Shiva (Streets of Rage)

<tabber>|-|Streets of Rage 2-3= 
|-|Streets of Rage 4= 
</tabber>
==Summary==
Debuting in Streets of Rage 2 as the penultimate boss, Shiva is an incredibly talented martial artist who originally pledged his power to Mr. X, a cruel mob boss who the protagonists sought to oppose. Returning in Streets of Rage 3, Shiva is still X's second in command, now feeling a sense of rivalry against Axel Stone who had defeated him before and taking the place of a deceased general to attempt to cause a world war. Due to his fan popularity, Shiva was a hidden playable character in Streets of Rage 3, unlocked by performing a special input while defeating him.
However, Shiva's personality greatly changed after the third defeat and death of Mr. X. Reaching a sort of enlightenment and starting a dojo in Wood Oak City's Chinatown to spread his martial arts and Buddhist teachings, Shiva is a much more peaceful individual than before. Though he still enjoys a fight, his rivalry with Axel is much more good-natured, and he plans to oppose the Syndicate started by Mr. X's children, and helps the protagonist do so as well. An upgrade version of Shiva's Streets of Rage 3 moveset was playable in Streets of Rage 4, but the Mr. X Nightmare DLC added another full-fledged moveset for his current incarnation.
==Powers and Stats==
Tier: At least | At least , possibly | 
Name: Shiva, "The Grandmaster of Chinatown"
Origin: Streets of Rage 2
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Classification: Human, Ex-Terrorist, Dojo Master
Powers and Abilities:<tabber>|-|Streets of Rage 2=Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Martial Arts (An extremely skilled martial artists even among Mr. X's subordinates, Shiva's might is such that he completely refuses to use weaponry and rarely ever meets any able to match him despite running a martial arts dojo), Weapon Mastery (Though he refuses to use them in combat as he wishes to challenge himself, Shiva is likely quite skilled in the usage of weaponry. Not only can he strike just about any weapon flying forward with deadly accuracy, but many of the people in his dojo are seen training with weaponry, suggesting that he is capable of teaching their usage), Acrobatics (Can perform various high leaping moves, vault over foes and cancel the damage from throws by landing on his feet), Fire Manipulation (Can surround his feet with fire when using moves such as Moon Kick or Flaming Circular Kick)
|-|Streets of Rage 3=Same as before plus Camouflage (Could easily disguise as a military general, assuming his appearance), Chi Manipulation (Can attack with Ki with Ki Strike, and likely many more of his moves), Darkness Manipulation (Can temporarily surround himself with darkness with Dark Dash), Invisibility (Can become invisible while using moves such as Asura Ranbu), Regeneration (Low. Can recover some health between fightsStreets of Rage 3 (1994) - Gameplay Mechanic), possibly Healing (Can restore green health consumed by specials by hitting enemies againStreets of Rage 4 (2020) - Gameplay Mechanic. Green health is also caused by certain kinds of damage suffered, as seen when hurt by explosionsStreets of Rage 4 (2020) - Stage 7, plane crashesStreets of Rage 4 (2020) - Stage 11 or dangerous chemicalsStreets of Rage 4 (2020) - Stage 5. However, this may be a gameplay mechanic that simply represents the characters regaining stamina in combat)
|-|Streets of Rage 4 ▾=
 
</tabber>Attack Potency: At least Wall level+ (Has fought people such as Axel Stone or Blaze Fielding evenly) | At least Wall level+, possibly Small Building level (Comparable to people such as Axel Stone or Blaze Fielding) | Building level (Comparable to people such as Axel Stone or Blaze Fielding)
Speed: 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 grapple people such as Axel Stone) | Class M | 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 (Can withstand blasts from Mr. Y's rocket launcher while fighting him)
Stamina: Likely Superhuman. Can fight against large groups of criminals, 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 crashesStreets of Rage 4 (2020) - Stage 11 or while being exposed to poison gas or dangerous chemicals. Was barely fazed after his defeat at the hands of Axel Stone.
Range: Standard melee range, extended melee range with powers, several meters with spirit clones, tens of meters with thrown weaponry.
Standard Equipment: None notable.
* Optional Equipment: Perks gathered and exclusive to 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: Applies a certain elemental bonus to a certain type of attack.
**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.
**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).
Intelligence: Gifted. Comparable to incredibly accomplished fighters such as Axel Stone, Shiva is an incredibly skilled martial artist who is capable of performing combos of unmatched variety and length on just about any foe.
Weaknesses: Refuses to use weaponry.
Notable Attacks/Techniques:<tabber>
|-|Normal Attacks=
Shiva sor3 jab.gif|Jab
Shiva jab.gif|Jab (SoR4)
Shiva sor3 pummel.gif|Pummel
Shiva sor3 back throw.gif|Back Throw
Shiva back throw.gif|Back Throw (SoR4)
Shiva sor3 slam.gif|Behind Throw
Shiva behind throw.gif|Behind Throw (SoR4)
Shiva sor3 kick.gif|Neutral Jump Attack
Shiva neutral air.gif|Neutral Jump Combo (SoR4)
Shiva sor3 down jump.gif|Downward Jump Attack (Handspring Palm Strike)
Shiva down air.gif|Downward Jump Combo (SoR4)
Shiva sor3 back attack.gif|Back Attack
Shiva back attack.gif|Back Attack (SoR3)
Shiva weapon.gif|Weapon Strike (SoR4)
Shiva weapon strike.gif|Weapon Deflect (SoR4)
Shiva block.gif|Block
Shiva dash.gif|Dash
Shiva's fighting style is a modified, superhumanly acrobatic and superpowered version of Kenpo, a chinese/japanese martial art and philosophy that focuses on fast strikes to disable the opponent with punches, open-hand strikes and all other sorts of blows. As can be discerned by many of the people training in his dojo, Shiva is also skilled in karate and kickboxing enough to teach it. Shiva's moveset goes through a drastic overhaul between Streets of Rage 3 and 4, possibly reflecting his change of character. 
Incredibly versatile among even the Streets of Rage cast, Shiva's all-rounder combat style heavily favors air attacks and combos, being capable of dealing incredible amounts of damage to enemies with many strikes before the string of attacks ends. He is capable of summoning spirit clones and uses them cleverly to oppress foes into committing mistakes or to extend his range, emanating one right as he's performing an attack to copy it. Here are some examples of Shiva's combo potential. 
(Note that the moves tagged with the acronym of any game in the series are only accessible to Shiva from that point in the series. If not specified, they are available to him since his debut in Streets of Rage 2) 
*Jab
**SoR2: Shiva throws out long-ranged, rapid palm strikes and punches alike.
**SoR4: Shiva performs two claw strikes, a palm strike and then an upwards kick that sends opponent into the air.
*Charged Attack: Shiva can perform the last hit of his jab combo at any time, as its own attack.
*Grapple: Shiva grabs the enemy and holds them close. All throws can be used to stun other nearby enemies. 
**Flurry: Shiva pummels the opponent with his one free hand.
**Grab Neutral Attack: Shiva throws the enemy forward.
**Grab Back Attack
***SoR3: Shiva flips the opponent above him.
***SoR4: Shiva lifts his opponent above and behind him with his leg, carrying them into a slam against the ground.
**Vault: Shiva 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.
****SoR3: Shiva leaps a bit while slamming down the opponent.
****SoR4: Shiva swiftly pushes the opponent behind him with enough force to launch them.
*Air Attacks
**Neutral Jump Attack: Shiva performs a long-ranged forward kick.
***Neutral Jump Combo (SoR4): After the first kick, Shiva delivers a flurry of blows that ultimately sends the opponent flying forward.
**Down Jump Attack (Handspring Palm Strike): Shiva delivers a downward palm strike, possibly out of a high-leaping handspring
***Down Jump Combo (SoR4): Shiva delivers a combo of attacks, eventually spiking down the opponent with his elbow.
*Back Attack
**SoR3: A double forearm strike.
**SoR4: A long-ranged spear-hand attack
*Weapon Strike: Unwilling to use weaponry in a conventional manner, Shiva will instead fling them upwards with his foot then shoot them forward with a palm strike. This works on just about any weapon available, including ones as small as throwing stars or as big as buster swords.
**Weapon Deflect: Shiva can perform a Weapon Strike on weapons thrown at him, sending them flying back at the opponent.
*Dash: Shiva slides along the ground, leaning forward aggressively and causing sparks underneath his feet.
|-|Special Attacks=
Shiva final crash.gif|Final Crash
Shiva moon kick.gif|Moon Kick
Shiva dashing moon kick.gif|Dashing Moon Kick
Shiva diving moon kick.gif|Diving Moon Kick
Shiva flaming circular kick.gif|Flaming Circular Kick
Shiva dark dash.gif|Dark Dash
Shiva flying kick.gif|Flying Kick
Shiva ki strike.gif|Ki Strike
Shiva hashinshou.gif|Hashinshou
Shiva senretsu ken.gif|Senretsu Ken
Shiva air senretsu ken.gif|Air Senretsu Ken
Shiva fspecial.gif|Alternate Special Forward
Shiva down special.gif|Alternate Special Down
Shiva spirit palm.gif|Spirit Palm
Shiva spirit kick.gif|Spirit Kick
Shiva ultimate final crash.gif|Ultimate Final Crash
Shiva asura ranbu.gif|Asura Ranbu
Shiva shin hashinshou.gif|Shin Hashinshou
Shiva spirit dance.gif|Spirit Dance
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.
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.
*Final Crash: One of Shiva's signature attacks. Sliding forward and twisting away from the enemy for a slight moment to build momentum, Shiva uppercuts with his foot covered in flames or darkness.
**Ultimate Final Crash (SoR3): Shiva springboards himself upwards with one hand while performing a final crash, then does so again, sending himself and the opponent higher into the air. Star Move.
*Moon Kick: Shiva delivers an overhead spinning kick that hits even behind him with his foot covered in flames or darkness.
**Dashing Moon Kick (SoR3): Shiva slides forward as he begins to perform a Moon Kick.
**Diving Moon Kick (SoR4): Shiva leaps forward with a more aggressive Moon Kick that starts overhead and slams down on the opponent.
**Flaming Circular Kick (SoR4): Though seemingly unrelated, this move greatly resembles Moon Kick in practice, being an overhead kick that starts from behind and ends in front, striking enemies all around with feet covered in flames.
*Dark Dash (SoR3): Shiva envelops himself in darkness and dashes forward, harming opponents in the way.
*Flying Kick (SoR4): A forward flying kick lunge.
*Ki Strike (SoR3): Shiva blast downwards with invisible ki, sending nearby enemies flying away.
*Hashinshou (SoR4): A palm ki strike that hits on both sides, sending opponents flying away.
**Shin Hashinshou: Shiva performs a more powerful hashinshou, creating a pair of ki wings around himself. If this attack hits an opponent, they will fall down more slowly, allowing Shiva to combo them easily. Star Move.
*Senretsu Ken (SoR4): Shiva becomes invisible and dashes through his opponent, striking a pose behind them as he becomes visible again and they are hit by the delayed effect of his attacks. An identical air version fittingly named Air Senretsu Ken exists.
**Unnamed Special Forward: Shiva dashes forward with a ki palm strike with great range
**Unnamed Special Down: Shiva briefly becomes invisible as he lands from a jump, slamming his leg down on the ground with energy trailing behind it.
*Spirit Clones (SoR4): Shiva is capable of creating spirit clones of himself. He can create up to at least three and they can act independently, though he will sometimes choose to just summon them to repeat his attack with longer range.
**Spirit Palm: Shiva performs a palm strike then summons a spirit clone to copy that action with longer range.
**Spirit Kick: Shiva performs a neutral air kick, then shoots a spirit clone forward and has it perform a Flaming Circular Kick.
**Spirit Dance: Shiva summons three spirit clones that leap around the arena and perform palm strike attacks for a while. Star Move.
*Asura Ranbu (SoR3): Asura grabs an enemy and becomes invisible as he delivers a series of blows to them before releasing them with one final attack. Star Move.
</tabber>Key: Streets of Rage 2 | Streets of Rage 3 | Streets of Rage 4
==References==
==Notable Matchups==
Victories:
Losses:
Inconclusive:
Category:Streets of Rage
Category:Martial Artists
Category:Teachers
Category:Terrorists
Category:Criminals
Category:Video Game Characters
Category:Game Bosses
Category:Game Characters
Category:Weapon Masters
Category:Acrobats
Category:Honorable Characters
Category:Good Characters
Category:Evil Characters
Category:Fire Users
Category:Camouflage Users
Category:Chi Users
Category:Darkness Users
Category:Invisibility Users
Category:Regeneration Users
Category:Healers
Category:Afterimage Users
Category:Male Characters
Category:Vibration Users
Category:Duplication Users
Category:Gravity Users
Category:Intangibility Users
Category:Energy Users
Category:Attack Reflection Users
Category:Characters