This popular Street Fighter V character meshes the style of Ken and Ryu, but with an evil twist.

Akuma made his first appearance in Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo as a secret boss and appeared in numerous iterations ever since. The Raging Demon is a heavy offensive character with low stamina and stun power, meaning inexperienced players might get overwhelmed if they’re not careful. His Satsui No Hado and Ansatsuken fighting styles share some moves with Ryu and Ken, although Akuma is far less balanced.

Akuma is often called a top tier in the right hands despite his execution difficulty and defensive shortcomings. Before we dive into the iconic fighter’s moveset, check out New Sage’s character breakdown for everything you need to know about the Raging Demon’s origin and abilities.

Akuma’s Basic Attacks

Every Street Fighter V character has three punches and three kicks ranging from light to hard options.

• Punches - Akuma’s light punch is very fast, the medium is a little more powerful with farther reach, and his heavy has even more distance. It will launch an enemy with the Crush Counter.
• Kicks - The light kick has a little more reach than the punch, the medium hits the knee, and his heavy is very powerful. From a lower position it will knock down an enemy.

The following is a list of Akuma’s moveset. The blue EX box means that there’s an EX version of the move that costs one meter of the EX Gauge. All moves are notated for Akuma facing right. Reverse the directional inputs if he’s facing left.

Akuma’s Throws

Akuma has two main throws. The Goshoha is a shoulder throw and the Shuretsuzan is a somersault throw.

Akuma’s V-Skill Moves

V-skills are unique actions that complement every character’s fighting style. Press the medium punch and kick inputs at the same time to activate them.

Rakan V-Skill 1

Akuma’s V-Skill 1 move is a parry that can be followed up with either a palm strike called Rakan Gosho or a kick called Rakan Gokyaku.

If executed correctly, Akuma can land a full combo for a lot of damage. The palm strike deals more damage than the kick, but the kick puts your opponent into a juggle state. Go for the guaranteed damage when you know it’ll knockout your opponent. Otherwise practice your juggles and go for consistent optimal combos.

Kiai V-Skill 2

The Kiai is a ground stop that will build V-meter as long as you use it. The stomp launches enemies into the air allowing for a follow up via a red fireball called the Sekia Goshoha. The speed of the fireball depends on the button pressed, so vary it based on your spacing and the opponent’s approach.

The stomp will also negate a fireball. 

V-Trigger

Press hard kick and hard punch together when the V-Meter is full to use a V-Trigger.

Dohatsu Shoten V-Trigger 1

This move envelops Akuma with ki. The change isn’t just aesthetic as some of his special moves are enhanced. For example, the Gohadoken hits twice and instead of phasing out, the fireballs travel all the way across the screen.

The Zanku Hadoken can be executed while jumping backwards, and if he lands a Goshoryuken, it’ll have an auto follow up that drives enemies into the ground.

This V-Trigger also lets Akuma use critical arts.

Shiatsu Hasshi V-Trigger 2

This one takes two bars. It enables Akuma to cancel his special moves into EX special moves at the cost of V-Gauge instead of his Super Combo Gauge.

Each of his special moves act as a combo ender, inflicting more damage. Plus, additional combo routes open thanks to extra move options courtesy of the V-Trigger.

V-Reversal

Press all three punch buttons to trigger the Gosenkyaku, Akuma’s V-Reversal.

This move is effectively a reset back to neutral. Akuma jumps and performs a spinning kick that will get him out of tough situations. Don’t waste the V-Reversal. Use it only when necessary.

Akuma’s Unique Moves

Here’s a list of his unique attacks.

• The Tenmakujinkyaku is shared by a few other characters. It’s a diagonal flying kick that acts as a good combo starter. 
• The Zugaihasatsu is a double palm chop that can be cancelled to a special after the second hit. 
• The Tenha is an upward palm hit that acts as an anti-air. It hits an opponent twice if they’re standing and puts them in a juggle state.
• Sekiseiken is a ground chop that can be used to jump over fireballs and also acts as a good combo starter. It’s also good for footsies.
• Kongoken is a one two punch move that ends with a hammer fist. It will knock down foes and push them back. 
• The Kikokurenzan is a double roundhouse kick. It can be dodged easily on duck. It is a great combo starter on stunned enemies or during V-Trigger combos.

Akuma’s Special Moves

Akuma has a number of special moves, many of which will be familiar to series veterans even if the names aren't.

Akuma’s Critical Arts

Street Fighter V has critical arts, which are similar to super combos. They require a full Critical Gauge to pull off. Akuma’s second critical art is only available during his Dohatsu Shoten V-Trigger.

Akuma Gameplay

Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to see everything in action. TrueUnderDawgGaming’s Akuma guide covers every move and includes tips. It’s a little long but definitely worth a watch if you’re serious about playing him.

Akuma Combos 

Take a look at TrueUnderDawgGaming’s combo guide for tutorials aimed at beginners and advanced Akuma players. 
If you’re unfamiliar with the notation, press the “show more” button on the description.