Akuma (Street Fighter): Difference between revisions
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The '''akuma''' is a terrifying and evil creature of [[Japanese]] [[Japanese mythology|mythology]]. It has an enormous flaming head with eyes like coals. It flies through the air brandishing a sword. Even the sight of an '''akuma''' brings bad luck. |
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'''Akuma''' (豪鬼 - "Gouki" in [[Japan]]), 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, and wears a dark blue gi with the Japanese character 'ten' (天) - meaning heaven - on his back. He wears prayer beads around his neck. He is voiced by [[Tomomichi Nishimura]] in many of the games he has appeared in. |
'''Akuma''' (豪鬼 - "Gouki" in [[Japan]]), 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, and wears a dark blue gi with the Japanese character 'ten' (天) - meaning heaven - on his back. He wears prayer beads around his neck. He is voiced by [[Tomomichi Nishimura]] in many of the games he has appeared in. |
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Revision as of 17:56, 20 August 2004
The akuma is a terrifying and evil creature of Japanese mythology. It has an enormous flaming head with eyes like coals. It flies through the air brandishing a sword. Even the sight of an akuma brings bad luck.
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Akuma (豪鬼 - "Gouki" in Japan), 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, and wears a dark blue gi with the Japanese character 'ten' (天) - meaning heaven - on his back. He wears prayer beads around his neck. He is voiced by Tomomichi Nishimura in many of the games he has appeared in.
According to his official biography, Akuma stands 178 cm and weighs 80 kg. Aside from his physical dimensions, no personal details are known.
Origins of Akuma
The name "Sheng Long" comes from the Japanese "shouryuu", meaning "rising dragon". The kanji used in "shouryuu" was pronounced as if it was Cantonese. One of Ryu's win quotes in the English version of the Street Fighter II series of games said, "You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance". At the time, fans of Street Fighter thought that Sheng Long had referred to a person - the supposed master of Ryu and Ken, and not one of Ryu's moves (the Shouryuu Ken).
The creation of Akuma comes from an April Fool's joke in Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine where the editors claimed that you could fight Sheng Long in the game by not touching M. Bison, the final boss of the Street Fighter II series. Sheng Long would then come out of nowhere and kill Bison, and you would fight him. Sheng Long was supposed to have the moves of Ryu and Ken, but did much more damage and was also faster. 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 series machines, hoping that they could fight a nonexistent character. When asked about whether the joke was true, Capcom did not confirm nor deny it as the sudden infusion of money into their machines was driving up business; Capcom USA was taken in by the gag, and actually contact Capcom Japan and asked if the Sheng Long thing was legit. Only much later was this joke was revealed as such, by Electronic Gaming Monthly themselves.
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 you would fight him, and similarly, Akuma had the moves of Ryu and Ken, and was much faster and dealt much more damage. As many people were accustomed to Sheng Long, many people called Akuma erroneously by the name Akuma Long. The move that was used to kill Bison (the Shun Goku Satsu) was also erroneously called the Bison Killer.
In the beginning, Akuma was exclusively a secret character and final boss, appearing in other Capcom games such as X-Men: Children of the Atom, which is considered the forerunner of the Marvel VS. Series.
Background
Akuma and his brother Gouken, the master of Ryu and Ken, were students of Goutetsu. Goutetsu taught a style of Ansatsu-ken (Assassin Fist), which incorporates elements of karate, judo, taekwando, and koppo, and a technique called Shun Goku Satsu (also known as the Raging Demon), a technique that can kill not only the opponent, but its user as well. Being opposed to killing, Gouken did not teach it to his students. However, Akuma used the technique to kill Goutetsu, and battled Gouken to the death in a battle witnessed by Gouken's daughter (a character Capcom has apparently forgotten) and Ken, who possibly challenged Akuma and was defeated.
Akuma has embraced the Satsui no Hadou, the Killing Intent, to become the ultimate personal combatant, transcending human limits; by the time of Street Fighter 3, Akuma has devised a technique that split Ayer's Rock in half, and can remain underwater, under massive pressure, for extended periods of time, and destroyed a submarine while submerged. He is not a demon, nor is he possessed by one, but the comparison is accurate in a metaphorical sense.
Akuma has a very different moral code than regular people. Although he killed his brother and his teacher, because he did so in personal combat, and the field of battle does not distinguish between friend and foe, he believes he has committed no trangression. Akuma's training comes first and foremost, and he will not interrupt it to warn off unwary passersby (hence the destruction of the submarine).