A Kara (Japanese word for void) Cancel is a special type of cancel found in games like Street Fighter III and IV, as well as BlazBlue. During a normal cancel, the movement animation stops after hitting the opponent, allowing the cancel move to be followed up with a combo. However, a Kara Cancel move is interrupted during its starting frames, even before it hits the opponent. The Kara Cancel usually increases the range of some subsequent moves, such as holds. In this case, the Kara Cancel move is usually a normal move that causes the character to advance towards the opponent during its starting frames. The grab command is then pressed quickly, once the correct starting frames have passed. The starting frames of the initial move are used to bring the character closer to the opponent before the grab comes out. A catch made in this way is called a Kara Throw. A Kara Cancel can also alter the properties of some of the following moves. In most games using this mechanic, only normal moves or directional controls can be Kara Cancel. Since the Kara Cancel action must be interrupted during its starting frames, the next move must be entered very quickly. The timing is usually much tighter than for a normal cancel.

Taken after a Kara Cancel.

Falling to the ground.

A knockout occurs when a player's life drops to zero. In some titles, such as the Soul Calibur series, it can also occur when a player exits the combat zone, and is also called a Ring Out.