Street Fighter 6’s growing roster welcomes a new character: the yoga master Arjun (Pranshu Mishra, Sand Land). While his yoga background may initially make you think of another fighter in the franchise, his mastery of body and mind differs greatly from his far more elastic counterpart.
Arjun specializes in devastating melee strikes and uses his lungs to create powerful air attacks. He can launch both projectiles and traps through his impressive lung capacity. One of his moves even shoots air into the ground, driving out a pillar of stone that can strike enemies or let the former detective wail on his foes. His use of air creates an aesthetically unique design that matches his original playstyle.
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Arjun’s combination of air-based maneuvers and powerful strikes would’ve made a standout kit on its own, but Capcom has gone further to make their newest roster member feel fluid. Rather than simply having two different branches to his abilities, key elements from both halves of the fighter’s moves can combine to weave his style together. This turns what could be an interesting but awkward pairing of focuses into a distinct style the fighter has cemented through purposeful planning and training.
Arjun’s attacks mostly deal recoverable damage, so good sequencing is essential.
While many characters get special mechanics that feel empowering to their kits, Arjun’s feel more like a restraint. Several of the fighter’s attacks deal recoverable damage rather than standard damage. This damage can be healed if the opponant goes time without being hit. This forces Arjun to push attacks and sequence things in certain ways if he wants to reap the full fruits of his labors. It’s not overly hindering, but it can affect how you play him. So be aware of what you are dealing.
This sometimes precarious situation is best showcased with the special throw attack, Ghastly Interrogation. This maneuver only deals recoverable damage. However, if the opponent already has recoverable damage on them, it converts it all to standard damage. This makes the hold a good final payoff when you have already applied recoverable damage to a foe and don’t want it slipping away.
The next special move we’re looking at is the Arm of Justice. A powerful forward strike that envelops the arm in wind, this ability hits hard and can be followed up with a second powerful attack that is safe on block, making this a great way to pressure an opponent in the neutral game. It is at its most devastating when the strike hits precisely at the end of the arm, so practice with spacing is important to get maximum damage out of it.
Cruel Shoulder has different functions for close-up and ranged attacks.
Arjun’s second special is Divine Pillar. Firing a blast of air directly into the earth, this move launches a pillar of rock out of the ground, potentially striking the opponent. The input strength determines how far the pillar emerges, and you can hold the input button to delay the rock formation’s appearance. This move takes a couple of seconds to complete, so be wary of leaving yourself open to attack. Also, if Arjun is hit before the pillar surfaces, the move cancels, making timing critical.
Up next is Cruel Shoulder. This move propels Arjun across the screen and slams into his opponent. Different input strengths vary the distance, with heavy launching Arjun clear across the screen. This lets him move past his target on a successful hit.
Cruel Shoulder has a secondary function as well. If it moves Arjun past a rock pillar he previously summoned, the move is followed up by Justice Beyond. This move destroys the pillar and turns it into a giant club that strikes the foe before shattering. This adds a sizable amount of damage to the attack.
Perhaps the character’s most versatile move, Breathing Ring serves as a potent element of Arjun’s kit on both offense and defense. When performed, he breathes a ring of air in front of him that lingers for a couple of seconds. If it hits a foe, it will do damage and knock them back, with the overdrive version capable of hitting multiple times.
After deploying the ring, it can be followed up with Breathing Shockwave. This launches the ring forward as a projectile, with the strength of the hit determining whether it flies forward, diagonally up, or straight up. If you’re fast enough, you can even use the follow-up shot as the ring hits the opponent. This makes for a strong opening gambit since it can protect you from a ground-based attack, but can be turned into an aggressive move if your opponent opts to back off or tries for an aerial advance.
The last special move in the kit is Indomitable Defense. Filling his lungs, Arjun makes his body briefly impervious, making him immune to strikes and projectiles. Furthermore, any strike that does hit him in this state is immediately countered. This includes Drive Rushes. The immunity begins early in the animation, so Arjun doesn’t have to finish the move for his protection to kick in.
Arjun’s kit brings plenty of power through an original combination of moves.
If his opponent opts not to attack the inflated fighter, he can transfer the airpower harnessed into a follow-up attack, Moral Breakdown. This attack hits hard and is safe on block, making it the perfect way to end Indomitable Defense if the target is within range. It does have a short wind-up, so be careful your opponent doesn’t maneuver around you for a punish. Keeping your actions unpredictable by not always following up will be useful to keep enemies guessing.
The first Super Art in this windy kit is Howling Destruction. This move sees rapid-fire shots of air arc away from Arjun along the ground until they reach the far end of the screen. This move is invincible on startup, making it great for disrupting enemy attacks. His other two super arts, Instant Oblivion and Yakshe’s Order, are fairly standard Super Arts moves. They deal big damage, and Yakshe’s Order deals even more when the fighter’s life bar is at or below 25%.
When playing the character, make sure to take full advantage of his strong reach in the neutral game. His low medium punch quickly became one of my favorites to catch opponents out with, and he has a strong heavy kick attack that incorporates a small hop that avoids low attacks. His drive rush is also strong, with no wind-up—though it feels like it has less reach than some others.
Arjun’s kit brings plenty of power through an original combination of moves. His blend of debilitating strikes and air-based projectiles and traps makes him a fighter that may take as much effort to master playing against as it will to harness the full strength of his suite of abilities.
Arjun is available standalone or as part of the Season 4 Pass for Street Fighter 6, now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
