Numbers represent direction on a keyboard numpad. For example, + becomes 236D.
> = Proceed from the previous move to the following move.
▷/land = Indicate that the player must land at that point in the sequence.
, = Link To perform a second action after the first action completely finishes its animation. the previous move into the following move.
->/~ = Cancel To bypass the remaining time or frames in an action by proceeding directly into another action. the previous special into a follow-up special.
Basic combos are simple combos with the fewest requirements and conditions possible. They:
Work against every, or almost every, character in the game
Can be performed from most positions in the play area
Require few adjustments, and if any are required they are simple
Normal Type Kanji's AutocomboClose range 5A hits go here.
Very Easy
5A > 5AA > 5AAA > 5AAAA (j.236A) or j.214A > OTG 236A
Kanji's main strike option off of RPS caused by OTG 236A knockdowns, which also acts as his main BnB due to his inability to route into his heavier moves on normal hit.
Routing into j.214A will net you more damage and corner carry, and will send you right back to a standard RPS situation, in which 5A and 214C will easily meaty.
5AAAA, AKA stylish j.236A, on the other hand, will give you the autocombo bonus of 10 SP and a 10% refill on your burst gauge (if it's not already full). Additionally, this leaves Kanji at a greater knockdown advantage, allowing him to meaty with 5C, or 2C against delay techs, making strike a much more powerful option compared to what he gets with an OTG chair knockdown. You also get access to setting a mostly safe 236D that beats hops, punishes some DPs on its own, and even stuffs instant gold bursts!
Shadow Type Kanji's BnBKanji learns to fly.
Very Easy
AA 5A > 5AA > 5AAA > 2AC > j.B, 2AB > OTG 236A
Shadow Type Kanji's basic routing off of a 5A hit on an airborne opponent.
Shadow Kanji's autocombo ender (stylish 236A) gets finicky on air hits, so it's important to have this routing on hand so that you don't end up needlessly whiffing and giving up your turn.
SweepFor when you're too far away.
Very Easy
Starter > (5B) > 2AB > OTG 236A
Sometimes, you won't be able to connect with 5AAA, Shadow Type's 5AA, or sometimes even 5A on a j.A/B hit.
It's not very much, but routing into 2AB secures a knockdown that allows you to maintain offense.
5B or Normal 5AA into 2BExtensions possible, the fun begins.
Very Easy
Starter > 2B > 236C/236B~214B > OTG 236A
On crouching hit (and air hit in this case), Kanji now has the ability to use metered extensions such as [4]6CD and 236CD by connecting with 2B.
It is very important to know you can go into 2B on crouching hits, as you can avoid going into 2AB due to the former's range. You gain more meter, do more damage, and can even go into a safejump by omitting OTG 236A and performing an IAD j.B (if you chose 236C) .
Core Combos
Core combos balance potency with consistency. They:
Work against most characters of a selected weight or hurt box type
May require moderate adjustments to account for variables such as screen position, hit count, resources, and opposing character
Are expected to be consistently performable by most intermediate and advanced players who main the character
5C > 2B > [4]6CD > 5C > 236CD, (66), j.B, 2B > 236C > OTG 236A
If you have the meter to extend a 5C route, you probably should. This routing provides TONS of damage and corner carry, works anywhere, and is a reliable starter for punishing heavily minus moves like DPs and supers.
On CH, you can add a 2C after 5C. If not, the routing works just fine without it.
On an anti-air CH, you'll have to properly delay 2C, and add a 5B before going into 2B. Other than that, there are no big problems this route faces.
If you're having trouble charging up [4]6CD, CH 5C > 2C is recommended as a starter, so that you can get more of a feel for the charge timing.
Counter Hit j.CAnti-anti-air the hell out of them!
CH j.C, (66), 2C > (5B) > 2B > 236C > OTG 236A
This combo works off of a counter hit j.C anywhere on the screen against a grounded opponent, and due to the gracious crumple time provided to you, you have plenty of time to run up to connect 2C should you hit an opponent's disjointed hurtbox.
Decent damage and meter gain, and sets you up right in their face when you're done.
CH 2B > C > 236B, 5A > 5AA > 2B > 236COTG 236A
This route works on both grounded and anti-air counter hits, due to 2B's exceptional launch being completely untechable in the air.
Being able to utilize (mostly) universal anti-air 2Bs is essential, and Kanji is no exception. However, due to the somewhat clunky nature of Kanji's 2B, you should also be on the lookout for 236C catches when the opponent is too high/far away.
FC 2C > 2B > 5C > 236B, 2A > 2AB > OTG 236B, 2A > 2B > 236B~214B > OTG 236A
Kanji's most simple fatal counter route off of his only fatal counter starter. Even for a basic route that works anywhere, it still deals more than what most characters get from advanced fatal combos.
Ending with chair cancel is preferred over 236C, as you can super cancel without needing to throw in OTG 236AB and burning 25 meter for almost no reason.
Specialized Combos
Specialized combos are advanced routes which require more knowledge and awareness, but offer advantages over core routes. They:
Can have any number or combination of requirements and conditions—character, spacing, hit count, resource, or situation specific
Offer some advantage over core routes; be that in damage, corner carry, okizeme, meter gain, etc.
Might not necessarily be harder than core combos, but require more specific circumstances and knowledge to execute
Counter Hit 5C > 2D ConversionA necessary evil.
Hard
CH 5C > 2D > D > D > 2AB > OTG 236B > D, 5A > 5AA > 2B > 236C > OTG 236A
A very situational and spacing-dependent combo. In order for this to work, you're going to need to be out of 2C followup range, yet close enough so that they don't fall out of the fourth D. If you're too far away, you'll have to just take the autocombo after using all of your lightning strikes.
The ending is also dependent on having the 5C starter, as 2D's starter proration will make 2B fall off and force you into 5AAA.
Getting Creative With SB Primal ForceGood luck setting this up.
Very Hard
CH [4]6CD > dl. 5C > [4]6C, 5B > 2B > 236CD, 66, j.B, 2B > 236C > OTG 236A
For this one, you're going to need to have your back to the corner, so that 5B will connect. 5C has to be delayed so that Take-Mikazuchi is behind them after they wall bounce.
On a CH air hit, 5C is omitted, and variable timing of [4]6C now exists in regard to how high the opponent is, and how far away they were upon getting hit.
This routing occurring is a very rare scenario that requires a keen eye in order to properly execute, but pays off extremely well if seen through.
Detailed Combo List
A Normal Starters
Combo
Position
Damage
Meter
Works On
Difficulty
Notes
5A > 5AA > 5AAA > 5AAAA
Anywhere
1186 (1109)
+21 (+24)
Everybody
Very Easy
Standard autocombo confirm.
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji.
5A > 5AA > 5AAA > j.214A > OTG 236A
Anywhere
1655
+18
Everybody
Very Easy
Alternate routing with a 5A starter.
Normal Kanji only.
5A > 5AA > 5AAA > 2AB > OTG 236A
Anywhere
1451
+19
Everybody
Very Easy
Alternate routing with a 5A starter.
Shadow Kanji only.
5A > 5AA > 2A > 5B > 2AB > OTG 236A
Anywhere
1528 (1418)
+14 (+18)
Everybody
Very Easy
Routing for when you're too far away to finish Kanji's autocombo.
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji (note that this may drop for him when applying 2A due to his 5AA's lack of forward movement, and that going straight to 5B is more consistent).
Corner route for crouching 5A hits, optimized for Shadow Kanji. 5B CANNOT be omitted as Shadow Kanji, as his 5AA carries less hitstun than Normal Kanji's.
Fatal counter confirm for when you hit a fatal recovery move with 5A. 2AB timing varies with character air hurtboxes, and the 2B before the last 5C needs to be slightly delayed. 5A > 5AA can be substituted with 2A, resulting in minimally less damage/meter gain.
All A normal crouch confirms work with a 5[B] starter.
Combo
Position
Damage
Meter
Works On
Difficulty
Notes
5[B], 5A > 5AA > 5AAA > 5AAAA
Anywhere
1558 (1443)
+23 (+27)
Everybody
Easy
Standard route for normal hit 5[B].
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji.
5[B], 5A > 5AA > 5AAA > j.214A > OTG 236A
Anywhere
1984
+20
Everybody
Easy
Routing for normal hit 5[B] optimized for corner carry and damage. j.214A can be substituted for j.214B in the corner to increase the damage from 1984 to 2056.
Normal Kanji only.
5[B], 5A > 5AA > 2A > 5B > 2AB > OTG 236A
Anywhere
1823 (1680)
+16 (+21)
Everybody
Easy
Routing for far 5[B] hits. Shadow Kanji may have to omit 5AA.
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji.
5[B], 214C > OTG 236A
Anywhere
1871 (1683)
+23 (+29)
Everybody
Easy
Grab route utilizing 5[B]'s spin state. You can omit OTG 236A in favour of 5D oki.
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji.
2B > 236C > OTG 236A
Anywhere
2064 (1853)
+14 (+17)
Everybody
Very Easy
Normal hit 2B routing. Nothing special. 236C can be replaced with 236B~214B for slightly more damage and meter.
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji.
Combo
Position
Damage
Meter
Works On
Difficulty
Notes
CH 5B > 5C > 2B > 236C > OTG 236A
Anywhere
2636 (2369)
+20 (+26)
Everybody
Easy
Counter Hit 5B routing. 5C is less of a risk here than as opposed to coming after 5A, making this relatively safe to string into and confirm with 2B.
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji.
CH 5B > 214D > OTG 236A
Anywhere
2817 (2536)
+25 (+31)
Everybody
Easy
Yes, Kanji can 214D on counter hit 5B. No, it's not confirmable at all, you'll just have to do it. Like with the 5[B] route, OTG 236A can be omitted for 5D oki.
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji.
CH 2B > 5C > 236B, 2A > 5B > 2B > 236C > OTG 236A
Anywhere
3706 (3330)
+29 (+37)
Everybody
Medium
Counter hit 2B routing. the ending sequence can be tricky at first, and can be safely swapped out for autocombo (or a jump sequence).
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji.
CH 2B > 5C > 5[B] > 2B > 236C > OTG 236A
Anywhere
3357 (3017)
+24 (+30)
Everybody
Medium
Situational counter hit 2B routing, for when 2B hits directly above Kanji, making other conversions difficult and/or hard to tell if they'll land.
Different routing for counter hit 2B. Not very hard as is, but crucial to know in order to go into more rewarding routes. On air hit, 2A can be replaced with 5B or even nothing, depending on the opponent's height.
Optimal meterless counter hit 2B combo. Only available on an essentially point blank grounded hit, otherwise 236D will catch after 5B (which happens to be what you do on an air hit, anyway). j.B into 5C is Kanji's toughest link, especially when his persona is around (see 236D), as it needs to be back in a usable state when j.B connects, as the link is 1 frame going by hitstun. This means you have to perfectly manage your height or you'll either just drop the combo, or whiff a button with lengthy recovery.
Kanji's C normal fatals have a lot of flexibility in how you choose to pilot them. It is recommended to try out different strings and find what works for you if things feel off.
Combo
Position
Damage
Meter
Works On
Difficulty
Notes
5C/2C > 2B > 236C > OTG 236A
Anywhere
2860 (2570)
+18 (+23)
Everybody
Very Easy
The definitive 5C/2C route for normal hits.
With 5C, you can pepper in 5[B] at close ranges, but it's not very confirmable, and neither variation of 5B can go into 2B on block, meaning you're playing RPS if things go wrong.
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji.
Combo
Position
Damage
Meter
Works On
Difficulty
Notes
CH 5C > 2C > 2B > 236C > OTG 236A
Anywhere
3567 (3204)
+23 (+29)
Everybody
Very Easy
Standard counter hit 5C confirm.
On anti-air, 2C will need to be delayed (if the hit is applicable, as there is a too high here, and 5B may need to be thrown in before 2B in order for 236C to connect.
Optimal counter hit j.C routing. Everything about this after the 236D catch is very difficult to properly time, and use of this routing in competitive play (i.e. tournaments) is not advised unless practiced thoroughly.
Basic fatal counter 2C confirm. Great route to use when starting out on Kanji. Good damage, and only 2AB has to be slightly delayed on some of the cast. Can also be started from 5C by shuffling the first few moves to 5C > 2C > 2B.
Optimal fatal counter 2C route, often reserved for punishes. Some characters are harder to juggle than others, making this already tough combo even harder.
Extremely damaging fatal counter 2C corner route. 2C and 5C are interchangeable as starters, should you land the latter as a fatal counter. Not required to know, but having pieces of this in your pocket can enhance your fatal routes should they proceed to the corner.
In most cases, a lightning confirm is a lightning confirm. Routes listed will always work with less lightning hits than written provided the fourth bolt has been used, enabling Kanji to once again use his persona for other things. That being said, needing the persona is only really an issue in very specific scenarios, or in rare fatal routing.
Note that j.D tends not really go into anything from its first hit by virtue of being a fullscreen move, and that counter hits tend not to provide any additional value unless they come from the final bolt.
Combo
Position
Damage
Meter
Works On
Difficulty
Notes
D > D > D > D > 5A > 5AA > 5AAA > 5AAAA
Anywhere
1424 (1311)
+25 (+29)
Everybody
Very Easy
Standard route off of a D hit.
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji.
D > D > D > 5A > 5AA > 5AAA > j.214A > OTG 236A
Anywhere
1763
+21
Everybody
Very Easy
With less than four bolt hits, Kanji is able to route into j.214A if he feels like it.
Normal Kanji only.
D > D > D > 2BD > 236C > OTG 236A
Anywhere
1833 (1646)
+18 (+22)
Everybody
Medium
D starter that cuts the A normals, has the ability to be safe, and gives a 236C knockdown if you want it. Using a BD macro for the last bolt and 2B hit is allowed, as Kanji can't Furious Action while lightning bolts are in play.
If you really want to utilize D counter hits, this is the most likely way to do it, as it's not really practical to fish for a counter hit on the last hit and then 2B right after.
You'll gain 1 SP (2 SP for Shadow Kanji) before the route starts if the opponent blocks the first three D hits.
5C > 236AB only connects on standing opponents, yet forces crouch. Rather curious.
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji.
Combo
Position
Damage
Meter
Works On
Difficulty
Notes
FC D > D > D > D~2B > 5C > 5[B] > OTG 236B, 2A > 2B > 236B, 2A > 236C > OTG 236A
Anywhere
3267 (2936)
+43 (+55)
Everybody
Very Hard
THE fatal counter D combo. If you somehow land a fatal outside of the first hit, routing gets easier to put together, does more damage, and allows for 2A > 2B > 236B~214B as an ender.
Realistically, you may actually see fatal D against Mitsuru, as her Coup Droit is a fatal recovery move. It won't be often, but it might come in handy and clutch the game.
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji.
Special Move Starters
Combo
Position
Damage
Meter
Works On
Difficulty
Notes
CH 236A, 5A > 5AA > 5B > 2B > 236C > OTG 236A
Anywhere
2580 (2360)
+20 (+26)
Everybody
Easy
Standard counter hit 236A routing. 236A forces crouch state on hit, which gives Kanji a little more bang for his buck.
Optimal routing for any 236D close to the corner. 5C can be omitted to make this route a lot easier, at the expense of a bit of damage/meter gain.
Values in brackets are for Shadow Kanji.
Combo
Position
Damage
Meter
Works On
Difficulty
Notes
[4]6D, 5A > 5AA > 5AAA > 5AAAA
Anywhere
2458 (2172)
+26 (+30)
Everybody
Very Easy
[4]6D can tag people who aren't necessarily tossing projectiles at you, mainly by them trying to roll [4]6C and guessing incorrectly on the tackle version used. If you decided to run in behind your buddy, you can catch a nice little autocombo conversion.
Note that for a lot of extensions, the setups and followups are, to a degree, guidelines. If you believe you should stray from what this chart says, feel free to do so.
Also, unless listed as a cancel sequence, all moves in this table are to be viewed as separate entities.
Setup Move(s)
Extender
Immediate Followup(s)
Prerequisites
Resource Use
Difficulty
Notes
2B, 5C
[4]6CD
5C
The hit prior to [4]6CD should leave the opponent airborne.
-25 SP
Easy
One of Kanji's two big 25 SP extension options.
2B, 5C
236CD
j.B, 2B
The hit prior to 236CD should leave the opponent airborne.
-25 SP
Easy
The other big 25 SP extension.
2AB
ABC
66 j.B, 5C
-
-50 SP
Medium~Hard
Kanji's go-to One More! Cancel extension. Managing the instant air dash can be tricky, but luckily 5C can still be used by just landing normally. Most effective use of 50 meter when going into SB persona moves is not possible.
j.214X
ABC
2C, 5C (corner only), 236D set (corner only)
-
-50 SP
Medium
Kanji can squeeze quite a bit out of any of his air dives as a starter, with the midscreen routing being burst safe on its own, and the corner routing having burst safe options as well.
Most Moves
236236A/B
ABC > 5C
-
-100 SP
Medium
Expensive resource dump. Typically done off of A moves, as Kanji normally benefits more from SB extensions upon landing heavier moves.
Most Moves
ACD
236D, 5C
Without meter investment, 236D set out of burst usually comes from 2B or [4]6C.
Burst
Varies
One More! Burst, without any meter attached. Doesn't lend itself to larger extensions as easily as metered conversions do.
OTG 236AB
ACD
236D air set > 5B
-
-25 SP, Burst
Medium
Now things get interesting. OTG 236AB > ACD is burst safe following 236C, and can be made to be burst safe for the entire extension that follows 236D landing.
236236A
ACD
236D ground set > 2AB ( > OTG 236B)
-
-50 SP, Burst
Hard
Getting all the pieces of this extension can be quite the task. Fortunately, if you're keeping things burst safe, you can back off to safely 2B rather than going for the OTG chair.
Kanji has a relatively good and even high damage potential off of clean hits as most grapplers do, but in his case he must either spend resources or land a Counter Hit to get a good damage combo off, otherwise his combo options and routes are normally very short and simple and don't deal much, but still reward him with good hard knockdowns.
Generally, if he lands a normal hit off of his A buttons, and doesn't have resources to use SB Skills or OMC to extend his combos, you'll be doing one of these things:
Auto-combo 5AAAA in order to gain more meter, burst gauge refill, and more plus frames on knockdown
Secure corner carry with 5AAA > j.214A or
Chain into Sweep (2AB) into OTG 236A if the opponent is too far away for 5AAA to connect.
On crouching hits, juggles, or C normal hits, Kanji gets access to B normals in his routing, which, for the most part, (meterlessly) sends him to 236C, giving him the opportunity to close the gap, take a j.B safejump (grappler tick throws go here), or go for a frenzy (236C landing)/burst-safe OMB (OTG 236AB > OMB).
In the corner, Kanji can path into [4]6C after 2B, giving him a 5A link (or 2A) in fatal counter routing.
Chair Cancel
If you have been reading up on Kanji's Overview page, you probably know that Kanji can cancel his ground B Cruel Attack in its start-up (236B) into his air dives (j.214A/B). This is most commonly referred to as a "Chair Cancel". Comboing into his air B dive this way off of 2B is his more optimized ender on most of his shorter combos. no longer necessarily optimal with the P2 of Gotcha! being lowered from 300 to 100 and dive's P2 being raised from 600 to 1000. The chair cancel route does provide more corner carry, but comes at the cost of a worse knockdown as well as ruining your extensions.
The cancel must be done quickly, but you don't have to wait for Kanji to go very high in the air due to the lenient buffer window, and you don't have to return to neutral between the motions either. For simplicity's sake, you can input it like QCF~HCB, or 236B3214B.
It should be noted that in most cases, this can be replaced with 236C. However, you're going to need to be able to do it to properly end your fatal combos and use Kanji's chair super effectively. Using 236C only comes with the cost of lesser corner carry (P2 changes make it so that 236C doesn't neuter your OTG 236A damage, especially after longer combos (OTG chair minimum damage is no longer a thing)). This is perfectly fine, but keep the chair cancel in your pocket if you want the threat of corner on your side.
Outside of combos, there are two things to note about chair cancels:
236AB~214B -- Jumpscare number one: 236AB's crazy distance coverage with a grab attached to it. In pressure, the gap is very small from 5B, and gapless from 5C. This last bit means if the opponent isn't crouching before or after blocking 5C, they can't DP out.
236B~214AB -- Jumpscare number two: This one covers more distance, at the cost of being a bit slower. You can somewhat choose the distance by picking a delay time to activate 214AB, with a later activation being higher and giving a further max distance. This can be a better choice over just jumping and SB diving if you want in, as it's less reactable since you're immediately going into startup frames instead of wasting a few jumping (chair cancels keep track of 236B/AB's frames consumed, making your dive attempt faster). There are certain spacings where you can actually punish Marie for setting up clouds with this technique, to give you an idea of how low it can fly.
Extension and Ender Options
Kanji has a bit of freedom in deciding how he wants to end or extend his combos. This will provide you with the damage you really want to see coming from Kanji, with 25 meter being very powerful, and more meter being used to be safe (spaced 2B > 236CD) or claw at the opponent's last bit of health. Listed below are extension pieces (and their breakpoints before becoming less effective/completely ineffective, when metered).
Meterless
OTG 236A: You took this knockdown because you wanted to be in their face or you didn't really have another good option. Sets you up for a meaty 5A.
2AB: Unorthodox knockdown ender, weird to take by choice. However, if you screw up the OTG 236A cancel, just know that your frame advantage lines up with a meaty 2B.
236C: Instant air dash j.A/B depending on what you're going for. j.B is reliably safe against meterless reversals, whereas j.A sees more use as a fakeout for the safejump into pulling a sneaky 214C(D).
j.214X: No real improvement over OTG 236A. However, delaying the OTG chair can make it yellow beat, do full damage on no techs, or cause a high speed scramble on tech.
214C/D/CD: 5D oki or go into OTG 236A In the corner, you can choose to set up a persona move or go for a manually timed safejump.
Metered
236AB: Does not lend itself to a follow-up [4]6CD route that well if coming after anything other than raw 5C or just the move itself.
236CD: The longer the combo, the less you can squeeze out of it. The j.B, 5C > hop j.B, 5B > 2B > 236C > OTG 236A extension is typically reserved for super low proration starters (mainly 5C, and heavily prorated strings lose the 5C.
[4]6CD: Full extension gets significantly harder once 1200 P2 is broken, and becomes impossible once 1600 is broken. Basically, bad starters don't allow this one all too well.
236236A/B > OMC: Full extensions not very achievable raw. Typically seen after (5AA >) 236A.
236236A/B ender: You're approximately 2AB distance away and +8. If you're not made to block or get hit, the chair will come in as an assist of varying usefulness after a short time.
236236AB: Allows a short extension in the corner regardless (mostly) of when you do it, as 5C being guaranteed to connect, as supers have minimum hitstun attached to them. As an ender, allows you to set up 5D midscreen, or go for tricky shenanigans with [4]6D in the corner.
ACD: Reduces P2 by 200 on hit. The earlier you hit this, the more damage your entire followup will do, and the likelihood of full extensions off SB moves increases. It's a good idea to hit the lab and figure out how many heavy buttons you can throw in without compromising your OMB routes.