All-Star Battle ★ Noriaki Kakyoin
Noriaki Kakyoin, returns as a playable character in the PS3 title. Most of his attacks are similar to those from the Capcom game (Heritage for the Future).
As one of the mass majority of playable characters in the game with the "Stand" Style, Kakyoin can turn Hierophant Green on/off, changing movesets, as well as having access to the Stand Rush ability returning from the Capcom game, being able to attack in conjunction with his Stand. Kakyoin has 1000 HP.
Kakyoin's battle introduction is him lowering his sunglasses before raising them back up (similar to his re-introduction to the group after his recovery from the hospital, minus the visible scars across his eyes). Kakyoin possesses an alternate costume based on his first appearance in the manga (with his hair slicked further back and him wearing his scarf).
Kakyoin is also a character who made an incredible achievement in the All-Star Battle League, being eliminated in the F Group. He was the character most voted to rejoin the League, coming back into G Group (notably composed of only antagonists) and won the battle afterward, making his way to the finals.
Command List
During a fight, Kakyoin can use several different attacks that were featured in Stardust Crusaders.
ON GROUND Kakyoin can summon or dismiss his Hierophant Green, altering his available abilities.
Kakyoin's normal attacks are different from most others in that they possess great reach and some unique properties, allowing him to attack from medium and long ranges even without special skills.
Medium attack (
) summons Hierophant Green to strike with its tentacle in a straight 'punch', hitting at medium-long range. It can safely knock the opponent down from a considerable distance while crouching, and acts as a decent air-to-air attack to challenge jumping opponents if performed while in mid-air.
His Heavy attack (
) sends out a short-ranged Emerald Splash, splays tentacles that cover a wide area downward while in mid-air, or uses tentacles to knock the opponent upward while crouching.
+ ON GROUND Kakyoin elbows the opponent in the face. A command normal that can chain into any of Kakyoin's skills. (Comboable)
+ 
// ON GROUND Kakyoin summons Hierophant Green to launch a number of homing Emeralds. Depending on the attack button inputted, the homing capabilities can be altered between horizontal (following the opponent if the battle plane shifts, such as if they Sidestep), or vertical (following the opponent if they jump). (Flash Cancel comboable)
x2 + // ON GROUND TRAP Kakyoin generates a dense net of tentacles at specific distances depending on the attack button inputted. Only two of these traps may be out at once. If the opponent makes contact with a net, it will explode as Emeralds fly in all directions and knock them into the air. This move is unblockable on the initial trigger. (Comboable)
+ // ON GROUND A ranged command throw. Hierophant Green flies forward before suddenly and forcibly jutting its tentacles out of the ground at specific distances depending on the attack button inputted. If the tentacles hit the opponent, they will wrap around them before squeezing and crushing them.
+ // ON GROUND Hierophant Green launches a number of Emeralds. The number of Emeralds fired is dependent on the attack button inputted. This is a Stand Rush skill that Kakyoin can disconnect from to attack the opponent while it is executing. (Flash Cancel comboable)
+ // ON GROUND Hierophant Green sends a tendril along the ground, extending to an extreme length if the attack button is held. If it comes in contact with the opponent, it wraps around them before Hierophant Green flies in and fires a point-blank Emerald Splash that sends them flying. This move is also a low attack along with a Throw, requiring the opponent to jump in order to evade it.
+ // ON GROUND Hierophant Green's tendrils quickly spike out of the ground at specific distances depending on the attack button inputted. If the tendrils hit the opponent, they will whip them before flinging them high into the air. (Flash Cancel comboable)
ON GROUND Kakyoin hits the opponent away before Hierophant Green's tentacles come out of the ground to whip and trip them into the air.
+ 2 ATK Buttons ON GROUND Hierophant Green shoots out its tentacles from above at a downward angle. If it connects, Hierophant Green will enter the opponent's mouth and damage them internally with enough strength to force them into the air (similar to his assault on Death Thirteen).
+ 3 ATK Buttons, or 
ON GROUND Kakyoin has Hierophant Green fire a large number of Emeralds covered in its tentacles. If they hit the opponent, he deploys a 20-meter radius barrier field around them made of Hierophant Green's tentacles. The opponent is sent bouncing around the field in all directions by a combination Hierophant Green's Emerald Splashes and its tentacles' slingshot properties, before being strung up. Hierophant Green takes the chance to charge an immensely powerful Emerald Splash and fires it at point-blank range (showing the ability's functions had DIO not stopped time and avoided it during the final battle).
Gameplay Overview
Kakyoin falls firmly into the "zoner" archetype of fighting game character, possessing medium- to long-ranged normal attacks and a plethora of skills that attack the opponent from different ranges, while being more vulnerable than the average character up close. His different attacks cover a large area with some only landing at very specific distances from him, and he is a rarity in being able to execute full combos purely from range. By utilizing abilities such as setting unblockable traps, multiple ranged command grabs, one of which extends along the ground, and applying pressure from afar with his signature Emerald Splash, Kakyoin very easily punishes unwise actions taken by the opponent as they try to close the distance.
Kakyoin does indeed begin to struggle if the opponent successfully gets him into their own attack range, as his abilities are somewhat punishable when properly blocked, though he still has some methods of dealing with foes at close range. Compounding this is severely low damage output to offset his range and esoteric skills, partly due to the combo damage scaling each individual Emerald of the Emerald Splash imparts. As such, Kakyoin must repeatedly and continuously win exchanges to succeed, more-so than other characters.
In all, Kakyoin has much greater control of the battle arena space than most, and excels at keeping his opponent away and out of range while whittling down their health with his various attacks. He forces them to try to maneuver around his tricky onslaught in order to be able to deal any damage to him, lest he retains the advantageous position and steadily secures victory.
