Zangief's Jump Heavy Kick Street Fighter 6

Domingo posted October 2, 2023

The normal version of this move hits pretty hard and has long reach, like most jumping heavy kicks.

What makes this move different is that you can do a charged version in SF6. Essentially you just hold down the button and release it rather than tapping it once. The charged version looks similar to the normal version, although Zangief's tucks his legs in while the button is held. It can make your jump arc look strange, although it's also a dead give away that the charged kick is coming. Even if you don't let go of the button, Zangief will always kick when he reaches a certain height.

If the charged version lands as a normal hit, it knocks opponents completely across the screen and into the corner behind them. There are no real follow-ups, but it hits pretty hard and (obviously) pushes your opponent closer to the corner.

The difference maker is if the charged version lands as a punish counter. From anywhere EXCEPT the corner they'll fly backward, bounce off the corner wall, and then fly back toward you for a juggle opportunity. While you can land any normal attack off this bounce, you typically want to go with one of your juggle combos. The most typical choices are Hell Stab into lariat, Hell Stab into level 1 super, or (this has VERY tight timing) instant EX/OD Borscht Dynamite. Honestly, all of these hurt a ton. Even the Hell Stab into lariat = roughly 40% damage. The other two hit for roughly 50% damage. Hell stab into instant OD/EX Borscht Dynamite is also possible, but it's very situational. You can combo from the Hell Stab into a Level 2 as well, but the damage scaling makes this less than ideal. The damage caps out around 55-60% no matter what level 2 finisher you go with, so I'd save that for kill scenarios only.

The final scenario for this move is when you land the charged version as a punish counter but your opponent is already in the corner. This causes them to fly over your head after the wall bounce. There don't seem to be any follow-up options, your opponent escapes the corner, and now you're cornered! If you're anywhere near the corner, you don't EVER want to use the charged version of this move. Even if the charged version lands as a normal hit in the corner there are no follow-ups, so there's no benefit.

What happens if they block the charged version? Zangief bounces away from the opponent but hangs in the air for a bit. During this time you're wide open to a wide variety of punishes including certain extended drive rush combos and supers. Long story short, don't use the charged version unless you have a VERY hard read that it's going to land and your opponent isn't already cornered. You're actually better off landing a normal jumping HK vs. the charged version if it isn't a punish counter.

Like with most Zangief moves, the charged version of jumping HK = high risk and high reward.