Shaolin is a playable hero class in For Honor.
Overview
The Shaolin are fierce warrior monks known for their fluid fighting style and their prowess with the staff.
The Order of Shaolin was formed long before the Cataclysm, when the first monks established a monastery and shared their martial skills with their followers.
After the Cataclysm, civil war enveloped the Empire, and the monks honed their warrior skills to preserve a spirituality that was quickly disappearing from the world. If that meant a clenched fist, then these warrior monks would be ready.
Today, they spend their days praying, training, and fighting. They hold their prayers close to them at all times and deliver their message with a spiritual force that’s unmatched.
Armor
The only armor the Shaolin wears are a pair of bracers and greaves. Other than that, he wears the robes and artifacts of his monastery, with tattoos of prayers covering his body.
Weapon
Staff - A simple but long ranged weapon capable of pummeling enemies in an array of swings and thrusts.
Known Shaolin
- Wei Chang
Trivia
- The Shaolin's staff is not static, and has proper physics that allow it to bend flexibly during certain emotes and attacks. This physics can be seen particularly when Shaolin rides on top of the staff.
- Shaolin was referred to being an Assassin class on the June 14th, 2018 episode of Warrior's Den. However, this was a misspoken statement, debunked in other official news and webpages that came later, stating that he is meant to be a Hybrid.
- Thus, it is likely Roman, the caster on Warrior's Den who mistakenly called Shaolin an Assassin, meant to say that Shaolin is a hybrid between the Assassin and the Vanguard classes.
- This mistake may have also come from the fact that among all the Hybrids, Shaolin is currently the only one with a Reflex Guard which is iconic to Assassin Heroes otherwise.
- The Shaolin is based off his namesake, the Shaolin monk.
- Some of the Shaolin's designs and gear are a reference to Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, from his shouts when fighting to the inclusion of monkey masks as one line of visuals.
- The "Qi" (pronounced ch'i) in Qi Stance is a vital force that is believed, by those of traditional Chinese culture and a few other East Asian cultures, to exist. This vital force or energy is said to flow through/links all matter and living things.
- The Shaolin possesses moves and stances that are part of Shaolin Kung Fu.
- In Qi Stance:
- Top Light or side Heavy is the Gōng Bù (弓步; "Bow Stance") stance. However, his stance is too high with the body weight leaning too far over the bent knee (causing the knee to go past the foot), which are incorrect for the stance. Sometimes the back leg's knee is also bent, which is also incorrect for the stance as that knee should be straight.
- Side Light is the Bàn Mǎ Bù (半馬步; "Half Horse Stance") stance, a modification of the Mǎ Bù (馬步; "Horse Stance") that shifts the body's weight partially towards one leg than being equally distributed.
- Top Heavy is the Fú Hǔ Bù (伏虎步; "Taming Tiger Stance") stance, also known as the Pū Bù (仆步 "Flat Stance") stance. However, the upper body is bent over, where the proper use of the stance sees the back perpendicular to the ground and the body lower so that the entirety of the front leg is very close to the ground.
- Some moves in the Shaolin's moveset come from the staff form known as "Yīn shǒu gùn" (阴手棍; lit. "Yin hand staff"), a staff form typically taught to beginners as their introductory to the staff. Some of such moves include the Opener/Chain Top Heavies (including Shadowstep), Elegant Lotus (Side Lights from Qi Stance) and Lotus Leap (Top Heavy from Qi Stance).
- In Qi Stance:
- In his quote for Sun Kick and Flying Kick, the Shaolin recites the short form of the Nianfo (念佛), a term commonly seen in Pureland Buddhism. It refers to the repetition of the name of Amitābha (also known as "Amida Buddha"), with its purpose being to practice mindfulness, especially during meditation, and allow the chanter to obtain birth in Amitābha's pure land. In other religious practices of Buddhism, it has other uses, such as being a greeting between monks.
- The standard form of the Nianfo in Chinese is "Ná mó ēmítuófó" (南無阿弥陀佛), while the shortened version is "Ēmítuófó" (阿弥陀佛). While there are no direct translations of these lines, one common translation of the standard form is "(Amida) Buddha blesses you."
- The standard form of the Nianfo used to be the line for Sun Kick and Flying Monkey before it was shortened. The use of the shortened form occurred prior to January 2020, without any explanation as to why.
- Elegant Lotus initiated to the left from Qi Stance (Light) will trigger any of Shaolin's quotes, including the two exclusive to this specific command.
- An Elegant Lotus from Qi Stance (Heavy) or to the right does not use any quotes.
- Meanwhile, Astonishing and Bounding Blossom both also initiate random quotes when successful in their Superior Block.
- It is unknown if these are bugs.
- Due to having four, although randomized and non-customizable, Emotes when holding Qi Stance, Shaolin holds the most executable Fighting Emotes possible during gameplay at six. This surpasses Highlander, who featured a single Fighting Emote when in Offensive Stance, thus having three Fighting Emotes.
- Shaolin's face is tattooed with prayers in Chinese characters, as mentioned in his Armor description. A number of them has references.
- In Shaolin's default set, "世间虚妄乐" (Shìjiān xūwàng lè; lit: "All is empty in this world"), and what seems to be "百无禁忌" (bǎiwújìnjì; lit: "nothing is taboo"), is tattooed on his face. The combination of the two phrases is likely a reference to the The Creed ("Nothing is true; everything is permitted") from Ubisoft's open world stealth action game franchise, Assassin's Creed.
Executions
- The execution "Flurry of Blows" is likely based off "Liánhuán Quán" (連環拳; lit. "rolling fist" or "chain punch"), a technique observed in some martial arts where the focus is to overwhelm the opponent with a flurry of punches.
- The execution is likely specifically inspired by a scene in the first movie of the Ip Man film series, starring Donnie Yen (who himself has been a Wing Chun practitioner since starring in the first movie) as the titular character. In the referenced scene, Ip Man fights against ten black belts of Karate where near the end of the scene, Ip Man beats down to the ground the second-to-last black belt with a flurry of punches.
- The execution "Maximum Shaolin" may be a reference to Seven-Sided Strike, a move that the monk class could use in the RPG Diablo 3. The following link is a short video demonstration of the move in the game: here.
- It could also be a reference to the Sun Wukong's ability to summon clones of himself to attack his enemy.
- The execution "Feng Bo" (風伯) is the name of the Taoist deity of wind.
Quotes
- Chinese: 就让我超度你吧 (Jiù ràng wǒ chāodù nǐ ba) - English: "Let my prayers put your soul to rest."
- Death Point Strike
- Chinese: 金刚伏魔 (Jīngāng fú mó) - English: "Vajra conquers the Demon."
- Lotus Leap
- Chinese: 阿弥陀佛 (Ēmítuófó) - English: "Buddha (blesses)."
- Sun Kick and Flying Monkey
- Chinese: 金刚不坏 (Jīngāng bù huài) - English: "Vajra is invincible."
- Qi Stance (Enter from Light Attacks) into Elegant Lotus (Left)
- When Superior Blocking with Bound Blossom or Astonishing Blossom
- Chinese: 南無阿弥陀佛 (Ná mó ēmítuófó) - English: "Buddha blesses you."
- Qi Stance (Enter from Light Attacks) into Elegant Lotus (Left)
- When Superior Blocking with Bound Blossom or Astonishing Blossom
Fighting Style
The Shaolin is a fast-paced combatant with a huge array of tools at his disposal. With his Staff, he is agile and can alter his combat flow by entering a special Qi Stance that gives him access to various special attacks. His attacks are quick, relentless, and unpredictable.
- Difficulty: Hard
- Agile fighter with a lot of options
- Qi Stance
Special Capabilities
- Qi Stance: Gains access to special moves that have various properties
- Applies pressure upon his opponents with his infinite chain attacks and Qi Stance mix-ups
- Wide sweeping and far-reaching attacks with the help of his staff
Perks
Available Perks for the Shaolin can be viewed on the Perks page.
Feats
| Tier | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qi Trap
Set a trap that reveals the position of enemies who pass over the trap. Unlocked at level 1  |
Stealth
Passive | Hide yourself from the HUD, Radar & Aim Assist. Unlocked at level 5   |
Iron Lungs
Passive | You can still Sprint when Out of Stamina. Unlocked at level 13   |
| 2 | Blink
Shift behind a Locked enemy and perform a Sun Kick. Unlocked at level 1   |
Winner's Advantage
Passive | Gain a temporary attack buff after a successful attack. Unlocked at level 7   |
Thick Skin
Passive | Gain moderate Damage Reduction every 3 seconds. Unlocked at level 15   |
| 3 | Invigorate
Passive | Heal nearby allies when landing hits from Qi Stance Unlocked at level 1   |
Heal on Block
Passive | Blocking regenerates your Health. Unlocked at level 9   |
Nukekubi
Gain Stamina on successful hits. Unlocked at level 17   |
| 4 | Blessed Projection
Shift to an Ally. Unlocked at level 1   |
Slippery
Activate to block all grab attempts for a while. Unlocked at level 11   |
Scout
All enemies are Marked for Death and show up on the Radar. Unlocked at level 19   |
Moveset
General
- Renown: Hybrid - Renown is balanced across activities.
- Revenge Mode - Boosts Damage and Health. All Attacks are Uninterruptible. Parry and Throws knock enemies down. Attacks are Auto-Parried on activation.
- Defense: Reflex - Your Guard Stance only remains active for a limited time, lasting for one second.
- Deflect - Dodge in the direction of an incoming Attack just before impact to Deflect it. Deflects grant a Hero access to unique tools.
Hero Specific
- To Qi Stance and From Qi Stance - Shaolin has a special stance called Qi Stance. "To Qi Stance" are for moves that enter Qi Stance. "From Qi Stance" are for Special Attacks available after entering Qi Stance.
- To Qi Stance - Hold Light Attack after a Light Attack or Heavy Attack after a Heavy Attack to enter Qi Stance. Keep holding Light or Heavy to stay in Qi Stance. Cannot enter Qi Stance from a Finisher.
- From Qi Stance - You can use Light or Heavy inputs to launch attacks from Qi Stance by either pressing the input or releasing the held button (exa. If holding Light, releasing the button will launch a Qi Stance Light Attack).
- Exiting Qi Stance - Press B (XB1), ◯ (PS4) or E (PC) during Qi Stance or the start-up of feintable Qi Stance moves to exit the Stance. Getting hit will force Shaolin out of Qi stance. All Attacks from Qi stance are a Chain Finisher, do not chain into normal attacks, and exit Qi Stance.
- Qi Stance Properties - Qi Stance moves have special properties to them.
- Superior Block Qi Stance Lights - Bounding Blossom and Astounding Blossom have Superior Block properties during their start-up, gaining Crushing Counter properties (receives Unblockable and increased damage) when successful in blocking an incoming attack. Time well to counterattack.
- Stunning Blossom - Bounding Blossom also will stun the opponent briefly upon hit.
- Undodgeable Lotus - Elegant Lotus is Undodgeable. Much like a normal Heavy attack, it can be canceled during its start-up.
- Unblockable Lotus - Leaping Lotus is Unblockable. Much like a normal Heavy attack, it can be canceled during its start-up.
- Sun Kick Follow-ups - Sun Kick can chain into one of three moves if it lands (is a Finisher if it misses): Sun Kick Strike with a Light input; Sun Kick Sweep with a Guardbreak input; Sun Kick Smash with a Heavy input. Strike is guaranteed after a successful Sun Kick. Sun Kick Smash can be canceled during its start-up.
- Shadowstep - Shadowstep (not Side Shadowstep) functions much like a Top Heavy Opener, thus counting as a Chain Opener (thus entering Relentless as a Heavy) and can enter Qi Stance through it.
- Shadowstep Cancel - Shadowstep can be canceled with B (XB1), ◯ (PS4) or E (PC).
- Side Shadowstep - Side Shadowstep strikes opposite from the direction of the dodge. As a Chain Finisher, it cannot be Chained after nor can it enter Qi Stance.
- Deflect Attack - After a Deflect, Shaolin can perform a Deflect Attack with the Heavy Input.
- Deflect Attack Chain Opener - Deflect Attack counts as a Chain Opener, thus entering Relentless as a Heavy. Holding the Heavy input during the recovery will Fast Flow into Qi Stance.
- Executable Deflect - Unlike other Deflect moves, Shaolin is able to initiate an Execution if Deflect Attack deals the finishing blow.
- Relentless Chain Finishers - Using the same attack twice (Light into a Light, Heavy into a Heavy) will end the Relentless Chain. As noted above, Chain Finishers cannot enter Qi Stance.
- Stunning Throws - Throws will Stun targets.
- Zone Attack - Cancel Zone Attack after the first or second hit with B (XB1), ◯ (PS4) or E (PC).
- Guaranteed Zone Hits - If the second hit of the Zone Attack lands, the third is guaranteed.
- Death Point Strike - The follow-up strikes of Death Point Strike are guaranteed if the first one hits. Initiating the second or final strike of Death Point Strike prevents Shaolin from entering Relentless.
- Timed Strikes - The follow-up strikes in Death Point Strike require proper timing to perform. If performed too slowly or too quickly, the inputs will initiate a normal Light Finisher.
- Death Point Strike into Qi Stance - Death Point Strike can enter Qi Stance mid-combo if the Light Attack button is held during the second attack. This has a limited window of opportunity, thus requires precise timing to initiate. This is Shaolin's only means of chaining from Death Point Strike.
Moves
(From Guard Mode)
| Type | Name | PC | XB1 | PS4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Relentless |  LMB, RMB or RMB, LMB
|
RB, RT or RT, RB
|
Infinite R1, R2 or R2, R1 |
|
Death Point Strike | A + LMB, A + LMB, A + LMB | LS← + RB, LS← + RB, LS← + RB | LS← + R1, LS← + R1, LS← + R1 |
|
|
Death Point Strike Alternative | D + LMB, D + LMB, D + LMB | LS→ + RB, LS→ + RB, LS→ + RB | LS→ + R1, LS→ + R1, LS→ + R1 |
 
|
Flying Monkey (Not in Guard Mode) | ↑ + MMB | LS (press to sprint) + X | L3 (press to sprint) + ⬜ |
| Enter Qi Stance with Light Attack | Hold LMB | Hold RB | Hold R1 | |
| Enter Qi Stance with Heavy Attack | Hold RMB | Hold RT | Hold R2 | |
 
|
Bounding Blossom (From Qi Stance) | W + Release or Press LMB | LS↑ + Release or Press RB | LS↑ + Release or Press R1 |
|
|
Astonishing Blossom (From Qi Stance) | A or D + Release or Press LMB | LS← or LS→ + Release or Press RB | LS← or LS→ + Release or Press R1 |
|
|
Lotus Leap (From Qi Stance) | W + Release or Press RMB | LS↑ + Release or Press RT | LS↑ + Release or Press R2 |
| Elegant Lotus (From Qi Stance) | A or D + Release or Press RMB | LS← or LS→ + Release or Press RT | LS← or LS→ + Release or Press R2 | |
|
Sun Kick (From Qi Stance) | MMB | X | ⬜ |
| Sun Kick Strike | After a Sun Kick, LMB | After a Sun Kick, RB | After a Sun Kick, R1 | |
|
Sun Kick Sweep | After a Sun Kick, MMB | After a Sun Kick, X | After a Sun Kick, ⬜ |
|
|
Sun Kick Smash | After a Sun Kick, RMB | After a Sun Kick, RT | After a Sun Kick, R2 |
| Qi Stance Taunt (During Qi Stance) | F | Y | Δ | |
| Shadowstep | W + Space, RMB | LS↑ + A, RT | LS↑ + X, R2 | |
| Side Shadowstep | A or D + Space, RMB | LS← or LS→ + A, RT | LS← or LS→ + X, R2 | |
|
Shadow Deflect |  , RMB
|
, RT
|
, R2
|
Equipment
*Star Weapon
**Rarity unknown
| Armor Styles | Weapon Styles | |
|
| |
Executions
 Anxi |
 Cartwheel |
 Flurry of Blows |
 Shua Peng |
 Monkeying Around |
 Brawling Showdown |
 Maximum Shaolin |
|
|
 Feng Bo |
Emotes
Passive Stance
 Respite |
 Failure |
 Back And Forth |
 I'm Fine! |
 Lookout |
 Dandelion In The Wind |
 Solet (Shaolin) |
 Reluctant Applause (Shaolin) |
Fighting Stance
 Jiuyang Daming |
 Manzou |
 Watch Yourself |
 You're The Monkey! |
 Get Over Here |
 Gegege |
|
|
Executions
 Requiescat In Pace |
 Rampage Of Ragnarok |
 Cheaty Flute |
 Blow Your Own Horn |
 Harpy Hey Joe |
 Lute Not |
 Sylvan Vaporization |
 Horkos Pharmakos |
 Sylvan Metamorphasis |
 Revenant Slayer |
 Ulfhednar Killer |
 Shiryo Avenger |
 Jiangshi Banisher |
 Minified And Put Aside |
 Minified And Magnified |
 Minified And Stomped |
 Minified And Kicked Away |
 Wolf Among Sheep |
 Ilma's Scythe |
 Cane You Feel It |
 Brought You A Gift |
 Chimera Salvation |
 Blades of the Vanguards |
 Resounding Defeat |
 Deadly Hare |
 Sylvan Detachment |
 To The Great Beyond |
 Feast Upon The Weak |
 The Masquerade Is Over |
 Unquenchable Wolf |
 Farewell, Chimera Music Box |
 Farewell, Chimera Zither |
 Farewell, Horkos Bagpipe |
 Farewell, Horkos Violin |
 Wrathful Concision |
 Willful Concision |
 Sorrowful Concision |
 Artful Concision |
Emotes
Passive Stance
 The Bard's Instrument |
 Sword In The Stone |
 Ready To Rumble |
 Volcanic Destruction Blast |
 Jack O Lantern |
 Leap Of Faith |
 Penguin Walk |
 Vortiger's Ascent |
 Shadows of the Hitokiri |
 Zhanhu's Fire |
 Dubious Assessment |
 One Of Your Shrugs |
 Howl At The Moon |
 Confused Warrior |
 Skeptically Swaying |
 Horkos Grimoire |
 Sylvan Book |
 Sylvan Meditation |
 In ChaRAHcter |
 Muscular Archer |
 Muscular Biceps |
 Message Board |
 Sylvan Panacea |
 Selfish Drinker |
 Chimera Bagpipe |
 Chimera Music Box |
 Chimera Violin |
 Chimera Zither |
 Horkos Bagpipe |
 Horkos Music Box |
 Horkos Violin |
 Horkos Zither |
 Odaiko |
 Raising Glasses |
 Suspended Gong |
 The Bodhran |
 The Field Drum |
 Suspicious Tumbleweed |
 Elegant Dance |
Fighting Stance
 Snowball Fight! |
Executions
 Goujian |
 Tiandeng |
Emotes
Passive Stance
 Banner Of Arms (Wu Lin) |
Media
Images
Armor
Stills
Videos
| Heroes | |
|---|---|
| Knights | Warden - Conqueror - Peacekeeper - Lawbringer -Centurion
Gladiator - Black Prior - Warmonger - Gryphon |
| Samurai | Kensei - Shugoki - Orochi - Nobushi |
| Vikings | Raider - Warlord - Berserker - Valkyrie |
| Wu Lin | Tiandi - Jiang Jun - Nuxia - Shaolin - Zhanhu |
