From its unique and stylized presentation to its gameplay that rewards patience and fundamentals, there's no fighting game quite like Samurai Shodown. We're talking about a game with so highly damaging, that the tide of battle can shift over the course of a single heavy attack.
Developed by legendary fighting game producer, SNK, Samurai Shodown possesses a diverse roster of viable characters that players can choose from. While each character in the game is designed to give each player a fighting chance, some characters possess specific tools that often allow victory to be more easily grasped. So today, we're going to dive into the ten strongest characters that a player can select in Samurai Shodown.
10 Darli
One of the resident grapplers of Samurai Showdown, Darli possesses numerous command grabs that can be used from different ranges. Perhaps one of the heaviest hitters in the game, Darli has access to extremely high damaging normals that can absolutely tear through a player's HP.
Darli is a strong choice for players who enjoy "punish" type gameplay, capitalizing off opponents mistakes with huge sums of damage.
9 Shiki
A tricky character recommended for skilled players and veterans, what Shiki lacks in range she makes up for in speed and mind games. Possessing a teleport, Shiki can create distance between an opponent or approach depending on the given situation. Additionally, Shiki possesses a strong anti-air and a strong command grab.
However, unlike traditional command grabs, Shiki's grab causes her to jump from afar, landing on the opponent, meaning it should be used from a distance rather than up close.
8 Yashamaru
A very unique member of the roster, Yashamaru has access to mobility options that other characters could dream of. Firstly, Yashamaru has the distinction of being able to double jump. This allows the character to fake out opponents and navigate the battle in a much more unpredictable manner, as the character is never committed to his initial jump trajectory.
Additionally, paired with his excellent air mobility, Yashamaru is capable of converting this use of the air into damage, possessing highly impactful moves that can be accessed in the air.
7 Haomaru
As the poster boy of Samurai Shodown, Haomaru is one if the most simplistic members of the roster, possessing a very limited move set. Reminiscent of Street Fighter's Ryu, Haomaru possesses an impressive and potent projectile, a rising anti-air, and a move that moves the character forward, hitting as an overhead.
Haomaru is an all-arounder with no glaring weaknesses to speak of, being able to fare against opponents while up close or afar. While the character is not the most flashy, Haomaru can dish out tons of damage and rewards smart and methodical play, encapsulating Samurai Shodown as a whole.
6 Basara
Basara is one of the dedicated zoners of Samurai Shodown, specializing in fighting opponents from afar. Basara has numerous tools that allow him to accrue tons of damage on an opponent whilst remaining safely across the screen.
Firstly Basara is one of the few characters capable of having two active projectiles on the screen at the same time, being able to summon a small, slow-moving projectile while accessing other attacks. As if this were not enough, Basara can teleport, immediately attacking upon doing so. This lets Basara capitalize when any opponents attempt to fight back at long range, as when an opponent throws a projectile, Basara can teleport before the animation of their attack has concluded.
5 Shizumaru
When it comes to all-around style characters, it's hard to top Shizamaru. Possessing a well-rounded move set that includes aerial stomps similar to those of Street Fighter's Chun Li, Shizumaru is also capable of overwhelming opponents with his speed.
While heavy attacks in Samurai Shodown are traditionally slower, high risk, high reward affairs, Shizamaru possesses a notably quicker heavy attack than the remainder of the cast. While Shizamaru does have access to much less health than other characters, in the right hands, his terrifying offense will render his low health a non-factor.
4 Charlotte
As a fencer, it makes sense for Charlotte to be a character who excels at poking opponents while in the mid-range. A spectacular defensive character, at its core, Charlotte's move set is reminiscent of that of Haomaru. She has a solid chargeable projectile and a serviceable anti-air.
One of Charlotte's most useful and abusable tools is her aerial-heavy. This move has an enormous hitbox, comes out faster than the heavy attacks of other characters, and hits as an overhead. This allows Charlotte players to easily hit crouching opponents by pointing up and pressing heavy, attacking as soon as she leaves the ground.
3 Ukyo
While Ukyo possesses numerous strong tools and is a decently well-rounded character, he immediately makes his way onto this list by possessing what is quite possibly the strongest move in the entire game: Tsubame Gaeshi.
Tsubame Gaeshi is incredibly fast, high damaging, and safe, moving Ukyo backwards as it used. While it should definitely used in moderation, as excessive use would make a player easy to read, the move can be used in numerous scenarios ranging from punishing, to playing "footsies," to even reflecting projectiles.
2 Jubei
Though Jubei may be one of the more simplistic and straightforwardly designed characters in Samurai Shodown, he is a potent force to be reckoned with.
Possessing quick and long-reaching pokes and a quick and effective projectile, Jubei excels at keeping opponents at bay. These attacks can even alter their speed in order to trick up opponents and make them run directly into Jubei's attacks as they improperly time jumps.
Jubei is also an excellent selection for players who excel at reading opponents. This is because Jubei has access to a deadly counterattack, which can often deal roughly a quarter to a half of an opponent's maximum health when timed properly.
1 Tam Tam
In a game that rewards players' fundamentals and footsies, Tam Tam is quite possibly the ideal character to play. When it comes to the design of Tam Tam's move set, it's hard to find any glaring weakness.
Tam Tam possesses numerous long-reaching normals that can be used to dominate opponents from afar, whilst not sacrificing speed or strength for this range. Furthermore, Tam Tam has access to numerous projectiles that can be thrown both low or high, mixing up opponents from any range.