Axel Stone

<tabber>
|-|Streets of Rage 1 - 3=
|-|Streets of Rage 4=
</tabber>
==Summary==
Axel Stone is one of the main protagonists in Sega's beat 'em up series Streets of Rage (also known as Bare Knuckle in Japan).
A police officer before the events of the first game, he quits the force as the gangster Mr. X's corruption spreads across Wood Oak City, choosing to fight his Syndicate on his own terms when the police reveals itself to be far too corrupt to interfere, with the help of fellow ex-cops Blaze Fielding and Adam Hunter.
In Streets of Rage 2, one year later, Axel, who has left the police to run a martial arts dojo, discovers that Adam has been kidnapped by a returning Mr. X, and finds himself forced to fight against the Syndicate once again, with the help of Blaze, as well as his friend pro wrestler Max Thunder and Adam's kid brother Skate. 
In Streets of Rage 3, following a terrorist attack by an insane Mr. X who now seeks to plunge Earth into a world war, Axel, now reinstated as a police officer, sides with Blaze, Skate and Syndicate abdicate Dr. Zan to defeat him once and for all, the stakes higher than ever. 
After the final death of Mr. X, Axel left Wood Oak City, deciding to live a simple life in isolation and spend his days training and studying in the search of true strength beyond his fists. However, he immediately returns to the city when Blaze calls for his help to take down the new Syndicate founded by Mr. X's children, Mr. and Ms. Y, joining forces with her, Adam's daughter Cherry Hunter and Gilbert Zan's apprentice, Floyd Iraia in Streets of Rage 4.
==Powers and Stats==
Tier: | At least | At least , possibly | 
Key: Streets of Rage | Streets of Rage 2 | Streets of Rage 3 | Streets of Rage 4
Name: Axel Stone
Origin: Streets of Rage
Gender: Male
Age: 22 in SoR1, 23 in SoR2 (Takes place one year after the first game), Unknown in SoR3, at least 33 in SoR4 (Takes place a decade after the third game)
Classification: Human, Ex-Cop, Vigilante
Powers and Abilities: 
<tabber>
|-|Axel Stone=
|-|With Equipment=
</tabber> 
Attack Potency: Wall level+ (Capable of fighting and defeating bosses who can survive blasts from the police's rocket launchers. Can destroy telephone booths,Streets of Rage 1 (1992) - Stage 1 large metal barrels,Streets of Rage 1 (1992) - Stage 2 small barricades,Streets of Rage 1 (1992) - Stage 3 metal chimneys, large crates,Streets of Rage 1 (1992) - Stage 4 metal serving tablesStreets of Rage 1 (1992) - Stage 7 and large doors) | At least Wall level+ (Likely stronger than before and can inflict much more damage with his new special moves. Can destroy post boxes,Streets of Rage 2 (1993) - Stage 1 tables, chairs, trash cans, including large, metallic ones, thin metal walls,Streets of Rage 2 (1993) - Stage 2 metal boxes, arcade machinesStreets of Rage 2 (1993) - Stage 3 and huge potsStreets of Rage 2 (1993) - Stage 8) | At least Wall level+ (Stronger than before. Can destroy gold statues with a single punch,Streets of Rage 3 (1994) - Stage 5 as well as concrete walls, though with multiple hits, stone statues and large doors), possibly Small Building level (Possibly destroyed a large metal wall in a rush to find and defuse Rakushin Bombs, though this is unclearStreets of Rage 3 (1994) - Stage 1) | Building level (Comparable to his durability, as he is capable of harming those who can physically harm him)
Speed: Subsonic (Can dodge Mr. X's tommy gun fire) | Subsonic | Subsonic (Can move at speeds comparable to bullets as well as dodge themStreets of Rage 3 (1994) - Stage 6) | Subsonic+ (Comparable to Cherry, who can fight at speeds somewhat comparable to her own sonic attacks)
Lifting Strength: Class K (Can throw weapons or enemies with this much force) | Class K | Class M (Can throw weapons or enemies with this much force) | Class M
Striking Strength: Wall level+ | At least Wall level+ | At least Wall level+, possibly Small Building level | Building level
Durability: Wall level+ | At least Wall level+ | At least Wall level+, possibly Small Building level | Building level (Withstood a blast from Mr. Y's rocket launcher, and can do so again multiple times while fighting himStreets of Rage 4 (2020) - Stage 11)
Stamina: Likely Superhuman (Axel can wage wars against entire crime syndicates, fighting through hundreds of their troops without rest, while potentially suffering injuries from knives, guns and various blunt weapons as well as still fighting though hordes of enemies after being hurt by large explosions, plane crashes or while being exposed to poison gas or dangerous chemicals) 
Range: Standard Melee Range, Extended Melee Range with weaponry and fire manipulation, Several Meters with Ultimate Dragon Wing, Tens of Meters with thrown weaponry.
Standard Equipment: None notable beyond his gloves.
*Optional Equipment:
<tabber>
|-|Weapons=
Many weapons found during the course of Axel's adventures. Note that all weapons from older games are available in future installments with the exception of the pepper shaker.
* Streets of Rage Weapons
**Beer Bottle, Lead Pipe, Knife, Baseball Bat, Pepper Shaker (Can be tossed at people's faces to stun them)
*Streets of Rage 2 Weapons
**Kunai, Katana, Grenade
* Streets of Rage 3 Weapons
**Wooden Plank
*Streets of Rage 4 Weapons
**Taser, Tonfa, Pool Cue, 8-Ball, Toxic Bottle (Releases a large puddle of green goo that rapidly damages anyone standing within it), Fire Bottles (A bottle filled with incendiary chemicals that sets anything it hits on fire), Lightning Bottle (A bottle filled with chemicals that stun and zap anything they hit), Motor Bike, Boomerang, Sai, No Entry Sign, Cleaver, Naginata, Golden Chicken (A piece of modern art. Inflicts great damage but breaks after hitting anything), Broom, Nail Bat, Hammer, Mace, Brick, Morning Star Mace, Shuriken
*Mr. X Nightmare Weapons
**Golf Club, Electric Eel (Deals electric damage), Energy Saber (An energy blade, comes back when thrown), Umbrella, Pugil Stick, Hockey Stick, Trident, Durian, Black Sword (An incredibly oversized sword), Fire Sword, Poison Sword, Thunder Sword, Bowling Ball, Pufferfish (Poisons enemies), Chilli Pepper, Tuna, Swordfish, Combat Knife, Axe, Chinese Sword, Stun Grenade (Stuns enemies caught within its blast for roughly three seconds), Landmine, Golden Knife (Incredibly powerful version of the knife), Golden Pipe (Incredibly powerful version of the metal pipe), Golden Boomerang (Incredibly powerful version of the boomerang), Golden Naginata (Incredibly powerful version of the naginata)
|-|Perks=
Perks gathered in the Mr. X Nightmare mode.
*Air Master: Adds one double jump, with one more being added upon more of the perk being obtained.
*A little closer to the stars: Increases score earned by 40% (increasing with multiple instances of the perk).
*Electric/Fire/Toxic Blitz/Heavy Attacks/Special/Weapon: Applies a certain elemental bonus to a certain type of attack.
*Golden Halberd/Knife/Pipe/Naginata/Boomerang: Spawns an incredibly powerful and durable variation of a weapon.
*Elemental Star Move: All other elemental bonuses are applied to star moves, but its power is reduced by 50%
*Hey Buddy: Spawns a random ally at the beginning of every level. Strength of ally increases with multiple pickups of the perk.
*Sharpen Tool: Increases weapon durability by 20% (increasing with multiple instances of the perk).
*Blood Thirst: Hitting enemies heals by 8% of the damage (increasing with multiple instances of the perk), but healing items no longer work.
*Damage Up: Damage inflicted 10% (increasing with multiple instances of the perk).
*Speed Up: Walk speed up +15% (increasing with multiple instances of the perk).
*Defense Up: Damage taken -10% (increasing with multiple instances of the perk).
*The Heat of the Battle: Decreases damage by 90%, gain bonus damage as long as the combo counter is active (interrupted by not landing hits for enough time or being damaged), +2% damage increase per hit combo.
*Ground Level: Damage dealt +15%, Damage taken -15%, Walking speed +15%, but attempts at jumping will result in a pathetically low hop.
*Glass Cannon: Damage dealt +100%, Damage taken +100%.
*Survival Instinct: Decreases damage taken by 12% (increasing with multiple instances of the perk) when health is below 50%.
*Last Hurrah: Increases damage inflicted by 15% when health is below 50%.
*Full of Yourself: Increases damage inflicted by 20% when at full health.
*Old School Rules: Special moves cost less health, but the health they cost can no longer be regained by hitting enemies.
*3 Stars: Spawns 3 Stars (Likely does nothing outside of gameplay mechanics).
* Tactical Support: The Star move summons 4 rockets(increasing with multiple instances of the perk).
</tabber>
Intelligence: Gifted. Axel is an incredibly talented martial artist, having brought down entire crime syndicates to their knees with just the help of a few peers, and defeated many other masters of combat, even in disadvantageous situations. An extremely skilled fighter capable of defeating gangs of criminals and squads of policemen alike, Axel has fought and defeated every one of the many professional fighters trained specifically to defeat him by the Syndicate,Streets of Rage 2 EU Manual including alien robots, pro boxers,Streets of Rage 2 (1993) - Stage 5 a robotic doppelganger of himself,Streets of Rage 3 (1994) - Stage 3 squads of ninjas, Yamato, a samurai capable of performing magical feats such as duplication or invisibility, teams of jetpack-wielding foes, various combat machinesStreets of Rage 3 (1994) - Stage 7 (True Ending) or foes armed with hi-tech energy weaponry and forcefieldsStreets of Rage 4 (2020) - Stage 10 as well as many other skilled martial artists on his level such as his rival Shiva,Streets of Rage 4 (2020) - Stage 6 who fights with not only his mastery of kenpo but his ability to create several ki clones, the acrobatic Krav-Maga-using and grenade-lobbing cop Estel Aguirre,Streets of Rage 4 (2020) - Stage 4 his brainwashed friend Max, a hulking pro wrestler,Streets of Rage 4 (2020) - Stage 9 or the children of his original nemesis, Mr. Y and Ms. Y,Streets of Rage 4 (2020) - Stage 12 and has since honed his skills further in an incredibly advanced VR system based on Mr. X's own brain.Streets of Rage 4 (2020) - Mr. X Nightmare DLC (2021) Axel is capable of performing a wide variety of kung-fu moves and "combo" enemies in various ways using many advanced techniques.
Weaknesses: Somewhat weak in the air in Streets of Rage 1, special moves consume some health when used too frequently.
Notable Attacks/Techniques:
<tabber>
|-|Normal Attacks=
sorjab.gif|Jab
Sorlmao.gif|Flurry, Vault, Backdrop
nthrow.gif|Grab Neutral Attack
bthrow.gif|Grab Back Attack
njkick.gif|Air Kick Neutral
fjkick.gif|Air Kick
djkick.gif|Air Knee, Air Kick Juggle
Axel's fighting style is a modified, superhumanly acrobatic and superpowered version of Kung-Fu that also incorporates various other combat styles such as karate, boxing and kickboxing, which he has refined for over a decade. Originally the all-rounder of the Streets of Rage 1 trio, with his only weakness being relatively poor air combat, Axel evolves through the series to become a powerhouse, gaining many fire-based moves which he can use to great effect as both crowd control and single-target damage. He is not afraid to fight dirty against crime, with his move-set including knee strikes, headbutts and the usage of any weapon he can find on the streets. 
(Note that the moves tagged with the acronym of any game in the series are only accessible to Axel from that point in the series) 
*Jab (Punch, Punch 2, Right Punch, Mid Kick, High Kick): Axel throws two jabs, one straight, a middle kick and finishes with a strong high kick. 
**Charged Attack: Axel can perform the last hit of his jab combo at any time, as its own attack. Axel's charged attack is special in that its momentum can be harnessed to perform a sliding version of his special attacks.
*Grapple: Axel grabs the enemy and holds them close. All throws can be used to stun other nearby enemies. 
**Flurry/Fury: Axel delivers a string of high knee bows, eventually letting the enemy fly away with one final knee strike or headbutt.
**Grab Neutral Attack: Axel headbutts the enemy, sending them flying forward.
**Grab Back Attack: Axel rapidly bends backwards enough to touch the ground with his back, throwing the enemy with all his momentum. Good for hitting other enemies.
**Vault: Axel flips above the enemy while still holding them, ending up behind them. He can also leap upwards and away from the enemy mid-vault with a vault jump.
***Backdrop: A throw that can only be executed from behind. Axel body slams the enemy behind him while jumping forward (SoR2), or performs a suplex.
*Back Attack: A quick backhand punch thrown at anything behind Axel.
*Air Attacks 
**Neutral Jump Attack (Air Kick Neutral): Axel performs a high snap kick that can send enemies flying.
**Forward Jump Attack (Air Kick): Axel throws a long-lasting forward kick.
**Down Jump Attack (Air Knee): Axel lands on an enemy with both knees. 
***Combo Jump Attack (Air Kick Juggle): Axel throws out a straight kick right after a downwards jump attack (SoR4).
*Weapon Catch: Axel can snatch weapons thrown at him by enemies out of the air, even bladed ones (SoR4).
**Weapon Throw
|-|Special Attacks=
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (12).gif|Grand Upper
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (2).gif|Tiger Knee
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (7).gif|Scissor Kicks
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (13).gif|Dragon Roll
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (14).gif|Dragon Wing
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (3).gif|Tornado Kick
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (8).gif|Spinning Body Blow
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (15).gif|Dragon Upper
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (16).gif|Dragon Smash
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (4).gif|Dragon Dash Blow
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (9).gif|Dragon Punch
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (17).gif|Dragon Bite
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (18).gif|Dragon Dive
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves 1.gif|Dragon Crash
A variety of particularly noteworthy and powerful moves. All specials but Blitz and Star Moves consume some health, which in Streets of Rage 4 is visualizes as part of the health bar becoming green. If they are hurt by outside influences, the character will lose all green health alongside taking however much damage they would have. However if the character can land some attacks, their green health will be replenished as if they had not suffered that damage. Furthermore, cautious and occasional usage of specials does not consume health, as represented by an "OK" meter in Streets of Rage 3 filling up when a special can be used again safely. Blitz, Star and Defensive Specials have been noted to give at least some invincibility when used, though this may just be a gameplay mechanic.
*Blitz: A powerful forward special attack, comes with no cost of health (SoR2).
**Grand Upper: Also known as Ground Upper or Grand Hook, Axel's signature move. Axel runs forward, dragging his knuckles against the ground as fire surrounds them, culminating in a flame uppercut.
**Tiger Knee: A two-strike leaping knee attack.
**Scissor Kicks: A forward-leaping scissor kick. A second hit can be performed after the first (SoR3).
**Dragon Roll: Axel performs a rolling attack while covered in flames. Very fast, and drags enemies with it (SoR4).
*Defensive Special: A special that usually hits all around the user, great for knocking enemies away (SoR2).
**Dragon Wing: Axel swings his fist in a great circular motion, with the range and power of the attack being greatly increased by the flames surrounding it. Great for getting rid of enemies surrounding Axel.
**Tornado Kick: Axel performs a hopping hurricane kick.
**Spinning Body Blow: Axel performs a low spinning flame punch: after two full spins he knocks them away with a more direct blow (SoR3).
**Dragon Upper: Axel performs a rather familiar leaping flame uppercut (SoR4).
*Offensive Special: A special aimed forward, usually more powerful and longer-ranged than a Defensive Special, but less useful for defense (SoR2).
**Dragon Smash: Axel performs a quick barrage of punches ending in a powerful uppercut. One of his most powerful moves if all or most of it connects.
**Dragon Dash Blow: A sliding low punch. Relatively weak, but quick and long-ranged.
**Dragon Punch: A rising dragon uppercut with strong forward momentum (SoR3).
**Dragon Bite: Axel punches forward, shaping the flames around his fist into a dragon that bites enemies in front of him (SoR4).
*Air Special: A special attack used in mid-air. Often useful to ensure a safe landing or continue a combo (SoR4).
**Dragon Dive: Axel surrounds himself in fire completely and rolls forward, falling down and dragging any enemies with him for the rest of the move, which he finishes with a lunging punch surrounded by flames.
**Dragon Crush: Surrounded in energy, Axel descends straight down, causing a shockwave that blows nearby enemies away.
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves .gif|Police Call
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (1).gif|Pipe Rage
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (5).gif|Grand Dragon Wing
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (6).gif|Spinning Dragon Upper
Axelgg.gif|Soul Striker
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (10).gif|Spinning Body Smash
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (11).gif|Spirit Blade
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves 2.gif|Dragon Burst
All Characters Special Moves Original and Alternate Moves (19).gif|Ultimate Dragon Wing
*Star Move: A character's most powerful moves. Utilized by expending a star icon consumable in Streets of Rage 4, and though this is likely a gameplay mechanic not reflective of canon, it may indicate that they cannot be used too often.
**Police Call: Not an actual technique. Axel simply calls for support, and a police car drives by, helping Axel by blasting the battle ground with napalm.
**Pipe Rage: Axel rapidly creates seven metal pipes and throws them forward.
**Grand Dragon Wing: Axel performs two Dragon Wings, stringing them together into a Grand Upper (SoR2).
**Spinning Dragon Upper: Axel performs a high jumping uppercut, spinning rapidly as he does (SoR2).
**Soul Striker: Axel launches a powerful ball of energy forwards Streets of Rage 2 (Game Gear, 1992)(SoR2).
**Spinning Body Smash: A much more powerful version of Spinning Body Blow, where Axel spins faster and more times before finishing the combo with a Grand Upper (SoR3).
**Spirit Blade: Axel creates a katana made of energy and shoots a blade beam (SoR3).
**Dragon Burst: Axel surrounds himself in an aura of flames before condensing all of it into a giant fire dragon tornado with which he uppercuts the enemy (SoR4).
**Ultimate Dragon Wing: Axel performs a much more powerful Dragon Wing with far greater range, capable of striking up to a few meters away from him (SoR4).
</tabber>
==Notable Matchups==
Victories:
Losses:
Inconclusive:
==References==
Category:Characters
Category:Male Characters
Category:Primary Protagonists
Category:Protagonists
Category:Heroes
Category:Good Characters
Category:Game Characters
Category:Streets of Rage
Category:Vigilantes
Category:Police Officers
Category:Detectives
Category:Teachers
Category:Humans
Category:Adults
Category:Leaders
Category:Martial Artists
Category:Weapon Masters
Category:Sword Users
Category:Knife Users
Category:Thrown Weapon Users
Category:Status Effect Users
Category:Fire Users
Category:Air Users
Category:Chi Users
Category:Energy Users
Category:Explosion Users
Category:Playable Characters
Category:Brawlers
Category:Pipe Users
Category:Video Game Characters
Category:Energy Projection Users
Category:Acrobats
Category:Social Influencers
Category:Healers
Category:Regeneration Users
Category:Summoners
Category:Weapon Creation Users
Category:Vibration Users
Category:Electricity Users
Category:Poison Users
Category:Weapon Control Users
Category:Immersion Users
Category:Blade Users
Category:Bomb Users
Category:Tonfa Users
Category:Potion Users
Category:Boomerang Users
Category:Sai Users
Category:Spear Users
Category:Mace Users
Category:Hammer Users
Category:Club Users
Category:Parasol Users
Category:Staff Users
Category:Animal Users
Category:Axe Users
Category:Flight Users
Category:Empowerment Users
Category:Damage Boost Users
Category:Damage Reduction Users
Category:Absorption Users
Category:Statistics Amplification Users
Category:Statistics Reduction Users
Category:Homing Attack Users
Category:Environment Users
Category:Kunai Users