Last update: 30th of December 2021.

This document is also available on Dustloop[www.dustloop.com] and is more likely the more up-to-date version. It also includes a more detailed okizeme guide.

Special thanks to Spark, Seigi and von_yaourt for taking the time to read to it and add suggestions. Schneider-X for reading, writing and correcting several parts of the guide. MLSword for reuploading the videos.

Note: This guide doesn’t include a combo section. Bread and Butter combos can be found on Dustloop at:

BBCF Haku-men combos[www.dustloop.com]

Frame data[www.dustloop.com]
BBCF Haku-men okizeme[www.dustloop.com]
High level Hakumen matches[keeponblaz.in]
Haku-men's discord[discord.gg]

If you have any question, contact me on Discord using the link above.

It also assumes that you are familiar with the basic fighting-games vocabulary and notations. If you are not, check Dustloop at:
Dustloop: Notations[www.dustloop.com]

At low level, the most common mistakes is to abuse Hakumen's C-button because. However, this is a terrible habit as most of his C-normals are on the slow side and punishable. 6C requires a CH to combo, 3C is heavily punishable on block, j.2C is easy to anti-air. Most notably, ending blockstrings with 3C and IAD j.2C are two of the most common issues at low level.

Likewise, most new players tend to abuse the drive button. The drive button is high-risk/medium-reward and isn't a substitute to a proper guard, only use when you are certain the opponent is gonna attempt a meaty, a blockstring with a gap or on reaction.

Most new Hakumen players tend to send too much time in the air and airdash too much. Unfortunately, Hakumen's mobility options are very limited and extremely telegraphed. As such, he is very easy to anti-air. Spending time on the ground, poking with 4C or 2B, hoping back and forth, approaching with 623AA are also very strong tools to deal with neutral.

At last, most new players spend a sizeable amount of meter in combos or pressure. Careful meter management is mandatory with Hakumen as is meter gain is pretty slow and optimal meter management is key at high level. Usually, 2~3 magatama are spent at most in non-OD combos.

Haku-men is a defensive character, who relies on strong neutral tools and powerful combos. His trademark is his unique meter gauge which fills up passively and generates stocks called "magatama". Those stocks are consumed whenever Haku-men uses a special or distortion drives. Meter management is at the core of his playstyle.
His overdrive is also among the best ones in the game, as it boosts his passive meter gain exponentially. It opens up a wide range of combo options and grants him one of the highest damage ceiling in the game.

In neutral, Haku-men possesses some of the farthest reaching normals in the game and decent defensive options with his counters.
His weaknesses lies in his limited mobility, overall slow normals and poor pressure. Consequently, Hakumen tends to struggle against fast characters and zoners.
If you are just starting with Haku-men, this guide will provide a global overview of the character, teach you how to use his tools effectively, and give you a few general tips and tricks.


It includes many links to youtube videos for illustration purposes. Here is a link to a playlist gathering all of them.

Neutral is at the core of Haku-men’s playstyle. He benefits from strong long range pokes: 4C on the ground and j.C in the air. 
One of your top priorities with Haku-men should be to learn the exact range of those pokes to use them properly. 
Video: 4C’s range
Video: 4C's combos
Video: j.C’s range

Those pokes define Haku-men’s neutral. They both are amazing tools thanks to their range. Only a few characters can contest them at max distance. Moreover, landing several of them will deal significant damage without consuming meter. This is particularly useful at the start and the end of a round to respectively gain the life lead and keep your opponent at bay while stocking up on magatamas.

On the negative side, 4C requires a CH to get a combo and it is impossible to combo from a max range 4C. Be careful when using 4C, as it has quite a lot of recovery and a large hurtbox before the active frames. Moreover, both 4C and j.C are susceptible to moves that can low profile and 4C can be punished with a well-spaced IAD.
Video: 4C vs. low profile moves

At close range, Haku-men also has a few neat tools. 2B has deceptively long range for its animation and is very fast for a 2B (8 frames of start-up). His 2A’s reach is one of the best in the game as well. 
Video: 2A's range and a combo
Video: 2B's range and a combo

A very common mistake while starting Haku-men is the overuse of Haku-men’s subpar C-normals ( 3C, 6C, j.2C) at the expense of his other more solid normals like 2A and 2B. Those C-normals are slow and easily punishable. Autopiloting 3C in neutral and blockstrings is especially bad, as it’s -12, non cancellable and leaves Haku-men crouched.  
The earlier the players get rid of that bad habit, the better. Autopiloting 3C and getting punished for that can cost games. Getting rid of such habits may be hard, but are worth it in the long run.
Video: Why 3C on block is bad

Ironically, 2A and 2B are also often more rewarding since 3C and 6C most of the time require a CH to combo, whereas 2A and 2B are special cancellable and can lead to solid combos at a low cost.
Haku-men gains meter passively, as such, turtling from fullscreen to get meter and waiting for your opponent to approach and intercept them with pokes or OD into a powerful combo is an effective playstyle.

Haku-men cannot run and only has access to short hops. Adjusting distance between both characters can be tricky at times. It also makes approaching tough, but several tools are available to help with that. Both forward hop and backdash are fast and several specials move Hakumen forward.

Haku-men holds two excellent specials to approach 623AA and 214D. If used wisely, those moves are very potent neutral tools. 623AA is invulnerable to body and head attribute moves. It does a formidable job at dealing with pokes, jumps and air dashes. It's -4 on block but can be special cancelled into any other special move to frame trap or make it safe. On the flip side, It’s weak against projectiles, throws and lows, other characters can deal with it with strong low normals, like Jin's 3C, so don’t be predictable with it.
Video: 623AA’s range and combos.

To compensate 623AA’s weaknesses, 214D can be relied on. It’s more costly than 623AA but is invulnerable to everything but grabs. If it catches a move, Haku-men will be fully invincible until he recovers, making it very useful to approach zoners. However, It has a long start-up and is punishable (-7) if it doesn’t catch any attack or if it isn't cancelled into another special. The move's invulnerability only starts on the 4th frame. It thus loses against meaty or if poorly timed. Another drawback is that 214D requires meter to combo on top of its 2 magatama cost. As such, combos after it tend to be very costly.
Video: 214D’s range and combos.
Video: 214D’s limit
Video: Punishing 214D

623AA and 214D, no matter how strong they are, they have their weaknesses and over-relying on them will make it predictable and easy to punish. Those options have to be used cautiously. They also require a sizeable amount of meter to worthwhile so use them sparringly.
Haku-men's air dash covers a lot of distance. However, it has a long animation which makes it easy to anti-air. To circumvent that, Haku has access to j.D and J. 214A.
If timed correctly j.D will catch and counter any anti-air attempts, this move is hard to punish in CF2, since it no longer cancels Haku-men’s momentum and has no minimum height requirement. Still, Haku-men will be vulnerable while falling after j.D so be careful when doing it from an high position. Anti-airs that can be jump cancelled on block can block the counter grab if the opponent reacts fast enough.
Video: Using j.D to counter anti-airs

j.214A is a unique air tool, it has every attack property which means it can bypass anti-airs and moves that are also body invincible, like Valkenhayn’s 6A for instance. It also cancels the momentum in the air and has a large hitbox, which can be used after a high jump to make anti-air whiffs and punish them. The attack will only lose to fully invulnerable moves like DPs or moves with full armor.
Video: Using J. 214A to bypass anti-airs’ invulnerabilities
Video: Using J. 214A to make anti-airs whiff

Another approach is to IAD and then using j.A. This can be used to preemptively defeat air-to-air and protect Haku-men against air grabs. This also helps timing an air move as close to the ground as possible and correcting the direction after an IAD cross-up.
Video: IAD j.A j.C sideswitch

j.2C has a great downward and forward hitbox, but it is an extremely slow move. A very common mistake is to use it immediately after an IAD. While it’s possible to hit an opponent from nearly fullscreen with an IAD j.2C, this is predictable and j.2C is very easy to anti-air. The optimal way to use j.2C is near the ground while keeping a certain between both characters. This makes it considerably harder to anti-air succesfully. An example would be 9jc > Barrier/ j.A whiff > Delay j.2C.
Video: Using IAD j.2C to approach (and the risk involved)

Approaching zoners with fullscreen anti-airs is an arduous task. Fortunately, Haku-men can cut projectiles in the air with any sword normal with J. 2A being the most commonly used. It benefits from having a large hitbox in front of Haku-men as well as a lot of active frames. 9jc > Barrier > Delay J. 2A is an efficient way to approach zoners while cutting their projectiles. But be careful, you can still get CH if you input J. 2A too late.

Additionally, Haku-men has an advanced mobility option called forward hop cancel. As the name implies, Haku's forward hop (66) can be cancelled with a jump (7/8/9) while keeping the hop’s momentum. This is done by inputting the jump very quickly after the forward hop. This is especially useful with a forward jump to get a lot of momentum and travel long distances. Forward hop can also be cancelled into a super jump with 62369. This isn't as useful as it makes it easier to go under Hakumen and sideswap. Moreover, 669 already covers more than enough distance for most situations.
Video: Example in neutral
Video: Example on okizeme

Even though Haku-men has a lot of anti-air options, they are all situational and require a proper read of the game.

2C is Haku-men's built-in anti-air, it boasts a huge vertical hitbox and leads to rewarding combos on CH. Sadly, it's a little slow and the invulnerability comes late. It requires a proper read of the game to be effective. Its biggest drawback, however, is its 33 frames of recovery, making easily punishable if it whiffs. To add salt to the injury it leaves Haku-men crouched, which tends to lead to even more punishing combos. On block, it’s special cancellable into 214A and 623A to make it safe.
Video: Example using AA 2C

5A can act like an anti-air since it only has 5 frames of start-up and has a surprisingly decent vertical and horizontal hitbox. 5A should only be used at close range, if the opponent is neither too hight, too far or behind. It's usability also suffers from the logical lack of invulnerability, which hinders its usefulness against mix-up/pressure using jumps.
Video: Example using AA 5A

Sometimes, both of them are hard to use, in particular against ambiguous cross-ups, since they may come out in the wrong direction. In that case, 5D, 6D and 23623 6D can work as alternatives to catch jump-ins. However, they are easily defeated by empty jumps and safe jumps.
Video: Example using 5D

623AA has invincibility to head and body attributes move. Per se, it can thus be considered an anti-air. However, it’s hard to use it at such, since it moves Haku-men forward a lot and most of the time, both 623AA and the opponent’s jump-in will whiff. However, since it moves Haku-men forward it makes it very effective at dealing with air backdashes and certain moves in neutral.
Video: Using 623AA air backdashes
Video: Using 623AA against Izayoi's GA backdash

Overall, 5A is the anti-air that is the most practical, 2C and counters require a greater a understanding of the match's flow, but they shouldn't be ignored regardless. While his anti-airs options aren't that great, they somewhat cover each other weaknesses. Knowing when to use each anti-air is key to be able to win at higher level.

Video: Limits of Haku's anti-airs

As stated in the neutral section, j.C is one of Haku-men's strongest tool. It is one of the air-to-air with the longest reach in the game. A properly spaced j.C can shut down most air-to-air options. Learning how to use it properly is mandatory.

His other air-to air options are nothing to scoff at either. j.A is a very fast air-to-air. It possesses a generous hitbox for a j.A as well as little recovery, it can be used to preemptively beat air approaches or to apply pressure on the opponent after an air dash.
Video: Using airdash j.A to apply pressure
Video: Using rising j.A to beat jump-ins

j.B is a bit slower but has a bigger hitbox and leads to higher rewards on CH. On block, it can be cancelled into j.A or J. 2A to keep the pressure going until landing. It also has an excellent hitbox especially in the back. As such, it’s a strong move after a cross-up.
Video: Using rising j.B to beat jump-ins
Video: Maintaining the pressure with air gatlings.

J.2A benefits from having a lot of active frame and a large hitbox. It can be used if you anticipate that your opponent will airdash and to hit them in the middle of their airdash.
And as stated in the mobility section, it also cuts projectiles making it an excellent defensive air-to-air.
Video: Using rising J. 2A to beat jump-ins
When to use which then? j.A is more effective at close range since it has a smaller hitbox and and is faster, whereas J. 2A is more adequate from further (about roundstart distance plus one backdash). j.B is an in-between, and can be useful after an IAD to get a strong combo on CH.

j.2C and J. 214A can be used as air-to-air as well by exploiting their big hitboxes below them. After an high jump, it’s possible to hit an opponent below to gain the advantage or to punish an air move that whiffed.
Video: Using J. 214A to hit below.

Hakumen’s offense is very situational and subpar. His mix-up tools are very basic. Extending pressure requires using specials and therefore consuming precious meter.
Hakumen is also very weak against barrier blocking and mix-ups are limited. As such, pressure relies more on frame-traps and throw reject miss setups.
Okizeme options are also fairly limited, but are good at preventing the opponent from rolling on wake up and can be surprisingly rewarding if your opponent doesn't know how to deal with them.

Hakumen's most common mix-up options are as followed:
- 2A > 2A > 2B or 6B: Basic meterless high/low mixup. On instant block, there is a gap between 2A > 2A and 2A > 2B and it’s therefore weak against reversals, but this hardly ever happens. By delaying the 2B this mix-up act as a frame-trap and will prevent fuzzy blocking.

- 2A > (Delay) Throw: Basic throw mix-up. Keep in mind that if 2A is barriered the throw will whiff. Delay the throw to beat the Barrier/Tech throw OS.

- 2A/ 5B/ 2B/ 5C/ 2C > 236B/ 41236C: A high-low mixup that uses meter, be wary since Zantetsu has a rather obvious animation and is easily reactable with a bit of practice, so don’t get predictable with it. Delaying the 23 6B prevents fuzzy blocking.

- 2A/ 2B/ 5B/ 5C/ 2C > 623A > Throw: The other throw mix-up, reacting to 623A is difficult and it narrows the gap between both players, making it less vulnerable to barrier.

- 2B/ 5B/ 5C/ 2C > 214A > 2A: Pressure extender, like 623A it brings you closer to the opponent. 214A is only +1 on block, so if it's instant blocked, 2A can be interrupted.

- 2A > 5B: Basic frame trap. There is a 2-frame gap between 2A and 5B. Be careful when using it, because 5B can whiff if you are too far or if 2A is barriered.

- 5B > 2B/ 6B: Meterless high/low mix-up. There is a 2-frame gap between 5B and 2B, making it also a useful frame-trap. 5B > 2B/ 6B is harder to use as 2B and 6B often whiffs if 5B is barriered. 2A > 5B > 2B works at close range even if both 2A and 5B are barriered, but not 2A > 2A > 5B > 2B. With 2A > 5B > 6B, 6B will whiff if either 2A or 5B is barriered.

- 2A > Slight delay 6A: Basic frame-trap, typically used to end pressure safely. It’s a little trickier to use and rare as it comes with a few drawbacks.
6A is -1 (0 from a afar) on block and only gatling into 6B and drives. 6A > 6B is gapless, but 6B is -4 and easy to IB after a 6A. 6A and 6B can both be cancelled by drives, however, it’s an even riskier gamble as it leaves Hakumen open to even greater punishes. If an opponent is respecting too much, 6A > 2A/ 2B can be used to continue the pressure or beat someone expecting a 6B and blocking high respectively. However, there is a wide gap between 6A and 2A/ 2B due to the lack of gatlings.

Those are the most practical ones, he can extend his pressure by using additional specials, but it’s not recommended since meter is precious and the reward won’t be worthwhile.

This section will only cover the basic okizeme options, for more details - check the advanced okizeme section on Dustloop:
As mentioned prior, Hakumen’s oki is pretty weak. However, most defensive options can be covered.
The 3 main okizeme enders are 6B, J. 214A and 3C. Arguably, 6B is the best one and 3C the worst one.

3C:
3C is the easiest to get, it can be done after a grounded hit 2A and therefore a common ender for 0 and 1 magatama combos. 3C isn't that great, since it has a lot of recovery and doesn't provide much frame advantage.
Examples:
* 2A > 2A > 3C
* 2B > 2A > 3C
* 2A >  2B > 214A > 2A > 3C.

Okizeme:
3C > Hop 2A/ 2B: 2A can be used as a meaty, but it loses to rolls. 2B has a lot of active frames, so will catch a lot of opponents if they try to roll forward or backward and you can pick them up for an additional combo. This will lose to most reversals and delayed neutral tech.

j.214A:

j.214A is one of the main air combo ender Haku-men has: j.B > j.2A > jc > j.2A > j.C and j.B > j.2A > jc > j.B > j.2A > j.214A. The former is meterless ender that sends the opponent flying across the screen and therefore a return to neutral. The latter provides a knockdown at the cost of a magatama. In the corner, it gets strengthened a little with j.B > j.2A > jc > j.B > j.2A > j.C >j.214A.
Example:
2A > 2B > 623AA > 5B > j.B > j.2A > jc > j.B > j.2A > j.214A

Okizeme:
j.214A > Falling j. 2C: The standard j.214A okizeme ender after j.214A, j.2C prevents rolls if done low enough and acts as a safe-jump.
The options after J. 214A are very telegraphed and won't be effective against players with match-up knowledge. Regardless, it remains a decent ender, since there is very little thing that can be done against it.

6B:

6B has more hitstun than 3C and often leaves you close to the opponent, as such more options are available. 6B is a little trickier to get midscreen. It requires hitting with 6A. This is mainly done with 2A > 6A, which is only possible at close range.
In the corner, however, it is widely accessible. Routes featuring 236B and j.214B can end with ... j.C > 5C > 6A > 6B.
Examples:
2B > 214A > 2A > 6A > 6B
(Corner) 2B > 236B > IAD j.2A > j.C > 5C > 6A > 6B.

Okizeme:
6B > 6A(whiff) > 2A: A very solid okizeme, 6A prevents rolls and 2A hits meaty.
6B > 9jc > j.A (whiff) > j.2C: Another safe-jump, but it loses to rolls.

Hakumen possess some of the highest damage output of the roster. In fact, with good combo starter 70~80% are easily achievable. Combined with his Overdrive, punishes can be the best way for Hakumen to turn a match in his favor. It’s important to know when to punish the opponent and what moves to use.

The cornerstone of Haku's punishing game is his overdrive, it's one of the best one in the game. It increases his meter gain meter through the roof and provides further access to his high-damage special in combos for a short period. Haku is also the character who exploits EA at the end of combos the best, since it knockdowns and still deal a high amount of damage with AF.
Check the overdrive combo section on Dustloop for more information.

Optimizing OD combos is tricky, as a wide range of routes are available and they heavily depends on the length of your overdrive and the amount of magatama available at the start the combo. However, most of the basic routes deal similar damage under the same circumstances.

Now let's cover Haku's moves which are used for punishing:

5C is Haku-men's trademark move. It boasts an amazing proration and hitbox and it's very easy to combo after it. It can be immediately canceled into overdrive as well, but there is a small window to burst between 5C and OD. On CH, it's possible to block the burst and punish it with another 5C.
Video: 5C CH OD burst bait

3C, or to be more accurate 3C CH, is a very effective punish option that leads to high damage combo at a low cost, 3C is faster and has a bit more reach than 5C. However, unlike 5C, 3C can't be cancelled into OD. The main drawbacks of 3C is that it requires a CH to combo and it's easily punishable if it whiffs or if it's blocked.
Video: 3C CH combo

6C fatal counters and is Haku-men's move with the best proration, but it's more situational since it's fairly slow, requires a CH and doesn't lead to combos if it hits an airborne opponent midscreen. It's main usefulness is to punish an opponent's reversal.
Video: 6C FC combo

As a last resort, OD + 214214B can be used to turn the tables. Mugen combos are extremely powerful and any stray hit may turn into a touch of death. However, this comes at a great cost. If it fails, Hakumen will be out of resources and most likely lose the round.
Video: Punishing Kagura's EA with Mugen

For a more detailed explanation about Mugen, check the dedicated Mugen combo section on Dustloop.[www.dustloop.com]

Defense is arguably one of the most important aspects of learning Hakumen, his movement is limited and some of his better neutral pokes have a lot recovery, so sometimes the best solution is to just block and wait for a chance to counterattack.

Haku-men’s drive is called Zanshin, it deploys a shield in front of him. If an opponent physical moves hit it, Haku-men will initiate a command grab motion and perform a counter. Each of Haku-men’s counter has different properties and catch different types of moves. However, they all lose to throws and the command grab won’t occur if a projectile is caught.
If a move is caught, it’s possible to perform a special move instead of the command grab. That special will be fully invincible for 9 frames. This also works with projectiles, which is very useful against projectile okizeme.
Video: Using Drives cancel into a special to avoid okizeme.

5D has 6f startup and can be held to increase its active frames, at the cost of having more recovery. A good move to catch most air approaches. You can also use it to play mind games with your opponent due to it’s longer than average active frame window when held. It catches moves that are high or mid, but it loses to lows.
Video: Using 5D against jump-ins + combo

2D is active on the first frame. But this comes at the cost of the move having a lot of recovery if not activated. Newer players will probably struggle using 2D at first, it can be extremely hard to time and doesn’t have as large an active frame window as 5D. However, mastering it and it becomes one of Hakumen’s best tools for disrupting opponent’s pressure due to its speed and catching an opponent’s meaty attempts. It catches lows and mid, but loses to overheads.
Video: Using 2D against lows + combo

Just like 2D, 6D is active on the first frame but catches high instead of lows. Unlike 5D and 2D it blows the opponent away instead of knocking them down. 6D leads to combos in the corner and to safe-jumps midscreen. It's usefulness is further strengthened by the fact that it can be used on reaction to counters overheads. Arguably, Haku-men's best drive.
Video: Using 6D against overheads + combo

6B can also be used to crush moves with foot attributes, which includes lows and other moves like 2A/ 3C. On CH, 6B leads to strong combos with little resources. The invulnerability doesn’t start until the 4th frame, so it can’t be used while blocking. But can be useful on wake-up or in neutral.
Video: Using 6B CH against lows.

j.D is an airborne counter and catches lows, highs and mids. This move is used to counter characters with strong air-to-airs and anti-airs. As of CF2, it doesn’t cancel the momentum in mid-air anymore making it much harder to punish.
Video: Using j.D to counter anti-airs + 2 combos

Yukikaze (236236D) is the distortion-drive counterpart to Zanshin and his Haku-men's strongest defensive option. It's active on the 1st frame and catches highs, mids and lows and lands a strong, 1-hit slash (3200) and you can continue to combo by spending additional meter. On successful catch of a physical move, Yukikaze will freeze the opponent and not allow them to rapid cancel, overdrive cancel, or special cancel to escape the follow up.
It's a deadly move as it can be used to end the round without letting your opponent burst and to escape or punish high/low okizeme and mix-ups.
Video: Using Yukikaze against high/low mix-ups

If it catches a projectile, the opponent is not locked in place and can escape it by double-jumping or using a move with a lot of invulnerability or armor. However, Yukikaze is unblockable and safe as long it activates, since Hakumen is invulnerable for the entire animation of the move. As such, this can be used to escape projectile based okizeme and force a return to neutral.
Video: Evading projectile oki with Yukikaze

Lastly, a common habit that most new Hakumen players fall into is relying on counters instead of just blocking; They are effective tools, but is not a substitute for good blocking skills; They are vulnerable to throws and the recovery will leave you exposed, so try to understand when is a good time to use it. A tool is only as good as its wielder after all.
When should you use them then? Well, the correct answer is enough so that they work but not too much so that you don't get punished for using them, consequently this will depend on the opponent in front of you. Some players rely on grabs more often against Haku-men, making his counters harder to use.

To circumvent that, you can really on TK j.214B as it puts Haku-men airborne. It's invincible too so it can also beats air approaches and pokes if timed correctly. It whiffs if your opponent is crouched and therefore doesn’t work against meaty 2A and 2B.
Video: Beating grabs with TK j.214B

A more high-risk/high-reward option is j.214C. It deals a lot of damage by itself and fatal counters. Be extremely cautious with this one, since it has no invulnerability at all, will solely beat grabs and you will lose even more magatama if it fails than with j.214B. 
Video: Beating grabs with TK j.214C

Sadly, counters don’t replace a real reversal and Haku-men relies a lot on Yukikaze to get out of tight situations. A solid defense and nerves of steel are mandatory with Haku-men.
Though not specific to Haku-men, in Blazblue, there is an option select to barrier and tech grabs at the same time. This is done by inputting 1ABC or 4ABC. The point of this OS is to tech grabs without risking doing a grab if it was a bait. This has to be done soon before the grab or it will result in a Throw Reject Miss. Be warned, a skilled opponent will varies with timing of his grab to counter it. Still, this is a very useful option select that you should learn and implement in your game.
If you are having trouble against someone’s blockstrings or okizeme, the best thing to do is to save the replay, analyse them and replicate them in training mode to find their flaws.