Akuma

Akuma is an antagonist in Capcom's Street Fighter franchise, debuting with the release of Super Street Fighter II Turbo in 1994.

He is also a boss in Nexed.

Real-World History
The creation of Akuma stems from an April Fools' joke by the gaming magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly; In their annual April Fools' issue in 1992, they claimed that if players made it though Street Fighter II as Ryu without taking any damage, a character named "Sheng Long" (whose name stems from a mistranslation of one of Ryu's victory quotes) would appear in leiu of M. Bison as the final boss. While Sheng Long does not exist in any Street Fighter product (aside from joking references from Capcom themselves), the hoax was the main inspiration for Akuma.

Akuma's design bears similarities to two figures from Buddhism; A Nio, a guardian who defends Buddhist temples from negative energy, and an Asura, a demigod-like being who indulges in violence. While known as Gouki in Japan, Akuma was renamed for international releases of Super Street Fighter II Turbo based on the Japanese word for "devil", claiming that he was a being possessed by a demon (although this idea was never revisited in any future appearances).

Since his debut, Akuma has been a recurring character in the Street Fighter universe, having major influence on the series' lore and reappearing in Street Fighter IV and V. He also appears in several crossovers, such as the Capcom vs. SNK series and Tekken 7.

Gameplay Information
Akuma is a fairly straightforward boss, being only slightly larger than Ryu and being one of the game's lightest bosses. That said, his survivability is still high. On top of this, his attacks are great for dishing out damage, with his specials allowing for mix-ups and opening opponents for major damage.

Akuma is fought on the boss version of Suzaku Castle, with one of four songs being chosen to play at random.
 * Akuma's Theme (Super Street Fighter II Turbo)
 * Akuma's Theme (Super Street Fighter IV)
 * Feel the Cool
 * Theme of Akuma (Capcom vs. SNK 2)

Grounded Attacks

 * Jab: Akuma throws a straight punch.
 * Forward Light: Akuma throws an overhand chop.
 * Up Light: Akuma throws an uppercut.
 * Down Light: Akuma would perform a crouching straight kick.
 * Forward Strong: Akuma throws a punch followed by an overhead palm strike, resembling the Kongoken from Street Fighter V.
 * Up Strong: Akuma throws a roundhouse kick resembling the Kikokurenzan from Street Fighter V.
 * Down Strong: Akuma lifts his foot before delivering a powerful stomp resembling the Ryusokyaku from Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition.

Aerial Attacks

 * Neutral Air: Akuma throws a knee jab.
 * Forward Air: Akuma throws a flying kick.
 * Back Air: Akuma throws an outside crescent kick.
 * Up Air: Akuma throws a straight kick above himself.
 * Down Air: Akuma throws a downwards kick, performing a stall-and-fall attack.

Stage Intro
M. Bison is seen on-screen before Akuma appears and performs the Shun Goku Satsu on him. Akuma then takes his battle stance.

Taunts

 * Akuma strikes a pose with his arm raised.
 * Akuma crouches down before screaming as he emits a crimson aura.
 * Akuma stomps the ground as the kanji for "destruction" appears above his head. This taunt stems from Street Fighter III.
 * Akuma punches the ground, yelling "Insect!" This taunt stems from Street Fighter IV.

Victory Animations
Akuma's victory theme is a remixed excerpt of his theme from Super Street Fighter II Turbo.
 * Akuma stands over the bodies of his opponents with his back turned to the camera, the kanji for "heaven" appearing on his back.
 * Akuma stomps the ground before folding his arms and saying "You are but a child!"
 * Akuma crouches down before screaming as he emits a crimson aura.

Defeat Animation
Akuma simply falls over, defeated.

Credits

 * Hamada (Source Gaming): Major inspiration.