Years ago, I publicly dumped Akuma. Despite having invested hundreds of hours into the character, I felt like our relationship had run its course. I hit a ceiling with that character that was lower than where I wanted to go, so I thought it would be best to move on. As I’ve said multiple times on this blog in the following years, dropping Akuma for Rose was the best thing I ever did in a fighting game. Since dropping Akuma, I’ve leveled up to the point where my Rose is currently ranked 3rd in the world on PSN, which is a milestone that I wouldn’t have foreseen in my wildest dreams.
Was the dramatic turnaround all due to the character change? Part of it certainly is. However, having gone back to watch some old video and having played with Akuma recently, it’s becoming more apparent that much of my success now comes from personal growth.
In Third Person 