Guilty Gear Strive is a "complete reconstruction of the franchise" and comes with many new features and fighters. However, it also retains many mechanics fans grew to love over the years but are more refined or simplified in key ways. Many familiar faces return to the scene as well, making for an incredible roster.
There are twenty-four characters in Guilty Gear Strive, all of whom possess unique attacks and Overdrives. Each fighter also has a learning curve, some being incredibly hard to master and others being relatively easy to pick up and see success while using. Additionally, many fighters benefit greatly depending on their archetype and how you choose to play them, which also feeds into their respective abilities and difficulty curves.
Updated on May 29, 2023, by Seth Parmer: Season Two's final character is here and might hold the title of the most complex and challenging character to learn not only by Guilty Gear Strive's standards but the entire genre. We have added Asuka R# to this guide, making him the 24th fighter to enter this game's robust and excellent roster!
Anji Mito
Anji Mito is an Elegant Martial Dancer specializing in graceful movements that allow him to evade, block, and counter incoming attacks. he also packs deadly attack combinations that help balance his skillset, making him a fun challenge to try and learn and master.
He benefits significantly from mid-to-close-range attacks and well-timed counters. Anji can also send a butterfly projectile at his opponent, which is great for maintaining pressure, allowing him to get closer to the opposition.
Because of Anji Mito's focus on evasion and counter, he can be rather hard to learn, making him an iffy choice for beginners.
Strengths
- Excellent at counter-attacking and evasion
- Strong attack combination potential
- Can deal a shocking amount of damage
- Has great anti-air options
Weaknesses
- Lacks pressure from a range
- Will generally lose the "poking" game
- Can be hard to pick up
Asuka R#
Asuka R# is the last character of Season 2 and continues the tradition of being based around strange, complex gimmicks that make the character one of the hardest ones to get a handle on. If you thought Happy Chaos or Jack O' was challenging, you've seen nothing compared to this.
This character is unlike other characters not only in Guilty Gear Strive but in the entire fighting game genre in general, making for a genuinely unique but frustratingly challenging character to learn.
Being the world's strongest mage, you'd think Asuka R# would be an instant powerhouse that could easily deal damage from a distance.
Instead, we got a mini-game of micromanaging several Spells and the burden of learning what each one does so you don't mismanage them, waste your Mana, and die from his poor defense. Asuka can be devastating, but only if you dedicate your life to learning his odd playstyle.
Strengths
- Near limitless options and Spells to work with
- Excellent zoning abilities
- Encourages experimentation and risks to gain the upper hand
Weaknesses
- Resource management is overwhelming and overly complex
- Poor defense if you mismanage his resources
- Spells are RNG, so your gameplan is always reactive
- Extremely hard to learn and even harder to execute in a match
Axl Low
Axl Low is one of the few only long-range focused characters in Guilty Gear Strive and offers incredible frame trap potential and solid combinations.
While there are other fighters in Strive that have a slight focus on long-range attacks, Axl Low's entire skillset relies on it, making him the end-all, be-all for those encounters.
Striking his opposition from afar and avoiding enemy contact at all costs is the name of the game for Axl Low. While he may be a bit tricky to get a handle on, he might be suitable for some franchise newcomers who like to play ranged fighters in other games or generally don't like playing aggressively.
Strengths
- Excels at mid to long-range engagements
- Has great anti-air options
Weaknesses
- Has rather poor damage output
- Is severely outmatched in close-range scenarios
Baiken
Compared to previous iterations, the Baiken found in Guilty Gear Strive is the easiest to learn and has a surprisingly basic Command List.
Though this may seem like she's not as good a character as in the past, that fortunately couldn't be further from the truth. Don't get us wrong, Baiken is still the anger-motivated Japanese badass we all know and love, she just has a much more accessible move list.
Baiken is a well-balanced character in Guilty Gear Strive and thrives in close-range scenarios. She has tremendous pressure potential and can still trip her opponent up with the various hidden tools she has at her disposal. What she lacks in terms of long-range engagements, she more than makes up for with her many combo routes and excellent damage output.
Strengths
- Excellent combo routes
- Easy to learn
- Thrives at close-range
Weaknesses
- Struggles at range
- Lost a large portion of her previous kits
Bedman?
Bedman? is quite literally categorized as a "Unique" fighter in the Guilty Gear Strive character select screen, and this oversized bedframe's move list confirms that the moment you pull it up to see everything it's capable of.
While Bedman? does have access to many devastating actions and can apply tons of pressure with various mix-ups or Okizeme options, they are a gimmick-based character that can be pretty hard to pick up for newcomers. Especially if you are new to the genre.
They are also a Heavy fighter, meaning their movement is quite limited, which can spell trouble against the majority of the roster. There is significant potential here, however, but it might take some time to pull it out of them and master everything they have to offer.
Even with Bedman?'s unique multi-directional Air Dash option and ability to close the gap with its Special Attacks, they can still feel sluggish and helpless against some other characters, which can be discouraging to many players.
Strengths
- Unique air movement unlocks excellent pressure and mix-up potential.
- Can control the area around it with its excellent projectiles and follow-up actions, allowing it to continue setting up pressure.
- Has many tools to create pressure and keep it on its opposition, making it extremely hard to take your turn back against due to its unique delay-based gimmicks.
- Can be confusing for your opponent to read. You know, since it is a towering bedframe with a little girl running around its legs and all.
Weaknesses
- Can feel cumbersome to play against faster opponents such as Bridget, Chipp, Giovanna, and May.
- Lacks any meaningful answers to long-ranged opponents such as Axl and Happy Chaos, putting them at a significant disadvantage.
- Has surprisingly few defensive options, making them have to go on the offensive more than you might think, which can prove challenging.
Bridget
Bridget, the 'Free-form Tricky Spinner,' returns to the scene in Guilty Gear Strive with her deadly yo-yo and mechanical bear, Roger, to help her annihilate her opponents.
She is an All-Rounder character, meaning she won't excel in one particular area but will do well in almost any situation she's placed in. Furthermore, her unique movement and attacks allow her to dominate the stage, as she is one of the most versatile and formidable opponents to deal with in the game.
Thanks to her ability to travel to her suspended yo-yo and perform other actions during her movement, Bridget has many mix-up options at her disposal, making her incredibly complicated to handle when she gets going.
While she has many things you must utilize to get anything going, Bridget is an excellent character to kick Season Two off with.
She is exhilarating to learn and play and not too complicated that newcomers will be turned off by bizarre mechanics or gauges. Bridget's ability to apply pressure and keep it going is exceptionally strong, essentially allowing her to bully her opponents on offense all day.
Strengths
- Dominant from just about anywhere.
- Unique movement options make her hard to predict.
- Excellent at applying pressure and keeping it up.
- Isn't too complicated to learn but also has a high skill ceiling, encouraging growth and experimentation.
Weaknesses
- Doesn't excel in any one area.
- Can get overwhelmed easily.
- Most of her attacks are incredibly punishable if whiffed, making each action matter more than most.
Chipp Zanuff
In GGST, the player gets rewarded more often than not for being hyper-aggressive and pursuing the enemy, and Chipp Zanuff takes full advantage of that concept.
What makes Chipp unique is his unmatchable speed and ridiculous attack combinations, making him an incredibly fun character to learn if you're willing to put in the effort.
Chipp will be a bit tough to pick up in terms of Guilty Gear Strive character difficulty, especially for newcomers. Chipp Zanuff is the "Godspeed Ninja" and relies on his incredible speed to teleport to and behind enemies in the blink of an eye, close gaps quickly that get followed up with blindingly quick attacks.
He can also use the Body Replacement Technique to avoid taking damage by replacing himself with a log. Due to Zanuff's unwieldy speed and tricky Ninja abilities, he is challenging to pin down, and newcomers may struggle with his fighting technique and skillset.
Strengths
- Quick attacks and movement
- Can wall run to avoid attacks or keep his combo going
- Applies incredible amounts of pressure
Weaknesses
- Has the lowest health pool in the game
- Struggles at range
- Isn't consistent when it comes to combos or damage
Faust
Faust is an incredibly unique character in the Guilty Gear universe and is equally as unique to try and wrap your head around in terms of his skillset.
The Underground Doctor has many different tools at his disposal, with the downside of being one of Guilty Gear Strive's more challenging characters to learn.
One of Faust's more unique traits is his ability to move while crouched, giving him the edge against opposition who may rely on ranged attacks or are more cumbersome in combat.
Faust also wields an oversized scalpel, which provides him with huge poke potential and threatens mid-range engagements. Faust can pull opponents towards him with the scalpel and hit them like a golf ball when in range.
While not much of a threat at long-distance encounters, Faust is much more than a threat at any other point in the arena.
He is by far one of the more unique fighters in Guilty Gear Strive and is also hard to learn because of it. Newcomers should be wary of picking Faust until they grasp the game's mechanics.
Strengths
- Excels at poking
- Can move while crouched
- Unique abilities keep opponents on their toes
Weaknesses
- One of the least damaging characters in the game
- Has poor defense
- Item throw ability is completely random
Giovanna
Giovanna is a Rushdown fighter and a new face in the Guilty Gear franchise. Paired with her trusty companion Rei, a wolf spirit, Giovanna offers fast-paced melee combat and shines in close-range engagements.
Rei can also possess Giovanna, which grants her even more speed, allowing her to close in on enemies at lightning pace.
Giovanna's moves are geared towards getting closer to the enemy and committing to close-quarter combat. While a flawed fighter at long and mid-ranged encounters, Giovanna more than makes up for it with her incredible damage potential and quick movement and strikes.
Additionally, Giovanna is easy to pick up and is an excellent choice for newcomers. Her skill set is easy to understand, and her quickness allows for fun, aggressive play.
Strengths
- Quick attacks that lead to easy combo setups
- Excels in mid-range encounters
- Has a great offense with decent defense
- Tension Gauge gives her a damage and defense buff at 50 percent and receives a bigger buff at 100 percent
Weaknesses
- Will lose any long-range battle
- Struggles with aerial attacks
- Can rely on her Tension Gauge too much
Goldlewis Dickinson
Goldlewis Dickinson is the Secretary of Defense of the United States and the first person in the country's history to be an active-duty Military Officer.
He is freakishly strong and carries around a giant steel coffin from Area 51 with an actual living alien inside it. However, to everyone's surprise, he doesn't believe in aliens, which only adds to the weirdness of this character.
Goldlewis is incredibly slow but dishes out tons of damage, making him a serious threat at all times. Dickinson's unique because his Behemoth Typhoon Special Attack allows him to swing his coffin around in eight different directions, allowing him to hit his opposition if they are anywhere near him.
Additionally, Goldlewis Dickinson applies heavy pressure on his opponents, making them play into his dirty tricks. In addition to the casket, Goldlewis also possesses a chaingun and a drone that will help him get lots of pressure on the enemy or even deal loads of chip damage to them.
Overall, Goldlewis Dickinson can be tricky to learn, primarily due to his Behemoth Typhoon attacks. Still, he is more accessible than some of the other characters in the game.
Strengths
- High damage output
- Large health pool
- Solid defense
- Incredible pressure
- Fun abilities
Weaknesses
- Lacks a long-range threat (unless at Security Level 3)
- Has poor anti-air
- Has poor poking options
- Very slow moving
Happy Chaos
Happy Chaos is one of the hardest characters to learn in Guilty Gear Strive and plays just as weird as his personality. Which is a long way of saying it's crazy. While, on paper, he may seem like your typical run of the mid-ranged character, that is the absolute furthest thing from the truth.
Due to being primarily ranged-focused, Happy Chaos does loads of damage and can sustain many nasty combos by juggling enemies with well-timed shots from his dual revolvers.
However, what makes his kit so unique, is a handful of gimmicks that elevate him to a whole new level. You will constantly be switching between reloading, gathering Concentration, and finding ways to evade incoming danger, which will take quite some time to master.
Strengths
- Applies excellent pressure at long-range
- Deals excessive amounts of damage
- One of the best ranged characters in the game
Weaknesses
- Struggles at close-range engagements
- Hard to learn, even harder to master
- Very gimmicky
- Has many attacks that can leave him vulnerable when whiffed
I-No
I-No, the guitar-shredding witch, is back again in Guilty Gear Strive and is ready to rock. I-No is a fascinating character and offers a wide range of abilities that allows her to be a threat from just about any distance.
Much like Giovanna, I-No is a Rushdown fighter but provides a more complex skill set that makes her hard to master. I-No's primary focus is to pressure her opponent and keep it coming until the fight is over.
She possesses a unique dash ability that has her float above the ground, enabling her aerial skills without performing a jump. Additionally, I-No can also launch projectiles at the opposition, which goes hand in hand with her fighting philosophy.
I-No's quick, deadly attacks and unique skill set make her an incredible fighter, but at a cost. I-No is hard to pick up and even harder to master, making it exceptionally challenging for beginners to learn.
Strengths
- Has some of the best mix-ups in the game
- I-No's ground dash sends her airborne
- Has great mobility options both in the air and on the ground
Weaknesses
- Can be predictable when it comes to closing the gap on the opposition
- Has low damage output
Jack-O' Valentine
Jack-O' Valentine is one of the most fascinating characters in Guilty Gear Strive and is rather challenging to learn. Despite having decent normals, her main focus and damage output comes from her small ensemble of Minions she can summon and control. Her Minions allow her to control the entire stage, that is, if you know how to use them optimally.
While it can be argued between a handful of characters in the game, Jack-O' may be the hardest one to pick up out of the bunch. However, once you get a nice rhythm going with her, and learn what she's capable of, she's incredibly fun to play.
Strengths
- Excellent pressure in most situations
- Strong normals
- Great damage output
- Can control the match
Weaknesses
- Exceptionally hard to learn and even harder to master
- Has to rely on Minions and manage her Minion Gauge
- Can collapse in close-range engagements if she fails to set up properly
- Has low health
Ky Kiske
The rival of the franchise's hero returns to Guilty Gear Strive and is just as electrifying as ever before. Ky Kiske is an overall balanced fighter and can launch devastating attacks from any range.
Ky is also great at applying pressure to his opponent, allowing him to control the battle with his quick strikes and lightning magic.
Kiske wields the Thunderseal, a sword that allows him to concentrate and amplify his lightning magic. With the Thunderseal, Ky can launch all kinds of different lightning projectiles at the opposition.
The lightning abilities also give him stun potential, which helps him significantly with applying and maintaining pressure. Ky offers players a balanced, well-rounded skill set and maybe the most straightforward character to pick up in the game. Ky Kiske is a perfect choice for newcomers.
Strengths
- Threatening at any range
- Great poking potential
- Shock State gives him the edge in battle
- Well rounded
Weaknesses
- Can have a shaky defense against specific enemies
- Hard to consistently execute combos
Leo Whitefang
Leo Whitefang is a balanced yet aggressive character in the Guilty Gear franchise and offers quite a few ways to mix up his attacks and keep the opponent on their toes. Despite his large size, he can close in on enemies with various dash moves and apply pressure with projectiles.
The primary focus for Whitefang is to transition to his unique Brynhildr Stance, which has his back facing the opponent, allowing him to perform devastating moves. However, while in the Brynhildr Stance, Leo cannot jump or block, essentially trading defense for more potent attacks.
Due to Leo's strange fighting style, with many of his attacks split between his normal and Brynhildr Stance, newcomers will more than likely struggle with Leo Whitefang. Leo isn't hard to learn, but we recommend understanding the core game mechanics and systems before tackling this character!
Strengths
- High pressure
- Solid defense
- Has incredible range and anti-air options
- Brynhildr Stance gives him the edge in battle
Weaknesses
- Easily punishable since his abilities can whiff easily
- Since he's considered a "Heavy" character, he is slow
May
May, a vibrantly energetic member of the Jellyfish Pirates, returns to the action in Guilty Gear Strive ready to take down anyone who underestimates her. May is much older than she appears and seemingly doesn't get affected by time, making her age unknown.
However, what is known, is that May delivers devastating blows with her Ship Anchor which she wields as her melee weapon of choice, displaying her incredible strength.
May is a balanced character overall but offers an absurdly fun set of abilities to mix and match various and clever ways to apply pressure and even stun the opposition. May can call in a handful of her oceanic comrades, like Mr. Dolphin, otter Abgehts, and various whales.
She is an aggressive character with many abilities that support her goal, and she's incredibly fun to play and easy to grasp. Beginners should have no trouble picking up and playing May, and she offers a wide variety of abilities that are both powerful and entertaining to use.
Strengths
- Incredible pressure with her dolphins
- Has the potential to mix in throws with her kit
- Great aerial moves
- Normal attacks are some of the best in the game
Weaknesses
- Anti-air can be complicated to learn
- Lacks a decent high/low mix up
Millia Rage
Much like Chipp Zanuff, Millia Rage is also a High-Speed fighter that thrives off applying pressure, being aggressive, and punishing enemies with close-range combat.
Millia is an assassin who uses her hair as a weapon and has many moves that will move her across the screen instantly.
Since Millia is a High-Speed fighter that focuses on close-range engagements, she isn't viable in long-range engagements and is barely passable at mid-range combat thanks to a few abilities.
However, Millia builds Tension quickly due to her aggressive playstyle and can deliver rapid strikes on the opposition. Pair that with her devastating Special Attacks, and you have an all-around solid fighter, so as long as you know how to use her.
Millia Rage is a complex character to play but can also be extremely deadly in the right hands. Millia may not be the best option for newcomers, but those familiar with the genre or franchise should give her a shot. She has great potential with a fascinating skill set. Learning how to maximize that potential is more than worth it.
Strengths
- Incredible setup potential
- Great combos
- Possesses two air dashes
- Incredible neutral game
- Can pressure the enemy on wake up
Weaknesses
- Low damage output
- Poor defense
Nagoriyuki
Nagoriyuki is perhaps the most exciting fighter in Guilty Gear Strive and is undoubtedly the most intimidating. Making his debut to the franchise, Nagoriyuki does not disappoint and offers incredible strength.
He is a Noble Vampire Samurai that wields a Blood-Sucking Blade that will punish anyone and anything in his path and can "One-Hit" enemies with his Blood Rage attacks.
The trick to Nagoriyuki is managing his Blood Gauge and utilizing the full potential of his Blood Rage. During his Blood Raged state, Nagoriyuki has his attack range extended and can use his Overdrive Zansetsu, which takes at least half the opponent's health if it connects.
However, all this power does not come with its downside. Nagoryuki is an incredibly cumbersome fighter and cannot dash or perform a double jump.
Additionally, learning to manage his Blood Gauge can also prove challenging. He is a decent mid-range fighter due to his long sword but thrives at close range, leaving him vulnerable at any long-distance combat. Nagoryuki is one of the most challenging characters to play and should be handled by those willing to put in the time and effort to learn.
Strengths
- Can cancel his Special Attacks into each other
- Can punish enemies easily
- Has an incredible striking range
- Strong pressure
Weaknesses
- Blood Rage makes his health deplete rapidly
- Bad mobility
- Can be hard to get a hang of
Potemkin
Potemkin is a powerhouse that possesses the best durability in Guilty Gear Strive and offers a devastating arsenal of attacks.
He is an incredibly cumbersome fighter but utilizes his freakish strength through his Special Attacks and Overdrives. Although Potemkin is a tanky character, he can still dash backward and perform double jumps.
Unfortunately, Potemkin cannot dash forward or while in the air, making jumping risky and punishable by competent foes. However, with that aside, Potemkin can deal absurd amounts of damage in close-range engagements and is a master grappler.
Due to his lack of mobility and focus on grappling with the opposition, Potemkin is quite tricky to pick up. He isn't a terrible choice, even for newcomers, but requires a learning curve that might be better to come back to after spending some time with the game first.
Strengths
- High damage output
- Grappling king
- Solid defense
- Has armor on certain Special Attacks
Weaknesses
- Struggles with ranged enemies
- Incredibly slow
- Lacks dash
Ramlethal Valentine
Ramlethal Valentine is the only Shooting fighter in Guilty Gear Strive, but that title might be a tad bit misleading. Ramlethal Valentine's weapons are two greatswords that can also fire a beam of energy out of, covering great range and demolishing anything in its way.
The catch? The catch is that Ramlethal Valentine can only fire the beams of energy via her Overdrives, meaning she can't shoot all willy-nilly throughout the fight like Happy Chaos, who is not classified as a Shooting character...
However, even though her Overdrive can only trigger the greatsword's destructive beams, Ramlethal still poses a grave threat at long range.
Valentine is stellar at applying pressure to the enemy and can manipulate the match's pace with intelligent positioning and tactics. She can throw her greatswords at the opposition, forcing them to either get out of the way or jump, allowing her to close in and punish them.
Despite being labeled as a Shooter, Ramlethal is entirely competent at close-range encounters, making her a solid pick overall. She isn't the most complex character in Guilty Gear Strive, but she certainly isn't easy to pick up either. Newcomers should pass on Ramlethal Valentine, at least until they understand the basics.
Strengths
- Great mid-range fighter
- Incredible wall combos/damage/pressure
- Great strike range
Weaknesses
- Can end up empty-handed after throwing her swords, making her extremely vulnerable
- Poor defense
Sin Kiske
Sin Kiske is an excellent all-rounder Rushdown Fighter that thrives on finding unique ways to apply unrelenting pressure on his opponent with his Stamina Meter, which allows him to perform follow-up actions after using a Special Attack, constantly keeping him on the offensive and his target desperately looking for an opening.
While he does excel at most ranges, Sin struggles from super far ranges but more than makes up for it with his blazingly fast speed and many options to close the gap and resume applying pressure on his opponent.
Despite having a bunch of tools at his disposal, Sin is one of the more accessible characters to get added to the game, especially when compared to the likes of Happy Choas and Jack-O' Valentine.
Being the son of Ky Kiske and Dizzy, Sin is able to use Lightning Magic to imbue and supercharge his attacks, which he applies to his Flag to achieve his unique playstyle of a fast-paced Rushdown character with surprising range that can be hard to deal with on the receiving end.
Strengths
- Excellent range and Skills
- Stamina Gauge enables faster-paced gameplay and deceiving mix-ups.
- Incredible poke and neutral presence
- Ability to launch into combos from just about any Special Attack.
Weaknesses
- Struggles at longer-ranges
- Stamina management can be hard to get used to for beginners.
- Has one of the slowest backdashes in the game, making it hard to evade some attacks, especially long-reaching ones.
Sol Badguy
Sol Badguy, the franchise's hero and rival of Ky Kiske, returns once more to save the day. Sol is a well-rounded fighter and thrives in mid to close-range abilities.
Although he is the default character and the one you will be throughout most of the Dojo/Training courses, Sol is a solid fighter that deserves your time.
Sol Badguy's only downside is long-range battles, but his mid-ranged projectiles and punishing strikes more than makeup for it.
Thanks to his sword, the Fireseal, Sol can concentrate and amplify his fire magic, which is what allows him to summon his fire projectiles along the ground and set his foes ablaze. Sol Badguy may not be the most enticing character to play, but he is a perfect choice for beginners.
Strengths
- Massive damage output
- Plus-on-block machine
- Solid defense
- Fantastic pokes and neutral game
Weaknesses
- Lacks threat at long range
Testament
The elegant grim reaper, Testament, returns in Guilty Gear Strive as the last DLC character of Season 1 and comes with a wholly retooled kit.
While fans of their classic playstyle may not like the changes, they are much easier to get a grasp on without the sacrifice of feeling too basic or weak. In fact, we'd argue that GGST's Testament is insanely fun to play and incredibly strong.
However, the vast majority of their kit will shine best at mid-range engagements, with close and long-range encounters being slightly weaker. Testament's abilities come from their crimson scythe, succubus, and EXE Beast, allowing them to apply unmatchable pressure from just about anywhere in the arena.
They are very much an offensive-focused fighter and lack many defensive options. Testament's defense isn't the best, which can spell bad news when facing powerhouses or super rushdown characters like May or Chipp. Still, the options they do provide should provide more than enough wiggle room to escape from danger and apply the suffocating offense they do best.
Strengths
- Beginner-friendly without sacrificing complexity or strength.
- Thrives at mid-range engagements but can hold their own in short and long-range encounters.
- Tons of combo routes with fun to learn mechanics.
- Excellent pokes and range control.
- Not super gimmicky like some of the other DLC Characters.
Weaknesses
- Poor defensive options.
- Can get overwhelmed easily.
- Veterans of the series may not like their new playstyle/kit.
Zato-1
Zato-1, the Technical Shadow Warrior, is perhaps the most complex character in all Guilty Gear Strive and will take some time to master.
The primary attack source of Zato-1 comes in the form of his alter ego, Eddie, which is essentially Zato-1's shadow that can shapeshift into various things and attack the opposition with devastating force. However, due to Zato-1 controlling Eddie for most of his attacks, he is one of Guilty Gear Strive's hardest characters.
Zato-1 can summon Eddie for a wide range of different attacks and benefits significantly from mid-range engagements as well as close-quarter combat. Zato-1 is a very tough fighter to pick up and is exceptionally hard to master, widely due to managing Eddie's Life Gauge and knowing when to attack with Zato-1 or Eddie.
Although his moves are deadly and can cover a wide area, most of Zato-1's attacks are situational and have to be executed in a specific window, making him one of the most challenging fighters to play. Zato-1 isn't for newcomers but will be an unstoppable force of devastation in the right hands.
Strengths
- Great offense thanks to Eddie
- Great mid-range encounters
- Incredible movement, especially in the air
Weaknesses
- Very poor defense
- Low health pool
- Vulnerable without Eddie
- Hard to learn