- "I am the Master of the Fist. Feel how weak you are with your body!
(我は、拳を極めし者。うぬらの無力さ、その体で知れい! Ware wa, ken o kiwameshimono. Unura no muryoku-sa, sono karada de shirei!?)" - —Shin Akuma (Super Street Fighter II Turbo)
Shin Akuma, known in Japan as Shin Gouki (真・豪鬼 Shin Gōki?, "True Great Demon", "True Great Devil" or "True Great Ogre"), is a character from the Street Fighter series, first appearing in Street Fighter Alpha 2 as a hidden boss. This is the form Akuma takes when he becomes almost one with the Satsui no Hado, albeit not so completely that he loses his humanity in doing so, becoming more powerful than he normally is.
Biography[]
Appearance[]
In his debut in Street Fighter Alpha 2, he was simply a palette swap of his normal self, having red hair and a violet gi instead of black. Later incarnations have him wearing a dark purple gi and eventually white hair, as well as a slightly darker shade of skin.
In Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact, Shin Akuma retains his original incarnation's regular dark skin, but his gi turns a dark gray and he gains yellow eyes and light gray hair. This design later reappeared in Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.
In Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, Shin Akuma uses his 'Nostalgia' costume as a basis rather than the default one, once again he has his white hair, but the purple aura he usually uses has been changed to red, his gloves have also become red his skin is also a redder tone, and his Gi now has dark greenish tint, this is a reference to an alternate costume for regular Akuma in the Street Fighter Alpha series.
In Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers, he has orange hair and a dark cyan gi while retaining his original incarnation's regular dark skin but with a purple glow. This is a reference to one of his early alternate costumes in Street Fighter Alpha 2 and 3.
In Tekken 7, Shin Akuma's appearance remains the same as his original form with the exception of his Satsui no Hado aura that surrounds him becoming evident.
Personality[]
Shin Akuma's personality remains more or less the same as his normal self. Essentially, he is simply Akuma using the fullest extent of his power. However, he becomes more competitive in battle and less merciful when he is fighting a strong warrior. As Akuma usually holds back to give lesser fighters a chance against him, he will only fight as Shin Akuma when he has found an equal to duel with.
Gameplay[]
The two versions operate very similarly, but Shin Akuma, being a power up transformation, is faster, deals more damage and can throw two Zanku Hadokens at once. His special moves also tend to have more priority, negligible startup and recovery compared to the playable version. Also, his Shun Goku Satsu is much faster and travels farther (making it harder to evade), and in some instances, inflicts more damage (e.g. Capcom vs. SNK 2 and Tekken 7). In some games, Shin Akuma also has extremely powerful specials as well (e.g. Misogi).
Shin Akuma's overall style revolves around completely overwhelming the opponent. He already adds more on top that he can already do as his normal state, and with practically no recovery between his attacks, he can string together more devastating cross-up attacks and combos that he can't do as his regular self. His biggest weakness however is the slowness of the two Zanku Hadokens and the Tenma Gou Zanku Super Combo can easily be dodged, and is very punishable. Despite this, Shin Akuma is not to be taken lightly, since he can easily do severe damage to a careless player or the opponent.
His AI is unique in the sense that it reads the player's command as means of reaction, making him react more appropriately rather than simply do predetermined moves. This forces the player to think and move quite carefully. Recent games has bosses like Shin Akuma read the player's commands as means of reaction, coupled with stronger attacks, speedier moves and sturdier defenses. This is meant to mimic an 'expert' human player at his/her peak, and to provide a challenge to seasoned players who have all but mastered every mechanic or exploit of the game.
History[]
Pre-Street Fighter[]
The first “appearance” of Shin Akuma in chronological order is during Akuma's fight to the death with his master Goutetsu, where he unleashes his full power to gain the upper hand and eventual victory.
Street Fighter Alpha series[]
Shin Akuma first appears in Street Fighter Alpha 2, but only as a hidden boss. He was made into a selectable hidden character in the home console ports of Alpha 2; the cheat code to unlock Shin Akuma forces the player to move their character select cursor in a "Z" pattern in the PlayStation version (ironically like the screen transitions), and an "X" pattern in the Saturn version. If he is fought in Arcade Mode, the player has only a single chance to defeat Shin Akuma, and if the player loses the match, he will not be fought again, instead the last battle of the current player character will be fought, and will have to restart the game if the player seeks a rematch. Although long thought to be not so, he is actually controllable in the Super NES version, and the process of unlocking him involves a series of steps: the player must first beat Arcade Mode and set a high score, then enter the initials KAJ. Afterwards, Versus Mode must be selected with Player 2 holding all three Punch buttons at the same time (L, X and Y). Shin Akuma then can be selected by either player by holding Start while selecting Akuma.[3] Unlike the CPU-controlled Shin Akuma, the player does not have the double damage ability.
Shin Akuma reappears in the console versions of Street Fighter Alpha 3, where his name is properly displayed on-screen.
Story-wise, Shin Akuma is merely Akuma using the full extent of his power and is almost one with the Satsui no Hado, compared to the "normal" version, where he voluntarily holds back his true power to avoid ending fights prematurely to have a more enjoyable battle. He is also one of the most powerful characters in the Street Fighter series. Shin Akuma is Evil Ryu's Final Boss in Street Fighter Alpha 3.
Gameplay-wise, Shin Akuma has all the above mentioned benefits. Additionally, he can release two Zanku Hadokens, one at impacting at half screen and the other travelling the full length, covering the entire screen, compared to the much lesser range of his "normal" counterpart. Shin Akuma's stage in Alpha 3 is a blue recoloration of Akuma's regular stage.
Street Fighter II series[]
In the original version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Shin Akuma does not actually appear in-game, but the CPU-controlled version of Akuma that can be fought as a secret boss is very similar to later incarnations of Shin Akuma, and likely inspired him. He is however, an unlockable playable character in the Dreamcast version, Super Street Fighter II X for Matchmaking Service, which also features an even stronger version of Shin Akuma that has a Super Combo, the Shun Goku Satsu. This version has been unofficially dubbed by fans as Ten Akuma or Ten Gouki, due to the "Ten" Symbol appearing behind him after finishing off the opponent with his Super Combo, a detail taken directly from Street Fighter Alpha 3. This version of Shin Akuma is playable via the dipswitch menu, where one can change the 8th and 9th digits in the 3rd row both to 1. This is also notably the first time a Street fighter II incarnation of Akuma could perform the infamous Shun Goku Satsu during gameplay.
Shin Akuma is also unlockable in the Game Boy Advance version of the game, Super Street Fighter II Turbo Revival, after maxing out the VS Points at 9,999. In the latter, he wears the purple gi as seen in the Alpha series.
Shin Akuma returns as a secret playable character in Ultra Street Fighter II. To select him, one must input the following on the character select screen in either arcade mode or offline VS. mode:
- Select Ryu, cancel on Color 1
- Select Ken, cancel on Color 9
- Select Sagat, cancel on Color 8
- Select M. Bison, cancel on Color 7
- Place the cursor on Random, press L & R at the same time
If the arcade mode of the game is beaten with him, then Shin Akuma's colors can also be customized like any other character in the color edit mode.
Street Fighter III series[]
Shin Akuma makes his only canon appearance in the Street Fighter III series in Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact, as a hidden final boss. If the player manages to get three perfects and does not lose a single round until the last match of an arcade playthrough, Akuma challenges the player. His introduction is similar to the one in Street Fighter II, where he interrupts the last match of the arcade playthrough, performing the Shun Goku Satsu on the player character's final boss (most commonly Gill) and proceeds to challenge the player.
If the player manages to K.O. Akuma in the consecutive rounds of the match, either with a Super Art in both rounds or a single Perfect; he gets up and sends out a massive burst of chi, which shakes the ground and darkens the atmosphere. During this animation Akuma challenges the player with words "Behold the true power of my fist" (我が拳の真の力を見よ。?). Upon this, his hair turns white, his eyes turn yellow, his skin darkens and he challenges the player again, this time as Shin Akuma. It should be noted that if Akuma is defeated with Cheap damage from blocking on any round, he won't transform, regardless of whether or not the player managed to get a Perfect.
He is not playable in the arcade versions by normal means, but in the Dreamcast version (named Street Fighter III: Double Impact) he is a secret playable character. He is the last fighter to be unlocked, as the player is required to first unlock Gill by defeating him using all the characters on the roster in the Arcade Mode, and then clear the mode using Gill while obtaining a high grade. To select him, the player must select Akuma while holding start.
His physical appearance, particularly the white hair, is similar to the Shin Akuma from the Capcom vs. SNK series, but he retains the ten (天) kanji. On a note, the gray gi and white hair palette is actually the alternate (kick) color, which happens to be the default color for Player 2, although it's missing the yellow eyes. Shin Akuma's actual sprite is similar to his Street Fighter Alpha sprite, with purple gi and red hair. His (and regular Akuma's) stage is set in Mt. Fuji, Japan.
Leftovers of a playable version of Shin Akuma can be found in the CPS3-based arcade ports of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, which can be accessed using unconventional methods. However, the character is incomplete and lacks a few animations, and has a few glitches. Additionally, there is also a hidden Shin Akuma stage which consists of Akuma's Kousyu Street stage, but with a red "killing" moon casting a eerie glow instead. Interestingly, this incarnation of Shin Akuma has blue skin and white hair, an image which predates Oni's appearance. His frame data suggests that his modification for usage in 3rd Strike ended early since his data somewhat reflects his data in 2nd Impact.
Other appearances[]
Akuma has been one of the most prolific characters when it comes to crossover appearances. Like the Street Fighter games, Shin Akuma or an even more powerful version of Akuma have been featured in numerous games as hidden or final bosses. On a note; in the crossovers, even the playable version of Akuma borrows some traits from his true self, eg. In X-Men: Children of the Atom, the regular Akuma can input two Zanku Hadokens or in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 his Shun Goku Satsu can pass through projectiles, but in both cases his health is below average like usual. Some of the notable crossovers Akuma has made as a boss character are explained below.
Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001[]
In the Capcom vs. SNK series, a different form of Shin Akuma appears. His appearance is based on his Street Fighter III incarnation. This form of Akuma achieves a new level of power when a dying Rugal Bernstein pours his Orochi Power into him, driving Akuma insane, whitening his hair and turning his skin much darker than usual as a result of all the dark power flowing within him. The shin in his name is now written as an original kanji formed from the characters (神 shin?, "god") and (人 jin?, "person/human") combined vertically and pronounced shin[4], instead of the usual (真 shin?, "true"). This expresses the idea of a person who has become godlike and far beyond an ordinary human. This unique 神人 kanji is seen on his back during certain animations, replacing Akuma's classic (天 ten?, "heaven").
In this form, Shin Akuma has shown some feats of incredible power, among them were destroying a large asteroid with a single attack, and causing the seas to split in two with a single punch.
Akuma in this form possesses new and enhanced moves. Akuma gains the Tenma Shurettou, which can be used as a high or a low counter move depending on the input. His Level 3 Super Combos are the Misogi and the Shun Goku Satsu (which now inflicts twice as many blows), both of which are capable of outright defeating characters with a low stamina rating. Shin Akuma can be unlocked in Capcom vs. SNK 2 by defeating him once at any difficulty. However, the playable version lacks the high priority and damage of the CPU controlled version (similar to Street Fighter Alpha 2), and has the lowest stamina of any character on the roster. Shin Akuma is one of the fastest characters in-game, rivaled only by Ultimate Rugal and Orochi Iori.
In this game, he is the final boss of the Capcom side as Ultimate Rugal is for the SNK side. If he is defeated as a boss, he will be on the verge of death until black entities envelop and take him away so he can continue and get stronger. He has the highest requirements to face him as a final boss; To be able to challenge Shin Akuma, the player must get 1500+ GP, get three super combo finishes, one Dramatic/Finest KO, defeat either M. Bison or Geese with a Super Combo, and not lose a round.
In the ending of the playable version, the following text scrolls:
- "As the sun rises in Osaka City, where is Shin Akuma? There're some who believe in a 'martial arts god' who disappeared into the fire, but will one day return..."
SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos[]
Shin Akuma, in this version, is roughly "True Akuma" as he appears in Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact. He is the final boss of the Capcom side, along with SNK's Serious Mr. Karate. In his ending, he comments on how the principles of heaven could never hope to hold a candle to his power, and states that neither heaven or hell could never be able to control his Satsui no Hado, and proceeds to split the ocean's waves with a single blow. In Zero's story, Ciel isn't able to analyze him, causing the Reploid to realize this maybe Akuma's strongest form.
Capcom Fighting Evolution[]
This form of Akuma also makes a return in Capcom Fighting Evolution. His personality is however depicted as his normal self. In a particularly memorable ending (aforementioned), Akuma jumps into space and obliterates an asteroid threatening to destroy the Earth with a single attack for training. Notably, this is the only appearance of Shin Akuma where he is playable but not his original form.
Tekken 7: Fated Retribution[]
Shin Akuma appears in the special chapter that can be unlocked after completing the game's Story Mode, essentially making him the True Final Boss of the game. This version of the character does not possess his trademark white hair or purple gi, as he looks like his normal self, but retains his swirling aura of energy. Shin Akuma possess enhanced stats, including regenerating health, the ability to fire three Shakunetsu Hadouken in rapid succession, the ability to parry forcing the player to counter attack him only and an upgraded Shun Goku Satsu that instantly kills the opponent if it connects.
In the story mode, Akuma uses this form to combat the full might of Devil Kazuya. The outcome of the battle is left unknown. Outside of the story mode, Shin Akuma can challenge the player at any given time during the single player mode Treasure Battle, possessing all of his above abilities with the exception of the regenerating health.
Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition[]
In Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, Shin Akuma (this time named "True Akuma") can be fought in Arcade Mode in one of the two routes; the Street Fighter II Route, which simulates Shin Akuma's gameplay from Super Street Fighter II Turbo (Raging Demon added, double fireball). He is also in the Street Fighter IV route, where he is basically the same as his normal Street Fighter IV boss counterpart, but can combo a CC into a Shun Goku Satsu, unlike said counterpart. This Akuma will have his V-Trigger permanently activated, so he can perform the Skun Goku Satsu without activating it first. However, to compensate, he is unable to cancel moves with his V-Trigger or perform a V-Reversal.
It costs 1,000 Fight Money to fight him in the Extra Battle mode weekly event "Shin Akuma Strikes!".
TEPPEN[]
Shin Akuma appears as a Skin for Akuma in the game.
Street Fighter 6[]
In Street Fighter 6, Shin Akuma is fought through the Battle Hub in a special event Giant Attack "Take Down the Giant Akuma" Event. A digital copy called SiRN Akuma (referred to as SiN Gouki in Japanese) looks identical to his base model from Street Fighter 6, though his skin has a dark-reddish hue and he radiates a red aura around his body in combat. SiRN Akuma rapidly generates his Super Art Gauge and has additional exclusive combos and special attacks, like the double Zanku Hadoken, and two additional Level 2 Super Arts in the form of Misogi and Kongou Kokuretsuzan. The music that plays during the fight is a remixed version of Akuma's theme, titled "Asura".
The playable version of Akuma can also gain access to this form using his Back Taunt, then performing a Down Taunt after he turns his head. If successful, Akuma will pull out an onigiri and eat it, filling his Super Art Gauge. If he is left uninterrupted, Akuma then gains access to his Shin Akuma Super Arts and Double Zanku Hadoken for the remainder of the round.
Similar forms[]
In addition to Shin Akuma, other similar powered-up version of Akuma have appeared in other games:
Cyber-Akuma[]
In Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, Shin Akuma is replaced by Cyber Akuma (Mech Gouki (メカ豪鬼 Meka Gōki?) in Japan), a version of Akuma mechanically enhanced by Apocalypse; the enhancements include a mechanical right arm (dubbed Booster Rocket), metal wings, and four extra arms that are only seen in one of his win poses. As such, his personality is vastly different from that of Akuma's, being more servile (as reflected in his win quotes). As he can fly, he is also capable of performing the Shun Goku Satsu in the air and inflicts more damage.
Oni[]
A new variant of Akuma is present in Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition. Known only as Oni, he is the form Akuma takes when he has become one with the Satsui no Hado entirely, completely losing any shred of humanity he had remaining. Street Fighter IV series developers have referred to Oni as "Akuma beyond Shin Akuma".[5] This version of Akuma possesses longer white hair and darkened blue skin. The CPU controlled version of Oni serves a role largely similar to Shin Akuma, taking the form of a new secret boss in Arcade Mode, as well as being a playable character in a toned down state.
This form of Akuma is slower but stronger in terms of brute power, compared to the original. However, Oni lacks the technical finesse displayed by the regular Akuma. This demonic transformation allows Akuma to use an air dash, and grants him several new attacks, such as a forward slide which slashes at the opponent as he passes as well as an overhead ground stomp. However he loses the Ashura Senku, Tenmakujinkyaku and the Hyakkishu. Most advantageously of all, Oni can perform the Shun Goku Satsu in the air, as well as a variant of his Meido Gohado Ultra Combo.
In the arcade mode, the boss version of Oni has the highest requirements amongst the four secret bosses, Akuma, Gouken, Evil Ryu and Oni himself, in order to be fought.[6]
Comic Books and Manga[]
UDON Comics[]
Akuma becomes Shin Akuma in the UDON Comics during a battle against Gen in Street Fighter: Akuma vs. Hell, as the soul of Gen tells Akuma that it is not too late to save himself from the darkness of the Satsui no Hado. In order to teach Akuma about the folly and errors of giving himself to destruction and darkness without light, Gen uses his Zetsuei technique to break the dimensional barrier of the Makai Realm, and trap Akuma in the void beyond space and time. After spending an unknown number of time in the void, Akuma achieves a sort of twisted enlightenment and gives his soul completely to the Dark Hado. His red hair becomes white, his body radiates with a red aura with the full unfettered violence of the Satsui no Hado.
Subpages[]
Quotes[]
Gallery[]
Sprites[]
Trivia[]
- Akuma's second alternate costume color 10 in Super Street Fighter IV resembles the Shin Akuma from Capcom vs. SNK 2.
- Shin Akuma's theme in Capcom vs SNK 2 is a remix to his theme in Super Street Fighter II Turbo.
- A form of Shin Akuma similar to Oni's color scheme was possibly planned for Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike before the character being dropped entirely. Dummied content found in the game's files, including an alternate colored sprite similar to Oni's color palette and a Kousyu Street stage background with an ominous eclipse strongly hints at this.
- Akuma's 6th color in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 resembles a mix of Shin Akuma from Capcom vs. SNK 2 and the Street Fighter Alpha series.
- Shin Akuma's theme, "Groan", in Street Fighter Alpha 3 was originally his battle theme versus Gen in the vanilla version, and it was given to him since Evil Ryu was going to be a playable character, and was going to be his final battle. Incidently, a similar situation happens with Evil Ryu's theme, "Black Power", is the same theme from M. Bison's final battle with Ryu.
- In Capcom vs. SNK 2, in the closure of the scene after Ultimate Rugal's defeat, the Shin Akuma who appears after deeming Rugal's mind unworthy of controlling his power, and takes over his body, is seen with Rugal's attire, making this the first time a version of Akuma is seen with clothes that are not his gi. But the overall appearence however, is unchanged with the sleeves that were once part of Rugal's suit blown off.
- Interestingly, in Street Fighter Alpha 2, anytime he wins a match, Shin Akuma's win quote is met with ".........", meaning he remains silent, unlike his regular self as well as his later incarnations throughout the series, saying his opponents were no challenge.
- Shin Akuma's art in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos shows him without the top of his gi, posed similar to Misshaku Kongo, the open-mouth Nio that represents overt power. His counterpart, Serious Mr. Karate, is likewise posed as Naraen Kongo, the closed-mouth Nio that represents latent power, reflecting their personalities.
- Shin Akuma's default color palette changes from game to game. In his first appearance, his color is mostly the same as his normal self, except his gi is a purple color. In some appearance, like his Capcom vs SNK 2 appearance, his hair is white, he has a darker skin tone, while he retains the purple gi from previous appearances. In Street Fighter V, Shin Akuma now wears a black gi, with red skin and white hair. That theme carried over into Street Fighter 6, where he has grey color clothing, white hair and red skin. Even more curious, his appearance in the Street Fighter III games has the most unique colors. In his only official appearance (2nd Impact), he has a dark blue gi, and a brown hair color, and most uniquely yellow eyes. Using cheats, the player can play as Shin Akuma in 3rd Strike, and his colors are mostly the same as the previous version, but his hair is back to the reddish brown color it usually is.
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.capcom.co.jp/sf4/gouki.html
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://streetfighter.wikia.com/wiki/Akuma
- ↑ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/01/after_25_years_a_new_cheat_code_has_been_discovered_for_street_fighter_alpha_2_on_the_snes
- ↑ https://wayback.archive.org/web/20150508000306/http://www.capcom.co.jp/newproducts/consumer/cvss2/characters/realboss.html
- ↑ Eventhubs: Developers discuss Oni
- ↑ http://www.eventhubs.com/news/2011/jan/22/oni-akuma-surfaces-ssf4-ae/
Street Fighter Alpha Characters | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Alpha | Adon · Akuma · Birdie · Charlie · Chun-Li · Dan · Guy Ken · M. Bison · Rose · Ryu · Sagat · Sodom | |||
Alpha 2 | Original | Dhalsim · Evil Ryu · Gen · Rolento · Sakura · Zangief | ||
Console | Shin Akuma | |||
Gold | Cammy | |||
Alpha 3 | Original | Balrog · Blanka · Cody · E. Honda · Juli · Juni · Karin · R. Mika · Vega | ||
Console | Dee Jay · Fei Long · Guile · T. Hawk | |||
Upper | Eagle · Maki · Yun | |||
MAX | Ingrid |
Street Fighter III Characters | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
New Generation | Alex · Dudley · Elena · Ibuki · Ken · Necro · Oro · Ryu · Sean · Yang · Yun | |||
2nd Impact | Akuma · Gill · Hugo · Shin Akuma · Urien | |||
3rd Strike | Chun-Li · Makoto · Q · Remy · Twelve |
Street Fighter II Characters | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
The World Warrior | Blanka · Chun-Li · Dhalsim · E. Honda · Guile · Ken · Ryu · Zangief | |||
Champion Edition | Balrog · M. Bison · Sagat · Vega | |||
Super | Cammy · Dee Jay · Fei Long · T. Hawk | |||
Turbo | Akuma | |||
Ultra | Evil Ryu · Shin Akuma · Violent Ken |
SNK vs. Capcom Characters | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
The Match of the Millennium | Akuma · Chun-Li · Dan · Evil Ryu · Guile Ken · M. Bison · Ryu · Sakura · Zangief | |||
Millennium Fight 2000 | Balrog · Blanka · Cammy · Dhalsim · E. Honda · Sagat · Vega | |||
Mark of the Millennium 2001 | Eagle · Kyosuke · Maki · Rolento · Shin Akuma · Yun | |||
SVC Chaos | Hugo · Violent Ken |
Capcom Fighting Evolution Characters | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Street Fighter II | Guile · M. Bison · Ryu · Zangief | |||
Street Fighter Alpha | Guy · Karin · Rose · Sakura | |||
Street Fighter III | Alex · Chun-Li · Urien · Yun | |||
Bosses | Ingrid · Shin Akuma |