INTRODUCTION
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.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
Strengths
Excellent normals, including j.C, 2A, and 2C, among others
Remarkable run speed
Unrivaled Special Moves: Athlete’s Dash (236X) is almost a character unto itself and the other specials have utility as projectiles to check the opponent’s knowledge and reactions
Great wake-up options: 236AB is a 1-meter true reversal. 2AB is the fastest Impact Skill in the game, making it difficult to safe jump or challenge on clash. Red Trump is a reversal command throw
Weaknesses
As both 5B and 5C are not exactly anti-airs, she is vulnerable to jump throw tech baits on defense
Meter hog. If the opponent knows how to counter meterless Athlete’s Dash follow-ups, you need to Assist Cancel (or Combo Blast) to make them safe
Normals lack horizontal range, although they more than make up for it in girth