Nexus Heroes / Akuma

Akuma (豪鬼, Gouki) is a playable character in Nexus Heroes, hailing from the Street Fighter series. He was revealed as the last DLC character of Season 1 in a Blog Post on December 20th 2022, in occasion of the launch of the game.
Shin Akuma (真・豪鬼, Shin Gouki) also comes with the acquisition of the DLC, and somewhat acts as a separated character, though he shares the slot on the character select screen with Akuma.
His design is based on Street Fighter IV, while his moves are mostly based on Street Fighter V, with some influences and nods from older titles as well.
==Who is Akuma?==
===THE RAGING DEMON===
Under the guide and teachings of master Goutetsu, the boy who would then be known as Akuma had only one objective in mind ; to become the strongest warrior he could ever be, no matter the cost. To this purpose, Akuma created and perfected his own fighting technique, called the Satsui No Hado, a brutal style fed by one's violent and homicidal intent. After killing his own master, Akuma began traveling the world in search of worthy opponents who could challenge the self proclaimed "Master of the Fist", meeting however very little competition in his path of death and destruction.
==Gameplay==
===Overview===
Akuma is a somewhat heavy fighter, whose speed and general mobility attributes are tweaked to closely mimic those of Street Fighter. Similarly to characters like Chun-Li and Kitana, Akuma is particularly efficient in stringing his normals into short yet powerful combos, akin to fighting games like Street Fighter. This is also possible thanks to Akuma's ability to cancel some of his attacks into other, something he shares with fellow Street Fighter character Chun-Li. 
Another trait he shares with her is the ability to enhance his Special moves by performing certain command inputs ; unlike Chun-Li, however, Akuma can access to EX versions of all of his Specials. As for their function, Akuma uses familiar techniques to fighting games players such as the Hadoken, Shoryuken and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, though in his own version of them. Additionally, he also has access to another Special move tied to his Dodge, performed by inputting a dodge plus the Special button. 
Though he's a bit slow and has a somewhat exploitable and linear recovery, Akuma is a potent fighter that will make Street Fighter players feel right at home with him, but that is also made to feel like an easy to pick character for beginners. It should also be noted that Shin Akuma, his secret unlockable form, plays identically to his regular counterpart, but is much, much stronger, and is purposely made to be outright broken. Obviously though, he cannot be selected in online matches, and is always banned in competitive environments that use offline play. 
*Command Inputs : Like Chun-Li, Akuma has the unique trait of being able to enhance his Special Moves, which will become "EX" if a specific directional input is pressed to launch the attack : moving the stick from down to forward + Special will result in an Ex Gohadoken ; moving the stick forward, down then back to forward again + Special will result in an EX Goshoryuken ; moving the stick from down to back + Special will result in an EX Tatsumaki Zankukyaku and moving the stick all the way from back, down and then to forward + Special will result in an EX Hyakkishu. These moves, as well as having Super Armor, will also differ in their properties. Additionally, players can also input the forward, down, forward input plus the shield button to execute Ashura Senku, which has Akuma move forward. If the direction is reversed, Akuma dodges backward instead.
*Cancelable Attacks : Some of Akuma's Normal Attacks can be canceled into other moves, such as other Normals and Specials. To do this, players must input a different attack right before the animation for the first attack finishes, in order to create a string.
===Movelist===
 	Name 	Description
Neutral Attack
,, 	Light Punch >
Medium Punch > Close Heavy Punch 	A straight left punch, followed by a right one, then a left body blow. The third attack only comes out if the previous two punches land.
Dash Attack
Dash, 	Jumping Kick 	Jumps up a bit and hits opponent with a straight left flying kick.
Side Tilt
, 	Kikokurenzan > Kikokurenzan II 	A high roundhouse kick, which can be followed by another turning high kick.
Up Tilt 	Heavy Kick 	Performs an Axe Kick which hits twice, on the way up and down. The second hit can spike opponents, and it's a great move to start combos if the second hit is cancelled into another attack.
Down Tilt 	Crouching Heavy Kick 	Performs a somewhat slow but long ranged sweep kick, useful to start or extend combos.
Forward Strong
+ 	Zugaihasatsu 	A heavy chop attack with his left arm which comes all the way down to the ground. It can spike opponents, if the descending hit catches them in the air.
Up Strong 
+ 	Tenha 	Hits above himself with his palm extended. Also good to catch opponents in mid-air.
Down Strong
+ 	Stomp 	Charges, then punches the ground below him, causing a shockwave which lifts opponents up. Based on his Taunt in Street Fighter V, which actually acts as an attack.
Neutral Aerial
Airborne 	Jump Medium Punch 	Pushes his left palm forward, hitting opponents with a quick attack.
Forward Aerial
Airborne 	Jumping Heavy Punch 	A powerful punch which hits diagonally downward, ideal as an airborne approach option and to start combos.
Back Aerial
Airborne 	Jumping Heavy Kick 	Turns around with a turnaround high kick, which deals good damage and knockback.
Up Aerial
Airborne 	Rakan Gokyaku 	Kicks directly above himself with his right leg.
Down Aerial
Airborne 	Tenmakujinkyaku 	Lands back to the ground with a diagonal kick.
Grab 	Grab 	Holds the opponent with both hands.
Pummel
, 	Fierce Knee 	Hits the opponent with his knee.
Forward Throw
, 	Goshoha 	Knocks the opponent forward with a palm thrust.
Back Throw
, 	Shuretsuzan 	Moves the opponent behind himself, then kicks them away.
Up Throw
, 	Sekiseiken 	Jumps up and slams back into the opponent with a chop, which knocks them into the air.
Down Throw
, 	Syuretto 	Slams the opponent into the ground with a karate chop to the back of their head.
Floor Attack
Grounded > 	Kongoken 	Rises up, then hits at both sides by extending his fists outward with a half body turn.
Edge Attack
Ledge > 	Crouching Heavy Punch 	Climbs back up and hits opponent with a high palm strike, dealt while crouching.
NEUTRAL SPECIAL 	Gohadoken / Zanku Hadoken 	Fires a purple energy projectile from his hands, which travels a medium distance and deals moderate damage. If performed in the air, Zanku Hadoken will instead be executed, in which Akuma fires his Hadoken diagonally downward.
DOWN FORWARD SPECIAL 	EX Gohadoken / EX Zanku Hadoken 	Enhanced version of his Gohadoken. The projectile travels faster and hits twice for more damage, as well as giving Akuma Super Armor while firing it. The same enhancement applies to the air version.
SIDE SPECIAL 	Tatsumaki Zankukyaku 	Jumps up and rotates on his right leg while advancing forward for a short distance. If used in the air, Akuma moves diagonally upward instead, and the last part of the rotating kick is aimed downward, and can spike opponents.
DOWN BACK SPECIAL 	EX Tatsumaki Zankukyaku 	Enhanced version of his Tatsumaki Zankukyaku, which has Akuma spin in place rather than making him advancing forward, and also gives him Super Armor and invulnerability to projectiles while performing it.
UP SPECIAL 	Goshoryuken 	Rises up into the air with a single punch. Ideal to catch opponents who are approaching from the air, and also serves as a recovery, though it's quite linear and doesn't travel that high.
FORWARD TO DOWN-FORWARD SPECIAL	EX Goshoryuken 	Enhanced version of his Goshoryuken, which differs slightly depending whether it is done on the ground or in the air : on the ground, Akuma gains Super Armor, and at the peak of the punch's height, Akuma lands back on the ground with a fist, dragging opponents along if they are caught by the first hit. In the air, the Goshoryuken's height is simply increased, as well as its speed and power.
DOWN SPECIAL
, / 	Hyakkishu > Hyakki Gojin / Hyakki Gosai 	Flips into the air with a roll. At the apex of the jump, Akuma will either dive into the ground with a kick if the Normal Attack is pressed (or if no input is entered), or will grab the opponent and perform a rolling throw if the Special Attack is pressed instead.
HALF-CIRCLE SPECIAL
 ,
/ 	EX Hyakkishu > EX Hyakki Gojin / EX Hyakki Gosai	An enhanced version of his Hyakkishi, which gives Akuma Super Armor on the initial flip and greatly enhances the strength and speed of his two follow-ups.
DODGE SPECIAL
++ /
++ 	Ashura Senku 	Akuma floats over the ground while striking a pose, shifting position while gaining a brief moment of invulnerability and intangibility. Depending on whether the player dodges backward or forward, Akuma will move into the corresponding direction.
DOWN-FORWARD / DOWN-BACKWARD DODGE SPECIAL
+ /
+	Ashura Senku 	An alternative input method for Ashura Senku, which will however not differ from the regular version of it. The only change is that it doesn't require the player to shield before the execution.
FINISHER 	Sekia Kuretsuha 	Akuma says "Meet your end, insect!", then punches the ground below himself, causing an eruption of flames to burst out in front of himself, dealing great damage and covering a large vertical portion of the screen.
SPECIAL FINISHER
,,,, 	Shun Goku Satsu 	A quick and precise execution of this input will have Akuma perform his famed 'Raging Demon' attack, in which he poses briefly while saying "Die a thousand deaths!", moves forward with an Ashura Senku and, if he intercepts an opponent, a cutscene plays in which the screen goes black, and only the effects of multiple hits are seen where the opponent was. After that, the darkness fades, revealing Akuma standing triumphantly with his back turned and the opponent fallen to the ground, and the kanji '天' (Sky) behind them glowing of a bright red light. This attack deals enormous damage, and is an instant-kill if the opponent hit by it was over 70%.
=== Intro Animation===
Enters the stage with Ashura Senku, strikes a pose and gets ready to fight.
===Taunt===
Stomps his left foot forward while extending his fists outward slightly and shaking, saying "Pitiful!".
===Idle Poses===
* Assumes a different stance, in which his left arm is brought down and the right one is raised. He holds this stance until any other action is performed.
* Stands upright, then slowly waves his arms in the "Rakan" stance from Street Fighter V.
===Quotes===
====Selection Lines====
*" I am the Master of the Fist! "
*" You dare to challenge me? "
* " You better not be wasting my time! "
====Successful KO====
*" You're pathetic! "
*" Weakling! "
*" Know the power of the Satsui No Hado! "
*" Embrace death! "
* " Get lost! "
*" Pitiful! "
*" You're hopeless! "
*" Waste of time! "
*" My power consumes you! "
*" You are no match for my fist! "
*" Let the darkness consume you! "
* " You're weak! "
====Respawning ==== 
*" Finally a challenge! "
*" No holding back! "
* " Such power .. "
*" My fist cannot be beaten! "
*" The Satsui no Hado gives me strenght! "
* " Ha! Laughable! "
*" Try harder! "
*" Prepare to meet your fate! "
*" You will succumb! "
*" Show me what you really got! "
*" Stop playing around and fight! "
===Victory Poses=== 
*UP : Akuma looks angrily at the camera, then stomps his foot and releases a shockwave from his body while shouting in rage.
*SIDE : Akuma is standing upright, back turned to the camera. He then turns around and gets into the pose he also strikes in his Taunt while saying "Such weakness .. is unforgivable! " .
*DOWN : Akuma clenches his fist, then angrily slams it into the ground, creating a purple shockwave as he lets out a roar at the camera.
==Arcade Mode==
The Arcade route of Akuma starts him off against fellow Street Fighter character Chun-Li in his own stage. The second stage is against two of the game's poster children ; Kratos and Master Chief. This battle alludes to the name of Akuma's trademark super move, the Raging Demon : Kratos representing the 'Raging' part of it due to his Spartan Rage mode, and Chief being the 'Demon' (as he's known by the Covenants in the Halo series).
After the first two battles, Akuma must complete the first Bonus Stage, after which he will pit against a familiar face ; Cole. Akuma already crossed over with Cole in Street Fighter X Tekken, where Cole was a guest character. The stage is also somewhat reminiscent of one of the stages from that game, the Jurassic Era Research Base. After fighting Cole, Akuma moves on to battle two other villains, Ash and Nightmare.
The last set of battles after the second Bonus Stage see Akuma facing off against Wolverine, who he already fought against as a secret boss in X-Men : Children of the Atom, and then his Rival, Jin Kazama. This rivalry alludes to Akuma's appearance in Tekken 7, but also to Jin's struggle against the Devil Gene, which mirrors the inner conflict of Street Fighter protagonist and Akuma's nemesis Ryu to fight off the darkness within him, which manifests in the form of the Satsui No Hado style. After this battle, Akuma can face Kerrigan, the Final Boss.
Round 	Opponent 	Stage 	Music 	
1 	Chun-Li 	Temple of Ascension 	Akuma Stage - Killing Moon	
2 	Master Chief
 Kratos	Installation 04 	Heretic, Hero 	
Bonus Stage 1	Bonus Stage 1	Bonus Stage 1 	Bonus Stage 1 	Bonus Stage 1
3 	Cole 	Kings Canyon 	Choose Your Legend 	
4 	Nightmare
 Ash	Syndicate Stronghold	Revenge of Mr. X 	
Bonus Stage 2	Bonus Stage 2	Bonus Stage 2 	Bonus Stage 2 	Bonus Stage 2
5 	Wolverine 	Danger Room 	Avalon (Magneto) 	
6 	Jin Kazama
(Rival Battle)	Tiger Dojo 	Opening Movie 	
7 	Kerrigan 	Kerrigan's Leviathan	Conscience 	
==Shin Akuma==
Shin Akuma is an unlockable character tied to Akuma, and acts as an overpowered version of him whose unlock criteria and selection method are reminiscent of some of the historically complicated methods of unlocking Shin Akuma or other hidden characters in the Street Fighter series. 
===How to Unlock===
First of all, to unlock Shin Akuma, Akuma must be purchased for the base game. Then, the player must play through Arcade Mode on the highest difficulty (Insane, which must first be unlocked by clearing Arcade Mode on Hard once first) with the following conditions : they must not lose a single match or a stock, must obtain at least two victories using a Finisher and get at least two matches cleared without taking damage. If everything is done correctly, when players get to the Final Boss, Kerrigan, a short intro will play where Shin Akuma will step in and perform a Raging Demon on her, defeating her and challenging the player instead. If the player successfully defeats Shin Akuma, he will then be unlocked, and be available for selection on the Character Select Screen. If the player loses against Shin Akuma instead, the Arcade route will still be considered beaten, and the Credits will start rolling as if the player has beaten the boss anyway. The entire process must be repeated to have another shot at getting Shin Akuma.
===How to Select===
To select Shin Akuma, he must first be unlocked. Then, on the character select screen, the player must select and cancel Chun-Li, then Wolverine and then Jin Kazama, and finally select Akuma using the Start button. If everything is done correctly, Shin Akuma will be selected and will be able to be played as in the current mode. It should be noted that only one Shin Akuma at a time can be in a match.
==Alternates==
===Alternate Colors===
*LIGHT BLUE : Default, based on his appearance in Street Fighter IV.
*RED : Based on his P2 color in Tekken 7.
*WHITE : Based on one of his alternate colors in Street Fighter II : Turbo.
*BLUE : Based on one of his alternate colors in Street Fighter II : Turbo.
*
===Alternate Costumes===
File:PN AKUMA RENDER.png|"Default" Costume
File:PN AKUMA ALT.png|"Cyber Akuma" Costume
*Default : Based on Akuma's appearance in Street Fighter IV.
*Cyber Akuma: Based on Cyber Akuma, the final boss of Marvel Super Heroes VS Street Fighter.
==Trivia==
*He is the first fighter in the game to hail from an already represented series, as Chun-Li is one of the playable characters in the base game. This excludes Ash and Lifeline who, despite appearing in the same narrative universe, are treated as characters from different series (Titanfall and Apex Legends).
Category:Characters