Oni

Oni (鬼, Ogre), also known as The Mad Demon, Onigami or Destroyer of Heaven (Asura's Wrath) (狂オシキ鬼, Kuruoshiki Oni, literally Maddened Ogre) is a secret fighter in the Street Fighter series. He can be fought as a secret boss in Arcade Mode, as well as being a playable character. Oni is in fact Akuma, who has let the Satsui no Hadou consume him to the point where he has discarded all of humanity and has lost his prominent moral code as a warrior who will now kill any warrior in a fight, and has taken the form of a full demon.

''Note: This character should not be mistaken as Shin Akuma, even though both have a number of similarities to each other. ''

Concept
While the Shinto "Oni" explains the character motivations, the visual aspects of Akuma are based more on kongōrikishi (金剛力士), or Niō (仁王), from Buddhism.

Origin
Due to his training and meditation, Akuma may have suppressed some of the dark aspects of the Satsui no Hadou, allowing him to control his power in battle. As Oni, when he finally becomes one with the Satsui no Hadou, the negative aspects have now managed to completely take over him.

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, 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 has his sandals.

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 Ten (天) Kanji also appears on his back during the same animations, seemingly having branded itself on his back. His voice also sounds much more demonic in both the English and Japanese versions of the Arcade Edition.

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 ki underneath.

Personality
Oni has no morals and will fight anyone to the death, regardless of condition, rather then seeking out worthy opponents to fight and kill in a fair match. In addition, he now talks in the third person even more, as he says his own name after defeating or killing his opponents. He also becomes far more evil to the point of calling himself evil incarnate. As Oni, he completely despises humanity and says it is of no use to evil incarnate.

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 Misogi. 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, Tenma Kujin Kyaku and Ashura Senku and generally uses wayward one-handed Hadokens which tend to fizzle out after traveling some distance.

Stats
"See also: Oni's changes in Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition Version 2012

In Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition Oni has a health and stun meter 950 units each (i.e slightly less than Ryu's 1000 units for both, which are considered the benchmarks to gauge other fighters). His health was increased to 1000 units, but the stun remained the same at 950 in the 2012 patch.

Techniques

 * This section is too overly detailed. Steps will soon be taken to simplify the information presented.

See also: 
 * Oni's damage data (External Link) 
 * Oni's move list in Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition.

Oni's regular Heavy Punch has him stick his left hand out for a safe, cancellable 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 projectiles. He shares the Zugai Hasatsu 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 Zugai Hasatsu 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 Zanku Kyaku. 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 an unique animation for the Goshoryuken if he is close to the opponent that resembles the Shin or Metsu 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 Shoryuken. If the opponent is far or in the air, Oni does an simple right-handed Shoryuken similar to Akuma's. While the startup for Oni's Shoryukens 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 Zanku Kyaku 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. The kanji character that appears if Oni achieves a Super Combo victory is an amalgamation of the characters "God" 神 and "Demon" 鬼 and can be interpreted as "Demon God" or "Worshipping the Demon".

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 character 天. The full animation Meido Gohado is the second most damaging projectile Ultra after Gouken's (fully charged) Denjin Hadouken, 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 ultras such as those of Ryu and Sagat. The air-to-ground version is called Messatsu Go Zanku 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 Go Zanku similar to his Air Raging Demon. The anti-air version of this Ultra is called the Messatsu Go Tenha, which is fired directly upwards. Oni has complete upper body invincibility while executing the Messatsu Go Tenha. Both Messatsu Go Zanku and Messatsu Go Tenha 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 "The Dark Painful Great Surge".

His second Ultra Combo, Tenchi Sokaigen, appears to be a precursor to the Kongou Kokuretsu Zan, 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 left-handed Goshoryuken to their exposed back. The background for this attack spells the 天 Kanji. 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 a opponent critically low on health. From the 2012 patch onwards the Tenchi Sokaigen is the third most damaging Ultra 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 "The 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 the Onigami to unleash its 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 the Onigami. The Shin form of Oni is absolutely free of any hindrances by Akuma. The developers have specifically concieved 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 (Back Dash) 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 need to activate Shin Oni's Tenchi Sokaigen are effectively half that of the regular version.

Character Basis
While no true references or authentication have been released by the creators of the series upon Oni's true origins, Oni's inspiration nonetheless came from the demons known as Oni in Japanese myth, said being fearsome, lurking fanged and horned demon giants that once terrorized and pillaged villages and travelers in ancient Japan. His origin spawning from Akuma remains more intricate however, bearing more metaphysical roots.

In the Japanese religion of Shinto, impurity and pollution are states of being that are considered to be unholy and corruptible, known as Kegare, and range from physical harm, filth, varying things stemming from the phenomena of death, to immorality and continued vice. In Japanese folklore and mythology, demons and malevolent spirits are said to be attracted and even born from such impurities, and humans are mentioned and shown in stories of old and in modern works, to be capable of transforming into demons through such degrees of corruptible impurity.

Hence, as the Satsui no Hadou is a state of power born of an intense and nearly maddening desire to kill and dominate without consequence and conscience, such an impure state drove Akuma into an infernally powerful being beyond that of Shin Akuma, completely transcending and removing him from his humanity into something once greatly feared and abhorred.



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 Hadou 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 Hadoukens in addition to a spread version of Gohadouken 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.

The battle escalates to a point where the very moon itself splits apart to the core and breaks apart. The battle ends when both combatants wrestle each other while blasting through the Earth's atmosphere and crash-lands, still struggling.

Trivia

 * 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 God Akuma in Capcom vs. SNK 2.
 * Oni's fighting stance resembles the artwork of Shin Akuma from SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos.
 * 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.
 * 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 that of the first two stages of the Super Saiyan grade 1 and grade 2 and his prayer beads look very similar to the Dragon Balls from the Dragon Ball Z 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 Ultras) that show a black and white changing background.
 * Right after Oni hits the volcano in his ending of Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition, he was seen floating in the air. He is also seen floating in one of his win poses, where he states "I am not human". It is possible that when Akuma is in this form, he gains the ability to defy gravity with his power.
 * Implied by the quotes, 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.
 * A Pandora version of Akuma that looks very similar to Oni appears in Akuma's ending in Street Fighter X Tekken, where it is manifested after the contents of Pandora's Box open in response to Akuma's desire for a challenge.
 * Oni's heavy punch seems to resemble Akuma's Focus Attack.
 * Demise, the main villian in Zelda: Skyward Sword, seems to resemble Oni.

Gallery

 * For more images, see: Oni/Gallery