Retsu is a previously ex-communicated martial artist who was banned from his dojo for using forbidden techniques. Retsu is much older and wiser than he looks, being one of Goutetsu's dojo assistants and watching Gouken and Akuma personally. He was tasked with locating the two of them as they trained elsewhere, under the request of Goutetsu. When Retsu found Gouken, he had been training in the mountains for 14 days without food or water, a feat only accomplished by Goutetsu before him. This meant that Gouken had reached enlightenment. Retsu gave him a final test by taking him to the village where his parents were murdered. Gouken said he had no intentions to fight them, proving to Retsu that he had passed and became enlightened.
Introduction
Retsu is an aggressive rushdown character, using his high damage and very plus normals and specials to force the opponent to block long chip strings and punishing them when they try to escape. His 4214K Incomplete Spin Kick makes for an amazing combo ender and is plus enough to true string into itself, allowing Retsu to essentially checkmate a round if it gets blocked. His buttons like 2C, 2B, 5C, and 5D all make for stellar close range brawling tools, and while he lacks any throw or overhead to mix with, he doesn't need them as much as other mixless characters do. 214P Retsu Reversal, while not a true reversal, allows him to call out bad pokes and repetitive pressure for big damage. His 236236K Shaolin Special super is amazing to end combos with, when it connects properly.
Retsu suffers from SF1MR system mechanics somewhat, as he has to contend with powerful zoning and superior buttons. While he can infinitely blockstring, it isn't easy or fast, and requires that he still gets in and lands a Tatsu. His 236P Hadouken and 236236P Hadouken x3 are pitiful fireballs, and only really exist to give Retsu an answer to zoning himself by allowing him to delete fireballs with his own. Shaolin Special is a great reversal, starting in 2 frames and being fully invincible for a large time, but it can drop hits or even fall out at longer ranges. This especially becomes an issue with his midscreen super combos, though in the corner this is less true. Retsu is a rushdown character with some decent tools for neutral and defense, but as a reference to the infamous joke character Dan, a few of his tools just don't work sometimes.
Playstyle
Pros
Cons
Simple and Consistent: Retsu is likely the easiest character to pick up and play, as nothing he does is necessarily complex and all of his best stuff is obvious
Offense: Retsu is tied for the 2nd fastest character, and with various buttons for brawling and mashing, he can get in fast and abuse 4214K to close out rounds quick
Damage: 2C links rack up damage quickly, and 4214D is a great and simple combo ender
Chip: Thanks to his powerful infinite blockstring, Retsu can rack up chip or even kill the opponent for blocking a single Tatsu
No Mixup: Throws are not a universal concept in SF1MR, and Retsu lacks an overhead or a crossup. This forces him to rely on chip to make realistic comebacks
Bad Fireball: Retsu's 236P fireball only travels about 1/3rd of the screen, and both versions disappear at the same spacing. Notably, the C fireball disappears before Retsu even recovers from his fireball animation. This hurts Retsu's zoning a lot, leaving his fireball to be more or less a pressure and anti-zoning tool alone
Defense: 214P isn't a frame 1 counter, and loses to lows, projectiles, and the occasional throw. Since 236236P causes no knockdown, 236236K is his best reversal, and it costs meter and likes to drop hits
236236K - Shaolin Special: Combo Ender/Reversal Super
Unique Attacks
N/A
Stats & vitals
Attack Rating = 100
Armor Rating = 100
Forward Walk Speed = 2.7
Taunt = 30f
Quick Combo Reference
Basic BNBs:
2A > 2C > 4214D = 227 Damage
2A > 2B, 2B > 4214D = 211 Damage
2C, 2C > 4214D = 266 Damage
Metered BNBs:
2A > 2C > 236236K = 308 Damage
2A > 2B, 2B > 236236P = 198 Damage
Normals
Standing Normals
Stand Light Punch 5A
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
27
Mid
2
3
3
GA/SP/SU
+7
+2
A quick close-range pressure option. Has great frame advantage for jabwalks and keeping Retsu stuck to his opponent.
Stand Light Kick 5B
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
27
Mid
4
5
5
GA/SP/SU
+2
-3
A short-range poke that shifts Retsu's hurtbox above lows, but that's only where it finds itself useful.
Stand Heavy Punch 5C
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
97
Mid
4
12
4
SP
+10
-2
Only cancels to 236P Hadouken
An active, chunky hit for poking and antiairing. -2 on block is not bad for it with good pushback, and you can link many things from it. It's active frames also make it ideal for being a meaty.
Stand Heavy Kick 5D
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
87
Mid
3
4
19
SP
-8
-7
Air unblockable; Only cancels to 236P Hadouken
Horrible poke material due to bad frame advantage, and it doesnt serve any purpose in combos, but makes for an excellent antiair. It has fast startup and is air unblockable, making it very ideal for catching spaced jumps. It can also cancel into Hadouken for a spinout juggle.
Crouching Normals
Crouch Light Punch 2A
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
23
Mid
2
3
3
GA/SP/SU
+6
+3
An up-close mashing and pressure normal, good for linking into itself and cancelling into 5C, which is Retsu's main linking normal.
Crouch Light Kick 2B
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
23
Low
4
3
4
GA/SP/SU
+6
+1
Retsu's main low poke and confirm tool. Although it has stubby range, it can occasionally catch people high blocking the infinite blockstring, and confirms into 2D or 4124K Hurricane Kick.
Crouch Heavy Punch 2C
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
62
Mid
3
6
3
SP/SU
+13
+14
An amazing quick close-range normal for combos and pressure. Jabwalk 2Cs link into themselves up to 4 times for a high amount of damage, and confirm into Hurricane Kick, which on block starts the infinite blockstring. Retsu can abuse this button whenever he's in on you.
Crouch Heavy Kick 2D
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
78
Low
9
6
7
SP/SU
KD
+3
A sweep for Retsu's knockdowns. Though outclassed by Hurricane Kick as a combo ender, it is a rare + on block sweep that can go into the infinite blockstring. It's hard to confirm this at long range, but this makes for an alright low-range low poke.
Jumping Normals
Jump Light Punch j.A
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
27
High
2
Until Landing
2
N/A
Varies
Varies
A quick and active jump normal with decent range. Good for safejumps and occasional IOHs, and is good at blowing up the bad antiairs.
Jump Light Kick j.B
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
24
High
2
Until Landing
2
N/A
Varies
Varies
Identical to j.A except damage
Jump Heavy Punch/Kick j.C/j.D
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
70
High
2
8
2
N/A
Varies
Varies
A good damage jump in normal. This is Retsu's primary jump in alongside an occasional IOH for character-specific opponents low blocking Retsus infinite blockstring.
Taunt
Taunt A+B
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
-
-
1
-
30
-
-
-
Taunt builds 1 bar of meter instantly, regardless of if Retsu is hit out of it or not, hence the 1 frame startup.
This taunt is alright to stock a Shaolin super, but you sacrifice your up-close pressure off your knockdowns if they choose to quickrise. Nonetheless, this is a great way to help Retsu's lacking defense.
Special Attacks
Hadouken 236A/C
Version
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
A
65
Mid
9
24
28
N/A
-4
-5
C
65
Mid
9
13
28
N/A
-4
-5
A version travels slower, C version travels faster but the same distance. A bad fireball akin to Dan's "Gadoken" in the mainline SF series. This notably does not travel fullscreen and Retsu recovers much after the fireball has already dissipated, making this a sheer block to fireball wars but can't outright win them. The frame advantage isn't very good either, with it being punishable on hit and block at point blank and not too + at far range. This makes it only useful for pressure situations and anti-zoning, however you would rather try to be upclose abusing an infinite blockstring.
Retsu Reversal 214A/C
Version
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
B/D
150
-
4
50
4
N/A
KD
-
A high-damage counter for callouts like pokes or jump ins. It activates when something touches its activation range, but loses to lows, projectiles, and throws. Although the name says "reversal", it's not an amazing defensive option.
Incomplete Hurricane Kick 4214B/D
Version
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
B
37,35,35
Mid
4
3(16)5(10)5
11
N/A
KD
+8
D
37,35,35,35
Mid
4
3(16)5(10)5(10)5
11
N/A
KD
+8
B version has 3 total hits, D version has 4 total hits, always use the D version. Hurricane Kick is the core part of Retsu's up-close pressure. It has a large amount of + frames on block starting Retsu's amazing infinite blockstring, a simple rep would be 2C > 4124D. Doing the infinite blockstring is good for chipping people out and getting them into the corner. It's also an amazing confirming special as it's very fast and confirms from many linking sequences, even off of 5C.
Supers
Hadouken x3 236236P
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
65,65,65
Mid
9
51
5
N/A
-4
-5
Frames 1 through 18 Invulnerable
An incredibly niche fireball super. It's not a single multihit fireball like Shinku Hadoken and Tiger Cannon, which is useless because it doesn't punish fireballs thrown at the same time. It also deals pathetic damage for a super and doesnt knock down, making it awful for confirms. The main use is that it blocks fireballs while throwing one back, but your meter is better spent on Shaolin in all areas.
Shaolin Special 236236K
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
Cancels
Adv on Hit
Adv on Block
37,37,37,37,37,37,37,37,35
Mid
2
3(6)10(5)3(16)4(7)9(6)4(4)2(16)3(16)3
16
N/A
KD
0
Frames 1 through 15 Invulnerable
A very solid confirm and reversal super. Very powerful on full connect, but if it's outside range it's very prone to dropping hits and thus dropping the combo. It is however safe on block but not + on a dropped confirm or the opponent falls out. The knockdown helps you set up a safe taunt for looping meter.
