August 16, 2021|

Filed under: Featured, Guest Article, History, Speculation, Super Smash Bros. Series, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Dream Smasher: Akuma (Guest Article)

This guest Dream Smasher was created by @lolLukaCross on Twitter, and thanks to Cart Boy for help with edits.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has revealed an abundance of exciting newcomers thus far, but one especially interesting theme among some of them has been rivalry. Within the trailers revealing newcomers Ridley and King K. Rool, an emphasis is placed on the history they, along with many other nemeses, share with their heroic adversaries. This trend was highlighted again when one of gaming’s most iconic villains, Final Fantasy VII’s Sephiroth, descended to battle and crossed blades with Cloud Strife, and even with the crossover’s most recent antagonistic newcomer, Kazuya Mishima, who joined the battle as part of Fighters Pass Vol. 2. With Ultimate’s newcomer lineup consistently introducing opposition for pre-existing fighters, the possibility of even more joining the roster excites millions of fans. As we approach Ultimate’s final character, it’s surprising that Capcom, one of Nintendo’s closest third-party partners, has not received a unique newcomer thus far. And when looking at potential villains from Capcom, one stands out among the rest as arguably the most iconic, a character absolutely deserving of a “Dream Smasher.” From the Street Fighter series, we will be looking at the potential of the powerful and violent master of the Satsui no Hado, Akuma.

Who is Akuma?

Formerly known as Gouki, Akuma is the younger brother of Ryu and Ken’s master, Gouken. Cold and calculating, he relentlessly seeks to combat those he deems worthy of his power. Years ago, during his training with Gouken under their teacher, Goutetsu, to learn the art of the Ansatsuken, Gouki was drawn to the dark force of the Satsui no Hado. No matter the consequences, he vowed to master it in the pursuit of power above all else. Giving up his soul in exchange for control over the Satsui no Hado, Gouki, adopting the name Akuma, proved his strength by challenging his master Goutetsu. With his dark abilities, Akuma gained an edge and killed Goutetsu in cold blood. Following his murderous attack, Akuma claimed the prayer beads of his deceased master and fled without a trace, only to reappear at the second World Warrior Tournament many years later to challenge M. Bison, leader of the Shadaloo crime syndicate.

Having sensed the Satsui no Hado’s influence within the young Ryu, Akuma aims to force the tireless wanderer to embrace his inner demon so that he may finally face a worthy opponent. Urging Ryu through any means necessary, including the attempted murder of Gouken, Akuma is a determined force that will stop at nothing to grow stronger. Despite his intense drive for power, Akuma follows a strict moral code, only ever fighting to improve himself. He rarely relies on the Satsui no Hado as he believes all fights should remain fair, even to the point of refusing to fight those weaker than him. He also holds a great deal of respect for his opponents, like the elderly assassin Gen and the wandering hermit Oro, whose confrontations with him have always ended in draws.

Importance to Nintendo/Series

The demonic martial artist first appeared in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, making one of the most iconic debuts in fighting game history. Upon defeating the first eight fighters in the game’s arcade mode, the three bosses Balrog, Vega, and Sagat, never losing a single fight, and reaching a new high score, players are rewarded with the M. Bison battle being cut short as a mysterious new challenger appears, knocking out the original final boss in a single strike and challenging the player to a climactic duel. Following this astonishing development, Akuma went on to make appearances in an abundance of titles throughout the series. This history is supplemented by numerous cameos in other titles like Marvel vs. Capcom, Asura’s Wrath, Monster Hunter Rise, and even Tekken 7 as a major player in its story mode. Akuma’s iconicity is reflected by that of his signature move: the Raging Demon, an infamous technique referenced in various media even outside the realm of gaming. That being said, Akuma is by no means Street Fighter’s most recognizable combatant, often sharing the spotlight with the likes of Chun-Li, Sakura, and M. Bison. When it comes to Smash, Chun-Li is an especially daunting opponent of Akuma’s, often being seen as the next logical step for a new Street Fighter rep after the first two. However, given Akuma’s cultural relevance and the interesting dynamic he shares with Ryu, he remains a viable candidate in his own right.

Colors & Design

As a playable fighter, Akuma would don the iconic design he’s had since Super Street Fighter II Turbo. Sporting a sleeveless dark blue gi, brown training gloves and sandals, red hair styled in a topknot, glowing red eyes, sharp teeth, and the prayer beads of his deceased master, Akuma’s design is as simple as it is effective. As for his six alternate colors, they would reference various villains and final bosses from across the Street Fighter series, with his final costume being his updated look from Street Fighter V. This slight redesign depicts an older version of the character with a new hairstyle and bundles of rope instead of gloves. His palette swaps in order from left to right would be the following: a purple gi with pink gloves and dark hair referencing Juri Han from Street Fighter IV, a dark red gi with deep brownish hair referencing Necalli from Street Fighter V, a bright purple gi with white hair and eyes referencing Shin Akuma, a white gi with yellow hair and dual-toned red and blue skin referencing Gill from Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, a dark gi with black hair and light grey skin referencing Seth from Street Fighter IV, and a dark gi with deep blue skin and bright blue hair referencing the colors of Oni from Street Fighter IV.

(Courtesy of Voyager)

How Would He Play?

Now, let’s have a look at some stats:

Can they crawl? No
Can they wall jump? No
How many jumps do they have? 2
Are there any exclusive abilities they have*? Yes
Weight Class: B
Height Class: B
Speed Class: D (Normal) / C (Enhanced)
Are they mirrored when they face left? Yes

*Like Peach’s float

Like Ryu, Ken, Terry, and Kazuya before him, Akuma would bring mechanics reminiscent of traditional fighting games to Smash, like always facing his opponent in one-on-one matches, special command inputs, and normal attacks that could be cancelled into specials. While Akuma’s fighting style is similar to Ryu and Ken’s given their shared shotokan archetype, his technique is much more aggressive and immediately dangerous with brand new moves of his own. He would also lean further into the Light and Heavy input gimmick than his contemporaries, featuring even more attack variety and referencing his mastery of the Ansatsuken art. This would give him a greater variety of mixups and unique ways to approach opponents, something he has gained a reputation for in his previous appearances.

Further separating him from the other Street Fighter characters, Akuma would have a completely new gimmick to give him an edge in battle: the Satsui no Hado. Also known as the Surge of Murderous Intent, this ability of Akuma’s draws from the dark forces of nature and enhances the user’s power drastically. In Smash, Akuma could use this as a sort of comeback mechanic that resembles Kazuya’s Rage. When reaching a high damage threshold, Akuma would emanate a crimson aura and gain enhancements akin to the power of his classic Shin Akuma form. Unlike Kazuya’s Rage, however, Satsui no Hado would remain in effect until Akuma lost a stock. The buffs received from Satsui no Hado would include superior ground and air speed, faster normals, more powerful special moves, and access to a devastating move known as a Super Art.

Boxing Ring Title: “Supreme Master of the Fist”

Series Icon

Stock Icons

(Courtesy of Voyager)

Kirby Hat

Move Type

Description

On-Screen Appearance:

A brief red flash would appear as Akuma emerged from the shadows and assumed his battle stance. When facing Ryu, the villain would also say “So, we meet again!” with a threatening tone, and when facing Kazuya, Akuma would say “Let’s see what you’re made of, Mishima!”

Stance:

Akuma would stand with his feet apart, one arm raised up to his face and the other lowered to a neutral position, with his hands open while glaring forward.

Idle Animation #1:

Akuma would swing his arms in a circular motion, then stomp the ground and assume a stance with his feet apart. One arm would be raised and the other held low to the ground, all with a menacing grin on his face. Akuma would maintain this stance until the player inputted something, or until his second idle animation began.

Idle Animation #2:

Akuma would bring his hands up to his face in a crossing motion and slide his foot back to its original position before returning to his normal stance.

Walk:

Maintaining his stance, Akuma would slowly step forward while staring straight ahead.

Dash:

Akuma would lean forward, holding one arm across his face and the other up to the side as he went into a full sprint, referencing his dash from Capcom vs. SNK.

Jump:

Akuma would leap into the air with his knees slightly bent and his arms raised for his first jump, then perform a front flip for his double jump.

Crouch:

Akuma would duck low to the ground, holding his hands closer to his face.

Shield:

Akuma would guard his face with one arm. Upon parrying, Akuma would perform an upward swiping motion with the arm he used to guard, triggering a similar sound effect to that of Ryu and Ken’s parry.

Neutral Attack:

Light: Akuma would perform a left hook, a right jab, then a leaping kick in quick succession.

Heavy: Akuma would simply punch straight forward.

Forward Tilt:

Light: Akuma would kick low to the ground.

Heavy: Akuma would perform an overhead karate chop, diminishing shields especially well.

Down Tilt:

Light: Akuma would perform a quick crouching kick.

Heavy: Akuma would remain low to the ground, perform a sweeping kick, and move slightly forward while spinning, like Ryu’s down smash.

Up Tilt:

Light: Akuma would quickly punch upward.

Heavy: Akuma would swing his arm directly upward to strike opponents with his palm.

Dash Attack:

Akuma would dash forward, jump into the air, and land with a strike to the ground using his palm.

Neutral Aerial:

Akuma would extend his knee to strike nearby foes.

Forward Aerial:

Light: Akuma would extend his palm forward.

Heavy: Akuma would hold one hand up to his face and kick forward, like Ryu’s forward aerial.

Down Aerial:

Light: Akuma would strike beneath himself with his elbow.

Heavy: Akuma would descend slowly with his foot extended downward.

Back Aerial:

Akuma would turn and kick the area behind himself.

Up Aerial:

Akuma would perform a swift vertical kick, like Ken’s up aerial.

Forward Smash: Kongoken

Akuma would punch forward with his leading arm, then swiftly pivot and perform an overhead palm strike.

Down Smash: Ryusokyaku

Akuma would lift his leg up high, then bring it crashing back down in an overhead arc.

Up Smash: Kikokurenzan

Akuma would perform a high roundhouse kick. Upon pressing the attack button immediately afterwards, Akuma would follow up with a high spinning heel kick.

Grab:

Akuma would reach out and grasp the opponent with one hand.

Pummel:

Akuma would strike his foe with one knee.

Forward Throw:

Akuma would push the opponent away with his palm.

Down Throw:

Akuma would slam the opponent into the ground with one hand before kicking them away.

Back Throw:

Akuma would swing the opponent behind himself, then kick them away.

Up Throw:

Akuma would send the opponent into the air with a jumping kick.

Neutral Special: Gohadoken / Zanku Hadoken / Sekia Goshoha

Akuma would briefly charge up energy before releasing a purple fireball forward. The normal version of this move would resemble Ryu’s Hadouken, but holding down the button would cause Akuma to charge up and strengthen the move at the cost of it travelling a shorter distance. Much like Ryu and Ken, by inputting the original command (Down, Down-Forward, Forward) and pressing A or B, Akuma would unleash a more powerful version of the attack, which could also be charged.

While in the air, Akuma’s Gohadoken would become Zanku Hadoken, a projectile that would be fired at an angle toward the ground. The move could not be charged, but by inputting the original Hadouken command, Akuma would fire two fireballs in quick succession.

Finally, by inputting Forward, Down-Forward, Down, Down-Back, Back, Akuma would glow red and charge up briefly before firing an orange fireball forward that would hit multiple times. Sekia Goshoha could be performed in the air, but it would not travel downward, and also could not be charged.

Side Special: Ashura Senku

Akuma would raise one knee before gliding either forward or backward depending on the direction inputted by the player. During the gliding state, Akuma would be completely invincible and able to go through opponents. When inputting the original command (Back, Down-Back, Down) Akuma would travel a further distance and also stun opponents upon phasing through them. This special version of the attack would be unique in that it could be cancelled into from his other special moves, making it an incredible movement tool. For example, it could be used to close the gap immediately after hitting the opponent with a fireball.

Up Special: Goshoryuken

Akuma would rise into the air with a leaping uppercut attack akin to Ryu’s Shoryuken. Inputting the original command (Forward, Down, Down-Forward) would make it slightly stronger.

When enhanced by Satsui no Hado, Akuma would grab the opponent after the uppercut, then violently slam them into the ground headfirst.

Down Special: Demon Flip

Akuma would leap into the air and briefly remain in place. Depending on the following input, the attack’s effects would vary:

With no followup, Akuma would fall to the ground and perform a sliding kick.

With an A button / neutral attack input, Akuma would perform an aerial palm strike.

With a B button / special attack input, Akuma would strike downwards with his foot.

With a grab input, Akuma would grab the nearby opponent by their shoulders and swing them overhead before slamming them into the ground in front of himself.

With the command input for Zanku Hadoken, Tatsumaki Zankukyaku, Goshoryuken or Ashura Senku, Akuma would perform the designated special move.

Super Art: Raging Demon

While enhanced by Satsui no Hado, Akuma would gain access to a special command. Upon inputting A, A, Forward, A, B in quick succession while on the ground, Akuma would lift up one knee as the crimson aura glowed brighter, then glide forward swiftly and menacingly. Upon coming into contact with an opponent, the screen would darken as Akuma began violently pummeling them with a barrage of attacks, ending with him standing over their collapsed body as the kanji for “Heaven” briefly appeared on his back. This move would deal massive damage to the opponent and immediately knock them down in a similar manner to Ridley’s down special, but on opponents who are at 110% damage or higher, it would instantly KO them. Due to the move’s powerful KO potential, it could only be used once per stock.

Final Smash: Messatsu Gohado / Messatsu Gorasen / Messatsu Goshoryu

Improving upon his counterparts, Akuma would have three different Final Smashes:

Messatsu Gohado: If used while far away from his opponents, Akuma would charge up energy and fire a massive purple fireball forward, dealing multiple hits of damage to anyone caught in its path.

Messatsu Gorasen: If used at a mid-range distance from opponents, Akuma would dash forward to catch the opponent in a rising Hurricane Kick, lifting them into the air and hitting them multiple times, before knocking them away with a final finishing kick.

Messatsu Goshoryu: If used close to an opponent, Akuma would hit the opponent with two rising uppercuts before finishing with a multi-hitting third strike, launching the opponent upward with the finishing blow.

Up Taunt:

Akuma would grunt as he struck a fierce pose, holding one hand up with his feet spread apart.

Side Taunt:

Akuma would fiercely stomp the ground as a red aura emanated from his body, forming the kanji for “destruction” above his head. This taunt would deal a small amount of damage to opponents if Akuma was close enough to them, but it would not launch them. While enhanced by Satsui no Hado, the taunt could be cancelled into any of Akuma’s grounded moves, including his special moves, referencing the taunt’s use in various Street Fighter titles.

Down Taunt:

Akuma would violently slam his fist into the ground while saying “Insect!”

Victory Animation #1:

Akuma would first be seen crouching. He would then stand up, swing his arms out to either side and let out a fierce scream as the crimson aura flared up and the glowing kanji appeared on his back.

Victory Animation #2:

Akuma would fiercely stomp the ground, kicking up debris, before scoffing, folding his arms, and looking off into the distance.

Victory Animation #3:

The screen would initially be dark as one of Akuma’s glowing red eyes appeared. He would then say “I am Akuma, but you may call me master!” as the crimson aura illuminated his body while he struck his iconic Shun Goku Satsu victory pose. Upon defeating Ryu, Akuma would instead say “You still aren’t willing to do what it takes to win!” Upon defeating Kazuya, Akuma would instead say “Get out of my sight!”

Victory Fanfare: Although Akuma could share Ryu and Ken’s victory theme, in order to match those of other villains in Smash, Akuma’s fanfare could be a shortened version of his signature theme from various Street Fighter titles. Drawing inspiration from how Sephiroth’s victory theme was made using the ending of Advent Children‘s rendition of One-Winged Angel, Akuma’s Smash Bros. victory theme could draw inspiration from Street Fighter IV’s remix, as it is by far the most popular version of his theme:

Outro

Over the years, Akuma has evolved from a cool challenge for the best players of the original Street Fighter games into an iconic villain that has earned the love of many fans across the globe. His interesting story and fun playstyle has helped to create a legacy that other fighting game characters can only dream of attaining. His inclusion in Tekken 7 marked a huge step forward in the character’s journey, and an appearance from him in Smash would only cement his significance even further. Street Fighter needs no explanation as to how important it is to gaming, and with it remaining in the spotlight thanks to Street Fighter V’s Season V Update adding Oro and Rival Schools’ Akira to the roster, it shows Capcom is not slowing down with this series when it comes to marketing. Furthermore, Fortnite’s inclusion of Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile, and Cammy continues to demonstrate Capcom’s enduring willingness to collaborate with other companies and share its iconic characters. The abundance of Capcom-themed content such as Mii costumes and Spirits throughout Ultimate’s lifespan has certainly garnered hype around the company and what it could offer to Smash. Overall, a character like Akuma would surely interest a variety of players upon his arrival and bring a lot more from his series that Smash has yet to see, such as new content that dives into the rich and expansive history of Street Fighter’s classic and modern incarnations.