| This article explicitly refers to this character in regards to their appearance in Super Smash Bros. Strife. For information on this character in other contexts, see Neku Sakuraba. |
| Neku | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Series |  The World Ends With You
|
| Debut title | The World Ends With You |
| System of origin | Nintendo DS |
| Year of debut | 2008 |
Neku Sakuraba (Japanese: 桜庭 音操 Sakuraba Neku) is the main protagonist of The World Ends With You and a third-party newcomer to the Super Smash Bros. series in Super Smash Bros. Strife. Neku was released as part of the Super Smash Bros. × Square Enix downloadable content pack. In battle, Neku can use a variety of different Pins to deal damage to his foes.
Neku is voiced by Jesse David Corti in the English version, and Kōki Uchiyama in the Japanese version.
Description[]
Neku Sakuraba is the main protagonist of The World Ends With You. He is an introverted man from Shibuya, who forbids himself from making friends due to his only other friend dying in an accident that he blames himself for.
A player in the Reapers' Game, Neku was killed in the midst of a sudden gunfight while admiring a mural. As a player in the game, Neku inhabits the Underground, an alternate plane of existence that the living has no knowledge of, and uses the powers provided Pins to fight back the Reapers to win their game.
Moveset[]
| Special Move | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral Special Move | Spark Core | Neku fires a small orb of electricity, which travels forwards and slightly towards a nearby fighter. The attack can be charged to increase the speed at which it travels. | |
| Custom Variants | Lightning Moon | The orb travels in an upwards arc instead of straight ahead. The attack travels slightly further, but deals less damage. | |
| Thunder Pawn | The orb does not travel as far, and does so at a slower speed to deal more damage. It can not be charged. | ||
| Spark Shot | Neku can fire up to three smaller blasts in succession that travel much further but deal less damage. | ||
| Side Special Move | Velocity Crash | Neku dashes forwards a short distance, slamming his body into a nearby enemy to deal massive damage and knockback, but also some recoil damage to himself. | |
| Custom Variants | Tin Pin Dash | Neku travels much further, but deals very minor damage and knockback. | |
| Velocity Tackle | Neku dashes forwards an even shorter distance, but he deals even more damage and knockback with even more recoil damage taken. | ||
| Velocity Attack | Neku dashes forwards a further distance, and travels through opponents, dealing slight damage to those he travels through. | ||
| Up Special Move | Teleport | Neku disappears, before reappearing a short distance away, dealing slight damage to those around him when he reappears. | |
| Custom Variants | Leo | Neku can not travel as far away, but when he reappears he creates a sonic boom effect to knock away all those around him. | |
| Top Gear | Neku does not teleport per se, instead travelling as a ball of light that deals damage to those who come in contact with him. He travels at a much faster speed, but does not travel as far. | ||
| Aquarius | Neku travels a much further distance but does not deal damage when he reappears. | ||
| Down Special Move | Time Bomb | Neku creates a glowing sphere of energy where he stands. It will explode shortly thereafter, dealing great knockback but little damage. Only one can be placed on the stage at a time; if the move is attempted to be used while an orb is still on the stage, the first will explode and Neku will place another one where he is. It can also be placed in the air. | |
| Custom Variants | Flying Bomb | After being placed, the orb will slowly move upwards before exploding after a few seconds. The explosion meteor smashes those in the air, and deals slightly more damage. | |
| Large Bomb | The bomb is larger, and its explosion deals more knockback and damage. Neku, however, takes longer to spawn the orb, having to charge for a moment before it appears. | ||
| Momentum Bomb | After spawning the orb, Neku will push it forwards, exploding on contact with a fighter or object. The explosion is much weaker (dealing very little knockback and less damage), though the move can be used faster in succession. | ||
| Final Smash | Final Fusion | Neku calls upon the powers of his friends (namely Shiki, Beat, and Joshua; all of whom get cut-in portraits as he uses the attack), and fires one small beam of light across the stage in front of him to mark those who touch it with an X before they explode, dealing massive damage and knockback. | |
Taunts[]
| Direction | Description |
|---|---|
| Up taunt | Stretches, holding his arms above his head. |
| Side taunt | Shrugs in an exaggerated manner. |
| Down taunt | Holds his fist out in front of his face angrily, saying "Let's go!". |
On-Screen Appearance[]
Teleports onto the stage with blue lighting surrounding him.
Victory Fanfare[]
The victory fanfare used by Neku is a remix of the beginning of the song Twister from the The World Ends With You original soundtrack.
Victory Poses[]
- Turns away from the screen and throws his headphones onto the ground behind him, saying "That's how it's done."
- Stretches his arms out, saying "Full of fail. As usual."
- Looks at his hand before looking to the sky and sighing.
Alternate Costumes[]
| Neku's alternate costumes | |||||||
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| 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | ||||
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| 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | ||||
| # | Colour | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | Based upon Neku Sakuraba's appearance in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. | |
| 01 | Has a colour scheme similar to that of Sora's from the Kingdom Hearts series. | |
| 02 | Has a colour scheme similar to that of Riku's from the Kingdom Hearts series. | |
| 03 | Based upon the colour scheme of Shiki Misaki, Neku's first partner in The World Ends With You. | |
| 04 | Based upon the colour scheme of Daisukenojo Bito ("Beat"), Neku's third partner in The World Ends With You. | |
| 05 | Based upon the colour scheme of Raimu Bito ("Rhyme"), a major character from The World Ends With You. | |
| 06 | A monochromatic colour scheme visually similar to that of Sho Minamimoto, a major antagonist from The World Ends With You. | |
| 07 | Based upon the colour scheme of Uzuki Yashiro, an antagonist from The World Ends With You. | |
| 08 | Gives Neku a green and yellow colour scheme, that seems to not be based on any other characters. |
