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For many, it's no surprise that Ken Masters has returned in Street Fighter 6. After all, he’s Ryu’s main rival and one of the most popular characters in the franchise. The character has seen some major changes going into the next fighting game from Capcom. Whether these are for better or worse is up to the player using him, but he still maintains his aggressive, rushdown playstyle.
Each character seems to do something new and interesting while retaining the combat style that they are known for. What are Ken’s trademarks? Fire, the power of the Shoryuken, and a bevy of frustrating kicks. Here’s what Ryu’s rival can do in Street Fighter 6.
Note: All special attacks are written in Numpad Notation
How to play as Ken in Street Fighter 6
Ken Masters has a brand new look in the latest entry to the Street Fighter franchise, as he is no longer wearing his signature red martial arts gi. Framed for a crime that he didn’t commit, Ken is out looking for answers and justice.
Unlike his comrade Ryu, Ken has a far riskier and more aggressive playstyle in Street Fighter 6. Although there are many changes to his gameplan, these aren’t necessarily bad things. For instance, he still has his Run mechanic from Street Fighter 5.
By pressing two different Kick buttons, Ken will charge forward for a short distance. Depending on what button you follow up with, he’ll perform different moves to attack the opponent.
- Low Kick: Cancels the run
- Medium Kick: Thunder Kick - powerful overhead
- Heavy Kick: Forward Step Kick - can be canceled into other strikes
His traditional specials have returned, including the Shoryuken, Hadouken, and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (Hurricane Kick). At the same time, he’s got some fun returning moves from previous entries in the franchise as well.
The Dragonlash Kick is similar to his V-Skill back in SF5, and is a powerful, mid-range pressure-building attack. Using Overdrive, he can bounce foes with it and start setting up some ferocious combos.
Crazy Kicks have also made a return, with the Jinrai Kick changing depending on the input you follow it up with. In Street Fighter 6, you commit to the first input, then mix it up with other kick buttons as you go. For example, a forward Low Kick has to be blocked low, while the forward Medium Kick is a standing block. The Heavy Kick can be canceled into other moves, potentially making it even more devastating.
Movelist for Ken Masters - Specials, target combos, supers
- Dragonlash Kick: 623K -EX version (KK instead of K) makes an opponent bounce off the ground, letting you follow up with more combos
- Dragon Punch: 623P
- Hadouken: 236P
- Hurricane Kick (Air OK): 214K -Multi-hit version of Ryu’s Tatsu
- Jinrai/Crazy Kick: 236K, then either 6LK, 6MK, or 6HK
- Quick Dash: KK – You can follow up the dash with an uppercut, a Dragonlash kick, or any regular kick for different property moves
- Target Combo 1: MP,HP
- Target Combo 2: MK,MK,HK
- Level 1 Super: 214214K
- Level 2 Super: 236236K
- Level 3 Super: 236236P
How has Ken changed in Street Fighter 6?
One major change in SF6 is that Ken's heavy special attacks no longer light himself on fire. Shoryuken Heavy is no longer a fiery uppercut, which is a disappointing visual change. He can still do fiery attacks, but the actual mechanics to do it has been changed in Street Fighter 6.
Another option is to use Overdrive, but that’s not the only way to actually unleash the inner fire of Ken Masters. While Ken is in his Run state, his special moves are more powerful. So, if you cancel the Run into a Shoryuken, for example, it will look rather similar to the Dragon Punch that we all know and love.
Ken Masters in SF6 is capable of pushing other players around and mixing them up with a number of confounding kicks. He can drive opponents back, knock them down, and continue comboing to dish out heavy damage. Essentially, he’s a more aggressive version of Ryu, with more attacks, tricks, and potentially more damage.
