Kizuna Encounter/Gozu

Gozu

Introduction

“

HAH! CARELESS FOOL!

”

Gozu is a Jaguar ninja with the power of flames, and also wrist-mounted guns. He is centered around strong space control and chipping his opponent down with constant projectiles while running away. If Gozu has his way, he'll be jumping around and keeping his opponent beyond arm's reach, and force them to take risks and eat a bunch of damage just to get in at all. But his lack of reliable combo knockdowns and weak close range options means he has a tough time breaking out of smothering rushdown, and he can also be outpaced in the damage war if his opponent gets a good hit. If you don't mind the occasional long grind of a match and enjoy watching your opponent wade through a sea of projectiles while you happily stay just outside of their reach, Gozu is the man for you.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Obnoxious keepaway and the best Tag Zone camping in the game Incredibly annoying projectiles, including an air fireball Great air to air game Hell Flames stuffs almost every approach imaginable Fast movement and double jump make him hard to pin down	Struggles to combo into a knockdown if super isn't available Poor reversal options; guard cancel doesn't knock down either Close range normals are stubby and his few long range normals are bad to whiff

Light Attacks

c.5A

c.5A File:KE gozu c.5A.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 5 4 8 ±0 +5

c.5B

c.5B File:KE gozu c.5B.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 6 2 12 -4 +1

f.5A

f.5A File:KE gozu f.5A.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 5 2 10 -2 +3

f.5B

f.5B File:KE gozu f.5B.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 6 2 12 -4 +1

2A

2A File:KE gozu 2A.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 5 4 8 ±0 +5

2B

2B File:KE gozu 2B.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - L o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 5 4 9 -1 +4

Strong Attacks

c.5A

c.5A File:KE gozu c.5A.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 5 4 8 ±0 +5

c.5B

c.5B File:KE gozu c.5B.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 6 2 12 -4 +1

f.5A

f.5A File:KE gozu f.5A.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 5 2 10 -2 +3

f.5B

f.5B File:KE gozu f.5B.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 6 2 12 -4 +1

2A

2A File:KE gozu 2A.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 5 4 8 ±0 +5

2B

2B File:KE gozu 2B.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - L o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 5 4 9 -1 +4

Weapon Attacks

c.5C

c.5C File:KE gozu c.5C.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 9 3 15 +3 +7

f.5C

f.5C File:KE gozu f.5C.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 9 4 15 +3 +7

c.2C

c.2C File:KE gozu c.2C.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - L o 3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 12 3 15 +3 +7

f.2C

f.2C File:KE gozu f.2C.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - L o 3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 12 3 15 +3 +7

6C

6C File:KE gozu 6C.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M/M o/o 3/3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 9/20 4/3 21 -3 Pop-up

3C

3C File:KE gozu 3C.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - L/L o/o 1/3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 7/21 4/3 15 +3 +7

Jumping Attacks

j.A

j.A File:KE gozu j.A.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - H o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 4 - - - -

j.B

j.B File:KE gozu j.B.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - H o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 3 25 - - -

j.6A

j.6A File:KE gozu j.6A.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - H o 2 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 4 11 - - -

j.6B

j.6B File:KE gozu j.6B.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - H o 2 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 4 6[3+3] - - -

j.C

j.C File:KE gozu j.C.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - H o 3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 6 5[3+2] - - -

j.6C

j.6C File:KE gozu j.6C.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - H/H o/o 1/3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 4/10 3/5[3+2] - - -

Universal Mechanics

3+A

3+A File:KE gozu 3+A.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - L o 2 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 8 18 13 -1 +3 Pursuit

B+C

B+C File:KE gozu B+C.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - H x 3L Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 13 11 18 -11 +3 Best: B-1F/H+13F

GC

GC File:KE gozu GC.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M - 1/1/3L Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 6/13/20 4/3/3 30 -12 +2 Mediocre guard cancel with quick startup and lame range with no knockdown.

Special Moves

Mash A

Furnace Blast Mash A File:KE gozu Mash A.png File:KE gozu Mash A 236A.png 236A Follow-up 236A Follow-up

Normal Damage Guard Cancel Level - M/M/M - 1/1/3L Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 5/12/19 4/3/3 30 -12 +2 Short ranged mash move that can combo from lights. You’re able to move during the strikes, so you want to move forward to stay in range for the followup. Follow-up 236A Damage Guard Cancel Level - L - 3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv - 6 14 -1 +3 Forward moving low palm strike. There is no high-hitting equivalent to this so it has little mixup potential. However the frames are quite good on hit and also on block, so if spaced right you can annoy people with this during pressure.

[2]8A

Mad Bull Blast [2]8A File:KE gozu 28A(body).png Pose Pose File:KE gozu 28A(projectile).png Fire Fire

Body Damage Guard Cancel Level - M - 3S Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 15 6[2+2+2] 104 -70 Pursuit OK KD Rank A projectile. Gozu poses and disappears, spawning a large advancing wall of flames on both sides of himself before reappearing. These eat through projectiles, but go slow enough that they’re fairly easy to dodge. Gozu can’t be hit until he reappears, and the initial explosion has a large hitbox for stuffing incoming attacks but the recovery is easy to punish. The OTG only comes into play if the opponent is hit by the initial explosion and the wall of flames hits them while they’re down. Projectile Damage Guard Cancel Level - M/M - 3S Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 23/23 - [15] -52 Pursuit OK KD Pursuit At max spacing: Attack level drops from 3 to 2, frame data is B-2F/H+2F.

41236A

Hell Flames 41236A File:KE gozu 41236A(bomb).png Bombs Bombs File:KE gozu 41236A(fire).png :explosion: :explosion:

Bombs Damage Guard Cancel Level - M*4 o 3S*4 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 10*4 35*2/37*2 59[9] -36 Pursuit OK KD Pursuit 8F weapon drop window. Rank A projectile Gozu does a ninja hand pose and spawns bombs that fall and explode around him. He recovers before the bombs finish exploding, and they can negate weaker opposing projectiles. Until the explosion fully vanishes, he is considered unarmed. Camp on their tag point and use it, use it as oki, use it to keep them out, use it to do the dishes. Bombs can be erased with normal attacks. Explosion Damage Guard Cancel Level - M*4 o 3S*4 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 45*2/47*2 14*4 59[9] -17F~+34F Pursuit OK KD

623A/B/C

Flaming Bullets 623A/B/C File:KE gozu 623A.png A version A version File:KE gozu 623B.png B version B version File:KE gozu 623C.png C version C version

623A Damage Guard Cancel Level - M*3 o 3S*3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv A 17/22/27 - A 54 A +2 A +3 623B Damage Guard Cancel Level - M*3 o 3S*3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv B 17/24/31 - B 62 B -2 B -1 623C Damage Guard Cancel Level - M*3 o 3S*3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv C 17/25/33 - C 68 C -6 C -5 9F weapon drop window. All versions are Rank C projectiles. Three gunshots that can go in any one of three directions: straight forward, diagonally up, and almost straight up. Normals and weak projectiles can destroy these, so they’re mostly for chip damage or just occupying screen space.

[2]8C

Killer Claws [2]8C File:KE gozu 28C.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - H o 1 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 57 16 or 20 (10) -10 Pursuit OK KD 9F weapon drop window. Active frame is when 16F is zoomed in and 20F is when zoomed out. Gozu disappears before dropping down on his opponent with a large claw attack. This hits overhead, but is slow and can be throw punished on block pretty much every time.

jW.4C

Rolling Talon Shredder jW.4C File:KE gozu jW.4C.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 2 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 19(24) - (13) -21 Pursuit OK KD Worst: B-21F Shared ninja walldive. Unsafe and slow, so this tends to get you killed more than anything else.

214C

Thundering Heaven Blast 214C File:KE gozu 214C.png	Damage Guard Cancel Level - M*5 o 3*5 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 13/17/21/25/29 1*5 55(9) -36 Knockdown Pursuit 8F weapon drop window. When the 5th attack whiffs, B-40F Shared ninja Kano ball. Rather than speed forward like Mezu, Gozu goes forward before going diagonally upwards at a middling pace. This one is really bad and only combos when super close. Avoid using it if you can.

236C

Crescent Moon 236C (Air OK) File:KE gozu 236C.png Ground version Ground version File:KE gozu j.236C.png Air version Air version

Ground Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 11 - 51[14] -11 -7 Rank B projectile Shared ninja projectile. Nothing too special, but it’s the only thing that will reliably combo off of 2C at most ranges if you don’t have your super available. You are forced into your unarmed moveset until the projectile dissipates. Air Damage Guard Cancel Level - M o 3 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 7 - [16] - - Pursuit Rank B projectile Diagonal downwards air fireball. This has a pretty nice hitbox and doesn’t change your momentum at all, so it’s easy to just throw out for runaway or approaching or whatever. Very nice move. Similar to his other projectiles, Gozu is forced to use his unarmed moveset until this projectile is gone so he can’t throw a ground fireball after landing.

Desperation Moves

632146A

Jaguar Assault Attack 632146A File:KE gozu 632146A.png

Damage Guard Cancel Level - M*8 - 2*8 Startup Active Recovery Block Adv Hit Adv 12/18/24/30/36/42/48/54 2*8 35 -24 Pursuit OK KD Pursuit Punch mash move but it’s a super. Great range (albeit less than Mezu’s super) so you can combo into this off of most chains. Like Mezu, the knockdown leaves them vulnerable to OTGs, but the only OTG Gozu can get is another super. Just don’t use it outside of combos because its recovery is awful.