Akuma (Street Fighter)

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Akuma (demon in Japanese), known in Japan as Gouki (豪鬼, powerful spirit), is a video game character created by Capcom.

He originally appeared in Super Street Fighter II Turbo as a secret character and hidden boss. He has red hair, wears prayer beads around his neck, and wears a black gi. The Japanese character 'ten' (天) - meaning literally sky, but interpretable as Heaven - can be seen on his back. There is some controversy as to whether it is painted or whether it simply glows (though many in-game animations show the symbol magically appearing on his back). He is voiced by Tomomichi Nishimura in many of the games in which he has appeared.

Contents

1 Origins of Akuma
2 Story
3 Shin Akuma
4 Trivia

4.1 List of fighting games featuring Akuma
4.2 List of non-fighting games featuring Akuma

5 Related characters
6 See also

Origins of Akuma

The name Sheng Long means "mystical dragon." It is closely related to the Mandarin pronunciation of 昇龍 (shôryû in Japanese) which means "rising dragon." One of Ryu's win quotes in the English version of the Street Fighter II said, "You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance." At the time, many fans thought that Sheng Long had referred to a person (the supposed master of Ryu and Ken), and not one of Ryu's moves (the Shôryûken). Some later versions of the game offered a variant quote, "You must defeat my Dragon Punch to stand a chance!"

The creation of Akuma is reportedly inspired by an April Fools joke in the video game magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly, where the editors claimed that the player could find Sheng Long in the game by not touching M. Bison, the final boss of the Street Fighter II series, for ten rounds. Sheng Long would then come out of nowhere and kill Bison, and the player would fight him. Sheng Long was supposed to have the moves of Ryu and Ken, but did much more damage and was also faster, and his Dragon Punch was 'revealed' to consume his fist in flames to show his greater power. To make this joke more believable, fake screenshots were made. Soon after, many fans, believing that the joke was true, flocked to Street Fighter II machines, hoping that they could fight a nonexistent character. When asked about whether the joke were true, Capcom neither confirmed nor denied it as the sudden infusion of money into their machines was driving up business; Capcom USA was taken in by the gag, and actually contacted Capcom of Japan and asked whether the Sheng Long accounts were legitimate. Only much later was this joke revealed as a hoax, by EGM itself.

Ironically, in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, parts of this story became true. Like the joke, Akuma would appear from out of nowhere and kill Bison, and the player would fight him, and similarly, Akuma had the moves of Ryu and Ken, and was much faster and dealt much more damage. Akuma can do the Hadôken (his is called either the Gou Hadouken--Strong Surge Fist or the Zankuu Hadouken--Air-Cutting Surge Fist) on the ground and in the air, his Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku (but is actually called Tatsumaki Zankuukyaku, roughly translated to Thousand Cutting Feet) knocks the opponent down instantly and can also juggle, his Shôryûken (Akuma's is called the Gou Shouryuuken, also known as Strong Rising Dragon Fist) knocks down his opponent at the first hit and does 3 hits up close, no matter the punch strength being used, and he can also juggle with a single Shôryûken in certain instances. Akuma also had the annoying ability to warp to different places in the screen (the Ashura Senkuu technique), and had the ability to not be dizzied at all. Akuma's super moves consist of the Messatsu Gou Hadouken (Destructive Strong Surge Fist), which is simply a Shinkuu Hadouken with higher power, a Tenma Gou Zankuu, which is literally a midair version of the Shinkuu Hadoken, a Messatsu Gou Shouryuuken (Destructive Strong Rising Dragon Fist), which is like Ken's Shoryu Reppa without the scorching effect, and the Messatsu Gou Rasen, an upward spiraling hurricane kick attack. His trademark moves are the Shun Goku Satsu and the Kongou Kokuretsu Zan. As his name did not appear in the game, some mistakenly thought he was called Akuma Long. The move that was used to kill Bison (the Shun Goku Satsu) was also erroneously called the Bison Killer. Furthermore, Ken inherited the false Sheng Long's Flaming Dragon Punch when used with the Fierce Punch.

Story

Akuma and his brother Gouken were students of Goutetsu. Goutetsu taught a life-threatening martial art called Ansatsuken (Assassin Fist), which incorporates elements of karate, judo, taekwondo, and koppo, and a technique called the Shun Goku Satsu (literally Instant Hell Murder also known as The Raging Demon), a technique that places the user's life in jeopardy, though it can kill its opponent instantly.

As Gouken abandoned the violent nature of Ansatsuken, Akuma vowed to use Ansatsuken as it was intended. Akuma vowed that he would master each and every life-threatening technique Ansatsuken could teach, such as his side-stance fierce fist and the Shun Goku Satsu.

While Akuma sought to master the life-threatening Shun Goku Satsu technique, he eventually increased his strength by embracing the principle of Satsui no Hadou (The Surge of the Intent to Murder/Murderous Intent). In embracing the Satsui no Hadou, Akuma lost his compassion, but increased the killing power of his techniques, new and old. This embrace caused Akuma to transcend human limits. Akuma left Goutetsu's guidance behind him and began to train alone on a hidden island which he made into his training ground. He trained for days and nights, pushing his body and his mind to their limits in order to become the greatest Ansatsuken fighter of them all, and proving it by mastering the style completely and destroying Gouken and Goutetsu.

After mastering the Shun Goku Satsu and embracing the Satsui no Hadou, Akuma fought Goutetsu. Akuma demonstrated his strength by killing his sensei in one swift stroke with the Shun Goku Satsu. Goutetsu fell with an inner joy, realizing that one of his pupils was trying to fully master the Ansatsuken style. Akuma walked over to his master's crumpled body and removed the beaded necklace from around Goutetsu's neck placing it on his own. The next day, Akuma walked to Gouken's dojo and challenged his brother to a battle of death. This was witnessed by Gouken's daughter Ouju-San, "Little Miss." Akuma and Gouken fought a vicious battle, with Gouken gaining the upper hand. Akuma was eventually struck down by Gouken and told him to end his life, but Gouken said he could never murder his own brother. Akuma mocked Gouken and told him he would never truly master the style before taking Gouken's life with the Shun Goku Satsu. The dojo was filled with a burst of white light (from the energy of the move). Ken, who saw the flash as he was heading home from the U.S. Martial Arts tournament, rushed to the dojo to find his master lying motionless on the floor and the dojo in complete disarray. Little Miss was also gone (never to be heard from again). An enraged Ken ran into the surrounding woods looking for the killer with revenge on his mind. He found Akuma not too far away from the dojo walking further and further into the forest. Ken attacked Akuma, but was easily defeated. Meanwhile, the other student of Gouken, Ryu, had begun to search for Akuma, needing to know what inner feelings were tormenting him.

Akuma began to search the globe looking for worthy fighters to challenge. Secluding himself in the shadows, he watched small tournaments and street fights, desperately seeking someone who might be able to match his strength. He was eventually challenged by a man named Gen. Gen fought a vicious battle. He had even survived the Shun Goku Satsu by emptying his soul in time. Akuma began to wonder if this man was the worthy opponent he was searching for. However, he began to sense not all was as it seemed and when Gen's mouth began to bleed Akuma's suspicions were confirmed, his opponent was critically ill. After being knocked to the ground, Gen told Akuma to kill him. Not wanting to carry the fight on any longer, Akuma left, infuriating Gen.

Ryu eventually found Akuma's island and challenged him. The intense battle that followed ended in a draw; Akuma was impressed as this was the closest he had come to a defeat yet. Telling Ryu to find him again when he had embraced the Satsui no Hadou, Akuma struck his island with a powerful hit and disappeared. The island fell apart around Ryu, who was left in the ocean to contemplate Akuma's words. Leaving his destroyed abode, Akuma thought about all the fighters he had encountered and wondered with excitement if one day he would fight someone strong enough to kill him in battle. This thought drove him on, finding a desolate cavern he began to train and await the day he would fight Ryu again.

Two years later, Akuma began to search once more for worthy fighters whilst awaiting Ryu to embrace the Satsui no Hadou. He could have possibly fought Adon at this time and killed him (as Adon had been searching for Akuma, yet was never heard from again). He encountered Gen once more and fought a final battle (the results of which are still unclear). However, unknown to Akuma, Ryu had rejected the Satsui no Hadou, declaring that a true warrior does not rely on violent intents.

Akuma did not officially enter the second World Warrior tournament. He jumped into M. Bison's arena and performed a Shun Goku Satsu on Bison, killing him, and sending his soul to hell.

As with the second World Warrior tournament, Akuma did not enter the third World Warrior tournament, but once more lurked in the shadows. He even successfully pulled off a Shun Goku Satsu on the tournament sponsor Gill, although he left without realizing that Gill had resurrected himself. Over this timespan, Akuma had trained relentlessly until finally harnessing his power and learning several new techinques, some that were meant to create tidal waves, some described as strong enough to split Ayers Rock in half, and one that could kill an opponent with a single chop. Akuma's self-taught technique is called the Kongou Kokuretsu Zan, in which Akuma channels all his power into both hands and then slashes away with life-threatening chops that create an aura that protects him from harm.

Akuma continued to develop his now-incredible fighting skill, and even fought with Oro in a simple, inconclusive battle, each other sensing the other's massive chi and testing their powers. Akuma has now demostrated the ability to remain underwater under massive pressure for extended periods of time, and has managed to destroy a sunken ship with the technique that he has now devised, Tenshou Kaireki Jin, much to the chagrin of the naval crew who witnessed the attack performed.

Shin Akuma

Shin Akuma in Capcom vs. SNK 2

Shin (真, literally true but can also mean real) Akuma (Shin Akuma = Real Demon or Shin Gouki = Real Powerful Spirit) was created as a secret character and boss. The two versions operate very similarly, but Shin Akuma is faster, deals more damage and can throw two Zankuu Hadoken at once. Also, his Shun Goku Satsu is much faster (making it harder to evade), and in some instances, inflicts more damage (e.g. Capcom vs. SNK 2). In some instances, Shin Akuma also has more life-threatening specials as well (e.g. Misogi). Shin Akuma's appearance is very similar to Akuma's except he exhibits white hair and a slightly lighter shade of skin. In the Street Fighter Alpha series, Shin Akuma had a purple-blue gi instead of a black one.

Storywise, Shin Akuma is merely Akuma using the full extent of his power, compared to the "in-game" version which is Akuma voluntarily holding back his power to avoid ending fights prematurely. In Capcom vs. SNK 2, a different form of Shin Akuma appears. This form of Akuma achieves a new level of power when a dying Rugal Bernstein pours his Orochi power into him.

Trivia

He is neither a demon nor is he possessed by one, as Capcom USA once claimed (they changed his name to Akuma because in Japanese, it means demon) but the comparison is accurate in a metaphorical sense.
Akuma's moral code differs from ordinary people's. While Akuma killed his brother and his teacher, he did so in the code of the warrior, hence he shouldn't be considered evil. The field of battle does not distinguish between friend and foe. Akuma believes he committed no transgression whatsoever.
Although atrocious, Akuma fights only to test his strength and that of his opponents. This means that he will only fight opponents that will be of a challenge to his ability, hence he won't fight unworthy challengers under any circumstances. Unlike many dark and violent characters (who often love to kill other people regardless), Akuma will only kill opponents who are equal to him. This is so because he is against killing unequal opponents (hence why he stopped the fight with Gen after realizing that he was ill in Street Fighter Alpha 2), random kills, and those who he deduces are not ready for an absolute deathmatch (such as Ken attacking him over Gouken's death). Still, Akuma's training comes first and foremost and he will not interrupt it under any circumstances. Also, with Gouken and his mentor's deaths exempt, Akuma usually only fights those who challenge him; he usually doesn't pick a fight. He is more of an anti-hero.
He has been known to occasionally help people in need.
In the non-canonical Pocket Fighter, Akuma needed to interrupt his training and leave the island due to its gradual conversion into a tourist resort.
In one of his win poses, Akuma turns his back and a kanji meaning "heaven" (or "sky") appears on his back. In Japan, the appearance of this kanji is a sign of immortality. Gen calls this symbol by its literal meaning, ten, in Street Fighter Alpha 3 while searching for Akuma.
In the non-canon anime movie , there are hints that assume Akuma is Ryu's father.
In his first appearance, in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Akuma wore sandals and a black gi belt. In the Street Fighter Alpha series, he fights with his bare feet and wears his black gi belt. The sandals return in the SNK vs. series, and wears the black belt again. He wears a rope instead of the black belt and wears sandals in Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact, and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike where his hair appears gray at the temples.

List of fighting games featuring Akuma

Wikibooks has a manual, textbook or guide to this subject:

Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994) - secret character, his strongest incarnation. Since he has the highest reaction time (in addition to his top-notch fighting habits), he will only challenge those who have truly mastered the game.
(1994) - secret character
Street Fighter Alpha (1995) - secret character
Street Fighter Alpha 2 (1996) - normal character, Shin Akuma is a secret character
Street Fighter EX (1996) - secret character
X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996) - secret character
Pocket Fighter (1997) - secret character
Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997) - normal character, the final boss is called "Cyber Akuma", also a secret character (PlayStation version)
Street Fighter EX Plus (1997) - secret character
Cyberbots (1997) - Secret "Zero Akuma" mech, it's also worth noting that its name is a pun on Evangelion's Unit-00's Japanese name, Zerogouki. (Console versions only)
Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998) - normal character, Shin Akuma is a secret character
Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact (1998) - both Akuma and Shin Akuma are secret characters
SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium (1999) - secret character
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike (1999) - normal character
Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 (2000) - secret character
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (2000) - normal (but locked on consoles) character
Capcom vs. SNK Pro (2001) - normal character, Shin Akuma is a secret boss character
Capcom vs. SNK 2 (2001) - normal character, Shin Akuma is a secret character
(2003) - normal character, Shin Akuma is not a hidden character
Capcom Fighting Evolution (2004) - Shin Akuma only, secret character
Street Fighter Alpha Anthology (2006) - Akuma/Shin Akuma are playable & Secret Character(s)

List of non-fighting games featuring Akuma

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (1996) - secret character
SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighter's Clash (1999) - both "Akuma" and "Zero Akuma" cards
SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters 2 Expand Edition (2001) - "Akuma," "Shin Akuma," and "Zero Akuma" card
Namco x Capcom (2005) - boss character