Editing Ken (SSBU)

{{Disambig2|Ken's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''|the character in other contexts|Ken Masters}}

:{{cquote|''Ken Turns Up the Heat!''|cite=Introduction tagline}}

'''Ken''' ({{ja|ケン|Ken}}, ''Ken'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He is the third fighter from [[Capcom]] after {{SSBU|Mega Man}} and {{SSBU|Ryu}}. He was announced as a newcomer during the November 1st, 2018 [[Nintendo Direct|Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct]], alongside {{SSBU|Incineroar}} and {{SSBU|Piranha Plant}}. Despite being a semi-clone, Ken is Ryu's [[Echo Fighter]] (and was the final Echo Fighter to be revealed), thus being classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #60^ε]].

{{iw|wikipedia|Reuben Langdon}}, Ken's English voice actor from ''Street Fighter IV'' and ''Street Fighter V'', reprises his role in the overseas versions, including the Chinese and Korean versions. His Japanese voice actor since ''Street Fighter III: Third Strike'', {{iw|wikipedia|Yuji Kishi}}, reprises his role exclusively in the Japanese version. ''Ultimate'' is the last game where {{iw|wikipedia|Reuben Langdon}} voices Ken in English, as {{iw|wikipedia|David Matranga}} is his current English voice actor in ''Street Fighter 6''.

 

 

 

Overall, Ken is seen as a capable and viable fighter in the right hands with his strong advantage state and combo ability, and players can choose to play either Ken or Ryu, depending on the matchup or mood. For example, if the matchup requires an aggressive game plan, then Ken is the optimal choice. As such, many players who play Ken also play Ryu, although there are several successful players dedicated to just Ken, such as {{Sm|Jahzz0}} and {{Sm|takera}}.

*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Yoshi}} or any character in his unlock tree, being the last character unlocked after {{SSBU|Chrom}}.

Ken must then be defeated on [[Boxing Ring]] (the [[Ω form]] is used in World of Light).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ken's signature special moves are also effective in their own ways. [[Hadoken]] is a large ki projectile, with three travel speeds based on input method; the standard version is capable of [[lock]]ing, while the input variation deals more damage. [[Tatsumaki Senpukyaku]] propels Ken forward, hitting multiple times throughout the attack, and potentially leading to followups, but the non-input version is unsafe on hit. While Ken's signature [[Shoryuken]] serves as his main vertical recovery move, it is most well-known for its offensive utility, due to its sweetspot's high knockback, multiple powerful hitboxes, and brief intangibility (frame 5), making it both a powerful KO option and a potent anti-air. The input version of Shoryuken has increased KO power, even longer intangibility (frames 4-6, with arm intangibility frames 1-14), and lower landing lag, and can easily be chained into from Ken's other moves. [[Focus Attack]] grants Ken [[armor|heavy armor]] against a single hit, and incapacitates opponents when at least half charged, allowing for followups. It can also be canceled on hit, after tanking a blow, or even while charging, allowing Ken to fake out with a shuffle that also provides horizontal recovery distance. His close held neutral attack, first two hits of tapped neutral attack, close tapped forward tilt, distant taped forward tilt, down smash, held down tilt, and all aerials can be canceled into special moves, allowing Ken to combo into Shoryuken for KOs, Tatsumaki Senpukyaku for extending combos, and Focus Attack for mixups and safety.

Outside of the standard special moves, Ken also has access to the Oosoto Mawashi Geri roundhouse kick and the Nata Otoshi Geri crescent kick using inputs only. The former is a powerful KO option at the edge with much more safety than his other special moves, while the latter is a combo extender that leads into either a forward smash, a down smash, or even a Shoryuken with proper reading. Furthermore, both attacks can be cancelled into Inazuma Kick, which deals heavy shield damage, further complementing his ability to pressure and deplete shields with his lengthy blockstrings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since Ken has multiple entirely different moves from Ryu, he is near-universally accepted to be the most unique Echo Fighter, being the only Echo Fighter that is a semi-clone. As such, he, much like fellow Echo Fighters {{SSBU|Chrom}} and {{SSBU|Lucina}}, is ranked separately from his base fighter on [[tier list]]s, and is allowed to be used with his base fighter in [[Squad Strike]].

*{{buff|Ken's walking (0.75 → 0.825), dashing (1.6 → 1.76) and initial dash (1.76 → 1.936) speeds are 1.1× faster than those of Ryu, with his initial dash and run speeds being identical to those of {{SSBU|Mario}}.}}

**{{buff|Ken's shield jump height is marginally lower than Ryu's (45.5 → 44.1), resulting in him landing 1 frame sooner.}}

**{{change|Held neutral attack is Inazuma Kick, a double-hitting axe kick resembling up throw.}}

***{{nerf|The first hit has significantly less range than Ryu's held neutral attack. It is somewhat hard to land by itself, as its effective range tends to overlap with his close variant.}}

*[[Forward tilt]]

**{{change|Ken's held [[forward tilt]] is his far standing medium punch, a straight with his right arm, as opposed to Ryu's Collarbone Breaker.}}

***{{buff|It has less start-up (frame 14 → 10) and uninterrupted duration (14 (hit 1)/16-17 (hit 2) → 10-13).}}

***{{buff|It deals more knockback (60 base/90 scaling → 47/104) at a lower angle (46° → 34°).}}

***{{nerf|It has less range and far less shield damage (20 → 0).}}

**{{nerf|It deals less damage (17.5% (foot)/16% (leg) → 16%/12%), making it slightly weaker despite its higher knockback growth (98 → 102).}}

**{{change|Ken's [[neutral aerial]] is based off of his diagonal jumping medium kick in ''Super Street Fighter II Turbo'', as opposed to Ryu's diagonal jumping light kick.}}

**{{nerf|Its duration is less than half (4-31 → 6-17), which also causes it to have significantly more ending lag despite the shorter total duration (FAF 36 → 28).}}

**{{change|Up aerial is based off of his neutral jumping light kick, a kick straight upwards.}}

**{{change|It only hits once instead of twice.}}

**{{buff|It has less startup (frame 6 → 5).}}

**{{nerf|It deals significantly less damage (11% (total) → 6.5%).}}

**{{nerf|It does not grant partial intangibility.}}

===Special moves===

*{{buff|Ken has more input command moves than Ryu, which can only be used with the attack button.}}

**{{buff|He has [[Oosoto Mawashi Geri]], an outward roundhouse kick from ''Super Street Fighter II Turbo'' similar to Ryu's standing held neutral attack that can be canceled into Inazuma Kick by holding the attack button, letting him use his special cancels without committing to the potential endlag of [[Shoryuken]] and [[Tatsumaki Senpukyaku]] and mix up his attacks. Inazuma Kick also deals a fair amount of [[shield damage]], making it much riskier to block Ken during his blockstrings. At the edge, Oosoto Mawashi Geri makes for a reliable KO option from his special cancel normals.}}

**{{buff|Ken also has his [[Nata Otoshi Geri]], a swiping roundhouse kick from ''Super Street Fighter II Turbo'' with a unique input (→ ↘ ↓ + Attack) that Ryu does not have. He can cancel after the first hit and change it into his Inazuma Kick by holding the attack button. Its low knockback and angle make it useful for combos, leading into down smash, forward smash or a Shoryuken.}}

**{{nerf|Hadoken deals significantly less damage (9%/9.5%/10% → 4.5%/5%/5.5% (standard), 10.8%/11.4%/12% → 5.625%/6.25%/6.875% (input)), with even his strongest input Hadoken dealing less damage than Ryu's weakest standard Hadoken, despite higher input multiplier (1.2× → 1.25×).}}

**{{nerf|Hadoken has slightly more startup lag (frame 12 → 13).}}

**{{buff|Compared to Ryu's, Ken's Tatsumaki Senpukyaku does not lose its hitbox on hit due to its multi-hit nature. Ken can also reliably cross up shields with his version, making it safer on shield.}}

**{{nerf|Tatsumaki Senpukyaku deals less damage than the late hit of Ryu's version, even if all hits connect.}}

**{{nerf|Tatsumaki Senpukyaku deals significantly less knockback compared to Ryu's, removing its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|The grounded version does not grant intangibility to Ken's attacking leg.}}

**{{nerf|The grounded version (both command input and normal input) travels a shorter distance than Ryu’s (5-9 training stage blocks depending on charge → 4-7) however the aerial version travels the same distance.}}

**{{nerf|Shoryuken deals less knockback than Ryu's equivalent and hits at a slightly more horizontal angle, making it more susceptible to [[DI]].}}

**{{change|Ken's medium Shoryuken hits two times, as opposed to only once.}}

**{{change|Ken's heavy Shoryuken hits three times and has a [[flame]] effect.}}

**{{nerf|Due to its multihit property, Ken's heavy Shoryuken is somewhat susceptible to [[SDI]] and can occasionally be escaped from.}}

**{{buff|Ken's heavy Shoryuken deals more damage and has powerful hitboxes throughout the move, in contrast to Ryu's Shoryuken losing strength the longer it is out. Heavy Shoryuken can also drag enemies upwards, letting it KO earlier when close to the top and KO earlier overall despite its weakened knockback.}}

**{{buff|Ken can travel more horizontally during his heavy Shoryuken. This makes certain combos possible and horizontal recoveries easier.}}

**{{buff|Ken's Shoryuken has less landing lag (frame 22 frames (standard)/15 (input) → 12/8/18/12), making it significantly more safe when combined with its multihit property.}}

**{{change|Ken performs a spinning kick in his Focus Attack instead of a straight punch, much like in the various iterations of ''Street Fighter IV''. The hitbox comes out 1 frame later for all variants, albeit with its total duration unchanged, allowing Ken to act 1 frame earlier on hit.}}

***{{buff|The lowered angle improves the fully-charged version's KO potential on aerial opponents.}}

Update 7.0.0 buffed Ken even further. His overall shield is bigger, making it harder to shield poke him. His down tilt angle change was a mixed bag; it is now easier to combo into his Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, but it is now harder to combo into his Shoryuken. His pivoting leg is now invincible during his Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, making moves like {{SSBU|Ness}}'s [[PK Fire]] no longer work. The Tatsumaki is also stronger overall. The biggest change however, was to his down smash. It is now possible to cancel his down smash with a special move (at the expense of less shield damage), vastly improving his offense game. Another, albeit undocumented, buff to his down smash is that it is now possible to Kara Cancel the down smash charging animation. Kara Cancel was already possible but it could only be down during the first four frames of the down smash. Because of this, Ken's combo game has been greatly improved. And finally, Update 9.0.0 made Shippu Jinraikyaku connect much more reliably by making it deal more knockback and having more horizontal hitboxes.

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|2.0.0}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/2.0.0|char=Ken}}

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|3.0.0}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.0.0|char=Ken}}

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|3.1.0}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.1.0|char=Ken}}

 

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/4.0.0|char=Ken}}

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|7.0.0}}'''

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|9.0.0}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/9.0.0|char=Ken}}

*Ken always turns around to face his opponent when one is left standing, counting teammates as opponents if [[Team Attack]] is on.

*A small flash will appear whenever Ken does the input command version of one of his Special Moves instead of the standard B input.

*Sound effects from the ''Street Fighter II'' series, albeit heavily modified, are used when Ken hit an opponent instead of the standard knockback sound effects. The intensity of the sound depends on the power of the move. Ken also uses a unique sound effect when he performs a parry, which is based on the parry sound effect from the ''Street Fighter III'' series. Ken shares this trait with {{SSBU|Ryu}}.

''For a gallery of Ken's hitboxes, see [[Ken (SSBU)/Hitboxes|here]].''

|neutralname=Jab ({{ja|ジャブ|Jabu }}) / Body Blow ({{ja|ボディーブロー|Bodī Burō}}) / Hook ({{ja|フック|Fukku}})<br/> Inazuma Kick {{ja|稲妻かかと割り|Inazuma Kakato Wari}}{{ref|a}} (Held-Far)<br/> Upper ({{ja|アッパー|Appā}}) (Held-Close)  

|neutral3dmg=6% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2) (held-far)

|neutralinfdmg=12% (held-close)

|neutraldesc= ''Tapped'': A jab, followed by a body blow, followed by a hook. The second hit is based on Ken's ''Street Fighter III'' close medium punch. The first and second hits can be special-canceled, and are also able to jab lock.

 

''Held (far)'': Ken performs his Inazuma Kick: a double-hitting axe kick. It is somewhat hard to land both hits, as the range tends to overlap with his close variant. This move causes Ken to slightly move forward, and deals a good amount of shield damage, making it useful for shield pressure. Cannot be special-canceled.

 

''Held (close)'': An uppercut similar to his held up tilt, but with significantly different properties, doing virtually no knockback and being special-cancelable. This makes it extremely potent for combos, reliably canceling into Shoryuken even at higher percents. Like his held up tilt, it renders his entire upper body intangible, giving it anti-air properties.

|ftiltname=Side Kick ({{ja|横蹴り|Yoko Geri}}) (Tapped-Far)<br/> Hook ({{ja|フック|Fukku}}) (Tapped-Close)<br/> Fist Thrust ({{ja|正拳突き|Seikentsuki}}) (Held)

|ftiltdesc=''Tapped (far)'': The yoko geri, a kick used in traditional karate. It launches the opponent diagonally upward. It is good for following up with a dash attack or forward aerial at low percents, and grants intangibility on his entire leg from frames 7-12. Cannot be special-cancelled.

 

''Tapped (close)'': An inward hook. The move causes the opponent to slightly shift towards Ken. It can lock, and can also be special-canceled.

 

''Held'': A straight with his left or right arm. While it is faster and deals more damage that Ryu's Collarbone Breaker, it has less range and far less shield damage. It is based on his far standing medium punch. Cannot be special-canceled.

|utiltname=Elbow Strike ({{ja|肘打ち|Hiji Uchi}}) (Tapped)<br/> Upper ({{ja|アッパー|Appā}}) (Held)

|utiltdesc=''Tapped'': The sok ngat{{ref|c}}, an uppercut-style elbow strike used in Muay Thai. An extremely fast and highly spammable move that can combo into itself.

 

''Held'': An uppercut. It grants his entire upper body intangibility from frames 4-10, making it a surprisingly effective anti-air attack and KO move.

|dtiltname=Light Ankle Kick ({{ja|キック|Kikku}}, ''Kick'')(Tapped)<br/> Heavy Ankle Kick ({{ja|くるぶしキック|Kurubushi Kikku}}, Ankle Kick) (Held)

|dtiltdesc=''Tapped'': A crouching, Hapkido-style shin kick. It is extremely fast and highly spammable, much like his tapped up tilt. Any prone opponents will be lightly launched back onto their feet, allowing for longer combo strings.

 

''Held'': A lunging, Hapkido-style shin kick.

|dashname=Tobisokuto{{ref|d}} ({{ja|跳び足刀|Tobisokuto}})

|dashdesc=A flying kick. The clean hit launches opponents away, and can KO near the ledge. By contrast, the late hit is much weaker and launches opponents vertically, making it a potential combo starter.

|fsmashname=Ichimonji Geri{{ref|e}} ({{ja|一文字蹴り|Ichimonji Geri}})

|fsmashdesc=A roundhouse kick. Ken's strongest horizontal KOing move, with the sweetspot on his foot being stronger than the sourspot on his leg. Unlike Ryu's forward smash, it has less range, and does not move him forward as much; it also has slightly less base knockback. It is faster than Ryu's forward smash, however. Based on his standing heavy kick introduced in ''Super Street Fighter II Turbo''.

|usmashname=Thrust Upper ({{ja|突き上げアッパー|Tsukiage Appā}})

|usmashdesc=Squats and then rises up to throw an uppercut. A decent vertical finisher, the move makes his hurtbox smaller while attacking, making this a good anti-air attack. Grants intangibility to his arm on frames 3-6.

|dsmashname=Kaiten Ashibarai{{ref|f}} ({{ja|回転足払い|Kaiten Ashibarai}})

|dsmashdesc=A legsweep. It is Ken's fastest smash attack, deals an impressive amount of damage for an attack of its kind, and launches opponents at a semi-spike angle. However, it is rather weak for a down smash, and only hits directly in front of Ken. It can be special-canceled.

|nairname=Knee Drop ({{ja|ひざ落とし|Hiza Otoshi}})

|nairdesc=A downward angled kick. While weaker than Ryu's neutral aerial, the move has increased range. The strongest hitbox is at Ken's bent leg. Hitting with it will also cause the opponent to slightly shift towards Ken, much like his close, tapped forward tilt. At mid percents, hitting clean with his bent leg will cause anyone behind Ken to move in front of him, allowing for combos into his special moves. It can be special-canceled. Based on his diagonal jumping medium kick in ''SFII''.

|fairname=Tobigeri{{ref|d}} ({{ja|飛び蹴り|Tobigeri}})

|fairdesc=A flying kick. It has a sweetspot on Ken's outstretched leg, and a sourspot on his bent leg. The sweetspot launches opponents diagonally, while the sourspot launches them toward Ken. It can be special-canceled.

|bairname=Senpukyaku ({{ja|旋風脚|Senpūkyaku}})

|bairdesc=An outside crescent kick. Since Ken always faces his opponent in one-on-one matches, one must perform a reverse aerial rush in order to use it for edgeguarding. It can be special-canceled.

|uairname=Front Kick ({{ja|前蹴り|Maegeri}})

|uairdesc=A kick straight upwards. Unlike Ryu's up aerial, it only hits once, and his leg is not intangible. Can cancel into any of his special moves upon hit. Based off of his neutral jumping light kick.

|dairname=Straight Punch ({{ja|ストレート|Sutorēto}}, ''Straight'')

|dairdesc=A downward-angled cross. Against aerial opponents, the sweetspot on Ken's fist is a [[meteor smash]] that launches opponents at a rather diagonal angle, akin to a [[spike]]. It can be special-canceled.

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|grabdesc=Reaches out. Ken's overall grab range is short.

|pummelname=Hizageri{{ref|h}} ({{ja|ひざ蹴り|Hizageri}})

|pummeldesc=A knee strike while holding the opponent in the {{s|wikipedia|collar-and-elbow}} position. Average power, and its lower hitlag makes it faster compared to other similar pummels, being only marginally slower than {{SSBU|Kirby}}. As a result, it is very useful for racking up damage. It is based on his Tsukami Hizageri ({{ja|つかみ膝蹴り|Tsukami Hizageri}}, "Grasping Knee Kick") throw in the ''Street Fighter Alpha/Zero'' games.

|fthrowname=Seoi Throw ({{ja|背負い投げ|Seoi Nage}})

|fthrowdesc=The {{s|wikipedia|seoi nage}}{{ref|g}}, a Judo throw.

|bthrowname=Hell Wheel ({{ja|地獄車|Jigoku Kuruma}})

|bthrowdesc=Rolls backward twice before performing the {{s|wikipedia|tomoe nage}}{{ref|i}}, akin to {{SSBU|Pikachu}}'s back throw.

|uthrowname=Heel Drop ({{ja|かかと落とし|Kakato Otoshi}})

|uthrowdesc=A stretch kick transitioned into an axe kick. The axe kick has a collateral hitbox that possesses impressive KO power against bystanders.

|dthrowname=Tile Breaker ({{ja|瓦割り|Kawara Wari}})

|dthrowdesc=Pins the opponent to the ground and performs a {{s|wikipedia|knifehand strike}}. Ken's only throw with combo potential, albeit a rather lackluster one. However, the actual throw's collateral hitbox deals enough shield damage to break even a full shield, though it is difficult to land due to it requiring bystanders to be directly in front of Ken. Its shield-breaking properties and animation are based on the brick breaking bonus game in ''Street Fighter'', though it also resembles Akuma's Shurettō (朱裂刀, "Vermilion Rending Blade") throw in ''Street Fighter IV''.

|floorfdesc=Kicks behind himself and then in front of himself before getting up. The front hit is based on his crouching heavy kick in ''Street Fighter III''.

|nsdmg=4.5%, 5%, 5.5% (Standard), 5.625%, 6.25%, 6.875% (Input)

|nsdesc=Quickly cups his hands to his side and then thrusts them forward to launch a blue ''ki'' blast from his cupped hands that deals low damage and knockback, and may cause tripping at low percents. As in the original games, Ken's Hadoken is weaker than Ryu's version. Since Ken does not have access to Shakunetsu Hadoken, he can only do two versions of the move: a small blue Hadoken (special button only), and a minutely stronger (1.25× damage) and larger inputted Hadoken (↓ ↘ → + attack/special/side taunt). Combos well out of his tapped tilt attacks and aerials, and is mainly used to rack up damage due to its low damage outputs, knockback and slow speed. Both variants can cancel into his Final Smash. Like in the original ''Street Fighter II'', Ken's Hadoken contains an image of his hands.

|ssdmg=3% (Standard, ground, hits 1 - 4), 3.48% (Input, ground, hits 1 - 4), 3% (Standard, midair, hit 1), 2% (Standard, midair, hits 2 - 4), 3.48% (Input, midair, hit 1), 2.32% (Input, midair, hits 2 - 4)

|ssdesc=A jumping, spinning crescent kick. Unlike Ryu's version of the move, Ken's version hits multiple times, has less endlag, and the grounded version does not grant intangibility on his leg. Also, Ken will announce the move by name whether he uses the input or not (Ryu only announces the move if it was performed via input). The command-input version (↓ ↙ ← + attack/special/side taunt) deals 1.16× damage. Even if all hits connect, the move deals less damage than the late hit of Ryu's version. The multi-hits can also drag opponents offstage at low percents, making it effective against characters with poor recoveries. However, Ken's Tatsumaki Senpukyaku deals significantly less knockback than Ryu's, repurposing the move from a KOing option into a combo starter and combo extender. Any of the hits can be canceled into his Final Smash.

|usdmg=13% (Standard, fast tap), 8%/6% (Standard, mid-fast tap; hits 1/2), 15.6% (Input, fast tap), 9.6%/7.2% (Input, mid-fast tap; hits 1/2), 2.2%/8%/6.5% (Heavy, Standard; hits 1/2/3), 2.64%/9.6%/7.8% (Heavy, Input; hits 1/2/3)

|usdesc=A leaping uppercut. Ken's Shoryuken deals less knockback than Ryu's equivalent and hits at a slightly more horizontal angle. However, it deals more damage and has powerful hitboxes throughout the move (in contrast to Ryu's Shoryuken, which loses strength the longer it is out). Shoryuken can also drag enemies upwards, letting it kill earlier when close to the top. Depending on how long the button is pressed, Ken's Shoryuken will hit a different amount of times: tapping the button fast causes it to hit once, tapping the button at a mid-fast speed causes it to hit twice, and holding the button performs Heavy Shoryuken: a flaming Shoryuken that hits 3 times. It grants him intangibility on frame 5. The command-input variant (→ ↓ ↘ + attack/special/side taunt) deals 1.2× more damage, has 2/3rds the landing lag, and grants intangibility to his arm from frames 1 to 14. Can cancel into his Final Smash.

|dsdesc=Similar to Ryu's version, but with a spinning kick instead of a punch. Ken gains [[damage-based armor]] that can withstand a single hit below 7%-14% (scaling linearly based on number of frames charged) while charging. Ken takes 0.5× damage during the move, effectively doubling his damage-based armor to 14%-28%. Additionally, the uncharged version on grounded and aerial opponents, as well as the semi-charged and fully-charged versions on aerial opponents, launch opponents at a lower angle.

|ci2desc=An outward roundhouse kick, which resembles Ryu's far, held neutral attack. The input is the same as Ryu's Shakunetsu Hadoken: a half-circle input (← ↙ ↓ ↘ → + attack). By holding the attack button, he will cancel it into Inazuma Kick. The Inazuma Kick deals a fair amount of shield damage, making it much riskier to block Ken during his blockstrings. He also gains intangibility on his leg for frames 7 and 8. Works well as a safe combo ender, particularly at the edge where it becomes a powerful KO option. Can cancel into his Final Smash upon hit.

|fsdesc=Ken's Final Smash varies depending on range. At point-blank range, Ken traps the opponent with Shippu Jinraikyaku a furious series of kicks, followed by devastating series of hurricane kicks. If the initial hit some how misses, Ken will only do the first few hits, however, if he hit another opponent during those hits, the Final Smash will continue as normal. At any other range, Ken performs the Shinryuken an uppercut which produces a giant pillar of fire with immense vertical range. If the attack or special button is mashed during Shinryuken the Final Smash will deal extra damage. Ken can cancel most of his moves directly into his Final Smash as well.

===Canceling===

Ken can perform a special move out of certain normal attacks, a mechanic known in his home series as special-cancelling. By pressing the special button or doing the command input after connecting with a normal attack on hit or on shield, Ken will cancel the endlag of the normal attack and perform the move. The normal attacks that can be canceled include the first two hits of neutral attack, tapped and held down-tilt, tapped up-tilt, and proximity forward-tilt, held neutral attack and down smash. He is also capable of doing so with his aerials. Special-cancelling allows Ken to perform blockstrings and hit confirms into Shoryuken for a kill, Tatsumaki for a combo, Hadoken for safety and pressure, and his roundhouse kicks for mixups and KOs at the edge. He can also bait the opponent out with a special cancel into a Focus Attack, further increasing mixup potential.

| dash=1.936 | rdash=38-43

| run=1.76 | rrun=37-41

| walk=0.825 | rwalk=79

| gravity=0.12 | rgravity=15-20

| fall=1.6 | rfall=43-47

 

*Walks onto the stage from some mist in the background, then gets into a fighting stance while saying "I'm ready for ya! Bring it on!" ({{ja|いつでもいいぜ! かかってきな!|Itsudemo iize! Kakatte kina!}}). Nearly identical to Ryu's on-screen appearance.

===[[Taunt]]s===

*'''Up Taunt''': Gives a thumbs up, saying "Yeah!". Based on his ''Street Fighter Alpha'' winpose.

*'''Side Taunt''': Bumps his fists together, holds his fist out, and says "Get serious!" ({{ja|本気出しなよ。|Honki dashi na yo.}}, ''Give it your all.'') Based off of one of his Personal Actions in ''Street Fighter IV''. Nearly identical to {{SSBU|Ryu}}'s side taunt.

*'''Down Taunt''': Does a beckoning gesture with his hand, saying "Bring it on!" ({{ja|かかってきな！|Kakatte ki na!}}, ''Bring it on!'') Based on his introduction in ''Street Fighter IV''.

*'''Left:''' Brushes his hair before giving a thumbs-up to the camera, saying "I did it!" ("{{ja|やったぜ！|Yatta ze!}}", ''I did it!''). Based off of his ''Street Fighter Alpha'' victory pose, which recurs throughout the series.

*'''Up:''' Punches twice, does a roundhouse kick, and raises his fist (similar to Ryu), while saying "Challenge me after some practice." In Japanese, he says "{{ja|いくらでもかかってこい！|Ikurademo kakatte koi!}}" (''Come at me as much as you like!''), his win quote from ''{{s|wikipedia|Street Fighter II}}''. Based off of his victory pose throughout the series, specifically his ''Street Fighter V'' variant.

*'''Right:''' Kicks twice (the first being the Nata Otoshi Geri, and the second being the Oosoto Mawashi Geri) and performs a beckoning gesture, saying "I knew I'd win! Hah!" In Japanese, he says "{{ja|スパッと勝つと気持ちいいな！|Supatto katsuto kimochi ī na!}}" (''It feels good to win a spat!''), one of his generic win quotes from ''{{s|wikipedia|Street Fighter V}}''.

All of Ken's opponents are rivals to the main character of their franchise of origin. Because [[Crazy Hand]] represents the destruction of [[Master Hand]]'s creations, Crazy Hand is encountered in Master Hand's place on lower difficulties.

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|1||{{CharHead|Dark Pit|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Palutena's Temple]] ([[Battlefield form]])||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Dark Pit's Theme}}''||

|2||{{CharHead|Wolf|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Venom]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Star Fox|Star Wolf's Theme / Sector Z (for 3DS / Wii U)}}''||References Wolf's rivalry with Fox.

|3||{{CharHead|Dark Samus|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Frigate Orpheon]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Metroid|Multiplayer - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes}}''||

|4||{{CharHead|Link|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Black}}||[[Temple]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Great Temple / Temple}}''||Represents [[Dark Link]].

|5||{{CharHead|Luigi|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Mario Bros.]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Underground Theme - Super Mario Bros.}}''||References how players can compete with each other in ''{{iw|mariowiki|Mario Bros.|game}}'' It also aligns with [[Sakurai]]'s statement that Luigi could be considered the "original Echo Fighter".<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fccgHnBQ0YM&t=225</ref>

|6||{{CharHead|Ryu|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Suzaku Castle]] ([[Ω form]])||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Ryu Stage}}''||References Ken's rivalry with Ryu.

 

|colspan="5"|[[Bonus Stage]]

|Final||{{SSBU|Crazy Hand}}||{{SSBU|Final Destination}}||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Crazy Hand}}'' <small>(Less than 7.0 intensity)</small><br>''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Master Hand / Crazy Hand}}'' <small>(Intensity 7.0 or higher)</small>||On intensity 7.0 and higher, {{SSBU|Master Hand}} fights alongside Crazy Hand.

Although Ken does not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene, he was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (sans {{SSBU|Kirby}}) when [[Galeem]] unleashed his beams of light.

Ken was one of the many fighters that fell under [[Dharkon]]'s control upon Galeem's first defeat. He can be found in {{b|Dracula's Castle|World of Light}} behind an evil ghost; {{h2|List of spirits (Street Fighter series)|Akuma}} must be defeated in order to reach him.

 

==[[Spirit]]==

Ken's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}}. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Ken has been unlocked. Unlocking Ken in World of Light allows the player to preview the spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. His fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with his artwork in ''Ultimate''.

SSBU spirit Ken.png|978. '''''Ken'''''

===Fighter Showcase Video===

*Ken's Classic Mode route is vaguely similar to {{SSBU|Falco}}'s, as both of their routes fight "dark" forms/rivals of main characters as opponents, and both of their routes have the same opponents in some rounds.

**Ken and Falco are the only two fighters who fight a solo {{SSBU|Crazy Hand}} as their final boss in Classic Mode under Intensity 7.0.

*Ken's showcase of Shippu Jinraikyaku after a successful parry in his reveal trailer is a reference to "{{s|wikipedia|Evo Moment 37}}" (sometimes referred to as the "Daigo Parry"), a famous portion of an EVO 2004 match between top ''Street Fighter III'' players Justin Wong and Daigo Umehara, where Umehara's Ken successively parried each hit of Wong's Houyoku-sen as Chun-Li before following with the Shippu Jinraikyaku to win the match.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzS96auqau0]</ref>

*Ken and {{SSBU|Richter}} are the only Echo Fighter newcomers with a CGI trailer as well as the only ones with CGI footage for their splash art. {{SSBU|Daisy}} did not have either, while {{SSBU|Chrom}} and {{SSBU|Dark Samus}} had only gameplay footage for their trailers and their official artwork for their splash arts.

**Unlike Richter, Ken's trailer can be played on his fighter page on the [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site]].

*Interestingly, Ken's appearance in ''Ultimate'' marks the fourth time in any game where his eye color is blue opposing to the usual brown after ''Street Fighter X Tekken'' and ''Street Fighter IV''.

*Ken is one of the few characters who has a unique line while [[teetering]]: he voices a surprised "Uh oh!".

*Ken is the only character who speaks when he [[grab release]]s an opponent, voicing a quick "Whoops!" ({{ja|やるな...!|Yaru na...!}}, ''You're good...!'').

**Strangely, his [[Star KO]] clip is missing in his sound library, making him the only fighter with this distinction.

*If Ken is set as a CPU-opponent in [[Training Mode]], all three CPUs will always face the player, much like on 1-on-1 matches. He shares this distinction with {{SSBU|Ryu}}, {{SSBU|Terry}}, and {{SSBU|Kazuya}}.

**This also happens if Ken faces a single opponent in a team consisting of two or more characters in [[Team Battle]]s with [[Team Attack]] off, and in [[All-Star Mode]] when he appears.

*A few of Ken's attacks where he uses his legs or feet to attack, such as Focus Attack, are coded as arm or fist [[type]] attacks. This is likely a result of his attacks being copied from Ryu, as many of Ken's leg/foot attacks that are wrongly coded as arm/fist attacks are arm/fist attacks for Ryu.

 

[[Category:Third-party characters]]