Shiva

Shiva (Boss)
Allegiance	Criminal Syndicate (formerly) Police force
Nationality	Japanese
Fighting style	Kung fu
Special Skill	Final Crash
boss	Mr. X
enemies	All protagonists

Shiva's first appearance was Streets Of Rage 2 as part of the final stage; he must be beaten before the player is allowed to take down Mr. X."

Streets of Rage 2

Shiva's first appearance was Streets Of Rage 2 as part of the final stage; he must be beaten before the player is allowed to take down Mr. X.

Streets of Rage 3

Shiva reappeared in Streets Of Rage 3 as the first boss. He is also a secret playable character who can be unlocked immediately after his defeat by holding down the B button. Since he is an evil character, his existence as a playable character is not considered canon, as it's impossible for Axel and Blaze to work with him.

If the player fails to save the General in Stage 6, then they will enter what is supposedly the White House. There, Axel and company will confront him in front of the press and on national TV. Once the player beats him, the cutscene will have him lying down and saying, "Mr. X will finish you."

Then it cuts to Mr. X watching it on a monitor of his own and crushing a wine glass in his hand. Thus, the player receives the bad ending.

Aftermath of Streets of Rage 3

Years later following Mr. X's final defeat in Streets of Rage 3, Shiva decided to defect from the Syndicate and began to work with the police force.

Attacks

• Final Crash: Shiva's trademark move, he turns backwards to his enemy in a glimpse of second, followed by a very fast down-headed turn, then projects himself upwards with one leg extended and foot in flames (similarly to the flames in Axel's fist during his Grand Upper move), hitting the target in an uppercut-like motion. In SOR3/BK3, a white shine was added as an special effect to emphasize Shiva's attack power.
• Flaming Circular Kick: Shiva turns and rapidly pulls off a roundhouse-esque kick in an above-head circular motion, with the attacking foot engulfed in flames due to the extreme speed of the kick. Used as Shiva's primary defensive attack.
• Handspring Palm Strike: Only used in the third installment, Shiva handsprings off the ground and enters his downward palm attack, clearing almost the entire screen.
• Rising Kick: Shiva is capable of an incredibly quick jumpkick attack as soon as he flips up off the ground from being knocked down. Used when the player stays too close to a downed Shiva.

Trivia

• He is named after the Hindu god Shiva.
• His special attack similar to Axel.
• His moveset as a playable character is incomplete compared to the heroes of the game due to him being specifically an enemy character.
• There is an enemy in the first Streets Of Rage game that strongly resembles him, possibly his original version as a lower rank. (may have been the influence for his later design)