Minato Brings Dance-Based Combat to Dead or Alive 6 Last Round on September 10
The new fighter uses NiCO's contact lens-type device to physically replicate techniques from other tournament participants, with the Minato Shuffle opening technical follow-up attacks.
Dead or Alive 6 Last Round will add Minato to its roster on September 10, bringing a dance-inspired combat style and a mysterious new face to the fighting game. Her flashy attacks are built around rhythm, spins, and techniques borrowed from other tournament fighters.
Following the game’s June launch, the PlayStation Blog introduction presents Minato as a cheerful Tokyo student whose abilities extend far beyond her ordinary school life.
Minato fights through rhythm and borrowed techniques
Minato began dancing as a hobby before winning first place in a world-class competition on her first attempt. That success earned her the nickname Tokyo JK, and her sense of rhythm carries directly into her fighting style.
A contact lens-type device developed by NiCO converts other fighters’ movements into signals that Minato’s body can physically replicate. The technology lets her use techniques from the DOA tournament, while vertical and horizontal spins give her attacks a distinctly dance-like presentation.
Her signature Minato Shuffle can be performed from specific attacks and leads into multiple powerful follow-ups. The basic approach is meant to be accessible to beginners, but the follow-up attacks demand more creativity from players who want to get the most out of her toolkit.
NiCO’s part-time worker remains a mystery
Outside the arena, Minato appears to be an ordinary student living alone in Tokyo. She often disappears after school or on weekends, claiming to have a part-time job, though the real purpose of that work remains unknown.
Her connection to NiCO adds another layer to the mystery. NiCO has hired a part-time worker with a strange codename for an experiment, yet she cannot understand why Minato treats her as a best friend and worries about her so openly. Minato’s true identity and purpose are still hidden.
Team Ninja has placed Minato outside the game’s established factions, defining her primarily through her friendship with NiCO. The result is a character who can enter the DOA world without requiring players to know every existing alliance, while still leaving plenty of unanswered questions around her arrival.
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