Street Fighter 6 brings back many fan-favorite characters, including martial arts champion and business savant, Ken Masters. As a mid-range power fighter with the smallest physical stature in the power type class, Ken is well-equipped to go toe-to-toe with everyone on the Street Fighter 6 roster.
For newcomers and veterans to the Street Fighter series alike, knowing every charater's moves and strategies will make them all the more effective in gameplay. This guide will cover the best combos and tricks to use as Ken to kick the teeth off any fighter.
Strategies for Ken
Ken's power comes predominantly from his kicking and dashing attacks, making him excel when just outside the punch range of his opponent. The key to victory with Ken is controlling distance from his opponent, and timing overdrive special attacks to counter-attacks.
- Start back, move up. Ken has a lot of unique abilities that allow him to quickly close distance on his enemies. His Quick Dash and Dragonlash Kick are great moves for catching an enemy off guard and opening up a window for a follow-up combo attack. Try using Dragonlash Kick while in Quick Dash for an extra long, extra powerful combo.
- Avoid close quarters. As a power type, most of Ken's moves have slower startup times, which can be abused by faster attacks and speed type fighters. Getting caught too close to an opponent can open an opportunity for them to dish out some major damage. If Ken is backed into a corner, players can take advantage of his high jab speed (Neutral Light Punch) to change up the pace on his opponent and create some space.
- Overdrive counters and guard breaks. Some of Ken's overdrive special attacks will make him temporarily invulnerable, smashing through any enemy attacks or blocks. His Jinrai Kick can also be followed up with a low kick that hits below standing blocks, or a high kick that smashes down on crouch blocking enemies.
Ken's Move List
Ken has 21 total moves (disregarding common moves). Many of his special moves have improved versions that can be launched from his Quick Dash unique move, giving him one of the largest move lists in the game.
Move | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
Dragonlash Flame | Unleashes a series of airborne kicks | Special Art 1 |
Shippu Jinrai-kyaku | A devastating flurry of kicks followed by a rising Tatsumaki Senpu-kyaku | Special Art 2 |
Shinryu Reppa | A three-hit Shoryuken combo with incredible damage | Special Art 3 |
Hadoken | Street Fighter's signature ki-blast | Special Move |
Shoryuken | A massive skyward uppercut that can counter aerial attacks | Special Move |
Tatsumaki Senpu-kyaku | A forward-moving string of roundhouse kicks | Special Move |
Aerial Tatsumaki Senpu-kyaku | An aerial Tatsumaki capable of hitting opponents from behind | Special Move |
Dragonlash Kick | A mid-range forward leaping roundhouse kick | Special Move |
Jinrai Kick | A close-range forward roundhouse kick that leads into three followup kicks | Special Move |
Kazekama Shin Kick | A low kick following the Jinrai Kick that cannot be blocked standing | Special Move |
Gorai Axe Kick | A high kick following the Jinrai Kick that cannot be blocked crouching | Special Move |
Senka Snap Kick | A roundhouse kick following the Jinrai Kick | Special Move |
Kasai Thrust Kick | A third kick that can be performed following any Overdrive Jinrai Kick | Special Move |
Quick Dash | An empowered dash that can be followed by a wide variety of basic and special moves | Unique Attack |
Emergency Stop | Performed from Quick Dash, stopping Ken instantly | Unique Attack |
Thunder Kick | A high attack following Quick Dash that cannot be blocked crouching | Unique Attack |
Forward Step Kick | A long reaching kick performed from Quick Dash | Unique Attack |
Chin Buster | A fast-hitting punch combo | Unique Attack |
Triple Flash Kicks | A long reaching kick combo that knocks enemies back | Unique Attack |
Knee Strikes | A forward throw with a quick blow to the knee | Throw |
Hell Wheel | Grab the opponent, roll backwards, and kick them back | Throw |
Ken's Best Combos
The strongest combos for Ken will start just outside his opponent's punch range. Each combo will focus on a gap closer, a follow-up burst of damage, and a high damage or knock back finisher. A great example of this is a Quick Dash into an Overdrive Dragonlash Kick, finished with a Shinryu Reppa super art.
Basic Combo: Dragonlash Kick + Triple Flash Kicks
Classic Controls | Modern Controls |
|---|---|
Forward, Down-Forward, Down + Kick; Medium Kick, Medium Kick, Heavy Kick | Back + Special, Medium Attack; Medium Attack, Medium Attack |
This medium-damage combo can be used at close to mid-range. Leap forward with a Dragonlash Kick, and before the enemy can recover, send them flying back with a series of roundhouse kicks. Followup with a Hadoken for flair.
Intermediate Combo: Jinrai Kick + Senka Snap Kick + Quick Dash + Tatsumaki Senpu-kyaku
Classic Controls | Modern Controls |
|---|---|
Down, Down-Forward, Forward + Kick, Forward + Heavy Kick, Kick + Kick, Down, Down-Back, Back + Kick | Down + Special, Special, Medium Attack + Heavy Attack, Down + Special |
If players find that their opponent is getting too close for comfort, make them regret it with this barrage of damage. Start with a kick combo to create some space, and while the opponent is recovering, use quick dash to close the distance. Finish by knocking them back with an improved Tatsumaki before Quick Dash ends. Replace the Tatsumaki with a Dragonlash Flame or Shippu Jinrai-kyaku for an extra blast of power.
Advanced Combo: Quick Dash + Thunder Kick + Hadoken + Chin Buster + Shinryu Reppa
Classic Controls | Modern Controls |
|---|---|
Kick + Kick, Medium Kick, Down, Down-Back, Back + Punch, Medium Punch, Heavy Punch, Down, Down-Forward, Forward, Down, Down-Forward, Forward + Punch | This combo cannot be done with Modern Controls. |
This crippling, fist-focused flurry deals more damage when Ken's health is low. Start by closing the distance to the opponent with Quick Dash, and stun them with a Thunder Kick. Quickly unleash a point-blank Hadoken to prolong the stun, and finish with a Chin Buster canceled into a Shinryu Reppa. As Shinryu Reppa deals more damage when health is below 25%, successfully unleashing this combo in a danger state can turn the tides of the battle.
Tips for Winning With Ken
With Ken's combined speed and strength, players who are looking to perfect his play style should master controlling their distance from their enemy. Too close, and Ken becomes vulnerable to a string of punching combos; too far, and his leaping attacks will leave him recovering directly in front of the enemy.
Here are some advanced tips for playing as Ken:
- Change it up. Ken primarily fights with his feet, but that doesn't mean he's limited with his move set. Alternate standing and crouching attacks at close range, combined with followup kicks from Jinrai Kick to keep the opponent guessing. Ken also has one of the fastest jab combos in the game (Light Punch, Light Punch, Light Punch). Sneak it in when enemies get too close.
- Counter aerials with Shoryuken. Catching an enemy in the middle of an aerial attack (or even an overhead dodge) can completely disrupt their momentum. Connect with an Overdrive Shoryuken to inflict massive amounts of counter-attack damage.
- Gap close, then Super Arts. While most of Ken's kit excels at mid-range, the start-up to all three of his Super Arts will hit close range. While Shippu Jinrai-kyaku and Shinryu Reppa will extend forward lightly during the full move, damage is maximized from Super Arts by rapidly approaching the enemy with a Dragonlash Kick or Quick Dash combo before unleashing the Super Art.
- Throw and go. If Ken's opponent gets too close or traps him in a corner, a quick way to create some space is with a throw followed by a back dash.
How to Counter Ken
While in the power type, Ken is physically smaller than all other fighters of this type, making him a harder target to hit. Fighters with fast-starting, forward-directed attacks will be able to interrupt most of Ken's basic combos with good timing. When fighting Ken, focus on staying close or poking from long-range, spamming fast start-up combos, and responding to his leaps and dashes with movement abilities. Great counter options against Ken include Guile, JP, and Jamie.
Street Fighter 6 is available now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.