You can move forward and backwards with
and
.
While moving backwards with
, you automatically guard against high and mid attacks.
You can move while crouching with
and
.
While moving backwards with
, you automatically guard against low attacks.
You can dash forward and backwards with
and
.
Getting hit by a strike during a backdash results in a high counter hit state. This means backdashes are very risky to do when close to an opponent, where attacks will likely still connect.
You can run towards your opponent by inputting
, which will turn your forward dash into a run.
You can only initiate a run if you a sufficiently far away from your opponent.
You can crouch-dash by pressing
.
Crouching-dashing instantly puts you into a crouching state, which means it can be used to avoid high strikes and standing throws.
In DOA2, free stepping is initiated by holding the assigned "free step" button and pressing any direction. Alternatively, if analog inputs are enabled, the analog stick can be used to free step without the use of a button. It is also possible to start free stepping by holding
and double-tapping any direction.
In DOA3 and DOA2U, free stepping is initiated by pressing
or
.
Free stepping cannot be done while backturned.
Once you are free stepping, you can move freely in 8 directions.
While moving away from opponents with
,
and
, you will automatically guard against strikes.
If you get hit by a mid strike while holding
,
or
, you are considered by the game to be in a crouching state, and it will therefore result in a crouching hit reaction.
Jumping attacks can be avoided by free stepping up or down, as players stop turning to face their opponent while in a jumping state.
In DOA2, you can jump in various directions by pressing
,
or
.
In DOA3 and DOA2U, you can jump forward by pressing
. While backturned, you can turn around and jump in place and by pressing
.
Getting hit by a strike during a jump results in a high counter hit state.
While jumping, you can perform a jumping punch with
or a jumping kick with
.
If you wait until you are landing from your jump, pressing
or
will let you perform a landing attack instead.
You can also perform landing throws with
and
.
