	Yes
5B(c)	1	420	Ground	Yes	Yes	Yes
5B(f)	1	440	Ground	Yes	No	Yes
2B	1	410	Low	Yes	Yes	Yes
j.B	1	430	High/Air	Yes	Yes	Yes
66B	1	440	Ground	Yes	Hit	Yes
662B	1	410	Low	Yes	Hit	Yes
5C	1	610	Ground	Yes	Hit	Yes
2C	1	620	Low	Yes	Hit	Yes
j.C	3	635	High/Air	Yes	Yes	Yes
66C	1	600	Ground	Yes	No	Yes
662C	0	N/A	N/A	Yes	Yes	Yes
Throw	2	800	Throw	No	No	No
j.Throw	1	100	Air Throw	No	No	No
[TRANSLATION NEEDED] (とんでって)
j.6C	1	600	High/Air	Yes	Yes	Yes
Flight [Requires RF Gauge]
S	0	N/A	N/A	No	No	No

Weak Attacks

5A

• UNKNOWN throws a thin, linear whisp in front of her.
• The hitbox is slightly shorter than the whisp would have you believe. This move will lead into her b&b combo, so be prepared to use it a lot at close range.

2A

• UNKNOWN leans back and throws a thin whisp at the opponent's ankles.
• Basically used the same way as the standing version, with the obvious exception that this hits low. Quite good as a quick combo starter, since it's fast enough that the opponent won't be able to block it on reaction most of the time.

j.A

• A jumping variant of the thin whisp. This attack has more range than the ground and standing versions, and the hitbox extends below her a little.
• Natural combo starter in the air, good for keeping people out of your face too.

66A

• The same as 5A
• There's really no reason to use this move unless the opponent is preparing an attack and there's no time to hit with 66B or 66C. From a run, it's better to try to juggle with the 66B instead.

662A

• A running version of 2A.
• Most opponents will expect her to attempt a 66B from her dash, so using this move occasionally will catch them off guard and open up for a low combo.

Medium Attacks

5B (close)

• UNKNOWN produces a ghostly white orb and throws it at the opponent with both hands for a close-range uppercut.
• Mostly used as part of her b&b combo.

5B (far)

• UNKNOWN sweeps her arm across her body, throwing out a large horizontal whisp.
• Much longer range than her 5A whisp. Good for catching a charging opponent without letting them get too close.

2B

• UNKNOWN throws a large horizontal whisp at the opponent's feet.
• Same principle as the far 5B. Don't be fooled by the size of the whisp. The hitbox reaches only to the edge closest to UNKNOWN's body.

j.B

• UNKNOWN creates a dash of blue fire and throws it downwards a short distance.
• A good aerial move. This sends the opponent downwards at a slight angle. Canceling this move into an air dash is important to continue her combos. It hits slightly below her as well, making it a safe move to use when coming down from the air.

66B

• A running version of her close 5B
• Combined with UNKNOWN's invincible running frames, this attack is a great launcher and sets up perfectly for her aerial raves. The hitbox is large and strikes about half a body length above her, meaning it can function as a good anti-air if used carefully. It's quite fast for a launching move, too.

662B

• A running version of her 2B
• It can combo into some of her other specials. Can catch the opponent off guard if they were expecting a 66B launch, as it hits low.

Strong Attacks

5C

• UNKNOWN produces a giant squeaky hammer and slams it down.
• This is naturally the final part of her basic combo, however, this move's range is a lot shorter than it appears, meaning that the third hit of the combo may miss if the opponent is not being comboed at point blank range. Not a really great strong attack.

2C

• UNKNOWN slides across the ground feet first for a whole body tackle.
• This move is great. It hits pretty hard for an UNKNOWN move, covers a lot of range, is pretty fast and knocks the opponent down in front of you. It's much safer to use this as a combo finisher instead of her 5C, and it has the added advantage of hitting low. It's unsafe on block though, so don't abuse it outside of a combo, but sparing use of this move on its own can catch the opponent off guard thanks to its range and speed. A good way to stop a charging, headstrong opponent in their tracks.

j.C

• UNKNOWN creates a large white orb beneath her, hitting up to 3 times.
• A fantastic jumping attack. This moves hitbox is huge and extends below her with great priority. It deals rather good damage and can be used as a crossup or a way to safely attack from the air.

66C

• A running version of her 5C.
• Being a running attack, it has more range than her standing 5C, and can be comboed into her 'Rotten World' specials. Even so, it's still a much better option to just try to use a 66B instead, unless the plan is to IC the special and go into an aerial combo from there.

662C

• UNKNOWN does a small running hop towards the opponent. Not an attack.
• This is a really great way to attack while close to the ground. It elevates her just enough so that her air specials and attacks can be used quickly at the perfect height for harassing a grounded opponent. It also provides a perfect opportunity for her to use her 'Solar' moves.

Throws

Throw

• UNKNOWN summons a group of plush toys that grab the opponent and carry them to the other side of the stage before slamming them into the wall (rebound).
• This is a really interesting throw. It wallslams the opponent and gives UNKNOWN a small window in which she can combo. However, the timing is quite strict before the juggle timer runs out, as UNKNOWN can't move right away. The opponent usually needs to be reached with a double jump or by levitating due to the height and angle at which they're thrown.

Air Throw

• UNKNOWN grabs the opponent and casually tosses them aside.
• There's nothing overly special about this throw. The player has better things to do in the air than use this move.

Command Normals

[TRANSLATION NEEDED] (とんでって) j.6C

• The same as j.C, but this will cause her to create the orb in front of her instead, hitting once. It can be treated much the same way.
• As with the j.C, this is quite a useful move. It has a lot of range and priority.

Flight (飛行)

• UNKNOWN's special ability. She levitates off the ground and can fly in any direction in the air. Uses up the RF gauge.
• This ability is useful in some situations, mainly to escape an opponent's ground assault or to escape quickly after a blocked combo string. It does eat up the RF gauge quite ferociously though. The value of this ability is totally up to the player and how he/she chooses to use it. It also can allow for UNKNOWN to drop her 'Solar' Eternity Specials from a greater height, giving them more room to hit the opponent (but also more leeway for the opponent to block them).

Special Moves

The notation for the movelists can be found under Move List Notation (EFZ).

Move	Hits	Damage	Guard	IC Cancel
Outside the Window [+Aerial]
236A	5	≈700	Any	No
> 236A/B/C	3	≈430	Any	No
236B	5	≈700	Any	No
> 236A/B/C	5	≈700	Any	No
236C	1	450	Any	No
Rotten World
623A	1	700	Any	Yes
623B	1	1000	Any	Yes
623C	2	≈1350	Any	Yes
Master? Lord?
214A	1	700	Ground	FIC
214B	1	700	Ground	FIC
214C	n	400*n	Ground	FIC
Hide-and-Seek [+Aerial]
421A	0	N/A	N/A	Yes
421B	0	N/A	N/A	Yes
421C	0	N/A	N/A	Yes
Toy Knife
41236A	6	300*n	Any	FIC
41236B	6	300*n	Any	FIC
41236C	6	300*n	Any	FIC
the ty_eki [During wakeup, SP Level 2]
22S	?	?	?	?
Great Migration [SP Level 1]
236236A	14	50*n	Any	No
236236B	14	50*n	Any	No
Solar [SP Level 1-3]
j.236236A	n	100*n	Any	No
	1	2000	Ground	No
j.236236B	n	100*n	Any	No
	1	2800	Ground	No
j.236236C	n	100*n	Any	No
	3	≈3800	Ground	No
Inside of Barrel [SP Level 1-3]
463214A	2	1800 or 0	Unblockable	No
463214B	2	1800 or 3500 or 0	Unblockable	No
463214C	2	1800 or 3500 or 6500 or 0	Unblockable	No
Swimming up Waterfall [1/3 HP, SP Level 3]
CB6AA	18	5900	Low	No

Specials

Outside the Window (まどのそと)

• UNKNOWN leans forward and creates a ghostly orb in front of her as if she were blowing a bubble. Can be thrown out a short distance.
• Because of the size of the hitbox, and the length of time it stays out for, this is a great defensive projectile against frontal opponents. It takes a short while to activate, but once it's out, the player can choose to either hold it close or toss it out further to catch the opponent. At close range, this attack can combo for decent damage, and the combo can be extended further by throwing the orb. This has a lot of priority for a projectile, and will block almost any other projectile that it connects with.

The A variant of this move has the highest defensive value, and travels the shortest distance when thrown. It also appears closest to UNKNOWN's body, making it hard to punish if used correctly.

The B variant is a much more offensive attack, and it appears about two body widths away from UNKNOWN. It can be used as a mid to long range projectile, and will usually force the opponent into a corner. This attack is critical for gaining initiative for a projectile assault and keep away games as it stuns for a good deal of time, even on block. However, if the opponent manages to get close enough before this move comes out, it will miss entirely and leave her extremely vulnerable to attack, so it must be used with care.

The C variant is unusual. It's a copy of the extremely annoying projectiles that the boss version of UNKNOWN uses all the time, however this one uses some of the RF gauge. It travels slowly across the entire screen, and if it hits the opponent, they're instantly teleported to the top of the screen directly above UNKNOWN, and minor damage is dealt. The usefulness of this move is debatable. It does provide a great projectile cover, but its lack of damage makes it difficult to use, especially since it costs some RF and can be easily blocked. If it does hit, the opponent falls very fast towards the ground, making it difficult to actually combo them from the fall. Not as useful as the A and B variants, but it has a certain cool factor that makes it attractive nonetheless.

Rotten World (くずれるせかい)

• UNKNOWN pulls in her arms and then explodes with white energy, blowing the opponent away.
• A very good anti-air attack. Anyone who's fought against the boss version of UNKNOWN will know just how annoying this move is for aerial attackers. However, it's somewhat difficult to find a good time to use it. If it hits, this move throws the opponent into the air, but will not start a juggle unless it's canceled with an IC. The great part about this move is that UNKNOWN is invincible during the entire startup, and the hitbox is massive, covering her entire body.

The A variant of this move has a fast startup time for a no-nonsense way to get the opponent off your case. It can combo from certain basic attacks, but the range of this move is deceptive in the same style as her whisps, that is it's shorter than it appears to be.

The B variant has a slower startup, but UNKNOWN is invincible the entire time, and it causes a lot more damage. This move can be used as a sort of psudo-parry against an opponent who likes to rush in and attack, and against opponents who are attacking from the air.

The C variant has the same startup time as the A variant but hits twice, dealing more damage than the B variant. Extra care is needed when using this attack, but it's more rewarding on hit than any of the other variants. In most situations it's safer to use the A variant, but for damaging IC combos needed to finish off the opponent, this move could be valuable.

Master? Lord? (あるじ？ぬし？)

• UNKNOWN produces a little wand and summons a giant plush squirrel that erupts from the ground before disappearing back into the bowels of the earth.
• Another wonderful tool for harassing opponents at a distance. All variants of this attack have huge hitboxes and knock the opponent off their feet. It deals decent damage and is fast and easy to use. Most players don't expect it either, since they're more concerned with the toy knives or the window orbs.

The A variant of this attack pops out right in front of UNKNOWN and is probably one of her best frontal attacks. The startup and recovery times are short, and it's safe on hit and block. It can be used to finish her b&b combo. It can be used in a similar fashion to her 'Rotten World' specials in getting an opponent out of her face.

The B variant pops up half a screen width away. One of the great things about these squirrels is that they also cover a decent amount of vertical distance, often catching opponents who are planning to jump. Use it in combination with the orbs and knives for maximum effect.

The C variant is a fantastic move that's well worth the RF it uses. This time, a whole string of squirrels pops out one after the other, starting in front of UNKNOWN, and travels across the entire screen. If it hits, this attack will usually combo, and it can be made to combo further if UNKNOWN runs across the screen, giving the squirrels more screen time and therefore more hits. This move is really good for trapping an opponent in a corner, and combined with other projectiles, it makes for a formidable wall of fur that will make any grounded opponent cower in the corner.

Hide-and-Seek (かくれんぼ)

• UNKNOWN does a little ninja vanishing trick and teleports to another location on the screen.
• A great way to escape from projectile harassment and get closer to the opponent.

The A variant of this move teleports UNKNOWN about half a screen width towards the opponent. Useful for getting behind an opponent if the range is optimal, but it can also sometimes get UNKNOWN into further danger.

The B variant causes UNKNOWN to teleport away from the opponent. Good for moving back into projectile spam range, but can also put UNKNOWN into a corner, which is not ideal against some aggressive opponents.

The C variant causes UNKNOWN to teleport directly above the opponent. This is arguably better than the A or B variants, especially if the opponent is busy blocking UNKNOWN's stream of projectiles and ranged attacks. However, the distance between UNKNOWN and the opponent is fairly large, meaning that they have time to see it coming and get out of the way. It's still a good idea to try it once and again, and coming down with a j.C will rarely lead to punishment if used sparingly. Using it in the air will cause her to teleport directly in front of the opponent from air to ground.

Toy Knife (おもちゃのないふ)

• UNKNOWN produces a set of 6 plastic knives and throws them rapidly in two groups of three. Travels quickly across the stage in a horizontal line.
• An incredible projectile that is fast, safe and powerful. Very abusable at range, and sometimes even close up as well. UNKNOWN's recovery time after throwing them is fast, and she can start on any of her other ranged attacks as soon as the move finishes. It cancels other projectiles easily, and since it comes out in two waves, it usually ends up beating single projectiles out and still hitting the opponent. It also has a large hitbox, the three knives together covering a vertical area that's about the same height as UNKNOWN herself. They even deal a good amount of chip damage.

The A variant of this move consists of both waves being thrown horizontally one after the other. The most useful of the three, and best for using when the opponent doesn't really have time to jump or is starting a slower attack from a distance. Eats other projectiles for breakfast.

The B variant has UNKNOWN throwing the first wave horizontal, then throwing the second wave at a 45 degree angle, with the knives spread in a fan formation. Great for opponents who get smart and attempt to jump over the A variant, as at least 1 of the knives thrown upwards are bound to hit. Probably the safest of the three variants.

The C variant has UNKNOWN throwing both waves upwards at a 45 degree angle, with the knives spreading in the fan formation. A good way to get some extra damage out of her throw, and also a way to shoot down opponents who are jumping to avoid the ground projectiles and squirrels. It won't deal as much damage as the A variant though, since the knives are quite spread out, but at closer range, at least two of the three knives should hit the opponent.

Eterny Specials

the ty_eki (in memory of ty_eki and sakagami mai)

• [description]
• This move is actually a bug.
• [usefulness]

Great Migration (だいいどう)

• UNKNOWN whistles sharply and summons a whole herd of plush toys that run across the stage.
• Yet another way for UNKNOWN to annoy the opponent by making it impossible to walk on the ground. This move traps and combos the opponent somewhat randomly, as the plush toys all move at different speeds, sometimes creating openings for the opponent to recover. However UNKNOWN is free to move throughout the entire duration of the attack, meaning that she can combo the opponent on the ground to her evil little heart's content. Once the opponent gets trapped in the furpile, anything goes. Most players choose to run in and hammer away with strong attacks to get in as much damage as possible, while others space themselves appropriately and time their actions carefully to land a launcher to turn the ground combo into an aerial combo. However it is important to remember that on its own, this special is very weak and greatly adds to the damage scaling.

The A variant of this move causes the plush toys to start migrating from the opposite side of the screen. This is the offensive option that can be used to catch an opponent from behind. Most commonly used after applying pressure with orbs or knives to get the opponent into the corner.

The B variant causes the plush toys to migrate from behind UNKNOWN. This is a more defensive option that gives UNKNOWN some backup for her to attack the opponent head on.

Solar (たいよう)

• UNKNOWN creates a huge orb of fire above her head and throws it down at the opponent, causing a radial blast that burns the target and blows them into the air.
• This is UNKNOWN's most damaging special, and one that's definitely worth using. The hitbox is massive, and if it hits any time during its way down, it will combo. Since it's an aerial special, it's very safe to use and not hard to connect with.

The A variant of this move causes a small explosion that hits a few times for good damage. The radius of the explosion isn't all that big, so care must be taken to aim this move appropriately.

The B variant uses two special bars and creates an explosion that's much bigger, hitting once for great damage.

The C variant empties the entire special gauge and creates a massive explosion that travels across the screen in burning pillars, reaching a great vertical distance as well as a horizontal distance. This move deals fantastic damage and combos, filling almost the entire space in front of UNKNOWN. It's very hard to avoid without blocking, and even on block it does a substantial amount of chip damage. This one is definitely worth saving for.

Inside of Barrel (たるのなか)

• UNKNOWN drops a barrel onto the opponent's head. With the opponent secured inside the barrel, she then throws a toy knife at it and waits in anticipation. If the attack is successful, it deals fine damage and the opponent is fired out of the barrel. If it fails, UNKNOWN looks dejected and the barrel disappears, causing the opponent to fall onto the ground without taking damage.
• A gambling move that's a lot better than it looks. The major factor with this move is that it's unblock able. One of the most annoying moves that the boss version of UNKNOWN uses, since she can produce so many projectiles that avoiding this attack is impossible. Playable UNKNOWN can use it much in the same way. The move itself is quite fast and the hitbox is large, and it has the potential to deal some good damage. The falling barrel itself also deals a small amount of damage (quite a bit for such a fast unblock able move) so there really isn't all that much to lose by using this attack if UNKNOWN still has enough health to take a risk.

The A variant of this move has one round with a 50% chance of causing damage.

The B variant uses two special bars and has two rounds with 50% chance of causing damage. If the first round fails, UNKNOWN pulls a lever, causing the barrel to rotate. She then tries a second time. Causing damage on the second round will deal a lot more damage than if it were successful on the first round.

The C variant is the same as the B variant but with 3 rounds instead of 2. It drains the special bar completely, but if the first two rounds fail and the last round succeeds, it deals a whopping 6500 damage.

Final Memory

Swimming up Waterfall (たきのぼり)

• UNKNOWN does a short hop and grabs the opponent's feet. She then rides a chain of giant plush toys into space, trailing the unfortunate opponent along with her. Finally, she comes back to earth and her mount regurgitates the opponent onto the floor in front of her.
• Considering that this is a low grab, it's pretty hard to avoid this, but the range of the move itself isn't large. It's quite easy to miss with this attack and waste the entire special gauge. Use with extreme caution. The damage is great if it actually hits.

Strategy, Tactics, and Combos

Combos

A basic "bread and butter" combo for UNKNOWN would be 5A 5BB 5C 214A. That last move has some strict timing, so practice.

66B j.B airdash j.B6C land j.ABC 5AB j.AB j.AB6C airdash (tech punish)

236C j.B airdash j.AB land 5(A)B j.AB j.AB6C airdash (tech punish)

Red IC: 5A 5BB 5C 214A IC j.B airdash j.AB land 5(A)B j.AB j.AB6C airdash (tech punish)

Crossing up in the World of Eternity

The j.C move is an excellent cross-up.

Wakeup games for Ghosts

UNKNOWN has some of the best wakeup and okizeme tricks in the game. Her 'Outside the Window' specials, especially the B variant, can be placed at optimal ranges to pressure opponents as they rise from a knockdown. Her invulnerable dash allows her to fake and punish an opponent who may be trying to rise with a wakeup attack. Her ability to place many high-priority projectiles on the field can make it difficult for the opponent to recover from a knockdown and regain their initiative.

In general, when an opponent is knocked down at mid screen width, it's usually safe to set up the B variant of 'Outside the Window' if there's no room for them to roll towards and past it. Since the released orb will cover the distance of the entire screen, it's only a matter of timing the release to catch the opponent as she rises. The C variant of this attack is also good for adding ground pressure, since it continues to travel across the screen after UNKNOWN can move. Her 'Master? Lord?' 214 specials are also good for wakeup games if used in conjunction with the orbs. When closer to a corner, it's possible to combo a successful B variant of 'Outside the Window' into a B variant of 'Master? Lord?'.

The sudden offensive

While UNKNOWN's is strongest at range, one of her greatest strengths is to switch from a keep-away assault into a rushdown with very little warning. This is mostly thanks to the invulnerability frames in her dash, which last for a decent amount of time. If spaced correctly (usually after a series of projectiles) it can limit the opponent's options a lot, since they're not able to stop her advance with a long ranged attack. During the time that she's invisible, UNKNOWN can go for a mixup or even short hop using her 662C technique. If she manages to land a 66B she can start a juggle. Careful use of her dash can also put UNKNOWN at an advantage against opponents who like to use ranged attacks, since the invincibility frames will allow her to run through these attacks and punish the lag. However, UNKNOWN is not invincible for the start and the end of the dash, so the timing has to be precise. It's something that comes with practice and prediction.

Win Quotes

Japanese	English
のぞまれたから わたしはいるんだよ ただそれだけ…	[TRANSLATION NEEDED]
ここは永遠… わたしのせかい…	[TRANSLATION NEEDED]
欠けてるせかいは たのしかった?	[TRANSLATION NEEDED]
こわくはないよ きえてなくなるだけ 何も感じないから… さぁ、いこうよ…	[TRANSLATION NEEDED]
いまのわたしに きのうのわたし あしたのわたしに もうひとりのわたし…	[TRANSLATION NEEDED]
おわりもはじまりもない ただまわって ずっとおなじ ところにいるの	[TRANSLATION NEEDED]
さようなら…	[TRANSLATION NEEDED]
君ももう かえれないんだよ…	[TRANSLATION NEEDED]
まだわからない? わたしは のぞまれただけ あなたが そう、のぞんだだけ	[TRANSLATION NEEDED]
わたしは さみしくないよ だって、 君がこれから ずっといっしょに 居てくれるんだもん	[TRANSLATION NEEDED]

Colors

In-game References

External References

• UNKNOWN's Final Memory is based on Akari Ichijou's super, from The Last Blade series.
• The MUGEN character Cinnamon(of Sanrio Group fame) parodies her 'Inside of Barrel' special, having a super in which he drops a teacup on the opponent and throws a spoon rather than a toy knife. The properties of this attack are identical to UNKNOWN's move.

ONE References

• The scenery in the background is one part of the world of eternity in ONE.