Shippu Jinraikyaku / Shinryuken
| Shippu Jinraikyaku / Shinryuken | |
|---|---|
  Ken using Shinryuken (top) and Shippu Jinraikyaku (bottom). | |
| User | Ken |
| Universe | Street Fighter |
Just like Ryu, Ken has two completely unique Final Smashes.
Overview
Ken's Final Smashes are named Shinryuken, a powerful uppercut, and Shippu Jinraikyaku, a rapid series of kicks. Which one is used depends on Ken's proximity to any given target.
Shinryuken
If Ken isn't close enough to any opponents, he uses the Shinryuken (神龍拳, God Dragon Fist). Upon inputting the command, Ken jumps up into the air with a powerful uppercut, causing a large geyser of fire to erupt around him. Any fighter caught in the geyser will be hit multiple times, before being launched away with great force.
Shippu Jinraikyaku
If Ken uses his Final Smash while near an opponent, he uses the Shippu Jinraikyaku (疾風迅雷脚, Hurricane Swift Thunder Leg). Ken kicks his opponent on the ground several times, before beginning to carry them upward with a rapid helicopter kick. The move ends with one final intense kick to the opponent. Similar to Shin Shoryuken, if the move has enough knockback to KO the opponent, an intense orange background from Street Fighter IV will cover the entire screen. This move will ignore edges entirely, continuing past them even during the grounded section.
Origin
Similar to Ryu, Ken’s usage of two Final Smashes resembles a similar mechanic in Ultra Street Fighter IV, where two Ultra Combos can be used at the cost of damage. The change in animation based on proximity also matches the way certain Ultra Combos functioned if landed with the initial hitbox. Ironically, Ken’s Shinryuken in Street Fighter IV had a proximity variant that led to several kicks, similar to its appearance alongside Shippu Jinraikyaku in Ultimate.
Shinryuken
The Shinryuken is a rapid vertical Shoryuken created and used exclusively by Ken. It debuts as one of his Super Combos in the Street Fighter Alpha series, and has since appeared quite frequently, being an attack in every mainline Street Fighter game.
It also appears as his second Super Art in the Street Fighter III series, and his first Ultra Combo in Street Fighter IV. The move also appears as one of Violent Ken's Hyper Combos in the SNK vs. Capcom series. In Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, the attack is Ken's second V-Trigger. Masahiro Sakurai states that the move's inspiration draws from that of Marvel vs. Capcom.
Shippu Jinraikyaku
The Shippu Jinraikyaku is a a series of rapid kicks, finishing with an airborne Tatsumaki Senpukyaku. It was first introduced as the third of his Super Arts in the Street Fighter III series. It was also seen in Street Fighter Alpha 3 and in Street Fighter x Tekken. It was perhaps made most famous by Street Fighter player Daigo in his EVO 2004 matchup against Justin Wong, a Chun-Li user; in the final match of the 1-1 set, Daigo, with mere pixels of health, parried Justin's Super Art, and won the match by countering with Shippu Jinraikyaku. This moment was even referenced in Ken’s reveal trailer, where Ken perfect shields Little Mac's attack and then follows up with Shippu Jinraikyaku.
| |
|---|---|
| Neutral special | Hadoken |
| Side special | Tatsumaki Senpukyaku |
| Up special | Shoryuken |
| Down special | Focus Attack |
| Final Smash | Shippu Jinraikyaku / Shinryuken |
