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Vakna

A wandering hermit who lives in the southern mountains of Aether, Vakna is one who values martial strength above all else. Practicing a Fire Nation sect of Elementalism that specializes on the fire born from within the earth, he has learned to control the power of magma, flame and soot to fortify his own might. While normally a recluse, the recent discovery of Amsidian and other relics within the Julesvale mines have led him to leave his secluded home on the mountains to seek out what lies within those mines, searching for even greater strength within the magical mineral. While he puts up an unassuming front, those who cross him face the monstrous fury of magma.

• Magma Pocket – Vakna can form a patch of molten earth using his Dspecial. This pocket sits in place and will explode whenever someone is knocked into it, whether that is Vakna or his opponent. Vakna can also enhance his specials by using them on top of the pocket.
  
• Infernal Hand – Using his Ftilt or Dattack, Vakna can launch the Magma Pocket as an arcing projectile, reforming the pocket once it hits the ground again, hitting opponents as it reforms. This same projectile is spawned if Vakna does Dspecial off a ledge or performs the move in the air.
  
• Fissuring Strike – If a Magma Pocket is on screen, Dspecial changes to a powerful stomp attack which sends a wave of molten spikes forward across the ground. If you perform this move near the Magma Pocket or the wave of spikes reaches it, then the Pocket will detonate for one big hit with high kill power.

Vakna is a powerful yet tricky heavyweight character who focuses on strong mid-range pokes, strong projectiles, and an emphasis around trap-based setups befitting the master of magma. He sports a solid set of poking tools that let him prod at opponents from afar, easily capitalizing on openings with high damage and great stage carry that allow him to force the opponent off stage. He also sports an assortment of projectiles that allow him to dominate the mid-range even further, especially from his stage control tool, the Magma Pocket, which he sets with Dspecial. However, he is a big target with poor mobility, making him vulnerable to high damage combos once the opponent makes their way in. He is also fairly reliant on having proper setup ahead of time to get sizable reward off of his hits, making it so you have to think ahead before going in and wreaking havoc!

-Vakna’s Nspecial, Magma Breath, is a chargeable projectile that gets bigger, travels further, and deals more damage the longer its charged. If the projectile contacts a Magma Pocket, then the pocket will erupt into a massive multi hit geyser, enhancing and launching the Nspecial at a high arc into the air

-Vakna’s Fspecial, Ashen Fade, is a slow burst movement special with high power and a deceptive startup animation. Holding Parry during Fspecial will cause Vakna to perform a feint instead, allowing you to stall your movement and juke out the opponents. If you perform the move over a Magma Pocket, he will instead consume the pocket, gaining soft armor, traveling much further, and not going into pratfall on whiff at the cost of being unable to feint it.

-Vakna’s Uspecial, Lava Plume, is an 8 way recovery move that shoots a projectile in the opposite direction Vakna travels in. If the lava blast contacts a Magma Pocket, it causes the pocket to detonate into the same geyser Nspecial creates, allowing you to blow it up from afar. Aiming it into the ground will cause Vakna to bounce off of it, enabling solid bursts of movement while also detonating active Magma Pockets he makes contact with.

-Vakna’s Dattack, Blazing Wheel, is a leaping multi hit attack with a large amount of utility. It can be used to reposition the Magma Pocket, either by performing the move near it or landing on top of it. Performing Dattack on top of the Magma Pocket also grants the move weak soft armor until he hits the ground, allowing him to blow through weaker attacks. You can also cancel it into a Jump, Air Dodge, or Uspecial after falling for a bit, allowing you to save yourself if you fly offstage or go for some terrifying edgeguard plays.

-Vakna’s Ftilt, Soot Splash, is a multi-hit poke that is useful as a mid-ranged deterrent. If he performs this move near a Magma Pocket, it will launch an arcing projectile from the pocket that is useful for controlling mid ranged space and for repositioning the pocket.

-Vakna’s Dstrong, Blazing Vortex, hits multiple times and always flings opponents behind him, making it an excellent tool for sending opponents into a Magma Pocket that is behind you or forcing them back off stage if they get around you at the ledge.
Animation, Normal attack implementation, Gameplay Balance– ArtistOfSeer
Gimmick Implementation, Sound design, Victory theme, Gameplay balance, Additional VFX, and General polish–Delta Parallax
Playtesting and beta feedback - Spiderboi, Kasuhearts, Succ, Furi, and other TGP crew members