A big part of the super move’s appeal is its flashiness. Akuma’s Raging Demon and Ryu’s Shin Shōryuken are either hard to use or hard to land but are all the more exciting when they do connect. King of Fighters’ Desperation Moves, initially designed as do-or-die equalizing nukes, was also unmatched in their style when they debuted in 1994.
Still, there's a difference between a great looking super move and a great one overall. Players can dodge the Raging Demon, back away from the Shin Shōryuken, and answer Terry's "Are You Okay?!" with a resounding "Yes!" by avoiding the Buster Wolf. What makes these the best super moves in fighting games is their ability to make opponents sweat no matter what the situation is.
10 Arsenal Assault
Injustice followed Mortal Kombat 9’s route by simplifying supers to a single button press once the meter was full. No directional swinging, charging, or other arcane mechanics are required. They were essentially cinematic damage sequences with flair like Doomsday pummeling his opponents through the Earth itself. But in terms of gameplay, not even that could outdo Green Arrow's Arsenal Assault.
He blew his opponent into the air with an explosive arrow, brought them back down with a rope arrow, then landed three more explosive bolts. Even if the first arrow missed, it just needed the explosion to connect to bring the pain. It was very good at catching foes off-guard, particularly when they were trying to get up after being knocked down. Few characters had the tools to prevent this wake-up game too, making it one of Green Arrow's best moves.
9 Healing
Few people imagined Elena would end up becoming one of Ultra Street Fighter4’s more busted characters. Famous players like Daigo “The Beast” Umehara expected her to be at the bottom of tier lists because she lost some of her Street Fighter 3 advantages. Instead, she gained strong, long-range attacks, quick overheads, and an Ultra Combo that negated the mechanic’s biggest drawback.
Players had to take damage to charge up their Ultra Gauge, and Ultra Combos didn't do max damage until it was completely filled. So, they had to take a beating to give out a beating. Except Elena who, with max Healing, could regain essentially all the damage she took up to that point. Even if opponents tried to punish her, she could cancel out of it to safely block while still regaining some health. Thanks to Healing, Elena could outlast nearly everyone in a fight.
8 Ultimate Fortissimo
Guilty Gear’s rock n’roll witch isn’t particularly threatening in Guilty Gear Strive. According to EventHubs, she’s at the lower end of the tier list way below the notorious likes of May, Sol, and Ramlethal. However, if there were a tier list for the game’s Overdrives, I-No’s Ultimate Fortissimo would be at the top of the tree. The move saw her amplify a big guitar shred with her hat, blasting out a shockwave that drove her foes away.
In past games, it could only be done in midair. In Strive, it could also be done on the ground, where it was fast enough to counter the opponent's attacks effectively. Yet it was still at its strongest in midair, as it was plus on block. This meant that, even if the opponent blocked it, I-No would recover faster to break their defense with mix-up attacks, and she's very good at mix-ups.
7 Aegis Reflector
Though it debuted alongside Urien in Street Fighter 3: Second Impact, the Aegis Reflector reached peak versatility in Street Fighter 3: Third Strike. Intended as a projectile to reflect other projectiles, it could also be used to trap players and put pressure on them. That, or catch opponents getting up, breaking their defense as soon as they reach their feet.
Players could also use it for juggle combos, or to bounce foes off of for target combos. The possibilities are near-endless for players who give Urien a chance. Street Fighter 5 brought it back as Urien’s V-Trigger where it was technically stronger, as it could reflect Critical Arts. Yet it couldn't quite beat its potential in SF3: Third Strike.
6 Critical Hit
From Super Smash Bros Brawl to Smash Ultimate, the Final Smashes really run the gamut from being outright terrible to outright overpowered. Brawl players may very well remember the danger of Super Sonic and Meta Knight’s Galaxia Darkness. Yet there are some that are fierce but fair. Take Marth & Lucina’s Critical Hit for example, which sees the Fire Emblem warriors hold their sword aloft before dashing and striking their foe(s) with a single, strong swing.
It’s the single strongest Final Smash in the game, dealing enough damage to potentially KO fresh players, let alone ones who have been softened up a touch or two. However, its startup gives players the chance to dodge in the nick of time. So, it's not a win button, but a move that requires some gray matter and good timing to use effectively.
5 Hailstorm
The PlayStation ports of Capcom’s Marvel crossover games were severely watered down, but they introduced a technique that would make future games famous: super cancels. Players couldn’t switch from one super to another in the original arcade X-Men Vs Street Fighter or Marvel Vs Capcom. It was a PS1-only deal that Marvel vs Capcom 2 would adapt into the Delayed Hyper Combo (DHC).
Using this technique, players could switch from one character's super moves to their team member's super. The top-tier team of Magneto/Sentinel/Storm used it to great effect, with the best being Storm’s Hailstorm. As the name suggests, it's a hail storm that covers the screen in projectiles. It does decent damage on hit and block, and it can keep the opponent in place for her partner's other supers or mix-ups that can pop them open like a can of Pringles.
4 Ouroboros
If players wanted a more offensive take on mix-ups, they could take a gamble on Strider Hiryu in MvC1 and 2. On the one hand, he’s a glass cannon: his moves can bring the pain, but he can be KOd with a few heavy-hitting combos. On the other, his Ouroboros super can break his opponent’s defenses before they can get that advantage.
The move sees Strider summon two drones that circle around him. They can hit the opponent over and over if Strider gets close to them, though they're just as risky on block because Strider can find other ways to pop their defense. Blocking high? He can connect low. Blocking low? Then it just takes a mid or overhead strike to bring the punishment. It was also a Level 1 super, so Strider could chain it repeatedly if the player liked it.
3 Hashinshō
Third Strike has dwarfed its two predecessors so much it can be hard to remember when Ibuki used to be even more broken than Ken or Chun Li. Her original third Super Art, Hashinshō, saw her dash into her opponent for an autocombo that ended with her kicking them up in the air. Not particularly flashy compared to her kunai-chucking Kasumi Suzaku or giant nuke ball Yoroidōshi.
However, in SF3: New Generation, she could juggle airborne opponents repeatedly with Forward+Medium Kick. She only needed to land the Hashinshō once to end a round. Even when this was fixed in SF3: Second Impact, its juggling potential made her a force to be reckoned with. Hence, why it was replaced with the fancy but limited Yami Shigure in SF3: Third Strike and turned into an Ultra Combo in Super Street Fighter 4.
2 Genei Jin
The only character that could rival Ibuki’s broken juggles was Yun & Yang. Originally palette swaps of each other, the two could use their Genei Jin install super to chain their normals and specials into a constant barrage of attacks. It took skill to master, as players had to know how Yun & Yang’s moves worked. Once they did, they were deadly.
The two were given separate styles in SF3: Second Impact and Yun took custody of Genei Jin. Aside from retaining its extra speed, strength, and priority that could stuff opponent’s strikes, the game had a glitch where Yun could regain his super meter and do the move infinitely. SF3: Third Strike fixed this, though it was still strong enough to arguably be the best Super Art in the game.
1 Hoyokusen
The key word there is “arguably” because Genei Jin still requires skill to use to its utmost potential. Different characters react differently to its strikes, with some combo setups working better at some than others. Chun Li’s Hoyokusen from SF3: Third Strike is another matter. It saw Chun Li pummeling the opponent with Lightning Kicks before smashing them into the air.
The move was simple to do, fast enough to hit almost instantly from any normal strike, had a host of juggle potential, and was near-impossible to parry against to avoid chip damage on block. It’s why Justin Wong tried to stop Daigo with it in Evo Moment #37. The Hoyokusen has since become a key part of her move set, and the basis for other moves like her SF4 Ultra Combo and SF5 Critical Art.