Battle Arena Toshinden Guide - RetroAchievements/guides GitHub Wiki

Set developed by Retrokaiser, guide written by benit149

Hello, and welcome to my in-depth character analysis for Battle Arena Toshinden, or just Toshinden in Japan, a 3D fighting launch title for the Playstation 1 released in 1995. It is a weapons fighter with inspiration for the arenas derived from Virtua Fighter for Sega Saturn, the fighters’ weapons from Samurai Spirits, and the concept of special moves from Street Fighter. Toshinden would likewise be ported to the Sega Saturn as Battle Arena Toshinden Remix, with the addition of a brand new character never seen anywhere else in the franchise save for Toshinden: Card Quest.

Its biggest claim to fame is the introduction of a sidestep maneuver, allowing for the fighters to avoid being attacked while being able to punish the opponent if they are exposed. This would serve as a precursor for much more successful 3D fighters like Tekken and Soulcalibur, while Toshinden gradually declined in popularity.

The premise is that eight combatants from all over the globe are invited to partake in a fighting contest, eliminating each other until only one remains to challenge the enigmatic armored swordsman Gaia. There is also a hidden secret boss that can be reached if you play well enough. If you’re curious, the kanji for Toshinden (闘神伝) literally translates to “Combat God Legend”, or can be localized as “Legend of Combat Gods”.

I played this game a lot when I was younger, so I thought I’d share some advice on how to play it with each character, especially since it can be a lot slower compared to typical 3D fighting games with their demand for lightning-quick reactions. My reaction times aren’t always the greatest, so perhaps Toshinden’s slower nature is what appealed to me, and I think it should for others who are not too involved in the fighting genre. This isn’t so much an achievement guide as it is an explanation of how to approach Toshinden compared to other fighters, as well as how each character’s attacks and abilities work.

GAMEPLAY MECHANICS

To start off, if you want to play with a character’s palette swap, highlight their portrait and press the Select button before choosing them.

The majority of the cast indeed has very slow movement on the field. The major exceptions are Fo, Ellis, Gaia and Sho. For the others, you will want to utilize backsteps and sidesteps to get around more efficiently.

Regular attacks are grouped into three subcategories; Crouching, Standing, and Jumping. Each fighter has good and bad normals that you will want to familiarize yourself with as you play. These regular attacks as well as special moves are divided into another four categories; Weak Slash, Heavy Slash, Weak Kick, and Heavy Kick. If a character has a Slash special attack, it will always have a Weak Slash and a Heavy Slash variant. The same goes for Kick-related special moves. This is how I will differentiate between all of the variants since they do have different levels of strength and effects.

While on the ground, you are able to buffer directional inputs, jump, then press the Slash or Kick button to execute a midair special move near-instantly. You will want to be quick though since the directional inputs won’t last for very long. Conversely, you could use the time while in a jump to perform the directionals, land, then hit the Slash or Kick button.

The game’s biggest sell is the sidestep, which you can press L1 or R1 to roll toward the camera, or L2 or R2 to roll away. Likewise, you can rapidly press Down twice, though the game itself decides which direction you will move. This provides a way to get around the opponent’s attacks, and allow the character to be invincible for a few milliseconds. While there aren’t many moves that can punish sidesteps, there are some that can, which I will point out in the character analyses. You can use jump-ins as well, but there are also jump-in punishers to watch out for.

If a character’s health bar gets low, it will start flashing red. That is the desired range to allow for a Desperation Move to be executed, which is the character’s most powerful attack designed to get the opponent to an even level of health or outright defeat them. Everyone also has a Secret Move that can be executed at any time, but those inputs tend to be far too complicated to be worth the effort when basic attacks do the job just fine. If you want to see what the Secret Move looks like, you need to face Sho as the secret boss and defeat him, then watch the credits. The command will be shown, as well as a brief demonstration. Fo and Ellis also have their own unique moves that I will cover in their sections.

If a character is attacked while in midair, they will always, ALWAYS only take one hit before falling to the ground. They are invincible until they get back up, so don’t try to attack them while in this state. Back up and prepare your next move instead. While this can be slow and frustrating at first, there actually can be benefits to just taking a midair hit to protect yourself from a dangerous move. If the opponent unleashes a Desperation Move that may be too difficult to sidestep or backstep from, try jumping and just take a tiny sliver of chip damage instead. This will be effective for some DMs, but not for others.

If you’re new to the game and are trying to get to grips with it, you want to concentrate on constantly using sidesteps to find an opportunity when your opponent is exposed before punishing them. Learn your character’s regular attacks and discern which ones are the best for you (or you can read my recommendations). Be careful of the sidestep punishers though. Once you’re more comfortable with your character’s regular moves, start expanding with their special moves and Desperation Move.

SECRETS & UNLOCKABLES

To play as Gaia, at the title screen when the words come sliding from the sides onto the screen, do a fireball motion towards the left (Down, Diagonal Down, Left, Left) and hit Weak Slash (Square button). You will hear the word "FIGHT!" confirming the code worked. Now on the character select screen, hold up on Eiji and hit any attack button. Gaia’s portrait will just be a solid red square.

To play as Sho, first put in the Gaia code, let the game go to the demo, press start on controller 2 to go back to the title screen, and as the words come in, VERY RAPIDLY push up-left and right while tapping the square button. You should hear the word “FIGHT!", and the text will turn blue. Then go to player select screen, go to Kayin, push down and Square. Sho’s portrait will only be a solid purple square.

To get the “Your Self” camera option, go into the Options menu and highlight Control Type. Choose any of the types that have R1, L1, R2 and L2 assigned to “Not Use”. Now scroll down to Camera Action and change options until you see “Your Self” come up. If you play with this setting, you might not notice an obvious difference, but the camera is actually following your character as they move around, rather than focusing on both fighters at once. You’ll notice it if you jump around while close to the opponent.

If you want a good camera angle for this game, Normal is acceptable, although it can get confusing to know which way is forward and backward when there is a lot of movement going on. The Long view can resolve this if you’re having trouble. The Sky and Overhead mode are more joke angles than anything practical, and shouldn’t be used.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

I suggest you watch this video regarding character archetypes in fighting games, as I will be using some of these terms to explain each character’s playstyles. With that said, let’s get introduced to the fighters themselves.

Eiji Shinjo

MOVE LIST

Rekkuzan: D, DF, F + Slash
Hishozan: F, D, DF + Slash
Ryuseikyaku: (While jumping) D, DB, B + Kick
Ryugekidan: DF + Kick
Throw: (when close to opponent) B + Hard Slash/Hard Kick
Hyakki Moshuken: (while energy gauge is flashing red) F, DF, D, DB, B, DB, D, DF, F + Hard Slash
Secret Move: U, D, U, D, F, B, F, B + Hard Slash

The typical spiky-haired, hotheaded anime male protagonist you’ve probably seen a million times by now. He enters the tournament to find his missing brother Sho Shinjo and find out why he left without a word. Eiji is a sword-using Shoto-type character who isn’t quite as strong as his equivalents Kayin and Sho, but he is solid enough to get the job done. The biggest problem I find with the Shotos in this game is that the archetype is designed more for 2D fighting, so translating it into 3D when you have invincible sidesteps wasn’t exactly the smartest idea.

Eiji has a fireball called Rekkuzan, which covers either a short distance or a longer range; a rising uppercut-style sword move called Hishozan, which comes out just straight up with the Weak Slash or can rush at the opponent before rising with the Heavy Slash; a ground sliding kick called Ryugekidan; and an aerial rushing kick called Ryuseikyaku.

Of these moves, I found Ryuseikyaku to be much too difficult to use. Eiji has to be in midair before you can input the command. There is the option to buffer the directional commands, jump, then push the desired Kick button to have Eiji perform it right away. Even with all of that trouble, it should only be used to surprise the opponent rather than a reliable way to deal damage. There’s also the risk of flying straight out of the ring if you use the Heavy Kick version at the edge of the arena. Another problem I notice is that even if you input the command while in midair correctly, Eiji will have lost so much height in his jump that the move will come out the moment he lands, meaning it was a complete waste of time to even attempt it. Ryugekidan is much easier to pull off because it only requires DF + Kick and comes out almost instantly, and there’s much less risk of a ring out. If you really want to use Ryuseikyaku, do the buffered inputs and execute it near the ground instead of trying to do all of that while in midair.

Eiji’s bread and butter are Hishozan and Rekkuzan, the classic Shoto uppercut and fireball respectively. If you’re close to the arena’s edge, stick to the Weak Slash version of Hishozan, since the Heavy Slash version is a strong rushing attack that covers quite a bit of distance. Otherwise, Heavy Slash Hishozan is good for dealing strong damage. Unfortunately, the commands for Hishozan and Rekkuzan are so similar that you may wind up getting one move when you wanted the other, so it’s tricky to manage Eiji’s Slash-related special attacks. His Desperation Move, Hyakki Moshuken, is a souped-up Hishozan that adds some weak hits at the beginning, but the bulk of the damage is from the rising sword spin.

For sidestep spammers, Eiji’s regular attacks are very solid for the most part, with both types of Heavy Kick being the slowest of the bunch. The other three attacks are very good regardless if they’re Standing or Crouching. You may accidentally get Ryugekidans off to trip the opponent as well.

Kayin Amoh

MOVE LIST

Sonic Slash: D, DF, F + Slash
Deadly Raise: F, D, DF + Slash
Raging Sun: (While jumping) D, DB, B + Kick
Shoulder Crush: D, DB, B + Kick
Throw: (when close to opponent) B + Hard Slash/Hard Kick
Hell's Inferno: (while energy gauge is flashing red) F, DF, D, DB, B, DB, D, DF, F + Hard Slash
Secret Move: F, DF, D, DB, B, DB, B, F, B + (Weak Kick+Hard Kick)

If Eiji is the Toshinden world’s version of Ryu from Street Fighter, then Kayin is the Ken equivalent. Original sources say he’s Scottish, but then retconned to be English. His motivation is to also find Sho Shinjo, but for a much different reason – he believes his father Amoh was killed by Sho, and seeks to find the truth. Despite this, he doesn't let it affect his friendship and rivalry with Eiji. Kayin is also a sword-using Shoto, but has a noticeably different kit compared to his buddy Eiji and mentor Sho. Between Eiji and Kayin, I find Kayin to be the more dangerous opponent for this reason.

Kayin’s moves include the fireball Sonic Slash; his equivalent uppercut-styled move Deadly Raise (I always thought it was Deadly Rays, but whatever); a midair screw kick called Raging Sun; and the ground split Shoulder Crush. Compared to Eiji’s Ryuseikyaku, both Raging Sun and Shoulder Crush are far superior in execution and practical use. Deadly Raise is also more dangerous than Hishozan due to it rising diagonally rather than vertically, meaning that larger characters like Rungo and Duke can be punished severely if they attempt to spam sidesteps. The move can hit them the moment they finish the sidestep but just a split second before they can possibly guard, which Kayin’s Very Hard difficulty AI loves to take advantage of. This makes Deadly Raise one of the game’s most annoying sidestep punishers, so you want to be wary with using them while close to Kayin.

Since Deadly Raise, Rising Sun and Shoulder Crush are all very good moves, this makes Sonic Slash the weakest move of the bunch. I wouldn’t use it too much since Kayin’s Shoto style seems to prefer pressing in on the opponent rather than spamming projectiles. Hell, you really shouldn’t be using projectiles in this game anyway due to the invincible siderolls. Raging Sun is functionally similar to Ellis’ Screw Dancing, but if you’re near the ring’s edge, don’t use the Weak Kick version because that sends him flying backwards more than the Heavy Kick version does. Shoulder Crush is just amazing, coming out quickly regardless if it’s the Weak Kick or Heavy Kick version, and is easy to surprise the opponent with it.

Kayin’s normal attacks are nearly identical to Eiji’s, so you can apply the same strategies here.

Sofia

MOVE LIST

Thunder Ring: D, DB, B + Slash
Aurora Revolution: F, DF, D, DB, B + Slash
Rattle Snake: D, DF, F + Slash
Laugh Taunt: F, DF, D, DF, F, B, D + (Hard Slash+Weak Kick)
Face Slap: (when close to opponent) B + Hard Slash/Hard Kick
Call Me Queen (“Whiplash Spin”): (while energy gauge is flashing red) F, B, F, B + Hard Slash
Secret Move: DF, D, DB, D, DF, B, F, D + (Hard Slash+Hard Kick)

A Russian spy who joined the tournament to regain her lost memories, which had been wiped by the Organization due to them brainwashing her to do their bidding. I’d classify Sofia as a Normal Zoner since while she does have a fireball move, it’s not as effective as her close-range whip abilities to force the opponent to keep their distance.

Thunder Ring is her fireball move; Aurora Revolution is a spinning dance she does while sliding along the ground; and Rattle Snake is a frenzied multi-hit whip strike. I had 1’CCed Very Hard mode with Sofia due to Rattle Snake being an S-tier move that comes out fast and hits hard multiple times. If you’re struggling to clear Very Hard, try using that move in combination with sidesteps. Thunder Ring uses the opposite directional inputs as the Shotos’ fireballs, and is another tool in her zoning kit even if it suffers from the same problem as the fireballs.

Aurora Revolution is a decent spinning move if the enemy gets in too close and you want some 360 degree protection for Sofia, but Heavy Slash Aurora Revolution is infamous for causing ring outs due to her sliding along the ground for a very long time. Her Weak Slash Aurora Revolution has better utility, but is still inferior to Rattle Snake. In the same vein, Call Me Queen is a souped-up version of Aurora Revolution that has her flying in midair to deal heavy damage. It’s one of the easier Desperation Moves to execute, though I tend to buffer it while in a jump.

Sofia’s normal attacks aren’t created to be equal. Some of her better attacks include Jumping Heavy Slash, both Crouching Slashes, Standing Weak Kick + Standing Weak Slash, and Crouching Weak Kick. Her Crouching Heavy Kick has two animations depending on if she’s close to the opponent or not. If she is, she’ll do an awkward rising kick from behind. If not, she’ll do a standard spinning kick. These two can be combo’ed together if she’s close. Jumping Weak Slash is the worst of the bunch since it’s a horizontal midair whip strike, which is next to useless compared to the diagonal Jumping Heavy Slash.

Rungo Iron

MOVE LIST

Shima to Daichi no Ikari (“Fire Wave”): D, DF, F + Slash
Daichi no Mezame (rising knee): F, D, DF + Kick
Daichi no Otakebi (“Batter Up”): F, DF, D, DB, B + Slash
Daichi no Ikari (“Fire Strike”): D, DF, F, B + Slash
Head Butt: (when close to opponent) B + Hard Slash/Hard Kick
Daichi Hyakusai (“Fire Storm”): (while energy gauge is flashing red): B, DB, D, DF, F, DF, D, DB, B + Hard Slash
Secret Move: UF, U, UB, B, DB, F, B, D + (Hard Slash+Hard Hick)

The Arnold Schwarzenegger lookalike, he is a miner who joined the tournament to rescue his kidnapped family due to the Organization eyeing a vein of uranium he discovered. You might think that because he’s a big guy, he’d be a Grappler, but don’t be deceived. The Toshinden series as a whole has virtually nothing in the way of characters dedicated to grappling moves. I’d make that same assessment for Puppeteers and Stance characters as well. I’d instead call him a Projectile Zoner combined with playing the Footsies game since he uses a lot of fireballs and ranged specials to keep opponents away.

Fire Wave is a long line of fire that needs to either be blocked low, jumped over or sidestepped, and is going to be one of the primary sources of combo damage for him. Fire Strike is a unique application of a fireball in that it acts more as a shield for him rather than a projectile to keep the opponent away, potentially functioning as a jump-in punisher. I don’t use it often since it’s a little harder to execute than Fire Wave. Batter Up is his third Slash-related move that has the most difficult inputs, but if used well, it can deal significant damage. Note that his club during Heavy Slash Batter Up can still cause damage even when it’s being swung over his head at the end of the animation cycle, meaning it can potentially catch you even if you’re standing right behind him.

One of Rungo’s best moves is his sole Kick-related special move, Daichi no Mezame (“Awakening Earth”). It is a rising knee attack that is excellent at punishing players who abuse jump-ins. It comes out so fast that it can also strike characters close to him on the ground, allowing him to make some distance once he lands. I would like to make special mention of his Head Butt throw as well, since it does the most damage out of all of the characters’ throws. Yes, he isn’t a Grappler by any means, but get this move off and you’ll definitely even the playing field for yourself. If you get caught in it, be very, very worried.

In contrast to Rungo’s special moves, his Desperation Move is complete garbage. Not only is it harder to execute than most DMs, he also has a long windup animation, giving the opponent a million years to either sidestep or block low. Don’t use it at all. I’ve even tried to bait the AI-controlled Rungo to do it in Very Hard mode, and he hardly ever used it whatsoever. It’s just that bad.

For Rungo’s normal attacks, I used sidesteps + Standing Weak Slash the most since it comes out the fastest, allowing me to lead into combos. His Jumping Heavy Kick is also another normal I cheesed because his leg juts out far enough to ‘stab’ the opponent out of an attack most of the time. His Crouching and Jumping Weak Kicks are okay, but the Standing version is a gimpy roundhouse kick that just plains stinks. Both Standing and Crouching Heavy Slash have two different animations of their own depending on the distance with the opponent, with Standing Heavy Slash being very slow but also quite powerful if it connects should he be further away. Crouching Heavy Kick has some windup animation, while Standing Heavy Kick is a horizontal stomping kick that does pretty well at interrupting the opponent.

Fo Fai

MOVE LIST

Don Pappa: F, DF, D, DB, B + Slash
Kappo Re: D, DB, B + Kick
Don Don Pappa: (while jumping) F, DF, D, DB, B + Slash
Don Do Ko Shu: B, DB, D, DF + Slash
Small fart: F, UF, U, UB, B + (Weak Slash+Hard Kick)
Laugh Taunt: F, DF, D, DF, F, B, D + (Hard Slash+Weak Kick)
Claw Flip Throw: (when close to opponent) B + Hard Slash/Hard Kick
Do Do Don Pappa: (while energy gauge is flashing red): F, B, DB, D, DF, F, B + Hard Slash
Secret Move: Weak Kick, Weak Slash, Hard Slash, Hard Kick, B, F, B, F + (Hard Slash+Hard Kick)

A Chinese magician and assassin who only joined the contest to sate his bloodlust. Fo is an effective Rushdown archetype, but not quite as quick as Ellis is. Don’t get me wrong, Fo is still very dangerous to deal with since he likes to play tricks on you rather than fight fair. He has a unique sidestep animation where he spins on his toes, which draws him in toward the opponent. His running animation is also different, preferring to use his claws to do the jogging for him. His forward walking speed is pretty good, but his backward walk is still very slow. His backstep is a quick backflip that can effectively get him out of trouble. Fo and Ellis share the trait of being the shortest characters of the whole cast, which means some specials might not do as much damage due to their smaller hitboxes, though the difference may be negligible if you’re playing for the first time.

Don Pappa is an energy bubble that Fo forms in front of himself, which can protect him from projectiles and damage the opponent multiple times. The chip damage it does if blocked is nothing to scoff at either. I suggest sticking to the Weak Slash version. The Heavy Slash version has some windup time, making it more predictable to avoid. There’s also the aerial equivalent, Don Don Pappa, which is a quick one-hit attack rather than multi-hit. Try performing this with buffered inputs rather than in midair to surprise the opponent.

The third Slash-related special is Don Do Ko Shu, where Fo creates the energy bubble beneath himself and slides it along the ground. It has the opposite inputs of Don Pappa, and the Heavy Slash version makes it less likely for you to be punished. I find it a bit difficult to execute reliably, but it is an effective sidestep punisher if used wisely. However, just like with Rungo’s Daichi no Mezame, Fo’s real potential comes from spamming Kappo Re, his rising kick move. It is a major jump-in punisher, and can knock opponents onto their back even from the ground.

His Desperation Move, Do Do Don Pappa, has him throw three energy balls while slightly sidestepping each time, then finishing with a fourth aerial energy ball that deals the most damage. This is another sidestep punisher if the timing is correct. If you’re caught in this, either block or jump to get past it. The three ground bubbles don’t do much damage, but the key is to never be hit by the aerial bubble. Don’t perform it near the edge of the ring either since it can result in a ring out, either from Fo’s sidestepping or the long leap afterward.

If you read the move list carefully, you’ll notice that Fo has a move related to… um, flatulence. No, it’s not a joke. There really is a technique like that. It’s very hard to execute, too easy to avoid, and only does as much damage as a Heavy Slash if it somehow miraculously connects. It’s not worth the effort unless you’re that determined to troll the opponent. If someone made a tool-assisted run with Fo and finished opponents with this move, it would genuinely make me smile.

Fo’s normal attacks are where he excels at. I don’t think there are any normals that I’d consider bad overall, and that’s hard to say for a lot of the cast. His Standing Heavy Slash has two variants; the standard uppercut slash, and a devilish ground slide if you hold Forward + Heavy Slash. Like I said, Fo is a trickster, and you want to use him with that mentality in mind, so this normal is a good way to get into the rhythm.

Mondo

MOVE LIST

Gouriki Tenbu: F, D, DF + Slash
Gouriki Fujin: B, DB, D, DF, F + Slash
Gouriki Raijin: (while jumping) D, DF, F + Slash
Shitsubuu Zuki (Jyodan): D, DF, F + Slash
Shitsubuu Zuki (Gedan): D, DB, B + Slash
Spear Skewer: (when close to opponent) B + Hard Slash/Hard Kick
Chouriki Daibutsumetsu: (while energy gauge is flashing red): D, DF, F, D, DF, F, B + Hard Slash
Secret Move: F, UF, U, UB, B, F, DF, D + (Hard Slash+Hard Kick)

A Japanese assassin who entered the tournament just to challenge strong opponents. I don’t think the devs were being very creative with Mondo and Fo’s backstories, as they seem to be thrown in as an afterthought to expand the roster as generic background characters. Fo’s situation does improve a little, but Mondo pretty much remains the same; a boring-ass Japanese monk who will never be an engaging character.

Anyway, it’s kind of difficult to shoehorn Mondo into a particular archetype, as he has both short- and long-range attacks, so I’m going to call him an All-Rounder. I found Mondo to be the hardest character to use due to his poor normals and awkward specials, making him my least favorite fighter overall. Don’t be surprised if you wind up struggling with him too.

His first move, Gouriki Tenbu, has him rising while spinning his spear above his head like a helicopter. If you want to use this move, only execute the Weak Slash version. The Heavy Slash type is totally worthless since he launches himself WAY too high into the air. It’s not as bad as Gaia’s jump, but it’s the next worst thing. Next is Gouriki Fujin, where he spins his spear in front of him. This is a better source of damage overall, making it very effective if you can catch the opponent with the Heavy Slash version after they complete a sidestep. Gouriki Raijin is an aerial fireball that I find to be the worst one out of all the fireballs in the game. You need to be precise and accurate, which is difficult in a game that’s all about moving around on a 3D playing field. If it was a 2D game, it might have more utility, but here it’s just not worth it.

Both of Mondo’s Shitsubuu Zuki moves refer to his lengthy spear stab, which has the longest range of any weapon-based special move that doesn’t involve fireballs or energy. The Jyodan versions (上段 = “Upper Tier”) are when he’s stabbing at the opponent’s midsection, while the Gedan types (下段 = “Lower Tier”) are him sliding the spear along the ground to hit the enemy’s feet. Of these, I find Gedan to be harder to deal with since I don’t block low that often. Jyodan is more predictable to avoid with a sidestep or jump, but can still catch you.

Just like Rungo's Fire Storm, Mondo's Chouriki Daibutsumetsu is very predictable to evade. As long as you're patient and don't jump around, you can wait for Mondo to reach the apex of his jump, then perform a sidestep when he finishes saying "Chouriki". The fireballs will rain around you while he's saying "Daibutsumetsu", but they won't affect you thanks to the sidestep's I-frames.

The trouble with all of these moves is that their inputs are so similar to each other that you’ll likely execute a special attack when you wanted a different one. Mondo, Sofia and Duke all don’t have any Kick-related special moves, but the other two have inputs that can be differentiated enough, whereas Mondo’s are just too similar for my liking.

So if his specials are too difficult to use, maybe his normals will be all right? Well, his Slash attacks are okay, but nothing really fancy. Both of Mondo’s Aerial Kicks are very poor, while his Standing and Crouching Kicks fare a little better, but not by much. If you want to use jump-ins with him, stick to the Slashes, while both Kicks and Slashes can be used on the ground.

Duke B. Rambert

MOVE LIST

Southern Cross: B, F, DF, D + Slash
Death (“Cyclone”): D, DF, F + Slash
Helm Crush (“Hit Cross”): (while jumping) D, DF, F + Slash
Ogre Slash (“Neck Crack”): F, DB, D, DF + Slash
Knee Bash: (when close to opponent) B + Hard Slash/Hard Kick
The End (“Coup de Grace”): (while energy gauge is flashing red): DB, D, DF, F, B + Hard Slash
Secret Move: DF, D, DB, D, DF, D, B, F + (Weak Slash+Hard Kick)

A French nobleman who fights like a traditional knight. He participated in the battle to have a rematch with Eiji, who had defeated him in a bout prior to the game’s events. Like Sofia, Duke is a Normal Zoner, but for considerably different reasons than her. Instead of using fireballs, Duke prefers to do rush-ins and reach his sword out as much as he can, making him play the Footsies game more than Sofia does (without ever using his feet, ironically). Both of them are also the only ones with 360-degree attacks, with hers being Aurora Revolution and his being both Cyclone and Neck Crack.

Duke’s most infamous move is Southern Cross, with the Heavy Slash version being the #1 sidestep punisher in the whole game. Weak Slash Southern Cross is middling at best, but Heavy Slash is the one to watch out for. Either block it or do a jump and take the tiny bit of damage in exchange for being invincible during the animation. Hit Cross is his sole aerial move that has him stab his sword straight down. It’s not as useful as it sounds, and the Heavy Slash version has such a long cooldown animation that it’s way too easy to be punished. If you want to use it, stick to the Weak Slash version.

Cyclone and Neck Crack are very similar to each other, both being 360-degree sword spins that finish with a downward swipe. The only real differences are the speed and power. Cyclone is the slower move that deals nice damage if it connects, but is predictable to get out of the way with a jump or a well-timed sidestep. Neck Crack comes out faster, but the damage is not as impressive. Which one you want to use will depend on the circumstances and your preferred playstyle, allowing for Duke to be a versatile character in that regard.

Coup de Grace is a more powerful Cyclone, generating blue energy at the tip of the blade that does severe damage to an unprepared opponent, and momentarily shields him from an assault no matter where the opponent is. Each individual blue light is a strong blow, so have multiple of those hit and it’s practically a one-hit KO. It is easy to get out of the way as long as you maintain your distance, but if you have a character with next to no ranged options like Duke or Ellis, it could be tricky.

For Duke’s normals, I mentioned that he never uses actual kicks to attack. Anything and everything he does is with his sword, even if you are mashing a Kick button. Try not to get confused by this. Of his Weak Slashes, the Crouching version is too slow to be useful. Crouching Heavy Slash is the most useful of that category, and Standing Heavy Slash isn’t too bad but not impressive either. Jumping Heavy Slash is a little difficult to use since it’s an underhanded sword swing. The Weak Kicks are all quick stabs that function the same regardless, and Heavy Kick has a two-swipe attack if you do Forward + Heavy Kick.

Ellis

MOVE LIST

Homing Swallow: D, DB, B + Kick
Soar Window: F, D, DF + Slash
Screw Dancing: (While jumping) D, DB, B + Kick
Arc Slash: (While jumping) D, DB, B + Slash
Ribbon Toss: F, UF, U, UB, B + (Weak Slash+Hard Kick)
Backdash Attack: B two times rapidly to backstep
Drop Kick: (when close to opponent) B + Hard Slash/Hard Kick
French Kiss (“End of Show”): (while energy gauge is flashing red): F, B, F, B + Slash
Secret Move: DF, D, DB, D, DF, B, F, D + (Hard Slash+Hard Kick)

A Turkish circus dancer and knife thrower who entered the tournament because she heard a rumor that her long-lost father is still alive and wants to find him. She is the primo Rushdown character who is also a Glass Cannon. Her ground movement is the fastest of the entire roster and her special attacks are very easy to use, making her the most accessible of the cast. Her sidestep animation is also different, being a cartwheel instead of a roll. I find it to come out a bit ‘straighter’ compared to the usual angled rolls, but it isn’t that much different. IMHO, it seems to be an unwritten rule that cute and spunky girls always have to be designed as Rushdown fighters. Or is it just my imagination?

Her biggest weakness is that she doesn’t have any ranged options, forcing her to always get in close and personal. Ellis manages to overcome this weakness with her moveset and can easily dominate a player who relies on standing around to perform attacks, meaning her opponent needs to be just as much on the move as she is to avoid her attacks. Considering that not everyone can be as agile as her, this can become a challenge if you have a bad matchup with her like Rungo or Mondo.

Ellis had obviously been given a lot of TLC by the developers, because she plays so differently from the rest of the cast that you’d think she belonged in a different game. She has the largest moveset of anyone, the fastest movement speed, a unique way of traversing the field, and plenty of secrets that may leave the uninitiated baffled as to what the hell just happened. No worries, I’m here to explain it all, as Ellis was my go-to character in my younger years. She is a complex character to explain and I’ve got a lot to say about it, so bear with me.

Of all of Ellis’ moves, Homing Swallow is the only one that doesn’t do damage. It instead lets her fly toward the opponent in a curving motion, giving her a unique movement option that lets you perform either Screw Dancing or Arc Slash the same way if she was doing a regular jump. Another thing you can do while in Homing Swallow mode is break into a normal attack by doing D, DF, F + Slash/Kick, which is a secret technique I haven’t seen anyone mention anywhere. While it does exist, it’s not very practical when it’s easier to just do a regular Jumping attack. You can also control the range that Ellis covers with Homing Swallow. If she’s close to the opponent and you do the Heavy Kick version, you can hold Back to keep her from not flying around in such a wide arc. Conversely, if she’s far away and you want to close in, hold Forward to have Homing Swallow cover more ground than its default range.

The only purely ground-based special move that Ellis has in her kit is Soar Window, an uppercut that generates yellow energy. The Weak Slash version comes out near-instantly, while the Heavy Slash version slides along the ground before rising high in midair. It does have the potential to cancel fireballs by acting as a shield, but this is incredibly rare to occur even for me, and I’ve spent dozens of hours on this game. The yellow energy from the Heavy Slash version can still hurt the opponent even during the high rise, so if you’re fighting her, wait for it to go away before trying to catch her.

Her Screw Dancing is pretty much the same as Kayin’s Raging Sun, and likewise has the same caveat – don’t use the Weak Kick version if you’re near the arena’s edge or you’ll risk a ring out. Buffering the move while on the ground is a good way to surprise the opponent, especially with the super-quick Weak Kick version. Humorously, I have one-hit KO’ed Gaia with the Heavy Kick version by timing it just right during a jump-in to hit his huge hitbox multiple times. Maybe I’ll demonstrate it in a video.

Arc Slash is Ellis’ midair Slash-type move, meant only to catch the opponent off guard. This is the opposite of Rungo’s Daichi no Mezame or Fo’s Kappo Re in that instead of it being an upward jump-in punisher, it is a downward aerial and ground punisher. The Weak Slash version comes out much faster, while the Heavy Slash version does a little more damage for a slower execution. Again, this is another good candidate for a surprise buffer attack, though I suggest sticking to the Weak Slash version for this trick due to the slight animation frames of the Heavy Slash version leaving her exposed. You’d be surprised by how many times I’ve seen her knocked out of it.

Ellis has a unique move called Ribbon Toss, where she throws the pink bow on her back at the opponent like a retractable projectile. Don’t use it, period. It’s a joke attack, doing only chip damage at best. At least Fo’s flatulence move does better damage in comparison.

French Kiss, her Desperation Move, is another severe sidestep punisher that can ambush your character right when they finish their animation. If she’s about to leap, you’re close to her and your defensive options are limited, it’s better to actually jump when she’s spinning in midair since you’ll only take a sliver of damage compared to the full combo if you’re on the ground and confused about which direction you need to guard with.

Ellis’ regular attacks are all varied and quite easy to pull off, though their damage output leaves something to be desired. Individually they don’t do much, but string them together as a combo and it will build up. Of them all, I’d say her Jumping Heavy Slash is bad due to her body being exposed to an attack from below, her Crouching Weak Slash does the weakest damage in the whole game, her Crouching Heavy Slash is a sliding upward knife slash that can be awkward to use, and her Crouching Heavy Kick has a long animation that sends her flying across the ground feet-first that doesn’t do very good damage and can risk a ring out if used wrong, although it can help you escape from a bad situation. Now that I think about it, her Crouching attacks may be another major weakness for her… Otherwise, the rest of her normals are quite combo-friendly, allowing you to string whatever attacks you want for the most part.

Her backstep is also unique in that it’s the only one capable of damaging the opponent. No one seems to mention it anywhere, but it does exist, as I demonstrate in this video by defeating the opponent Ellis with nothing but this move. It does about the same amount of damage as her Standing Heavy Kick. This is an advanced technique that should not be used unless you’re confident that you can execute it without being punished. This is because Ellis’ backside is dangerously exposed to the opponent, and since she’s more frail compared to other characters, she can take a great deal of damage if she is rear-attacked while you’re going for this.

Even though I say all of this like she’s a difficult character to use, she really isn’t. It’s just that her playstyle is so radically different to everyone else that you’d be forgiven for feeling off-kilter with her when you’ve been playing with the others. If Ellis’ agility is a bit too much for you, try a different character to get your Very Hard 1’CC with.

Gaia

MOVE LIST

Hi no Aka (“Full Steam”): B, DB, D, DF, F + Slash
Mizu no Ao (“Sea Slash”): F, B, DF + Slash
Kaze no Midori (“Arm Blast”): F, DF, D, DB, B + Kick
Shumatsu no Yami (Dark Finisher): (while energy gauge is flashing red) F, DF, D, DB, B, DB, D, DF, F + Hard Slash
Secret Move: DF, D, DB, D, DF, B, F, D +(Hard Slash+Hard Kick)

Since Gaia doesn’t have a character select portrait, his Player 1 armor is colored red, while his Player 2 armor is blue.

He is the final boss and organizer of the Toshinden tournament, who lured in the fighters to find someone to recruit to his cause, which appears to be counter to what the Organization wants despite him being a high-ranking official for the group. If you thought Rungo or Duke were supposed to be the tanks of the cast, think again. Gaia dons heavy Japanese armor with large arms over his shoulders and wields a frickin’ huge broadsword that’s probably as large as Fo or Ellis’ body. Thus, his defense is much better for this reason. If Gaia and Rungo do have something in common, it’s that they are both Projectile Zoners. However, Gaia performs much better with his sidesteps + Standing Heavy Slash punish compared to Rungo’s gimpier normals.

One thing I have to warn about Gaia is to NEVER jump with him! If everyone else’s jumps take about one second to complete, Gaia’s takes around three or more! It has to be the floatiest jump in fighting game history, and leaves him dangerously exposed to attacks. Luckily you can break out of it by performing a normal attack to get him back to the ground quickly, but you’ll soon learn that the air is not Gaia’s forte. Another big difference with Gaia is that his sidesteps make him hop from side to side rather than roll, and he is always attracted to the opponent like a magnet.

Unlike most of the cast who have at least four regular special moves, Gaia only has three, but they all hit very hard. Full Steam is his most recognizable move, firing a series of fireballs from his claws. The Weak Slash version can follow the opponent even during a sidestep, while the Heavy Slash version can’t do so but is much more powerful if they are caught in it. Sea Slash is a straight line of blue energy that can be sidestepped away from, and tends to cause a lot of lag. Arm Blast is his close-range move where he pummels the opponent with a puff of green smoke, and comes out pretty quickly. Gaia's Desperation Move has a gigantic radius directly in front of him, which is pretty much guaranteed to hit the opponent even after a sidestep, making it the most heavy-hitting sidestep punisher of them all.

For Gaia’s normals, his Crouching Weak Slash is decent, but none of the other Crouching attacks are useful. Likewise, his Standing Weak Slash is the best normal out of all of them, especially after spamming sidesteps to confuse the opponent. For his Weak Kicks, both versions are all right, but not as powerful as the Weak Slashes. Both Standing Heavy Slash and Standing Heavy Kick are combo attacks that can catch the enemy if they are wide open during a special move’s cooldown. Crouching Heavy Kick covers some range, but is too slow to be useful. Like I said before, never jump with him. This means his Jumping normals are all useless. In conclusion, it’s all about Standing and Crouching Weak Slash or Weak Kick for him.

Sho Shinjo

MOVE LIST

Double Rekkuzan: D, DF, F + Slash
Hishozan: F, D, DF + Slash
Shoulder Crush: D, DB, B + Kick
Ryuseikyaku: (while jumping) D, DB, B + Kick
Raging Sun: (while jumping) D, U + Kick
Throw: (when close to opponent) B + Hard Slash/Hard Kick
Hyakki Moshuken: (while energy gauge is flashing red): B, DB, D, DF, F, DF, D, DB, B + Hard Slash
Secret Move: D, F, UF, U, UB, B, D + (Hard Slash+Weak Kick)

Since Sho doesn’t have a character select portrait, his Player 1 colors are brown hair, a purple scarf and red shirt, while his Player 2 palette consists of reddish hair, a brown scarf and dark indigo shirt.

Eiji’s aloof and mysterious older brother, and is likewise Eiji and Kayin’s mentor in their swordplay style. He is the champion of the previous year’s Toshinden tournament, and is supposedly responsible for the death of Kayin’s father Amoh at the conclusion of said contest. Sho is a Composite Shotokan, blending both Eiji and Kayin’s moves together into one kit. His sidesteps and basic movement speed are much faster than anyone else’s, meaning it doesn’t take long for the animation to complete before you’re able to input commands with him, but you don’t get to enjoy the invincibility frames as much.

Unlike Eiji’s Rekkuzan, Sho’s launches two fireballs instead of one, making it the most useful projectile other than Gaia’s Full Steam and Sea Slash, and is the only visibly unique move from the other two. Hishozan can come out either vertically like Eiji’s or diagonally like Kayin’s Deadly Raise. I have no idea what determines this, or if it’s just random. Shoulder Crush is the same, and Raging Sun has a different input command than Kayin’s does. Ryuseikyaku is still too risky to rely on, and Hyakki Moshuken is also the same as Eiji’s. Altogether, these moves plus his enhanced speed make Sho very deadly to contend with.

Since both Eiji and Kayin’s normals are solid, it stands to reason that Sho’s are as well. While the average speed (Eiji, Kayin and Sofia) and high agility characters (Fo, Ellis and Sho) can handle him well, the slower characters (Rungo, Mondo, Duke and Gaia) will have a seriously tough fight against Sho on Very Hard. The best thing to do is to play defensively and let Sho expose his weak points himself, rather than trying to hunt them down yourself.

CONCLUSION

While this isn’t an achievement guide in the strictest sense, I do hope my explanations for how every character is supposed to be played will give you a better sense of how to approach Toshinden as a whole. Yes, the slower controls and floatier jumps do take practice to get accustomed to. It is a 30-year old game after all (damn, already??), so some aspects may not have aged well. Still, if you are a fighting game enthusiast and would like to explore the pioneers, this is definitely a good candidate to witness the foundations of mechanics like sidesteps and executing Street Fighter-like special moves in a 3D plane rather than performing martial arts moves without being able to freely change your Z-axis like Virtua Fighter and Fighting Vipers did. You’ll get to see how other series like Rival Schools and later Mortal Kombat entries refine the formula from this and appreciate them even more.

With that, I’ll say the usual. Happy cheevo hunting, and eat that elephant one bite at a time!

Benit149, November 2025