Street Fighter 5: Zangief moves list

Guide by Matt Martin Former Editor-in-Chief

Published on Feb. 15, 2016

Get up close and personal with the purest grappler in Street Fighter 5.

Street Fighter 5: Zangief moves list

While there are a number of grapplers in Street Fighter V, Zangief is the purest form of that type of character. All of his skills are geared towards getting in close to the opponent so he can deal massive damage in a grapple. He’s a character that requires patience and a will to come-from-behind for victory after taking damage trying to get in close.

Skills

V-Skill: Iron Muscle (MP, MK Simultaneously)

Zangief flexes and turns red – and in the process becomes invulnerable to a couple of attacks, similar to how Street Fighter IV’s focus attack worked. If you hold down the buttons and press forwards on the stick, Zangief will menacingly stomp forwards in this stance. On release, a flex of the muscles will hit the opponent if they’re close enough.

V-Trigger: Cyclone Lariat (HP, HK Simultaneously when V-Trigger Gauge is full)

Special Moves

Screw Pile Driver (Full 360 Degree Turn + Punch)

Zangief reaches out into a devastating grapple that lifts the opponent high and piledrives them. A key thing to understand about this move is that the button pressed determines both the range and power of the piledriver. A Light Punch piledriver is easier to land as the grapple has greater range, but it also does less damage. A heavy punch version requires you to really be in the opponent’s face to land, but inflicts more damage. There’s also an EX version available, which is the best of all three.

Double Lariat (All Three Punches)

Zangief spins in a speedy spinning lariat that hits high and can knock opponents out of the air or hit them while standing. Holding the stick in a direction while doing this move will also move Zangief slowly in that direction. Fireballs will also pass through Zangief while he’s performing this move.

Siberian Express (Half Circle Back + Kick)

Zangief stomps towards a foe to give them a bear hug, and if he catches them he flips them up in the air and slams them back down in a grapple. The button used determines how far Zangief walks before initiating the grab, which is important as the walk leaves him entirely open.

Borscht Dynamite (While Airborne: Full 360 Degree Turn + Punch)

This new move for Zangief is essentially an air version of the screw piledriver. If your opponent is being obvious as to when they’ll jump, this move is perfect – jump to meet them and perform this and you’ll slam them down and deal a painful amount of damage. Beware, though: this can only be doing while jumping vertically or forward – if you’re backing off, you can’t perform this move.

Critical Art (Super) – Bolshoi Russian Suplex (Full 360 Degree Turn x2 + Punch)

Zangief grabs his opponent in a suplex that’s so powerful and painful that it actually breaks the floor of the stage you’re on – yes, even the concrete ones! This move of course has to be performed up close and personal. A lot of beginners find the easiest way to perform this move is coming right out of a jump, but with practice its input can be performed without jumping.

Unique Moves

These moves are ‘normal moves’, but are executed when pressing certain button combinations or sequences, and often have specific uses and properties. Try them in training mode to see what they’re useful for!