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Hokutomaru overview & gameplay guide

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Character specification

Character story

Andy Bogard and Mai Shiranui's young pupil. After the previous tournament, Hokutomaru traded his home in the mountains for the bustling metropolis that is South Town—with Terry's help, that is. Despite having to grapple with the ups and downs that is "life in the city," the fledgling Shiranui fighter spends a great deal of time wondering how to use his abilities to help those around him. With the latest tournament now close at hand, Hokutomaru decides it’s the perfect opportunity to see how he has grown.

Difficulty

MEDIUM
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Fighting Style

Koppo & Shiranui ninjutsu

Hokutomaru icon

Hokutomaru Gameplay Trailer

PDF Command List

Hokutomaru

Arcade Style + Smart Style
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Gameplay Overview

Hokutomaru is about what you expect a kid ninja to be: short, nimble and really annoying. With a moveset tailored to fast hit-and-run play, his style is to whittle opponents down, both physically and mentally, by just barely staying out of opponents' reach while he attacks from all angles.

Hoku has more options for mobility than any other character in the game. Not only does he move fast along the ground, having great walk and run speeds plus great burst movement like a slide and Zan'ei Ken (236P) - but he's even more mobile in the air. When he takes to the sky, he has a double jump, air stalls, teleports, lots of air-to-airs, and more; with so many ways around the screen, it's almost impossible to keep him out. As quickly as he can move in, he's rarely in a rush to do so, as he can combine his Shurikens (214A/B/C/D) with his air mobility to zone and stall out his adversary, punishing over-extensions when they get frustrated; with all this plus a 4-frame 2A and ridiculous REV Blow, there's no better character at defending a life lead.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows for the kid, though. Due to his lack of meterless reversal and poor Guard Cancel options, Hoku is at the opponent's mercy in disadvantage. When he's on the backpedal, he has to either wait out the opponent's pressure, or take a big gamble on a reversal super if he has one available. Not even REV Blow is a reliable answer, as it's punishable on block unlike with other characters. If Hoku's caught being reckless and catches a stray hit or has his air approach stuffed, he could end up in big trouble.

Getting in on this short character can be quite the tall task, though. As long as he can stay out of his opponent's reach, he'll be the one dictating the pace of the match, from anywhere on the screen. He's great for players who like being annoying and waging mental warfare. Not a good character for beginners, though, as nothing he has is really abusable; Hoku players will need to get a feel for his mobility options and quirky moves to make him truly shine.

Pros & Cons

thumb_up PROS

  • Short King of the Sky: Anti-airing Hokutomaru is no easy feat - he has an abundance of aerial maneuvers to stay just outside the range of most character's preferred anti-airs and the means to punish them heavily should they attempt and fail. If the opponent wises up to Hokutomaru's tricks and starts respecting his air options, then they have effectively given the little ninja carte blanche to apply as much hop and jump pressure as he wants, now knowing his opponent is too scared to challenge.
  • High Mobility: Hokutomaru has the most mobility options in the cast including: fast walk and run speed, a double jump, numerous air stall options, teleports, and command hop specials.
  • Flexible Neutral: Between having fast movement and projectiles that can cover any angle - Hokutomaru can seamlessly transition between both fast rushdown or defensive zoning easily. These qualities help him hold his own in any matchup as it is hard to both chase after him and keep him out.
  • Rev Blow Spammer: Hokutomaru's Rev Blow is notoriously hard to deal with, as it comes out in 18 frames, making it difficult to counter on reaction. However, even beyond being a good defensive option, Hokutomaru's double Rev Blow Command Combo is an incredibly cheap way to deal good damage, secure a hard knockdown, and generate insane amounts of meter.
  • Privileged Crouch Jab: Hokutomaru's 2A comes out in 4 frames regardless of how close he is to the opponent, which gives him the ability to mash out of pressure situations that most other characters can't.

thumb_down CONS

  • No Meterless Reversal: Hokutomaru has no meterless invincible reversal, which means he has to make do with his grounded REV Blow if he wants to bulldoze through offense. Rev Blows are armored from frame 2 so they lose to meaties, high dodge attacks, throws, supers, and opponents' own Rev Blows that are executed later.
  • Unsafe Rev Blow: While it has better reward if it hits thanks to his Command Combo (CD > j.CD), it's only available during S.P.G. and is also one of the few Rev Blows punishable on block (-6).
  • Slow Meterless Specials: Having slow meterless specials results in poor meterless guard cancel options compared to other characters.

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