Demon Uppercut (鬼神拳 Kijinken?, lit. "Fierce God[1] Fist") has been a signature move of Heihachi Mishima since the PlayStation port of the first Tekken game.
Since Tekken 3, the move has also been part of Kuma and Panda's moveset, and while it kept its name in the US and EU versions, it was renamed Bear Fierce God Fist (熊鬼神拳 Kuma Kijinken) in the Japanese version.
In Tekken 3, Heihachi can chain a Demon Uppercut to the Spinning Demon the same way he can the Dragon Uppercut and Tsunami Kicks. The combo was called the Spinning Demon Uppercut, and when the move was removed in later games, the name was given to the Dragon Uppercut version of the move.
In Tekken Tag Tournament and Tekken Tag Tournament 2, both variations of Demon Uppercut are tag bufferable.
In Tekken 8, Demon Uppercut is renamed to Demon God Fist in Heihachi's command list, while it remains the same for the bears. Heihachi's version will trigger a Tornado against an airborne opponent. When Warrior Instinct is active, the move will deal chip damage on block and has increased range.
Description[]
The user performs a powerful advancing right uppercut that launches the opponent high into the air.
If Kuma or Panda hits an opponent with this move, the opponent is launched much higher, in a style similar to Hwoarang's Sky Rocket. Kuma's version can also hit downed opponents, though Heihachi's Demon Uppercut would only do the same starting with Tekken 7: Fated Retribution.
Beforehand, this exact attack was used as Heihachi's Twin Pistons second input before Tekken 6.
Usage[]
As a strong mid launcher that boasts excellent range, Demon Uppercut is a high-risk, high-reward attack that can be used as a punisher when an opponent whiffs or crouches. As the user crouches down, they are able to crush most high and even some mid attacks. Because the move uses the f,F command, Heihachi can use it as part of his Wavedash mixups. In Tekken 3 and Tekken Tag Tournament, the move can be used for okizeme if the opponent is launched from a side angle. This would be deadlier for larger characters like True Ogre, as Demon Uppercut hits grounded large characters from any angle but their feet towards. While it can be a bit slow to come out, the reward is the highest launch Heihachi is able to muster. In Tekken 3, the chance to perform some of his most damaging combos increases once the move successfully connects with the opponent.
While Kuma and Panda's variant serves the same purpose, minus the Wavedash, skilled players can use Demon Uppercut as a punisher for moves like Lars' Lightning Screw or even crouch cancelling to punish low attacks like the Spinning Demon.
A critical issue that both share is that they are launch punishable on block, but only if the opponent is close enough due to the notable pushback caused by blocking the attack. Depending on the matchup, the user can easily get away with using Demon Uppercut several times unchallenged, or they may suffer a combo against an opponent that is more savvy to the attack. Characters with long range launchers like the Jack series or Gigas can easily launch punish Demon Uppercut.