Sabaki, Reversal and Inashi

In Virtua Fighter 4, there are a number of ways to return or counter your opponent's attack. Traditionally, this has been known as reversing, but over the Virtua Fighter series, new ways have been introduced to actively defeat an incoming attack. The different ways this can be done is as follows:

Reversal, when successful, will stop an incoming attack and automatically hit back, usually inflicting damage and resulting in a knockdown. However, there are some cases where the reversal inflicts no damage and doesn't knock down.

Inashi, when successful, is a parry or deflection. The inashi typically does little to no damage, and instead of knocking down the opponent, will result in a stagger.

Sabaki were introduced in VF4. These are regular attacks or motions with attack-deflection properties. The main difference between Sabaki and Reversal/Inashi is that the Sabaki will always animate regardless of the opponent's action, whereas a Reversal or Inashi will only activate when it connects successfully against an opponent's attack.

Sabakis can be further classed into two types: attack or reversal. Sabaki-attacks are, as the name suggests, normal attacks which have deflection properties. Sabaki-reversals are simply motions which will reverse an opponents attack, usually with no damage. The reason they're not called Sabaki-inashi is because the opponent isn't staggered as a result, and thus cannot recover from the situation.

The following table is taken from the Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution Perfect Guide, with some additions and corrections of my own. It describes the Reversal, Inashi and Sabaki properties for the characters who have them. The table displays, for each Character's move, the following information:

Typ	The command type: R = Reversal, S(a) = Sabaki(attack), S(r) = Sabaki(reversal), I = Inashi
HP ~ SW	The range of attack classes where 'O' indicates the move will work, and an 'X' indicates where it won't.
Oth	This column is for other attack classes not listed in the table. In VF4 Evo, new attack classes were made reversable by Aoi. These include double hand/feet, head, shoulder and back attacks.
Tmg	This describes the effective timing required for the move: A - Instant B - Throw Counterable C - Large Disadvantage D - Small Disadvantage E - Even F - Advantage

Chara

Command

Typ

HP

HE

MP

EL

LP

HK

HCR

MK

SK

KN

SM

MCR

LK

SW

Oth

Tmg

Akira

R

O

O

O

O

O

O

X

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

X

A

S(a)

O

O

X

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

D

S(r)

O

O

X

X

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

S(r)

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

F

Chara

Command

Typ

HP

HE

MP

EL

LP

HK

HCR

MK

SK

KN

SM

MCR

LK

SW

Oth

Tmg

Aoi

R

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

A

I

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

A

S(a)

X

X

X

X

X

O

X

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

C

S(a)

O

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

B

S(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

S(a)

O

O

X

X

X

O

X

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

F

Chara

Command

Typ

HP

HE

MP

EL

LP

HK

HCR

MK

SK

KN

SM

MCR

LK

SW

Oth

Tmg

Brad

R

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

O

O

X

X

O

X

X

X

A

Chara

Command

Typ

HP

HE

MP

EL

LP

HK

HCR

MK

SK

KN

SM

MCR

LK

SW

Oth

Tmg

Goh

S(r)

O

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

S(a)

X

X

X

X

X

O

X

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

S(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

A

S(a)

X

X

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

S(r)

X

X

X

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

Chara

Command

Typ

HP

HE

MP

EL

LP

HK

HCR

MK

SK

KN

SM

MCR

LK

SW

Oth

Tmg

Jacky

neutral

-

O

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

-

Chara

Command

Typ

HP

HE

MP

EL

LP

HK

HCR

MK

SK

KN

SM

MCR

LK

SW

Oth

Tmg

Kage

S(a)

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

E

S(a)

O

X

X

X

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

E

S(a)

X

X

X

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

O

O

X

E

(Jumonji) neutral

-

O

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

-

(Jumonji)

S(a)

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

B

(Jumonji)

R

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

R

O

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

Chara

Command

Typ

HP

HE

MP

EL

LP

HK

HCR

MK

SK

KN

SM

MCR

LK

SW

Oth

Tmg

Lei

S(a)

O

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

C

(IN Stance) neutral

R

O

O

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

E

(EV Stance)

S(a)

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

B

(EV Stance)

S(a)

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

B

(TG Stance)

S(a)

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

A

(TG Stance)

S(a)

X

X

X

X

O

X

X

X

X

O

X

X

O

O

X

D

Chara

Command

Typ

HP

HE

MP

EL

LP

HK

HCR

MK

SK

KN

SM

MCR

LK

SW

Oth

Tmg

Lion

S(a)

O

O

X

X

X

O

X

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

A

Chara

Command

Typ

HP

HE

MP

EL

LP

HK

HCR

MK

SK

KN

SM

MCR

LK

SW

Oth

Tmg

Pai

R

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

A

I

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

A

S(a)

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

X

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

C

Chara

Command

Typ

HP

HE

MP

EL

LP

HK

HCR

MK

SK

KN

SM

MCR

LK

SW

Oth

Tmg

Sarah

S(a)

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

E

(Flamingo)

S(r)

X

X

X

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

Chara

Command

Typ

HP

HE

MP

EL

LP

HK

HCR

MK

SK

KN

SM

MCR

LK

SW

Oth

Tmg

Shun

(10 dp)

S(a)

O

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

S(a)

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

F

Chara

Command

Typ

HP

HE

MP

EL

LP

HK

HCR

MK

SK

KN

SM

MCR

LK

SW

Oth

Tmg

Vanessa

(DS) (DS)

R

O

X

O

X

X

O

X

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

(DS)

S(a)

O

O

O

O

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

(DS)

S(r)

X

X

X

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

(DS)

S(a)

X

X

X

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

O

O

X

A

(DS) neutral

-

O

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

-

Chara

Command

Typ

HP

HE

MP

EL

LP

HK

HCR

MK

SK

KN

SM

MCR

LK

SW

Oth

Tmg

Wolf

R

X

X

X

X

X

O

X

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

S(r)

X

X

X

X

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

S(r)

O

O

O

O

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

Note: Wolf's RAW (++) only works against non-knockdown and uncharged variants of the compatible attack classes.