In Jump Force, you pick a team of three characters from Shonen Jump history and square off against another squad of three. Characters will have special, super and ultimate moves to throw down.
Naruto Uzumaki
A worldwide manga superstar, Naruto was always going to one of the headline inclusions in the Jump Force roster. In the E3 trailer, we saw an adult Naruto using Sage and Kyuubi powers. We’ve now heard that versions of characters – such as Sage Naruto – won’t be individually playable, so we can expect Naruto to have special moves that call on all of the different fighting styles that he uses in the manga.
Sasuke Uchiha
Naruto’s one-time friend and nemesis joins the fray. He didn’t show up in the E3 trailer, but was available to play in the show floor demo that we saw just after. As with Naruto, only the Shippuden version of Sasuke has been confirmed.
Ichigo Kurosaki
Bleach series protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki joins the battle. Bleach characters’ melee and magic-based fighting styles seem like they’d make a great fit for Jump Force, so it makes sense to see them here.
Rukia Kuchiki
Ichigo’s fellow Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki is also on the Jump Force roster. While her katana is her primary weapon, she can also use ice magic attacks against her enemies.
Sosuke Aizen
The final Bleach character joining Jump Force so far is big baddie Sosuke Aizen. Originally a high-ranking captain in the Soul Society, Aizen’s moveset will be similar to that of Ichigo and Rukia.
Goku
It just wouldn’t be a Jump game without Goku, right? The lovable spikey-headed Saiyan featured heavily in the game’s E3 trailer and is sure to take a lead role in Jump Force despite the recent release of Dragon Ball FighterZ. We’ve since seen that a Super Saiyan Blue version of Goku will appear in Jump Force, although – like Naruto – not as an individual character.
Vegeta
Everyone’s favourite grumpy pants had to show up. If Jump Force is supposed to be a celebration of Jump’s rich history, it’d be a travesty to leave out such a well-loved character.
Frieza
To go with the glut of good guys, Frieza is one of Shonen Jump history’s most recognisable villains. In the E3 trailer and demo we saw his final form, so that’s how he’ll probably fight the whole time.
Monkey D. Luffy
The wannabe King of the Pirates, Luffy from One Piece, is another cornerstone of the Shonen Jump roster. It’ll be interesting to see how his stretchy Devil Fruit powers are balanced in Jump Force so his reach isn’t overpowered, but his move-set still feels true to his character.
Zoro
Straw Hat Pirates stalwart Roronoa Zoro made an appearance as a playable character in the E3 show floor demo of Jump Force. His multi-sword-based style of fighting should make him a fun departure from the rest of the roster.
Sanji
The cigarette-smokin’ cook Sanji is the third of the Star Hat Pirates that’ll appear on the Jump Force roster. Revealed during Gamescom, Sanji’s known for a fighting style that’s heavily reliant on kicks, so expect that to be the case here too.
Sabo
Also from One Piece, the Revolutionary Army’s second-in-command Sabo joins the fight as well. His fiery Flare-Flare Fruit powers and cane should form the basis of his close-range moveset.
Blackbeard
As for One Piece villains, Blackbeard – or Marshall D. Teach to give him his full name – appeared in the Gamescom trailer as well. Blackbeard is the only character in One Piece to use two Devil Fruit powers at the same time, so it’ll be interesting to see how Jump Force handles his twin powers of earthquakes and darkness.
Yugi Moto
Well, it’s technically the spirit of The Pharaoh that possesses Yugi to help him win at a children’s card game that you play as. Yugi’s addition to the Jump Force roster is an awesome one because it raises so many questions about his fighting style. Which Duel Monsters will fight alongside him – the Dark Magician has to be a dead cert, as is Slifer the Sky Dragon, surely? There are some interesting possibilities for defensive play too. Could incoming attacks activate his Mirror Force trap card?
Gon
From Hunter X Hunter, Gon’s speed and hand-to-hand based fighting-style make him a good fit for Jump Force. Shown off during the Gamescom trailer, it looks like Gon’s Limitation Transformation also makes an appearance in the game as well as his other Nen powers.
Hisoka
A main bad guy for a lot of early Hunter X Hunter, Hisoka Morow is known as a strong fighter within the manga’s world and is a great fit for Jump Force. He was announced in the same Gamescom demo as Blackbeard.
Killua and Kurapika
Gon’s bestie Killua and Blacklist Hunter Kurapika were revealed together in the pages of Shonen Jump magazine itself. Not much is known about their move set yet, but we can assume that they make use of their lightning and conjuration style Nen abilities respectively.
You’ll also be able to find the following characters at launch:
- Asta (Black Clover)
- Renji (Bleach)
- Ryo (City Hunter)
- Trunks (Dragon Ball Z)
- Piccolo (Dragon Ball Z)
- Cell (Dragon Ball Z)
- Kenshiro (Fist of the North Star)
- Boa Hancock (One Piece)
- Himura Kenshin (Rurouni Kenshin)
- Shishio Makoto (Rurouni Kenshin)
- Dragon Shiryu (Saint Seiya)
- Pegasus Seiya (Saint Seiya)
- Toguro (Yu Yu Hakusho)
- Yuske Urameshi (Yu Yu Hakusho)
- Galena (original Jump Force character)
- Glover (original Jump Force character)
- Kane (original Jump Force character)
- Navigator (original Jump Force character)
- Story characters that aren’t playable:
- Light Yamagi and Ryuk
At the end of the E3 trailer, we saw Light Yamagi and Ryuk watching over the battle between the heroes and Frieza below. In an interview with Comicbook, Nick O’Leary, public relations manager for Bandai Namco, confirmed that the Death Note characters will contribute to the story of Jump Force, but won’t be playable themselves. This news opens up a whole new world of possibilities for cameos, since it sets a precedent that characters can appear without necessarily having to fight.
