SAMURAI SHODOWN V CHARACTERS

Samurai Shodown V is Yuki Enterprise's 2003 reset of the series, dropping the Slash and Bust style split from earlier entries and rebuilding the engine from the ground up. The story sends a wandering samurai into a Shogun-sponsored gathering of the world's deadliest warriors, and the pacing stays true to the side-scrolling weapon-based fighting game roots, with deliberate footsies and one-hit reversals dictating every round.

The Rage Explosion meter and Concentration system give players multiple ways to swing momentum, and the meditation cancel lets you trade meter for combo extensions on whiff punishes. The roster jumps to 24 fighters, with Yoshitora, Mina, Kusaregedo, and Rasetsumaru headlining the newcomer list alongside returning veterans Haohmaru, Nakoruru, and Genjuro. The Neo Geo arcade version came first, with the PS2 and Xbox ports adding extra characters and balance tweaks.