DBFZ/Goku

From Dustloop Wiki

Overview

Overview

Goku (also referred to as Base Goku or Baseku) is a shoto Short for "Shotokan" A character archetype defined by being similar in some way to Ryu from Street Fighter. Shotos usually have a horizontal fireball, an invulnerable reversal, and a forward moving special move. and grappler hybrid, in a sense. He has a plethora of neutral tools with which to control the screen, such as his vertical 2S ki blasts and his tracking Spirit Bomb, and he boasts oppressive strike/throw mix using his lightning fast Back Throw whenever he makes his way in. Although his tools are quite well rounded and easily comparable to his Super Saiyan counterpart, they're a bit trickier to use to their full potential or otherwise loaded with specific quirks. A couple examples are his Super Spirit Bomb level 3, which cannot be used traditionally, or his Kamehameha which has vastly different properties compared to other beams. The most noticeable caveat in playing him is the fact that he relies mainly on ki blasts for space control and he doesn't have any good tools for moving forward. Because Superdash exists and ki blast invulnerable options are also getting rather common, Baseku has to play very careful and strategic neutral to keep his opponents sitting still long enough for him to get in.

However, in the hands of a skilled player, Goku can still get the job more than done thanks to his versatility and damage output. Through universal movement and a variety of moves for any situation, Baseku can hold his own in neutral against anyone. His command grab helps him crack open patient opponents or condition them into hanging themselves, while his advanced combo routes help him chew out characters even without spending any meter when he lands the hit. His Spirit Bomb is one of the best all-purpose special moves in the game, requiring a charge to be used but going up to 3 levels and building unholy amounts of meter for him. Most interestingly, his Kaioken X3/X20 super gets stronger with each of his allies that are downed, enhancing his value as a support character and making him one of the best comeback machines in the game.... and lastly, his A assist is extremely good and solidifies Goku an excellent addition to your team. Ultimately, Goku is easy to learn and hard to master, with a diverse toolkit that needs some labbing to put to its max efficiency.
Goku


DBFZ Goku Portrait.png
Fastest Attacks
5L/2L (6f)
Reversals
236M/H (f4); Kaioken (f5)

 Goku is a quirky support character whose numerous tricks amount to massive damage, and gets even stronger with every fallen ally.

Pros
Cons
  • Absurd Damage: Baseku boasts abnormally high reward off every starter you could think of. This makes contesting him riskier than other characters.
  • Screen Control: Baseku is able to control the screen better than most from far away, through tools like 5S, 2/3SS, his beam and Spirit Bomb. 236H easily shuts down any reckless approaches.
  • Great Supers: Baseku sports some of the best Supers in the game. Kaioken is extremely flexible and serves many roles, such as being a safe DHC or being the only Level 2 in the game that can give Hard Knockdown at x20. His Level 3 is among the top 3 most damaging.
  • Comeback Machine: Since he gets stronger with each fallen ally, Baseku is well-known as a robbery character. He is possibly the biggest beneficiary of Limit Break.
  • Stubby Buttons: In contrast to his great fullscreen presence, Baseku's normals are quite small and his only good advancing special is 236H. This makes navigating the midrange difficult with him - he needs to be very deliberate with how he gets in.
  • Execution-Heavy: Despite his accessible foundation, Baseku needs a lot of experience and labbing to be able to exploit his strengths to the fullest.
  • Bad Defense: Although he has a frame 4 reversal, it's less reliable than others of the same type, especially if he's cornered. His Level 3 is also punishable in situations where no other Lv3 is, or it's just less rewarding in general.
  • Low Class Saiyan Warrior: Baseku overall plays a more honest neutral game compared to the current meta, compensated for only through his insane damage. He struggles a lot against top tiers as they tend to do what he can and more.

Normal Moves

5L

Version Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
5L 400 All 6 3 13 -4
5LL 700 All 7 3 18 -5
5LLL 1000 All U3+ 15 3 26 -4
5L

Standard jab shared among all of the Gokus. It has less active frames and more recovery frames than his SS and Blue counterparts, making it overall worse. Though you likely won't notice.


5LL

Great button all-around. Its extremely fast speed lets you delay cancel into it very late during pressure and still frametrap. That coupled with how far forward it advances and how high it reaches, makes it a good panic mash during scrambles.

This button launches, which makes combo strings like 5LL > 5M > 2M impossible to land. Hence, you should pretty much always follow it up with 2M.


5LLL

Really good range and is Goku's most used combo extender. This move also true strings into 236S and Vanish on block, which helps his pressure situationally.

Gigantic disjointed hitboxes that hit both sides, which can be terrifying when mashed during scrambles. Actual hitbox: Click.

  • Wall bounces on Smash hit.

5M

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
700 All 9 3 18 -5

Fairly standard 5M. Its range is very short, but it's fast in startup and recovery and it serves as a pretty good pressure reset point.

Keeps the opponent standing if they haven't been launched yet, which is helpful for routing into 5H for his more advanced combos.

5H

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
850 All U1 14 4 20 -8

Standard 5H. EZ bake frametrap from 5L and consistent anti-reflect after any button. Great combo and blockstring filler as it can lead to rejumps midscreen and loops in the corner.

  • Smash hit wall splats.

5S

(Hold OK)

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
300×6 All 13 25 -4

Staple neutral tool to harass opponents with from far away. Can be repeated up to 6 times. It's recommended to fire only 2-3 ki blasts at a time so you can react with 2H if the opponent decides to SD through them. However, landing all 6 ki blasts wallbounces the opponent and lets you convert with 236S and/or 3SSS, which nets significantly higher damage and meter build.

Gatlings into 2S, which can extend Base Goku's Ki Blast pressure a lot farther than most other characters can manage.

2L

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
400 All 6 2 14 0

6-frame mid. Like SS Goku, this isn't a low and is merely a stagger button. However, it is a very strong stagger button. Base Goku's 5L and 2L normals are a lot scarier than most other characters thanks to his 214L. Having access to a lightning fast, autotimed tick throw off a 0 on block button like this is one of Baseku's biggest strengths.

2M

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
700 Low 10 6 21 -11

Pretty minus on block for a 2M, but its massive cancel window into moves like 5M or 5S makes this normal go from unsafe to a pressure reset opportunity. Can anti-reflect after 5L and 2L if close enough to the opponent (works best with dash momentum). Launches on hit and is Baseku's overall best combo starter. Do not get hit by this.

2H

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
850 All U1+ 14 3 30 -17 4-15 Head

Universal anti-air with poor horizontal reach. That's about the long and short of it, only really used as an anti-air. Cancel into 236L to stay safe. j.236S[2] to beat out anti-airs or jail into Vanish on block is also an option, but be careful since you'll die if they reflect the beam.

2S

Version Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
2S 700 All 17 29 -8
2SS 700 All 15 29 -8
2SSS 1200 High D1 21 Until Landing 18 -5
2S / 2SS

Baseku's best tool for controlling air space. In neutral, a single 2S is a good way to drag down an airborne opponent as they slightly track within the range you aim it to. You can also use it after a corner knockdown to consistently catch backtech and uptech without worrying about frame 1 anti-airs or reflect, while also being able to Vanish if the opponent wakeup Lv3s. Gatlings back into 2H if someone SD's through it, but be careful about whiffing it as it has very high recovery.

In terms of using 2SS for pressure, it sets up a tricky mixup between his special moves (236S, or 236L which is a ToD starter, vs his command grabs). This is best done from further ranges so that you have enough time to react if opponents decide to SD through the first ki blasts. Using it from far away can also prevent opponents' DPs from reaching you.

  • Can be aimed with 1/2/3S.
  • Whiff cancels into its followups.
  • After this is used twice, regardless of which versions are used, it will transition into 2SSS.

2SSS

Goku's best combo ender, causing a really long sliding knockdown with a groundbounce. It is special cancelable even after landing so Goku can charge 22S and then go for safejump oki, or extend with 236S or 214X before Supers. However, 5H > 2SSS is also used at the start of high-damage cash-out combos or ToDs due to the high base damage.

Can be 2H'd even if 2SS is blocked, limiting its usage in neutral or blockstrings. If 2SSS is blocked, you can continue your pressure into one of Goku's special moves.

6M

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
850 High 24 6 4+6L 0

Universal overhead.

j.L

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
400 High 6 3

Short range air-to-air. Mostly used during aerial blockstrings. Has good reward on hit, but it's best used against opponents slightly above you.

j.M

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
700 High 10 3

Good air-to-air normal. Harder to confirm into a combo than j.L, but significantly more range. Like for other Gokus, this is also his IAD crossup normal. Confirm crossups with either 2M or delay j.S 66 5L.

j.H

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
850 / 1000 High D1+ [D3+] 13 4
j.H

Common jump-in normal and combo starter. Also used for his corner oki. Smash hit causes sliding knockdown.


5LLLLLLL

Dynamic hit can wall bounce. Hits very low to the ground allowing him to pick up off of the wall bounce in the corner with delay j.S5LLL or simply land 2M, though this routing is far from optimal and only for style points.

j.S

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
600 All 12

Great for neutral and integral to Base Goku's advanced combos, as it leads to rejumps due to its weak launch. Fires at a nice angle for controlling space, but keep in mind that Base Goku does not have great answers to Superdash while he's airborne. Halts his momentum when used.

j.2H

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
850 High U1+ 11 4

Main midscreen combo extender. Not really useful for anything else. Adds good damage after Smash is used thanks to being jump cancellable.

Special Moves

Drop Down Shot

j.2M

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
900 High D1 15 Until Landing 76 -16

Used to get a short sliding knockdown at the end of long combos. You'll be using this ender midscreen more often than not. If you reach the corner, however, it's preferable to end with 2SSS unless you want to get as much damage in as possible. Smashless or not, this move has great hitstun and drags opponents to the ground for consistent delay Vanish > runup DR enders to maximize damage.

Tracks the opponent anywhere on screen, but do not use this move in neutral, as if it's blocked it's a free punish for the opponent.

  • Startup is 15F when used in a combo, 25F when used close up, and 33F when far away.

Heavy Elbow

236L/M/H (Air OK)

Version Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
236L 900 All 10 6 19 -5 (forced)
236M 1100 All U1+ 26 8 20 -5 (forced) 4-11 All
236H 1300 All U1+ 18 10 20 -5 (forced) 4-11 All
j.236L 900 All 10 6 19
j.236M 1100 All U1+ 26 8 20 4-11 All
j.236H 1300 All U1+ 17 10 20 4-11 All
236L

Safe blockstring ender that spaces out characters with small jabs, and a solid combo filler. Its speed and low whiff recovery combined with the scaling of a Medium make this a good movement tool and something nice to fish for ToDs with.

  • Charges straight forward a short distance

236M

Decent frametrap. Ground version can be followed up with runup 3SSS on hit midscreen, while the air version gives you enough time to runup 2M (this mostly comes up in scenarios like doing 2H delay j.236M to bait out punish attempts). Far too slow to be useful for anything else despite the initial invuln.

  • Swings back before lunging forward. Air version will descend during the back swing.
  • Ground version causes a wall splat on Smash hit. Air version causes a wall bounce on Smash hit.

236H

The polar opposite of the M version, an extremely flexible move. For one, it's a fast, almost spammable f4 reversal that leads into a full combo on hit and is safe on block. It's also a great tool for converting off awkward hits like Superdashes. The air version also has uses in neutral - it goes farther than you'd think, the weird trajectory it travels on makes it great for catching people off-guard, and it's especially good for catching opponents trying to move in. Lastly, it serves as a very dirty fake crossup tool since Baseku can visibly go over the opponent before reeling back on the other side. Use this move a lot.

Important to note, however, that this move is inconsistent as a reversal since its invuln runs out long before the active frames begin. Sometimes opponents will be able to just mash through it, especially if Baseku is in the corner. Use it wisely.

In combos it can serve as an alternative to Smash 5H for higher damage routes. This isn't often necessary, but still nice to keep in mind for when you really want to squeeze out a kill.

  • Swings back before lunging forward. Air version will descend during the back swing.
  • Smash hit causes a wall bounce.

Back Throw

214L/M/H

Version Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
214L 700 Throw U2 20 1 25
214M 700, 850 Throw U2, D1 22 8 25
214H 700, 1000 Throw U1+ 20 8 19
214L

Fast command grab with okay range, throws opponent behind Goku. 20f of startup allows for frame perfect tickthrow from 5L and 2L. This makes Goku a pseudo-grappler, though the reward on hit isn't very high unless you land it with your back to the corner (it can also be used as a mid-combo sideswitch tool if close enough to that corner).

The most you'll get out of this grab with a Vanish confirm is roughly 2700 damage pre-supers. For that reason, it's recommended to confirm it into a combo that ends with 2SSS rather than j.2M since a Genki charge is worth far more than the 50 damage or so you would lose out on otherwise.

You will get a lot more damage out of 214H, but unlike that version, 214L has no EX flash to react to, which makes it pretty much guaranteed to land against any player that respects you even if their reactions are amazing. Evaluate the tradeoffs carefully.

  • Always causes a corner splat.

214M

Lunges forward about halfscreen before the yoink. Despite it being a little slower than the others, this grab has practically no cue to react to so it can still be an effective mixup, especially at a range (like after 2SS, for instance) due to how far it goes. You don't really want to confirm this with a Vanish since it consumes both Smashes, but you get surprisingly good damage by doing Supers after it, Z Broly style (214M > Lv3 does about 5000 damage). It also has enough untech time to combo into 214S, which racks up its damage quite a bit.

  • UD Smash does a teleporting 2SSS and stays same side, causing a ground bounce SKD. Post D Smash only corner splats like 214L.

214H

Has the same startup as L grab, but the EX flash gives it a cue that makes it reactable (it's not easy by any means, but players with honed reactions can do it). Has the same range as the M version which makes it usable in 2SS mindgames, and also by far the highest reward out of every version, so this is the one you're probably gonna be using the most in pressure.

  • U+ Smash does a teleporting Heavy Elbow that wall bounces. Post U Smash only corner splats like 214L.

Kamehameha

236S (Air OK)

Version Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
236S 1000 All 18 17 18 -9 (forced)
j.236S 1000 All 18 17 27

Can be used mostly like how SS Goku uses it, albeit with a difference being j.236S[2] sending opponents down instead of popping them up. Additionally, SS Goku's Kamehameha is a multi-hit beam whereas Base Goku's Kamehameha is a less active single-hit beam. This means it does not pierce, so opponents can dashblock towards it and protect their assist calls, unlike against other beams.

Has utility as a good cross-up fakeout: jumping forward into j.236S[2] will catch opponents off-guard and also beat 2H attempts, making conditioning easier even against players with honed reations. You get a lot less damage out of this than fakeout j.236H though.

Has pretty strange properties when used in combos. If landed fullscreen away, it gains a lot of extra hitstun, which makes some interesting links and rejumps possible. However, unlike other beams, it will not combo into SD unless it does hit from fullscreen. In the corner, what you get out of it varies based on how you set it up. You can create many types of combos, simple or complex, using this wacky beam.

Compared to a standard beam, Base Goku's Kamehameha has less recovery. To take full advantage of this, an optional but very much worth the effort thing you can do is to tiger knee the grounded version whenever you use it in neutral. This gives it significantly less recovery and might let you get away scot free in situations where you'd normally be punished.

The SKD from j.236S[2] is too short for Goku to solo combo into Supers. Instead it's used for air combo into grounded Vanish extension or into DHC.

  • Both versions can be angled by holding 2 or 8 after the input.
  • Ground and air sideways wall splat on hit.
  • Ground aimed up launches on hit. Air aimed down causes a short sliding knockdown.
  • Jails into Vanish.
  • Cancels into SD.

Everyone, lend me your energy!

214S at Level 0 (Hold OK) or 22S (Hold OK)

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
Total 41~89

Charge the nuke. Simply having a charge of Spirit Bomb is enough to make the opponent think twice about their approach as Goku can easily kill them if it hits while building lots of meter for himself. Charging for one level is relatively safe from far away. Goku can also get a charge after 2SSS combo enders and still have oki.

Each use of 22S builds a small amount of meter, though weirdly enough charging for Lv1 Genki builds more than charging for Lv2 or 3.

It's recommended to stick with one bomb charge at a time since there's almost no point to getting multiple. The 22S that brings your bomb to Lv1 gives you more meter than charges to Lv2 or Lv3 do, and the only extra benefit you get from more charges is a little more damage which is just really overkill. Spend your Lv1 charges without hesitance.

Do not I repeat do not use at the start of a round however tempting it may be.

After KO-ing the opponent's point character with a ground normal (and not triggering any KO cinematic), you can buffer 214S and get one free charge.

Spirit Bomb

214S at Level 1+

Version Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
214S 214S Level 1 1000 / 0,50×18,1200 All U3+ 21 33-50 +3
214S 214S Level 2 1000 / 0,60×24,1200 All U3+ 21 33-50 +3
214S 214S Level 3 1000 / 0,70×30,1200 All U3+ 21 33-50 +3

Fast, homing, high priority, high damage, plus on block, auto-confirm projectile. Really, what more can you ask for? This move by itself makes Baseku significantly stronger, whether it's in neutral, pressure or damage. Really puts that lifeforce stolen from the innocent to good use.

While in Limit Break, having this charged at all makes Baseku incredibly scary to deal with despite the fact that he's by himself because if he has this, any hit will ToD you with proper optimization, and that is not an exaggeration, especially if he has Sparking available too.

  • Has minimum damage of 20% of its raw damage.
  • Special cancelable on hit.
  • Killing with this lets Goku buffer in a 22S during the K.O animation.

Z Assists

Assist A

Energy Shockwave

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
800 All 28 3 48 +37

Yes it has the same hitboxes as 5LLL.

Base Goku's A assist has plenty use. It has lots of blockstun and is single-hitting, which enables all sorts of mixups, including fuzzy mix. The immense pushback can also enable some left/rights. On hit, it will send the opponent flying into a wallbounce, making it a great combo extender. Also very oppressive in midrange neutral thanks to its huge hitboxes surrounding Goku.

  • Hits both in front and behind Goku.
  • Huge hitstun.

Assist B

Everyone, lend me your energy!

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
18 25

Goku appears on screen and charges a level of Spirit Bomb. While he's charging, he will also increase your meter by one bar. He can do this assist as many times as he would like, there's no limit based on his current Spirit Bomb level. This assist also levels up Goku's actual Spirit Bomb even if he already has one charged up, making getting the full level 3 charge way easier.

While not an attack and thus hinders your team by taking the place of a more traditional assist, it's an option worth considering for specific team comps that really need the extra meter. Not only does it build large chunks of meter about every 8 seconds, it also ensures Baseku has a Genki charge when he comes in, turning him into a bigger threat if you enjoy a "save the raid boss for last" kind of gameplan. The assist enables certain playstyles/team compositions who profusely spend meter to thrive, and overall removes meter deficiencies so long it is used every time it's off cooldown. It's very good at what it does, but may leave a hole in your team with the jobs a normal assist fulfills such as with combo extensions, blockstring pressure and neutral. Evaluate the trade-offs carefully.

  • If Spirit Bomb is at full charge, gives 1.1 Ki Gauges.
  • Is not affected by Ki gain penalty.

Assist C

Kamehameha

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
800, 280 33 [20] 17 +32

Goku does a Kamehameha, then teleports behind the opponent to smack them back to the ground on hit. Unlike other beam assists, this does not pierce, so opponents can protect their own assist calls from it by dashblocking. Not the best, but it's an option worth considering if your team needs a neutral assist.

Harder to confirm than other assists of this style due to how his beam is only one hit, though that doesn't say much considering it's still a C assist.

  • Is one of the 5 beam-type C assists that start up on the same frame as the other beams.

Super Moves

Kaioken

236L+M or 236H+S

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
9+0 5-9 All

Ever wanted to create your own Super? Well, now you can!

Kaioken has 3 followups (not counting Finisher) with all team members remaining, 5 with two remaining, and 7 if only Goku is left. On block or hit, any Kaioken followup can cancel into any other, except itself. All followups hit fullscreen, but only 5S and 5L are fast enough to connect after a solo combo in most cases.

Enders can be used at any time but cannot be followed up, even after all followups have been used (for example, Kaioken Finisher can be used as a fourth hit with a full team).

On hit, using the same followup more than once will cause it to be "staled," dealing reduced damage (550). This means to maximize damage, you want to cycle through all unique followups. 5S, 2S and 5H all do more damage than other followups, so you want to at least include those 3 when possible.

The frame 5 invuln makes it a surprisingly strong option to use during clashes, especially since the Super flash lets you see what the opponent committed to and respond accordingly (for ex. if they pressed a button, you can use your Finisher/Level 2; if they reflected, you can use 5H).

As tempting as it may be to use raw Kaioken at roundstart or in neutral, it's generally agreed upon that it's a risky gimmick and a poor use of meter (it even puts you in meter penalty). If you feel like it works for you or you just find it really funny, go for it, but consider the risk/reward ratio and everything else you could do with that meter first.

  • Minimum damage: 18% for all followups including staled, excluding Kame enders.

Kaioken Follow-ups

5L/M/H/S during Kaioken or 2L/M/S during Kaioken

Version Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
Kaioken 5L 600 All UDV 13 -7
Kaioken 5M 600 All UDV 28 -34 5-23 All
Kaioken 5H 700 Throw UDV 27 1-?? Guard All
Kaioken 5S 650 All UDV 9 -31
Kaioken 2L 600 High UDV 22 -34
Kaioken 2M 600 Low UDV 15 10 -34 [-33]
Kaioken 2S 650 All UDV 9 -34
All

Followups are done 3f before time freeze ends. So Kaioken activation > 5L has startup of: 9 - 3 + 13 = 19f.

Activating Kaioken and not pressing any button will automatically do 5L, but it's 1f slower than manually pressing 5L (20f). Mashing L will alternate between 5L and 2L, mashing M will alternate between 5M and 2M.


5L

Basic fullscreen lunging strike. Slightly unsafe on block, but creates a lot of spacing which makes it surprisingly safe to end with. It also opens up the option of using Kaioken as a safe DHC. Confirms easily into 2L and 5S.

Has such crazy blockstun that it true strings into 2L and 5M alike, so if you want to go for that left/right mixup you should do it off a different button like 5S to avoid crossup protection kicking in. On the other hand, being able to true string into 2L or 2M forces opponents to react to the overhead or fuzzy block as they have almost no other escape options.

5L > 2M > 2L then mashing L from there is Baseku's most consistent Kaioken Happy Birthday route.


5M

Switches sides if the opponent is less than fullscreen away. Has invincibility during the roll.


5H

On hit, switches sides and wall bounces. Very long startup but deals the most damage, albeit not by much. Only hits once per combo, like other command grabs. This is the only Kaioken followup that can be delay cancelled from, which can lead to some very funny resets (more details in the Kaioken Finisher section).

Easy to solo combo into in the corner after 5L, 5S or 2L, but requires specific routing midscreen.


5S

Stands still and shoots a Ki shockwave forward. Common starter from sliding knockdowns due to the short startup. Can set up meaty oki in the corner through setups like 2L > 2M > 5S; from there you can catch every tech with a meaty 2SS and play mind games from there.

Stopping early on this button is a pretty safe way to return to neutral if you decide to use Kaioken raw. Technically extremely minus, but it's very difficult to realize Baseku stopped quickly enough to punish him, especially since this move has a lot of pushback.


2L

Hits overhead and won't overshoot the opponent. Vulnerable to Anti-Airs. Due to sharing the same rolling animation as 5M, can be used as some sort of left/right mixup. Go-to Happy Birthday ender since it has the most hitstun out of every followup usable for it and keeps opponents grounded for any DHCs.


2M

Quick low. Upon blocking raw Kaioken, a lot of players might try jumping out or using a reversal. Stringing into this will prevent them from doing so.


2S

Similar to 5S, but aims diagonally. Can only combo into enders. Should be your ender for Happy Birthday routes if you have air-tracking DHCs. End Kaioken x20 routes in 5L > 2M > 2S for the best Lv2 oki (normally +25, this ender makes you +26).

Kaioken Finisher

L+M during Kaioken or H+S during Kaioken

Version Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
Kaioken L+M 600, 1800 All UDV 19 -36 1-22 All
Kaioken H+S Level 1 250×15 [250×14] All UDV 1+3 Total 9+124 -40 1-11 All
Kaioken H+S Level 2 250×20 All UDV 1+1 -42 1-9 All
Kaioken Finisher L+M during Kaioken

Teleports to the opponent and is fully invincible on startup. The second part only comes out on hit, but can be skipped. Both hits can be canceled into Kaioken Kamehameha by pressing L+M or H+S, but only if team members are down. Cancelling after the second hit leads into less damage from Kaioken Kamehameha but fires the beam at ground level, so cancel from the first hit for higher damage or from the second hit for easier DHC.

Can be whiff cancelled into if the last possible Kaioken followup before it misses. For example, with all teammates alive, a string like 5L > 5H > delay 5M > Finisher will make the 5M unexpectedly drop and the Finisher may reset the opponent. Very risky though, as you die if they're ready to block it.

This move beats pretty much everything if it's the first move used out of Kaioken, including Vanish if it was buffered during the super freeze. Vanishing during the teleport will beat it, though.

If Goku K.Os the opponent's character with Kaioken Finisher, he will end in a unique scene similar to the Nappa defeat pose.


x3 Kamehameha H+S during Kaioken with one downed teammate

Fires an upward Kamehameha, similar to SS Goku's Super Kamehameha aimed up.

  • Costs 1 bar.
  • Cancelling from the first hit of Finisher gives a cinematic version, teleporting out of the corner.
  • Minimum damage: 55×15 [55×14] {27×15}.
  • Values in [] are on cinematic, Values in {} are on cancelling from second hit of Kaioken Finisher.

x20 Kamehameha H+S during Kaioken with two downed teammates

Teleports backward and fires a fullscreen-tracking Kamehameha. This causes a hard knockdown regardless of height and gives Baseku solid strike/throw oki: you can runup 3S and frametrap with a 3SS or a beam at any point, or you can use 214x to grab them. The extra distance also allows you to use 236H as a fake-out against opponents expecting 214H. Be ready to 2H if they SD!

An alternative oki setup is to Vanish immediately after the Super. From there you can meaty 2M or go for a solo-comboable 214L. Extra options like a crossup j.M or same side fakeout are also possible, albeit 2Hable with enough awareness.

Hitting this move raw into Super Spirit Bomb is a ToD.

  • Costs 1 bar.
  • Canceling from the first hit of Finisher gives a cinematic version, teleporting out of the corner.
  • Minimum damage: 50×20 [30×20].

Super Spirit Bomb

214L+M (Air OK) or 214H+S (Air OK)

Version Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
214L+M 60×N, 5200 All UDV 7+1 -11 1-End All [1-61 All]
j.214L+M 60×N, 5200 All UDV 7+1 -11 1-End All [1-61 All]

Very high damage, but doesn't combo in every situation that normal Level 3s would. Most notably, you can't combo into it from sliding knockdowns. However, you can land it after an upwards-aimed 236S, Smash 2SSS, Smash 2H or j.2H, 214S (any level), Smash 214M or Vanish into j.236S in longer combos.

In terms of comboing other characters' supers into it, it will work with basically any super you can think of.

Punishable by dashing forward (far enough to avoid the explosion), reflecting and Superdashing. More details on this here.

Can be used against SD in the air, but it's inconsistent unless you react very early. If you're too late the opponent will just SD under you and avoid the bomb entirely. Looks hilarious when it does work though.

When in Limit Break, Goku can combo any Kaioken ender into this super provided he has enough meter. The most egregious example of this is that landing a raw Lv2 into Super Spirit Bomb while in Limit Break is a ToD. But even at the end of scaled combos, using Lv2 into Lv3 adds a ridiculous ~4000 damage, making quite literally any hit Goku lands when he's the last one alive hurt a lot.


  • Teleports up and backward in midscreen before throwing the bomb. If he's cornered and the opponent is less than halfscreen away from him, will teleport out of the corner and throw the bomb back in
  • Minimum damage: ~2080 from a ground DHC. Gains more damage if it hits higher up in the air: ~2110 from Level 3 214S and up to 2144 at the top of the screen
  • Advantage on hit: +74 in the air. Takes some time to fall down afterward, so he's +51 at best after landing

Colors

1Seasonal colors that can be unlocked at different times of the year.

2Special color that can be unlocked on Goku Day, May 9th.

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