What are the most powerful V-Triggers in Street Fighter V?
Every main Street Fighter game since 1997 has included different options that can be changed for each character in each match. Whether we’re talking about Super Arts in Street Fighter III, the “-ism” system in Street Fighter Alpha 3, or the Ultra Combos in Street Fighter IV, this has become a staple of the franchise and it allows for players to play the same characters in completely different ways.
The most recent version of Street Fighter V takes it up to a higher level by including not one, but two settings to be chosen in each match-up. These are the V-Skill and the V-Trigger of course, and for this list, we’ll be taking into consideration what are the best V-Triggers that help characters make unexpected comebacks and rob the opponents of their wins.
V-Triggers can be used once your V-Gauge is completely full, and since this gauge fills in with each hit your receive or block, it is designed as the main comeback mechanic for the game. So, without further ado, let’s take a look into what are the best V-Trigger options in the game.
10. Rikudo Osatsu (Kage)
SFV S4 Kage V-Trigger 2: Misogi Setups
Kage has had a tough run in SFV, mostly due to his normals being too stubby and his subsequent inability to play a solid neutral game. However, since the definitive patch update, Kage has grown ridiculously popular, as he gained several buffs.
One of the things that always bothered people about Kage is his lack of a normal Hadoken. Sure, he has the Shakunetsu Hadoken, but despite it having multiple its, it has a slow startup that critically worsens its usage. Now finally, with the latest update, the V-Trigger II Rikudo Osatsu allows Kage to fire an actual Hadoken and that is not even half of the story.
If Kage jumps in and lands a heavy hit, he can follow up with crouching fierce canceled into heavy Ryusokyaku that can be canceled into VT2 activation, allowing for big, extended combos. While in Rikduo Osatsu, Kage can use Misogi, which serves as a great combo ender, especially since it has a minimum 30% damage scaling. Not only this, Kage can actually use the infamous Shun Goku Satsu while this V-Trigger is active, and unlike Akuma, Kage can actually combo into the move.
What Makes Rikudo Osatsu Great:
- Kage’s combos become much more damage-dealing
- He gains an actual Hadouken, boosting his zoning game
- Ryusokyaku becomes safer on block
9. Spark Show (Laura)
Laura is known for her steamrolling playstyle, as nothing can stop her once she gets her momentum going. As a hybrid grappler and mix-up character, once she knocks you down she keeps you in a guessing loop that is very hard to come out of.
This is particularly evident when Laura has her V-Trigger I, Spark Show, active. Once activated, Laura’s mix-ups become scarier as her command grabs gain extra damage and stun, and her set-ups become harder to deal with as well, as her Thunder Clap is significantly improved. If Laura starts building momentum, then her opponent will need to get ready for a hard time.
The other great thing about Spark Show is that none of the moves she uses drains her V-Timer, so it really makes Laura a mean, Brazilian threat.
What Makes Spark Show Great:
- Boosted damage and stun on special moves, V-Skills, and even Critical Art
- Laura’s somewhat underwhelming projectile becomes ridiculously better
- Move usage does not cost V-Meter
8. Wisdom of Toth (Menat)
MENAT : V-Trigger Basic Tutorial
Menat is one of the most complex and difficult characters in the entire game, as her fighting style revolves around controlling an orb that can travel and be controlled through the entire screen. Mastering this character is no easy task, but it sure comes with a lot of rewards.
On top of the complexity of her special moves and overall game plan, Menat can use her V-Trigger I, Wisdom of Toth, to summon 6 additional orbs.
These orbs can be controlled individually by holding and releasing one of the 6 punch and kick buttons. Since each button corresponds to a differently positioned orb, using Wisdom of Toth efficiently requires a lot of practice and mastery.
Although its main purpose is to extend combos, to which it has enormously great potential, it also has other uses, such as making some of Menat’s unsafe normals usable without risk or creating mix-up situations, if she releases the orbs while airborne and switching sides.
What Makes Wisdom of Toth Great:
- One of the best combo extenders in the whole game
- Its possibilities are varied
- Allow for great creativity and player expression
7. Kikosho (Chun-Li)
Chun li Vtrigger 2 optimal combos
Chun-Li has suffered multiple changes since she debuted as part of the base roster for Street Fighter V, and one of the more game-changing ones has to be the introduction of her second V-Trigger, the Kikosho.
This move was been part of Chun-Li’s arsenal for many years now and in this game, it sure takes its stand as one of the best V-Triggers out there. Its original activation can come out of any light attack and its subsequent use can be canceled into from Chun’s medium and heavy normals.
Kikosho is such a great tool due to how easy it is to combo into it, as well as the number of powerful options to follow it up. One good example of a simple, short powerful combo with Kikosho would be to dodge a fireball with Chun-Li’s crouching medium punch, cancel it into Kikosho and then go for her Critical Art. Kikosho is also very good during okizeme, as it can be charged to gain guard break properties.
What Makes Kikosho Great:
- Easy to apply in different situations
- Particularly deadly in the corner
- Can initiate awesome set-ups
6. Soul Illusion (Rose)
Rose Soul Illusion Combo Exhibition
Rose’s normals and special moves used to be really unsafe on block, rendering the character hard to use. The final patch update has granted Rose significant buffs that help her overcome this major weakness, so she is now a much better character.
What stands out, however, is how the final balance update made her V-Trigger II, Soul Illusion, so much better and to be honest, scarier. This V-trigger is based on Rose’s super combo in the Alpha days and it basically works as a custom combo that helps Rose increase her damage output drastically.
However, the only issue with Soul Illusion is that experienced players would simply block Rose’s attacks, and be willing to take throws since the damage output was only scary for multi-hitting combos. Well, those days are over because now Soul Illusion can OTG opponents after a throw, allowing Rose to extend a successful throw into a damaging combo, making it much more difficult to deal with.
What Makes Soul Illusion Great:
- Extremely high damage output
- It forces the opponents into a fight or flight mode
- It can be activated outside of a combo and it will still be able to turn the tides of the match, making the opponent worried about upcoming mix-ups
5. Fully Armed (Luke)
Why Luke's V-Trigger 1 is Better | Street Fighter V
Luke is the new poster boy for Street Fighter and he will for sure play a huge role on Street Fighter 6. The opinion of the fanbase was polarizing ever since Luke was introduced, but after the final balance patch, he has become more controversial than ever.
The truth is that many of the top-tier characters were severely buffed, but Luke remained pretty much the strongest character in the game, arguably. What’s so interesting about his V-Trigger system is that his V-Gauge is not drained over time. Quite on the contrary, Luke actually gains meter by not using his V-Trigger.
Luke’s normals on neutral are amazing and during Fully Armed he completely controls the entire screen. Fully Armed allows him to use Rock Smasher, which is a multitude of Sand Blasters that cause a knockdown, and due to the speed of these projectiles, they are awfully hard to react to. Furthermore, if Luke catches the opponent with his EX Sand Blaster, he can convert it into the high-damaging, high-rewarding Thermobaric Thrash. Because the V-Gauge is only drained by the use of Luke’s projectiles, this activation allows Luke to quickly take control of the pace and spacing of the match very efficiently.
What Makes Fully Armed Great:
- V-Gauge increases over time
- Luke becomes a big menace at mid-to-long range
- It significantly restrings the opponent's movement and action
4. Maximum President (G)
SFV AE ➡ Nemo Plays G Maximum President
The President of the World has a unique gameplay design in which he can charge up his Presidentiality Level throughout the match, enhancing his special moves gradually. This comes with the cost of losing a Presidentiality Level for each time that G’s knocked down.
During Maximum President, G becomes much more dangerous, as he is then able to use all of his special moves as if they were at maximum Presidentiality Level, as well as giving him the ability to cancel these special moves into each other. Not only that but his V-Skill 1, G Barrier, which is arguably the best V-Skill in the game, gains the ability to shoot a gigantic projectile that aids G in zoning and extending his combos.
Due to the nature of G’s juggling combos, his potential for high damage and beautiful corner carry is turned up to 11 during Maximum President. He can even carry the opponent from one side of the stage to the other with a single combo, and while he has the V-Trigger I activated he can be knocked down without losing his Presidentiality Level. The activation for Maximum President can also be done by canceling some of G’s most unsafe moves, making him a threat by simply having the V-Gauge full, even before activating the V-Trigger itself.
What Makes Maximum President Great:
- Absurd corner carry
- Preserves the best of G while getting rid of G’s weaknesses while it’s active
- The buff to his G Barrier gives G one of the best and biggest projectiles in the whole game, which can be fired from the ground or airborne
3. Absolute Zero (Kolin)
Rising Up: V-Trigger-2 - Kolin
Absolute Zero is absolutely one of the best V-Triggers in Street Fighter V. Not only does it boost pretty much all of Kolin’s attacks, but it’s also a 2-bar V-Trigger, meaning that Kolin does not need to absorb much damage to be able to use it, and can potentially even use it twice on the same round.
During Absolute Zero, Kolin’s punches have more range and damage, her forward dash becomes a slide across the stage and her Hailstorm becomes much bigger. All this creates many new combos for Kolin and increases her pressure and offensive options exponentially.
The complexity of this V-Trigger does not end there, as she also gains a new move called Frost Edge, which is very similar to the Silver Edge off her Vanity Step, except much more dynamic. Frost Edge can cause knockdowns or make Kolin pass through the opponent if anticipated by the skating dash, and then followed up by Reverse javelin, which freezes the opponent’s stun bar. Mastering this V-Trigger and using it to its full potential is no easy task, as there are many more nuances that need to be taken into consideration, like possible cross-ups by neutral jumping after the skating dash or frame traps that can only be used efficiently by knowing Kolin’s frame data and proper spacing.
The truth is that when Absolute Zero is in the hands of a high-level player, Kolin’s pressure increases to a ridiculous level, and her options become substantially wider.
What Makes Absolute Zero Great:
- Overwhelming pressure
- High-level of complexity allows for intense experimentation
- Only 2 bars of V-Gauge to activate it
2. Tengu Stone (Oro)
Oro VT2 Combos
Lore-wise, Oro is probably one of the strongest characters, if not the very strongest, and that is even why he uses only one arm to fight because if he were to use both his arms it would be too easy. When he was released, however, Oro was somewhat lackluster, as possessing so many quirky moves and fun combos was not enough to compensate for his less-than-good normals.
That’s all changed now with the latest patch, of course, but everyone still remembers that before the big buffs he got, Oro’s game plan was all about one thing: Tengu Stone.
The V-Trigger II requires Oro to absorb enough damage and spend enough time to fill a full 3-bar V-Gauge, but the payoff was sure worth it. Tengu Stone has Oro summon random objects that can come with different properties, and all it takes is that one of the objects connects with the opponent to let the party start. With each hit and each move that Oro throws, the random objects follow in irregular trajectories and hit the opponent, leaving them in a hitstun state that grants Oro the chance to follow up with any combo he likes. Because the objects are always at least 3, there is room to even just spam the same button over and over again, and it will become a combo until the V-Timer is drained and all the objects go away.
Its hazard level, the combo extension potential, and the creation of new combos, as well as the ridiculous damage output that results from this make Tengu Stone not only an amazing comeback mechanic but also an integral part of Oro’s gameplay.
What Makes Tengu Stone Great:
- Randomness that is hard for the opponent to read
- Long combos with an incredibly high number of hits
- It makes any move an automatic hit-confirm and combo starter
1. Aegis Reflector (Urien)
STREET FIGHTER V C.E Urien Aegis Reflector Combos and Mixup
Urien is very execution demanding, his game plan and toolkit are fairly complex, and he supports the best V-Trigger in the game: the Aegis Reflector. This infamous technique has him summon a multi-hitting mirror with many uses. He can summon up to 2 of these bad boys and can cancel into the first one from a lot of his moves.
Aegis Reflector is a threat both offensively and defensively, as it can be used for creative and high damaging combos and can reflect fireballs back to the opponent. It also allows for all sorts of step-ups and you can even choose between 3 different positions off where the Aegis Reflector will appear.
This V-Trigger is an amazingly versatile offensive tool for Urien and it is probably the character’s biggest appeal. Aegis Reflector can do anything from creating a wall bounce effect, to trapping the opponent on an extended hitstun, juggling an airborne opponent, and even changing the opponent’s trajectory mid-air or after a knockdown. Because you can manipulate the positions of the mirrors and use them in all sorts of crazy combos from all sorts of different angles, Urien can rob any player at any time, no matter how low his life bar is.
What Makes Aegis Reflector Great:
- Unorthodox and ever-changing situational combo routes
- Extremely high comeback potential
- Can be used in a big array of different ways, offensively, defensively, for set-ups, and even to create mix-up situations
Whether you think a comeback mechanic is a fair option to have in a fighting game like Street Fighter or not, it’s safe to say they’re here to stay and that they always make a match much more interesting and fun to watch.
The V-Trigger is without a doubt a great introduction to the series and it allows different characters to have a more unique, complete, and robust playing system individually, as well as different players to express their identities in deeper and more interesting ways.
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