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The Ryuuko Ranbu (龍虎りゅうこ乱舞らんぶ; lit. "Dragon & Tiger Wild Dance") is a Super Special Move used in a vast variety of SNK's fighting games, serving as one of the signature attacks for practitioners of Kyokugenryu Karate, and is known as the style's one-and-only iconic ougi (奥義おうぎ; "secret skill").

While Ryo Sakazaki was the first playable character to have used it, it was invented by his father, Takuma Sakazaki.

There have been multiple variations across SNK's library of games:


"極限きょくげんりゅう奥義おうぎ!おらおらおら!ちぇすと!"
—All users

Ryuuko Ranbu (龍虎りゅうこ乱舞らんぶ; Dragon & Tiger Wild Dance), sometimes styled as Ryuko Ranbu, is a Super Special Move in the Art of Fighting, Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters series, first used by Ryo Sakazaki all the way back in Art of Fighting.

Input
Most appearances
+ or ( OK)
MOTW
+
COTW
+ REV Guard (Arcade Input)

Description[]

"Display the results of your intensive daily training regimen with a flurry of blows. Only those who have mastered the Kyokugen style can utilize this matchless technique."
—Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

The user dashes forwards via leaping at the opponent in a long stride, just after striking a pose (normally from bracing themselves with their forearms as if to block an attack).

If they make contact with the opponent, they'll attack with high-speed kata (form) of punches and kicks, before ending with a Kohou, as per standard. The ending attack for the stronger variants (especially in later games) varies between users; such as Ryo doing a small upper and backhanding the foe before throwing out his Haoh Shoukou Ken, Robert striking with a Gen'ei Kyaku before launching a flying kick, Takuma hopping back before launching multiple Haoh Shikou Ken, to name a few examples.


"The true path of a Kyokugen warrior! Feel it in your bones! This is...my full power! Osu!"
—Marco, COTW

Marco's variant in MOTW takes a different approach, with the attack coming out immediately and requiring you to rapidly tap the button during the super pause to get the best variant. The best variant in question involves him firing a barrage of close-range Ko-Ou Kens before the Kohou which now ends with an axe kick.

In COTW, it becomes a more traditional ranbu, incorporating elements of the his own version and ends with a Biruto Appar to his opponent's spine.

Strategy[]

Originally, in its debut, the user and its victim before the finisher occurs, normally remain still during the barrage of attacks. Though in most games in The King of Fighters series as of KOF '96, the attacker often pushes the victim back during the said barrage (this stop being a trend in KOF XII onwards).

Though notably before KOF '99, akin to other ranbus of its time, the user will continuously attack with their sequence even if the initial dash is blocked. This often results in the ranbu unlike others such as the Illusion Dance or Kin 1211 Shiki Yaotome which get cut short at the start if they're blocked, to either deal a decent amount of chip damage to the defender, or if said defender gets careless and drops their guard, continue with the ranbu either way to still lock them in the sequence (akin to how the Zanretsuken and Gen'ei Kyaku tend to function). Even then, this often can result in the attacker getting punished easily should the blows all be blocked and/or escaped via Guard Cancel Evading.

Gallery[]

Geki Ryuuko Ranbu (げき龍虎りゅうこ乱舞らんぶ; lit. "Striking: Dragon & Tiger Wild Dance") is one of Ryo Sakazaki's Super Special Move in the King of Fighters series, first appearing in The King of Fighters 2001 and last appearing in The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match as a MAX2.

Input
All appearances
+

Description[]

Ryo does an even quicker Ryuuko Ranbu, ending with an energy-laced spinning Kohou.

Compared to its Retsu counterpart, this version is completely unblockable while still dealing the same damage with the same exact animation, but the input must be buffered/chained-into off of a cancel-able attack.

Strategy[]

To be added later...

Retsu Ryuuko Ranbu (れつ龍虎りゅうこ乱舞らんぶ; "Violent: Dragon & Tiger Wild Dance") is one of Ryo Sakazaki's Super Special Move in the King of Fighters series, first appearing in The King of Fighters 2002: Challenge to Ultimate Battle, and last appearing in The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match as a MAX2.

Input
All appearances
+

Description[]

Ryo does an even quicker Ryuuko Ranbu, ending with an energy-laced spinning Kohou.

Strategy[]

To be added later...

Zetsu Ryuuko Ranbu (ぜつ龍虎りゅうこ乱舞らんぶ; lit. "Peerless: Dragon & Tiger Wild Dance") is Robert Garcia's MAX2 in the The King of Fighters 2002, Unlimited Match & The King of Fighters Neowave.

Input
All appearances
+

Description[]

Robert does an even faster Ryuuko Ranbu, including a Gen'ei Kyaku and ending with an Uraken into a spinning Ryuuga (akin to the Haiga Ryuu).

Strategy[]

To be added later...


Metsu Ryuuko Ranbu (めつ龍虎りゅうこ乱舞らんぶ; lit. "Perish: Dragon & Tiger Wild Dance") is EX Robert Garcia's MAX2 in The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match.

Input
All appearances
+

Description[]

Robert jumps at the opponent and rushes them down with a long kata, ending with a Haoh Shoukou Ken in the shape of a tiger.

Strategy[]

To be added later...


Chou! Ryuuko Ranbu (ちょう!・龍虎りゅうこ乱舞らんぶ; lit. "Super! Dragon & Tiger Wild Dance") is Yuri Sakazaki's MAX2 in The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match, and would later return in The King of Fighters XIV.

Input
KOF 2002 - Neowave, KOF XIV
+
KOF XV
+

Description[]

In its original incarnation, Yuri does an even quicker Ryuuko Ranbu, incorporating an Enyoku and ending with a Yuri Chou Upper into a Shin! Chou Upper.

In KOF XIV and onwards, the attack is more cinematic and spaced out, with Yuri taunting her opponent after only a few hits at a time - giving a peace sign after the first third of the combo, slaps her butt twice in the second, then winds her arm up for a Chou Upper before giving a thumbs-up at the end as her opponent falls back down.

Strategy[]

To be added later...

Trivia[]

  • Though later games instead make the attack be cut short like most other ranbu autocombos if the dash is blocked. The animations for the ranbu of course often are tweaked as per game/installment. As for the sequences, here are the known animations below for each character:

Regular ver.[]

  • Far standing [2x]
  • Close standing
  • Far standing
  • Close standing
  • Close standing
  • Far standing
  • Close standing
  • Far standing
  • Far standing
  • Far standing
  • Far standing
  • Kohou

MAX ver.[]

  • Far standing [2x]
  • Far standing
  • Close standing
  • Far standing
  • Far standing
  • Kohou startup into Flameless Ko-Ou Ken animation
  • Blow Back Attack
  • Far standing
  • Close standing
  • Hyouchuu Wari input
  • Close standing
  • Crouching
  • Kohou
  • Blow Back Attack
  • Haoh Shoukou Ken

Regular ver.[]

  • Far standing [2x]
  • First hit of Rush Attack
  • Far standing
  • Close standing
  • Close standing
  • Far standing
  • Close standing
  • Far standing
  • Far standing
  • Far standing
  • Close standing
  • Far standing
  • Ryuuga

MAX ver.[]

  • First hit of Rush Attack
  • Far standing
  • Ryuu Hanshu input
  • First hit of Gen-ei Kyaku
  • Close standing
  • Close standing
  • Crouching
  • Second hit of Gen-ei Kyaku
  • Ryuuren Gen-ei Kyaku [3x]
  • Charged flying kick

  • The ending pose Yuri gives at the end of Chou! Ryuuko Ranbu is homage to her victory art in KOF XIII.
  • Similar Attacks[]