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).

As the more aggressive "shoto" compared to {{SSBU|Ryu}}, Ken shares most of his attributes with some slight tweaks. As a [[weight|heavyweight]] with average mobility, Ken has decent frame data and damage output, as well as a dependable ground game due to his decent [[traction]] and above-average [[dash]]ing speed. However, other attributes are polarized in an attempt to replicate the physics of ''Street Fighter''; Ken's [[walk]]ing speed is extremely slow, and while his [[air speed]] is above average, this is counteracted by his moderately high [[falling speed]] and short jumps. Additionally, he has very low [[air acceleration]], and his [[air friction]] is uniquely locked at 0 while jumping, causing his jumps to follow a fixed "arc" unless the player steers them manually. Finally, Ken's fast fall increases his falling speed by 40% instead of the usual 60%. Overall, this grants Ken effective burst movement through dashing and jumping, but forces him to commit when approaching through the air and makes it difficult to land or move short distances.

Ken's standard attacks are also unique in that most of them (even his tapped tilts) have an increased [[hitlag]] multiplier, often of at least 1.5x, mimicking the impact of hits connecting in traditional fighter games. Consequently, this results in several of his attacks being easier to [[SDI]], especially up tilt due to it also having an increased SDI multiplier, but it also grants the player more time to perform [[Command Input Special Moves|command inputs]] when [[Kara Canceling]] attacks on hit.

Ken's grounded moveset boasts considerable utility. His tapped jab and down tilt both hit on frame 3, making the former useful for relieving pressure, and the latter excellent for extending combos due to its launch trajectory being useful for followups, such as grabs. Tapped up tilt's low knockback, high speed and active frames make it effective for combos, either into itself, [[Shoryuken]], or even down aerial at high percents near the ledge. Held down tilt can be canceled on hit into a special move, making it effective for shield pressure and damage-racking even at high percents. Down smash is very fast and can cancel into his special moves, and up smash lowers Ken's hurtbox while charging and is quite powerful for its speed. Both tapped forward tilt and held jab are altered at close range, both becoming very potent at starting combos into his special moves. Tapped distant forward tilt is an extremely useful combo starter, leading into a number of options, most notably down aerial and neutral air. Additionally, Ken will automatically face his opponent when there is only one foe left (while standing on the ground), making it considerably easier to land his effective ground attacks.

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.

Despite his abundant strengths, Ken has his weaknesses as well, most of them shared with Ryu. Though his recovery travels a long distance, it becomes very short if extendable elements, such as Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, cannot be utilized. Focus Attack requires a brief charge before it can be canceled. Tatsumaki Senpukyaku's long duration and low damage makes it vulnerable to being interrupted by long-ranged attacks, and he can only use it once without landing or being dealt hitstun. Ken's falling speed, low jumps and poor air acceleration make it difficult to recover from below the stage, as Shoryuken's recovery is almost strictly vertical and has high endlag, making Ken's vertical recovery easy to predict and interrupt. While Ken excels at shield pressure, his [[grab]] game is sorely lacking; his throws have high damage, but none of them have effective follow-up or KO potential. Down throw is his only combo throw at very low percents, and the extra utility of his throws (down throw instantly breaking shields, and up throw's kick KOing bystanders) does not apply in a 1-on-1 setting, making them situational.

Although Ken has an overall good [[neutral game]], it does suffer from noticeable flaws. Despite his good frame data (especially for his tapped tilts and neutral aerial) and decent running speed, his slow walking speed and short range hinders the otherwise great utility of his tilt attacks, which gives him trouble against characters who possess [[Hitbox|disjointed hitboxes]], especially when combined with his tall stature. Ken's only projectile, [[Hadoken]], is punishable if used carelessly due to its long endlag, weak damage and low [[priority]]. Aside from the advantages granted his neutral aerial and Focus Attack, Ken's fixed arc jumps make his aerial approach highly committal and thus very predictable. These issues force Ken to play patiently and take advantage of any opening, as he has trouble against opposing [[camping]]. Focus Attack's utility is also match-up dependent, as it becomes much less effective against fast or multi-hitting moves (such as Roy's forward aerial or Cloud's [[Cross Slash]], respectively). Because Focus Attack is also Ken's main method of escaping combos, this makes him susceptible to certain combos and juggles due to his high weight and quick falling speed, and his slower fast-fall compared to most other characters occasionally makes it difficult to land safely.

Finally, Ken struggles to "force" early KOs, as his KO potential relies heavily on executing combos. While Ken does possess some powerful moves, like back aerial and sweetspotted forward smash, these usually require hard reads to land, and most of his other moves have low knockback scaling due to being tailored for combos. Ken's superb combo ability does largely compensate for this, but without accounting for opposing [[smash directional influence]], or without full knowledge of Ken's moveset, setups and combos, he can have a difficult time taking stocks. Ken's multihit special moves can be fallen out of if not used properly, leading to him being unsafe, or even punishable if he is not careful. Finally, the emphasis on Ken's unique inputs means that his non-input special moves have lower power, and a mere slip of the hand can be more detrimental than usual, at worst even causing a [[self-destruct]] while recovering.

Overall, Ken is a combo-oriented fighter with a fearsome offensive potential, as his unique mechanics deliberately give him access to powerful true combos essential to the competitive success of most characters; his ability to trap opponents in hitstun or shield pressure, multiple options for escaping or negating combos, and dependable recovery all make Ken very rewarding and unpredictable. However, his polarized movement, mediocre vertical recovery, and lacking approach make him difficult to play optimally. His high learning curve in particular is perhaps his biggest issue; much practice is generally required for his input specials to use them reliably and consistently, rather than accidentally inputting the wrong move.

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|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%).}}

**{{change|It deals considerably less knockback (0 base/172 scaling → 20/100), which hinders its KO potential, but makes it much better for combos.}}

**{{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|Ken's Hadokens do not vary in speed as significantly as Ryu's do depending on how long the button is held (Light: 0.8 → 0.9, Medium: 1.3 → 1.2, Heavy: 1.8 → 1.5). This reduces his space control and approaching options.}}

**{{change|Aesthetically, Ken spins faster during Tatsumaki Senpukyaku however he moves at the same speed as Ryu.}}

**{{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|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 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.}}

**{{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.}}

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.

 

Overall, much like Ryu, Ken fares much better than he did at ''Ultimate's'' launch.

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

*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}}.

|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.

 

 

|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.

 

|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}})

|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}})

|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}})

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

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

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

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

|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}})

|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.

===Stats===

 

| weight=103 | rweight=27-28

| dash=1.936 | rdash=38-43

| run=1.76 | rrun=37-41

| walk=0.825 | rwalk=79

| trac=0.11 | rtrac=39-47

| airfric=0.015 | rairfric=9-30

| air=1.12 | rair=31-32

| baseaccel=0.01 | rbaseaccel=15-87

| addaccel=0.025 | raddaccel=85-86

| gravity=0.12 | rgravity=15-20

| fall=1.6 | rfall=43-47

| ff=2.24 | rff=66-67

| jumpsquat=3 | rjumpsquat=1-88

| jumpheight=26 | rjumpheight=81-83

| shorthop=15 | rshorthop=60-61

| djump=29.5 | rdjump=71-72

}}

Ken English Announcer SSBU.wav|English/Japanese/Chinese

Ken French Announcer SSBU.wav|French

*'''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''.

SSBUKenIdle1.gif|Ken's first idle pose.

SSBUKenIdle2.gif|Ken's second idle pose.

*'''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.

==In [[competitive play]]==

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''See also: [[:Category:Ken players (SSBU)]]''

*{{Sm|AndresFn|Spain}} - Known for playing all four FGC characters but primarily played Ken in 2021 and most of 2022. He is the best Ken player in Europe and is best known for winning {{Trn|Glory 2.0}} with mostly Ken, defeating {{Sm|Flow|p=France}} and {{Sm|Tarik}} twice. He has since relegated the character to a secondary, pulling out the character to defeat {{Sm|Supahsemmie}} at {{Trn|Tera}} and {{Sm|Bloom4Eva}} at {{Trn|Shonen WAR 2}}.

*{{Sm|Jahzz0|USA}} - The best Ken player in the world since 2024, first known for winning {{Trn|Santa Paws 1}} over {{Sm|Anathema}} and defeating {{Sm|Glutonny}} at {{Trn|Smash Ultimate Summit 5}}. He is since known for many other performances, including placing 7th at {{Trn|Patchwork 2024}}, 13th at {{Trn|Kagaribi 9}} defeating {{Sm|Shuton}} and 9th at {{Trn|Rise 'N Grind 2023}} defeating {{Sm|Riddles}}.

*{{Sm|takera|Japan}} - One of the best Ken players in the world, spearheading Ken's rise in the metagame after placing 5th at {{Trn|EGS Cup 3}} and 7th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 11}} in the early metagame, defeating {{Sm|KEN}} and {{Sm|Zackray}} in the former event and marking some of the best Ken results of all-time. Although notoriously inconsistent since then, he still remained the only Ken player with multiple top 8 finishes at majors, placing 5th at several events including {{Trn|DELTA 4}} and {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 13}}.  

*{{Sm|Vendetta|USA}} - One of the best Ken players in North America and one of the best Ken players in the world in the first half of 2022. He is the first American Ken player to top 8 a major, doing so at {{Trn|Glitch - Infinite}} after defeating {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}}, {{Sm|WaDi}}, and {{Sm|Goblin}}. His other notable performances include placing 17th at both {{Trn|MomoCon 2022}} and {{Trn|GENESIS 9}}, defeating {{Sm|Cosmos}} and {{Sm|LeoN}} in the latter event.

===Tier placement and history===

In the early stages of ''Ultimate'', Ken and his original fighter {{SSBU|Ryu}} had poor representation due to their high technical learning curve and problems with approaching due to their slow mobility and vulnerability to projectiles. Due to the perception of Ryu at the time being lackluster from the nerfs he received from ''Smash 4'', Ken was viewed more positively as he had access to his input kicks and slightly better mobility, though he was nonetheless perceived as a mid-tier at the time. Future patches to both characters granted them noteworthy buffs that enhanced their close-quarters fighting style, notably giving them a retooled jab that became an excellent combo starter and giving them more leeway to input special moves from many of his attacks. Players initially believed the buffs were more beneficial to Ken, as Ken had a wider array of combos and better mobility and damage-racking capabilities compared to Ryu, leading to Ken to drastically improve in representation in the second half of 2019. This representation was spearheaded by {{Sm|takera}}, who finished top 8 finishes at a few majors during this time, and also included a few good major performances from {{Sm|Sandstorm}}, some notable secondary usage from {{Sm|Riddles}}, and several strong regional-level players such as {{Sm|Nito}} and {{Sm|Venom}}. As such, players widely considered Ken to not only superior than Ryu, but also a high tier, with this perception being maintaned following further buffs to Ken in 7.0.0.

 

This perception began to change in 2021, as not only did Ryu receive buffs exclusive to him, but many Ken players also began picking up Ryu as a co-main. As such, the representation between the two characters began closing, which was most apparent in 2022: although it marked one of the most successful years for Ken thanks to strong performances from  {{Sm|Vendetta}} in the first half of the year and {{Sm|Jahzz0}} towards the end of the year, it also marked the meteoric rise of {{Sm|Asimo}}, whose results with Ryu eclipsed all results from Ken players during that time. This was reflected in the first tier list, with Ken ranking 34th as a high tier and two spots above Ryu. Following the first tier list, Ken's results at the top level took a hit, as takera remained notoriously inconsistent and Jahzz0's performances were rather low-key save a few high peaks. With Asimo remaining a consistent threat to place high at majors, the community began believing that Ryu was a better character than Ken. As such, Ken slipped to 45th on the second tier list in the B- tier, now ranking thirteen spots below Ryu and tying with {{SSBU|Roy}} and {{SSBU|Chrom}} for the largest drop between the two lists. Following the second tier list, Jahzz0 saw a more consistent period in being able to place highly at majors, such as his placings at {{Trn|Patchwork 2024}} and {{Trn|Riptide 2024}}, as well as  recent wins over {{Sm|Kola}} and {{Sm|Riddles}}. As a result, some players believe Ken's steep fall between the first and second tier lists should be reevaluated, with some believing Ken deserves to be ranked higher. Currently, Ken is considered to be inferior to his Echo Fighter, Ryu; however, the extent of how inferior is still up for debate.

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.

|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.

|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.

 

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.

{{clr}}

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''.

==In Spirit Battles==

===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.

*One of the gameplay showcases in Ken's reveal trailer depicts him taunting {{SSBU|Zelda}} at [[New Donk City Hall]] before being attacked by {{SSBU|Link}}; ironically, in Ken's home series, he has a girlfriend (who later becomes his wife) named [https://streetfighter.fandom.com/wiki/Eliza_Masters Eliza].

*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]].

**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.

*In the [[results screen]] after a [[team battle]], if the winning team consists of {{SSBU|Villager}} in the front and Ken behind him to the left, Villager's net will clip through Ken's arm.

:1.{{note|a}} "Inazuma" translates into "Lightning"

:2.{{note|b}} translates into "Toe Kick"

:3.{{note|c}} translates into "Uppercut Elbow"

:5.{{note|e}} translates to "Straight Line Kick''

:6.{{note|f}}translates to "Rotating Leg Sweep"

:7.{{note|g}} translates into "Shoulder Throw"

:8.{{note|h}}translates to "Knee Kick"

:10.{{note|j}} translates into "Hatchet Dropping Kick"

:11.{{note|k}} translates into "Big Outer Roundhouse Kick"

[[Category:Third-party characters]]