Akuma

Unlike Ken, I did have the SOTA Akuma. Still do, in fact. Just never reveiwed him, something I was unaware of until reviewing Kenny Omega. And then I figured that Jada would be releasing one, so I might as well save any info I have about the character for that. ...uh, his name means "devil"? I'm sure we can come up with something more than that by the bottom of the page. Country of Origin: Japan Fighting Style: Martial arts rooted in Ansatsuken Akuma is generally viewed as "the" villain of the Street Fighter series, even above M. Bison, but he's not actually evil: he's just got a really weird sense of morality. He cares about nothing more than the art of fighting, and will allow himself to do whatever it takes to win, even if it means the death of his opponent; however, he won't attack anyone he feels is below his level, because he believes it wouldn't be fair. So see, that's not really villainous, not the way anyone associated with Shadaloo is. Akuma was created because of the "Sheng Long" hoax. He was based on Ryu's design, and was "unlocked" by beating all the other fighters without losing a round in under 25 minutes, and he entered the game by casting aside M. Bison in the final round - not an exact copy of the claims about Sheng Long, but close enough that the connection is undeniable. Designer Akiman was asked to come up with something similar to Dragon Ball Z's Super Saiyan transformation, and in less than an hour he'd made Akuma. As if the way with Jada's Street Fighter figures, Akuma includes two heads: one is mostly calm, the other is snarling. The character's sourpuss face was based on the nio statues found outside some Buddhist temples - muscular bodyguards for the Buddha, they represent the need for even pacifists to sometimes defend against evil with physical force. And amusingly, one of them is usually portrayed with its mouth open, and the other with his mouth closed! Both Akuma heads' hair is soft PVC glued into the head, which makes it a bit spongier than the rest. Akuma dresses like Ryu, a gi with tattered pantlegs and the sleeves ripped off (as opposed to Ken, whose clothes are intact), but it's not the same sculpt: everything about his uniform is more tattered, more ripped, with the edges being much more jagged than the other figures'. He ties his top shut with a braided belt, which can be undone just like Ken and Ryu's if you want him to go shirtless, and he wears the prayer beads he took from his master Goutetsu after defeating him. The same 天 symbol that's painted on hia back is carved into the center bead and painted red. Apparently 天 literally translates as "heaven," but Capcom has always maintained it says "immortality." How can that be? Well, in folklore, when the symbol appears on someone, that means they've transcended humanity and are beyond death, so while it may say heaven, it means immortality. Make sense? Usually the symbol will appear on a person's forehead, but the Super Street Fighter II Turbo sprites were too small for that to read clearly, which is why Capcom put it on his back instead. Neat! The shirt is sculpted with a strong texture, which shows through even under the paint. Articulation remains plentiful and well-designed here. Akuma has a barbell head, balljointed neck, pectoral hinges, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel biceps, double-hinged elbows, swivel/hinged wrists, a balljointed chest, balljoint waist, balljoint hips, swivel thighs, double-hinged knees, swivel shins, and swivel/hinge ankles. He also gets the toe hinge the other figures have been missing! More than that, he's wearing sandals, and instead of having the sole split where the joint is, the entire bottom of the foot is molded as one, meaning making him take a step will make the heel lift up off the sandal naturally. That's highly unexpected! The figure includes fists and open hands, as well as a translucent Gohadoken energy effect. A stronger version of the regular hadoukenm, the gohadoken fireball is larger and more detailed than the ones Jada has made so far, with a lighter section in the front to suggest the way the sprites are highlighted. We also get a clear, articulated display arm to hold it up. While the effect is usually blue/purple in the games, the accessory is orange/red - the way it was depicted in X-Men: Children of the Atom! Unofficial crossover figure! His necklace is a separate accessory, as well, but the beads are tied together with a nylon string - think fishing line - which is stiffer than an actual string would be, and so the beads don't hang against the body properly. Although he didn't appear in Street Fighter: The Movie, Akuma did appear in Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game - portrayed by Enrie Reyes Jr.! For a secret character based on an old joke, one who wasn't even playable in his first appearance, Akuma has really become one of the major villains in all of gaming. Being able to buy a high-quality action figure of him directly off the shelf at Walmart is a very welcome thing! -- 03/01/26 Is there a bigger baddie than Akuma? Tell us on our message board, the Loafing Lounge.