Akuma


 * "The true fighter can stare death in the face and lash out in rage against it!"
 * —Akuma

Akuma (悪魔 or アクマ, "Demon, Devil" in Japanese), known in Japan as Gouki (豪鬼, Gōki, "Great Devil", "Great Demon" or "Great Ogre"), is a popular fighter as well as a popular villain in the Street Fighter series and UDON comics. He is known as "The Supreme Master of the Fist."

Originally appearing in Super Street Fighter II Turbo as a secret character and hidden boss, he is Gouken's younger brother and Ryu's adoptive uncle. Akuma is voiced by Tomomichi Nishimura in all of Capcom's 2D Games; in Street Fighter IV, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Street Fighter X Tekken he is voiced by Taketora.

Appearance
Akuma/Gouki usually wears a black gi, but varies in the series (occasionally displayed as blue in artwork). He has red hair, sharp, pointed teeth, and is often bare-footed, though some games have him wearing brown sandals. He has a tanned skin and crimson eyes, and wears his deceased master Goutetsu's prayer beads around his neck, with a visible black Ten (天, ten, "heaven") kanji on the center bead in some video games. He was seen with a black belt around on his gi, but is now replaced by a tightened rope around his gi. On the back of his gi, he has a red Ten kanji (天, Ten) that sometimes appears glowing during certain win poses. He is an inch taller than Ryu.

Personality
Akuma is seemingly brutal and angry his name literally meaning demon, yet he is quite honorable and proud warrior who enjoys training, and has contempt for true weaklings. He is rarely seen smiling and enjoys fighting formidable warriors, such as Ryu and Gen. He also hates it when somebody actually interferes with his training. He is also quite serious in fighting, and enjoys getting stronger. In his conversations with many fighters, he tends to talk about their fists and his own.

He truly hates Gouken for not using their fighting style as it was intended to be used, and hates him even more for sealing off the Satsui no Hadou in Ryu. Due to giving up his compassion, he treats opponents he considered unworthy harshly. He is also quite independent and prefers to fight by himself.

Moral Code
Akuma fights only to test his strength, become more powerful, and test his opponent's strength. This means that he will only fight opponents that will provide a challenge, hence his refusal to fight unworthy challengers under any circumstances. Akuma will only kill opponents who are at least as strong as he is, or else worth killing to him; he stopped his fight with Gen during the events of Street Fighter Alpha 2 after realizing that he was ill and dying. While Akuma attacked his brother and his teacher, he did so in the confines of the code of the warrior, where the field of battle does not distinguish between friend and foe. Akuma believes he committed no transgression whatsoever. Also - with the exception of Gouken and Goutetsu - Akuma usually only fights those who challenge him instead of just picking fights. A common game mechanic is to allow players to fight him when certain conditions are met, implying that the fighter the player is using is "strong enough" to pose a challenge to Akuma.

Pre-Alpha
Akuma and his brother Gouken were students of Goutetsu. Goutetsu taught a nameless life-threatening martial art, which incorporates elements of Karate, Judo, and Kempo. He also taught the Shun Goku Satsu (literally Instant Hell Murder), a lethal technique which, although incredibly powerful, puts the user in considerable danger.

As the brothers progressed under Goutetsu's tutelage, a dispute arose on the true nature of their fighting style and the path to master it. Gouken, unable to accept the violent nature and the Satsui no Hadou of his fighting style, left Goutetsu to begin his own dojo, however Goutetsu did not stop his student Gouken from leaving and even allowed him build his own dojo. Akuma continued Goutetsu's teachings and vowed to use their fighting style as it was intended.

In order to learn Shun Goku Satsu, Akuma embraced the principle of Satsui no Hadō, the "Surge of the Intent to Kill/Killing Intent". Through Satsui no Hadō, Akuma was forced to give up any compassion he held towards other human beings. In addition, Akuma realized his limits as a martial artist could be expanded, and left Goutetsu's guidance of enlightenment to train alone to gain more power; however, due to embracing the Satsui no Hadou to his fullest extent, he developed a lust to fight to the death, unlike Goutetsu, who had been able to use the Satsui no Hadou without giving in to its dark side and did not constantly use it to its fullest extent.

After coming back from his island, Akuma went back to Goutetsu, and fought and killed him with the Shun Goku Satsu. Akuma, believing that he was the true master of the Art, took the prayer beads of his dead master and placed it on his neck. When Gouken went to visit his master to see how he was doing, he only found his body lifeless and saw his brother, now no longer looking human. Gouken, shocked to see that his younger brother took the life of their master, berated Akuma, who said nothing and left for the woods.

Many years later, Akuma fought Gouken, while the then-young duo of Ryu and Ken watched. Akuma told Gouken that he was not strong enough to face him without giving in the killing intent; Gouken retorted, saying the art was much more then just death and destruction, accusing Akuma of dishonoring their master's name. Akuma told his brother that Goutetsu did not truly understand the art and was a fool for not using the Satsui no Hadou to its fullest extent. The fight continued, and Gouken won. Akuma told his brother to kill him, but Gouken had no intention of murdering his own kin, prompting Akuma to call him weak for sparing the life of a strong opponent and declare that he would return.

A couple years later, Akuma came back to Gouken's dojo and fought him in battle, using the Shun Goku Satsu on him. Akuma believed him dead, not knowing that Gouken had somehow lived through the attack by emptying his soul, and was only in a coma. Ken saw the flash of the attack while running to the dojo, but arrived only to find Gouken on the floor. Knowing who was behind this, Ken confronted Akuma in the woods and fought him, only to be defeated. After defeating Ken, Akuma disappeared without a trace.

Street Fighter Alpha
Akuma only appears as a secret character only playable via random fighter at the character selection screen. He shares his moveset with Ryu and Ken. He defeats Bison at the end, his ending claims his quest was complete, though he feels empty. Gouken is seen in the background of his ending, as one of the people who fear and oppose him. However, it should be borne in mind that this game's story is overwritten by that of Street Fighter Alpha 2.

Street Fighter Alpha 2
Akuma begins to search the globe looking for worthy fighters to challenge. Secluding himself in the shadows, he watches small tournaments and street fights, desperately seeking someone who might be able to match his strength. He is eventually challenged by a man named Gen. Gen fights a vicious battle, even surviving the Shun Goku Satsu by emptying his soul in time. Just as Akuma begins to wonder whether this man is the worthy opponent he's searching for, he begins to sense not all is as it seems when Gen's mouth begins to bleed, Akuma's suspicions are confirmed: his opponent is sick, and the fight is not fair. After being knocked to the ground, Gen tells Akuma to kill him. Not wanting to carry the fight on any longer, Akuma leaves, infuriating Gen. After the fight, Akuma becomes obsessed with Ryu, hoping to awaken the Satsui no Hadou within his prey.

Ryu eventually finds Akuma's island (known as Onigami Isle or the Gokuentou) and challenges him. The intense battle ended with Ryu gaining the upper hand; in truth, Akuma was only testing him. Akuma regains composure and tells Ryu to find him again when he has embraced the Satsui no Hadō, before striking the ground with a powerful blow and disappearing. The island falls apart around Ryu, who is left in the ocean to contemplate Akuma's words. Leaving his destroyed abode, Akuma thinks about all the fighters he has encountered and wonders with excitement if one day he will fight someone strong enough to kill him in battle. This thought drives him on; finding a desolate cavern (also known as Kiga Cave), he begins to train anew and await the day when he will fight Ryu again. At some point, he defeats and kills a Muay Thai fighter who was about to challenge the champion, Adon. Adon sees this as a challenge and sets out to find Akuma, to fight him and prove that he is stronger.

In his ending, he comes to the realization that worthy opponents have challenged him during his journey. He decides that he could stay on Earth to perfect his killing power, knowing that there are opponents that Akuma can consider worthy. While thinking about the opponents he challenged, there are visions of Gen, M. Bison and Ryu on the moon. He then makes a comment, saying he will be the next to die.

Street Fighter Alpha 3
Two years later, Akuma begins to search once more for worthy fighters whilst awaiting Ryu to embrace the Satsui no Hadō, he was found and was fought by Adon, who wanted prove that his fighting style was the greatest but was defeated easily by Akuma, however Akuma did not kill him and just left him. Akuma encounters Gen once more and fights a second battle (the results of the fight are unknown). However, unbeknownst to Akuma, Ryu rejects the Satsui no Hadō while battling the Shadaloo leader, M. Bison, declaring that a true warrior does not rely on violent intent.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Akuma does not officially enter the second World Warrior tournament, although he fought and does perform the Shun Goku Satsu on Bison. Akuma stated that Bison was pathetic for letting dark energy control him, rather than him controlling such power (despite the fact that Bison is in control of his own power). Bison's body is eventually regenerated by Shadaloo scientists.

Super Street Fighter IV
During the events of Seth's tournament, he continues his training, and senses the Satsui no Hadou reemerging within Ryu. Immediately, he sets off to find Ryu and help him realize this power so he can try to kill him in battle. Like the other tournaments, Akuma does not officially enter, but stays in the shadows. Eventually, he finds an unconscious Ryu in the care of his brother Gouken. Akuma noticed that his brother has perfected the Mu No Ken (Empty Fist). The two brothers then proceed to fight, with Ryu being the prize. Both survived their fight, and Ryu was saved by Gouken. Akuma continued his training and his search for a worthy opponent to match his own.

Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact
As with the second World Warrior tournament, Akuma did not enter the third World Warrior tournament, but once more lurked in the shadows. He even successfully pulled off a Shun Goku Satsu on the tournament sponsor Gill, although he left without realizing that Gill had resurrected himself. Over this time-span, Akuma had trained relentlessly until finally harnessing his power and learning several new techniques, some that were meant to create tidal waves, some described as strong enough to split Uluru (Ayers Rock) in half, and one that could kill an opponent with a single strike. Akuma's self-taught technique is called the Kongō Kokuretsu Zan, in which Akuma channels all his power into one hand and smashes it into the ground, creating a vortex of energy upward around him. It is supposedly this technique that was used to destroy his original training ground.

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
Akuma continued to develop his now-incredible fighting skill, and even fought with Oro in a simple, inconclusive battle, with each other sensing the other's massive chi and testing their powers. Though mutually impressed by each others power, both men expressed some contempt for the other on a personal basis. Akuma has now demonstrated the ability to remain underwater under massive pressure for extended periods of time, and has even managed to destroy a naval submarine with a technique that he has dubbed Tenshō Kaireki Jin.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
Akuma appears as one of the four secret characters in the game. In his ending, he is shown to have defeated Galactusas well as many other warriors from the "other dimension" that stood in his path. Seeing as how the "Planet Eater" himself could not defeat him, Akuma decides not to wait for strong opponents to appear, but rather to seek them out.

Street Fighter X Tekken
Akuma appears in the crossover as one of the boss characters, with his Tekken counterpart being Ogre. In his story, he hears voices from within that become clearer as a meteorite comes crashing into the Antarctica. When it finally impacts, he reappears at the Antarctic, seeing the Pandora as a "new era of chaos" as fighters from all over the world are gathering together to find it. Unlike most characters, he has two Super Arts; his signature Raging Demon and the Misogi, a move that has not been seen since the Vs. SNK games. His Cross Art is the Tenma Shuretto, a descending slicing chop also making its return from the Vs. SNK games.

Other Appearances

 * Akuma appears in the Capcom fighting game, X-Men: Children of the Atom as a secret character, as well as Marvel Super Heroes as a cameo in one of Anita (of Darkstalkers series)'s special moves. An original variation called Cyber Akuma (Mech Gouki in Japan) appears in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter as the game's final boss. Like the Shin Akuma version of the character, Cyber Akuma is more powerful than the regular Akuma, possesses the greatest attack and defense of any character in the game, and is extremely fast. He can only be used with cheat codes. He can't use a partner, but is so powerful that he can easily win without one.
 * In "SNK vs Capcom: SvC Chaos" Akuma's ending shows him ascending to heavens and, seeing he has not found a worthy foe on the mortal plain of existence, he challenges the lord all mighty himself.
 * Akuma also makes a semi-appearance in Cyberbots: Full Metal Madness as Zero Gouki.
 * Additionally, Akuma can be created in Mortal Kombat Armageddon 's Kreate-A-Fighter mode, with his hairstyle listed as Devil. His hairstyle is one of several references to characters from outside the Mortal Kombat franchise.
 * Akuma appears in the arcade versions of Street Fighter: The Movie as a regular character.
 * Akuma appears in the console versions of Street Fighter: The Movie as an secret boss. He can be selected via a cheat code. He also appears in the arcade version of the game as a regular selectable character.
 * Akuma appears in Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, sitting against a wall in Calcutta.
 * Akuma also makes cameo appearances in many of the episodes of Street Fighter II V, often in the background interacting with the population.
 * Akuma also made an appearance in South Park "Imaginationland Episode II" on the evil side of Imaginationland.
 * Joey Ansah played Akuma in Street Fighter: Legacy, which he co-directed with Owen Trevor.

Gameplay
Akuma has the same moves as Ryu and Ken, only much faster and more damaging. Akuma can perform a Hadōken (Gō Hadōken--Strong Surge Fist) and use it in mid-air (Zankū Hadōken--Air-Cutting Surge Fist). His Tatsumaki Zankūkyaku (Tornado Air Slashing Kick) knocks the opponent down instantly and can also juggle; his Shōryūken (Gō Shōryūken, -- Strong Rising Dragon Fist) knocks down his opponent at the first hit and does 3 hits up close, and he can also juggle with a single Shōryūken in certain instances.

Akuma also cannot be stunned in his first few appearances. To compensate for these advantages, he is usually saddled with extremely low stamina (turning Akuma into a "glass cannon"), and in Street Fighter III 3rd Strike, he has an extremely short stun meter and no EX moves. These "flaws" reflect Akuma's ability to hold back his power so as to give his opponents a fighting chance. It should be noted that Akuma didn't possess these flaws in his early appearances, which caused players to consider him too powerful a character.

Akuma has other notable special moves that Ryu and Ken normally lack. The Ashura Senkuu is a teleport move with very short start-up and recovery, which allows him to escape a corner almost at will. The Tenma Kuujinkyaku is a downwards-angled kick that he can use at the peak of his jumps; it is very fast, hard to punish, and allows for combos afterward. The Hyakkishuu is a flip attack, similar to Cammy's Hooligan Combination, that allows Akuma to either attack or grab an opponent while moving forward. He also has the Zenpou Tenshin in the Alpha games, which makes him hop and roll forward a short distance.

Akuma's super moves consist of the Messatsu Gō Hadō (Obliterating Strong Surge，滅殺豪波動), which is simply a high-powered Gōhadōken; Tenma Gō Zankū (Great Demon's Strong Air Slash，天魔豪斬空), a powered-up Zankū Hadōken; the Messatsu Gō Shōryū (Obliterating Strong Rising Dragon，滅殺豪昇龍), a Shoryuken-based move similar to Ken's Shōryū Reppa without the scorching effect; and the Messatsu Gō Rasen (Obliterating Strong Spiral，滅殺豪螺旋), an upward spiraling hurricane kick attack.

There are also two other moves: in Street Fighter III 3rd Strike, he has the one named Kongō Kokuretsu Zan (Land-Rending Vajra Slash，金剛国裂斬) where Akuma strikes the ground hard generating lightning and waves of energy. In Capcom vs. SNK 2 and SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom he has the Misogi (Purifier, 禊), where he teleports above the opponent and delivers a fierce descending strike; this move homes in on the opponent's location.

Akuma's most well known super move is the Shun Goku Satsu (瞬獄殺 'Instant Hell Murder'), traditionally one of the strongest super moves in any game Akuma appears in. In Street Fighter IV, he has the Shin Shun Goku Satsu (真・瞬獄殺 'True Instant Hell Murder') as his Ultra Combo. In Super Street Fighter IV, Akuma has a new ultra called Demon Armageddon. It involves him kicking the opponent in the air and following up with a powerful Hurricane Kick. As Akuma hits his opponent, his signature kanji appears in the background as he utters the words "Accept Death!...the other realm awaits!" After that, Akuma charges past his opponent with full force, as the kanji in the background breaks into pieces. The move was revealed to be the Tenshou Kaireki Jin (Heaven's Shocking Sea-Plowing Blade, 天衝海轢刃) in the Japanese move lists of SSFIV, hinting that Akuma indeed made the move before the Street Fighter III series, but had yet to test it on a larger scale or for some other reason unknown.

In Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Akuma is banned in U.S. tournaments. This is because, as David Sirlin writes, "Most characters in that game cannot beat Akuma. I don’t mean it’s a tough match—I mean they cannot ever, ever, ever, ever win. Akuma is 'broken' in that his air fireball move is something the game simply wasn’t designed to handle. He is not merely the best character in the game, but is at least ten times better than other characters. This case is so extreme that all top players in America immediately realized that all tournaments would be Akuma vs. Akuma only, and so the character was banned with basically no debate and has been ever since." In Japan, Akuma is not officially banned, but there is what is called a soft ban. In other words, all top players in Japan agree not to play Akuma without there being any official enforcement of this agreement. However, on the remake Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Akuma is toned down to ensure he's more "balanced"; his "flaws" like the very low defense clause reappear in this game and he has a much weaker Shun Goku Satsu as the only super move available (it's worth noting that he didn't have a super move in his original appearance Super Street Fighter II Turbo, but he was so powerful that these weren't considered a weakness). His air fireball forces him to bounce back. Some top players claim that he is still broken, claiming that Akuma has far too many devastating setups, especially with setting up the Shun Goku Satsu. It is still currently in debate whether or not Akuma is still broken or balanced.

Stage Theme
    

Trivia

 * In the anime Street Fighter Alpha: Generations, it is implied that Akuma is Ryu's biological father, however, this movie is non-canonical.
 * Akuma is an inch taller than Ryu, and only a half-pound heavier.
 * In some of his win quotes from SSF4, Akuma refers to himself as a demon or "denizen of hell" even though he is clearly not one. It could be that the Dark Hadou has finally taken certain toll on his sanity; Satsui No Hado is known to have such effect on a long time practitioner.
 * Akuma is shown waiting in the background in many episodes of the anime series Street Fighter II V. See all appearances in this link.
 * In Street Fighter IV, he is the only character where the player doesn't need to press the three punch buttons or kick buttons to perform his Ultra Combo.
 * Along with Fei Long, Akuma is the only original character not to appear in the live action movie. Akuma did however make it into the game based on the movie.
 * Akuma is one of the 19 characters in Street Fighter IV to not have second rivals in Super Street Fighter IV, despite having a ultra combo video to include his second rival (Gen), even though Gouken was supposed to be his second rival, because there's a video called Akuma vs. Gouken.
 * The Kanji symbol "Ten" that appears on the back of Akuma's gi top takes in a different shape between the original SF4 and SSF4. The top part of the symbol is more narrow in Super SFIV than in the original. The kanji symbol may have taken this shape due to Akuma's 2nd alternate using the exact same new shape on the back
 * Akuma's training comes first and foremost, and he will not interrupt it to warn off unwary passersby,(hence the destruction of the Submarine) this doesn't just make Akuma a dangerous warrior, but a dangerous individual as well.
 * In the Udon comics, Akuma is much darker and crueler.
 * Akuma is rarely seen smiling and his face always seems angry looking.
 * In SF4 & SSF4 when after an Ultra Combo finish, the announcer will not say "K.O.!!!". Instead, it is implied that Akuma actually killed them instead. He shares this with Oni.
 * Capcom USA initially claimed Akuma was possessed by a demon, but this is considered non-canonical. The character's name change from Gouki to Akuma (the Japanese and American names, respectively) reflects Capcom USA's attempt to accentuate the demonic nature. The word Akuma (悪魔, Akuma) means "devil" in Japanese.
 * Akuma's character design may also be based off the Zodd the Immortal from the Manga Berserk. Both character's share very similar appearances and are always willing to fight a worthy opponent to the death.

Stances
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101007070351/streetfighterex/images/8/86/Akumaga.gif

Quotes
{{Scroll_box
 * content=====Super Street Fighter II====
 * "I am the Master of the Fist!" (我は拳を極めし者, Ware wa ken wo kiwameshi mono!)

Street Fighter Alpha/Street Fighter Alpha 2
Win Quotes:
 * "Now stay down!"
 * "This grows boring!"
 * "Weaklings! Is there no one worth fighting?"
 * "You are not enough even for a warm up."

Street Fighter Alpha 3
Win Quotes: Rival Quotes:
 * "A weakling like yourself doesn't deserve fists to fight with!"
 * "Fade to nothingness! You weakness disgusts me!"
 * "To challenge me is to respect chaos, and to respect death!"
 * PSX "If you are merciless, your soul will be slaughtered!"
 * PSX "It's time for you to experience a million deaths in an instant!"
 * PSX "Shall I dismember you to demonstrate your weakness?"
 * PSX "You are permanently crippled! Accept your defeat!"

(Akuma/Shin Akuma encounters Adon)

Adon:


 * "'The master of fists...' You must be Akuma!"


 * "Fight with me now... Show me your "evil intent"!"


 * "Your moves are nothing to me! Face the legend of Muay Thai!"

Akuma


 * "Don't talk... Just fight!!"

(Akuma/Shin Akuma encounters Guy)

Guy:


 * "My name is Guy... I am the successor of the Bushin style."

Akuma:


 * "I am here for a good reason. I cannot allow you to see 'him.'"

Guy:


 * "For the sake of Bushin... Listen to reason...!"

Akuma:


 * "...Your reason will fall before the might of my fist..."

(Akuma/Shin Akuma encounters M. Bison)

M.Bison:


 * "So you are Akuma; the one shrouded with 'evil intent...'"


 * "You'll never defeat me, as long as my 'Psycho Drive' exists!"

Akuma:


 * "To stand in my way, is to feed your soul to the jaws of death!"


 * "You are weak for not relying solely upon your fists..."

(After the battle, Akuma stands next to a fallen M. Bison, who then gets up, dizzied)

M. Bison:


 * "No... No...! How could I..."

(cut to a head shot of Bison frowning)


 * "Ngwooooohhh!!"

(Akuma then performs the Shun Goku Satsu on M. Bison)


 * Akuma:

"Messatsu...!!"

(M. Bison's face catches fire)


 * M. Bison

"N... Nooooooooooooo!!"

(Akuma stands shirtless, with the kanji 'ten' on his back and his arms outstretched)

Akuma:


 * "The Raging Demon... Its power is unequal... It is not my fists, but your past sins that will kill you... The more evil your past doings, the more painful your death..."

(Akuma has his back turned, with the 'ten' kanji on his shirt)

Akuma:


 * "Each victory is a missed opportunity to die..."

(Shot pans to show Gen facing Akuma)

Gen:


 * "...Ha ha ha... Mastery of your fists may well mean the same... But don't worry... Heh. Heh. You shall not be victorious again!"

Akuma:


 * "Face me now... Witness the death of your soul!"

(The two charge each other; Gen does a Zan'ei and Akuma does the Shun Goku Satsu)

X-Men: Children of the Atom

 * "I am the master warrior!"
 * "Is that all you can do?"
 * "My ability to win is genetic!"
 * "You almost provided a challenge!"
 * "You are not worthy to face me!"
 * "You fool! You have no chance of defeating me!"
 * "You made an effort at least, pathetic as it was!"
 * "Your powers are nothing to me!"
 * "Your powers can't compare to my skill!"
 * "Your ridiculous abilities are no match for me!"

Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix

 * "Even with my oversized head and stubby limbs, I'm unbeatable!"
 * "Hm! You should go back to playing puzzle games!"
 * "I am Akuma! But you may call me Master!"
 * "You weren't even enough for a warm up!"

SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium

 * ".........Die!"
 * "I win with a blow! Got it?"
 * "I'm AKUMA! You're garbage!"
 * "That's your best? Ridiculous!"

X-Men Vs Street Fighter

 * "Demons don't need partners. An illusion..."
 * "Do something. Do anything. It won't work."
 * "I am bored. What else is new?"
 * "Instant Hell Murder. I think I've heard of it..."
 * "The killer in me is unstoppable."
 * "This realm is a joke."
 * "Too bad, you could have been a challenge."
 * "You mean nothing to me."

}}