Shun Goku Satsu

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Shun Goku Satsu (瞬獄殺, literally: Instant Hell Murder, a.k.a. The Raging Demon) is a powerful super move in the Street Fighter series of fighting games. It is a secret technique of Ansatsuken, the martial art practiced by Ryu, Ken, and Akuma.

In the series, it is normally only found in Akuma and Evil Ryu's moveset, although non-canonically it can also be performed by Sakura in Rival Schools (although this one translates to Spring Hell Murder), the Marvel vs. Capcom series (as Sunburned Sakura) and SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium; Rogue in X-Men vs. Street Fighter (after performing the Goodnight Sugar on Akuma); and God Rugal in Capcom vs. SNK 2. In Capcom's ongoing storyline, Akuma canonically is the only person alive who knows how to perform it. Evil Ryu can also perform the move, but didn't use it during his only canonical appearance.


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[edit] Performance Rules

The Shun Goku Satsu is typically a Level 3 super move (although it was a level 1 in XvSF); still, it usually fits the strictest requirements to be performed that the game's system can usually provide for any super. In SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom, for example, it requires a less than half-full lifebar, and is performed (using fighting game notation) by pressing LP, LP, →, LK, HP in every game except Street Fighter Alpha (where the final button press is not performed), SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium, where it uses a charge motion similar to Bison's super version of the Psycho Crusher and Street Fighter III Second Impact, where it is activated by pressing LP, →, LK, HP.

It is the most notable example of a button press super move, in which the super move is performed using a sequence of button presses and joystick taps, rather than the conventional joystick movement followed by a button press.

[edit] Similar Moves

Several other moves by other characters use the same button press for their super moves that are similar to the Shun Goku Satsu: Morrigan's Darkness Illusion and Blue Mary's M. Dynamite Swing (in The King of Fighters 2001) are notable examples. Another notable example is Dan's Otoko Michi, itself a parody of the Shun Goku Satsu, which is performed by executing the Shun Goku Satsu sequence in reverse, and consequently the user is dealt a large amount of recoil damage in the process; in Pocket Fighter, Dan has a second parody of the move, called the Jun Koku Satsu, where he summons the ghost of his father to deliver a Shun Goku Satsu move to his opponent. The kanji that appears for defeating an enemy with the Jun Koku Satsu means "father." In the Street Fighter EX series, Kairi has a similar move, in which after the screen goes black, a circle of kanji appears after each hit, and shows Kairi screaming and holding his head when completed. In Rival Schools, Sakura uses a move called "Shun Goku Satsu"; the first kanji is different, though, as is the effect. Three characters (Kakyoin, Iggy and Pet Shop) in the fighting games based on the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, also made by Capcom, each have a super that has a similar button press and attack animation to the Shun Goku Satsu (a glide forward, a grab of sorts, and the special activating). In Eternal Fighter Zero, the character Akane Satomura uses a spin-off of the move as her Final Memory, called Unpleasant Hell Murder. In The King Of Fighters 2001, Yuri Sakazaki has a very similar, if not identical move, save the gliding bit. The input required for it is also the same.

[edit] Effect

It is one of Akuma's most powerful attacks and often the most damaging super move in the series. However, it is slow and can easily be evaded by a skilled opponent. Usually the Shun Goku Satsu does 15 hits, but in Capcom vs. SNK 2, Shin Akuma's Shun Goku Satsu does 33 hits, and is also faster, making it harder to avoid.

There is very little deviation in how the Shun Goku Satsu has been depicted in the series. The move starts with Akuma gliding toward his opponent as if he were teleporting, but instead of passing through the opponent, if he connects, he grabs them and the screen is obscured. For a few seconds, the only things visible are several flashes. Finally, the screen returns to normal and Akuma is left standing over his unconscious victim. However, in Pocket Fighter, if the move is executed manually (as opposed to using the shortcut command), the animation will be different; the screen goes black instead of white, and there are momentary flashes of Akuma actually attacking his opponent with planks, hammers and other non-conventional weapons.

The kanji for Heaven, ten (天), glows red on his back, which is turned toward the screen. In Capcom vs. SNK 2, as Shin Akuma, the kanji at the back of Shin Akuma's gi is kami (神), which stands for god, superimposed over the kanji hito (人) which means person (possibly expressing the idea of a "person" who has become a "god"), and it glows white while Akuma has his back turned, and bright yellow at the Shun Goku Satsu aftermath. Evil Ryu's aftermath consists of the kanji metsu (滅), which means destruction.


Outside of Japan, fans misinterpreted, due to one of Gouki's ending speeches ingame, that during the Shun Goku Satsu the martial artist drags his victim to the Netherealm (Hell) where their bodies are both burned and simultaneously attacked by demons. Further speculation as resulting from the misinterpretation led to the following fictive non-canon description of the move;

"The ferocity with which these demons attack depends on the amount of negative karma an individual has accrued over his lifetime. As a result, the martial artist performing the technique also puts his life in jeopardy. Even the innocent are not afforded any safety from a successfully performed Shun Goku Satsu, although they'll only be attacked for a short time before they'll go to Heaven if the victim is a good person (he does not have to necessarily be a saint). Against pure evil, this attack can be devastating, since all bad people go to the Netherealm to burn for eternity, even though the demons only attack the person for a short time. The only way to defend against it is by clearing the mind of all desire, guilt, hatred, and anger. Gen was able to survive the Shun Goku Satsu in this way."

The actual speech that was misinterpreted, was simply of one Gouki describing how a soul meets punishement in (buddhist) hell,Naraka. Where a soul is attacked over and over again by the demons in hell depending on their sins.

In canon texts, it is understood that the dangers are not from "demons', but that if the user cannot control the Satsui no Hadou within himself when performing the move, he will go berserk. There is completely no indication that the Sun Goku Satsu is a move that brings the user and victim to hell.

- Ingame, there is an introduction where Gen blocks all of Gouki's Shun Goku Satsu instead of receiving it but surviving it.

- Non-canon Street Fighter Zero Manga shows Guy blocking Ryu's Satsui No Hadou as a Physical move.

- In Non-Canon Masahiko Nakahira's Street Fighter III: Ryu Final vol. 2 manga the nature of the Shun Goku Satsu is revealed. It is apparently a flurry of punches hitting into the body of an opponent, each punch releasing the force of a "Hadou-Ken" wave dealing internal damage. The flurry of fists concludes with one final deathblow bursting through the opponent's chest thereby killing them. Ryu is able to resist Akuma's Raging Demon attack by willingly impaling himself on the deathblow fist.

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In the games, the amount of damage inflicted by the Shun Goku Satsu is consistent between characters and is unblockable if it connects. Effectively, the move is considered a throw super move.[citation needed]

Normally, throws and grabs cannot be comboed into, but in the Street Fighter III series, the player can combo a Shun Goku Satsu after hitting the opponent with a far roundhouse kick. In the Street Fighter III series, the turned-around state is introduced. It refers to a certain kind of hit stun in which the attacked opponent faces away from the attacker. This new turned-around state puts the opponent in a hit stun that takes longer to recover from, and only in the Street Fighter III series can Akuma combo into the Shun Goku Satsu after hitting the opponent with far HK.

Gouken excluded this move from his school (alongside other life-threatening moves) since he was against killing. He taught this move to neither Ryu nor Ken due to the high risks of using it and since Shun Goku Satsu was deemed a life-threatening move in his school.

[edit] Trivia

  • In the video game Ōkami, which is published by Capcom, Mrs. Orange creates some cherry cakes using the Shun Goku Satsu, with a different ending kanji.
  • In Capcom vs. SNK 2, the kanji on Akuma's back after the Shun Goku Satsu isn't always red. The color is sometimes dependent on the color of Akuma's hair. For example, an Akuma with blue hair will display a blue kanji. In Street Fighter 3 the kanji is yellow with Akuma's LP + MK + HP, color. However, it is still red even with Akuma's medium kick button sprite, which has white hair.
  • In Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, when the Shun Goku Satsu is executed by Cyber Akuma to finish an opponent off, its name appears on screen as "Shining Gou Shock".
  • The final boss of Mega Man Zero 3, Omega Zero, bears an attack with the same name.

[edit] See also