|
== Athena Asamiya ==
[[File:athena13_5681.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"Sorry about that! Are you hurt? I guess I got a bit carried away!"''}}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Reiko Fukai ('''94''), Moe Nagasaki ('''95''), Tamao Satou ('''96''), Yukina Kurisu ('''97'', ''The King of Fighters: KYO''), [[Haruna Ikezawa]] ('''98'' onward), Robyn Gryphe (''Maximum Impact'', English), Lily Kong (''Maximum Impact 2'', English), Miwa Gardner (''XII'', English)}}
{{quote| An [[Idol Singer]] with [[Psychic Powers]] and kung fu, taught to her by [[Old Master]] Chin Gentsai. She debuted in the arcade game ''[[Psycho Soldier]]'' along with Sie Kensou, but made the leap to fighting games in '''94''. She, along with Kensou and Chin, make up the Psycho Soldiers team, who fight in the KOF tournaments in order to preserve peace.}}
* [[Action Fashionista]]/[[Unlimited Wardrobe]] - Every single game gives Athena a completely different outfit. The only exception is ''XIII'', which is justified because the game is reusing the sprites from ''XII''.
** Almost averted in ''[http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090825123461/snk/images/6/61/Athena_asamiya_95.jpg '95]'', where she wears a slightly modified version of her '''94'' [http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100511221319/snk/images/b/b1/Athena94.jpg outfit.]
** Lampshaded in-game by Maxima in their single-player intro in ''XIII''.
{{quote| '''Maxima''': "You're wearing something new every time I see you. Do you know what a pain is it to keep my data updated?"}}
* [[Action Girl]]
* [[Animal Motifs]] - The phoenix. Most likely a [[Shout-Out]] to [[Voluntary Shapeshifting|her ability to become one]] in ''Psycho Soldier''.
* [[Image Song]]:
** "Psycho Soldier." [[SNK/Awesome Music|So popular]], it's had multiple renditions (with and without vocals) over the years.
** She also has "Present Holiday," [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUhebGd5AD4 "Kizudarake no Blue Moon"] ("Wounded Blue Moon"/"Banged-Up Blue Moon"; also carried over from ''Psycho Soldier''), and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmuwMKBrHt0 "My Love ~[[Yuuki wo Dashite~]]" ("My Love ~[[Gives Me Courage~]]").]
* [[Joshikousei]] - At first only in her intro animations, for fear of making her too risqué; fully embraced by ''XI''.
** Cynically lampshaded by Kyo ([[Hypocritical Humor|of all people]]) on ''XIII'': "No one wears sailor uniforms at your actual age anymore." Athena [[Oh Crap|isn't happy]] when he points it out.
== Brian Battler ==
[[File:brian94_2807.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"Your defense means nothing. Nothing to my tackling, that is!"''}}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Eiji Yano}}
{{quote| An MVP-rated football player who was invited by Heavy D! to join the USA Sports Team in '''94''. After their loss, he left to return to his football career. Despite being invited back to various tournaments, he and his teammates [[Running Gag|always get beaten up and their invitations stolen by others]], such as the New Faces Team in '''97''.}}
* [[Gratuitous English]] - Beaten out only by Terry and Geese in this department.
{{quote| '''Brian''': "I AM NUMBAH GWON!" <br />
'''Brian''': "I AM SUPERSTAR!" }}
* [[I Know Madden Kombat]]
== Rugal Bernstein ==
[[File:rugal98_720.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"Another luscious symphony of bone crushing sounds!"''}}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Toshimitsu Arai, [[Norio Wakamoto]] (''2002''), [[Banjo Ginga]] ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)}}
{{quote| The series' most infamous [[Big Bad]]. Rugal was one of the most feared people in the criminal underworld, not only with his silver tongue but with his fighting abilities as well. Not one single person had been able to defeat him, and those he deemed as [[Worthy Opponent|Worthy Opponents]] [[Squick|were]] [[Wax Museum Morgue|bathed in liquid metal]] [[Dead Guy on Display|and showcased as his "trophies"]]. He decided to revive the original [[The King of Fighters|KOF]] tournament held by Geese Howard previously. Before the tournament began, he faced Saisyu Kusanagi, the father of Kyo, and brutally maimed him, leaving him for dead. When he fought Kyo in the finals, Rugal was defeated. Unwilling to accept defeat, [[Taking You with Me|he blows up his aircraft carrier]]. He was believed dead but resurfaced in '''95'' under the pseudonym of [[Paper-Thin Disguise|"R."]] During this time, he brainwashes Saisyu (with Saisyu earning some... displeasure from Vice), and in the finals forces him to fight Kyo. After Saisyu is defeated and brought back to his senses, Rugal reveals a secret to the finalists: he has awakened his Orochi power, and promptly transforms into Omega Rugal, turning his hair silvery-white and his skin deathly grey, but even with this new power he is still defeated. He tries to use the full extent of his power, but cannot control it because he is not of Orochi blood. The power consumes him, and he dies. Chizuru reveals in '''96'' that Rugal received his Orochi power from Goenitz, who gouged his right eye out. Outside of the official storyline, he appears in every Dream Match game. In canon, he is succeeded by his son Adel and his daughter Rose.}}
* [[A God Am I]]:
{{quote| ''"[[Badass Boast|Repeat this after me]]: {{smallcaps| I will never take on a god again!}}"''}}
* [[Arms Dealer]] - To the extremity that he actually lived on a Nimitz-class supercarrier, and his kids have their own armored fortress airship.
* [[Artificial Limbs]] - His right hand from ''KOF '95'' onward, and his glowing red eye.
* [[Taking You with Me]] - As mentioned above, in ''KOF '94''; also used in '''98'', ''R2'' and ''2002: Unlimited Match''.
* [[This Cannot Be!]] - Gets one in '''94'' when you beat him.
{{quote| '''Rugal''': [[Bilingual Bonus|"Ma... masaka..."]] }}
* [[True Final Boss]] - His second round in ''KOF '94''. Even more fittingly, him in ''2002UM''; you can only fight him by not losing more than 2 teammates against the "[[Final Boss]]," and you can't unlock your team's ending picture unless you beat him. Oh, and you can't continue if you lose against him.
* [[Useless Useful Spell]] - His Kaiser Phoenix HSDM in ''2002'', in which he spams Kaiser Waves over and over. It sounds good in theory, but if the first one hits, it can launch you into the air and the others tend to miss while you're airborne or on the ground, though its damage is comparable to other HSDMs. In ''2002UM'', it was given OTG properties... but its damage output was drastically lowered. He also tends to stop it prematurely.
* [[Villainous Breakdown]] - Happens ''twice''. The first time, he ''[[Taking You with Me|blows up his own aircraft carrier with himself still on it]]''. The second is his [[Superpower Meltdown]], and proceeds as follows:
{{quote| '''Omega Rugal''': "Even with my new power I lost. What? My body.....????? [[Big No|NO!]] To meet such a fate! But I'll be back... [[Narm|YOU JERKS!]]" }}
* [[We Can Rebuild Him]]
* [[Willfully Weak]] - When you first face him in '''94''. Then, his [[Rubber Band AI]] kicks in... [[Curb Stomp Battle|Oh god...]]
== Andy Bogard ==
[[File:andy13_2698.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"If you want to be the best, it's practice every day, pal."''}}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Jun Hashimoto ('''94''), [[Keiichi Nanba]] ('''95'' onwards), Jeff Manning (''XII'', English), [[Ryo Horikawa]] ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)}}
{{quote| Younger brother of Terry and a [[McNinja]]. He was taught a basic form of Shuranui ninjitsu by Mai's grandfather Hanzo. After hearing of his father Jeff's death at the hands of Geese Howard, he joins forces with Terry and Joe Higashi, and the three enter Geese's King of Fighters tournament. Although Andy fights Geese first, he loses badly, and Terry finishes the villain off... maybe. He's also the apple of Mai's eye, although he rejects her advances.}}
* [[Always Someone Better]] - It doesn't get in the way when the rubber meets the road (the duo will always have each others' back) but there is some definite yearning on Andy's part to become the kind of fighter his brother is seen as.
== Terry Bogard ==
[[File:terry13_7503.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"Say what? It's no fluke. This is why I'm here every year."'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Satoshi Hashimoto, Tony Carrol (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), [[Takeshi Kusao]] ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)}}
{{quote| The hero of the ''[[Fatal Fury]]'' series and SNK's mascot for all intents and purposes. His role in the overall plot of the ''KOF'' series is minimal, as he's mostly here due to his popularity. He was raised by martial arts master [[Disappeared Dad|Jeff Bogard]] along with his younger brother Andy, and developed his own unique fighting style based on Jeff's teachings. He witnessed the murder of his father at the hands of Geese Howard, and trained with [[Old Master|Tung Fu Rue]] to take revenge. Terry defeated Geese and [[Disney Villain Death|gave him a boot out of his tower]], but after learning of his survival Terry was none too pleased. He failed in stopping Geese from obtaining the Jin Scrolls but in the next tournament, he defeats Geese once again and [[What the Hell, Hero?|this time tries to save him from falling off the tower, again]], but Geese rejects him, allowing himself to plummet to his "death," again. He adopts Geese's son Rock afterward, and trains him. }}
* [[Animal Motifs]] - The wolf. Everything about him, right down to his ''nickname''.
* [[Boisterous Bruiser]]
* [[Catch Phrase]]:
{{quote| ''"OK!"''}}
* [[Clothes Make the Legend]] - Had his ''[[Fatal Fury|Mark of the Wolves]]'' clothes for a couple of games, then returned to his classic attire.
* [[Cool Pet]] - His pet monkey, Ukee, who served as the [[Mascot]] of SNK before Terry. He seems to have inherited Terry's fighting spirit and usually greets his owner ''by punching him''. He pops up in one of Terry's win poses in '''99''.
== Chang Koehan ==
[[File:chang2003_9212.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"A crushing victory! Eh, heh, heh, heh!"'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Yoshinori Shima ('''94''-'''95''), Hiroyuki Arita ('''96'' onward) }}
{{quote| A Korean criminal who was busted by Kim following a bank robbery and strong-armed into Kim's reformatory program. He found a friend in Choi, and the two have vowed to go on a big crime spree once they can get away from Kim.}}
* [[Bald of Evil]] - he reforms in ''2003'', though.
== Chin Gentsai ==
[[File:chin13_3173.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"O-Ouch! Whew! I can beat you. But age is something different!"'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Toshikazu Nishimura ('''94''-''2002''), Matsuo Matsuo (''XII'' onward), Josh Keller (''XII'', English)}}
{{quote| Chinese [[Drunken Boxing]] master and founder of the Psycho Soldiers team. He enters the tournaments primarily to investigate the circumstances around them and prevent any evil plots from going too far.}}
* [[Alcohol Hic]]
== Choi Bounge ==
[[File:choi2000_4333.png|frame]]
{{quote| ''"A quick win. A quick victory. This time, I'm really free!"'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Atsushi "Monster" Maezuka}}
{{quote| A former serial killer who picked a fight with Kim Kaphwan, and subsequently got his ass handed to him. Instead of handing him over to the police, Kim decided to use him in an experimental "reformatory" program of his own, along with Chang Koehan. The two crooks became the best of friends, and they both anticipate the day they can escape Kim's watchful eye.}}
* [[Awesome but Impractical]] - His "Shakushi" MAX 2 in ''2002UM'', formerly his MAX 2 in ''2002'' and his Exceed in ''[[SNK vs. Capcom SVC Chaos|SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos]]''.
== Goro Daimon ==
[[File:daimon13_1522.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"Lightweight!"'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Masaki Usui, [[Ryuzaburo Ohtomo]] ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD) }}
{{quote| Japanese judo master who was invited by Benimaru to join the Japan team for the '''94'' tournament. He, Kyo, and Benimaru have been good friends since then, although Daimon occasionally declines joining tournaments to focus on his famaily.}}
* [[Badass Normal]] - Kyo has [[Playing with Fire|fire]], Benimaru has [[Shock and Awe|electricity]]. He's got nothing but his size, his strength, and a handful of experience.
== Robert Garcia ==
[[File:robert13_246.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"Underestimate my strength, huh? You're dumber than you look!"'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Kay Inage (''94''-'''95'', ''XI'' onward), Mantarō Koichi ('''96''-''2003''), Greg Irwin (''XII'', English), [[Hideo Ishikawa]] ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)}}
{{quote| Italian playboy who is also the heir to the Garcia Foundation, one of the largest companies in the world. He was sent to train with the Sakazakis by his father, who wanted him to apprieciate the value of hard work. He became good friends with Ryo and when Yuri was kidnapped by Mr. Big, he and Ryo hit the streets of Southtown to get her back. While Ryo's style of Kyokugen is more balanced, Robert's focuses mostly on kicks. He and Yuri have a relationship, but they have yet to make any serious commitment.}}
* [[Action Fashionista]] - So much that he's the one providing the picture in the page.
== Lucky Glauber ==
[[File:lucky94_3860.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"Wake up! It's too early for bedtime!"''}}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Kay Inage }}
{{quote| Best friend of Heavy D! who uses basketballs in his own style of kung fu. Appears to be a L.A. Lakers fan, based on his colors (except if you pick him in [[Palette Swap|another color scheme...]]).}}
* [[Butt Monkey]] - See "[[Running Gag]]."
== Heavy D! ==
[[File:heavyd94_7483.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"Slow. Your attack's too slow. I read you like a storybook."'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Toshikazu Nishimura}}
{{quote| A bare-knuckle boxer who formed the USA Sports Team.}}
* [[Badass Beard]]
== Heidern ==
[[File:heidern95_8382.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"You say you let your guard down? I think you're just a weenie!"'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Toshimitsu Arai}}
{{quote| Founder and leader of the [[Ikari Warriors]] mercenary squad, and Leona's adoptive father. A [[The Stoic|stoic man]] who fights using his own brutally efficient style of martial arts, his daughter Clara and his wife Sandra were [[I Have Your Wife|kidnapped]] and later killed by his [[Arch Enemy]] Rugal in front of him, as [[He Knows Too Much|he was investigating Rugal's operations too much for Rugal's own tastes]]. Heidern's own squad of fifty men were also killed in the same attack. He has dedicated himself to Rugal's defeat, and eventually his efforts paid off. His eyepatch was stolen by Mukai's group following Magaki's defeat, and it's current status is unknown.}}
* [[Badass Normal]] - There is ''no'' magical justification for his abilities. He just uses a few gadgets and some crazy fighting style that he devised himself. Imagine the [[Badass]] lovechild of [[Batman]] and [[Street Fighter II|Guile]] and the end result isn't too far from Heidern.
== Joe Higashi ==
[[File:joe13_4269.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"How's that? I'm the Satan of martial arts."'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Katsuhisa Namase ('''94''), [[Nobuyuki Hiyama]] ('''95'' onward), Greg Irwin (''XII'', English), [[Kazuki Yao]] ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)}}
{{quote| A Japanese man who is well versed in the art of Muay Thai, he is the best friend of both Bogard brothers, and is a constant in nearly every King of Fighters tournament. He is currently dating Billy Kane's sister Lilly, something her [[Big Brother Instinct|overprotective older brother]] Billy is not happy about, given his connection to the Bogards, that's for the ''[[Fatal Fury]]'' continuity; in ''The King of Fighters'' he remains single, later being chased around by his ''unamed'' [[Camp Gay|loyal fan]]. Quite possibly the strongest Muay Thai practioner in the SNK 'verse, much to credit for his many team ending sequences consisting of him winning other fighting tournaments by himself.}}
* [[Anime Hair]]
== Ralf Jones ==
[[File:ralf2000_4843.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"That's enough for now. I can only be forgiving so much."'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Atsushi "Monster" Maezuka ('''94''-''XI''), Bunsyu Shinoya (''XII'' onward), Scott Casey (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Jeff Manning (''XII'', English)}}
{{quote| The other half of the ''[[Ikari Warriors]]'' team, originally from the game ''TNK III'', skilled in heavy hits and survival techniques. He's also known to associate with the Peregrine Falcon team from ''[[Metal Slug]]'', assisting them at Heidern's behest several times (starting with ''Metal Slug 6''). His knife collection is partly responsible for Clark's sunglasses; he was fooling around and sliced Clark in the forehead, leading to the sunglasses to cover the injury.}}
* [[Ambiguously Brown]] - From ''XII'' onwards. All of those missions must have given him and Clark one hell of a tan.
== Kim Kaphwan ==
[[File:kim13_1183.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"Hey guys, how about it? Let's do the Tae [[Spell My Name with an "S"|Kwan]] Do thang!"'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Satoshi Hashimoto ('''94''-''XI''), Kazuhiko Nagata (''XII'' onward), Brett Beyer (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Hiroshi Isobe ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)}}
{{quote| Korean Taekwando master and arbiter of justice. He first showed up in ''[[Fatal Fury]] 2'', and upon hearing that Terry Bogard was also invited to Krauser's tournament, declared Terry to be his rival and set out to beat him. Terry won, but the two have remained good friends since then. Kim is also a proud family man and has trained his sons Jae Hoon and Dong Hwan to be fine martial artists in their own right. Oh, and he [[Can't Hold His Liquor]]. ''At all''. In ''XI'', Choi and Chang convince Kim to enjoy himself, prompting him to take up Terry on his offer for joining that year's ''Fatal Fury'' Team. Impressed with his disciples' maturity, Kim believes that his first "rehabilitation" efforts have paid off and set his sights on two other villains from the past, Raiden and Hwa Jai. }}
* [[Animal Motifs]] - The phoenix. Can sometimes inexplicably [[Summon Magic]] [[Hot Wings|one]] at the end of his [[Spam Attack|Hou'ou Kyaku]] [[Limit Break|DM]].
* [[Justice Will Prevail]] - Essentially, this is Kim's [[Catch Phrase]] (see "[[Detect Evil]]").
** [[Flanderization]] - Said upholding and love of justice. It seems to be the topic of choice in ''every'' conversation. Duck King does not let this trait of Kim's [[Lampshade Hanging|go unnoticed]]. Needless to say, Kim is ''not'' amused.
{{quote| '''Duck''': "Come on, guys. Can't we leave all this boring talk about training and justice for later?"<br />
'''Kim''': "...''Boring''?" (''[[Death Glare]]'') <br />
'''Duck''': "Did I say 'boring'? I meant '''brilliant'''. I'm enjoying ''every'' minute of it..."<br />
'''Kim''': ".........."<br />
'''Duck''': "I'd love to hear the rest. Please, go on."<br />
'''Kim''': "In other words, I believe that true justice must be based on a foundation of--" }}
** Let us note that Kim is ''completely hammered'' during that speech.
** It should be noted that the International Taekwondo Federation's [[Badass Creed|oath]] is "I shall be a champion of justice and freedom." and "I shall build a better and more peaceful world." Kim's demeanor (which extends to ''many'' of his cohorts) could be this philosophy taken to new heights.
* [[Kiai]] - Kim seems to unleash his inner [[Fist of the North Star|Kenshiro]] during some of his moves.
{{quote| '''Kim''': "[[Calling Your Attacks|Hou'ou Kyaku!]] [[Spam Attack|ATATATATATATATATA!!]] [[Finishing Move|WATAA]][[For Massive Damage|AA!!!]]"}}
* [[Kick Them While They Are Down]] - In one of his specials, he stomps the ground in front of them. If the opponent is standing, the attack hits their shin. If not...
* [[Legacy Character]] - Chronologically speaking, maybe. It's implied that Kim Sue II from ''[[Fuun Series|Kizuna Encounter]]'' is his descendant and Kim Hae-Ryeong from ''[[Samurai Shodown]]: Edge of Destiny'' is his ancestor due to the fact that they all possess the same family name (Kim), have a similar fighting style, and share several moves, notably the Hienzan, Hishou Kyaku, Rangetsuzan, and Hou'ou Kyaku. Hae-Ryeong even pulls an [[This Is Unforgivable!|"Aku wa yurusan!"]] on [[The Dragon]] from his game. Given that Kim Kaphwan came first (gamewise), these two are probably [[Expy|expies]].
== King ==
[[File:king13_1244.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"In battle, one's sex means nothing. Who's left standing is what matters."'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Harumi Ikoma, [[Yumi Touma]] ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)}}
{{quote| A bartender who used to work for Mr. Big, but opened up her own place after his downfall. Skilled in Muay Thai, she disguised herself as a man to enter tournaments, as women were not allowed. She fights in the KOF tournaments to support her little brother Jean and to cover his medical expenses. Quite possibly the strongest Muay Thai practioner in the SNK 'verse next to Joe, he would later consider King a great rival to him.}}
* [[Bifauxnen]] - [[Late Arrival Spoiler|Of course]], [[Samus Is a Girl|it's common knowledge]] here in ''KOF''. As seen below, King ''does'' break out of this on ocassion.
== Kyo Kusanagi ==
[[File:kyo13_6960.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"You just ain't got it. So stop whining and get lost."'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Masahiro Nonaka, Andrew Roth (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Peter von Gomm (''XII'', English), [[Ryotaro Okiayu]] ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)}}
{{quote| [[The Protagonist]] of the series. Kyo is an [[Ordinary High School Student]] who enters the first tournament to find his missing father. After defeating Rugal for the first time, he encounters Iori Yagami who proclaims himself as Kyo's eternal enemy. Kyo makes it to the finals again and fights his [[Brainwashed]] father, and then Rugal once again. He learns of his destiny to seal away Orochi from Chizuru Kagura, and in '''96'' defeats Goenitz along with Iori. In '''97'' he, along with Iori and Chizuru, battle the last remaining forces of Orochi and reseal him, but he disappears afterward, and he is found by NESTS and cloned. A year later he decides to find out about NESTS, and joins K' in combating the organization. In the Tales of Ash saga, he joins with Iori and Chizuru once again to stop a group of people trying to resurrect Orochi, but Iori and Chizuru have their powers stolen by Ash Crimson, leaving Kyo as the final target. }}
* [[Badass]]
* [[Downloadable Content]] - in XIII, the "NESTS-style" Kyo, which is him in his more iconic Rekka-style combos.
* [[Even the Guys Want Him]] - Just watch his intro with Vega in the ''[[SNK vs. Capcom|Capcom vs. SNK]]'' games. Kyo is not honored in the slightest.
{{quote| '''Vega''': "Hmm. Rather attractive. However you can't hold a candle to me."<br />
'''Kyo''': "Shut yo' mouth! You silly narcissistic little fancy pants! I'm going to torch you to your bones!"<br />
'''Vega''': "Heh, heh. Relax. You should take a break before I tear you to shreds, huh?"<br />
'''Kyo''': "I've got stuff to do. I can't waste my time with freaks like you." }}
* [[Every Year They Fizzle Out]] - Although he and the original Team Japan won throughout the entire Orochi Saga ('''94''-'''97''), with Kyo usually getting the credit [[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?|for single-handedly beating Orochi]], Kyo doesn't seem to have quite the same luck in either the NESTS or Tales of Ash sagas (''especially the latter''), despite being one of the most powerful fighters in [[The Verse]].
* [[Screw Destiny]] - While Kyo does go on to defeat [[Orochi]] just as [[You Can't Fight Fate|his ancestor did]], Kyo himself refuses to believe that his feud with Iori is influenced by the [[Kill'Em All|ancient war]] between the Kusanagi and Yasakani. Basically, he wants to just live his life as a fighter, but if others seek him out he just will fight back so they'll leave him the heck alone.
* [[Send in the Clones]] - Used as [[Self-Deprecation]] in regards to the NESTS Chronicles. ''XI'' has Kyo making a jab at the ludicrous number of clones he's picked up over the years, almost to a [[Never Live It Down]] degree.
{{quote| '''Kyo''': "Another clone? There's enough of me to start a baseball team!" }}
<!-- %% -->
<!-- %% Don't add ShoutOut here. There's already a page for KOF ShoutOuts: ShoutOut/TheKingOfFighters. -->
== Benimaru Nikaido ==
[[File:benimaru13_4079.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"My reason for winning? I'm just cool. Real cool."'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Atsushi "Monster" Maezuka, Eric Kelso (''XII'', English), [[Hikaru Midorikawa]] ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)}}
{{quote| Kyo's and Daimon's partner. A lightning user who's also [[The Casanova|quite the ladies' man]]. Practices an unconventional fighting style called "Shooting" (shoot boxing).}}
* [[Actor Allusion]] - Coincidentally, his English VA in ''XII'' is known for voicing [[Tekken|Paul Phoenix]], another tall-haired blond guy in another fighting game.
== Ryo Sakazaki ==
[[File:ryo13_4422.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"Absolute karate, that's Kyokugen. And don't you forget it, dweebenheimer!"''}}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Masaki Usui ('''94''-''XI'', ''XIII''), Masayoshi Kozaki (''XII''), Curt Gebhart (''Maximum Impact'' series, Enlgish), [[Akira Kamiya]] ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD) }}
{{quote| The heir of the Kyokugen School of Karate. Ryo is Takuma's son and Yuri's brother, and is best friends with Robert Garcia. He rescued Yuri with Robert, who was kidnapped by Mr. Big and Geese Howard to get Takuma to do their bidding. Now he promotes the fighting style by competing in the tournaments. He later takes up his father's title of "Mr. Karate". }}
* [[Alternate Company Equivalent]] - To [[Ryu and Ken]], at least [[Character Development|at first]].
== Takuma Sakazaki/Mr. Karate ==
[[File:takuma13_49.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"Wow, you're a disgrace! You'd better hang it up, kid."'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Eiji Tsuda, [[Hochu Otsuka]] ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)}}
{{quote| The current master of the Kyokugen Karate style. He is sometimes seen as a doddering old man, but he can be very serious when he wants to be. He was forced into serving Mr. Big when his daughter Yuri was kidnapped. To conceal his identity, he wore a tengu mask and dubbed himself "Mr. Karate." After he was defeated by Ryo, he was almost killed by him until Yuri revealed the truth. Nowadays he enters the tournaments to promote his school. He sometimes likes to put the old mask back on just for kicks and giggles. }}
* [[Animal Motifs]] - If his EX-version's [[Kamehame Hadoken|HSDM]] in ''2002: Unlimited Match'' is anything to go by, the lion.
== Yuri Sakazaki ==
[[File:yuri13_2633.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"I'm Kyokugen! Face it, Ryo! You're not fit to sweep for me!"''}}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Kaori Horie, Amy Walls (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), [[Sakura Tange]] ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD) }}
{{quote| Takuma's daughter and Ryo's sister. She was kidnapped in order for Mr. Big to use Takuma, but after she was rescued by Ryo and Robert she started entering The King of Fighters tournaments. }}
* [[Action Girl]]
== Mai Shiranui ==
[[File:mai13_9884.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"With a body and strength like this, you thought you had a chance?"'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Akoya Sogi ('''94''-''XI''), [[Ami Koshimizu]] (''Sky Stage'', ''XII'' onward), Sheryl Stanley (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), [[Megumi Hayashibara]] ('''94'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD) }}
{{quote| Mai is a very happy girl with every girl's dream: get married with her prince charming. She found that same [[Prince Charming]] in Andy and self-proclaimed herself his fiancé. Although her preppy fighting persona suggests otherwise, Mai is actually [[Yamato Nadeshiko|a traditional and ideal Japanese beauty]] and ''very'' proud of it. However, her pride as a Shiranui ninja and infatuation with Andy (''and'' her taste for metal--yep, [[Heavy Metal|the musical style]]) usually keeps her from fitting the mold 100% of the time.}}
* [[Action Girl]]
** In the rest of the games, she still looks as big as ever, but has become weakened; females with larger busts by [[Word of God]] tend to be higher tiers or at least have stronger moves (by being grapplers), even if their sprites give them chests that are equal or ''smaller'' than Mai's (Angel, Elisabeth, Blue Mary, Shermie, Vice, etc.).
* [[Brainless Beauty]] - By [[Flanderization]]. One particular bad example occurs in the English translation of ''KOF '95'', during her team's cutscenes: When Rugal uses somniferous gas to kidnap them the following dialogue occurs:
{{quote| '''Mai''': [[Too Dumb to Live|"Hey, look! Beauty mist!"]]<br />
'''Yuri''': It's gas, you bimbo! }}
* [[Catch Phrase]] - "Nippon Ichi!"
* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]:
** Her [[Murderous Thighs|Toki Tsubute]] air throw that she gained in ''KOF '99'' has some animations that probably hint at a visual version of [[Orgasmic Combat]].
{{quote| (2001 ''winquote'') ''"I wanted to feel it more. I'm a little disapointed..."''<br />
(2002 ''winquote'') ''"Hey, don't touch the talent!"'' (Seems to be a reference to the ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' dub-based meme of talent {{=}} bust, of which Mai has quite a lot) }}
* [[Dogged Nice Guy|Dogged Nice Girl]] - To Andy, so much.
** This seems to overlap with [[Victoria's Secret Compartment]] for the paper fans.
* [[Highly-Visible Ninja]] - Lampshaded ''heavily'' in her intros for the ''SNK vs. Capcom'' games.
{{quote| '''[[Street Fighter|Ryu]]''': "People can see you coming miles away!"}}
* [[Hypocritical Humor]] - In ''Neo Geo Battle Coliseum'', her win quote against [[Samurai Shodown|Shiki]] has her criticizing Shiki's lack of clothing.
* [[Informed Attribute]]:
[[File:Kensou-kofXIII_8388.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"New threads. New attitude. The new Kensou's coming at you!"'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Eiji Yano, Yuki Ishii (''Athena: Awakening from the Ordinary Life''), Josh Keller (''XII'', English)}}
{{quote| A student of Chin's who's skilled in kung fu and possesses the mysterious "Dragon Spirit". He's also [[All Love Is Unrequited|hopelessly in love with Athena, although she views him as just a friend]]. Ron of the Hizoku clan is interested in him thanks to the Dragon Spirit, and hopes to take it for himself.}}
* [[All Love Is Unrequited]] - He likes Athena. If ''KOF: Kyo'' is canon, Athena has a crush on series protagonist Kyo, who in turn [[Official Couple|is already in a relationship with Yuki]]. A slight twist: Athena ''is'' well aware of his feelings for her (as evidenced in ''2000'' and ''2001'': the former has Kensou blatantly proclaim his love; the latter has Kensou fuming at the fact that Athena didn't give him an answer the last year and then crying when he defeats her; her profile in ''Maximum Impact 2'' also notes that she knows of Kensou's feelings), but she seems to either be embarrassed by his advances (as seen in ''XIII'''s Story Mode) or outright ignores them.
== Clark Still ==
[[File:clark2000_6406.jpg|frame]]
{{quote| ''"Losers have no rights. That's what history's all about."'' }}
{{quote| '''Voiced by:''' Yoshinori Shima, Sean Michaels (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Eric Kelso (''XII'', English)}}
{{quote| The other member of the Ikari Warriors. He is Ralf's best friend and specializes in grappling. }}
* [[Ambiguously Brown]] - Same deal as Ralf.
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