Ky is one of the poster boys for the Guilty Gear series and fulfills the role of a simple and well rounded character. In the past, Ky found his ideals challenged after the crusades ended, leading him to contemplate his reasoning and sense of justice. Due to his forbidden relationship with Dizzy, Ky was pressured into becoming the puppet leader of Illyria by the United Nations under veiled threats to his family. Both charismatic and possessing a strong sense of justice, Ky now assumes his position as High King reigning over the land of Illyria. The weight of his position has broadened his view significantly, and he has lost some of his zeal in his ruling years. Despite his kind heart and collected royal demeanor, he still possesses an unwavering sense of justice, and is prone to outbursts of anger and emotion when pushed too far. Some doubt his abilities and think him unfit to rule, but many others adore him for displaying such human behavior. Having used the Thunderseal to save Dizzy's life, Ky takes up his imitation blade, Magnolia Eclair, in GGXRD.
Ky performs best at midrange with a variety of useful pokes at his disposal, but he has tools at every range thanks to his Stun Edge projectiles. He uses his fast and long reaching f.S to tame opponents and threaten them with high damage counter hit combos, and rounds out his spacing game with 2S, 5HS, 2K, and 2D. From well spaced pokes, experienced Ky players can cancel into Stun Dipper to secure knockdowns from afar. Frustrated opponents that jump at him will find themselves dealing with his upper body invulnerable 6P and fast, long reaching 2HS. When he finds himself further away from the opponent he can use his Stun Edge projectiles to harass them, either covering his approach or playing keep away. After securing a knockdown, Ky can safely set up okizeme using 6HS and Charged Stun Edge, then apply his strong pressure game by lacing in low attacks, frame traps, and throws to slowly wear the enemy down. To turn the tide, Ky can use his exceptional Stun Dipper to slide under pokes and projectiles and knock the opponent down, utilize his overhead Greed Sever to attempt to catch the opponent slacking on defense, or spend Tension to use his fully invulnerable reversal, Ride The Lightning. He is a character that can rapidly switch between keeping the opponent away and turning on the offensive. His balanced movepool has a tool for every situation, though he lacks specialization in any one role. While some are quick to assume Ky is a painfully basic character, he has many tricks and tools in his arsenal that round out his game plan. In Xrd Ky was given the addition of "Grinders" (see Durandal Call below) which further augment his abilities. Using Grinders, Ky can create projectiles to augment his zoning game, okizeme, and combos. In short, Ky excels at playing the neutral game, knocking opponents down from grounded hits, setting up safe okizeme, and creating strong pressure.
Strengths
- Strong neutral game with fast and far-reaching normals that reward hits with knockdown and damage, and long range projectiles useful for zoning and anti-zoning.
- Good pressure utilizing many lows, frame traps, and resets.
- Has a tool for every situation, including two strong anti-airs, and two reversal attacks.
- Grinders augment both his neutral and okizeme potential.
- Ease of use and focus on fundamentals make him a great choice for beginners.
Weaknesses
- Unremarkable damage from normal hits with no easy ways to convert to high damage in the corner.
- Basic throw focused mixup, requiring reads and conditioning to successfully break an opponent's defense.
- While he has a tool for every situation, he can be outclassed by specialists.
Durandal Call and Fortified Projectiles
Ky can use specific attacks (5D, j.D, 236D) to summon small floating portals called Grinders that last for 3 - 4 seconds. Shoot a projectile through a Grinder and it will power up into a Fortified state. Fortified projectiles give Ky more versatility in his gameplay. Stun Edges become full screen sword-beams for zoning, Charged Stun Edges become a large, long lasting sword projectile for okizeme, and Sacred Edge becomes a massive full screen blade, slamming the opponent to the wall for combos.