In-Depth Character Discussion: Blaze (All Versions)

It's one of those latin dances for a man & woman.
Ideally the man is topless, and the woman is wearing one of those really small skirts that lifts up when she spins or jumps.

It's very sexy, and at least 90% of the time both the man and woman will be shaking their hips (and therefore their asses) constantly, quickly, and in time to the music.

Blaze1
Use nothing slower than Remake for Pause Delay. Blaze1 works well with either Combo Type as you can finish with a Vertical Slice or Kikoushou for high damage, but SoR3 Type allows you to keep walking between hits and grab your enemy for her signature Judo abilities.

Her chops come out just as fast as Blaze2&3's jabs, but have better reach. This allows you to play her in a more standard 'walk up to thug and attack' way, instead of using the Aerial Chop to get close or attacking an enemy as they get up after a knockdown.
Her backflip kick, though more damaging than Blaze2&3's finishing kick, can be problematic if there are anti-air enemies (eg: Donovan) running around. Quickly turn around and finish with her back kick in these cases. The quick recovery from her back kick also makes it a useful alternative if an enemy is about to arrive behind you after you're done.

Blaze1's Kikoushou comes out fast, hitting almost instantly, unlike Blaze2's version.
This makes it more reliable, but at a price... it does less damage.

Blaze2
To get maximum damage out of her, use SoR2 or Remake Pause Delay. On Very Hard you should stick to Remake, though... and Mania players shouldn't feel bad about using SoR3 Delay as the tiny loss of a few extra hits is well worth the speed it provides to keep up with all the crazyfast enemies.
If you swear by SoR2 Delay for some reason... then Blaze2 is the one for you.

Blaze2's jabs lack reach. Using SoR3 combo type will allow you to cycle through to the longer-reach elbow strike to catch evasive enemies.
Her elbow strike is best used as close as possible, however, since it hits three times (with Remake/SoR2 Delay). Use Aerial Chop to land in the same spot as the enemy, or stand at their middle while they get up, but don't grab them until after the elbow strike to maximize her damage output.

Her 135 Degree kick hits multiple times at the right range, and won't knock the enemy down if you're at its furthest range (allowing you to continue the combo). However, compared to her Vertical Slice, Kikoushou, or signature Judo moves, you should avoid using it as anything more than a way to knock down Abadede without facing the wrath of his combo breaker. Finishing with a grab is recommended if you use SoR3 Combo type, and should be done as often as possible. SoR2 combo type doesn't handicap her much, though, due to how insane the damage from her Vertical Slice & Kikoushou is.

Blaze2's sweeper kick is a good alternative to her Embukyaku if the gauge is empty.
It hits in front of her as well as tripping behind! The delay in this attack and lack of invincibility leave it as an emergency-only attack, though (unless you use Timer Only, which you shouldn't do because of below).

Blaze2's Kikoushou destroys everything it hits.
Seriously, if you hit an enemy with it at close-mid range it will tear down half a HP bar.
Abadede has nightmares about Blaze2's Kikoushou.
If you're not using the Gauge, then switch... NOW!
You need to be able to use this Kikoushou without penalty... no exceptions!

Blaze3
Switch Combo Type to SoR3
Pause Delay to SoR3
Now you're ready to play as Blaze3.

Blaze3 has the lowest damage output of her variants, so instead is focused on a fast-paced playstyle where you try to stun and grab opponents as much as possible; accumulating points quickly.
Avoid letting her use her 135 degree kick as much as possible, you (almost) always want to finish her combos with something else. Since her sweeper was given the wrong damage value (it should do twice as much damage) the kick is a better alternative for when you need a one-hit knockdown... but that's it.

Blaze3's Kikoushou begins instantly. There is no delay whatsoever when you release it... her palm is practically teleported in to your opponent's face to stun them. This makes it the most foolproof and easy to use of all Kikoushous. It hits numerous times; the final hits (when she throws the last of the energy forward with her previously free hand) give this thing enough range to cover more than half the screen (including a small distance behind her, which looks funny but is definitely welcome).
The multi-hit nature makes this one of the best stun-lock attacks in the game, if not the best, but dividing the damage like this will mean it won't be much use against aerial enemies.

Use the Gauge, so you can make good use of this beautiful Kikoushou, without penalty.

Neutral Jump Kick
All Blazes have pretty much the same attack, but with different looks.
When you get the timing right, this can be used to devastate aerial enemies.
If playing Blaze3 and you need a solid one-hit attack, use this kick.
Note that Blaze will pull her leg back a moment after executing this attack, so release it shortly before you need it to hit.

Flying Kick
Blaze1's flying kick is a master of crowd control. It hits low and deals good damage, so you can power through a swarm, setting them up for whatever you want when they try to get back up.
Blaze2's flying kick is... disappointing. It does poor damage, lacks some air superiority, and sails over the heads of Donovans (unless used with absolute precision) resulting in a painful fistfuck sending you to the ground. Don't toss it aside completely, though... if you need to knock an enemy down quickly with a long-range hit, use this. It's more useful than it seems from its otherwise poor performance.
Blaze3's flying kick is... the best in the game. Long reach, air-superiority (go head-to-head with SoR1 Yasha and Blaze3 will win a jump-clash more easily than any other character!), and good damage. Very... VERY... reliable. Blaze's jump height can cause a few problems if you fly in to Donovans, so use SoR3 Jump Type to keep them from getting any closer than her foot.
If you're still uncertain about the awesomeness of this jump kick... I've used it against Abadede on Mania during his CHAAAAARGE attack... BLAZE3'S FLYING KICK WINS MORE THAN 50% OF THE TIME!!!
With the right timing this can be turned in to 100%. If your foot connects with his head, you win every time.

Aerial Chop
Any good Blaze player will use this as much as possible.
It is her signature opening attack.
It has enough reach to catch anti-air enemies (EXCEPT SOUTHER! NEVER JUMP AROUND SOUTHER!), so once you develop confidence with it you can swoop in on all kinds of enemies.
Follow up with three basic combo hits, then grab.
Note that if you're up against an enemy who blocks, the flying kick may be a better option to knock them down in case stun fails. You can then grab them as they get up.

Blaze1
She does a quick somersault before her Vertical Slice will even stun her opponent, so it should only be used as a combo finisher in times when grabbing is not possible.
It does more damage than her Kikoushou.
Her 2 & 3 Star Blitzes are brilliant at crowd control, but should not be used too close to an enemy unless you're prepared for the fact that you won't knock them down.

Blaze2
Her Vertical Slice shreds enemy HP, and is therefore a great combo finisher. Still a grab is recommended instead as you can get invincibility and 200 points from a throw or slam, but using the Vertical Slice instead sometimes to just knock the enemy down isn't a bad idea.
Her 2 & 3 Star Blitzes are also pretty devastating to enemy HP, but don't use them too close to prevent failure to knock enemies down.
Narrow scenes are no match for the 3 Star Blitz.

Blaze3
Her Vertical Slice is weak... but begins hitstun sooner than the other versions.
Only use it when an enemy is at the edge of the screen and Kikoushou isn't an option (eg: gauge not full).
With one star, however... this can occasionally be useful for jumping in to a crowd of Donovans and knocking them all down, as too many Donovans can make jump attacks risky even for Blaze3.
Her 2 Star Blitz is a massive improvement in damage output, and can be used more freely.
Once she has 3 Stars, you can spam it around doing heavy damage to the swarms (more than in the original)!

When Facing Right
1 Star: X > >
2 Star: X > ^
3 Star: X v > ^

Using SoR3 Combo Type you can keep walking between hits, which is perfect for Blaze.
She is the Judo Master, and that means throwing and taking the opponent to the ground is her speciality! You should be going for the grab as much as possible!

When you have someone, if you're not going to get interrupted, do a couple of knee strikes.
Then either throw them behind you to knock down a bunch of enemies, or vault over and Back Drop to keep them close (unless this will put them off screen).
The Back Drop will also knock down enemies who are too close the same way as a short throw would.

When up against a wall, Blaze is a beast. She can repeatedly throw/suplex enemies in to it in a chain of invincibility, knocking enemies over again and again. Any enemies who walk in to this cycle of pain will be caught, too.
Blaze is at her best when she's invincible as much as possible. Walls maximize her invincibility like this.
Note that this will rack up her score rapidly, since each throw/slam/suplex provides 200 points.

Notes for Specific Versions
SoR1 Blaze lacks the Judo Slam, but like SoR2 Blaze she can finish with Kikoushou if an enemy is too heavy to lift.
SoR3 Blaze's knee slams don't stun enemies behind a grabbed opponent, so if an enemy is approaching you should always switch to throwing immediately to avoid an interrupting punch.
SoR3 Blaze's Judo Slam & Throw have their damage values mixed up from what they should be. Use the Throw for high damage, and only slam heavy enemies. Her Back Drop has its proper damage value, so you can keep using it as much as possible.

Knives
The upward slash is a short range multi-hit attack. Each individual hit does good damage, and all together this rips HP to shreds. But... it's short range, so how do you use it without a punch in the face?
You have two options: oblique run... or... knock the enemy down, and time the slash to start the moment they stand up (the most reliable method).
Her furious slash is 100% invincible! Enemies will back away while you use it, and it's very short range, but it is a fantastic little technique (if you use an old school weapon style you can abuse this freely).

Note: Blaze2&3 will 'stab and slice' for their basic knife attack. This does plenty of damage, but holds her in position open to counter attacks. Also, enemies with a quick jab (eg: Galsia/Donovan/etc) can smack her before the slice if she's too close. If she uses this from further away their AI will still be set to 'walk closer' instead of 'punch in face', so Blaze will be safe.
Blaze1 with a knife just stabs and calls it a day like everyone else.

Swords
Swing Speeds: SoR2 Blaze is deadly with a sword due to her quick swing.
SoR1 Blaze uses a two-handed variant of SoR2 Blaze's quick slash.
SoR3 Blaze has a slightly slower swing speed, but it's still fast and reliable.

Blitz: This is supposed to be a cool way to rush & grab enemies, but that got lost when v5 was made, oh well.
It's now a cool way to charge through enemies and shred their HP. A regular slash will often do more damage to a single enemy, but if your opponent is at the edge of the screen, you can land all blitz hits to maximize damage.

Other
Kunais are... designed to be thrown, but can be used to deal with blocking enemies or just make people fall down when you stab them.

Bats, pipes, and planks are amazing in Blaze2's hands... but rather bad in Blaze1&3's hands...
It's all about swing speed. Blaze2 cracks it down on someone's head and quickly retracts; Blaze1&3 bring it back and go for a swing, with delays during the pull-back and a tiny final delay after the swing.
Blaze1&3 can overcome the swing speed issues by keeping their distance from enemies; swinging from afar... or just throwing the damn thing (which is always fun when it hits).