Bleach: Shattered Blade FAQ/Walkthrough
Version 2.02
Date: December 11th, 2007
Author: SkilletTheWhat
Email: KyleSBowers@yahoo.com
Copyright (c)2007 Kyle Bowers
----------------------------------------------
Table of Contents
1. BACKGROUND INFO
2. CONTROLS
3. HOW TO PLAY (CASUAL AND "ADVANCED")
4. GAME MODES
A) Episode Mode
>EPISODE 1 - ICHIGO KUROSAKI
>EPISODE 2 - RENJI ABARAI
>EPISODE 3 - TOSHIRO HITSUGAYA
>EPISODE 4 - KENPACHI ZARAKI
>EPISODE 5 - BYAKUYA KUCHIKI
>EPISODE 6 - HANATARO YAMADA
>EPISODE 7 - YORUICHI SHIHOIN
>EPISODE 8 - ARTURO PLATEADO
B) Arcade Mode
C) Versus Mode
D) Training Mode
E) Urahara Shop
F) Gallery
G) Options
5. CHARACTER/STAGE UNLOCKING GUIDE
6. CHARACTER SUMMARIES AND MOVES
I.) Ichigo Kurosaki
II.) Rukia Kuchiki
III.) Yasutora "Chad" Sado
IV.) Uryuu Ishida
V.) Orihime Inoue
VI.) Renji Abarai
VII.) Rangiku Matsumoto
VIII.) Toshiro Hitsugaya
IX.) Byakuya Kuchiki
X.) Yoruichi Shihoin
XI.) Soi Fon
XII.) Ganju Shiba
XIII.) Yumichika Ayasegawa
XIV.) Ikkaku Madarame
XV.) Kenpachi Zaraki
XVI.) Izuru Kira
XVII.) Momo Hinamori
XVIII.) Hanataro Yamada
XIX.) Shuhei Hisagi
XX.) Sajin Komamura
XXI.) Kaname Tosen
XXII.) Gin Ichimaru
XXIII.) Mayuri Kurotsuchi
XXIV.) Kisuke Urahara
XXV.) Yachiru Kusajishi
XXVI.) Shunsui Kyoraku
XXVII.) Jushiro Ukitake
XXVIII.) Sosuke Aizen
XXIX.) Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto
XXX.) Grimmjow Jeagerjaques
XXXI.) Ulquiorra Schiffer
XXXII.) Arturo Plateado
7. CLOSING/CREDITS
----------------------------------------------------------------
1. BACKGROUND INFO
Bleach: Shattered Blade is a fighting game for the Wii based on the popular
anime series. While this game doesn't particularly offer an overwhelming
amount of depth, it is a whole lot of fun, especially if you're a fan of the
show. Additionally, the Wii doesn't have have a slew of outstanding fighting
games at the moment, so whether you're an avid Bleach fan or just someone
looking for a pretty fun fighter, I'd suggest giving Bleach: Shattered Blade
a shot.
-----------------------------------------------------
2. CONTROLS
Menu Controls
----------------
A Button - Select
B Button - Cancel
Nunchuck Joystick - Move
+ - In most modes this button will allow you to change your VS. options, but
once unlocked you may use the + button on certain characters in the Gallery
to make them your menu guide (when examining their character model).
Combat Controls
----------------
The combat controls of this game are based on a holy trinity; Stab,
Slash (Left/Right), and Chop (Up/Down).
Move Wii-mote Up/Down: Up/Down Chops
Move Wii-mote Left/Right: Left/Right Slashes
Move Wii-mote Forward: Forward Stabs
As a quick note, remember to keep the wiimote level when doing the forward
thrusts since moving the wiimote too much up, down, left, or right during a
thrust often registers it as either an up/down or left/right attack.
Hold A-Button and...
Move Wii-mote Up/Down: Critical Up/Down Chop
Move Wii-mote Left/Right: Critical Left/Right Slash
Move Wii-mote Forward: Critical Forward Stab
What's the difference here? Well, while they're definitely slower you'll
want to make use of them since not only can they break through an opponents
flurry of attacks, but they can also break through shields also. Another
important thing to note is that directional Criticals actually differ. For
example, doing a critical while going from up to down will result in a
powerful downward chop, whereas doing a critical when moving the wiimote up
results in a powerful critical uppercut that launches opponents into the air.
Hold B-Trigger and...
Move Wii-mote Up/Down: Special 1
Move Wii-mote Left/Right: Special 2
Move Wii-mote forward: Special 3
These are a character's three Special Moves, for the most part they're
pretty unique, albeit not always useful. You can sometimes combo these
in to do a decent chunk of damage. When in Bankai form these specials will
often be more powerful, one is often a cinema special activated by hitting
your opponent with a certain attack. Which special activates the cinema
special varies, some don't even have any.
More useful controls in combat!
Shake Nunchuck Left/Right - Charge Bankai (bottom) Meter (if meter is NOT full)
Shake Nunchuck Left/Right - Enter Bankai Mode when Bankai Meter is on fire.
Joystick - Movement
C Button - Hold in while moving to dash, some characters can Flash Step using
this when in Bankai mode.
Z Button - Guard
2 - Pause
-----------------------------------------------------
3. HOW TO PLAY (CASUAL AND "ADVANCED")
Okay, before you start reading, this section is going to be one big blob. I'll
try to organize it as well as I can, but I'll be explaining more or less not
only how to play but what things to avoid along with some useful tips I've
picked up.
Bars n' Bankais
----------------
First things first, the HUD. At the top of the screen you'll notice two health
bars along with an adjustable match timer in the center. Just below the health
bar is your Spiritual Power Gauge, but since that's a lot to type and it
doesn't help you understand what it means, I'm just going to call it Stamina.
STAMINA BAR - I should definitely cover this as it is a very important
gameplay mechanic. Basically, what it is, is how much you can attack. When
the bar is full you can let loose and combo as freely as you'd like, but the
more you attack the more the bar drops. If you keep attacking constantly your
bar will drop fairly quickly and you wont be able to do many moves, the bar
restores itself rather quickly but in such a fast paced game its wise not to
lest this bar go on empty very often.
There's only one last bar and thats the one on the very bottom of the screen
and that is....
BANKAI METER - This meter fills up as you fight and take damage. It can also
be charged manually by waving your Nunchuck from side to side. Once this meter
is full (you'll know because it will catch on fire) you must shake your
Nunchuck from side to side in order to enter Bankai Mode.
BANKAI FORM - Okay, so you filled your meter and waved the nunchuck, now what?
Well, congratulations, you've just entered Bankai Mode! In Bankai mode your
character either just powers up or takes on an entirely new method of attack
based on that character's abilities. Some characters, like Rangiku, seem only
faster and strong whereas other characters, like Ikkaku, fight completely
differently because their actual weapons change. When in Bankai form your
special moves are more powerful and some are completely different. There are
multiple types of Bankai Specials you'll encounter, here are a few.
Type I - Trap - Traps are probably the least useful since most experienced
players know exactly how to avoid them. Basically, the trapper will lay down
a circle of energy (whether it look like ice, flower petals, etc) on the ground
and if you step into it for more than a couple seconds the special will
activate. What's wrong with these specials is the fact that you can get hit by
them initially but still escape them as long as you dash out in time. Most are
pretty hard to land.
Type 2 - Cinema Special - These specials are normally very damaging and the
damage of these specials can be increased by shaking your wiimote (as if you
were attacking). By doing so the cinema special not only does more damage but
is extended and just looks cooler. Cinema specials are activated by striking
your opponent with a singular hit that starts the special. Some of these can
be combo'd, others do not work as well.
Type 3 - Large Object Assault - Strange name, but I didn't know what else to
call them. Basically, these specials involve a really large creature attacking
you with either themselves or something very big. These specials normally
aren't too shabby since they cover a wide area, put the opponent on the
defensive, and in a way protect you since the creature keeps you safe.
Type 4 - Charged Specials - These specials are immediately cause the user to
stand still and begin charging an attack once activated. If you suspect
someone of using one (Arturo and Byakuya both have them), attack them QUICKLY.
If they manage to charge these attacks fully they normally do on average about
half your health, Byakuya's does even more.
These are a few of the most common ones you'll find.
Bankai Buffs
-------------
There are two main buffs a player can receive when entering the Bankai Form.
Flash Step - Hold C and move around, instead of Dashing your character will
warp around the arena, disappearing and reappearing at blinding speed. Make
use of this in order to dodge, counter, and trick your opponents. It's very
useful.
Super Armor - This means your character will not flinch. If anyone hits you
with mostly anything your character wont budge, and just continue his attacks.
This is useful since it makes some specials very easy to land with certain
characters. Examples of characters with Super Armor Bankais are Toshiro and
Ikkaku.
Note - Be careful around people with powerful multihit specials (like
Yamamoto's Heat Wave and Kisuke's Benihime Slash) as your Super Armor will make
you stand still and take every single damaging hit without being sent flying
away. This means the opponent can repeat this and do ridiculous amounts of
damage to you. Be cautious.
--Tip from Viashino_wizard
Attack Crushing
----------------
This is an attack I've dubbed, I don't really know what the official term for
this is. Essentially, what this is, is crushing the opponent in the middle of
an attack. The Rock/Paper/Scissor principle is in full effect at all times
during this game, not just the Hyper-Speed Clash mode, so if you know a friend
who just loves his Left/Right Special counter him with an Up/Down and break
right through his attacks. This works with Criticals too.
Critical Clashing
------------------
This is as important as the Bankai, as you'll often see these a lot. Whenever
two people clash critical attacks they'll enter a "hyper fighting" mode in
which both characters are going absolutely crazy with their respective weapons.
During this mode a slider bar will move across the bottom of the screen with
a green section in the middle. When the slider enters the green section input
a Chop (Up/Down), Slash (Left/Right), or Stab (Forward Thrust) command. Simply
put, this is basically a rock paper scissors game.
Chop (Up/Down) > Slash (Left/Right)
Slash (Left/Right) > Stab (Forward Thrust)
Stab (Forward Thrust) > Chop (Up/Down)
After all things are said and done either you will tie and each character will
jump back or one of you will win. In the event that someone wins a cinema
will begin in which the victor pummels their opponent. The damage of this
cinema attack is proportional to the amount of Rock/Paper/Scissor wins you
have. Win with just one and don't expect much damage, but win all five and just
watch as your opponents health gets a huge chunk taken right out.
Combat Basics - DO's and DON'T's -
-----------------------------------
1) Hackey McSlasherton (DO NOT) - Upon entering your very first match you'll
notice that just about every character can swing their sword UNBELIEVABLY fast.
While it is tempting to run up to and and nail your opponent with a 30-40 hit
flurry, it's probably the worst way to go about offense in this game.
While the attacks are numerous they do absolutely horrible damage and deplete
your Stamina Bar in a matter of seconds. Also, considering that not only can
these attacks be blocked but they can be overpowered by a single critical, you
may want to limit how many rapid slashes you do.
2) Straight to the Point (DO!) - As kind of an expansion on 1), when you
enter combat with another half-intelligent player it's best to get straight to
the point. It's unlikely that both of you will just try to do weak slashes to
each other, as awesome as it looks, so its best to pull out your criticals
and/or specials early during your combos. The longer you wait the longer you
risk getting overpowered by your opponent and severely damaged because of it.
3) Turtlin' (DO NOT) - The block in this game is TERRIBLE, by all means try
to be as smart about blocking as possible. Blocking isn't necessarily a don't,
but you definitely want to be exceedingly careful about using it. Any critical
attack, which are thrown around quite often, will tear right through your
guard, so often it's simply not worth it to block. You simply cant try to play
this game too defensively save for a few characters simply because the blocking
mechanics are too messed up. Block during specials you know are coming, but
aside from that I'd avoid it as the second they whip out a critical you're done
for.
4) Bankai Conservation (DO!) - It's not always wise to bust out the big guns
as soon as you get them. Sometimes you're too far behind or too far ahead for
Bankais to make much of a difference. If you're very far ahead save them
for the next round (assuming there is one, and yes, the meter does carry over)
and if you're too far behind for your Bankai to make a difference, save it for
an early lead next match.
5) Spams O'Toole (DO NOT) - Spamming in this game is particularly bad not even
because its annoying, but because of the rock/paper/scissor principle that is
always in effect. No matter how effective most moves are, if you keep on using
them your opponent will likely counter your move with one of an opposing nature
repeatedly. Mix things up, you may catch them off guard or even counter some
of their attacks.
6) Rock, Paper, Scissors, Read! (DO!) - Keep a close eye on your opponents
row of attacks during a Critical Clash session. Some people are unpredictable,
but often people try to avoid using the same direction over and over. If you
see two stabs and a slash, use a stab since they'll likely try a chop as that
is the only one they haven't used. Also, assume that they will try to trick you
and think one step beyond them. If you see you don't have a chop, assume they
know this if you're playing with a good player and try a slash to counter
the likely stab thats heading your way. This is probably the least helpful of
the tips, since it doesn't seem like it would work, but in my experience
it has helped me win a few clash battles.
7) I'm A'Chargin' My Bankai! (DO NOT) - Unlike DBZ games, charging up isn't
as convenient and it leaves you very open. Characters move quickly, so they
can often run up to you and attack before you finish charging. The risk of
being attacked isn't worth what little you gain from charging, and for the most
part there are smarter things you could be doing. You can however charge
before the match even starts, so make use of that.
--------------------------------------------------
4. GAME MODES
A) Episode Mode
Episode Mode is the game's main story mode. Jammed with cutscenes in both 2D
and 3D, this mode tells the story of a few select characters dealing with the
arrival of a new threat. These modes are VERY straight-forward with some being
significantly more painful than others. By default matches will be 60 Seconds
and a single round; however, by going to the OPTIONS mode you can adjust the
timer (which is almost necessary for Hanataro's Episode Mode) and difficulty
settings to something that suits you better. If you're sick of matches
abruptly ending before you've had enough set the match length to infinite. You
can also opt to make the match length significantly shorter (down to 30 sec) if
you're having a hard time, since this allows you to get a good hit and run away
until the match is over. It may not make a difference at first but when you
get to Hanataro's you may want to adjust the difficulty setting. Going from
Normal to Easy might just make the difference, especially with his difficult
missions. If, when playing through Episode mode, you just cant get the swing
of a character be sure to check my Character Info guide for their best, most
efficient moves and some descriptions on how they're useful.
One more note about Episode Mode, some of the fights actually change and
fluctuate depending on which characters. For example, the first time you play
through you'll have to fight Toshiro third in Ichigo's Episode Mode, but once
everyone is unlocked he will change along with other characters who get swapped
out. I'll be going over the original fights for most Episode Modes since you
only need to play through most Epsiodes once and barely anyone ever goes back
to them once they're completed. Of course, if it is an Episode Mode you need
to play through twice (Kenpachi, Hanataro, Arturo) I will list the new
encounters you'll likely see.
New encounters (switched fights) will be marked with an "A" after the number,
so for example if a Fight 7 was Kenpachi but he later gets replaced by Renji,
Renji's fight would be listed as Fight 7A.
>EPISODE 1 - ICHIGO KUROSAKI
General Advice -
Ichigo is a pretty straightforward character. Since you're fighting AI here
don't be afraid to do big combos before a finisher. Also, if things get
dangerous just bust out a Getsuga Tenshou (Up/Down Special) and keep them at
bay. The AI should run into it a'plenty.
Fight 1 - Renji Abarai
Renji has range and for a novice this can be pretty deadly, so be careful when
closing in on him. If you engage him I'd suggest using a critical rather early
in your combo since he has a Side Special that racks up really good damage on
you. If you cant seem to engage him up close due to his range you can actually
just shoot Getsuga Tenshous at him (Up/Down Special) and since the CPU players
aren't too bright in Stage 1 he should run into it. As always, there is the
option of toning down difficulty and adjusting the timer for hit and run
tactics.
If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special,
it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you
need to dodge.
Fight 2 - Yasutora "Chad" Sado
You've got a big advantage over this guy, and that's range. You can either
take swats at him with Getsuga Tenshou (the CPUs will still walk into it this
early) or assault him with really early criticals. Chad loves to do his
shoulder rush move so try not to do too many non-critical slashes, he'll just
break through them and punch you in the face. Make use of the fact that your
sword is longer and have good ranged specials (Up/Down and Stab).
If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special,
it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you
need to dodge.
Fight 3 - Toshiro Hitsugaya
Don't stay at a mid range with Toshiro because all three of his specials are
targeted directly to a mid-range. Stay in close and lock him down by using
Criticals very early in your combos. Most of the time the CPU will wait a few
slashes before coming out with a Critical, so you can almost always beat them
to the punch. If things aren't looking good feel free to stay back and fire
off Up/Down Specials, but be careful of his ranged ice attacks.
If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special,
it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you
need to dodge.
Fight 4 - Izuru Kira
As a novice I'd actually stay out of this guys face. He has some pretty good
up-close moves, including a pretty powerful cinema special that looks like a
regular slash. Since anyone new to this game wont be able to tell it's easier
just to use your Up/Down and Stab Specials to take this guy out. If you do
engage him at close range use Criticals early otherwise he'll punish you with
specials.
If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special,
it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you
need to dodge.
Fight 5 - Kenpachi Zaraki
This one can be tough since novice players will often rush in and begin hacking
away. Do NOT do this since Zaraki has absurd range, power, and speed. Also,
the Zaraki AI doesn't always do a few weak slashes before a big hit, he will
very often just open up with a power hit and send you flying. You don't want
to take hits from this guy, so what you can do is get near him, move around
him, and wait for him to attack. Once he attacks you can run around behind him
and start a quick combo. Keep your combos VERY concise with Zaraki otherwise
he'll just plow through you. If all that isn't bad enough he has a counter
that activates the second you attack, so he can surprise you with this move as
well. No matter which way you cut it getting in close to this guy is
dangerous, so if you want to play it safe you can actually shoot Up/Down
Specials at him the entire match and they'll almost always hit. Cheap, but it
works.
If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special,
it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you
need to dodge.
Fight 6 - Ganju Shiba
This is a pretty easy fight since Ganju is a pretty bad character. Feel free
to get in his face and hack him up since he doesn't have any outstanding moves
to frustrate you. Also, if you stay on him Ganju cant really activate ANY of
his specials since they all take a good second to start. Much like Toshiro,
pressuring this guy is the way to go. If you stay back and Ganju starts to
run at you with a bomb just block. He'll run into you, you'll block the attack
and he'll end up exploding.
If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special,
it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you
need to dodge.
Fight 7 - Sajin Komamura
This is actually a fight in which shooting Getsuga Tenshous all day probably
will not work. If you're at a far distance Sajin will just shoot his Rock Wave
at you and overpower you. The best way to beat this guy is stay in close and
use your Crits early on in combos. Don't forget that you can use Ichigo's
Up/Down Special after his UpCrit for an easy source of good damage. Sajin also
has a lot of really good mid range attacks, so staying at any range will
probably just be problematic. If he goes into Bankai just sit back and shoot
Up/Down Specials at him. All you need to do is keep an eye out for a giant
vertical slice since, if you stand far away, that's the only move he can try
to hit you with.
If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special,
it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you
need to dodge.
Fight 8 - Rangiku Matsumoto
Rangiku is a fight that you can very easily play safe by abusing your two
projectiles, but there really isn't a need for it due to the fact that she
isn't a particularly threatening character. She lacks the deadly power and
range of characters like Kenpachi, so you can fight her up close if you wish.
If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special,
it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you
need to dodge.
Fight 9 - Byakuya Kuchiki
This guy will be a pain, but if you're careful you can beat him. First and
foremost do NOT think you're safe standing across the map shooting Up/Down
Specials at him. Byakuya has a move in which he teleports behind you and
slashes. While he will do this regardless of if you're far away or not,
attacking from a distance is simply asking for it. Stay up close to Byakuya
and attack him frequently since he can only use ONE of his specials if you're
keeping pressure on him. Don't worry if he gets some of his teleporting
attacks off on you, just keep on him and use Crits very early. If he gets
into his Bankai and begins standing still while charging an attack make sure to
attack him THAT SECOND or else you'll probably lose the match. Also, avoid the
straight line of flower pedals he leaves across the floor. This also results
in a very damaging special (assuming you step into the area). If you stay on
him enough he shouldn't make it to Bankai though.
If you get your Bankai circle around him until he is open and then use your
Stab Special. If you stay back he may try to teleport slash you during your
Up/Down Special.
Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado
Keep moving while fighting this guy or you'll be in a world of pain. Circle
around him constantly, all three of his specials can be very easily avoided if
you do this. One is two red "X"s of energy that drop from the sky, his second
his a dark prison that surrounds the enemy, and his third is a long-range stab
that starts a cinema combo. Since the energy blasts and stab combo only hit in
front of him and the dark prison will never touch you if you're moving he'll be
left wide open for you every time he tries to attempt a special, which is
often. Keep your combos short and powerful so you don't drain your energy too
much. If he gets into Bankai and starts charging while standing still make
sure you attack him as soon as you possibly can, otherwise regardless of where
you're standing you'll get hit by a very powerful special. He can be tough,
but with some nice movement you can take him out.
If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special,
it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you
need to dodge.
>EPISODE 2 - RENJI ABARAI
General Advice -
Renji's story should be even easier than Ichigo's considering his blade can be
swung all over the place and the AI rarely ever blocks his great Left/Right
special. Just like Ichigo, if things get rough stay back and let Renji abuse
his range to take down the computers.
Fight 1 - Hanataro Yamada
What you might not know about this kid is that he heals you whenever he touches
you with his sword, so the only way for him to actually damage you is through
specials that don't involve his sword. He only has three attacks like this
and they're all three of his specials, which means they're all blockable. The
three specials are a tripping headbut, a dizzy spin attack, and a trip followed
by a ground roll. Bait him into attacking and just dodge the entire time since
he doesn't have a damaging move that can penetrate your shield. Once you block
his attack you're free to counterattack with all your strength. Since this is
the first fight of Renji's Episode Mode and Hanataro is a very easy opponent
you probably wont have to be so cautious, so don't be worried about getting in
his face and beating up on him, that is just a strategy in case you find
Hanataro to be tougher than you expect.
If you need to use your Bankai don't bother countering, just keep far away
and use Crits with your snake.
Fight 2 - Uryu Ishida
Don't even try to fight him at a range. The key to beating Uryu is to stay in
his face at all times and instantly chase after him the second he attempts to
run away. If Uryu gets you at a long range he can pick you apart before you
reach him, so do your best to stick to him. If he's starting to move away but
he isn't very far yet try to catch him with your Side Special before he can get
out of range. As long as you stay up close this fight will be a breeze, but
in the event that he does escape remember that most of the shots he'll fire
out will be blockable, so keep calm and make sure to advance a little after
every block.
If you need to use your Bankai use the Stab Crit since, if Ishida is far away
shooting arrows (which is likely) he will not dodge it. If you get in close
to corner him you can actually hit him with your Stab Special since he cant
move back to avoid it and Ishida doesn't often dodge to the side.
Fight 3 - Rangiku Matsumoto
You can be so cheesy for this fight since you can freely attack her without
fear of being touched. At Renji's max sword range you can easily nail her with
specials and crits but her sword attacks simply can not reach you. She has one
or two specials that might go far enough to touch you but if you're constantly
attacking as she gets up she will never get one off. Stay at your max range
and retreat if you have to for a really easy fight.
If you need to use your Bankai you can do the same exact thing and abuse his
Side Crit at a safe range. Poor Rangiku.
Fight 4 - Toshiro Hitsugaya
Stay close to him because even though you have range, you can hit him with
good specials up close. The same does not apply for Toshiro. Up close Toshiro
has specials that simply aren't as effective and are meant to be used at a mid
range. If he uses his dragon it will only hit you once up close, if he uses
his icicle slash you wont even be far enough to touch the ice, and his leap
can be punished as soon as he starts it. Staying in his face pretty much
eliminates his entire special game and although his Crits can pack a punch, as
long as you get yours out before he does you should be fine. Mix up your crits
and Side Special at a close range and you'll be fine.
If you need to use your Bankai stay far away for safety and assault him with
Stab Crits since the CPU rarely ever dodges them. If Hitsugaya gets in close
make use of your SideCrit and Counter Special.
Fight 5 - Ichigo Kurosaki
Ichigo can be a pain since staying at a mid distance while using your ranged
specials can earn you a Getsuga Tenshou (blade beam) right to the face. If
that isn't annoying enough, he has quite a lot of range with most of his
attacks so reaching you often isn't a problem. Ichigo likes to shoot off his
beams from a far range so you can actually use this to your advantage. By
running around at a range you can bait him into firing a beam, then run up
to him and attack him while he's open. If you're willing to get up close to
him definitely use your Criticals early and do not use any special except his
Side Special, since the other two are actually pretty mediocre. Ichigo will
often be pulling out his Crits just as early as you and he almost always combos
his Getsuga Tenshou out of his UpCrit, so be careful.
If you need to use your Bankai stay back and use your Stab Crit or Stab Special
since it will rip through any ranged attack Ichigo can throw at you. If he
actually confronts you simply use your SideCrit or Counter Special to get him
out of your face.
Fight 6 - Orihime Inoue
The key to beating Orihime is staying in her face. Often Orihime will actually
run away instead of attacking you, so if you do not let her out of close range
she wont even put up a fight. If she tries to escape make use of your very
long Side Special in attempt to trip her up before she gets away. In the event
that she does escape do not bother with any ranged attacks, get in close fast
because leaving her alone will allow her to attack, shield herself, and even
heal.
If you need to use your Bankai go for your Stab Special and do not wait long
between attacks otherwise Orihime will put up her shield and sometimes even
heal.
Fight 7 - Kenpachi Zaraki
Do NOT attempt to fight Zaraki from a range. He may not look it but he can
attack just about as far as you can with a lot more power. Standing in front
of him will result in a swift death so often keep moving since a lot of his
hits can be dodged by running in circles. Once he leaves himself open use a
reliable damage combo (like an UpCrit followed by a Side Special) and retreat.
Do not try to stick around and fight him since getting hit by this guy is just
not worth it. Slowly approach him once again and repeat the process, let him
attack and you keep countering with good dodges and short combos.
If you need to use your Bankai you can actually out-range Zaraki, so feel free
to use your long range Stab Criticals from afar.
Fight 8 - Izuru Kira
Remember Rangiku? This is the exact same fight. Kira only has one attack
capable of reaching you from your max range and you can almost always hit him
before he starts it, so stay at your max sword range and let him have it. If
he gets close simply use your Side Special or back away and gain some space.
Your range is a huge advantage against this guy.
If you need to use your Bankai you can do the same exact thing and abuse his
Side Crit at a safe range. Poor Izuru.
Fight 9 - Byakuya Kuchiki
This guy is tough, especially considering the lag Renji has after his attacks
is a prime time for him to teleport behind you and stab you. Fortunately for
Renji there is an attack that actually protects him from this particular attack
on occasion and that is his Side Special. You can fight Byakuya up close or at
mid range, it doesn't make too much of a difference. Stay on the safe side and
instead of Crits use his Side Special. If you use your Side Special and
Byakuya warps behind you he will actually get hit by one of your swings that
happens to reach behind you. Don't let him get into Bankai, if he does just
avoid any flower pedals on the floor and attack him the second he begins
charging any attacks.
If you go into your own Bankai I'd advise against the Stab Crit since it'll be
easy for Byakuya to dodge, instead go for the Side Crit or the Counter if he
gets close.
Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado
Do not attack this guy from a range since if you're standing still (which Renji
does when attacking from afar) he can trap you with a stun. Additionally,
mid range right in front of him is the prime spot for his other two dangerous
specials. Circle around him a lot since all three specials are either meant
to hit standing opponents or people directly in front of him. As long as you
keep moving and using your SideSpecial/SideCrit you should be able to take him
down before he kills you. If he goes into his Bankai make sure to attack him
if he starts charging since, much like Byakuya, he will start a cinema that
does ridiculous damage.
If you need to go into your Bankai you can use your StabSpecial (Ultimate)
very easily on him since he tries to stay in front of you a lot (since that
is where most of his specials land).
>EPISODE 3 - TOSHIRO HITSUGAYA
General Advice -
While Toshiro's specials aren't as easy to abuse the AI with, he's still a
pretty solid character who shouldn't be too hard to tear through Episode Mode
with. While Toshiro has some really nice Criticals, if things get rough
abuse his Stab Special, which is his massive Ice Dragon (Hyourinmaru). The
nice thing about this dragon is not only is it a good ranged attack, but since
the dragon spirals around Hitsugaya himself upon its release it hits anyone
in your face and acts as a defense. Also, since his Bankai has Super Armor
you can simply overpower your enemies with his Stab Special (cinema special).
On a side note, if you happen to go into a Hyper Clash Fight with someone and
it ends in a draw use your Side Special right after it, since they'll be at the
perfect range to get hit by it. This is a nice trick that often works.
Fight 1 - Shunsui Kyoraku
Kyoraku has some really nice combos, but fortunately for you it's the first
stage and he probably will not attempt to do any of them. Stay close since
using Criticals early in your combos barely gives the CPU any room to launch an
attack. Feel free to mix in specials or go for more elaborate combos this
early, but don't get careless. If you aren't getting anywhere by fighting up
close Hitsugaya always has the option of staying back and shooting Stab
Specials at his opponents.
If he manages to turn the tides simply hop into Bankai and hit him with your
Stab Special. Thanks to your Super Armor he can do nothing to stop it and will
almost never block or avoid it.
Fight 2 - Ganju Shiba
Ganju doesn't have a lot of good attacks so if you use your specials and Crits
early in your combos he shouldn't be able to toss out anything that'll annoy
you too much. If he lays a Stone Wave (sand pit) do your best to avoid it and
don't get too far away since he can throw bombs at you. If you're getting
caught by Stone Waves too much and get punished for it up close you can stay
back and shoot Stab Specials at him. This works since he doesn't really have
any ranged attacks besides his bombs, which don't go that far anyway. Also,
if he tries to run at you with a bomb in his hand just block. You'll end up
blocking the hit and he'll take all the damage.
If you need to use your Bankai simply walk up to him and hit him with your
Stab Special. Thanks to your Super Armor he can do nothing to stop it and will
almost never block or avoid it.
Fight 3 - Kenpachi Zaraki
Normally I wouldn't advise sticking to Toshiro's specials but in this case it
is almost a must for any non-experienced player. Kenpachi does a ton of
damage in every attack, overpowers you often, and has great range to boot.
Staying close to him can result in a very quick loss so to play it safe just
spend the entire match showering him with ice. When he's at a mid/close range
use your Side Special, which should send him flying away afterwards. Right
when he stands up use your Stab Special and he probably wont block it. Repeat
this process until he dies, and keep using your Side Special or an immediate
Crit if gets close.
If you need to use your Bankai, which may actually be the case if you decide to
engage him up front, you can try one of two things. If you're low on health
and fear he may kill you use your Up/Down Special to keep him at bay every time
he stands up. If you have a nice chunk of health left get in there and use
your Stab Special to finish him off.
Fight 4 - Ichigo Kurosaki
You cant really use the Zaraki strategy on Ichigo, which is a real pain since
Ichigo has a lot of the same range and power Zaraki has. If you try to stay
back and shoot specials he'll normally dodge and counter with a blade beam
or ground wave. You don't have much of a choice here so fight him up close
and use your Crits early since Ichigo will too. If Ichigo goes into his Bankai
and you're remotely close to getting yours, charge it really quick and use it.
If not run around, wait for him to give you an opening, and counter.
If you need to use your Bankai, which is very possible, just hit him with your
Stab Special. If he is in his Bankai too and you're having trouble getting the
Stab Special to connect you can often just use Toshiro's Side and Up/Down
Specials over and over to do the trick, they normally land, especially his Side
Special if Ichigo is flash stepping around you.
Fight 5 - Hanataro Yamada
What you might not know about this kid is that he heals you whenever he touches
you with his sword, so the only way for him to actually damage you is through
specials that don't involve his sword. He only has three attacks like this
and they're all three of his specials, which means they're all blockable. The
three specials are a tripping headbut, a dizzy spin attack, and a trip followed
by a ground roll. Bait him into attacking and just dodge the entire time since
he doesn't have a damaging move that can penetrate your shield. Once you block
his attack you're free to counterattack with all your strength. If you really
want you don't even have to be that cautious, since if you use your Crits
early and he uses his specials to attack you (which he always does) you'll
simply clash. You can't really bomb him from a range since he blocks a lot,
so get in close and beat on him with early Crits. If he gets into his Bankai
watch out, he can do an attack that takes off 1/3 of your health. If you see
the camera zoom on him (which indicates a powerful special) defend or get away
from the front of him immediately.
If you need to use your Bankai hit him with your Stab Special up close.
Fight 6 - Yasutora "Chad" Sado
Chad isn't too tough since the Chad AI tends to abuse specials quite a bit.
While he does have some power up close, don't stand back and shoot things at
him. If you fire a special from a distance he can use his shoulder rush
special, break completely through your Special, and still dart towards you with
the final few hits. If you stay in close and use Criticals early you should be
safe since his Specials shouldn't really ever overpower your Crits. Even more
conveniently, when Chad clashes Specials and doesn't hit anything he often ends
up behind the opponent, facing away from you. This gives you a good opening
for a counterattack. If he uses his Bankai you can use your ranged attacks to
keep him at bay, since the only real thing to worry about is his up close
cinema.
If you need to go into Bankai use your Stab Special, this should be pretty
easy since you have Super Armor going for you.
Fight 7 - Byakuya Kuchiki
You can actually make this fight very easy for you by getting some space and
spamming your Stab Special. If Byakuya tries to use his teleport special he
will get hit by the dragon as it circles around Toshiro. If he uses any other
attack at a range the dragon will almost always overpower him and do damage.
Abusing the dragon makes this fight so much easier than it should be, so make
good use of this. If you want to fight him up close make sure to run around
him a lot since he has two specials that only hit directly in front of him
and one that only hits standing targets, so moving around is a must. If he
gets his Bankai play chicken a little but attack him instantly if he begins
charging his final special (you'll know it by a white light). You can still
use your dragon here since Byakuya loves the teleport, even in Bankai mode.
If you need to use your Bankai you can attempt a stab special or just Up/Down
Special him from a distance while using the Side Special any time he gets
behind you.
Fight 8 - Sajin Komamura
Whatever you do, do not stand far away and attempt to use your Stab Special on
this guy. Sajin has a quick rock slide special that goes across the screen
and does a lot of damage. If that's not bad enough, your Side Special doesn't
always work since he can hit you with a very powerful rock smash attack at
just about the very distance from which you can best use your Side Special.
This guy isn't terribly fast so if you stay in close and use your criticals
early you can normally beat him before he uses his Bankai. If he uses his
Bankai run as far away as you can and wait. If he uses his wall of flame
special or his sword stab special shoot a Stab Special at him. He he uses
his giant vertical slice just dodge it or block, then fire a Stab Special.
He cant do too much to you from far away.
If you need to use your Bankai and he doesn't have his simply walk up to him
and use your Stab Special. If you use your Bankai while his is activated do
NOT get in close since he can use the wall of flame and do absurd amounts of
damage while you just stand there taking it thanks to your Super Armor. In
a Bankai vs Bankai fight say far away and keep using your Up/Down Special. He
cant do too much about that.
Fight 9 - Renji Abarai
This is another fight that you don't want to do up close, but you really don't
have a choice here. At max distance you are safe from his extending sword, but
he will probably just block your Stab Special or clash through it anyway.
You'll have to engage him up close, using your Crits almost instantly. Renji
will use Crits and Specials very quickly on most occasions, so using too many
weak slashes will get you destroyed. Stay on him and keep getting hard hits
off as he gets up off the ground. If he uses his Bankai stand far away and
be prepared to dodge and block. Getting in close can get you killed so if you
don't have your Bankai it's best just to play defensive and wait it out.
If you have your Bankai, regardless of if he has his Bankai or not, staying
back an assaulting him with Up/Down Specials normally works. If he tries to
avoid it via running he'll just run into another row of ice. This move works
pretty well.
Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado
Keep moving while fighting this guy or you'll be in a world of pain. Circle
around him constantly, all three of his specials can be very easily avoided if
you do this. One is two red "X"s of energy that drop from the sky, his second
his a dark prison that surrounds the enemy, and his third is a long-range stab
that starts a cinema combo. Since the energy blasts and stab combo only hit in
front of him and the dark prison will never touch you if you're moving he'll be
left wide open for you every time he tries to attempt a special, which is
often. Keep your combos short and powerful so you don't drain your energy too
much. If he gets into Bankai and starts charging while standing still make
sure you attack him as soon as you possibly can, otherwise regardless of where
you're standing you'll get hit by a very powerful special. He can be tough,
but with some nice movement you can take him out.
If you need to use your Bankai and he doesn't have his, simply stay calm, move
around him, and use your Stab Special when he leaves himself open. If he has
his and starts moving around you quickly use your Side Special to get him away
from you, just keep an eye on him in case he starts his really dangerous
special.
>EPISODE 4 - KENPACHI ZARAKI
General Advice -
Zaraki is one serious character for a bunch of reasons. For starters his reach
and speed are insane. He can hit what feels like a mile in front of him almost
instantly. His Up/Down Special is one of the best in the game, as it has
ridiculous power (a trend among Zaraki's moves), speed, and range. Zaraki also
has a counter (Left/Right Special) that can be thoroughly abused on dim
witted AI. Unfortunately, Zaraki's Stab Special isn't anything to write home
about, but with his other two specials, overall attack power (he takes off
ridiculous chunks of health) and speed, who needs it? His Bankai is decent
but it's not as amazing as Zaraki is in general. You probably wont be relying
too much on your Bankai with this guy, just make good use of his Criticals
since they can decimate opponents.
Fight 1 - Shuhei Hisagi
You can literally chop this guy down in seconds without even moving an inch.
Use your powerful criticals mixed in with his Up/Down special and you'll tear
through this guy like he's nothing. A nice combo to use is his UpCrit followed
by his Up/Down Special. This is a very reliable combo and does a ridiculous
amount of damage. Use Crits early since they do so much damage that light hits
aren't even worth it.
If you need to use your Bankai you can chain your Up/Down Special out of an
UpCrit for a guaranteed hit, so make use of this.
Fight 2 - Yasutora "Chad" Sado
You have a massive advantage against this guy, and that's range. You can
easily keep him away by abusing your Up/Down Special and hit him with a nice
crit if he gets too close. Keeping him at the tip of your sword is ideal since
you lock down a lot of his attacks from that range, making him almost unable to
fight. He might get the occasional shoulder rush on you, but as long as you're
keeping him at a distance and abusing your crits, you'll ruin him.
If you need to use your Bankai use your trusty UpCrit to UpSpecial combo for
absurd damage.
Fight 2A - Yumichika Ayasegawa
Remember, this fight is only for when you've unlocked everyone and you're going
back through for Voice 2s. Disregard this and any other matches with a number
and the letter "A" if it is your first time going through this Episode Mode.
Anyway, Yumichika's range isn't horrible but if you stay as far away as you can
he gets bullied pretty easily. At Zaraki's max sword length he can only hit
you with one Special (his Side Special) and it isn't really devastating. Also,
he probably wont get it off if you're quick about your Up/Down Specials. Keep
knocking him down as soon as he stands up.
If you need to use your Bankai use your trusty UpCrit to UpSpecial combo for
absurd damage.
Fight 3 - Renji Abarai
While Renji may appear to be dangerous on account of his range, you shouldn't
be very worried since Zaraki actually has just as much range with a lot of his
moves simply because of his size. If that's not convenient enough, Zaraki also
uses some of his attacks quicker than Renji, so in a mid range fight make use
of your very quick Up/Down Special and Counter (Side Special) if you see one
of his slower attacks coming your way. You can fight him up close if you'd
like, just make sure to use Crits early and often.
If he uses his Bankai you can normally get up close, but if you do be smart
about it. Be prepared to dodge or block when you see the snake coming and
don't attack too much in a row since he has a very powerful counter. In the
event that you need to use your Bankai you can easily land your Up/Down Special
on this guy, so don't be worried.
Fight 3A - Yachiru Kusajishi
While it may seem fun to bully this little girl by rushing up and attacking,
don't. She has one move in particular, a Helicopter Spin, that will pretty
much overpower absolutely any move it clashes with and still do damage to you.
Stay at Zaraki's max sword range since there's absolutely no way she can touch
you yet you can still do great damage with your Up/Down Specials. If she
starts her tornado and you don't get hit do NOT rush in and attack, it lasts
a long time and you'll probably get caught in it if you rush up to her. Wait
until the attack is ending, then move in with a Stab Special followed by an
Up/Down Special (combo). Simply don't underestimate her and keep her at a
distance.
If you need to use your Bankai use your trusty UpCrit to UpSpecial combo for
absurd damage.
Fight 4 - Izuru Kira
Remember Chad? This is a very similar fight. Kira only has one or two attacks
capable of reaching you from your max range and you can almost always hit him
before he starts them, so stay at your max sword range and let him have it. If
he gets close simply use your Counter or back away and gain some space. Your
range is a huge advantage against this guy.
If you need to use your Bankai get in close and land you UpCrit to Up/Down
Special combo. If he doesn't die he wont live too long after that.
Fight 4A - Jushiro Ukitake
Get in this guys face and let him have it with really fast Criticals. All
of Jushiro's specials are very slow to begin so just keep attacking him with
some of your speedier power attacks (the Up/Down Special is an excellent choice
for this fight). If you just keep attacking him with power hits you can defeat
him easily without even being scratched.
If you need to use your Bankai use your trusty UpCrit to UpSpecial combo for
absurd damage.
Fight 5 - Sajin Komamura
This fight is actually really easy if you stay in close. From afar Sajin can
hit you with some powerful ranged attacks, but not only are two of his specials
bad when used up close, but most of his Criticals aren't fast enough to hit you
assuming you're using your Criticals very early (you should be). Every time he
gets up hit him with another, maybe mix in an Up/Down Special or combo him. He
really cant do much to you up close so use this to your advantage.
If he goes into Bankai stay away from him since getting in close can result
in a lot of damage. The only attack that can hit you from far away is a giant
vertical chop that is easily blocked or dodged. If you get into Bankai landing
your special should be painfully easy, just get up close and let him have it.
Fight 6 - Byakuya Kuchiki
Stay up close to Byakuya and move around him frequently since he cant use any
of his specials on a moving target. He has two specials that only hit directly
in front of him (a barrage of flower pedals and an energy blast) and his
teleporting slash will never hit you as long as you're moving. Stay in motion
and keep pressure on him. Don't worry if he gets some of his teleporting
attacks off on you, just stay on him and use Crits very early when he uses a
Special or Critical that leaves him open. If Byakuya manages to get into
his Bankai and begins standing still while charging an attack make sure you
hit him THAT SECOND or else you'll probably lose the match. Also, avoid the
pedals he leaves all over the floor. This move results in another powerful
special if you stand in the pedals.
If you need to use your Bankai wait for an opening and hit him with your
Up/Down Special.
Fight 6A - Yoruichi Shihoin
You have a massive advantage against her, and that's range. You can
easily keep her away by abusing your Up/Down Special and hit her with a nice
crit if she gets close. Keeping her at the tip of your sword is ideal since
you lock down all of her attacks from that range, making her completely unable
to fight. She might get the occasional hit on you, but as long as you're
keeping her at a distance and abusing your crits, you'll ruin her.
If you need to use your Bankai wait for an opening and hit her with your
Up/Down Special.
Fight 7 - Toshiro Hitsugaya
Stay close to him because even though you have range, you can hit him with
good specials up close. The same does not apply for Toshiro. Up close Toshiro
has specials that simply aren't as effective and are meant to be used at a mid
range. If he uses his dragon it will only hit you once up close, if he uses
his icicle slash you wont even be far enough to touch the ice, and his leap
can be punished as soon as he starts it. Staying in his face pretty much
eliminates his entire special game and although his Crits can pack a punch, as
long as you get yours out before he does you should be fine. Mix up your crits
and Up/Down Special at a close range and you'll be fine. If he uses his
Bankai and you don't have yours play very defensively and Counter any time
you see a predictable attack coming.
If you need to use your Bankai, regardless of whether or not he has his, just
use your Up/Down Special.
Fight 8 - Orihime Inoue
The key to beating Orihime is staying in her face. Sometimes Orihime will even
run away instead of attacking you, so if you do not let her out of close range
she may not put up a fight. If she tries to escape make use of your very long
Up/Down Special in attempt to trip her up before she gets away. In the event
that she does escape make sure to follow her because leaving her alone will
allow her to attack, shield herself, and even heal.
If she goes into Bankai keep even more pressure on her to make sure she doesn't
use her Ultimate. If you go into your Bankai hit her with an UpCrit to Up/Down
Special combo.
Fight 8A - Ganju Shiba
Ganju doesn't have a lot of good attacks so if you use your specials and Crits
early in your combos he shouldn't be able to toss out anything that'll annoy
you too much. If he lays a Stone Wave (sand pit) do your best to avoid it and
don't get too far away since he can throw bombs at you. If you're getting
caught by Stone Waves too much and get punished for it up close you can stay
back and use your ridiculous range to keep him at bay. Much like Yoruichi,
if you keep him at the tip of your sword there is almost nothing he can do.
Also, if he starts running at you with a bomb in his hand simply block. He'll
run into you, the bomb will explode, you'll block, and he'll take all the
damage.
If you need to use your Bankai, regardless of whether or not he has his, just
use your Up/Down Special.
Fight 9 - Ichigo Kurosaki
Ichigo has quite a lot of range with most of his attacks, but against Zaraki
it simply isn't enough. Zaraki reaches a bit further than Ichigo, especially
when you use Zaraki's Up/Down Special, so keeping him at bay is the name of the
game. If you stand at Zaraki's max range Ichigo can not hit you with most of
his attacks and you can almost always hit him before he has the time to do any
attack that can actually reach you. If he goes into his Bankai and you see an
attack coming make good use of your Counter and don't be afraid to hit him with
a quick Up/Down special since he can be knocked back.
If you need to use your Bankai, regardless of whether or not he has his, get in
close, finding an opening, and use the ol' UpCrit to Up/Down Special on him.
Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado
Do not attack this guy from a range since if you're standing still (which you
often do when attacking from afar) he can trap you with a stun. Additionally,
mid range right in front of him is the prime spot for his other two dangerous
specials. Circle around him a lot since all three specials are either meant
to hit standing opponents or people directly in front of him. As long as you
keep moving and using your powerful Crit combos you should be able to take him
down before he kills you. If he goes into his Bankai make sure to attack him
if he starts charging since, much like Byakuya, he will start a cinema that
does ridiculous damage.
If you need to use your Bankai, regardless of whether or not he has his, get in
close, finding an opening, and use the ol' UpCrit to Up/Down Special on him.
>EPISODE 5 - BYAKUYA KUCHIKI
General Advice -
They're pampering you here, right before the fight of your life. Byakuya is an
amazing character with a serious abundance of strengths. All of his specials
are easy to land on AI and the Shunpo-Slash (Up/Down Special) is way too good.
I wouldn't try to get greedy and use his ultimate special, just stick to what
works and abuse his cinema special. If you really want to be cheap you can
normally just run away and use his Up/Down Special over and over.
Fight 1 - Kenpachi Zaraki
This one can be tough since novice players will often rush in and begin hacking
away. Do NOT do this since Zaraki has absurd range, power, and speed. Also,
the Zaraki AI doesn't always do a few weak slashes before a big hit, he will
very often just open up with a power hit and send you flying. You don't want
to take hits from this guy, so what you can do is get near him, move around
him, and wait for him to attack. Once he attacks you can run around behind him
and start a quick combo. Keep your combos VERY concise with Zaraki otherwise
he'll just plow through you. If all that isn't bad enough he has a counter
that activates the second you attack, so he can surprise you with this move as
well. No matter which way you cut it getting in close to this guy is
dangerous, so if you want to play it safe you can actually just keep running
away and using your Up/Down Special on him until he dies. Really cheap, but
so effective.
If you need to use your Bankai hit him with the Up/Down Special since the Stab
Special is often unreliable.
Fight 2 - Orihime Inoue
The key to beating Orihime is staying in her face. Sometimes Orihime will even
run away instead of attacking you, so if you do not let her out of close range
she may not put up a fight. If she tries to escape make use of your godly
Up/Down Special in attempt and cut her off in style. Orihime is easier to
fight with Byakuya than absolutely anyone else in the game since she can not
escape no matter what. The second she runs away and even begins to heal or
shield she is a prime target for your Up/Down Special. You want to stay on her
since leaving her alone will allow her to attack, shield herself, and heal.
If you need to use your Bankai don't even bother with Specials, just use your
speed to stay on her and pummel her up close.
Fight 3 - Ichigo Kurosaki
Ichigo has quite a lot of range with most of his attacks, but against Byakuya
it simply isn't enough. Byakuya has a really good strategy against the Ichigo
AI and while it is pretty boring, you simply cant argue with the results.
Since Ichigo has good ranged attacks he'll often use them when you retreat.
The very second he begins a ranged attack when you're far away you can let him
have it with your Up/Down Special. You can actually just run back a couple
steps and keep doing it over and over, which often works on the CPUs.
If you need to use your Bankai you can get to a mid range and use your Up/Down
Special for some good damage.
Fight 4 - Toshiro Hitsugaya
Stay close to him because even though you have your godly Up/Down Special, it's
just as easy, if not easier to fight him up close. He can dodge your teleport
slash on occasion and sometimes even counter you by using the dragon special,
which will hurt you if you teleport behind him. Up close Toshiro has specials
that simply aren't effective and are meant to be used at in mid range combat.
If he uses his dragon it will only hit you once up close, if he uses his icicle
slash you wont even be far enough to touch the ice, and his leaping attack
can be punished as soon as he starts it. Staying in his face pretty much
eliminates his entire special game and although his Crits can pack a punch, as
long as you get yours out before he does you should be fine. Mix up your crits
and Up/Down Special at a close range and you'll be fine. If he uses his
Bankai and you don't have yours play very defensively and use your Up/Down
Special any time you see a predictable attack coming.
If you need to use your Bankai try to circle him until he leaves himself open
then use your Up/Down Special.
Fight 5 - Soi Fon
Soi Fon just loves combos so there are two really easy ways for Byakuya to go
about beating her. You can lure her into starting a string of attacks, which
she likely will not stop for a couple seconds and use your Up/Down Special or
you can simply engage her up close and use your Criticals early. The Up/Down
Special works like a charm but you can end the match sooner just by doing early
Crits. She doesn't use hers right away and likes to combo a little beforehand
so plowing through her attacks will be very easy.
If you need to use your Bankai get at a mid range and use your Up/Down Special.
She normally doesn't dodge and will instead get closer to you for an attack,
so landing this one is simple.
Fight 6 - Sajin Komamura
There are two very cheap ways to fight Sajin with Byakuya. The first way
involves running away until he attacks (he'll usually use one of two rock-based
specials) then using your Up/Down Special. Doing this works guaranteed and
you likely will not get hit. Another method is running far away and shooting
your Stab Special at him over and over again. Most of the time if you shoot it
quick enough he cant do any attacks by the time it hits him, so he just keeps
taking damage. If he gets his Bankai off simply use your Up/Down Special and
retreat over and over.
If you need to use your own Bankai just stick to the same strategy, you don't
even need to use your cinema specials.
Fight 7 - Ikkaku Madarame
I wouldn't get too close to Ikkaku or even try running in circles around him
because this guy has a lot of range and often hits people at his sides as
well. Make good use of your Up/Down Special, in fact if you want to be super
cheap you can just keep using it in succession and be pretty successful. Use
criticals often since Ikkaku is another character who likes to get in some
smaller hits before going for a Critical. He he goes into Bankai just keep
away from him and shoot your Stab Special if he stops to attack.
If you need to use your Bankai you should be able to land an Up/Down Special
without too much trouble.
Fight 8 - Izuru Kira
Kira's range isn't great but he'll try to attack you anyway which means you
can score major hits with the Up/Down Special very frequently. In fact, I've
actually tried doing nothing but the Up/Down Special over and over and it
works perfectly. If you use your Up/Down Special the second your last one ends
Kira will normally take a hit. You should be able to do it a bunch of times,
making many fights with Byakuya painfully easy. If you want to fight him up
close and stay away from the Up/Down Special just circle around him a lot.
Kira has really short range so by dodging via moving you should be able to find
plenty of counterattack opportunities. If he goes into his Bankai just wait
for an opening and use your Up/Down Special.
If you need to use your Bankai get at a mid range and use your Up/Down Special.
He normally just tries to attack from that distance so landing this attack
is rather easy.
Fight 9 - Yoruichi Shihoin
Yoruichi is a bit tricker than Soifon since she will use her Criticals earlier
and dodge attacks more frequently. Fortunately Yoruichi has several very
lengthy Criticals that keep her open when she misses, so you can often bait
her into attacking by moving around her at a mid range. Once she attacks
go in for a Crit or use the safe Up/Down Special. Use her long Crits to your
advantage and remember that she can teleport to you from far away so don't
just stand around. If she goes into her Bankai just play chicken and wait for
an opening to use the Up/Down Special.
If you need to use your Bankai get at a mid range and use your Up/Down Special.
She normally wont dodge and will instead get closer to you for an attack,
so landing this one is easier.
Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado
Keep moving while fighting this guy or you'll be in a world of pain. Circle
around him constantly, all three of his specials can be very easily avoided if
you do this. One is two red "X"s of energy that drop from the sky, his second
his a dark prison that surrounds the enemy, and his third is a long-range stab
that starts a cinema combo. Since the energy blasts and stab combo only hit in
front of him and the dark prison will never touch you if you're moving he'll be
left wide open for you every time he tries to attempt a special, which is
often. Keep your combos short and powerful so you don't drain your energy too
much. If he gets into Bankai and starts charging while standing still make
sure you attack him as soon as you possibly can, otherwise regardless of where
you're standing you'll get hit by a very powerful special. He can be tough,
but with some nice movement you can take him out. The Up/Down Special isn't
even that useful here since two of his specials seem to clash with it even
though you're behind him. Stick to what works here, openings and counter
Crits.
If you need to use your Bankai circle around him and wait for him to leave
himself open, which he will, and hit him with the Up/Down Special.
>EPISODE 6 - HANATARO YAMADA
This is going to be a real pain since the game makes you play through
episode mode as Hanataro, a character who heals his opponents every time he
touches them with his sword. Sounds fun, right?
General Advice -
Basically, you want to start here by instantly adjusting your difficulty to
Easy and setting your match length to 30 Seconds. This is important since
running away is a big part of the strategy. The core idea here is stick to
Hanataro's 3 specials, his Headbut/Trip, his Spinning/Dizzy attack, and his
Trip/Roll. All of these moves incorporate more than just his sword so you will
often give more damage than you heal. Many people debate as to which attack is
most useful, and while I do think its a bit situational, I think you can get
rid of the roll entirely. I've done his Episode Mode pretty easily with just
the Headbut and the Spinning attack. Of course, you should definitely try
the roll and see if it works for you since I've heard plenty of success
stories from people using that move. Anyway, so here are some basic
strategies for Hanataro...
Strategy 1 - Hit and Run - This strategy revolves around baiting the opponent
into attacking and then hitting them with his Headbut special. This special
does a decent chunk of damage and knocks you both over. By the time you both
get up you should be able to make a clean getaway. You can always try to
damage more but with how frustrating this Episode is, it's best to stay on
the safe side and try to run away after you've gained the lead.
Strategy 2 - Spin Spam - If fleeing isn't your style try spin spam. Ikkaku is
easily the toughest fight in Hanataro's episode but you can actually keep him
in check by spamming the spin attack repeatedly when he's in your face. The
spin attack leaves both of you a little stunned, but it should keep the AI out
of commission just long enough for you to move an inch closer to the oppoent
and do another one. People use his roll attack the same way, so you can try
spamming that too, but I find Spin Spam to be unbelievably effective.
Strategy 3 - Bankai Baiting - Hanging in even if Strategies 1 and 2 aren't
working is what Strategy 3 is about. It's more or less a backup, as this
little guy's Bankai can easily turn the tides in these fights. Just stay
alive until you've maxed your meter then let'em have it, but there are a couple
tips I have to make Hanataro's Bankai even more lethal.
Tip 1 - Use his Cinema Special (Up/Down) and THEN use his giant Slash (Stab)
special. The AI normally wont block the Cinema Special and you can normally
get his second one off shortly after.
Tip 2 - If you land the Cinema Special activate his second special as soon as
the cutscene ends. The AI will stand up as you're activating the special and
in most cases will not move or block the attack. It's one of your best chances
to land his best move.
Don't get frustrated if you have to try Hanataro's Episode a couple times,
pretty much everyone does. It's the toughest thing in the game but it's very
do-able.
Fight 1 - Yumichika Ayasegawa
For the first stage you'll be wanting to rely on Strategy 2, the Spin Spam.
Since it's early on in the Episode Mode Yumichika wont be countering you too
much. If you repeat the Spin two or three times you should be able to get a
nice enough lead for you to retreat and run away for the last seconds of the
match.
If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your
Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait
them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down
Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you
don't have time just go for the Stab Special.
Fight 2 - Toshiro Hitsugaya
For some reason the Spin doesn't seem to hit him as much as some other
characters, probably because of his height, so I just used the headbut here.
If he hits you and you get up you can normally hit him with a headbut before
he recovers or has time to land another move. It should only take a couple
headbuts in order to get a nice enough lead. If you get a lead and run away
Toshiro will either shoot dragons at you (which is nice since they're easy to
avoid and eat up the clock) or charge his Bankai, which is also pretty
convenient since he's not attacking. If he gets into his Bankai don't worry
since he should only have about 1-3 seconds left on the clock and he cant do
anything to you in that time.
If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your
Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait
them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down
Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you
don't have time just go for the Stab Special.
Fight 2A - Ichigo Kurosaki
Remember, this fight is only for when you've unlocked everyone and you're going
back through for Voice 2s. Disregard this and any other matches with a number
and the letter "A" if it is your first time going through this Episode Mode.
Anyway, fortunately for you, you're fighting Ichigo really early. A character
like Ichigo, when you have to face them later on in an Episode Mode, can be
such a hassle. An easy way to deal with Ichigo is to run around him at a safe
distance and attack him with a headbut (Up/Down Special) every time he goes for
an attack and misses. Once you have a decent lead just run away and he'll
likely shoot blade beams at you. This shouldn't be a problem since you can
just block them.
If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your
Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait
them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down
Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you
don't have time just go for the Stab Special.
Fight 3 - Izuru Kira
Both the headbut and the spin work fine on Kira. Once you get your lead the
most important thing to remember is to keep moving around him when running away
since he has a long ranged move that can drag you back to him. If he lands
this move he will often combo you out of it, if this happens, as you're getting
up go for a headbut, it often works. Just don't stay in front of him when
running away and you should be okay, since he'll often stay at a range and just
try to rake you in.
If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your
Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait
them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down
Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you
don't have time just go for the Stab Special.
Fight 4 - Yasutora "Chad" Sado
Chad is one of the easier fights since the Spin Spam works absolute wonders on
him and in the event that he actually does hit you with something that doesn't
send you flying you can almost ALWAYS hit him with a headbut once you get off
the ground since he has a lot of lag and moves very slowly. Once you get your
lead he's easy to avoid too since he only has one ranged attack which is very
easy to block. He often just stands there trying to hit you with it or
charging his Bankai. If he gets close circle around him and retreat again.
If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your
Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait
them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down
Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you
don't have time just go for the Stab Special.
Fight 4A - Renji Abarai
Two words, Spin Spam. Renji gets destroyed by it, so definitely use this
tactic. Since a lot of Renjis moves have a second or two of startup time you
can often start your spin and trap him with it before he can get an attack off.
Be extra careful if you decide to stop spinning and run away since Renji has
ranged attacks that can break through your shield. As long as you don't run
yourself into a corner you should be able to avoid him, but in the event that
he hits you and you're up close again just hit him with a spin and retreat
again.
If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your
Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait
them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down
Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you
don't have time just go for the Stab Special.
Fight 5 - Ikkaku Madarame
This is the hardest fight in his Episode Mode, by far. He attacks with a lot
of speed and range, plus he can also plow through your specials with enough
duration in his attacks left to do major damage to you. You can almost always
get a spin attack off in the beginning of the match if you get in his face
and use it right away. After this you have a couple of choices, you can
attempt to use another Spin attack or two, which works sometimes, or you can
try to retreat and charge your bankai while stalling. Ikkaku will follow you
a lot, so if you choose to run be very careful and know that you will likely
NEED your Bankai, so put your effort into charging it. If he gets a few more
hits on you and takes the lead, which he likely will, activate your Bankai.
Even if there is only 1-2 seconds left use your Stab Special and hope it hits.
If it does there's a good chance you'll steal a win at the last second.
If you get your Bankai with some time on the clock try to bait him into
attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special,
as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands.
Fight 6 - Ganju Shiba
Phew, this is a cakewalk. Use your Spin right at the start of the match for
an early lead, then retreat. After this you've pretty much won since Ganju
is REALLY easy to deal with at a range. Once you have your lead and run away
Ganju will normally do one of three things; charge his bankai, throw a bomb,
or run at you with a bomb in his hands. If he chagres his Bankai you don't
have to worry and if he throws a bomb you can very easily avoid it. The best
case scenario is his bomb run since, if you block this attack the bomb explodes
in his hands and damages him, not you. You deserve this after Ikkaku.
If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your
Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait
them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down
Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you
don't have time just go for the Stab Special.
Fight 6A - Sajin Komamura
Two words, Spin Spam. Sajin gets destroyed by it, so definitely use this
tactic. Since a lot of Sajin's moves have a second or two of startup time you
can often start your spin and trap him with it before he can get an attack off.
Actually, you can trap Sajin in a Spin Spam for all 30 seconds of the match
if you do it well. Sometimes it isn't even worth it to run away, but if you
do run around Sajin since a lot of his attacks hit directly in front of him
from far away.
If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your
Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait
them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down
Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you
don't have time just go for the Stab Special.
Fight 7 - Byakuya Kuchiki
Byakuya can be annoying, but he's a lot easier than Ikkaku if you know how to
go about fighting him. Byakuya is very prone to getting hit by your spin and
your spin also doubles as a defense for when he tries his teleportation attack.
If he goes for that attack while you're spinning it'll clash and occasionally
counter. The "Spin Spam" works great and once you have a lead it's all about
moving around since all three of Byakuya's specials cant hit you if you're in
motion.
If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your
Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait
them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down
Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you
don't have time just go for the Stab Special.
Fight 7A - Yoruichi Shihoin
You can use Spin Spam on Yoruichi, just don't be surprised if she breaks
through your attacks every once in a while since her Criticals are long and
consist of two hits. If you don't trust Spin Spamming Yoruichi you can run
around her and wait for her to use a Critical. Since almost all of Yoruichi's
Criticals consist of two or more hits they take a while to end, giving you
a nice opportunity to headbut her (Up/Down Special) if she misses. Spin Spam
or bait her and headbut.
If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your
Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait
them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down
Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you
don't have time just go for the Stab Special.
Fight 8 - Renji Abarai
Two words, Spin Spam. Renji gets destroyed by it, so definitely use this
tactic. Since a lot of Renjis moves have a second or two of startup time you
can often start your spin and trap him with it before he can get an attack off.
Be extra careful if you decide to stop spinning and run away since Renji has
ranged attacks that can break through your shield. As long as you don't run
yourself into a corner you should be able to avoid him, but in the event that
he hits you and you're up close again just hit him with a spin and retreat
again.
If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your
Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait
them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down
Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you
don't have time just go for the Stab Special.
Fight 8A - Yasutora "Chad" Sado
Two words, Spin Spam. Chad gets destroyed by it, so definitely use this
tactic. Since almost all of Chad's moves have a good bit of startup time you
can often start your spin and trap him with it before he can get an attack off.
If you're not confident about Spin Spamming too long and want to run away once
you have a decent lead, go for it. Chad has absolutely no dangerous ranged
moves and it's easy to avoid him. As long as you don't run yourself into
corner you should be able to avoid him, but in the event that he hits you and
you're up close again just hit him with a spin and retreat.
If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your
Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait
them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down
Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you
don't have time just go for the Stab Special.
Fight 9 - Kenpachi Zaraki
Two words, Spin Spam. Kenpachi gets destroyed by it, so definitely use this
tactic. Since a lot of Zaraki's moves have a second or two of startup time you
can often start your spin and trap him with it before he can get an attack off.
Actually, you can trap Zaraki in a Spin Spam for all 30 seconds of the match
if you do it well. Sometimes it isn't even worth it to run away, but if you
do run around Kenpachi since a lot of his attacks hit directly in front of him
from far away.
If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your
Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait
them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down
Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you
don't have time just go for the Stab Special.
Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado
Two words, Spin Spam. Arturo gets destroyed by it, but for different reasons
than Zaraki and Renji. Arturo always starts his combos with weak attacks so
using Spin Spam will plow through his light attacks and trap him in the Spin
Spam every single time you use it. Just like Zaraki you can trap Arturo in a
Spin Spam for all 30 seconds of the match if you do it well. Sometimes it
isn't even worth it to run away, but if you do run around Arturo since all of
his specials are meant to hit a standing opponent or someone right in front of
him.
Two words, Spin Spam. Kenpachi gets destroyed by it, so definitely use this
tactic. Since a lot of Zaraki's moves have a second or two of startup time you
can often start your spin and trap him with it before he can get an attack off.
Actually, you can trap Zaraki in a Spin Spam for all 30 seconds of the match
if you do it well. Sometimes it isn't even worth it to run away, but if you
do run around Kenpachi since a lot of his attacks hit directly in front of him
from far away.
>EPISODE 7 - YORUICHI SHIHOIN
General Advice -
This one isn't the cakewalk that Byakuya's is simply because Yoruichi isn't
as good of a character all-around, but this Episode still shouldn't give you
too much trouble. Yoruichi has a nice combo of her Side Critical with the
Roundhouse followed by a Legsweep into her Up/Down Special (Dagger Kick).
Make use of that and her easily combo-able cinema Special (left/right) to
get through hers without too much trouble.
Fight 1 - Renji Abarai
Use this fight to get acquainted with Yoruichi, since this may very well be
your first time playing her. She's very different and relies very much on
Critical combos opposed to whipping around specials. Use your Criticals early
with Yoruichi and out of them use a special or another Crit. Try using her
Left-to-Right Side Critical to setup for combos into Crits and Specials.
If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate)
out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed
combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical.
Fight 2 - Ikkaku Madarame
Ikkaku has a Side Special that will break through anything you have so try to
get your crits in early before he has a chance to use them. Stay moving as
Yoruichi and strike when he leaves himself open with a good Critical combo.
If you cant seem to get the swing of fighting with her up close just use hit
and run tactics. You can also try using her Stab Special as a substitute for
Byakuya's teleport slash, but it's really not as useful. Also, if he happens
to use his Bankai stay defensive and wait until it runs out since he has Super
Armor, which means he'll plow through any attack you throw at him and probably
hit you with a special.
If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate)
out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed
combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical.
Fight 3 - Rangiku Matsumoto
Rangiku is really easy to pressure. If you keep assaulting her with crits
after knocking her down she wont be able to function. She doesn't have any
outstanding moves up close and you should be quicker than she is. Every time
she gets up just hit her with another and you should be able to come away with
an easy win.
If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate)
out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed
combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical.
Fight 4 - Ganju Shiba
Ganju is really slow in a lot of his attacks and overall he just isn't that
great of a character. Since Yoruichi cant fight from a range keep your attacks
constant to ensure he cant use any of his specials. If you lock him down with
a flurry of criticals he'll fall in no time.
If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate)
out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed
combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical.
Fight 5 - Toshiro Hitsugaya
This fight should is good for Yoruichi since the easiest way to fight Toshiro
is up close. At close range all of his specials simply aren't as effective
since they're meant to be used at around mid range. If he uses his dragon up
close it will only hit you once, if he uses his icicle slash you'll be too
close to him for the ice to actually touch you, and his leap can be punished as
soon as he starts it. Staying in his face pretty much eliminates his entire
special game and although his Crits can pack a punch, as long as you get yours
out before he does you should be fine. Mix up your crits and Side Special at a
close range to take him down. If he uses his Bankai and you don't have yours
play very defensively. It may be wise to run until you have yours since you
don't have a good ranged attack.
If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate)
out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed
combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical.
Fight 6 - Kenpachi Zaraki
If you're going to engage this guy up close you MUST use your Crits and
Specials instantly. Since you have no choice but to fight Zaraki at a close
range you have to do everything you can to avoid being caught by one of his
Crits or Specials. Zaraki has more range and power, so this is a dangerous
fight for Yoruichi. One thing you can to do to make this fight a little easier
is circle around him. None of Zaraki's Specials will hit you if you're not
in front of him so dodging his attack and countering with a good Critical combo
is a nice strategy. If he goes into Bankai wait for him to attempt a special,
dodge, and punish him.
If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate)
out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed
combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical.
Fight 7 - Sajin Komamura
This fight should is good for Yoruichi since the easiest way to fight Sajin
is up close. At close range all of his specials simply aren't as effective
since they're meant to be used at around mid range. Staying in his face pretty
much eliminates his entire special game and although Sajin is very powerful,
his attacks are very slow. This means you shouldn't have any problems staying
up close and getting your Criticals out before he does. If he uses his Bankai
and you don't have yours play very defensively. It may be wise to run until
you have yours since you don't have a good ranged attack and getting close will
result in you taking a LOT of damage.
If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate)
out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed
combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical.
Fight 8 - Yasutora "Chad" Sado
This should be your kind of fight since you both have to fight up close, but
since you're simply faster you have a distinct advantage. Pull off powerful
critical combos before your Chad has a chance to use any of his powerful moves.
If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate)
out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed
combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical.
Fight 9 - Byakuya Kuchiki
Stay up close to Byakuya and move around him frequently since he cant use any
of his specials on a moving target. He has two specials that only hit directly
in front of him (a barrage of flower pedals and an energy blast) and his
teleporting slash will never hit you as long as you're moving. Stay in motion
and keep pressure on him. Don't worry if he gets some of his teleporting
attacks off on you, just stay on him and use Crits very early when he uses a
Special or Critical that leaves him open. If Byakuya manages to get into
his Bankai and begins standing still while charging an attack make sure you
hit him THAT SECOND or else you'll probably lose the match. Also, avoid the
pedals he leaves all over the floor. This move results in another powerful
special if you stand in the pedals.
If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate)
out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed
combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical.
Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado
Keep moving while fighting this guy or you'll be in a world of pain. Circle
around him constantly, all three of his specials can be very easily avoided if
you do this. One is two red "X"s of energy that drop from the sky, his second
his a dark prison that surrounds the enemy, and his third is a long-range stab
that starts a cinema combo. Since the energy blasts and stab combo only hit in
front of him and the dark prison will never touch you if you're moving he'll be
left wide open for you every time he tries to attempt a special, which is
often. Keep your combos short and powerful so you don't drain your energy too
much. If he gets into Bankai and starts charging while standing still make
sure you attack him as soon as you possibly can, otherwise regardless of where
you're standing you'll get hit by a very powerful special. He can be tough,
but with some nice movement you can take him out.
If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate)
out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed
combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical.
>EPISODE 8 - ARTURO PLATEADO
General Advice -
Once again, another pretty easy Episode thanks purely to the fact that the
character you're using is really good. AI will normally just take a direct
hit from his Side Special and his Up/Down Special combos in like magic. Arturo
may not look like it but he has a lot of power in his moves, especially his
special attacks. While his specials are definitely to be abused here, use his
Bankai as soon as possible. Arturo's stab special (cinema) can be landed from
practically anywhere on the stage and if you shake the wiimote during it you
do a really nice amount of damage. After Hanataro this guy should be a
blessing.
Fight 1 - Mayuri Kurotsuchi
This guy has a couple of really good up close moves but since it's the first
round of Arturo's Episode mode he shouldn't bother you much. Take some time
to get acquainted with Arturo's better combos (UpCrit into either Stab Special
or Up/Down Special) and get an overall feel for him. You can often use his
Side Special from a distance to trap the CPU and close in for a big hit.
Since Mayuri can attack really well from a mid-long range it's best just to
stay up close for this fight.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
Fight 2 - Rangiku Matsumoto
Rangiku is really easy to pressure. If you keep assaulting her with crits
after knocking her down she wont be able to function. She doesn't have any
outstanding moves up close and you should be quicker than she is. Every time
she gets up just hit her with another and you should be able to come away with
an easy win. You can run back, wait for her to use a ranged Special and trap
her with your Side Special if you want. Your Up/Down Special should be able
to land on her nicely too.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
Fight 2A - Hanataro Yamada
Remember, this fight is only for when you've unlocked everyone and you're going
back through for Voice 2s. Disregard this and any other matches with a number
and the letter "A" if it is your first time going through this Episode Mode.
What you might not know about this kid is that he heals you whenever he touches
you with his sword, so the only way for him to actually damage you is through
specials that don't involve his sword. He only has three attacks like this
and they're all three of his specials, which means they're all blockable. The
three specials are a tripping headbut, a dizzy spin attack, and a trip followed
by a ground roll. Bait him into attacking and just dodge the entire time since
he doesn't have a damaging move that can penetrate your shield. Once you block
his attack you're free to counterattack with all your strength. Since this is
the second fight of Arturo's Episode Mode and Hanataro is a very easy opponent
you probably wont have to be so cautious, so don't be worried about getting in
his face and beating up on him, that is just a strategy in case you find
Hanataro to be tougher than you expect.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
Fight 3 - Ganju Shiba
Ganju doesn't have a lot of good attacks so if you use your specials and Crits
early in your combos he shouldn't be able to toss out anything that'll annoy
you too much. If he lays a Stone Wave (sand pit) do your best to avoid it and
don't get too far away since he can throw bombs at you. If you're getting
caught by Stone Waves too much and get punished for it up close you can stay
back and trap him with a Side Special before attacking. This works pretty well
since he stands still for a while during 2/3 specials. As for his third
special, if he tries to run at you with a bomb in his hand just block. You'll
end up blocking the hit and he'll take all the damage.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
Fight 4 - Ichigo Kurosaki
Ichigo can be a pain since staying at a mid distance while using your ranged
specials can earn you a Getsuga Tenshou (blade beam) right to the face. If
that isn't annoying enough, he has quite a lot of range with most of his
attacks so reaching you often isn't a problem. Ichigo likes to shoot off his
beams from a far range so you can actually use this to your advantage. By
running around at a range you can bait him into firing a beam, then trap him
with a Side Special after dodging. If you're willing to get up close to
him definitely use your Criticals early and do not use any special except your
Up/Down Special (unless you combo your Stab Special out of an UpCrit), since
the other two are aren't that useful in someone's face. Ichigo will often be
using his Crits just as early as you and he almost always combos his Getsuga
Tenshou out of his UpCrit, so be careful. If he gets into Bankai play
defensively and try to land an Up/Down Special on him when he attacks from the
front.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
Fight 4A - Ikkaku Madarame
Ikkaku has a Side Special that will break through anything you have so try to
get your crits in early before he has a chance to use them. Stay moving as
and strike when he leaves himself open with a good Critical combo. If you
find that Ikkaku is doing a lot of combos before crits (sometimes he does,
sometimes he doesn't) don't be afraid to engage him head on and simply plow
through his combos with powerful hits. If you cant seem to get the swing of
fighting against Ikkaku up close just use hit and run tactics. You can also
try using using his Stab Special when you see him open for a good source
of damage. If he uses his Bankai play defensively since he has Super Armor
and will plow through absolutely any attack with a special move. Ikkaku
is a tough opponent, so if you absolutely need to you can also try retreating
to charge your Bankai.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
Fight 5 - Shuhei Hisagi
Shuhei doesn't have too many notable qualities besides the fact that he's
pretty quick. Don't try to fight him from a mid range since all 3 of his
specials are pretty useful from afar. If you stay close to him and use early
Criticals there shouldn't be a problem since Shuhei tends to do light slashes
before any big moves. This gives you the time to get an easy special or
critical off on him before he can overpower you.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
Fight 5A - Ichigo Kurosaki
Yeah, strange that Ichigo was bumped to the 5th fight, but oh well. Anyway,
Ichigo can be a pain since staying at a mid distance while using your ranged
specials can earn you a Getsuga Tenshou (blade beam) right to the face. If
that isn't annoying enough, he has quite a lot of range with most of his
attacks so reaching you often isn't a problem. Ichigo likes to shoot off his
beams from a far range so you can actually use this to your advantage. By
running around at a range you can bait him into firing a beam, then trap him
with a Side Special after dodging. If you're willing to get up close to
him definitely use your Criticals early and do not use any special except your
Up/Down Special (unless you combo your Stab Special out of an UpCrit), since
the other two are aren't that useful in someone's face. Ichigo will often be
using his Crits just as early as you and he almost always combos his Getsuga
Tenshou out of his UpCrit, so be careful. If he gets into Bankai play
defensively and try to land an Up/Down Special on him when he attacks from the
front.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
Fight 6 - Ikkaku Madarame
Ikkaku has a Side Special that will break through anything you have so try to
get your crits in early before he has a chance to use them. Stay moving as
and strike when he leaves himself open with a good Critical combo. If you
find that Ikkaku is doing a lot of combos before crits (sometimes he does,
sometimes he doesn't) don't be afraid to engage him head on and simply plow
through his combos with powerful hits. If you cant seem to get the swing of
fighting against Ikkaku up close just use hit and run tactics. You can also
try using using his Stab Special when you see him open for a good source
of damage. If he uses his Bankai play defensively since he has Super Armor
and will plow through absolutely any attack with a special move. Ikkaku
is a tough opponent, so if you absolutely need to you can also try retreating
to charge your Bankai.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
Fight 6A - Yumichika Ayasegawa
Yumichika isn't particularly threatening since he doesn't have many impressive
abilities. If he throws a Peacock feather on the ground stay away from it, but
aside from that stay up close and use your criticals early since his Specials,
while meant to be used up close, take a second or two to activate.
Fight 7 - Yoruichi Shihoin
Yoruichi can be pretty tricky since she uses her Criticals early and she
dodges attacks more frequently. Fortunately Yoruichi has several very
lengthy Criticals that keep her open when she misses, so you can often bait
her into attacking by moving around her at a mid range. Once she attacks
go in for a Crit or use the Stab Special. Use her long Crits to your
advantage and remember that she can teleport to you from far away so don't
just stand around. If she goes into her Bankai just play chicken and wait for
an opening to use combo her.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
Fight 7A - Kenpachi Zaraki
If you're going to engage this guy up close you MUST use your Crits and
Specials instantly. Since you have no choice but to fight Zaraki at a close
range you have to do everything you can to avoid being caught by one of his
Crits or Specials. Zaraki has more range and power, so don't bother trying to
assault him from a distance. One thing you can to do to make this fight a
little easier is circle around him. None of Zaraki's Specials will hit you if
you're not in front of him so dodging his attack and countering with a good
Critical combo is a nice strategy. If he goes into Bankai wait for him to
attempt a special, dodge, and punish him.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
Fight 8 - Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto
Stay close to this guy no matter what. All three of his specials are
absolutely excellent when he's at mid range, but none of them are completely
reliable at close range. Assault him with early criticals and don't let him
use any of his attacks. Also, if he makes it into his Bankai do not try to
run away from his Cinema Special (the camera will zoom in on him and he'll
do a flaming shoulder rush at you) since it goes very far and follows you.
Simply block it and retreat or counter. If you do attempt to actually dodge
this attack don't try to run behind him since he leaves a damaging trail of
flames that will hurt you.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
NOTE - Yes, this is the last fight for Arturo the first time through. Once
you come back and replay his Episode to unlock Mayuri's Voice 2 you'll notice
he has two extra battles.
Fight 8A - Yachiru Kusajishi
While it may seem fun to bully this little girl by rushing up and attacking,
don't. She has one move in particular, a Helicopter Spin, that will pretty
much overpower absolutely any move it clashes with and still do damage to you.
Stay at a good mid range since there's absolutely no way she can attack you,
yet you can still do great damage with your Up/Down and Stab Specials. If she
starts her tornado and you don't get hit do NOT rush in and attack, it lasts
a long time and you'll probably get caught in it if you rush up to her. Wait
until the attack is ending, then move in with a Stab Special or an Up/Down
Special. Simply don't underestimate her and keep her at a distance.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
Fight 9A - Yoruichi Shihoin
Yoruichi can be pretty tricky since she uses her Criticals early and she
dodges attacks more frequently. Fortunately Yoruichi has several very
lengthy Criticals that keep her open when she misses, so you can often bait
her into attacking by moving around her at a mid range. Once she attacks
go in for a Crit or use the Stab Special. Use her long Crits to your
advantage and remember that she can teleport to you from far away so don't
just stand around. If she goes into her Bankai just play chicken and wait for
an opening to use combo her.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
Fight 10A - Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto
Stay close to this guy no matter what. All three of his specials are
absolutely excellent when he's at mid range, but none of them are completely
reliable at close range. Assault him with early criticals and don't let him
use any of his attacks. Also, if he makes it into his Bankai do not try to
run away from his Cinema Special (the camera will zoom in on him and he'll
do a flaming shoulder rush at you) since it goes very far and follows you.
Simply block it and retreat or counter. If you do attempt to actually dodge
this attack don't try to run behind him since he leaves a damaging trail of
flames that will hurt you.
If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab
Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you
can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your
enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special
should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only
about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This
is very handy.
-------------------------------------------------------
B) Arcade Mode
Arcade Mode puts your chosen character up against 8 random characters. If
you're having trouble with a particular character check my Character section
on tips regarding what moves are useful and which ones aren't. Considering
the adjustable difficulty and easy exploitation of the not-so-smart AI, Arcade
shouldn't be too much of a hassle. Of course, it will be time consuming to
go through with a ton of characters.
----------------------------------------------------
C) Versus Mode
Beat up on your friends, the computer, or watch CPUs fight each other. Even if
you don't have friends you'll be stepping into Versus Mode quite a bit to take
care of some unlockables. Check the Unlocking Guide for all that goodness.
----------------------------------------------------
D) Training Mode
GO HERE. Yes, the game is easy to pick up, but the training mode tutorial is
a quick way to unlock Yoruichi, so you'll want to be completing it. Don't
worry, it's a very simple tutorial that takes less than a few minutes. You can
also invest a few quality minutes in Practice Mode, since you can experiment
with combos here. Your bars will refill and you can adjust the AI to do
whatever you want it to do. If you're really into mastering the ins and outs
of a character, spending some time here would be a good idea.
There's also a Wii mote test function, but in all honesty, I find it pretty
useless... it is pretty fun to beat up on Kon though.
----------------------------------------------------
E) Urahara Shop
A list isn't particularly necessary for the Urahara Shop, all anyone needs to
have is a basic understanding of the unlocking process. Within the Urahara
Shop you'll find Sets (the ability to use a character as a menu guide),
Costumes, and additional Voices for different characters. While some of the
Shop items are very simple to obtain, there are some that require specific
conditions which some players may not think to do at first. Anyway, no worries
as I'm here to tell you everything you need to know in order to unlock every
shop item in Bleach Wii.
1) Sets - Nobody really has a problem with sets because simply put you get
a lot of them on a very linear path through the game. Complete the Episode
Modes, unlock all the characters and you should be set.
2) Outfits - These can be tricky if you don't know what to do, but I can tell
you how to get each outfit specifically.
Orihime Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Orihime, but here's a tip, if you don't
like playing with Rangiku you should do her costume before Rangiku's since the
win counter for Rangiku only starts once Orihime's second costume is unlocked.
Rangiku Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Rangiku after getting Orihime's second
costume.
Yoruichi Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Yoruichi
Toshiro Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Hitsugaya
Renji Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Renji
Rukia Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Rukia
Ikkaku Costume 2 - Win 10 matches with Ikkaku
Yumichika Costume 2 - Win 10 matches with Yumichika
Komamura Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Komamura
Kisuke Costume 2 - Unlock EVERYTHING in the shop (besides this, of course).
3) Voices - Okay, here's the pain. People just do not know how to unlock
voices, but don't worry, since I'm here to save you. There are a few voices
that need to be unlocked by doing something specific whereas others are just
purely dependent on how many matches with a character you've won.
Step 1 - Beat Arcade Mode with every character and drag them into Versus for
two additional rounds (bringing the grand total of matches played to 10).
This will work on MOST people, but some people (like Jushiro) will require a
SECOND Arcade Mode playthrough. If you already completed the ten and the
Voice will not show up again, simply play through their Arcade Mode one more
time.
Step 2 - Go back to Episode Mode once every character is unlocked. Once all
characters are unlocked play through Kenpachi's Episode Mode, Arturo's Episode
Mode, and (ugh) Hanataro's Episdoe mode one last time. This should yield
Shuhei, Komamura, Mayuri, Yumichika, Ikkaku, and Unohana.
4) Artwork/Sound - Once again, not very problematic due to the fact that
they're gotten on the linear path of the game.
--------------------------------------------------------
F) Gallery
In the Gallery you will find three subsections:
Graphics - Here you can view the character models and voices (once unlocked)
of every character in the game and even some characters who aren't playable.
Additionally, once unlocked, you may press + when inspecting a character model
to set that character as your menu guide. Nifty, huh?
Sound - Listen to the music in the game once unlocked. The game has a pretty
cool soundtrack, so I'd suggest giving it a listen.
Graphics - This is the 2d Art. After unlocking this stuff you can view all the
2d artwork that was involved in the game. A lot of it is neat to see, check
it out.
----------------------------------------------------
G) Options
Here you can adjust Music Volume, Cinematic Volume, Sound Effects Volume,
Match Length, Com Difficulty, and even restore Default settings. This place
is pretty useless, especially since you can set Match Length and Com Difficulty
at character select screens.
----------------------------------------------------------------
5. CHARACTER/STAGE UNLOCKING GUIDE
Character unlocking is pretty simple in this game, it just involves a ton of
Arcade Mode, which shouldn't bother you anyway if you're trying to unlock
everything in the Urahara shop since you'll be getting closer to Voice 2's in
the process.
Stages:
Central 46: Inner Sanctum - Beat Toshiro's Episode Mode
Within the Seal - Beat Arturo in Episode Mode
Characters:
Yoruichi Shihoin - Beat Training Mode or Episode Mode with Hanataro
Rukia Kuchiki - Beat Renji's Episode Mode
Momo Hinamori - Beat Toshiro's Episode Mode
Hanataro Yamada - Beat Toshiro's Episode Mode
Ikkaku Madarame - Beat Kenpachi's Episode Mode
Shuhei Hisagi - Beat Hanataro's Episode Mode
Soi Fon - Beat Yoruichi's Episode Mode
Arturo Plateado - Beat Arturo's Episode Mode
Yumichika Ayasegawa - Beat Arcade Mode with Ikkaku Madarame
Shunsui Kyoraku - Beat Arcade Mode with Yasutora "Chad" Sado
Mayuri Kurotsuchi - Beat Arcade Mode with Uryu Ishida
Gin Ichimaru - Beat Arcade Mode with Rangiku Matsumoto and Izuru Kira
Kaname Tosen - Beat Arcade Mode with Shuhei Hisagi and Sajin Komamura
Yachiru Kusajishi - Beat Arcade Mode with Yumichika Ayasegawa and Kenpachi
Jushiro Ukitake - Beat Arcade Mode with Shunsui Kyoraku
Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni - Beat Arcade Mode with Jushiro Ukitake
Kisuke Urahara - Beat Arcade Mode with Mayuri Kurotsuchi
Ulquiorra Schiffer - Beat Arcade Mode with Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen
Sosuke Aizen - Beat Arcade Mode with Ulquiorra
Grimmjow Jeaggerjeaques - Beat Arcade Mode with Sosuke Aizen
----------------------------------------------------------------
6. IN-DEPTH CHARACTER SUMMARIES/MOVES
In this guide I'll talk about a character, their overall ability, and some of
their specific moves. I'll also talk about their respective Bankais and add
anything useful I've learned about the characters.
I.) Ichigo Kurosaki
Downward Critical - Overhead Chop
Upward Critical - Uppercut Chop
Side Critical - Powerful Slash
Stab Critical - Thrust
Ichigo's Criticals are pretty good, specifically because they're not too slow
and they have ridiculous range thanks to his huge sword. Ichigo packs a lot of
power, so its needless to say you'll be wanting to opt for his Criticals
opposed to some of his specials, as cool as some specials may look.
Take for example the classic combo of Upward Critical --> Up/Down Special. In
this combo Ichigo will uppercut his opponent into the air and if done correctly
will proceed to hit them with a blade beam (getsuga tenshou) before they hit
the ground. It looks really cool, but in terms of overall damage its safer
to end that combo with another critical. Yes, the blade beam can do some
damage but it doesn't always get all of its hits in. Sometimes it gets a few
less than desired, but the critical doesn't.
Up/Down Special - Getsuga Tenshou
This special is particularly useful because you can combo it and its hard for
enemies to break through due to the amount of hits it has. Also, if you have
any really eager-to-attack friends you can normally catch with with a blade
beam; however, if you're playing an experienced player I would advise not using
it out of combos since they'll likely run around it and punish you.
Side Special - Zangetsu Rush
This marks the first of many attacks I'll be naming myself, no, I'm not very
creative but you get the idea. Ichigo rushes forward and slashes twice with
his sword. This attack is not only useful in combos but it's also useful if
someone is in your face with a lot of hits and you need to get them away.
This move has a lot of priority, hits, and does decent damage so definitely
make use of it. It's only really tragic downfall is that some characters have
similar Side-Specials that are simply longer, so if you both clash at the same
time Ichigo will lose due to his ending earlier.
Stab Special - Ground Wave
Ichigo puts his sword into the ground and fires off a wave of spiritual energy
that tears through the ground. It has more range the further it goes, so if
you've cornered your opponent and see they don't have any place to run (due to
the stage walls) you can feel free to let this one out, although they'll likely
just block it. To be honest, it's easily Ichigo's worst special since you
wont land this on anyone close range, it's not particularly worth trying to
combo it since its slow, and if used at range it can just avoided or blocked.
>>Bankai - Tensa Zangetsu
Buffs - Flash Step
Bankai Downward Critical - Overhead Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Upward Uppercut
Bankai Side Criticals - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Stab followed by an Uppercut
Sometimes peoples Criticals change when in Bankai mode and very often these
changes are worth mentioning. This is especially the case with Ichigo since
his only real Critical change becomes his best asset in Bankai form. Ichigo's
Stab-Critical in Bankai is heavenly, as you can instantly use your Cinema
Special the second they're launched into the air and it combos seamlessly.
You can still UpCrit into the Cinema Special (Stab Special), but since the
Stab Crit is two hits anyway and its easier to land than (since you could
potentially mess up an UpCrit), it's better to just rely on this.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Black Getsuga Tenshou (Blade Beam)
This move charges up for about a second and fires across the screen at a decent
speed. This move can be blocked, but if you're battling someone who stands
still during attacks (like Ikkaku's twirling Bankai special) it can really come
in handy. Also, couple this move with Ichigo's flash step and you might be
able to flash step away from an attacker and hit them with this before they
recover, depending on the length of their attack. It's a very situational
special, use it wisely if at all. Honestly, almost any time you can land this
you could land his better special, his Cinema.
Bankai Side Special - Somersault Slash
This move is a nifty looking move and boasts decent power. You can get this
one off a few times before you exit Bankai, but to be totally honest it just
pales in comparison to his Cinema Special. The redeeming quality about this
Special is that it's ridiculously easy to combo, you can use it without even
launching your opponent and it'll normally connect for some good damage.
Bankai Stab Special - Zangetsu Blade Flurry
This is Ichigo's Ultimate Move in absolutely every sense. It is his cinema
special, most damaging move, and pound for pound the best move he has. Once
activated Ichigo will stab the opponent, if the stab connects a cinema starts
in which Ichigo begins mercilessly hacking up his enemy. As almost always,
shake the Wiimote during this special to extend it and add more damage. The
thing about this special isn't just the damage, it's the fact that you can
combo it so easily out of Ichigo's best Criticals. Use this move directly
following a Stab Critical and it WILL land, same goes for an Upward Critical,
but of course using his Stab Critical to combo this move is simply smarter for
the reasons listed above (Bankai Criticals section).
Closing thoughts on Ichigo -- Ichigo is a really good character, his specials
accentuate his moves and hes got a lot of destructive capabilities. While
normally Ichigo is a fine character his Bankai is what's most impressive about
him. Simple ultimate combos, blinding speed, and a ton of damage gives you
one of the more dangerous Bankais in the entire game.
----------------------------------------------------
II.) Rukia Kuchiki
Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Upward Critical - 3-Hit Uppercut Combo
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - 2-hit Stab
All in all Rukia's criticals are mediocre simply because you can't combo out of
them as far as I've seen. Her Downward, Upward, and Stab all end up knocking
your opponent on the ground and her side puts her to the side of the opponent,
unable to really do anything fancy afterwards. Pretty much any criticals can
be used with her since none do a ton more damage than any other. As you may be
able to guess, Rukia's specials are somewhat situational.
Up/Down Special - Hellfire Crash
In one of the coolest specials of the game, Rukia leaps over her opponent and
and sends a Kido (energy blast) straight into the back of their head. This
attack has some uses, but you really want to be careful. Taller characters
like Zaraki can swat you out of the air like nothing if you try to abuse it and
depending on your positioning it will simply miss some shorter characters like
Soi Fon (it'll go straight over her head sometimes). A decent use for this
move is running at your opponent as if you attack, then quickly using Hellfire
Crash. Your opponent will likely try to attack as you rush towards them, so
this could catch them off guard. Like I said though, be careful since this
move can go wrong in a lot of ways, using it in someones face in the middle of
combat is almost guaranteed to get you swatted down.
Side Special - Sode no Shirayuki Rush
Rukia rushes towards her opponent, slashing them twice. This move is half
decent since you can use it in someone's face and it does a decent amount of
damage for being a quick move. If you can't seem to get someone out of your
face give this move a try, it'll likely get the job done.
Stab Special - Ice Wave
Imagine a worse version of Ichigo's Up-Special and that's what you have here.
The range isn't great, the damage isn't there, and it's not particularly combo
friendly. If that's not bad enough it's pretty small, avoidable, and doesn't
even clash well. There aren't too many uses for this move against any half
seasoned opponent.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - None (I say none because EVERYONE gets faster and more powerful for the
most part, I'm only listing buffs in terms of things like Super Armor and Flash
Stepping).
Bankai Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - 3-Hit Uppercut Combo
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - 2-hit Stab
The exact same criticals. A shame, she needed some help here.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Hellfire Crash
The same move as before with the exact same uses.
Bankai Side Special - First Dance, White Moon
Activating this special is a pain because it's so easy to avoid. Rukia will
place a glowing white circle on the ground and it's up to the opponent to step
into it. Of course, it's not even that easy, as the opponent can actually step
out of the circle even if they get hit by it initially. This special requires
the opponent to be in the circle for an additional second, so if your opponent
knows this then they probably wont get hit by it unless they accidentally run
into it. Regardless, if you manage to land this special your opponent will be
trapped and assaulted by frost energy until frozen and shattered by Rukia.
As always, wave the wiimote to add to this special, although if you play with
friends you probably wont see it too often.
Bankai Stab Special - Ice Wave
Same move with the same utility (or lack of).
Closing thoughts on Rukia -- Rukia isn't a very good character. Oddly enough,
while she isn't that great due to her mediocre specials and just plain bad
Bankai, she is a lot of fun to play with, especially because of her Hellfire
Crash. Even though she's not very good I would suggest toying around with her
simply because she's pretty fun, or so I think. Not a very good character
though...
----------------------------------------------------
III.) Yasutora "Chad" Sado
Downward Critical - Downward Punch
Upward Critical - Uppercut Punch
Side Critical - Side Punch
Stab Critical - Straight Punch
All in all Chad's specials are pretty generic, although he does pack some
decent power in them. Additionally, much like Ichigo's Upward Critical, Chad
can combo out of his. The move you choose is up to you, since a lot of them
work afterwards (actually all 3 specials do), but some are just better than
others. The multihit specials do look really cool, but I'd say for comboing
your best bet is either another critical or his Side Special, since you wont
really get off all the hits of his Up or Stab Specials after his UpCrit.
Up/Down Special - Shoulder Rush Punch
This move is great for a lot of reasons. Yes, you can combo this out of this
out of his UpCrit, but you wont land the final punch. This isn't particularly
why it's so good though, it's real strength comes in the sheer number of hits
it has. Clashing moves is a big part of this game and few clash as well as
this one. It has a ton of hits to it and it's pretty lengthy, so it often
outlasts and overpowers most moves that come in contact with it. It's also
combo-able without even using a Crit (out of a flurry combo), so you can make
decent use of it any time. This really is a great move.
Side Special - Right Hook
Chad delivers a powerful right punch to his opponent, while moving to the side.
This move is normally combo-able without the UpCrit, but comboing it out of
UpCrit is its best use simply due to the fact that occasionally it will fail
otherwise. Since the move doesn't have a lot of range it can miss your enemy
on occasion, especially smaller ones (like Himamori). Using it after the
UpCrit is smarter since it's a very damaging combo and its a guaranteed hit.
Oddly enough, it's not much different than his Side Crit...
Stab Special - Punch Blast
Chad sends out a massive energy ball from his fist that flies across the
screen. This one isn't that bad actually, since it has a lot of hits and it
travels as far as your opponent can run away. If you're at a range and your
opponent leaves themself open you can try this one, but you can also combo it
out of the UpCrit and land all the hits if you time it right. It's not
fantastic, but there are a lot worse projectiles and it does have some uses.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - None
Bankai Downward Critical - Downward Punch
Bankai Upward Critical - Uppercut Punch
Bankai Side Critical - Side Punch
Bankai Stab Critical - Straight Punch
Exact same, but that's not so bad considering the usefulness of one in
particular. I'm sure you can guess what it is...
Bankai Up/Down Special - Tornado Uppercut
Chad's cinema special, it involves Chad lunging forward with a punch to begin
the attack. Once the attack has begun Chad begins forming a spiritual tornado
in his opponents face (which you can extend by shaking the wiimote) and lets
loose the punch with full force to wrap things up. What's nice about this move
is that you can combo it easily out of Chad's Uppercut-Crit for a good chunk
of damage. Overall a pretty good move.
Bankai Side Special - Right Hook
Same move, less utility simply because you should be comboing his Tornado
Uppercut out of the UpCrit instead of this move.
Bankai Stab Special - Punch Blast
Same move, less utility for the reason listed above.
Closing thoughts on Chad -- Originally I heard a lot of bad things about Chad
but, to be honest, he's not half as bad as people say. If you know your stuff
he's a very viable character with enough strongsuits to make up for his
weaknesses. No, he isn't a Byakuya or Aizen, but he's not that bad. He's
more than usable if you're a Chad fan who wants to stick to your guns.
----------------------------------------------------
IV.) Uryuu Ishida
I'll preface Ishida by saying this; he's a pretty odd character to pick up at
first simply because he uses the bow. He doesn't really have melee so
mastering him is all about using the abilities he has to create distance
between you and your opponent. While his Up/Down and Left/Right normal slashes
are regular arrows, I feel I must mention his default Stab, since he leaps back
and shoots an arrow. This is one of his most useful moves as it gets space
between you and your enemy. Cherish that.
Downward Critical - Aerial Downward Shot
Upward Critical - Shot Aimed at Your Opponents Feet
Side Critical - A 3-Shot SpreadShot
Stab Critical - A 3-Shot Spreadshot While Leaping Back
Ishida's got some good criticals, especially since they're ranged and your
opponent can not block them. Each one has some utility, the Spreadshots are
nice for when your opponent is trying to run at you from the side, and not
straightforward. These spreadshots have a chance of catching them and they
cant block them either, so they're a powerful tool. His Up/Down Crits have
never seemed that useful since, if you're that close to your opponent, as
Ishida I always placed priority on getting away (via Stab or Crit-Stab).
Overall he has a good set of crits though.
Up/Down Special - Arrow Rain
Ishida shoots an arrow up into the air and multiple arrows rain down on his
opponent. This is truly a bad special for two main reasons; for one it's
VERY easy to dodge and secondly it leaves Ishida wide open, which you never
ever want to do. I'd use this move sparcely if at all.
Side Special - Trap Arrows
This is easily Ishida's best overall move. You should have these arrows out at
ALL TIMES if you want to survive as Ishida. Once activated, Ishida leaps to
the side and fires three arrows, but they go nowhere. After a second or two
one arrow will fire at your opponent, followed by another, then the last one.
These are amazing tools for both offense and defense. If on the offensive you
can assault your opponent with spreadshots while these things are also firing
at them. It puts them in a tight spot since they have to avoid spreadshots and
these arrows at the same time. It's great for pressure, but also great for
defense since they will attack an opponent if they're in beating up on you,
allowing you a window in which to escape.
Stab Special - Arrow Blast
Ishida fires a very short range blast of energy in front of him. I prefer his
Stab and StabCrits, especially the crits considering they cant be blocked and
move Ishida away from the target at the same time. This move just isn't that
useful when you compare it to the other tricks Ishida has in his arsenal.
>>Bankai - Quincy Limit Removal
Buffs - Flash Step
Bankai Downward Critical - Aerial Downward Shot
Bankai Upward Critical - Shot Aimed at Your Opponents Feet
Bankai Side Critical - A 3-Shot SpreadShot
Bankai Stab Critical - A 3-Shot Spreadshot While Leaping Back
Same basic criticals but one has an AMAZING use now. It's tricky, but if you
position yourself correctly and fire his Upward Critical it will launch the
opponent into the air... you know what this means. Yes, his cinema special
is combo-able out of this. You can not combo any other specials out of this
but really, who needs to?
Bankai Up/Down Special - Pride of the Quincy
Lame name, I know, but forget about that. This move starts with Ishida firing
a shot at the enemy, which is EASILY blockable by any opponent. Fortunately for
you, you can combo this move out of a well placed Upward-Critical, so there's
hope for landing it. If landed Ishida will begin to warp around the opponent,
shooting the the more you shake the wiimote, then finishing with one final
aerial shot right into their face. Great damage, and since it's combo-able
it's actually a useful move.
Bankai Side Special - Aerial Sweep
Ishida backflips into the air and shoots a bunch of arrows that sweep across
the floor in front of him. This move is actually pretty nice since its a
really effective counter. If someone is rushing you or just happens to be in
the right range for this move, use it to not only get out of there but make
them back off (or take damage) with this flurry of shots. The damage isn't bad
so considering it has use as a defensive move.
Bankai Stab Special - Hyper Arrow
This move isn't that great because it has a start up time in which people can
take measures to avoid it, it's not comboable well (if you do the UpCrit and
then this move, you'll catch them with the very last hits of the beam but you
might as well use his cinema. Its only real use is in the case that you catch
someone wide open (like Ikkaku's twirling special) and have the time to get
this off.
Closing thoughts on Ishida -- All in all Ishida is a pretty nifty character
just based on how differently he plays. He has a lot of strengths and if
played well by a smart player he can be dangerous on account of his keepaway
game. As long as you don't let people in your face to punish you and know
which moves to use at the right time, Ishida is more than formidable.
----------------------------------------------------
V.) Orihime Inoue
Downward Critical - Doward two-hand club
Upward Critical - Shoryuken... seriously. (Powerful Uppercut)
Side Critical - Two-Hand Tornado
Stab Critical - Two Hand Push
Orihime doesn't have any combo setups in any of her Crits, unfortunately. In
her UpCrit she jumps into the air and by the time she lands its too late to
combo. Don't be discouraged though, Orihime is one hell of a character and
if you play her intelligently she's one of the better characters in the game.
Up/Down Special - Soten Kisshun
Once activated a barrier is formed around Orihime and she begins to heal
herself for a couple seconds. This is most useful when coupled with her Santen
Kesshun (Stab Special) since she is completely safe to heal as long as her
shield is up. Also, if an opponent misses an attack with a lot of lag you may
find some time to get this heal off. Of course, without a shield this move
makes you completely open to attack so be smart about using it.
Side Special - Koten Zanshun
Orihime fires out her trusty fairy Tsubaki for a decently damaging homing
attack. This move is a lot more useful than it seems, especially considering
how defensively Orihime plays. This move completely forces your opponent to
block because its very hard to evade. Dodging this attack is not as easy as
running away because Tsubaki will follow whoever he is sent after, so either
they block or they get hit.
Stab Special - Santen Kesshun
Get acquainted with this move because to be an effective Orihime player you'll
have to use the hell out of it. This is Orihime's trusty shield, and once
the command is issued Orihime will set up her shield that will block quite a
few attacks, although a couple Criticals will likely break it. This shield
only works in your benefit assuming you use it intelligently. If someone is in
your face don't use it, get them away with a Critical attack and then set use
it. Any time you're at a safe distance you should be setting up your shield,
there's no real excuse not to use it, especially since your shield guarantees
you safety while you heal. Of course, it isn't wise to start healing if your
opponent is right next to you, which brings me to its other use; offense. Not
only is this shield an amazing defensive tool, but it's a superb offensive tool
as well. Orihime is not really being hit when the shield is deployed so you
can feel free to engage your enemy and attack them with a good knockback Crit.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - None
Bankai Downward Critical - Doward two-hand club
Bankai Upward Critical - Shoryuken... seriously. (Powerful Uppercut)
Bankai Side Critical - Two-Hand Tornado
Bankai Stab Critical - Two Hand Push
Nothing much different here.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Soten Kisshun
Same move, just as useful.
Bankai Side Special - 6 Flower Assault
This move is used in the same way as her normal Side Special, but instead of
just a hit it enters a cinema scene this time around. It's very easily blocked
but don't worry, you can still get this special off without comboing it. The
way to get this special off most effectively is by putting up your shield and
baiting them into attacking, once they attack the shield should absorb their
attack and use this special in the middle of their attack. If you're
successful, during their downtime you should hit them with this attack. As
always, shake the wiimote to make the fairies pummel your opponent more.
Bankai Stab Special - Santen Kesshun
Her faithful shield, use it to set up for your 6 Flower Assault. (read above)
Aside from that, same move and just as useful.
Closing thoughts on Orihime -- Orihime is an absolute monster if played
intelligently. She doesn't do bad damage, she can heal, deploy shields, and
even trick people into getting hit by her Ultimate. With all of her defensive
capabilities and her strangely decent offense, chipping down your opponent's
health while keeping your own health up should be no problem once you've gotten
some play time with her.
----------------------------------------------------
VI.) Renji Abarai
Downward Critical - Sword Extending Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Sword Extending Uppercut
Side Critical - Sword Extending Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Extending Thrust
Renji has somewhat of a double edged sword (not literally) in that he has some
nice range with his attacks, but his sword has to snap together after every
Critical. To be honest though, I think the range more than makes up for it
since a good ranged critical is so valuable. His uppercut is one of his best
since it sets up for what is, in my opinion, his best special.
Up/Down Special - Full Extension Chop
Renji fully extends his sword and slams it down in a straight line. This move
has decent damage but since it goes in a straight line and Renji ANNOUNCES his
attack beforehand it's pretty easy to see coming and dodge. If you see someone
open for attack you might want to try this move or if it counters an oncoming
attack, but to be honest, if you're looking for efficiency this is not the move
to be using.
Note - By swinging the wiimote after the sword has been extended, instead of
simply retracting his sword Renji will sweep it across the ground while
retracting. While this doesn't make the move a whole lot more useful, it is
a must for anyone who actually uses it.
--Tip by Viashino_wizard
Side Special - Extending Sword Combo
This is Renji's best special, by leaps and bounds. It hits three times, does
good damage, is combo-able, and has excellent range. You can use this move
right out of his UpCritical and can occasionally catch people with this move
out of a standard combo.
Stab Special - Higa Zekko (Broken Baboon Fang)
This isn't that great of a special since it's easy to see coming and blockable,
but at least it puts your opponent on the defensive. If you're very far away
it really can't hurt to use it, since you're not at too much risk from a
distance.
>>Bankai - Hihio Zabimaru
Buff - Super Armor
Bankai Downward Critical - A Quick Swooping Bite From Zabimaru
Bankai Upward Critical - Zabimaru Shoots Straight Up From the Ground
Bankai Side Critical - Zabimaru Sweeps Across the Screen in Front of Renji
Bankai Stab Critical - Zabimaru Shoots Out in a Straight Line in Front of Renji
In all honesty, some may argue that besides his counter, Renji's criticals
in Bankai form are more useful than his specials. Since all of Renji's attacks
in this form use Zabimaru you can't really combo too well, but considering
the range, priority, and power Zabimaru has in this form, it doesn't really
matter. I'd use his sweeping Criticals more than his lunges, since the
straight out lunges are much easier to avoid by a decent player. Also, since
Renji has super armor, if they're attacking you they're actually in danger.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Fang Thrust
This is essentially the same thing as his Stab Critical. All in all I wouldn't
advise using this one too much since it's easy to see coming and really easy
for a human player to avoid. You could use it when someone is in your face
but theres a better move for that coming up...
Bankai Side Special - Counter
Renji flicks his whip in front of him and if you hit him during this time
Zabimaru takes a nice chomp out of you. This is probably his best Bankai move
since, because of his Super Armor, if someone is attacking you, you can bust
out a counter in the middle of their combo and take them down. It's very
useful, especially if you can see an attack coming.
Bankai Stab Special - Baboon Fang Combo
This is Renji's cinema special. It's not bad, it does good damage, but
unfortunately the hit needed to get this special off is pretty much his Stab,
which means it's really easy to avoid. The one time you may be able to get
this off is while your opponent is in the middle of a combo, assuming they
don't hit you with something really hard you can activate this attack and
sometimes surprise them with it.
Closing thought on Renji -- Renji is a really good all around character. He
doesn't have too many blaring weaknesses and he has pretty decent combos.
If you can keep your opponent in a range where you can touch them, but they
can't touch you, you'll probably find yourself winning plenty of fights with
Renji; but he's not bad up close either.
----------------------------------------------------
VII.) Rangiku Matsumoto
Downward Critical - Downward Chop Followed by Side Slash
Upward Critical - Sword Uppercut
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Backwards Sword Thrust
Rangiku's Crits aren't that bad, he Downward Crit has a couple nice hits and
her Upward Crit can be used to combo every single one of her default specials.
She doesn't have anything that really stands out in this department but she
definitely doesn't have anything bad.
Up/Down Special - Haineko Blast
Rangiku shoots a ball of ash (her sword, Haineko) at the opponent. This move
follows the enemy and deals multiple hits. If your opponent is far away
definitely shoot one of these, it's only beneficial to you since there isn't
much lag after it. This move can also be combo'd after her UpCrit. Overall
it's a pretty decent move considering you can attack them while they try to
block it.
Side Special - Haineko Sweep
Rangiku does a horizontal slash and as she does this Ash from her sword
sweep horizontally in front of her like a cat scratch. Much like her Haineko
Blast, this move can be combo'd in after an UpCrit, it's also useful to use
if an opponent is dashing towards you quickly from the side, since the Ash
swipe has a lot of range.
Stab Special - Haineko Thrust
Rangiku thrusts her sword into the enemy, launches them, and you'll actually
get another hit or two because they'll land on the ash she shoots out. This
move isn't really useful on it's own since its easy to see coming and highly
punishable due to the lag afterwards, but you can still combo this in after
an UpCritical.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - None
Bankai Downward Critical - Downward Chop Followed by Side Slash
Bankai Upward Critical - Sword Uppercut
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Backwards Sword Thrust
Same Criticals, nothing new here.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Haineko Blast
Nothing really new here.
Bankai Side Special - Haineko Sweep
Nothing really new here.
Bankai Stab Special - Haineko Flurry
Rangiku thrusts her sword into the opponent and assaults them with a flurry
of ash, courtesy of Haineko. This move is pretty slow and very easy to see
coming, but fortunately you can combo it in if you use it the second after
you use your UpCrit.
Closing thoughts on Rangiku -- I found Rangiku to be a pretty bland character.
There's nothing really outstanding about her, she doesn't have any blaring
strengths nor does she have anything particularly fun to use. I think she is
usable if you like her and want to do well, but you may find yourself getting
bored.
----------------------------------------------------
VIII.) Toshiro Hitsugaya
Downward Critical - Overhead Chop Followed by a Second Somersault Chop
Upward Critical - Sword Uppercut Followed by a Second Upward Slash
Side Critical - Two Side Slashes
Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
Toshiro's Criticals are pretty interesting because they all come in sets of
two. All of them are pretty good, but interestingly enough the second slashes
of his Criticals can be canceled in favor of other moves. For example, if you
leave his Upward Critical go it will hit them twice, but if you input a special
after the first slice it'll go straight to that and negate the second slash.
This is very convenient for comboing his specials.
Up/Down Special - Frozen Leap
Hitsugaya lunges at the opponent and plunges his sword into the ground causing
numerous sharp ice spikes to form in the ground. This move has decent range
but because of the fact that it moves straight it can be easy to avoid. You
can however combo this move in if you cancel the second slash of his UpCrit
with this special. It's damage isn't bad and it's more reliable than comboing
in his Dragon special since the Dragon special often misses hits.
Side Special - Icicle Shatter
Toshiro spawns multiple icicles in front of him and shatters them with a single
slash. You cant use this when someone is right in front of you due to the fact
that the icicles will spawn PAST them and leave you open, so you have to use
this at the right range. This can't be combo'd, but if you have an attack
rushing towards you its a nice way to make them slip up. The icicles appear
very quickly, so if they're in the general vicinity and are approaching, it
can be a nice move.
Stab Special - Hyorinmaru Dragon
This special has a lot of things going for it. It does decent damage, it has
range, but most importantly it has a defensive feature. Since the dragon
circles around Toshiro before it's shot it can act as a defense against anyone
who is in your face at the time. On the other side of that token, the startup
makes this nearly impossible to land from a distance. This isn't too much of
a problem though, considering the defensive utility is nice and you can combo
it in after a UpCrit if you cancel the second slash. There is one slight
problem with comboing this special; sometimes all the hits don't connect. Often
a target will take the first hit and fall straight to the ground, so sometimes
for efficiency a player may opt to use another Critical or his Up-Special after
the UpCrit.
>>Bankai - Daiguren Hyorinmaru
Buffs - Super Armor
Note - Be careful around people with powerful multihit specials (like
Yamamoto's Heat Wave and Kisuke's Benihime Slash) as your Super Armor will make
you stand still and take every single damaging hit without being sent flying
away. This means the opponent can repeat this and do ridiculous amounts of
damage to you. Be cautious.
--Tip from Viashino_wizard
Bankai Downward Critical - Slow Overhead Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Sword Uppercut Followed by Ice Blast
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
Instantly you'll notice not only have Hitsugaya's Criticals changed, but
they're all much slower. Don't be discouraged, his range, power, and Super
Armor more than make up for his significant loss in speed. In Hitsugaya's
Bankai you'll probably want to stick to his specials, but he does have a couple
nice setups through his UpCrit assuming you cancel its second hit.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Frozen Wave
Hitsugaya fires three rows of frozen spikes that shoot across the ground.
This move is great for anyone trying to run towards you since all three are
straight lines and avoiding them is nigh impossible at the right range. This
special is also pretty quick and can be combo'd in after the first slash of his
UpCrit.
Bankai Side Special - Ring of Ice
Toshiro spins around creating a circular ring of icicles around his body.
Since Toshiro is so big in this form the radius of this attack is actually
pretty big, making it a very powerful ranged attack against someone approaching
from absolutely any angle. You can also combo this move in the same way you
can combo his Frozen Wave, which adds a bit more nice utility to an already
dangerous move.
Bankai Stab Special - Frozen Judgment
This special starts out with a stab. This stab is very slow and can not be
combo'd in after an UpCrit, but with Toshiro's Super Armor you can often just
break through an opponents attacks with this special and land it for sure if
you're being rushed. Once the special has began shake the wiimote to make
Toshiro shower his victim with more and more icicles, once they're frozen
enough he does a spiraling drill-slash that takes them up into the air and back
to the ground. It does great damage and considering the Super Armor makes
landing it not-that-difficult, it's a really handy move. This move makes
opponents think twice before getting in your face too much.
Closing thoughts on Toshiro -- Hitsugaya is a really fun character and he has
an absolutely massive fanbase, so considering how good he is I'm sure he wont
disappoint. He has a lot of unique and useful moves along with a very good
Bankai. All around, Hitsugaya seems to be above average and a fan's dream
come true.
----------------------------------------------------
IX.) Byakua Kuchiki
Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Uppercut Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - 2-Hit Stab
Byakuya's Criticals are about as boring and generic as they get. Not a single
one has any flare, and they're all completely basic. Don't let this fool you
though, as Byakuya is easily one of the better characters of the game. I guess
this proves substance beats style...
Up/Down Special - Shunpo Stab
Say hello to one of the most useful moves in the entire game. When activated
Byakuya instantly disappears, reappearing behind the opponent and stabbing. Do
not use this move carelessly, as Byakuya takes a second to stab the opponent.
If you're not smart about it and expect a bunch of free hits you'll be sorry;
however, if you play him well and look for openings this move can be an
incredible source of free damage. This is also the only move that can
effectively combo after Byakuya's UpCrit. The combo actually looks pretty
cool too once you've gotten it off. This move is all about openings.
Side Special - Scatter, Senbonzakura
Byakuya scatters his blade in front of him, attacking the opponent with an
onslaught of blade fragments. If you use it after an UpCrit you'll only hit
them with maybe one or two pedals, so it's definitely not worth it. Since
this move takes a second or two to begin and travels in a straight line it's
simply not as useful as other moves he has; however, it can be used to stop
a rushing opponent dead in their tracks.
Stab Special - Byakurai
Byakuya charges for a second and fires off his white lightning attack. This
is his worst move by far as it's easy to see coming thanks to the charge and
it leaves him wide open for anyone to come attack. There aren't really any
situations in which this move is particularly useful.
>>Bankai - Senbonzakura Kageyoshi
Buffs - Flash Step
Downward Critical - Downward Wave of Pedals
Upward Critical - Upward Wave of Pedals
Side Critical - Horizontal Wave of Pedals
Stab Critical - Forward Wave of Pedals
In this mode all of Byakuya's attacks are done with his pedal-esque sword
fragments. They're not bad, they do pretty decent damage but none of them
set up for Byakuya's specials.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Scene of a Massacre
This is easily Byakuya's most useful special, since the other two are really
hard to land. Byakuya sends a wave of pedals across the ground covering a
decent area in front of him. If the opponent steps into this area the
cutscene will begin in which Byakuya pulls swords composed of his tiny blades
from a row of literally hundreds to hack apart his enemy. It does good damage
and the nicest part about his special is that opponents will often dodge it
and rush up to you for a counterattack, but this pedals actually hit a little
bit to the side of Byakuya too, so enemies will often get caught by this move
unintentionally. It's not a particularly easy move to land outside of that,
but it's easier than his other two.
Bankai Side Special - Pedal Crush
Byakuya forms a vortex of pedals at his opponent that damages the enemy. This
is probably his worst special since it doesn't do much damage and it's nearly
impossible for your enemy not to avoid. It doesn't do damage the second it
starts forming so it gives your enemy a good window in which to run away.
Bankai Stab Special - Imperial White
This special will take off about 60% of your opponents health if it connects,
but you'll likely only ever get this move off on new players... once, if that.
This move is started by Byakuya charging his energy for a few seconds, after
waiting a good few seconds without being touched the cinematic will
automatically begin showing Byakuya with two bright white wings, a white ring
behind him, and a bright white sword rush past his opponent, slashing them.
Don't expect to ever get this move off on a human player since it takes so much
time to activate and all your opponent needs to do is run up and hit you a few
times. It's really destructive, but not very useful.
Note - Viashino_wizard let me know that you can charge Imperial White faster if
you shake the wiimote during the charge. This adds an interesting new use for
this move since you can actually UpCrit your opponent, begin your Imperial
White charge the SECOND you hit them, and get the move off. When your opponent
stands up they will have to do a whole lot of damage really fast to break you
out of it, which will not happen a lot of the time. This is a decently safe
way to use this move, so give it a shot.
Closing thoughts on Byakuya -- Byakuya is a strange case in that he really
shines when hes NOT in his Bankai. His simple Criticals suffice and his
Shunpo stab is beyond amazing. His Bankai simply isn't as good since the
attacks can be hard to land, but all in all he's a really good character. With
his new way to land Imperial White his Bankai doesn't suffer as badly but some
characters can break him out of it in time, which can hurt him.
----------------------------------------------------
X.) Yoruichi Shihoin
Downward Critical - Upward Kick Followed by Two Aerial Kicks
Upward Critical - Backflip Kick
Left to Right Side Critical - Roundhouse Followed by a Sweep
Right to Left Side Critical - Two Punches
Stab Critical - Two Hand Push
Yoruichi is a little different than your standard character for a few reasons.
For one, she has a distinct and important difference between her Left to Right
Side Crit and her Right to Left Side Crit. Additionally, unlike many other
characters, combos will not be done out of her UpCrit, rather they'll mainly
be started out of her Left to Right (L2R from now on) Critical. Also, take
note that her Stab Crit has more range than it appears to have, you will get
hit if you are a foot or two in front of her, even if her hands do not touch
you. Don't be afraid to use Criticals to chain combos out of her L2R instead
of specials, since her criticals can land and actually do decent damage a lot
of the time.
Up/Down Special - Dagger Kick
Yoruichi jumps into the air and in a single kick rains daggers down in front
of her. This is a really nice move because for one, it can be combo'd
absolutely perfectly out of her L2R-Side Crit and it does a decent amount of
damage to boot. Using this after the L2R causes pretty much every dagger to
hit as well, which is nice. This move can also be used while someone is in
your face, since it puts her up on the air and should assault the enemy while
they're attacking, of course many would just rather use a Critical with
Yoruichi instead and start a combo.
Side Special - Roundhouse-Backflip
Yoruichi does a roundhouse followed by a backflip, both of which leave a trail
of energy. This move is pretty good because its range on the sides of her help
it a bit to hit enemies who aren't directly in front and the move is actually
activated kind of quickly, so if someone is pressuring you it's an excellent
move to use in order to break through their attacks and send them away. Its
damage is pretty good, but unfortunately you cant land the backflip if you
try to combo out of the L2R.
Stab Special - Shunpo Thrust
Yoruichi instantly appears in front of her opponent and thrusts her arm into
them, stunning them upon contact. This move is nice for when you're at a range
and you see your opponent slip up, leaving themselves open. You can also play
some mind games with this move by running away from your opponent, then
activating it, causing her to instantly appear back in front of them with an
attack. The move has its uses, you just need to be smart about using this one
since it can leave you open. One funny note about this move actually; you CAN
combo it out of the L2R and when you do, it stuns them just a few frames before
they hit the ground, so theyll look like they're floating in mid-air for a
second. The stun doesn't really do anything for you, since you cant really
combo even more out of it, but it is funny to see and nice to use if you want
a change from the L2R->Dagger Kick.
>>Bankai - Shunpo
Buffs - Flash Step
Bankai Downward Critical - Upward Kick Followed by Two Aerial Kicks
Bankai Upward Critical - Backflip Kick
Bankai Left to Right Side Critical - Roundhouse Followed by a Sweep
Bankai Right to Left Side Critical - Two Punches
Bankai Stab Critical - Two Hand Push
Nothing changes in terms of her Criticals which is actually a VERY good thing.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Dagger Kick
Same move, although not as much utility considering how easy her Ultimate is
to combo.
Bankai Side Special - Shunpo Assault
This special is absolutely amazing. Yoruichi begins this attack by punching
her opponent, once the cinema begins she warps around the opponent clobbering
them DBZ-style before blasting them with a whole lot of spiritual energy. As
always, wave the wiimote during the rapid assault to attack them even more. So
why is this special so nice? Well it's ridiculously easy to combo. Not only
can you easily combo this special out of her L2R-Side Crit, but you can
land it after just a few weak attacks since the stun from her weak attacks is
often just enough of an opening to nail them with the special hit. If you go
into Bankai there isn't too much excuse for not landing this move at least
once.
Bankai Stab Special - Shunpo Thrust
Same move, although not as useful due to her Shunpo Assault.
Closing thoughts on Yoruichi -- Yoruichi is one hell of a character, she's
very quick, combos VERY well, does a lot of damage, and pretty much all of her
moves look ridiculously cool. All in all shes a solid character and with a
little bit of know how she can be unbelievably dangerous.
----------------------------------------------------
XI.) Soi Fon
Downward Critical - Upward Kick Followed by Two Aerial Kicks
Upward Critical - Backflip Kick
Left to Right Side Critical - Roundhouse Followed by a Sweep
Right to Left Side Critical - Two Punches
Stab Critical - Two Hand Push
At first glance Soi Fon and Yoruichi seem very alike, but trust me, they are
NOT. Yes, their moves look very similar but they combo out of completely
different Criticals and Specials. You'll be using different moves when playing
as these two, and Soi Fon is a little bit more about canceling than Yoruichi.
One of Soi Fon's criticals in particular, her Right to Left Side Critical
(R2L from now on) can be canceled after the first punch and out of it you
can combo in not only Specials but a decent chain of Criticals as well.
Up/Down Special - Sliding Combo
Soifon slides on the ground into the enemy, kicks them twice, and finishes
up with a powerful thrust to the chest. This is one of her better moves since
it can be combo'd after canceling her R2L Crit and it can also be very fluidly
combo'd in the middle of a generic string of flurry attacks due to its very
short startup speed. Don't be afraid to throw this one out in the heat of a
fight, there's no way they'll have time to dodge.
Side Special - Roundhouse Thrust
Similar to Yoruichis, except after the initial roundhouse Soi Fon does a
straight forward kick instead of a backflip. Yet another very useful move for
Soi Fon as it has the very same combo principles as her sliding combo. It can
be used to break a R2L or in the middle of a generic quick-combo with very
good results. Feel free to mix these in after a couple critical chains knowing
they'll land pretty safely.
Stab Special - Butterfly Touch
It's a shame Soi Fon has such a bad special to wrap up what would've been an
excellent trio. In principle, this moves sounds overpowered, but when you
consider how applicable it is you'll find it's nearly worthless. Soi Fon
lunges forward and thrusts her claw into the chest of the enemy, creating a
butterfly emblem to be left on them. If you can connect the same attack again
within a few seconds (not very many) the opponent will instantly die. While it
sounds amazing, good luck hitting someone with his attack even once. Do not be
fooled by this attack, just forget you have it. Being tempted to use it will
only cause you trouble since its VERY easy to avoid and if you use it you'll
likely take a beating from your enemy. So, instead of trying to make use of it
or being tempted to go for the 2HKO, forget it's there. You'll be happier you
did.
>>Bankai - Shunpo
Buffs - Flash Step
Bankai Downward Critical - Upward Kick Followed by Two Aerial Kicks
Bankai Upward Critical - Backflip Kick
Bankai Left to Right Side Critical - Roundhouse Followed by a Sweep
Bankai Right to Left Side Critical - Two Punches
Bankai Stab Critical - Two Hand Push
Same deal with Yoruichi, nothings changed and thats a good thing.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Sliding Combo
Same move, while you can combo in your Ultimate this still isn't a bad
move to use.
Bankai Side Special - Roundhouse Thrust
Same move as before, just as useful, but you may want to just use your cinema.
Bankai Stab Special - Shunpo Assault
Almost identical to Yoruichi's in the cinema, Soi Fon rapidly attacks her enemy
using more flash-step attacks the more you shake the wiimote, ending with a
powerful finishing thrust. While her Ultimate and Yoruichi's have roughly the
same cinema, their executions are very different. Soi Fon's takes a little bit
longer to execute as she moves back and does a thrusting motion to start hers.
This means you can no longer simply throw it in the middle of a flurry; however
you can still combo it. This attack and normally be combo'd if you cancel your
R2L Critical and use this attack after the first hit.
Closing thoughts on Soi Fon -- All in all I think Yoruichi and Soi Fon are
roughly equal. They both have a lot of the same strengths and a lot of the
same weaknesses, in fact they're basically just two different ways to play the
same moveset. Both are very deadly when used well and are a lot of fun to
play around with.
----------------------------------------------------
XII.) Ganju Shiba
Downward Critical - Leaping Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Upwards Headbut
Left to Right Side Critical - A Bomb to the Face
Right to Left Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Headbut Leap
Ganju actually has a noticeable switch in his L2R and R2L Side Criticals, but
unlike Soi Fon and Yoruichi it doesn't change much about how he's played. His
reach isn't particularly great and some of his moves even hurt him if you land
them too close.
Up/Down Special - Stone Wave
Misleading name, considering it's a Sand trap, but basically this move slows
down your opponent, which can be a pretty good thing because you can catch them
with a powerful attack before they have the chance to counter. This move can
be used after his UpCrit, and if you have the time it doesn't hurt to put one
out.
Side Special - Firecracker Bomb
Ganju tosses a firecracker at his opponent. This can't combo and if you do it
when you're too close to an opponent you'll be hit too, so this is purely a
ranged attack. If you throw it and miss the bomb will stay there for a few
seconds. You can pretty much throw out as many as you possibly can at one time
so you can litter the ground with them if an opponent is far away and make them
watch their step.
Stab Special - Do or Die
Ganju pulls out a bomb and runs into his opponent, exploding on contact. This
move isn't that great considering it's easy to knock him out of it, he even
announces the attack beforehand so its impossible to not see coming. I'd
avoid this move for the most part.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - None
Bankai Downward Critical - Leaping Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Upwards Headbut
Bankai Left to Right Side Critical - A Bomb to the Face
Bankai Right to Left Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Headbut Leap
Same moves here, and his UpCrit this time around is actually more useful than
before, I'm sure you can guess why.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Stone Wave
Same move, nothing new.
Bankai Side Special - Firecracker Bomb
Same move, nothing new.
Bankai Stab Special - Firecracker Finale
Ganju's ultimate attack; started by an uppercut this move shows Ganju toss his
opponent into the air and explode them with a firework that erupts the more
times you shake the wiimote. Afterwards the enemy will fall, having taken
quite a bit of damage. Fortunately for Ganju this can combo directly out of
his UpCrit, so it has some use. You'll definitely want to use this move as
many times as possible in Bankai.
Closing thoughts on Ganju - Personally I think Ganju is a very mediocre
character. His range isn't great, his specials aren't very good, and he
doesn't really have anything great that sets him apart in a good way. If you
like him he'll be tough to use really well, but I don't think it's impossible.
----------------------------------------------------
XIII.) Yumichika Ayasegawa
Downward Critical - Downward Chop Followed by a Backwards Leap
Upward Critical - Leaping Upward Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
Yumichika has a small difference between his Side specials, but honestly
they're pretty much the same so I won't bother listing the difference.
Overall his Criticals aren't outstanding simply because they don't offer great
combo-ability and his UpCrit leaves him incredibly open since he leaps into the
air when doing it. If that's not bad enough it can't even combo, his only
really redeeming Crit is his Downward Crit since it puts some space between him
and his opponent, but since Yumichika doesn't play much of a range game that's
not even terribly useful.
Up/Down Special - Leaping Slice
Yumichika does an elegant leaping slice towards the opponent. Since this move
has very little lag afterwards it can be pretty safely used in order to
surprise the opponent at a mid range. It does have a little bit of a startup
time, but you should still normally be able to land this in a standard flurry
combo.
Side Special - Side Slice
In yet another elegant move, Yumichika does a sideways slash. Much like the
Leaping Slice Yumichika has a little bit of a startup with this move, but
finding a place to use it in the heat of a quick battle shouldn't be too hard.
I think it comes out quick enough to warrant some use, it's not an amazing
special but it certainly isn't that bad.
Stab Special - Stunned by Beauty
Yumichika drops a peacock feather on the ground creating a golden circle. If
any enemy steps into this circle they are stunned for a few seconds. If you're
far away I guess it couldn't hurt to put one out assuming your opponent doesn't
have a good ranged attack, but all in all the attack isn't particularly useful
since it can be very easy to avoid.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - None
Bankai Downward Critical - Downward Chop Followed by a Backwards Leap
Bankai Upward Critical - Leaping Upward Chop
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
Same criticals here, which is pretty bad since a combo for his special could
have really helped.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Leaping Slice
Same move, not as useful in Bankai.
Bankai Side Special - Energy Drain
This move is started by a move that looks exactly like his normal Side Special.
In this cinema scene Yumichika uses his sword, Fuju Kujaku, to sap energy from
his opponent. As always shake the wiimote to sap more and more. Since you
can't combo this in after an UpCrit it can be a pain to land on an opponent
expecting you to use it. You can try to use it after a regular flurry combo,
but if you get predictable it probably won't work. You can try to land a Stab
Special to stun them for a free Energy Drain (assuming you're close), but that
move is even harder to land than using this one alone.
Bankai Stab Special - Stunned by Beauty
This move is a lot more useful in his Bankai because you can land his Energy
Drain, which is otherwise a pain to land. It's still not really any easier to
land this move, but it could come in handy in the off chance an opponent runs
into it.
Closing thoughts on Yumichika -- I think the lack of great combos hurts him a
lot, and if that's not bad enough his Bankai is terribly mediocre. Much like
Ganju he doesn't particularly have too much that sets him apart in a good way,
making him a pretty bland character. I think he's usable, but some of the
better characters in the game would give even a great Yumichika trouble.
----------------------------------------------------
XIV.) Ikkaku Madarame
Downward Critical - Downward Extending Chop
Upward Critical - Leaping Upwards Chop
Side Critical - 2-Hit Side Slash
Stab Critical - Extending Pole Thrust
Unfortunately Ikkaku lacks a good comboing Critical but don't worry, he's still
an amazing character. He has good range and damage in his criticals, and his
specials help him out a lot even without too much comboability, so his Crits
actually aren't that bad.
Up/Down Special - Leaping Assault
Ikkaku leaps high into the air and comes down with a shockwave all around him.
This move is a lot better than it looks because not only does it have some
range that could take people by surprise, but the Shockwave is actually pretty
large, so aside from just hitting people who are open, if someone tries to run
up and counterattack you after you land they sometimes get hit by the shockwave
and are unable to. This is still a situational move, but it's definitely
usable.
Side Special - Hozukimaru Rush
Probably Ikkaku's best special, for plenty of reasons. This move is a priority
monster. If this thing clashes specials or hits with someone else, 90% of the
time it will eat their attack and still have some duration left to do damage.
This move is very long and it has a lot of hits, so it's excellent for clashing
with opponents. It's also not bad for an assault on an opponent from a mid
range since he covers a lot of area and doesn't have too much lag afterwards.
Make use of this one.
Stab Special - Hozukimaru Thrust
Ikkaku splits apart his staff and extends it across the screen. This can have
some mildly decent uses at a range, although its very easy to avoid and leaves
him wide open. I'd use the special the least of all, but every once in a while
if you're left open and someone runs behind you to attack they'll get hit by
his pole for some reason. I wouldn't rely on this though.
>>Bankai - Ryumon Hozukimaru
Buffs - Super Armor
Note - Be careful around people with powerful multihit specials (like
Yamamoto's Heat Wave and Kisuke's Benihime Slash) as your Super Armor will make
you stand still and take every single damaging hit without being sent flying
away. This means the opponent can repeat this and do ridiculous amounts of
damage to you. Be cautious.
--Tip from Viashino_wizard
Downward Critical - Leaping Downward Stab
Upward Critical - Leaping Upward Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
Ikkaku's Bankai is his ultimate weapon. This thing has ridiculous range,
amazing power, and overpowers everything with his super armor. He doesn't have
a flash step but he's quick enough to catch any character and assault them up
close. His Crits are pretty good, but when you see his amazing specials you'll
see there's not too much reason to use them.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Leaping Shockwave
Much like his normal Up/Down special but more powerful with an even bigger
shockwave. Considering people will definitely be trying to avoid you when in
Bankai this special isn't that great, it'll likely miss or just get blocked.
Also, if you see someone open, there are better moves to do anyway.
Bankai Side Special - Hozukimaru Tornado
This is an awesome special. It has a ton of range and does really good damage.
You can also make use of this move in several different ways as well. If
someone is running near you or even in your general area you can catch them
this move since its start up is very short. This is nothing compared to its
better use though; if you're aware of the stage boundaries you can actually
corner your opponent and use this attack in succession. You can literally
corner them so well that they cant run anywhere to escape from this attack.
Bankai Thrust Special - Awaken, Hozukimaru
This special is started by Ikkaku hitting his opponent with his blades. Once
the special has commenced he proceeds to beat on his opponent with the dragon
emblem lighting up more and more as you shake the Wiimote until its fully
lit and he Ikkaku finishes the combo. This special is really awesome simply
because it's easy to land with the Super Armor. You can break through pretty
much any attack someone can throw at you and catch them in this special. It
also has a weird range on it, so people who think they are safe by running
around you may also get hit. It does great damage and isn't too much of a
hassle to land, so definitely try to make use of this.
Closing thoughts ok Ikkaku -- Ikkaku is an excellent character. He can easily
hold his own without his Bankai using his speed and power. As if he wasn't
good enough on his own, his Bankai is among the most useful in the entire game.
He does great damage in this form and his specials are really easy to make good
use of. Not many things can turn the tides in a fight much like his Bankai, so
Ikkaku fans will be VERY pleased with him.
----------------------------------------------------
XV.) Kenpachi Zaraki
Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Upwards Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
Much like Byakuya, Kenpachi's Criticals are about as bland as they get... but
also just like Byakuya, Kenpachi is a ridiculously good character. With range
and power like Zaraki's, who needs fancy attacks? His criticals are so good
that you may actually want to just use criticals out of his Crit combos instead
of a special... they're really powerful and have amazing range.
Up/Down Special - Demon Slice
Zaraki does a very quick, damaging downward slice with his sword. You'll know
it because he yells "I love it!" every time he does it and it creates a black
mist. This move is amazing since you can combo it out of his UpCrit or just
use it in the middle of a combo. Its speed, power, and range are all above
average, making this an immensely useful Special. Make use of this, especially
at enemies just far enough for you to hit them with it, since they likely wont
be able to hit you.
Side Special - Counter
Yet another great special for Kenpachi. Zaraki will taunt the opponent, and if
the opponent attacks during this time he gives them a prompt kick to the face.
It's hard to pull this one out while someone is in your face thanks to the
start up time, but if you can see an attack coming or you see a small break in
their attack pattern with an opening large enough to use it you can cause your
opponent some serious pain. If you're smart about using this move it'll be one
of your most treasured moves with Zaraki.
Stab Special - Ground Wave
A mediocre move considering its not really any more useful than his Demon
Slice. Yes, you can combo this in after an UpCrit and yes you can use it in
the middle of a flurry combo, but you can also more safely do both of these
things with the Demon Slice. I guess if you want to switch it up you can use
this instead, but the Demon Slice is just a better alternative, I think.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Limit Removal
Buffs - None
Bankai Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Upwards Chop
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
Same moves, and all very useful. In all honest, Zaraki doesn't even need his
bankai. With the damage output he has before his bankai there's barely a need
to use it, so the fact that he gets even more powerful in every way is great
for Kenpachi players.
Bankai Up/Down Special - High Pressure
Zaraki starts this attack with a generic slice and proceeds to slash the hell
out of his opponent as long as you shake the wiimote. He then finishes by
blasting the enemy with a demon composed of Spiritual Pressure. This move is
pretty good solely because you can combo it right out of one of Kenpachi's
extremely damaging UpCrits... as if Zaraki needed to do more damage.
Bankai Side Special - Counter
Still very useful in Bankai for people who will try to lock you down with
continuous attacks. Don't forget about this move just because you've gained a
handy cinema special.
Bankai Stab Special - Ground Wave
Easily his least useful move in Bankai since you could just do a combo for
his High Pressure attack instead. I'd mostly avoid this one on Bankai mode.
Closing thoughts on Zaraki -- He's good. REALLY good. Combine crushing power,
good speed, and amazing range and you've got Zaraki. He even has a counter,
which is very useful in a game like this and a pretty useful Bankai. Zaraki
barely has any downfalls and in the right hands can completely demolish his
opponents.
----------------------------------------------------
XVI.) Izuru Kira
Downward Critical - Slow Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Upwards Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Thrust With a Backwards Leap Afterwards
All in all Kira's Criticals are pretty unimpressive, especially considering how
slow some of them are, but they definitely get the job done, especially the
UpCrit because it can combo into more crits and all of his specials.
Up/Down Special - Wabisuke Combo
This move is really good because of its speed, damage, and easy combo-abilitiy.
Overall its incredibly useful. You can use this in the middle of a flurry
combo, whenever an opponent is even slightly open, or combo it easily out of
his UpCrit. Since its a cinema that starts with a very simple slash many
people don't see this attack coming either and often get hit by it. Make sure
to get this move into your rotation.
Side Special - Wabisuke Slash
Kira does a very quick side slash that boasts a lot of power. Not particularly
useful in the middle of a flurry combo since it has a second of startup or so
in which your opponent can guard or attack you, but this combos magnificently
out of the UpCrit for a really good damage combo. This move also has some
unusually good range so opponents very far away will often take an unsuspecting
hit simply because they aren't aware of how far the slash really is. Learn the
range of this attack and make great use of the fact that is a very quick ranged
attack with tons of damage. If you keep an eye on your opponent you'll see
plenty of openings for this one.
Stab Special - Wabisuke Pull
Kira shoots a beam out of Wabisuke that damages the opponent, knocks them back,
and then pulls them back towards him. This move can be useful if you see an
enemy who left themself open far away, and sometimes you can even land it
out of nowhere from a distance, but for the most part I'd still avoid this
move. His Side special is quicker, doesn't leave him open, and the range is
almost just as good. If that's not enough, it even combos better. For
efficiency purposes, I'd stick to the Side Special over this.
Note: If you land the Wabisuke Pull you can actually use the Wabisuke Combo
as soon as the enemy is brought to you for a nice combo.
--Tip from Viashino_wizard
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - None
Downward Critical - Slow Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Upwards Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Thrust With a Backwards Leap Afterwards
Criticals are the same which, thanks to his UpCrit comboability, is a pretty
good thing.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Wabisuke Finale
This is a trap special but it also doubles as a single hit activation special.
This makes life MUCH easier for Kira as he doesn't have to rely on the trap
to get people into this special Anyway, Kira will slash and at the same time
create a gravity well on the ground. Getting hit by the slash or standing in
the well makes the enemy fall to their knees as they get assaulted by slashes
from the ground. Shake the wiimote to add more slashes to the combo. This
move can be used in someones face, but I wouldn't advise it since you can very
easily combo this out of his UpCrit. Thank god for the slash in this attack
otherwise it would be a pretty bad Ultimate.
Bankai Side Special - Wabisuke Slash
Same move, decent utility because of the damage and range but I'd still feel
compelled to get the Ultimate off.
Bankai Stab Special - Wabisuke Pull
I wouldn't waste precious Bankai time using this move, especially considering
you can very quickly run up to your opponent if you want to get close to them.
Avoid this in Bankai mode.
Closing thoughts on Kira -- Kira at first seems like a very generic, bland
character but he has an overwhelming amount of strengths that aren't apparent
off the bat. His power, speed, and range are all pretty good and he has two
really nice cinema specials. In all honesty, Kira doesn't really have that
many downfalls, hes just an all around good character.
----------------------------------------------------
XVII.) Momo Hinamori
Downward Critical - Slow Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Slow Upwards Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Slow Sword Thrust
Hinamori's criticals seem really slow and overall, just aren't that impressive
because they don't have the range or damage found on characters like Kenpachi.
Regardless of its speed though, her UpCrit can combo so at least that makes it
more useful than the UpCrit of some other characters.
Up/Down Special - Snap, Tobiume
Hinamori's sword catches on fire, then she proceeds to shoot a long range
fireball from it. This attack is very slow and she even announces it's coming
so it leaves her open quite a bit. Fortunately this move isn't 100% useless as
it can be combo'd out of her UpCrit, which is somewhat nice. There isn't too
much utility for this move otherwise, though.
Side Special - Tobiume Rush
Hinamori rushes forward and slashes once with her sword. This attack has some
decent uses, like most rush attacks, but compared to a lot of other rush
attacks in the game it's not that great since it's very short. This means if
you clash with this move it sometimes doesn't have the duration to overcome the
opponent's attack. It's not unbelievably powerful, but it can be used in a
standard flurry combo and combo'd out of her UpCrit. This is probably her best
special.
Stab Special - Red Flame Cannon
Hinamori takes a second to charge this move and then fires it, much like her
Up/Down Special. There are two major differences between her Stab Special and
her Up/Down Special; speed and tracking. While this one is ridiculously slow,
it does track the enemy. It can't be combo'd out of her UpCrit but if you're
at a very safe distance you can fire this shot off and put your opponent on
the defensive for a little. It's not that great, and against constant
attackers you'll likely never use it.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - None
Bankai Downward Critical - Slow Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Slow Upwards Chop
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Slow Sword Thrust
Same stuff here.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Fireball Assault
Hinamori starts this special by firing her regular Up/Down special. As you
know by now this is combo'able out of an UpCrit so at least you have a
guaranteed way to land this. Even more fortunately, this move actually travels
pretty quickly so its possible to land on someone who leaves themself open for
a little. The damage is pretty good, shake the wiimote to shoot even more
fireballs at the opponent. This special really helps out Hinamori, since she'd
be absolutely dreadful without this source of damage.
Bankai Side Special - Tobiume Rush
Same move, nearly useless since her Fireball Assault is landable.
Bankai Stab Special - Red Flame Cannon
You can actually make good use of this move in Bankai form. If your opponent
is trying to play keep-away you can fire one of these, FORCING them to block
since it tracks. Since they have to block you can run up and probably land an
UpCrit->Up/Down Special combo by going on the offensive. It's not bad, its a
lot more useful than using it outside Bankai.
Closing thoughts on Hinamori -- All in all, like many other characters, Momo
suffers greatly from having absolutely nothing big that sets her apart in a
good way. Every strength she has is a strength of just about every character
save a few so if you're looking for great characters, avoid her as there is no
particular reason to pick her over a ton of other characters who are better
simply because they have better, unique abilities. If you like her I think she
is usable, but you'll have to work for it.
----------------------------------------------------
XVIII.) Hanataro Yamada
Downward Critical - Slow Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Slow Upwards Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Slow Sword Thrust
Here's the thing about Hanataro, his sword strikes heal you, so don't get too
familiar with a lot of these criticals since, for the most part, you wont
really be using them. There is a small use for one, but really, its use is
pretty debatable. Since specials can be blocked you might actually have to
bite the bullet and surprise them with a crit to get them out of your face.
Up/Down Special - Headbut Trip
Hanataro trips on a rock and is sent flying into his opponent. This is one of
his only moves that does damage without healing the enemy at all. This attack
is pretty dodge-able and can be blocked, so any player seeing this coming (and
anyone playing against Hanataro should, since he'll likely be using only 3
moves) will be able to get around it. If someone is in your face and they know
you're abusing specials you can bite the bullet and UpCrit them and headbut out
of it, but that's entirely up to you. If you see an enemy wide open it
wouldn't hurt to use.
Side Special - Hanataro Tornado
Hanataro spins around striking his enemy with both his sword and his hands.
The sword hits heal, the hand hits do decent damage. Don't bother comboing
this out of an UpCrit since you'll only really heal him, but what you can do
(especially if you're fighting AI) is continuously use this move to clash with
and attack your opponent. This move isn't as risky on AI, since it works
really well, but on an actual player missing this move is a tragedy. You stay
100% wide open and they can hit you with just about anything they want. Be
careful about using this, if at all.
Stab Special - Headbut Roll
Hanataro does a headbut and proceeds to roll on the ground, hitting his enemy
even more. This isn't a bad attack since Hanataro rolls on the ground and is
very safe down there from a lot of different moves. If you try to combo this
out of an upcrit you'll actually get both headbut hits and one rolling hit off
on them, but many will be compelled to try and use it without healing them at
all.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - None
Bankai Downward Critical - Slow Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Slow Upwards Chop
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Slow Sword Thrust
Same thing here and in Hanataro's case this is horrible.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Backpack Barrage
Hanataro trips on something yet again, except this time if he strikes his enemy
with the ensuing headbut it sends them into a cinema special. In this cinema
stuff just continues to fly out of Hanataro's bag as long as you shake the
wiimote (even a steamroller...), but the problem is this attack has a VERY long
start up time and can be avoided by pretty much any human player. It's damage
isn't bad, but it's just hard to land, especially since it cant be combod.
Bankai Side Special - Hanataro Tornado
Worthless, considering Bankai is one of the few chances Hanataro has to do a
lot of damage you should not be bothering with this move.
Bankai Stab Special - Hisagomaru Finisher
Hanataro does a downward chop creating a massive blade beam/explosion. A
direct hit with this attack does ridiculous damage for a single blow and its
a great way to turn the tides with Hanataro. Unfortunately though this move
can not be combod and is just as hard to land as the Up/Down special since he
has a startup time and can be avoided by running to the side. On an actual
player it'll be a pain to land and it might get you punished as it leaves him
open. It's a real shame this doesn't combo.
Closing thoughts on Hanataro -- Avoid him if you're playing to win or want a
good character. His attacks are VERY predictable and a lot of the times
completely unreliable. His specials can work on AI, but a real fighter who
knows anything about the game will make your life a living hell. He is
probably the worst character in the game for a Human vs. Human battle...
----------------------------------------------------
XIX.) Shuhei Hisagi
Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Upward Critical - High Backflip Kick
Side Critical - Speedy Side Slash or Sweep
Stab Critical - Shoulder Rush Followed by Stab
Shuhei definitely has a lot of unique attacks, which makes him a pretty fun
character to play as he doesn't just toss out the same boring sword moves.
While they are very unique, he lacks a good comboing UpCrit, which hurts him a
little. Fortunately for him his StabCrit can be cancelled for comboing, and
with some timing you can find yourself doing some nifty combos.
Up/Down Special - Firecracker Toss
Shuhei leaps back and tosses a firecracker like a Kunai at his feet, which
explodes after a second or two. You can throw out as many bombs as you'd like
at one time and they have a decent range. A lot of players can watch their
step around these and you cant use them at a flurry combo because it'll just
barely miss and land at their feet, giving your opponent a chance to dodge.
This doesn't make the move useful up close though by any means, since not only
can it be used to back away really quickly but if an opponent is attacking
they're likely moving forward, so you can get them to run into this thing if
used by surprise. It's definitely not that bad.
You can also combo this move by cancelling Shuhei's StabCrit.
Side Special - Kunai Spread Shot
Shuhei tosses out 5 kunai that spread out the further they go. This is a very
useful move if you and your friends run around a lot, since these kunai are
nearly guaranteed to hit someone who is running towards you. They travel
pretty fast and cover a very good distance. If this move is used up close you
will likely be hit before you can actually throw them, so stick to using this
move to trip up approaching enemies. This can also be used in conjunction with
his bombs to really make your opponents worry about where they step.
This is their main use, since the bomb has multiple hits and does more damage
I'd advise trying to combo that opposed to this Special.
Stab Special - Speed Slice
This move is really useful to use in conjunction with his other two. Shuhei,
upon activating this move, dashes from side to side a few times and finally
makes a diagonal slashing jump across the stage. Its quick, but its uses can
be limited since if you use it in someones face theyll likely block or hit you
before you can actually get one of the hits off. This does have some use
though if you use it with his other two specials. A good strategy is to get
some space, litter the ground with some explosives, and toss a Kunai spread.
After the spread use the Speed Slice so not only do they have to deal with
explosives and knives, they have to worry about you closing in quick for an
attack.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - None
Bankai Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - High Backflip Kick
Bankai Side Critical - Speedy Side Slash or Sweep
Bankai Stab Critical - Shoulder Rush Followed by Stab
Same stuff, not a big deal.
Bankai Up/Down Special - High Speed Assault
This cinema special comes out FAST, and I mean so fast that you don't even need
a critical to combo it. You can pretty easily combo this move straight out of
a generic flurry combo and it'll work fine. Once activated Shuhei does a
really quick slice upwards and follows his opponent into the air, zipping past
them and slashing them at high speeds. The more you shake the wiimote the more
he attacks until he finishes the combo with one final blow. This is a really
great move, definitely make use of it.
You can also try to combo this move out of a StabCrit; however, since the move
is so fast it may be more beneficial to throw it in a flurry combo since a crit
is far easier to dodge and anticipate for your opponents.
Bankai Side Special - Kunai Spread Shot
Same move, pretty useful still for tripping up opponents.
Bankai Stab Special - Speed Slice
I'd actually avoid this move in Bankai because the attack is kind of long and
you should be trying to land that cinema special as much as possible. Also,
a common tactic against Bankais is to play chicken, so if your opponent is
playing chicken they definitely wont ever get his with this move, so I'd say
give this one a rest in Bankai.
Closing thoughts on Shuhei -- What a unique character... Shuhei fans should be
very delighted because not only does he have some of the most unique/original
attacks in the game, but he's actually fun to use and he's pretty good. He
doesn't have too many downfalls besides a lack of consistent Special combos
(out of Bankai) but I don't think that holds him back too much. Regardless of
whether or not you like him, pick him up once or twice, he's pretty fun.
----------------------------------------------------
XX.) Sajin Komamura
Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Spinning Uppercut Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
Komamura's Criticals aren't exactly fancy but they do a good bit of damage and
get the job done. His UpCrit can combo some of his specials, but to be honest,
if you're quick after canceling the UpCrit you can land not only another UpCrit
but a DownCrit as well, resulting in a lot of damage. This is a better
alternative than using his specials most of the time, although getting all of
the hits off probably wont happen all of the time.
Up/Down Special - Tenken
Komamura sends rocks flying up from the ground at somewhat of a distance doing
really good damage. This move is fully combo-able out of his UpCrit and is
WAY more efficient than trying to land extra Crits, so you may want to just opt
for this. I wouldn't use this too much out of combos since it has a startup
that allows good players to block in time or even circle around and attack you.
Of course, using this the right way results in great damage...
Side Special - Triple Slash
While slow, this side slash has a surprising amount of utility. The move has
a ton of range, so hitting people closing in on the side is possible, but if
thats not enough you can use it in the heat of battle sometimes. Why? Well,
for one it isn't THAT slow, and it has three slashes. The three slashes is a
great thing because it clashes very well due to them and sometimes an
opponent will dodge the first one and get hit by the other two, or even dodge
two and not expect the third. The damage isn't that spectacular considering
its three hits, but this move is not without its uses.
Stab Special - Rock Wave
Komamura sends a wave of rocks flying across the ground. This is probably
Komamura's least useful move since it doesn't really combo well out of his
UpCrit or Flurry combo and anyone who dodges will punish the hell out of him.
If they're far away I guess you could try it, but all in all I'd just avoid it
considering his other two specials are actually pretty good.
>>Bankai - Kokujo Tengen Myoo
Buffs - None
Bankai Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Spinning Uppercut Chop
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
Komamura, unlike some how have unique Bankais, actually keeps his own Crits,
but this actually helps him because not only can his UpCrit combo still, but
its easier to swat people out of his face with his own sword than the giant
Samurai's.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Giant Chop
The massive Samurai slams his sword into the ground, nothing too fancy but
from a distance this can strike an unsuspecting opponent or even be combo'd
out of his UpCrit for a pretty decent damage combo. This will probably be what
you use most out of his UpCrit.
Bankai Side Special - Wall of Flame
The samurai drags his sword across the ground creating a wall of flame that
lingers for a few seconds. This move is simply an excellent move all around
since it has both offense and defensive benefits. This attack does not provide
almost any room at all between Komamura and the fire, so using this when
someone is in your face helps, as theyll likely get trapped in the fire letting
you attack them. Of course, this also serves an offensive purpose as the
attack sweeps right across the screen and can nail a lot of approachers and
cutting off their route to Komamura. Use this a lot.
Bankai Stab Special - Tengen Flurry
After a pretty long pause the Samurai stabs his sword into the ground quite a
few times. This move has such a long startup which can make it hard to land;
however, it DOES have some decent use. If you hit an approacher with the Wall
of Flame or use it just before they get to you, you can follow up with this
attack since it attacks BEYOND the wall of flame. This makes it very hard for
them to reach you and it lets you attack with power from behind the safety of
the flames. You probably wont use this move a ton but remember you have it
since it can be useful at times.
Also, if you shake the wiimote the second you use this move (during the brief
second Sajin pauses and poses before the attack is unleashed) you can extend
the number of stabs by two. While this is definitely useful, make sure you
have the Wall of Flame up before doing this since it leaves Sajin open for
even longer before the attack and opponents and move in fast.
--Tip by Tristenkw5
Closing thoughts on Komamura -- While I wouldn't say he's the absolute monster
Kenpachi is, Komamura is a LOT better than people give him credit for. He has
decent combos out of Bankai, does a lot of damage, and has a great Bankai when
used correctly. If you have a good grasp on Komamura he'll work wonders for
you and you'll be pleasantly surprised with how much better he is than you'd
probably think.
----------------------------------------------------
XXI.) Kaname Tosen
Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Uppercut Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
Tosen's Crits are both kind of slow and pretty bland. His UpCrit can still
combo, but all in all I think his Crits leave something to be desired. On
somewhat of a side note, as a cool way to stay loyal to the series, Tosen is
completely immune to Aizen's counter (because he's blind).
Up/Down Special - Suzumushi Rush
Tosen rushes forward and does a slash generating dark energy at the end. This
is actually a very useful move since you can hit 100% of the Special out of an
UpCrit and it starts up almost instantly, so you can use it in a flurry combo
too. Its damage isnt amazing, but considering how easy it is to land this move
I think it makes up for it.
Side Special - Benihiko Suzumushi
Tosen leaps into the air and fires a ton of swords diagonally downward at his
opponent. While you cant combo this out of an UpCrit, you can use it in the
heat of battle with pretty good results. Not only does it get you away from
the enemy, but it also has a high chance of hitting them since, if you're in
the heat of battle, they wont have time to guard or evade. Using outside this
may not work, since him leaping into the air is a dead give-away and an
experienced player will likely dodge. Like I said though, it does have some
up-close functionality.
Stab Special - Cry, Suzumushi
Tosen raises his sword and a black sphere expands around him. Enemies caught
in this sphere will be stunned for a while. The radius is pretty large, but
the pose he strikes beforehand is problematic for two main reasons. For one,
if you try to use it up close you'll be hit before you can land the attack,
and secondly, if you use it from far away it gives your opponent a decent heads
up. Overall not that great.
>>Bankai - Enma Korogi
Buffs - Invisibility
Bankai Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Uppercut Chop
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
All of Tosen's Criticals are the same, but wait, there's something slightly odd
about them... they (along with all his standard attacks) place you directly
directly in front of your opponent if you're far away and directly behind your
opponent if you're very close. At first Tosen's Bankai seemed mediocre, but
if you know this and how to apply it, you can be pretty dangerous and rack up
a ton of damage. Strike often when they're open and keep them guessing a lot,
make the best use of his invisibility. Also, if you have to, don't dash since
it reveals your location.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Suzumushi Rush
Even more useful and easier to use than before since if you appear behind the
opponent you can freely combo into it or just use it instantly with great
results. Since this is your most efficient special, if you're going to be
using any specials at all, make it this one.
Bankai Side Special - Benihiko Suzumushi
Not that useful since not only does it reveal your location, but you still
jump in the air and give your opponent an opportunity to dodge.
Bankai Stab Special - Cry, Suzumushi
Just like his Side Special, Tosen reveals himself before using this move, so
it isn't the best choice. All in all I don't see too many occasions in which
this move is particularly useful.
Closing thoughts on Tosen -- Tosen, more so than a lot of characters, relies so
heavily on the person using him. You have to know which moves you can make the
most of and you have to be extremely calculating with his Bankai. Look for
openings, take them, retreat. If not used that well Tosen really isn't that
great of a character, but if you have a grip on him he's definitely not bad.
I wouldn't say hes anything really special, but he does have some nice
strengths.
----------------------------------------------------
XXII.) Gin Ichimaru
Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Uppercut Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
Very bland, very generic. These are such simple slashes, its a shame they
didn't give Gin anything remotely unique. Anyway, all in all his crits can
feel a bit slow and they're definitely not anything special.
Up/Down Special - Shinso Rush
Unfortunately, this is Gin's only half decent special. Once activated Gin
rushes towards the opponent, hits them a few times then extends his sword
to shoot them away. Usable in both flurry combos and 100% combo-able out of
his UpCrit, this is pretty much the only special you'll be making use of. It's
pretty long in duration too so it can clash with quite a few things and come
out victorious... if only Gin had a second special half as useful.
Side Special - Sword Rain
This is really just a bad move. Gin stands stationary and sends a ton of
swords raining down on his opponent. The startup lag on this move is
absolutely HORRIBLE and any human player can avoid them with time to punish
you pretty severely. I just can't find too many uses for this.
Stab Special - Shoot'em, Shinso
Gin extends his sword, and to be honest, this special is pathetic. For one,
if you watch the show you know that Shinso can extend waaaay further than this,
and for the small distance it covers the lag and overall poor quality of this
move are just not worth it. You cant combo this, you cant use it from a far
distance... it's pretty much useless.
Vaishino_wizard let me know that if you move the wiimote during this attack
he will swing his sword a little to the side. While this doesn't help the
utility of the move, it's a good trick for anyone willing to actually use it.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - Flash Step
Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Uppercut Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
Same thing. Fortunately for him his UpCrit hasn't changed.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Shinso Rush
Same move, kind of useful but with the Shinso Massacre being combo-able, you
might as well go for that.
Bankai Side Special - Sword Rain
Still terrible.
Bankai Stab Special - Shinso Massacre
This move is started by a sword thrust, but thank god it can be combod out of
his UpCrit otherwise Gin would have some serious trouble. Anyway, once this
cinematic starts Gin will rain swords on his opponent then continue to zip
past them, slashing them more and more as you shake the wiimote. He will end
this flurry with one final extended stab, doing a decent chunk of damage. I'd
be very worried for Gin if this move couldn't combo...
Closing thoughts on Gin -- Gin fans will be sorely disappointed with him in
this game, guaranteed. A lot of his moves simply aren't good, so to be
remotely viable you're going to have to use the same Special a bunch of times.
He doesn't have almost any redeeming qualities and doesn't have anything
besides a Bankai Flash Step that a lot of characters don't already have. He's
not that great of a character all in all and this really is a tragedy, as I
think he's one of the better, more interesting Bleach characters.
----------------------------------------------------
XXIII.) Mayuri Kurotsuchi
Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Upward Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Diving Spiral Sword Thrust
While Mayuri's Crits don't seem to be too special, besides the awesomely
unique animation for his stab special, upon closer inspection one will find
something pretty unusual about his UpCrit... it paralyzes. Instead of hitting
his opponent up into the air he simply paralyzes them. Before you get any
ideas, no, you cant just keep paralyzing with one UpCrit after another, once
they're paralyzed another UpCrit will knock them out of paralysis; HOWEVER, you
can paralyze them, attack them a couple times to knock them out of paralysis,
then UpCrit them while they're hit-stunned again. Since the UpCrit takes a lot
of energy, you cant keep this up too much, but it's possible.
Up/Down Special - Exploding... Organ?
I don't know what the hell this thing is, but regardless, it's pretty useful.
Basically, Mayuri tosses out some... beating Organ that explodes upon contact,
but if it doesn't hit anything it just lays on the ground until exploding. You
can have as many out as you'd like, but littering them everywhere probably wont
do too much for you. Anyway, you can attempt using this in a flurry combo with
about probably a 60% success rating. Sometimes its quick enough to make the
cut, other times you'll probably get hit. It can be used point blank after a
stun, and since the extending arm takes some time, which is risky, if you're
going to use a special out of an UpCrit, you may just want to make it this one
since its quick and efficient.
Side Special - Kido Orbs
Mayrui tosses out three seemingly electric kido orbs that spread the further
they are away from him. As he tosses them he leaps back, so needless to say
this move already has one blaringly obvious use. While this isn't as powerful
as his Up/Down Special (since you'll likely hit with just 1 of them), I'd say
all in all it has more uses. This move comes out pretty fast, so you actually
can pretty successfully use this in the heat of battle as well as when you're
far away and an enemy is closing in. Pretty good move, all in all.
Stab Special - Arm Extension
Mayuri shoots his arm across the stage, knocking back then pulling in the
opponent if it connects. You can attempt to use this out of an UpCrit, I'd
say if you're quick there's a chance you can get it off but if you're about
safety just stick with the UpSpecial. If you're far away, after sending out
his Kido Orbs to restrict the opponents movement a little you can try to send
this out and catch them, but it doesn't always work. This is his least useful
move, but it's not absolutely horrible.
>>Bankai - Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo
Buffs - None
Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Upward Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Diving Spiral Sword Thrust
Strangely enough, Mayuri still has a sword after summoning his bankai but since
it's not Ashisogi Jizo it doesn't paralyze the opponent upon UpCritting
anymore. This is kind of bad for Mayuri, since there isn't really a good combo
for any of his specials.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Sludge Bomb
The weird maggot-baby thing spits a few green globs of sludge in a straight
line in front of Mayuri. Considering his Stab Special goes in a straight line
but is more useful, I can't think of too many reasons to actually use this
attack. The sludge bombs do do good damage, but they're hard to land. I'd say
use sparingly, if at all.
Bankai Side Special - Poison Wave
The baby breaths a line of poison across the screen in front of Mayuri, similar
to Komamura's Wall of Flame. This is probably Mayuri's most useful special
since it lasts a long time, covers a large area, and protects Mayuri. Also,
since this move keeps the opponent at somewhat of a distance in most cases,
you can also either use it in succession or try his Stab Special.
Also, if you shake the wiimote the second you use this move (during the brief
second Mayuri pauses and poses before the attack is unleashed) you can
significantly increase the amount of poison spewed by the baby. The cloud is
much bigger when you do this, so as long as you use it move from a relatively
safe distance you can add even more use to an already useful move.
--Tip by Tristenkw5
Bankai Stab Special - Baby Stampede
The weird baby thing charges forward and tramples anything in its path. Since
this baby is huge, busts through pretty much everything, and does okay damage
its also a decent choice of attack. Also, the baby comes out kind of quick, so
if an opponent is remotely open they should get hit directly with this. Use it
when you see a good opening.
Closing thoughts on Mayuri -- Mayuri, without his bankai, is a pretty capable
fighter. If you can get your UpCrits down and use his Side and Up/Down
specials in a smart fashion you can easily be a serious threat. Unfortunately
his Bankai isn't that useful... it has some mildly useful abilities but pound
for pound his bankai could've been a LOT better, or at least have more useful
moves. He's just as freaky as he is in the show though, so between that and
the fact that he's definitely not a bad character, fans of this guy should be
happy.
----------------------------------------------------
XXIV.) Kisuke Urahara
Downward Critical - Downward Chop Followed by a Leap Backwards
Upward Critical - Upward Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Stab
Kisuke isn't too flashy, but his criticals the power and functionality to get
the job done, especially considering his UpCrit combos into two really good
specials.
Up/Down Special - Scream, Benihime
After about a second of startup lag, Kisuke sends a wave of red energy across
the ground in front of him. This move is pretty powerful and once released
moves very fast. Additionally, it has a lot of hits for good clashing power
and EVERY SINGLE HIT can be combo'd if used out of his UpCrit, which is very
nice. If someone is left open you can try shooting one at them, and if your
opponent doesn't crit a lot you can probably get one off in their face by using
it in a flurry.
Side Special - Benihime Slash
Kisuke does a horizontal slash with Benihime, leaving a ridiculously big streak
of energy around him. The range on this move is absolutely awesome, in fact,
the energy pretty much forms more of a circle around him than a half circle in
front, so attackers coming from the side can get an unexpected surprise if you
use this at the right time. Just like his up/down special, this really
powerful move can be combo'd perfectly out of an UpCrit and can actually be
used a lot of the time in a flurry combo, since its not too slow. This is an
awesome move.
Stab Special - Blood Mist Shield
This special is kind of useless. First Kisuke has to form the shield, then he
darts forward with it. Nobody should get hit by this and it leaves him open
pretty badly... but its okay, you have two great specials to make up for it.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - Flash Step
Bankai Downward Critical - Downward Chop Followed by a Leap Backwards
Bankai Upward Critical - Upward Chop
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Sword Stab
Bankai Up/Down Special - Scream, Benihime
Same move but even bigger. You can still use this and your Side Special if you
find that you're having trouble landing Kisuke's cinema special. It's still
just as useful and it's a great backup to have.
Bankai Side Special - Benihime Slash
Same, and just like his Up/Down Special it's still pretty useful as a backup
for his Cinema special.
Bankai Stab Special - Benihime's Wrath
Kisuke was worrying me here for a second when I saw that not only did he have
a trap, but it wasn't started by a combo-able first hit like Kira's. It's easy
to see why this special might appear bad, but trust me, its so much better than
your average run of the mill trap cinema. For one, its range is pretty big, so
if you can get a direct hit when an opponent is in the center, chances are they
cant make it out in time to not be hit. Secondly, you can use it in a flurry
combo after landing a hit with a random weak slice. If used in a flurry the
opponent should be hit with the first hit, and after that they probably wont
get out of there unless they can Flash Step at the moment or something. Use
this one right in their face and it actually has a good shot at working.
Anyway, once this cinema is started Kisuke proceeds to impale the opponent on
blood red spikes (with more hits the more you shake the wiimote), then he ends
the combo by firing a giant red beam at the enemy.
Closing thoughts on Kisuke -- Kisuke's one hell of a character. He has really
good, strong attacks, unbelievably strong combos, and a great special that you
can land with more than probably any other trap special save for Kira's. A
good Kisuke is definitely something to worry about.
----------------------------------------------------
XXV.) Yachiru Kusajishi
Downward Critical - Leaping Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Spinning Upward Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash or Double Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Stab Followed by Step Back
Yachiru has a couple nifty looking crits but shes clearly lacking a combo-able
UpCrit, which hurts her a bit. Fortunately though, she is a small target and
for being so small some of her attacks have really decent range.
Up/Down Special - Mega Stomp
This move is really fast for a high jump attack. This doesn't mean its super
useful, but if someone is open or unsuspecting you can get a couple hits with
it, although you'll likely never land it with a highly mobile opponent. This
isn't really comboable and unlike Ikkaku's it doesn't emit a huge lingering
shockwave, so be careful about using it.
Side Special - Helicopter Spin
Yachiru spins her scabbard above her head doing quite a lot of hits to your
opponent. While this is probably going to be your most used special, it comes
with some major drawbacks. What's good about it is the fact that you can
normally combo it from a flurry combo and when it comes to clashing, since the
move lasts so long it almost always comes out on top. This gives it a lot of
decent use, but the downfall comes in case you miss. If you miss you are left
open for a long time and your opponent can do quite a few things to you... it's
really not that bad though for a couple reasons. While yes, you may take a
beating for missing this move, sometimes an opponent will rush you after
dodging and get hit by your attack anyway since it spins behind her too, and if
thats not enough if they try to shoot something at you, you'll likely clash
and just overpower it, staying pretty much completely safe.
Stab Special - Somersault Slash
Yachiru leaps at her opponent, sommrsaulting with her sword sticking out.
This move has a lot of the same pros and cons as her Helicopter Spin, since
you can flurry it, overpower some things due to its hits, but are left wide
open if you miss. While her down time isn't as bad as the Helicopter Spin, you
don't get the defense that the Helicopter Spin occasionally offers. This one
is a tough call, all in all I'd say Helicopter Slash (since it hits more often
in the first place), but if you find more success with the Sommersault Slash
you can still use that in place of it.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - None
Bankai Downward Critical - Leaping Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Spinning Upward Chop
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash or Double Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Sword Stab Followed by Step Back
More of the same, she still lacks the comboing UpCrit but when you read the
section on her cinema special you wont really worry about it too much...
Bankai Up/Down Special - Mega Stomp
Same move, not particularly useful at all in Bankai, especially when people
tend to run around or away a lot.
Bankai Side Special - Helicopter Spin
Mildly useful since some characters will try to get in your face and lock down
your attack in Bankai. All in all I'd still shy away from it in favor of her
Ultimate.
Bankai Stab Special - Little Demon
Yachiru starts this move with what looks just like her StabCrit, once started
Yachiru slices and dices her opponent the more you shake the wiimote, then
finishes her opponent with a slash of her sword imbued with immense spiritual
power. While Yachiru can't really combo this in from a Crit do not worry, this
move comes out FAST, which means I'd say 7 or 8 times out of 10, if you're just
slashing an enemy and use it you will get it off. It's very quick and very
hard to avoid if you're in the heat of battle, so getting this move off really
shouldn't be any harder than a lot of others, even with the lack of a combo
setup.
Closing thoughts on Yachiru - She's small, fast, and can be tough to combo.
Yachiru is a pretty good character overall with some pretty decent strengths,
but I'd say her specials are lacking a lot and she overly relies on her
Helicopter Spin. If someone wanted to they could definitely get good with her,
although they'd probably annoy their friends.
----------------------------------------------------
XXVI.) Shunsui Kyoraku
Downward Critical - Double Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Double Sword Stab Followed By Upward Slice
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Stab
Kyoraku has some pretty neat Criticals which look even cooler simply because
his blades are so damn awesome. Also, he has a two hit UpCrit that combos like
a dream, so it makes his UpCrit combos look nicer due to the extra hit.
Up/Down Special - Blossom Combo
In what is easily one of the coolest specials in the game, Shunsui does a three
part aerial attack on his opponent with blossoms and a crescent moon appearing
throughout. This can be combo'd in after an UpCrit and the entire string looks
absolutely awesome. The damage is nice and it comes out quick, so you can
even use it out of a flurry combo half the time. A very useful and impressive
move.
Side Special - Tornado
Shunsui summons a hurricane that moves forward, tracking the opponent if they
run. This is actually a pretty useful move since its big, travels someone
quickly, tracks, and is combo-able. While the Blossom Combo is tough to pass
up out of an UpCrit, you can do this out of an UpCrit and get all three hits
successfully. Aside from that you can use it close range but its best use is
at a far distance. If you fire this thing its likely the opponent will not
outrun it, so they have to block. This puts them on the defensive, which lets
you move in for an attack while they're blocking. It's a pretty useful move.
Stab Special - Blossom Assault
This move is just awesome. Shunsui keeps up his streak of absolutely awesome
looking attacks with this little beauty. At first some may get confused and
think this is some generic stab, but if you connect it and keep shaking the
wiimote either left/right or up/down he will do two different combos (based on
the direction you shake). If you shake the wiimote to the Left/Right he will
proceed to spiral around the opponent, slashing them over 10 times and ending
it with a strong hit. If you shake the wiimote Up/Down he will dash towards
them slashing the entire way, lift them with a tornado, and slam them to the
ground with a big hit. Unfortunately you can't combo this gorgeous move out
of an UpCrit, but you can often successfully land this move out of a standard
slash flurry combo or any time your opponent is left a little bit open (since
its reach is rather good). While you cant combo this, try to make use of it
since it just looks too damn cool.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - Flash Step
Bankai Downward Critical - Double Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Double Sword Stab Followed By Upward Slice
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Sword Stab
Same Crits, which is a good thing since they're all pretty awesome anyway.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Blossom Combo
Same move, just as awesome, but you might as well go for the Ultimate if you're
going to land this thing, especially since the Ultimate is combo-able.
Bankai Side Special - Demon of Heaven
If you're wondering about the name I took it from the shikai command, I think
it's pretty nifty. Anyway, this move starts out with a flash and like very few
other cinema specials that start with a slash, this one is FAST. Yes, you most
likely will land this out of a standard flurry combo if you use it, BUT keep in
mind that it IS combo-able out of his UpCrit, so you can tack on extra damage
if you fit that in beforehand. Once the cinema begins Shunsui begins stabbing
up a storm on his opponent (he stabs more the more you wing the wiimote), then
ends the combo with a few fancy leaping slashes, each of which causing a neat
picture to appear. It does great damage and since it's comboable you should
use the hell out of, since its a very easy combo to land.
Bankai Stab Special - Blossom Assault
Same move, just as awesome, but you might as well go for the Ultimate if you're
going to land this thing, especially since the Ultimate is combo-able.
Closing thoughts on Shunsui - I think Shunsui may be the most under-rated
character in the entire game. He is very, VERY good between his reach, power,
and amazing combos. You'll land his Ultimate a lot and Flash Steps make it
even EASIER to go about landing. He's fun and overall an awesome character, I
suggest trying him out even if you don't like him... hes a ton of fun.
----------------------------------------------------
XXVII.) Jushiro Ukitake
Downward Critical - Double Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Upward Slice Followed by Downward Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Stab
Jushiro's Crits are a little like Shunsui's, with the biggest difference being
in their UpCrits. They can both combo, but Jushiro's requires cancelling.
While his UpCrit consists of two hits, if you do a move before the second hit,
like I said, you can cancel it in favor of another attack.
Up/Down Special - Water Tempest
Graphically this is one of the coolest specials in the game... utility wise,
not so much. Its damage isn't very good and it doesn't hit too many times,
although it does go far. It can be combo'd out of his canceled UpCrit and
at a distance it can he somewhat useful since it covers a lot of area. Its
damage really should be better, and itd be better if it hit more times. It
really isn't worth comboing since his Stab Special does more.
Side Special - Water Trap
Jushiro drops an orb of water on the ground and if the opponent steps in it
they're stunned. As almost all trap attacks, this is pretty hard to actually
land. The radius is small, everyone sees it coming beforehand, and its easy
to avoid. There's not much you can do here.
Stab Special - Water Thrust
Jushiro waits a second then lunges forward, hitting anything in his path. At
first this move seems pretty mediocre since its very hard to hit any human
player with it. Its slow, you'll never land it up close, and it leaves him
open... but of course this is all fixed by one fact; UpCrit combo-ability. If
you hit them with an Upcrit and cancel it you can just barely hit them with
this move before they hit the ground, which is really nice since this move does
a decent chunk of damage. Outside combos you probably shouldn't use this...
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - Flash Step
Bankai Downward Critical - Double Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Upward Slice Followed by Downward Chop
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Sword Stab
Jushiro's Crits are the same, which I guess isn't a bad thing since you can
combo the Stab Special out of them... since you sure as hell wont be using the
cinema special.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Water Tempest
Same move, just about as useful since Jushiro's attack plan doesn't change too
much in Bankai due to the fact that his cinema is nigh impossible to land.
Bankai Side Special - Tidal Fury
This special is horrible. The damage is fine and it looks cool, but landing
this is such a pain. Jushiro charges an electric water drop in front of him
before dropping it in the ground. If you actually land this move you can shake
the wiimote to keep electrocuting your enemy over and over before finally
sending one massive tidal wave down upon them. Since he takes so long to
charge the attack people WILL hit you before you use it up close and from far
away they know to avoid it. When you go into Bankai lay one down from a good
distance and just fight as if you didnt even have this special, they might run
into it by accident, so keep one down, but don't go out of your way to try to
land it. Fight normally and just keep them down.
Bankai Stab Special - Water Thrust
Same move, overall more useful than Tidal Fury since you can actually land this
move. You'll want to be using this in combos to do damage just hoping the
enemy steps into the cinema trap.
Closing thoughts on Jushiro - He is a VERY disappointing character. His moves
are, in general, pretty damn bad and hes one of the only people who has an
absolutely HORRID Ultimate since its hard to land, thus almost negating any
chance to have a "big comeback" move or a move to solidify a lead. This
character is plagued with cons and I don't think he really has the pros to
overcome them. If you like him, you may have fun with him, but hes just not
that great. Maybe next time.
----------------------------------------------------
XXVIII.) Sosuke Aizen
Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Upward Slice Followed by Downward Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Stab
Aizen's Crits are okay, they're not too fancy but they're not bad. Just like
Jushiro you can cancel the second part of his UpCrit for more combos.
Up/Down Special - Counter
Aizen sticks out his glowing sword and striking it will result in Aizen
shattering, reappearing behind the opponent, and slashing them. Since Bleach:
Shattered Blade is a very offense-oriented game a Counter is VERY useful,
especially since many attacks are easy to see coming once you've played the
game a lot. It'll be tempting not to overuse this move since its really good
and opportunities for its use are everywhere.
Side Special - Kido Fire
Aizen shoots three fireballs that spread the further they are from him. The
nice thing about this move is that, if fired point blank you can hit them with
2 or even seemingly all 3 of the fireballs. Even nicer yet, when you combo
this after canceling his UpCrit you can normally land all the hits resulting
in a decent chunk of damage. This is also useful out of flurry combos since
its quick and even from a range since its spreads and opponents must watch
their step.
Stab Special - Kido Blast
Aizen's worst move, easily. This kido blast can be seen coming from a mile
away since he charges it, and since it travels in a straight line avoiding it
as an opponent is nearly impossible unless youre doing one hell of a laggy
move. Oh, and no, you definitely cant UpCrit combo this.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - Flash Step
Bankai Downward Critical - Double Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Upward Slice Followed by Downward Chop
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Sword Stab
Same old same old, but with that UpCrit combo-ability it helps him a bit.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Counter
Same attack, just as useful if someone tries to get in your face too much and
lock you down so you cant use your Bankai abilities.
Bankai Side Special - Kido Fire
Somewhat useful since you can use it and you have two options. If your enemy
gets hit you can actually flash step behind them and hit them a few times for
some extra damage, but if they block (ideal situation, actually) you can flash
step behind them as they block the fire and hit them with an UpCrit, which you
can then combo into his Ultimate. More useful than one would think.
Bankai Stab Special - Black Coffin
Aizen harnesses darkness in his hand and activates a cinema scene. The nice
things about this attack are the fact that not only can it combo out of a
canceled UpCrit, but even more conveniently, it doesn't even have to
physically strike them. As long as the enemy is not blocking but they're in
Aizen's general vicinity (if youre as far as you can get its out of range, but
just a couple feet close you're in range, so pretty much as long as they're
not max distance it should it), they'll be effected. So, this means, whether
they're attacking, running towards you, or whatever, as long as you activate it
and they're not blocking (and remotely close) it'll work. Of course, you can
always combo it. Either way, once activated Aizen traps the enemy in a dark
cube and assaults them with dark energy the more you shake the wiimote. Aizen
finishes the combo with a final dark strike, ending what is one of the better
cinema specials in the game.
Final thoughts on Aizen - I don't think he's as broken as he is in some other
Bleach games, and a lot of people hype him up as being more broken than he is,
but this doesn't mean hes not a great character. He's nothing too cheap
assuming your opponent doesn't just counter, so don't be too worried about
facing a decent Aizen. If you're the Aizen, feel confident knowing you're in
control of a really great character with a good variety of strengths.
----------------------------------------------------
XXIX.) Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto
Downward Critical - Fancy Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Fancy Upward Slice
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Stab
Yamamoto has some pretty neat animations before his criticals that make them
look a little nicer and the flaming sword is always a good touch. All in all
he has great power and really good range and that oh-so-lovely UpCrit combo
ability.
Up/Down Special - Flaming Crescent
Yamamoto rushes forward and waves his sword above his head, creating a flaming
crescent that almost completes a circle around his body. Since he runs forward
regardless of if you're near the opponent and yells before the attack a quick
player will likely block or hit you, which is somewhat problematic. Also, he
cant combo this out of his UpCrit so it really limits the usefulness of this
particular move. If you want a flashy way to close the distance between you
and an enemy you could use it, but it's not terribly safe nor efficient.
Side Special - Heat Wave
Yamamoto slashes horizontally leaving massive trail of fire. Remember how I
went on about how big Kisuke's Side Special is? Forget it, this one wins hands
down. This will hit people from so ridiculously far away that it passes as a
ranged attack too. This is a great move for a bunch of reasons; for one it
combos magnificently out of his UpCrit (landing all possible hits), secondly
you can very easily surprise people closing in or people at a mid range with
this attack, and finally it activates VERY quickly so you can even use it in
the middle of a standard flurry combo. This move is the very epitome of
usefulness, its almost a perfect move. Did I mention that it has nearly no lag
afterwards so its pretty much perfectly safe? Amazing move, you cant truly
play Yamamoto without being well acquainted with this jewel.
Stab Special - Volcanic Burst
Yamamoto sticks his sword into the ground causing cracks in the earth followed
by an eruption in for straight lines from his body in the form of an "X"
pattern. This move has good range and is really good for someone who often
runs around you since you can not run around Yamamoto whatsoever when he is
doing this move. You can combo the first couple hits (the actual sword stab)
out of an UpCrit but its so not worth it and you cant use it up close since
theres a good second or two before the lava actually erupts, so an enemy who
is acquainted with Yamamoto will know to block or counter. Still, its a fairly
useful move.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - None
Bankai Downward Critical - Fancy Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Fancy Upward Slice
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Sword Stab
Same old, but for Yamamoto especially this is one hell of a good thing.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Fire Tornado
This special is mean as hell for one too many reasons. This attack is started
by Yamamoto doing a shoulder rush, if the hit connects he throws his enemy into
the air and traps them in a flaming vortex that spins longer as you shake the
wiimote. After you've been tossed around enough he finishes the combo with one
final slash. This attack does ABSURD damage, and I mean really really good
damage (over half WITHOUT comboing it) for a cinema special and oh yes, you CAN
combo that out of his UpCrit for a guaranteed landing. Additionally, its
somewhat quick so you can often use it in a flurry combo... even moreso, many
players underestimate the range and length of the initial shoulder rush, so
they try to run and get hit regardless (as he'll follow you), until they get
wise to it, you can even do that. But anyway, not getting this special off
is a crime since it absolutely decimates the health of his opponents and its
easily combo'd. This move is absurd.
Note - Vaishino_wizard let me know that if you miss this move it leaves a trail
of fire that burns anyone who touches it. Geez, as if this move wasn't useful
enough!
Bankai Side Special - Heat Wave
Still an amazing move but with how unbelievably godly his Fire Tornado is, it's
tough to say but, you might as well forget this move for the most part.
Bankai Stab Special - Volcanic Burst
Even better due to the range, this move will really hurt anyone who keeps
running around unless they're thoroughly prepared for it... but when you can
run super fast due to Bankai you might as well bolt up to them and get them
in the Fire Tornado... I'm sorry, but that cinema is so damn good.
Final thoughts on Yamamoto - Remember how I said Shunsui is probably the most
under-rated character? Well, Yamamoto might actually beat him in this regard.
He has an unbelievable moveset, he combines range with power and absurd
specials. If thats not enough his easily combo-able cinema special absolutely
destroys people like they're nothing. This guy is serious business and anyone
who actually picks him up and uses him (which Im sure arent that many) will be
soooo pleasantly surprised. Great character.
----------------------------------------------------
XXX.) Grimmjow Jeagerjaques
Downward Critical - Two Downward Swipes With Energy Trails
Upward Critical - Upward Swipe Followed By Arm Thrust
Side Critical - Twin Swipes with Energy Trails (R2L incorporates sword)
Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
This guy has some awesome looking criticals since he slashes at you, jaguar
style. Not only that but he leaves a blue trail which is not only really cool
looking but adds a ton of range to his attacks. His UpCrit can be canceled
like Aizens in order to incorporate other moves. Overall very awesome style.
Up/Down Special - Gran Rey Cero
Grimmjow sticks out his arm and fires a Cero that travels across the screen.
This is way more useful than a lot of different energy blasts in the game for
two main reasons. First off it comes out pretty quick, theres not a long
annoying charge time. Secondly it has a lot of range and a decently sized
hitbox, making it more likely to hit people. This move is so quick that if you
see someone at range slip up or leave themself open for a bit you can surely
nail them with this. You can't combo it out of his UpCrit, but it does have
some functionality.
Side Special - Bala Slash
This move is very impressive graphically. Basically Grimmjow does a slash
and following it are many blue orbs that appear in the same direction. This
move can be used on approaching people since the orbs cover a large area or
in someones face, since it doesn't have much startup lag. You can somewhat
combo this out of an UpCrit, but all the hits wont land, same goes for his Stab
Special so really whichever one you want to use out of an UpCrit is up to you.
Stab Special - Puncture Thrust
Grimmjow lunges forward piercing anything in his path. This isn't terribly
useful by itself as these moves don't often tend to be thanks to their linear
path and laggy startups, but thankfully you can combo this out of an UpCrit
cancel if you're quick enough. Aside from this you probably wont be using this
one too much.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - Flash Step
Bankai Downward Critical - Two Downward Swipes With Energy Trails
Bankai Upward Critical - Upward Swipe Followed By Arm Thrust
Bankai Side Critical - Twin Swipes with Energy Trails (R2L incorporates sword)
Bankai Stab Critical - Sword Thrust
Same stuff here and since Grimmjow's Crits are awesome, be happy they stayed.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Cero Massacre
Dubbed the "one hand ***-whoopin'" by friends, this attack involves Grimmjow
lunging at an opponent to initiate a cinematic. Once the cinematic begins, in
an unbelievably bad*** fashion, Grimmjow pins the opponents head down on the
ground, fires multiple cero blasts into their head (he fires more if you shake
the wiimote), throws them behind him and finishes them with one massive Cero
blast. This is one of the most awesome cinemas in the entire game and it's
pretty useful too. It's quick, so getting it out of a flurry or on a briefly
open opponent isn't out of the question, but why do that when you can combo it
flawlessly after canceling Grimmjow's UpCrit. Make good use of this move since
it really is a nice sight to see.
Bankai Side Special - Bala Slash
Same special, somewhat useful though if time is of the essence just go for
the Cero Massacre.
Bankai Stab Special - Puncture Thrust
Don't even bother. The only time you'd ever land this move you could land the
Cero Massacre instead, so actually using this move is a bad choice. Forget
you have it in Bankai.
Closing thoughts on Grimmjow - Grimmjow has a really unique style and a whole
lot of visually impressive moves. He's not too powerful but he's certainly
a very good character who can be dangerous in the hands of anyone who knows the
game. The range and fact that he hits twice with most crits gives him a huge
boost along with his pretty good specials. He definitely earns his spot as
6th Espada in this game.
----------------------------------------------------
XXXI.) Ulquiorra Schiffer
Downward Critical - Downward Swipe with Energy Trail
Upward Critical - Upward Swipe with Energy Trail
Side Critical - Side Swipe with Energy Trail
Stab Critical - Side Kick
Ulquiorra, while not as cool as Grimmjow's, has a pretty neat method of attack.
Unlike Grimmjow's cat slashes, Ulquiorra acts as if his very palm was a blade,
resulting in some pretty cool moves overall. His UpCrit can combo but it
doesn't really synch well with two of his specials.
Up/Down Special - Garganta
Ulquiorra sticks out his palm creating a massive dark box in front of him.
Anyone inside the box after its opened begins being assaulted by dark energy,
in fact it ends up hitting the opponent so many times that its damage is
comparable to some cinema specials. Do not get too excited though, this is
easily the most over-rated move in the entire game. After some extensive play
testing with friends (so we find out which moves actually work and which don't
on decent human players) we've found this move to be almost unlandable. Bleach
is a very movement oriented game and this box doesn't open up as fast as many
think. This move is VERY avoidable and its not that great... yes, it has some
uses but many people playing an Ulquiorra will more than see this coming and
act accordingly. This is likely his worst move, especially since it leaves him
wide open if he misses for a good while.
Side Special - Cero Blast
Ulquiorra slashes open a rift that later sends a Cero blast out of it. The
initial slash does hurt the opponent and if the initial hit lands the opponent
normally gets hit by the oncoming blast. This move cant be fully combo'd as
only the first hit will land, but sometimes you can land it when in someone's
face, but not always. All in all its not that useful as its pretty simple to
avoid and it doesn't have any great combo setup. Close, closer than the Cero
Prison, but not quite.
Stab Special - Arm Thrust
Ulquiorra sticks out his arm and flies across the screen, just like Grimmjow
(and a few others). Normally these moves aren't that great, but this is easily
Ulquiorra's most land-able special on account of the fact that you can combo in
all three hits after an UpCrit. Its damage is good, and much more than you'd
get from just the initial hit of the Cero Blast, so just stick to this if
you're going to do a Special out of his UpCrit.
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - Flash Step
Bankai Downward Critical - Downward Swipe with Energy Trail
Bankai Upward Critical - Upward Swipe with Energy Trail
Bankai Side Critical - Side Swipe with Energy Trail
Bankai Stab Critical - Side Kick
Same stuff, and for the same reason as Yamamoto you'll be plenty happy.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Garganta
Still not that great, especially considering what else he has up his sleeve
upon entering Bankai.
Bankai Side Special - Cero Blast
To be honest, I wouldn't waste the time on it, get in close and land his
Ultimate.
Bankai Stab Special - Mind Game
If you're wondering about the name, Ulquiorra breaks his eye in order to share
experiences with other people, which is where a nice bulk of damage from this
combo comes from. Anyway, I couldn't think of anything better. Oh well, while
Ulquiorra's regular specials weren't that fantastic, this one more than makes
up for it. This is started with a thrust similar to the Stab Special and upon
entering the cinematic Ulquiorra crushes his eye and assaults the enemy with
negative energy. The more you shake the wiimote the more they're damaged until
he draws a cross on his chest that appears on the enemy before he breaks it
with a finishing strike. Overall a very cool cinematic and it doesn an
absolute truckload of damage (just about or a little over half). If this crazy
damage isn't good enough for you, you'll be pleased to hear that it is easily
combo-able out of his UpCrit, so with his Flash Step usable to trick opponents
this Ultimate shouldn't be too hard to pull off. This is a huge advantage.
Closing thoughts on Ulquiorra - If anyone is the most over-rated it's this guy.
In time people will find that his specials really are very avoidable and his
only huge strength is his Ultimate attack. Don't get me wrong, he's not a bad
character by any means, in fact he's a pretty good character, but absolutely
nothing worth fearing too much or complaining about.
----------------------------------------------------
XXXII.) Arturo Plateado
Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Upward Critical - Upward Chop
Side Critical - Side Slash
Stab Critical - Sword Stab
Upon looking at the descriptions here one may think Arturo's Crits are pretty
bland, but while the motions may be generic they're spiced up by the fact that
he uses a very cool black/red beam sword that spawns from his hand. Also, as
bland as they are I'd rather have a good combo-able Upcrit like he has than
something flashy and useless. Also, his Stab Crit has a ton of range.
Up/Down Special - Cero Drop
Arturo drops two big Cero "X"s on the opponent. While you may get hit before
you get them off in someone's face, you can occasionally get away with it. Of
course if you don't want to worry about that you can simply combo them both out
of his nice UpCrit, how convenient! A pretty good, damaging move but all in
all it's not terribly useful outside combos. There are worst energy attacks
though....
Side Special - Cero Trap
Arturo creates a ring of cero around the opponent that shatters, then reappears
as somewhat of a prison that closes in on the enemy. If the prison closes in
completely on the enemy they're struck by lightning which does a lot of damage,
but don't expect to ever see it. Anyone who knows how to move around will
always avoid this attack by a mile, and even if they do get hit its just barely
by the outer edge, so they don't get struck by lightning. I'd really avoid
this move.
Stab Special - Blade Rush
This is a pretty nifty/useful special. Arturo starts this by stabbing his
enemy with a beam sword, then he proceeds to combo them in a cinema special
until letting them know he's tired of their face and finishing them. This
special comes out fast and has really good range, so whether it be the heat of
battle or an opponent at mid distance who left himself open, opportunities to
use this move are everywhere. If thats not enough it combos like a dream out
of his UpCrit, so make use of that for some great damage. This is his best
regular special, although you may get tired of seeing the same cinema over and
over...
You can also extend this cinema special by waving the wiimote.
--Miles Law
>>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up
Buffs - Flash Step
Bankai Downward Critical - Downward Chop
Bankai Upward Critical - Upward Chop
Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash
Bankai Stab Critical - Sword Stab
Same stuff here, but you'll never guess why this is a pretty damn good thing.
Bankai Up/Down Special - Cero Drop
Same move, not entirely useful considering you could be doing his Ultimate.
Bankai Side Special - Cero Trap
Just as useless, don't even bother.
Bankai Stab Special - Cero Apocalypse
This name is fitting considering it scraps 2/3 of your health and it can
actually be landed! Oh yes, you heard me right, there is an efficient way to
land this ridiculous move, but first, a description. Arturo begins charging
this move similar to Byakuya, and after a couple seconds regardless of where
you are or whether you're blocking you WILL get hit. Once it has charged there
is absolutely no escape. Once the special is activated Arturo will completely
destroy his opponent in a massive wave of Cero, you can shake the wiimote to do
more damage (as if it needed it). So how do you land this? Well, if you
UpCrit your opponent and start charging the SECOND you hit them (this requires
a very fast cancel) you will charge as they hit the ground and as they stand
up, which just happens to be the exact charging time. The very second they
stand up and become coherent Arturo will start the special, before they can do
much of anything. You can then tell them to kiss 2/3 of their lifebar goodbye.
Closing thoughts on Arturo - He is a really, REALLY good character. Between
his really good normal special combo and his absolutely ridiculous Ultimate,
Arturo, in the hands of a good player, can ruin people's lives. He really
doesn't have too many blaring weaknesses but has a ton of strength in terms
of damage output.
----------------------------------------------------
7. CLOSING/CREDITS
I put a lot of time into this FAQ so I hope it helps someone out there, if you
have any questions or issues feel free to email me at KyleSBowers@yahoo.com,
I'll try to be prompt in my response.
Thanks to Butterfly_2689 for finding out the way to unlock some tricky Voices
along with pointing out a couple mistakes in the guide.
Thanks to Tristenkw5 for giving me a heads up on extending certain Summon
Bankai specials.
Also, thanks for Vaishino_wizard for some assorted tips about moves and
clarification on specific move names.