Gazan

Gazan
Ichigo using Gazan in the air.
Universe	Bleach
User(s)
Effect	Ichigo slashes Zangetsu downward, meteor smashing opponents in the way.

Gazan (牙斬), previously referred to as Down Swipe, is Ichigo's down special move in Super Smash Flash 2.

Overview

When performed, Ichigo brings Zangetsu in front of him and plummets to the ground with it, slashing downwards. If performed on the ground, Ichigo first does a Flash Step jumping upward. When Ichigo does this while next to an opponent, the opponent will become paralyzed for a moment and take the full force of the attack. If the special button is held while performing the grounded version, the move will be delayed and Ichigo will jump higher before plummeting. If performed in the air, Ichigo also has the ability to veer slightly to the left or right while plummeting. The attack sends opponents hit downward as a meteor smash, and it deals more damage and knockback depending on how high he fell. At minimum, it deals 6% damage and decent knockback, while at maximum, it deals 50% damage and extremely high knockback, making for a one-hit KO to opponents hit (although the height required for this can only be achieved with certain conditions).

The move is dangerous to use off-stage because Ichigo cannot stop the move's animation until he lands or grabs a ledge, causing him to plummet into the bottom blast line if there are no platforms beneath him. This also can lead to a sacrificial KO if Ichigo hits an opponent on the way down. Aside from this, the move is risky to use in general due to how easily Ichigo can be punished for using it; not only is there considerable startup lag, but Ichigo is not invincible while using his Flash Step and can be attacked from the back, or even from the ground. When the attack itself is executed, he is also vulnerable from the back, or from the ground if an opponent has a big enough hitbox to hit Ichigo before his blade touches them. The move also has ending lag and travels somewhat slowly, making it easy for opponents to avoid and punish. However, if Ichigo does hit the opponent then he will be able to follow up with another attack almost instantly, making it useful for combos.

Origin

Ichigo using his three versions of Gazan in Bleach: The Blade of Fate.

Gazan is rarely seen used by Ichigo in the Bleach franchise, as it originates as a Special Attack in the game Bleach: The Blade of Fate. It is a powerful move performed by first performing a jump-rising version of Ichigo's crouching heavy attack, an upward slash, and then performing his midair heavy attack, a downward slash. There are three versions of the move based on which attack button (light, medium, or heavy) is pressed, with the move rising higher the more powerful it is. The move is useful to attack opponents in the air, and it can also be done in midair. Unlike in SSF2, the move makes no use of the Flash Step technique, and Ichigo does not plummet down uncontrollably after using it. Gazan also appears in other Bleach video games, such as Bleach: Dark Souls and Bleach: Shattered Blade.

Gallery

Screenshots

Ichigo preparing to use Gazan on the ground on Hueco Mundo.

Ichigo using Flash Step to jump up with Gazan.

Ichigo paralyzing Meta Knight with Gazan.

Ichigo slashing Meta Knight.

Ichigo using Gazan on Mega Man.

Ichigo falling when reaching the maximum power level of Gazan on PAC-MAZE.

Early designs

The first early design of Gazan being used in the air.

The second early design of Gazan being used in the air.

Ichigo hitting Mario with Gazan's second early design in the air.

The third early design of Gazan being used in the air.

The first early design of the startup for using Gazan on the ground.

The second early design of the startup for using Gazan on the ground.

Ichigo paralyzing Bomberman with the second early design of the startup for using Gazan on the ground.

The first early design of the Flash Step used to jump with Gazan.

The second early design of the Flash Step used to jump with Gazan.

Trivia

• Prior to v0.2a of the SSF2 Demo, Ichigo's down special move was instead Stunning Slash. It was changed to Gazan due to Stunning Slash being abusable and lacking creativity.
• Prior to v0.8a, Ichigo would not jump into the air when performing Gazan on the ground, instead simply performing the same attack used in the air.
• Prior to Beta, there was no cap to how much damage and knockback this move would be able to deal. Thus, after falling for a certain time period, the move was capable of dealing more than 999% damage with so much knockback that it would cause the game to lag when trying to calculate it.