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"Poison's on the menu."
—A.K.I. (Street Fighter 6)

A.K.I. (アキ Aki?, Simplified Chinese: 阿鬼), also known as Phantom ( Ki?) and the Mistress of Poison (毒の女王 Doku no joō?, Simplified Chinese: 毒女主)[2] is a fighting game character from the Street Fighter games, who first appears in Toxicity, a Street Fighter V side story in the Shadaloo Combat Research Institute, and as one of the new characters in Street Fighter 6 & a Year 1 DLC character. She is a student of F.A.N.G and an assassin who mastered the uses of poison and unconventional fighting techniques.

Biography[]

Appearance[]

A.K.I. has pale white skin and wears a stylized, open-backed cheongsam in black and skintight black pants. Both feature red trim and appear to be made of snakeskin. She has uniquely-shaped white hair based on a traditional Japanese straw hat called a "kasa" (related to the word "umbrella" in Japanese),[3] which is seen as an assassin's symbol.[4] She has a beauty mark under her lips. Her eyes are cardinal red, as seen in her teaser trailer. She wears lipstick of the same shade. She sports a pair of slim metal gauntlets with a claw on each finger, which are worn over her long, sharp nails that are coated with poison. It's possible these gauntlets are based off of Chinese nail guards (also known as "zhijiatao/huzhi").[5] Each finger of the gauntlet is made up of multiple sections that can extend outwards, giving her additional reach through the use of poisoned chains. These chains are wrapped around her forearm when not in use.

In one of the scenes during World Tour and like Rose who bathes at the tub, her short hair which is styled in a kasa was pushed down by the water to show her white hair in a shoulder-length style.

In the past, prior to adopting the name A.K.I., she had long black hair braided in two, which turned white as she built a resistance to poison.

Personality[]

A.K.I. initially presents herself as a calm and somewhat gleeful individual, with knowledge of Chinese medicine. However, hidden behind this facade is a sadistic and psychopathic woman - arguably even more so than Juri Han (whose cruelty is a coping mechanism for her trauma). A.K.I. has also mastered the use of poisons, displaying knowledge of their side effects, and seems to enjoy teasing her victims, as seen with the Avatar in World Tour. A.K.I. viewed her fighting technique as a form of "art" and is more than eager to display her "perfect" mastery on others, willingly or not. Though according to F.A.N.G, A.K.I will only resort to killing when necessary or when she is ordered to do so, and that she prefers to use "pain and unbridled fear" to scare others into cooperating or keep them out of her business.

A peculiar aspect of A.K.I's personality is her "snake-like" behavior and mannerisms. A.K.I. can be often seen "slithering" on the ground and around others, both within and outside of the fight. This is further emphasized by her unique "shi-shi-shi-shi" laughter, which is either "嘻嘻嘻嘻" in Chinese (sinister/playful female laughter) or can be interpreted as a mimicry to snakes. She also adopts her master's verbal tic of using 'desu', a sentence particle that is also a homonym for the Japanese pronunciation of the word 'death'.

Although professional during her duties, A.K.I.'s deep adoration for her master often overcomes her composed demeanor. She openly expresses her love and unwavering devotion to F.A.N.G. in a flamboyantly dramatic manner.

Concept[]

A.K.I.'s design is based on her fighting style, a combination of Fanged Snake and Poison Hand kung fu, fusing the two together to give her a white snake motif.

Her apprenticeship under F.A.N.G. is a common dynamic within martial arts and assassin stories, where an old master of assassination decides to take on a young successor to pass on his fighting style and methods.

Character Relationships[]

Friends/Allies[]

F.A.N.G[]

A.K.I.'s mentor, who took her under his tutelage away from a life of poverty after she admired the writing engraved on his dagger. A.K.I. adores her master and devotes herself to his every word, even sparing enemies that she would have easily killed had F.A.N.G. not asked otherwise. A.K.I. uses the term 'xian sheng' when speaking to her master, a neutral Chinese honorific to refer to men, as F.A.N.G. insists that the two do not have a deeper relationship in case they were forced to eliminate one another. However, she also notes that the term can be used to mean 'teacher' and 'husband', the latter of which she intends whenever she says 'xian sheng'. In spite of her infatuation, she is aware that F.A.N.G. could abandon her should she no longer have any use, and questions where her path will go should that happen.

Enemies[]

Rashid[]

The archenemy of her master F.A.N.G, as well as her own archenemy.

Chun-Li[]

TBA

JP[]

TBA

Story[]

Street Fighter V Side Story: Toxicity[]

Phantom

Artwork of F.A.N.G and Phantom side by side.

After the fall of M. Bison and Shadaloo, F.A.N.G. retreats back to the city of Shanghai and regroups his efforts into reviving Shadaloo once more.[6] After a night of carousing with old associates and reestablishing ties to help fund his efforts during the Chinese New Year,[6] he takes notice of a teenage girl attempting to make ends meet through soliciting herself through prostitution.[7]

Taking note rather of her spirit, and held at blackmail by her brother who had recorded him through his smartphone,[7] he offers the two three options: an offer of money, secretly poisoned to ensure the death of either of them and potential destruction of their clientele; an ornate snake handled dagger, which would have him slice off the hand of the one that would grab it; and neither, allowing both to escape with their lives.[8]

NguuhaoDagger

The ancient Nguuhao dagger and poison-soaked money offered to Phantom and her brother.

The sister instead takes note of the inscribed words on the dagger's blade and its beauty, desiring to know more about its origins, feeling that they hold some type of power. F.A.N.G says that she is right and offers to reveal their meaning if she comes with him. Without knowing it, she picked the most valuable thing F.A.N.G had offered, as the characters in the dagger were infact the Nguuhao's most coveted possession beholding the secrets to their most powerful poison techniques, passed down through the generations in the organization. The girl accepts F.A.N.G's offer and he takes the girl, who he names "Phantom", under his wing and trains her as a successor.[8]

Phantom would eventually become known as A.K.I., a snake-like assassin devoted to her master F.A.N.G.

Street Fighter 6[]

A poison-wielding apprentice of F.A.N.G, the former Shadaloo officer. Enchanted by the power of toxins, nothing brings her more joy than testing them on a new target—other than attention from her “master,” that is.

Arcade Mode[]

A.K.I.: TBA[]

World Tour[]

Blossoming Poison. Tantalizing Talons. Viper. (開花する毒、食欲をそそる爪、バイパー Kaika suru doku, shokuyoku o sosoru tsume, baipā?, Simplified Chinese: 绽放毒药、诱人利爪、毒蛇)

"No matter how much one trains, they all fall victim to mere milligrams of my handiwork. Such futile efforts, heeheehee...."
—A.K.I.'s advice after completing training & achieving Mastery

A.K.I. first meets the Avatar when a thief stole a bag from her, thinking it was money. But in reality was poison he stole, when the Avatar tried to stop the thief. A.K.I. thought of killing him, but the Avatar rejects the idea just to let him live. A.K.I. then revives the thief, letting him go. A.K.I. helps give the Avatar the herbs he needs for a customer he's helping and in return becomes their master in her style of fighting, while getting to know her past and her connection to F.A.N.G.

Background[]

Gameplay[]

A.K.I's gameplay centers around long-ranged nail swipes and poison attacks combined with tricky movement. Similar to Gill's Retribution mechanic, certain poison attacks like Serpent Lash activate Toxic Blossom if they hit a poisoned opponent, causing an explosion that ends the poison effect and opens new combo opportunities.

Fighting style[]

A.K.I's fighting style consists of a mix of Chinese Kenpo & Shequan (Snake Kung Fu), along with her mentor F.A.N.G's poison-focused mechanics.

Moveset[]

Similarly to her master F.A.N.G, A.K.I's playstyle revolves around a unique poison mechanic: upon successfully hitting an enemy with certain moves, a poison status effect is applied, which slowly drains the opponent's health until its duration runs out, or if A.K.I takes damage. The poison effect naturally expires after 7 seconds and deals 1 damage per frame (60 damage per second) for a total of 420 damage, and cannot KO an opponent, meaning A.K.I has to deal the final blow. Blocking her poison attacks will safely prevent poisoning, even in burnout.

What separates her style from her master is Toxic Blossom, a poisonous explosion around the target which can be triggered against poisoned opponents by certain special moves or target combos: this ends the poison status prematurely, but forces different juggle states that opens up a wide variety of combo routes. Toxic Blossom encourages aggressive gameplay unlike her master; if done optimally, A.K.I can apply poison, initiate a combo that triggers Toxic Blossom, and continue with a long string by poisoning the opponent again.

A.K.I's moveset borrows many abilities from F.A.N.G, sharing some attacks with him while borrowing his slippery movements, though with long-ranged options and a more aggressive focus. Serpent Lash uses her gauntlets for extremely long-ranged but slow poison pokes that can pull opponents closer or extend combos. Her projectile, Nightshade Pulse, takes the form of a slow poison bubble that allows A.K.I to approach alongside it, with the Overdrive version being useful for projectile wars due to its multiple hits. Sinister Slide is a snake-like slide that acts similar to Senpukuga, though granting her a command grab and multiple attacks out of it. Snake Step is a command dash to escape pressure similar to Nikankyaku. Orchid Spring places a pool of poison on the floor similar to Ryobenda, without a poison bomb portion and mainly to assume stage control. With all this considered, mastery of A.K.I therefore requires the player to juggle keeping the opponent poisoned to force approaches, triggering Toxic Blossom's effect for long combos, and using her burst movement options to grant her space and time for her opponent to make mistakes.

A.K.I's Level 1 Super is Deadly Implication, a spinning kick and variant of the Shishiruirui that, on hit, traps the opponent in a poison bubble before it detonates, poisoning them. It deals low damage if the poison doesn't run its course, but grants brief invulnerability and is useful for anti-airs or getting out of pressure. Her Level 2 Super is Tainted Talons, a wild mass of talon strikes that can be aimed and leaves a large long-lasting poison pool where it hits. It is useful for finishing combos, punishing at long-range, and stage control due to its poison pool, but doesn't offer any invincibility. Her Level 3 is Claws of Ya Zi, a powerful finisher which sees A.K.I slithering around the opponent, tapping pressure points on their body, before triggering an explosion by tapping their head; the Critical Art version instead has her wrap her opponent in her poison talons before triggering said explosion.

Comic[]

Street Fighter Evolution Special[]

A.K.I silently observed Rashid in the bustling streets of Cairo, Egypt. Recognizing him as a formidable enemy to her master, F.A.N.G, she readied herself for an order that could ultimately lead to Rashid's elimination.

Rashid seemed to perform poorly against Dan Hibiki, which was in fact for the purpose of attracting more viewers to his video stream. A.K.I, however, was unable to resist the temptation and decided to challenge Rashid alone on the rooftop. After some exchange, she conjured a poison bubble and launched it towards Rashid, reminding him of F.A.N.G's technique. However, Rashid summoned a powerful tornado, deftly deviating the deadly bubble. In a split second, Rashid retaliated, landing his Eagle Spike move on A.K.I. The force of the attack shattered her stand, causing her to stumble perilously close to the edge of the rooftop. Just as she teetered on the brink of demise, Rashid swiftly reached out and caught hold of her wrist, preventing her fall. With a gentle yet confident grip, Rashid pulled her back. Rashid acknowledged A.K.I's impressive abilities while also dismissing the use of poison.

Though the opportunity presented itself for A.K.I to take advantage of their hand contact and poison Rashid, her dignity prevailed. Donning her cloak once again, A.K.I stealthily faded into the shadows, reserving the battle for anther day.

Subpages[]

Quotes[]

A.K.I./Quotes

Gallery[]

A.K.I./Gallery

Sprites[]

Trivia[]

  • A.K.I. is the series' second playable female fighter from China, following Chun-Li.
  • A.K.I.'s name is written as 阿鬼, with the 阿 being a prefix attached to names to reflect familiarity, and 鬼 being the kanji for 'phantom'.
  • A.K.I's perfect KO animation resembles the bird-like arm flapping that F.A.N.G is known to perform.
  • While F.A.N.G's animations and fighting style is stylized after a comical bird with a focus on poison clouds, majority of A.K.I's animations closely resemble a snake, while her projectiles and victory animations involve poison bubbles.
  • A.K.I's normal Level 3 Super briefly shows a bagua behind the opponent after she touches their pressure points; the bagua (or Eight Trigrams) are a set of eight symbols used in Daoist/Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality. In Traditional Chinese medicine, the bagua is typically used to find imbalance in health or emotion, while acupuncture is also commonly applied to "cure" said imbalances, fitting with the Super causing enough imbalance in the victim's body for them to seemingly explode.
  • A.K.I. is the first and currently only character to have a different sound effect when landing a successful Drive Impact, having a slashing sound rather than the default impact effect.
  • A.K.I is one of the few characters in Street Fighter 6 that has a damaging taunt (her back taunt), which has her blow a bubble behind her in the shape of F.A.N.G's head; touching the bubble causes damage and will make A.K.I angry. The other character is Chun-Li with her neutral taunt.
    • She is also one of the few characters that can affect her gauges with a taunt (her neutral taunt), which gives her a bar of super gauge after she tastes a drop of poison. The other character is Blanka, who can regain a stock of Blanka-chan Bombs should he finish his back taunt.
  • A.K.I calls Chun-Li "大姐 (Dàjiě)" when they confronted. While Dàjiě literally means "big sister" in Chinese, here it is simply used as a respectful way of calling a woman seemingly older than you.
  • It’s possible A.K.I. has a nail biting habit, as one of her animations in World Tour show her biting the tip of her finger gauntlets, her low-health victory animation having her rest a finger near her chin, and her lose animation in Arcade Mode being her biting her nail.
  • A.K.I.'s relationship with F.A.N.G. is similar to that of Ed and Balrog's, being a disciple of a Shadaloo King that previously appeared as a non-playable supporting character.
  • The way A.K.I utilizes her poison nails is nearly similar to Elder Toguro from the manga/anime series YuYu Hakusho.
  • She shares with another psychopathic Street Fighter universe villain, Kurow Kirishima (the main antagonist of Project Justice), who also wore red and black colors as their main outfits with the exception of their hair and eye color (A.K.I's hair is pale white and cardinal red while Kurow is platinum blond and black). Both are also known to use claws from their nails within their fighting styles (Kurow used this in his ninjutsu while A.K.I used this in her Chinese Kenpo and Shequan).

Videos[]

Stage Themes[]

References[]

Street Fighter series Playable Characters
Main Series
SF Logo Ken · Ryu
Street-fighter-ii-logo The World Warrior Blanka · Chun-Li · Dhalsim · E. Honda · Guile · Zangief
Champion Edition Balrog · M. Bison · Sagat · Vega
Super Cammy · Dee Jay · Fei Long · T. Hawk
Super Turbo Akuma · Ten Akuma
Ultra Violent Ken
SFAlogo Alpha Adon · Birdie · Charlie Nash · Dan · Guy · Rose · Sodom
Alpha 2 Evil Ryu · Gen · Rolento · Sakura · Shin Akuma
Alpha 3 Cody · Juli · Juni · Karin · R. Mika
Alpha 3 Upper Eagle · Maki
Alpha 3 MAX Ingrid
Street fighter iii logo New Generation Alex · Dudley · Elena · Ibuki
Necro · Oro · Sean · Yang · Yun
2nd Impact Gill · Hugo · Urien
3rd Strike Makoto · Q · Remy · Twelve
Street fighter iv logo IV Abel · C. Viper · El Fuerte · Gouken · Rufus · Seth
Super Hakan · Juri
Arcade Edition Oni
Ultra Decapre · Poison
SFV-Logo-R-3 V F.A.N.G · Laura · Necalli · Rashid
Season 2 Abigail · Ed · Kolin · Menat · Zeku
Season 3 Falke · G
Season 4 Kage · Lucia
Season 5 Akira · Eleven · Luke
Street fighter 6 logo 6 Jamie · JP · Kimberly · Lily · Manon · Marisa
Year 1 A.K.I.
Spin-offs
Street Fighter The Movie Logo Arkane · Blade · F7 · Khyber · Sawada
Street-fighter-ii--the-animated-movie Cyborg
Sfexlogo EX Allen · Blair · C. Jack · Darun · D. Dark
Hokuto · Kairi · Pullum · Skullomania
EX Plus Bloody Hokuto · Cycloid-β · Cycloid-γ · Garuda
EX2 Hayate · Nanase · Shadowgeist · Sharon
EX2 Plus Area · V. Rosso
EX3 Ace · Bison II
Marvel vs. Capcom Logo MSHvSF Cyber-Akuma · Dark Sakura · Mech-Zangief · Shadow
MvC Shadow Lady
SFO Shin
Street Fighter 6 Characters
Original Blanka · Cammy · Chun-Li · Dee Jay · Dhalsim · E. Honda · Guile · Jamie · JP · Juri · Ken · Kimberly · Lily · Luke · Manon · Marisa · Ryu · Zangief
Year 1 A.K.I. · Akuma · Ed · Rashid
CPU Only Albert Jackson · Andore Family · Antler Inoki · Axl · Azam · Bosch · Bred · Carlos Miyamoto · Carol · Chandi · Damnd · Eliza · Eternity · F.A.N.G · Fair Libra · G. Oriber · Gerald Golby · J · Kalima · Keiko Asano · Kenichi Kakutani · Li-Fen · Max · Mel · Retsu · Rewancha · Roxy · Rudra · Sheng Long · Somsak · Yua
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