Oni

"I shall grind beneath my heel all that exists!"

- Oni, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition

Oni (鬼), also known as Kuruoshiki Oni (狂オシキ鬼, "The Mad Demon"), is a character in the Street Fighter series. He makes his debut in the Arcade Edition update of Super Street Fighter IV as a secret boss and a playable character. Oni is in fact Akuma, who has let the Satsui no Hado consume him.

Origin
Due to his training and meditation, Akuma may have suppressed some of the darker aspects of the Satsui no Hado, allowing him to control his power in battle. As Oni, when he finally becomes one with the Satsui no Hado, its power has now managed to completely overtake him.

Concept
While the Shinto incarnation of "oni" explains the character motivations, his visual aspects still bear significant resemblance to that of Akuma and the Buddhist kongōrikishi (金剛力士), or Niō (仁王).

Oni's name comes from the demons known as oni in Japanese mythology, who are said to be fearsome giants with fangs and horns that once terrorized and pillaged villages and travelers in ancient Japan.

Of additional note, in the Japanese religion of Shinto, impurity and pollution are states of being that are considered unholy (known as Kegare); demons and malevolent spirits are said to be attracted to such impurities, and some were even born from them.

Appearance
Oni appears as a far more muscular and noticeably larger version of Akuma. He has dark blue skin, glowing yellow-red eyes and glowing, spiky shoulder-length hair. He also gains fangs and short protrusions on his forehead, resembling growing horns. The top half of his gi has been been blown off by the amount of raw dark power he emanates, showing off his stature; the prayer beads that were once around his neck now float about disconnected around his body. He also has claws on his fingers and toes, and no longer wears sandals; his voice also sounds much more demonic.

When using fierce attacks or powerful physical attacks of any kind, his arms and legs glow a superheated color. While it is difficult to spot, the kanji of "heaven" (天, ten) also appears on his back during the same animations, seemingly having branded itself on his back.

In his second alternate costume, his skins shows cracks like old plaster, which progressively falls away as he is hit with Focus Attacks, showing pure, swirling dark energy underneath.

Personality
Oni has discarded his remaining humanity (saying that it is of no use to "evil incarnate") and his prominent moral code as a warrior. He will fight anyone to the death, regardless of condition, rather than seeking out worthy opponents to fight in a fair match. In addition, he now talks in the third person more than usual.

In Street Fighter X Tekken, during Akuma's ending, he faces a Pandora version of Oni, which he aptly refers to as "nothing but a shadow, raging against that which casts it".

Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition
In his intro, his roar echoes through the night. Instantly after, his presence causes the explosion of a nearby tree and the death of a bird. He then looks up and proclaims that he is "evil incarnate".

In his ending, he stands in the center of a volcano. Then he only jumps up and chops the ground with his hand, resulting in an instant eruption that engulfs him in lava. As the lava explodes out of the volcano, Oni flies out of it unharmed, laughing maniacally and yelling ferociously.

Gameplay and fighting style

 * This section is too overly detailed. Steps will soon be taken to simplify the information presented.
 * See also: Oni's changes in Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition Version 2012

Oni's increased power allows him some control over electricity, as well as the ability to float or levitate, as shown in his winposes and ending; his ending also indicates that lava does not harm him upon contact.

Oni does not refrain from using the maximum potential of Akuma's Ansatsuken art or his yet unrefined attacks. His Goshoryuken is similar to the Shin Shoryuken. His overhead smash resembles an imperfect Tenma Shurettou. Also, he uses a much smaller version of the Kongou Kokuretsu Zan as a start-up for his second Ultra Combo, the Tenchi Sokaigen. His stance is similar to Akuma's 'Isshun Sengeki' pose during the Wrath of the Raging Demon Ultra Combo. However, he lacks the sheer focus of Akuma, not possessing the finer attacks such as the Hyakkishu, Tenmakujinkyaku and Ashura Senku and generally uses wayward one-handed Hadokens which tend to fizzle out after traveling some distance.

Oni's regular Heavy Punch has him stick his left hand out for a safe, cancelable poke that unfortunately lacks in range. His Forward + Heavy Punch command move sees him take a big step forward and stick his Hado covered right hand out which has the ability to nullify projectiles or one hit from multiple hitting, EX, Super or Ultra Combo projectiles. He shares the Zugaihasatsu which is a two hit overhead chop command move, executed by Forward + Middle Punch with Akuma. His Medium Kick has impressive range and is comparable to Sagat and M. Bison's heavy kick but slower. The Forward + Medium Kick sees Oni do a pinwheel kick with decent range like Akuma. His regular Heavy Kick is the standard Roundhouse like the other fighters who use the same move. Oni's Forward + Heavy Kick is a two hit overhead command move similar to the Zugaihasatsu and is shared with Akuma. It also resembles a faster, less damaging version of Ken's Forward + Medium Kick command move. Oni's Focus Attack sees him drive an open hand into the solar plexus of the opponent. The lesser than average range of the Focus Attack has received some criticism. The distance of his backdash has also been criticized. Oni walks around surprisingly fast despite his bulk.

Oni possesses an air dash attack, Zanku Hadosho, the direction of which is determined by the punch button pressed. He also possesses a dashing slash called Rakan Dantojin which allows him to pass the opponent by, similar to the Ashura Senku. The four possible variations of the slash have different invincible frames against projectile attacks with the EX version being completely immune to projectiles. He also possesses a jumping overhead smash attack, the Sekisei Jiraiken, which has been compared to E. Honda's Sumo Smash. The EX version of the Sekisei Jiraiken inflicts a lot of stun on the opponent.

Like the other shotoclones Oni also has the Gohadoken, Goshoryuken and Tatsumaki Zankukyaku. His Gohadoken usually travels for about 80% of the screen before fizzling out. Alternatively, the Gohadoken can be charged by holding down the punch button: a fully charged Gohadoken does not fizzle out, has two hits and inflicts more damage. The EX version of Oni's Gohadoken is already fully charged, has two hits and does more damage than the Heavy Punch version.

Oni's counterpart for Akuma's Shakunetsu Hadoken is the even stronger Gorai Hadoken, which shares the same execution (half-circle back + punch) and hits afflicted, as well as various properties depending on the punch button used.

Oni has a unique animation for the Goshoryuken if he is close to the opponent that resembles the Shin Shoryuken where Oni punches the opponent in the tanden with his right hand, followed by a left-handed punch to the solar plexus transitioning into a left-handed Goshoryuken. If the opponent is far or in the air, Oni does an simple right-handed Goshoryuken similar to Akuma's. While the startup for Oni's Goshoryukens takes more time than other users of the same move, they have almost negligible recovery time such that Oni recovers the moment he touches the ground. The EX version of the Goshoryuken inflicts more damage and has more invincibility at startup than the Heavy Punch version.

His Tatsumaki Zankukyaku is similar to Akuma's. but slower and more damaging. Oni, like the other uses like Ryu, can perform an aerial version that comes down in a parabolic trajectory. The EX Tatsumaki has Oni spin around in the same place and sends the opponent hurtling in a spinning fashion similar to Gouken's Kongoshin. The 2012 patch fixed a problem with his EX Tatsumaki where the last hit would not connect properly.

His Super Combo is the Raging Demon. However, it can now be used in mid-air when using Oni, having priority over other attacks such as Shoryukens in the air. He is able to cancel the Zanku Hadosho into the Air Raging Demon. The land variant of Oni's Raging Demon was given a slight damage increase in the 2012 patch and now does a damage of 370/1000 HP compared to 350/1000 it did earlier. The patch also changes the Air Raging Demon into a strike rather than a grab hitbox, allowing you to combo into it. The kanji that appears if Oni achieves a Super Combo victory could be an amalgamation of "god" (神) and "demon" (鬼) and can be interpreted as "demon god" (神鬼 "Majin") or "worshipping the demon", or just the kanji of "soul" (魂.)

His Ultra Combos are new and appear to be based on Akuma's Super Arts from Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. His first Ultra Combo, Meido Gohado, is an advanced and more powerful Messatsu Gou Hadou. Oni needs to be close and on the ground in order to force his opponent right into the wall with the Meido Gohado to follow up with an orb of the Satsui no Hado, with the force of the orb emitting ki from behind the opponent shaping into the kanji of "heaven" (天, ten).

The full animation Meido Gohado is the second most damaging projectile Ultra Combo after Gouken's (fully charged) Denjin Hadoken, inflicting 450/1000 HP of damage. If the full animation does not occur, the Meido Gohado inflicts 350/1000 HP of damage which is comparable to most other projectile Ultra Combos such as those of Ryu and Sagat. The air-to-ground version is called Messatsu-Gozanku similar to Akuma's version, but executed with both hands. Starting from the 2012 patch, Oni can cancel the Zanku Hadosho (Air Dash) into the Messatsu-Gozanku similar to his Air Raging Demon. The anti-air version of this Ultra Combo is called Messatsu-Gotenha, which is fired directly upwards.

Oni has complete upper body invincibility while executing the Messatsu-Gotenha. Both Messatsu-Gozanku and Messatsu-Gotenha inflict a damage of 370/1000 HP. The Meido Gohado is spelt 冥恫豪波動 in kanji; when translated into English it befittingly means the "Dark Painful Great Surge".

His second Ultra Combo, Tenchi Sokaigen, appears to be a precursor to the Kongou Kokuretsuzan, where he only forms an eruption of ki in front of him. Like the Meido Gohado, Oni needs to be close enough to launch his opponent into the air in order to hit them with a deadly Goshoryuken to their exposed back. The background for this attack spells the kanji of "heaven" (天,  ten). The initial spike of the enegy by itself can be used as an anti-air attack, part of an juggle or to inflict chip on an opponent critically low on health. From the 2012 patch onwards the Tenchi Sokaigen is the third most damaging Ultra Combo with a damage of 525/1000 HP after Gouken's fully charged Denjin Hadoken at 540/1000 HP and Hakan's Oil Coaster which inflicts a damage of 530/1000 HP. The kanji for this attack is 天地双潰掀 and translates into "Heaven and Earth Twin Crushing Raise."

Shin Oni
There is a non-selectable 'Shin', or boss, version of Oni who can be fought in the arcade mode as a secret boss and the true final boss. The player must not lose a round, get two Perfects, five Super or Ultra Combo finishes, ten first attacks and defeat Seth with an Super or Ultra Combo to fight Oni at his true limits. He can be considered the true final boss since the requirements to fight him are the highest of all secret boss characters.

Storyline-wise, the playable version of Oni is held back by some of the fragments of Akuma's will, not allowing Oni to unleash his true potential. This also triggers possible schizophrenia and mis-allocation of power in the being, torn between the will of Akuma and the whims of Oni. The Shin form of Oni is absolutely free of any hindrances by Akuma. The developers have specifically conceived Oni as Akuma beyond Shin Akuma, meaning that the Shin form of Oni is theoretically one of the strongest entities in the Street Fighter series.

Gameplay-wise, Shin Oni is analogous to the relationship between Akuma and Shin Akuma. While on the surface, the two version operate similarly, Shin Oni's frame data is completely different. He has lesser recovery time between attacks and his special and command attacks have more invincible frames than the playable version. He floats with his ki rather than walk, allowing him to move around faster. Compared to the playable version, he has more stun and stamina. His Gohadoken is a two-hit projectile that neither needs to be charged nor fizzles out after a certain distance, unlike the playable version.

The EX variant of the Gohadoken has three hits and inflicts even more damage. Shin Oni's Gorai Hadoken inflicts slightly more stun than the normal version but still is a three-hit projectile for the heavy and EX version. Due to this, it is pointless to get into a projectile war with him. His Goshoryuken, Rakan Dantojin (Slash) and Sekisei Jiraiken (Overhead Smash) have more invincibility at startup, against projectiles and lower body respectively, than the regular version.

He also possesses an EX version of the Zanku Hadosho which is unavailable to the playable version. His regular and Air Raging Demon also travels much faster and longer, are completely immune to any attacks and have greater priority than most Ultras. The only possible evasions are jumping, Shoryukens and Shoryuken based Super or Ultra Combos and other moves that have startup invincibility. It is impossible to counter Shin Oni's Raging Demon. As an added difficulty spike, the frames needed to activate Shin Oni's Tenchi Sokaigen are half that of the regular playable version.

Asura's Wrath
Oni appears in the second half of the second DLC Lost Episode The Strongest vs. The Angriest. After being slammed into a wall, Akuma immediately allows the Satsui no Hado to take over his body and transform (showing that he has some semblance of control), which prompts Asura to go into his strongest form possible (and the second strongest form), Mantra Asura. Oni goes toe-to-toe with the wrath-embodied god and starts the battle off with a Misogi.

Much like the Evil Ryu battle, the fight with Oni uses the traditional battle system featured in the game and allows a seemingly more accurate portrayal of his powers, which include gigantic Gorai Hadokens in addition to a spread version of Gohadoken that fires off five shots, a much larger Tatsumaki Zankukyaku, and the ability to warp when using Focus Attacks. He retains his Ultra Combos, but it is possible to avoid them; Asura also has the ability to redirect the Meido Gohado, and counter the Raging Demon in a manner similar to his earlier defeat of Evil Ryu, but if Asura does not counter it in time, Oni will be shown attacking Asura with a swinging punch to the side of the head, a punch below the chin, a punch to the face, a punch to the chest, and finally sends Asura flying with the final blow, which deals a lot of damage.

The battle continues until Oni thrusts towards Asura and punches the Moon so hard it splits apart. The battle is then taken inside its core and in space. The battle ends when both combatants wrestle each other while blasting through the Earth's atmosphere and crash-land, still struggling. Then begins a punchout between the two fighters that lasts 500 years, still not ending as they are reduced to their normal forms; almost statues covered in moss.

Quotes
See: Oni/Quotes.

Trivia

 * Oni's full name, Kuruoshiki Oni, is a possible nod to the Raging Demon, since kuru (狂) means "mad" or "violent" and oni (鬼) can mean "demon" or "ogre."
 * Oni marks the third time Akuma has ever lost his morals (canon or otherwise) to gain more power beyond his Shin or true form. The other two are Cyber Akuma in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter and Shin Akuma in Capcom vs. SNK 2.
 * After the character was revealed in Super Street Fighter II Turbo Capcom USA initially claimed Akuma was possessed by a demon; this was later refuted and considered non canonical. The character's name change from Gouki to Akuma (the Japanese and American names, respectively) reflected Capcom USA's attempt to accentuate the demonic nature. The word akuma (悪魔) means "devil" in Japanese. While two distinct creatures in Japanese mythology, the idea of Gouki becoming a demon might be considered to be fulfilled in Oni.
 * Oni's fighting stance resembles the artwork of Shin Akuma from SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, and his 6th color also resemble Shin Akuma.
 * Oni's second alternate costume is the only costume of any character in Arcade Edition which takes battle damage over the course of a fight.
 * Whenever Oni wins the fight, he physically interacts with the opponent's character. He picks them up by their heads, then (off-screen) supposedly deals a fatal blow. He is the only fighter in the game who has physical contact with the opponent after winning a match.
 * Also, if Oni uses an Ultra Combo as a finishing move, no "KO" sign will be shown on the screen. The explanation is that, it implies that the opponent is not merely knocked out, but outright killed in battle.
 * Oni also has a similar look to that of the Black Oni from Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams. The darkened skin, white hair, and blue flame-like aura are all main traits of the Onimusha form in general.
 * In addition, his hair also looks very similar to the oni of Japanese mythology. A few examples includes Fūjin and Raijin, the Shinto gods of wind and thunder respectively, as well as ancient art examples of strong warriors.
 * Another similarity can be made with the first two stages of the Super Saiyan form from the Dragon Ball Z series. Likewise, his prayer beads look very similar to the Dragon Balls from the same series.
 * The emergence of his character is very similar to that of Aku from Samurai Jack.
 * Oni's theme in Super Street Fighter IV is an alternate remix of Akuma's theme from Street Fighter II.
 * Oni's Ultra Combos are the only ones (aside from both of Akuma's Ultra Combos) that show a black and white changing background.
 * Zangief is the only fighter to notice Oni's increased build mass. However, Zangief fails to notice any other changes in Akuma such as the blue skin, aura etc.
 * Oni is the only character besides E. Honda that recognizes that Cody, while still wearing very loose chains, is in fact holding back on all his battles. Unusually, Shin Oni actually implies that Cody might survive a battle with him if he doesn't hold back. On the other hand, the playable version calls Cody a coward.
 * If Cody wins against Shin Oni, it is the only time besides fighting Ryu that he admits having fun.
 * Oni's heavy punch seems to resemble Akuma's Focus Attack.
 * Demise, the main villain in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, seems to resemble Oni.
 * According to Rose's winquote to Oni, it can be implied that Oni was meant to show up at a later time, but not during the present day.
 * Oni's appearance bears an uncanny resemblance to Broly of the Dragon Ball Z series in his Legendary Super Sayian state. Both have lost their minds as a result of their immense power, and have no qualms about killing anything and anyone in sight. Both also have an absolute grudge against their respective rivals.

Gallery

 * For more images, see: Oni/Gallery