AKUMA

TEKKEN 7 SEASON 3 OVERVIEW & CHANGES

OVERVIEW

In the Street Fighter series Akuma

(or Gouki) is an aggressive all-or-
nothing character who overwhelms
opponents with his ambiguous
mix-ups and devastating combo
damage.

These traits have been faithfully

carried over to Tekken 7, where
Akuma stands as one of the
most powerful, if somewhat
controversial, additions
to the roster.
STRENGTHS
Mix-Ups
Akuma’s d+3 to FADC cancel fireball is
an unseeable low that leads to a
full combo on a clean-hit and
continued pressure on block.
This makes Akuma’s mix-up
game absolutely terrifying
and almost without question,
the best in the entire game.
Punishment
With meter Akuma can launch
punish from a mere jab. Outside
of Yoshimitsu’s Flash which is
very situational, this makes it
the fastest launcher in the game,
fundamentally changing the
risk / reward dynamic of how many
characters can pressure Akuma.
By comparison, the fastest any
other character can launch is
at -13, and even this is quite
impractical in a real match.
Panic Moves
With EX-Shoryuken, an invincible
reversal, Akuma can blow through
attacks even when at a severe
disadvantage, meaning the
opponent always has to be
careful how they pressure him.
As in Street Fighter though, if this
is baited then Akuma is toast.
However Akuma can slip under
pressure in a far less riskier way with
d+1,2, which combos on counterhit
and comes out in 10 frames, or d+2
to fireball, which is slower at 12
frames but is a natural combo.
Damage
Incredible damage output when
he has meter. One of the few
characters who can land match
practical death combos.
Aerial Approach
Like other “2D-characters” Akuma
can jump at the opponent to initiate
pressure. He also has a demon-flip
to close space and enforce mix-
ups, which can be very difficult for
some characters to deal with.
WEAKNESSES
Meter Dependent Execution
All of Akuma’s key-defining Akuma needs to take risks and
strengths rely on meter. go in if he wants damage.
Without it he has to take On the whole he requires
disproportionate risks for some very demanding
middling reward. execution, especially if you
want to optimise his combos.
Movement
A sluggish backdash and weak
sidestep mean that his movement is
underwhelming. This makes his game-
plan quite different from most other
Tekken characters whose movesets
are designed around movement.
Neutral
Akuma’s tools in the neutral are
lacking, with poor tracking and
range on most of his moveset. While
he can slow down the pace of a
match with his fireballs, this is more
of an annoyance than anything.
SEASON 3
CHANGES
In Season 3 Akuma’s combo
damage has been slightly
reduced, with minor
damage reductions to his
fireballs, the first hit of
QCB+4 and d+1,2 string
which is one of his
best panic moves.
His okizeme is also slightly
weaker with f+1+2 no longer
spiking. This used to force a
reasonably strong oki setup
at the wall with either the
opponent waking up into his
50/50 or getting resplatted by
d+3 xx DP.
On the other hand his neutral
game is slightly better, with
some recovery shaved
off of his f+3 and f+4,
giving him more options.
F+4 now also leads to more
damage on counter-hit.
Akuma also has a new move in
d/f+1+2. This is a power-crush-
ing mid wallsplat with slight
backswing blow properties.
Though in some match-ups
this is very punishable at -14.
B+1 has lower pushback
making combo extensions
easier but damage has also
been slightly reduced.
Finally, Akuma can now
land his Rage Art, the Shun
Goku Satsu, after a screw.
Previously he needed to
wallsplat. This makes
his comeback potential
even more explosive.
ROUND UP
Akuma is overall the
same in Season 3, albeit
slightly more rounded.
He was one of the most
underrated characters
for most of Season 1 and
Season 2’s competitive life.
By the end of Season 2 many
top players agreed that Akuma
was top 5, and with everyone
above him now weaker, and
Akuma slightly stronger, he
takes his crown as the
current King of Iron Fist.
This is subject to change though,
Akuma is a highly unconventional
character, so it’s only recently
that skilled players have been
able to show us just what he’s
capable of on a global stage.
As players adapt and get
accustomed to the match-up we
believe his position at the top
will likely be contested. However
the Raging Demon will almost
certainly remain one of the most
powerful characters in Tekken 7.
TYPE D I F F I C U LT Y

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