Old page wikitext, before the edit (old_wikitext) | '{{short description|Wikipedia list article}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:List of ''The King of Fighters'' characters}}
[[File:Groupking.jpg|300px|thumb|Character roster of ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'']]
''[[The King of Fighters]]'' [[fighting game]] series, produced by [[SNK]], includes a wide cast of characters, some of which are taken from other SNK games. The story takes place in a [[fictional universe]] in which an annual series of 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 fighting tournaments are held.
The first game in the series introduces the initial main character of the series, [[Kyo Kusanagi]], a young Japanese fighter who is the heir to a powerful group of martial artists having [[pyrokinesis|pyrokinetic]] abilities. Kyo fights against the Kusanagi clan's enemies, his rival [[Iori Yagami]], and the snake demon [[#Orochi|Orochi]] and its human followers, among others. The first four games in the series revolve about these fights, while ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]'' introduces a new story arc, revolving around [[K′]], a young man who seeks to destroy the mysterious NESTS organization because they kidnapped him at an early age and stripped him of his past memories, so that they could force him to be a fighter under their control. In ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', a new character named [[Ash Crimson]] enters the tournament, to steal the powers of the clans who sealed the Orochi in the past for unknown reasons. A new group of antagonists, known as [[#Those From The Past|Those From the Past]], also appears in the series; they want to obtain Orochi's power for the purpose of giving it to their unknown master.
The plot and the characters came from the ''[[Yamata no Orochi]]'' legend. There are also several characters in the games that are parodies or homages. Merchandise based on the characters has also been released, including action figures and keychains. The characters have garnered praise from several video game publications for the quality of their designs and movesets. Comments focused on the lack of improvements in some of the characters, but added that the roster is greatly diverse.
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==Cast creation and influences==
The developers of the series claim that their prototype version for ''King of Fighters'' was going to be a ''[[Double Dragon]]''-style side-scrolling [[beat 'em up]] titled ''Survivor''. It would have used only core characters from the ''[[Art of Fighting]]'' and ''[[Fatal Fury (series)|Fatal Fury]]'' series, specifically allowing players to play [[Robert Garcia (Art of Fighting)|Robert Garcia]] and [[Terry Bogard]] for location testing. However, the idea was quickly abandoned. Since the developers were attached to the idea of the two series cross-over, they eventually agreed to make their idea into a fighting game. Characters from the ''[[Ikari Warriors]]'' and ''[[Psycho Soldier]]'' games were also added in the spirit of other gaming genres considered for their final product. The concept of a three-man team was one of the ideas kept from the side-scrolling version.<ref name="kofperfectcast1">{{Cite book| year= 2005 | editor=Akihiko Ureshino | title=The King of Fighters Perfect Reader | pages=136–137 | language=ja | publisher=Nikkei Business Publications | isbn=4-8222-1711-6}}</ref> Flagship director Toyohisa Tanabe asserts that the ''Art of Fighting'' and ''Fatal Fury'' fighters were added specifically for adults. The newer ''King of Fighters'' characters were aimed to appeal to younger and newer audiences. He adds that every original character for the series was added based on the developers' strong desire to make one. For example, he agreed to include characters such as [[Benimaru Nikaido]] and [[#Kim Team|Chang Koehan]] to add an off-beat variety to the cast, which he had previously deemed to be too serious. Later in the series, their approach to creating their characters altered slightly, to also serve as a type of [[fan service]], which he refers to as a collaborative effort between fans and the staff.<ref name="kofperfectcast2">{{Cite book| year=2005 | editor=Akihiko Ureshino | title=The King of Fighters Perfect Reader | pages=140–144 | language=ja | publisher=Nikkei Business Publications | isbn=4-8222-1711-6}}</ref>
Several characters that appear in the series are parodies or homages to either anime, manga, actors, films or television shows that held the creators' interest. Noticeable examples are [[K9999]] and [[#Zero|Zero]].<ref name="kofperfectcast2"/> Characters are sometimes added at the voice actors' convenience, or to fill in gaps that occur for each installment's story; this happens with [[Duck King]] in ''The King of Fighters XI'' and [[Ryuji Yamazaki]] in ''The King of Fighters '97''.<ref>{{Cite web|author=SNK Playmore |title=Duck King's Official Character Bio |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/character/index.php?num=duck |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 27, 2008| language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ryuji Yamazaki's 'KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=yamazaki |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 27, 2008}}</ref> Several characters were added to the roster by [[Eolith (company)|Eolith]]'s desire when this company sponsored SNK, to attract fans from Eolith's region.<ref name="KOF10th"/>
When designing characters for the [[The King of Fighters '94|first ''King of Fighters'']] game, developers wanted a new, "snazzy" hero who would easily fight against ''Fatal Fury'' and ''Art of Fighting'' characters. Initially, this character was called Syo Kirishima, but late in the production, his name was changed to Kyo Kusanagi. This was done in order to relate him with the ''[[Yamata no Orochi]]'' legend, which was used as the inspiration for the first arc (and specifically featured a majestic sword known as ''Kusanagi no Tsurugi'').<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=kyo| title=Kyo Kusanagi Official Profile | publisher= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date= 2008-03-24}}</ref> To continue with the idea of the Orochi plot, the designers gave several other characters, such as Kyo's rival [[Iori Yagami]], similar characteristics to Kyo.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=iori| title=Iori Yagami Official Profile | publisher= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=2008-03-24 }}</ref> In ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]'', to contrast the previous protagonist of the series, K' was made to be the "dark hero".<ref>{{Cite book| date=September 20, 2005 | editor=Akihiko Ureshino | title=The King of Fighters Perfect Reader | language=ja | publisher=Nikkei Business Publications | isbn=4-8222-1711-6 | page=139}}</ref> K's introduction to the series was meant to remove popular characters Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami from the roster, though this idea was scrapped in the game's release.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=kyo-1| title=Kyo Kusanagi-1 Official Profile| publisher=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2008-03-24| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414134729/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=kyo-1| archive-date=2016-04-14| url-status=dead}}</ref> Due to the large additions of teenager characters in the series, SNK decided to add several middle-age ones to balance them.<ref name="KOF10thVanessa"/><ref name="KOF10thMaxima"/>
==Original characters==
===American Sports Team===
:{{voiced by|Toshikazu Nishimura (''KOF '94'', ''KOF '98''), Takayuki Nakatsukasa (''KOF:D'' onwards)}} (Heavy D!)
:{{voiced by|Kay Inage (''KOF '94'', ''KOF '98''), Haruo Yamagishi (''KOF:D'' onwards)}} (Lucky)
:{{voiced by|Eiji Yano (''KOF '94'', ''KOF '98''), Taro Kiuchi (''KOF:D'' onwards) (Brian), [[Rie Suegara]] (New Brian; ''KOFAS'')}}
The '''American Sports Team''', also known as the '''U.S.A. Team''', is composed of characters originating from the [[United States|United States of America]]. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', the team consists of [[Heavy D!]], a famous [[boxer]] who was expelled after seriously injuring an opponent during a match, {{vanchor|Lucky Glauber}}, a former [[basketball]] player and a [[karate]] champion, and {{vanchor|Brian Battler}}, the [[Most valuable player|MVP]] [[American football|football]] player of the year but known for his brash and violent behavior in the sport.
Despite not winning the '''94'' tournament, in their non-canonical ending, Brian returns to football for his fans while Lucky and Heavy D! will continue [[street fighting]] and promise Brian to contact him for further competitions. Unfortunately, the American Sports Team later becomes subject of a [[running gag]] in the series, which has them invited to participate in the later tournaments, only to get beaten up and have their invitations stolen by other teams prior to the start of each tournament. The team would make their return in ''[[The King of Fighters '98]]'', though it is not canonical in the series, but rather for the purpose of a “dream match” as it features every character up to that point in the canon story-line.
Since then, the American Sports Team have made non-playable appearances in later games of the series as background characters and in other games. However, in the [[PlayStation 2]] version of ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]'', the American Sports Team appear as optional strikers for the [[List of Fatal Fury characters|Fatal Fury Team]] with Heavy D! being a striker for [[Joe Higashi|Joe]], Lucky for [[Andy Bogard|Andy]], and Brian for [[Terry Bogard|Terry]].
===Antonov===
:{{voiced by|Moriyuki Hishida}}
'''{{nihongo|Antonov|アントノフ|Antonofu|Антонов}}''' is a [[Russians|Russian]] billionaire and the [[President (corporate title)|president]] of his own company, the Antonov Corporation. After being reinvigorated for his love of fighting, he purchases the rights to the King of Fighters brand despite objections from the board members of his company, and announces a new [[The King of Fighters XIV|King of Fighters tournament]]. Proclaiming himself as the “first champion”, he sends out invitations across the world, challenging old and new teams to take his "KOF" [[championship belt]] away from him. After the incident caused by Verse at the climax of ''KOF XIV'', the resulting lawsuits had cost Antonov nearly all of his money and damaged his reputation, causing him to briefly disappear form the public. In order to help restore his reputation, Antonov decides to form his own wrestling federation named Galaxy Anton Wrestling and is prepared to take part in ''KOF XV'' as the leader of '''Team G.A.W.''' alongside Mexican wrestlers Ramón and King of Dinosaurs.
===Ash Crimson===
{{main|Ash Crimson}}
===China Team===
:{{voiced by|[[Takashi Ōhara]]}} (Shun'ei)
:{{voiced by|Hajime Shikase}} (Tung Fu Rue)
:{{voiced by|[[Seira Ryu]]}} (Meitenkun)
The '''China Team''', which is unrelated to the [[#Psycho Soldier Team|China Team]] that appeared in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', is composed of characters originating from [[China]]. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', the team consists of Shun'ei, a fighter who wields hydrokinesis in a form of a claw on his right side of his body and [[pyrokinesis]] in a form of a fist on his left side of his body, [[List of Fatal Fury characters#Tung Fu Rue|Tung Fu Rue]], the legendary master of Hakkyokuseiken who had debuted in ''[[Fatal Fury: King of Fighters|Fatal Fury]]'', and Meitenkun, a young fighter who is always holding a [[pillow]] and is very sleepy.
Despite having little knowledge of the King of Fighters, Tung convinces Shun and Meitenkun to enter the tournament as a means for them to face off against renowned martial artists from around the world. In addition, Tung saw the tournament as an opportunity to reunite with the [[Terry Bogard|Bogard]] [[List of Fatal Fury characters#Andy Bogard|brothers]] and meet [[Kyo Kusanagi]], the latter after his father [[#Saisyu Kusanagi|Saisyu]] requested the [[#Japan Team|Japan Team]] to help Tung's students with their training. During the tournament finals, Shun learns that he possesses a fragment of [[#Verse|Verse]]'s power, which causes Verse to go after Shun. After Verse is defeated, the team returns to the [[Wudang Mountains]] where Shun tells his teammates that Kyo advised him to continue his training to keep his powers under control to which Shun vows to train harder.
===Chizuru Kagura===
:{{voiced by|Akito Sato (''KOF <nowiki>'</nowiki>96''–''KOF 2000''), Yukiko Sugawa (''KOF 2003''),<ref name="kof2003"/> [[Sayaka Ohara]] (''KOFAS'' onwards)}}
'''{{Nihongo|Chizuru Kagura|神楽 ちづる|Kagura Chizuru}}''' is a member of the Yata clan who holds one of the [[Imperial Regalia of Japan|three sacred artifacts]], the Yata Mirror, that originally sealed the serpent monster [[#Orochi|Orochi]] eighteen hundred years ago. As the younger heiress of the Yata clan, the other being her older twin sister {{vanchor|Maki Kagura}}, Chizuru was raised as a [[miko|priestess]] who maintains the duty of keeping the diligent seal on Orochi intact. One night, [[Goenitz]] visited their home and destroyed the seal after killing Maki since the Yata Mirror cannot fight Orochi nor Goenitz's strength alone without the aid of the other two clans. Though in a weaken state, Orochi was released from its seal and Goenitz leaves satisfied. Before her death, Maki passes on the responsibilities of the seal to Chizuru, begging her to bring the three clans together to defeat Orochi. Ten years afterwards, Chizuru becomes a very successful and prestigious [[Businessperson|businesswoman]] and the owner of Kagura Enterprises. During this time, she secretly kept track with the King of Fighters tournaments since it [[Art of Fighting#Art of Fighting 2 (1994)|began]] with [[Geese Howard]] and comes up with an idea to bringing the clans together.
First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters '96]]'', Chizuru hosts the tournament with the goal of bringing together the three clans by entreating [[Kyo Kusanagi]] and [[Iori Yagami]] to help her replace the broken seal. During the finals of the tournament however, Goenitz appears to finally end all three heirs at once but is defeated by Kyo, with the assistance of Iori and Chizuru. Humiliated, Goenitz [[Suicide|takes his own life]] by cutting his body by his own wind. In the aftermath, both Kyo and Iori protests into working together and leave Chizuru. In ''[[The King of Fighters '97]]'', Chizuru hosts the tournament again but this time, requests to join the [[#Women_Fighters_Team|Women Team]] with [[Mai Shiranui]] and [[Art of Fighting#King|King]], which they agree. During the finals of the tournament, Chizuru departs from her teammates and joins up with Kyo and Iori where they confront the remaining Orochi servants: [[Yashiro Nanakase]], [[Shermie]], and [[#The_Orochi_clan|Chris]]. After defeating them, Orochi possesses Chris' body and attempts to destroy the three clans at once. The '''Sacred Treasures Team''' successfully defeats him in an intense fight and in a last-ditch effort, Orochi causes Iori to enter the Riot of Blood, expecting him to turn on Kyo and Chizuru. Instead, Iori snares Orochi by the neck, and Kyo obliges his rival by crippling the great demon with one last deathblow, allowing Chizuru to reseal Orochi again.<ref name="seal">{{cite video game|quote='''Kyo:''' Finish it Kagura! Can you do it? /'''Chizuru:''' As a mirror keeper... I must do it! /'''Orochi:''' Fools! A waste of time! If I release my remaining power.../'''Iori:''' Waahh!/'''Chizuru:''' His power... too strong! Kusanagi! Quickly... /'''Kyo:''' Heeaahhh! Woooohh!|title=The King of Fighters '97 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=1997-07-28 |platform=Neo Geo }}</ref>
In ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', Chizuru hosts another tournament with her intentions similar to her previous attempt in 1996, but during the tournament, she becomes mind-control by Botan, a member of [[#Those_From_The_Past|Those From the Past]]. She creates an illusion of her late sister Maki and creates a clone from Kyo named Kusanagi to test the strength of the tournament's contestants.<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2003 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK Playmore |date=2003-12-12 |platform=Neo Geo |quote = '''Chizuru:''' This is one of the mirror's powers. Kusanagi, who I pitted against you previously... is also one whose power comes from the mirror... }}</ref> Eventually, she breaks free from her mind-control, catches up with Kyo and Iori, and tries to restore the seal of Orochi. However, [[Ash Crimson]] seriously attacks her from behind and steals the Yata Mirror from her body before evading Kyo and Iori.<ref>{{cite video game|quote='''Ash:''' Where... is... it... now?/'''Chizuru:''' Ah.. ah.../'''Ash:''' Oh, oh, oh, here we are. With this my objective has come to fruition.|title=The King of Fighters 2003 |developer=SNK Playmore |publisher=SNK Playmore |date=2003-12-12 |platform=PlayStation 2 }}</ref> While she doesn't appear in ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', Chizuru asks [[Shingo Yabuki]] to enter the tournament with Kyo and Iori to investigate Ash and the weakened Orochi seal as she cannot due to still recovering from her injuries.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kyo & Iori Team Official Story in KOF XI |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/history/kofxi_story/index.php?num=kyo_iori |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 3, 2008| language=ja}}</ref> Unfortunately, the investigation ends with Iori, while in the Riot of the Blood state, nearly killing Kyo and Shingo, and Ash stealing the Yasakani no Magatama from Iori's body and his flames. In the conclusion of ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', after [[Ash Crimson|Evil Ash]] erases himself and his ancestor [[#Those_From_The_Past|Saiki]] from existence, both Iori and Chizuru regain their sacred treasures.
After [[#Verse|Verse]] is defeated in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', Chizuru senses Orochi's presence in [[Hungary]]. After contacting Kyo and Iori, the trio find an awakened yet weakened Orochi in [[Aggtelek Karst]] and seal it away once again. Due to both the ongoing crisis that's taking place in the world and the unexpected return of the New Faces/Orochi Team, Chizuru, Kyo, and Iori decide to join forces in reuniting the Sacred Treasures Team for ''KOF XV''.
In the 2010 live-action film adaptation of ''[[The King of Fighters (film)|The King of Fighters]]'', Chizuru is portrayed by [[Chinese-Canadian]] actress [[Françoise Yip]].
===Duo Lon===
:{{voiced by|Tsunehito Maruo<ref name="kof2003"/>|Josh Keller (''KOF XII'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.letshearjosh.com/profile?lang=en|title=JOSH KELLER <nowiki>|</nowiki> Japan based voice artist <nowiki>|</nowiki> Profile|website=letshearjosh.com|access-date=August 13, 2017}}</ref>}}
Duo Lon ({{zh|c=堕瓏}}; [[Pinyin]]: ''Duòlóng''; Japanese: デュオロン ''Dyuoron'') makes his first appearance in ''The King of Fighters 2003'' as a member of the game's Hero Team. His overall look was based on anime [[title character]] ''[[Vampire Hunter D]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Duo Lon's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=duolon |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 2, 2008}}</ref> He is a member of the assassin group, the Flying Brigands—or {{Nihongo|''Hizoku''|飛賊|Hizoku}}—and the half-brother of [[List of KOF: Maximum Impact characters#Xiao Lon|Xiao Lon]]. He is an acquaintance of [[Ash Crimson]] and [[Shen Woo]].
Hoping to hunt down the clan's traitor, [[#Ron|Ron]], he agrees to enter the tournament with them. However, after discovering Ash's true objectives, he teams up with [[Elisabeth Blanctorche]] and [[Benimaru Nikaido]]. Information on Duo Lon's design graph revealed he is one of the nine children of Ron, an assassin who chased after his own father.<ref name="falcoonsroom">{{Cite web| url=http://game.snkplaymore.co.jp/official/kof-mi-ra/falcoonroom/03/page7.html| title=Falcoon's Room ~ Episode 3| work= KOF Maximum Impact - Regulation A Official Website | access-date=March 13, 2008 | language=ja}}</ref>
===Elisabeth Blanctorche===
:{{voiced by|Kayoko Oshima (''KOF XI''–''KOF XIII''), [[Shizuka Itō]] (''KOFAS'' onwards)}}
{{Nihongo|Elisabeth Blanctorche|エリザベート・ブラントルシュ|Erizabēto Burantorushu}} (spelled "Elisabeth Branctorche" in ''[[The King of Fighters XII]]'') is one of three original characters debuting in ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]''. Her initial character concept was to be the rival to Ash, though developers decided to change her into a "leading lady" character. The developers also describe her fighting style as "orthodox with subtle tricks [to it]" despite her minimal moveset.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elisabeth Blanctorche's Official Character Bio |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/character/index.php?num=elisabeth |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 3, 2008| language=ja}}</ref>
She initially invites [[Benimaru Nikaido]] and [[Duo Lon]] to France to form the Rival Team. She eventually reveals her acquaintance with [[Ash Crimson]], whom she scolds for seeming to forsake their mission. Elisabeth did not appear in the arcade version of ''The King of Fighters XII'', but was added as one of two characters exclusive to the home release of the game. Like the rest of the cast, she does not have a team for ''The King of Fighters XII'' (though the two other members of her team from ''King of Fighters XI'' are present in the game). For ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', she now appears on a team with Ash's former team members from the 2003 tournament (Shen Woo and Duo Lon), effectively forming what seems to be the new Hero Team.
Though she does not participate in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', she enlists Kukri's help in finding Ash following Verse's defeat, with the two of them succeeding in their mission as Ash's body is soon located in Ukraine's Carpathian Mountains with his soul burning inside it, thus confirming Ash's return to the living world much to Elisabeth's rejoice. In order to help investigate and solve the unknown crisis which seems to revolve around ''KOF'' newcomers Shun'ei and Isla, Elisabeth and Kukri join forces with a fully recovered Ash for ''KOF XV''.
===Iori Yagami===
{{Main|Iori Yagami}}
===Japan Team===
:{{voiced by|[[Masahiro Nonaka]] (''KOF '94''–''[[Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting|NGH:US]]''), [[Ryōtarō Okiayu]] (''KOF '94'' drama CD), [[Tomoaki Maeno]] (''XIV'' onwards)}} (Kyo)
:{{voiced by|[[Monster Maezuka]] (most games), [[Hikaru Midorikawa]] (''KOF '94'' drama CD), [[Genki Okawa]] (''KOF for Girls'')}} (Benimaru)
:{{voiced by|Masaki Usui (''KOF '94''–''XIII''), [[Ryūzaburō Ōtomo]] (''KOF '94'' drama CD), Takahiro Fujiwara (''XIV'' onwards), [[Shunsuke Takeuchi]] (''KOF for Girls'')}} (Daimon)
:{{voiced by|[[Takehito Koyasu]]}} (Shingo)
The '''Japan Team''', also known as the '''Kyo Team''', is composed of characters originating from [[Japan]]. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', the original team consisted of [[Kyo Kusanagi]] (草薙 京), a high school student who is the heir to the Kusanagi clan wielding [[pyrokinesis|pyrokinetic]] abilities while also specializing in [[kenpo]], {{vanchor|Benimaru Nikaido}} (二階堂 紅丸 Nikaidō Benimaru?), a professional [[shoot boxing]] fighter and [[Model (person)|model]] who can create [[electricity]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Benimaru's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=benimaru |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 19, 2008}}</ref> and [[Goro Daimon]] (大門 五郎 Daimon Gorō), a former gold medalist in [[Judo]] and mentor to his own [[dojo]].<ref name="KOF10thGoro">{{Cite web|title=Goro Daimon's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=daimon |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 18, 2008}}</ref>
During the Orochi saga, the Japan Team emerged victorious in the first four tournaments. In the climax of ''[[The King of Fighters '97]]'', Kyo, along with his rival [[Iori Yagami]], and [[Chizuru Kagura]], seal away [[Orochi]], saving mankind from destruction. After the fight however, Kyo was kidnapped by a mysterious cartel while Benimaru resumed his modeling career and went on a world tour, and Goro retires from being a fighter and returns to the Judo circuit representing Japan.<ref>{{cite video game | title=The King of Fighters '97 | developer=SNK Playmore | publisher=SNK Playmore | date=1997-07-28 | platform=Neo Geo | quote = '''Narrative''' Goro Daimon[.] Quitting the fighter's league, Goro made his Judo comeback. As the leader for Japan's team, he received world renown! | scene = Hero Team ending }}</ref> Also in ''’97'', [[Shingo Yabuki]] (矢吹 真吾 Yabuki Shingo?), a high school student who idolizes Kyo and dreams of being able to wield flames, becomes a friend of the team and appears as an edit entry character.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=shingo| title=Shingo Yabuki Official Character Profile | work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=18 September 2016}}</ref>
During the NESTS saga which began in ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]'', Benimaru and Shingo are invited to participate in the tournament but were assigned to a “special team” with newcomers [[K']] and [[Maxima (The King of Fighters)|Maxima]]. Winning the tournament, they learned that NESTS was responsible for Kyo's disappearance, and escaped the crumbling base after a brief reunion with Kyo and being separated from K' and Maxima. In ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]'', Benimaru forms his own team, the '''Benimaru Team''' with Shingo, and two newcomers: [[Seth (The King of Fighters)|Seth]], an old friend of Benimaru and a [[mercenary]], and [[Lin (The King of Fighters)|Lin]], a Hizoku clan [[assassin]] seeking to find a man named [[Ron (The King of Fighters)|Ron]]. Following Southtown's destruction from the Zero Cannon, Ron confronted the Benimaru Team but escaped after Benimaru saves Lin from being killed. In ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]'', Kyo reunites with his friends, and as the Japan Team (with Shingo being the fourth member) enter the tournament to battle against NESTS, but also relive their time together as a team. After the tournament was over following NEST's destruction, the Japan Team went their usual separate ways instead of having a party, much to Shingo’s dismay. However, Shingo is scouted by Kyo’s father Saisyu and becoming the elder Kusanagi’s student instead.
In ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', Benimaru, Goro, and Shingo enters the tournament as the Benimaru Team while Kyo and Iori going solo to investigate suspicious activities concerning the Orochi and saving their Sacred Treasures teammate, Chizuru. Later, Kyo's team is ambushed by [[Ash Crimson]], who steals the power of the Yata Mirror from Chizuru and vows to steals the powers from both Iori and Kyo. In ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', Kyo, Iori, and Shingo enter the tournament together at the convalescent Chizuru's behest (Shingo's presence serving ostensibly to keep Kyo and Iori from being at each other's throats) to stop Ash as the '"Kusanagi & Yagami Team". Meanwhile, Benimaru and [[Duo Lon]], a teammate of Ash's team from the previous tournament, are invited by [[Elisabeth Blanctorche]] to enter the tournament as the Rival Team to track down Ash. Near the end of the tournament, the growing presence of the Orochi from [[#Magaki|Magaki]] causes Iori to snap and enter into the Riot of the Blood state, nearly killing Kyo and Shingo. Ash appears thereafter and steals the Yasakani no Magatama within Iori's body, along with his flames and escapes after a brief confrontation with the Rival Team. In ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', Kyo, Benimaru, and Goro enter the tournament to relive their old days as the Japan Team, while Shingo look after Chizuru until her Yata Mirror recovers. Following the tournament, Iori regains Yasakani no Magatama and his flames, and fights Kyo to an unknown outcome.
In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', [[Saisyu Kusanagi]] (Kyo's father) informs Kyo of a new threat which will cause untold chaos. On his father's suggestion, he convenes with [[Tung Fu Rue]] and [[Nakoruru]] to investigate, while entering the tournament with Benimaru and Goro as the Japan Team. After winning the tournament, Kyo advises [[#Shun'ei|Shun'ei]] to keep training to control his powers. At the airport, he tells his teammates to go home without him and travels to [[Hungary]]. In Hungary, Chizuru had called him there for his assistance after Iori found a weakened Orochi and seal it together once again. While the Sacred Treasures Team reunite in order to investigate the revived New Faces/Orochi Team in ''The King of Fighters XV'', Kyo had also insist for Benimaru to accompany Tung Fu Rue’s last disciples from the previous tournament, Shun’ei and Meitenkun per the Hakkyokuseiken grandmaster’s request.
In the spinoff series '''''The King of Fighters EX''''', there are two additional members of the Japan Team: {{vanchor|Moe Habana}} (葉花 萌, Habana Moe), an [[Asian American]] high school girl from the [[United States]] who is one of the ten treasures of Japan with her treasure being the "Yatsuka Sword" (八握 剣, Yatsuka no Tsurugi), and {{vanchor|Reiji Oogami}} (大神 零児, Ohgami Reiji), a [[Japanese people|Japanese]] man from Japan who is a member of the Yata clan, and one of the keepers of the ten treasures, the "Hetsu Mirror" (辺津 鏡, Hetsu Kagami).
Shingo stars as the main [[protagonist]] of a [[gaiden]] [[manga]] series titled ''The King of Fighters Side Story: The Origin of Flame - Shingo Travels Through Time! Let's Go!'', taking place between ''The King of Fighters XIV'' and ''[[The King of Fighters XV]]'', in which Shingo is unexpectedly brought to the past where the Sacred Treasure Team members’ original ancestors are and finally learns both the origin of their powers and Orochi before returning to the present.
===K′===
{{Main|K′}}
===Kim Team===
The '''Kim Team''', also known as the '''Korea Justice Team''', and originally the '''Korea Team''', is composed of characters mostly originating from [[South Korea]] and are mostly [[Taekwondo]] practitioners. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', the original team consisted of [[Kim Kaphwan]] (who had debuted in ''[[Fatal Fury 2]]''), a national hero in his homeland of [[Korea]] who convince authorities to take in two criminals as part of his new "Rehabilitation Project" with the goal of rehabilitating them of their criminal ways. These two criminals are {{vanchor|Chang Koehan}} (Korean: {{lang|ko|장거한}} ''Chang Keo-Han'', Japanese: {{lang|ja|チャン・コーハン}} ''Chan Kōhan''), a giant and violent man who uses an iron [[ball and chain]] and [[Choi Bounge]] (Korean: {{lang|ko|최번개}} ''Choi Beon-Gae'', Japanese: {{lang|ja|チョイ・ボンゲ}} ''Choi Bonge''), a sadistic little man who uses [[Freddy Krueger]]-esque claws.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Choi Bounge's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=choi |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website |access-date=March 2, 2008}}</ref> During the Orochi saga, Chang and Choi would become friends and would always attempt at a chance to escape from Kim's grasp during the end of each tournament but fail due to speaking out loud their scheme near Kim.
During the NESTS saga, Jhun Hoon (Korean: {{lang|ko|전훈}} ''Jeon Hoon'', Japanese: {{lang|ja|ジョン・フーン}} ''Jon Fūn''), a childhood friend of Kim and rival, took noticed of Kim's rehabilitation project and after seeing the ethics and methods of training towards Chang and Choi, he decides that he would show Kim a more efficient way of management for the criminals and joins the team as the fourth member for the ''[[The King of Fighters '99|'99]]'' and ''[[The King of Fighters 2000|2000]]'' tournaments.<ref>{{Cite web|author=SNK Playmore |title=Korean Team Official Story in KOF '99 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof99_story/index.php?num=korea |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 19, 2008}}</ref> In ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]'', the team was set to enter the tournament as usual. However, before the tournament started, Jhun broke his right arm while chasing an image of [[Athena Asamiya]], of whom he is a fan of. Down one member, Kim decides to have [[The King of Fighters 2001|May Lee]], a perky teenager and a student of Kim who have always admired the team, replace Jhun as the fourth member with the task of keeping an eye of Chang and Choi during the tournament.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Korean Team Story for KOF 2001 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof2001_story/index.php?num=korea |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 19, 2008}}</ref> During the tournament, May Lee surprised the audience and her teammates with her unique taekwondo style and gains much praise. When the tournament ended, the team return home and are celebrated as heroes for ending NESTS (despite not actually winning the tournament nor defeating NESTS themselves).
In ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', Choi is requested by Jhun to sit out of that year's tournament to watch over Kim's children, allowing Jhun to take his place with the scheme of showing the world the difference in ability between him and Kim due to the tournament's new “free tag-off Multi-Shift rule.” In ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', Chang and Choi convince Kim to join the [[List of Fatal Fury characters|Real Bout Fatal Fury Team]] with [[Terry Bogard]] and [[Duck King]] as they want Kim to enjoy himself for once after Kim believes that Chang and Choi are finally “rehabilitated.” Following the tournament, Chang and Choi realize that Kim will be on the look out for more criminals to help rehabilitate. Despite being deem “rehabilitated”, Chang and Choi are still in Kim's custody. In ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', Kim summons [[Raiden (Fatal Fury)|Raiden]], a famous [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]] [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]] and [[Hwa Jai]], a former [[Muay Thai]] champion who was defeated and lost his title to [[Joe Higashi]] in the [[Fatal Fury: King of Fighters|past]], to Southtown after he believes that they are still employed by [[Geese Howard]], and takes them in as his new students. However, unknown to Kim, Raiden and Hwa has since cut their ties with Geese and have already reform for quite some time. Instead, they trick Kim into thinking that they are still working for Geese and enter the tournament with him as a way help boost their reputations as fighters, as well as secretly to prove they are better on fooling Kim than Chang and Choi. Once the tournament ended, Hwa and Raiden pretend to have been "reformed" by Kim, and the gullible Kim falls for it. After parting ways with his new teammates, Kim thinks he might have been "too soft" on Chang and Choi, and to honor his new teammates and the struggles they went through, he intensifies Chang and Choi's strict training much to duo's displeasure.
In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', Chang and Choi are sent to [[prison]] after destroying a [[Bar (establishment)|bar]] while [[Alcohol intoxication|intoxicated]]. Upon arrival, the criminals encounter [[The King of Fighters XIV|Xanadu]], a mysterious, enigmatic, infamous and dangerous criminal who through his eccentric yet mesmerizing charisma, reverts Chang and Choi back to their old criminal ways. Upon the announcement of the new tournament, the trio enter as the Villains Team with the goal of causing chaos and destruction. Meanwhile, Kim has not heard from Chang or Choi and is unaware of their imprisonment. Deciding to go look for them, Kim was about leave the dojo when [[The King of Fighters XIV|Gang-Il]], Kim's master and chairman of the [[World Taekwondo Federation]], and [[The King of Fighters XIV|Luong]], a seductive woman who is secretly a freelance secret agent and fell in love with Gang-II during his world tour, appear at the dojo's entrance. Though Gang-II and Luong are excited to meet Kim, Kim's bitter memories of his master distracts him from their conversation until Gang-II shows Kim a [[Folded leaflet|leaflet]], revealing that Chang and Choi are entering the new tournament with a criminal. As Kim decides to enter the tournament to retrieve Chang and Choi from the criminal's control, Gang-II and Luong also decides to enter alongside Kim in the tournament, despite Kim's objections. Due to Kim and Gang-Il’s absence from the ''KOF XV'' tournament via focusing on their Taekwondo training, Luong went to join her fellow secret agents Blue Mary and Vanessa in order to form the '''Secret Agent Team'''.
Originally, SNK wanted ''KOF '94'' to have a [[Prisoner]] Team, formed by Chang Koehan, Choi Bounge, and a third prisoner, but due to various circumstances, they added in Kim instead and made it the Korea Team. Xanadu was created for ''XIV'' to fulfilled this concept. Also, during the development for ''2001'', May Lee's character design stems from sponsor [[Eolith (company)|Eolith]]'s desire for a "Korean Athena Asamiya" that was an "[[Japanese idol|idol]]-like visual fighter."<ref name="KOF10th">{{Cite web|url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=maylee |title=May Lee's ''KOF'' 10th anniversary profile |publisher=SNK Playmore |access-date=2007-02-14}}</ref>
===Kula Diamond===
{{main|Kula Diamond}}
===Lin===
:{{voiced by|[[Takaya Kuroda]]}}
Lin ({{zh|c=麟}}; [[Pinyin]]: ''Lín''; Japanese: 麟 ''Rin'') is one of the new characters introduced in ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]'' as a member of the [[#Japan Team|Benimaru Team]]. He, along with the Flying Brigands subplot, was created without the entire staff's knowledge, leading to some developers being surprised by his team's ending.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lin's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=lin |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 2, 2008}}</ref>
Though he is no longer an active member in ''King of Fighters'', his story and character have not been abandoned.<ref name="KOF10thRon">{{Cite web|title=Ron's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=ron |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 2, 2008}}</ref> He is a member of the assassination group, The Flying Brigands—or {{Nihongo|Hizoku|飛賊|Hizoku}} Clan in Japanese—which is apparently on the brink of ruin. The agent [[#Seth|Seth]] entices him to enter the King of Fighters tournament in order to find their clan's missing leader, [[#Ron|Ron]].<ref name="KOF2000Benistory">{{Cite web|title=Benimaru's Team Story in KOF 2000 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof2000_story/index.php?num=benimaru |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=March 2, 2008}}</ref>
After learning that Ron had defected to NESTS for his personal greed, Lin tracks the activities of NESTS' renegades, [[K′]] and his teammates, in hopes of finding his traitorous leader. He joins up with K', Maxima, and Whip in the 2001 tournament. He continues to search for Ron even after NESTS' destruction.<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2001 |developer=BrezzaSoft |publisher=Eolith & Sun Amusement |date=2001-11-15 |platform=Neo Geo |quote='''Lin:''' I can't believe he's dead. It's not over yet, Ron.|scene=Hero Team ending}}</ref> For an unexplained reason, he appears next to Ron in the Psycho Soldier Team's ending in ''The King of Fighters XI''.<ref name="falcoonsroom" /> He is a master of the Poison Hand technique, which enables the user to turn their own blood into venom.
===Malin===
:{{voiced by|Kazuyo Inosako}}<ref name="kof2003"/>
{{Nihongo|Malin|まりん|Marin}} is a character who debuts in ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'' as a member of the High School Girls Team (alongside [[Athena Asamiya]] and [[#Women Fighters Team|Hinako Shijou]]). Her addition to the series was due to [[#Korea Team|Choi's]] absence in the game where she debuted. The game producers state that her name should be spelled "Malin" and not "Marin", adding that "this is the humble preference of the supervising designer and a mystery to us all".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Malin's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=malin |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 26, 2008}}</ref>
She becomes a member of the Anti-Kyokugenryu Team in ''The King of Fighters XI'' due to her animosity towards one of the style's practitioners, [[Yuri Sakazaki]].<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters XI |developer=SNK Playmore |publisher=SNK Playmore |date=2007-11-13 |platform=PlayStation 2 |quote='''Malin:''' I can't stand her! She acts like she's barely even trying when she fights. Hmph! ... That Yuri had the nerve to say that my fighting style was cowardly! She's the weak one, right?}}</ref>
===Maxima===
:{{voiced by|[[Katsuyuki Konishi]],<ref name="kof2003"/> Yui Shimodaya (New Maxima; ''KOFAS'')|Michael Jarmus (''KOF: MI2'', ''KOF: AD'')}}
{{Nihongo|Maxima|マキシマ|Makishima}} debuts as a member of the Hero Team in ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]''. He was added to the cast with the desire to add a "somber and reliable middle-aged character" to counteract the introduction of multiple teenage characters.<ref name="KOF10thMaxima">{{Cite web|title=Maxima's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=maxima |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=March 3, 2008}}</ref> Both he and his former deceased partner Rocky are inspired by two characters of the same names from the 1991 SNK [[beat 'em up]] arcade game ''[[Robo Army]]''.
Maxima was a Canadian soldier who led a normal life until he found out that his comrade-in-arms Rocky was killed in an incident involving NESTS.<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2001 |developer=BrezzaSoft |publisher=Eolith & Sun Amusement |date=2001-11-15 |platform=Neo Geo |quote='''Maxima:''' I must go to report to a friend that I have taken revenge. /'''K':''' A visit to the grave, eh? I guess you can't turn back time. | scene=Hero Team ending}}</ref> To avenge Rocky's death, he abandons his ordinary life. In order to infiltrate the NESTS cartel without being recognized, Maxima was transformed into a [[cyborg]], with his strength and reaction time increased to superhuman levels, built-in weapons, and the ability to conduct instant data analysis. He also has some degree of cyberpathy. He infiltrates NESTS and is assigned to be the partner of [[K′]]. They both defect from the cartel after K' encounters his clone, [[Krizalid]], and grows sickened by the organization. Since then, he has become K's steadfast companion and he is often the one who enters both of them into the following tournaments.
===Official Invitation Team===
:{{voiced by|Mio}} (Sylvie Paula Paula)
:{{voiced by|[[Hiroki Takahashi]]}} (Kukri)
:{{voiced by|AYUKA}} (Mian)
The '''Official Invitation Team''' is composed of characters that [[#Antonov|Antonov]] personally invited to participate in his tournament. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', the team consists of [[#Official_Invitation_Team|Sylvie Paula Paula]], a remnant of [[#The_NESTS_cartel|NESTS]] who wields [[electromagnetic]] powers, [[#Official_Invitation_Team|Kukri]], a mysterious fighter from [[North Africa]] who utilizes [[sand]]-based fighting techniques while hiding his face with a hood at all times, and [[#Official_Invitation_Team|Mian]], a [[Sichuan opera]] dancer and fighter. Prior to the tournament, each member lives in the [[Underground culture|underground society]] with Mian and Sylvie often taking part in underground tournaments together.
During the end of the final match, Kukri reveals that he is familiar with [[#Verse|Verse]], especially since half its power lies within Shun'ei. When the tournament ends, Kukri leaves his teammates and Antonov behind and travels to the [[Carpathian Mountains]] in the [[Ukraine]] where he finds [[Ash Crimson]]. Kukri is soon joined by [[Elisabeth Blanctorche]], revealing that she had hired Kukri to enter the tournament to find and rescue Ash whose soul resided inside Verse.
Kukri is the main antagonist of a spin-off sequel between ''The King of Fighters XIV'' and ''The King of Fighters XV'' titled ''[[SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy]]'', in which Kukri himself kidnaps and sends most of the female participants from the ''XIV'' tournament into his personal pocket dimension, alongside Jeanne d'Arc from the ''[[World Heroes]]'' series, Thief Arthur from ''[[Million Arthur]]'', and a recently resurrected Shermie, as well as swapping genders of male fighters Terry Bogard, Iori Yagami (going under his previous alias Miss X from ''[[SNK Gals' Fighters]]''), and Skullomania from ''[[Fighting EX Layer]]''.
===Oswald===
:{{voiced by|Toshihiro Shigetsuka}}
{{Nihongo|Oswald|オズワルド|Ozuwarudo}} appears in ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'' as a member of the game's Hero Team, along with [[Ash Crimson]] and [[Shen Woo]]. An [[Ireland|Irish]] professional assassin who utilizes a [[playing card|card]]-based fighting style in attacking his opponents with razor-sharp cards, he was created as an older gentleman, and is an enigma to even the creators. Developers consider his moves to be comical compared to the seriousness of his image, especially when the move "Joker" is blocked or misses. They chose to leave the result of his fight with Shen ambiguous, implying that fans would have been disappointed with the outcome.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Oswald 's Official Character Bio |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/character/index.php?num=oswald |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 3, 2008| language=ja}}</ref> He was originally intended to be the "good-looking glasses" character for the series.<ref>{{Cite book| year=2007 |editor=Arcadia Extra | title=enterbrain mook ARCADIA EXTRA ~ The King of Fighters XI Conqueror's Guide; volume 28 | language=ja |publisher=enterbrain | page=231}}</ref>
It is revealed at the end of the tournament that Oswald joins Ash and Shen Woo to obtain money and [[narcotics|drugs]] named Dragon Pills. Ash agrees to give information regarding the drug to Oswald, explaining that it can only be given to him if he defeats the provider's enemy, Shen Woo.<ref name="oswaldquote">{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters XI |developer=SNK Playmore |publisher=SNK Playmore |date=2007-11-13 |platform=PlayStation 2 |quote='''Ash:''' You see, the drug known as 'Dragon Pills' is only made by a pharmacist in Shanghai. They won't sell it, but they will give it to anyone who defeats their mortal enemy, Shen Woo.|scene=Hero Team ending}}</ref> Oswald would later make his return as a [[Downloadable content|DLC]] character in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMI3X6UElf8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/GMI3X6UElf8| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=''The King of Fighters XIV - Oswald Trailer|website=[[YouTube]]|date=January 25, 2018|access-date=January 25, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
===Ramón===
{{voiced by|[[Eiji Takemoto]] (''KOF 2000''–''KOF XI''), Kiyoshi Katsunuma (''KOF XIV'' onwards)}}
{{Nihongo|Ramón|ラモン}} makes his first appearance in ''The King of Fighters 2000'' as a member of the game's Hero Team. Ramón is the only character to speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]] in the game, and was created to appeal to the [[Latin American]] fanbase. He has a fighting style primarily based on [[lucha libre]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ramón's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=ramon |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 7, 2008}}</ref>
Ramón is a famous ''luchador'' known as "El Diablo Amarillo" (The Yellow Devil), who is loved by his fans in the wrestling circle. He is approached by an agent named [[#Vanessa|Vanessa]], who requests in his cooperation in forming a team for ''The King of Fighters 2000'' tournament. Since then, he has had a one-sided infatuation with Vanessa.<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2000 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=2000-04-26 |platform=Neo Geo |quote='''Vanessa:''' The Zero Cannon's falling. How're you? Are you hurt?/'''Ramon:''' It's like I'm in heaven! I'm hot! I'm loose!/'''Vanessa:''' ...Give me a break. |scene=Hero Team ending}}</ref> After ''King of Fighters 2000'', he continues to team with Vanessa at her request, often along with [[#Seth|Seth]].
Ramón later becomes the leader of '''Team Mexico/Mexican Wrestler''', the first '''Team Wrestler''', consisting of himself, the former NESTS agent Ángel, and Tizoc (from ''[[Garou: Mark of the Wolves]]''). He forms the team during a vacation, where he helps Ángel out in reforming her life and also helps Tizoc out in convincing and disguising him as a heel wrestler known as “King of Dinosaurs” due to Tizoc's humiliating loss at the hands of the Argentine boxer Nelson. In ''KOF XV'', Antonov replaces Ángel in joining up with both Ramón and King of Dinosaurs, with Antonov himself leading a second wrestler team known as '''Team G.A.W. (Galaxy Anton Wrestling)'''.
===Saisyu Kusanagi===
:{{voiced by|Toshimitsu Arai (''KOF '95''), Keiichirou Sakagi (''KOF '98''), Haruo Yamagishi (''KOF: D'' onwards)}}
{{Nihongo|Saisyu Kusanagi|草薙 柴舟|Kusanagi Saishū}} debuted in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'' as a victim in [[Rugal Bernstein|Rugal]]'s gallery of defeated fighters. He appears as a mid-boss in ''The King of Fighters '95'', and becomes playable for the first time on the screen in ''[[The King of Fighters '98]]'', although he was selectable in the console versions of ''The King of Fighters '95'' as a secret character. He was originally meant to have died in ''The King of Fighters '94'', but was added in at the last minute of development for ''The King of Fighters '95''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Saisyu Kusanagi's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=saisyu |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 3, 2008}}</ref>
Saisyu Kusanagi is the previous head of the Kusanagi clan, who left his family to face worthy opponents across the globe. After his defeat by Rugal, he is [[Brainwashing|brainwashed]] by his secretary Vice to fight his son, [[Kyo Kusanagi|Kyo]]. Upon his defeat, he regains his senses and escapes from Rugal's missile silo base.<ref>{{cite video game|quote='''Kyo:''' I knew he wasn't dead. He'll find his way home./'''Benimaru:''' Yeah, I guess you're right./'''Kyo:''' Well, let's go back to Japan./'''Benimaru & Daimon:''' Yeah!/'''Saisyu:''' Kyo, you can't escape the Kusanagi fate. We face a greater battle, soon to begin. Strengthen yourself, Kyo. Good luck.|title=The King of Fighters '95 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=1995-07-25 |platform=Neo Geo }}</ref> In ''The King of Fighters 2001'', he appears before [[Shingo Yabuki]] and spends a year properly teaching him the Kusanagi fighting style. In the 2010 live-action film adaptation of ''[[The King of Fighters (film)|The King of Fighters]]'', Saisyu is played by Japanese actor [[Hiro Kanagawa]].
===Seth===
:{{voiced by|[[Hidetoshi Nakamura]]|Glenn Haig (''KOF: MI2'')}}
{{Nihongo|Seth|セス|Sesu}} makes his first appearance in the series as a "Striker" in ''The King of Fighters '99 Evolution''. He debuts as a playable character in ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]'' as a member of the Benimaru Team. He was created along with [[#Vanessa|Vanessa]], though Seth became the visual model for her. Developers wished to have a character with "the powerful image of a big, dark, middle-aged man with a Mohawk haircut".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Seth's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=seth |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=March 8, 2008}}</ref>
Seth was ordered by his superior Ling to enter the ''King of Fighters'' tournament in order to capture the Flying Brigands leader, [[#Ron|Ron]]. To do this, he arranges to work with the Benimaru Team.<ref name="KOF2000Benistory" /> During the tournament, he learns that Ling is really [[#Zero|Zero]] in disguise, and that Ron had joined with NESTS. He continues to investigate Ron's activities as the series progresses.<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2000 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=2000-04-26 |platform=Neo Geo |quote='''Shingo:''' ...Hey, what's wrong? You don't look so hot. Are you hurt?.../'''Seth:''' S...So quick! Developing faster than we planned...!!! If we don't hurry, we're all done for. |scene=Benimaru Team ending}}</ref>
===Shen Woo===
:{{voiced by|Kōji Suidzu}}<ref name="kof2003"/>
[[File:Shen Woo.png|thumb|upright=0.63|Shen Woo]]
{{Nihongo|Shen Woo|シェン・ウー|Shen Ū|{{zh|c=神武|p=Shén Wǔ}}; [[Shanghainese]]: {{IPA-wuu|z̥əɲ˨˧v̥v̩ʷ˦}}, lit. "Divine Warrior"}} is one of the members of the Hero Team in ''The King of Fighters 2003'', along with [[Ash Crimson]] and [[Duo Lon]]. He was first conceptualized to be a "wild and sexy man". Due to his fighting style revolving around punches, designers for his fighting style had to make his attacks distinctive enough to avoid confusion with [[Ralf Jones|Ralf]] and [[#Orochi Team|Yashiro]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shen Woo's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=shen |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 27, 2008}}</ref>
As ''"Shanghai's God of War"'', he was raised in the city of [[Shanghai]] in eastern [[China]] and given that nickname for developing his own, devastating street-fighting boxing style that is best described as "violent". He soon came to be very feared, and grew to enjoy the thrill of the fight. Eventually, he came to know and befriended both the enigmatic fighter Ash Crimson and the Chinese assassin Duo Lon, with the three of them becoming the "Hero Team" for ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'' tournament.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hero Team Official Story in KOF 2003 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof2003_story/index.php |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 27, 2008}}</ref>
At the end of ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', Ash decides to pit his two teammates against each other by convincing Oswald to defeat Shen Woo for the mention of the "Dragon Pills" made by anonymous pharmacists in Shanghai, telling Oswald that they will only give the Dragon Pills to someone who could defeat their mortal enemy, that is Shen himself.<ref name="oswaldquote"/> As soon as he and Oswald are left to fight each other, the result is unknown, though he managed to survive the outcome. He is voiced by Kōji Suidzu. Shen Woo is one of the many examples of a [[Gender representation in video games#Portrayal of men|sexualized male]] video game character of the aggressive type.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lövenberg|first1=Malin|title=The Elven Slave and Conan The Barbarian: Male Sexualization in Video Games|page=34|url=http://www.malinlovenberg.com/wp-content/uploads/Male-Sexualization-in-Video-Games-11th-march-2013.pdf}}</ref> {{clear left}}
===South America Team===
:{{voiced by|Kengo Takanashi}} (Nelson)
:{{voiced by|[[Ayumi Fujimura]]}} (Zarina)
:{{voiced by|[[Eiji Miyashita]]}} (Bandeiras)
The '''South America Team''' is composed of characters originating from [[South America]]. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', the team consists of [[#South_America_Team|Nelson]], a [[boxer]] with a [[Robotic prosthesis control|robotic prosthetic]] left arm after losing his arm in a terrible accident, Zarina, a [[Samba (Brazilian dance)|Samba dancer]] whose fighting style resembles [[capoeira]], and Bandeiras Hattori, an obsessed [[Fan (person)#Fanboy|fanboy]] of [[ninja]]s who trained himself to become one, and the founder of the “[[Brazilians|Brazilian]] [[Ninjutsu|Ninja Arts]] Dojo.” Prior to the tournament, Nelson defeated [[List of Fatal Fury characters#Tizoc / King of Dinosaurs|Tizoc]] in a contest that left him in disgrace, with the latter adopting a [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]] persona called “King of Dinosaurs.”
Each member had their own reason for entering the tournament. Nelson wants to seize victory in the tournament while hoping that his fiancée Liccia will awake from her [[coma]], Zarina wants to win the prize money to procure land as a nesting place for her pet Coco, a [[toucan]] and its species, and Bandeiras hopes that his participation and fighting style will bring in students to his dojo. While the South America Team didn't win, they saw good fortune coming out of the tournament when Liccia awakes from her coma, Zarina convinces [[#Antonov|Antonov]] to help procure land for Coco after he already purchased much of the land for one of his businesses (she gleefully admits that she simply kicked him in the crotch instead for his aid), and Bandeiras travels to [[Japan]] to advertise his dojo. However, he ends up getting arrested by police for causing a scene. Before seeing Liccia in the hospital, Nelson stops by at his arm's manufacturer for a checkup, completely unaware that the scientists who gave him the cybernetic left arm were responsible for his accident, and are attempting to use him as a test subject for an unknown purpose.
===Vanessa===
:{{voiced by|Kaori Minami (''KOF 2000''–''KOF XI''), Mayumi Hata (''KOF XIV'' onwards)}}
{{Nihongo|Vanessa|ヴァネッサ|Vanessa}} first debuts as a Striker in ''The King of Fighters '99 Evolution'', and becomes playable in ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]''. Like [[#Maxima|Maxima]], she was created as a middle-aged female to contrast the multiple teenage characters in the roster.<ref name="KOF10thVanessa">{{Cite web|title=Vanessa's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=vanessa |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 3, 2008}}</ref> Vanessa is a normal housewife who discreetly serves as a mercenary agent. Working under the orders of Commander Ling, Vanessa and fellow agent [[#Seth|Seth]] are commissioned with the job of joining Ling's ''King of Fighters'' tournament to follow the footsteps of the NESTS cartel. The two agents part from one another, with Vanessa recruiting prime suspects [[K′]], Maxima, and [[#Ramón|Ramón]] to complete their team. Her objective from then on is to observe the activities of the NESTS defectors, based on Ling's orders.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hero Team Official Story in KOF 2000 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof2000_story/index.php?num=hero |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 3, 2008}}</ref> In ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', Vanessa enters the tournament together with Blue Mary and Ramón under orders to receive information concerning the broken [[#Orochi|Orochi]] seal and the mysterious members of [[#Those From The Past|Those From the Past]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Agent Team Official Story in KOF XI |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/history/kofxi_story/index.php?num=agent |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website |access-date=March 3, 2008 |language=ja |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217105403/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/history/kofxi_story/index.php?num=agent |archive-date=February 17, 2009}}</ref>
===Verse===
:{{voiced by|Yusaku}}
{{Nihongo|Verse|バース|Bāsu}} is the main antagonist and final boss in ''The King of Fighters XIV''. An evil presence that is sensed across time and space, various fighters from the tournament join to stop him. Within his being, he traps the souls of fighters from the past tournaments such as Yashiro Nanakase, Shermie, Chris, Orochi and Ash Crimson along with Gaidel, Igniz, Krizalid, and Rugal Bernstein, as well as [[Mizuki Rashojin]] from ''[[Samurai Shodown II]]''. His existence was the result of Ash changing his timeline to erase himself from being Saiki's descendant and killing his ancestor in the process, this being the reason of why Nakoruru travels to the present in order to help fix the timeline. Not only that, one of Verse's fragment is also implanted inside the young Shun'ei, leaving his parents to abandon him secretly due to this, though he was later rescued by Tung Fu Rue, who had decided to raise him as his last disciple. According to Geese Howard, Verse's appearance was foretold in the Three Ancient Secret Sacred Scrolls of the Jin.
==The Bernstein family==
=== Rugal Bernstein ===
{{anchor|Rugal Bernstein}}
:{{voiced by|Toshimitsu Arai (''KOF '94''–''NGH:US''), [[Banjo Ginga]] (''KOF '94'' drama CD), [[Norio Wakamoto]] (''KOF 2002''), [[Tsuguo Mogami]] (''KOF: D onwards)}}
{{nihongo|'''Rugal Bernstein '''|ルガール・バーンシュタイン|Rugāru Bānshutain}} was first introduced in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', he is a recurring [[boss (video games)|boss]] in ''[[The King of Fighters]]'' [[fighting game]] series. As the host of the tournaments from ''The King of Fighters '94'' and ''[[The King of Fighters '95|{{'}}95]]'', Rugal plans to turn all the competitors from the tournament into stone statues as part of his collection of defeated martial artists. Despite his death in ''{{'}}95'', Rugal is still featured in ''The King of Fighters'' titles which do not contain a storyline (nicknamed "Dream Matches"). He has also been featured in the ''[[SNK vs. Capcom (series)|SNK Vs. Capcom]]'' as a boss character. His character has periodically appeared in other media related to ''The King of Fighters'' franchise, including comic adaptations and ''[[The King of Fighters (film)|The King of Fighters]]'' live-action film, and portrayed by [[British people|British]] martial arts actor [[Ray Park]]. As the first boss character from ''The King of Fighters'', the SNK staff created him to be one of the most difficult characters to defeat. His Omega Rugal form from ''{{'}}95'' has been noted by the staff to be their favorite boss to the point they added him in the Dream Match titles. Publications for video games and other media have provided praise and criticism for Rugal's character. The concept for making Rugal in ''The King of Fighters '94'' was to make "the mightiest (most violent) and most evil boss character ever". Despite the difficulties in defeating him, Rugal has become the boss character with the biggest number of appearances in series.<ref name="profile">{{cite web | url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=rugal| title=Rugal Bernstein Official Profile | publisher= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date= 2009-03-07}}</ref>
=== Adelheid and Rose ===
:{{voiced by|Tetsuya Tanaka (Adelheid)}}<ref name="kof2003"/>
:{{voiced by|Kazuyo Inosako (Rose)}}<ref name="kof2003"/>
{{Nihongo|Adelheid|アーデルハイド|Āderuhaido}} (Adel for short), along with his younger sister, {{Nihongo|Rose|ローズ}}, are the only known children of [[Rugal Bernstein]]. They reside in an airship called "Sky Noah". Adel is a boss character from ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', as well as a secret and mid-boss for ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Adelhied & Rose Story for ''The King of Fighters XI'' |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/history/kofxi_story/index.php?num=adelheid |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 28, 2008| language=ja}}</ref> They were added to the series to create an alternate story to the main plot.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Adelheid's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=adelheid |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=May 28, 2008}}</ref>
Despite sharing several physical and fighting traits with Rugal, Adelheid is an honorable fighter who exhibits good [[sportsmanship]],<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2003 |developer=SNK-Playmore |publisher=SNK-Playmore |date=2003-12-12 |platform=Neo Geo | quote = '''Rose:''' ...My brother...you lost! It cannot be! ...I will not release you! you will not go back alive!/'''Adelheid:''' Stop! Rose! Return them to the Earth... and land Sky-Noah./'''Rose:''' Brother, you're mistaken again! You must fight again!/'''Adelheid:''' Rose, defeat is defeat. To fight over and over until victory is meaningless...| scene = Adelheid ending}}</ref> even having a friendly conversation with Heidern, Rugal's mortal enemy. Rose, however, was developed to be extremely prideful and selfish, possessing her father's negative traits.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rose's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=rose |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=May 28, 2008}}</ref> At the end of ''The King of Fighters XI'', Rose is manipulated by Botan, a member from the mysterious organization [[#Those From The Past|Those From the Past]] to use her in their plans, leading to the events of ''The King of Fighters XIII''.
==Hakkesshu==
[[File:Hakkesshuu.jpg|thumb|200px|Several members from Hakkeshu. Clockwise from top: Goenitz, Chris, Yashiro Nanakase (center), Vice, Mature and Shermie.]]
The '''Hakkesshu''' ({{Nihongo|Orochi Hakketsushū|オロチ八傑集|}} in the Japanese version) are a group formed by the eight most powerful followers of the god [[#Orochi|Orochi]]. The four top members are referred to as "Kings".<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters '97 |developer=SNK Playmore |publisher=SNK Playmore |date=1997-07-28 |platform=Neo Geo |quote='''Kyo:''' Rugal... Hakkesshu... Orochi... Certainly... A lot in a short time...|scene=Hero Team ending}}</ref> Gaidel, the biological father of [[#Ikari Team|Leona]], was also a member of the group, but when he refused Goenitz's offer to continue the Orochi's will, Goenitz manipulated Leona into killing Gaidel and the rest of her fellow villagers. The criminal [[Ryuji Yamazaki]] is part of the group, but does not want to get involved with them.
=== Vice & Mature ===
:{{voiced by|Masae Yumi (''KOF '96''–''KOF XIII''), [[Mayumi Sako]] (''KOF XIV'' onwards) (Vice)}}
:{{voiced by|Hiroko Tsuji (''KOF '96''–''KOF XIII''), Keiko Tsutsui (''KOF XIV''), [[Yū Shimamura]] (''KOF: D'' onwards) (Mature)}}
{{Nihongo|Vice|バイス|Baisu}} and {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Mature}}|マチュア|Machua}} appear as members of [[Iori Yagami|Iori]]'s Team in ''The King of Fighters '96''. The designers at the time created both Vice and Mature with the image of a "cruel woman" and a "ruthless woman", respectively. Their origin story is mostly based on the notion of Rugal employing secretaries prior to ''The King of Fighters '96''. Both women were unavailable during location testing and were likely finished near the end of the game's production schedule.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vice's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=vice |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 22, 2008}}</ref> Aside from serving Rugal, both women were also spies and wielders of Orochi.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mature's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=mature |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=February 19, 2008}}</ref> They are ordered by their superior Goenitz to keep an eye on Iori, but both of them are killed by Iori.<ref>{{cite video game|quote='''Mature:''' Are you shaking?/'''Vice:''' Yeah, he ain't normal. But, that guy... I mean... He's really tough./'''Iori:''' W, what? I can't see! Yaaah! Unnhhh! Gya... GWAAAAH!/'''Vice:''' Hey, Yagami, take it easy!/'''Mature:''' Oh, my God.../'''Iori:''' I, it's the... Riot of the Blood!/'''Vice:''' Gah. You mean there's nothing we can do?/'''Mature:''' Ooowaaaaah! Ya, Yagami!/'''Iori:''' GOOOWAAAAH!|title=The King of Fighters '96 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=1996-07-30 |platform=Neo Geo }}</ref>
Since then, both have appeared in the "dream match" games ''[[The King of Fighters '98]]'' and ''[[The King of Fighters 2002]]'' (games in the ''King of Fighters'' series with no canonical connection). Vice has also appeared in ''[[Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000]]'' and [[Capcom vs. SNK 2|the sequel]]. Mature is a playable character in ''[[The King of Fighters XII]]'', exclusive to the home console version of game.<ref name = "famitsu">{{Cite web| url = http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1224032_1124.html | title = ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ XII』の発売日と価格が決定 - ファミ通.com | publisher = Famitsu Magazine| access-date = May 8, 2009 | language = ja}}</ref>
With Vice's return in ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', Iori's 1996 team is reunited for the first time since ''The King of Fighters 2002''.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://game.snkplaymore.co.jp/official/kof-xiii/character/index.html | title=CHARACTER THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII | date=2010-04-22 | access-date=2010-04-22 | publisher=SNK Playmore | language=ja}}</ref> In ''The King of Fighters XIII'', both women are spirits, reflecting their fates at the end of the 1996 tournament. With the rise of a new Orochi crisis brought on by Ash Crimson's meddling, they convince Iori to enter the new tournament to settle matters and stop whatever it is Ash has in mind.
In the 2010 live-action film adaptation of ''[[The King of Fighters (film)|The King of Fighters]]'' movie, Vice is played by [[Bernice Liu]], and Mature by [[Monique Ganderton]].
=== Goenitz ===
:{{voiced by|Yoshinori Shima (''KOF '96''–''NGH:US''), Susumu Akagi (''KOF: D'' onwards), [[Hiroki Yasumoto]] (''KOF for Girls'')}}
{{Nihongo|Goenitz|ゲーニッツ|Gēnittsu}} is one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Orochi, with the power to command the element of wind. Goenitz has a very polite personality which is reflected in his winning poses and his elegant, somewhat flowery speech. Even though influenced by Orochi, he sports the same messianistic attitude that aspires to bring about "salvation" expected from people of religious occupations.
During the 1996 tournament, Goenitz discovers that Chizuru Kagura plans to gather warriors to seal the Orochi and heads there to stop her. In addition to this, Goenitz is the one who took Rugal's right eye, who in turn Rugal took Heidern's own right eye. Depending on the playable characters, Goenitz is either killed by [[Iori Yagami]] and [[Kyo Kusanagi]], sealed by Chizuru, or commits suicide at the end of ''KOF '96''.<ref>{{cite video game|quote='''Goenitz:''' I guess I understimated you. I never thought... but this isn't the end for you./'''Iori:''' Hah! "ONE-FOR-THE-ROAD" BLAST!/'''Goenitz:''' AHHHHH!/'''Kyo:''' Hah! Eat this, pal! SERPENT WAVE!/'''Goenitz:'''GYAAAH! Why? Why is there no wind? GYAAAAAH!|title=The King of Fighters '96 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=1996-07-30 |platform=Neo Geo }}</ref>
=== Orochi Team ===
:{{voiced by|Rio Ogata (''KOF '97''–''NGH:US''), [[Shiki Aoki]] (''KOFAS''), Yuki Sakakibara (''KOF for Girls''), Rui Yamasaki (''KOF XV'')}} (Chris)
:{{voiced by|Hazuki Nishikawa (''KOF '97''–''NGH:US''), Erina Seto (''[[SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy|SNKH:TTF]]'' onwards)}} (Shermie)
:{{voiced by|Makoto Awane (''KOF '97''–''NGH:US''), Keisuke Hamaoka (''KOFAS'' onwards), [[Megumi Han]] (Pretty Yashiro; ''KOFAS''), Shinichiro Kamio (''KOF for Girls'')}} (Yashiro)
The original '''New Faces Team''', also known as the '''Orochi Team''' is a group from ''The King of Fighters '97''. They are three of the Four Heavenly Kings of [[#Orochi|Orochi]]. The group is composed of a young Swedish boy named {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Chris}}|クリス|Kurisu}} who utilizes a swift fighting style that relies on quick movements, a beautiful but shady Frenchwoman named {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Shermie}}|シェルミー|Sherumī}} who specializes in [[puroresu|Joshi puroresu]] and a tall Japanese guitar player named {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Yashiro Nanakase}}|七枷 社|Nanakase Yashiro}} who utilizes a fighting style that combines powerful strikes with a few aspects of [[capoeira]]. They initially enter due to Yashiro's grudge against Iori and his own band (which had overshadowed a performance of theirs before the tournament), but as the tournament progresses, the Orochi blood inside their bodies soon awakens, causing them to remember their status as three of the Four Heavenly Kings. As loyal members of Orochi, they continue to gather power for the awakening until they are forced to kill themselves in order to resurrect Orochi through Chris' body, a concept that began early in the game's production.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chris's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=chris |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=February 19, 2008}}</ref> Using the Orochi power, they are stated as the [[#Japan Team|Japan Team]]'s counterparts, since they have their same abilities: Chris is able create flames like [[Kyo Kusanagi]] and [[Iori Yagami]], Shermie creates lightning like Benimaru Nikaido, and Yashiro has enormous strength enough to shatter the earth like Goro Daimon.
Having been dead for years after the events of ''KOF '97'', Ash Crimson’s suicidal action at the end of the ''XIII'' tournament had cause their souls to reside within a creature known as Verse during the ''XIV'' tournament. When Verse is defeated, the Orochi Team's souls are released from it, leading to both their resurrection as of the canonical spin-off crossover ''SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy'' and return in ''KOF XV''.
===Orochi===
:{{voiced by|Rio Ogata (''KOF '97''–''NGH:US''), [[Motoko Kumai]] (drama CD's), [[Shiki Aoki]] (''KOFAS'')}}
{{Nihongo|Orochi|オロチ|Orochi}} is the final boss of ''[[The King of Fighters '97]]'', and can be considered the main antagonist of the series as most villains either serve it or wants to use its powers for their own ends. Its character origin is another interpretation of the mythical eight-headed serpent demon, ''[[Yamata no Orochi]]''. In ''The King of Fighters'' series, it is a [[chthonic]] supernatural being that is the will of [[Gaia (mythology)|Gaia]]. It has no distinct gender. It does not regard humanity as trustworthy with regard to coexisting with the planet without ravaging it, and so seeks to extinguish humanity. It was sealed 1,800 years ago by the [[Imperial Regalia of Japan|three sacred treasures]] of Japan. The three clans' descendants are charged with protecting the seal. In ''The King of Fighters '97'', it incarnates in Chris (a herald of Orochi) to save the Gaia.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Orochi's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=March 7, 2008}}</ref>
It is sealed again at the end of the '97 tournament by the three descendants of the users of the three sacred treasures (Kyo, Chizuru and Iori), but the seal is later broken (though not to the point of actually releasing it) by the demon [[#Mukai|Mukai]] at the end of ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]''.<ref name="seal"/><ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters XI |developer=SNK Playmore |publisher=SNK Playmore |date=2007-11-13 |platform=PlayStation 2 |quote='''Shion:''' Ugh... Cough! Damn it... Orochi still hasn't awakened! }}</ref> A clone of Orochi appears as a boss in ''[[NeoGeo Battle Coliseum]]'' named Mizuchi.
In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', Orochi is one of the many souls inside Verse as shown through Verse's win quote against Kyo and in the ending of Team Yagami, as it lands in [[Aggtelek National Park|Aggtelek-Karst]] in Hungary, it is sealed away once again due to being in its still weakened state.
==The NESTS cartel==
NESTS is a mysterious and dangerous cartel that deals with drugs, weaponry, robotics, genetics and biotechnology. The global crime syndicate was involved in the events behind the ''King of Fighters'' tournaments held between 1999 and 2001. They are responsible for the creation of the [[Kyo Kusanagi]] clones and [[K′]] being injected with Kyo's [[DNA]]. The group is composed of several agents who have different aims, but they all want to become more powerful. The cartel is destroyed with the death of their leader Igniz. However, some of its loyalists are still on the loose and branded as wanted criminals while its former agents manage to defect from the organization.
=== Krizalid ===
:{{voiced by|Yoshiyuki Iwamoto (''KOF '99'', ''KOF 2002:UM''), Eiji Yano (''KOF 2001''), Masahito Kawanago (''KOFAS'')}}
{{Nihongo|Krizalid|クリザリッド|Kurizariddo}} acts as the mid and final boss of ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]''. He was designed to be a stylish and earnestly strong boss, though the supervising designer at the time admits, "I think I overdid it a little."<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=krizalid| title=Krizalid Official Profile | work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=May 16, 2008 }}</ref>
He is made to be the ultimate [[Kyo Kusanagi|Kyo]] clone, outfitted with a special suit to feed the data of fighters into his body during battle. He also happens to be a clone of [[K′]]. As a side effect, he gained some of K's memories and believed that [[#Ikari Team|Whip]] was his sister. He is ordered to activate the thousands of Kyo clones around the world so that they can attack in a simultaneous strike. After his defeat against K', his superior, [[#Zero|Zero]], neutralizes the Kyo clones and kills Krizalid by throwing a boulder to crush him. He is later revived by the original Zero and fights alongside him in the 2001 tournament.
In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', he is one of the souls inside Verse.
=== Ron ===
:{{voiced by|[[Takaya Kuroda]]}}
Ron ({{zh|c=龍}}; [[Pinyin]]: ''Lóng''; Japanese: 龍(ロン) ''Ron'') is first introduced as a sub-plot character in ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]''. He later appears as a Striker for [[#Zero|Zero]] in ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]''. Though he is not playable in the series, he serves as an important side-story character.
According to his official profile, his main objective is to gain the ability to manipulate the dead.<ref name="KOF10thRon" /> He is the former leader to an elite assassination group known as the Flying Brigands—{{Nihongo|''Hizoku''|飛賊|Hizoku}} Clan in Japanese—and the father to a number of their members, including [[Duo Lon]] and [[List of KOF: Maximum Impact characters#Xiao Lon|Xiao Lon]]. He betrayed the Flying Brigands by joining NESTS for personal gain, labeling himself as a traitor by many of the group's members, including Lin, his former pupil. After NESTS' destruction, he reveals his great interest in a mysterious power shared by [[Sie Kensou]] and [[#Psycho Soldier Team|Bao]] known as the Dragon Spirit.
=== Zero ===
:{{voiced by|Kinta Futogane (''KOF 2000''–''KOF 2002:UM'') (Clone)}}
:{{voiced by|Toshimitsu Arai (''KOF 2001''–''KOF 2002:UM'') (Original)}}
:{{voiced by|[[Jiro Saito (voice actor)|Jiro Saito]] (''KOFAS'') (Clone)}}
:{{voiced by|[[Taiten Kusunoki]] (''KOFAS'') (Original)}}
:{{voiced by|[[Kaya Okuno]] (Pretty Zero; ''KOFAS'') (both)}}
{{Nihongo|Zero|ゼロ}} is one of the higher-ranked agents of NESTS. The designer, C.A.C. Yamasaki, admits basing Zero off a certain character from the manga ''[[Fist of the North Star]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/comment/remember_kof.php?num=8 |title=Remembrance of KOF: An Interview with Eiji |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website |access-date=January 18, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017122404/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/comment/remember_kof.php?num=8 |archive-date=October 17, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Zero begins to secretly build his own weapon from NESTS' technology called the "Zero Cannon". He sets his plans into motion in ''The King of Fighters 2000''. There, he impersonates a military commander named Ling and uses his persona as a decoy to stop the military resistance against him. Depending on whether or not the player defeats Kula, his plans are foiled by either Heidern or Kula, who is sent to execute him for his treacherous acts. While dying, he tells Whip of who she really was, angering her to shoot him dead.
However, the Zero in ''The King of Fighters 2000'' is revealed to be a clone from the {{Nihongo|Original Zero|ゼロ(オリジナル)|Zero (Orijinaru)}}, who appears as a sub-boss in ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]''. He was created because the supervising designer of his character claimed to be dissatisfied with Zero's design in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=zero-original| title=Zero (Original) Official Profile | work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=January 18, 2008}}</ref> Unlike his clone, Zero is extremely loyal to the NESTS syndicate, and was disgusted to learn of his clone's attempted [[coup d'état]]. Willing to clear the reputation of his clone's actions, Zero is commanded to destroy the winners of ''The King of Fighters'' tournament. He traps the winning team in a space ship that was disguised as a blimp. When he is defeated, he urges the team to escape the collapsing ship and dies honorably on board the vessel. His true loyalty is toward Igniz’s father, Nests, with Zero himself not knowing of Igniz’s later betrayal towards his own father.
=== NESTS Team ===
: {{voiced by|[[Miina Tominaga]] (''KOF 2001''), [[Mayumi Shintani]] (''KOF 2002''), Miki Ogura (''KOF XIV'' onwards)}} (Ángel)
: {{voiced by|[[Nozomu Sasaki]] (''KOF 2001''–''KOF 2002''), [[Kenn]] (''KOF XV'' onwards)}} (K9999/Krohnen)
: {{voiced by|[[Haruna Ikezawa]]}} (Foxy)
: {{voiced by|[[Daisuke Ono]]}} (Nameless)
The '''NESTS Team''' is a group that appears in ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]'', entering in the tournament to eliminate anybody who would try to destroy their organization. The team is composed of [[Kula Diamond]], named the "Anti-K" due to her ability to create ice, Kula's guardian {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Foxy}}|フォクシー|Fokushī}}: an expert fencer who works alongside with Kula's second guardian and another expert fencer named Diana, {{vanchor|Ángel}}: a ditzy yet deadly Mexican female fighter, and K9999 (pronounced ''K Four-Nine''), the 9999th clone of Kyo Kusanagi based entirely on [[Tetsuo Shima]] from ''[[Akira (manga)|Akira]]'', being able to transform his arm into a long deformed flesh tentacle much like Tetsuo's own. Due to copyright issues, for ''[[The King of Fighters 2002]]: Unlimited Match'' remake, he was replaced with a similar character. The character is called "Nameless", a clone from both Kyo and K' (whose hair, reflecting this, is half brown like that of Kyo, and half white like that of K') who uses two types of flames to fight, while equipped with an Anti-K glove to keep his flame power in check, created from the [[DNA]] of his deceased lover who looks like Kula, Isolde.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blog.ureshino.cn/?eid=52523|title=TGS08日記xx|date=2008-10-15 |author=Ureshino, Akihiko|publisher=Official blog from Akihiko Ureshino|access-date=2009-01-08}}</ref> K9999 would later be re-introduced in ''KOF XV'' as {{nihongo|Krohnen McDougall|クローネン・マクダガル|Kurōnen Makudagaru}} around the same time that SNK had officially confirmed via [[Discord (software)|Discord]] that the K9999 removal controversy was false in order to redesign his appearance to avoid copyrights issues.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1469155746621403136|user=ScotiaVIII|title=This pretty much confirms that #Krohnen is #K9999 and that the long-running rumor that K9999 was blacklisted by SN…|date=10 December 2021}}</ref>
When their boss Zero dies from his battle upon the blimp that takes the winning team to the headquarters of NESTS, Kula and Foxy decide to leave NESTS in order to begin a new life, but the two are attacked upon sight by their teammates, who consider them traitors. K9999 and Ángel mortally injure Foxy in the fight and waste no time in attacking Kula, but when they are about to defeat her, she is rescued by [[K′]], whose abilities make the attackers flee in an instant. After the destruction of NESTS, Kula, Foxy, and Diana decide to work together with K′, Maxima, and Whip, leading to Kula joining forces with K' and Maxima in ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'' after Whip returns to the Ikari Warriors team. Ángel returns in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'' as part of '''Team Mexico''' which also includes Ramón (who ironically was one of the agents seeking to shut down NESTS) and Tizoc (now fighting under the persona "King of Dinosaurs"). In addition to this, a failed test subject victim of NESTS named {{Nihongo|Sylvie Paula Paula|シルヴィ・ポーラ・ポーラ|Shiruvi Pōra Pōra}} serves as a member of the '''Official Invitation Team''' for ''KOF XIV'', with Sylvie being described as a "cute-looking psycho" who can freely manipulate electricity and considers the voice in her head and her eyeball decorations to be her "friends". Before ''[[The King of Fighters XV]]'', Àngel and Kula (the latter having a falling out between her and K') are recruited by K9999 (who now goes under the new name Krohnen McDougall), with the three of them set to compete in ''KOF XV'' as a new team known as '''Team Krohnen'''.
=== Igniz ===
:{{voiced by|[[Norio Wakamoto]] (''KOF 2001''–''KOF 2002:UM''), Masafumi Kimura (''KOFAS'')}}
{{Nihongo|Igniz|イグニス|Igunisu}} is the final [[boss (video gaming)|boss]] in ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]''. His handsome and youthful appearance was specifically created at the sponsors' request.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=igniz| title=Igniz Official Profile | work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=May 15, 2008 }}</ref>
Although Igniz had served his father, the previous leader of NESTS also named Nests with utmost loyalty, he had secretly sought to overthrow him and become the new leader of NESTS, seizing the opportunity to do so near the end of the 2001 tournament, to which NESTS was hosting. Upon succeeding in murdering his own father and becoming the new leader of NESTS, Igniz decides to test his newly-acquired power against the finalists in the hopes of crushing them and becoming a new god. His ambition is short-lived, however, as he is defeated by the K' Team. Cursing his failure and declaring himself a demon instead, Igniz attempts to destroy the planet by plummeting NESTS' main headquarters out of orbit; his attempt fails, and Igniz dies in the process.
In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', Igniz is one of the souls inside Verse.
==Those From The Past==
{{Nihongo|Those From the Past|遙けし彼の地より出る者たち|Harukeshi Ka no Chi yori Izuru Monotachi|lit. "Those From His Distant Land"}} are a new group of antagonists that appear in the 2003 tournament. They are mysterious, and supposedly inhuman, warriors who want to get the power of the [[#Orochi|Orochi]] so that they can give it to their shrouded master. It is implied that they are the European counterparts of the Orochi Clan. The organization is destroyed after Saiki's death by Ash in ''The King of Fighters XIII'', but their actions triggered the birth of Verse.
=== Mukai ===
:{{voiced by|Toshihiro Shigetsuka}}<ref name="kof2003">{{Cite web|url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/The-King-of-Fighters-2003/|title=The King of Fighters 2003}}</ref>
{{Nihongo|Mukai|ムカイ||also written as 無界}} is the hidden final boss in ''The King of Fighters 2003''. His appearance was designed with the concept of petrification in mind. Mukai's primary power is his control over many things related to stone. He can form stone, either in crude rocks to throw at foes, or as elaborate pillars to crush them. He speaks in very pious, grandiose declarations, but appears to have a cautious attitude toward the potential of humans.
He makes a prompt appearance in ''The King of Fighters 2003'' tournament seeking strong opponents and to test his strength. Mukai reveals that his group had organized the 2003 King of Fighters tournament so that they could break the Orochi seal and give its power to the group's unknown leader. Mukai wanted to battle against the winning team of the tournament, seeing if they had what it takes to survive in "the new age". Mukai is defeated but manages to escape. However, in ''The King of Fighters XIII'', he is killed by Saiki after disobeying his boss.
=== Shion ===
:{{voiced by|Jidai 'Tokiyo' Ogawa}}
{{Nihongo|Shion|紫苑|Shion}} makes his first appearance in ''The King of Fighters XI'' as the sub-boss. The character was conceptually designed to be one of [[#Ron|Ron]]'s daughters,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shion's Official Character Bio |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/character/index.php?num=shion |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=May 31, 2008| language=ja}}</ref> though developers decided to change his gender to startle and appeal to fans with his [[Androgyny|androgynous]] appearance.<ref>{{Cite book| year=2007 | editor=Arcadia Extra | title=The King of Fighters XI Conqueror's Guide| volume = 28 | language=ja | publisher=Enterbrain | page=234 }}</ref> Shion is an enigmatic character whose past is unknown. He works as an underling for the demon [[#Magaki|Magaki]], and seems knowledgeable about the workings of Orochi. After being defeated at the ruins of the tournament finals, he is dragged through an extradimensional gate. However, after Magaki is defeated at the end of the tournament, Shion kills him and his whereabouts remain unknown. In ''King of Fighters XIII'', as the last cutscene, the head of Shion's spear appears. The cutscene is named '''''The Crimson Spear'''''. It is shown that he's still alive as he appeared before Shroom and Rimelo.
=== Magaki ===
:{{voiced by|Spicy Yagi}}
{{Nihongo|Magaki|禍忌}} is the new boss of ''The King of Fighters XI''. Nothing is known about the fighter Magaki, except that he hosts The King of Fighters tournament. Like his partner Mukai, Magaki wants to awake Orochi and give Orochi's powers to his own master. He also shows even less respect for humans in general, believing them to have little-to-no potential, and being weak overall. He also seems to have very little tolerance for not getting what he wants from others. Like Mukai before him, after he was defeated he stood up, apparently unscathed, and made his exit into another realm after commenting that perhaps it was more than spirit that was needed to awaken Orochi. However, as he finally realizes the error in his plan, he is killed by [[#Shion|Shion]]'s spear, hurled from the dimensional rift he was escaping from.
He is notable for his ability to teleport projectiles around the screen, including behind his opponent. As a result, many players have compared fighting him to playing [[bullet hell]] games.
=== Saiki ===
:{{voiced by|[[Sōnosuke Nagashiro]]}}
{{Nihongo|Saiki|斎祀}} is the sub-boss as well as the main antagonist of ''The King of Fighters XIII''. He is able to control the flow of time due to a gate that can halt the timeline so long as it is open. During cutscenes in the game, he takes the appearance of a human, very similar to Ash Crimson. Before the battle with Saiki in ''KOF XIII'', Saiki drains fellow One From the Past Mukai of his power and transforms into a red demonic being. After the battle with Saiki, Ash Crimson takes his power, seemingly killing him. This plan backfires as Ash ends up being possessed by Saiki and turns into a shadowed version of himself called '''Evil Ash''' (known by fans as '''Dark Ash''') to act as the game's final boss. During the ending, Saiki is defeated, but tries to use the time barrier to rewind time again and try his plot once more; Ash stands in his way and prevents his passage. When the gate closes, Saiki is finally defeated, but it is learned that he is Ash's ancestor. By denying Saiki passage into the past, Ash forces his own existence being Saiki's descendant to cease, leaving his soul survived to exist without being Saiki's descendant but trapped in time and contained inside one of the two creatures Ash created from his cause known as Verse.
==Characters from other SNK games==
===Another World Team===
:{{voiced by|[[Mai Nakahara]]}} (Nakoruru)
:{{voiced by|Namiko Otsu}} (Mui Mui)
:{{voiced by|Toa Yukinari}} (Love Heart)
The '''Another World Team''' is composed of characters who appeared in other SNK games outside of ''[[The King of Fighters]]'' universe. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', the team consists of [[Nakoruru]], an [[Ainu people|Ainu]] [[miko]] who fights alongside her pet [[hawk]] Mamahaha and is from ''[[Samurai Shodown]]'', [[The King of Fighters XIV|Mui Mui]], the last successor of her clan and a master of [[Kung Fu]] from '''''Dragon Gal''''', and [[The King of Fighters XIV|Love Heart]], the [[Sea captain|captain]] of the [[Piracy|Peace Pirates]] from '''''Sky Love'''''.
In her [[Samurai Shodown|world]], Nakoruru senses a terrible entity emerging after a [[The King of Fighters XIII|crack in the spacetime continuum]]. With the source coming from another [[The King of Fighters|universe]], Nakoruru transports herself into the present universe with the goal of preventing the disaster and finding its true source. Shortly after arriving at the present universe, Nakoruru encounters Love Heart, who was transported by the same entity unwillingly, and agrees to help investigate the phenomenon. During their investigation, the duo meets Mui Mui, who transported herself to the present universe willing in search for gems filled with mysterious powers, and joins them. Upon the announcement of the new tournament, the trio decides to enter in hopes of finding the source. During the finals, the source was revealed to be [[#Verse|Verse]]. Following Verse's defeat and the end of the tournament, the team travels to [[Russia]] where Nakoruru believes that Verse may return one day, but is unsure when the entity will come back. While Love Heart and Mui Mui are ready to return to their own worlds, Nakoruru instead decides to stay in the present universe to visit modern day [[Hokkaido]] and [[China]], inviting her teammates to travel with her. While Mui Mui agrees with the idea, unfortunately for Love Heart, she is drag along by her teammates much to her annoyance.
===Art of Fighting Team===
:{{voiced by|Masaki Usui (''KOF '94-XI, XIII''), Masayoshi Kozaki (''KOF XII''), Daiki Takakura (''KOF XIV'' onwards)}} (Ryo)
:{{voiced by|Kay Inage (''KOF '94''-'95, ''XI''-''XIII''), Mantarō Koichi (''KOF '96''-''2003''), Go Shinomiya (''KOF XIV'' onwards)}} (Robert)
:{{voiced by|Eiji Tsuda (''KOF '94''-''XIII''), Takeshi Maruyama (''KOFAS'')}} (Takuma)
:{{voiced by|Kaori Horie (''KOF '94''-''XIII''), [[Ai Kakuma]] (''KOF XIV'' onwards)}} (Yuri)
The '''Art of Fighting Team''' is composed of [[Art of Fighting#Characters|characters]] originating from the [[Art of Fighting|video game series with the same name]] (which canonically also originating the titular KOF tournaments through ''Art of Fighting 2''), and are mostly practitioners of '''Kyokugenryu Karate''' (also known as '''Kyokugen'''), a [[Karate|fighting style]] created by the Sakazaki family. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', the original team consisted of [[Ryo Sakazaki]], the heir to Kyokugenryu Karate who is the first champion of KOF tournaments, [[Robert Garcia (Art of Fighting)|Robert Garcia]], a wealthy practitioner who is Ryo's best friend and rival, and [[List of Art of Fighting characters#Takuma Sakazaki|Takuma Sakazaki]], Ryo's father and the founder of Kyokugenryu Karate who trains the students at the [[Dōjō|dojo]], and Ryo and Robert's master. After ''[[The King of Fighters '95]]'', Takuma decides to retire from competing due to his age catching up with him which leads to Robert suggesting that [[Yuri Sakazaki]], Takuma's daughter, Ryo's sister, and Robert's love interest, becomes his replacement for the next tournament. Beginning with ''[[The King of Fighters '96]]'', Yuri becomes the third member of the team for the remainder of the Orochi Saga.
During the NESTS Saga, Takuma comes out of retirement and joins the team as the fourth member in ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]''. In ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]'', Yuri wanted to show her independence by joining the [[#Women_Fighters_Team|Women Team]] that year by begging [[List of Art of Fighting characters#King|King]], a [[French people|French]] [[Muay Thai]] fighter who has a history with the Sakazaki family in the [[Art of Fighting#Art of Fighting (1992)|past]], to be her replacement, and because she is like a family to them. While Ryo and Takuma welcomed the idea, Robert disagreed and challenged King to a kicking contest to prove herself. Although the contest ended in a [[Tie (draw)|tie]], Robert was impressed with King's kicking ability that he agreed to let King join the team. In ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]'', Robert and his father Alberto Garcia are facing a [[takeover]] in their company, the Garcia Foundation, after they and the rest of the world suffers from a [[financial crisis]] due to NESTS’ increased activities after the last tournament. After pleading to the Sakazaki family to enter the tournament to win the prize money, they agreed to help Robert and his family (in reality, Takuma wanted to win the prize money for himself to help with the family's dojo).
Despite not winning the 2001 tournament, the financial crisis that Robert and his father faced seem to have been resolved as by ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', Robert is joyfully wealthy again and enters the tournament with Ryo and Yuri. When the team returns home from the tournament, they found Takuma laying facedown on the dojo floor, apparently after being assaulted by an unseen assailant. Takuma tries to tell them who attacked him, but passes out, and is taken away in an ambulance. In ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', it is revealed that Takuma was not attacked by an assailant but actually, he collapsed due to [[malnutrition]], [[liver]] problems, and other health issues. He uses the incident as an excuse to fulfill his wishes for a grandchild by asking King to enter the tournament with Ryo and Yuri, and be his replacement since Robert cannot enter because of a disaster that took place at his father's company that his presence is required for the issue to be resolved. In ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', the Sakazakis get into a family argument after Yuri cuts her hair which Takuma and Ryo disapproves of. When Robert tells Yuri that her family wants her to quit her training (more so, to stop entering King of Fighters tournaments and fighting overall to prevent serious injury to herself), Yuri decides to enter the tournament with King and [[Mai Shiranui]] to show her independence once again, and to show her family how much her Kyokugen has improved. When Takuma (who has made a full recovery) finds out that Yuri is entering the tournament with another team, he, Ryo, and Robert, who now has enough free time away from his father's company, enter the tournament. When the tournament ends, the team, alongside Yuri and King, are being interviewed by the media that Robert pulls out an [[engagement ring]] while Yuri is answering questions. Takuma takes notice of the ring and Robert's intentions that he hits Robert from behind, which leads to the two men hitting each other without notice while Yuri embarrasses King by telling reporters that she wishes King becomes a part of the family. Ryo then proclaims that teamwork is the key to Kyokugen's success.
In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', the team have since opened up their own [[Barbecue restaurant|restaurant]] called “Kyokugen BBQ” with the help of [[List of Fatal Fury characters#Richard Meyer|Richard Meyer]]. In addition to entering the tournament as usual to attract new students, the team plans on promoting their new restaurant. After returning home from the tournament, the team throws a private party to themselves where Ryo becomes displeased with Robert and his family's attitude regarding their training, and are more focused on improving the restaurant. Because of this, Ryo is determined to leave South Town, alongside with his student [[List of Fatal Fury characters#Khushnood Butt|Khushnood Butt]] (from ''[[Garou: Mark of the Wolves]]'') before returning to ''[[The King of Fighters XV]]'' with Robert and King to form a team consisting their debut in the first ''Art of Fighting'' game.
===Fatal Fury Team===
{{see also|List of Fatal Fury characters}}
The '''Fatal Fury Team''' is composed of characters originating from the [[Fatal Fury|video game series with the same name]]. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', the original group consisted of [[Terry Bogard]], an [[United States|American]] fighter who sought to defeat the evil crime lord [[Geese Howard]] in order to avenge the death of his father Jeff Bogard; [[Andy Bogard]], the younger brother of Terry who uses the [[Ninja in popular culture|Shiranui]] fighting style; and [[Joe Higashi]], a [[Muay Thai]] fighter and mutual friend of Terry and Andy. In ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]'', [[Mai Shiranui]], a Shiranui [[kunoichi]], and love interest of Andy, joins the team as during this time, teams are now composed of four fighters. [[Blue Mary]], a female agent and love interest of Terry, and decides to help her out in her job by teaming up with her in the ''[[The King of Fighters 2000|2000]]'' and ''[[The King of Fighters 2001|2001]]'' editions of the King of Fighters tournaments.
In ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', Terry and Joe entered the tournament with [[Garou: Mark of the Wolves#Characters|Tizoc]], a famous Mexican [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]] as Andy took care of his Shiranui disciple [[Garou: Mark of the Wolves#Characters|Hokutomaru]] who fell sick with the [[mumps]]. In ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', Terry organizes a new Fatal Fury Team with [[Duck King]] and [[Kim Kaphwan]]. In ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', Terry wanted to catch up and reunite the Fatal Fury Team with Andy and Joe once again. In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', Terry, Andy, and Joe enter the tournament in order to not only enjoy themselves, but also to investigate Geese's suspicious involvement from within the competition itself.
===Garou Team===
The '''Garou Team''' (known by extend as in '''Mark of the Wolves Team''' Japan) first appears in ''KOF XI'', containing characters that appear in the video game ''[[Garou: Mark of the Wolves]]''. The team includes [[Tizoc (Fatal Fury)|Tizoc]], a famous [[Lucha libre]] [[pro wrestler]], [[Gato (Fatal Fury)|Gato]], a powerful yet emotionless martial artist and a modern-day female pirate named [[B. Jenet]]. Though the members become good friends, Gato decides to leave them after the end of the tournament. Due to Tizoc’s reason into a heel wrestler King of Dinosaur and a main member of Wrestling Team throughout Shun’ei Saga’s tournament entries (''KOF XIV'' - ''KOF XV''), [[Geese Howard]]’s illegitimate son, [[Rock Howard|Rock]], who was a DLC character in ''XIV'', take over the wrestler’s position and becoming the team’s new leader, where he, Jenet and Gato are DLC characters in ''XV''.
===Geese Howard's teams===
The villain known as [[Geese Howard]] creates several teams in the series. In ''The King of Fighters '95'', he sends his right-hand man [[Billy Kane]] to kill his enemies, the Bogard Brothers. Billy allies with Iori Yagami and [[Eiji Kisaragi]] to form a '''Rival Team''' in the tournament, but once they fail to obtain the victory, Iori brutally attacks them and nearly kills Billy and Eiji in the process.
In ''The King of Fighters '96'', Geese creates the '''Boss Team''', which consists of himself, [[Wolfgang Krauser]], and [[Mr. Big (Art of Fighting)|Mr. Big]]. Geese uses both Krauser and Big as pawns in the tournament, hoping to get the power from the Orochi entity while Krauser only wants to prove his strength in seeking a rematch against Terry and avenging his pass loss towards him and Mr. Big seeks to regain his status as the undisputed crime lord of South Town's criminal underworld from Geese, vowing to one day eliminate him.
As the group disbanded at the end of ''The King of Fighters '96'', Geese sponsors his own '''Fatal Fury Team''' known as the '''Outlaw Team''' in the'' '97'' and ''2003'' tournaments for the same purpose. The team for the'' '97'' tournament is made up of Billy Kane, [[Blue Mary]] and [[Ryuji Yamazaki]], though Blue Mary is replaced by Gato in the ''2003'' tournament.
Geese eventually returns to the tournament in ''The King of Fighters XIV'' as the leader of the '''South Town Team''', which consists of himself, Billy, and Geese's personal butler named Hein.
===Ikari Warriors Team===
The '''Ikari Warriors Team''' is a group of mercenaries that enters in each tournament in the series in order to find well-known criminals and capture them. The leader {{Nihongo|Heidern|ハイデルン|Haiderun}} established the team in order find the criminal Rugal Bernstein, in order that Heidern could get his revenge against Rugal (who killed Heidern's wife Sandra and their daughter Clara). The other two recurring members of the team are the soldiers [[Ralf Jones]] and Clark Still, who were originally the player characters in ''[[Ikari Warriors]]'' and its sequels.<ref name="kofperfectcast1"/>
{{Nihongo|[[Leona Heidern|Leona]]|レオナ|Reona}}, Heidern's adopted daughter introduced in ''The King of Fighters '96'', replaces him as he takes on a more active role behind the scenes, investigating occurrences parallel to the tournament. Although she tends to be very quiet, Leona was conceived to be an [[#Orochi|Orochi]] descendant at the time of her debut, and her designers took special care to let their interests at the time reflect in her actions.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=leona| title=Leona Heidern Official Profile | work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=January 15, 2008}}</ref> Her official nickname is '''The Silent Soldier'''. Although she recovers from her childhood trauma at the end of ''King of Fighters '97'', she leaves the team after attacking her friends in the Riot of the Blood state at the conclusion of ''King of Fighters 2003'' and tries to regain her focus from within her personal time.
{{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Whip}}|ウィップ|Wippu}} appears in ''The King of Fighters '99'' as the new member to the Ikari Team. She is a clone of [[K′]]s sister<ref name="kulaquote1">{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2001 |developer=BrezzaSoft |publisher=Eolith & Sun Amusement |date=2001-11-15 |platform=Neo Geo |quote = '''Whip:''' An innocent from a petrie dish, ignorant of existence's joys. | scene = Hero Team ending }}</ref>
and once worked for NESTS as an assassin. She is eventually assigned to Heidern's mercenary unit for The King of Fighters tournament to investigate NESTS and the mysterious fighter known only as K'.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ikari Team Official Story in KOF '99 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof99_story/index.php?num=ikari |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 27, 2008}}</ref> Once she realizes who K' is, she reveals their relation to him and joins him in his objective to destroy the NESTS cartel. After NESTS' downfall, she returns to her duties under Heidern's command. One of her moves depicts her shooting her opponents with a [[IMI Desert Eagle|Desert Eagle]]-like handgun. The firearm is edited from the American release of the games in arcades, but is uncensored in the home release versions.<ref>{{Cite book| year=2000 | editor=Studio BentStuff | title=A.A. Game History Series Vol. 2 All About SNK Head-To-Head Fighting Game 1991-2000 | language=ja | publisher=Studio BentStuff | isbn=4-88554-677-X | page=288}}</ref>
Leona, Ralf, and Clark compose the Ikari Team for ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', reflecting the team's roster from the 1996 tournament. Despite her difficulties in controlling herself leading her to sit out the ''XI'' tournament as Whip took her place, Leona commits herself to entering the ''XIII'' tournament, deciding to accept, and deal with, her Orochi blood.
Ever since Verse's incident at the end of ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', Heidern and the Ikari Warriors have been investigating the unknown threat left behind by Verse, leading to Heidern meeting and befriending not only a [[Mali]]an medium named Dolores, but also a [[Chile]]an graphic artist named Isla who utilizes a special power similar to Shun'ei's own and in due time, the three of them form a new '''Rival Team''' for ''KOF XV''.
===Psycho Soldier Team===
The '''Psycho Soldier Team''' specializes in using a combination of [[Chinese martial arts]] and [[psychic]] powers—dubbed "Psycho Powers" by SNK. Its team members consist of {{Nihongo|Chin Gentsai|鎮元斎||[[Pinyin|ch]]: ''Zhèn Yuánzhāi''; [[Kanji|ja]]: ''Chin Gensai''}}, an elderly mentor and master of Psycho Power who specializes in [[Drunken boxing]]. He participates with his students throughout the tournaments since 1994, but leaves the competition in 2003 to observe thoroughly the matter of Orochi's possible resurgence, asking [[K′]] and [[#Maxima|Maxima]] to investigate the tournament in his place for activity, meaning both Kensou and Chin are replaced with Hinako and Malin.<ref>{{Cite web|title=K' Team Official Story in KOF 2003 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof2003_story/index.php?num=kdush |publisher=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=2008-03-24}}</ref>
The others members of the team are Chin's students [[Athena Asamiya]], a famous [[J-pop|Japanese pop singer]] and [[Japanese idol|idol]]; a Chinese teenager infatuated with Athena named {{Nihongo|Sie Kensou|椎 拳崇||[[Pinyin|ch]]: ''Chuí Quánchóng''; [[Kanji|ja]]: ''Shī Kensū''}}, with the two of them originally the player characters in ''[[Psycho Soldier]]'';<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sie Kensou Official Bio |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=kensou |publisher=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2008-03-24}}</ref> and a little Chinese boy named {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Bao}}|包||[[Pinyin|ch]]: ''Bāo''; [[Kanji|ja]]: ''Pao''}}. As Bao trains with them during the time between ''King of Fighters '97'' and ''King of Fighters '99'', Kensou gradually loses his powers, until they become obsolete.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Psycho Soldier Team Official Story in KOF '99 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof99_story/index.php?num=psycho |publisher=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2008-03-24}}</ref> However, his powers are recovered in ''King of Fighters XI'', causing [[#Ron|Ron]] and Misty to take an interest in it, revealing a probable importance of the Dragon Spirit.
A young girl who trained with Kensou and Athena, {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Momoko}}|桃子}}, also debuts in the team in ''The King of Fighters XI''. She was added into the cast to fit the image of the younger Psycho Soldier team, though the developers have expressed discomfort with adding so young a character amongst a large group of adults. In addition, Momoko's discipline is [[Capoeira]], rather than Chinese Martial Arts like her teammates. Chin and Kensou make their latest appearances in ''[[The King of Fighters XII]]''; in ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', the Psycho Soldier team is re-formed and represented by the original members.
===Heroines Team===
The '''Heroines Team''', also known as '''Women Fighters Team''' is a group composed exclusively of heroines, christened "The Princesses of Punch." The team first formed by the ''Kyokugen'' karate prodigy [[Yuri Sakazaki]], the kunoichi [[Mai Shiranui]], and the [[Muay Thai]] fighter [[King (Art of Fighting)|King]]. Throughout the later games of the series, there are several changes in the members of the team, as Yuri is sometimes called to join the Art of Fighting team, leading her to be replaced by the heir of the ancient Yata clan [[Chizuru Kagura]] and [[Kasumi Todoh]]—a young female martial artist who seeks to defeat those who practice ''Kyokugen'' karate. In later games, new characters appear, due to the new rule of using four members; these include the agent [[Blue Mary]], the Chinese-American female martial artist [[Li Xiangfei]] and the sumo fighter {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Hinako Shijou}}|四条 雛子|Shijō Hinako}}. In ''2003'', the Women Fighters Team has a subdivision with young girls as the members, hence the reason it is named the '''High School Girls Team''' (also known as the '''Pretty Girl Fighters''' Team in 2002 UM). This team is led by Psycho Soldier leader [[Athena Asamiya]], and the two other members are Hinako and [[#Malin|Malin]]. In ''XI'', the team is dissolved, since the members go to other teams or they have other things to do{{Clarify|date=April 2011}}. The Women Fighters Team is reunited for ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', featuring the three original members from the 1994 tournament. In ''XIV'', the team returns with Mai and King getting a new member named Alice, an avid fan of Terry Bogard who inspires to be just like him. At King's permission request while she returns to the Art of Fighting Team with Ryo and Robert, Athena is allowed to be the leader of an advance team for ''KOF XV'' known as the '''Super Heroines Team''', alongside the Women Fighters' original members Mai and Yuri.
==Reception==
The characters from ''The King of Fighters'' series were said to be a varied cast by ''[[Eurogamer]]'' magazine, since the cast includes characters from other SNK games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=79794|title=King Of Fighters XI Review|website=[[Eurogamer]]|author=Albiges, Lucke M.|date=2007-07-14|access-date=2008-08-15}}</ref> [[IGN]] agreed, commenting that every character has their own unique moves and praising their visuals, even though the magazine mentioned that the characters have old two-dimensional designs. IGN criticized that learning the characters' special moves was difficult.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/842/842395p1.html|title=King of Fighters XI Review|website=[[IGN]]|author=Clements, Ryan|date=2007-12-18|access-date=2008-09-01}}</ref> In reviews for the first game, IGN praised the main character [[Kyo Kusanagi]] as one of the most enjoyable characters to play, remarking on his dynamism and movesets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/852/852523p1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225215914/http://wii.ign.com/articles/852/852523p1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 25, 2008|title=King of Fighters '94 Review|website=[[IGN]]|author=Sparrow, A. E.|date=2006-04-13|access-date=2008-08-04}}</ref> [[GameSpot]] also praised the characters designs, saying they "shine through, resulting in a cast of characters that's diverse and not plentiful".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/kingoffighters20022003/review.html|title=The King of Fighters 02/03 Review|website=[[GameSpot]]|author=Kasavin, Greg|date=2005-02-11|access-date=2008-09-01}}</ref> In other reviews, they complained about the lack of improvements in the character's movesets in some games, and also mentioned that some techniques were simply removed. They noted that, while new characters introduced in some games are interesting, they do not have the same impact as other ones.<ref name="boss">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/action/kingoffighters99/review.html?page=2|title=The King of Fighters '99 Review|website=[[GameSpot]]|author=Park, Andrew Seyoon|date=2000-12-13|access-date=2008-09-01}}</ref>
[[1UP.com]] labelled the characters from the series as one of SNK's best creations, claiming that their appearances and quotations are all "cool"—although they commented some of the storylines are "nonsense".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3112498 |title=History Of... The King of Fighters, SNK's classic team-based 2D fighting series |website=[[1UP.com]] |access-date=2008-08-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004214749/http://www.1up.com/features/history-ofthe-king-fighters |archive-date=2015-10-04}}</ref> The boss characters were criticized by multiple reviewers for being too difficult to defeat,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/december03/kof2000-2001ps2/|title=The King of Fighters 2000/2001 (PS2) Review|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|author=Turner, Benjamin|date=2003-12-30|access-date=2008-09-01}}</ref> with Krizalid from ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]'' being singled out as too powerful.<ref name="boss"/>
The character designs in ''Maximum Impact'' were praised by IGN, which noted that the conversion to three-dimensional modeling had "extremely vibrant" characters with "a decent amount of detail." However, they disliked the lack of blood, especially during violent attacks, saying the super moves and combos were "just not as spectacular here" as they were in previous installments. IGN sharply criticized the "terribly bad voice acting", calling it "truly piss-poor American dub work."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/554/554861p1.html|title=King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Review|website=[[IGN]]|author=Dunham, Jeremy|date=2004-10-14|access-date=2008-08-08}}</ref> Gamezone added that some characters still remain their unique fighting style, but complained about the lack of individualized endings, and commented that some of the attacks have less style in 3D.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r23756.htm|title=King Of Fighters: Maximum Impact Review|publisher=Gamezone|access-date=2008-08-08}}</ref> ''GameSpot'' also added that the English voices weren't distinctive, but commented that their new outfits were "pretty wild". The characters, however, were "just not done with the same pixel-perfect flair" as the 2D versions, they said, noting that "you'll recognize [the characters] because of their clothes and special moves, not because of their faces."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/kofmaximumimpact/review.html|title=The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact - Maniax Review|website=[[GameSpot]] |author=Kasavin, Greg|date=2005-07-07|access-date=2008-09-02}}</ref>
Action figures,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CRFK92|title=Full Action Figure - King of Fighters (Articulate Figure)|website=Amazon|access-date=2008-07-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000V96ULS|title=Capcom vs Snk : King of Fighters Terry 3D 2"-3" Action Figure Key Chain|website=Amazon|access-date=2008-07-29}}</ref> puzzles,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MC5N2G|title=King of Fighters Kyo Kusanagi Puzzle|website=Amazon|access-date=2008-07-29}}</ref> keychains, and pins<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019HUPPS|title=King of Fighters Pin Set|website=Amazon|access-date=2008-07-29}}</ref> have been produced based on the characters in the ''King of Fighters'' series. Many characters are also featured on posters, wallpapers, and trading cards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QU6LU2|title=Universal Fighting System (UFS) Card Game Samurai Showdown & King of Fighters Booster Pack|website=Amazon|access-date=2008-09-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014HU0TE|title=UFS SNK Cutting Edge Booster|website=Amazon|access-date=2008-09-02}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External links==
* [http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php Characters' entry at ''The King of Fighters'' official website]
{{The King of Fighters characters}}
[[Category:Lists of SNK characters|King of Fighters]]
[[Category:The King of Fighters characters| ]]' |
New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext) | '{{short description|Wikipedia list article}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:List of ''The King of Fighters'' characters}}
[[File:Groupking.jpg|300px|thumb|Character roster of ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'']]
''[[The King of Fighters]]'' [[fighting game]] series, produced by [[SNK]], includes a wide cast of characters, some of which are taken from other SNK games. The story takes place in a [[fictional universe]] in which an annual series of 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 fighting tournaments are held.
The first game in the series introduces the initial main character of the series, [[Kyo Kusanagi]], a young Japanese fighter who is the heir to a powerful group of martial artists having [[pyrokinesis|pyrokinetic]] abilities. Kyo fights against the Kusanagi clan's enemies, his rival [[Iori Yagami]], and the snake demon [[#Orochi|Orochi]] and its human followers, among others. The first four games in the series revolve about these fights, while ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]'' introduces a new story arc, revolving around [[K′]], a young man who seeks to destroy the mysterious NESTS organization because they kidnapped him at an early age and stripped him of his past memories, so that they could force him to be a fighter under their control. In ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', a new character named [[Ash Crimson]] enters the tournament, to steal the powers of the clans who sealed the Orochi in the past for unknown reasons. A new group of antagonists, known as [[#Those From The Past|Those From the Past]], also appears in the series; they want to obtain Orochi's power for the purpose of giving it to their unknown master.
The plot and the characters came from the ''[[Yamata no Orochi]]'' legend. There are also several characters in the games that are parodies or homages. Merchandise based on the characters has also been released, including action figures and keychains. The characters have garnered praise from several video game publications for the quality of their designs and movesets. Comments focused on the lack of improvements in some of the characters, but added that the roster is greatly diverse.
{{TOC limit|limit=3}}
==Cast creation and influences==
The developers of the series claim that their prototype version for ''King of Fighters'' was going to be a ''[[Double Dragon]]''-style side-scrolling [[beat 'em up]] titled ''Survivor''. It would have used only core characters from the ''[[Art of Fighting]]'' and ''[[Fatal Fury (series)|Fatal Fury]]'' series, specifically allowing players to play [[Robert Garcia (Art of Fighting)|Robert Garcia]] and [[Terry Bogard]] for location testing. However, the idea was quickly abandoned. Since the developers were attached to the idea of the two series cross-over, they eventually agreed to make their idea into a fighting game. Characters from the ''[[Ikari Warriors]]'' and ''[[Psycho Soldier]]'' games were also added in the spirit of other gaming genres considered for their final product. The concept of a three-man team was one of the ideas kept from the side-scrolling version.<ref name="kofperfectcast1">{{Cite book| year= 2005 | editor=Akihiko Ureshino | title=The King of Fighters Perfect Reader | pages=136–137 | language=ja | publisher=Nikkei Business Publications | isbn=4-8222-1711-6}}</ref> Flagship director Toyohisa Tanabe asserts that the ''Art of Fighting'' and ''Fatal Fury'' fighters were added specifically for adults. The newer ''King of Fighters'' characters were aimed to appeal to younger and newer audiences. He adds that every original character for the series was added based on the developers' strong desire to make one. For example, he agreed to include characters such as [[Benimaru Nikaido]] and [[#Kim Team|Chang Koehan]] to add an off-beat variety to the cast, which he had previously deemed to be too serious. Later in the series, their approach to creating their characters altered slightly, to also serve as a type of [[fan service]], which he refers to as a collaborative effort between fans and the staff.<ref name="kofperfectcast2">{{Cite book| year=2005 | editor=Akihiko Ureshino | title=The King of Fighters Perfect Reader | pages=140–144 | language=ja | publisher=Nikkei Business Publications | isbn=4-8222-1711-6}}</ref>
Several characters that appear in the series are parodies or homages to either anime, manga, actors, films or television shows that held the creators' interest. Noticeable examples are [[K9999]] and [[#Zero|Zero]].<ref name="kofperfectcast2"/> Characters are sometimes added at the voice actors' convenience, or to fill in gaps that occur for each installment's story; this happens with [[Duck King]] in ''The King of Fighters XI'' and [[Ryuji Yamazaki]] in ''The King of Fighters '97''.<ref>{{Cite web|author=SNK Playmore |title=Duck King's Official Character Bio |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/character/index.php?num=duck |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 27, 2008| language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ryuji Yamazaki's 'KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=yamazaki |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 27, 2008}}</ref> Several characters were added to the roster by [[Eolith (company)|Eolith]]'s desire when this company sponsored SNK, to attract fans from Eolith's region.<ref name="KOF10th"/>
When designing characters for the [[The King of Fighters '94|first ''King of Fighters'']] game, developers wanted a new, "snazzy" hero who would easily fight against ''Fatal Fury'' and ''Art of Fighting'' characters. Initially, this character was called Syo Kirishima, but late in the production, his name was changed to Kyo Kusanagi. This was done in order to relate him with the ''[[Yamata no Orochi]]'' legend, which was used as the inspiration for the first arc (and specifically featured a majestic sword known as ''Kusanagi no Tsurugi'').<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=kyo| title=Kyo Kusanagi Official Profile | publisher= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date= 2008-03-24}}</ref> To continue with the idea of the Orochi plot, the designers gave several other characters, such as Kyo's rival [[Iori Yagami]], similar characteristics to Kyo.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=iori| title=Iori Yagami Official Profile | publisher= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=2008-03-24 }}</ref> In ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]'', to contrast the previous protagonist of the series, K' was made to be the "dark hero".<ref>{{Cite book| date=September 20, 2005 | editor=Akihiko Ureshino | title=The King of Fighters Perfect Reader | language=ja | publisher=Nikkei Business Publications | isbn=4-8222-1711-6 | page=139}}</ref> K's introduction to the series was meant to remove popular characters Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami from the roster, though this idea was scrapped in the game's release.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=kyo-1| title=Kyo Kusanagi-1 Official Profile| publisher=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2008-03-24| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414134729/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=kyo-1| archive-date=2016-04-14| url-status=dead}}</ref> Due to the large additions of teenager characters in the series, SNK decided to add several middle-age ones to balance them.<ref name="KOF10thVanessa"/><ref name="KOF10thMaxima"/>
==Original characters==
===American Sports Team===
:{{voiced by|Toshikazu Nishimura (''KOF '94'', ''KOF '98''), Takayuki Nakatsukasa (''KOF:D'' onwards)}} (Heavy D!)
:{{voiced by|Kay Inage (''KOF '94'', ''KOF '98''), Haruo Yamagishi (''KOF:D'' onwards)}} (Lucky)
:{{voiced by|Eiji Yano (''KOF '94'', ''KOF '98''), Taro Kiuchi (''KOF:D'' onwards) (Brian), [[Rie Suegara]] (New Brian; ''KOFAS'')}}
The '''American Sports Team''', also known as the '''U.S.A. Team''', is composed of characters originating from the [[United States|United States of America]]. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', the team consists of [[Heavy D!]], a famous [[boxer]] who was expelled after seriously injuring an opponent during a match, {{vanchor|Lucky Glauber}}, a former [[basketball]] player and a [[karate]] champion, and {{vanchor|Brian Battler}}, the [[Most valuable player|MVP]] [[American football|football]] player of the year but known for his brash and violent behavior in the sport.
Despite not winning the '''94'' tournament, in their non-canonical ending, Brian returns to football for his fans while Lucky and Heavy D! will continue [[street fighting]] and promise Brian to contact him for further competitions. Unfortunately, the American Sports Team later becomes subject of a [[running gag]] in the series, which has them invited to participate in the later tournaments, only to get beaten up and have their invitations stolen by other teams prior to the start of each tournament. The team would make their return in ''[[The King of Fighters '98]]'', though it is not canonical in the series, but rather for the purpose of a “dream match” as it features every character up to that point in the canon story-line.
Since then, the American Sports Team have made non-playable appearances in later games of the series as background characters and in other games. However, in the [[PlayStation 2]] version of ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]'', the American Sports Team appear as optional strikers for the [[List of Fatal Fury characters|Fatal Fury Team]] with Heavy D! being a striker for [[Joe Higashi|Joe]], Lucky for [[Andy Bogard|Andy]], and Brian for [[Terry Bogard|Terry]].
===Antonov===
:{{voiced by|Moriyuki Hishida}}
'''{{nihongo|Antonov|アントノフ|Antonofu|Антонов}}''' is a [[Russians|Russian]] billionaire and the [[President (corporate title)|president]] of his own company, the Antonov Corporation. After being reinvigorated for his love of fighting, he purchases the rights to the King of Fighters brand despite objections from the board members of his company, and announces a new [[The King of Fighters XIV|King of Fighters tournament]]. Proclaiming himself as the “first champion”, he sends out invitations across the world, challenging old and new teams to take his "KOF" [[championship belt]] away from him. After the incident caused by Verse at the climax of ''KOF XIV'', the resulting lawsuits had cost Antonov nearly all of his money and damaged his reputation, causing him to briefly disappear form the public. In order to help restore his reputation, Antonov decides to form his own wrestling federation named Galaxy Anton Wrestling and is prepared to take part in ''KOF XV'' as the leader of '''Team G.A.W.''' alongside Mexican wrestlers Ramón and King of Dinosaurs.
===Ash Crimson===
{{main|Ash Crimson}}
===China Team===
:{{voiced by|[[Takashi Ōhara]]}} (Shun'ei)
:{{voiced by|Hajime Shikase}} (Tung Fu Rue)
:{{voiced by|[[Seira Ryu]]}} (Meitenkun)
The '''China Team''', which is unrelated to the [[#Psycho Soldier Team|China Team]] that appeared in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', is composed of characters originating from [[China]]. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', the team consists of Shun'ei, a fighter who wields hydrokinesis in a form of a claw on his right side of his body and [[pyrokinesis]] in a form of a fist on his left side of his body, [[List of Fatal Fury characters#Tung Fu Rue|Tung Fu Rue]], the legendary master of Hakkyokuseiken who had debuted in ''[[Fatal Fury: King of Fighters|Fatal Fury]]'', and Meitenkun, a young fighter who is always holding a [[pillow]] and is very sleepy.
Despite having little knowledge of the King of Fighters, Tung convinces Shun and Meitenkun to enter the tournament as a means for them to face off against renowned martial artists from around the world. In addition, Tung saw the tournament as an opportunity to reunite with the [[Terry Bogard|Bogard]] [[List of Fatal Fury characters#Andy Bogard|brothers]] and meet [[Kyo Kusanagi]], the latter after his father [[#Saisyu Kusanagi|Saisyu]] requested the [[#Japan Team|Japan Team]] to help Tung's students with their training. During the tournament finals, Shun learns that he possesses a fragment of [[#Verse|Verse]]'s power, which causes Verse to go after Shun. After Verse is defeated, the team returns to the [[Wudang Mountains]] where Shun tells his teammates that Kyo advised him to continue his training to keep his powers under control to which Shun vows to train harder.
===Chizuru Kagura===
:{{voiced by|Akito Sato (''KOF <nowiki>'</nowiki>96''–''KOF 2000''), Yukiko Sugawa (''KOF 2003''),<ref name="kof2003"/> [[Sayaka Ohara]] (''KOFAS'' onwards)}}
'''{{Nihongo|Chizuru Kagura|神楽 ちづる|Kagura Chizuru}}''' is a member of the Yata clan who holds one of the [[Imperial Regalia of Japan|three sacred artifacts]], the Yata Mirror, that originally sealed the serpent monster [[#Orochi|Orochi]] eighteen hundred years ago. As the younger heiress of the Yata clan, the other being her older twin sister {{vanchor|Maki Kagura}}, Chizuru was raised as a [[miko|priestess]] who maintains the duty of keeping the diligent seal on Orochi intact. One night, [[Goenitz]] visited their home and destroyed the seal after killing Maki since the Yata Mirror cannot fight Orochi nor Goenitz's strength alone without the aid of the other two clans. Though in a weaken state, Orochi was released from its seal and Goenitz leaves satisfied. Before her death, Maki passes on the responsibilities of the seal to Chizuru, begging her to bring the three clans together to defeat Orochi. Ten years afterwards, Chizuru becomes a very successful and prestigious [[Businessperson|businesswoman]] and the owner of Kagura Enterprises. During this time, she secretly kept track with the King of Fighters tournaments since it [[Art of Fighting#Art of Fighting 2 (1994)|began]] with [[Geese Howard]] and comes up with an idea to bringing the clans together.
First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters '96]]'', Chizuru hosts the tournament with the goal of bringing together the three clans by entreating [[Kyo Kusanagi]] and [[Iori Yagami]] to help her replace the broken seal. During the finals of the tournament however, Goenitz appears to finally end all three heirs at once but is defeated by Kyo, with the assistance of Iori and Chizuru. Humiliated, Goenitz [[Suicide|takes his own life]] by cutting his body by his own wind. In the aftermath, both Kyo and Iori protests into working together and leave Chizuru. In ''[[The King of Fighters '97]]'', Chizuru hosts the tournament again but this time, requests to join the [[#Women_Fighters_Team|Women Team]] with [[Mai Shiranui]] and [[Art of Fighting#King|King]], which they agree. During the finals of the tournament, Chizuru departs from her teammates and joins up with Kyo and Iori where they confront the remaining Orochi servants: [[Yashiro Nanakase]], [[Shermie]], and [[#The_Orochi_clan|Chris]]. After defeating them, Orochi possesses Chris' body and attempts to destroy the three clans at once. The '''Sacred Treasures Team''' successfully defeats him in an intense fight and in a last-ditch effort, Orochi causes Iori to enter the Riot of Blood, expecting him to turn on Kyo and Chizuru. Instead, Iori snares Orochi by the neck, and Kyo obliges his rival by crippling the great demon with one last deathblow, allowing Chizuru to reseal Orochi again.<ref name="seal">{{cite video game|quote='''Kyo:''' Finish it Kagura! Can you do it? /'''Chizuru:''' As a mirror keeper... I must do it! /'''Orochi:''' Fools! A waste of time! If I release my remaining power.../'''Iori:''' Waahh!/'''Chizuru:''' His power... too strong! Kusanagi! Quickly... /'''Kyo:''' Heeaahhh! Woooohh!|title=The King of Fighters '97 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=1997-07-28 |platform=Neo Geo }}</ref>
In ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', Chizuru hosts another tournament with her intentions similar to her previous attempt in 1996, but during the tournament, she becomes mind-control by Botan, a member of [[#Those_From_The_Past|Those From the Past]]. She creates an illusion of her late sister Maki and creates a clone from Kyo named Kusanagi to test the strength of the tournament's contestants.<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2003 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK Playmore |date=2003-12-12 |platform=Neo Geo |quote = '''Chizuru:''' This is one of the mirror's powers. Kusanagi, who I pitted against you previously... is also one whose power comes from the mirror... }}</ref> Eventually, she breaks free from her mind-control, catches up with Kyo and Iori, and tries to restore the seal of Orochi. However, [[Ash Crimson]] seriously attacks her from behind and steals the Yata Mirror from her body before evading Kyo and Iori.<ref>{{cite video game|quote='''Ash:''' Where... is... it... now?/'''Chizuru:''' Ah.. ah.../'''Ash:''' Oh, oh, oh, here we are. With this my objective has come to fruition.|title=The King of Fighters 2003 |developer=SNK Playmore |publisher=SNK Playmore |date=2003-12-12 |platform=PlayStation 2 }}</ref> While she doesn't appear in ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', Chizuru asks [[Shingo Yabuki]] to enter the tournament with Kyo and Iori to investigate Ash and the weakened Orochi seal as she cannot due to still recovering from her injuries.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kyo & Iori Team Official Story in KOF XI |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/history/kofxi_story/index.php?num=kyo_iori |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 3, 2008| language=ja}}</ref> Unfortunately, the investigation ends with Iori, while in the Riot of the Blood state, nearly killing Kyo and Shingo, and Ash stealing the Yasakani no Magatama from Iori's body and his flames. In the conclusion of ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', after [[Ash Crimson|Evil Ash]] erases himself and his ancestor [[#Those_From_The_Past|Saiki]] from existence, both Iori and Chizuru regain their sacred treasures.
After [[#Verse|Verse]] is defeated in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', Chizuru senses Orochi's presence in [[Hungary]]. After contacting Kyo and Iori, the trio find an awakened yet weakened Orochi in [[Aggtelek Karst]] and seal it away once again. Due to both the ongoing crisis that's taking place in the world and the unexpected return of the New Faces/Orochi Team, Chizuru, Kyo, and Iori decide to join forces in reuniting the Sacred Treasures Team for ''KOF XV''.
In the 2010 live-action film adaptation of ''[[The King of Fighters (film)|The King of Fighters]]'', Chizuru is portrayed by [[Chinese-Canadian]] actress [[Françoise Yip]].
===Duo Lon===
:{{voiced by|Tsunehito Maruo<ref name="kof2003"/>|Josh Keller (''KOF XII'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.letshearjosh.com/profile?lang=en|title=JOSH KELLER <nowiki>|</nowiki> Japan based voice artist <nowiki>|</nowiki> Profile|website=letshearjosh.com|access-date=August 13, 2017}}</ref>}}
Duo Lon ({{zh|c=堕瓏}}; [[Pinyin]]: ''Duòlóng''; Japanese: デュオロン ''Dyuoron'') makes his first appearance in ''The King of Fighters 2003'' as a member of the game's Hero Team. His overall look was based on anime [[title character]] ''[[Vampire Hunter D]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Duo Lon's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=duolon |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 2, 2008}}</ref> He is a member of the assassin group, the Flying Brigands—or {{Nihongo|''Hizoku''|飛賊|Hizoku}}—and the half-brother of [[List of KOF: Maximum Impact characters#Xiao Lon|Xiao Lon]]. He is an acquaintance of [[Ash Crimson]] and [[Shen Woo]].
Hoping to hunt down the clan's traitor, [[#Ron|Ron]], he agrees to enter the tournament with them. However, after discovering Ash's true objectives, he teams up with [[Elisabeth Blanctorche]] and [[Benimaru Nikaido]]. Information on Duo Lon's design graph revealed he is one of the nine children of Ron, an assassin who chased after his own father.<ref name="falcoonsroom">{{Cite web| url=http://game.snkplaymore.co.jp/official/kof-mi-ra/falcoonroom/03/page7.html| title=Falcoon's Room ~ Episode 3| work= KOF Maximum Impact - Regulation A Official Website | access-date=March 13, 2008 | language=ja}}</ref>
===Elisabeth Blanctorche===
:{{voiced by|Kayoko Oshima (''KOF XI''–''KOF XIII''), [[Shizuka Itō]] (''KOFAS'' onwards)}}
{{Nihongo|Elisabeth Blanctorche|エリザベート・ブラントルシュ|Erizabēto Burantorushu}} (spelled "Elisabeth Branctorche" in ''[[The King of Fighters XII]]'') is one of three original characters debuting in ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]''. Her initial character concept was to be the rival to Ash, though developers decided to change her into a "leading lady" character. The developers also describe her fighting style as "orthodox with subtle tricks [to it]" despite her minimal moveset.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elisabeth Blanctorche's Official Character Bio |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/character/index.php?num=elisabeth |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 3, 2008| language=ja}}</ref>
She initially invites [[Benimaru Nikaido]] and [[Duo Lon]] to France to form the Rival Team. She eventually reveals her acquaintance with [[Ash Crimson]], whom she scolds for seeming to forsake their mission. Elisabeth did not appear in the arcade version of ''The King of Fighters XII'', but was added as one of two characters exclusive to the home release of the game. Like the rest of the cast, she does not have a team for ''The King of Fighters XII'' (though the two other members of her team from ''King of Fighters XI'' are present in the game). For ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', she now appears on a team with Ash's former team members from the 2003 tournament (Shen Woo and Duo Lon), effectively forming what seems to be the new Hero Team.
Though she does not participate in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', she enlists Kukri's help in finding Ash following Verse's defeat, with the two of them succeeding in their mission as Ash's body is soon located in Ukraine's Carpathian Mountains with his soul burning inside it, thus confirming Ash's return to the living world much to Elisabeth's rejoice. In order to help investigate and solve the unknown crisis which seems to revolve around ''KOF'' newcomers Shun'ei and Isla, Elisabeth and Kukri join forces with a fully recovered Ash for ''KOF XV''.
===Iori Yagami===
{{Main|Iori Yagami}}
===Japan Team===
:{{voiced by|[[Masahiro Nonaka]] (''KOF '94''–''[[Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting|NGH:US]]''), [[Ryōtarō Okiayu]] (''KOF '94'' drama CD), [[Tomoaki Maeno]] (''XIV'' onwards)}} (Kyo)
:{{voiced by|[[Monster Maezuka]] (most games), [[Hikaru Midorikawa]] (''KOF '94'' drama CD), [[Genki Okawa]] (''KOF for Girls'')}} (Benimaru)
:{{voiced by|Masaki Usui (''KOF '94''–''XIII''), [[Ryūzaburō Ōtomo]] (''KOF '94'' drama CD), Takahiro Fujiwara (''XIV'' onwards), [[Shunsuke Takeuchi]] (''KOF for Girls'')}} (Daimon)
:{{voiced by|[[Takehito Koyasu]]}} (Shingo)
The '''Japan Team''', also known as the '''Kyo Team''', is composed of characters originating from [[Japan]]. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', the original team consisted of [[Kyo Kusanagi]] (草薙 京), a high school student who is the heir to the Kusanagi clan wielding [[pyrokinesis|pyrokinetic]] abilities while also specializing in [[kenpo]], {{vanchor|Benimaru Nikaido}} (二階堂 紅丸 Nikaidō Benimaru?), a professional [[shoot boxing]] fighter and [[Model (person)|model]] who can create [[electricity]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Benimaru's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=benimaru |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 19, 2008}}</ref> and [[Goro Daimon]] (大門 五郎 Daimon Gorō), a former gold medalist in [[Judo]] and mentor to his own [[dojo]].<ref name="KOF10thGoro">{{Cite web|title=Goro Daimon's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=daimon |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 18, 2008}}</ref>
During the Orochi saga, the Japan Team emerged victorious in the first four tournaments. In the climax of ''[[The King of Fighters '97]]'', Kyo, along with his rival [[Iori Yagami]], and [[Chizuru Kagura]], seal away [[Orochi]], saving mankind from destruction. After the fight however, Kyo was kidnapped by a mysterious cartel while Benimaru resumed his modeling career and went on a world tour, and Goro retires from being a fighter and returns to the Judo circuit representing Japan.<ref>{{cite video game | title=The King of Fighters '97 | developer=SNK Playmore | publisher=SNK Playmore | date=1997-07-28 | platform=Neo Geo | quote = '''Narrative''' Goro Daimon[.] Quitting the fighter's league, Goro made his Judo comeback. As the leader for Japan's team, he received world renown! | scene = Hero Team ending }}</ref> Also in ''’97'', [[Shingo Yabuki]] (矢吹 真吾 Yabuki Shingo?), a high school student who idolizes Kyo and dreams of being able to wield flames, becomes a friend of the team and appears as an edit entry character.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=shingo| title=Shingo Yabuki Official Character Profile | work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=18 September 2016}}</ref>
During the NESTS saga which began in ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]'', Benimaru and Shingo are invited to participate in the tournament but were assigned to a “special team” with newcomers [[K']] and [[Maxima (The King of Fighters)|Maxima]]. Winning the tournament, they learned that NESTS was responsible for Kyo's disappearance, and escaped the crumbling base after a brief reunion with Kyo and being separated from K' and Maxima. In ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]'', Benimaru forms his own team, the '''Benimaru Team''' with Shingo, and two newcomers: [[Seth (The King of Fighters)|Seth]], an old friend of Benimaru and a [[mercenary]], and [[Lin (The King of Fighters)|Lin]], a Hizoku clan [[assassin]] seeking to find a man named [[Ron (The King of Fighters)|Ron]]. Following Southtown's destruction from the Zero Cannon, Ron confronted the Benimaru Team but escaped after Benimaru saves Lin from being killed. In ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]'', Kyo reunites with his friends, and as the Japan Team (with Shingo being the fourth member) enter the tournament to battle against NESTS, but also relive their time together as a team. After the tournament was over following NEST's destruction, the Japan Team went their usual separate ways instead of having a party, much to Shingo’s dismay. However, Shingo is scouted by Kyo’s father Saisyu and becoming the elder Kusanagi’s student instead.
In ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', Benimaru, Goro, and Shingo enters the tournament as the Benimaru Team while Kyo and Iori going solo to investigate suspicious activities concerning the Orochi and saving their Sacred Treasures teammate, Chizuru. Later, Kyo's team is ambushed by [[Ash Crimson]], who steals the power of the Yata Mirror from Chizuru and vows to steals the powers from both Iori and Kyo. In ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', Kyo, Iori, and Shingo enter the tournament together at the convalescent Chizuru's behest (Shingo's presence serving ostensibly to keep Kyo and Iori from being at each other's throats) to stop Ash as the '"Kusanagi & Yagami Team". Meanwhile, Benimaru and [[Duo Lon]], a teammate of Ash's team from the previous tournament, are invited by [[Elisabeth Blanctorche]] to enter the tournament as the Rival Team to track down Ash. Near the end of the tournament, the growing presence of the Orochi from [[#Magaki|Magaki]] causes Iori to snap and enter into the Riot of the Blood state, nearly killing Kyo and Shingo. Ash appears thereafter and steals the Yasakani no Magatama within Iori's body, along with his flames and escapes after a brief confrontation with the Rival Team. In ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', Kyo, Benimaru, and Goro enter the tournament to relive their old days as the Japan Team, while Shingo look after Chizuru until her Yata Mirror recovers. Following the tournament, Iori regains Yasakani no Magatama and his flames, and fights Kyo to an unknown outcome.
In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', [[Saisyu Kusanagi]] (Kyo's father) informs Kyo of a new threat which will cause untold chaos. On his father's suggestion, he convenes with [[Tung Fu Rue]] and [[Nakoruru]] to investigate, while entering the tournament with Benimaru and Goro as the Japan Team. After winning the tournament, Kyo advises [[#Shun'ei|Shun'ei]] to keep training to control his powers. At the airport, he tells his teammates to go home without him and travels to [[Hungary]]. In Hungary, Chizuru had called him there for his assistance after Iori found a weakened Orochi and seal it together once again. While the Sacred Treasures Team reunite in order to investigate the revived New Faces/Orochi Team in ''The King of Fighters XV'', Kyo had also insist for Benimaru to accompany Tung Fu Rue’s last disciples from the previous tournament, Shun’ei and Meitenkun per the Hakkyokuseiken grandmaster’s request.
In the spinoff series '''''The King of Fighters EX''''', there are two additional members of the Japan Team: {{vanchor|Moe Habana}} (葉花 萌, Habana Moe), an [[Asian American]] high school girl from the [[United States]] who is one of the ten treasures of Japan with her treasure being the "Yatsuka Sword" (八握 剣, Yatsuka no Tsurugi), and {{vanchor|Reiji Oogami}} (大神 零児, Ohgami Reiji), a [[Japanese people|Japanese]] man from Japan who is a member of the Yata clan, and one of the keepers of the ten treasures, the "Hetsu Mirror" (辺津 鏡, Hetsu Kagami).
Shingo stars as the main [[protagonist]] of a [[gaiden]] [[manga]] series titled ''The King of Fighters Side Story: The Origin of Flame - Shingo Travels Through Time! Let's Go!'', taking place between ''The King of Fighters XIV'' and ''[[The King of Fighters XV]]'', in which Shingo is unexpectedly brought to the past where the Sacred Treasure Team members’ original ancestors are and finally learns both the origin of their powers and Orochi before returning to the present.
===K′===
{{Main|K′}}
===Kim Team===
The '''Kim Team''', also known as the '''Korea Justice Team''', and originally the '''Korea Team''', is composed of characters mostly originating from [[South Korea]] and are mostly [[Taekwondo]] practitioners. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', the original team consisted of [[Kim Kaphwan]] (who had debuted in ''[[Fatal Fury 2]]''), a national hero in his homeland of [[Korea]] who convince authorities to take in two criminals as part of his new "Rehabilitation Project" with the goal of rehabilitating them of their criminal ways. These two criminals are {{vanchor|Chang Koehan}} (Korean: {{lang|ko|장거한}} ''Chang Keo-Han'', Japanese: {{lang|ja|チャン・コーハン}} ''Chan Kōhan''), a giant and violent man who uses an iron [[ball and chain]] and [[Choi Bounge]] (Korean: {{lang|ko|최번개}} ''Choi Beon-Gae'', Japanese: {{lang|ja|チョイ・ボンゲ}} ''Choi Bonge''), a sadistic little man who uses [[Freddy Krueger]]-esque claws.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Choi Bounge's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=choi |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website |access-date=March 2, 2008}}</ref> During the Orochi saga, Chang and Choi would become friends and would always attempt at a chance to escape from Kim's grasp during the end of each tournament but fail due to speaking out loud their scheme near Kim.
During the NESTS saga, Jhun Hoon (Korean: {{lang|ko|전훈}} ''Jeon Hoon'', Japanese: {{lang|ja|ジョン・フーン}} ''Jon Fūn''), a childhood friend of Kim and rival, took noticed of Kim's rehabilitation project and after seeing the ethics and methods of training towards Chang and Choi, he decides that he would show Kim a more efficient way of management for the criminals and joins the team as the fourth member for the ''[[The King of Fighters '99|'99]]'' and ''[[The King of Fighters 2000|2000]]'' tournaments.<ref>{{Cite web|author=SNK Playmore |title=Korean Team Official Story in KOF '99 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof99_story/index.php?num=korea |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 19, 2008}}</ref> In ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]'', the team was set to enter the tournament as usual. However, before the tournament started, Jhun broke his right arm while chasing an image of [[Athena Asamiya]], of whom he is a fan of. Down one member, Kim decides to have [[The King of Fighters 2001|May Lee]], a perky teenager and a student of Kim who have always admired the team, replace Jhun as the fourth member with the task of keeping an eye of Chang and Choi during the tournament.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Korean Team Story for KOF 2001 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof2001_story/index.php?num=korea |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 19, 2008}}</ref> During the tournament, May Lee surprised the audience and her teammates with her unique taekwondo style and gains much praise. When the tournament ended, the team return home and are celebrated as heroes for ending NESTS (despite not actually winning the tournament nor defeating NESTS themselves).
In ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', Choi is requested by Jhun to sit out of that year's tournament to watch over Kim's children, allowing Jhun to take his place with the scheme of showing the world the difference in ability between him and Kim due to the tournament's new “free tag-off Multi-Shift rule.” In ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', Chang and Choi convince Kim to join the [[List of Fatal Fury characters|Real Bout Fatal Fury Team]] with [[Terry Bogard]] and [[Duck King]] as they want Kim to enjoy himself for once after Kim believes that Chang and Choi are finally “rehabilitated.” Following the tournament, Chang and Choi realize that Kim will be on the look out for more criminals to help rehabilitate. Despite being deem “rehabilitated”, Chang and Choi are still in Kim's custody. In ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', Kim summons [[Raiden (Fatal Fury)|Raiden]], a famous [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]] [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]] and [[Hwa Jai]], a former [[Muay Thai]] champion who was defeated and lost his title to [[Joe Higashi]] in the [[Fatal Fury: King of Fighters|past]], to Southtown after he believes that they are still employed by [[Geese Howard]], and takes them in as his new students. However, unknown to Kim, Raiden and Hwa has since cut their ties with Geese and have already reform for quite some time. Instead, they trick Kim into thinking that they are still working for Geese and enter the tournament with him as a way help boost their reputations as fighters, as well as secretly to prove they are better on fooling Kim than Chang and Choi. Once the tournament ended, Hwa and Raiden pretend to have been "reformed" by Kim, and the gullible Kim falls for it. After parting ways with his new teammates, Kim thinks he might have been "too soft" on Chang and Choi, and to honor his new teammates and the struggles they went through, he intensifies Chang and Choi's strict training much to duo's displeasure.
In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', Chang and Choi are sent to [[prison]] after destroying a [[Bar (establishment)|bar]] while [[Alcohol intoxication|intoxicated]]. Upon arrival, the criminals encounter [[The King of Fighters XIV|Xanadu]], a mysterious, enigmatic, infamous and dangerous criminal who through his eccentric yet mesmerizing charisma, reverts Chang and Choi back to their old criminal ways. Upon the announcement of the new tournament, the trio enter as the Villains Team with the goal of causing chaos and destruction. Meanwhile, Kim has not heard from Chang or Choi and is unaware of their imprisonment. Deciding to go look for them, Kim was about leave the dojo when [[The King of Fighters XIV|Gang-Il]], Kim's master and chairman of the [[World Taekwondo Federation]], and [[The King of Fighters XIV|Luong]], a seductive woman who is secretly a freelance secret agent and fell in love with Gang-II during his world tour, appear at the dojo's entrance. Though Gang-II and Luong are excited to meet Kim, Kim's bitter memories of his master distracts him from their conversation until Gang-II shows Kim a [[Folded leaflet|leaflet]], revealing that Chang and Choi are entering the new tournament with a criminal. As Kim decides to enter the tournament to retrieve Chang and Choi from the criminal's control, Gang-II and Luong also decides to enter alongside Kim in the tournament, despite Kim's objections. Due to Kim and Gang-Il’s absence from the ''KOF XV'' tournament via focusing on their Taekwondo training, Luong went to join her fellow secret agents Blue Mary and Vanessa in order to form the '''Secret Agent Team'''.
Originally, SNK wanted ''KOF '94'' to have a [[Prisoner]] Team, formed by Chang Koehan, Choi Bounge, and a third prisoner, but due to various circumstances, they added in Kim instead and made it the Korea Team. Xanadu was created for ''XIV'' to fulfilled this concept. Also, during the development for ''2001'', May Lee's character design stems from sponsor [[Eolith (company)|Eolith]]'s desire for a "Korean Athena Asamiya" that was an "[[Japanese idol|idol]]-like visual fighter."<ref name="KOF10th">{{Cite web|url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=maylee |title=May Lee's ''KOF'' 10th anniversary profile |publisher=SNK Playmore |access-date=2007-02-14}}</ref>
===Kula Diamond===
{{main|Kula Diamond}}
===Lin===
:{{voiced by|[[Takaya Kuroda]]}}
Lin ({{zh|c=麟}}; [[Pinyin]]: ''Lín''; Japanese: 麟 ''Rin'') is one of the new characters introduced in ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]'' as a member of the [[#Japan Team|Benimaru Team]]. He, along with the Flying Brigands subplot, was created without the entire staff's knowledge, leading to some developers being surprised by his team's ending.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lin's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=lin |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 2, 2008}}</ref>
Though he is no longer an active member in ''King of Fighters'', his story and character have not been abandoned.<ref name="KOF10thRon">{{Cite web|title=Ron's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=ron |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 2, 2008}}</ref> He is a member of the assassination group, The Flying Brigands—or {{Nihongo|Hizoku|飛賊|Hizoku}} Clan in Japanese—which is apparently on the brink of ruin. The agent [[#Seth|Seth]] entices him to enter the King of Fighters tournament in order to find their clan's missing leader, [[#Ron|Ron]].<ref name="KOF2000Benistory">{{Cite web|title=Benimaru's Team Story in KOF 2000 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof2000_story/index.php?num=benimaru |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=March 2, 2008}}</ref>
After learning that Ron had defected to NESTS for his personal greed, Lin tracks the activities of NESTS' renegades, [[K′]] and his teammates, in hopes of finding his traitorous leader. He joins up with K', Maxima, and Whip in the 2001 tournament. He continues to search for Ron even after NESTS' destruction.<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2001 |developer=BrezzaSoft |publisher=Eolith & Sun Amusement |date=2001-11-15 |platform=Neo Geo |quote='''Lin:''' I can't believe he's dead. It's not over yet, Ron.|scene=Hero Team ending}}</ref> For an unexplained reason, he appears next to Ron in the Psycho Soldier Team's ending in ''The King of Fighters XI''.<ref name="falcoonsroom" /> He is a master of the Poison Hand technique, which enables the user to turn their own blood into venom.
===Malin===
:{{voiced by|Kazuyo Inosako}}<ref name="kof2003"/>
{{Nihongo|Malin|まりん|Marin}} is a character who debuts in ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'' as a member of the High School Girls Team (alongside [[Athena Asamiya]] and [[#Women Fighters Team|Hinako Shijou]]). Her addition to the series was due to [[#Korea Team|Choi's]] absence in the game where she debuted. The game producers state that her name should be spelled "Malin" and not "Marin", adding that "this is the humble preference of the supervising designer and a mystery to us all".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Malin's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=malin |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 26, 2008}}</ref>
She becomes a member of the Anti-Kyokugenryu Team in ''The King of Fighters XI'' due to her animosity towards one of the style's practitioners, [[Yuri Sakazaki]].<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters XI |developer=SNK Playmore |publisher=SNK Playmore |date=2007-11-13 |platform=PlayStation 2 |quote='''Malin:''' I can't stand her! She acts like she's barely even trying when she fights. Hmph! ... That Yuri had the nerve to say that my fighting style was cowardly! She's the weak one, right?}}</ref>
===Maxima===
:{{voiced by|[[Katsuyuki Konishi]],<ref name="kof2003"/> Yui Shimodaya (New Maxima; ''KOFAS'')|Michael Jarmus (''KOF: MI2'', ''KOF: AD'')}}
{{Nihongo|Maxima|マキシマ|Makishima}} debuts as a member of the Hero Team in ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]''. He was added to the cast with the desire to add a "somber and reliable middle-aged character" to counteract the introduction of multiple teenage characters.<ref name="KOF10thMaxima">{{Cite web|title=Maxima's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=maxima |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=March 3, 2008}}</ref> Both he and his former deceased partner Rocky are inspired by two characters of the same names from the 1991 SNK [[beat 'em up]] arcade game ''[[Robo Army]]''.
Maxima was a Canadian soldier who led a normal life until he found out that his comrade-in-arms Rocky was killed in an incident involving NESTS.<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2001 |developer=BrezzaSoft |publisher=Eolith & Sun Amusement |date=2001-11-15 |platform=Neo Geo |quote='''Maxima:''' I must go to report to a friend that I have taken revenge. /'''K':''' A visit to the grave, eh? I guess you can't turn back time. | scene=Hero Team ending}}</ref> To avenge Rocky's death, he abandons his ordinary life. In order to infiltrate the NESTS cartel without being recognized, Maxima was transformed into a [[cyborg]], with his strength and reaction time increased to superhuman levels, built-in weapons, and the ability to conduct instant data analysis. He also has some degree of cyberpathy. He infiltrates NESTS and is assigned to be the partner of [[K′]]. They both defect from the cartel after K' encounters his clone, [[Krizalid]], and grows sickened by the organization. Since then, he has become K's steadfast companion and he is often the one who enters both of them into the following tournaments.
===Official Invitation Team===
:{{voiced by|Mio}} (Sylvie Paula Paula)
:{{voiced by|[[Hiroki Takahashi]]}} (Kukri)
:{{voiced by|AYUKA}} (Mian)
The '''Official Invitation Team''' is composed of characters that [[#Antonov|Antonov]] personally invited to participate in his tournament. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', the team consists of [[#Official_Invitation_Team|Sylvie Paula Paula]], a remnant of [[#The_NESTS_cartel|NESTS]] who wields [[electromagnetic]] powers, [[#Official_Invitation_Team|Kukri]], a mysterious fighter from [[North Africa]] who utilizes [[sand]]-based fighting techniques while hiding his face with a hood at all times, and [[#Official_Invitation_Team|Mian]], a [[Sichuan opera]] dancer and fighter. Prior to the tournament, each member lives in the [[Underground culture|underground society]] with Mian and Sylvie often taking part in underground tournaments together.
During the end of the final match, Kukri reveals that he is familiar with [[#Verse|Verse]], especially since half its power lies within Shun'ei. When the tournament ends, Kukri leaves his teammates and Antonov behind and travels to the [[Carpathian Mountains]] in the [[Ukraine]] where he finds [[Ash Crimson]]. Kukri is soon joined by [[Elisabeth Blanctorche]], revealing that she had hired Kukri to enter the tournament to find and rescue Ash whose soul resided inside Verse.
Kukri is the main antagonist of a spin-off sequel between ''The King of Fighters XIV'' and ''The King of Fighters XV'' titled ''[[SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy]]'', in which Kukri himself kidnaps and sends most of the female participants from the ''XIV'' tournament into his personal pocket dimension, alongside Jeanne d'Arc from the ''[[World Heroes]]'' series, Thief Arthur from ''[[Million Arthur]]'', and a recently resurrected Shermie, as well as swapping genders of male fighters Terry Bogard, Iori Yagami (going under his previous alias Miss X from ''[[SNK Gals' Fighters]]''), and Skullomania from ''[[Fighting EX Layer]]''.
===Oswald===
:{{voiced by|Toshihiro Shigetsuka}}
{{Nihongo|Oswald|オズワルド|Ozuwarudo}} appears in ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'' as a member of the game's Hero Team, along with [[Ash Crimson]] and [[Shen Woo]]. An [[Ireland|Irish]] professional assassin who utilizes a [[playing card|card]]-based fighting style in attacking his opponents with razor-sharp cards, he was created as an older gentleman, and is an enigma to even the creators. Developers consider his moves to be comical compared to the seriousness of his image, especially when the move "Joker" is blocked or misses. They chose to leave the result of his fight with Shen ambiguous, implying that fans would have been disappointed with the outcome.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Oswald 's Official Character Bio |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/character/index.php?num=oswald |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 3, 2008| language=ja}}</ref> He was originally intended to be the "good-looking glasses" character for the series.<ref>{{Cite book| year=2007 |editor=Arcadia Extra | title=enterbrain mook ARCADIA EXTRA ~ The King of Fighters XI Conqueror's Guide; volume 28 | language=ja |publisher=enterbrain | page=231}}</ref>
It is revealed at the end of the tournament that Oswald joins Ash and Shen Woo to obtain money and [[narcotics|drugs]] named Dragon Pills. Ash agrees to give information regarding the drug to Oswald, explaining that it can only be given to him if he defeats the provider's enemy, Shen Woo.<ref name="oswaldquote">{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters XI |developer=SNK Playmore |publisher=SNK Playmore |date=2007-11-13 |platform=PlayStation 2 |quote='''Ash:''' You see, the drug known as 'Dragon Pills' is only made by a pharmacist in Shanghai. They won't sell it, but they will give it to anyone who defeats their mortal enemy, Shen Woo.|scene=Hero Team ending}}</ref> Oswald would later make his return as a [[Downloadable content|DLC]] character in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMI3X6UElf8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/GMI3X6UElf8| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=''The King of Fighters XIV - Oswald Trailer|website=[[YouTube]]|date=January 25, 2018|access-date=January 25, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
===Ramón===
{{voiced by|[[Eiji Takemoto]] (''KOF 2000''–''KOF XI''), Kiyoshi Katsunuma (''KOF XIV'' onwards)}}
{{Nihongo|Ramón|ラモン}} makes his first appearance in ''The King of Fighters 2000'' as a member of the game's Hero Team. Ramón is the only character to speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]] in the game, and was created to appeal to the [[Latin American]] fanbase. He has a fighting style primarily based on [[lucha libre]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ramón's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=ramon |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 7, 2008}}</ref>
Ramón is a famous ''luchador'' known as "El Diablo Amarillo" (The Yellow Devil), who is loved by his fans in the wrestling circle. He is approached by an agent named [[#Vanessa|Vanessa]], who requests in his cooperation in forming a team for ''The King of Fighters 2000'' tournament. Since then, he has had a one-sided infatuation with Vanessa.<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2000 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=2000-04-26 |platform=Neo Geo |quote='''Vanessa:''' The Zero Cannon's falling. How're you? Are you hurt?/'''Ramon:''' It's like I'm in heaven! I'm hot! I'm loose!/'''Vanessa:''' ...Give me a break. |scene=Hero Team ending}}</ref> After ''King of Fighters 2000'', he continues to team with Vanessa at her request, often along with [[#Seth|Seth]].
Ramón later becomes the leader of '''Team Mexico/Mexican Wrestler''', the first '''Team Wrestler''', consisting of himself, the former NESTS agent Ángel, and Tizoc (from ''[[Garou: Mark of the Wolves]]''). He forms the team during a vacation, where he helps Ángel out in reforming her life and also helps Tizoc out in convincing and disguising him as a heel wrestler known as “King of Dinosaurs” due to Tizoc's humiliating loss at the hands of the Argentine boxer Nelson. In ''KOF XV'', Antonov replaces Ángel in joining up with both Ramón and King of Dinosaurs, with Antonov himself leading a second wrestler team known as '''Team G.A.W. (Galaxy Anton Wrestling)'''.
===Saisyu Kusanagi===
:{{voiced by|Toshimitsu Arai (''KOF '95''), Keiichirou Sakagi (''KOF '98''), Haruo Yamagishi (''KOF: D'' onwards)}}
{{Nihongo|Saisyu Kusanagi|草薙 柴舟|Kusanagi Saishū}} debuted in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'' as a victim in [[Rugal Bernstein|Rugal]]'s gallery of defeated fighters. He appears as a mid-boss in ''The King of Fighters '95'', and becomes playable for the first time on the screen in ''[[The King of Fighters '98]]'', although he was selectable in the console versions of ''The King of Fighters '95'' as a secret character. He was originally meant to have died in ''The King of Fighters '94'', but was added in at the last minute of development for ''The King of Fighters '95''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Saisyu Kusanagi's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=saisyu |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 3, 2008}}</ref>
Saisyu Kusanagi is the previous head of the Kusanagi clan, who left his family to face worthy opponents across the globe. After his defeat by Rugal, he is [[Brainwashing|brainwashed]] by his secretary Vice to fight his son, [[Kyo Kusanagi|Kyo]]. Upon his defeat, he regains his senses and escapes from Rugal's missile silo base.<ref>{{cite video game|quote='''Kyo:''' I knew he wasn't dead. He'll find his way home./'''Benimaru:''' Yeah, I guess you're right./'''Kyo:''' Well, let's go back to Japan./'''Benimaru & Daimon:''' Yeah!/'''Saisyu:''' Kyo, you can't escape the Kusanagi fate. We face a greater battle, soon to begin. Strengthen yourself, Kyo. Good luck.|title=The King of Fighters '95 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=1995-07-25 |platform=Neo Geo }}</ref> In ''The King of Fighters 2001'', he appears before [[Shingo Yabuki]] and spends a year properly teaching him the Kusanagi fighting style. In the 2010 live-action film adaptation of ''[[The King of Fighters (film)|The King of Fighters]]'', Saisyu is played by Japanese actor [[Hiro Kanagawa]].
===Seth===
:{{voiced by|[[Hidetoshi Nakamura]]|Glenn Haig (''KOF: MI2'')}}
{{Nihongo|Seth|セス|Sesu}} makes his first appearance in the series as a "Striker" in ''The King of Fighters '99 Evolution''. He debuts as a playable character in ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]'' as a member of the Benimaru Team. He was created along with [[#Vanessa|Vanessa]], though Seth became the visual model for her. Developers wished to have a character with "the powerful image of a big, dark, middle-aged man with a Mohawk haircut".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Seth's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=seth |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=March 8, 2008}}</ref>
Seth was ordered by his superior Ling to enter the ''King of Fighters'' tournament in order to capture the Flying Brigands leader, [[#Ron|Ron]]. To do this, he arranges to work with the Benimaru Team.<ref name="KOF2000Benistory" /> During the tournament, he learns that Ling is really [[#Zero|Zero]] in disguise, and that Ron had joined with NESTS. He continues to investigate Ron's activities as the series progresses.<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2000 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=2000-04-26 |platform=Neo Geo |quote='''Shingo:''' ...Hey, what's wrong? You don't look so hot. Are you hurt?.../'''Seth:''' S...So quick! Developing faster than we planned...!!! If we don't hurry, we're all done for. |scene=Benimaru Team ending}}</ref>
===Shen Woo===
:{{voiced by|Kōji Suidzu}}<ref name="kof2003"/>
[[File:Shen Woo.png|thumb|upright=0.63|Shen Woo]]
{{Nihongo|Shen Woo|シェン・ウー|Shen Ū|{{zh|c=神武|p=Shén Wǔ}}; [[Shanghainese]]: {{IPA-wuu|z̥əɲ˨˧v̥v̩ʷ˦}}, lit. "Divine Warrior"}} is one of the members of the Hero Team in ''The King of Fighters 2003'', along with [[Ash Crimson]] and [[Duo Lon]]. He was first conceptualized to be a "wild and sexy man". Due to his fighting style revolving around punches, designers for his fighting style had to make his attacks distinctive enough to avoid confusion with [[Ralf Jones|Ralf]] and [[#Orochi Team|Yashiro]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shen Woo's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=shen |work= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 27, 2008}}</ref>
As ''"Shanghai's God of War"'', he was raised in the city of [[Shanghai]] in eastern [[China]] and given that nickname for developing his own, devastating street-fighting boxing style that is best described as "violent". He soon came to be very feared, and grew to enjoy the thrill of the fight. Eventually, he came to know and befriended both the enigmatic fighter Ash Crimson and the Chinese assassin Duo Lon, with the three of them becoming the "Hero Team" for ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'' tournament.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hero Team Official Story in KOF 2003 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof2003_story/index.php |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 27, 2008}}</ref>
At the end of ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', Ash decides to pit his two teammates against each other by convincing Oswald to defeat Shen Woo for the mention of the "Dragon Pills" made by anonymous pharmacists in Shanghai, telling Oswald that they will only give the Dragon Pills to someone who could defeat their mortal enemy, that is Shen himself.<ref name="oswaldquote"/> As soon as he and Oswald are left to fight each other, the result is unknown, though he managed to survive the outcome. He is voiced by Kōji Suidzu. Shen Woo is one of the many examples of a [[Gender representation in video games#Portrayal of men|sexualized male]] video game character of the aggressive type.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lövenberg|first1=Malin|title=The Elven Slave and Conan The Barbarian: Male Sexualization in Video Games|page=34|url=http://www.malinlovenberg.com/wp-content/uploads/Male-Sexualization-in-Video-Games-11th-march-2013.pdf}}</ref> {{clear left}}
===South America Team===
:{{voiced by|Kengo Takanashi}} (Nelson)
:{{voiced by|[[Ayumi Fujimura]]}} (Zarina)
:{{voiced by|[[Eiji Miyashita]]}} (Bandeiras)
The '''South America Team''' is composed of characters originating from [[South America]]. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', the team consists of [[#South_America_Team|Nelson]], a [[boxer]] with a [[Robotic prosthesis control|robotic prosthetic]] left arm after losing his arm in a terrible accident, Zarina, a [[Samba (Brazilian dance)|Samba dancer]] whose fighting style resembles [[capoeira]], and Bandeiras Hattori, an obsessed [[Fan (person)#Fanboy|fanboy]] of [[ninja]]s who trained himself to become one, and the founder of the “[[Brazilians|Brazilian]] [[Ninjutsu|Ninja Arts]] Dojo.” Prior to the tournament, Nelson defeated [[List of Fatal Fury characters#Tizoc / King of Dinosaurs|Tizoc]] in a contest that left him in disgrace, with the latter adopting a [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]] persona called “King of Dinosaurs.”
Each member had their own reason for entering the tournament. Nelson wants to seize victory in the tournament while hoping that his fiancée Liccia will awake from her [[coma]], Zarina wants to win the prize money to procure land as a nesting place for her pet Coco, a [[toucan]] and its species, and Bandeiras hopes that his participation and fighting style will bring in students to his dojo. While the South America Team didn't win, they saw good fortune coming out of the tournament when Liccia awakes from her coma, Zarina convinces [[#Antonov|Antonov]] to help procure land for Coco after he already purchased much of the land for one of his businesses (she gleefully admits that she simply kicked him in the crotch instead for his aid), and Bandeiras travels to [[Japan]] to advertise his dojo. However, he ends up getting arrested by police for causing a scene. Before seeing Liccia in the hospital, Nelson stops by at his arm's manufacturer for a checkup, completely unaware that the scientists who gave him the cybernetic left arm were responsible for his accident, and are attempting to use him as a test subject for an unknown purpose.
===Vanessa===
:{{voiced by|Kaori Minami (''KOF 2000''–''KOF XI''), Mayumi Hata (''KOF XIV'' onwards)}}
{{Nihongo|Vanessa|ヴァネッサ|Vanessa}} first debuts as a Striker in ''The King of Fighters '99 Evolution'', and becomes playable in ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]''. Like [[#Maxima|Maxima]], she was created as a middle-aged female to contrast the multiple teenage characters in the roster.<ref name="KOF10thVanessa">{{Cite web|title=Vanessa's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=vanessa |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 3, 2008}}</ref> Vanessa is a normal housewife who discreetly serves as a mercenary agent. Working under the orders of Commander Ling, Vanessa and fellow agent [[#Seth|Seth]] are commissioned with the job of joining Ling's ''King of Fighters'' tournament to follow the footsteps of the NESTS cartel. The two agents part from one another, with Vanessa recruiting prime suspects [[K′]], Maxima, and [[#Ramón|Ramón]] to complete their team. Her objective from then on is to observe the activities of the NESTS defectors, based on Ling's orders.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hero Team Official Story in KOF 2000 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof2000_story/index.php?num=hero |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 3, 2008}}</ref> In ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', Vanessa enters the tournament together with Blue Mary and Ramón under orders to receive information concerning the broken [[#Orochi|Orochi]] seal and the mysterious members of [[#Those From The Past|Those From the Past]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Agent Team Official Story in KOF XI |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/history/kofxi_story/index.php?num=agent |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website |access-date=March 3, 2008 |language=ja |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217105403/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/history/kofxi_story/index.php?num=agent |archive-date=February 17, 2009}}</ref>
===Verse===
:{{voiced by|Yusaku}}
{{Nihongo|Verse|バース|Bāsu}} is the main antagonist and final boss in ''The King of Fighters XIV''. An evil presence that is sensed across time and space, various fighters from the tournament join to stop him. Within his being, he traps the souls of fighters from the past tournaments such as Yashiro Nanakase, Shermie, Chris, Orochi and Ash Crimson along with Gaidel, Igniz, Krizalid, and Rugal Bernstein, as well as [[Mizuki Rashojin]] from ''[[Samurai Shodown II]]''. His existence was the result of Ash changing his timeline to erase himself from being Saiki's descendant and killing his ancestor in the process, this being the reason of why Nakoruru travels to the present in order to help fix the timeline. Not only that, one of Verse's fragment is also implanted inside the young Shun'ei, leaving his parents to abandon him secretly due to this, though he was later rescued by Tung Fu Rue, who had decided to raise him as his last disciple. According to Geese Howard, Verse's appearance was foretold in the Three Ancient Secret Sacred Scrolls of the Jin.
==The Bernstein family==
=== Rugal Bernstein ===
{{anchor|Rugal Bernstein}}
:{{voiced by|Toshimitsu Arai (''KOF '94''–''NGH:US''), [[Banjo Ginga]] (''KOF '94'' drama CD), [[Norio Wakamoto]] (''KOF 2002''), [[Tsuguo Mogami]] (''KOF: D onwards)}}
{{nihongo|'''Rugal Bernstein '''|ルガール・バーンシュタイン|Rugāru Bānshutain}} was first introduced in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', he is a recurring [[boss (video games)|boss]] in ''[[The King of Fighters]]'' [[fighting game]] series. As the host of the tournaments from ''The King of Fighters '94'' and ''[[The King of Fighters '95|{{'}}95]]'', Rugal plans to turn all the competitors from the tournament into stone statues as part of his collection of defeated martial artists. Despite his death in ''{{'}}95'', Rugal is still featured in ''The King of Fighters'' titles which do not contain a storyline (nicknamed "Dream Matches"). He has also been featured in the ''[[SNK vs. Capcom (series)|SNK Vs. Capcom]]'' as a boss character. His character has periodically appeared in other media related to ''The King of Fighters'' franchise, including comic adaptations and ''[[The King of Fighters (film)|The King of Fighters]]'' live-action film, and portrayed by [[British people|British]] martial arts actor [[Ray Park]]. As the first boss character from ''The King of Fighters'', the SNK staff created him to be one of the most difficult characters to defeat. His Omega Rugal form from ''{{'}}95'' has been noted by the staff to be their favorite boss to the point they added him in the Dream Match titles. Publications for video games and other media have provided praise and criticism for Rugal's character. The concept for making Rugal in ''The King of Fighters '94'' was to make "the mightiest (most violent) and most evil boss character ever". Despite the difficulties in defeating him, Rugal has become the boss character with the biggest number of appearances in series.<ref name="profile">{{cite web | url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=rugal| title=Rugal Bernstein Official Profile | publisher= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date= 2009-03-07}}</ref>
=== Adelheid and Rose ===
:{{voiced by|Tetsuya Tanaka (Adelheid)}}<ref name="kof2003"/>
:{{voiced by|Kazuyo Inosako (Rose)}}<ref name="kof2003"/>
{{Nihongo|Adelheid|アーデルハイド|Āderuhaido}} (Adel for short), along with his younger sister, {{Nihongo|Rose|ローズ}}, are the only known children of [[Rugal Bernstein]]. They reside in an airship called "Sky Noah". Adel is a boss character from ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', as well as a secret and mid-boss for ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Adelhied & Rose Story for ''The King of Fighters XI'' |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/history/kofxi_story/index.php?num=adelheid |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 28, 2008| language=ja}}</ref> They were added to the series to create an alternate story to the main plot.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Adelheid's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=adelheid |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=May 28, 2008}}</ref>
Despite sharing several physical and fighting traits with Rugal, Adelheid is an honorable fighter who exhibits good [[sportsmanship]],<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2003 |developer=SNK-Playmore |publisher=SNK-Playmore |date=2003-12-12 |platform=Neo Geo | quote = '''Rose:''' ...My brother...you lost! It cannot be! ...I will not release you! you will not go back alive!/'''Adelheid:''' Stop! Rose! Return them to the Earth... and land Sky-Noah./'''Rose:''' Brother, you're mistaken again! You must fight again!/'''Adelheid:''' Rose, defeat is defeat. To fight over and over until victory is meaningless...| scene = Adelheid ending}}</ref> even having a friendly conversation with Heidern, Rugal's mortal enemy. Rose, however, was developed to be extremely prideful and selfish, possessing her father's negative traits.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rose's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=rose |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=May 28, 2008}}</ref> At the end of ''The King of Fighters XI'', Rose is manipulated by Botan, a member from the mysterious organization [[#Those From The Past|Those From the Past]] to use her in their plans, leading to the events of ''The King of Fighters XIII''.
==Hakkesshu==
[[File:Hakkesshuu.jpg|thumb|200px|Several members from Hakkeshu. Clockwise from top: Goenitz, Chris, Yashiro Nanakase (center), Vice, Mature and Shermie.]]
The '''Hakkesshu''' ({{Nihongo|Orochi Hakketsushū|オロチ八傑集|}} in the Japanese version) are a group formed by the eight most powerful followers of the god [[#Orochi|Orochi]]. The four top members are referred to as "Kings".<ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters '97 |developer=SNK Playmore |publisher=SNK Playmore |date=1997-07-28 |platform=Neo Geo |quote='''Kyo:''' Rugal... Hakkesshu... Orochi... Certainly... A lot in a short time...|scene=Hero Team ending}}</ref> Gaidel, the biological father of [[#Ikari Team|Leona]], was also a member of the group, but when he refused Goenitz's offer to continue the Orochi's will, Goenitz manipulated Leona into killing Gaidel and the rest of her fellow villagers. The criminal [[Ryuji Yamazaki]] is part of the group, but does not want to get involved with them.
=== Vice & Mature ===
:{{voiced by|Masae Yumi (''KOF '96''–''KOF XIII''), [[Mayumi Sako]] (''KOF XIV'' onwards) (Vice)}}
:{{voiced by|Hiroko Tsuji (''KOF '96''–''KOF XIII''), Keiko Tsutsui (''KOF XIV''), [[Yū Shimamura]] (''KOF: D'' onwards) (Mature)}}
{{Nihongo|Vice|バイス|Baisu}} and {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Mature}}|マチュア|Machua}} appear as members of [[Iori Yagami|Iori]]'s Team in ''The King of Fighters '96''. The designers at the time created both Vice and Mature with the image of a "cruel woman" and a "ruthless woman", respectively. Their origin story is mostly based on the notion of Rugal employing secretaries prior to ''The King of Fighters '96''. Both women were unavailable during location testing and were likely finished near the end of the game's production schedule.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vice's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=vice |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=March 22, 2008}}</ref> Aside from serving Rugal, both women were also spies and wielders of Orochi.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mature's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=mature |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=February 19, 2008}}</ref> They are ordered by their superior Goenitz to keep an eye on Iori, but both of them are killed by Iori.<ref>{{cite video game|quote='''Mature:''' Are you shaking?/'''Vice:''' Yeah, he ain't normal. But, that guy... I mean... He's really tough./'''Iori:''' W, what? I can't see! Yaaah! Unnhhh! Gya... GWAAAAH!/'''Vice:''' Hey, Yagami, take it easy!/'''Mature:''' Oh, my God.../'''Iori:''' I, it's the... Riot of the Blood!/'''Vice:''' Gah. You mean there's nothing we can do?/'''Mature:''' Ooowaaaaah! Ya, Yagami!/'''Iori:''' GOOOWAAAAH!|title=The King of Fighters '96 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=1996-07-30 |platform=Neo Geo }}</ref>
Since then, both have appeared in the "dream match" games ''[[The King of Fighters '98]]'' and ''[[The King of Fighters 2002]]'' (games in the ''King of Fighters'' series with no canonical connection). Vice has also appeared in ''[[Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000]]'' and [[Capcom vs. SNK 2|the sequel]]. Mature is a playable character in ''[[The King of Fighters XII]]'', exclusive to the home console version of game.<ref name = "famitsu">{{Cite web| url = http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1224032_1124.html | title = ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ XII』の発売日と価格が決定 - ファミ通.com | publisher = Famitsu Magazine| access-date = May 8, 2009 | language = ja}}</ref>
With Vice's return in ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', Iori's 1996 team is reunited for the first time since ''The King of Fighters 2002''.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://game.snkplaymore.co.jp/official/kof-xiii/character/index.html | title=CHARACTER THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII | date=2010-04-22 | access-date=2010-04-22 | publisher=SNK Playmore | language=ja}}</ref> In ''The King of Fighters XIII'', both women are spirits, reflecting their fates at the end of the 1996 tournament. With the rise of a new Orochi crisis brought on by Ash Crimson's meddling, they convince Iori to enter the new tournament to settle matters and stop whatever it is Ash has in mind.
In the 2010 live-action film adaptation of ''[[The King of Fighters (film)|The King of Fighters]]'' movie, Vice is played by [[Bernice Liu]], and Mature by [[Monique Ganderton]].
=== Goenitz ===
:{{voiced by|Yoshinori Shima (''KOF '96''–''NGH:US''), Susumu Akagi (''KOF: D'' onwards), [[Hiroki Yasumoto]] (''KOF for Girls'')}}
{{Nihongo|Goenitz|ゲーニッツ|Gēnittsu}} is one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Orochi, with the power to command the element of wind. Goenitz has a very polite personality which is reflected in his winning poses and his elegant, somewhat flowery speech. Even though influenced by Orochi, he sports the same messianistic attitude that aspires to bring about "salvation" expected from people of religious occupations.
During the 1996 tournament, Goenitz discovers that Chizuru Kagura plans to gather warriors to seal the Orochi and heads there to stop her. In addition to this, Goenitz is the one who took Rugal's right eye, who in turn Rugal took Heidern's own right eye. Depending on the playable characters, Goenitz is either killed by [[Iori Yagami]] and [[Kyo Kusanagi]], sealed by Chizuru, or commits suicide at the end of ''KOF '96''.<ref>{{cite video game|quote='''Goenitz:''' I guess I understimated you. I never thought... but this isn't the end for you./'''Iori:''' Hah! "ONE-FOR-THE-ROAD" BLAST!/'''Goenitz:''' AHHHHH!/'''Kyo:''' Hah! Eat this, pal! SERPENT WAVE!/'''Goenitz:'''GYAAAH! Why? Why is there no wind? GYAAAAAH!|title=The King of Fighters '96 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=1996-07-30 |platform=Neo Geo }}</ref>
=== Orochi Team ===
:{{voiced by|Rio Ogata (''KOF '97''–''NGH:US''), [[Shiki Aoki]] (''KOFAS''), Yuki Sakakibara (''KOF for Girls''), Rui Yamasaki (''KOF XV'')}} (Chris)
:{{voiced by|Hazuki Nishikawa (''KOF '97''–''NGH:US''), Erina Seto (''[[SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy|SNKH:TTF]]'' onwards)}} (Shermie)
:{{voiced by|Makoto Awane (''KOF '97''–''NGH:US''), Keisuke Hamaoka (''KOFAS'' onwards), [[Megumi Han]] (Pretty Yashiro; ''KOFAS''), Shinichiro Kamio (''KOF for Girls'')}} (Yashiro)
The original '''New Faces Team''', also known as the '''Orochi Team''' is a group from ''The King of Fighters '97''. They are three of the Four Heavenly Kings of [[#Orochi|Orochi]]. The group is composed of a young Swedish boy named {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Chris}}|クリス|Kurisu}} who utilizes a swift fighting style that relies on quick movements, a beautiful but shady Frenchwoman named {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Shermie}}|シェルミー|Sherumī}} who specializes in [[puroresu|Joshi puroresu]] and a tall Japanese guitar player named {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Yashiro Nanakase}}|七枷 社|Nanakase Yashiro}} who utilizes a fighting style that combines powerful strikes with a few aspects of [[capoeira]]. They initially enter due to Yashiro's grudge against Iori and his own band (which had overshadowed a performance of theirs before the tournament), but as the tournament progresses, the Orochi blood inside their bodies soon awakens, causing them to remember their status as three of the Four Heavenly Kings. As loyal members of Orochi, they continue to gather power for the awakening until they are forced to kill themselves in order to resurrect Orochi through Chris' body, a concept that began early in the game's production.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chris's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=chris |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=February 19, 2008}}</ref> Using the Orochi power, they are stated as the [[#Japan Team|Japan Team]]'s counterparts, since they have their same abilities: Chris is able create flames like [[Kyo Kusanagi]] and [[Iori Yagami]], Shermie creates lightning like Benimaru Nikaido, and Yashiro has enormous strength enough to shatter the earth like Goro Daimon.
Having been dead for years after the events of ''KOF '97'', Ash Crimson’s suicidal action at the end of the ''XIII'' tournament had cause their souls to reside within a creature known as Verse during the ''XIV'' tournament. When Verse is defeated, the Orochi Team's souls are released from it, leading to both their resurrection as of the canonical spin-off crossover ''SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy'' and return in ''KOF XV''.
===Orochi===
:{{voiced by|Rio Ogata (''KOF '97''–''NGH:US''), [[Motoko Kumai]] (drama CD's), [[Shiki Aoki]] (''KOFAS'')}}
{{Nihongo|Orochi|オロチ|Orochi}} is the final boss of ''[[The King of Fighters '97]]'', and can be considered the main antagonist of the series as most villains either serve it or wants to use its powers for their own ends. Its character origin is another interpretation of the mythical eight-headed serpent demon, ''[[Yamata no Orochi]]''. In ''The King of Fighters'' series, it is a [[chthonic]] supernatural being that is the will of [[Gaia (mythology)|Gaia]]. It has no distinct gender. It does not regard humanity as trustworthy with regard to coexisting with the planet without ravaging it, and so seeks to extinguish humanity. It was sealed 1,800 years ago by the [[Imperial Regalia of Japan|three sacred treasures]] of Japan. The three clans' descendants are charged with protecting the seal. In ''The King of Fighters '97'', it incarnates in Chris (a herald of Orochi) to save the Gaia.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Orochi's KOF 10th anniversary profile |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=March 7, 2008}}</ref>
It is sealed again at the end of the '97 tournament by the three descendants of the users of the three sacred treasures (Kyo, Chizuru and Iori), but the seal is later broken (though not to the point of actually releasing it) by the demon [[#Mukai|Mukai]] at the end of ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]''.<ref name="seal"/><ref>{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters XI |developer=SNK Playmore |publisher=SNK Playmore |date=2007-11-13 |platform=PlayStation 2 |quote='''Shion:''' Ugh... Cough! Damn it... Orochi still hasn't awakened! }}</ref> A clone of Orochi appears as a boss in ''[[NeoGeo Battle Coliseum]]'' named Mizuchi.
In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', Orochi is one of the many souls inside Verse as shown through Verse's win quote against Kyo and in the ending of Team Yagami, as it lands in [[Aggtelek National Park|Aggtelek-Karst]] in Hungary, it is sealed away once again due to being in its still weakened state.
==The NESTS cartel==
NESTS is a mysterious and dangerous cartel that deals with drugs, weaponry, robotics, genetics and biotechnology. The global crime syndicate was involved in the events behind the ''King of Fighters'' tournaments held between 1999 and 2001. They are responsible for the creation of the [[Kyo Kusanagi]] clones and [[K′]] being injected with Kyo's [[DNA]]. The group is composed of several agents who have different aims, but they all want to become more powerful. The cartel is destroyed with the death of their leader Igniz. However, some of its loyalists are still on the loose and branded as wanted criminals while its former agents manage to defect from the organization.
=== Krizalid ===
:{{voiced by|Yoshiyuki Iwamoto (''KOF '99'', ''KOF 2002:UM''), Eiji Yano (''KOF 2001''), Masahito Kawanago (''KOFAS'')}}
{{Nihongo|Krizalid|クリザリッド|Kurizariddo}} acts as the mid and final boss of ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]''. He was designed to be a stylish and earnestly strong boss, though the supervising designer at the time admits, "I think I overdid it a little."<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=krizalid| title=Krizalid Official Profile | work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=May 16, 2008 }}</ref>
He is made to be the ultimate [[Kyo Kusanagi|Kyo]] clone, outfitted with a special suit to feed the data of fighters into his body during battle. He also happens to be a clone of [[K′]]. As a side effect, he gained some of K's memories and believed that [[#Ikari Team|Whip]] was his sister. He is ordered to activate the thousands of Kyo clones around the world so that they can attack in a simultaneous strike. After his defeat against K', his superior, [[#Zero|Zero]], neutralizes the Kyo clones and kills Krizalid by throwing a boulder to crush him. He is later revived by the original Zero and fights alongside him in the 2001 tournament.
In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', he is one of the souls inside Verse.
=== Ron ===
:{{voiced by|[[Takaya Kuroda]]}}
Ron ({{zh|c=龍}}; [[Pinyin]]: ''Lóng''; Japanese: 龍(ロン) ''Ron'') is first introduced as a sub-plot character in ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]''. He later appears as a Striker for [[#Zero|Zero]] in ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]''. Though he is not playable in the series, he serves as an important side-story character.
According to his official profile, his main objective is to gain the ability to manipulate the dead.<ref name="KOF10thRon" /> He is the former leader to an elite assassination group known as the Flying Brigands—{{Nihongo|''Hizoku''|飛賊|Hizoku}} Clan in Japanese—and the father to a number of their members, including [[Duo Lon]] and [[List of KOF: Maximum Impact characters#Xiao Lon|Xiao Lon]]. He betrayed the Flying Brigands by joining NESTS for personal gain, labeling himself as a traitor by many of the group's members, including Lin, his former pupil. After NESTS' destruction, he reveals his great interest in a mysterious power shared by [[Sie Kensou]] and [[#Psycho Soldier Team|Bao]] known as the Dragon Spirit.
=== Zero ===
:{{voiced by|Kinta Futogane (''KOF 2000''–''KOF 2002:UM'') (Clone)}}
:{{voiced by|Toshimitsu Arai (''KOF 2001''–''KOF 2002:UM'') (Original)}}
:{{voiced by|[[Jiro Saito (voice actor)|Jiro Saito]] (''KOFAS'') (Clone)}}
:{{voiced by|[[Taiten Kusunoki]] (''KOFAS'') (Original)}}
:{{voiced by|[[Kaya Okuno]] (Pretty Zero; ''KOFAS'') (both)}}
{{Nihongo|Zero|ゼロ}} is one of the higher-ranked agents of NESTS. The designer, C.A.C. Yamasaki, admits basing Zero off a certain character from the manga ''[[Fist of the North Star]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/comment/remember_kof.php?num=8 |title=Remembrance of KOF: An Interview with Eiji |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website |access-date=January 18, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017122404/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/comment/remember_kof.php?num=8 |archive-date=October 17, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Zero begins to secretly build his own weapon from NESTS' technology called the "Zero Cannon". He sets his plans into motion in ''The King of Fighters 2000''. There, he impersonates a military commander named Ling and uses his persona as a decoy to stop the military resistance against him. Depending on whether or not the player defeats Kula, his plans are foiled by either Heidern or Kula, who is sent to execute him for his treacherous acts. While dying, he tells Whip of who she really was, angering her to shoot him dead.
However, the Zero in ''The King of Fighters 2000'' is revealed to be a clone from the {{Nihongo|Original Zero|ゼロ(オリジナル)|Zero (Orijinaru)}}, who appears as a sub-boss in ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]''. He was created because the supervising designer of his character claimed to be dissatisfied with Zero's design in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=zero-original| title=Zero (Original) Official Profile | work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=January 18, 2008}}</ref> Unlike his clone, Zero is extremely loyal to the NESTS syndicate, and was disgusted to learn of his clone's attempted [[coup d'état]]. Willing to clear the reputation of his clone's actions, Zero is commanded to destroy the winners of ''The King of Fighters'' tournament. He traps the winning team in a space ship that was disguised as a blimp. When he is defeated, he urges the team to escape the collapsing ship and dies honorably on board the vessel. His true loyalty is toward Igniz’s father, Nests, with Zero himself not knowing of Igniz’s later betrayal towards his own father.
=== NESTS Team ===
: {{voiced by|[[Miina Tominaga]] (''KOF 2001''), [[Mayumi Shintani]] (''KOF 2002''), Miki Ogura (''KOF XIV'' onwards)}} (Ángel)
: {{voiced by|[[Nozomu Sasaki]] (''KOF 2001''–''KOF 2002''), [[Kenn]] (''KOF XV'' onwards)}} (K9999/Krohnen)
: {{voiced by|[[Haruna Ikezawa]]}} (Foxy)
: {{voiced by|[[Daisuke Ono]]}} (Nameless)
The '''NESTS Team''' is a group that appears in ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]'', entering in the tournament to eliminate anybody who would try to destroy their organization. The team is composed of [[Kula Diamond]], named the "Anti-K" due to her ability to create ice, Kula's guardian {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Foxy}}|フォクシー|Fokushī}}: an expert fencer who works alongside with Kula's second guardian and another expert fencer named Diana, {{vanchor|Ángel}}: a ditzy yet deadly Mexican female fighter, and K9999 (pronounced ''K Four-Nine''), the 9999th clone of Kyo Kusanagi based entirely on [[Tetsuo Shima]] from ''[[Akira (manga)|Akira]]'', being able to transform his arm into a long deformed flesh tentacle much like Tetsuo's own. Due to copyright issues, for ''[[The King of Fighters 2002]]: Unlimited Match'' remake, he was replaced with a similar character. The character is called "Nameless", a clone from both Kyo and K' (whose hair, reflecting this, is half brown like that of Kyo, and half white like that of K') who uses two types of flames to fight, while equipped with an Anti-K glove to keep his flame power in check, created from the [[DNA]] of his deceased lover who looks like Kula, Isolde.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blog.ureshino.cn/?eid=52523|title=TGS08日記xx|date=2008-10-15 |author=Ureshino, Akihiko|publisher=Official blog from Akihiko Ureshino|access-date=2009-01-08}}</ref> K9999 would later be re-introduced in ''KOF XV'' as {{nihongo|Krohnen McDougall|クローネン・マクダガル|Kurōnen Makudagaru}} around the same time that SNK had officially confirmed via [[Discord (software)|Discord]] that the K9999 removal controversy was false in order to redesign his appearance to avoid copyrights issues.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1469155746621403136|user=ScotiaVIII|title=This pretty much confirms that #Krohnen is #K9999 and that the long-running rumor that K9999 was blacklisted by SN…|date=10 December 2021}}</ref>
When their boss Zero dies from his battle upon the blimp that takes the winning team to the headquarters of NESTS, Kula and Foxy decide to leave NESTS in order to begin a new life, but the two are attacked upon sight by their teammates, who consider them traitors. K9999 and Ángel mortally injure Foxy in the fight and waste no time in attacking Kula, but when they are about to defeat her, she is rescued by [[K′]], whose abilities make the attackers flee in an instant. After the destruction of NESTS, Kula, Foxy, and Diana decide to work together with K′, Maxima, and Whip, leading to Kula joining forces with K' and Maxima in ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'' after Whip returns to the Ikari Warriors team. Ángel returns in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'' as part of '''Team Mexico''' which also includes Ramón (who ironically was one of the agents seeking to shut down NESTS) and Tizoc (now fighting under the persona "King of Dinosaurs"). In addition to this, a failed test subject victim of NESTS named {{Nihongo|Sylvie Paula Paula|シルヴィ・ポーラ・ポーラ|Shiruvi Pōra Pōra}} serves as a member of the '''Official Invitation Team''' for ''KOF XIV'', with Sylvie being described as a "cute-looking psycho" who can freely manipulate electricity and considers the voice in her head and her eyeball decorations to be her "friends". Before ''[[The King of Fighters XV]]'', Àngel and Kula (the latter having a falling out between her and K') are recruited by K9999 (who now goes under the new name Krohnen McDougall), with the three of them set to compete in ''KOF XV'' as a new team known as '''Team Krohnen'''.
=== Igniz ===
:{{voiced by|[[Norio Wakamoto]] (''KOF 2001''–''KOF 2002:UM''), Masafumi Kimura (''KOFAS'')}}
{{Nihongo|Igniz|イグニス|Igunisu}} is the final [[boss (video gaming)|boss]] in ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]''. His handsome and youthful appearance was specifically created at the sponsors' request.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=igniz| title=Igniz Official Profile | work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=May 15, 2008 }}</ref>
Although Igniz had served his father, the previous leader of NESTS also named Nests with utmost loyalty, he had secretly sought to overthrow him and become the new leader of NESTS, seizing the opportunity to do so near the end of the 2001 tournament, to which NESTS was hosting. Upon succeeding in murdering his own father and becoming the new leader of NESTS, Igniz decides to test his newly-acquired power against the finalists in the hopes of crushing them and becoming a new god. His ambition is short-lived, however, as he is defeated by the K' Team. Cursing his failure and declaring himself a demon instead, Igniz attempts to destroy the planet by plummeting NESTS' main headquarters out of orbit; his attempt fails, and Igniz dies in the process.
In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', Igniz is one of the souls inside Verse.
==Those From The Past==
{{Nihongo|Those From the Past|遙けし彼の地より出る者たち|Harukeshi Ka no Chi yori Izuru Monotachi|lit. "Those From His Distant Land"}} are a new group of antagonists that appear in the 2003 tournament. They are mysterious, and supposedly inhuman, warriors who want to get the power of the [[#Orochi|Orochi]] so that they can give it to their shrouded master. It is implied that they are the European counterparts of the Orochi Clan. The organization is destroyed after Saiki's death by Ash in ''The King of Fighters XIII'', but their actions triggered the birth of Verse.
=== Mukai ===
:{{voiced by|Toshihiro Shigetsuka}}<ref name="kof2003">{{Cite web|url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/The-King-of-Fighters-2003/|title=The King of Fighters 2003}}</ref>
{{Nihongo|Mukai|ムカイ||also written as 無界}} is the hidden final boss in ''The King of Fighters 2003''. His appearance was designed with the concept of petrification in mind. Mukai's primary power is his control over many things related to stone. He can form stone, either in crude rocks to throw at foes, or as elaborate pillars to crush them. He speaks in very pious, grandiose declarations, but appears to have a cautious attitude toward the potential of humans.
He makes a prompt appearance in ''The King of Fighters 2003'' tournament seeking strong opponents and to test his strength. Mukai reveals that his group had organized the 2003 King of Fighters tournament so that they could break the Orochi seal and give its power to the group's unknown leader. Mukai wanted to battle against the winning team of the tournament, seeing if they had what it takes to survive in "the new age". Mukai is defeated but manages to escape. However, in ''The King of Fighters XIII'', he is killed by Saiki after disobeying his boss.
=== Shion ===
:{{voiced by|Jidai 'Tokiyo' Ogawa}}
{{Nihongo|Shion|紫苑|Shion}} makes his first appearance in ''The King of Fighters XI'' as the sub-boss. The character was conceptually designed to be one of [[#Ron|Ron]]'s daughters,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shion's Official Character Bio |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/character/index.php?num=shion |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=May 31, 2008| language=ja}}</ref> though developers decided to change his gender to startle and appeal to fans with his [[Androgyny|androgynous]] appearance.<ref>{{Cite book| year=2007 | editor=Arcadia Extra | title=The King of Fighters XI Conqueror's Guide| volume = 28 | language=ja | publisher=Enterbrain | page=234 }}</ref> Shion is an enigmatic character whose past is unknown. He works as an underling for the demon [[#Magaki|Magaki]], and seems knowledgeable about the workings of Orochi. After being defeated at the ruins of the tournament finals, he is dragged through an extradimensional gate. However, after Magaki is defeated at the end of the tournament, Shion kills him and his whereabouts remain unknown. In ''King of Fighters XIII'', as the last cutscene, the head of Shion's spear appears. The cutscene is named '''''The Crimson Spear'''''. It is shown that he's still alive as he appeared before Shroom and Rimelo.
=== Magaki ===
:{{voiced by|Spicy Yagi}}
{{Nihongo|Magaki|禍忌}} is the new boss of ''The King of Fighters XI''. Nothing is known about the fighter Magaki, except that he hosts The King of Fighters tournament. Like his partner Mukai, Magaki wants to awake Orochi and give Orochi's powers to his own master. He also shows even less respect for humans in general, believing them to have little-to-no potential, and being weak overall. He also seems to have very little tolerance for not getting what he wants from others. Like Mukai before him, after he was defeated he stood up, apparently unscathed, and made his exit into another realm after commenting that perhaps it was more than spirit that was needed to awaken Orochi. However, as he finally realizes the error in his plan, he is killed by [[#Shion|Shion]]'s spear, hurled from the dimensional rift he was escaping from.
He is notable for his ability to teleport projectiles around the screen, including behind his opponent. As a result, many players have compared fighting him to playing [[bullet hell]] games.
=== Saiki ===
:{{voiced by|[[Sōnosuke Nagashiro]]}}
{{Nihongo|Saiki|斎祀}} is the sub-boss as well as the main antagonist of ''The King of Fighters XIII''. He is able to control the flow of time due to a gate that can halt the timeline so long as it is open. During cutscenes in the game, he takes the appearance of a human, very similar to Ash Crimson. Before the battle with Saiki in ''KOF XIII'', Saiki drains fellow One From the Past Mukai of his power and transforms into a red demonic being. After the battle with Saiki, Ash Crimson takes his power, seemingly killing him. This plan backfires as Ash ends up being possessed by Saiki and turns into a shadowed version of himself called '''Evil Ash''' (known by fans as '''Dark Ash''') to act as the game's final boss. During the ending, Saiki is defeated, but tries to use the time barrier to rewind time again and try his plot once more; Ash stands in his way and prevents his passage. When the gate closes, Saiki is finally defeated, but it is learned that he is Ash's ancestor. By denying Saiki passage into the past, Ash forces his own existence being Saiki's descendant to cease, leaving his soul survived to exist without being Saiki's descendant but trapped in time and contained inside one of the two creatures Ash created from his cause known as Verse.
==Characters from other SNK games==
===Another World Team===
:{{voiced by|[[Mai Nakahara]]}} (Nakoruru)
:{{voiced by|Namiko Otsu}} (Mui Mui)
:{{voiced by|Toa Yukinari}} (Love Heart)
The '''Another World Team''' is composed of characters who appeared in other SNK games outside of ''[[The King of Fighters]]'' universe. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', the team consists of [[Nakoruru]], an [[Ainu people|Ainu]] [[miko]] who fights alongside her pet [[hawk]] Mamahaha and is from ''[[Samurai Shodown]]'', [[The King of Fighters XIV|Mui Mui]], the last successor of her clan and a master of [[Kung Fu]] from '''''Dragon Gal''''', and [[The King of Fighters XIV|Love Heart]], the [[Sea captain|captain]] of the [[Piracy|Peace Pirates]] from '''''Sky Love'''''.
In her [[Samurai Shodown|world]], Nakoruru senses a terrible entity emerging after a [[The King of Fighters XIII|crack in the spacetime continuum]]. With the source coming from another [[The King of Fighters|universe]], Nakoruru transports herself into the present universe with the goal of preventing the disaster and finding its true source. Shortly after arriving at the present universe, Nakoruru encounters Love Heart, who was transported by the same entity unwillingly, and agrees to help investigate the phenomenon. During their investigation, the duo meets Mui Mui, who transported herself to the present universe willing in search for gems filled with mysterious powers, and joins them. Upon the announcement of the new tournament, the trio decides to enter in hopes of finding the source. During the finals, the source was revealed to be [[#Verse|Verse]]. Following Verse's defeat and the end of the tournament, the team travels to [[Russia]] where Nakoruru believes that Verse may return one day, but is unsure when the entity will come back. While Love Heart and Mui Mui are ready to return to their own worlds, Nakoruru instead decides to stay in the present universe to visit modern day [[Hokkaido]] and [[China]], inviting her teammates to travel with her. While Mui Mui agrees with the idea, unfortunately for Love Heart, she is drag along by her teammates much to her annoyance.
===Art of Fighting Team===
:{{voiced by|Masaki Usui (''KOF '94-XI, XIII''), Masayoshi Kozaki (''KOF XII''), Daiki Takakura (''KOF XIV'' onwards)}} (Ryo)
:{{voiced by|Kay Inage (''KOF '94''-'95, ''XI''-''XIII''), Mantarō Koichi (''KOF '96''-''2003''), Go Shinomiya (''KOF XIV'' onwards)}} (Robert)
:{{voiced by|Eiji Tsuda (''KOF '94''-''XIII''), Takeshi Maruyama (''KOFAS'')}} (Takuma)
:{{voiced by|Kaori Horie (''KOF '94''-''XIII''), [[Ai Kakuma]] (''KOF XIV'' onwards)}} (Yuri)
The '''Art of Fighting Team''' is composed of [[Art of Fighting#Characters|characters]] originating from the [[Art of Fighting|video game series with the same name]] (which canonically also originating the titular KOF tournaments through ''Art of Fighting 2''), and are mostly practitioners of '''Kyokugenryu Karate''' (also known as '''Kyokugen'''), a [[Karate|fighting style]] created by the Sakazaki family. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', the original team consisted of [[Ryo Sakazaki]], the heir to Kyokugenryu Karate who is the first champion of KOF tournaments, [[Robert Garcia (Art of Fighting)|Robert Garcia]], a wealthy practitioner who is Ryo's best friend and rival, and [[List of Art of Fighting characters#Takuma Sakazaki|Takuma Sakazaki]], Ryo's father and the founder of Kyokugenryu Karate who trains the students at the [[Dōjō|dojo]], and Ryo and Robert's master. After ''[[The King of Fighters '95]]'', Takuma decides to retire from competing due to his age catching up with him which leads to Robert suggesting that [[Yuri Sakazaki]], Takuma's daughter, Ryo's sister, and Robert's love interest, becomes his replacement for the next tournament. Beginning with ''[[The King of Fighters '96]]'', Yuri becomes the third member of the team for the remainder of the Orochi Saga.
During the NESTS Saga, Takuma comes out of retirement and joins the team as the fourth member in ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]''. In ''[[The King of Fighters 2000]]'', Yuri wanted to show her independence by joining the [[#Women_Fighters_Team|Women Team]] that year by begging [[List of Art of Fighting characters#King|King]], a [[French people|French]] [[Muay Thai]] fighter who has a history with the Sakazaki family in the [[Art of Fighting#Art of Fighting (1992)|past]], to be her replacement, and because she is like a family to them. While Ryo and Takuma welcomed the idea, Robert disagreed and challenged King to a kicking contest to prove herself. Although the contest ended in a [[Tie (draw)|tie]], Robert was impressed with King's kicking ability that he agreed to let King join the team. In ''[[The King of Fighters 2001]]'', Robert and his father Alberto Garcia are facing a [[takeover]] in their company, the Garcia Foundation, after they and the rest of the world suffers from a [[financial crisis]] due to NESTS’ increased activities after the last tournament. After pleading to the Sakazaki family to enter the tournament to win the prize money, they agreed to help Robert and his family (in reality, Takuma wanted to win the prize money for himself to help with the family's dojo).
Despite not winning the 2001 tournament, the financial crisis that Robert and his father faced seem to have been resolved as by ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', Robert is joyfully wealthy again and enters the tournament with Ryo and Yuri. When the team returns home from the tournament, they found Takuma laying facedown on the dojo floor, apparently after being assaulted by an unseen assailant. Takuma tries to tell them who attacked him, but passes out, and is taken away in an ambulance. In ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', it is revealed that Takuma was not attacked by an assailant but actually, he collapsed due to [[malnutrition]], [[liver]] problems, and other health issues. He uses the incident as an excuse to fulfill his wishes for a grandchild by asking King to enter the tournament with Ryo and Yuri, and be his replacement since Robert cannot enter because of a disaster that took place at his father's company that his presence is required for the issue to be resolved. In ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', the Sakazakis get into a family argument after Yuri cuts her hair which Takuma and Ryo disapproves of. When Robert tells Yuri that her family wants her to quit her training (more so, to stop entering King of Fighters tournaments and fighting overall to prevent serious injury to herself), Yuri decides to enter the tournament with King and [[Mai Shiranui]] to show her independence once again, and to show her family how much her Kyokugen has improved. When Takuma (who has made a full recovery) finds out that Yuri is entering the tournament with another team, he, Ryo, and Robert, who now has enough free time away from his father's company, enter the tournament. When the tournament ends, the team, alongside Yuri and King, are being interviewed by the media that Robert pulls out an [[engagement ring]] while Yuri is answering questions. Takuma takes notice of the ring and Robert's intentions that he hits Robert from behind, which leads to the two men hitting each other without notice while Yuri embarrasses King by telling reporters that she wishes King becomes a part of the family. Ryo then proclaims that teamwork is the key to Kyokugen's success.
In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', the team have since opened up their own [[Barbecue restaurant|restaurant]] called “Kyokugen BBQ” with the help of [[List of Fatal Fury characters#Richard Meyer|Richard Meyer]]. In addition to entering the tournament as usual to attract new students, the team plans on promoting their new restaurant. After returning home from the tournament, the team throws a private party to themselves where Ryo becomes displeased with Robert and his family's attitude regarding their training, and are more focused on improving the restaurant. Because of this, Ryo is determined to leave South Town, alongside with his student [[List of Fatal Fury characters#Khushnood Butt|Khushnood Butt]] (from ''[[Garou: Mark of the Wolves]]'') before returning to ''[[The King of Fighters XV]]'' with Robert and King to form a team consisting their debut in the first ''Art of Fighting'' game.
===Fatal Fury Team===
{{see also|List of Fatal Fury characters}}
The '''Fatal Fury Team''' is composed of characters originating from the [[Fatal Fury|video game series with the same name]]. First appearing in ''[[The King of Fighters '94]]'', the original group consisted of [[Terry Bogard]], an [[United States|American]] fighter who sought to defeat the evil crime lord [[Geese Howard]] in order to avenge the death of his father Jeff Bogard; [[Andy Bogard]], the younger brother of Terry who uses the [[Ninja in popular culture|Shiranui]] fighting style; and [[Joe Higashi]], a [[Muay Thai]] fighter and mutual friend of Terry and Andy. In ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]'', [[Mai Shiranui]], a Shiranui [[kunoichi]], and love interest of Andy, joins the team as during this time, teams are now composed of four fighters. [[Blue Mary]], a female agent and love interest of Terry, and decides to help her out in her job by teaming up with her in the ''[[The King of Fighters 2000|2000]]'' and ''[[The King of Fighters 2001|2001]]'' editions of the King of Fighters tournaments.
In ''[[The King of Fighters 2003]]'', Terry and Joe entered the tournament with [[Garou: Mark of the Wolves#Characters|Tizoc]], a famous Mexican [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]] as Andy took care of his Shiranui disciple [[Garou: Mark of the Wolves#Characters|Hokutomaru]] who fell sick with the [[mumps]]. In ''[[The King of Fighters XI]]'', Terry organizes a new Fatal Fury Team with [[Duck King]] and [[Kim Kaphwan]]. In ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', Terry wanted to catch up and reunite the Fatal Fury Team with Andy and Joe once again. In ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', Terry, Andy, and Joe enter the tournament in order to not only enjoy themselves, but also to investigate Geese's suspicious involvement from within the competition itself.
===Garou Team===
The '''Garou Team''' (known by extend as in '''Mark of the Wolves Team''' Japan) first appears in ''KOF XI'', containing characters that appear in the video game ''[[Garou: Mark of the Wolves]]''. The team includes [[Tizoc (Fatal Fury)|Tizoc]], a famous [[Lucha libre]] [[pro wrestler]], [[Gato (Fatal Fury)|Gato]], a powerful yet emotionless martial artist and a modern-day female pirate named [[B. Jenet]]. Though the members become good friends, Gato decides to leave them after the end of the tournament. Due to Tizoc’s reason into a heel wrestler King of Dinosaur and a main member of Wrestling Team throughout Shun’ei Saga’s tournament entries (''KOF XIV'' - ''KOF XV''), [[Geese Howard]]’s illegitimate son, [[Rock Howard|Rock]], who was a DLC character in ''XIV'', take over the wrestler’s position and becoming the team’s new leader, where he, Jenet and Gato are DLC characters in ''XV''.
===Geese Howard's teams===
The villain known as [[Geese Howard]] creates several teams in the series. In ''The King of Fighters '95'', he sends his right-hand man [[Billy Kane]] to kill his enemies, the Bogard Brothers. Billy allies with Iori Yagami and [[Eiji Kisaragi]] to form a '''Rival Team''' in the tournament, but once they fail to obtain the victory, Iori brutally attacks them and nearly kills Billy and Eiji in the process.
In ''The King of Fighters '96'', Geese creates the '''Boss Team''', which consists of himself, [[Wolfgang Krauser]], and [[Mr. Big (Art of Fighting)|Mr. Big]]. Geese uses both Krauser and Big as pawns in the tournament, hoping to get the power from the Orochi entity while Krauser only wants to prove his strength in seeking a rematch against Terry and avenging his pass loss towards him and Mr. Big seeks to regain his status as the undisputed crime lord of South Town's criminal underworld from Geese, vowing to one day eliminate him.
As the group disbanded at the end of ''The King of Fighters '96'', Geese sponsors his own '''Fatal Fury Team''' known as the '''Outlaw Team''' in the'' '97'' and ''2003'' tournaments for the same purpose. The team for the'' '97'' tournament is made up of Billy Kane, [[Blue Mary]] and [[Ryuji Yamazaki]], though Blue Mary is replaced by Gato in the ''2003'' tournament.
Geese eventually returns to the tournament as of ''The King of Fighters XIV'', where he becomes the main leader of the '''South Town Team''', with Billy as its main secondary member. Geese's personal butler named Hein only participated the tournament in ''XIV'', before Geese’s sponsored teams’ old member, Yamazaki return to join both Geese and Billy, where both are DLC characters in ''The King of Fighters XV''.
===Ikari Warriors Team===
The '''Ikari Warriors Team''' is a group of mercenaries that enters in each tournament in the series in order to find well-known criminals and capture them. The leader {{Nihongo|Heidern|ハイデルン|Haiderun}} established the team in order find the criminal Rugal Bernstein, in order that Heidern could get his revenge against Rugal (who killed Heidern's wife Sandra and their daughter Clara). The other two recurring members of the team are the soldiers [[Ralf Jones]] and Clark Still, who were originally the player characters in ''[[Ikari Warriors]]'' and its sequels.<ref name="kofperfectcast1"/>
{{Nihongo|[[Leona Heidern|Leona]]|レオナ|Reona}}, Heidern's adopted daughter introduced in ''The King of Fighters '96'', replaces him as he takes on a more active role behind the scenes, investigating occurrences parallel to the tournament. Although she tends to be very quiet, Leona was conceived to be an [[#Orochi|Orochi]] descendant at the time of her debut, and her designers took special care to let their interests at the time reflect in her actions.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=leona| title=Leona Heidern Official Profile | work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=January 15, 2008}}</ref> Her official nickname is '''The Silent Soldier'''. Although she recovers from her childhood trauma at the end of ''King of Fighters '97'', she leaves the team after attacking her friends in the Riot of the Blood state at the conclusion of ''King of Fighters 2003'' and tries to regain her focus from within her personal time.
{{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Whip}}|ウィップ|Wippu}} appears in ''The King of Fighters '99'' as the new member to the Ikari Team. She is a clone of [[K′]]s sister<ref name="kulaquote1">{{cite video game|title=The King of Fighters 2001 |developer=BrezzaSoft |publisher=Eolith & Sun Amusement |date=2001-11-15 |platform=Neo Geo |quote = '''Whip:''' An innocent from a petrie dish, ignorant of existence's joys. | scene = Hero Team ending }}</ref>
and once worked for NESTS as an assassin. She is eventually assigned to Heidern's mercenary unit for The King of Fighters tournament to investigate NESTS and the mysterious fighter known only as K'.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ikari Team Official Story in KOF '99 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof99_story/index.php?num=ikari |work=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=February 27, 2008}}</ref> Once she realizes who K' is, she reveals their relation to him and joins him in his objective to destroy the NESTS cartel. After NESTS' downfall, she returns to her duties under Heidern's command. One of her moves depicts her shooting her opponents with a [[IMI Desert Eagle|Desert Eagle]]-like handgun. The firearm is edited from the American release of the games in arcades, but is uncensored in the home release versions.<ref>{{Cite book| year=2000 | editor=Studio BentStuff | title=A.A. Game History Series Vol. 2 All About SNK Head-To-Head Fighting Game 1991-2000 | language=ja | publisher=Studio BentStuff | isbn=4-88554-677-X | page=288}}</ref>
Leona, Ralf, and Clark compose the Ikari Team for ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', reflecting the team's roster from the 1996 tournament. Despite her difficulties in controlling herself leading her to sit out the ''XI'' tournament as Whip took her place, Leona commits herself to entering the ''XIII'' tournament, deciding to accept, and deal with, her Orochi blood.
Ever since Verse's incident at the end of ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]'', Heidern and the Ikari Warriors have been investigating the unknown threat left behind by Verse, leading to Heidern meeting and befriending not only a [[Mali]]an medium named Dolores, but also a [[Chile]]an graphic artist named Isla who utilizes a special power similar to Shun'ei's own and in due time, the three of them form a new '''Rival Team''' for ''KOF XV''.
===Psycho Soldier Team===
The '''Psycho Soldier Team''' specializes in using a combination of [[Chinese martial arts]] and [[psychic]] powers—dubbed "Psycho Powers" by SNK. Its team members consist of {{Nihongo|Chin Gentsai|鎮元斎||[[Pinyin|ch]]: ''Zhèn Yuánzhāi''; [[Kanji|ja]]: ''Chin Gensai''}}, an elderly mentor and master of Psycho Power who specializes in [[Drunken boxing]]. He participates with his students throughout the tournaments since 1994, but leaves the competition in 2003 to observe thoroughly the matter of Orochi's possible resurgence, asking [[K′]] and [[#Maxima|Maxima]] to investigate the tournament in his place for activity, meaning both Kensou and Chin are replaced with Hinako and Malin.<ref>{{Cite web|title=K' Team Official Story in KOF 2003 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof2003_story/index.php?num=kdush |publisher=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | access-date=2008-03-24}}</ref>
The others members of the team are Chin's students [[Athena Asamiya]], a famous [[J-pop|Japanese pop singer]] and [[Japanese idol|idol]]; a Chinese teenager infatuated with Athena named {{Nihongo|Sie Kensou|椎 拳崇||[[Pinyin|ch]]: ''Chuí Quánchóng''; [[Kanji|ja]]: ''Shī Kensū''}}, with the two of them originally the player characters in ''[[Psycho Soldier]]'';<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sie Kensou Official Bio |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=kensou |publisher=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2008-03-24}}</ref> and a little Chinese boy named {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Bao}}|包||[[Pinyin|ch]]: ''Bāo''; [[Kanji|ja]]: ''Pao''}}. As Bao trains with them during the time between ''King of Fighters '97'' and ''King of Fighters '99'', Kensou gradually loses his powers, until they become obsolete.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Psycho Soldier Team Official Story in KOF '99 |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof99_story/index.php?num=psycho |publisher=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2008-03-24}}</ref> However, his powers are recovered in ''King of Fighters XI'', causing [[#Ron|Ron]] and Misty to take an interest in it, revealing a probable importance of the Dragon Spirit.
A young girl who trained with Kensou and Athena, {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Momoko}}|桃子}}, also debuts in the team in ''The King of Fighters XI''. She was added into the cast to fit the image of the younger Psycho Soldier team, though the developers have expressed discomfort with adding so young a character amongst a large group of adults. In addition, Momoko's discipline is [[Capoeira]], rather than Chinese Martial Arts like her teammates. Chin and Kensou make their latest appearances in ''[[The King of Fighters XII]]''; in ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', the Psycho Soldier team is re-formed and represented by the original members.
===Heroines Team===
The '''Heroines Team''', also known as '''Women Fighters Team''' is a group composed exclusively of heroines, christened "The Princesses of Punch." The team first formed by the ''Kyokugen'' karate prodigy [[Yuri Sakazaki]], the kunoichi [[Mai Shiranui]], and the [[Muay Thai]] fighter [[King (Art of Fighting)|King]]. Throughout the later games of the series, there are several changes in the members of the team, as Yuri is sometimes called to join the Art of Fighting team, leading her to be replaced by the heir of the ancient Yata clan [[Chizuru Kagura]] and [[Kasumi Todoh]]—a young female martial artist who seeks to defeat those who practice ''Kyokugen'' karate. In later games, new characters appear, due to the new rule of using four members; these include the agent [[Blue Mary]], the Chinese-American female martial artist [[Li Xiangfei]] and the sumo fighter {{Nihongo|{{vanchor|Hinako Shijou}}|四条 雛子|Shijō Hinako}}. In ''2003'', the Women Fighters Team has a subdivision with young girls as the members, hence the reason it is named the '''High School Girls Team''' (also known as the '''Pretty Girl Fighters''' Team in 2002 UM). This team is led by Psycho Soldier leader [[Athena Asamiya]], and the two other members are Hinako and [[#Malin|Malin]]. In ''XI'', the team is dissolved, since the members go to other teams or they have other things to do{{Clarify|date=April 2011}}. The Women Fighters Team is reunited for ''[[The King of Fighters XIII]]'', featuring the three original members from the 1994 tournament. In ''XIV'', the team returns with Mai and King getting a new member named Alice, an avid fan of Terry Bogard who inspires to be just like him. At King's permission request while she returns to the Art of Fighting Team with Ryo and Robert, Athena is allowed to be the leader of an advance team for ''KOF XV'' known as the '''Super Heroines Team''', alongside the Women Fighters' original members Mai and Yuri.
==Reception==
The characters from ''The King of Fighters'' series were said to be a varied cast by ''[[Eurogamer]]'' magazine, since the cast includes characters from other SNK games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=79794|title=King Of Fighters XI Review|website=[[Eurogamer]]|author=Albiges, Lucke M.|date=2007-07-14|access-date=2008-08-15}}</ref> [[IGN]] agreed, commenting that every character has their own unique moves and praising their visuals, even though the magazine mentioned that the characters have old two-dimensional designs. IGN criticized that learning the characters' special moves was difficult.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/842/842395p1.html|title=King of Fighters XI Review|website=[[IGN]]|author=Clements, Ryan|date=2007-12-18|access-date=2008-09-01}}</ref> In reviews for the first game, IGN praised the main character [[Kyo Kusanagi]] as one of the most enjoyable characters to play, remarking on his dynamism and movesets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/852/852523p1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225215914/http://wii.ign.com/articles/852/852523p1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 25, 2008|title=King of Fighters '94 Review|website=[[IGN]]|author=Sparrow, A. E.|date=2006-04-13|access-date=2008-08-04}}</ref> [[GameSpot]] also praised the characters designs, saying they "shine through, resulting in a cast of characters that's diverse and not plentiful".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/kingoffighters20022003/review.html|title=The King of Fighters 02/03 Review|website=[[GameSpot]]|author=Kasavin, Greg|date=2005-02-11|access-date=2008-09-01}}</ref> In other reviews, they complained about the lack of improvements in the character's movesets in some games, and also mentioned that some techniques were simply removed. They noted that, while new characters introduced in some games are interesting, they do not have the same impact as other ones.<ref name="boss">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/action/kingoffighters99/review.html?page=2|title=The King of Fighters '99 Review|website=[[GameSpot]]|author=Park, Andrew Seyoon|date=2000-12-13|access-date=2008-09-01}}</ref>
[[1UP.com]] labelled the characters from the series as one of SNK's best creations, claiming that their appearances and quotations are all "cool"—although they commented some of the storylines are "nonsense".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3112498 |title=History Of... The King of Fighters, SNK's classic team-based 2D fighting series |website=[[1UP.com]] |access-date=2008-08-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004214749/http://www.1up.com/features/history-ofthe-king-fighters |archive-date=2015-10-04}}</ref> The boss characters were criticized by multiple reviewers for being too difficult to defeat,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/december03/kof2000-2001ps2/|title=The King of Fighters 2000/2001 (PS2) Review|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|author=Turner, Benjamin|date=2003-12-30|access-date=2008-09-01}}</ref> with Krizalid from ''[[The King of Fighters '99]]'' being singled out as too powerful.<ref name="boss"/>
The character designs in ''Maximum Impact'' were praised by IGN, which noted that the conversion to three-dimensional modeling had "extremely vibrant" characters with "a decent amount of detail." However, they disliked the lack of blood, especially during violent attacks, saying the super moves and combos were "just not as spectacular here" as they were in previous installments. IGN sharply criticized the "terribly bad voice acting", calling it "truly piss-poor American dub work."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/554/554861p1.html|title=King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Review|website=[[IGN]]|author=Dunham, Jeremy|date=2004-10-14|access-date=2008-08-08}}</ref> Gamezone added that some characters still remain their unique fighting style, but complained about the lack of individualized endings, and commented that some of the attacks have less style in 3D.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r23756.htm|title=King Of Fighters: Maximum Impact Review|publisher=Gamezone|access-date=2008-08-08}}</ref> ''GameSpot'' also added that the English voices weren't distinctive, but commented that their new outfits were "pretty wild". The characters, however, were "just not done with the same pixel-perfect flair" as the 2D versions, they said, noting that "you'll recognize [the characters] because of their clothes and special moves, not because of their faces."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/kofmaximumimpact/review.html|title=The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact - Maniax Review|website=[[GameSpot]] |author=Kasavin, Greg|date=2005-07-07|access-date=2008-09-02}}</ref>
Action figures,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CRFK92|title=Full Action Figure - King of Fighters (Articulate Figure)|website=Amazon|access-date=2008-07-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000V96ULS|title=Capcom vs Snk : King of Fighters Terry 3D 2"-3" Action Figure Key Chain|website=Amazon|access-date=2008-07-29}}</ref> puzzles,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MC5N2G|title=King of Fighters Kyo Kusanagi Puzzle|website=Amazon|access-date=2008-07-29}}</ref> keychains, and pins<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019HUPPS|title=King of Fighters Pin Set|website=Amazon|access-date=2008-07-29}}</ref> have been produced based on the characters in the ''King of Fighters'' series. Many characters are also featured on posters, wallpapers, and trading cards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QU6LU2|title=Universal Fighting System (UFS) Card Game Samurai Showdown & King of Fighters Booster Pack|website=Amazon|access-date=2008-09-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014HU0TE|title=UFS SNK Cutting Edge Booster|website=Amazon|access-date=2008-09-02}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External links==
* [http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php Characters' entry at ''The King of Fighters'' official website]
{{The King of Fighters characters}}
[[Category:Lists of SNK characters|King of Fighters]]
[[Category:The King of Fighters characters| ]]' |
