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. Kims main weakness is that he doesn't have any long range tools.
Changes from previous versions
98 to 98UM
Normals:
cl.Cs recovery is 8 frames shorter
st.Bs hitbox has been moved so it actually hits at the end of his foot instead of around his crotch
st.Cs startup reduced by 4 frames, acive frames reduces by 3 and recovery frames reduced by 5 frames
Cr.D is now whiff cancelable
j.D active frames reduced
Removed the first hitbox of f+B, startup is 4 frames faster
Specials:
qcb+K now knocks down, B version now hits 3 times and got a damage increase
d~u+B gets full startup invincibility, recovery is 2f longer. it now deals 2 hits when hitting an aerial opponent consistently.
qcb+P the recovery of the first hit reduced by 12f and the window to cancel into the second hit increased
second hit 1f faster, third hit has 4 frames longer recovery
dd+K damage reduced
dd+D can otg
98UM to 98UMFE
Normals:
f+B Bigger hitbox, such that it'll hit even if right next to the opponent
Specials:
b~f + D Invincible on the frame that the hitbox appears
b~f + K Charge time is shorter, standardized with the rest of the cast
Supers:
air qcf,hcb+K Invincible until just before the hitbox appears
Normal Moves
Close
cl. A: Can stop hops if you're too close for st.A/B. Whiffs on short crouchers. Cancelable.
cl. B: mainly light combo filler. Cancelable.
cl. C: Kims main heavy combo normal. Has two hits but only the second one is cancelable. Cancelable.
cl. D: Can stop close range jumpouts. Whiffs on short crouchers.
Stand
st. A: good mid range poke. great range and nice priority.
st. B: great anti hop button Whiffs on short crouchers.
st. C: good amount of active frames. safe on block.
st. D: good anti air for full jumps. Whiffs on short crouchers.
Crouch
cr. A: a standard cr.A. good for blockstrings and combos. Chainable. Cancelable.
cr. B: useful for low combos and blockstrings. Chainable.
cr. C: has long startup but a good anti airing hitbox. Cancelable on contact and whiff.
cr. D: A sweep with good range. Cancelable on contact and whiff.
Jump
j. A: Good jumpin normal for crossups.
j. B: an air to air normal with nice upwards priority.
j. C: a jumpin and air to air normal. Generally outshined by his other jumpin buttons.
neutral j.C: large amount of active frames, good hitbox around his crotch.
j. D: a jumpin normal.
neutral j.D: nice air to air normal.
Blowback
st. CD: good amount of active frames with an okay hitbox. Cancelable on contact or whiff.
j. CD: an okay air to air normal. Doesn't have a lot of priority.
Throws
Neck Grab Slam: b/f + C
regular throw, techable. Kim grabs the opponent with his legs and slams them down to the ground with a backturned hard knockdown.
Deadly Leg Toss: b/f + D
regular throw, techable. Kim tosses the opponent full screen behind him with a soft knockdown.
Command Moves
Tiger Yop Chagi: f + A
a flying kick that puts Kim in the air.
good for combos as you can combo his air super after it for good damage. His air divekick can't combo from it though.
will go over lows.
Cancelable when done raw and when canceled into.
Nerichagi: f + B
an overhead move.
not cancelable raw or when canceled into.
Special Moves
Crescent Moon Slash: qcb + B/D
Kim does a forwards flip and kicks during it.
the B version goes just in front of kim and the D version goes about half screen distance.
both versions only combos 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, longer reaching move.
Flying Slice (Hienzan): d~u + B/D
Kim launches himself straight up into the air while doing a kick.
The B version has full startup invul but none on the active frames. The D version only has a bit of startup invul. So neither of them are real reversals.
B version is a good anti air as it has nice hitboxes for it and is fast.
D version can also work as an anti air but it's less reliable. * D version can also work as an anti air but it's less reliable.
Both versions combos from lights and heavies.
both versions are punishable on block.
D version is the preferred one to use for combos due to its followup.
Additional Attactk (Tenshozan): (during D Hienzan) d + D
an extra hit at the end of the d~u+D.
causes a hard knockdown so it's always worth doing.
the followup can miss if the d~u+D hit pretty far out or if it hits weird in the air.
Blowing Sandblaster: d~u + A/C
Kim launches himself up into the air and delivers a series of kicks.
The A version does les hits and doesn't fly as high as the C version.
will combo from lights and heavies.
Mainly used for combos as it's not as good of an anti air as d~u+K.
compared to using d~u+D for combos d~u+C 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 d~u+D.
The A version isn't very useful.
punishable on block.
Comet Cruncher: b~f + B/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 it both grounded and airborne opponents.
The second hit causes a hard knockdown on hit.
punishable on block.
Flying Kick: (in the air) qcf + B/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.
he has a very specific corner infinite with it.
Spirit of Conquest Kick: d, d + B/D
Kim stomps the ground in front of him.
the stomps most important feature is the stomp cancel glitch. This glitch allows for the stomp to be super cancelable into his qcb,db,f+K super when you have meter. When you don't have meter but still do the super input however it does something completely different. It cuts 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: dd+K b,f+K.
The stomp can destroy ground travelling projectiles.
the D version can OTG.
Triple Attacks: qcb + A/C (can enter 3 times in a row)
Kim delivers a series of kicks. For each time you input it he will do another kick.
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 between the first two hits is that the first and second hits of the C version are less safe on block than the A version.
The first hit hits mid and is safe on block so if you see them blocking the move end it here.
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.
The A version of this move is mostly better than the C version. It's both safer on block and it lands a better reward on block.
but the A version won't combo properly if there is too much pushback sp it will only combo well from a cl.C hit.
the C version is better to combo with from his other cancelable attacks.
Desperation Moves
Heavenly Phoenix Kick: qcb,db,f + B/D
Kim flies forwards and when he hits he delivers a series of strikes. If it gets blocked he will still deliver the hits.
combos from lights and heavies
good as a long range punish.
Has invul startup but none on the active frames.
punishable on block.
MAX version does more damage.
Phoenix Flattener: qcf, db, f + B/D (possible in the air)
Kim flies forwards in the air and when he hits he teleports back to the ground and delivers a series of strikes. If it gets blocked he will still deliver the hits.
combos from lights and heavies
good as a long range punish.
Has invul startup but none on the active frames.
This move is air unblockable.
punishable on block.
MAX version does more damage.
Combos
Meterless
Low
cr.B, cr.A, qcb+Cx3:
cr.Bx1~2, cr.A, d,u+C:
Less damage than qcb+Cx3 but can work from slightly further range, at close range you can add a second cr.B.
Anywhere
(j.X), cl.C(1), qcb+Cx3:
(j.X), cr.A, d,u+C:
Useful combo for when you're too far away for cl.C to hit after your jump-in, but you need to charge down during your jump for d,u+C.
Very Close
(j.X), cl.C(1), qcb+Ax3, d,d+D:
Stomp Cancel
Kim's B stomp, d,d+B, has a special property where if you try to cancel it into qcb,db,f+K but you have no meter for a super, it will instead cancel the recovery frames of the stomp, letting you combo afterwards or continue putting pressure on the opponent.
The extra mode dash, or "Step" dash is recommended, as it increases Kim's walk speed, making it easier to combo after a stomp.
Also, know that you can shorten qcb,db,f+K to qcb,f+K or d,b,f+K, which can make the cancel easier.
In any 1 stock combo, you can replace qcb,db,f+K with qcb,db,f+BD for more damage if you have 3 stocks in Advanced Mode or are at low health in Extra Mode Max.
Low
cr.B, cl.C(1), f+A, qcb,db,f+K:
cr.B, cl.C is a 1 frame link, very difficult timing
