INTRODUCTION

Johnny is a very basic character, though by no means easy to play. In order to play a good Johnny, you have to be knowledgable about every aspect of the game and be able to utilize that to your advantage. He consistently ranks at the bottom of tier lists (as of February 2009, he is ranked as the overall worst character in the game) and is generally regarded as one of the harder characters to play.

That being said though, you can still win with Johnny. Even his worst matchups (Potemkin, Baiken, Testament) are relatively balanced, so if you're dead set on learning him, you'll definitely be satisfied once you do.

Johnny lacks in mobility. This is in part because he lacks a proper run (66 is a short, airborne dash) but also because he has a large hitbox. But, what he lacks in mobility he makes up for in defense and damage potential; he is among the more defensively buffed characters in the game and his hitbox, while large, is hard for many characters to combo. And while he may not be able to do much damage without having a Level 2 Mist Finer, when he does have one, he can do incredible amounts of damage (against some characters with a neutral guardbar, approximately 2/3rds of their health!).

Special Moves

Mist Stance: 236+P or K or S
Mist Finer: Release P or K or S during Mist Stance
Mist Stance Walk: 6 or 4 during Mist Stance
Mist Stance Dash: 66 or 44 during Mist Stance
Mist Stance Cancel: H while in Mist Stance
Glitter Is Gold: 236+H
Bacchus Sigh: 214+P
Divine Blade: 623+S -> S (Aerial: 236+S)
Killer Joker: 421+S -> S (Aerial: 214+S)
Ensenga: 41236+H (Aerial only)

Force Breaks

Jackhound: 214+D (available during Mist Stance)
Return Jackhound: 236+D (during Jack Hound)

Overdrive

That's My Name: 632146+H

Instant Kill

Joker Trick: P+K+S+H -> 236236+H

BASIC STRATEGY

Johnny relies heavily on his Level 2 Mist Finers for damage. While he is definitely capable of doing decent damage without one, it pales in comparison to what he can do with one.

To raise your Mist Finer Level (MFL), you need to land a coin (236H) on your opponent. For most characters, you can do this off of a throw or a 2D (you need to input the 236H after the first hit of 2D, as it hits OTG). This is sometimes easier said than done, as throw -> coin doesn't work on some characters (ABA) and 2D -> coin can be distance specific. Luckily, it's pretty easy to land random coins (though sometimes at the cost of letting your opponent land a counter hit, so use them wisely) on most anyone.

Once you have a Level 2 Mist Finer, you're in business. You can land a low Mist Finer (236S) off of nearly any ground normal and follow up with a combo from anywhere on screen. The basic combo that works on most of the cast is:

5K -> 5H -> 236S -> j.K j.S -> dj.K dj.S dj.D -> Ensenga (41236)

Note: You can also do this combo off of a throw on most characters, but it will do less damage.

Johnny's mid Mist Finer (236K) is a bit more situational, but can prove to be extremely useful when you have an opponent in the corner. Contrary to what it's name might imply, the mid Mist Finer does NOT hit overhead. A basic corner combo that works on most of the cast is:

5K -> 5H -> 236K -> 236H -> 214D (Jackhound; requires 25% tension) -> 214P (Bacchus Sigh; makes Mist Finers unblockable when active)

There are more damaging, more complex combos that you can do in the corner, but those will be covered later.