Psycho Upper (サイコアッパー Saikoappā?) is one of Ed's special attacks in Street Fighter V. In Street Fighter 6, this move is renamed to Psycho Uppercut.
| Street Fighter V | 
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| Street Fighter 6 (Classic) |
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| Street Fighter 6 (Modern) |
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Description[]
- "Unleash a powerful uppercut cloaked in Psycho Power. Useful for countering an opponent's jumping attacks, or as a way to close out combos."
- —Street Fighter 6
Executed by pressing two punch buttons simultaneously, Ed steps forward and performs a powerful uppercut using his opposite fist that's infused with Psycho Power, leaving a brief trail of negative energy.
In Street Fighter 6, the input would be changed to a Shoryuken motion and pressing punch with Classic controls, or forward and the Special button with Modern. The 
version does Psycho Upper with his front hand. The 
& 
versions have Ed use his rear hand to deliver the uppercut with the latter having him move slightly further than the former. The OD version has Ed perform an uppercut with his rear hand before dropping his opponent back down with a downward punch using his front hand.
Tactics[]
Ed attacking Falke with his Psycho Upper.
Psycho Upper is primarily used to end combos. While this move inflicts the same amount of damage as Psycho Knuckle, it has a faster startup. This attack can be cancelled from a few of Ed's normals, such as Crouching Medium Kick or Crouching Heavy Punch. If Psycho Upper hits, Ed can continue offensive pressure. He can follow-up with Psycho Knuckle on a quick-rising opponent. Another option is to dash forward and keep his opponent on their heels by mixing up throw and pressuring normals.
The EX version is performed by pressing all three punch buttons. It hits twice his opponent twice and inflicts more damage. With its widened hitbox, EX Psycho Upper is a solid choice to end juggle combos. It is fully invincible on startup, making it Ed's primary wake-up reversal option. In return, EX Psycho Upper leaves Ed vulnerable in a counter hit state during recovery.
Despite its damage output, it has a relatively short range. Like most of Ed's special attacks, this one is very unsafe. Psycho Upper is -16 on block, which gives his opponent an opportunity to punish Ed with a heavy damaging combo. This move can also be used as an anti-air option. However, with its 16-frame startup, it can be difficult to stuff his opponent's jump-in attempts with Psycho Upper due to the move's unreliability. The EX version is the safer choice, thanks to its invincible startup frames.
In Street Fighter 6, Psycho Uppercut is Ed's dedicated anti-air, with invincibility against air attacks for all versions. The Light version is a quick stationary uppercut that has the fastest startup, while its damage output and range is limited. Ed can link Light Psycho Uppercut from his Kill Switch Break follow-up from his command dash. The Medium and Heavy versions step forward before the hit. These versions are more consistent against longer range jumps.
Unlike most anti-airs, Ed can juggle the opponent if they are hit high enough, such as with a Psycho Blitz or a second Psycho Uppercut. When paired with his Level 2 Super Art, Ed can use Psycho Uppercut multiple times while juggling the opponent on the slow-moving projectile for optimal damage and corner carry. While each version can be cancelled into his Level 3 Super Art, the attack launches the opponent so high that the hitbox of Psycho Chamber may whiff.
Trivia[]
- Ed's Psycho Upper Special Attack is very reminiscent of Batsu Ichimonji's Guts Upper special attack from the Rival Schools series.
- M. Bison's Crouching Heavy Punch is also referred to as Psycho Upper according to the official Japanese frame data for Street Fighter V, likely meaning that Ed is using the same technique as him.
Gallery[]
