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Undecided of who to play or looking to learn someone new, or simply want to know more about a certain character? Listed below are in-depth guides for each character detailing their movesets, combos, and strategies etc. To access a character's guide click on their respective images. Guides can also be accessed through the site's side menu. Listed below that is a quick synopsis of each character as well as a ranking list from various players.
CHARACTER SYNOPSIS
CHARACTER SYNOPSIS
Akira is the quintessential rushdown character. He sports decent, quick normals with deceiving range for a combatant with no weapons but his legs and fists. His game plan is to get into your face and condition you to make unforced errors in close-range combat and punish. His unique dash move 666B can quickly close mid-range gaps and start his turn. With the absolute best back dash in the game, he can move out of opponents’ close-range pokes and move with his equally quick forward dash
Ako is a unique specialist character who focuses on the relationship between point character and assist. While Ako boasts very respectable air normals and a strong j214X series, it may often seem that she is more of the support and “assist” than the actual assist is. This is intentional: Her special ability lies within her 214X series, which “heals” and recharges the assist cooldown timer to allow her to more quickly call out her accompanying assist.
Swift of foot, Asuna is the definitive speed-demon character of DFCI. Wielding a rapier, her normals are of comparable range to Yuuki’s and her ground normals are faster. Her 5A is the best in the game and both of her A normals are active on frame 5. Combine her impressive moveset and versatile specials with the fastest normal run speed in the game, Asuna possesses incredible conversion prowess on her own. Add a trusty assist to aid her and it becomes quite apparent why Asuna commands such respect from foes.
The shoto-type character of DFCI. In other words, a well-balanced character with access to a myriad of tools for any situation. Wielding a sword, Emi has great ranged normals and her 2C sweep is quite effective at covering the close mid-range. 5A hits surprisingly high above her, making it a viable defensive anti-air and one of the best fuzzy 5A in the game. Emi is generally a no-frills character until she enters Trump Mode, where her specials are powered up and her kit becomes much more cohesive.
Kirino is rivaled only by Asuna and Taiga for the type of relentless rushdown she dishes out. With an arsenal of truly fearsome jump normals and amazing run speed, she’s a shoe-in for a truly strong character in DFCI. Yet, never one to shy away from showing off her superiority, she possesses, without doubt, the best specials moveset in the game, including the truly awe-inspiring Athlete’s Dash (236X). 236X is the newbie-killer move and requires knowledge of how to use Reflection Guard to just make it manageable. If you like to slaughter your food, Kirino’s the one for you.
At first glance, Kirito appears to be a relatively tame character. This initial takeaway is soon proven wrong once Kirito activates his Blue Trump Card and unsheathes his second blade along with the most fearsome normals in the game. In Trump Mode, he has Dual Swords which grant him all of the terrifying benefits of Trump Mode plus huge air normals, amazing anti-air buttons, and damage from any conversion as his specials can chain on hit.
Kuroko is a rather peculiar character. While her projectile needles can be used to some extent as zoning tools, her real objective is to activate her Potential by firing 236X needles at the opponent. Once Potential activates, she becomes an offensive rushdown beast hellbent on chasing her prey to the ends of the earth. Her dash becomes instant teleports and her air dash also has reduced endlag, allowing her to dash in with relatively safety and speed to continue her onslaught. Her Red Trump Card and Impact Skills also track fullscreen in Potential, making her kit particularly deadly.
Kuroyukihime is a somewhat peculiar hybrid zoner character that can pursue both a keepaway game as well as a conventional offensive strategy. With large moves covering wide swaths of space and a strong counter move with Mode Green 2AB, she forces interactions on her terms. Her unique Blue Trump can be activated into three Modes: Red, Blue, and Green. While Red and Blue have situational uses by drastically buffing her keepaway specials, it is Mode Green that is the true force behind Kuroyukihime’s impenetrable threat factor. Mode Green not only makes 2AB an extremely effective and difficult-to-punish reversal to immediately turn the tide of battle, but it gives her an impressive defensive buff, making her take considerably less damage than usual. A character worthy of bearing a moniker of royalty.
Mikoto is the most traditional zoner character in DFCI. With far-reaching projectile normals and specials, she can confirm stray hits into hard knockdown or big damage with her Climax Art Railgun from virtually anywhere on the screen. Her greatest strength lies in her keepaway game using 214X, Magnetic Move. EX Magnetic Move is an absolutely amazing tool and allows her to traverse horizontal space and impact her air movement to force errors from the opponent and punish in kind.
Tatsuya’s younger sister is a hybrid zoner character whose offense primarily focuses on frustrating and confusing the opponent with her 214X and j214X series in tandem with her momentum shifts on her air dash follow-ups. Her 236X series and large normals keep the opponent in check from approaching too aggressively. Her strongest asset is her Red Trump Card which hits overhead full screen and is air unblockable. Players who enjoy graceful movements in the air while robbing your opponent of their ability to be any close as graceful may enjoy Miyuki’s company.
Qwenthur is a mixed zoning character with one unique character trait: the ability to deal over half of the opponent’s health with a completely unburstable combo. Taking the term “explosive damage” quite literally, Qwenthur's game plan aims to nick opponents with a stray bullet from his partner-in-arms Hevia and then convert into an EX move. Quenser’s unique Potential allows the EX move follow-up “Bomb Support” to cost no meter, allowing him to deal incredibly massive amounts of pain in short bursts. Getting hit by Quenser hurts and his ability to convert into huge damage from stray hits may surpass even those of the top tier characters.
At first glance, Rentaro appears to be only another rushdown character, with quick movement and 214X series punches to traverse distances quickly and break down the opponent’s defenses. However, Rentaro’s strengths also play to a wait-and-see playstyle. His air and ground 236X gunshot series can punish sloppy approaches from mid-range (further with EX gunshot) and force respect. Likewise, his 214X series serves a similar purpose but in close-range combat. While in Trump Mode, Rentaro is the fastest character in the game and his 214X series has drastically reduced charge time, allowing you to link multiple punches together to inflict terrifying damage.
Selvaria is a heavy hitter character that oppresses her opponent’s with large normals into devastating damage. While not particularly quick, her teleports allow her to quickly traverse the battlefield and rush the opponent. Her 236X series has built-in teleport follow-ups and her 214X series are combo extenders as well as teleports with situational use and have a built-in high/low mix-up (214B/214C) to keep opponents on their toes. Unique to Selvaria is her 41236BC Climax Art has a surprise built-in homing function, meaning there is some potential to punish Blasts with a raw super in this fashion.
Shana is a mid-range offensive powerhouse with versatile and far-reach ground normals, an airdash, and oppressive air normals. While she is at her core a simplistic character, her average damage output and ease of access to truly explosive damage is unparalleled by every other character. Combined with a fierce dominance of the air with her airdash and jump normals, she is rivaled only by Yuuki and Kirino in terms of sheer fear factor. Shana’s simple but deadly Blue Trump gives her meter and gives access to whiffed charged j.C into j.A or j.B pressure and spacing maneuvers.
Shizuo is the grappler character of DFCI. With excellent normals and j.C as contender for the best charged jump normal in the game, he establishes respect with his deceptive reach and then has both command throws and universal mix-up options to run over his foes. While he is not speedy by any means, his ability to control the space immediately around him with charged j.C is able to sufficiently mask his small flaws. Unsurprisingly, his damage potential can be explosive if you hit the opponent with the right starter. Yes, that means charged j.C.
Taiga is an offensive powerhouse that rushes headfirst with her run speed and normals to make quick work of her enemies. Her toolset is well-rounded and bears no particular weakness. She wields various objects that make her moves deceptively large and her ability to corner carry is among the best in the game. Her Red Trump Card is the only one that is unpunishable on block. It is a full screen projectile that is air unblockable and overhead. In addition, her specials are among the better ones in utility for both neutral and combos.
Not to be confused with his assist form, Tatsuya is an all-purpose character blessed with the most versatile special moves in the game. He is most known for his ability to be able to punish virtually anything from a full screen away, provided he has meter. Tatsuya’s run speed is among the best in the game, even before the movement buff from his Blue Trump Card, giving him a terrifying tick throw game. Tatsuya is ultimately a “wait-and-see” character. Players with good reaction speed and spatial awareness will enjoy his toolset.
Tomoka is the resident setplay character. While the majority of her normals outside of 5C and j.C lack range, once she gets a hit in and begins to employ her gameplan with her basketball loving teammates, the opponent on the receiving end will be in trouble. Her specials call on teammates who, should they successfully receive a pass from Tomoka, will employ different effects on the backboard, including falling ice and fireworks. While the opponent can intercept these passes with their attacks in situations where Tomoka is using those specials to control space and zone, the opponent has little choice but to respect the backboard and the B-ball on hard knockdown and the myriad of mix-ups that come with the ball life.
Yukina is a lance wielder with impressive range and control of mid-range combat. In exchange, the start-up of her moves trend toward the slower end. Her air normals, combined with three available jumps and a Climax Art Super that can be activated in mid-air, give her commendable command of the air. Yukina’s most unique ability is her Potential, which eliminates the pushblock effects of Reflection Guard when active. In this state, Yukina can comfortably play in close quarters and frustrate the opponent.
Yuuki excels at a bit of everything and particularly shines at corner carry and commanding pressure. Once in the corner, she can absolutely pick you apart with her oppressive normals. Her Trump Card is the most unique in the game, allowing her to jump cancel any special move on hit or block, and any attack move on hit. Needless to say, she commands respect quite easily with her pressure and damaging combos. Yuuki requires a bit of technical prowess and knowledge to command, making her somewhat ill-suited for but the most serious of beginners.
CHARACTER RANKING
CHARACTER RANKING
Keep in mind that the gap between tiers is very small and the entire game as a whole is relatively balanced so don't feel discouraged if a character you're interested in is regarded as a "low tier character". Any character can win, even at a high level. Assists can be used to cover your character’s weak points or even negate those weaknesses completely in some cases. Here is a variety of tier lists from proficient JP and NA players.
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