Shin Akuma

Shin Akuma (Shin Gouki in Japan) is a secret character and boss in the Street Fighter series. The two versions operate very similarly, but Shin Akuma is faster, deals more damage and can throw two Zankū Hadoken at once. Also, his Shun Goku Satsu is much faster and travels farther (making it harder to evade), and in some instances, inflicts more damage (e.g. Capcom vs. SNK 2). In some instances, Shin Akuma also has more life-threatening specials as well (e.g. Misogi). Shin Akuma's appearance is very similar to Akuma's except he exhibits white hair and a slightly darker shade of skin. In the Street Fighter Alpha series, Shin Akuma had a purple-blue gi instead of a black one, but retains the red hair.

Shin Akuma is a version of Akuma the players confront as a CPU opponent in Super Street Fighter II Turbo. To face Shin Akuma, the player must reach M. Bison without losing any rounds or using any continues (including having the second player join in) and achieving at least three perfect victories. He will then interrupt the final match by performing a Shun Goku Satsu on Bison, before challenging the player's character. But, just like regular Akuma, his name is not displayed below the life bar and he does not have a super meter. In his later incarnations, he has a purple gi instead of Akuma's standard black gi, is faster, does two Zankū Hadokens at once, and inflicts more damage. Shin Akuma is, however, an unlockable playable character in the Game Boy Advance version of the game, Super Street Fighter II Turbo Revival. Shin Akuma reappears in Street Fighter Alpha 2, but only as a hidden boss. He was made into a selectable hidden character in the console ports of Alpha 2 (the code to unlock Shin Akuma forces the player to move their character select cursor in a "Z" pattern in the PlayStation version and an "X" pattern in the Saturn version). Shin Akuma reappears in the console ports Street Fighter Alpha 3 (and Zero 3 Upper), where his name is displayed as "Shin Akuma" on-screen.

Storywise, Shin Akuma is merely Akuma using the full extent of his power, compared to the "in-game" version which is Akuma voluntarily holding back his power to avoid ending fights prematurely. In the Capcom vs. SNK series, a different form of Shin Akuma appears. This form of Akuma achieves a new level of power when a dying Rugal Bernstein pours his Orochi power into him, turning his hair white. Shin Akuma, not Bison, is Evil Ryu's final boss in Street Fighter Alpha 3.

In Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, Shin Akuma was replaced by Cyber-Akuma (Mech-Gouki in Japan), a version of Akuma enhanced by Apocalypse. Cyber Akuma featured most of Shin Akuma's attacks in the Capcom vs. series style as well as attacks involving the launching of his mechanical right arm.