The King of Fighters/Characters/The NESTS Chronicles

Characters in The King of Fighters introduced during the NESTS Chronicles (from KOF '99 to 2002; this includes 2002: Unlimited Match) will be listed here.

Characters are listed in alphabetical order of last names. It should be noted that all the Chinese and Korean character names are rendered in the Western style (given name-surname rather than surname-given name).

Bao
""Oh yes! I am victorious! And happy as an oyster!""

"Voiced by: Kanako Nakano"

"A Cute Shotaro Boy who joined the Psycho Soldiers for the '99 tournament after demonstrating his abilities to Chin. Chin sensed a connection between him and Kensou, and was proven right when Kensou suddenly lost his powers around the time Bao joined the team. Eventually, Chin figured out that Bao and Kensou "shared" their power; when Bao had them, Kensou lost his, and vice versa. He has not been seen since the NESTS saga ended."


 * Attack Reflector
 * Cute Shotaro Boy
 * Happily Adopted - By Chin.
 * Hard Head - A few of his attacks involve headbutting his opponent, and one has him falling headfirst to the ground.
 * Joke Character - Due to the usefulness of his moves or the lack thereof, he's considered this.
 * Kid Hero
 * Nice Hat - Which became larger in 2001.
 * Psychic Powers
 * Put on a Bus - After the NESTS saga ended.
 * She's a Man In Japan - The Latin American translations mistook him for a girl.
 * Spell My Name with an "S" - The character that makes up his name is read as "Pao" in Japanese. Many arcade flyers have this spelling, despite his name being officially Bao.
 * Sphere of Destruction - His Psycho Ball Attack, SP DM is an attack that Akira and Tetsuo would be proud of.
 * The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard - You're a joke character! Stop spamming that Psycho Ball ripoff!

Jhun Hoon
""You are really weak. Throw in the towel!""

"Voiced by: Kazuya Ichijo"

"A friendly rival of Kim's who also practices Taekwando, although his style is far more focused on kicks. He's a huge fan of Athena, which got him into trouble at one point as he was hit by a truck after crossing the street to see her. To add insult to injury, the Athena he saw was only a cardboard standee. He recovered by the time of the 2003 tournament, but disappeared again the next year."


 * Badass Long Hair
 * Long-Haired Pretty Boy
 * Bilingual Bonus - Jhun apparently hates his family name. Why? The Chinese character Jhun is two strokes less than the character Kim, Kim being the name of his greatest Taekwondo rival.
 * Butt Monkey - Come ON, read the blurb above.
 * Extremity Extremist - The most notable example. Not only does he only fight with his feet, but he also keeps one hand behind his back whenever he fights.
 * Justice Will Prevail - To the point that he and Kim became rivals in regards to rehabilitating Chang and Choi.
 * Not So Stoic - Usually quiet and reserved... until he talks about or meets his favourite pop stars.
 * Put on a Bus - The aforementioned truck accident.
 * The Bus Came Back - In 2003.
 * Stance System - Has three different movesets, and they're all kick-based.
 * Technician Versus Performer - With Kim. He's the performer, by virtue of his flashier, more dynamic moves, as opposed to Kim's (technician) more low-key and traditional techniques.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds - To a degree, with Kim.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy

K'
""Now, the finish. Get up, fool!""

"Voiced by: Yuuki Matsuda, Andrew Scott (Maximum Impact series, English)"

"The protagonist of the NESTS Saga, and NESTS first success in using the Kusanagi DNA in another human. He was abducted from his home when he was young for use as a test subject, and was used as an agent for NESTS after his success. After his defeat of his own clone Krizalid in the '99 tournament, he was branded a traitor by NESTS and he and Maxima went on the run. He eventually helped bring the whole cartel down, and was reunited with his older sister Seirah (a.k.a. Whip). He now works with the Ikaris investigating Mukai's group, along with Kula and Maxima."

""Just me alone, is more than enough.""
 * Aloof Big Brother - To his "sisters," Whip and Kula. And yes, Whip is older than K'.
 * Ambiguously Brown - It's never specified if K' is meant to be African American or anything of the sort. See "But Not Too Black" below.
 * Animal Motifs - Birds, apparently. A few of his attacks are bird-themed and the back of his jacket reads "A Beast Of Prey" (the words are more legible in character art and in the Maximum Impact series).
 * Expect to see the word "Drive" cap his list of DMs (i.e. Chain Drive, Heat Drive, Heaven Drive, etc.). Possibly lampshaded in Days of Memories, where his theme is called "Cool Drive."
 * Anti-Hero - Begins as Type III. He gets better and graduates to a Type II, but not quite enough to get him out of this trope.
 * Nineties Anti-Hero - Given life at the end of the decade but still fits in with the trope. Abrupt and harsh name ("Kay-Dash"), cold-hearted SOB who only cooperates when it suits his end (his victory pose has him saying he's good enough to fight your whole team), and has a laser-like focus on his objective (stamping out the NESTS organization and anyone associated with it). However, as said before, he does move away from this a bit as time goes on.
 * Anti-Hero Substitute - A rare instance of Darker and Edgier done well.
 * Badass
 * Badass Back - His walking animation.
 * Badass Boast - "Doitsumo koitsumo," in a nutshell, is K' saying that he can take on everyone by himself. Eight times out of ten, he can back up this claim.
 * His intro.

"Shydyaaaa!!"
 * Big Brother Instinct - Towards Kula and Whip.
 * Big Damn Heroes - Pulls one of these in 2001 when he saves Kula and a wounded Foxy from K9999 and Angel.
 * Bishonen - Although he is manlier than average.
 * The Bus Came Back - His return in XIII.
 * Creepy Cool Crosses - He wears a cross pendant around his neck. Concept art for '99 also shows a cross emblem on the back of his jacket, although this design wasn't implemented.
 * Cool Shades - Is almost never seen without his sunglasses, unless he's in the middle of battle.
 * The Glasses Come Off - As said above, K' always takes off his shades before battle and tucks them away. He even throws them at his foe to initiate his Chain Drive DM.
 * And now it seems that the shades will stay on in XIII, the sole exception uses being infamous Chain Drive DM. However, as seen here, he uses Bullet Time to put them back on!
 * Cloning Blues - Not a clone in the traditional sense; Kyo's DNA was used on him to see if the pyrokinetic abilities could be transferred.
 * However, he tries to affirm his existence as something more than a mere "clone" of Kyo. He believes that he'll perpetually be stuck in Kyo's shadow, a feeling that is only reinforced when he fights Mukai in 2003.
 * Darker and Edgier - Not just as a protagonist, but his inclusion into the story marks a stark departure from the Orochi Saga.
 * Dark Is Not Evil - Dresses in all black and has moves with names like "Crow Bite" but is still a pretty straightforward hero.
 * Dark-Skinned Blond
 * But Not Too Black - Zigzagged all the time. Art depictions usually show him with very dark skin. His early sprites give him the same complexion as Heavy D! but later depictions play the trope dead straight. Averted in The King of Fighters 2 pachinko game, though.
 * Defrosting Ice King - After the conclusion of the NESTS Chronicles. Sadly, the results are akin to trying to melt an iceberg with a match...
 * Don't You Dare Pity Me! - In regards to his origin as a "Kyo clone."
 * Emo - Believed to be this by the fandom, but isn't. Probably because some of his design was used for Rock Howard, who's commonly misconstrued as emo.
 * Fingerless Gloves - That's right. One. The other glove is his Power Limiter.
 * Finger-Poke of Doom
 * Flash Step
 * Glasses Pull - His revamped Chain Drive in XIII has him seemingly stopping time mid-combo just to put them back on. Next thing you know...
 * Good Is Not Nice - Although he's the main hero of his story, he's one cold-hearted SOB.
 * The dialogue he shares with the other fighters in XIII seems to suggest everyone is aware of his status as a heroic and well-intentioned character but he never has a kind word to say back to anyone. Most of his statements to his opponents are cold, stoic, and harsh.
 * Hell-Bent for Leather
 * Irony - K' loathes KOF, yet seems to be dragged into a new tournament each year. As a result, he seems to be very disaffected while fighting. His previous Idle Animation had K' repeatedly dozing off before falling asleep for good in the middle of a battle. His XIII sprite has him cracking his neck multiple times.
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold - He's brash and very crass, but he does legitimately care about those who are close to him. Maxima notes that K' has a tendency to mask his relatively amiable actions with harsh words.
 * Meaningful Name - Although the ' symbol in his name is rarely (if never) pronounced as "prime" (as in derivatives), K' was the first of several cloning processes used to see how Kyo's DNA could be implemented into ordinary humans. In some way or another, he was the precursor to Krizalid, Kula, Nameless, and Isolde.
 * Mr. Fanservice - Owns a large and dedicated female following.
 * No Pronunciation Guide - As seen above, it's pronounced "Kay Dash."
 * Only Known by Their Nickname Code Name - Justified, as the memories of his former life (and thus, his name) were suppressed when Kyo's DNA was grafted into his body. K' still has no recollection of his past life, minus a few flashes following the downfall of NESTS.
 * One-Letter Name
 * Playing with Fire - He has to wear a special gauntlet to control them, though.
 * Power Incontinence - His body can't properly handle the Kusanagi flames (and can even flare out of control and harm K'), thus the reason behind his Power Limiter.
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni - Red to Maxima's Blue.
 * Red Right Hand - Again, his Power Limiter. He's not evil, but was designed to be the "dark hero" of the series.
 * Rule of Cool - K' is probably the patron saint of this trope in the KOF world. Seriously, he seems to give little effort in battle (notice how he nonchalantly flings his wisps of flame at you, or how bored he is at the prospect of fighting). He tosses his snazzy sunglasses at you and then proceeds to warp next to you and beat your face in with a flurry of punches and kicks. He can blow you to Hell and back with a simple thumbs down. To put the cherries on top, there's this display of sheer badassery in XIII. Words fail us.
 * The Stoic - Given his past, he's not fond of others, bar certain individuals. This still doesn't stop him from having outrageously Hot-Blooded Kiais (at first, anyway).


 * Theme Naming - His themes (with the exception of 2001s "Big Pain"; 2001 was an Oddball in the Series when it came to just about everything) are designated by the moniker of "KD" (as in his name K D'ash).
 * Said themes gained an extra "D" in XI ("KDD-0075") and XIII ("KDD-0063"), likely to account for the other "KD" (Kula Diamond) joining his team.
 * Too Many Belts - Look closely at his design. Out of the seven belts found on his person, only one of them is worn properly.
 * Used to Be a Sweet Kid - Implied, but not outright said. You can see traces of this every once in a while.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy - That being said, recent sprites have given him a bit of a pink/purple hue.
 * Younger Than They Look - Looks like he's in his 20s but is stated to appear between 16 and 18.

Krizalid
""Useless. It's so hard to find good help now.""

"Voiced by: Yoshiyuki Iwamoto ('99), Eiji Yano (2001)"

"A clone of K', and the second-in-command to the cloned Zero. He was given orders to gather battle data from the victors of the '99 tournament for use in the awakening of an army of Kyo clones, but after his defeat the project was abruptly canceled and Krizalid was killed by his superior. He was later resurrected by the real Zero for his skills, but his whereabouts after the fall of NESTS are unknown."

""TORNADIS!""
 * Ambiguously Brown
 * Anti-Villain (Type I and II) - His desire to protect Whip and his care for the well-being of his subordinates firmly establishes Krizalid as this.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking - Was a high-ranking executive of NESTS.
 * Awesomeness By Analysis - The cyber-suit he wears under his Badass Longcoat can read battle data from opponents he engages. The suit then augments his movements to use this data in fights.
 * Back from the Dead - In 2001. Subverted because it's a clone.
 * Badass Longcoat - The overcoat he wears when you fight him in the 1st round. It's HUGE, and it gets even BIGGER in 2001, where he appears as a striker for Original Zero. He's got a new overcoat on top of the original overcoat! How he's able to fight in those things, we may never know.
 * Big Brother Instinct - Arguably towards Whip, when he was under the impression that she actually was his sister.
 * Blow You Away
 * Cloning Blues - At first believes that K' is a clone of him, but it turns out that it's the other way around. It didn't help that he believed Whip was his sister, thanks to K's memories.
 * Tomato in the Mirror - He's K's clone.
 * It Got Worse in 2001, where it's revealed that the Krizalid who aids Zero in his fight is a clone... of a clone... of a CLONE.
 * The Coats Are Off - After the first, anticlimactic fight. Get ready for a beatdown.
 * Dark-Skinned Blond
 * Degraded Boss - While serving as Zero's striker in 2001.
 * Dropped a Bridge on Him - How about a giant rock?
 * Facial Markings - That resemble Eye Scream scars.
 * Fallen Angel - In motif only (the pauldrons on his overcoat are made up of black feathers). His second theme song (the one that usually signifies a Curb Stomp Battle) is even named "Dear Fallen Angel."
 * His SDM does involve him blanketing his body in fire, where he briefly gains wings of fire before mowing down his foe.
 * I Am Not Left-Handed - Similar to Rugal. Takes it easy in the first bout (doesn't use any of his aerokinetic attacks, though he will throw fireballs) but when you beat him, he reveals his data-collecting suit and unleashes the full range of his power.
 * Load-Bearing Boss
 * The Other Darrin – A rather perplexing example in that both of his seiyuu are used in 2002 UM (Iwamoto for Krizalid as a standalone character, Yano for Krizalid as one of Original Zero's Strikers).
 * Playing with Fire - Burns away his overcoat in his intro, and can create a pillar of flame.
 * Razor Wind


 * Rubber Man - One of DMs invokes this trope.
 * Shoulders of Doom - His first form; made of black feathers.
 * SNK Boss - Word of God says that he's their most unforgiving creation to date. They actually apologized for making him so difficult to defeat.
 * Villainous Breakdown - After he's beaten in '99.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy - It varies between artists.
 * You Bastard - His last words before he's crushed by the ceiling are "You sick psychopaths!"

Kyo-1 & Kyo-2
""Victory is mine... was there any doubt?""

"Voiced by: Masahiro Nonaka"

"After Orochi's defeat in '97, the famed Kyo Kusanagi went missing. The cartel known as NESTS had captured his unconscious body and dragged him away, analyzing his fighting style and extracting his DNA for future use. Kyo-1 (the one in blue) and Kyo-2 (the one in reddish-brown) were but two of numerous clones of the Japanese schoolboy."


 * Ambiguously Brown - Oddly enough.
 * Arrogant Kung Fu Guy - Kyo-2.
 * Cloning Blues
 * Divergent Character Evolution - Originally, they were carbon copies of Kyo's previous movesets (Kyo-1 was the 94-95 Kyo, while Kyo-2 was the 96-97 Kyo). 2002: Unlimited Match gives them new and individual techniques that take cues from other characters or sources.
 * Expendable Clones/What Measure Is a Non-Human? - Although never outright stated, it's alluded to. In 2002: Unlimited Match, the Clone Team gets a dark and sinister (but undoubtedly awesome) theme called "Antimony ~ Mutually Exclusive Dichotomy." While it's a bit Engrishy (antimony and dichotomy are essentially synonyms, which would make the title a bit redundant), the song refers to a conflict between two opposing forces who, by the necessity of their very identities, cannot reconcile nor co-exist. It relates to the clones since their very existence conflicts with the﻿ identity of Kyo himself (as there can only be one Kyo). It could also reference how the clones seek to establish their own identities, which is impossible since they are merely copies of Kyo.
 * Leitmotif - Being associated with the old Kyo, they will always have some sort of "Esaka?" (the Japan Team's theme from '96) to accompany their fight. Always. The only exception was 2002: Unlimited Match.
 * Hachimaki - Natch.
 * Playing with Fire - Well, duh.
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni - Kyo-1 is the Blue Oni to Kyo-2's Red Oni.
 * School Uniforms Are the New Black - As a result of the desire to bring back Kyo's old look.
 * Send in the Clones
 * You Are Number Six

Maxima
""I read your moves like the funny papers!""

"Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi, Mike Jarnus (Maximum Impact series, English)"

"K's lifelong friend and partner. He was an ex-policeman whose partner Rocky was killed by NESTS. Maxima decided to go undercover, and with the help of a man named Dr. Makishima, was given a new, cybernetic body armed with several features. His abilities caught the eyes of NESTS, and they recruited him as he had planned. He met K' while in the organization's services, but in '99 he and K' ran away from NESTS. They spent the next 2 years destroying any and all NESTS bases around the world. Upon reaching Igniz in 2001, Maxima was shocked to find that his partner Rocky had been turned into a full cyborg. Igniz, however, killed Rocky once again to display his godlike power. Before he died, Rocky activated the full abilities of Maxima's enhancements, allowing him to fire a large laser out of his chest. After the downfall of NESTS, he acts as an uncle for Kula while both of them, including K' and Whip, rebuild their lives."


 * Arm Cannon - He can turn his arm into one.
 * Bilingual Bonus - Frequently refers to K' as "aibou," the Japanese word for "partner," as a testament to their fire-forged friendship.
 * Canada, Eh? - Averted. If it wasn't All There in the Manual, you'd probably never guess his nationality.
 * Chest Blaster
 * Cyborg
 * Dead Little Sister - Or better said, dead partner and old friend.
 * Enemy Scan - He can analyze his opponents. Oddly enough, this ability doesn't seem to work on K' and Krizalid.
 * Genius Bruiser
 * Guns Akimbo - XIII gives him a DM where he uses both of his vapor cannons.
 * Hair Color Dissonance - His model for XIII has him as a dirty blonde, which is completely contrary to his artwork in the very same game.
 * SNK seems to have caught on, as his in-game sprite in the console version has his hair correctly colored brown. The image in question here is the sprite preview provided on the official XIII site.
 * Hard Head - One of his DMs ends this way. But no worries, he's a cyborg.
 * Heterosexual Life Partners - With K'.
 * Ho Yay, if you get one of the random ending slides in KOF 2002.
 * I Love Nuclear Power - He's powered by a miniature nuclear reactor called the Maxima Heart. Since only 20% of his body is still organic, it's unknown if this reactor has replaced his real heart and acts as its artificial analogue.
 * Hotblooded Sideburns
 * Kamehame Hadoken/Macross Missile Massacre/There Is No Kill Like Overkill - His new MAX 2 in 2002: UM is a combination of these two, though the first part could probably be technology-based, making it a person-sized Wave Motion Gun. He fires a bunch of missiles at you and then a huge laser.
 * Marth Debuted in Smash Bros - He was originally in a game called Robo Army.
 * Mighty Glacier
 * Neck Lift - His Bulldog Press, which is quickly followed up by a chokeslam.
 * Older Sidekick
 * Older Than They Look - Only 29, but speaks with a solemness that evokes a more aged man, coupled with his appearance as being someone in their mid or late 30s. This causes some confusion with other characters. Word of God says this is intentional as they wanted an older-looking main character to balance the prevalence of younger characters in the series.
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni - Blue to K's Red.
 * Shoulders of Doom
 * Smoking Is Cool - Albeit sparingly.
 * Tall, Dark and Handsome
 * Technopath - Maxima appears to possess some form of cyberpathy as he can interface with a satellite connection, as seen in 2003 and MI2. He also uses this connection to steal money to support himself and K', although of late, their funds have been dwindling (Maxima predicts that they'll only last another month or two).
 * Use Your Head - One of his Desperation attacks has him tossing his opponent into the air then using his head to bounce them back up, like a soccer ball.
 * Wave Motion Gun - Human-sized, but he's been quite fond of it of late.
 * Wrestler in All of Us - A few of his moves, including a German suplex.

Whip
""All show. No substance!""

"Voiced by: Shiho Kukuchi"

"Whip is a mercenary who joined Heidern's squadron under the alias "Muchiko" to investigate NESTS, believing it to have some significance to her past. She was a former NESTS agent but she betrayed the organization and ran away. She confronts Krizalid and reveals that he's a clone of K'. Afterward, she confronts Clone Zero and after he reveals that, she shoots and kills him. Afterwards, she confronts Igniz along with K' and after Igniz's defeat, she settles down with K' and Kula."


 * Action Girl - Again, highly trained mercenary.
 * Bowdlerization - Some versions of KOF censor her gun specials, turning her ground gunfire into what appears to be a microscopic explosive, and her HSDM's revolver is repainted gold and given a flanged head. Ironically, a golden revolver seems more awesome.
 * Code Name - Used "Muchiko" as an alias to join with Heidern, who in turn gave her the codename "Whip."
 * Meaningful Name - "Muchi" translates to "Whip" with the right Kanji, with "-ko" being a common female name suffix. Thus, her name is literally "Whip Girl." In English, this was changed to "Whippy." Way to be innovative, Heidern.
 * According to the developers' diary for 2000 her name is an anagram of Winnie the Pooh.
 * I always thought "Muchiko/Whippy" was just Ralf's pet name for her...
 * Combat Pragmatist - With her HSDM, where she shoots you with a long-barrelled revolver.
 * Combat Stilettos
 * Cool Big Sis - To K' and Kula.
 * Then again, Whip is the actual sister of K' (technically speaking) and retains the memories of Seirah's time with her brother, so her role in regards to K' is justified.
 * And Maximum Impact 2 portrays her as more of an Onee-Sama towards Kula.
 * Cute but Cacophonic - Not so bad in the later games, but in her earlier appearances, oh man. Be sure to turn the volume down a nudge.
 * Does This Remind You of Anything? - One of her special moves shows her dragging her opponent toward her while curbstomping them and laughing out loud.
 * Not to mention one of her victory poses, where she gets a bit... enthusiastic with her whip.
 * Good-Looking Privates
 * Hair Color Dissonance - In Shinkiro's artwork from '99 and 2000, Whip had brown hair. Her sprite has more of a lavender tint, and subsequent artwork is split between the two.
 * Hand Cannon - Her Desert Eagle, which was censored in the international releases. The result is that she seems to be firing bullets with her gloved hands in a rapid wrist movement.
 * Her HSDM/MAX 2 has her blast you with a fearsome-looking revolver.
 * Heroic BSOD - In her ending in 2000, this causes her to kill Clone Zero.
 * I Call It Vera - Her transmorphic whip, Voodoo.
 * I Have Many Names - Her affinity for whips earned her the Code Name of Whip, which is sometimes changed to Muchiko/Whippy thanks to Ralf. She also responds to the names Sally and Sarah, the latter of which is a misromanization of her real name, Seirah.
 * Long Lost Sibling - K', Whip is your long-lost little sister. A clone, more precisely.
 * Noblewoman's Laugh
 * Revolvers Are Just Better - Her HSDM has her shooting you with a long-barreled revolver/gold plated flanged head revolver in the censored versions.
 * Shoot Them While They Are Down - Whip originally had a move where she'd fire at a downed opponent (it should be noted that this is one of the few OTG moves in the series). It was censored and replaced by a less effective version of Mature, Vice, and Yamazaki's snake arm abilities.
 * Spell My Name with an "S" - Her real name can be translated as Seirah or Sarah.
 * Statuesque Stunner
 * Tall, Dark and Bishoujo
 * Whip It Good - Subverted; she uses kicks and a gun.
 * Younger Than They Look - In 99s story, she's only 16 years old. She looks much older than that. There is, however, some ambiguity has to whether or not that's her real age.

Li Xiangfei
""Since I win, you buy dinner. First, some Dim Sum, then....""

"Voiced by: Mami Kingetsu"

"A Chinese-American resident of Southtown who trained in the martial arts from a young age. Living with her uncle, she works as a waitress and doubles as the bodyguard for his restaurant. Her brief scuffle with Kasumi after a misunderstanding gives King and Blue Mary the idea to scout them in the '99 tournament. Xiangfei later returns to the Women Fighters Team in 2001, bringing Hinako in tow."


 * Anime Chinese Girl
 * But Not Too Foreign - Has Chinese parents, but was born and raised in Southtown, effectively making Xiangfei Chinese-American.
 * Arbitrary Skepticism - Her winquote against the Psycho Soldiers in 2001 is "Chinese psychic combat? Have you been eating poppies?"
 * Big Eater - Perhaps the only person who can beat Kensou in this department, taking it as far as her 2001 character select portrait. Leads to Balloon Belly in her team's ending for that game.
 * Bring It - One of the few characters whose taunts rival Yuri's in terms of childishness.
 * Cute Bruiser
 * Dual-Wielding - Has two sai in certain pieces of artwork, but never uses 'em in battle.
 * And the two swords that somehow appear in one of her winposes. Again a case of GASS.
 * Genki Girl
 * Ki Attacks
 * Put on a Bus - Hasn't shown up in a canonical KOF since 2001, but she and bus-riding kin Hinako and May Lee returned in 2002: Unlimited Match to form the Pretty Girl Team.
 * Raven Hair, Ivory Skin
 * Shiny Midnight Black
 * Spam Attack - One of her supers deals 100 hits. The SDM version ups the hit count by two.

Kula Diamond
""Are you cold? Are you okay? I'm ever so sorry.""

"Voiced by: Yumi Kakazu, Kat Cassteneda (Maximum Impact 2, English)"

"The end product of NESTS' Anti-K' Project, of which Nameless' lover Isolde was a subject of. Her powers over ice were used as a counter to K' own flames, and she, along with her caretakers Foxy and Diana, were assigned to eliminate K' and investigate the cloned Zero's activities. After the fall of NESTS, she settles down with Diana and Foxy and becomes a little sister of sorts to K', joining him on occasion in KOF."


 * An Ice Person
 * An Ice Suit - One of the few female cyromancers who doesn't have a Stripperiffic outfit.
 * Attack Reflector - Her Counter Shell.
 * Beware the Nice Ones - Her personality becomes The Stoic during her "Freeze Execution" SDM, where she fills the entire air around her with ice, signified by the entire background becoming light blue. It's also a full screen attack.
 * To be fair, it's only a full screen if the first part hits.
 * Only in XI, XIII, and Maximum Impact 2 (and its update, Regulation A). It's full screen regardless of whether the slash from Diana actually hits in every other game (both the regular and the Neo MAX version require the first part to connect in XIII).
 * Breath Weapon - Her icy Diamond Breath.
 * Calling Your Attacks - Ever since losing her stoic attitude and becoming more cheerful, she's learned to do this to some of her more mundane attacks. "WAN IN-CHI!!! SULAIDA SYUTO!!!"
 * Children Are Innocent - Deep down, she's a innocent, naive girl with little knowledge of the outside world.
 * Creepy Child - Unfortunately, her upbringing as an assassin hasn't completely been wiped clean. Luckily, this doesn't rear its head often.
 * Code Name - The Anti-K'.
 * Dance Battler - To an extent. A few of her attacks resemble graceful movements that you'd see coming from a ballerina, and several moves (and in XI and Maximum Impact 2 onward, her running animation) are pulled straight from a figure-skating routine.
 * Distaff Counterpart - Introduced in 2000 to complement K'.
 * Elegant Gothic Lolita - Her alternate outfit in Days of Memories involves this.
 * Elemental Hair - Her hair turns light blue when she activates her cryokinetic powers. Some of her attacks suggest that this trope may be literal, as her hair seems to actually become ice, or at least take on some of its properties.
 * Emotionless Girl - At first, but then...
 * Break the Cutie - After Foxy was stabbed by K9999, she realized the true nature of the organization she served. Also happened a year earlier with the "death" of her robot companion Candy.
 * Everything's Better with Sparkles - Her neutral stance is accompanied by sparkling gusts of chilled air that swirl around her.
 * Face Doodling - It's implied that she does this to Nagase in her MI2 ending.
 * Her profile also states that she enjoyed doing this to Candy.
 * Finger-Poke of Doom
 * Genki Girl
 * Hair Decorations - Can occasionally be seen with a small ribbon tied to a lock of her hair, almost exclusive to her neutral state, where her hair is its normal color (her select screen art in 2000 and 2002UM, as well as her introductory cutscene in 2000 being the primary examples).
 * Has Two Mommies - More or less; Foxy and Diana did raise her, y'know. However, it should be noted that Kula considers Maxima to be her uncle figure in the Secret Project Refugee Family that the NESTS traitors have created.
 * Hell-Bent for Leather
 * Hero Secret Service - Coming to her aid during Freeze Execution are none other than the other members of her personal Amazon Brigade: Foxy, Diana, and (depending on the iteration) Candy.
 * Little Miss Badass - She's only 14 years old.
 * Not Blood Siblings - She and her "sister," Candy Diamond.
 * Opposite Gender Clone - Possibly. SNK was never clear on what a clone was in KOF and if Kula was a "built-from-the-ground-up" clone in the vein of K9999 or a normal human injected with DNA.
 * If her Maximum Impact 2 profile is to be taken into account, it's surgical implantation, much like K'.
 * Power Limiter - Maybe. She wears yellow gloves similar to the ones K' and K9999 possess, which were made specifically to prevent Kyo's DNA from going out of control.
 * Prehensile Hair - It's unknown if her hair actually turns into ice when powered up or if it simply takes on the properties of ice, but her crouching C attack suggests that she can at least use her hair as a weapon.
 * Rapunzel Hair - Waist-length, extending to her rear.
 * Red Eyes, Take Warning - Doesn't reflect upon her disposition, though. They're blue in some of the promotional illustrations created for 2000.
 * Rollerblade Good - While running, skates pop out of her shoes (so they're like rollerblade Heelys?), which ties into why some of her moves resemble ballet/ice dancing. They also double as effective weapons.
 * Snow Means Death - Not intentionally, but the fact that she can drop a friggin' snowman on your head and crush you with it says something.
 * Sweet Tooth - Ironically, her favorite food is candy, particularly lollipops, which she can be seen licking in some of her intros and promotional artwork.
 * Theme Pairing - Expect to see her paired up with K' (fellow NESTS refugees, Kyo "clones", fire and ice)... a lot. There hasn't been much evidence in-universe, but Kula is one of the few people that K' is actually friendly towards (per se).
 * Her intro dialog with K' in XIII suggests that he does care for her and is concerned about her well being. Of course, he tries to sound mean when he's expressing his concern.
 * Third Person Person - At times, she'll start a sentence with her name instead of "I," most likely due to a combination of the experiments and her mental immaturity.
 * To elaborate, she only started doing this around Maximum Impact 2. The first signs of it in the main series were in XI and XIII, but only in the original Japanese (none of the text from the English localizations, be it her winquotes in either game or the pre-fight dialogue in XIII, seems to account for this).
 * Scratch that. She dabbles in it a bit in the English dub of XIII.
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair - Her hair is normally a chestnut brown color, but changes to light blue when powered up.

Lin
""My venom has no antidote... death is the only cure.""

"Voiced by: Takaya Kuroda"

"Lin is a member of the Hizoku clan, a mysterious band of assassins. After his superior Ron massacres much of the clan and leaves without a trace, Lin sets out to find him. He encounters Ron in 2001, alongside the members of NESTS, and is seen with him in XI, indicating that he may have joined forces with his former enemy."


 * Badass Long Hair
 * Bald of Awesome - Minus the above, which is tied in a small Braids of Action.
 * Bloody Murder - His blood is poisonous and he can somehow exude it from his hands to enhance his attacks. In his MAX 2 in 2002 Unlimited Match, the poison can drain the opponent's health down to 1% and lasts the whole round, but Lin has to perform the last hit.
 * Career Killers
 * Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette
 * Flash Step
 * Mentors - To Xiao Lon. One of the few members of Hizoku besides Duo Lon to treat her amiably.
 * Ninja - A Chinese ninja...
 * The Quiet One
 * Red Right Hand - Subverted; while he literally has it, he's not evil (at least not like Ron).
 * Revenge - Against Ron, who betrayed and murdered his fellow clansmen.
 * Enemy Mine - Possibly in XI, where he's suddenly standing beside Ron.
 * Rubber Man - In 2001 he acquired attacks that require his arms to stetch significatively and a SDM that makes them look literally like rubber bands.

Ramon
""Viva Mexico!""

"Voiced by: Eiji Takemoto"

"An agent working alongside Vanessa and Seth. Has a crush on Vanessa, but she doesn't return the favor."

""VIVA MEXICO!""
 * All Love Is Unrequited - He tries to woo her, but Ramon doesn't seem to have any luck. Lampshaded in XI with the Unrequited Love Team (him, Robert, and Kensou).
 * Dogged Nice Guy - To Vanessa.
 * Eyepatch of Power
 * Flanderization - In 2000, his relation with Vanessa was little more than playful flirting, fitting his personality. Fast-forward to XI; his sole purpose in any scene is to loudly and comically swoon over Vanessa, including during fights.
 * Alternate Character Interpretation - Is he really that crazy for Vanessa, or is he playing the Manic Pixie Dream Guy, acting silly to cheer her up from her husband's death?
 * Friend to All Children
 * Fun Personified
 * Gratuitous Spanish/Patriotic Fervor


 * Hair of Gold
 * Handsome Lech - He falls somewhere inbetween this and Chivalrous Pervert.
 * Hot-Blooded - Even when he's running away (doing his Tiger Road Wall Jump), his yelling is ferocious.
 * I Shall Taunt You/Trash Talk - Is fond of this.
 * Likes Older Women - He's 25 and she's five years his senior. The best he gets in return is teasing.
 * Masked Luchador - In the backstory, anyway.
 * Playing Against Type - One of Takemoto's quirkiest roles. From Rock Howard to Ramon, wow, that's quite a jump.
 * Red Baron - "El Diablo Amarillo" (that's "The Yellow Devil" for those of you not fluent in Spanish) is his ringname.
 * Romancing the Widow - Tried on Vanessa. The key word here is "tried."
 * Street Urchin --> Self-Made Man - His backstory.
 * Theme Naming - Quite a few of his moves have the word "Tiger" in them. Note: do not confuse him with Sagat.

Seth
""For victory, bring wine and chinchilla. It is all I desire.""

"Voiced by: Hidetoshi Nakamura, Glenn Haig (Maximum Impact series, English)"

"Seth is an agent working alongside Heidern's faction to expose NESTS. He has not been seen since 2001, but in the Maximum Impact series he is investigating Addes all by himself."

"(to Jivatma) "Give me a break. Villains always get dramatic before they're about to die.""
 * Ambiguously Bi - Hits on most of the guys he fights against in his win quotes.
 * The Atoner - MI series only; he feels guilty for the death of Fate since he was the one who leaked the information about Duke and Addes to him in order to infiltrate the syndicate.
 * Badass Beard
 * Badass in a Nice Suit - Especially his "Another" design in the Maximum Impact games, although his normal attire isn't too shabby either.
 * Badass Normal - Like Vanessa, he's really just very, very good at what he does.
 * Boring but Practical - From visual design to fighting style, Seth is ALL about this.
 * But Not Too Black - Just compare his regular depiction with his 3-D alter ego that provides his reference picture. It really speaks for itself...
 * Combat Pragmatist - Presumably.
 * Counter Attack - Has many counter moves, including one DM.
 * Dark-Skinned Blond
 * Flash Step - In one of his specials and one DM.
 * Genre Savvy:


 * Giving Someone the Pointer Finger - His Level 3 from Maximum Impact 2 (Temporal Rain, Chaotic Chrysanthemum).
 * Hired Guns
 * Interface Screw - Caused by one of his DMs. Of course, it does nothing to computer-controlled opponents.
 * Jump Physics - Can suddenly change direction entirely during a jump.
 * Mighty Glacier - Bordering on Lightning Bruiser at times.
 * Mundane Made Awesome - He can hurt you with dust. Also, his DMs respectively involve lying down and stomping on the opponent from below, and ground pounding them.
 * Punches That Suck - His Sho-Yoh special is a really fast uppercut that creates an upwards vacuum.
 * Scary Black Man - Bonus points for still looking serious and intimidating with a blonde mohawk!
 * Soul Brotha
 * The Stoic - Mild example.
 * Stone Wall
 * The Unexpected - Absolutely no one saw him coming in Maximum Impact.
 * You Gotta Have White Hair

Hinako Shijou
""I reacted without thinking. You okay?... Didn't think so.""

"Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi"

"A rich girl who formed part of the female team in 2000 and 2001. Her goal was to show that a sweet little girl like her could fight in par with males... by practicing sumo."


 * But Not Too Foreign - Is part Russian.
 * Cute Bruiser
 * Everything's Better with Spinning - One of her desperation attacks, and quite a lot.
 * Extremity Extremist - Slaps and grabs, befitting a sumo.
 * Fad Super - Apparently, yes.
 * Girly Run
 * Glacier Waif
 * Hair of Gold
 * Improbable Weapon User - More like improbable fighting style user; she sure doesn't look like your average sumo.
 * Waif Fu - Hinako isn't the only example, but she is one of the more prominent.
 * Ojou
 * Put on a Bus - Reappeared in 2003 and The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match, though.
 * Spoiled Sweet - She's as sweet-tempered and gentle as she's rich.

Vanessa
""I don't need victory champagne, give me a beer. And make it ice cold!""

"Voiced by: Kaori Minami"

"She is a normal Housewife who discreetly serves as a mercenary agent. Working under the orders of commander Ling, Vanessa and fellow agent Seth are commissioned with the job of joining the King of Fighters tournament, held by Ling himself. They are to follow the footsteps of the NESTS cartel, which Ling and his agency persecuted. The two agents part from one another with Vanessa recruiting prime suspects, K' and Maxima, as her teammates. She also scouts the talents of Mexican wrestler Ramon to complete their team. Her objective from then on is to observe the activities of the NESTS defectors based on Ling's orders."


 * Action Mom
 * Always V. Sexy
 * Attack Reflector - Her punches have this effect.
 * Badass Normal
 * Bare Your Midriff
 * Boobs of Steel - She's a purely physical brawler. Just like Mai, she lets the sprites talk, instead of the numbers.
 * Gainaxing/Jiggle Physics - In XI, someone decided she suddenly disliked bras.
 * Bottle Fairy - In one intro pose with Seth, Seth wonders if all of the alcohol is going to be detrimental to her fighting performance, causing Vanessa to retort something along the lines of "I fight better when I'm drunk!"
 * Christmas Cake
 * Depending on the Artist - Sometimes she's toned, sometimes slender, and sometimes downright waifish.
 * Determined Widow - Her husband's death is what pushed Vanessa to investigate NESTS in the first place.
 * Extremity Extremist - Being a boxer, it's logical; she still has one kick attack, though.
 * Fiery Redhead - Subverted. While strong, outgoing, and in possession of a good sense of humor, she's also quite level-headed and her passion rarely dips into Hot-Blooded territory. If you do get on her bad side, you're less likely to end up with a hot-tempered verbal beatdown than a swift fist in the face.
 * Flash Step
 * Flung Clothing
 * Hand or Object Underwear - A promotional artwork for 2000 has Vanessa doing the "arm bra" variation alongside the other members of the Hero Team (who are all posing stylishly). Seeing as she was the only female member of the K' Team that year, the implications of this should be very clear.
 * Heroes Want Redheads - Ramon has made this all too clear.
 * Hired Guns
 * Hot Amazon - Not only is she one of the taller members of the cast (182 cm, or 6' for all you stateside tropers), but she's quite the talented boxer to boot. Ramon is undoubtedly smitten with her.
 * Hot Chick in a Badass Suit
 * Hot Mom
 * Invulnerable Knuckles - Subverted, as seen by a few of her supers and win quotes.
 * It's a Small World After All - The Agents Team's backstory in XI reveals that Vanessa was acquainted with Blue Mary's dead lover Butch.
 * Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs
 * Redheaded Heroine
 * Statuesque Stunner
 * The Tease - In XI her special battle intro with Ramon she teases him, saying if he puts up a good fight maybe they will go out on a date, cue to Ramon's shining smile.

Clone Zero
""Zero doesn't mean I'm nothing. I'm the everything that is equalled by none!""

"Voiced by: Kinta Futogane"

"As his name suggests, he is a clone of the true Zero, created to oversee the 2000 tournament and to infiltrate Heidern's organization. He killed Heidern's partner Ling and impersonated him in order to obtain the Zero Cannon, a Kill Sat that siphons the energy from fighters. He made a clone of Ling in order to hold Heidern off while he challenged K'. He lost, and tried to use the Zero Cannon, but Heidern killed the Ling clone, which held the switch to the generator, effectively crippling his plans. He was apprehended by Kula and brought before Whip, where he revealed she was a clone. Appalled by this, she shot him dead."


 * Authority Equals Asskicking - Another high-ranking member of NESTS.
 * Badass Mustache - Maybe. It doesn't help that the creators themselves laugh and joke specifically about the 'stache.
 * Beard of Evil - Actually, just a Mustache Of Evil.
 * Black Screen of Death - His Anryuuten Hazaki HSDM in 2002: Unlimited Match. Yes, it's almost exactly like the Shun Goku Satsu.
 * Cloning Blues
 * Feet of Clay
 * Gravity Sucks/Gravity Master - Summons a Black Holes during one of his DMs.
 * Improbable Weapon User - Uses his own cape as a weapon. Also his Shadow Pin techniques.
 * Master of Disguise - Impersonates Ling, a military commander and close friend of Heidern, and works under the noses of the good guys to further his ambitions.
 * My Hero Zero
 * Retcon/Retronym - Clone Zero was not intended to be a clone at first, but his character designer was unsatisfied with how Zero turned out and designed to introduced his preferred version of the character as the true Zero in the next game. Because of this, Clone Zero is simply known as Zero in KOF 2000.
 * Shoulders of Doom
 * Shout-Out - Some of his Special Moves are named after techniques used by the Shura Generals in Fist of the North Star.
 * SNK Boss - Gains super meter incredibly fast, and his supers inflict roughly over half of your health's worth of damage.
 * Turned Against Their Masters - Via a Kill Sat. It failed.
 * Villainous Breakdown - Once he loses, he tries to kill everyone via the Zero Cannon... which isn't working. He's constantly asking why it won't work, all while Button Mashing with the activation switch.

Angel
""Is it a sin to be mighty? Then call me the devil!""

"Voiced by: Mina Tominaga (2001), Mayumi Shintani (2002, Neowave)"

"An agent of NESTS who was allied with Kula, Foxy, and K9999. After K9999 wounded Foxy, she went after him and hasn't been seen since."


 * Author Appeal - Toshiyuki Kotani (alias "Styleos") has gone on record as saying he put everything he liked into Angel's design.
 * Bare Your Midriff
 * Boobs of Steel - Tied with Shermie at 92 cm and one of the more dangerous characters to face in the right hands.
 * Cute Bruiser - She's in the same boat as many of the others; attractive babe with physical prowess that would put some of the men to shame.
 * Cute but Cacophonic - Not so bad in 2001, but her seiyuu changed for 2002 and she fell into this.
 * Dark Action Girl - You wouldn't know it from looking at her, though.
 * Fingerless Gloves
 * Flash Step
 * Foreign Fanservice - You might not know this, but Angel hails from Mexico.
 * It Is Pronounced "Tro-PAY" - Her name uses the Spanish pronunciation, "An-hell."
 * Ms. Fanservice - Maybe even giving Mai a run for her money.
 * In retaliation, Mai is very snarky towards Angel, even going as far as to criticize her choice of clothing.
 * Not So Harmless - Despite her cheery attitude, Angel is a very deadly and sinister assassin.
 * Only Friend - To K9999. Not his Morality Pet, but probably the only one who can reason with him.
 * Put on a Bus - Most likely a long trip because she, along with K9999, belongs to Eolith and not SNK. Foxy belongs to SNK because she was created along with Diana, who debuted in 2000 before Eolith took over. She still makes non-canon appereances, though.
 * Actually, neither she nor K9999 were ever owned by Eolith, and unlike K9999, she was created by one of SNK's original designers (though was still never used until 2001). Because of her close ties with K9999, who was retconned altogether in favor of Nameless, whom she has absolutely no links to as far as backstory is concerned (and can't simply carry out the same actions as K9999 in 2001 as a result of being nothing like him in terms of either personality or motivations), it's questionable just where she fits in now as far as canon is concerned.
 * Stripperiffic - What Angel wears isn't particularly modest to begin with, but in a few of her win poses, she strips down even more.
 * Toplessness From the Back - Her strip tease winpose.
 * Underwear of Power
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl
 * Wrestler in All of Us - In fact, several of Angel's moves are directly inspired by The Rock.

Foxy
""If you want to sustain your bloated ego, then get some ability!""

"Voiced by: Haruna Ikezawa"

"Kula's other caretaker. Also skilled with a rapier and is playable in 2001 and 2002 Unlimited Match. It was originally thought that she was killed by K9999 on NESTS' orders, but she was only wounded slightly. The incident, however, did traumatize poor Kula."


 * Animal Motifs - The bee. Though generally implied in previous games, the motif first appeared in Kula's Neo MAX in XIII.
 * Badass Longcoat
 * Christmas Cake
 * Combat Stilettos - It's more evident in the artwork than the sprites.
 * Cool Big Sis - To Kula, although she also sometimes has the air of an Onee-Sama.
 * Cool Sword - It's an elegant-looking rapier that also only causes blunt trauma, not evisceration.
 * Dark-Skinned Blond
 * Early-Bird Cameo - Depending on your score upon reaching Zero, in the end of KOF 2000, Kula will be seen deactivating the Zero Cannon. When it happens, she and Diana will show up next to Zero, chastising him for his betrayal.
 * Flash Step
 * Flechette Storm - Using paralyzing darts.
 * Heterosexual Life Partners - With Diana.
 * Lady of War
 * Not Quite Dead - Supposedly killed off in her first appearance. She still hasn't appeared in other games, though. Played with endlessly with her supers Honey Bee and Schroedinger's Cat, as seen below.
 * She makes a cameo with Diana during Kula's special intro vs. K' in XI.
 * And again during Kula's Neo MAX in XIII. She also randomly takes Diana's place in Kula's win pose and during the regular version of Freeze Execution.
 * Also, the guy who supposedly killed her may or may not been RetGoned.
 * Parental Substitute - Shares this role with Diana in regards to Kula.
 * Playing Against Type - Has the same seiyuu as Athena and Diana (the latter only in 2002), Haruna Ikezawa.
 * Punny Name - "Foxy" is slang for an attractive woman.
 * Rapunzel Hair - In artwork it varies between artists (Falcoon—his drawing can be seen above to the right—and Hiroaki both have her hair as at least reaching slightly below her hips, but Nona's drawnings have it a bit shorter), but it definitely shows in the sprites. Still, it's nowhere close to Duo Lon.
 * Red Eyes, Take Warning - In 2001. Her appearance at the end of 2000 gave her brown eyes, and her eye color seems to switch between the two ever since.
 * Self-Made Woman
 * Statuesque Stunner
 * Stripperiffic - A few of her alternate artworks feature Foxy without a shirt under her overcoat. This has yet to transition to any of her playable appearances, though.
 * Sword Beam
 * Taking You with Me - Her Honey Bee super move, where she rushes towards the opponent with her rapier and it explodes, killing her instantly along with her opponent.
 * Joke Character - In 2001, due to that particular move.
 * Lethal Joke Character - In 2002 Unlimited Match, where the Honey Bee is now her MAX 2, meaning it can only be used if she has 3 power stocks and less than 3/4 of her life left.
 * Team Mom - Towards Kula, but not quite to the same extent as Diana. Notably, she did act as Kula's caretaker in 2001 while leading the NESTS Team and keeping an eye on K9999 and Angel.
 * Wearing a Flag on Your Head - She has a new super in 2002UM where she wraps the opponent in the NESTS flag and slashes them repeatedly.
 * Ironically, the super is named Schrödinger's Cat.
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl

Igniz
""I'm nearly a god. No wait, I am a god.""

"Voiced by: Norio Wakamoto"

"The Final Boss of 2001 and the CEO of the NESTS Cartel. Igniz spearheaded the Kyo Clone, Anti-K', and Zhe Projects, and masterminded all of the events leading up to 2001. He was the 2nd-in-command to his father, the leader of the organization, until Igniz killed him in a surprise move by disintegrating him. He explains that all of the experiments and the tournaments were just a ruse to fuel his true ambitions of becoming God. He is defeated by K's team, and in a last ditch effort, initiates a Colony Drop, saying that if he cannot become a God, then he would become the Devil instead. Unfortunately, Ron foiled his plan by landing the satellite safely into the ocean. Igniz's fate is unknown, but he most likely died."

""If I am not worthy of becoming a God... I shall become the Devil! All shall return to nothing!""
 * A God Am I
 * Achilles' Heel - Though infamous for his cheapness, his AI has a couple of holes that make defeating him rather easy with every character in 2001. Somebody has recorded an example for your convenience here.
 * Here's another.
 * And another, for good measure.
 * Asskicking Equals Authority/Authority Equals Asskicking - Was originally second-in-command of NESTS, and then killed his father to become the CEO. Regardless...
 * Badass Cape - His cloak can do wonders.
 * Bishonen - Earned him the Fan Nicknames of Alucard and Emil Castagnier.
 * Blond Guys Are Evil
 * Dragon with an Agenda - To his boss (and father), Nests.
 * Handsome Lech - Word of God states this design was intentional. It worked, seeing as how Igniz has a lot of fangirls.
 * Instant Runes - His MAX2/HSDM makes them appear below his opponent.
 * Klingon Promotion - Apparently it is the old man with the large sword that was the original CEO of NESTS (and Igniz's father). Igniz kills him in the pre-fight scene.
 * Large Ham


 * Light Is Not Good - His intro and HSDM are accompanied by an Ethereal Choir.
 * Mr. Fanservice
 * Older Than They Look - He is 56 years old.
 * Played for Laughs - His hobby is "UFO watching." In his team's ending in 2002UM, he spots the Mars People from Metal Slug and has a hilarious reaction to the sighting.
 * "BURAAAAAAAAAA!"
 * Power Gives You Wings
 * Red Eyes, Take Warning/Eyes of Gold - Depending on the Artist.
 * Rule of Cool - Has some of the most Badass-looking specials and supers in SNK history. Especially his Brutal God Project and his new MAX2 in 2002UM, Disintegrational Universe.
 * SNK Boss - Considered to be one of the cheapest bastards of all time. He was even the poster boy of the trope for some time.
 * Suspiciously Similar Song - His theme song in 2001, "I'm the Strongest!", is a faster rock version of Original Zero's theme. In 2002UM he has a new theme called "Save The Universe," which sounds like Mildred Avalon's theme from Arcana Heart.
 * There Is No Kill Like Overkill - Brutal God Project. You know that an SDM is too powerful when it includes a DM.
 * Turned Against Their Masters - And it works... for all of one battle.
 * Unholy Matrimony - With Misty. Igniz promised his lover that they'd rule the world together and she immediately accepted his offer, but Igniz's death kind of put the kibosh on their romance.
 * Villainous Breakdown - When you're Norio Wakamoto with a god complex, what do you expect? Also, this leads to his failed Colony Drop.

May Lee Jinju
""As I live and breathe, evil will not prosper.""

"Voiced by: Tomoko Kawakami"

"An adoring fan and disciple of Kim Kaphwan, and a firm believer in justice. She ends up joining his team in 2001, but has not been seen since."


 * Ascended Fangirl
 * Chest Insignia
 * Chuck Cunningham Syndrome - Has not made a canonical appearance since 2001.
 * Cute Bruiser
 * Executive Meddling - When Eolith sponsored Playmore, they requested a "Korean" Athena.
 * Expressive Mask - The expression of the frog in her T-shirt changes depending of her fighting mode, at least in the win portraits.
 * Fingerless Gloves - Loses 'em in Hero Mode though, whereupon she gains full-hand gloves.
 * Goggles Do Nothing
 * Justice Will Prevail - Pretty much a staple of anybody in Team Korea.
 * Kick Chick
 * Scarf of Asskicking - Signifies her transition to Hero Mode and inexplicable use of fire and lightning attacks.
 * This Is Unforgivable! - Pretty similar to Kim, only with the inclusion of a Kamen Rider-ish pose.
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair

K9999
""How does it feel to be defeated by the new ruler of the universe?""

"Voiced by: Nozomu Sasaki"

"The 9,999th clone of Kyo, assigned to kill any traitors to NESTS alongside Angel. His powers are very different, more resembling that of Tetsuo Shima's from Akira. His role in the story was eventually replaced with another character, Nameless, as SNK felt he was too blatant a copy of Tetsuo."


 * Anime Hair - That changes style and color.
 * Arm Cannon - One of his desperation moves has him transform his right hand into a shotgun. The American version censored it so it looks like he is shooting from his fist.
 * Badass Back - Same as K', only with less "apathy" and added "arrogance."
 * Badass Biker - Presumably. His "cherished motorcycle" is listed as one of his likes, and given his source material...
 * Badass Cape - Complete with Dramatic Wind.
 * Big Bad Wannabe - Wounds Foxy, but then is driven off by K' and Kula. The rest, is history...
 * Combat Tentacles - Made of his own flesh. Keep in mind, however, that Angel does use them for a bit of Fan Service in the credits of 2002.
 * Dramatic Wind - During one of his win poses; he dons a cape for extra flair.
 * Exiled From Continuity - Keep on reading to find out why.
 * Jerkass
 * Maniacal Laugh
 * No Pronunciation Guide - It's pronounced "Kay Four Nine."
 * Playing with Fire - At a very rudimentary level.
 * Power Limiter - His blue glove, which was made with the same intentions as the red one K' wears.
 * Put on a Bus to Hell - After being replaced by Nameless. SNK has displayed great disgust towards him, so it's safe to assume he Died On A Bus.
 * Sphere of Destruction - His "Tsuki.../Moon..." desperation move, obviously taken from Akira.
 * This Is a Drill - This pops up in a few of his moves, but isn't taken to the "GIGA DRILL BREAKER!!" levels of Nameless.
 * Unstoppable Rage - Angel is the only person considered to be his friend and is probably the only one who can calm him down.
 * You Gotta Have White Hair

Original Zero
""Before the fangs of the black lion, you're prey!""

"Voiced by: Toshimitsu Arai"

"Unlike his traitorous clone, the Original Zero is completely devoted to NESTS's goals. He is a respectable and honorable fighter. In 2001 he fought K' and his comrades aboard a spaceship disguised as a blimp. To even the odds, he fought alondside Krizalid, Ron, and his own personal pet -- an enormous, genetically-engineered, black mountain lion who he named Glaugan. All of them lost, and Zero beckoned the team forward to the true base of NESTS. The blimp then began to careen downward into the atmosphere, and Zero's fate has been left ambiguous since then. He would have most likely fought against his comrade Igniz if he knew of his betrayal."


 * Affably Evil - Moreso affable than evil.
 * Ambiguously Brown
 * Animal Motifs - The lion. See the above quote and his choice of animal companion.
 * Anti-Villain (Type I) - Perhaps not the first original character to exhibit these traits, but one of the more prominent ones, especially in this arc. A Worthy Opponent, through and through. See "Noble Demon" below.
 * Attack Reflector - Courtesy of his suit.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking - Three guesses. First two don't count.
 * Badass Cape - Aside from the fact that the cape can kick your ass, it juts out from the back of his suit and briefly forms wings. Wings.
 * But Not Too Black
 * Clear My Name - A variant; let's just say that he didn't enjoy hearing about his clone's actions from the previous tournament.
 * Dark-Skinned Blond
 * Face Death with Dignity - He admirably goes down with the blimp and tells you to go on.
 * Gravity Sucks/Gravity Master - Same as his clone, only he's doing it via a white hole.
 * Improbable Weapon User - Again, the cape.
 * Load-Bearing Boss - His defeat causes the blimp you fight in on the way to NESTS HQ to self-destruct. Zero beseeches you to go ahead before it's too late.
 * My Hero Zero
 * Noble Demon - He is a high-ranking executive of a Nebulous Evil Organization that pretty much is a vast congregation of high-tec terrorists and assassins. They kidnap children, employ cloning, bionic implantation, and genetic engineering (usually against the host's will), had scores of advanced technology (including the Kill Sat that Clone Zero tried to utilize), and attempted to Take Over the World. Yet, Zero still finds time to raise children and is the most noble member of the cartel outside of its defectors (K', Maxima, Whip, Kula, Foxy, and Diana). He wants nothing more than a fair fight with whoever manages to reach him. When K' and co. defeat Zero, he honorably allows them to proceed. It's implied that Zero would have faced Igniz had he learned of his betrayal.
 * No Fair Cheating - Despite that the Boss Battle is 4 to 1, like the SNK Boss he is, he uses 3 strikers: Krizalid, Ron, and his pet lion Glaugan. If you use the one fighter-three strikers configuration yourself (2001 only), he still can use his strikers freely, while you must gather power stocks for exaclty the same purpose.
 * Palette Swap - Justified Trope, between him and Clone Zero.
 * Right-Hand-Cat - Glaugan, his genetically-engineered lion.
 * Shoulders of Doom - Even moreso in Nona's 2001 artwork; Hiroaki's art for 2002UM makes him more in line with his in-game visual.
 * SNK Boss - Has access to all of his clone's moves but is augmented with far superior AI that makes him much more effective in combat. Add to this his three Strikers (Ron, Krizalid, and Glaugan) and he's far more formidable than Clone Zero ever was.
 * Vocal Evolution - In 2001, Zero had a low, menancing voice, complete with the most Badass Evil Laugh you'd ever hear. In 2002: Unlimited Match, Arai gives him a more youthful voice, perhaps to play up the sympathetic and venerable angle of Zero's character, as well as differentiate Zero from his clone.
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair - Bluish-white hair. It's completely white in artwork, though.

Kusanagi
""Hallelujah, brother! You just met your maker!""

"Voiced by: Mitsuo Iwata (2002-2003), Masahiro Nonaka (Sky Stage)"

"Kusanagi is a servant of Chizuru Kagura created using the Yata Mirror while she was under the possession of Botan. He exists to test the strength of the contestants in the 2003 tournament."

"Kusanagi: "Temee! Sude de shoubu shiagare!" ("You [bastard]! Fight me with your bare hands!")"
 * Actor Allusion - He has special battle intros with any weapon user fighter, calling them out to fight with their fists instead of weapons; basically the same scene in Akira with Kaneda calling out on Tetsuo to take on him with his own fists instead of using his powers.
 * Ambiguously Brown - Unlike Kyo-1 and Kyo-2, Kusanagi's evil appearance is handwaved possibly due to Chizuru's brainwashing.
 * Arrogant Kung Fu Guy
 * Blood Knight - He seems to be one. An Ax Crazy one.
 * Canon Immigrant - Kusanagi first appeared in the non-canon 2002 before being retconned into 2003 as Kyo's Evil Knockoff magical doppelganger.
 * Cloning Blues
 * Divergent Character Evolution - Much like Kyo-1, Kusanagi was based off of the 94-95 Kyo template. It's not until 2002: Unlimited Match that he gains a few new moves of his own.
 * Don't You Dare Pity Me! - His K.O. quote.
 * Expendable Clone/What Measure Is a Non-Human? - See the entry under Kyo-1 & Kyo-2.
 * Hot-Blooded - Whatever faint traces of this Kyo shows in the games were assimilated by Kusanagi and ratcheted up to unprecedented levels. However, this applies moreso to Mitsuo Iwata's vocal rendition of Kusanagi than Masahiro Nonaka's.
 * Leitmotif - Again, if it's a Kyo clone, expect to hear "Esaka?"
 * Let's Fight Like Gentlemen - A darker example. Kusanagi has a specific line in 2002 against characters who use weapons in battle (i.e. Choi, Chang, Billy, Whip, etc.). It also happens to be a reference to Akira.

"K9999: "KUSANAGI!!!"
 * Hachimaki
 * Playing with Fire - He's a clone of Kyo. Do the math.
 * Pyromaniac - He gives off these vibes.
 * Red Eyes, Take Warning - Although not in the sprites (or the Neowave art). They glow, too.
 * MUGEN versions of him usually have the red eyes in the sprites, however.
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni - Kusanagi is always the Red Oni, whether it's in relation to the other clones or Kyo himself.
 * School Uniforms Are the New Black - Same deal as Kyo-1 and Kyo-2; the dev team wanted to include the old Kyo.
 * Word of God jokes that Chizuru must have visualized Kyo as an eternal schoolboy while creating Kusanagi. When coupled with the ending of 2003 (see "Relationship Writing Fumble" in the YMMV section), some have come to the conclusion that Chizuru is in some sort of Loving a Shadow relationship with Kyo.
 * Shadow Archetype - Kusanagi plays this role to Kyo, naturally enough.
 * Slasher Smile - In artwork for 2002: Unlimited Match and Sky Stage, Kusanagi gets an especially creepy one that would put Yamazaki to shame.
 * They Call Me Mister Tibbs - His Actor Allusion intro with K9999 in 2002.

Kusanagi: "That's MR. Kusanagi to you, punk!""

Nameless
""I'm on my way... Count on it!""

"Voiced by: Daisuke Ono"

"The real 9,999th clone of K'. Nameless is the only survivor of Project Zhe. The objective was to combine both K' and Kyo Kusanagi's flames and inject the combined DNA into various test subjects. Nameless knew only suffering as a test subject, and had to watch as his "brothers" (other test subjects just like him) were horribly killed or injured by the experiments. One day, after he suffered severe injuries, he saw a beautiful girl named Isolde near the infirmary who was a part of the Anti-K' project and was given the ability to control ice. He fell in love with her, and suddenly gained a newfound resolve to endure the experiments in order to see her again. The scientists noticed the connection, and after realizing that wielding the flames required strong willpower, they changed Nameless's training regimen to endurance tests. They allowed him to visit her to bring out both of their true potential. Unfortunately, Isolde died during a test, but rather than waste her progress, the NESTS scientists grafted her DNA into Nameless' glove, which would allow him to control the combined flames. Nameless was assigned to apprehend an escapee from the organization, and when he was cornered, he confessed to everything. Nameless decides to continue working his way up in the eyes of his superiors with the hope that he can give Isolde a new body."


 * Anime Hair
 * The Backwards R - His Code Name (and theme) Ж' (pronounced Zhe; it's a combination of a backwards K and K').
 * Badass - Given that he holds the DNA of two badasses, this was a no brainer. Lamarck Was (Probably) Right.
 * Badass Cape - See the intro if you have doubts.
 * Code Name - Ж' (Zhe Prime/J Prime).
 * Dead Little Sister Lover - Isolde.
 * Emotionless Boy - In his defense, Nameless only does this because he believes that total complience to NESTS will allow him to be reunited with his beloved Isolde.
 * Good Scars, Evil Scars
 * How Do I Shot Web? - His backstory in a nutshell.
 * Immorality Pet - Isolde. The only thing keeping him tethered to NESTS.
 * Ninja - According to Ureshino, who partakes in the story development for the series and writes novelizations meant to fill in the gaps between games, two key concepts for Nameless were "ninja" and "immediate reaction."
 * No Name Given - Do not need to spell this one out.
 * Playing with Fire - Blood-red, half-Kyo-half-K' fire.
 * Power Incontinence - He has it even worse than K'. He actually killed a person by simply tapping them on the back of their shoulders. And if you think that's bad, most of his "brothers" burned to death because they couldn't properly wield their flames.
 * Power Limiter - Much like K' and K9999, he wears a special glove to prevent his genetically implanted flames from growing out of control. Bonus points in that the glove was made from Isolde's DNA.
 * Suspiciously Similar Substitute - A positive version of this trope. Fans actually received him better than K9999.
 * And SNK just acknowledged this by deleting K9999's picture from their KOF 10th Anniversary site.
 * This Is a Drill - Like K9999, his glove can turn into this, but the most famous one is the BIG drill seen in his SDM.
 * Tragic Hero
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy - Slightly subverted, as Nameless's hair actually is half-white, half-brown (or half-purple, according to the sprites and a few pieces of artwork). It really doesn't affect his adherrence to this trope, though.

Diana
"Voiced by: Kaori Minami, Haruna Ikezawa (2002 only)"

"Kula's caretaker and head of the Anti-K' project. Skilled with a rapier, although she's never been playable."


 * Animal Motifs - The butterfly. See her Flash Step for a good example.
 * Artwork also depicts Diana with butterfly imprints on her clothes and a tattoo on her exposed midriff. However, her hobby is collecting butterflies, which could explain why she's so fascinated with them in the first place.
 * Bare Your Midriff
 * Black Bra and Panties - You can see the straps of the top half on display.
 * Christmas Cake - She's implied to be close in age to Foxy (her colleague and friend who is 28 and in a similar predicament). However, this might be of her own volition.
 * Cool Big Sis - To Kula.
 * Cool Sword - Sadly, you only get a glimpse of it during Kula's Freeze Execution DM.
 * Flash Step
 * Flat Earth Atheist - Allegedly. According to Kula during her pre-fight dialogue with Saiki, Diana always told her that "there were no gods in this world." The events of the Orochi Saga, let alone the tournament's dealings with Those from the Past, are inclined to disagree.
 * Funny Afro - Although no one seems to make note of it.
 * Goggles Do Nothing
 * Heterosexual Life Partners - With Foxy. The two even get a Lovely Angels moment in 2000 when they confront Clone Zero.
 * Mama Bear - Has a habit of jumping into the fray to assist Kula in battle, as seen with Kula's Behind Slash throw (where Diana teleports in before stabbing the enemy hard enough to send them flying to the other side of the screen) and the opening slash from Freeze Execution.
 * Parental Substitute - Shares this role with Foxy in regards to Kula.
 * Self-Made Woman
 * Raven Hair, Ivory Skin
 * Sexy Backless Outfit - Not normally, but one of her alternate outfits includes this and Detached Sleeves.
 * Shiny Midnight Black
 * Statuesque Stunner - She stands as the tallest female in-universe at the impressive height of 188 cm (6'2").
 * Team Mom - Has seemingly taken the role after she and Kula left NESTS.

Misty
"Igniz's girlfriend/lover. She can be seen in his winpose after Igniz defeats anyone related to NESTS. She apparently has the ability to translocate herself. Last seen at Ron's side in the Psycho Soldier team's XI ending."


 * Her Heart Will Go On - Apparently.
 * Mysterious Waif
 * Pretty in Mink - She could fall in the more sinister version of this trope, but we really don't know much about her other than the above.
 * Sexy Secretary - To Nests.
 * Unholy Matrimony - With Igniz.
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl
 * Woman in White

Nests
"The eponymous leader of the NESTS syndicate, he is a no-nonsense type of man. Less than pleased with Krizalid's failure and the betrayal of Clone Zero, he personally oversees the 2001 tournament. Unfortunately, he's done in by the machinations of Igniz, his son, and Misty, his secretary, the former of whom kills him unceremoniously right before the finals."


 * Badass Cape
 * Beard of Evil
 * BFS
 * Blond Guys Are Evil
 * Family-Unfriendly Death - Nothing quite like a close-up of a man's head disintegrating into dust, is it?
 * The Unfought
 * We Hardly Knew Ye - He's killed by Igniz no more than 15 seconds after his introduction.

Ron
"Voiced by: Takaya Kuroda"

"Former leader of the Hizoku clan. Ron is an ambitious man with a thirst for power. In order to fulfill said ambitions, he betrayed the Hizoku clan by killing several of their members, and then disappearing without a trace. He joined NESTS at some point in time, and assisted the Original Zero in fighting K's team. Ron escaped from the collapsing blimp and guided the falling satellite into the ocean. He then heads into hiding once again, yearning to obtain the mysterious "Dragon Power", held by Kensou and Bao. Surprisingly, Lin seems to have joined him for some reason. He has several children, including Duo Lon and Xiao Lon, the latter of which he considers a bastard daughter."


 * Ambition Is Evil - When most of the known Hizoku members (such as Duo Lon, Xiao Lon, and Luan) were children, Ron was said to be a kind but strict man who was well liked by his clan. As time progressed, he slowly became more and more obsessed with gaining power, eventually culminating in his betrayal of Hizoku to join NESTS as well as Ron setting fire to his village and personally killing some of his former followers.
 * Asskicking Equals Authority/Authority Equals Asskicking - Was the leader of the Hizoku and betrayed them to become a high-ranking official in NESTS. Is teamed up with a SNK Boss and can break your guard.
 * Badass
 * Badass Long Hair
 * Braids of Action
 * Career Killers - The former leader of Hizoku, a clan of assassins.
 * Chronic Backstabbing Disorder - He kills off his fellow clan members to rise to a position of power in NESTS, and it's implied that he'd betray NESTS, too! Ultimately, Ron goes off on his own (alongside Misty, Lin, and some other Hizoku defectors).
 * Dem Bones - Forms out of thin air before making his grand entrance and then dissipates back into a skeleton as he leaves.
 * Eat the Dog - Let's just say that there is no comedic value in this when it comes to Ron.
 * Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette
 * Evil Laugh - So evil, in fact, that you don't hear it until after he's left.
 * I Need You Stronger - Is lurking in the shadows, showing a great deal of interest in Kensou's training to master the power of the Dragon Spirit.
 * Karma Houdini - So far. He could as well be the next Big Bad of KOF, now that the Tales of Ash saga has ended.
 * In XIII, it's hinted in the pre-fight dialogue between Kensou and Saiki that he has some connection with Saiki and warned him about Kensou's power.
 * Megaton Punch - He uses this to break your guard, and in 2002UM uses a more powerful variant that's powerful enough to force your soul directly out of your body.
 * Ninja
 * Rapunzel Hair
 * Spell My Name with an "S" - His name should technically be Long, given the character used to write it, but SNKP seems to be sticking with Ron nevertheless.
 * Villain Exit Stage Left - According to the backstory, Ron disappeared during the fight against Original Zero, with Lin hot on his trail.
 * Villainous Rescue - Is implied to be the one who saved the player upon reentering the atmosphere after Igniz's failed Colony Drop.