Tekken 7

Devil Jin Tekken 7 Guide 2022

Posted alext96
devil-jin-tekken-7-guide

Introduction

Devil Jin is one of the three “real” Mishimas. He’s a very well-rounded character, but “jack of all trades, master of none” doesn’t really apply here. In fact, people often have trouble pointing out Devil Jin’s weaknesses. He has an answer for every situation – top tier punishment, pressure and combo damage, great mixups with his amazing mids and lows, even some powerful pokes and evasive moves, and a devastating 50/50 for good measure. He really isn’t lacking in any department. This is just in general terms, though.

In Mishima terms, Devil Jin is generally considered a middle ground between Kazuya’s solid keep-out defensive play and Heihachi’s in-your-face pressure game. His punishment and 50/50 is not quite on the tier of Kazuya, and his pressure and poking is not quite as good as Heihachi’s. He averages in all fields. As a result, he’s more versatile, can adapt well to different players and characters and has fewer bad matchups, but he sacrifices raw power in the form of specialization that his other Mishima counterparts can boast. Remember that this is all relative to the other Mishimas – there’s nothing average about the strength of this character.

For more info on playing Mishimas in general, see the Mishima section. Also see TheMainMan’s Devil Jin guide.

Players to Watch: Knee, Yanpan, qudans, Ji3moon Ace, Tongbal Love, Kkokkoma, Lowhigh, Choksae

Playing Devil Jin

Thanks to the all-rounder nature of his arsenal, Devil Jin can be played to suit anyone’s tastes. His tools can be utilized in ways such that he can play offensively, defensively and anywhere in between. In particular, though, I think the best way to get the most out of Devil Jin is to abuse his kit to control space. Specifically, this means forcing your opponent to keep a certain distance away from you, so that you can play at the range you’re most comfortable at.

In order to achieve this, the most obvious thing that comes to mind is the EWGF. The plus frames and pushback from each EWGF will force your opponent back and make them think twice about moving towards you. Many other safe moves like ff+2 and ff+4 have inherent pushback on block as well. Not only does this allow you to keep your opponent at bay, it also moves your opponent closer and closer to the wall, further restricting their movement. Even wave dashing alone can force the opponent to the wall.

Without a wall, Devil Jin is still a force to be reckoned with. His entire arsenal of moves is top tier, and that doesn’t change, regardless of stage. You can dictate how far away your opponent will be with a mix of backdashing, wavedashing and pushback moves, forcing them to play your game, which will always put you at an advantage. It’s clear how well his kit is put together for this purpose. If you feel Devil Jin is slightly lacking in certain aspects, chances are that you have ridiculous expectations or another Mishima may suit your tastes better.

That being said, learning a Mishima is a big time investment. I wouldn’t recommend Devil Jin as your first Tekken character. However, if you’re prepared to dedicate the time and effort, practice daily, and deal with losing 99% of your games until you have passable mechanics, reaction time, decision making and game knowledge, then by all means – and I say this without jest – give Devil Jin a go. Your efforts will be rewarded handsomely. Unlike the other Mishimas, Devil Jin is the only one that consistently remains at the top of the tier lists across games, and that shouldn’t be changing any time soon. Someone at Namco seems to have a soft spot for him. It’s Michael Murray.aa

Notable Moves

Devil Jin’s gameplay revolves around these moves, and neglecting to use any of them would be foregoing his full potential. The moves aren’t listed in any particular order other than the order I thought of them in.

  • EWGF; cd:2 (f,n,d,d/f+2)
    • Bread and butter of all Mishima play. 14 frame high launcher that’s +5 on block with huge knockback – not only safe, but advantageous. It’s a just frame move, though, so it’s somewhat difficult to consistently pull off. Non-just frame version is a5-10 on block with little knockback, which is jab punishable. Very linear like most of his movelist, but Devil Jin’s EWGF actually has the best tracking of the three Mishimas. It also has a very low juggling hitbox despite being a high, allowing for some ridiculous combos that may not even seem possible at first.
    • There’s actually a non-launcher version of this as well, if you wait until the very last frame of the CD and press 2 . I actually find this harder to do than a normal EWGF, and it’s not really practical. This one is actually -4 on block but +12 on hit (both normal and counter), so you get a guaranteed b+1,2. It takes 34 frames to come out, so a situation where this could be useful would be crouch dashing at your opponent at the wall – they see you do a crouch dash but don’t see a move come out so they press a button, and you catch them and get a wall splat. Let’s be honest though – have you ever seen anyone use this?
  • Hell Sweep; cd+4 (f,n,d,d/f+4)
    • Very, very good unseeable low that knocks down for a full juggle, unlike other Hell Sweeps. Has an extension (cd+4,4 for a 2nd mid kick), but in this game, it’s rarely used outside of floor breaking (but Heaven’s Gate is better for that). Both hits are launch punishable, so be smart with it. Despite the animation, this move has zero tracking. If your opponent is off axis by 1 pixel, it will whiff. Make up for this by wavedashing to realign vs good steppers.
  • cd+u/f+3 (wr+3)
    • Devil Jin’s Slash Kick is a mid that gives +9~10 on block, and you’re in the air, so interrupting the move only rewards minimal damage from float. You may think to iWR this, but Devil Jin actually has a special input for the move (u/f+3 out of crouch dash). This allows him to perform the move from range 0 much more easily, as well as realign himself with the opponent if they’re trying to step. One of the perks of having wings, I guess.
    • According to top Japanese Devil Jin player Yanpan, cd+u/f+3 is Devil Jin’s best move. Since he doesn’t a
      • have a fast mid that’s good on block like the standard Mishima f+4, inexperienced players often put themselves at frame disadvantage with other moves and lose while on the resulting defensive, without getting the chance to let Devil Jin shine. Once you’re able to consistently do the CD Slash Kick from any situation, Devil Jin becomes very fun to play and a force to be reckoned with, so he encourages everyone to practice this move.
  • f,f+2
    • Relatively long-ranged mid that knocks down on hit and wallsplats. Very useful for creating distance from your opponent and controlling space since it has great pushback. -11 on block, but due to the pushback,  it’s not really punishable unless you’re fighting near a wall at a weird angle. Even Jack’s f+2 doesn’t reach on open ground. Can be easily stepped and launched, though.
    • A cool “setup” is to buffer the input of his Giant Swing during the recovery frames of the move on block. If your opponent tries to do almost anything, they’ll get caught by the grab. This is doubly effective because your opponent likely won’t be ready to break a grab when they’re trying to attack. If they do nothing, the grab will whiff but they’re out of range to punish thanks to pushback.
  • b+4
    • Mid, safe on block (unlike Kazuya’s, which is -11) and gives full combo on CH. Great oki tool and is literal cancer at a wall. Even hits grounded, but don’t count on that working in your favour. i17 or 18 though, so use it smartly otherwise you’ll get counter hit yourself. It’s all about the timing.
  • d/b+2
    • Low poke that crushes highs and some mids. Nerfed slightly since TTT2 (-13 on block, +3 on hit as opposed to -12 on block, +5 on hit) but still a great move. Recovers crouching so your next input will be WS if you don’t crouch cancel. Good to mix up with throws, hits grounded reliably and has decent tracking to the right.
  • u/f+4
    • Safe mid that crushes lows and knocks down on hit, with guaranteed follow-up (dash up b+4). Great mid option to use out of wave dash to keep your opponent guessing because it’s very difficult to fuzzy guard. This is the reason Hakaiou considers Devil Jin the best Mishima (other than the fact that his Hell Sweep launches). Use often. The range is a little deceptive, though; it’s actually quite short, so make sure you’re close enough for it to hit. As usual, tracking is very poor. Crushed by AoP.
  • d/f+1,2
    • Safe, mid, mid poke string. Great tool for both applying and relieving pressure. 2nd hit is very delayable, but the string is NCC if you don’t delay it. Also has a “follow up” in d/f+1,2~ff, which makes Devil Jin dash forward a little after the 2nd hit comes out. Not super useful, but ff moves can be done from this micro-dash, so it has its place.
  • ws+4,4
    • Fast, mid, mid poke that does pretty huge damage. Devil Jin also has a lite version of this (d/f+4,4) that’s a bit slower and weaker, but easier to pull off from standing. First hit is safe, second is launch. Kind of delayable but not really hit confirmable (d/f+4,4 is a bit easier to hit confirm). Also -5 on hit, so be careful what you do afterwards.
    • The first hit is a great keep-out move. Your opponent will be reluctant to come in and attack since they don’t know whether or not the 2nd hit will come out, making it a great way to close out rounds. It’s also a very good option to beat AoP and other crushing bullshit. While not as rewarding as b+4, the startup speed makes up for it.
  • Laser Scraper (b,f+2,1,2)
    • Mid string, very good for applying pressure and wall carrying. First two hits are NC, third is not. The 2nd hit is -10 but people will be afraid to punish in case you complete the string. The last hit can be easily stepped and punished, though, so don’t complete the string unnecessarily often. If your opponent is splatted, delaying the last hit gives a clean, unscaled hit for huge damage. You can replace the last hit with d+2 for a higher wallsplat (usually gives you another laser scraper at the wall). You can also replace the last hit with 4 on open ground for oki or to hit after a low/odd angle wall splat. The 4 ender also breaks the floor.

Punishment

Although not quite as good as Kazuya’s, Devil Jin’s punishment is still one of the best in the game. He gets a knockdown at 10 frames, a wall splat at 12 and a launch at 14. He has the best whiff punisher in existence in the EWGF, as well as a means to punish pushback moves that other characters usually can’t.

Standing:

  • -10
    • 1,1,2; Flash Punches
      • Hit confirmable, third hit is very delayable, knocks down.
      • -17 on block, but that should never happen because you don’t have to complete the string.
    • 1,2,2
      • A bit more damage than 1,1,2 but doesn’t knock down.
      • Slightly delayable but not really hit confirmable.
      • -12 on block, +4 on hit.
  • -12
    • b+1,2
      • Good damage and wall splats. High, mid, and 2nd hit can be cancelled into a spin with a bit of forward momentum by holding b after the 2 if you want to mix up (or pressed b+1 by accident).
      • -14 on block now so it’s slightly less punishable, but still unsafe.
  • -14
    • EWGF
      • Launcher. Pretty difficult to pull it off at -14, but it is doable.
      • Basically everything greater than -14 should be punished with EWGF, it’s just that good.
      • Needless to say, it’s the standard whiff punisher.
  • -15
    • d+3+4
      • Easy mode launcher with very limited combo capability compared to an EWGF launch.
      • Sometimes necessary to launch punish whiffs that crush high on recovery. CD ws+2 or even ss+2 is usually better in those situations if you can do it, though.
  • -16
    • f+3+4
      • EWGF is still the best punisher from -14 upwards, but this can reliably punish moves with large pushback like Death Fist or Heihachi’s ff+2 where even a dash electric may not reach or be practical.

Crouching:

  • -11
    • ws+4,4
      • Very good damage, but -5 on hit. Also launch punishable – not a punish you want to be late with.
      • Just doing ws+4 will give you +8 on hit if you want frame advantage instead or are unsure. First hit only is safe.
  • -13
    • ws+1,4
      • This move was added to Devil Jin’s arsenal in patch D of FR. It’s essentially the first hit of twin pistons into his ff+4.
      • Mid, high NC, glorious damage and w!, and safe on block (though 2nd hit can be ducked).
      • Also a screw, so aside from interesting combos, it can launch airborne opponents too.
  • -15
    • ws+2
      • “Launcher” that puts your opponent into automatic S! state, so it has limited combo options, but combos nonetheless.
      • -12 on block, punishable.
    • CC EWGF
      • It takes 1 frame to crouch cancel, so the fastest possible startup frames for CC EWGF is 15. Wouldn’t recommend trying this to punish -15 lows, but it’s pretty easy to do against big, staggering lows like Snake Edge and Edelweiss. Gives you a much better combo than ws+2 does, so try to go for it when you can.

Wave Dash Mixup

The wave dash 50/50 is a core component of the Mishima playstyle. Devil Jin’s mixup looks something like this. His high option gives him optimal combo damage and his low option nets him a somewhat meagre combo, although the true reward here lies in the wall carry. All of the good mid options knockdown on hit for good damage and oki or give him some decent wall carry combos.

  • High options:
    • EWGF
      • Not really part of the mixup, just something you throw out to assert dominance and get the ball rolling. It’s generally a safe option to throw out when you’re indecisive, beause it’s very difficult to launch on reaction when it’s ducked.
  • Mid options (in order of how frequently you should use them):
    • u/f+4
      • Fast, safe mid that crushes low. Very difficult to fuzzy guard so it’s very spammable. Does a big chunk of damage on hit because of the guaranteed follow-up. Use it to keep your opponent in check so that they think twice before ducking because no one wants to get knocked down over and over again.
    • f,f+2
      • Probably the easiest input out of wave dash. Knocks your opponent very far back – even further on counter hit –  and pushes back even on block, so it’s very useful for forcing your opponent to the wall. Great advantage on hit, but your turn is immediately over if it’s blocked. You’ll have the positioning you want, but you’ll have to play defensive afterwards, so use smartly and sparingly.
    • wr+3
      • Not really spammable against trigger-happy opponents due to the slow startup, but once you feel that your opponent respects your wave dash enough to not press buttons, you can start throwing this out. Does great damage on its own and knocks down as well as wall splatting, but it’s also hugely advantageous on block so that you can keep up the wave dash pressure even if you get blocked.
    • b+4
      • If your opponent doesn’t respect your wave dash, b+4 is a great option. When you have a good handle on their timing, bait out attacks by wave dashing and throw this move out to score a counter hit and net huge damage. It’s safe but significantly minus and also very slow, so like ff+2, be smart about when you use it.
    • ws+2
      • Unsafe and only gives a small combo, but doesn’t require CH to do so. I wouldn’t recommend using this unless you have confidence in your reads, or your opponent doesn’t punish it. You also need to be pretty confident in your execution, because doing ws moves from crouch dash does require some timing. Happens to have decent tracking as an added bonus.
    • Cd+3

      • Alternative “launcher” that gives a subpar combo on regular hit but hits grounded & is safe. Also crushes low but zero tracking. Pretty slow too, most people can block on reaction. Holding d/f for the low option adds another layer of depth to the mixup but it’s not a very good one.
  • Low options:
    • Hell Sweep
      • The only real low option from wave dash that you need to concern yourself with. There’s very little reason to use anything else since it’s unseeable. Gives a small combo on normal hit, which is useful for wall carry, but it’s death on block so condition your opponent with mids before throwing this out. Or throw this out until they start to block it, then use mids. Whichever you prefer.

Note: when going for the wave dash mixups, you don’t need to be too concerned with tracking. Done correctly, wave dashing will realign you with your opponent and will allow you to go for the same linear 50/50. This is much more preferable to trying to catch your opponent with tracking moves that offer little reward. See the bottom of the section on wave dashing for more info.

Okizeme

Thanks to his ability to wave dash, Devil Jin’s ground game is also in a league of its own. The wave dash 50/50 can be applied to great success on a grounded opponent because they have significantly fewer options to avoid your wave dash mixup. They essentially have to stand up and immediately guess the mixup, try and catch you with a getup kick, or simply stay grounded. Devil Jin has tools to shut down every option.

  • b+4
    • As mentioned earlier, it is literally cancer at a wall. Not even joking, your opponent will develop tumors. If they don’t know to tech, they will eat this move over and over again. Guaranteed after some wall enders.
    • Hits grounded unreliably, but pretty frequently.
    • If they go for a getup kick and you hit first and get CH, you’ll get a full combo so be ready with the d/f+2.
    • Guaranteed after u/f+4 knockdown (needs a bit of a dash).
  • u/f+4
    • Doesn’t hit grounded but is safe and crushes the low getup kick.
    • Connecting this move gives you more oki.
    • Knocks the opponent off to your left rather than right in front of you.
    • It’s possible to pick up the opponent for a combo if you hit this with a wall to your left.
  • d/b+2
    • Hits grounded reliably for good damage and has very good tracking, especially to Devil Jin’s right.
  • d+1+2
    • Devil Jin’s stomp, the down laser. The move can only be used when the opponent is grounded.
    • Deals very good damage but the range is short and it can be blocked if the opponent gets up and blocks low. -13~16 on block depending on range, but it’s launch punishable almost every time.
  • Hell Sweep (cd+4)
    • The first hit will hit grounded, the second hit will not (unless the opponent is near a wall and doesn’t tech). Grounded damage is pretty meagre, though. The primary usage is to trip quick getups and get a combo.
  • cd+3
    • Another oki option out of crouch dash, but mid this time. Happens to hit grounded
    • Will crush low getup kick, and gives you a launch on hit.
    • Safe on block as well. The worst thing that can happen is the opponent doing a getup mid kick and knocking you out of the air for minimal damage.
    • Very linear (just like all of his other moves), can be avoided by tech rolling.
  • d+3
    • Tap kick, relatively safe option to hit grounded. Also knocks your opponent surprisingly far away.
    • Relatively low damage but will hit grounded consistently unlike d+4.
    • Forces crouch on hit (if the opponent is standing, obviously).
  • b+1,2
    • Not an oki tool per se, but it is the punisher for getup mid kicks. They’re -12 but quite long range and difficult to punish. Not for this move, though. Block the getup kick and b+1,2 to knock your opponent right back onto the ground, or splat them onto the wall if it happens to be nearby.

Wall Game

Devil Jin has some of the best potential for wall pressure of any character, of any game. In my opinion, Devil Jin is at his best when he has the opponent’s back to the wall. He has numerous very strong moves to utilize at the wall to suffocate his opponent, including a variety of high-damage, wall splatting mids, and of course, the notorious EWGF.

  • EWGF
    • It’s actually a viable strategy to repeatedly EWGF at the wall. The move is +5 and, done perfectly, i14. This means if you throw consecutive EWGFs out and your opponent tries to jab in between (typically the fastest action they can make), your EWGF will come out one frame faster and connect first. They will have to duck eventually, and if you guess right, you can hit them with one of his devastating mids.
  • ff+2
    • Excellent wallsplat mid to include in your wall pressure. -11 on block, but the self-pushback at the wall will save you from being punished by most of the cast. This will also break walls and balconies.
  • Laser Scraper (b,f+2,1,2)
    • Another great mid string to use at the wall. Although it isn’t entirely safe per se, people will be very afraid to go on the offensive, as the string is very delayable, so guessing wrong would leave them on the wall. Also breaks walls and balconies.
  • f+1+2
    • Not a very good move to throw out for no reason since it’s -12. The main reason to use it is for the homing properties, as it will absolutely murder people who think they can take advantage of Devil Jin’s weak tracking to escape from the wall. It does 50 damage on its own, plus a wall splat. This move also breaks walls and balconies.
  • ff+4
    • Another homing option to use at the wall. Will wall splat for great damage, and it’s +5 on block like an electric (although slower startup). Use this if you’re not feeling ballsy enough to go for the f+1+2. This one also breaks things on the stage.
  • ff+1+2
    • The stonehead throw. This move does splat, so it’s another good option at the wall to break through your opponent’s defenses.
  • wr+3

The slash kick finds itself worthy of mention here too. Since Devil Jin can do it instantly from crouch dash at range 0, it’s a viable tool to use at the wall. Crushes those pesky d+4’s that try to halt your offense and gives great pressure.

  • Lightning Screw (b+1+4)
    • The short version of Devil Jin’s unblockable. It doesn’t get enough credit, it actually comes out a lot faster than you would think. Great tool at the wall to forcibly open up a very defensive player. Will give you a very high wall splat so you can easily go to town with a Laser Scraper or Heaven’s Door or whatever. Players at all levels tend to just stand there and watch it come out, and even if they do react, it will usually just be by a panic jab or something. Especially useful as wall oki.
  • b+1,2
    • It’s not really a wall pressure tool just like it’s not really an okizeme tool, but it deserves a mention in this section too. i12 punisher that will wall splat, pretty self explanatory. You can step the opponent yourself and throw this out to get them onto the wall as well. b+1,2~b, b+1,2 is a dumb setup that works surprisingly often.

Throws

Although he’s not much of a grappling character, Devil Jin does have a handful of useful throws. While his generic throws aren’t much to write home about, his command grabs are actually quite rewarding. He’s also one of the handful of characters that have a 3-way grab mixup, meaning he has at least one grab that requires each kind of break.

  • 1+3
    • The generic 1 throw. Nothing really noteworthy. You will remain on the same side.
  • 2+4
    • This is also just a generic 2 throw. The animation has been changed to Angel’s objectively better 2 throw animation, although this means they no longer remain at your feet for oki. Will swap sides with the opponent like most generic 2 throws.
  • ff+1+2
    • The Mishima stonehead throw. Simple input and very good next to walls as it can splat.
    • You will swap sides with the opponent if this throw is broken. This can be used to your advantage.
    • The throw is broken with 1+2.
  • Giant Swing (f,b,d/b,d,d/f,f+1+2_f,hcf+1+2)
    • This is Devil Jin’s iconic laser grab. It has a very fast grab animation and deals great damage.
    • Since the throw begins with a forward input, it is possible (and recommended) to do this throw out of wave dash.
    • Inconsistently swaps sides depending on the presence of nearby walls.
    • The throw is broken with 1+2.
  • qcb+1+3
    • Good damage and leaves the opponent grounded in the FUFA position.
    • Inconsistently swaps sides.
    • The throw is broken with 1.
  • d/f+2+3
    • Good damage and leaves the opponent grounded in a very favourable position, sort of sideways on the floor very close to you.
    • This throw can break the floor, and lets you combo afterwards. Note that this gives you an awkward side combo, though.
    • Inconsistently swaps sides.
    • The throw is broken with 2.
  • Heaven’s Door (cd+1~u)
    • Probably the most common throw you’ll see from a Devil Jin player, the standard devil hit-grab.
    • Often used as a combo ender at the wall or after a wall/balcony break.
    • Now breaks the floor, so you can (continue a) combo off of this as well.
    • Inconsistently swaps sides.
    • Cannot be broken.
    • Looks cool.
  • Armbar
    • Devil Jin is one of the handful of characters that can do the armbar (1+2) after the ultimate tackle (FC d/f+1+2). You can to punch up to three times before going for the armbar.

Rage Drive

Devil Jin’s Rage Drive is pretty garbage. I’d go so far as to say it’s one of the worst in the game. On paper, a safer and more damaging Hell Sweep sounds great, but it doesn’t actually add anything useful to his toolkit. You will always get more damage if you do a regular Hell Sweep into Rage Art. Being -14 instead of -23 is meaningless as well because when you’re low enough to have rage, an i14 punisher will still kill you most of the time anyway, especially because it’s a standing punish. Your opponent doesn’t even need to work to block the 2nd hit either – if they block the first one, they’ll automatically stand and block the 2nd one. The system literally does not let them get hit by the 2nd hit if they block the first one. You’re almost always better off using a regular Hell Sweep except in two very rare and specific situations.

These are the two situations where this move is better than a regular Hell Sweep:

  1. It crushes high for the first 12 frames after being blocked (this is false, Devil Jin can still be hit by highs after getting his hellsweep blocked, try punishing him immediately with Kazumi’s 112 and it will connect), so if your opponent goes for jabs or a high i12 punish it and doesn’t delay it slightly, you can get away without being hit. This isn’t a particularly good attribute, it just relies on your opponent not knowing something, which is true of any move. You should never be counting on this in the first place.
  2. At an awkward wall position where you’re somehow unable to do a Rage Art after Hell Sweep, you can do Rage Drive into Heaven’s Gate for a bit more damage. This is a slightly more legitimate use of your Rage Drive than the previous one, and the only really valid one. In every other situation though, just do a Hell Sweep man.

Fly

FLY is Devil Jin’s stance. It has a bit of startup time and only lasts about a second. It’s pretty unsafe, both the ascent and descent and everything in between. Delayed jump kicks and most hopicks and d/f+2s will score the opponent a float. He remains airborne throughout the stance though, so damage is scaled and moves will be crushed accordingly. You can enter the stance by pressing 3+4, but you’ll never enter the stance this way. Some of Devil Jin’s moves can transition into FLY by holding ~u during the animation. Specifically, he can enter FLY with u+4~u, d/f+3,2,4~u and f+4,3~u.

In this stance, Devil Jin gains access to 4 new moves.

  • FLY 1
    • A high punch which wasn’t too useful in previous games, but now screws. Typically used to follow up u+4~u for a surprisingly damaging combo. Also 0 on block and will insta-screw on regular hit like his ws+2. Generally better to use this instead of letting FLY time out so that you don’t get punished on the way down, as long as your opponent doesn’t duck or backdash because the range is really short.
  • FLY 2
    • Devil Jin’s other unbreakable throw. I didn’t mention it in the throw section because it’s theoretically garbage. The animation is super slow and telegraphing, and the move can easily be sidestepped or ducked, at which point it recovers slowly enough for the opponent to go and make a cup of tea and then come back and launch you.
    • In practice, people get hit by this all the time and I have no idea why. Everyone just seems to forget it’s an option. Even if they remember about it, you can usually get away without getting punished even if they step or duck it because the way it recovers actually makes it kind of awkward to punish if your opponent isn’t prepared.
  • FLY 3
    • A mid dive kick which knocks down. Very volatile frames, -15 to -9 depending on range, but generally you should consider it unsafe. u+4~u, FLY 3 is a legit floor breaker, though. d/f+3,2,4~u, FLY 3 also works as a floor-breaking combo ender depending on the walls.
  • FLY 1+2
    • The fly laser. Hits mid, but also very slow and, of course, linear. Don’t expect to catch anyone off guard with this either, but if you end a combo with d/f+3,2,4~u, you might hit them as they get up. You can also do f+1+2 from FLY to fly behind your opponent before doing the laser. Don’t do this, though, as they’ll know the laser is coming and you will die. There are better ways to swap sides.

From what I’ve said so far, you probably think FLY is a pretty useless stance outside of the transition for the u+4 combo. You’re right, but FLY also has another niche use. Devil Jin can enter FLY directly from grounded (face-up only) by pressing u+3+4. He flies up pretty quickly, which can be used to avoid running mix-ups and the like. Just remember you also need to get down safely, and you can also be hit on the way up. Most wall oki will catch you trying to fly up and it will still splat you, so be smart with how you use this.

Combos

Devil Jin has great combo potential, but tapping into that potential requires strict execution. The damage from his easier combos is mediocre at best, although I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s bad. Although the damage of his combos isn’t comparable to the likes of Kazuya and his CH d/f+2 and shiny new rage drive, Devil Jin excels at carrying his opponent (on)to the wall. With a variety of amazing wall splat combo enders like f+3+4, b+2,3 and Laser Scraper, you’re easily able to adjust your combos and get your opponent onto the wall almost every time.

  • EWGF
    • EWGF, EWGF, ff+4 (S!), ff+3,1~ff, 2, f+3+4
      • Practical max damage but a bit tricky to pull off.
      • Drop one of the electrics for easy mode.
        • (It’s not that hard, try to learn to do this consistently.)
    • (near wall) EWGF, ff+4 (S!), ff+3,1~ff, 2,2(W!)
      • Good when near wall after ff+3,1
    • (near wall) EWGF, ff+4 (S!), b,f+2,1,df+2(W!)
      • Good when near wall after ff+4
    • EWGF, EWGF, ff+3,1,2 (S!), ff+3,1~ff, EWGF
      • Good mix of difficulty and reward.
      • Can also dash Laser Scraper post-S! for wall splat.
    • EWGF, EWGF, b+2,3 (S!), Laser Scraper
      • Easy mode, also good for high wall splats when the wall is close-ish (Souq).
  • ws+2_FLY 1
    • ws+2, DEWGF, DEWGF, DEWGF, DEWGF, DEWGF
      • Practical max damage but a bit tricky nigh upon impossible to pull off. 
    • ws+2, DEWGF, 1, ff+3,1~ff, b+4/2, DEWGF
      • Bit less damage and a bit easier to do but probably too difficult to be useful for most.
      • May need to drop the 2 depending how far your ff+3,1 was.
    • ws+2, DEWGF, 1, 1, 1, 1, f+3+4
      • Really good wall carry but kind of hard, need to dash between all jabs.
      • Adjust number of jabs based on distance to wall. Can also end with b+2,3.
    • ws+2, d+2, ws+1,2, f+3+4
      • Salvage combo for when you inevitably mess up the electric.
    • ws+2, ff+3,1, 1, Laser Scraper
      • Easy mode, also good for high wall splats.
    • ws+2, Heaven’s Door
      • Surprisingly good damage compared to other combos.
      • Useful when there’s no space to do full combos.
    • ws+2, DEWGF, 1, Laser Canon/Laser Scraper
      • Laser canon for max
      •  wall carry, laser scraper when near wall
    • ws+2, Laser Scraper (W!)
      • use when near wall after ws+2
    • ws+2. DEWGF, 2, b+2,3
      • Good for oki
  • CH b+4
    • CH b+4, d/f+2, 2, b+2,3 (S!), ff+3,1~ff, EWGF
      • Can replace d/f+2 with EWGF for more damage.
  • CH d/f+2
    • CH d/f+2, 1, ff+4 (S!), ff+3,1~ff, 2, f+3+4
      • Practical max damage.
    • CH d/f+2, 1, ff+3,1,2 (S!), b,f+2,1,d/f+2
      • Good wall carry combo.
      • can replace laser canon with 2, f+3+4
  • u+4
    • u+4~u, FLY 1 (S!), ff+3,1, 1,2, f+3+4
      • Basically the only combo. (Can end with ff 3,1 1 DEWGF for oki)
  • Hell Sweep (first hit)
    • cd+4, EWGF, 2, b+2,3 (S!), ff+3,1~ff, EWGF
      • Practical max damage but a bit tricky to pull off.
    • cd+4, 1+4, 2, b+2,3 (S!), ff, b+2,3
      • Pretty easy, decent damage and oki. Only “difficult” part is the dash.
    • cd+4, 1+4, 2, b+2,3 (S!), fff n, 2, f+3+4
      • Great for wall carry but the dash 2 is a bit annoying.
    • (Near wall)cd+4, 1+4, (1), bf+2,1,df2 W!
      • when near wall before screw
    • (Near wall)cd+4, 1+4, b+2,3(S!), dash 1+4 (W!)
      • When near wall after screw
    • (Near wall) cd+4, 1+4, 1,2,2(W!)
      • When very close to the wall after 1+4
    • (At wall)cd+4,b+4, W!, b+4
      • Only used when directly at the wall
  • Rage Drive
    • cd+4,3+4, d/f+2, 2, b+2,3 (S!), ff+3,1~ff, EWGF
      • Can replace d/f+2 with EWGF for more damage.
    • cd+4,3+4, Heaven’s Door
      • Use when there’s no space to do the full combo.
      • Recovers fast so you can start inputting cd+1~u/f quite quickly.
  • cd+3
    • cd+3, 1+4, 2, b+2,3 (S!), ff, b+2,3
      • Hell Sweep, 1+4 combos should all work.
  • Low Parry
    • d/f+2, 2, b+2,3 (S!), ff+3,1~ff, EWGF
      • Can replace d/f+2 with EWGF for more damage.
    • iws+1,4 (S!), ff+3,1~ff, 2, f+3+4
      • Good wall carry.
    • df+2, 2, b+2,3 (S!), laser canon/scraper
      • Laser canon for wall carry, laser scraper for oki
    • (at wall)bf+2,1,2
  • Wall Enders
    • EWGF, b,f+2,1,2
      • Max damage off of a high wall splat. Delay the last hit for unscaled damage.
    • Heaven’s Door
      • Good wall ender if few hits.
    • b,f+2,1,2
      • Good wall ender if many hits. Standard. Delay the last hit for unscaled damage.
    • b,f+2,1,4
      • Will connect when you have an oddly angled wall splat.
    • 1,1, d+1
      • Hits a bit lower than Laser Scraper, less damage.
    • 1,2, b+4
      • Hits a bit lower than 1,1, d+1, less damage.
    • b+4
      • Hits a bit lower than 1,2, b+4, less damage.
    • ff+3,1,4
      • Hits when the opponent is near but not quite at the wall.
      • Useful when you can’t really get a good splat due to distance.
  • Wall Splat Combos
    • (W!), ssl, f+3 (S!), Heaven’s Door
      • Practical max damage but a bit tricky to pull off.
    • (W!), Heaven’s Door
      • Easy mode, pretty reliable.
    • (W!), d+3+4, Laser Scraper
      • Can-cans can re-splat but requires a backdash or sidestep.
    • (W!), Laser Scraper
      • Omit the can-cans for an easier combo.
    • EWGF (W!), EWGF, Laser Scraper
      • EWGF combo next to wall.
    • cd+4, b+4 (W!), d+1
      • Hell sweep combo next to wall.
      • A 2nd b+4 hits more consistently than d+1 for less damage.
    • b,f+212, (W!) DEWGF, d+4
      • When you get a wallsplat with laser cannon instead of laser scraper
  • Wall Break Combos
    • [Combo w/ screw], (WB!), Heaven’s Door
      • Break with Laser Scraper if you can reach, f+3+4 if you can’t.
      • Standard ender, leaves them at your feet for oki.
    • [Combo w/o screw], Laser Scraper (WB!), u/f+2 (S!), …
      • Can go into ff+3,1 bnb or Laser Scraper depending on hits.
  • Balcony Break Combos
    • [Combo w/ screw], (BB!), Heaven’s Door
      • Break with Laser Scraper if you can reach, f+3+4 if you can’t.
      • Standard ender, leaves them at your feet for oki.
    • [Combo w/o screw], Laser Scraper (BB!), u/f+2 (S!), ff+3,1~ff, EWGF
      • Can go into different screw follow-ups depending on hits.
    • cd+4, cd~ws+4, ff+2 (BB!), u/f+2 (S!), ff+3,1~ff, EWGF
      • Combo off Hell Sweep next to balconies.
    • CH b+4, f+3+4 (BB!), u/f+2 (S!),ff+3,1~ff, EWGF
      • Combo off CH b+4 next to balconies.
  • Floor Break Combos
    • [bnb combo until (S!) near wall or (W!)], Heaven’s Door (FB!), ws+2, Laser Scraper
      • Do the meat of your combo and then Heaven’s Door to floor break.
      • Follow up floor break with ws+2 to get high wall splat and choose a wall ender.
      • Can follow up floor break with b+4 (W!) on the last level of Forgotten Realm.
    • [bnb combo until (S!)], Heaven’s Door (FB!), f+3+4
      • Only real option if they’re not near the wall.
      • Should carry to/near wall at almost any range.
    • cd+4,4, (FB!), u/f+2 (S!), ff+3,1~ff, 2, f+3+4
      • Standard Hell Sweep floor break combo.
    • ws+2, Heaven’s Door (FB!), b,f+2,1,d+2, f+3+4
      • Standard ws+2_FLY 1 floor break combo.
    • d/f+2+3 (FB!), b+2,3 (S!), ff+3,1,4
      • Best option due to awkward side combo.
    • u+4~u, FLY 3 (FB!), u/f+2 (S!), ff+3,1~ff, 2, f+3+4
      • Standard u+4 floor break combo.
    • FLY 2 (FB!), 1, b+2,3 (S!), ff+3,1,4
      • Best option due to awkward side combo.
  • Rage Art Combos
    • [bnb combo until (S!)], ff+3,1, Rage Art
      • Standard way to end a combo with Rage Art.
      • May not connect if you did too many hits (only really happens with stage breaks).
      • Can replace ff+3,1, with cd~ws+4 if you’re unsure of hits.
    • [bnb combo until (W!)], Rage Art
      • Rage Art sequence may not occur if the wall splat is too low.

VS Devil Jin

Like all Mishimas, Devil Jin’s biggest weakness is his tracking. His 50/50 mixup can be sidestepped rather easily and punished appropriately. Additionally, his homing moves are not very rewarding, so the Devil Jin player will generally have to work to realign themselves if you step well. It’s much more likely for them to make a mistake realigning themselves than it is for you to step poorly. However, it’s worth noting that Devil Jin’s electric actually has the best tracking properties of all the Mishimas though, so be cautious when sidestepping.

Furthermore, Devil Jin doesn’t really appreciate playing against high crushing characters like Xiaoyu and Steve, as they force him to rely on his low-hitting mids, which are mediocre at best. They’re generally very slow or non-rewarding. His ws+2 was gimped in T7 since it puts his opponent in an auto-screw state, so he can only dish out minimal damage (although the wall carry and resulting pressure can be devastating). The worst thing you can do is take a CH b+4 for an actual combo if he’s going for mids when he can’t get electrics in, which is something to look out for.