The King of Fighters/Characters

As many tropers know, The King of Fighters contains Loads and Loads of Characters. This will be a HUGE project, possibly remaining a WIP for several thousands of years to come. Here is a list of EVERY CHARACTER in the series, including the crossover characters.

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).

Due to size problems, this page has now been split. Please put new relevant characters and their related tropes in the new pages linked below. For the sake of simplicity, characters debuting in The King of Fighters '94 will be listed in the Orochi Saga page and so on.

Please refer to the Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting character pages for tropes applying to alternate incarnations of characters that also appear in this series.

Characters in the main The King of Fighters storyline

 * The King of Fighters - Place here characters from the EX and Maximum Impact series, as well as team formations in the main series.
 * The King of Fighters: The Rugal Saga - Place here characters debuting in KOF '94.
 * The King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga - Place here characters debuting from KOF '95 to KOF '98.
 * The King of Fighters: The NESTS Chronicles - Place here characters debuting from KOF '99 to KOF 2002 (this includes 2002: Unlimited Match).
 * The King of Fighters: The Tales of Ash - Place here characters debuting from KOF 2003 to KOF XIII.

Moe Habana
"Voiced by: Reiko Chiba"

"The female lead of the series, Moe is a guardian of one of the Ten Sacred Treasures, the Yatsuka no Tsurugi. A high school student residing in America, she comes across a wounded Kyo after his battle with Orochi and subsequent evasion of NESTS. Worried for his safety, Moe nurses Kyo back to health and accompanies him throughout KOF."


 * Bare Your Midriff
 * Big Brother Mentor - She sees Kyo as one.
 * But Not Too Foreign - Japanese parentage, but she grew up in the States.
 * Cell Phone - Takes a call from one as her victory pose.
 * Cute Bruiser
 * Ordinary High School Student
 * Petal Power
 * Punny Name - Named after the Japanese fad known as Moe.
 * Waif Fu

Sinobu Amou
"Voiced by: Sawa Ishige"

"The shy guardian of one of the Ten Sacred Treasures, the Makaru Kaeshi no Tama, Sinobu was kidnapped by the European millionaire Gustav Munchausen, who plans to channel the spirit of Goenitz through his body."

"Sinobu: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I BROKE YOU!!!""
 * Blow You Away
 * Razor Wind
 * Brainwashed and Crazy
 * Demonic Possession/Grand Theft Me - By Goenitz, no less.
 * The Dragon - To Gustav, although not willingly.
 * Golden Super Mode/Turns Gold - For the second round. This also signifies his change of Elemental Powers from wind to lightning.
 * Power Floats
 * Shock and Awe
 * SNK Boss - He holds the distinction of being the youngest one ever in this series. His winquote sums it up quite nicely.


 * White-Haired Pretty Boy

Jun Kagami
"Voiced by: Mariko Suzuki"

"Another guardian of the Ten Sacred Treasures, Jun is a classy woman who enjoys the finer things in life. She joins Iori's team in EX2 to help out Miu."


 * Combat Stilettos
 * Cool Big Sis - To Miu.
 * Dance Battler
 * Gravity Master - Most notably seen in her apparent Super Strength; she's so powerful that she can smash her opponent into the ground with enough force, causing them to bounce vertically off-screen.
 * Hair Antennae
 * Mighty Glacier - Has the slowest run of all characters, barring Chang. Her gameplay is also power-based.
 * Of Corsets Sexy
 * Sexy Walk
 * Statuesque Stunner - She actually beats out Diana as the tallest female in all continuities at 6'6" (199cm).
 * You Gotta Have Purple Hair

Miu Kurosaki
"Voiced by: Ai Nonaka"

"A guardian of one of the Ten Sacred Treasures, Miu is a quiet and lonely girl. She joins the EX2 tournament in search of her older brother Sinobu, who she fears has fallen prey to the Orochi power."


 * Ass Kicks You - One of her specials.
 * Badass Back - Her backward walking animation and victory pose.
 * Bare Your Midriff
 * Blade Below the Shoulder - A variation: she can slice people with her bare hands.
 * Dramatic Wind
 * Feather Flechettes
 * Hair Decorations
 * Joshikousei
 * Magic Skirt
 * Pettanko
 * The Quiet One
 * Raven Hair, Ivory Skin
 * Ravens and Crows - Appears when she's the first fighter in rotation. It's also listed as her likes.
 * Red Eyes Take Warning - Subverted. She appears to not care for much, but if you're close to her, she'll shower you with genuine affection.
 * School Uniforms Are the New Black
 * Shiny Midnight Black
 * Womanin Black - Official artwork depict her as such, but the sprites have her wearing a Purple Is the New Black uniform instead.
 * Zettai Ryouiki

Reiji Ogami
"Voiced by: Tetsu Inada"

"A member of the Hero Team in EX2 alongside Kyo and Moe, he is a guardian of the Hetsu Kagami, one of the Ten Sacred Treasures. A representative of Chizuru Kagura currently living in America, he is the one who invites Kyo to the tournament so they can investigate the phenomena disturbing the seal on Orochi."


 * Doting Parent
 * Hopeless Suitor - Appears to be one for Jun given his dialogue during the Hero Team's encounter with the Yagami Team.
 * Hot Dad
 * Master of Illusion
 * Playing With Fire
 * Red Eyes Take Warning - Subverted. He is very focused on addressing his clan's duties, but outside of combat, he's more laid back and optimistic, especially when it comes to his daughter. In a fight, however, it'd be best to not cross paths with him.
 * Redheaded Hero
 * She Is Not My Girlfriend - Because his daughter dresses in a manner similar to Chizuru and even resembles her, there was a strong rumor that he was Chizuru's husband. The two are merely good friends and representatives of the same clan.

Mignon Beart
"Voiced by: Miwa Yasuda (Japanese), Vanessa Bellardini (English)"

"A sorceress who inherited her grandmother's techniques. She becomes a pop star and has a rival in Athena. She decides to enter the tournament to do battle with her."


 * Adult Child
 * Animal Motifs - Cats. Aside from the below, she also has a move called Kitten Style, where she crawls around on all fours and meows. She assumes a similar stance while crouching.
 * Bring It - She has a habit of taunting foes after landing combos, which also plays into her Adult Child tendencies.
 * Catgirl - The motif behind her "Another" design. Comes complete with fur linings, Absolute Cleavage, and Zettai Ryouiki.
 * Cool Big Sis - Literally to Ninon, although she doesn't earn any respect from her.
 * Cloudcuckoolander
 * Cute but Cacophonic
 * Cute Clumsy Girl
 * Cute Witch
 * Detached Sleeves - In both outfits.
 * Elemental Powers - Fire, wind, water, and lightning.
 * Famous Ancestor - Her grandmother might have been a famous witch. Mignon certainly believes so.
 * Genki Girl - May be THE most triumphant example in this game.
 * Hair Decorations
 * Idol Singer
 * Memento MacGuffin - Mignon possesses a jewel box given to her by her late grandmother. Mignon believes she'll be a true witch once she finally opens it.
 * Princess Curls
 * Red Eyes Take Warning - With her personality, no, not really.
 * The Rival - To Athena.
 * Rose-Haired Girl
 * She Fu
 * Sibling Yin-Yang - The Yang to Ninon's Yin.
 * Spell My Name With an "S" - Certain versions of Maximum Impact spell her name as Mingnon.
 * Theme Naming - Her moves plead to non-specific spirits. This is in contrast to her sister's moves which invoke specific entities, mostly cribbed from Judeo-Christian mythos.
 * Third Person Person
 * Throw Down the Bomblet - Her Level 3, Heartful Present.
 * White Magic

Duke
"Voiced by: Kiyoyuki Yanada (English), Jerry Lyden (Japanese)"

"The boss of the Mephistopheles gang, a sub-syndicate of Addes. Duke is a Self-Made Man who was a part of a genetic experiment by a scientist named Jalange. He is referred to as Type "D" by his superiors, just as Nagase is referred to as Type "N". It is said that he is immortal, evidenced by the large scar across his neck. He is the one who killed Alba and Soiree's mentor Fate in order to gain full control of Southtown. He hosts the new King of Fighters tournament to lure his enemies out. In the final round, Duke is defeated by Alba, but vanishes during a blackout of the stadium. He enters the 2nd tournament held by Jivatma to find out the truth of what happened to his sister, whom Jalange promised would be well taken care of."


 * Affably Evil
 * Audible Sharpness - His Swivel Gun special (read: "modified Genocide Cutter").
 * Authority Equals Asskicking - Former leader of Mephistopheles (a sub-syndicate of Addes) and one of the top members of the Children of Kokaviel (select members of Addes known for their fighting prowess). Even when he's acting as Jivatma's Dragon, he still kicks ass.
 * Badass
 * Badass in A Nice Suit
 * Beard of Evil
 * Dead Little Sister - The reason for his Villain Decay.
 * Devil in Plain Sight - Really easy to pick out in a crowd, as he's not only extremely tall, but his skin is pale and he has dual-toned hair. His nickname is "The Man Hell Coughed Up."
 * Do Not Call Me Type D
 * Good Scars, Evil Scars - Across his throat.
 * Gravity Master - He has a super called Gravitational Wave. It's unknown if this is connected to his fire powers.
 * Hidden Depths - His hobby is listening to operas.
 * Immortality - Rumored to have this because of the aforementioned scar.
 * The Mafia - Looks and acts similar to a classic mafia Don.
 * Large and In Charge
 * Mighty Glacier
 * Morality Pet - His sister. You could argue that this role was transferred over to Lien after his sister's death.
 * Multicolored Hair - Justified Trope in that part of his hair seems to be graying.
 * Name's the Same - Not to be confused with the protagonist of SNK beat-em-up Burning Fight, who has appeared a time or two in the main KOF series as a striker.
 * Ominous Latin Chanting - Has two theme songs that contain this.
 * Pet the Dog - Tells Lien that if she had stayed away, she would have been able to live to pleasant life.
 * Playing With Fire
 * Red Baron - "Hell's Executioner."
 * See You in Hell - He leaves this message in blood after he vanishes.
 * Self-Made Man
 * Shockwave Stomp - A few of his moves involve slamming his fist/foot into the ground so hard that flames are created.
 * SNK Boss - In Maximum Impact, he had an infinite super meter.
 * Taking the Bullet - For Lien in her MI2 story.
 * This Cannot Be! - "How can I...!"
 * Uh-Oh Eyes - His sclera are yellow.
 * Use Your Head - One of his combos ends with Duke grabbing his opponent and then reeling them in for a headbutt.
 * Wrestler in All of Us - His Volcanic Bomb Level 3 starts with a Giant Swing followed by an explosive, fiery atomic bomb. For added measure, Duke drops a "Go to hell!" at the end.

Rock Howard
"Voiced by: Eiji Takemoto (Japanese), Jon Thomas (Maximum Impact, English), Mike Lane (Maximum Impact 2, English)"

"The only son of Geese Howard. Rock was raised solely by his mother Marie, who cautioned him not to approach his father. Unfortunately, due to the loneliness suffered from Geese's neglect, Marie fell ill and passed away in Rock's care. Sometime later, Terry Bogard took Rock in his care and trained him. When Terry revealed the truth about his father, Rock charged at him in a rage, but got over it. He enters the Maximum Mayhem tournament held by Kain R. Heinlein to get answers regarding his mother, and may or may not have been tricked by Kain into working with him to uncover Geese's secret legacy. In Maximum Impact, Billy Kane is trying to get him to take over Geese's role as ruler of Southtown."


 * Angst - The defining trait of Rock.
 * Awesome McCoolname
 * Disappeared Dad - ... It's Geese Howard's son we're talking about here.
 * Parental Abandonment - Just like in Garou, both of his parents are dead.
 * Executive Meddling - SNK Playmore's desire to save Rock for the Garou sequel is the only thing keeping Rock from full-on becoming a playable character in the main series... where he's eternally a child of about six or seven years.
 * Fingerless Gloves
 * Generation Xerox - Billy Kane is trying to force this on him.
 * Hair of Gold
 * Happily Adopted - By Terry.
 * Heroic BSOD - Whenever he finishes a match with one of Geese's moves, he slumps to the floor in pain.
 * Ki Attacks
 * Love Triangle - Unwillingly placed in one, due to the advances of both Ninon Beart and B. Jenet. The two even seem to be fighting over him in their own intro poses. Poor Rock, who feels uneasy when in the company of the other sex, has no comment on the matter.
 * Mangst
 * Oedipus Complex - Towards Geese, of course.
 * Raised By Dudes - Rock can function normally in society, but since he grew up surrounded mainly by men, he's flustered by women, hence his shy reaction to B. Jenet and Ninon Beart hitting on him in Maximum Impact 2. This doesn't stop him from helping those in need.
 * As of Regulation A, the only woman he can keep face when talking to is Blue Mary. And his introduction with Mai Shiranui is an humorous example of his lack of understanding regarding women. Realizing their relationship to each other (Rock is Terry's adopted son; Terry is Andy's older brother; Andy is Mai's self-proclaimed fiancé), Rock addresses Mai as Oba-san but is cut off with her angrily yelling This Is Unforgivable! several times.
 * Red Eyes Take Warning - Subverted. He's nothing like Geese and is actually a pretty nice guy.

Chae Lim
"Voiced by: Yukiko Amano (Japanese), Allie Moss (English)"

"A young girl who has been training under Kim since she was four. She is rumored to be Kim's secret weapon for KOF. The Maximum Impact tournament marks her first professional debut."


 * Badass Normal - As the closest thing this series has to a female Kim, yeah... go figure.
 * Bare Your Midriff - Her "Another" design.
 * Cute Bruiser
 * Detect Evil - Of note is that some people whom are flagged as evil by Kim are not flagged as so by Chae.
 * Distaff Counterpart - To Kim himself. Unlike May Lee, she wears a dobok. She even took most of Kim's moves until Kim was added to the MI2 roster.
 * Does Not Like Shoes
 * Dynamic Entry - This is how she enters her stage in the story mode of MI2.
 * Fingerless Gloves
 * Kick Chick
 * Multicolored Hair - Black with a few bangs of white in the front.
 * Raven Hair, Ivory Skin
 * This Is Unforgivable! - Kim's ideals and intolerance for evil tend to rub off on his students. She's no exception.

Alba Meira
"Voiced by: Hiroyuki Satou (Japanese), Jason Wooley (English)"

"The current leader of Southtown. Alba and his brother Soiree were orphaned at the age of 3, when their parents died in an accident. At 14, they escaped the orphanage and were taken in by Fate, the then leader of Southtown who succeeded Geese Howard after his death. Fate told both of them that they had a role to play for Southtown's future. Unfortunately, since Southtown was the den for several crime lords, after Geese's death war had erupted in their ranks to see who would succeed Geese, and Fate ended up assassinated by Duke, the leader of Mephistopheles, using Lien Neville as a proxy. Alba sets out to find his mentor's killer, and enters Duke's tournament. He defeats Duke, but he vanishes. Alba becomes the leader of Southtown along with his brother, but both hear of mysterious events around the town. He encounters Luise Meyrink, who reveals that he is part of a prophecy, but when Alba questions her about it, he has no choice but to fight her for the answers. She vanishes afterward, and Alba encounters Jivatma, the leader of Kusiel, which are the remnants of Mephistopheles and a sub-syndicate of a new Nebulous Evil Organization called Addes. Jivatma confirms Luise's claims, referring to Alba as "Judeim", and reveals that Alba is needed for an ancient prophecy to occur. Alba fights him, but after beating Jivatma suddenly has visions of a black-silhouetted being with white hair and collapses. When he wakes up, he realizes that Luise saved him, and she reveals that Soiree has been taken by Addes. Luise decides to reveal everything to Alba."

"(to Lien): "There's no mercy even if you are a chick.""
 * Anime Hair - Dual-toned red and white.
 * Author Avatar - Word of God says that Alba was made to be a "cooler Falcoon." That might explain why Alba has a triple projectile, an anti-air reversal, and is only beaten out in terms of bells and whistles by Ash.
 * Bishonen
 * Face of a Thug - Despite falling into the above trope, other mediums sometimes describe Alba as a mean-looking punk who speaks in an eloquent yet rude manner. Even his seiyuu refers to Alba as a virtuous and kind-hearted person who "looks like a bad guy."
 * Cool Car - Is shown driving one in the intro FMV to Maximum Impact 2.
 * Cool Shades
 * Counter Attack - Alba has a few reversal throws in his arsenal.
 * Eldritch Abomination - Is one half of the being known as Judeim.
 * It should be noted that Judeim is implied to be a Humanoid Abomination, in a shape similar to that of Luise and Jivatma.
 * I Will Find You - Soiree goes missing after the battle with Jivatma. Alba teams up with Luise to go looking for him.
 * Ki Attacks - Which seem to mimic lightning and wind.
 * Mangst - Although his grief for both his biological parents and adopted father are implied, he holds a picture of his parents as a treasured keepsake and isn't the type to thrust his problems onto others.
 * Noble Demon
 * Peek-a-Bangs
 * Rapid Fire Fisticuffs - Some of his moves consist of this, most notably during his Level 3.
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni - Inverted: The red-clad Alba is the blue oni while the blue-clad Soiree is the red one.
 * Sugar and Ice Personality - His stoicism knows no bounds, but he genuinely shows concern for his younger brother and the people of Southtown.
 * Theme Twin Naming - Alba is Italian for "daybreak," while Soiree is "twilight" in French. Get it?
 * This Cannot Be! - "How can this be?!?"
 * Voice of the Legion - At the end of his story in MI2, where he speaks in a bellowing dual voice, implying he's remembering his past as Judeim.
 * Would Hit a Girl


 * Yin

Soiree Meira
"Voiced by: Kouji Haramaki (Japanese), Ed Bishop (English)"

"Alba's brother. He and Alba escaped the orphanage they lived at and were adopted by Fate. They both sought and avenged his death. Soiree is the more laid-back and carefree of the two and tries to help Alba in any way he can. He encounters Jivatma, but is incapacitated by visions of Judeim and is captured by the Addes organization."

"(to most female fighters) "Whoa... hey there baby! This could be my lucky day!""
 * Big Brother Worship - Mocked by his seiyuu, Kouji Haramaki, who has once said that "male bonding is gross." However, Haramaki did become good friends with Hiroyuki Satou (Alba's seiyuu) by voicing Soiree.
 * The Charmer - With an added dash of Chivalrous Pervert. Watch how he tries to woo Luise by asking her to dance with him. She tries to avoid him, but his charisma is so electric that she can't help but be amused by him.
 * Dance Battler - Uses Capoeira like Bob Wilson and Richard Meyer.
 * Eldritch Abomination - Is one half of the being known as Judeim.
 * Fun Personified
 * Handsome Lech


 * Hot Blooded - He's not as bad as the likes of Joe or Ralf, but Soiree definitely has his days.
 * Ki Attacks - Although his attacks give off the appearance of wind attacks, it's just your everyday Pure Energy.
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni - see Alba's entry.
 * Walking Shirtless Scene
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy
 * Yang

Lien Neville
"Voiced by: Fumiko Inoue (Japanese), Claire Caponigro (English)"

"A former subordinate of Duke. Her family was killed by Jivatma so she goes undercover to exact revenge. She kills Fate and prompts Alba and Soiree's rise to power. She eventually finds a kindred spirit in Duke, as both of their lives were ruined by Addes."

""To win... I will use any method...""
 * Absolute Cleavage
 * Boobs of Steel - She is the physically strongest female character in the Maximum Impact games, and her bust is just as impressive as her strength. Ironically, she's the weakest character in MI2 according to Falcoon.
 * British Accents - London PR.
 * Combat Pragmatist


 * Combat Stilettos
 * Counter Attack - Her Level 3 super, Assault Type ω: Alecto, can only be performed off of a block.
 * Femme Fatale
 * Foreign Fanservice - The most blatant example.
 * Hair Decorations
 * Hair of Gold
 * Male Gaze - Used extensively on the intro of Maximum Impact 2 where the camera focused excessively on her chest.
 * Pillar of Light - "Requesting backup!"
 * Professional Killer
 * Red Eyes Take Warning - Pinballs between playing it straight and subverting it.
 * Sexy Backless Outfit
 * Spy Catsuit - Which she unzips in the intro to MI. It appears that there's nothing underneath, either.
 * Statuesque Stunner
 * Tall, Blond and Bishoujo
 * This Cannot Be! - "How can this be?"
 * You Killed My Father - She seeks to kill Duke in retribution for the death of her parents.

Ninon Beart
"Voiced by: Jun Koutsuka (Japanese), Jessica Wachsman (English)"

"Mignon's sister and rival. When Mignon inherited their grandmothers' secret techniques, she felt jealous and decided to see if Mignon was worthy of them by competing in the 2nd tournament. Hates being underestimated by her older sister."


 * Aloof Younger Sister
 * Always Someone Better - Serves as this to Mignon.
 * Birds of a Feather - Is trying to use this on Rock, as she believes they have similar vibes.
 * Black Magic
 * Bring It - Like her sister, a few of her combos end in taunts.
 * Creepy Child
 * Cute Witch
 * Dark Magical Girl - Given how graceful she is (as opposed to her older sister), it's a safe bet to assume that she'll become a Lady of Black Magic when she matures.
 * Death From Above - Her Level 3, Ebony Moon of Hecate, is a friggin' meteor storm.
 * Detect Evil
 * Different As Night and Day - With Mignon.
 * Elegant Gothic Lolita - Her Normal costume is Kuro-Lolita. Her "Another" costume is Wa-Lolita.
 * Elemental Powers - Lightning, wind, and fire.
 * Famous Ancestor - Same deal as Mignon.
 * Hair Decorations
 * Little Miss Badass
 * Little Miss Snarker - Sweet Christmas is she a snarky one.
 * Nietzsche Wannabe - Yeah, she's kind of a nihilist.
 * Ojou - A darker version. She's still pretty graceful nonetheless.
 * Pettanko - Well, duh! Her Regulation A opening with B. Jenet reveals some A Cup Angst.
 * The Rival - Toward her sister Mignon.
 * Ryu and Ken - She could be considered as the Akuma to Mignon's Ryu (or even Mignon's Sakura).
 * Sibling Yin-Yang - The Yin to Mignon's Yang.
 * Teleporters and Transporters - Her Lilith's Temptation.
 * Theme Naming - Her moves invoke specific entities, mostly cribbed from Judeo-Christian mythos. This is in contrast to her sister's moves which plead to non-specific spirits.
 * Verbal Tic - In Japanese, she ends most of her sentences with "shi," the Japanese word for death. This also shows her apathetic nature in general.
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl - More of a platinum-blonde.
 * Wise Beyond Their Years
 * Womanin Black

Fiolina "Fio" Germi
"Voiced by: Ryoko Nakano (Japanese, credited as Aikel), Melissa Ex (English)"

"A character ported over from the Metal Slug series, she a member of the Sparrows Intelligence Unit who is best known for helping the Peregrine Falcon Squad defeat General Morden's Evil Army and the Mars People on several occasions."


 * Affirmative Action Girl - In her original series, at least.
 * Bare Your Midriff
 * The Cameo - In turn, Ralf and Clark would eventually Crossover to Metal Slug 6.
 * Combat Pragmatist - Fio has at her disposal (in addition to a hand axe) fire bombs, grenades, and two Heavy Machineguns.
 * Cute but Cacophonic - Definitely, but there are worse examples.
 * Dual-Wielding - One of her supers has Fio whip out twin tonfas to increase her damage output.
 * Fingerless Gloves
 * Genki Girl
 * Good Looking Privates
 * Meganekko
 * Ojou - Heiress to the House of Germi, a wealthy Italian family.
 * Overprotective Dad - Fiolina has one.
 * Saying Sound Effects Out Loud - She actually imitates the sounds of her machine gun fire.
 * Throw Down the Bomblet
 * You Remind Me of X - Her intros with the Ikari Warriors has Fio compare them with her fellow Peregrine Falcons (Ralf looks just like Marco, Clark looks kind of like Tarma, and Leona looks nothing like Eri).

Hanzo Hattori
"Voiced by: Masaki Usui (Japanese), Liou Johnson (English)"

"Ported over from Samurai Shodown, he serves as a holographic sparring partner for Nagase."


 * Animal Motifs - His "Another" outfit was designed with a dragonfly in mind.
 * The Cameo
 * Doppelganger Attack - Made out of what appears to be smoke.
 * Fingerless Gloves
 * Hand Seals
 * Monochromatic Eyes
 * Prophet Eyes
 * Ninja
 * Ninjato Are Just Better
 * Playing With Fire - He can hurl bouncing fireballs, blow a stream of flames from his mouth, and create pillars of it.
 * Public Domain Character - We're talking about one of the most famous ninjas in history.
 * Scarf of Asskicking - It's a pretty damn long one, too.
 * Shoulders of Doom
 * Smoke Out - An odd variation in that Hanzo doesn't throw any smoke bombs. He merely punches the ground, summoning up a torrent of flames and turning invisible.
 * Spinning Piledriver - Uses a fiery Izuna Drop as both a special and a super. He also has a variant performed mid-run which lacks the flames.
 * The Stoic
 * Warrior Poet - He's an old-fashioned ninja. What did you expect?

Hyena
"Voiced by: Bin Shimada (Japanese), Bill Hemberger (English)"

"The referee for the first tournament. Hyena is at first Duke's servant, but in the end when Mephistopheles breaks apart, he decides to enter the tournament on his own and build his own gang."


 * Animal Motifs - His outlandish personality and occasional crazy laughter do fall in line with his namesake. According to Jivatma, though, he's more a stray dog than he is a hyena.
 * Anime Hair - It's pretty ridiculous regardless of which costume you pick.
 * Braggart Boss - It'll become apparent very quickly that Hyena thinks highly of himself.
 * Cool Shades - In his "Another" outfit.
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass/Let's Get Dangerous - As he so bluntly puts it, "I kick ass when I want!"
 * Death Dealer - Although not nearly as proficient as Oswald.
 * Early Bird Cameo - Appeared in Maximum Impact as an NPC.
 * Everyone Looks Sexier If French - Averted Trope with a vengeance.
 * Gonk
 * Insistent Terminology - Refers to Duke as "King Duke."
 * Joke Character
 * Lethal Joke Character
 * Large Ham
 * Lovable Coward
 * Sharp Dressed Man - It's about all this guy has going for him.
 * Wounded Gazelle Gambit/Deliberate Injury Gambit - His This Century's Most Fearsome Acting/Wildest Sucker Punch super. After faking being K.O.ed by his opponent's attack/groveling on the ground, Hyena will spring up and knock his foe silly.

Jivatma
"Voiced by: Kyouzo Kudou (Japanese), Kevin Cummings (English)"

"The final boss of the second game. Jivatma is the leader of Kusiel, which are the remnants of Mephistopheles and a sub-syndicate of Addes. Jivatma is one of the high ranking members of Addes, which are known as the Children of Kokaviel. He is The Man Behind the Man for Duke, and is the one who ordered the death of Lien's parents. He faces off against Alba in the finals, and refers to him as Judeim. Upon his defeat, he disappears, having already taken Soiree hostage. He is, in fact."

"Jivatma: "I do not wish to be bound by notions of justice and evil.""
 * Above Good and Evil - Invoked in his pre-fight quote against Kim.

"(to Lilly): "You're adorable. But, you're just a weak human.""
 * Affably Evil - Although he also dabbles in snark.
 * Animal Motifs - In his alternate costumes. Insects and plants.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking - Leader of Kusiel and another top leader of the Children of Kokaviel.
 * Body Snatcher - One theory is that he is actually a parasitic alien. He talks of taking the bodies of several characters in their pre-fight dialogue with him; however, this also gives some of the female fighters the wrong impression. What's more, the theory goes on to explain that his alternative outfit is a result of him infesting Luise.
 * Breath Weapon - The next thing you know, KO!
 * Combat Stilettos - A male example.
 * Eldritch Abomination
 * Guyliner
 * Hannibal Lecture - He's very fond of picking at the motivations of others.
 * Human Aliens
 * Lean and Mean
 * Manipulative Bastard
 * Multicolored Hair
 * Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant - His alternate costume depicts him as a woman with enormous spiked breasts and moth wings. All while keeping his male voice.
 * Puny Earthlings - His pre-fight quote in Story Mode is even, "Then come, you weak bug from this tiny planet."

""I think we have met before... haven't we?""
 * Really Seven Hundred Years Old - Strongly suggested (or perhaps lending more credibility to the above Body Snatcher theory) when he encounters Hanzo.


 * Red Baron - The Dark Talon. In contrast, Judeim is "The Dark Fang."
 * Rubber Man
 * Scary Black Man - Looks very inhuman. A more accurate descriptor would be "Scary Charcoal Man."
 * SNK Boss - His super meter regenerates in his debut game.
 * That One Attack - The aforementioned Breath Weapon. It can break your guard and kill you in one or two hits if you're not careful.
 * Stance System - Strangely, the computer never seems to take advantage of it.
 * Taking You With Me - Detonates the mosque that you fight him in after he loses and makes a getaway. Unlike Rugal, Jivatma maintains his calm composure.
 * Tall, Dark and Snarky - And by dark, we mean dark.
 * This Cannot Be! - "How could this happen?"
 * Voluntary Shapeshifting - It's presumed that this is the reason behind his "Another" design, although his voice remains the same.
 * Shapeshifter Weapon - For starters, his hands can turn into blades.
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist - His main goal is to return Zoans like Luise back to their homeland (an offer that he tempts Luise with). Too bad that his methods are less than pleasant.

Lilly Kane
"Voiced by: Yumi Kakazu (Japanese), Ivy Omere (English)"

"Billy's kid sister, who he is overly protective of. Having moved back to England to enjoy a happy life with her brother, Lilly awakes one day to discovers that Billy has left. Angry and worried, she travels to Southtown to find him and drag him back home."


 * Apologetic Attacker
 * Bare Your Midriff - In her "Another" costume, although it's only visible from the sides and back.
 * Braids of Action
 * Distaff Counterpart - Of her brother. She trades in some of Billy's power for speed and a few of her specials have been modified a bit from Billy's. To drive things home, her "Another" outfit is a female variant of Billy's original garb from the first Fatal Fury.
 * Blow You Away
 * British Accents - Like her brother, dub only. Appears to be London PR.
 * Counter Attack - Her Level 3 super, Tyro's Tantrum. In a tactic taken from her brother, Lily cowers in fear before unleashing a maelstrom of pain upon her opponent's head, ending with her Mighty Whirlwind super three times in a row.
 * Cute Bruiser
 * Distaff Counterpart - To Billy. The only exception is that she's somewhat weaker, has a slightly altered moveset, and uses ice instead of fire.
 * Hair of Gold
 * Locked Out of the Loop - Is unaware that Billy is (or was, depending on the continuity) working for the notorious crime lord Geese Howard.
 * Martial Pacifist - She detests violence and prefers peaceful resolutions to conflicts. Of course, this is KOF we're speaking about, so she gets some tricks under her skirt...
 * Plucky Girl - You do not just leave her without a word. She will go back to Southtown to face you. And beat you if need be.
 * Wearing a Flag On Your Head - Again, in her "Another" design.

Richard Meyer
"Voiced by: Kong Kuwata (Japanese), Kofi Candela (English)"

"A former competitor in Geese Howard's tournament. He is the owner of the Pao Pao Cafe. He entered the tournament to promote the restaurant. Although he lost, the restaurant became immensely popular and became a local hangout for fighters in Southtown. He found an apprentice in Bob Wilson, and opened the Pao Pao Cafe 2, giving Bob the management rights. He enters the Maximum Impact 2 tournament out of boredom."


 * Badass Beard
 * Badass Mustache
 * Chef of Iron - Bartender. Cafe owner. Kicker of ass.
 * Dance Battler
 * Retired Badass - Passed his role onto Bob Wilson.
 * Sharp Dressed Man - His "Another" design, which depicts how he dresses when serving as a bartender at the Pao Pao Café.
 * Walking Shirtless Scene

Luise Meyrink
"Voiced by: Hiroko Tsuji (Japanese), Katrin Biemann (English)"

"A mysterious woman with even more mysterious abilities. She exemplifies the butterfly - a free spirit that goes wherever the wind takes her. When her father is abducted by Addes for refusing to work with them, she enters the tournament for answers. She seems to have a connection with Alba, knowing about his true identity as Judeim; this is because she is a being similar to Judeim known as Lakia."


 * Animal Motifs - The Butterfly of Death and Rebirth (specifically, the Morpho butterfly). Her brassiere resembles the body and wings of a butterfly, her belt buckle is a butterfly, and she even sports a pair of butterfly wings on different occasions (the intro FMV, right after teleporting, and in two color variations of her normal attire).
 * Schmetterling (the name of Luise's fighting style) is German for butterfly.
 * Attack Reflector
 * Badass Longcoat
 * Bare Your Midriff
 * Beauty Mark - She has two by her left eye.
 * Combat Stilettos
 * Counter Attack
 * Dark Magical Girl
 * Disappeared Dad - Her father, Dr. Meyrink, was among a group of scientists captured by Kusiel.
 * Elegant Gothic Lolita - Subverted. She dresses in a similar fashion, but is an adult.
 * Everything's Better With Spinning - Her general fighting style.
 * Femme Fatalons
 * Foreign Fanservice - Essentially, she's a German alien.
 * Everything Sounds Sexier In German
 * Gratuitous German
 * Flight
 * Hair Decorations - Wears two ornaments in the shape of butterfly wings over her ears, further adding to the aforementioned Animal Motifs.
 * I Am a Monster - For some reason, while around the Meira twins and Jivatma, Luise seems to show some resentment for her Zoan heritage, although the former duo takes this in stride. And to be honest, her "Normal" outfit does sport some majestic butterfly wings in her G and H color variations.
 * Kung-Fu Psychic
 * Lady of War - Much like Chizuru, Luise's style of combat involves soft, graceful, dance-like movements.
 * Last Of Her Kind - Not quite. There's also Jivatma, and presumably a few others, but Luise (aka Lakia) is one of the few remaining Zoan.
 * Light'Em Up - Her arsenal ranges from wisps of light to a Laser Blade, to an explosion of energy that spews lasers.
 * Light Is Good
 * Mediator - For the Meira brothers.
 * Mysterious Waif - Non-RPG example.
 * Omniglot - Is fluent in ten languages.
 * Onee-Sama - How her character was written. Most likely, she'd play this role to the Meira twins.
 * Psychic Powers - Seems to possess them to some degree.
 * Spider Sense/My Significance Sense Is Tingling - Possibly both. Luise has an extremely keen sixth sense, most likely native to her race.
 * Power Floats
 * Rapunzel Hair
 * Some Dexterity Required - Her Level 2. It even has two versions, leading to the occasional Damn You Muscle Memory. On the upside, because of the odd way it fires off, it will not consume the super gauge if it fails to connect.
 * Statuesque Stunner
 * Tall, Light and Bishoujo - A gentler version of the trope.
 * Teleporters and Transporters
 * The Only One Allowed to Defeat You - Challenges several fighters for the right to fight Jivatma.
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl
 * Womanin Black - A major subversion.

Nagase
"Voiced by: Ryoko Tanifuji (Japanese), Kristen Erdman (English)"

"A mysterious young girl who was modified by the Addes scientist Jarange into a "Type-N" cyborg. She uses a complex form of Ninjutsu similar to that of legendary ninja Hanzo Hattori, which she acquired through her data disc system. She works for Jivatma, but harbours no loyalty towards him; she fights only to test her own strength. Hates "pretty boys" for some reason."


 * American Accents - In the dub, Nagase has a slight Southern drawl at times.
 * Animal Motifs - Frogs/toads in her "Another" design.
 * Arrogant Kung Fu Gal - With shades of Smug Super.
 * Author Avatar - It's been said that she is this to Falcoon, the (male) producer and designer of the Maximum Impact series.
 * Counter Attack - Quite a few as supers.
 * Doppelganger Attack - Her Punishment Mode – Type: Mirage Assault super.
 * Highly-Visible Ninja - Justified in that she has no intention of living her life in the shadows: she wants to become famous.
 * Hollywood Nerd
 * Jerk With a Heart of Gold - This becomes more noticeable at the end of her story.
 * Just a Kid - When Nagase notes that kids and adults alike tick her off, Mai is quick to point out that Nagase is a kid, too.
 * Ninjato Are Just Better - Two, in fact.
 * Meganekko
 * Multicolored Hair - Yellow, white, and black.
 * Ninja
 * Playful Hacker - According to her bio, her specialty is hacking.
 * Professional Killer - Fancies herself as one.
 * Ryu and Ken - The Ken to Hanzo's Ryu. Almost all of her moves are lifted from him.
 * Short, Technicolor and Bishoujo
 * Worthy Opponent - Sees Mai as this by the end of her story.
 * Wrestler in All of Us - Two Words Obvious Trope: Izuna Drop.

Xiao Lon
"Voiced by: Makiko Matsumoto"

"Ron's daughter, and Duo Lon's biological sister half-sister. Like her brother she is searching for her father to find out the truth behind her clan's massacre. She ends up in Southtown, believing that Alba knows about her father."


 * Animal Motifs - Aside from being based off of Jiang-shi, her regular design incorporates some features from scorpions.
 * Anime Chinese Girl
 * Bare Your Midriff - Her "Another" model, complete with Underboobs.
 * Beware the Quiet Ones - While meek and frail-looking, it should be said that her skills with poison surpass even that of Lin's, and he's one of Hizoku's Four Devas.
 * Big Brother Worship - Debatable. Xiao was very dependent on Duo Lon when Ron left them to fend for themselves, treasures the quartz crystal he gave her, and even calls him "the third crowned prince" (as opposed to "King" and "that man" for Ron). It should be said that Duo Lon was the only member of her family to ever show her compassion. Her feelings about Duo Lon are mixed due to Duo Lon's mission to kill their father.
 * Blessed With Suck - Xiao doesn't take well to her status as a Hizoku assassin because her powers alienate her from being truly accepted into society.
 * Braids of Action - That's a pretty long braid.
 * Canon Foreigner - Notable in that she was created to loosely tie together the main timeline with the Maximum Impact series and prevent storyline inconsistencies (seeing as MI2 was developed alongside XI).
 * Dark Is Not Evil - Just like her brother.


 * Flash Step
 * Kiss of Death - Her kisses are poisonous and continue to drain the opponent's health until the match is over.
 * Locked Out of the Loop - The rest of the Hizoku clan mostly left Xiao Lon at home in order that she wouldn't learn of Ron's actions. She finds out anyway, spurring her to travel to Southtown.
 * Missing Mom - Who's dead. Poor girl...
 * Ninja
 * Nothing Up My Sleeve - Hides several weapons inside her clothes.
 * Professional Killer - It runs in the family, although she doesn't like her job.
 * Rapunzel Hair - It must be genetic.
 * Set Swords to Stun - This is KOF we're talking about.
 * Shrinking Violet
 * Stance System - She has three distinct styles at her disposal.
 * Summon Magic - One of her attacks involves summoning a dark sorcerer to disrupt her opponent's movements.
 * The Unfavorite - To Ron. It still doesn't stop her from loving him, though. It shoud be noted that it might not entirely be Ron's fault. Apparently, Ron's wife hated Xiao's mother, and since Xiao greatly resembles her mother, Ron's wife convinced him to ignore his illegitimate daughter.
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl - Although she does have a noticeable green tint.

Makoto Mizoguchi
"Voiced by: Kay Inage"

"A bruiser who fights on the streets. Aside from that, we... don't know much about him."


 * Bonus Boss - You can only fight him in Regulation A if you don't continue and get a certain amount of super finishes.
 * The Cameo - He wasn't originally supposed to be in MI:RA and only got in after hard lobbying from the head producer (Falcoon, the lead producer of the series, was a fan of Fighter's History back when he was a kid; Mizoguchi held the distinction of being his favorite character; it didn't hurt that he was a favorite of most fans of the series). Mizoguchi also shows up as a hidden boss character in Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble as well as an enemy in Joe & Mac Returns.
 * Canon Immigrant - Comes from the Fighter's History series.
 * Fan Disservice - His "Another" costume.
 * Ridiculously Average Guy
 * Running Gag - Whenever Mizoguchi tries to escape from the Mafia, they usually catch him and send him into the tournament to carry out one of their hits. Subverted, as MI:RA is the first time he's been able to enter a tourney for fun. However, he did beat Lucky to enter, thus continuing the American Sports Team's running gag of receiving an invite to KOF, only to be defeated and have their invites stolen.
 * Shotoclone - More or less.
 * Walking Shirtless Scene

Gustav Munchausen
"An illustrious millionare hailing from Europe, he is a man who hungers for power. Having discovered a way to channel the spirit of Goenitz, one of Orochi's Heavenly Kings, he kidnaps Sinobu and subjects him to numerous experiments, transforming the boy into his puppet. Gustav uses the tournament as a test for his new weapon."


 * Big Bad - Of EX2: Howling Blood, although he doesn't do much, instead leaving the dirty work to Sinobu.
 * Non-Action Big Bad
 * Corrupt Corporate Executive
 * Man of Wealth and Taste
 * Sharp Dressed Man
 * Slouch of Villainy - How he oversees your fight with Sinobu.
 * Tall, Dark and Handsome
 * Villain Exit Stage Left - His whereabouts are unknown after the battle with Sinobu.
 * Karma Houdini - Due to the presumed fate of the EX saga, we've yet to see him get his comeuppance.

The following is just a list of the characters' teams. Do not add tropes here.

Orthodox Team-up
These teams are predetermined by the character select interface in the given game, and mostly in the series as whole; in other words the official teams.

Japan Team/Hero Team

 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Benimaru Nikaido
 * Goro Daimon
 * Shingo Yabuki

Fatal Fury Team/Garou Densetsu Team/Lonely Wolves Team

 * Terry Bogard
 * Andy Bogard
 * Joe Higashi
 * Mai Shiranui
 * Blue Mary
 * Tizoc
 * Kim Kaphwan
 * Duck King

Art of Fighting Team/Ryuuko Team/Kyokugenryu Team

 * Ryo Sakazaki
 * Robert Garcia
 * Takuma Sakazaki
 * Yuri Sakazaki
 * King

Women Fighters Team/Gorgeous Team

 * King
 * Mai Shiranui
 * Yuri Sakazaki
 * Chizuru Kagura
 * Kasumi Todoh
 * Blue Mary
 * Li Xiangfei
 * Hinako Shijou

Psycho Soldier Team/Neo Psycho Soldier Team

 * Athena Asamiya
 * Kensou Sie
 * Gentsai Chin
 * Bao
 * Momoko

Ikari Team/Ikari Warriors Team

 * Heidern
 * Ralf Jones
 * Clark Still
 * Leona
 * Whip (Muchiko)

Kim Team/Team Korea/Justice Team

 * Kaphwan Kim
 * Koehan Chang
 * Bounge Choi
 * Hoon Jhun
 * May Lee
 * Hwa Jai
 * Raiden

American Sports Team

 * Heavy D!
 * Lucky Glauber
 * Brian Battler

Rival Team/Yagami Team

 * Iori Yagami
 * Billy Kane
 * Eiji Kisaragi
 * Mature
 * Vice
 * Vanessa
 * Seth
 * Ramon

'96 Boss Team/History's Most Evil Trio

 * Geese Howard
 * Wolfgang Krauser
 * Mr. Big

New Faces Team/Orochi Team

 * Yashiro Nanakase
 * Shermie
 * Chris

'97 Special Team/Outlaw Team

 * Billy Kane
 * Blue Mary
 * Ryuji Yamazaki
 * Gato

K' Team/Hero Team

 * K'
 * Maxima
 * Benimaru Nikaido
 * Shingo Yabuki
 * Vanessa
 * Ramon
 * Whip (Muchiko)
 * Lin
 * Kula Diamond

Benimaru Team

 * Benimaru Nikaido
 * Shingo Yabuki
 * Seth
 * Lin

NESTS Team

 * Kula Diamond
 * K9999
 * Angel
 * Foxy

Ash Team/Hero Team

 * Ash Crimson
 * Duo Lon
 * Shen Woo
 * Oswald

God's Caliber Team/Sacred Treasures Team/Divine Vessels Team

 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Iori Yagami
 * Chizuru Kagura

Elisabeth Team/Rival Team

 * Elisabeth Blanctorche
 * Duo Lon
 * Benimaru Nikaido
 * Shen Woo

Garou Team/Mark of the Wolves Team

 * Bonne Jenet
 * Gato
 * Tizoc

Agent Team

 * Vanessa
 * Blue Mary
 * Ramon

Joshikousei Team/High School Girls Team

 * Athena Asamiya
 * Hinako Shijou
 * Malin

Anti-Kyokugenryu Team

 * Eiji Kisaragi
 * Malin
 * Kasumi Todoh

Kyo & Iori Team/Kusanagi & Yagami Team

 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Iori Yagami
 * Shingo Yabuki

Unorthodox Team-up
These teams are likely to be possible to amount in only one or a few games, they are not predetermined by the character select interface, it depends on the player's knowledge of their background to be aware of their existence; the only traits preventing these teams to be considered random, is that they have ending sequences, or a music track, or special quotes of their own.

Classic Characters Team

 * Athena Asamiya
 * Ralf Jones
 * Clark Still

Fathers/Mentors Team

 * Heidern
 * Takuma Sakazaki
 * Chin Gentsai
 * Saisyu Kusanagi

Unrequited Love Team

 * Sie Kensou
 * Robert Garcia
 * Ramon