Capcom vs SNK 2/Dan

From SuperCombo Wiki

Introduction

CVS2 Dan Data.png

Story

Dan Hibiki is the stupid and egotistical owner of the only dojo in the world that teaches Saikyo Style, Dan's self made martial art. Dan dedicated his life to creating and practicing martial arts after his father, Go Hibiki, was killed by Sagat. Go was known as one of Sagat's rivals, and in their last fight, gouged out Sagat's eye. In retaliation, Sagat beat him to death. Dan hunts after Sagat to this day, even after Sagat has changed and begun to atone for his crimes. However, Dan's ego and headstrong nature gets in his way a lot. He believes Saikyo is the greatest fighting style, and he is the greatest fighter in history. While he shows potential sometimes, he is overall very novice and unskilled. His belief that he is the best however holds him back from improving at all, and he constantly charges into fights that he can't win.

Famously, Dan's design is a jab at SNK devs. Once Street Fighter II: World Warrior was released, a lot of the team moved over to work for SNK. There, they created the Art of Fighting series, and the protagonist Ryo Sakazaki. Ryo shared more than a few similarities with Street Fighter's protagonist Ryu, from moves to personality to design. While Ryo has since evolved to be much more unique, Dan was created to be a mockery of Ryo in the beginning, and you can see many similarities in their moveset.

Gameplay

Dan is the original joke character. Most of his moves are bad on purpose, and he has very little that isn't entirely outclassed by other characters. He plays similar to the shotos like Ryu and Ken, with all-rounder normals, a fireball, and a DP. However, many of his tools are much worse overall. His fireball is tiny and doesn't go anywhere, his DP has no range and is slower than average, plus it only has invincibility randomly, and his 214K Dan Kicks barely work as combo enders at all. His supers aren't bad, but are overall underwhelming with a lot of flaws. He lacks any dangerous mixups, and his damage is much lower than average when he can even land a combo.

This isn't to say Dan doesn't have any unique strengths. The fact he is a joke character and is so underplayed is a strength in itself, as your opponent likely doesn't know the matchup. In reality, Dan's biggest strength is his j.214K Air Dan Kicks. These are great tools for mobility and getting advantage on block, and allow Dan to move around in the air more freely than almost anyone else. He also is still a shoto, and while his normals are the worst of them, he still has at least a mediocre tool for every situation

Groove Selection

Best - K/A: K-Dan is the best way to play Dan, which isn't saying much. Rage gives him a much needed damage buff, while run and hop give him better mobility and more legitimate mixups. JD doesn't work too well in his favor, but it is appreciated as a defensive tool in general. Dan's higher than average health means that he can more often have Rage as well, and his level 3 supers are actually pretty useful, making his offense a bit scarier. A-Dan gets access to all of the powerful A-Groove mechanics, and some unique and strong Custom Combos. CC in general is a powerful mechanic that Dan can abuse, though not that well. Rolls give him a much needed escape option, but without run or roll, his offense is basically nonexistent.

Useful - C: C-Dan gets all the same tools as A-Dan, plus airblocking, minus Custom Combos. Without CC his damage is a lot worse, but a solid hit into a level 2 combo actually does very respectable damage. Airblock lets him more safely take to the air, where he can abuse his Air Dan Kicks a lot more. You still have to deal with Dan's own weaknesses however.

Worst - S/N/P: All three of these Grooves are very hard to work with. S-Dan is a horrid character without meter, but with meter he at least gets to end combos in supers sometimes and replace his fireballs with the super version. Without any notable other strengths, and the necessity to charge meter, S-Dan has to give up a lot of screen space to build meter that he needs for damage. N-Dan gets run and hop, and roll too, but only having level 1 supers and having no mechanic like Rage or CC or level 2 combos to make any punish actually scary makes him very weak. N-Dan is inferior to K-Dan if you want the mobility and A-Dan if you want the rolls. P-Dan is basically worthless. Dan's meterless punish game is nonexistent, and his level 3's are good but not above average like other characters in P-Groove. Without any other mechanic to make P-Dan attractive, he has nothing of note really.


Dan is a joke character, and one of the worst characters in the game. He has very little in the way of offense or defense, and has to rely on basic neutral, strong air mobility, and the basic mechanics of the game to even barely squeeze out wins. Dan is best in K-Groove.

Difficulty: Medium
Tier: F
Pros Cons
  • Health: Dan's health is surprisingly high, letting him tank through more hits than average
  • Shoto: Even if his buttons are far worse compared to the shotos, they're still shoto normals, so he can still sort of control space with them
  • Air Dan Kicks: Air Dan Kicks are great for Dan's aerial mobility, as well as a jump-in option and mixup tool, they can let him fly around the air unlike other characters.
  • Taunts: Dan has 6 different taunts, including a Level 3 one. While not exactly optimal, taunting the hell out of the opponent can annoy them, and you might as well lose in style
  • Low Damage: Without meter, Dan's punish game is basically nonexistent, with weak links and inconsistent cancels. While a Raged level 3 or Custom Combo still hurts, Dan relies on these one shot high damage situations with meter, and without it he isn't scary in the least
  • Combo Unfriendly: While CvS2 isn't a combo game, most characters have decent cancels and links. Dan has none of that, and his optimal meterless combos are punishable on hit. He needs meter to have even a slightly decent combo game.
  • Groove Dependant: If Dan wants to compete, has has to be in K or A groove, as their mechanics are so powerful they might just carry him to victory. Any other groove and they just don't have the mechanics necessary to work with Dan.
  • Weak Neutral: Dan lacks the button quality to really be a threat in neutral, most characters can just zone him or just beat him in neutral. While j.214K helps, it is weak to anti-airs anticipating it, and is still a tier below a standard divekick
  • Bad Offense: Dan really doesn't have pressure or approaches that are worth respecting, and they are really weak to roll-cancels or reversals
  • Bad Defense: Dan does have a true reversal, but Dan needs to RC to get that reversal, and has very low range. Dan relies on mashing lights or using the game's mechanics like rolling to get by, and he isn't really that good at using them
  • Joke Character: In the end, excluding aerial mobility, everything Dan has is done better by other characters. If you want to play a character like Dan, you have so many options with the other shotos like Ryu, Ken, Akuma, Ryo, or Sagat. He is outclassed in almost every category



Players to Watch

Name Country Groove Accounts Notes
Tsugunosuke Japan N-Groove N/A Messed around with Dan one time and got good results. Really nothing much else to say. Still a good player.
Sample Match



Normal Moves

Far Normals

5LP

Far Jab
Far Light Punch
5LP / Far LP
CVS2 Dan 5LP.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Far Lp.png 300 3 RF/SP/SU Mid High 3 4 7 14 +4 +4 None

A quick palm strike.

  • While this jab does do the same damage as the other shotos, it starts up a frame slower, recovers a frame slower, has less range, and is +4 instead of +7. It can be rapid fired, but overall a worse jab compared to the other shotos.
  • Semi-usable in anti-air situations due to the higher vertical range.

5MP

Far Strong
Far Medium Punch
5MP / Far MP
CVS2 Dan 5MP.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Far Mp.png 800 8 SP/SU Mid High 4 4 21 29 -1 -1 None

A quick gut punch.

  • Pitiful range. While it is one of Dan's few normals that can combo into Koryuken up close it really can't be used for anything other than that. As a poke it can't land from anywhere and it has too much recovery.
  • You can link into 5MP from 2LP, but it is a 1-frame link and it can't combo into anything but Gadoken or Shinkuu Gadoken. The damage is not worth the difficulty either. On top of that, you need to be close for this link to work because of 5MP's stubby range, so at that point you're better off using 2HP or cl.5HP.

5HP

Far Fierce
Far Heavy Punch
5HP / Far HP
CVS2 Dan 5HP.png
First Hitbox
CVS2 Dan 5HP2.png
Second Hitbox
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Far Hp.png 1300/1200 13/12 SU (1st Hit) Mid High 6 4 21 31 -1 -1 None

Dan performs a big downward chop.

  • Good whiff punish option, and can also be used as a midrange poke, since it is -1 they have to respect it if spaced right. Since you'll be mostly landing the second hit in neutral, you can't confirm those stray hits into anything. Just continue playing neutral.
  • You can cancel the first hit into super, but you will find yourself landing cl.5HP instead at that range, which is a much better normal than this one.

5LK

Far Short
Far Light Kick
5LK / Far LK
CVS2 Dan 5LK.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Far Lk.png 400 4 SU Mid High 4 6 8 18 +1 +1 None

A quick midsection knee.

  • Decent range with good start-up, it can be used as a good counterpoke and can frame trap semi-consistently.
  • Can be chained into from both 5LP and 2LP, so it can work as a light confirm into super, albeit for mediocre damage.

5MK

Far Forward
Far Medium Kick
5MK / Far MK
CVS2 Dan 5MK1.png
First Hitbox
CVS2 Dan 5MK2.png
Second Hitbox
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Far Mk.png 500+400 5+4 SP/SU (1st Hit) Mid High 4 2,2 22 30 -4 -4 None

An upward kick.

  • While looking like it can anti-air, it's incredibly inconsistent, you have to do it predictably and hope the opponent pressed their jump-in button after you.
  • If spaced it can be a semi-decent poke, but it is crouchable by a majority of the cast, so there are much better options.
  • Has longer range than 5MP on the first hit so you can pick up cancels more consistently, but you lose out on 300 damage. If you link into this from 2LP you will get the same damage, but a lot more consistency on it. Use this link for your 2LP special cancel confirms where cl.5HP falls out of range, even if it is a 1-frame.

5HK

Far Roundhouse
Far Heavy Kick
5HK / Far HK
CVS2 Dan 5HK.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Far Hk.png 1300 13 None Mid High 12 3 19 34 +2 +2 None

Dan performs a big roundhouse kick, very similar in appearance to Maki's far 5HK.

  • Unlike Maki's 5HK, Dan's starts up in 12 frames, doubled that of Maki's, which is 6, making it more difficult to use as an anti-air. That said, it's still useable, as jump-ins from farther ranges will lose most of the time, but due to the heavy startup you either have to use this button anticipating a jump or have a really good reaction time.
  • Unfortunately this button has no cancels, if it had even a super cancel it would be a great way to confirm into it but because it doesn't it is essentially just an okay anti-air.
  • Whiffs against most crouchers.

Close Standing Normals

clHP

Close Fierce
Close Heavy Punch
cl.HP
CVS2 Dan cl5HP.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Close Hp.png 1200 12 SP/SU Mid High 4 5 20 29 -1 -1 None

Dan performs a quick but more powerful gut punch.

  • Your go-to button for cancelling into special or super. Deals decent damage if used as such.
  • Can link from 2LP, which is the most damaging route from 2LP, but it is also 1-frame link.
  • The only downside this button has is the fact that it's a proximity normal, and if you get far 5HP, you don't get nearly the same returns on hit as you do the close variant.

Crouching Normals

2LP

Crouch Jab
Crouching Light Punch
2LP / cr.LP
CVS2 Dan 2LP.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
D.png+Lp.png 300 3 RF/SP/SU Mid Low 3 4 6 13 +5 +5 None

A fast low palm strike.

  • Has the same startup, active and recovery as the shotos, but is again less plus, at +5 instead of +7. This is actually Dan's most plus attack on the ground, which is pretty bad considering some characters are +5 or more on their medium normals, most notably the shotos themselves with cr.MP.
  • Worse at mashing and pressuring compared to the shotos.
  • Very stubby range, you can only chain 2 at most before you fall out of your optimal light confirms.
  • Links into 5MP, cl.5HP, 5MK, 2MP and 2LK. They are all 1-frame links, and they all give you okay damage at best outside of cl.5HP, which is admittedly a decent move to link into.

2MP

Crouch Strong
Crouching Medium Punch
2MP / cr.MP
CVS2 Dan 2MP.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
D.png+Mp.png 800 8 SP/SU Mid Low 4 6 15 25 +2 +2 None

A slightly more open palm strike.

  • A dumpster fire compared to the shotos' 2MP. +2 instead of +6, somehow only having pixels worth of range over the already short-ranged 2LP, is outranged by 5MP which also has stubby range, and recovers in 15 frames instead of 9.
  • The only feasible use of this button is for meaties, as it does have 6 active frames so meaties and safe fall punishes can be made pretty easy with this button but outside of using it's active frames this button is good for absolutely nothing else.

2HP

Crouch Fierce
Crouching Heavy Punch
2HP / cr.HP
CVS2 Dan 2HP1.png
First Hitbox
CVS2 Dan 2HP2.png
Second Hitbox
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
D.png+Hp.png 1100, 700 11, 7 SP/SU (1st Hit) Mid Low, High 5 2 28 35 -6 -6 None

A high-reaching uppercut-like move.

  • This looks similar to a typical shoto 2HP, but looks are deceiving. This button has 2 active frames, one for the first hitbox, and 1 for the uppercut. This is way below the 11 that the shotos have, which makes anti-airing with this button really difficult, as you have to specifically time it otherwise Dan won't hit the opponent at all, and on top of the 28 frames of recovery, if he whiffs the anti-air he is done for.
  • First hitbox is decent, comparable with the shotos. While great for cancelling into special or super cl.5HP does that but does 100 more damage, and at ranges where far 5HP will activate the first hit of 2HP whiffs, so just use cl.5HP instead.
  • Second hitbox however is not that good. It lacks the horizontal range and also has less vertical range compared to the shotos. This makes Dan's anti-air game very weak, and many characters with even decent air normals can jump in on him often without risking much.

2LK

Crouch Short
Crouching Light Kick
2LK / cr.LK
CVS2 Dan 2LK.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
D.png+Lk.png 400 4 SP/SU Low Low 4 4 9 17 +2 +2 None

A quick low kick.

  • While Dan not having a rapid-fire low like the other shotos hurts him, this isn't necessarily a terrible alternative. it may start up and recover a frame slower, but it does have decent range for a light, especially for one that hits low.
  • You can stagger and badger with this button, being +2 isn't much but you need some way to get the opponent to respect your pokes. Unfortunately due to Dan not having any real good high attacks other than IOH j.LK, the opponent is most likely holding down-back against your strings so your mixups with this button are limited to strike-throw. Not exactly the best outcome, but being on offense is a luxury that Dan doesn't get much so he has to keep it going for as long as he can.
  • Can be chained into from 2LP, making it a really reliable confirm, although the damage is poor.

2MK

Crouch Forward
Crouching Medium Kick
2MK / cr.MK
CVS2 Dan 2MK.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
D.png+Mk.png 800 8 SP/SU Low Low 5 6 13 24 +1 +1 -

A slower low kick.

  • This button is godly. It will rival Sagat 2HP and Cammy 5HP for centuries... Just kidding. This button is actually pretty good in all seriousness, it even recovers much faster than the shoto cr.MK, as well as being +1 over them being -1. It does sport slightly less range, but it's still by far Dan's best grounded poke.
  • The only weakness this button has is that unlike the shotos, you can't cancel into a fireball safely. HP Gadouken will not be a true blockstring majority of the time you land this poke in neutral. This leaves a lot of room for roll-cancel punishes or just reversal rolls that put the opponent right up in your face and you have to block a potential mixup because you won neutral but decided to tack on hits with a bad special. Up close you can cancel fine, but from farther ranges it is best to just get back to neutral or try to get on offense since you are plus.

2HK

Crouch Roundhouse
Crouching Heavy Kick
2HK / cr.HK
CVS2 Dan 2HK.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
D.png+Hk.png 1200 12 None Low Low 5 6 32 43 HKND -14 None

A standard turnaround sweep.

  • If spaced this button is kind of safe in blockstrings. Up close it will be punished on block.
  • While being faster in startup than the shotos, this sweep cannot be cancelled into anything, so spacing is really emphasized if you are using this button. Even if you could it would suffer the same issue as cr.MK, so it wouldn't make that much of a difference.
  • Decent range, but not as much as the shotos' 2HK has. It also doesn't have that much disjoint either compared to the shotos, which they benefit from in their whiff punishes.

Jumping Normals

j.LP

Jump Jab
Jumping Light Punch
j.LP
CVS2 Dan jLP.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Ub.png/U.png/Uf.png+Lp.png 600 6 None High High 3 22 - 25 - - None

A quick aerial punch.

  • A worse air-to-air compared to the shotos. Their hitbox has useable disjoint, but Dan does share the same frame data.
  • Still use as an air-to-air.

j.MP

Jump Strong
Jumping Medium Punch
j.MP
CVS2 Dan jMP.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Ub.png/U.png/Uf.png+Mp.png 900 9 None High High 5 8 - 13 - - None

A downwards aerial punch.

  • Hitbox is below Dan's fist, so it can still be a jump-in, albeit a very mediocre one.

j.HP

Jump Fierce
Jumping Heavy Punch
j.HP
CVS2 Dan jHP.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Ub.png/U.png/Uf.png+Hp.png 1200 12 None High High 12 12 - 24 - - None

A big aerial chop.

  • While being a slightly better jump-in option compared to j.MP, j.MK and j.HK are way better options.
  • The massive 12 frame startup means you have to use it early in your descent to make sure it doesn't whiff.

j.LK

Jump Short
Jumping Light Kick
j.LK
CVS2 Dan jLK.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Ub.png/U.png/Uf.png+Lk.png 500 5 None High High 5 22 - 27 - - None

A short aerial leg kick.

  • A decent air normal all things considered. Pretty consistent jump-in, but has low hitstun. Can be used as an alright air-to-air, it's more consistent than j.LP.
  • Where this button shines is it's ability to instant overhead most characters, not just big ones like Sagat or Zangief. While it basically ends your pressure if you do use IOH j.LK, it can be used when the round is about to come to a close and you need just one more hit, which legitimizes your mixups, especially in low hop grooves. The timing is strict though.

j.MK

Jump Forward
Jumping Medium Kick
j.MK
CVS2 Dan jMK.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Ub.png/U.png/Uf.png+Mk.png 800 8 None High High 7 8 - 15 - - None

An outwards leg kick.

  • Surprisingly your best air-to-air in terms of hitbox, but that's not saying much. The shotos air-to-air better with this normal and they don't even use j.MK as their main air-to-air. The above average startup means you have to press the button really early anticipating a challenge in the air.
  • Better used as a jump-in. Diagonal version crosses-up, so you at least have decent left-right mixups like the other shotos.

j.HK

Jump Roundhouse
Jumping Heavy Kick
j.HK
CVS2 Dan jHK.png
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Ub.png/U.png/Uf.png+Hk.png 1300 13 None High High 8 8 - 16 - - None

A powerful aerial swing kick.

  • Your best air normal. Deals the most damage, has the most consistency as a jump-in and air-to-air, even works as a good poke in low hop grooves.
  • If you find yourself in the air, j.HK is giving you the best results most of the time no matter what situation you're in. j.MK crosses up, so that's where you would use that normal but in most other situations use this button.

Throws

X

Saikyo Toss
Punch Throw
Near Opponent, 4/6HP
CVS2 Dan throw.png
Throw
CVS2 Dan Pthrow.png
Taunt
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Close B.png/F.png+Hp.png 1800 - - - - 3 1 11 15 HKND - None

Dan tosses the opponent over his shoulder, then taunts.

  • Because of Dan's taunt, you can't immediately get on offense midscreen. If you're in a run groove and run jump towards the opponent, chances are they have already gotten up and you are now at their mercy. Dan's gloating essentially ends his turn and the ground game is back to neutral.
  • In the corner, you can push some pressure, so throws that lead into the corner are great for Dan... As they are every other character in the game.

X

Saikyo Toss
Kick Throw
Near Opponent, 4/6HK
CVS2 Dan throw.png
Throw
CVS2 Dan Kthrow.png
Taunt
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Close B.png/F.png+Hk.png 2000 - - - - 5 1 11 17 - - None

Dan tosses the opponent over his shoulder, then crouch taunts.

  • The throw itself starts up in two frames slower than the punch throw, but does 200 more damage, just like the shotos. In terms of strike-throw mixups and tick throws, use this throw over the punch one.
  • Suffers the same issues as the punch throw. His taunt prevents him from getting in on the opponent to get decent okizeme, unless the opponent is thrown into the corner of course.

Special Moves

Gadouken
Gadouken
236+P / qcf+P
Qcf.png + P.png
CVS2 Dan 236LP.png
LP version
CVS2 Dan 236MP.png
MP Version
CVS2 Dan 236HP.png
HP Version
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
LP
Qcf.png + Lp.png
800 8 None Mid Mid 11 - 43 54 -10 -10 None

Dan throws a short ranged hadouken-like projectile.

  • Useless.
MP
Qcf.png + Mp.png
900 9 None Mid Mid 11 - 44 55 -11 -11 None

Dan throws a slightly longer ranged hadouken-like projectile.

  • Also useless. Still barely has any range.
HP
Qcf.png + Hp.png
1000 10 None Mid Mid 11 - 45 56 -12 -12 None

Dan throws a mid-ranged hadouken-like projectile.

  • The only version of Gadouken worth using. Deals the most damage and has the most range of all versions.
  • Your most consistent meterless combo ender. Since it is -12 point-blank, ending combos with it up close can get punished by many reversals.


Strategy
Gadouken is really difficult to work with. The fact that it barely has any range at all makes using it as a projectile hard. Nevertheless, it still has it's uses.

  • Gadouken works as a way to kill oncoming fireballs, but you yourself can't throw fireballs back because they won't feasibly reach the opponent. This can give you time to think of your next move as your are being zoned out. Yes, you're never winning a fireball war, but you can at least think of a way to get in while stopping the opponent from winning it.
  • HP Gadouken is the only special cancel you really have, if you land a jump-in and don't have meter, this is your best option. Be careful though. It is -12 on hit. Landing a confirm into it point-blank can get punished on hit by many reversals. Even at midscreen, specials like Hibiki's Distance Slash can punish these cancels on hit. You have to pick and choose when it is a right time to confirm into Gadouken. If you have meter, avoid this cancel entirely, as Shinkuu Gadouken causes a knockdown on hit so this isn't an issue.
  • Cancelling into HP Gadouken off of pokes in neutral is risky. If you land something like cr.MK and want to cancel into Gadouken like how shotos cancel into their Hadouken, you have to be at a range where Gadouken 1. reaches the opponent and 2. will be a blockstring. Because of HP Gadouken's big recovery, a reversal roll or roll cancel will punish a poorly spaced HP Gadouken cancel. You have to know where HP Gadouken will land and where it will not so when you land cr.MK in neutral you won't get punished for this cancel.
Koryuken
Koryuken
623+P / dp+P
Dp.png + P.png
CVS2 Dan 623P1.png
First Hit
CVS2 Dan 623P2.png
Second Hit
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
LP
Dp.png + Lp.png
1600 16 None Mid Mid 5 15 31 51 HKND -22 5 (Full at Random), 15 (Lower)

Dan tries his best to perform the iconic Shoryuken.

  • Like the shotos, LP Koryuken is the most consistent anti-air of the three.
  • Gets startup invul at random, so you will never know if you get a subpar anti air, or a good anti-air unless RC'd.
  • Terrible range, but still your go-to for anti-airing with DP.
MP
Dp.png + Mp.png
1700 17 None Mid Mid 5 19 38 62 HKND -33 5 (Full at Random), 19 (Lower)

Dan tries his best to perform the iconic Shoryuken.

  • While Dan would have liked to use this as a reversal, the fact that it's random if the DP is a reversal or not makes MP Koryuken not that good at all for anything really. It is a C+ at everything the other DPs do but can't do anything exceptional by itself. Yes, you can RC to give it the i-frames but you then forego the fact that it is a reversal.
HP
Dp.png + Hp.png
1800 18 None Mid Mid 5 23 45 73 HKND -44 5 (Full at Random), 23 (Lower)

Dan tries his best to perform the iconic Shoryuken.

  • The highest damaging and longest ranged Koryuken... but the range still sucks.
  • Unless RC'd, using this version or any version as a wake-up DP is asking to get meatied, random i-frames means you can never be sure if you will get a reversal or not. Overall, a significantly worse version of the Shoryuken.


Strategy
It is really difficult to use Koryuken and not get killed for it.

  • Koryuken as an anti air is probably the best you have but only if you get the random i-frames. When performing Dan's Koryuken, there is a random chance that he flashes white, which means that he gets the full body invul on startup like the other shotos. If you get an invincible Koryuken as an anti-air, it's really good. But you never know if you do get it.
  • Koryuken is damn near impossible to use as a viable combo ender. Even the HP version has terrible range, and the pushback from even just 1 normal will cause Koryuken to whiff entirely, leaving Dan at the mercy of his most likely not so merciful opponent. Most of Dan's lights and mediums will combo into Koryuken just fine if Dan didn't do a jump-in and is as close to the opponent as he can get, which is usually a position Dan is never in. Off of a cross-up j.MK Dan does have 5MK/5MP xx Koryuken, which is actually a pretty optimal cancel, but outside of cross-ups, Dan has no way to reliably use Koryuken in combos.
  • Koryuken as a wake-up option is both ballsy and not smart. The shotos can consistently use their DP as a decent wake-up option if they know what's coming. Dan cannot. The lack of invul on startup makes Koryuken not a true reversal. Sure, you can get the invincible Koryuken and it will be a true reversal, but it's random. You're essentially gambling on getting a good wake-up option. If you value the little time you have on the screen with Dan, it's best to avoid super risky wake-up options like these.
  • If you want a way to get invincible Koryuken every time, you RC it. Roll Cancels benefit Dan in that they can kind of emulate what shotos are capable of. If you roll cancel Koryuken, you can technically use it as a wake-up option, but the timing is strict and because you are roll cancelling it is not a true reversal.
Dan Kicks
Dankukyaku
aka Dan Kicks
214+K / qcb+K

Qcb.png + K.png
CVS2 Dan 214LK.png
214LK Hit
CVS2 Dan 214MK.png
214MK 2nd Hit
CVS2 Dan 214HK.png
214HK 3rd Hit
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
LK
Qcb.png + Lk.png
1000 16 None Mid High 24 10 28 52 HKND -22 None

Dan does a jumping knee.

  • Surprisingly high priority, any attempt to stuff or counterhit this move usually results in a trade or loses outright.
  • If you want to tease a potential approach you can use this normal, but cancelling into it from pokes will get you killed as the Dan Kick will most likely whiff entirely and Dan is just asking to eat the nastiest combo the opponent has in their arsenal.
  • Whiffs on most crouchers.
  • Cannot combo from any Dan normal.
MK
Qcb.png + Mk.png
800+700 8+7 None Mid High 15 6 (4) 6 29 50 HKND -23 None

Dan does a jumping knee followed by a flying leg kick.

  • Starts up much quicker than light Dan Kick but still can't combo from anything because the range of the first hit is pitiful.
  • If RC'd, this move makes for a nice anti-air due to the priority and the invul from the roll.
HK
Qcb.png + Hk.png
800+700+600 8+7+6 None Mid High 20 8 (4) 8 (8) 4 31 83 HKND -39 None

Dan does a jumping knee followed by a flying leg kick and ended with a slap kick to the face.

  • Despite being Dan's best combo ender in other iterations of the character, in CvS2 it can't do that much. Despite having really nice damage for a special move it cannot be combo'd into. Landing this raw is tricky as well, if you use this special in neutral and the opponent knows to just crouch then you're screwed.


Strategy
Ground Dan Kicks has very little going for it, in terms of both versatility and practicality.

  • LK Dan Kick is semi-decent in neutral. It is best to use it at ranges where you won't get punished hard for it. You can't use it as a poke if the opponent just crouches though, as all variants of Dan Kick will whiff.
  • It is impossible to use this special in combos. LK Dan Kicks starts up far too slow for the hitstun of any Dan normal to allow a combo. MK Dan Kicks has zero range on the first hit, so heavies won't work, and for lights and mediums, they lack the hitstun necessary for the first hit to combo anyways. HK Dan Kicks also starts up too slow, so combos in that variant fall out as well. You cannot use this special as a combo ender or even for blockstrings unless the opponent is big or doesn't realize they can just crouch to avoid it.
  • If you are in roll grooves, you get a very serviceable anti-air in RC MK Dan Kicks. It starts up fairly quickly, has the range that an RC Koryuken would not have, and has the invul needed to blow through any jump-in. As an RC in neutral or in punish scenarios it isn't that good however, as the startup is too slow on all 3 versions.
Air Dan Kicks
Kuuchuu Dankukyaku
aka Air Dan Kicks
j.214+K / qcb+K (air)

Qcb.png + K.png
CVS2 Dan 214LK.png
j.214LK Hit
CVS2 Dan 214MK.png
j.214MK 2nd Hit
CVS2 Dan 214HK.png
j.214HK 3rd Hit
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
LK
Qcb.png + Lk.png
1000 16 None Mid High 14 10 16 (Landing Frames) 30 HKND +7 None

Dan does a flying knee.

  • A borderline dive-kick. Dan barrels down like a nuke and is left +7 on block.
  • Very good jump-in attack, even if you can't combo after it. A hard knockdown isn't that bad either. It beats out a lot of anti-airs with leading hurtboxes or ones that lack invul, so unless the opponent DPs, the odds are in your favor.
  • Also crosses up, but it's a very strict cross-up. Still creates a pretty tricky loopable left-right mixup if done right.
  • The only downside to this variant is that it is not an overhead, so Dan doesn't really have that strong of a high low mix with this move.
MK
Qcb.png + Mk.png
800+700 8+7 None Mid High 4 6 (4) 6 16 (Landing Frames) 49 HKND 0 None

Dan does a flying knee followed by an outward leg kick.

  • Use this variant as either an air-to-air or for mobility purposes. It starts up in 4 frames and has high priority so it can beat some air-to-airs, and also has really nice momentum to carry you to comfortable spots on the stage.
HK
Qcb.png + Hk.png
800+700+600 8+7+6 None Mid High 8 8 (4) 8 (8) 4 16 (Landing Frames) 64 HKND -44 None

Dan does a flying knee followed by an outward leg kick and ended with a slap kick to the face.

  • While you could also use this variant as air-to-air as well, it starts up in 8 frames instead of 4, so it's best to use MK Air Dan Kicks.
  • The main use of this move is to carry yourself out of bad situations. Much like how the shotos can TK tatsu their way out of the corner, Dan can do the same with HK Air Dan Kicks, but they travel much further. It takes Dan to the other side of the stage, so if you need to get away from a situation that is undesirable this is the best option you got.
  • For getting in, this move is asking to eat an anti-air. Sure, the aerial momentum this move has is insane, but that's the problem. Too much air time gives the opponent a pretty easy reaction to anti air with something that is sure to beat Dan Kicks. Don't get too crazy with this variant.


Strategy
Air Dan Kicks turn Dan's rather sluggish mobility on the ground to near untouched mobility in the air. That doesn't mean Dan himself is untouchable. In a game filled with great anti air buttons and invincible uppercuts, you have to use Air Dan Kicks wisely and resourcefully.

  • LK Air Dan Kick works as a decent meaty jump-in. Due to the speed Dan barrels at to the ground a successful meaty can continue pressure since he is very plus on block and gets a knockdown on hit. Don't mistime it though, because all variants of Air Dan Kick have a 16 frame landing recovery, and that can easily get punished. As a basic jump-in this variant works as well. Against DPs it loses pretty hard, but against basic anti air buttons it has a shot in those interactions, although if you find yourself getting anti aired repeatedly then it is best to not use jump-in LK Air Dan Kicks in that particular matchup. Since it crosses up, your okizeme can be pretty good if you know how to space the kick to be a cross-up or not.
  • MK Air Dan Kicks doesn't share the same momentum as LK but the 4 frame startup with high priority makes it a decent air-to-air, and if it trades you're the one left standing while the opponent is knocked down. You can very well jump-in with LK Air Dan Kicks afterwards and continue your pressure. You can also use it for momentum purposes, as it travels a lot farther than LK, and doesn't stay in the air for too like unlike HK. If you feel like the spot in neutral could be better you use this variant and you should get the space you need. It can kind of be used to close in space from afar, but if the opponent sees the kicks early, you might get anti-aired. You have to use it at the least expected time.
  • HK Air Dan Kicks is essentially a built-in TK tatsu. Carries Dan for miles, even from a normal jump HK Air Dan Kicks easily takes him from one corner to the other. As a getaway tool HK Air Dan Kicks is great for that situation. It travels incredibly far, and the opponent's character doesn't have the speed to chase after it. As a means of counterzoning, however, is not a great usage of the move. Most times you fly over the opponent's head, or if the opponent is in the corner, you're stuck in the air and in perfect position to get anti-aired. Pretty much the only good use for this move is to fly out of bad situations.
Forward Taunt
Forward Taunt
236+Start / qcf+Start
Qcf.png + Start
CVS2 Dan Rolltaunt.png
Low Profile Roll
CVS2 Dan Pthrow.png
Stand Taunt
Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
- - - - - 39 - 79 118 - - None

Dan rolls forward and taunts.

  • Dan is the only character in the game to have a command taunt.
  • There's nothing else really interesting to say, it's just a taunt.
Forward Taunt
Backward Taunt
214+Start / qcb+Start
Qcb.png + Start
CVS2 Dan Rolltaunt.png
Low Profile Roll
CVS2 Dan Pthrow.png
Stand Taunt
Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
- - - - - 42 - 80 122 - - None

Dan rolls backward and taunts.

  • Lasts slightly longer than forward taunt.

Super Moves

Shinkuu Gadouken

Shinkuu Gadouken
236236P / qcf,qcf+P
Qcf.pngQcf.png+P.png
CVS2 Dan 236236LP.png
Lvl.1 Version
CVS2 Dan 236236MP.png
Lvl.2 Version
CVS2 Dan 236236HP.png
Lvl.3 Version
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Qcf.pngQcf.png+Lp.png 2200 0 None Mid High 12 - 44 56 HKND -5 6 (Full)

Dan shoots a stronger long ranged Gadouken.

  • Your best combo ender considering the consistency and cost. Causes a knockdown and does decent damage, more than Ryu's Shinkuu Hadouken.
  • Not a true reversal but does have i-frames.
  • As an S-Groove low-life desperation super, it's alright. At -5 you can confirm into it on block and hit a lot and not risk a punish like you did with HP Gadouken. Good enough to replace HP Gadouken, but definitely not a super you can just spam.
Qcf.pngQcf.png+Mp.png 3200 0 SP/SU Mid High 12 - 44 56 HKND -2 13 (Full)

Dan shoots a stronger long ranged Gadouken.

  • For Lvl.2 Super Combo Cancels, at range it's best to cancel into HP Gadouken, and close up it's best to cancel into HP Koryuken. Koryuken does more damage but has poor range so if you confirm into it from far away you need to use HP Gadouken. The damage is above average at best.
  • Actually is a true reversal, you can deal good damage on a meaty attempt
Qcf.pngQcf.png+Hp.png 4700 0 None Mid High 12 - 44 56 HKND +1 20 (Full)

Dan shoots a stronger long ranged Gadouken.

  • Farthest ranged projectile in Dan's arsenal.
  • Decent damage all things considered, but this isn't the best level 3 super to cancel into, as Koryurekka at lvl. 3 does way more damage and has the range to not fall out of confirms that would also work for lvl.3 Shinkuu Gadouken.

Koryurekka

Koryurekka
236236K / qcf,qcf+K
Qcf.pngQcf.png+K.png
CVS2 Dan 236236K1.png
Starting Hit
CVS2 Dan 236236K2.png
1st Uppercut
CVS2 Dan 236236K3.png
Ending Hit
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Qcf.pngQcf.png+Lk.png 2600 0 None Mid High 8 12 (13) 31 29 83 HKND -11 8 (Full)

Dan performs two Koryukens in place.

  • Useless as a lvl.1, reason being it literally goes nowhere. Technically a true reversal but the piss poor range makes it too risky to use.
  • Range also makes it a terrible desperation super.
  • As an anti-air it doesn't even juggle properly so there is zero use for the lvl.1 variant.
Qcf.pngQcf.png+Mk.png 3800 0 SP/SU Mid High 8 12 (13) 31 29 83 HKND -11 14 (Full)

Dan slides and performs two Koryukens.

  • Deals more damage than Shinkuu Gadouken Lvl.2 Cancels but falls out at longer ranges. If this connects make sure to cancel into HP Koryuken at the very last hit. Deals very nice damage if done right.
  • Moves Dan forward but still short-ranged.
Qcf.pngQcf.png+Hk.png 5600 0 None Mid High 8 12 (13) 31 29 83 HKND -11 22 (Full)

Dan performs two big koryukens.

  • Huge damage. Confirming into this super will do massive damage for Dan's standards.
  • Best confirm from cl.5HP if you got all 3 bars to spend. It has really nice range so it's good for both raw punishes and hitconfirms.

Hisshou Buraiken

Hisshou Buraiken
214214K / qcb,qcb+K
Qcb.pngQcb.png+K.png
CVS2 Dan 214214LK.png
Starting Hit of Lvl.1 Version
CVS2 Dan 214214MK.png
Starting Hit of Lvl.2 Version
CVS2 Dan 214214HK.png
Starting Hit of Lvl.3 Version
CVS2 Dan 214214Kender.png
Ending Hit
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Qcb.pngQcb.png+Lk.png 2800 0 None Mid High 8 6 (4) 4 (9) 4 (9) 4 (15) 22 40 125 HKND -18 8 (Full)

Dan performs a small flurry of attacks ending in a Koryuken.

  • Poor range, not to the same degree as lvl.1 Koryurekka but still inconsistent in combos.
  • A lot more consistent as a reversal. Probably your go-to if you want to spend 1 bar on one.
Qcb.pngQcb.png+Mk.png 4100 0 SP/SU Mid High 8 3 (6) 5 (4) 10 (9) 4 (14) 4 (8) 22 40 137 HKND -18 14 (Full)

Dan performs a flurry of attacks ending in a Koryuken.

  • The main issue with this specific level is that it starts with Dan's 5LP, a very stubby move, while lvl.1 and lvl.3 start with 5LK and 5HP, buttons that far outrange 5LP. This makes lvl.2 cancels into it difficult and far more inconsistent compared to the other two supers. Just use them instead.
Qcb.pngQcb.png+Hk.png 5900 0 None Mid High 8 6 (9) 7 (9) 4 (9) 5 (13) 5 (18) 6 (6) 5 (4) 5 (16) 28 40 203 HKND -18 22 (Full)

Dan performs a big flurry of attacks ending in a powerful Koryuken.

  • While being Dan's highest damage lvl.3 super, combos into it are still quite inconsistent. If you are at a close enough range, you may try to confirm into this super instead, although even if the initial chop misses Dan's followup normals will cause a vacuum effect, allowing him to still get a combo, but the damage is far below that of a lvl.3 Koryurekka confirm.
  • It's best to just combo into lvl.3 Koryurekka, unless you are completely certain that this super won't lose any damage you could have had from just going to Koryurekka, in which case is a rare instance but damage is damage and Dan needs that.


For a more in-depth explanation for which supers to pick and choose for your super combos, refer to the combos section.

Legendary Taunt
Legendary Taunt
236236+Start / qcf,qcf+Start
Qcf.pngQcf.png+Start
CVS2 Dan 236236start1.png
Startup
CVS2 Dan 236236start2.png
Taunt
CVS2 Dan 236236start3.png
Roll
CVS2 Dan 236236start4.png
😎👍
Version Damage Stun Cancel Guard Parry Startup Active Recovery Total Adv Hit Adv Block Invul
Level 3/MAX Only
Qcf.pngQcf.png+Start
- - - - - 22 - 566 588 - - 23 (Full)

Dan forward taunts 5 times before jumping forward and giving the viewer a big thumbs up.

  • If Dan manages to finish the full taunt and not get hit, he gets all 3 bars of meter back. The only reason that would happen is because the opponent is rolling along with the fact you did by far the worst super in the game.
  • Still a very funny super.

Colors

Dan CvS2 colors.png


CvS2 Wiki Navigation

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