Kim is mainly a rushdown character. In neutral, Kim has access to some solid pokes to defend his space and a divekick to help him get in. He also has a flash kick that works as a nice anti-air and invincible reversal. Once Kim is in, he has access to a overhead, some nice lows, a good crossup, and his stomp cancel. The stomp cancel is a glitch that allows him to do strong pressure on block and highly damaging combos on hit. Kim is preferably played in Extra mode, because it makes his stomp cancel combos easier and deadlier. Kim's main weakness is that he doesn't have any long-range tools.
Preferred Mode and Position
Kim unlocks his full potential in Extra or Ultimate with Extra gauge, mainly due to the stomp cancel glitch that comes from his Haki Kyaku (22B/D) special. When he fills his meter, he gains access to his hard to punish on block air Hou'ou Tenbu Kyaku super (air 2363214B/D), which he can freely spend meter on to return to his stomp cancels or utilize Guard Cancel Blowback/Guard Cancel Roll.
Run vs Step
Step is preferred for Kim because the extra walk speed enhances his pressure, making it more intimidating, and his combos more rewarding. With step, he can loop his stomp cancels up to three times on hit, and on block, create a true blockstring from two loops of his stomp cancels.
However, it doesn't mean that he can't play in run. In this mode, he gains access to run up pressure, which can be handy because he can easily convert his lights into various specials, or use Tiger Yop Chagi > B Hishou Kyaku (6A > air 236B) to reset his pressure. Looping his stomp cancels in pressure is harder because he needs to run up right after every cancel, but he can still frame trap with them, so he doesn't lose anything by picking Run.
Roll vs Dodge
Kim prefers Dodge, as he is able to take advantage of his fast flashkick as a reversal option after a dodge. He also has a good followup out of dodge, that he can use as a combo starter/extender. This also allows him to be able to use the dodge cancel attack to get conversions from his Neri Chagi (6B) overhead.
However, Roll is not bad for him either as he can use it to create an ambiguous left/right mix-up after getting a hard knockdown with his Sanren Geki (214A) rekka.
Advanced vs Extra Gauge
Kim is more effective using Extra gauge, as this allows him to have greater control over his meter so he has stomp cancels available as much as possible. However, a weakness to this is that Kim will not have access to stomp cancels when he is in red health.
With Advanced gauge, Kim has less control over his meter, which gives him less access to stomp cancels especially if placed mid or anchor. However, this means Kim's comeback potential is higher as he is able to access stomp cancels even at critical health if he has no meter.
Preferred Position
Kim functions best as a Point on both Advanced and Extra gauges because of the quirks surrounding his stomp cancels, which means he is most effective when he does not have access to a super.
However, he still has some decent damage with meter and with Quick Max, meaning he can still work when placed Mid or Anchor.
Changes from Previous Versions
98 to 98UM
Normals:
cl.C's recovery is 8 frames shorter
5B's hitbox has been moved so it actually hits at the end of his foot instead of around his crotch
5C's startup has been reduced by 4 frames, active frames have been reduced by 3, and recovery frames have been reduced by 5 frames
2D is now whiff cancelable
j.D active frames have been reduced
The first hitbox of 6B has been removed, and the startup is 4 frames faster
Specials:
214K now knocks down; B version now hits 3 times and got a damage increase
[2]8B now has full startup invincibility, and recovery is 2f longer; it now consistently deals 2 hits when hitting an airborne opponent
The recovery of 214P's first hit has been reduced by 12f, and the window to cancel into the second hit has been increased
The second hit of 214P is 1f faster, and the third hit has 4 frames longer recovery
22K damage reduced, and D version can OTG
98UM to 98UMFE
Normals:
6B now has a bigger hitbox, such that it'll hit at point-blank range
Specials:
[2]8D is now invincible on the first active frame
[4]6K charge time is now shorter, standardized with the rest of the cast
Supers:
2363214K is now invincible until just before the hitbox appears
Normal Moves
Close
cl.A: Can stop hops if you're too close for 5A/B. Whiffs on short crouchers. Cancelable.
cl.B: Mainly light combo filler. Cancelable.
cl.C: Kim's main heavy combo normal. Has two hits, but only the first one is cancelable.
cl.D: Can stop close-range jump-outs. Whiffs on short crouchers.
Standing
5A: Good mid-range poke and hop anti-air. Great range and nice priority.
5B: Great anti-hop button. Whiffs on short crouchers.
5C: Good amount of active frames. Safe on block.
5D: Good anti-air for full jumps. Whiffs on short crouchers.
Crouching
2A: A standard 2A. Good for blockstrings and combos. Chainable and cancelable.
2B: Useful for low combos and blockstrings. Chainable.
2C: Has long startup but a good anti-air hitbox. Cancelable on hit, block, and whiff.
2D: A sweep with good range. Cancelable on hit, block, and whiff.
Jumping
j.A: Good jump-in normal for crossups.
j.B: An air-to-air normal with nice upwards priority.
j.C: A jump-in and air-to-air normal. Generally outshined by his other jump-in buttons.
nj.C: Large amount of active frames, good hitbox around his crotch.
j.D: A jump-in normal.
nj.D: Nice air-to-air normal.
CD Normals
5CD: Good amount of active frames with an okay hitbox. Cancelable on hit, block, and whiff.
j.CD: An okay air-to-air normal. Doesn't have a lot of priority.
Throws
Kubikime Otoshi:4/6+C (close)
Regular throw, techable. Kim grabs the opponent with his legs and slams them down to the ground with a backturned hard knockdown.
Sakkyaku Nage:4/6+D (close)
Regular throw, techable. Kim tosses the opponent full screen behind him with a soft knockdown.
Command Moves
Tiger Yop Chagi:6A
A flying kick that puts Kim in the air.
Good for combos, as you can combo 21436K after it for good damage. 214K and 2363214K can't combo from it, though.
Will go over lows.
Cancelable when done raw and when canceled into.
Nerichagi:6B
An overhead move.
Not cancelable raw or when canceled into.
Special Moves
Hangetsuzan:214B/D
Kim does a forwards flip kick.
The B version goes just in front of Kim, and the D version goes about halfscreen.
Both versions only combo from heavies.
The D version can be used in combos when you don't have a down charge.
The B version is fairly safe if every hit connects, but if one of them whiffs it becomes easier to punish it.
The D version is punishable by any fast, long-reaching move.
Hienzan:[2]8B/D
Kim does a backwards flip kick.
The B version has full startup invincibility but none on the active frames. The D version has startup up until the first active frame, making it a real reversal.
B version is a good anti-air, as it has nice anti-air hitboxes and is fast.
D version can also work as an anti-air, but it's less reliable.
Both versions combo from lights and heavies.
Both versions are punishable on block.
D version is the preferred one to use for combos due to its followup.
Tenshouzan:2D during [2]8D
An extra hit at the end of D Hienzan.
Causes a hard knockdown, so it's always worth doing.
The followup can miss if the Hienzan hit pretty far out, or if it hits weird in the air.
Kuusajin:[2]8A/C
Kim launches himself up into the air and delivers a series of kicks.
The A version does fewer hits and doesn't fly as high as the C version.
Will combo from lights and heavies.
Mainly used for combos, as it's a worse anti-air than Hienzan.
Compared to using D Hienzan for combos, Kuusajin does more damage and can combo from 3 lights instead of 2, but it doesn't give you the hard knockdown that you get with Tenshouzan.
Punishable on block.
Ryuusei Raku:[4]6B/D
Kim does a forwards sliding kick and then follows up with an arching kick in the air.
The first part hits low, and the second one hits mid.
The slide makes his hurtbox shrink, making it possible to low-profile some higher-hitting moves with it.
The second hitbox is large and covers a lot, so it can hit both grounded and airborne opponents.
The second hit causes a hard knockdown on hit.
Punishable on block.
Hishou Kyaku:j.236B/D
Kim flies diagonally downwards with a divekick. The divekick does multiple hits.
Good for changing your aerial trajectory to make it harder to anti-air Kim.
Also good as a pressure tool, as the divekick is pretty safe on block.
Kim has a very specific corner infinite with it.
Haki Kyaku:22B/D
Kim stomps the ground in front of him.
The stomp's most important feature is the stomp cancel glitch. This glitch allows for the stomp to be super-cancelable into his Hou'ou Kyaku DM when you have meter. When you don't have meter but still do the input, however, it does something completely different, cutting down the recovery of the stomp letting Kim move instantly. This makes the move massively plus on both hit and block, allowing Kim to combo from it or to use the plus frames for pressure on block. The stomp glitch combo gives Kim some very damaging meterless combos and some very strong pressure on block.
The input for the stomp cancel glitch is: 22K, 46K.
The stomp can destroy ground-travelling projectiles.
The D version can OTG.
Sanren Geki:214A/C x3
Kim delivers a series of kicks in a rekka sequence.
The first two hits of both the A and the C versions are almost the same, but the third hit differs a lot.
The only difference for the first two hits is that they're more unsafe on block for the C version than the A version.
The first hit hits mid and is safe on block for easy confirms.
The second hit also hits mid but is worse on block than the first hit.
The third hit for the A version does a two-hitting arching kick. The first hits mid and the second hit is an overhead that causes a hard knockdown on hit.
The C version does a two-hitting kick that kicks the opponent and Kim into the air.
Aside from being safer, the A version has more reward on the third hit than the C version.
However, the A version won't combo properly if there is too much pushback, and will only consistently combo fully from cl.C.
As a result, the C version is better to combo with from his other cancelable attacks.
Desperation Moves
Hou'ou Tenbu Kyaku:j.2363214B/D
A DM version of Kim's Hishou Kyaku.
Has invincible startup, but no invinciblility on the active frames.
Punishable on block.
MAX version does more damage.
Hou'ou Kyaku:21416B/D (can be performed in the air)
Kim flies forwards and delivers a series of strikes. If it gets blocked he will still deliver the hits. The air version teleports Kim and the opponent to the ground when it hits to do the full series of strikes.
Can be inputted as 246K.
Combos from lights and heavies
Good as a long-range punish.
Has invincible startup, but no invincibility on the active frames.
This move is air unblockable.
Punishable on block, especially if the opponent GCRs out.
MAX version does more damage.
Combos
General Notes
In any metered combo, you can replace 21436K with 21436BD for more damage if you have the resources.
Meterless
Low
2B, 2A, 214Cx3
2Bx1-2, 2A, [2]8C
Less damage than 214Cx3, but can work from slightly further range; at close range you can add a second 2B.
Mid/Jump-In
(j.X), cl.C(1), 214Cx3
(j.X), 2A, [2]8C
Useful combo for when you're too far away for cl.C to hit after jumping in, but you still need to charge down during the jump for [2]8C.
Very Close
(j.X), cl.C(1), 214Ax3, 22D
Stomp Cancel
(j.X), cl.C(1), 22B, 21436K, 2D
Stomp cancel can be input as 22B, 46K.
(j.X), cl.C(1), 22B, 21436K, cl.C (1), 214D
Stomp cancel can be input as 22B, 46K. Requires a short walk before the cl.C.
