Akuma

Akuma
Akuma, as he appears in Street Fighter IV.
Characteristics
Height	5' 10" (178 cm)
Weight	225 lbs (102 kg)
Eye color	Red
Hair color	Red
Personal
First Game	Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Birthdate	February 18, 1947
Birthplace	Unknown
Fighting style	Nameless assassination style powered by the Surge of Murderous Intent
Likes	Martial Arts, Training, Satsui no Hadou
Dislikes	Gouken
Rival(s)	Ryu, Gouken, Gen
Moveset	Gou Hadouken, Gou Shouryuuken, Hurricane Destruction Kick, Shun Goku Satsu, Kongou Kokuretsu Zan

Akuma (アクマ, "devil" in Japanese), known in Japan as Gouki (豪鬼 Gōki "strong spirit", "strong demon" or "strong ogre"), is a video game character created by Capcom.

Originally appearing in Super Street Fighter II Turbo as a secret character and hidden boss, he has red hair, wears prayer beads around his neck, and wears a black gi (occasionally displayed as blue in artwork). The kanji 'Ama' (天) - meaning "sky", "heaven", or "providence" - can be seen on his back when it appears during certain winposes. He is voiced by Tomomichi Nishimura in many of the games in which he has appeared.

Story

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 or The Raging Demon), a death 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 of his fighting style, left Goutetsu to begin 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 or (The Surge of the Intent to Murder/Murderous 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 to train alone.

His return marked the end for Goutetsu - Akuma demonstrated his strength by killing his former master with Shun Goku Satsu. Goutetsu fell with an inner joy, realizing his pupil was attempting to master the nameless art. Akuma removed the beaded necklace from Goutetsu's neck and placed it around his own. Sometime later, Akuma challenged and fought his brother. With Gouken gaining the upper hand, Akuma was eventually struck down. Akuma requested death in defeat, however his brother had no intention of killing him. Akuma, vowing to return, left Gouken. Years later, he returned; they fought again, and this time Gouken was supposedly killed (or so Akuma thought). Ken saw the battle as he was returning from the U.S. Martial Arts tournament. Rushing to the dojo to find it in shambles and his master apparently dead, an enraged Ken ran into the surrounding woods searching for the killer. Akuma easily defeated Ken and disappeared. Gouken's other student Ryu soon learned of his master's apparent death and began to search for Akuma.

Several other renditions of the Street Fighter story talk of Ryu finding Gouken's body (after falling to Akuma), who then travels the world to find Akuma. These renditions also talk of Ryu's potential to harness "Satsui no Hadō", giving him the ability to transform into Evil Ryu (first found in Street Fighter Alpha 2).

Street Fighter Alpha

Akuma began to search the globe looking for worthy fighters to challenge. Secluding himself in the shadows, he watched small tournaments and street fights, desperately seeking someone who might be able to match his strength. He was eventually challenged by a man named Gen. Gen fought a vicious battle. He had even survived the Shun Goku Satsu by emptying his soul in time. Akuma began to wonder if this man was the worthy opponent he was searching for. However, he began to sense not all was as it seemed and when Gen's mouth began to bleed Akuma's suspicions were confirmed, his opponent was sick, and the fight was not fair. After being knocked to the ground, Gen told Akuma to kill him. Not wanting to carry the fight on any longer, Akuma left, infuriating Gen. After the fight, Akuma became obsessed with Ryu and awakened the "Dark Intent".

Ryu eventually found Akuma's island (known as Onigami Isle or the Gokuentou) and challenged him. The intense battle that followed ended in a draw; Akuma was impressed as this was the closest he had come to a defeat yet. Telling Ryu to find him again when he had embraced the Satsui no Hadō, Akuma struck his island with a powerful blow and disappeared. The island fell apart around Ryu, who was left in the ocean to contemplate Akuma's words. Leaving his destroyed abode, Akuma thought about all the fighters he had encountered and wondered with excitement if one day he would fight someone strong enough to kill him in battle. This thought drove him on, finding a desolate cavern (also known as Kiga Cave) he began to train and await the day he would fight Ryu again.

Two years later, Akuma began to search once more for worthy fighters whilst awaiting Ryu to embrace the Satsui no Hadō. He could have possibly fought Adon (as Adon had been searching for Akuma). He encountered Gen once more and fought a final battle (the results of which are still unclear, though Gen's appearance in the home versions of Street Fighter IV seems to suggest he survived the fight somehow). However, unknown to Akuma, Ryu had rejected the Satsui no Hadō, declaring that a true warrior does not rely on violent intents.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo

Akuma did not officially enter the second World Warrior tournament, although he did perform the Shun Goku Satsu on Bison. How Bison survived is unknown, though Akuma stated that Bison was pathetic for letting dark energy control him rather than him controlling such power.

Street Fighter IV

Akuma can be unlocked as a playable character in Street Fighter IV by meeting certian requirements. During the events of Seth's World Warrior 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. Like the other World Warrior 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, noticing that his brother has perfected the Mu no Ken (Power of Nothingness), is excited. The two brothers then proceed to fight; Ryu, being the prize.

His alternate costume is a rope around his waist which symbolizes what gods wore to restrict their power in Japanese mythology. His brother, Gouken, has this same costume.

Street Fighter III

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 timespan, 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 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 (mentioned above), although this is mainly conjecture as he is not shown using this move until the 3rd World Warrior tournament.

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

Akuma continued to develop his now-incredible fighting skill, and even fought with Oro in a simple, inconclusive battle, each other sensing the other's massive chi and testing their powers. Though mutually impressed by each other's 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.

Moral Code

Akuma fights only to test his strength and his opponent's. 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 as strong as he, which is why he stopped his fight with Gen after realizing that he was ill. 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 picking fights.

Capcom USA initially claimed Akuma was possessed by a demon, but this was a fabrication of Capcom USA, and is not considered canon. 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 (although it should be noted that the Japanese version of his English name uses the phonetic katakana syllabary which does not necessarily hold the same intrinsic meaning as the kanji version).

Gameplay

Akuma has the same moves as Ryu and Ken, only much faster and more damaging. Akuma can perform the Hadōken (Gō Hadōken--Strong Surge Fist), including one performed mid-air (Zankū Hadōken--Air-Cutting Surge Fist). His Tatsumaki Zankūkyaku (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, 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 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 an overpowered character.

Akuma has other notable special moves that Ryu and Ken normally lack. The Ashura Senkuu is a teleport move with very short startup and recovery which allows him to escape the corner almost at will. The Tenma Kuujinkyaku is a downwards-angled kick that he can use at the peak of his jumps; it's very fast, hard to punish and allows for combos afterward. The Hyakki Shuu 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 (Destructive Strong Surge Fist，滅殺豪波動), which is simply a high-powered Shinkū Hadōken, a Tenma Gō Zankū(Airborne Demonic Strong Slash，天魔豪斬空), a mid-air version of the Shinkū Hadōken, the Messatsu Gō Shōryū (Destructive Strong Rising Dragon Fist，滅殺豪昇龍), which similar to Ken's Shōryū Reppa without the scorching effect, and the Messatsu Gō Rasen(Destructive 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(Unbreakable Earth-creaking slash，金剛国裂斬) where Akuma pounds the ground producing waves of energy. In Capcom vs. SNK 2 and SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom he has the Misogi, 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 i.e. 'instant hell murderer' or 'Raging Demon', 瞬獄殺, traditionally one of the strongest super moves in any game Akuma appears in.

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 that wasn'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. However, the 2009 EVO championships have Akuma banned in HD Remix while he is not banned in Street Fighter III or IV.

Other Appearances

• Akuma appears in the Capcom fighting game, X-Men: Children of the Atom as well as Marvel Super Heroes as a secret character. An original variation called Cyber Akuma (Mecha Gouki) appears in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter as the game's final boss. In Cyber Akuma is a more powerful Akuma, possess 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.

• Akuma also makes a semi-appearance in Cyberbots as Zerogouki.

• Additionally, Akuma can be created in Armageddon's Kreate-A-Fighter mode, with his hairstyle listed as Devil.

• Akuma appears in the arcade version of the Street Fighter: The Movie as an unplayable opponent.

• 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.

Gallery

Akuma in Super Street Fighter II Turbo

Akuma in the console version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo

Illustration of Street Fighter Alpha

Akuma in Street Fighter Alpha 2

Akuma in Street Fighter Alpha 3

Bust artwork from Street Fighter Alpha 3

Akuma on the cover of Street Fighter Alpha Anthology

Akuma portrait in Street Fighter III 3rd Strike

Akuma in Street Fighter III 3rd Strike

Akuma in Street Fighter EX

Akuma in Marvel vs. Capcom 2

Akuma UDON Art

Even More UDON Art

Akuma in Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo

Akuma in Street Fighter Alpha

Rough Akuma in Street Fighter IV

Akuma in Street Fighter IV

Sprites