The Sky High Claw (スカイハイクロー Sukai Hai Kuroo?) is one of Vega's special moves, introduced in Super Street Fighter II.
| All appearances |   +
|
|---|
Description[]
Executed by charging downward and then moving upward and pressing punch, Vega will leap towards the edge of the screen and kick-jump off of it, gliding horizontally towards his opponent with his claw outstretched; he bounces off the opponent upon striking.
The gliding height is determined by the punch button pressed: the lighter the punch version, the highest from the ground Vega will glide. The player's position also determines how high Vega will fly: if he is next to the wall, he won't be able to fly high.
The EX Special version introduced in the Street Fighter IV series has Vega fly much faster both towards the wall and the opponent; he flies in a spiraling trajectory and slashes through them (akin to M. Bison's Psycho Crusher). The move hits twice, knocks the foe down, and is also immune to projectiles.
In the Ver. 2012 update of Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, all versions of Sky High Claw knock the opponent down on contact.
In the fifth season of Street Fighter V, Vega regains this special move. While the inputs of Sky High Claw are the same, the wall that Vega jumps to is determined by the directional input. Pressing Up and Left has Vega leaping toward the left side of the screen, while pressing Up and Right has him jumping toward the right side of the screen.
Tactics[]
The attack is somewhat predictable, but its long startup resembles that of the Flying Barcelona Attack up until Vega kicks off the edge of the screen, so it can be useful to confuse opponents.
The move is relatively safe when blocked, and as of the Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition Ver. 2012 patch, the EX version will always hit crouching opponents (unless they are in the corner of the stage) while the standard versions may miss them completely.
Caution must be used when performing the Sky High Claw, as Vega is left vulnerable when the move misses.
In Street Fighter V, this move gives Vega a tool against zoning characters. While it does require a good read, Sky High Claw can go through fireballs and punish his opponent as they are recovering. This move can be performed with or without the claw. In return, using Sky High Claw with the claw inflicts slightly more damage. However, this attack is very unsafe on block. With the exception of the EX version, the regular Sky High Claw does not hit crouching opponents.
Sprites[]
Gallery[]
