Kage-Maru, a skilled ninja, has joined the tournament once again in search of his missing mother. Due to his unique fighting style, Kage has a wide variety of useful moves at his disposal. His strongest is the Ten Foot Toss, and if followed with a strong combo, can make for an easy fight. This is especially possible when Ring Out is enabled, as a specialty of Kage's is his ability to push his opponent out of the ring, resulting in a quick win. Simple moves to keep in mind include his high punch, which is the fastest punch of the game (shared with Sarah and Pai), and his low punch, a safer crouching attack which is out of reach of most throws (be wary when using it against Akira, however, as he does have a powerful counter against this in the form of his low reversal). The side kick should be used against crouching opponents; it is strong enough to stagger a croucher and leave them vulnerable to a throw or a Heel Kick, knocking them off their feet. As with most other fighters, jumping/hopping attacks such as the Take-Off Kick may be useful in desperate situations but are not recommended for Kage. If a Ring Out is threatened then they may come in handy, but they otherwise leave the ninja vulnerable to powerful attacks such as Sarah/Jacky's Kickflip.
There are many combos to keep in mind when playing Kage. A simple Punch, Kick is a quick one to remember in the case of many situations. It has a good chance of knocking the opponent down after strong attacks such as a Heel Kick and a Side Kick, and in turn sets up a Heel Smash that chips away a good amount of their health. Meanwhile, a Double Punch combo allows Kage to close in on the opponent; tap the guard button to cancel the attack once close and perform a new attack according to the opponent's stance (i.e., Ten Foot Toss if standing or Side Kick if crouching). Meanwhile, a Triple Punch or Double Punch, Kick combo are more on the risky side and should mostly be kept in mind if a Ring Out is threatened on the opponent's side to finish up the match. Pai is a lethal opponent in this case, as she has a counter that will put Kage in danger of being caught out of the ring instead. Kage's Elbow has potential but only at close range, while his Heel Kick and Kickflip are more on the useful side. Both moves stagger when they hit, though the Kickflip is followed by a slow recovery that puts Kage in danger if it is countered. Meanwhile, the Swipe should only be used on an opponent that has been knocked down as the move is slow and can be countered by the opponent easily, though its usefulness shines when it is performed each time the opponent is knocked down. Follow it up with a Rising Knee or Punch, Kick combo for easy damage and maximum effectiveness.
