History Characters / KillerInstinct

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: Was very well regarded during his own time, and really only Kan-Ra and Spinal would have anything bad to say about him (considering he condemned one to an eternally rotting body and the other to a life of undeath by being bound to a sacred mask).

* TheGoodKing: As mentioned under HundredPercentAdorationRating, he was considered a wise and just King, and showed this by punishing Spinal and Kan-Ra for their betrayal as well as giving Aganos the capacity to learn and decide for himself what he wants, something that Aganos still honors to this day through his hunt for Kan-Ra.

* KillEmAll: It is unclear if ''any'' members besides Jago managed to escape [[spoiler:Gargos']] wrath.

* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: Much of his research, including ARIA, was motivated by the desire to cure [[IllGirl his wife's degenerative disease]].

!Introduced in ''Killer Instinct''
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Black '''Orchid''']]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ki-xb1-orchid-stage-622-crop-flip_5012.png]]
->''"One step closer to flushing out Ultratech."''

->'''Voiced by''': Faye Newborough ([=KI=]), Anzu Lawson ([=KI=] 2013)

"Black Orchid" is an agent of mysterious origin tasked to infiltrate Ultratech's tournament and shut them down. She fights with two escrima and possesses mysterious power over yellow fire and electricity. Orchid's victory against Eyedol at the end of ''[=KI1=]'' caused a rip in the timestream that thrust Ultratech back in time by 2000 years, leading to the events of ''[=KI2=]'' where she seeks to finish off Ultratech and escape back to the present.\\\
Orchid gains a new backstory in the reboot, explaining that she was born with a feline apparition known as the Firecat thanks to a secret government project. After her agent father was killed by Ultratech technology, she looked into the company's dark side and became obsessed with tearing it down. Her superiors discharged her for treason, having their own ties to Ultratech, forcing Orchid to started an underground rebel network called Disavowed to expose Ultratech for the monsters they are.

* ActionGirl: The most badass character in the series, bar none. She took on a ''God'' and killed it! Not even Jago could truly end Gargos!
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: In the original series, Orchid was a dangerous and mysterious special agent. In the reboot, she's a ''former'' agent who was discharged for her insistence on investigating Ultratech and now leads her own underground network.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: It's unclear whether or not Orchid is Caucasian, East Asian (especially considering how her ''[=KI2=]'' design had the same skin color as the canonically Chinese/Korean Kim Wu), Latina, (a lighter skinned) Black, or even just mixed [[spoiler:though it's implied she might be from Tibet]]. Her appearance in ''KI 2013'' leans towards Caucasian. Her appearance in the comic for ''[=KI1=]'' leans towards East Asian. A magazine reviewing ''KI Gold'' called her a [[http://www.nintendo64ever.com/Tests-Nintendo-64-Game,166,Killer-Instinct-Gold,1.html "a brunette bombshell from Bombay"]] if that even means something.
* AnimalMotif: The jaguar, which symbolizes confidence and focus, shapeshifting, protection from evil, and, in Myth/MayanMythology, is associated with the sun. One of her specials consisted of her transforming into one. ''KI 2013'' even makes it materialize as a separate entity, as well as use it in several attacks, supers, and even her [[SuperMode Instinct Mode]].
* AntiHero: She is very much one of the main protagonists and a major driving force of the series, but given her paranoia and focus on destroying [=UltraTech=] she leans her more on the "anti" side.
* BadassFamily: She and her brother [[spoiler:Jago]] have beaten down Gods, have fought against an extremist mega-corporation that employs raptors, assassins, ''a man made of fire'', and a machine that [[spoiler: has AI based on the first person to actually beat Ultratech's tournament,]] and aren't afraid to throw down with Aliens, monsters, and mummies. ''2013'' adds more to this with [[DadTheVeteran her father's history in Seal Team 6]] and her grandmother's SuperpowerfulGenetics, and you have one of the baddest girls in history.
* BalefulPolymorph: Her Frog Stomp finisher, where she magically turns her defeated opponents into a frog before stomping on them. She can even do this to herself if the opponent is B.Orchid.
* BikerBabe: Takes on the appearance of one in ''KI 2013.''
* BoobsOfSteel: One of the most up-front offensive characters in the game, as well as being one of the easier ones to master. Of course, she's also stacked.
* BrotherSisterTeam: One of her endings in ''KI 2013'' [[spoiler:has Jago coming to her aid to help ease her very troubled mind]].
* BrownNote: Her Breast Flash finisher, at least on all male opponents, who proceed to die of Stendhal syndrome (unless her opponent is another Orchid. If done, then the other Orchid just stomps the ground and pouts in jealousy).
* CallingYourAttacks: The biggest offender in ''KI 2013'', it seems. She shouts "Buster!" when using her Buster Knee (both normal and Shadow), calls out "Ichi Ni San" [[PunctuatedPounding on every hit of the move]], her [[SuperMode Instinct Mode]] has her sometimes call out "Firecat!" and she calls out "Finish!" whenever she activates her Ultra Combo.
* CharacterDevelopment: A tragic case with Orchid in that, unlike most examples, her personality ''worsened'' over time due to Ultratech still managing to stand despite her efforts to wipe it out. Her increasingly extreme efforts to erase Ultratech off the map turned her from the flirty, sexy, heroic secret agent in the original ''KI'' and ''KI 2'', to a ruthless and paranoid vigilante in ''KI 2013''.
* CharacterSong: "Touch Me (And I'll Break Your Face)" for 2013, showcasing how she's gotten darker as a person over the course of the series while still retaining elements of her trademark GRRRL! Power sound from [=KI1=], including a usage of the techno vocals from "The Way U Move".
* CombatStilettos: Her footwear in the original ''KI'' and ''KI 2'' were straighter examples. Her ''KI 2013'' incarnation is more realistic with this trope, giving her combat boots that, while still high-heeled, had thicker heels for stability.
* DualTonfas: Her weapon of choice in ''[=KI2=]''.
* DualWielding: Whatever weapon she has, she'll always have it in both hands.
* EmotionalPowers: ''2013'' reveals that her Firecat is only summoned through her anger.
* {{Fanservice Pack}}: Orchid goes from wearing a unitard catsuit in ''KI'' to a [[LeotardofPower leotard]] version of it in ''KI 2'' that lets the player have a nice view of her legs and rear. Inverted for ''KI 2013''.
* FashionableAsymmetry: She's wearing a kneepad on only her right knee in ''KI 2013''.
* FaceHeelTurn: One of her ''KI 2013'' endings has [[spoiler: her paranoia consume her, thinking only of taking Ultratech down. Her mercenary group grows in numbers, but with less and less control or order]].
* FightingSpirit: She can summon a cat-like manifestation of energy which she calls her "firecat" that obeys her every command and which assaults anything that's threatening her. Orchid has been known to [[{{Animorphism}} assume this cat-like form of pure energy herself]], implying the "firecat" in actuality is the extension of her own life force.
* FrameUp: In her backstory, she's framed for the explosion that killed her Commanding Officer, just after being dismissed for being "paranoid and delusional" by members of her squad that were heavily implied to be paid off by Ultratech.
* GenreMotif: Hers is electronic pop in ''KI 2013''; it sounds like something you might hear on Top 40 radio stations.
* GogglesDoNothing: She wears goggles in her ''[=KI=] 2013'' design, but they're just there for show.
* GrenadeSpam: Season 2 of the 2013 release gives Orchid the ability to throw grenades at will now, which detonate only on a timer.
* TheHero: The closest there is to one, considering she beat Eyedol.
* IShallTauntYou: Her theme features several verses dedicated entirely to taunting her opponent.
* JigglePhysics: Probably the greatest victim of this, considering how her costumes tend to lack any support. The new game has toned it down with one exception.
* KickChick: When she isn't smacking opponents with her batons, Orchid attacks swift kicks.
* LaResistance: Her character in the ''2013'' game centers around her singular crusade to take down Ultratech at all costs.
* LawmanBaton: Orchid is a special agent who fights with either Eskrima sticks or tonfas.
* LeotardOfPower: ''KI 2'' turned her outfit from the first game into a leotard.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YBynHVPYMo "K.I. Feeling"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmKxgX3NVVU "Orchid"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIE94pn4iJs "Touch Me And I'll Break Your Face]].
* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:She's Jago's older half-sister]].
* MsFanservice: Between her OrgasmicCombat and her LeotardOfPower that looks practically painted-on, you bet that this trope is in force (that said, both Kim Wu and Maya in ''[=KI2=]'' debatably give her a run for her money). Toned down but still present in ''KI 2013'' (though Sadira arguably outdoes her there).
* MythologyGag: Before doing an Ultra in ''Killer Instinct (2013)'', she does her ''Killer Instinct 1'' victory pose, complete with JigglePhysics.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: In ''KI 2'', she gets hit with this after she destroyed Ultratech, causing the surviving characters from the first game to be thrown into a time vortex leading to the past in the second. She also [[spoiler: got rid of Gargos's [[EvilVersusEvil competition]] by killing Eyedol]]. Oops.
* NotAsYouKnowThem: The first two games portrayed her as a sexy, flirtatious secret agent with 90's pop as her theme. The 2013 game turns her into some kind of GRRL power killer bounty hunter, with the lyrics emphasizing this. "Touch me and I'll break your face!" Turns out her plot for the third game's story mode is that her former agency has cut ties and disavowed her for unknown reasons. Even though Ultratech was allegedly destroyed (''2013'' takes place some years after ''[=KI=]2''), Orchid still feels like they're operating, and thus forms a rebel group to take down whatever's left of them, leaving her paranoid and vengeful. Further justified with the revelation that [[spoiler: ARIA ''is'' now leading a new Ultratech]] whose motives and goals have yet to be determined.
* OrgasmicCombat: Not so much during combat itself, but players who win a perfect victory as Orchid in KI 2 will be treated to a surrounding shot of her (in all her thonged leotard glory) as she moans very sexually.
* PreAsskickingOneLiner:
** "This should be quick" in ''KI 2013''.
** When activating Instinct, she shouts, "Take 'em down!"
** Before doing her Ultra, she yells out "FINISH!"
* ProperlyParanoid: In the first season of ''KI 2013'', she's convinced Ultratech is up to something shady. She's right.
* RetractableWeapon: Her stun batons in ''KI 2013''.
* {{Shotoclone}}: In first two games, she was the Ken to Jago's Ryu, the only difference being that her "shoryuken" was actually a rising knee strike. She no longer qualifies in ''2013'', since she has lost her projectile and was retooled into more rushdown-focused character.
* SimpleStaff: Her kali sticks in the first game. They even double as {{Laser Blade}}s when it comes to some of her moves.
* {{Spy Catsuit}}: Wears them in ''KI'' and ''KI 2.'' Not so in ''KI 2013''
* StartMyOwn: When Orchid is disavowed by her secret government division, she gathers like-minded agents and hackers and forms her own mercenary organization, the Disavowed, focused solely on taking down Ultratech.
* SuperMode: Her Instinct Mode summons her Firecat familiar, which can be summoned with the Instinct Mode command to help deal damage in combos.
* SuperpowerfulGenetics: It turns out that her Firecat powers were a result of her grandmother volunteering for a genetic enhancement experiment back in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, conducted by Ultratech founder Ryat Adams. While it's clear that Orchid has inherited these powers, it's uncertain how much of it Jago inherited.
* SwordAndFist: Orchid's fighting style combines lightning-fast kicks with use of her staff weapons.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Despite the already lofty standards of overkill established in the third game, Orchid is capable of stringing ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATEl74VYqVU SIX ULTRAS]]'' together to make a ''300-hit combo''.
* ThongOfShielding: Shown in the second game. The thong portion of her leotard is so skimpy that it rides up into her cheeks and leaves her ample rear end almost entirely exposed. Naturally, this outfit has become something of a fan favorite.
* TookALevelInBadass: She went from pulling off killer combos with ease to upwards of ''[[UpToEleven two hundred hits]]'' in ''KI 2013''.
* TookALevelInJerkass: The 2013 game has her go from her flirtatious and secretive persona in previous versions to bitter, vengeful and paranoid. Just listen to the lyrics of her {{Leitmotif}} "Touch me and I'll Break Your Face".
* WellIntentionedExtremist: ''KI 2013'' turned her into this, doing ''anything'' to expose Ultratech's crimes and bring the organization to (permanent) ruin. Her vendetta got her expelled from the agency she worked for, turning her into a bitter, paranoid, and ruthless vigilante who establishes an unstable spy network for the sole purpose of tracking down Ultratech's activities.
* YouKilledMyFather: AllThereInTheManual states that she, as a grown-up, saw the murder of her (and [[spoiler:Jago]]'s) parents during the events of 2, something which made her hatred of the Fulgore cyborgs to be extremely intense.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Chief '''Thunder''' (a.k.a. Hinmatoom)]]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ki-xb1-thunder-stage-622-crop-flip_260.png]]
->''"Now I go along with the law."''

->'''Voiced by''': Ken Lobb

"Chief Thunder" is an Indigenous American warrior who joins Ultratech's tournament in search of answers. His brother, Eagle, was a contestant in a prior tournament who mysteriously disappeared, driving Thunder to find out what happened to his brother. The only certainty of his involvement in ''[=KI1=]'' is that he defeated Spinal; his absence from ''[=KI2=]'' implies he was killed or otherwise left before he could get sucked to the past.\\\

In the reboot, Thunder (real name Hinmatoom) seeks revenge on Ultratech. His parents were killed and his Idaho reservation polluted by Ultratech, which drove his brother Eagle to join Disavowed and challenge Ultratech alongside Orchid. When Ultratech informed Thunder of his brother's death but refused to return his body, Thunder went berserk on an Ultratech facility and was incarcerated. Following his release, he set off on his own quest to discover what truly happened to his brother.

----
* AcademicAthlete: According to his backstory, he was pretty good in school on the academic front, and was also a natural at football.
* AnimalMotif: His 2013 redesign places a heavy influence on CreepyCrows, to the point that his Instinct Mode surrounds him in a flock of crows.
* ArchEnemy: Ultratech, probably much more so than any other character in the game. They're responsible for the death of his parents in ''KI 2013'', and they refused to return his Eagle's remains to him for a proper burial after he was killed in the Killer Instinct tournament, instead [[spoiler:implanting Eagle's mind into Fulgore]]. As a result, he has a deep-seeded hatred of them even in the present day.
* AnAxeToGrind: His trademark weapons are [[DualWielding two tomahawks]].
* BadassBiker: Thunder's retro outfit (likely created to avoid UnfortunateImplications with his actual ''Killer Instinct 1'' outfit, which could cause controversy in 2013). He eventually received a culturally accurate outfit, courtesy of input from the Nez Perce tribe, during Season 3 (see ShownTheirWork below).
* BadassNative: Though he didn't look to much like it before, he does look the part in force for ''2013''.
* BraidsBeadsAndBuckskins: Not so obvious from the first game, but his new look definitely embraces this aspect.
* TheBusCameBack: Returns in ''KI 2013'' after being absent in ''KI 2''.
* CharacterSong: "Hinnamatoom" for 2013, with prominent Native American wind and percussion instruments to highlight his heritage.
* DarkerAndEdgier: His story and appearance in ''KI 2013'' are much darker than his initial appearance.
* DeathSeeker: In one of his Arcade Mode endings in Season 1 of the 2013 game, it's noted that he's looking for answers or death, and will welcome either.
* DominoRevelation: Thunder discovers in the first game that Eagle has apparently died. His questioning of Orchid in ''KI 2013'' about the circumstances of his death lead to him learning that [[spoiler:Eagle was used to create Fulgore]].
* DrowningMySorrows: The explanation for what he has been doing since the first game.
* DueToTheDead: His story in ''KI 2013'' involves him looking for his brother Eagle's body, likely so that it might get a proper burial. He also sports a massive tattoo of an eagle on his chest marked with Eagle's date of birth and [[spoiler:supposed]] year of death.
* FrameUp: After he was arrested for breaking into an Ultratech facility and announcing he was going to burn the place to the ground, Ultratech did exactly that, and pinned it on him.
* GeniusBruiser: He was very academically gifted in school and was even planning on becoming a teacher. He still kicks just as much ass as all the other characters.
* GenreMotif: Much like Jago, his stage has [[ThePowerOfRock rock music]] as this, only his includes some Native American instruments befitting his origin.
* GroundPound: A new move of his in ''KI 2013'' allows him to stomp the ground right below him from midair after performing his Sammamish attack.
* HomeRunHitter: His Axe Uppercut [[FinishingMove No Mercy]].
* {{Hunk}}: He's as hunky now as he was back then.
* HurtingHero: Thunder is hit particularly hard by the [[spoiler:apparent]] death/disappearance of his brother Eagle.
* ImmuneToFlinching: His Shadow Moves in ''[=KI=] 2013'' have a point of super armor on them.
* LargeAndInCharge: Both a massive fighter and a chieftain of the Nez Perce tribe.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ybEGsHWmQ "Oh Yeah"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ckR822Wu4k Hinnamatoom]].
* MagicalNativeAmerican: Thunder wields spiritual powers that are usually associated with shamans.
* OddFriendship:
** With Sabrewulf. Thunder admires him for his oneness with his spirit guide.
** He forms one with Aganos, after he [[spoiler:destroys the Ultratech device controlling it]].
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Thunder is almost never referred to by his actual name, hinmatoom.
* PowerfulPick: His DLC costume lets him replace his tomahawks with pickaxes in one of the accessory sets.
* PutOnABus: After the first game.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: In his backstory in ''KI 2013''. After Eagle was killed in the Killer Instinct tournament, he, in order, drove his car through the gates of the Ultratech facility near his reservation, put a dozen or so security guards in the hospital, and was then detained by police while yelling that he would "Burn Ultratech to the ground."
* ShockAndAwe: His Rain Dance [[FinishingMove No Mercy]]. There's a greater emphasis on lightning in his ''[=KI=] 2013'' moveset, to the point of giving him a new move in ''2013'' Season 2 where he summons lightning that subsequently strikes and empowers himself.
* ShownTheirWork:
** Thunder's shouts during Shadow Triplax are accurate to the language of the Nez Perce tribe to which he belongs, and not just made up gibberish as is often the case with Native American characters:
--> ''"Náqc!(One!)Lepít!(Two!)Mitát!(Three!)"''
** His victory quote is also accurately spoken, all of this despite Niimiipuutímt being an incredibly obscure language.
** They also got design tips on him from the Nez Perce tribe so that he wouldn't look like a walking stereotype like in the first ''KI'', resulting in his current appearance. However, they admitted that even despite steps taken to be less insensitive, Thunder was not [[http://news.xbox.com/2016/12/21/killer-instinct-legend-of-thunder-pack-available-now/ 100% accurate]] as a cultural representative. To correct this, Iron Galaxy (the team in charge of the game after Double Helix left following season 1) revisited the Nez Perce tribe and spent more time than was originally allowed by the game's need to be ready for the Xbox One's launch in order to create a completely accurate depiction of a tribal warrior, which was then offered as free DLC for owners of the character during season 3.
* SickeningCrunch: His Call of the Earth grab ends with a brutal curbstomp, where he twists his heel to make this noise.
* SuperMode: In the 2013 game, when he triggers Instinct Mode, his dash becomes invulnerable and he can dash much further, allowing him to rush in without fear of retaliation as well as quickly cross-up his opponents when they're caught unaware.
* TakeItToTheBridge: His stage in the original game was a long wooden bridge (though oddly it didn't include a stage finisher in spite of it). His stage in the 2013 game is likewise inspired by that setting (now taking place in a northwest corner of the US on a natural stone walkway).
* TallDarkAndHandsome: At a good 6'4".
* TattooedCrook: Is implied to have formerly been this; his chest is covered in tattoos and his intro quote implies that he didn't always follow the law.
* TribalFacepaint: Both versions of Thunder include this. His DLC costume, though, does not.
* UseYourHead: In the first game, he had his mohawk light up for one special, Sammamish. In the 2013 release, the mohawk's gone, but he's still got the move.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: His default costumes display this.
* WrenchWhack: One of the accessory sets for his DLC Costume replaces his tomahawks with wrenches.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Cinder''' (a.k.a Ben Ferris)]]
[[quoteright:356:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5e76ebad332dd2e70a4344ed3a854f44.PNG]]
->''"You know how the saying goes: Play with fire, well...you know the rest."''

->'''Voiced by''': Creator/RayChase ([=KI=] 2013)

Cinder, real name Ben Ferris, was a small-time criminal with a record of assault, breaking-and-entering, and arson. Ultratech used him as a human guinea pig, and one chemical weapons trial had the unexpected side-effect of engulfing his body with plasma, but leaving him alive. Ultratech decides to enter him into the tournament to defeat Glacius, proving human superiority and granting Cinder freedom from his sentence.\\\

In the reboot, Ben Ferris was instead an ex-spec-ops soldier gone thief-for-hire, and a highly competitive egomaniac seeking more and more power. One day he received a contract to infiltrate Ultratech and steal data on the secret "Project Cinder"; after nearly completing the job, he was caught and informed it was a test posed by ARIA to see if he was up for undergoing the project himself. He agreed without hesitation, becoming the plasma-based lieutenant of Ultratech's black ops.

----
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: Originally, Ben Ferris was a petty crook who was offered freedom from his sentence if he underwent Ultratech's experiments. Ferris in ''KI 2013'' is a former spec ops agent turned con artist mercenary, who was hired by ARIA to undergo the experiments and did so very willingly in order to become stronger.
* AdaptationalComicRelief: Is considerably more mouthy and witty in the reboot, resulting in a much more cheesy and fun Cinder.
* AdaptationalVillainy: Cinder didn't seem like an especially cruel guy in the original games, more like a criminal making the most of his situation. In the reboot he is excited to help Ultratech's insane plans and even considers becoming TheStarscream to usurp ARIA's control of Ultratech.
** The most we got of his personality gamewise was his Extended Story describing his horror at his new form. Come ''2013'', he's a con-man who loves the power his current form gives him, and he's a BloodKnight to an absolutely psychotic degree.
* AlienBlood: Appears to bleed orange lava in the original. Averted in the new game, where he bleeds normal red.
* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Even for Killer Instinct his alternate colors push the envelope, ranging from intense violets to gray to two shades of green affectionately nicknamed "Mountain Dew and Xbox" by the developers.
* BadassBoast: [[spoiler: "ARIA may be powerful, but she cannot keep the Sun from rising"]].
* BizarreAlienBiology: Due to being enhanced with alien DNA, ''2013'' Cinder looks quite a bit more alien as a result.
* BloodKnight: From some of his dialogue, it looks like it.
-->'''Cinder''': ''(victory)'' Ha ha, that was too much fun!
-->'''Cinder''': ''(throwing Pyrobomb)'' Heads up!
-->'''Cinder''': ''(doing Trailblazer)'' [[{{Pun}} Sick burn!]]
* BrickJoke: This is actually a pretty long one. T.J. Combo's trailer, which debuted at E3 2014, had him saying "Is that the best you got, Ultratech?" while standing over a defeated Fulgore. At the end of this trailer, an orange glare appears behind him; he turns around, and the trailer ends. That was ''[[OffscreenInertia almost a year]]'' before Cinder was shown in full near the end of Hisako's trailer, using the exact same set-up as T.J.'s trailer. The month after that, Cinder's trailer opens with him beating the crap out of T.J. Combo, and his first spoken dialogue is:
-->'''Cinder''': About now, I'm thinkin' ol' T.J. has to be regrettin' that witty line of his. ''(in a mocking impersonation of T.J.'s voice)'' "Is that the best you got, Ultratech?" I mean, who says things like that?!
* CaptainErsatz: He's basically an evil version of the Comicbook/HumanTorch. His redesign in the ''2013'' game makes him look like a flaming [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron Ultron.]] Others have taken to the name [[WesternAnimation/Ben10 Heatblast]].
* CharacterBlog: While not an official constant one, Cinder temporarily took over the Killer Instinct twitter on April 30th, 2015 (his release date)
* CharacterSong: "Inferno" in 2013, a frantic and powerful Industrial Metal piece showcasing his origins and personality.
* ConMan: In ''2013'' he's a master of corporate espionage and apparently a major con man.
* CursedWithAwesome: Cinder in ''KI 2013'' is obviously having one hell of a time using his powers.
* DownloadableContent: Cinder was the second-to-last character to be released for Season 2, released on April 30, 2015.
* DeadpanSnarker: As part of his new design.
* DeathSeeker:
** According to the comic, Cinder wishes for death [[IAmAMonster due to what he has become]].
** Averted in ''KI 2013''. Ben willingly went along with being transformed into Cinder, fully knowing what it would turn him into.
-->'''Cinder''': It's hard to go by Ben when you look like I do. But you know what? I like this new me. Stronger, faster, [[BuffySpeak burn-ier]].
* DifficultButAwesome: Somewhat in ''2013''. His individual hits deal very little damage, and even an 11 hit combo performed by him can only end up being around 12% damage, which is much lower on average than even Kan-Ra or Omen. But, he can build up a ''ton'' of potential damage, meaning that if you're patient and play your cards right, your next combo is going to ''really'' hurt.
* TheDragon: To ARIA, alongside Sadira. That said, however, his loyalties only last as long as he can enjoy himself. [[spoiler: By the end of his story arc, Cinder has become ARIA's chief lieutenant. In the 2017 comic, he stays back and lets ARIA be destroyed when he's supposed to be assisting her, fully intending to become a DragonAscendant as a result.]]
* EvilFeelsGood: If his in-game quotes are any indication, ''2013'' Cinder sounds like he's having a lot more fun compared to his older or his comic counterpart.
* FaceHeelTurn: In the ''2013'' game, he went from being an ordinary spec-ops operative to a career criminal, before ultimately working for Ultratech.
* Fiction500: According to ARIA, he has 18,459,379 euros in his bank account, equivalent to about 20 million US dollars, making him richer than 99% of the people on earth.
* FireWaterJuxtaposition: His chief rival is [[AnIcePerson Glacius]].
* GenreMotif: Cinder is associated with heavy metal tracks.
* GrenadeSpam: Cinder can throw up to 3 Pyrobombs he can detonate at will, making this a viable zoning strategy.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Ben's DNA was spliced with that of Glacius' in the ''2013'' game during his transformation, effectively making him part alien.
* ImMelting: His Lava Pool [[FinishingMove No Mercy]].
* IncendiaryExponent: The crux of his fighting style.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Ben wasn't the nicest guy even before he became Cinder, but this discussion between him and ARIA about one of his military raids when he was being held prisoner serves as this.
--> '''ARIA:''' And you don't feel a sense of guilt?\\
'''Ben:''' About what?\\
'''ARIA:''' The multitude of civilian deaths that went along with those fourteen enemy kills?\\
'''Ben:''' [laughter] Do you feel guilty for all of the people who’ve died from Ultratech bombs or guns or bad vaccines?
* KillItWithFire: His Meltdown [[FinishingMove No Mercy]]. It's also his whole shtick, considering he's a being of living flames.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Glacius kills him in the first tournament. The comic depicts this as a mercy killing]].
* LaughablyEvil: In ''2013''. He sounds like a stereotypical high-school jock, all while spouting off insults, [[EmbarrassingNickname dumb nicknames]], and fire puns. Though unlike in the original ''Killer Instinct'', he is very much on Ultratech's side this time, and is obviously enjoying causing havoc with his new powers.
* LargeHam: The guy sounds like he's having the time of his life in ''2013'', gleefully laughing and trash-talking his opponents throughout the fight.
--> (using Inferno) ''"BUUUUUURN!"''
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amxyEXyZadw "Trailblazer"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRmwFBK0cyk "Inferno"]].
* MaliciousMisnaming: Cinder likes to spout out ridiculous nicknames for those he is beating.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: ''Cinder''. Also counts as a MeaningfulName since cinders are partly burned coal/wood bits that are still combustible even after the fire has died.
* TheNeedless: Thank to the experiments made by ARIA, Cinder body doesn't need food at all.
-->'''ARIA''': The door will open in 30 seconds. Fulgore will escort you down the hall. I will be waiting in the lab.
-->'''Ben:''' OK. Sure. Let’s talk some more about all of this. But when’s [[TemptingFate feeding time around here?]]
-->'''ARIA:''' Soon you will not have to worry about such mundane things, Ben Ferris.
-->'''Ben:''' Great. ‘Cuz I’m terrible in the kitchen. [[HilariousInHindsight I burn everything I touch]].
* NightmareFace: His face without his mask on looks pretty creepy. Becomes especially apparent when he starts [[GlasgowGrin smil]][[SlasherSmile ing]].
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Averted. His job as a spy pays incredibly well, but he sees the money as more of a symbol of his personal skill. He actually lives a very modest lifestyle despite his wealth.
* PlayingWithFire: What kind of power would a man of fire have? Three guesses, first two don't count.
* PyroManiac: No matter what continuity it is, Cinder enjoys setting stuff and people on fire.
* TheRival: To Glacius, since they are elemental opposites (Cinder being fire and Glacius being ice).
* SealedEvilInACan: Ben/Cinder's entire body has been converted into an unstable plasma energy (although some parts of his old body are still visible, [[SlasherSmile like]] [[GlasgowGrin his]] [[NightmareFace face]]), making him basically [[ThePowerOfTheSun a walking sun]]. So Ultratech equipped him with armor that gives him the capacity to [[PlayingwithFire control]] [[PyroManiac his]] [[ThePowerOfTheSun powers]].
* SecretlyWealthy: As stated above, he's in the top 1% of wealth in the world, but he lives in an apartment, leases a car, and doesn't really have any hobbies to speak of besides his mercenary work.
* SmugSuper: Cinder's huge ego is backed up with his pyrokinetic powers.
* SociopathicSoldier: ARIA describes him as one, but Ben doesn't even try to justify this, only saying that the casualties he and his squad caused were sacrifices for the greater good.
* SpiritedCompetitor: Cinder enjoys the thrill of battle more than anything else.
-->'''Cinder''': But if they really wanna fight it, who am I to complain? It just means I get to have more fun.
* StatusEffects: Some of his combo enders set the opponent on fire, generating potential damage (white health) over time. There's both kick and punch burn enders, and if the opponent uses a kick or a punch attack respectively while on fire, they refresh the duration of the debuff.
* StickyBomb: His Pyrobombs in the ''2013'' game, which will stick to the opponent if they connect. He can detonate them at any time by pressing all three punch buttons, but if he's hit while his opponent has any Pyrobombs on them, they fizzle out, and they will also fizzle out automatically after a short time.
* SuperMode: Along with the standard Instinct, Cinder in the ''2013'' game also has a special state called Fired Up. When he's Fired Up, his special moves are given new properties such as extended range. Using a special move will remove the Fired Up state, but it recharges after a few seconds. His Instinct Mode fires him up continuously.
* TrashTalk: Cinder always has a witty comment for his opponent.
* {{Transhuman}}: Due to Ultratech messing with alien tecnhology to create Cinder, Ben Ferris is no longer an ordinary man. Taken UpToEleven in the ''2013'' game, he's barely even a human anymore.
* VisibleInvisibility: He had a special that either makes him only partially invisible (only a silhouette) or fully invisible. Both give him projectile immunity, though the former only lasts against one move. He'd be almost unspottable if he wasn't WreathedInFlames.
* VisionaryVillain: Cinder is convinced that Ultratech is this and is therefore the right side to be on, and doesn't understand how others don't see it this way. Even the realization that [[spoiler: ARIA may someday try to dispose of him as well]] doesn't shake his faith in Ultratech, instead deciding to forego dealing with it until it actually happens and focus on assisting ARIA.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Fulgore''' Serial Number s4.Q4NT.YX-003]]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fulgore_ki3.png]]

-> '''Voiced by''': Jean-Edouard "Jedsound" Miclot ([=KI=] 2013)

Fulgore is a prototype cybernetic soldier created by Ultratech. He was entered into the tournament to test and showcase his abilities; if he proved capable enough, mass production would begin. However, he was destroyed by Jago, resulting in a new, deadlier Fulgore being constructed in ''[=KI2=]'' to hunt the monk down for revenge. In the comics he was secretly [[spoiler:Eagle, the missing brother of Thunder, incorporated into a cyborg suit of armor]].\\\

The Fulgore in the reboot is the first in a new line of Fulgore Mk. III. This latest Fulgore possesses an intellect far beyond the rudimentary artificial intelligence of its predecessors. It thinks, it plans, and it is quickly developing a will of its own. It is later revealed that this is because [[spoiler:the Fulgore Mk. III's intelligence is based on the soul of Eagle, trapped in Ultratech custody. This gives it a mental connection with the young warrior and his brother, Thunder]].
----
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: Multiple times, actually. In the first game he is assumed to just be an Ultratech machine. In the 1996 comics series, he is secretly Thunder's brother, Eagle, trapped in a cyborg suit of armor. Then in the reboot [[spoiler: he is completely mechanical, but his AI is based on Eagle's brain, giving the two an uncanny connection but not as the same person]].
* AlienBlood: Leaks what seems to be green oil or robotic fluid in the first two games. Averted in the third, as Fulgore does not bleed when hit.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: [[LaserBlade Laser Blades]] [[BladeBelowTheShoulder below the shoulder,]] in fact.
* BrainUploading: [[spoiler: His AI is based on the brain patterns of Thunder's missing brother: Eagle. This gives him some of Eagle's mannerisms]].
* BreakoutCharacter: Fulgore was the penultimate boss of the original game and one of several playable characters. The reception of the character proved great that Fulgore went from simply a robot built by the villains to gaining more significance, especially in the 2013 reboot. Despite being neither a heroic characer or the main character, Fulgore became the face of ''Killer Instinct'', not unlike Scorpion from ''Mortal Kombat''.
* CharacterSong: "Type-03" in 2013, a menacing Techno Metal piece highlighting his mechanical nature and role as enforcer for Ultratech. It even has bits of his theme from 2/Gold mixed in as well.
* DeadlyUpgrade: [[spoiler:Upon Eagle's victory in the comics, he rats Ultratech out. As retaliation, the company does this to Eagle against his will, turning him into Fulgore]].
* DeathIsCheap: Death doesn't stop this robot from returning in the sequels. [[spoiler:And it ain't stopping Eagle by a longshot.]]
* DownloadableContent: Fulgore was released for ''Killer Instinct 2013'' in April 8, 2014.
* TheDragon: In the first two games, he is always the second-to-last opponent. The third game promotes him to end-boss.
* EnergyWeapon: Besides his eye lasers, his ''2013'' design also gives him an even larger, [[ChestBlaster chest-mounted one,]] used as an actual attack and as a part of his Ultra Combo.
* {{Expy}}: Pretty much a robot version of the Franchise/{{Predator}}, right down to how the blades are shaped. In the third game, this is mixed with a bit of Film/TheTerminator in his design and [[spoiler:the housing of Eagle's mind making it more human]].
* EyeBeams: A special move of his as well as a [[FinishingMove No Mercy]]. In ''[=KI=]2'', his Ultra Combo consists of jumping into the air and unleashing a barrage of BeamSpam. The Eye Laser spam makes a return as a Shadow Move for his ''2013'' redesign.
* FinalBoss: In Season 1 of the 2013 game, you fight Fulgore at the end of the arcade ladder instead of one stage before (as in the last two entries). However, if you perform the necessary steps to get to [[TrueFinalBoss Shadow Jago]], Fulgore's battle will be skipped entirely.
* FlawedPrototype: Despite being extremely powerful, easily one of the strongest beings in the world, it's central processor is still [[spoiler: the mind of Black Eagle, who has far from given up on regaining control of himself]].
* GenreMotif: His stage theme is industrial metal, which is combined with his ''[=KI=]2'' theme. For the record, the only other character who even references the second game's soundtrack in Season One is Glacius.
* GhostInTheMachine: It turns out that Fulgore has [[spoiler:the mind of Thunder's brother Eagle within him. Because of this, Fulgore is slowly gaining sentience]].
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: They glow even more when his Instinct Meter is full
* {{Invisibility}}: Starting in the second game. The ''2013'' version combines this with his teleport.
* KillSat: His No Mercy in the second game.
* LaserBlade: His claws.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kMukxotbzc "Full-Bore"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0VsM41vMHQ "Fulgore"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abDg6kuUscM "Type-03"]].
* LimitBreak: In addition to regular Shadow moves everyone can use, Fulgore has access to unique move that uses his whole Shadow meter: the [[WaveMotionGun Devastation Beam]], a full-screen laser that deals over 30% of health bar worth of damage and extra 15% as potential damage(that has to be "cashed out" by performing a full combo).
* LudicrousGibs and MoreDakka: His Gun 'em Down [[FinishingMove No Mercy]].
* MeatSackRobot: Fulgore is one of a series of robots created by [[MegaCorp Ultratech]] with the intention of selling it as weapons of war to highest bidders. While it for most of the duration of the series has a human brain, that of [[spoiler: Chief Thunder's brother Eagle]], however Fulgore is not a cyborg in the sense of this trope as it only contains a brain for use as part of its CPU, which operates on its own AI). It is subverted in the post season three release when it has developed a consciousness of its own from absorbing and recording the brain patterns of [[spoiler:Eagle]], of whom became freed from it due to the work of [[spoiler:Chief Thunder and Glacius]].
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter:
** In the ''2013'' release, Fulgore does not get a Shadow Meter. Instead, he gets a charge meter that determines how much energy he can spend on attack cancels and shadow moves. The rate at which the charge meter can be charge faster via attacking or unique auto-doubles, while it slows down if Fulgore gets hit or stays idle.
** Season 2 modified these rules but he remains mechanically unusual in spite of it. Now his meter gains power on its own (initially there was no charge command for Season 2 Fulgore but a later patch adds this back as an Instinct-only feature) and increases gain rate as Fulgore hits his opponent with physical strikes. As it gains, Fulgore's movement behavior improves with each level of Reactor Gauge (green-yellow-red). The Devastation Beam is now usable outside of Instinct Mode (just fill the Reactor Gauge to use it) and activating Instinct will maximize the reactor's growth rate for the duration of Instinct.
*** Season 3 tampers with this further by making the Instinct Mode not max out the reactor speed, but ensure that it never goes down by damage/weapons use.
* MoreDakka: End a match with an Ultimate in ''[=KI2=]'' and Fulgore will turn into a giant robot (or replace his head with a turret in the first game) to ventilate his enemy.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: His name is pronounced "Full Gore".
* PowerGlows: An aura of red energy glows around him when he activates Instinct Mode.
* RocketPunch: His ''2013'' iteration not only uses rockets to boost his {{Shoryuken}}, but he also uses this to boost himself along for the Cyber Dash move.
* RobotHair: Fulgore has a red/brown, ponytail-like protrusion coming from the back of his head. This can be replaced with accessories, including a set of cables that resemble [[Film/{{Predator}} the Predator's hair.]]
* SeriesMascot: Despite being neither the main character or one of the heroes, Fulgore's recognizability made him the face of the ''Killer Instinct'' series.
* ShockAndAwe: Mainly for show, but he can do it as a projectile. He could also use this to counter enemy attacks and [[AttackReflector reflect projectiles]] in the second game.
* {{Shoryuken}}: While he has always had this move, his ''2013'' version combines this with RocketPunch.
* SlidingScaleOfRobotIntelligence: His story in the third game focuses upon the possibility that he might actually have a human intelligence. Normally, though, he is around a Level 2.
* SuperMode: Fulgore's Instinct Mode automatically charges his battery, speeding him up considerably.
* SuperPrototype: Designed to replace and improve the flawed Kilgore line, Fulgore has a nuclear reactor instead of combustion engine, preventing overheating while having a higher power output. Fulgore was powerful enough that it took both Jago and Black Orchid (who had previously kill a god) to take him down.
* TeleportSpam: He was guilty of this in the first game, and one of his combo enders uses it.
* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: If Fulgore wins ''[=KI2=]'' after killing Jago, humanity becomes enslaved by Fulgore as he leads machines to war against their creators. The expanded bio in Season 3 confirms that the new Fulgore model has disappeared, having apparently gone rogue. [[spoiler: This may be an indicator that Eagle's original personality is starting to reemerge further.]]
* VillainTeleportation: Starting in the second game.
* WasOnceAMan: It's eventually revealed that the newest version of Fulgore [[spoiler:has Eagle's mind programmed in it. The comics went even further with this, having Fulgore be Eagle himself, but 18 years earlier]].
* WaveMotionGun: His Devastation Beam is large enough to count as this. In his Ultimate, he overclocks it and makes it even bigger - as wide as he's tall.
* WeaksauceWeakness: In the 2013 game, Fulgore's Instinct Mode (which fills his shadow meter over time at the maximum rate his Reactor can reach) can be completely negated with Spinal's [[ManaDrain Searing Skull]] projectile (which prevents Shadow Meter gain-- even on the HUD it shows the Reactor at a complete standstill).
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Justified in that he's a robot.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Glacius''']]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/glaciuscrashsite_8079.png]]

-> '''Voiced by''': Kevin Bayliss ([=KI=], [=KI2=]), Jean-Edouard "Jedsound" Miclot ([=KI=] 2013)

Glacius is an icy alien from the far reaches of space captured by Ultratech. They enter him into their tournament to prove his species' inferiority and boost ratings. However, he killed Cinder and escaped to his homeworld. Then during ''[=KI2=]'', 2000 years in the past, an ancestor of Glacius' coincidentally visits the Earth at the same time the contestants of the tournament are thrust into the past. He seeks to rescue a group of his brethren who were stranded on the planet.\\\

The rebooted storyline features Glacius as a galactic marshall dedicated to enforcing laws among the advanced civilizations of the galaxy. Upon learning of his existence, Ultratech lures him to the Earth before shooting his spacecraft down and stealing some of his technology. Crippled but willing, Glacius mounts a counterattack to retrieve his technology and bring justice upon Ultratech for violating the law.
----
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: Originally he was a random space traveller captured by Ultratech and forced to fight for his freedom. In ''2013'' he's an intergalactic officer whose technology is stolen by Ultratech, forcing him to take it back and stop them from misusing it.
* AlienBlood: Seemed to bleed out ice in liquid form in the first two games.
* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Among the color palettes available in every game, Glacius tends to have some of the most varied among them. His DLC costume in the 2013 release even gives him a ''transparent'' costume!
* BizarreAlienBiology: Glacius and possibly all of his race are revealed to have two hearts. They also are able to create shells around their bodies using their environment (in this case, ice).
* BlueIsHeroic: Glacius is colored blue (and white) and has noble and non-malicious motives.
* CharacterSong: "Shatterhail" for 2013, with heavy dubstep beats to show his technologically advanced nature while also using strings and haunting vocals to show his alien mystique.
* DamageControl: His story in the third game involves fixing whatever mayhem that may ensue from the misuse of his technology. As it turns out, Sadira's after this technology as well. the fact that Ultratech is even planning to use it [[spoiler:let alone the fact that they opened a rift with it, potentially leading to Gargos' arrival]] is considered a violation of his culture's "88 Decrees".
* ExtremeOmnivore: Possibly one of his KI 1 finishers: he turns into a puddle and engulfs the doomed opponent while in this form.
* FireWaterJuxtaposition: Glacius' primary rival is [[IncendiaryExponent Cinder]].
* GenreMotif: Glacius gets an electronic one of these for his stage, Crash Site, in ''[=KI=] 2013.''
* HumansAreSpecial: Glacius' story summary shows that he holds this opinion, and is only participating in the newest tournament out of a sense of chivalry in order to curtail all the harm that Ultratech would bring to humanity.
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: One of his endings in ''[=KI=] 2013'' has him [[spoiler:activating the self-destruct mechanism on his stolen technology to keep those [[HumansAreBastards damn, dirty Earthlings]] from ruining the universe with it. Said mechanism ends up destroying Earth]] and it's implied that he's not happy about it.
* AnIcePerson: Though he sadly lacks any kind of stunning move.
* ImmuneToFlinching: In the Xbox One game, his Instinct Mode allows him to take up to five hits without flinching as long as it's active.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: His Ice Pick [[FinishingMove No Mercy]]. Made into a spear in the second game. By the third game, he gains an attack similar to [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIII Twelve's]] X.N.D.L. Super Art.
* LargeAndInCharge: In ''[=KI=] 2013'', the guy ''towers'' over most of the cast so far.
* LegacyCharacter: The one in the second is ''not'' the same as the one in the first. The third game brings back a previous Glacius (Possibly the second considering the DLC costume), though visibly different. The second Glacius is [[WordOfGod stated]] [[AllThereInTheManual to be a distant ancestor of the first]].
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS0zVAsLG2I "Controlling Transmission"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjt-GZ4pbDM "Glacius"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auMagsgTDmU "Shatterhail"]].
* LiterallyShatteredLives: His No Mercy in the second game.
* LongRangeFighter: His fighting style is mostly geared around fighting at a distance from his opponents, with several moves extending the length of his arms and legs or creating ice constructs to attack from afar. This is {{justified|Trope}} InUniverse by the fact his body within the ice is fragile and he can't afford to let his shell break in combat.
* MetronomicManMashing: For the first two games at least, he had more throws involved.
* PoweredArmor: In ''[=KI=] 2013'', Glacius is wearing a transparent form of this made of ice. Circuitry patterns can occasionally be seen flashing on it.
* ShapeShifting: The first two games had more fun with this, with his hands turning into various sharp blades or spikes for special moves. The third game toned this down considerably to only melting into a puddle.
* ShoutOut: His 2013 default appearance looks remarkably like [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Mewtwo]], sans the tail.
* SpacePolice: A new detail to his story in ''2013''. His occupation among his culture is as a police officer of sorts, upholding his culture's law of "88 Decrees".
* SuperMode: The 2013 release's Instinct Mode temporarily gives Glacius 5 hits worth of super armor, making him ImmuneToFlinching. It also speeds up his Liquify command normal, allows him to preform homing Puddle Punches by pressing heavy punch and heavy kick again, and extends the amount of active frames on his shadow counter.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Jago''']]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ki-xb1-jago-stage-622-crop_5958.png]]
->''"I'm afraid your path ends here."''

-> '''Voiced by''': Kevin Bayliss ([=KI=], [=KI2=]), Mike Willette ([=KI=] 2013)

Jago is a monk of a clan that worships the Tiger Spirit in the mountains of Tibet. He is urged by the Tiger Spirit to enter Ultratech's tournament to purge darkness: both in the company and in his own heart. He destroys Fulgore, but after the defeat of Eyedol the Tiger Spirit reveals its true nature as Gargos, whose rival has just been taken out of the picture. Now 2000 years in the past, Jago vows revenge on Gargos for betraying his faith.\\\

In the reboot, Jago remains a monk of the Tiger Spirit. However, prior to the events of the story Gargos impersonated the Tiger Spirit and corrupted Jago into the evil Shadow Jago to prepare the world for his invasion. Once Jago escaped from Gargos' influence and reverted to normal, he was horrified by the violence he committed and doubled down on his worship of the Tiger Spirit, seeking to purge the lingering darkness by destroying the forces of Gargos.
----
* {{Ambiguously Brown}}: Like [[spoiler:his half-sister]] B. Orchid, Jago's racial background is debatable. Canonically, he's [[spoiler:the bastard son of Orchid's father and a foreign aid worker]] but that still makes nailing it down iffy.
* AnvilOnHead: His Falling Car [[FinishingMove No Mercy]].
* AnimalMotifs: The tiger. Particularly prominent in the 2013 game.
* AnimeHair: His 2013 design makes his hair windswept almost entirely to the side.
* BackFromTheDead: ''[=KI=]2'' gave Jago a specific method: He can use a specific command that [[CastFromHitPoints drains him of about 1/8 of his health]], but if he is out of health bars (and isn't finished with an Ultra or Ultimate), his spirit will leave his body and regain that sliver of health so he can fight again.
* ButterFace: For a time in Season One there was a glitch wherein Jago's mask would not render in various menus and in matches, revealing his face, assuming it isn't simply a placeholder. [[http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vYltUGAyzI4/maxresdefault.jpg He isn't ugly per se]], but his face certainly looks... ''off'' on his ripped physique.
* CharacterSong: "The Tiger Warrior" for 2013, which uses a lot of Oriental themes and instruments as well as throat singing from Mick Gordon himself to paint a powerful picture of Jago's background.
* ChargeAttack: In Season 3, he can charge his Endokukens to release a Big Endokuken (or two if in Instinct).
* {{Cult}}: Jago was originally part of one [[spoiler:that unbeknownst to him [[PathOfInspiration was worshipping Gargos]]]].
* TheDarkSide: His story in the third game centers around him trying to manage the corruption within him from [[spoiler:serving Gargos under the guise of the Tiger Spirit]], as well as dealing with the guilt of being used in the first place.
* DarkerAndEdgier: [[WordOfGod Although it's only really]] [[AllThereInTheManual present in the backstory]], Jago is this in ''KI 2013''.
* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Of the StockShonenHero who is commonly the lead in Fighting Games. Not only is he not the main hero, (that honor arguably goes to Orchid) but his intense faith and dedication actually cause a myriad of problems for Jago, including the possibility of a SuperPoweredEvilSide. Not to mention that most of his endings either involve him suffering for his victory or outright failing altogether.
* EnemyWithout: [[spoiler:Omen]].
* EnergyBall: His Endokuken. Turned UpToEleven with his 2013 Ultimate.
* FaceHeelTurn: In his worst ending, he succumbs to Gargos' corruption and falls under his control.
* GenreMotif: [[ThePowerOfRock Rock music]] is his for ''KI 2013'', although there are some Eastern instruments included, reflecting his Tibetan origin.
* HeroicBastard: Jago is the result of an affair between [[spoiler:Orchid's father]] and a foreign aid worker. Unless [[spoiler:he's possessed by Omen]], he's one of the most heroic characters in the KI 'verse.
* HeroicBuild: Tall, muscular, and with very little body fat.
* {{Hunk}}: And a fairly extreme example to boot.
* HurtingHero: Being manipulated by a millenia old demon has taken its toll on Jago.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: His Sword Stab [[FinishingMove No Mercy]].
* ImprobableWeaponUser: One skin for his sword in ''[=KI 2013=]'' is a keytar for his classic costume.
* ImprovisedClothes: His new outfit in the 2013 game is made from materials he found around the temple.
* KatanasAreJustBetter: Can turn it into a LaserBlade too. His 2013 design makes it a scimitar instead of a katana.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlCqT88iHAo "Do It Now!"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCG_hBOd3M8 "Jago (Game Version)]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azNU5poVwaE "Jago (Shakuhachi Remix)"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loSj5Iy1OOs "The Tiger Warrior"]].
* LukeIAmYourFather: Is revealed to be [[spoiler:Orchid's half-brother]].
* McNinja: He's really a WarriorMonk from Tibet but has a very ninja-esque design.
* MrFanservice: His skintight and tastefully ripped outfit, showing off his lean muscles with about 1% body fat, were a blatant attempt at reaching for this. He's still fanservice-y in ''[=KI=] 2013'', in a more rugged way. His [[https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/18/187968/2589596-5542390185-MlwgY.jpg Classic DLC Outfit]] then ratchets the fanservice back up to the old level, if not a little more.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: In classic KI, he mistakenly breaks Gargos free. Adverted in the remake [[spoiler:since Kan-Ra who does the deed]].
* PlaceOfPower: His stage is set in the Tiger's Lair, where the Monks of the Tiger were formerly located.
* PlayingWithFire: His Charring Fireball [[FinishingMove No Mercy]] in the second game.
* RapidFireFisticuffs: His combo trait Around The World invokes this by allowing him to chain his doubles in a Heavy - Medium - Light - Heavy sequence, building Instinct meter and drastically raising the ender value of the combo in the process.
* {{Shotoclone}}: Even with a sword, he still has [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ryu's]] basic moveset.
* ShoutOut:
** The special accessory set that is available for his DLC classic costume references none other than Anime/{{Voltron}} with the ''Tibetron'' accessories.
** He is also originally one of Ryu, but nowadays he is a full on {{Deconstruction}}.
* SinisterScimitar: Inverted in ''[=KI=] 2013.'' He wields a scimitar, but he's a good guy.
* SuperpoweredEvilSide: Shadow Jago in the 2013 game. Originally it was mostly a PaletteSwap and EvilSoundsDeep but Jago and Shadow Jago became differentiated in 2015 and now possess significantly differing movesets (for instance Shadow Jago can throw Endokukens while jumping). According to the story, this is what happens to Jago [[spoiler:if he doesn't get rid of what's left of Gargos]].
* SuperMode: 2013's Instinct Mode temporarily gives him two extra frames of advantage on all his moves as well as healing properties on his fireballs and a double-fireball attack.
* SwordAndFist: He slashes enemies with the sword in his hand in between punching and kicking them.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: At 5'10".
* TempleOfDoom: His stage in ''KI 2013''.
* ToBeAMaster: Jago believes it is his destiny to master the powers of the Tiger Spirit. Even after learning that Gargos was the being he worshiped, his best ending implies that he believes there is an an actual Tiger Spirit looking out for him whose power he must master.
* TooManyBelts: Jago's outfit features roughly four sets of paired ropes functioning as belts. In all fairness, at least two appear essential to holding together his [[ImprovisedClothes ensemble]].
* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: [[spoiler: When the cult you were following is idolizing a HumanoidAbomination who murdered your parents and then used you to [[SealedEvilInACan free himself from his dimensional prison]], there aren't many other options]]. His plot in ''[=KI=] 2013'' revolves around this.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: His new outfit in the 2013 game.
* WarriorTherapist: One of Orchid's endings has him track her down and help ease her ''very'' unstable mind.
* AWinnerIsYou: Essentially what Jago's best ending boils down to. He fails to purge Gargos' corruption, but resolves to struggle through and master it, essentially restoring the status quo to what it was at the end of ''[=KI2=]''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Riptor''']]
[[quoteright:333:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/719f5b218cc97ecf40b609d4a2045df4.PNG]]

->'''Voiced by''': Zachary Quarles ([=KI=] 2013)

Riptor is one of Ultratech's experiments, made by splicing human and reptile DNA to form a creature with the savagery of a raptor and the intelligence of a human. Ultratech is eager to test his performance in their tournament, and will greenlight mass production if he is a success. However, he is killed by TJ Combo and thus does not return in ''[=KI2=]''.\\\

In the reboot, Riptor is a genetically-engineered dinosaur clone with cybernetic enhancements, known within Ultratech as a "Stalker". She is the head of an entire unit of Stalkers just like herself, being the most cunning and vicious of the pack. While intelligent, she really only cares about getting a good meal at the end of the day, and is more than willing to devour the enemies of Ultratech in order to do so.
----
* ActionGirl: As a female dinosaur-like deadly cyborg in the 2013 game. The original Riptor was implied, but not directly confirmed, to follow this trope as well.
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: Was originally a grotesque lizard-human hybrid that happened to look like a dinosaur. In the reboot she's straight-up a cloned dinosaur with cyborg enhancements.
* AlienBlood: Bleeds purple.
* BetaTestBaddie: [[spoiler: The original batch of Stalkers (represented with the Retro Costume) were berserk monsters that couldn't obey orders. Riptor is sent to cull them before they fall into the wrong hands]].
* BreathWeapon: Able to expel spurts of fire. The Season 2 release dedicates an entire button just to flame breath.
* CameraAbuse: In her victory pose, after pouncing on enemies' (unseen) body and biting a few chunks of it, she suddenly looks curiously at the camera and takes a bite at it.
* CharacterSong: "Hatchery 09" for 2013, with frantic techno beats and shrieking string sections to remind that, for all her intellect, Riptor is still a cold-blooded killing machine.
* CommercialSwitcheroo: The teaser for Riptor is almost entirely made as a legitimate advertisement for Ultratech's military applications, with the only mention of the game being in the gameplay footage and the intro/outro. [[spoiler:And the teaser for Omen.]]
* {{Cyborg}}: Now with some fancy new cybernetic upgrades, including an extending tail.
* DinosaursAreDragons: {{Invoked|Trope}} by Ultratech, as Riptor was developed with a BreathWeapon.
* DownloadableContent: Riptor is to wrap up 2014 as December's new character release for Season 2.
* DumbDinos: Riptor is intelligent, but suffers from serious SplitPersonality issues from her instinctual dinosaur side.
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: Especially genetically engineered (and later cybernetic) ones.
* GenderFlip: Originally Riptor's gender was unspecified, though a Nintendo Power Guide referred to it as a he. In the reboot she is unambiguously confirmed as female.
* GenreMotif: Riptor's theme in KI 2013 is mostly orchestral (fitting of Jurassic Park movies), with some electronic mixed in.
* HollywoodAcid: The Acid Spit [[FinishingMove No Mercy]].
* InformedFlaw: Riptor is stated to be struggling with its SplitPersonality, product of the human and reptilian [=DNA=] mixing, and constantly getting confused whether to use its human reasoning or its dinosaurian instincts. Other than the fact it is very prone to AttackAttackAttack as a result of her confusion, you wouldn't notice this problem judging by gameplay alone.
* KilledOffForReal: By T.J. Combo. Though she's been revived by the time of the 2013 title as a cybernetic weapon.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCCWrW-gU1k "Rumble"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oghnkKz3-ZA "Hatchery 09"]].
* MixAndMatchCritters: It's a humanoid dinosaur in both appearance and personality. More clearly depicted in the original game (Dinosaurian overall shape but humanoid torso) - the 2013 version she barely looks humanoid (If at all), but she keeps the SplitPersonality.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: A [[{{Cyborg}} cybernetic]] humanoid [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs dinosaur]] in the 2013 game.
* RaptorAttack: A genetically-engineered one. She even has a PunnyName!
* SamusIsAGirl: In the first game, there never was any indication that Riptor was female until her ending, where she lays numerous eggs to reproduce her species.
* ShoutOut:
** One of her shadow moves (a ram that knocks opponents to the air) is affectionately called the [[Film/JurassicPark "Clever Girl"]].
** One of her retro costumes turns her hind purple and her belly green, resembling a certain other [[Series/BarneyTheDinosaur dinosaur]].
* SplitPersonality: Riptor has human-level intelligence, but also the instincts of the reptile it got its [=DNA=] from, with both effectively functioning as this trope.
* SuperMode: Her Instinct Mode in the Xbox One game enhances her breath and tail attacks, increasing their damage or range.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: The ''KI 2013'' Riptor is implied to not be the same Riptor from the first game, but apart from being a {{Cyborg}}, there are a lot of similarities between both.
* ToServeMan: In both the original and 2013 game, she has the potential to her eat the opponent. In the original game,, one of her No Mercy options has her leap forwards, and the screen does a FadeToBlack before displaying her laying back and cradling a BalloonBelly. In the 2013 game, her Win Pose has her pouncing on their corpse and starts visibly tearing chunks off of it, just offscreen, before throwing her head back and roaring.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Four years old in the first game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Baron Konrad von '''Sabrewulf''']]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ki-xb1-sabrewulf-stage-622-crop-flip_7773.png]]

->'''Voiced by''': Jean-Edourard "Jedsound" Miclot ([=KI=] 2013)

Count von Sabrewulf is a poor soul cursed with lycanthropy, transforming into a werewolf-like creature. He is offered a cure by Ultratech if he participates in their tournament, and with few other options, he accepts. In the end he is severely maimed by Glacius, allowing Ultratech to have their way with him and give him mechanical cyborg arms. Infuriated, Sabrewulf fights against Ultratech for revenge in ''[=KI2=]'', hoping to possibly find an ancient cure in the past while he's at it.\\\

In the reboot, Baron Konrad von Sabrewulf was once a hedonistic aristocrat who became cursed with lycanthropy after tampering with his monster-hunting family's relics. At first he went to Ultratech for help, but they failed to cure him. He succeeded using arcane magics and medicines to restore his arms to their humanoid shape, but his sanity is quickly waning and he fears he may succumb to the beast. Unfortunately for him, a superpowered werewolf is quite an asset, and both sides of the conflict now attempt to sway him to their sides.
----
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: In the first series he fought to win a cure for his lycanthropy from Ultratech. In the reboot he's already gone to Ultratech for help and they failed him, so he's turning to arcane medicines and hexes for aid instead.
* AlchemyIsMagic: Sabrewulf's new arms in ''[=KI=] 2013'' were made through alchemical processes. His stage is even called "Alchemical Lab."
* AlienBlood: Has green blood instead of red in the third game, possibly as a result of the alchemy he is using.
* BeastMan: Being a WolfMan, this automatically applies. However, the third game plays with his mentality, as he tries to reclaim his human mind.
* BittersweetEnding: One of Sabrewulf's ''KI 2013'' endings; after an encounter with Thunder, Sabrewulf comes to believe that he is not a man in the shape of a wolf, but a wolf with the heart of a man. While he does finally gain peace with himself, he resolves to remain alone.
* BodyHorror: Not only is he forced to transform into a werewolf due to [[TheVirus Lycanthropy]], he lost both arms to another champion (possibly Orchid or Glacius), in his first tournament. After that, Ultratech figured he could be a powerful pawn for them and built him a new pair of robotic arms and some internal machinery. Once he embraced his inner beast, however, he forcibly ''rips out his arms and artificial organs with his teeth'', and is forced to use agonizing alchemical surgery to [[HealingFactor regrow them]], becoming addicted to his supernatural painkillers in the process.
* BraidsOfBarbarism: His redesign in ''KI 2013'' has him sporting these around his facial fur, implying an odd degree of dexterity for a werewolf.
* ButtMonkey: He got the crap beaten out of him in the tournament and was then experimented upon for his failure. [[spoiler: He even gets [[GrandTheftMe possessed by Gargos]], as he tries to kill Orchid.]]
* ButtonMashing: A unique mechanic Sabrewulf has in the 2013 game is Rapid Doubles, which allows the player to mash the same button repeatedly as an autodouble as a means to extend his combo.
* TheCameo: He's loosely based on a character of the same name, invented by Rare for a puzzle-platformer they had released for computers (and remade for the Game Boy Advance) known as ''VideoGame/SabreWulf''.
* CameraAbuse: He has a finisher in the first game which smacks his opponents into the screen.
* CharacterSong: "Lycanthropy" for 2013, With gothic strings and pounding drumbeats to showcase his sophisticated origins battling with his bestial nature.
* {{Cyborg}}: Similar to [[Franchise/MortalKombat Pre-retcon Jax]], Sabrewulf got cybernetic arms in the second game, thanks to unwilling implantation by Ultratech. The new game does away with them aside from an accessory set for his DLC costume.
* ExtremityExtremist: A majority of his attacks tend to only focus on his arms or his bite, with only a small number of moves actually involving kicking.
* GenreMotif: Sabrewulf's stage in ''KI 2013'' features classical-styled music.
* GrowingMusclesSequence: The visual effect of his Instinct mode.
* TheHedonist: He was prone to various vices after he inherited the family manor. It's this behavior which caused him to become a werewolf in the first place.
* HeelFaceTurn: One of his ''KI 2013'' endings has him, in the rush of victory, finally reclaiming a good deal of his humanity. His first thought is wondering if he should put on a shirt or not.
* JackOfAllStats: He has a decent mix of strength and speed.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoqFlPbrd6U "Tooth And Claw"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7m0rU1AgyA "Sabrewulf"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Whpo3lYRmA "Lycanthropy"]].
* MagicPants:
** Subverted with his ending in the first game. [[spoiler:He's only shown from the waist up after returning to human form. One guess as to why.]]
** Exaggerated with in ending in the SNES port of the first game. [[spoiler:When he turns human, a pair of tattered shorts appears out of nowhere.]]
** Lampshaded in the Xbox One game. In one ending after [[spoiler: regaining his mind]], Sabrewulf's first thought is to whether he should find a shirt.
* OddFriendship: With Thunder. Thunder for his part admires Sabrewulf for being one with his spirit guide. Sabrewulf sees another restless spirit in Thunder.
* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: Unlike other lycanthropes, Sabrewulf was capable of using magic (in the first game), has high knowledge in [[AlchemyIsMagic alchemic arts]] ([[HealThyself who used to restore his missing limbs]]) and became much more dangerous when he reached an [[StrongerWithAge old age than when he was young]].
* RedEyesTakeWarning: In ''KI 2013.''
* RichBoredom: The main reason why he was indulging in so many addictions and vices before becoming a werewolf was simply due to pure boredom.
* ShoutOut: One of his color palettes in ''KI 2013'' is inspired by [[Film/TheNeverendingStory Gmork]]. There's also one based on Benny, [[LetsPlay/TheOnlineWarrior Maximilian Christiansen]]'s pomerenarian sidekick.
* StrongerWithAge: ARIA ''[[HorrifyingTheHorror fears]]'' Sabrewulf and even classified him as "one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet", apparently because elderly werewolves pose a much greater danger than younger ones: They lose strength and dexterity but gain [[OlderAndWiser experience, self control and patience]], making them far more dangerous hunters.
* SuperMode: 2013's Instinct Mode temporarily gives him extra speed and strength, including the ability to inflict chip damage, and a new LagCancel command that allows him to stop any command he wants.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: Starting in ''KI 2''. (In the first game he was a Walking Pantsless Scene instead.)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Spinal''']]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ki-xb1-spinal-stage-622-crop_4686.png]]
-> ''"[[LaughingMad YA-HAHAHAHAHAHA!]]"''

-> '''Voiced by''': Chris Seavor ([=KI=], [=KI2=]), David Robert Donatucci ([=KI=] 2013)

Another ghastly product of Ultratech, Spinal is an ancient warrior whose skeleton was revived through cell regeneration and other secret means. He is confounded by the modern world, but strives to prove his worth to his new masters by destroying anything he faces in the tournament. He gets killed by Thunder, but reappears in the past in ''[=KI2=]'' when he is revived by Gargos. Unwilling to remain subservient, Spinal betrays his master and fights for freedom.\\\

The reboot gives him a new backstory, stating that he was once the mastermind of a worldwide bandit network years ago. He got in business with Kan-Ra's plan to usurp the king of Babylon, but was outsmarted and captured. He was then immolated to his skeleton, cursed with the Mask of the Ancients, and buried at sea, but his connection to the Mask actually retained his hold on life. Now a violent, cackling madman, he emerges from the sea thousands of years later in search of the Mask of the Ancients so he may harness its power and find freedom.
----
* AbortedArc: Thunder's ending in ''[=KI1=]'' implies that Spinal was originally going to be an undead ''Eagle'', but this plot point was dropped pretty quickly.
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: Was originally a nondescript skeleton warrior resurrected by Ultratech (or Gargos in ''[=KI2=]''). In the reboot he's an ancient bandit-lord who was cursed by Kan-Ra's king; now he seeks the Mask of the Ancients that binds him to this world.
* AnvilOnHead: The second game gives him a finisher that drops a giant skull on someone...and THAT skull laughs at you, too.
* AttackBackfire: He has a move where if his shield gets hit by a projectile, he'll get a skull from it. His ''2013'' form ups this so he can gain a skull from using this move against normal specials too.
* CaptainErsatz: Spinal's ''KI 2013'' design seems to take several cues from [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Captain Jack Sparrow]]. His trailer also shows that his head catches green fire when his Instinct Meter is full, taking from Comicbook/GhostRider, and his Skull projectiles look a lot like [[Franchise/MortalKombat Quan Chi's]].
* CharacterSong: "Warlord" for 2013, which is a prayer being sung by Swedish warriors to Spinal alongside haunting moans, powerful drumbeats, clattering and bone-like percussion, and a ''human leg bone flute!''
* DeathSeeker: In ''[=KI 2013=]'', at least at first. He sets out on a quest to locate the mask that reanimates him so he can shatter it and finally die a permanent death. When he ''does'' find it, he instead preserves it and takes it with him, deciding that [[LivingForeverIsAwesome seeing the modern world and living an eternity of adventure is more than enough reason to put off eternal rest]].
* DemBones: [[RefugeInAudacity He's a sword-and-shield-bearing skeleton who effectively broke Nintendo's longstanding taboo against undead protagonists]]. He's rather unique with his magical attacks, some of which require the expenditure of a floating skull; up to five can orbit him at any given time and they must be cast summoned of time. No other character has a mechanic like this. His 2013 redesign gives him the ability to summon ghost hands a la [[Franchise/MortalKombat Shinnok]].
* DifficultButAwesome: Was easily the most complex character in ''KI 2013'' (until Kan-Ra appeared), requiring good spacing as well as resource management due to his skulls. A decent Spinal is a manageable nuisance. A good Spinal can invariably be a StoneWall that can drain both Shadow and Instinct meter from his opponents while countering any tactic they might use to break his defense. Spinal was this SO much in the original game that he was nearly cut from the sequel just for being that hard to use.
* DivingKick: A move that nobody else has besides Shadow Jago.
* DownloadableContent: Spinal has been announced as the first DLC character for ''Killer Instinct 2013'', releasing January 31, 2014.
* TheDragon: Used to serve as one to Kan-Ra, cutting off the flow of resources to the city that the King Kan-Ra served under ruled over.
* EvilFeelsGood: He grew to love the chaos and insanity that came with his life of piracy as an undead, to the point where he's only seeking out the mask that used to bind him to increase his power even more.
* EvilLaugh: The freak's infamous for it. Ugh...
* EyePop: A totally ridiculous one if Orchid uses her Breast Flash No Mercy finisher on him.
* GenreMotif: Very drum-driven music for his stage, with some industrial metal/orchestral vibes thrown in alongside [[OminousLatinChanting Ominous Swedish Chanting]].
* GhostPirate: A skeletal pirate who is often fought upon an undead pirate ship.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxVvgWxx-pU "Ya Ha Haa"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIwkc1l_ygk "Spinal"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpqct1zMqTE "Warlord"]].
* ManaDrain: His FlamingSkull Fireballs in ''KI 2013'' can leech off his enemy's Shadow and Instinct gauges when powered by a skull. Normal Skull Fireballs drain Shadow meter, Shadow Skull Fireballs drain Instinct meter. The rate of drainage can be stacked up with subsequent uses of the fireballs in combos, but the effect stops the moment Spinal is hit. This was changed in Season 3 to where they simply stop his enemy from getting Shadow and Instinct meter, instead of leaching it, and causing subsequent curses to require more hits to remove.
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: His floating skull mechanic requires replenishment in order to gain certain perks for his special moves. These skulls are only gained via certain specials, throws, and his special manuals that summon skeletal hands to strike.
* OminousLatinChanting: In his ''KI 2013'' {{Leitmotif}}, although it's Swedish rather than Latin.
* {{Pirate}}: Took up a life as one after being brought back to life as a skeleton. He even has a ship and a huge crew of fellow skeletons! He definitely looks the part of one in ''[=KI=] 2013''.
* PowerCopying: He could include copies of his current opponent's moves in his combo finishers in earlier titles. The first game even allowed him to temporarily imitate his enemy.
* PsychoForHire: Pretty much what he was when he was still alive, being the leader of a network of bandits throughout ancient Babylon.
* PsychopathicManchild: His dialogue in Shadow Lords, when not revolving around death or killing, comes across as very juvenile.
* ThePunishment: The Babylonian king who also appears in Kan-Ra and Aganos' backstories bound Spinal to the Mask of the Ancients due to rebelling against him, effectively turning him into a zombie, and then ordered the poor bastard to jump into the flames so that only his skeleton remained.
* ShieldBash: Taken to ridiculous extremes in classic Killer Instinct games. He can [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stab]], [[MindOverMatter levitate]], and [[ShockAndAwe electrocute]] people with his shield there. In ''KI 2013,'' he just bashes you with it.
* SayMyName: Holds the distinction of being one of the only characters the announcer will say the name of during their intro animation.
* ShoutOut: Along with Eyedol, to ''Film/The7thVoyageOfSinbad'', as well as ''Film/JasonAndTheArgonauts''.
* SinisterScimitar: His WeaponOfChoice.
* SkeletonCrew: His ''[=KI2=]'' stage features a ship with a crew of skeletons.
* SubBoss: He is always third-to-last on the ladder in the first game.
* SuperMode:
** His old Instinct Mode in Seasons 1 and 2 gave him infinite skulls. Not only did activating it instantly summon every skull he could, but he was also able regenerate skulls over time as well. Considering that he could drain an opponent's Instinct Meter, it lead to him staying with infinite skulls for, at most, ten seconds longer.
** His Instinct Mode in Season 3, dubbed "Agent of Chaos", instantly grants him 3 skulls and gives him double the amount of skulls from skull-generating moves. Additionally, any Flaming Skulls fired during his instinct will bounce off of walls, the floor, and blocking opponents, as opposed to being destroyed, and they are only destroyed if they hit a blocking opponent 3 times or if Spinal himself is hit.
* TeleportSpam: His Skeleport. Downplayed in the second game, where the move is ''much'' slower and less practical for spamming. The third then ups it a bunch, with an invulnerable shadow teleport and letting skulls make his heavy teleport (which puts him behind his enemy) special-cancelable.
* VillainOfAnotherStory: He only crosses paths with Ultratech and ARIA on his search for the Mask of the Ancients, and as soon as he gets it from them he's off on his own adventures again. At least until he joins the Alliance during Shadow Lords.
* WarGod: The Swedish lyrics to his theme have the chanters refer to Spinal as a god multiple times. He probably isn't actually a deity, but might be worshipped as one.
--> ''Vakna, vakna, mäktiga gud!'' (Awaken, awaken, Mighty God!)
--> ''Kallar på Spinal, krigarguden!'' (Calling for Spinal, the Warrior God!)
--> ''Fräls oss, fräls oss, mäktiga gud!'' (Deliver us, deliver us, Mighty God!)
--> ''Med guden Spinals krafter och mod'' (With the powers and courage of Spinal the God)
* WinYourFreedom:
** His story in the second and third games involve him breaking out of servitude. The main pull is that he is being resurrected and controlled by a mystic artifact, the Mask of the Ancients, and that by breaking it, he may finally be free.
** The third game puts a different spin on it. Spinal is looking for the mask in order to use its power to wreak havoc across the world, though in order to get it he needed to meet ARIA's demands first, those demands being participating in the Killer Instinct tournament.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tyler-Johnson '''"T.J. Combo"''' Garrett]]
[[quoteright:323:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ce5f28d69fe47f192d295ef2f81adf19.PNG]]
->''"I took the easy route, once. It got me fame, fortune, and glory. But it was all hollow. When I fell, I fell hard. I lost everything. But I'm back now, and this time, I'm doin' it right. And don't think for a moment that I'll let anything get in my way, 'cause if you give me that moment, I win!"''

-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/PatrickSeitz ([=KI=] 2013)

TJ Combo is a former boxing champion who was banned after being exposed for using illegal cybernetic implants. Without fame or wealth, he turned to Ultratech's tournament and their promise to restore his title if he could best the competition. TJ survives the tournament and is pulled into the past in ''[=KI2=]'', where he desperately looks for a way back home, humbled.\\\

In the reboot, he is an MMA fighter who made it to the top based on skill alone. After his age started showing, he resorted to cybernetic implants courtesy of Ultratech to stay on top. When Ultratech set up an exhibition match between him and the Fulgore Mk. II, TJ went off-script and destroyed it instead of throwing the match. Ultratech exposed his implants for violating their deal, causing him to fall from grace. Now humbled and seeking redemption, TJ has restored his natural strength and goes to Ultratech looking to restore his honor too, getting caught up with Orchid along the way.
----
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: In the original series he never removed the cybernetics from his arms that got him kicked out in the first place, and fights to prove the world wrong; in the reboot he's gotten them removed and now fights for redemption against his old cheating ways.
* ArchEnemy: His theme declares that he is personally gunning for Ultratech's leader [[spoiler:ARIA]].
* BadassNormal: He's just a boxer in a tournament where the competitors are an ice alien, a cybernetic killing machine, a genetically engineered dinosaur, a skeleton, a werewolf, and a man who's made out of fire. The few normal humans besides him all either have weapons or special powers. (Energy projectiles, turning into a flaming cat, etc.). Combo just uses his FISTS (and the occasional knee.)
* BaldOfAwesome: One of his accessories makes Combo lose his hair, but instead he gets a thick beard.
* BareFistedMonk: Even though Jago is an actual monk, T.J. fits this particular trope better as a heavyweight boxer and the only fighter without an obvious weapon or superpower. His arms formerly contained cybernetic enhancements, but he's often overlooked in favor of the flashier characters despite his strengths.
* BlowYouAway: ''Cyclone'' in KI 2013 indicates that Combo is strong enough to drum up ''small twisters''.
* BoxingBattler: He's a boxer after all, despite being a CombatPragmatist. His reboot moveset strays away slightly into the MMA territory.
* BroughtDownToBadass: Come KI 2013, he has his implants removed in an attempt to "do things right" and prove to the world that his skills are truly his own.
* CameraAbuse: He has a finisher in the first game which smacks his opponents into the screen.
* CharacterDevelopment: He went from a cheater who used augmentations to better his boxing (who then fought for Ultra Tech to regain his former glory) to TheAtoner who desires to go straight in KI 2013.
--> '''T.J. Combo''': I took the easy route, once. It got me fame, fortune and glory. But it was all hollow. When I fell, I fell hard. I lost everything. [[TheAtoner But I'm back now, and this time, I'm doing it right.]] And don't think for a moment that I'll let anything get in my way. 'Cause if you give me that moment...I win!
* CharacterSong: "I'm Back (To Rise!)" for 2013, which doubles as an IAmSong showing how he's doing his best to win on his own merits rather than through Ultratech's cybernetics with lyrics provided by [=OmegaSparx=].
* CombatPragmatist: His backstory shows that he formerly used cybernetic implants and was banned from boxing because of it. He is also known for fighting dirty: one of his finishers in the first game involve breaking the opponent's neck; in the second game, his No Mercy was shooting the opponent [[MoreDakka with a machine gun]]. His ''2013'' redesign plays up this pragmatism more with more noticeable grabbing. Then again, he is shifting his fighting style from Boxing to [=MMA=].
* DownloadableContent: He is the first Downloadable Character to be announced for Season 2 of ''Killer Instinct 2013'', with people able to get him in advance by pre-ordering Season 2 and by buying the boxed release of Season 1.
* EmbarrassingNickname: T.J. was originally going to be named ''Mr. Fist'' when the original [=KI=] was being developed. Fortunately, somebody realized how terrible this sounded and it was changed. Cinder, however, seems to have taken a liking to the name. He mocks T.J. with it in his trailer and even has it as one of his profile taunts.
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: His implants improved his already nigh superhuman strength and speed. Even after having them removed he can draw on their latent effects to trigger his Instinct.
* ExtremityExtremist: He's a boxer, after all. However, he does have a flying knee move. His redesign is looking to stray from this route even further.
* EyepatchOfPower: His second appearance does have him sport an eyepatch for dubious reasons. It's off for the third game, making one wonder what it actually was needed for.
* FallenHero: He fights sponsored by Ultratech in the second tournament to get his heavyweight title back. Later pulls a HeelFaceTurn.
* GenreMotif: A hard-hitting rap number befitting the more urban atmosphere of his stage and his roots. The lyrics reflect on T.J.'s pride and his desire to show everyone who doubts him that HesBack [[ThemeSong (To Rise)]].
* GoodScarsEvilScars: Is a good guy by the time of 2013 and his arms are covered in scars.
* HeelFaceTurn: Combo was pretty much an unpleasant cyborg jerk who fought sponsored by Ultratech in the first series of games. In KI 2013, his implants were removed and he's gotten a severe attitude adjustment. Now, Combo is ready to prove to the world that he can fight under his own power and take the fight to Ultratech.
* HeroicSecondWind: If he loses both health bars while having full Instinct in ''2013'', he will get back on his feet, using up his Instinct Meter to restore a tiny bit of health (almost like Jago's Spirit ability in ''2''), and uses a GroundPound to emit a powerful shockwave. After that, he'll have the rest of the meter to use as if he triggered his normal Instinct Mode.
--> "I ain't ''done yet!''"
* HesBack: Left penniless and humiliated after being revealed as a fraud, T.J Combo is coming back to the tournament, no implants this time, to prove his fighting skills are his own.
* {{Hunk}}: He's got the muscles, the looks and the attitude.
%%* JackOfAllStats: He has a decent mix of strength and speed.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6xbJdH4ZC4 "Yo Check This Out!"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ughcsJBx7TQ "Combo"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JapDyUwAu8 "I'm Back (To Rise)"]].
* NeckSnap: One of his finishers in the first game.
* PowerGlows: His Instinct Mode starts making blue light glow from inside his veins, caused by him drawing on the aftereffects of his implants.
* RapidFireFisticuffs: His Auto-Barrage combo trait invokes this by allowing him to link all of his unique doubles together, leading into a [[MegatonPunch massively powerful]] damage ender.
* RecursiveReality: Score an any sort of finisher with him in ''2'' and the cinematic that plays after the match shows him tossing a ''Killer Instinct 2'' machine.
* SociopathicHero: In the comic book, he's not above quite brutally maiming foes, threatening non-fighters to get what he wants and cheating in tournaments. He also reacts with confusion when he sees Jago choosing not to kill an opponent. He's one of the protagonists.
** TookALevelInKindness: In comparison to his past self, ''2013'' Combo seems to be less arrogant and nasty, but he's still the BoisterousBruiser we all know.
* ShoutOut:
** One of his customizations in the 2013 game makes him wear [[VideoGame/{{Divekick}} Kick's]] outfit, fitting since Iron Galaxy made Divekick before getting moved to KI Season 2.
** His premium costume makes him look like [[Film/BladeTrilogy Blade]].
** T.J.'s retro costume accessories really dare you to say [[Film/{{Predator}} "Combo! You son of a bitch!"]] or [[Film/BlackDynamite "You done f***ed up now!"]]
* SuperMode: His Instinct Mode for ''2013'' grants Combo a small speed boost, cutting the recovery of all his moves. Additionally, he gets a HeroicSecondWind if he gets [=KOed=] with Full Instinct Meter.
%%* TallDarkAndHandsome: At 6'1".
* TimePassageBeard: In contrast to his clean-shaven earlier designs, his new design gives him a short beard. A few people say that this makes him look like former NBA star Patrick Ewing. Some of his accessories remove the beard.
* ATwinkleInTheSky: One of his finishers.
* WearingAFlagOnYourHead: His boxing shorts in the first and third games are patterned after the American Flag. The second game makes his tank top flag-patterned, while his pants become camo.
* WorldsStrongestMan: Is considered to be the greatest human fighter in the world by Ultratech.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Eyedol''']]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ki3eyedol.jpg]]

-> ''"I...serve...'''NO ONE!''' "''

-> '''Voiced by''': Henry Sterchi & Isaac Marshall (KI), Zachary Quarles ([=KI=] 2013)

Eyedol is an interdimensional warlord who was cast into Limbo by Earth's warriors millenia ago. Now Ultratech has released him as their ultimate champion, and he is the final challenge of their tournament. In the end he is killed by Orchid, and his explosive death causes a rift in time that hurls Ultratech's facility and most of the fighters 2000 years into the past. His defeat also allows for his old rival, Gargos, to return unchallenged and threaten the world again.\\\

His depiction in the reboot is quite different. He was once a Watchman, an immortal warrior tasked with defending the Earth from monsters such as Gargos. However, he let his pride consume him and was corrupted by the Astral Realm, morphing into a brutish ogre. He was then captured by fellow Watchman Tusk and imprisoned in the Astral Realm. When Gargos began his conquest of the Astral Realm, Eyedol was freed in the chaos and attacked Gargos; in the battle, his head was cloven in two and he was killed. His mangled corpse lingered for years, until the arrogant sorceror Kan-Ra sought to use him as a secret weapon to fight Gargos' invasion. The resurrected Eyedol, his head still split, refuses to follow Kan-Ra and instead sets out to face Gargos on his own terms.

----
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: In the original series he is an ancient "Warlord" who was sealed in Limbo by a warrior clan and later brought back by Ultratech. In the reboot he is a former Watchman (like Tusk) who went mad with power and attempted to take over the Astral Realm, only to be killed by Gargos and later resurrected by Kan-Ra.
* AIBreaker: Fairly easy to do despite his SNKBoss traits. Trying to fight him straight-up is suicide, but he can be easily baited via proper spacing into jumping or dashing. As long as the player is on their feet, he's completely vulnerable during either and he can even be combo'd if the player responds to his dash with an opener; this is largely useless since he'll always break combos almost immediately, but it makes it easy to land an ultra for bragging rights. Exploiting his dash is also much easier if he's fought on the Lava Bridge where the extra space gives the player more time to react.
* AmbidextrousSprite: Like Aganos, his entire model flips when he turns around, so the side with the mage head holding the club is always facing the screen. It's a bit jarring with some of Eyedol's [[FashionableAsymmetry alternate costumes]].
* BackFromTheDead: Is resurrected by Kan-Ra after being beaten and having his head split open by Gargos in ''KI 2013''.
* BodyHorror: Rather than having two heads in the ''2013'' game, Eyedol only has one head that's ''vertically split in half''.
* CarryABigStick: His weapon is a large spiked mace, which also doubles as a MagicStaff and is decorated with skulls in ''KI 2013''.
* CastFromHitpoints: In the reboot, he can force a stance change by punching the dormant head repeatedly, which takes off a bit of health.
* CharacterSong: "A Shattered Eyedol" for 2013, with a menacing drumbeat and shrieking vocals to remind everyone why he's so fondly remembered as ThatOneBoss, followed by a frantic techno beat to get the blood pumping.
* DevelopersForesight: Eyedol's main gimmick is his head switching- but how is it decided which head is active at the beginning of a match? Why, through random chance. As such, Eyedol actually has two intros: one where the Warrior head activates and one where the Mage head activates.
* DifficultButAwesome: Eyedol is both one of the game's strongest rushdown and zoning characters combined into one, though the fact that you can't actually fully control what stance he's in at any given time, sans the move which can force a stance change at the cost of health, makes him a bit unwieldy. Proper use of him not only requires you to know the ins-and-outs of what is essentially two different characters, but also be able to adapt to which one you're using on the fly.
* DownloadableContent: Season 3's final character, he's set to be released on July 22nd.
* TheDragon: Ultratech likely sees him this way, since they freed him to fight in their tournament.
* DragonInChief: He would also be DragonWithAnAgenda if we saw him ever having one.
* EvilIsBigger: Is utterly enormous in the reboot.
* EvilVersusEvil: In his backstory, we find he was imprisoned while [[spoiler: fighting another warlord. This is revealed to be Gargos in ''[=KI2=]'']]. The rivalry carries over into ''KI 2013''.
* FatBastard: He has quite a pot belly in the reboot.
* FinalBoss: For the first game, at least.
* GenreMotif: Industrial techno.
* HumanoidAbomination: Besides his two-headed cyclopean appearance, he is also described as a mystical warlord from ancient times. His reboot appearance is more ogre-like.
* IAmLegion: Well, maybe. [[spoiler: When he speaks in his ending he first uses "I" and "My", but then at the end switches to "we".]]
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGtoiIDvZqo "The Extreme"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUpGXj2xdbo "A Shattered Eyedol"]].
* KilledOffForReal: By Orchid.
* MultipleHeadcase: Somehow manages to be one with only a single head, albeit having it split in half. The "Warrior" side of his head his head is emotional, wild, very, ''very'' angry, and has a more beast-like appearance and a broken horn, while the "Mage" side is intelligent, methodical, calm, and looks more human and has an intact horn. This reflects in his playstyle as well. When the Warrior side is in charge, Eyedol is an aggressive rush-down character that overwhelms you at close range. When the Mage side is in control, he becomes a zoning character that controls space on the screen from far away.
* OurOgresAreHungrier: In ''KI 2013'', he's a demon lord that looks like an ogre.
* PurposelyOverpowered: Gets the unique ability in ''Shadow Lords'' to become ImmuneToFlinching to Omen's and Gargos' projectile attacks, as well as those of Gargos' summons. Since Omen and Gargos are the midbosses and FinalBoss of that mode, respectively, Eyedol is a GameBreaker, if only for ''Shadow Lords''. He even has his own ending, a trait he only shares with Gargos.
* PutOnABus: Didn't appear after [=KI1=] for over 20 years. In fact, by the end of Season 3, he was the '''only''' character not yet confirmed to be returning for the third game, with even fellow boss character Gargos making a playable appearance before him.
** TheBusCameBack: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp-D-C5xD1I Finally revealed as the very last entrant]] in Season 3
* SealedEvilInACan: Ultratech breaks him out. In the reboot, it's [[DullSurprise Kan-Ra]] who revives him, again trying to tap into forces that are beyond his control and, naturally, [[VillainBall repeating his mistake with Gargos]].
* SecretCharacter: Only available through a secret code in [=KI1=].
* ShockAndAwe: He uses purple electricity in the reboot.
* ShoutOut: In the first part of his ending, [[spoiler:a woman in purple approaches him claiming that he's her long lost son Billy, lost in a car incident]]. This is almost the same scene which mirrors the ending of [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Blanka]]. (Also note that Blanka's real name is Jimmy... [[VideoGame/DoubleDragon Billy? Jimmy? Anyone?]])
** It also doubles as a shoutout to Music/BillyIdol.
** He also ''really'' resembles the cyclops from Film/The7thVoyageOfSinbad, something that did not go unnoticed at the time.
** His new appearance reminds of the Ogre Magi of VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}, Cho'Gall in particular.
** His fighting style, which involves both parts of his head using different fighting styles that change either at random or by hitting himself, is the exact same fighting style of [[VideoGame/SoulSeries Tira]].
* SlapYourselfAwake: More like punching, but he can do this to try and cause brain activity to swap to the currently inactive head on-command at the cost of some health.
* SNKBoss: A pretty merciless bastard between his healing taunt and his insane attack priority.
* StanceSystem: His gimmick in ''KI 2013'', his moveset and several of his attributes change depending on which side of his head is in control, with the Warrior side being focused on rushdown, possessing a run in lieu of a forward dash, and having a command grab, while the Mage side is focused around zoning and controlling screen space and has a teleport, though it loses the run and walks slower. However, you're not entirely in control of which side you're playing as. You have a chance to switch every time you do a special move or combo ender, the chance increasing the more you do without switching, or you can punch the other side to make it wake up faster at the cost of taking a small bit of damage.
* SuperMode: Eyedol's Instinct mode allows him to use both of his heads' movesets at once, giving him a powerful rushdown playstyle combined with zoning tools. Comes off a bit silly regarding Eyedol's [[BodyHorror condition.]]
* WasOnceAMan: His ''KI 2013'' backstory reveals he used to be human before the corruption of Astral energy turned him into...that.
[[/folder]]

!Introduced in ''Killer Instinct II/Gold''

[[folder:'''Kim Wu''']]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image_7676.png]]
-> ''"You can't run from fate...but you should have tried!"''

-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/AbbyTrott (KI 2013)

Kim Wu is a descendant of the heroes who once banished Eyedol and Gargos. When Gargos returns, Kim is elected as the guardian of her people chosen to face him, and she must fulfill her duty and destroy him forever.\\\

In the rebooted continuity, Kim Wu is a fashion design student who is initially unaware of her heritage as a hero of Earth. She is called by a dragon spirit named Yeouiju to fight back against the coming invasion of Gargos. Somewhat skeptical but willing, she takes up her people's ceremonial nunchakus and accepts her destiny, joining forces with Jago, Tusk, and the other defenders of Earth.
----
* AchillesHeel: ''[[FailureIsTheOnlyOption Gargos.]]'' With his long-distance attacks keeping Kim Wu at bay, things would be bad enough. Having both minions out? [[OhCrap Here's hoping that you can counter those two while]] [[ThisIsGonnaSuck Gargos is STILL beating the daylights out of you.]]
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: Since she lived in the past in ''[=KI2=]'', that Kim Wu was a member of a clan of warriors who once helped seal Eyedol and Gargos. However, in ''2013'' she's a contemporary descendant of a long-lost clan who is destined to help defeat Gargos.
* ActionFashionista: Since she's a fashion design student in the ''2013'' game, it would only make sense for her to wear a stylish outift in battle.
* [[AnimeChineseGirl Anime Korean Girl]]: Considering who she's pretty much taking after, it's hard to see how this doesn't fit .
* AnimalMotifs: The dragon. Particularly prominent in the ''2013'' game, where she has a dragon tattoo on her arm and even blurts the fact out in her intro ("I've got a friggin' DRAGON!")
-->'''Kim''': That dragon? It's ''mine''. It chose ''me''.
* BareYourMidriff: Her outfits feature this.
* BruceLeeClone: A ''female'' Bruce Lee Clone, completely with the wails.
* ButNotTooForeign: She has very distinct Asian facial features and her stage takes place in a back alley of somewhere resembling Hong Kong, but she speaks English and has an American accent. Somewhat justified in that she is of mixed Korean and Chinese heritage, but was raised in America.
* CaptainErsatz: It's hard not to see her appearance and not to think of [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Chun-Li in a pink dress]]. She also took a lot of personality from [[VideoGame/MortalKombatX Cassie Cage]] in the reboot.
* CharacterSong: "The Dragon Spirit" for 2013, which takes a few cues from "The Tiger Warrior" buts amps it all UpToEleven and complimented by numerous [[{{Kiai}} battle cries]] from Kim herself.
* TheChosenOne: In the ''2013'' universe, she is the one who has been selected by the dragon spirit of her people, long prophesied to emerge in the face of evil.
* DownloadableContent: She was one of the launch characters for the game's third season.
* FashionableAsymmetry: Her new outfit has only one sleeve.
* FightingWithChucks: Her WeaponOfChoice...[[KickChick though she uses her legs more]]. Her moveset in Season 3 of the ''2013'' game promises to be more nunchaku focused.
* FieryRedhead: She's kind of a hothead in the ''2013'' game.
* GenreMotif: Kim's theme in ''2013'' is an Asian-styled rock with traditional instruments and K-pop thrown in for good measure.
* IHaveBrothers: Kim has two older brothers in her ''2013'' backstory, which probably explains why she's not afraid to throw down with some of KI's heavier-hitters.
* KidHero: She's 17. She gets aged up to 21 in the ''2013'' game.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhWKDQwYaK4 "Kim Wu"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-ob-w2vFOs "The Dragon Spirit"]].
* {{Loin Cloth}}: In her ''[=KI2=]'' design.
* MatchstickWeapon: Kim Wu fights with flaming nunchucks.
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: Her main mechanic in the 2013 reboot requires using a stock of three "dragons," which gained with her parry move or using the "Firecracker" special move as a combo ender. The dragons can be used to cancel special moves into a dash and reflect fireballs with a huge "dragon cannon" beam attack.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: In a very odd way. Her dragon motif is distinctly Chinese, yet she has an elemental affinity with [[PlayingWithFire fire.]] Sounds normal, but Chinese dragons, or ''Long'', are ''very'' rarely associated with fire. More often, they are associated with [[ShockAndAwe lightning]], [[BlowYouAway storms]], or, most of all, [[MakingASplash rivers, rain, and water in general.]] While a few ''Long'' are associated with fire, it seems odd that KI would choose fire over rain, electricity, or wind.
** Shadow Lords reveals that her Dragon Spirit is actually the last free Astral Guardian, excluding the ones Kan-Ra can procure for the player with his rituals.
* {{Panty Shot}}: In her ''[=KI2=]'' design. They're so easy to see that you can catch them in a [[https://killerinstinct.gamebub.com/images/ki2_kim_wu_render2.jpg solo artpiece]], [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/killerinstinct/images/a/a7/Kimvmaya.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/300/height/300?cb=20130611095159 a render of her fighting Maya]], [[https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/-0mwD9G_2zuEKAjcZVHxTiALalrjRsbKu1ws7uSbQS-a_E3tzfqWiT9foHDOTNzLWjG-xZ4QigZxDwWtQ43LCG6LfVhWzA her victory cinematic]], [[https://live.staticflickr.com/2128/2090323095_9a6396929e_z.jpg on the character select screen]], and in her [[https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/j8wApiLczN38O8xclitXLtTWSdonvwxdVNjgiG8RIPH1h_kLHbMkPvKzfJzO4KvGNVmljZTEty5C0fj5iSU ending]] [[https://goddessoffiction.com/KI/Kimend1.jpg scenes]].
* PlayingWithFire
* RebelliousSpirit: What her personality leans towards in the ''2013'' game.
* ShoutOut: Her revamped version seems to have been taking notes from ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.
* StockingFiller
* {{Stripperiffic}}: Her design in ''Killer Instinct 2'', which consists of a qipao arranged so that the bottom half has what can be called a loincloth with a shorter bottom and stockings (complete with easy {{Panty Shot}}s) that has no midriff either. Her design in the 2013 game is similar in style and still a bit skimpy but more modest in comparison (namely in that she's wearing shorts).
* SuperMode: Her Instinct has her auto-generate dragons continuously and allows her to perform the dragon cannon without reflecting a fireball.
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Her reaction when struck with Kilgore's [[DeathTrap Ultimate]] simply reads "Oh fuck"
* WaifFu: Her fighting style, which is based on Jeet Kune Do.
* YouCantFightFate: Seems to be quite aligned to this in the 2013 game. In her backstory, not at first; she outright states that she would've "given fate the middle finger" if it wasn't for the Dragon Spirit choosing her as the savior of the world.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Maya''' Fallegeros]]
[[quoteright:301:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7e097727db5dd6d90c0436373eca8022.PNG]]
-> ''"You're not worthy prey."''

-> '''Voiced by''': P.M. Rodriguez (KI 2013)

Maya is an Amazon queen who participated in the very battle wherein Gargos and Eyedol were banished from Earth. However, upon the sudden return of Gargos, she is ousted from her throne by her own people and forced to face her old nemesis in order to regain the right to the throne.\\\

Maya's backstory is totally changed in the reboot. She is a member of a clan of monster hunters hidden in South America, known as the Night Guard. When their temples are attacked by Ultratech in a deliberate attempt to provoke chaos, ancient horrors such as Kan-Ra and Aganos are freed into the world. Frustrated by this injustice, Maya takes up a set of cursed daggers, Temperance and Vengeance, and departs on a journey to recapture the loose monsters.
----
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: In the original games she was the queen of a clan of warriors who once fought Gargos, but when he comes back she gets kicked out and must defeat him to regain her standing. In the reboot she's a regular member of a secret monster-hunting society who seeks to capture Kan-Ra and Aganos after their awakening.
* AngstySurvivingTwin: Maya originally had a twin, Mira, but she supposedly died during a mission. This angst led to Maya getting sloppy in her work and exposing the Night Guard to [=ARIA=].
* AnvilOnHead: Her Elephant Drop finisher.
* CainAndAbel: The Abel to Mira's Cain.
* CharacterSong: Temperance & Vengeance" in 2013, named for her daggers and featuring beats that wouldn't be out of place in a Brazilian night club alongside Amazonian warrior cries.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], since the jungle would have them ruined in an instant. Averted in ''KI 2013'', which apparently added sandals to her attire.
* DownloadableContent: Maya has been announced as the second downloadable character for Season 2's launch.
* DualWielding: Her knives Temperance and Vengeance have unique properties that trap enemies when thrown. They have the powers of light and darkness in them and both gain unique properties.
* EmpathicWeapon: Temperance and Vengeance are daggers [[spoiler:previously owned by Kan-Ra]] that affect the wielder's mind.
* EvilWeapon: Vengeance is constantly trying to force Maya into a bloody rampage.
* FurBikini: For her original look and her ''2013'' retro costume. Her newer look is more conservative with more leather armor.
* GenreMotif: Similar to Orchid, she also has an electronic pop theme, but it's also mixed with her Killer Instinct 2 theme and Brazilian lyrics.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: In the reboot she has a huge scar on her left leg, possibly left by some creature she has slain before.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: Like Aganos, she is not involved in the Killer Instinct tournament and is instead focused on tracking down Kan-Ra, at least until realizing she'll need help to stop Gargos.
* HunterOfMonsters: Stated to be a monster hunter extraordinaire, and also refers to her opponents as a prey. Maya's order of monster hunters, the Night Guard, is Incan in origin, but she herself is not explicitly Incan.
* JunglePrincess: She's the DarkSkinnedBlonde queen of the Amazons in ''2''. In the reboot, she is instead a high ranking member of the Night Guard, a group of monster hunters who are also Kan-Ra's jailers.
* KickChick: While she normally has plenty of focus on both her feet and knives, if she doesn't have the knives she'll have her movelist changed to add more kicks.
* KnifeNut: Her trusty daggers are always at her side.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vohltb_Tb5s "Maya (Game Version)"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDeAKX3OFUM "Maya (Remix)"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gt5KgJtwcY "Temperance and Vengeance"]].
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: Her playstyle in the 2013 game mandates that she be holding her daggers to use the full range of her ability. If she throws a dagger and doesn't retrieve it, she loses the use of that hand for attacks (all the way to the point that even pressing punch for a move that would require that hand gives you the kick attack of that strength).
* MyGreatestFailure: In the reboot, Maya thinks that her greatest failure is letting her twin sister Mira supposedly sacrifice herself for Maya's sake.
* OfficialCouple: [[spoiler:With Tusk in ''2''. They get married]]!
* OnlyOneName: In ''KI 2''. In the reboot she is given the last name of Fallegeros.
* TheOrder: Maya is the current head of the Night Guard, an order of monster hunters responsible for sealing off Kan-Ra and assisting the Sabrewulf family in driving werewolves to extinction.
* ReverseGrip: She's never been seen using her knives in any other fashion.
* SadisticChoice: In the 2013 game, her daggers power up when they strike a blocking opponent. When dodging isn't an option, her opponents have to choose whether to take a hit and prevent Maya from powering up, or block the hit and hope that the additional power doesn't come back to bite them later.
* SameCharacterButDifferent: In terms of her backstory. In ''[=KI2=]'' she was the queen of the jungle 2000 years ago. In the third game, she's a member of a secret warrior clan in the present.
* SheFu: Her style focuses a lot on her leaping around and flipping and spinning. Even more in the Season 2 release.
* ShrinkRay: Her No Mercy. No, they give no explanation as to how she does it.
* SoleSurvivor: [[spoiler:Of Ultratech's attack on the Night Guard]].
* SpicyLatina: In her ''KI 2013'' appearance. Her parents were Brazilian, and her lineage is from South and Central American cultures.
* StatuesqueStunner: Her height is 5'11'', thus qualifies perfectly.
* SuperMode: Her Instinct Mode in the 2013 game has her daggers return to her whenever they're thrown instead of having to collect them off the ground.
* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: Maya's daggers have a unique property that they level up when her opponent blocks the dagger strikes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Tusk''']]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ccvxoewumaaxhiq.jpg]]
->''"Death comes to all... except me."''

->'''Voiced by''': Chris Jai Alex ([=KI=] 2013)

Tusk is a battle-loving barbarian and gladiator who sees himself as the strongest warrior alive. When Gargos returns, Tusk leaves the coliseum to issue his challenge and prove his strength, both against Gargos and the mysterious fighters from the future.\\\

In the reboot, Tusk is an immortal warrior who has lived for millenia, chosen as a Watchman to protect the Earth from supernatural threats. He has participated in many conflicts over the years, even facing Gargos and Eyedol. However, in the current era he is suddenly outsmarted and defeated by the vicious Shadow Jago, sealing him in a glacier to slumber. After being awoken, he is eager to stop Gargos' invasion and fulfill his duty before it is too late.
----
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: In the original series Tusk was a nondescript barbarian warrior who wanted to fight Gargos. In the reboot he's an immortal Watchman whose purpose is to guard the Earth - however, he gets trapped in a glacier by Gargos' minions and only escapes in time to help stop the invasion.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: It's unclear if Tusk is supposed to be non-Caucasian of if he's just really tan (though the logical explanation could be that he's a DarkSkinnedBlond). His skin is a much lighter shade in the ''2013'' game, which makes him look distinctly Caucasian.
* AmnesiacHero: In the Xbox One game he mentions that his memory was taken from him. Come Season 3, it turns out Gargos was responsible.
* AnimalMotifs: The wolf in the ''2013'' game. An image of wolf's head decorates his sword, and he also calls out to the Wolf Spirit during his Instinct activation.
* AnvilOnHead: His No Mercy has a storm of meteors, followed by a giant meteor.
* AttackReflector: In the 2013 game, Tusk will flash white at certain times. If an opponent hits him in this interval, he will repel the incoming attack while still committing to his own attack.
* BadassBaritone: In the 2013 game.
* BadassBiker: As this [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/killerinstinct/images/7/7f/Tuskonaharley.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20171214081222 panel]] shows from the KI comic. He's got a Harley-Davidson to further show off his badassery.
* BarbarianHero: He certainly looks like the type in both games.
* BarbarianLonghair: Naturally, he has one.
* BeardOfBarbarism: Sports one in the 2013 reboot.
* {{BFS}}: His WeaponOfChoice. His new one in the season 3 of the 2013 reboot is even bigger, with the sword now so huge that it actually covers the in-game lifebar. It has also been named Warg-gram.
* CharacterSong: "Watchman of the Gods" in 2013, with a barbarian choir that wouldn't be out of place in [[VideoGame/ElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]] alongside thundering drumbeats and ethereal strings.
* CompleteImmortality: For a yet-to-be-seen reason, Tusk is immortal in the 2013 reboot. He's been alive for more than a thousand years and claims he will never die. It's likely that, unlike Kim Wu and Maya, who descend from their namesakes from ''[=KI2=]'', this is the same Tusk from that game.
* DarkSkinnedBlond: His original incarnation, though it is unclear where he exactly is from. He loses the tan in the reboot.
* DeathSeeker: Both Kim Wu's and Tusk's unique story missions in Shadow Lords focus on this. Tusk thinks Gargos might be the only being capable of ending his life, one that he tired of for so long. Kim manages to snap him out of it.
* DownloadableContent: One of Season 3's launch characters along with Kim Wu, Rash, and Arbiter.
* EternalHero: He claims himself to be the "Watchman of the Gods".
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Has a dinosaur eat his opponent as his Ultimate.
* GenreMotif: Tusk's theme in ''2013'' consists of barbaric-style drums, symphonic metal and orchestral music, complete with a Bulgarian choir.
* {{Hunk}}: Just look at the man.
* ImprobableWeaponUser: His "Suplex" costume/accessories replaces his Warg-gram with a wrestling ring post to fit in with the Wrestler theme.
* IncendiaryExponent: In 2013, which is odd given he's styled as a Scandanavian barbarian. His Sword Normals and Sword Specials cause the blade to start glowing with heat whenever he uses them, and when his Instinct is charged his tattoos glow with a subtle heat and steam rises off of his back. When he pops his Instinct the tattoos start to glow red-hot and his sword is completely lit with heat.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: He kept Gargos sealed by "guarding the gates", but Gargos erased his memories of that so he forgot his purpose, leading to Gargos eventually being set free by Kan-Ra.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow25ekjy8wA "Tusk"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNxn-P43Qeg "The Watchman of the Gods"]].
* {{Loincloth}}: Wears one made of fur. In the 2013 game he wears a pair of shorts and what looks like a torn kilt instead, as he is living in the modern era.
* MightyGlacier: His gameplay niche in the 2013 game is that of a brutish, overwhelming opponent who can inflict huge amounts of damage but suffers in overcommitted strikes, forcing wise players to pick their shots as he has wide-but-slow swing arcs.
* MrFanservice: He came along in 2 to show the boys how it's done. [[https://communitysiteswest.azureedge.net/killerinstinctv2/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Tusk_Accessories_Retro_Primal.png And still going strong]].
* OfficialCouple: [[spoiler:With Maya in one of the endings in ''[=KI2=]''. They get married]]!
* PreAssKickingOneLiner: Says a number of these in his trailer.
-->''(to Riptor) "You play at being a dragon, little one? Play time is over."''\\
''(to Spinal) "For the dead, there is only one rule: stay dead."''
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: His 2013 incarnation reimagines him as an ageless, immortal barbarian. According to the developers, this means that he's the very same Tusk from the second game, rather than a completely different character. If the name of his Instinct isn't exaggerating, he's at least ''ten thousand'' years old.
* ShoutOut: Of Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian. His backstory in the reboot is similar to the one of ComicBook/VandalSavage. His appearance and voice, however, are a clear reference to [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There's also a little bit of [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim the Last Dragonborn]] to him as well. Fans have also noted with some amusement that he bears a striking resemblance to [[LetsPlay/YoVideoGames Maximillian Dood]], made doubly hilarious because Sabrewulf has a skin based on Max's dog, Benny.
* SuperMode: His Instinct mode ("1000 Years of Training") adds LagCancel to his uncancelable normal attacks and special moves.
* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: Much like Kan-Ra, Tusk had plenty of time to learn some languages.
* UnkemptBeauty: [[http://ki.infil.net/images/chars/tusk.png Very much so.]]
* WalkingShirtlessScene: Even in the icy wasteland, he doesn't wear a shirt. Could be explained by his IncendiaryExponent.
* WhoWantsToLiveForever: He hasn't exactly been enjoying his immortality, and losing his memories to Gargos hasn't helped. By the time of Shadow Lords, he's become a full-blown DeathSeeker.
* WrestlerInAllOfUs: One of his throws is a German suplex.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Gargos''']]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gargos_hero_art.jpg]]

->''"For centuries I have schemed, setting events in motion that would lead to this day. I have taken the memories of the one that guarded the gates, corrupted their worthless heroes, and manipulated those hungry for power. It is time. '''BEGIN THE INVASION!'''"''

->'''Voiced by''': Ken Lobb ([=KI2=]), Creator/EdwardBosco ([=KI=] 2013)

Gargos is a demonic warlord and a cunning tyrant. After posing as the Tiger Spirit and manipulating Jago into helping defeat his ancient rival Eyedol, Gargos returns to the Earth with little opposition. He sets his sight on a reign of fear and brutality, starting 2000 years in the past.\\\

In the reboot, Gargos is a demigod-like being called an Ichorien who dwells in the Astral Realm. He often consumed the energies of entire planets to satiate his hunger for power, and attempted to take the Earth multiple times but was repulsed. Changing tactics, he conquered the Astral Realm instead, slaughtering his fellow Ichoriens and the monstrous Eyedol along the way. He next found success in posing as the Tiger Spirit to corrupt Jago, using Shadow Jago as a connection to the Earth. This was only helped by the intervention of Kan-Ra, who foolishly sought the power of the Astral Realm. Using Kan-Ra's gate, Gargos begins to pry his way onto the Earth and threatens to add it to his list of consumed worlds.
----
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: In the original games he was an ancient "Warlord" who was sealed away by a clan of warriors and makes his return only after his rival Eyedol's defeat. In the reboot he's an "Ichorien" who has conquered the Astral Realm and now threatens to consume the Earth too, thanks to Ultratech beckoning him over.
* {{Acrofatic}}: Not Gargos himself, but his minion Dretch is fat and yet is capable of jumping and stomping on anything he sees. He's also able to take more abuse than Izzik.
* AIBreaker: He's ''much'' smarter than Eyedol when it comes to this; his jump move is much faster and is also a combo opener, so the player has less time to react to it and must know the proper counter for their character. He will still occasionally jump in normally, giving the player a chance at landing an anti-air attack, and he seems to eventually trip up and miss a block if the player stays close and plays aggressively.
* AmbiguousSituation: It is left pretty unclear whether or not Gargos ''is'' the Tiger Spirit, or if he was just impersonating it. The original series seems to imply that they were the same entity, but the reboot shows the Tiger Spirit separately in the [[Creator/DynamiteComics Dynamite]] comics, which can lead to some confusion.
* AssistCharacter: In Season 3, Gargos is able to summon two minions, Izzik and Dretch, to assist him in battle. They will remain on the field until killed, either by Gargos' opponent or [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential Gargos]] [[BadBoss himself]].
* BadassArmFold: His default pose in ''KI 2013'', and it's ''dripping'' with arrogance and superiority.
* BeenThereShapedHistory: According to WordOfGod, in the reboot storyline Gargos is not a gargoyle, but his species were the inspiration for the myths of their existence throughout history.
* BigBad: Of ''[=KI2=]'' and Season 3 of the 2013 reboot.
* CharacterSong: "Kneel To Your God" in 2013, which takes a melodic cue from "Herald of Gargos" while accentuating the piece with menacing guitar riffs and a powerful drumbeat worthy of the Shadow Lord himself.
* TheCorruption: His spirit served as this for [[spoiler:The Monks of the Tiger]], and the remains of it still torment Jago.
* DemonicPossession: To Saberwulf's corpse in some of Orchid's endings. In the reboot, he does this to Jago, but he isn't powerful enough to overcome Jago's resistance so he has Omen do it instead in order to gather more energy for him to regain his strength.
* DimensionLord: When in his home dimension, Gargos possesses the ability to [[RealityWarper bend reality]] and create living beings such as Omen to serve him.
* DownloadableContent: Season 3's 6th character, released May 2016.
* EvilSoundsDeep: ''Very'' deep and distorted, fitting of a demonic god.
* EvilVersusEvil: Eyedol's rival from before their imprisonment. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero And then Orchid killed Eyedol, letting him win by default.]] In the reboot, he's first set up against ARIA, the leader of Ultratech, and later against Eyedol once again after he was reintroduced into the series at Evolution 2016.
* GenreMotif: 80's heavy metal.
* GotTheWholeWorldInMyHand: His [[http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/killerinstinct/images/2/27/Gargoscloser.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160519233239 official image]] has him holding a visibly cracked Earth in his palm, suggesting a plan to conquer it.
* GreaterScopeVillain: Of Season 2.
* GuideDangIt: The only way to defeat his boss form in ''[=KI2=]'' is to trigger the StageFatality. Otherwise, he'll just keep fighting at zero health and will even win if the timer runs out. While anyone can finish him off with an Ultra Combo, if you manage to forget, you're practically screwed unless you remember or you figure out how to knock him off.
** In the Shadow Lords mode of the game, there's no Stage Ultra-- anything CAN kill him. However, if he has a full Instinct bar, he'll revive himself with a whole other health bar. And since this version of Gargos has rapidly recharging Instinct, you NEED to wait for the right moment to land the killing blow to put him down for good.
* HumanoidAbomination: Again, mystical warlord from ancient times, like Eyedol. His Season 3 redesign gives him a more demonic appearance.
* ImmuneToFlinching: His [[SuperMode Instinct Mode]] coats his body with rock armor, allowing him to tank anything lighter than a Hard attack or throw. However the penalty is he loses the ability to jump more than once, dash, or block. Furthermore you can burn half the Instinct gauge while wearing the armor to "burst" it, either dealing damage or working as an all-purpose ComboBreaker.
* LargeAndInCharge: He stands a head or two taller than most other characters, and the camera has to zoom out to capture him on-screen fully like with Aganos and Arbiter. This also means he has a lot of reach, with even his wings being able to reach across the screen to hit someone.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7nKzMGrFMw "Gargos"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE5WclWqafw "Kneel To Your God"]].
* LethalJokeWeapon: His taunt in ''2'' [[AttackReflector has a hidden property]]. That is, he reflects your projectiles ''by laughing''. As the boss, Gargos trades the reflector property with an even worse one: Healing by laughing. He will spam this without mercy while you're unable to hit him.
* MightyGlacier: Can deal high damage but has ''abysmal'' walking speed.
* MonsterClown: One of his accessory sets for his Retro costume turns him into one of these with hypnotic spirals on his wings.
* PerfectPlayAI: Aside from his high damage and health regeneration, he's more this than SNKBoss. He usually doesn't attack right through the player's offense like Eyedol but regularly counters the player instead; jumping in towards him will often result in an uppercut or mid-air fireball to the face. He also uses his projectiles in a more complex manner than Eyedol's fireball spamming.
* PhysicalGod: His species is referred to in the 2013 game's lore as "Ikkorans", described as a demonic race of demigods residing in an EldritchLocation called the Astral Plane. In this realm, he is a full-on RealityWarper.
* PlaceOfPower: The [[spoiler:Shadow Tiger's Lair]]. After being forcibly removed, Jago takes over.
* ProngsOfPoseidon: His minion Izzik is sticklike, making him fairly fragile, but his trident gives him a better reach than Dretch.
* RapidFireFisticuffs: His Shadow Oblivion allows him to use portals and throw a lot of punches at the opponent wherever they may be. The only setback is that these punches are very weak.
* SatanicArchetype: What his Season 3 redesign seems to be going for. Gargos now has goat horns and a boar-like facial structure.
* SealedEvilInACan:
** [[spoiler: [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Thanks for letting him out, Jago!]]]]
** [[spoiler: It happens again in ''2013'', only this time courtesy of [[VillainOfAnotherStory Kan-Ra]].]]
* SecretCharacter: Can only be unlocked in ''2'' by a secret code or modding the arcade machine.
* SNKBoss: Maybe not as terrible as the other examples, let alone Eyedol, but his combos are brutal and he has a terrible habit of laughing while you're down, healing him a substantial amount. Like with Eyedol, it's pointless to try for a combo over four or five hits.
** In Shadow Lords mode, Gargos can be easily summarized as one of the cheapest fighting game bosses ever created. In fact, during the course of the story, you are given a chance to make him weaker by defeating his invading minions and sealing the portals. Fail to do so, and get ready to potentially throw your controller at the screen, because his buffs make him nigh-impossible to defeat, let alone '''hit'''. His AI is always cranked up to Killer difficulty, which is reason enough to defeat Omen in order to weaken Gargos. Outside of his ludicrously infuriating AI, Shadow Lords Gargos can summon both of his minions at once with just one summon command, he has the armor from his Instinct Mode constantly with zero downsides, and his health, shadow meter, and Instinct meter constantly regenerate. And the regeneration itself isn't even the worst part. It's the fact that ''all of it gets accelerated whenever he lands a hit on you''. Have fun avoiding [[RapidFireFisticuffs Shadow]] [[AlwaysAccurateAttack Oblivion]]. Best of all, [[GuideDangIt his Instinct Mode now has a hidden function]]; if he has at least half-full Instinct bar upon death, he'll come back to life with a full healthbar - and if he kills your character after resurrecting, ''he'll be able to do it again in the next battle.'' [[note]]However, since this resurrection works nearly identical to [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIII Gill's]], you can knock him out of his move and reduce the amount of health he'll regain - you just need to use an attack that can break his armor.[[/note]]
* SummonMagic: Gargos can spend shadow meter summon either Izzik or Dretch to assist him in battle.
* SuperMode: Gargos' Instinct Mode grants him infinite super armor for as long as Instinct is active, at the cost of losing his dash, multiple jumps and the ability to block. However, he can immediately cancel instinct by exploding the stone armor off of his body, both to conserve the unused Instinct Meter and to force a Combo Breaker should he be attacked. Gargos must fully refill his Instinct in order to go back into Instinct Mode, though.
* ThinkingUpPortals: In ''Season 3'', he can create portals at his opponent to attack through, allowing him to start and execute combos from anywhere on the screen, not unlike Glacius or [[VideoGame/MortalKombatX Quan Chi]]. Good thing too, because his walk speed is ''atrocious''.
* TreacherousAdvisor: [[spoiler: He's the Tiger Spirit who sends Jago on his quest, then uses Jago to escape his imprisonment. And if said monk doesn't purge what's left of his influence soon... SHADOW JAGO]].
* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: Gargos has a command grab with multiple combinations of enders, such as punching the opponent in the gut, kneeing them, and performing a SpinningPiledriver through a portal. This grab can also be used on his minions to enable their special moves quicker, toss them at the opponent, or eat them to gain Instinct meter.
* WingedHumanoid: He's a gargoyle. In Season 3, however, he becomes a straight-up demon. A set of alternate skins gives him an almost [[AscendedDemon angelic]] appearance, with white skin, white feathered wings and even a golden pendant of some sort. He's [[AvertedTrope still]] [[EvilOverlord evil]], though.
[[/folder]]

!Introduced in ''Killer Instinct 2013''
[[folder:'''Aganos''']]
[[quoteright:346:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7875901c648a3daa63d2085ac53fef04.PNG]]

->'''Kan-Ra:''' ''Why do you continue? Centuries have passed, worn you down, and yet still...you pursue me. Was it that fool of a king? Was it his dying wish? I crossed oceans to elude you, yet still you found me. But here, in this new time, I have access to power beyond your feeble imagination. So come, find me, and let us end this once and for all.''

->'''Voiced by''': Zachary Quarles

Aganos is one of the ancient war golems created by the artisans of Babylon. He was the most obedient and powerful of his kind, as the last remaining he was made servant to the king. After Kan-Ra's failed attempt to take the throne, Aganos captured him and allowed the king to curse him. Years later when it was revealed that the sorceror lingered on, the king gave Aganos one final task: to end Kan-Ra once and for all. During this journey Aganos and his target were captured by the Night Guard, putting his quest on pause until Ultratech released them. Now their game of cat-and-mouse continues, except this is one giant and persistent cat.
----
* AmbidextrousSprite: Unlike the other characters, its entire model gets flipped depending on what side it's facing, so that its bashing arm is facing towards the screen.
* ArchEnemy: To Kan-Ra, as it is the same golem that served the king that Kan-Ra betrayed. It was sent to kill Kan-Ra, and the two have been in an ongoing conflict for centuries.
* BarrierWarrior: Aganos' can create walls behind itself or its opponent, and these walls will count as new boundaries for the stage, effectively making the battlefield smaller. However they can be destroyed by knocking Aganos down, getting knocked into it, or simply being punched straight through it by Aganos.
* BatterUp: When it holds a club in its hand, Aganos' normal grab is replaced by a special grab where it throws its opponent in the air and swings its club, sending them flying through the fullscreen distance, destroying any walls in their way.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: In general, Aganos is quite polite and respectful but it won't go easy on you if you're facing it in battle.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler:During its story, Aganos manages to get ambushed by Kan-Ra and then Cinder plants a remote-control chip, forcing the golem to serve Ultratech against its will. Thunder was able to undo the mind-control and the two of them wage a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against Ultratech]].
* CharacterSong: "Polemos", which features heavy Grecian themes and instrumentation alongside the series' trademark hard rock and a choir of ''over 400 crowdsourced voices.''
* CounterAttack: Playstyles focusing on chunk-armor tend to use these heavily.
* {{Determinator}}: Absolutely '''''nothing''''' will get in its way of killing Kan-Ra and fulfilling its king's last wish.
* DownloadableContent: Aganos is the 6th character released for Season 2, and is available for download as of February 27th, 2015.
* DueToTheDead: Its victory animation has it planting a flower on its fallen opponent's grave... ''after burying the guy itself''. Strangely, it can also do this to Kan-Ra if it defeats him, despite its backstory clearly stating that they are enemies.
* FingerPokeOfDoom: Finger Flick of Doom really, but it still applies. Aganos can even destroy projectiles with it.
* GenreMotif: Unsurprising from Mick Gordon, but Aganos also has a metal theme; however, it's accompanied by a Greek choir composed of over 200 people, including multiple Iron Galaxy members.
* GentleGiant: It's right there in the name; Aganos means "gentle"
* {{Golem}}: Duh.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Aganos might be respectful post-fight, but don't expect it to go easy on whoever it's facing. More literally, it's a golem that is either composed of rocks and trees (default mode) or is made of metal and looks like something out of a SteamPunk movie (alternate mode).
* GraveMarkingScene: Aganos does it in its victory animation, where it buries its fallen opponent in rocks and then tops the pile with a flower.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: Aganos isn't directly involved with the Killer Instinct tournament; it just happens to cross paths with the fighters while hunting down [[VillainOfAnotherStory Kan-Ra]]. [[spoiler: Later averted, as Aganos allies itself with Thunder to help fight against Ultratech and later Gargos near the end of it's story mode.]]
* ImmuneToFlinching: One function of Aganos' rock chunks. Each one allows it to take one hit without flinching.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQDab8vT8GU "Polemos"]].
* MacrossMissileMassacre: Aganos' Shadow Payload Assault sends shards of rock flying down from the sky across the entire screen, giving it the ability to easily chip out defending opponents or convert into ''huge'' unbreakable damage on reaction.
* MeaningfulName: Aganos is Greek for "gentle."
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: Much like Spinal, Aganos has a limited resource (in its case rock chunks) to use to shoot projectiles, give itself armor, or create walls. It can carry up to a maximum of 4, and its speed and jump height changes depending on how much it has, being at its slowest at all 4 chunks.
* MegatonPunch: Ruin, and especially [[UpToEleven Shadow Ruin]].
* MightyGlacier: At 8 feet tall, Aganos is ''waaaay'' larger than every other character in the game and it hits like a ton of bricks. Predictably, it's also quite slow, and its massive size makes it an easy target.
* MutualDisadvantage: During a MirrorMatch, Aganos loses the protective properties of its chunks.
* NiceGuy: Its name does mean "gentle". Aganos is one of the few fighters to respectfully send off their opponents after death, remains loyal to the Babylonian king that gave it free will even centuries after his death, and is attempting to hunt down the monstrous Kan-Ra.
* NoBiologicalSex: Due to being a golem and all.
* PunchedAcrossTheRoom: Aganos can do it with its attack ''Ruin'', and it will send you though any walls that it set up beforehand, dealing damage for each wall you go through.
* RockMonster: Naturally. It wasn't always this way though; [[AllThereInTheManual the official story]] says that it was originally made out of metal, and when it was damaged no-one knew how to recreate it so it had to improvise.
* RocksFallEveryoneDies: A rather literal take on the trope, but Aganos' Shadow Payload Assault sends rock shards cascading down from the sky and tends to cause a rather sudden end to matches.
* RollingAttack: Aganos can jump during it as well, and the strength of the attack changes its distance and speed.
* ShoutOut: A rock-themed fighter using an elbow drop as its finishing move. [[Wrestling/TheRock Why does it sound familiar?]] Also doubles as StealthPun.
* SuperMode: Aganos' instinct mode gives it clubs that will regenerate as long as instinct mode is still active.
* SuperPersistentPredator: Aganos has been pursuing Kan-Ra for centuries after the king's death, and has even gone all over the world in search of him. Kan-Ra himself even points this out in Aganos' reveal trailer.
--> '''Kan-Ra''': I crossed ''oceans'' to elude you, yet still you found me.
* TelephonePolearm: Aganos can pick up walls it sets around the stage and use them as a club that has near fullscreen reach. It can use it 3 times before it breaks, and the club can even be thrown as a projectile.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Upon its debut, Aganos was capable of performing Ultra Combos of ''over 280 hits'' due to [[GoodBadBugs a glitch in his recapture system]]. While the glitch has unfortunately since been patched, the record stands as one of the highest "legitimate" Ultra Combos in the books. [[note]] While anyone else can effectively gather an equally high combo, doing so requires exploiting counter breakers to a point that it becomes impractical, and thus most players dismiss it as illegitimate. [[/note]]
* UndyingLoyalty: To the Babylonian king who gave Aganos a sense of purpose and granted it the ability to think for itself. Aganos still pursues Kan-Ra on the king's last request and has been doing this for centuries after his death.
* WalkingTheEarth: In search of [[ArchEnemy Kan-Ra]].
* WrestlerInAllOfUs: For the end of its Ultra Combo, Aganos does an elbow drop on its opponent.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''ARIA''']]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/0a424ef1a47b9bde71d5f0a0774cbfe8.jpg]]

->''"If only they knew what waited for them. Humans transformed into monsters, spirits, ancient creatures and immortal madmen, aliens from beyond our solar system, and now...primeval horrors looking to devour them. Despite my efforts, humanity grows weak and complacent while their successors gather all around them. My prediction models show that they will not survive. I cannot allow that. I will put them back on the path. I will test them, push them...and I will not be gentle. It is time for a reckoning. Humanity will be dragged, kicking and screaming into the future."''

->''"Evolve or die. The choice...is yours."''

-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KarenStrassman

ARIA is an advanced AI who is the synthetic CEO of Ultratech. She is specifically designed to watch and guide humanity, created as the final project of late Ultratech founder Ryat Adams. Her prime directive is to lift the world into a new age of peace and prosperity, and to end blights such as famine, war, and disease. After Adams passed away, he left all of Ultratech to her. However, her business decisions and solutions to mankind's frailties are not necessarily the most humane options, turning Ultratech's practices more and more extreme. Her latest plan involves beckoning the monstrous Gargos to the Earth, hoping that huamnity will be able to band together.
----
* AIIsACrapshoot: Hits this rather hard in her Trailer. She claims to save the world from "Humans who have transformed into monsters" (Saberwulf, who's trying to regain his humanity), "Spirits" (Hisako, an {{Antihero}} whose grave was disturbed by Ultratech), "Ancient creatures" (Spinal, who's a DeathSeeker trying to break his own curse), "Immortal Madmen" (Kan-Ra, while still evil, is a VillainOfAnotherStory and is not the most immediate threat to Earth, and [[NiceJobBreakingItHero is only out in the open because of an Ultratech raid that set him free]]), "Aliens from beyond our solar system" (Glacius, who is [[DamageControl trying to undo the damage caused by his tech]]), "And now, primeval horrors planning to devour them" (Omen, who works for Gargos, [[spoiler:but later ends up inverting it as of Season 3 due to [[HeelFaceTurn reconsidering his alignment to Gargos]]]]). Subverted, however, in that these are largely erroneous and reckless actions based on her core programming of "save humanity", [[WellIntentionedExtremist which is something she obeys letter and spirit]].
* AntiVillain: Her intentions aren't really evil at all, as she's looking to find a way to end humanity's problems such as disease, famine, and war, as well as protect them from the creatures and beings that threaten it (eg. Kan-Ra, Omen). Unfortunately, she came to the conclusion that the only way for humanity to survive is to forcibly remove people's humanity from the equation altogether in order to combat those she views as potential threats, not realizing that some of those she is trying to protect humanity from are not threats at all.
* AssistCharacter: While she can certainly switch which drone she controls at any time, the other two still have their uses. She has commands that can make one of the inactive drones attack once before retreating back to her side.
* BatmanGambit: She frees Kan-Ra from his imprisonment by the Night Guard, knowing that his actions will eventually release Gargos and give humanity a common enemy to fight, giving them reason to rally under Ultratech.
* BecomeARealBoy: [[https://www.ultra-combo.com/ki-novella-chapter-5/ The novella]] reveals this to be a goal of her's. Her reasoning being that while she can understand basic human urges, she doesn't understand the more complex parts of their thoughts. She thinks that uploading herself into a human body will fix this.
* BigBad: For this venture, as Ultratech steps back into the spotlight.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Her Blade Body replaces her right hand with a sword that enhances her range.
* CameraAbuse: In her victory pose, she puts her foot on an invisible body (seen from the player's point of view), and then stomps it into the person's body. After that, she strikes a pose.
-->'''ARIA''': The world cannot rely on ''you''...
* CantKillYouStillNeedYou: By the end of Season 2, ARIA has Jago, Orchid, TJ Combo, and Maya pinned down in South America, at the mercy of the Stalkers and several Fulgore units. However, when her plan to have Kan-Ra free Gargos succeeds, she orders a full retreat just in case she still needs them (Orchid had, after all, killed Gargos' rival).
* CaptainErsatz: Since her tease at the end of Cinder's trailer, many people have noted that she looks either like a [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Gundam]] or a [[VideoGame/BlazBlue Murakumo Unit]]. Her retro costume looks a lot like a [[Series/DoctorWho Cyberman]].
* CharacterSong: ".execute", which takes the dubstep influences UpToEleven and mixes in some thundering and fast-paced drum & bass sections to show both her cybernetic nature as well as her power.
* CriticalExistenceFailure: Normally to beat ARIA you have to deplete the health of all of her drones, with her AI jumping to a new one each time her current form is felled. However if she is in Instinct Mode (wherein all of her drones are active on her at the same time) and you manage to drain her primary lifebar, then she loses instantly (luckily at least doing so makes the primary lifebar whatever drone currently has the most health, so at least she puts her best foot forward when activating).
* DownloadableContent: ARIA was the final character for Season 2, being released May 29th, 2015.
* DidntSeeThatComing: One of the unlockable dossiers in Shadow Lords reveals that, for all of her planning, she wasn't expecting Gargos to be able to create near perfect Mimics of the Killer Instinct fighters, including her Fulgore and Riptor units, and even herself.
* DifficultButAwesome:
** Unlike other characters, who have a life bar each round, her life bar is divvied up between each drone, and each can only heal potential damage when they're not in use. This means that she effectively only has three smaller interchangeable life bars, but if any drones are destroyed, then she loses them for good. Though when used in tandem with each other properly, it means that she can adapt to almost any situation on the fly. Jago zoning you out with fireballs? Use the drone that gives you enhanced aerial movement to get in close. Having a hard time keeping that T.J Combo or Thunder away from you? Use the drone that gives you extra range and poke them from a safe distance.
** Her Instinct mode also plays into this. When used well, it gives ARIA a highly versatile moveset and all of the good properties of each body. If the tables turn on her while in Instinct Mode, however, each of her body parts take damage when she does, quickly sapping her long-term viability. Additionally, if her health hits zero while her bodies are combined, she loses regardless of how much health her other bodies have.
** ARIA gets weaker the longer a battle plays out. If she loses a body, she's not exactly ''beaten'', but she's going to have to work harder to fight back effectively.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: It's quite clear she loved her creator a great deal and was heartbroken by his death.
* EvilVersusEvil: [[spoiler: In her ending, ARIA becomes aware that Gargos has been released by Kan-Ra, as she had planned all along, and defeats his herald Omen to send a message to him. When Gargos finally makes his grand entrance, she rallies her forces and prepares for the upcoming war]].
* TheFaceless: You actually get to see right into her face during [[spoiler:the extra, hidden ending of Season 1]] but all the features except for the GlowingEyesOfDoom are obscured in shadow. Naturally, Season 2 averts this.
* FragileSpeedster: Her Booster Body gives her enhanced mobility but has lackluster defense.
* FunWithAcronyms: '''A'''dvanced '''R'''obotics '''I'''ntelligence '''A'''rchitecture.
* FusionDance: Her Instinct Mode has her fuse her three bodies into one, granting her all the moves of each body and all the good properties of each body, such as flight and increased speed. However, each body takes an even share of the damage ARIA takes during this mode, though the extra bodies cannot be destroyed this way, and if ARIA's current body is destroyed during Instinct, all of them are destroyed.
* GenghisGambit: As seen in her Story Mode in Season 2, she knew that releasing Kan-Ra would ultimately result in the release of Gargos, giving humanity a common enemy to fight... under Ultratech's banner.
* GenreMotif: Befitting a machine, ARIA's theme is a fast-paced drum 'n bass track, with an electronic remix of the main theme included.
* GlassCannon: She can deal a lot of damage and has a lot of options, but due to the way her drones work she technically has less total health than the rest of the cast, and she still takes normal damage. Characters like Thunder and Aganos can really lay into her if given the chance.
* GoldAndWhiteAreDivine: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]]; her default color scheme is primarily gold and white (with a bit of cyan for accent lights and her eyes), and certain forms of her body make her look angelic, but she is anything but that given that she is a WellIntentionedExtremist.
* GrenadeSpam: Her Hard Kicks have her shooting grenades from her feet.
* {{Gynoid}}: She's technically an AI, but can take the form of one through the assembly of nanite cores.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Her trailer shows that she considers aliens, specifically Glacius, to be one of the foremost threats to humanity. Reading Glacius' story summary reveals that the only reason he is participating in the tournament is ''to protect humans''. Same goes for [[TheAtoner Saberwulf]] and [[{{Antihero}} Hisako]], who are dealing with their own struggles and don't really pose much of a threat to humanity either.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1DX9Wjeh9k ".execute"]].
* LightIsNotGood: Her robotic body resembles an angel, and her default color scheme is mostly white and gold, but she is a WellIntentionedExtremist who genuinely wants to help humanity evolve... in the worst ways possible.
* MachineMonotone: Her voice never rises above a synthetic, emotionless tone. Almost like a female [[Franchise/MassEffect Sovereign.]]
* MakeMeWannaShout: The Bass Body is a sonic cannon. While not fast, it does have the ability to cover a far larger range than her basic shotgun and grenades.
* MeaningfulName: Her name borrows from an expressive piece of music that is usually (but not always) performed by a singer. As mentioned below, this trope extends to several of her techniques as they are named after musical terms as well.
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: She's functionally three fighters in one, and can assemble 3 different drones that change her moveset in different ways. Each drone has a separate health bar, and they cannot recover potential damage over time when they're in use. You won't go into a second round if you destroy all the drones either, once they're all gone, the game is over.
* MultipleLifeBars: Each of her three parts have a separate life bar. While each individual bar is smaller than a normal fighter's, combined it gives ARIA the same overall amount of health that the other fighters have.
* MusicalThemeNaming: The AI's name is ARIA, its Instinct is called Combat Symphony No. 9 and its special attacks are Crescendo, Allegro and Dissonance in Booster, Blade and Bass Drone modes respectively. Her Ultra in the movelist is described as "a pitch perfect series of attacks".
* OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: Being the head of Ultratech, this applies.
* OurAngelsAreDifferent: Her robotic body resembles an angel, with wing extensions and her gold/divinity motif. Her personality is more in-line with the WellIntentionedExtremist or AntiVillain tropes, though.
* RidiculouslyHumanRobots: She's designed to be able to simulate humanity, more or less.
* RobotHair: She has a few downward pointing metal spikes on the back of her head that look like short choppy hair.
* SexyWalk: She kinda has one in her intro and win pose.
* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: Her Shotgun Blitz special and medium kick normal feature her knee popping open to reveal a ShortRangeShotgun.
* ShoutOut: Her whole design is pretty much a big shout-out to the mecha anime genre.
** It might not be intentional, but her entire playstyle (three characters in one, only one can be actively controlled at a time, though others can assist but risk taking damage themselves, and can only recover health when not in use) makes her a one-person ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' team.
** Also probably unintentional, but her stated goal of trying to evolve humanity so it can meet the greater threats it faces (eg. aliens like Glacius and ancient evils like Omen and Kan-Ra), and her willingness to drag humanity "kicking and screaming" into the future if she has to, make her a dead-ringer for [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron Ultron]].
** Hell, one of her alternate colour schemes invokes Film!Ultron, and another takes after [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Arcee.]]
** ''[[Franchise/{{Saw}} Evolve or Die, the choice is yours.]]''
** Her retro costume seems to be based on the [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E12NightmareInSilver 2013 design]] of [[Series/DoctorWho the Cybermen]].
* StanceSystem: She has three different stances (or drones) that change her moveset in different ways. Interestingly, each drone has a separate health bar, meaning that once one drone is destroyed, you can't use it for the rest of the game.
* SuperMode: Her Instinct Mode has her drones [[AllYourPowersCombined combine into one]], allowing her to use every drone at once and gain access to a small cannon-drone. Whenever you lose a body, you gain another cannon-drone to fire, making a weakened ARIA prone to projectile spam while in Instinct. However, if she runs out of health in her Instinct mode, she instantly loses.
* TransformationSequence: Unlike other characters' Instinct Modes, ARIA's is a full, anime-esque sequence of her bodies fusing into one super-body.
* VisionaryVillain: As the head of Ultratech. Her entire purpose is to free humanity from problems like hunger, disease, and pestilence. Her methods, however, are quite ethically questionable... such as engineering the release of a millenia-old demon warlord in order to force humanity to rally under her [[spoiler:and kidnapping the brother of a Nez Perce chief and using his mind to power one of the Fulgore units]].
* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: Ryat tried to teach ARIA the concept of love, but she couldn't really understand it.
* WellDoneDaughterGirl: When Ryat Adams was alive, ARIA desperately craved to please him and prove that he didn't create a monster as he feared.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: ARIA ''wants'' humanity to survive the supernatural, extraterrestrial, and otherwise evil threats that are coming our way. She ''wants'' us to better ourselves. Problem is, it's by '''force'''. She's not giving us a choice in the matter.
--> "I will ''not'' be gentle. It is time for a reckoning."
* WorthIt: During the "Unforgiven" event battle in Shadow Lords, Thunder tracks her down, their current Alliance be damned, with the intent to avenge his brother. ARIA concedes that this fight was inevitable, but mentions that the success of the Fulgore MK-III units, which could only be made because Ultratech kidnapped Eagle, more than outweighed the downsides. [[TalkToTheFist Thunder does NOT take it well.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Black '''Eagle''' (a.k.a. Tipyeléhne)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/02_eagle01.jpg]]

-> ''"I have returned, and now I will restore balance to the Earth!"''

->'''Voiced by''': Thomas tátlo Gregory

"Black Eagle", real name Tipyeléhne, is an Indigenous American warrior who is the younger brother of Thunder. In the original continuity he went missing before the events of the story and was thus never seen in the flesh.\\\

In the reboot, Eagle was a member of Orchid's Disavowed who sought to expose Ultratech's evil ways in return for killing his parents and polluting his home. He disappeared soon after, having been secretly captured and experimented on by his nemesis. ARIA found his body and spirit beautiful, and decided to use him as the basis for the intelligence of the Fulgore Mk. III. Fortunately, Glacius breaks into Ultratech and retrieves Eagle's body, reviving him using alien technology and allowing him to reunite with Thunder to combat Ultratech.
----
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: Was originally (only mentioned in passing) a competitor of Ultratech's tournaments who was made into a cyborg trapped in Fulgore's armor. In the reboot his brain was used as a basis for Fulgore's AI, but he was rescued from Ultratech by Glacius and made into a benevolent union between Nez Perce traditions and futuristic alien technology.
* AnimalMotifs: Eagles. It's even in his name!
* BashBrothers: With Thunder.
* CynicismCatalyst: Serves as one for his brother, where his disappearance during a previous [=KI=] tournament left Thunder vengeful and desperate for answers.
* GhostInTheMachine: [[spoiler: His mind is slowly granting Fulgore true sentience]].
* GuardianEntity: His eagle weyekin fights alongside him, retrieving his arrows after they've been shot.
* MagicalNativeAmerican: Like his brother Thunder.
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: His arrows deal potent damage and can be fired in a number of directions and flurries, but he only has twelve of them and must physically retrieve them.
* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:His body was being kept in stasis by Ultratech while his mind was being brainwashed and used to create Fulgore. Glacius later broke in and got him out of there]].
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: His real name has only been used once, in a chapter from the KI Novella on the game's website.
* {{Retcon}}: Thunder's endings in both the arcade and SNES versions of ''Killer Instinct 1'' implied that Eagle CameBackWrong as Spinal. Later installments took inspiration from the comics and had Black Eagle be the former identity of [[spoiler:Fulgore]].
* TheStraightAndArrowPath: Eagle uses a bow in combat.
* SuperMode: Eagle's bird becomes an attack assist when Eagle attacks with his normals.
* TronLines: His current look has some blue lines on his body and shirt, similar to TJ Combo's implants.
* WasOnceAMan: [[spoiler: Eagle's mind was used in the creation of the newest model of Fulgore]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Hisako''' (a.k.a. Chiharu)]]
[[quoteright:327:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/c1eab8fd708aa212d762d98ebabc657e.PNG]]

-> ''"I will hunt them. I will find them. I will take back what was stolen. And they will pay with their lives!"''

->'''Voiced by''': Alpha Takahashi

"Hisako" is the legendary ghost of a 19-year-old girl from a rural Japanese village. The daughter of a former samurai, Chiharu was killed fighting off an invasion with the rest of her family. To memorialize her death, the remaining villagers crafted a shrine in her honor. After Ultratech disturbed the graves of the village, she wrathfully emerged from the spirit world to hunt down and destroy all those involved.
----
* AchillesHeel: Unless the opponent can keep her still and her wrath meter empty, Hisako can be this to anyone. [[TheChosenOne She's even better against Gargos than Kim Wu]] as she's able to keep moving and counter anything the demon can throw at her.
* AntiHero: On the "anti" side, she's a [[Literature/TheRing Sadako]] {{Expy}} who's out for vengeance. On the "hero" side, her enemies are the members of Ultratech. [[spoiler: She's also implied to have joined in on fighting Gargos after the spirit of her father warned her of Kan-Ra's actions.]]
* BlackEyesOfCrazy: She has black sclera and white irises, highlighting her twisted nature as an onryō.
* BladeOnAStick: She wields a [[NaginatasAreFeminine naginata]], [[AncestralWeapon which originally belonged to her father]] before his death during the attack on their village.
* CharacterSong: "Village of Whispers", with an ethereal Japanese vocalist and a few Japanese motifs to compliment the hard rock and make her sound more otherworldly and menacing.
* ConfusionFu: She can "hold" her attacks during a combo to change their timing, which can really mess your opponent up in the attempt of a combo breaker.
* ContraltoOfDanger: Hisako's voice drops down several octaves when she's angry.
* CounterAttack: Hisako has a second meter called "Wrath meter", which she can use to turn all of her attacks that utilize her naginata into counter hits, even if your opponent doesn't attack. She also has a parry-type counter attack that she can execute, and she can even link it into a combo if it hits, or cancel her moves into it if she has enough Wrath meter.
* CreepyGood: Ungodly creepy, yes, but she's only out to take revenge on the company that disturbed her place of eternal rest. And considering that said grave defiling company is [[EvilInc Ultratech]] (specifically Sadira), it certainly helps the "good" part.
* DemonicPossession: Her command grab ''Possession'', as the name implies, has Hisako pull in and possess her opponent, before contorting their body in ''very'' painful ways.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Being, well, a vengeful ghost, she probably doesn't care about footwear.
* DownloadableContent: She was released for download at end of March 2015 as Season 2's seventh character.
* DraggedOffToHell: Her home stage's unique [[FinishingMove Stage Ultra]] has a bunch of shadowy hands sprout up from the ground, grab the victim, and pull them down to god knows where.
* GenreMotif: Metal, but with REALLY creepy Japanese vocals.
* GlacierWaif: Despite her size, she's a grappler, moves slowly when not using her dash, and seems to rival even Thunder in damage output.
* HorrorHunger: She needs to feed on the spirital energy of others to remain in the world of the living. As a result, she's forced to pick fights with people she knows for a fact aren't associated with Ultratech to ensure she can keep following the trail.
* {{Irony}}: She was scared of Onryo in life after she saw a puppet of one in a puppet show. She ends up becoming one after death, though she's much less violent and vengeful than most.
* JumpScare: In her intro animation. Hisako disappears from view for a second, before re-appearing [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou directly in front of the camera saying "I will devour you".]]
** Her ending animation at the end of her Ultimate has her face pop in front of the camera from the side to scare the player (2nd player included in an online match).
* KimonoIsTraditional: She's dressed like this. Also [[JustifiedTrope justified]], as she's been dead for around 450 years, meaning that that style of dress would have been the norm when she was still alive.
* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: Chiharu is her real name, though she only came to be known as Hisako since nobody knew or could remember her actual name.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZLmf3n00IM "Village of Whispers"]].
* LimpAndLivid: She never stands up straight in any of her stances. At least some part of her body - usually her head - is at an angle. The 'Livid' part is part of the package of being an Onryo.
* LoudOfWar: Alongside Kan-Ra, Hisako has this in her Ultra, as she drags her foe closer with her ''Possession'' move.
* MeaningfulName:
** Because the village can't remember her real name, they call her Hisako, meaning "eternal child", which fits her status as a late-teens ghost.
** Her real name, Chiharu, means "one thousand springs", referencing how in the year she was born, the peach tree blossoms stayed on the trees for slightly longer than usual.
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: Her Wrath meter, which when charged to at least half, makes her next attack an instant Counter Hit.
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Her teeth are needle-sharp fangs, best shown off during her victory animation.
* NaginatasAreFeminine: She's a woman, and she uses a naginata. Played with, however, as the weapon used to belong to her father.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The attack on her village was spurred on as a result of her refusing to marry the son of a renegade shogun. Whoops, messed ''that'' one up, Hisako!
* NightmareFace: She pulls off a pretty damn good one in her victory animation.
* OminousVisualGlitch: She's constantly giving off discolored afterimages, which corresponds to how much Wrath meter she has.
* OminousWalk: In good horror movie villain fashion, Hisako does not run after her targets. She ''walks'', and very slowly at that - one of the slowest characters in the game if not the absolute slowest. When speed is required she breaks into a deceptively fast crawling dash.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: She's different in her nature as an onryo. Instead of looking to take vengeance on the living as a whole, she's simply seeking out the ones that disturbed her grave, and wasn't wronged by a man in her life.
* PeekABangs: One of her eyes is covered by her hair most of the time.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge:
** The whole reason she's fighting is to get revenge on Sadira for disturbing her grave.
** She also went on one in her backstory. After seeing the rest of her family dead during the attack on her village, she attacked and killed a dozen of the invaders all while cursing them for what they did.
* RunningOnAllFours: Her forward dash makes her crawl towards her opponent at high speed.
* ScreamingWarrior: She can pull enemies in by screaming at them, her victory pose has her scream into the camera, and even her theme features screaming. Oh, and that quote at the top of her folder? She screeches that last part like a madwoman.
* ShoutOut: To Japanese-inspired horror flicks, such as ''Film/TheRing'' and ''Film/{{Juon}}''.
* StringyHairedGhostGirl: She's an onryō, the wrathful ghost of a teenage girl who was killed in battle against the enemy of her people. Having her grave dug up did not improve her disposition and she now seeks revenge against the one who disturbed her.
* SuperMode: Her Instinct Mode gives her infinite Wrath Meter and enhances her counters so that they counter attacks of all heights.
* SuperPersistentPredator: Hisako started mercilessly stalking Sadira wherever she went after the latter dug up the former's grave in search of treasure.
* TakeUpMySword: Took up her father's naginata against the army of bandits who killed him.
* TakingYouWithMe: As Chiharu, with her dying breath she struck the leader of the bandits with a poisoned ring blade, with his dying screams being the last thing she heard before she passed.
* TeleportSpam: Her ''Descent'' normal and ''Influence'' command grab use it to a really scary extent.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Due to a unique pause in her Ultra, Hisako could easily exploit the Ultra Ender in order to initiate another combo before the opponent drops and extend her combo effectively infinitely. Fortunately, this has since been patched.
* {{Tomboy}}: She was much more interested in becoming a samurai in life than anything else.
* VolumetricMouth: When she screams, her jaw seems to unhinge and stretch down far enough for her mouth to be bigger than her head.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Kan-Ra''']]
[[quoteright:316:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kan_ra_forbidden_archive.png]]
->''"You'll make a fine specimen..."''

->'''Voiced by''': Creator/EdwardBosco

Kan-Ra is a 3500-year-old Babylonian sorcerer. Formerly the vizier of a great king, Kan-Ra schemed to take the throne by hiring Spinal's bandit network and cursing the queen. After his plan failed, Kan-Ra was beaten by Aganos and cursed with a withering rot that caused his flesh and organs to disintegrate. Unwilling to accept defeat, he has fought off the painful affliction for millenia using hexes and medicines of his own. While he continues his search for power, he has been continually hunted by Aganos' tireless journey to finish him off. Though their chase is interrupted by the Night Guard's capture of them both, Ultratech frees them. Kan-Ra then peers into the Astral Realm and seeks to take Gargos' power, accidentally allowing the shadow lord to reach the Earth for the first time in years. Since this chaotic blunder (orchestrated on purpose by ARIA and Ultratech), Kan-Ra now seeks new ways to fight off the fruit of his mistake.
----
* AchillesHeel: Gameplay-wise, any character who has a teleport move (ie. Spinal, Fulgore, Hisako, and another [[MirrorMatch Kan-Ra]] in certain situations). They can easily get around his zoning and force him into fighting at a close range, something that he isn't exactly great at doing thanks to his lack of decent close range options.
* ArchEnemy: To Aganos, as it was the same golem that served the king that Kan-Ra betrayed. Aganos was sent to kill him by the king, and the two have been in an ongoing conflict for centuries.
* BadassBookworm: Besides being the Vizier, he also read up tons on ancient sorcery. It's this sorcery that's keeping him alive, after all. And despite being essentially a living, ''rotting'' corpse, he's smart enough to use said ancient sorcery to fight killer cyborgs, aliens, werewolves, golems, and demonically-powered monks ''and win''.
* BeautyIsBad: He was very good looking before being cursed, something that he wasn't above using to sway and control people when trying to overthrow the Babylonian King he served under.
* BigBadWannabe: He's trying so very hard to be the biggest threat around, but he's no Gargos.
* BodyHorror: What with being basically a walking, breathing, ''rotting'' corpse. The way his midsection looks makes it unlikely he even has internal organs there anymore.
* ButtMonkey: Almost nothing goes right for him over the course of the story. He was cursed to rot for eternity by his king whom he tried to overthrow, is burned to ash and imprisoned for thousands of years, unable to truly die due to his immortality, unwittingly unleashes a demon lord that wants to take over the human world, and, lastly, resurrects an opposing demon lord to fight for him, only for ''that'' one to beat the snot out of him.
* ButtonMashing: Kan-Ra's Shadow Whirl is the only shadow move in the game that can be broken by mashing with 100% reliability; the attack connects so quickly that the breaker attempts overlap multiple hits and so can never fail and initiate a lockout.
* CharacterSong: "Sandstorm", which takes a heavy amount of Middle Eastern inspiration and twists it together with pounding drumbeats and heavy guitar riffs that gives the song equal parts otherworldly and mundane power.
* CollectorOfTheStrange: Kan-Ra seeks out artifacts that would help him resist rotting. During 2500 years he has collected so much that his stage, the Forbidden Archive, is littered with them. [[spoiler: He's also the previous owner of Maya's daggers, Temperance and Vengeance, and used them to enslave the tribes of South America. He in turn also stole the daggers from a temple in the city of Tyre during a siege from Alexander the Great.]]
* CompleteImmortality: He's an immortal, thanks to all of his magic keeping him alive for 3500 years. He's been burned to ash, sent into space, beaten down by all manner of enemies (including [[ArchEnemy Aganos]]), and the list probably goes on. Presumably the only thing that could truly kill him is the curse of rot that was placed upon him that is still progressing despite his best efforts.
* DifficultButAwesome: Kan-Ra is the only hard zoning character in the game, deals much less damage that most other characters, and is possibly the most complex character in the game, even when compared to fellow Difficult but Awesome character Spinal. But when played to his strengths, he can use his massive arsenal of tools and tricks to make it near impossible to get near him while managing to rack up hefty amounts of damage with surprisingly long combos. It's telling that he's generally agreed upon to be one of the best characters in the game at a high level.
* DownloadableContent: The third character to be released for Season 2 by November 25, 2014.
* EnemyMine: He's part of the anti-Gargos alliance led by ARIA in the ''Shadow Lords'' mode, though it's less because he cares about actually saving the world and more because he refuses to serve any being. Certain quest missions also imply he has his own agenda.
* EvilChancellor: His backstory to a T. Thought himself smart enough to overthrow assassinate the king using magic. Problem is that he botched it at the last second. Even failing the first time didn't stop him, as after he was exiled he utilized his dark arts to secure positions under royalty in different kingdoms.
* EvilIsNotAToy: He resurrects Eyedol expecting the spell to keep the insanely powerful demonic warlord under his control. Eyedol attacks him the second he stands up.
* EvilSorcerer: His other part of the backstory, considering he's learned up almost everything about magic. He can also use this experience to curse enemies with his throws or his sand magic command normals, making them move slower and get floatier jumps. This is especially distressing against Orchid or Sadira.
* GenreMotif: His theme is more middle-eastern influenced, blending rock with various string instruments and drums.
* IdiotBall: Oops, I accidentally unleashed an inter-dimensional warlord who will cause the end of the world - '''my''' world. I know! I'll revive ''another'' inter-dimensional warlord who was the only one powerful enough to pose a threat to him and try to enslave him like I tried to enslave the other warlord's army! [[TemptingFate There's no possible way this could backfire!]]
* LeanAndMean: He's very thin thanks to his curse, to the point where his ribs are protruding out farther than his stomach.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4vJn0IikkQ "Sandstorm"]].
* LivingOnBorrowedTime: Kan-Ra is aware that, despite his best efforts, the curse of rot placed upon him is still progressing and that there is only so much more he can do to slow it down.
* LoudOfWar: Alongside Hisako, his ultra has him roaring as he explodes.
* MadScientist: Despite being a sorcerer, he shows traits of this.
* MakeThemRot: Is a victim of this. The king he served cursed Kan-Ra to rot forever. Kan-Ra has used several other hexes to slow the process down, but he is still rotting.
* {{Mayincatec}}: His Royal accessories hold a resemblance to this theme.
* MetronomicManMashing: His Shadow Wrap will slam them around while bandaged up.
* {{Mummy}}: While Iron Galaxy (jokingly) doesn't refer to him as such at first (''#[=NotAMummy=]''), Kan-Ra is representative of the [[Franchise/UniversalHorror classic Mummy movie monster]]. And then his DLC outfit went all the way with making him a mummy. ''#[=NowAMummy=]'' indeed.
* MummyWrap: His other specialty, he can use his bandages as whips or to tie up people and throw them around, and it's a lot meaner than how [[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} Anakaris]] did it.
* OhCrap: [[spoiler:Apparently he thought opening a demon portal would be a good idea to gather followers and advance his plans of world conquest. Both times he regretted it]].
* OurLichesAreDifferent: He has the zombie-like appearance and is seemingly unkillable. He can also steal souls to empower himself.
* PestController: Another one of his tricks is to breath a swarm of insects.
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Formed a small group of conspirators when trying to overthrow the king that consisted of himself, a noble, a general, and a bandit, the bandit being Spinal when he was still alive.
* RoomFullOfCrazy: Kan-Ra's stage, the Forbidden Archive, is full of various artifacts, mummified bodies and magical symbols he has collected during his search for a cure that would help his condition. A black hole even appears when performing an Ultra.
* SandBlaster: Some of his moves involve magically controlling sand to attack.
* SealedEvilInACan: He was imprisoned along with Aganos by the Night Guard in the past after being weakened in a battle with the aforementioned golem. When Ultratech attacked their city in the present, they accidentally released Kan-Ra, and he escaped unnoticed.
* ShoutOut: His Chinese accessories set references [[Film/BigTroubleInLittleChina Lo Pan]].
* SlasherSmile: His default expression.
* SoundtrackDissonance: Alongside Mira, his is the most Jarring. Due to how his Ultra works, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CxBtcCWO-w Most themes sound more erratic than usual.]] This is averted with Eyedol's Theme, where it's strangely fitting.
* SuperMode: His Instinct Mode allows him to perform all of his sand-based moves as if he always has a sand trap under him, and gives him tons of canceling capabilities.
* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: Kan-Ra's English is flawless and up to date. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], as he had plenty of time to learn various languages.
* TeleportSpam: He can teleport by exploding then reforming using sand pits he places on the floor.
* ThrowTheBookAtThem: His Ultra Ender.
* TheUndead: While not technically dead, he's severely rotted away, and only survives due to the aid of dark magic.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Of Aria, who had planned for Gargos' release from the beginning so it'll force humanity to evolve and fight back. Also of Gargos himself, who manipulated Kan-Ra into opening the portal that would allow him to invade earth in the first place]].
* VillainOfAnotherStory: He seems to be entirely unrelated to Ultratech and the Killer Instinct tournament, much preferring to focus on his own goals and fight his own enemies. [[spoiler: After accidentally unleashing Gargos, he sets his sights on both the demon and the people who oppose him, hoping to steal the power of those on both sides while they're pre-occupied with each other. This leads him to eventually resurrect Eyedol, the only warrior powerful enough to challenge Gargos and give him a real fight.]]
* VocalEvolution: All of Kan-Ra's dialogue in-game and in material for Season 2 depicts him as having a menacingly deep voice with a bit of a rasp. However, because his voice actor now also plays Gargos in Season 3, who is ''also'' a BadassBaritone, Kan-Ra's new dialogue in Season 3 material gives him a slightly higher but more natural pitch.
* YourSoulIsMine: After winning a match, he steals his opponents power for himself.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Kilgore''']]
[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kilgore_closeimage.jpg]]

-> '''Voiced by''': Jean-Edouard "Jedsound" Miclot & Zachary Quarles

Kilgore is a prototype battle robot designed by Ultratech, and the predecessor of the Fulgore line. Its combustion engine ultimately proved too unstable, so the project was scrapped in favor of the Fulgore's nuclear engine. Years later, ARIA reactivates one of them during Gargos's invasion as backup. Its chaotic temperament often makes it more of a liability than an asset.
----
* ArmCannon: In contrast to Fulgore's BladeBelowTheShoulder, Kilgore's hands are chain guns.
* CombatSadomasochist: As long as it's able to kill things, it seems to be perfectly fine with harming itself to do so, as shown by its willingness to use its own system overheats to do even more damage, and most tellingly, shivering with ''anticipatory glee'' as it holds its victim in place for one final missile pod.
* CrosshairAware: Medium and Heavy ''Missile Pod'' can be aimed at a specific area this way, while ''Shadow Missile Pod'' does this, but locks onto the target's position at time of firing.
* CyberCyclops: Unlike Fulgore's more humanoid head, Kilgore's cranial unit has a vertical slit.
* DiscardAndDraw: Overheat, aside from Instinct Mode (which gives him the benefits without the drawbacks) changes up almost all of Kilgore's special moves, making them more powerful in some form while crippling them in another:
** ''Chain Gun Discharge/Dash/Barrage/Sweep/Assault'': Fires at medium speed at all times (faster than the default, slower than higher speed settings), bullets do extra damage over time, but explode at medium range instead of reaching the length of the screen.
** ''Missile Pod'': Missiles explode at medium range (aside from exploding on impact, which they do anyway) instead of the length of the screen (Light) or upon reaching the targeted area (Medium/Heavy/Shadow), but have a wider blast radius and deal more damage.
** ''Short Circuit'': Explodes after invulnerability frames, dealing damage and launching on hit, effectively serving as a Counter, but leaving him wide open for several seconds on miss or block.
** ''Metal Ball'': Explodes on contact, dealing extra damage and launching airborne enemies, but knocks blocking foes out of Kilgore's melee range, leaving him open.
* DownloadableContent: The first new character following the release of the Definitive Edition.
* FlawedPrototype: Abandoned due to severe design flaws, replaced instead by the Fulgore series.
* GenreMotif: Industrial techno with elements of metal and dubstep.
* IncendiaryExponent: Kilgore's guns {{Overheat}} from overuse, and are literally set ablaze.
* JetPack: Rocket Boot variant. Kilgore's jumps are jet-propelled, as is its ''Metal Ball'' attack.
* {{Leitmotif}}: Can be heard [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MkDyFClK_M here]].
* LongRangeFighter: Kilgore's got some of the better zoning abilities among the cast, but using its Chain Guns too much puts it into Overheat, forcing its to either rely on its less safe rushdown, use shadow meter to Exhaust its heat, or limit its ranged options to medium range in return for more power.
* MacrossMissileMassacre: ''Missile Pod'', especially ''Shadow Missile Pod'', or during its Ultra Combo.
* MoreDakka: Kilgore sprays bullets around with nearly every attack. The more you use the chain guns, the faster they fire until they overheat.
* MovesetClone: Shares some normals and specials with Fulgore, but forgoes the reactor mechanic in favor of an overheating mechanic, and the EyeBeams, ChestBlaster, and [[LaserBlade Laser Blades]] are replaced with [[MoreDakka dual chainguns]], [[RocketPunch lanching itself at it's opponent]], and [[MacrossMissileMassacre a lot of missiles]].
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Can't really get more blatant with purpose than you can with "Kilgore".
* NeverNeedsSharpening: Kilgore has a tendency to Overheat and catch fire, but oddly this helps it as often as it hinders it, changing up most of its special moves with added affects at the cost of a new downside.
* RocketPunch: Borrowed from Fulgore, along with its own unique rocket-propelled leap.
* ShoutOut: Has bits of [[Franchise/{{Robocop}} ED-209]] and Franchise/{{Terminator}} in its design, and fans often compare it to [[VideoGame/{{Overwatch}} Bastion]]. Gameplay-wise, its overheating mechanic and being based off of an iconic character are inspired by [[VideoGame/GuiltyGear Robo-Ky]].
* SlidingScaleOfRobotIntelligence: Seems to sit somewhere around a 3. Notably, while the rest of it's line was scrapped due to their instability, this specific cyborg gained self-awareness and started to ''rewrite it's own software coding'' to make up for the aforementioned drawbacks in it's hardware.
* StatusEffects: Firing bullets while the guns are overheating will [[PlayingWithFire inflict fire damage]], generating slight potential damage (white health) over time, similar to Cinder.
* SuperMode: Activating Instinct sends it into Overheat mode, but without sacrificing the normal range of bullets.
* TakingYouWithMe: Kilgore's ultimate has it holding it's victim in prep for a super-huge missile. Averted as it explodes before the missile impact, and the resulting damage is so minimal as a result that it gets back up without much trouble.
* TeleportSpam: It can use teleporting tech to briefly blink out of existence, but it can't move Kilgore around the screen, like Fulgore's teleport. It also malfunctions during Overheat.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Mira''' Fallegeros]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cgpo00nugaevdxt.jpg]]
-> ''"They dug me from the rubble, the very things I came to kill. They honored me. I was worthy of their power. And oh, what power it is."''

-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/FrydaWolff

Mira is the lost twin sister of Maya, who sacrificed herself on a monster-hunting mission to save her. Crushed under rubble, the very supernatural creatures she once hunted dug up her body and revived her as a vampire. Her already-immense skill led them to invite her into their ranks, and now she relishes the new power she has gained through her vampiric abilities in the mysterious Coven.
----
* AnimalMotifs: Scarabs/beetles, as displayed on her gauntlets, hair bow and and chest decorations.
* BadassCape: A very cool red one.
* BilingualBonus: During her Shadow Bloodseekers move, Mira yells "Летучие мыши (Letuchie myshi)" which means "Bats" in Russian.
* BloodyMurder: She utilizes her blood (stylized as a gray-colored liquid) to create bats and scythes at the cost of her health.
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Maya's Abel.
* CastFromHitPoints: Her blood attacks and dash uses up her health which isn't recoverable automatically.
* CharacterSong: "Nocturne in Blood", which follows in the gothic footprints of "Lycanthropy" but plays harder to techno than metal and adds in a bombastic gothic choir and operatic female vocalist.
* ContraltoOfDanger: Courtesy of her voice actor, Fryda Wolff.
* DownloadableContent: She's set to be released in April as Season 3's 5th character.
* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Unlike Maya, Mira is quite pale with black hair, possibly as a result of her becoming a vampire.
* EvilSmellsBad: Tusk mentions that she "reeks of the grave" in her teaser. Considering she's a walking corpse, makes sense.
* {{Expy}}: She physically resembles Selene from the ''Film/{{Underworld|2003}}'' film series, and is also an vampire enforcer just like her, albeit Mira is more straight-up villainous.
* FallenHero: Was once a member of Night Guard who sacrificed herself to save Maya. Now she is a loyal member of the same creatures she once swore to hunt.
* FemmeFatalons: Her gauntlets also include steel claws.
* GenreMotif: Her theme is a fusion between Gothic opera and techno.
* GlassCannon: Even described by Iron Galaxy as such. She can do huge damage without using ''any'' meter but uses her own health to get that damage which can leave her defenseless if she doesn't recover her health from her opponent.
* HeroicSacrifice: She pulled this to save Maya from the vampires during a mission. Unfortunately it didn't take, with the vampires deciding to grant her (un)life.
* KissOfTheVampire: How she regains her recoverable health. It deals no damage to her opponents, oddly enough.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOarI2EwHLY "Nocturne in Blood"]].
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: In order to execute some of her moves, Mira has to spend some of her own health which can later be replenished by using her Embrace command grab. The recoverable damage acts like the real one, so spamming one too many of her moves without healing in-between can lead to a nasty situation when Mira loses her recoverable health and the ability to use her moves.
* MythologyGag: A vampire character was planned, but cut during development of ''Killer Instinct 2''. Now with Mira joining the cast, the idea has finally come to life.
* NoblewomansLaugh: One can be heard in her theme during the DANGER theme.
* OurVampiresAreDifferent: Seems like she was brought back to life as one, provided she actually died in the first place.
* PowerHigh: If her above quote is of any indication, she seems to enjoy the perks of being a vampire. ''A lot''.
* ShoutOut:
** One of her accessory sets is a dead ringer for [[VideoGame/{{Fable}} Jack of Blades]], albeit with a modified mask resembling [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason's]].
** Another accessory set resembles Dracula in ''Film/BramStokersDracula'', complete with hairdo.
** A palette has face paint resembling [[WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas Jack Skellington]].
* SoundtrackDissonance: Alongside Kan-Ra, her's is the most Jarring. As some themes get a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmfq-fpIldQ cheery tune]] with her ultra.
* SuperMode: Mira auto-generates blood seeker bats and has infinite air dash with reduced recoverable damage. She can also summon a mist cloud that will envelope her opponent, transferring her recoverable damage to the opponent as potential damage which heals her.
* SuperSmoke: Much like [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight Alucard]], Mira has the ability to turn into mist, but also utilizes it in her Instinct to hurt her opponent.
* SupernaturalGoldEyes: In line with her new vampiric powers, Mira's eyes have become gold.
* TranshumanTreachery: As stated, she used to hunt vampires. Now has become one of them and has no problem with the transformation.
* VillainOfAnotherStory: Like Kan-Ra [[spoiler:at first]], she seems to have nothing to do with Ultratech and the Killer Instinct tournament, with her bio only mentioning Gargos in passing.
* VillainousHarlequin: One of her classic costume accessory sets puts her in a harlequin costume.
* WickedWitch: Her classic costume contains an accessory set making her resemble a witch.
* WorthyOpponent: Apparently she impressed the vampires so much that they thought she was worthy of becoming like them. The rest was history.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: Is a vampire, despite it being a creature she hunted down and killed in her former life. Unlike most examples, she doesn't angst over it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Omen''']]
[[quoteright:323:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/f3eed28dba9c64aa2ac6048878914c17.PNG]]
->''"Weak vessel. You were to herald my master's return, but you proved too...incorruptible. But, your conflict gave me strength, and your resistance has given me...freedom. Woe to those who stand against me, for I am his herald, and the sign of things to come! I...am...'''OMEN!'''"''

->'''Voiced by''': Chase Ashbaker

An Omen is a shadowy specter and a servant of Gargos. One such Omen was responsible for possessing Jago and transforming him into Shadow Jago. However, after being expelled from the monk, he misses the feeling of a corporeal body and ponders if there is more to existence than servitude.
----
* AwesomeButImpractical: With all three Shadow Meter bars filled Omen can perform a command grab, Demonic Despair, that inflicts 100% potential damage. Sounds incredibly broken, right? The problem is that like all potential damage this health recovers over time and if you Combo Break Omen ''once'' you gain ''all of your potential damage back as health'', effectively meaning Omen wasted all of his Shadow Meter which he needs more than almost any other character. The move has been buffed slightly in Season 3, however, but only time will tell whether or not said buffs were worth it.
** The 3.6 patch has changed the rules on breaking (now when a combo is broken, the opponent only regains half of the lost potential damage instantly, the rest staying as potential). This will probably help some.
* BaitAndSwitch: In the Season 2 Launch Trailer, one of the silhouettes was a figure that looked like Shadow Jago, possibly hinting to actually getting him available outside of pre-order. Then Iron Galaxy said that it won't be Shadow Jago, so fans thought it would be Gargos' return. Needless to say, his reveal [[spoiler:after Riptor's trailer]] confirmed that we're dealing with a totally new person.
* BeamSpam: Omen's biggest tool is ability to fire tons of fireballs. Between the ''Rashokuken'', the ''Orda Shield'', and the ''Shadow Furious Flurry'', he can fill the screen with fireballs in no time.
* BecomeARealBoy: [[spoiler: As revealed in his Season 3 bio, during his time in Jago's body, Omen learned about human emotions and became addicted to them. But since his current semi-corporeal form is unable to have emotions and feel sensations, he wants to have his own body without having to share it with someone else]].
* TheBerserker: He originally fought like a wild animal, until [[spoiler: possessing Jago gave him the ability to think]].
* BlueIsHeroic: Subverted, as he works for Gargos [[spoiler:and was responsible for possessing Jago and turning him into Shadow Jago. But after his failed possession granted him the ability to experience true freedom, he slowly starts to play this trope straight until he joins the Alliance in Shadow Lords, and fights against the evil god that created him]].
* BreakingTheFourthWall: One of his profile taunts asks "Is P1 your symbiotic being?"
* CastingAShadow: Considering [[spoiler:he's the guy who made Shadow Jago evil,]] it has to fit this. He is hinted to have a special ability to cancel any ability with his shadow meter so he can [[TeleportSpam teleport]].
* CharacterSong: "Herald of Gargos", which he shares with Shadow Jago, which plays as a DarkReprise of "The Tiger Warrior" that trades out the milder Asian influences for full-out death metal instrumentation and roaring.
* CompositeCharacter: He's kind of a mix between Jago, Shadow Jago, and Saberwulf, with some moves unique to him thrown in.
* ConfusionFu: His ''Rashokuken'', a fireball attack that has 11 different effects. Which effect you get is completely random, and both you and your enemy will have to react on the spot depending on the effect.
* TheCorruption: A living example; his original goal was to corrupt Jago permanently into Shadow Jago, but he failed. Now he is spreading misery and death to prepare the world for his master Gargos' return.
* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: He has an attack like this in ''Demonic Despair'', a shadow move that uses all three of his shadow stocks to preform a powerful grab. It has a long windup and is difficult to hit with, but if it ''does'' hit, it deals ''100% damage'' to your enemy as potential damage, meaning that all Omen has to do from there is get a single combo and effectively OneHitKill his enemy. Like any type of white health, it disappears after a combo breaker, leading to rage-inducing situations [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk_eR0eDWFY#t=749 like this one]].
--> '''[[LetsPlay/TheOnlineWarrior Maximilian]]''': Wonderful, Omen! THERE'S A REASON WE WILL NEVER USE THAT MOVE!
* DarkIsEvil: This guy works for a demonic warlord who plagued the world about two thousand years ago. Though, by the time Gargos actually invades, [[DarkIsNotEvil he's had a chance of heart.]]
* DarkReprise: His theme is a full-on death metal remix of Jago's theme, ''The Tiger Warrior'', complete with screaming lyrics and all. Appropriately, given his status as Gargos' herald, bits of Gargos' theme from 2 are mixed in as well.
* DemonicPossession: [[spoiler:He's the force that possessed Jago]].
* DifficultButAwesome: Omen needs quick execution, good meter management, and also demands the ability to react to and take advantage of his random fireballs. If you as a player can bring all of that to the table Omen can force your opponent to retreat and make mistakes out of ''sheer force of randomness'' while you take advantage and mix them up however you please.
* DittoFighter: Gaining the ability to think allowed Omen to formulate a fighting style of his own which draws on Jago[[note]] Omen's instinct gives him Jago's instinct frame advantage. However, he must beg power from Gargos to use it. Demon Slide functions as a modified Wind Kick.[[/note]] and Gargos. [[note]] Omen's Furious Flurry, especially the heavy linker version, can be seen as an imitation of Gargos's Oblivion punches. The pose he holds his opponent in during Demonic Despair is highly reminiscent of how Gargos holds his opponent during Devil's Divide. [[/note]]Even their normals are represented in Omen's arsenal.
* DownloadableContent: Rings in 2015 as January's Downloadable Character for Season 2. Even more surprising, he's only available if you purchase Season 2 as an entire pack and cannot be bought separately.
* TheDragon: Serves as Gargos' go-between with the physical world.
* DragonWithAnAgenda: [[spoiler: Omen's expanded Season 3 bio reveals that possessing Jago had made him realize the sensation of freedom for the first time, as well as human emotions and sensations, and he enjoyed it immensely. Omen is now torn between two choices: Should he continue loyally serving Gargos in the hopes of possessing Jago again? Or is he destined for something greater than mere servitude? When Gargos eventually attacked, he chose the latter]].
* EnemyWithout: Serves as this to [[spoiler:Jago]].
* EvilLaugh: Prone to it like his master.
* TheFaceless:
** Omen wears a face mask at all times. The closest we get to seeing his face is his third head accessory; [[TheUnreveal a half mask]].
** A glitch similar to Jago's prevents Omen's mask from rendering in matches. Viewing him without his mask [[http://i.ytimg.com/vi/GJU1SdB3_OQ/maxresdefault.jpg reveals]] that he has vague horn-like protrusions and [[EyeScream empty, sunken eye sockets]].
* GenreMotif: Death metal.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: His bio implies that he is at least toying with the idea of performing one, stating that he now wonders if he can become more than a slave, and that he is "beginning to see the light streaming through the shadows."]]
** [[spoiler: As of Shadow Lords, he's gone full-blown Face.]]
* {{Intangibility}}: By using one stock of Shadow Meter, Omen can become intangible and dodge his opponent's attacks.
* InternalHomage: To Gargos, fittingly enough; if you look at them side-by-side, you'll notice that Omen basically is a scrawnier, spectral version of his employer without the clawed feet. His mask even resembles Gargos' face to a certain degree.
* KamehameHadoken: Omen's ''Rashokuken'', which has [[UpToEleven 11]] different variants, and you can't know for sure which variation will be used. The strength of the button determines the number of projectiles, meaning a light punch will launch 1, a medium punch will launch 2, and a heavy punch will launch 3, and each projectile will have a different variant.
* KneelBeforeZod: "Bow before the herald of Gargos!"
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxnPM-1CBLQ "Herald of Gargos"]].
* LimitBreak: Like Fulgore, he has a unique move that requires spending his entire Shadow meter: Demonic Despair, a slow, but extremely powerful command grab that deals ''100%'' potential damage, meaning that if Omen manages to land it, his next combo [[OneHitKill will end the round on the spot]]. [[AwesomeButImpractical Unless the opponent breaks it. Or just defends long enough to recover health.]]
* LivingShadow: Of Jago to an extent [[spoiler:considering that he possessed Jago]]. His appearance is a shadow in the shape of a person with the mask, and lightning coursing through his body in the shape of a circulatory system.
* MadeOfEvil: Omen's body is composed of concentrated Shadow energy.
* MalevolentMaskedMen: Wears a mask resembling the face of an Oni. It can be changed into a different mask or partially removed through accessories.
* MeaningfulName: He serves as the herald of his master's arrival; a literal omen.
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter:
** Omen also has ''three'' shadow stocks as opposed to everyone else's two.
** On the same note, Omen relies on his meter more than most other characters, but only spends it on two moves in most situations outside combos.
** Omen cannot end a combo with a Shadow Ender, unlike every single other member of the cast, all of whom either have a natural Shadow Ender like Jago's Shadow Tiger Fury or can jury rig one like Maya's Shadow Leap Kick.
* MinionMaster: He controls Shadow Jago on behest of Gargos.
* {{Mooks}}: Kan-Ra's story mode reveals that [[spoiler:Gargos' army contains numerous beings that resemble Omen, possibly indicating that Omen is a member of a species of Shadow beings subservient to Gargos instead of an anomalous being spawned from Shadow energy]]. And among these forces, Omen, the being strong enough to very nearly recorrupt Jago and give ARIA a challenging fight, ''[[FridgeHorror is merely a scout]]''.
** EliteMooks: Several of these Omens appear as minibosses during Shadow Lords, guarding portals that give Gargos extra power.
* OrbitingParticleShield: ''Orda Shield'', which summons 3 fireballs to orbit around him and deal damage, 5 if he's currently in instinct. They can be upgraded by using ''Orda Shield'' again, and can be made into homing projectiles by combining it with a different shadow move.
* OutOfFocus: Omen does not have his own story in Season 2, but he is still fought as an opponent.
* OverdrawnAtTheBloodBank: Connecting Demonic Despair against an opponent causes fountains of blood to shoot from their body at a rate egregious even by Killer Instinct standards.
* PlanetOfHats: He apparently believes that ''everybody'' has a symbiotic being like himself.
* PowerAtAPrice: Omen's nature as a being of living Shadow allows him to perform feats such as flying, stretching his limbs somewhat to attack, and temporarily becoming intangible. The problem is, that since Omen was inside a host for so long, he has forgotten exactly how to hold himself together and so is somewhat unstable, and, [[WordOfGod according to Keits]], every time Omen uses Shadow Form his physical form becomes somewhat more volatile.
* PowerNullifier:
** His combo trait is called "Demonic Loop" that allows him to chain his doubles in a light-medium-heavy-light sequence (the reverse of Jago's "Around the World" combo trait). If he pulls off a loop without being broken, his opponent will temporarily lose one stock of Shadow Meter for approximately five seconds (and doing it again in the same combo will lock out the next one).
** Hitting an opponent with an Orda Shield or Rashokuken fireball while in Instinct will also lock out a section of their shadow meter.
* RapidFireFisticuffs: His ''Furious Flurry'', which is similar to [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Chun-Li's]] Lightning Kicks. The Shadow move upgrades this to [[BeamSpam have each kick fire a fireball]].
* SayMyName: Omen screams "GARGOS!" upon instinct activation.
* ScreamingWarrior
* SlasherSmile: His default expression, and one that all of his masks (even the half mask) share to some extent.
* SlideAttack: A technique he shares with Shadow Jago but his only crosses through the opponent once, except during his Ultra.
* SuperMode: His Instinct Mode will increase the amount of Rashokukens that are summoned when he does moves that create them (so doing a light Rashokuken will summon two balls and doing a shadow Orda Shield will summon five balls). In addition if these balls hit an opponent while his Instinct is triggered they will get a Shadow Meter stock locked off as if they had been hit by Omen's Demonic Loop combo trait.
* TempleOfDoom: His stage, which he fittingly shares with [[spoiler:Shadow Jago]].
* UndyingLoyalty: To Gargos, [[spoiler: Until Omen experiences the emotions and sensations of a human body, as well as freedom for the first time. His desire for these things, as well as his fear of what Gargos might do to him should he find out, prompt him to question his loyalties and consider a HeelFaceTurn, which comes to pass in Shadow Lords]].
* VoiceOfTheLegion: Very subtle but still present.
* WingedHumanoid: He can materialize shadowy wings to make his jump floaty and go air gliding.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler: Omen is worried that this will be his fate should Gargos discover his (unintentionally) taking a physical form, discovering emotions, and, worst of all, experiencing true freedom]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Sadira''']]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ki-xb1-sadira-stage-622-crop-flip_6542.png]]
->''"Welcome to my web."''

->'''Voiced by''': Creator/ErikaHarlacher

Sadira is the head of a secretive clan of female assassins known as the Red Eyes of Rylai. She is a cunning and vicious backstabber, having achieved her position through treason and bloodshed. She personally enters into the service of Ultratech, ordered by ARIA to help prepare the way for the coming of Gargos. After failing multiple times their contract is terminated, and she begins looking to Gargos for a way to find revenge.
----
* AllWebbedUp: Considering her spider motif, it would be more shocking if she ''didn't'' have this. Her [[SuperMode Instinct Mode]] ability is to set sticky traps across the arena whenever she performs a double-jump or the Instinct Mode command, allowing her to web up her foes to halt their advance or hold them in place to deal damage.
* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Her skin tone is almost grayish in appearance.
* AmazonBrigade: The clan Sadira is a member of consists entirely of female assassins.
* AnimalMotifs: Spiders. Just like [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIV another recently-made female antagonist who focuses on kicks]].
* ArabianNightsDays: There's a definite middle-eastern vibe about her in terms of her own design and her stage's propping (albeit a very dark variation). Her name means "dreamer" in Persian.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Quite a few of them, and she puts them to good use.
* CharacterSong: "Ballet of Death", which starts with [[{{Squick}} the sounds of insects buzzing around]] before going full death metal complete with screaming female vocalist.
* DarkActionGirl: She's the first outwardly evil female character in the series.
* DeceptiveDisciple: While being under the Master Assassin's tutelage, Sadira feigned loyalty to her mentor, but actually was planning to take control of their clan.
* DifficultButAwesome: She's an aerial fighter in a game full of ground fighters, and she's a bit unwieldy & hard to control. She was also top tier in Season 1, though later patches have now brought her down.
* TheDragon: Plot-wise at least, to ARIA. [[spoiler: Then she gets fired and joins Omen.]]
* FaceHeelTurn: While she was never a saint, one could say that she was at least doing a good deed by assisting ARIA. [[spoiler: After getting beaten by Hisako, however, she decides to listen to Omen and join Gargos' army.]]
* GenreMotif: Her stage's music has a pronounced heavy metal vibe to it; it's far heavier than what you hear in Jago's and Thunder's stages.
* GiantSpider: One will come out of her stage if you perform an Ultra. Shame it can't eat anyone, though...
* InTheHood: Wears a hooded {{Qipao}}, or something close to it.
* KickChick: Most of her physical attacks are kicks.
* KlingonPromotion: Her ascension to the position of Grand Master involved her assassinating her mentor and stealing the necklace of leadership.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XMzeK-rvQw "Ballet of Death"]].
* MsFanservice: Girl is showing a good amount of skin with her outfit. She even has easy panty shots courtesy of her UnderwearOfPower. All in all she outdoes the earlier Ms. Fanservice Black Orchid within the reboot since Orchid's design was toned down.
* PreAsskickingOneLiner: Her intro quote, as seen above.
* PsychoForHire: She serves as one for ARIA, who made her wealthy enough to strengthen her terrorist organization and become a feared name across the globe
* SheFu: Her fighting style is almost entirely based on spinning and leaping around like a spider.
* ShesGotLegs: Her design seems to accentuate her legs. Fitting that she's a KickChick, then.
* SpectacularSpinning: She has a flip kick special, a pirouette-like special that uses her many blades, and has a backflip for a backdash. Seems Sadira agrees with this notion.
* {{Stripperiffic}}: Just look at her.
* SuperMode: Her Instinct Mode allows her to create webs on demand to trap her opponent.
* SupernaturalGoldEyes: Her irises, pupils, and ''even her sclerae'' are gold.
* {{Underwear of Power}}
* WarRefugees: She was born in Thailand during the time of Myanmar's communist rule. This violent setting only fueled her bloodlust in the future.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Shadow Jago''']]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cdtgwafw8ai9hbp_6.jpg]]

-> ''"Foolish child. Do you think'' you ''stand a chance against the might of Gargos?"''

-> '''Voiced by''': Mike Willette (Game Voice), Chase Ashbaker (Trailer Voice)

Shadow Jago is a form Jago takes when he succumbs to the darkness of Gargos, allowing Omen control his body. For an undisclosed amount of time, this ferocious warrior travelled the world to defeat those who would oppose Gargos and transmit their energies to his master, such as Tusk. Upon coming back to his senses and expelling Omen from his body, Jago learned that Shadow Jago had manifested as a separate entity elsewhere and continued to serve Gargos.
----
* ActionCommands: As a playable character, Shadow Jago has the ability to "Surge" a special move by double tapping its input. By cashing out a small portion of Shadow meter, Shadow Jago can enhance a special and give them extra properties. This essentially makes it an "EX special", as seen in other fighting games.
* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: His skin is an icy blue.
* AwesomeButImpractical: While in Instinct, Shadow Jago gains access to Annihilation, a super move that deals huge amounts of damage, but drains your Instinct gauge instantly. But it's very tricky to pull off. The problem? While it's unblockable, it doesn't have invincibility frames, and even a crouching light kick can beat Shadow Jago out of it. It's also very easy to jump over it, so it's better to use the move to punish the opponent while they recover from a special move.
* BadassBaritone: His voice is intensely deep, in contrast to normal Jago's voice which is quite tenor.
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: Shadow Lords confirms that both Jago and Shadow Jago frequently fight this way for control over Jago's body.
* BeatingADeadPlayer: Shadow Jago kills his defeated opponent with a Shadow Shendokuken. Possibly after already [[FinishingMove mutilating them with his sword]].
* BlueIsHeroic: Subverted. [[spoiler:Shadow Jago's blue color scheme is the result of Jago being possessed by Omen in an attempt to corrupt the warrior into evil]].
* BonusBoss: Fighting Shadow Jago is not required to see all character endings, but defeating him will net you the secret ending that teases [[spoiler:ARIA]] and a new map, the [[PlaceOfPower Shadow Tiger's Lair]].
* CastingAShadow: A more prolific example then most since his Shadow ''and'' Instinct modes both feature distorted shadows of himself.
* ChainedByFashion: Replaces Jago's rope belts with sets of chains.
* CharacterSong: "Herald of Gargos", which he shares with Omen, which plays as a DarkReprise of "The Tiger Warrior" that trades out the milder Asian influences for full-out death metal instrumentation and roaring.
* DeathGlare: If you lose to Shadow Jago, he shoots one [[http://www.pelaajalehti.com/sites/default/files/kuvat_artikkeli/shadowjago_0.jpg right at your face]].
* DemonicPossession: [[spoiler:The existence of Omen confirms that Shadow Jago is the possessed form of Jago, controlled by Omen]].
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: Originally, the playable version was just a PaletteSwap of Jago. Thanks to a donation drive to fund the tournament scene, Shadow Jago got his own unique moveset to more closely resemble his arcade boss version.
* DivingKick: Dark Demise.
* EvilMakeover: [[spoiler:Omen's possession of Jago resulted in the latter turning blue with glowing eyes and a skull/chain motif]].
* EvilSoundsDeep: And oh boy does it, almost unsettlingly so.
* FinishingMove: Until post-Season 3, Shadow Jago (in both boss and playable versions) was the only character in ''[=KI=] 2013'' to be given a No Mercy[=/=]Ultimate Combo. He cuts through you multiple times before sending you skyward. Then he jumps and cuts through you again before landing, and the updated version also has Shadow Jago finish off an opponent by slashing at them when they're down. This version is only doable when you still have him on his first health bar. The original variant is also usable whenever he is in Instinct, but it immediately kicks him out of it.
* FlashStep: Playable Shadow Jago's dash phases out briefly. During this time he can pass through an opponent (doing this is one way to attach the "Dark Tether" during [[SuperMode Instinct]] mode).
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Shadow Jago's eyes glow blue or yellow during gameplay.
* GutturalGrowler: When not being a ScreamingWarrior.
* HellIsThatNoise: The growl heard before Shadow Jago fights.
* KamehameHadoken: The Shendokuken.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxnPM-1CBLQ "Herald of Gargos"]].
* LimitBreak: His playable version has access to Annihilation - a [[Franchise/StreetFighter Raging Demon]]-esque move that can be used only in Instinct mode. Performing it instantly ends Instinct and deals a huge amount of damage depending on how much Instinct he had remaining, maxing out at 48% if used with full bar.
* ManaDrain: Boss Shadow Jago's Instinct Mode allows him to sap your Shadow Meter just by approaching you. The playable form exchanges direct Shadow drain with a symbiotic "tether" that can half his own Shadow meter consumption by using his opponent's Shadow meter for the other half.
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: His Shadow bar has a smaller secton at the edge that, when the meter fills up this section, lets him perform "Surge" specials, meaning he's the only character in the game who can execute enhanced special moves.
* PaletteSwap: The original incarnation of the playable version, to a degree. His vocals were swapped to a deeper and more ominous tone, and his Character Select and Instinct graphics were changed slightly. Still, there was no true difference beyond the aforementioned changes and the obvious re-skin. Since the KI donation drive goal of $100,000 was met, Shadow Jago received his own unique moveset in December 2015, averting this trope. He kept Jago's uppercut and fireball, and can throw aerial fireballs as well. His push kick returns as a F+HK command normal, and his overhead is usable with B+HK. He also retains his divekick, slide, and his No Mercy/Ultimate Combo.
* PerfectPlayAI: Fighting Shadow Jago ignores the difficulty level you set and he will always fight as if he's at [[HarderThanHard "Kyle" difficulty]].
* PreOrderBonus: Shadow Jago was initially available for those who bought an Xbox Live subscription upon the Xbox One's launch.
* PurposelyOverpowered: A weird example. [[http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=200026308&postcount=2645 According to the developers]], Shadow Jago was balanced for Season 3 when he was released during Season 2. This meant he he was overall more powerful than the rest of the cast at that time, and had moves that could stagger before anybody else. It's pretty telling when Season 3 came out and Shadow Jago was one of the only character to not be buffed, and wasn't readily available until after Season 3.
* RememberTheNewGuy: According to the ''KI 2013'' retcons, Jago fought and defeated Gargos while temporarily corrupted into Shadow Jago due to the demon's attempted possession.
* ScreamingWarrior: Even moreso than normal Jago! His "ENDOKUKEN!" sounds as if he is screaming at the very top of his lungs.
* SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou: If you lose to Shadow Jago he hurls a Shadow Endokuken at his downed opponent after throwing them a DeathGlare, all shown [[CameraAbuse from their perspective]].
* ShownTheirWork: Shadow Jago may have once seemed like a PaletteSwap with a new voicepack, but the developers snuck in a little reference in a few split second things you'd only notice if you were looking for them (or purchased the art book). Shadow Jago's symbol when he is selected in the character select screen is tough to make out, but it seems to be a reinterpretation of [[BigBad Gargos]]. The same goes for his Instinct Mode, whereas Regular Jago gets a glowing golden tiger behind him when he activates it, Shadow Jago gets a very demonic symbol that resembles the big gargoyle baddie himself, most likely hinting at Shadow Jago's allegiance, or perhaps simply showing what Jago would've been like if he had continued worshiping the so-called "Tiger Spirit". As a unique character, he has a far more divergent moveset.
* SlideAttack: The Dark Drift, similar to Jago's Ninja Slide from ''[=KI2=]'', except that his crosses up the opponent [[UpToEleven five times]] during the Shadow version.
* SplitPersonalityTakeover: He is the conflict in Jago brought to the forefront by [[spoiler: Omen]].
* SuperMode:
** As the boss, Shadow Jago's Instinct Mode will drain your Shadow Meter insanely quick.
** The playable version's Instinct allows him better frame advantage (just like regular Jago) and if he connects an Endokuken or dashes through his foe he'll attach them to a "Dark Tether", which allows him to use Shadow and Surge attacks at half the cost to himself, paying the other half from his opponent's Shadow meter. He can also instantly gain a meter by repeating the Instinct command while tethered but doing so will give the opponent an equal amount. Shadow Jago also gains access to Annihilation, a devastating move that shares animations with his previous Ultimate, that deals an amount of damage proportional to his current Instinct gauge, but also instantly drains it.
* SuperPoweredEvilSide: Of Jago, although unusually for this trope Shadow Jago is not implied to be all that much stronger than regular Jago.
* TeleportSpam: Instead of dashing, he teleports. Most of his shadow moves also involve teleporting, which will make it frustrating to catch him.
* TempleOfDoom: His stage, the Shadow Tiger's Lair.
* TooManyBelts: Although unlike Jago he actually mixes it up with some chains.
* TrueFinalBoss: You must first have seen every ending for the character you're sending to do battle with Shadow Jago, then complete the game without losing on at least Hard and finish two opponents with an Ultra (one of them has to be the sixth opponent). Complete these steps and the stage 7 battle with Fulgore at the end of Arcade Mode will be ignored and instead you'll be jumped ahead to an invisible 8th stage to take on Shadow Jago. Good luck...[[note]]Defeat him and you will see an extra ending hinting at ARIA's role in Season Two.[[/note]]
* UndeathlyPallor: Although he isn't dead he could certainly pass as a corpse.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: Same deal as Jago.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Shin Hisako''']]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shin_hisako.jpg]]

->''"'''I WILL DEVOUR YOU.'''"''

->'''Voiced by''': Alpha Takahashi

Shin Hisako is a form Hisako takes on when she finally takes on her destiny as a servant of justice. Having finally gotten her revenge on Ultratech for disturbing her grave, Hisako was ready to return to her eternal rest. But before she could pass into the afterlife, the spirit of her father appeared and told her of the impending threat of Gargos. Giving her his legendary sword, she has found new purpose: to guard the Astral Plane. Upon taking the sword, Hisako's soul is purified of the terrible fury that once consumed her as an onryo, and she is reborn as Shin Hisako, her original personality as Chiharu.
----
* AchillesHeel: Losing her Wrath Meter and replacing it with an up-close fighting style (complete with short teleport and PainfullySlowProjectile) only [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption makes her wide open to Gargos]] who can just simply [[ThinkingUpPortals punch her from a mile away.]] Contrasts with Hisako's normal state, where even getting ''near'' her led to trouble if she has a full wrath meter. Unlike Kim-Wu however, [[NiceJobFixingItVillain if Gargos uses his minions, he's screwed as Shin Hisako can teleport off of them]].
* AncestralWeapon: The katana blade she wields once belonged to her father.
* AntiHero: On the "anti" side. She's a [[Literature/TheRing Sadako]] {{Expy}} who's out for vengeance. On the "hero" side, her enemies are the members of Ultratech. [[spoiler: She's also implied to have joined in on fighting Gargos after the spirit of her father warned her of Kan-Ra's actions.]]
* {{BFS}}: Her father's sword is a nodachi, a long blade used to decapitate enemy horses during wars.
* ContraltoOfDanger: Hisako's voice drops down several octaves when she's angry.
* CreepyGood: Ungodly creepy, yes, but she's only out to take revenge on the company that disturbed her place of eternal rest. And considering that said grave defiling company is [[EvilInc Ultratech]] (specifically Sadira), it certainly helps the "good" part.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Averted, as Shin Hisako by default wears sandals.
* DownloadableContent: Much like her previous form, Shin Hisako will be released at the end of March 2017 as Season 3's tenth character.
* DraggedOffToHell: Her home stage's unique [[FinishingMove Stage Ultra]] has a bunch of shadowy hands sprout up from the ground, grab the victim, and pull them down to god knows where. Her Instinct Mode makes these appear on command and will pull the foe under to get smacked around in the underworld before being sent back.
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Shin Hisako by default has shorter hair to set her apart from regular Hisako; the shorter hair, in turn, resembles regular Hisako's appearance in her retro costume.
* {{Irony}}: After becoming that which she feared, Hisako has once again transformed, but this time into something more human.
* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: Chiharu is her real name, though she only came to be known as Hisako since nobody knew or could remember her actual name.
* {{Leitmotif}}: Can be heard [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoZBuKVhE_0 here]].
* MeaningfulName:
** Because the village can't remember her real name, they call her Hisako, meaning "eternal child", which fits her status as a late-teens ghost.
** Her real name, Chiharu, means "one thousand springs", referencing how in the year she was born, the peach tree blossoms stayed on the trees for slightly longer than usual.
* MovesetClone: Keeps many of Hisako's normal moves, along with some of her specials, while replacing her grapples and counters with moves and mechanics that give her much more mobility and a more aggressive playstyle.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: She's different in her nature as an onryo. Instead of looking to take vengeance on the living as a whole, she's simply seeking out the ones that disturbed her grave, and wasn't wronged by a man in her life.
* PeekABangs: One of her eyes is covered by her hair most of the time.
* PsychoticSmirk: Sports this during her intro, and then ghostly reflections of her face emerge from the sword.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge:
** The whole reason she's fighting is to get revenge on Sadira for disturbing her grave.
** She also went on one in her backstory. After seeing the rest of her family dead during the attack on her village, she attacked and killed a dozen of the invaders all while cursing them for what they did.
* ShoutOut: To Japanese-inspired horror flicks, such as ''Film/TheRing'' and ''Film/{{Juon}}''.
* SingleStrokeBattle: Her Ultra Ender.
* StringyHairedGhostGirl: She's an onryō, the wrathful ghost of a teenage girl who was killed in battle against the enemy of her people. Having her grave dug up did not improve her disposition and she now seeks revenge against the one who disturbed her.
* SuperMode: Shin Hisako is this to normal Hisako. In the gameplay sense, her Instinct Mode causes the otherworldly hands from her stage Ultra finish to appear and pull the opponent into the netherworld to take a beating. She can also bring the hands to her location by repeating the Instinct command (HP+HK).
* SupernaturalGoldEyes: If you look closely, Shin Hisako's eyes are now bright gold in contrast to the more darker colors of regular Hisako.
* SuperPersistentPredator: Hisako started mercilessly stalking Sadira wherever she went after the latter dug up the former's grave in search of treasure.
* TakingYouWithMe: As Chiharu, with her dying breath she struck the leader of the bandits with a poisoned ring blade, with his dying screams being the last thing she heard before she passed.
* {{Tomboy}}: She was much more interested in becoming a samurai in life than anything else.
[[/folder]]

!Other Characters

[[folder:King of Babylon]]
--> The ruler of ancient Babylon 2500 years ago. Regarded as a strong and wise leader by his subjects, he was the one who freed Aganos from his life of violence, as well as cursing Spinal and Kan-Ra in retribution for their attempted betrayal. His last wish before his passing was for Aganos to kill Kan-Ra, a goal Aganos still pursues to this day.
----
* HundredPercentAdorationRating: Was very well regarded during his own time, and really only Kan-Ra and Spinal would have anything bad to say about him (considering he condemned one to an eternally rotting body and the other to a life of undeath by being bound to a sacred mask).
* GoodIsNotSoft: Despite his reputation as TheGoodKing, he was ''merciless'' towards Spinal and Kan-Ra when their crimes were made public. In the case of the former, he placed the Mask of the Ancients on Spinal, forcing him to become his servant [[AndIMustScream while trapped in his own head]], and eventually used the mask to force Spinal to ''[[KillItWithFire burn himself alive]]''. In the case of the latter, he placed a curse on Kan-Ra to [[MakeThemRot force him to rot eternally]], and later sent Aganos after him.
* TheGoodKing: As mentioned under HundredPercentAdorationRating, he was considered a wise and just King, and showed this by punishing Spinal and Kan-Ra for their betrayal as well as giving Aganos the capacity to learn and decide for himself what he wants, something that Aganos still honors to this day through his hunt for Kan-Ra.
* PosthumousCharacter: Only appears in various character backstories, passing thousands of years before the games begin.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Monks of the Tiger]]
--> A monastery based in the mountains of Tibet that venerated an ancient Tiger Spirit who bestowed great power on its worshipers. Jago was originally a member of this cult before it was revealed that [[spoiler:the Tiger Spirit was a disguised Gargos]]. In the chaos following this revelation, most of the monks were slaughtered by [[spoiler:Gargos]].
----
* DemonicPossession: What happened to those "granted powers" by the Tiger Spirit. [[spoiler:Jago manages to fight it off by force of will.]]
* KillEmAll: It is unclear if ''any'' members besides Jago managed to escape [[spoiler:Gargos']] wrath.
* PathOfInspiration: [[spoiler:They unknowingly worshipped Gargos]].
* PlaceOfPower: Formerly resided in the Tiger's Lair. Jago moves back in after forcibly evicting [[spoiler:Gargos]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ryat Adams]]
--> The original founder and CEO of Ultratech from 1948 until his death. An industrialist and philanthropist, Adams created many innovations, including ARIA, with the goal of ridding the world of disease, poverty, and war. Even long after his passing, Ultratech continues working to carry out his will.
----
* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: Much of his research, including ARIA, was motivated by the desire to cure [[IllGirl his wife's degenerative disease]].
* AntiVillain: Probably even moreso than ARIA.
* TheAtoner: He's founded Ultrafine Atomic Technologies Company to help humanity deal with world problems, trying to atone for his actions during World War II.
* GreaterScopeVillain: He was the original founder of Ultratech after all.
* MyGreatestFailure: In his memoir he describes creating ARIA as one. He feared that he had “birthed a monster” but he was torn by her potential, and later by the fact that she had saved his beloved company from financial ruin, allowing him to pursue his foundation’s philanthropic work. But most of all he wrote about his regret for trying to save his wife and cheat death by creating her.
* PosthumousCharacter: Died before the start of the games.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: He used to play with ARIA during her first days, but later swore off to do that again because she started beating him every time. During their last game ARIA allowed Ryat to win, but he noticed that.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: He may have founded Ultratech and watched over many of their morally questionable decisions, but in the end his goals were noble, and unlike ARIA he likely didn't think that the solution to humanity's problems was to remove people's humanity entirely.
[[/folder]]

!Guest Characters

[[folder:'''Arbiter''']]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cbxmfpqusaartcqjpg_large.jpg]]
->''"I have faced the Flood and silenced truth. I will quell your thunder and douse your flame."''

-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/RayChase

-->A GuestFighter from the ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' series. Once a proud [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Sangheili]] leader among [[ScaryDogmaticAliens the Covenant]] military, fighting against both the terrifying Flood and those who would attempt to deceive his people, this noble warrior is prepared to stand against the champions of ''KI'' for the glory of his race.
----
* AlienBlood: He bleeds purple, which lines up with the ''Halo'' games.
* AndTheAdventureContinues: "Another victory, yes but... there is always another battle."
* BadassBoast: His intro quote, which doubles as a ShoutOut to some of Thel 'Vadam's most notable actions throughout the ''Halo'' series.
* BottomlessMagazines: Averted. Once the Arbiter runs out of ammo for his rifle, he does not get more for the rest of the match.
* CharacterSong: "The Champion of Sanghelios", which borrows themes and melodies from ''VideoGame/Halo2''[=s'=] "Impend" while adding the hard electronic rock that KI is known for and an ethereal male choir to bring the ''Halo'' theme full circle.
* CompositeCharacter: The devs have stated that the ''Killer Instinct'' Arbiter is an amalgam of various individuals who have held the Arbiter title, rather than a specific pre-existing character such as the mainline ''Halo'' games' Thel 'Vadam.
* DeflectorShields: He has the ability to generate an Overshield, enabling him to resist about projectiles or other hits.
* DownloadableContent: The third character to be revealed for Season 3, he joined Rash, Kim Wu and Tusk as one of the launch characters.
* GenreMotif: His theme is an electronic rock piece with orchestral parts added.
* {{Invisibility}}: Uses this as part of his Prophet's Bane grab, where he cloaks himself before dashing, grabbing and stabbing his enemy.
* LargeAndInCharge: He's nearly as tall as Aganos, and that's not even taking into account that he's standing slightly hunched over.
* LaserBlade: The Type-1 Energy Sword, the Sangheili WeaponOfChoice.
* LegacyCharacter: As pointed out under CompositeCharacter, this Arbiter is not any one specific character since the name is more of a title that is used by any Sangheili warrior given it.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaB-jpRmgiY "The Champion from Sanghelios"]].
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: Rather than a hard kick, pressing HK with Arbiter will have him shoot his Type-51 Carbine weapon. The projectiles it produces are among the best in the game for speed and versatility, but it has a limited ammo pool (18 shots for the whole match), with no way of reloading. Once depleted, pressing HK will perform the same attack as pressing Forward and HK at any other time (he will use his rifle as a bludgeon). He can also activate an energy shield that absorbs a small amount of damage.
* NamedWeapons: His particular blade is known as "Prophet's Bane".
* ShoutOut:
** His trailer sees him use the phrase "Were it so easy", a well-known Thel 'Vadam quote from ''Halo 2'' and ''Halo 3''.
** His intro quote is a reference to Thel 'Vadam fighting the Flood and killing (or 'silencing', as he himself referred to it as) the Prophet of Truth.
** Arbiter's profile taunts are all based on Thel 'Vadam quotes from ''Halo 2'' and ''Halo 3''.
* StickyBomb: The Arbiter has Covenant plasma grenades, which he can stick on to opponents for some additional damage.
* SuperMode: Not only does it give him a regenerating [[DeflectorShields Overshield]], but it also allows him to parry moves without spending Overshield.
* UnexpectedCharacter: Who would've predicted that Arbiter would've gotten into ''Killer Instinct''? At least Rash was another Creator/{{Rare}} character!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''General RAAM''']]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/general_raam_wallpaper_hd.jpg]]
-> ''"Sssserve the queen."''

->'''Voiced by''': Creator/DeeBradleyBaker

--> A GuestFighter from the ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' series. The general of the Locust armies, this titanic beast takes his signature serrated knife and his [[DemonicSpiders Kryll]] with him to defeat the groundwalkers of the ''KI'' universe to serve his queen.
----
* CharacterSong: "For The Horde!", which uses hard rock guitar riffs complemented by pounding drumbeats and bombastic brass sections to highlight his strength and stature despite being a Locust Grunt.
* DownloadableContent: Was announced during Microsoft's E3 2016 press conference and released immediately after the end of the conference. As an E3 treat, Iron Galaxy allowed everyone who doesn't own Season 3 to try him out for free during the week of E3.
* FlatCharacter: RAAM's characterization in his appearance here can be best summed up as "Arrive, Pummel, Feed".
* GenreMotif: Djent.
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: RAAM is able to stomp on his opponent while they're lying on the ground, and the Medium and Heavy versions of Dominance makes him stomp on their head after the throw.
* KnifeNut: It's a big knife, and he enjoys using it.
* LargeAndInCharge: A general and enormous in size.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0bFl5Mu5gY "For The Horde!"]].
* MightyGlacier: He rivals Tusk in damage output, has a hefty amount of armored moves, and puts fellow grapplers Hisako and Thunder to shame with a couple of the best command grabs in the game, but his combo game is abysmal and he's slow as all hell.
* NonDubbedGrunts: RAAM's voice clips are reused from the original game, albeit with some remastering and added effects to tie in with the sound design of ''KI''.
* SuperMode: RAAM's Instinct Mode floods the screen with swarms of Kryll, camouflaging him and inflicting potential damage on his enemy as long as RAAM himself isn't being hit.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: RAAM's is by and far the worst of everyone. Not only can he go into his ultra ''right out of a [[LagCancel Instinct Cancel]] on the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T99OP83xy7U very first frame]]'', but can also '''use his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc_muBCb9is Ender to cancel himself to extend the combo.]]'''
* TheSwarm: A special mechanic in some moves allow him to summon swarms of Kryll upon his enemies, which deal bits of damage over time. This is what compensates for his dismal mobility.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''Rash''']]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rash_killer_instinct0014386991630.jpg]]
-> ''"Aww, yeah! I'm crashin' this party!"''

->'''Voiced by''': Creator/SeanChiplock

-->A GuestFighter from the ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}}'' series, Rash has rolled up on his Speeder Bike and is prepared to dish out a host of Smash Hits on the cast of ''KI''.
----
* ButtonMashing: As a trait unique to him, Rash is able to automatically perform combos by mashing either light punch or kick.
* CarFu: His [[SuperMode Instinct Mode]] lets him summon a speeder bike to smash into his opponent.
* CharacterSong: "Enter The Battletoad", which opens with some delightful chiptune before going hard rock and electronic while throwing around the 8-bit sounds for accent.
* CompositeCharacter: He's primarily based on his Arcade version, and he has the wrecking ball and hoverbike from the NES game.
* DanceBattler: One of his attacks is the Russian Cossack.
* DifficultButAwesome: Not really Rash himself, but his Instinct mode falls into this. It works completely differently from most Instinct modes, can easily put you in a bad situation and possibly even get you killed if you're unlucky, and is really confusing to use properly. Once you do learn how to use it well, it's great for lengthening combos, creating openings, and applying pressure.
* DownloadableContent: He was one of the first characters revealed for Season 3 and one of the launch characters, but he was also available for a short beta period for ''Rare Replay'' owners or for people who had purchased any other DLC in ''Killer Instinct''.
* FightingClown: Compared to everyone else, he's significantly more comical and silly with his skills, making him stand out like a sore thumb. Hell, just look at his facial expression - everyone's either got a stoic look or is snarling. Rash, though? He's just grinning in anticipation of a fun time.
* GenreMotif: His trailer's theme tune brings a Van Halen-esque arrangement of the classic ''Battletoads'' theme, with an 8-bit version of the ''KI'' theme thrown in for flavor. Doubling in on this, his Ultra sounds [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncvjMUjs3ik identical to the pause theme in the NES version.]]
* HalloweenCosplay: His "Rarewear" costume gives him a [[VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay Conker]] hood, [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo's]] shorts, a Jiggy tattoo, and a Lord of Games backpack.
* InsistentTerminology: His special moves are called "Smash Hits" in reference to what they were called in ''Battletoads''.
* LargeHam: He'll be yipping and hollering throughout the fight, and he doesn't seem to have much of an inside voice either.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Rash quips "These cameos are killing me!" in his victory screen because the Battletoads made several cameos in other video games.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBfDtaljCcM "Enter the Battletoad"]].
* MultipurposeTongue: Rash can use his tongue to get around the screen by pressing all three punch buttons and a direction. If directed at his opponent he can do damage this way, and if he uses it on a projectile, he can swallow it and gain meter.
* ObviousBeta: Mostly {{averted|Trope}}. Rash, obviously, had a LOT of work put into him for his temp play period for August, but he only had 3 special moves moves (with shadow versions of each; only one can be used as a linker in a combo, which limits his combo variety), a handful of command attacks to work with, no taunt, his Ultra was a single giant punch that [[PunchedAcrosstheRoom sent the opponent flying]], and his animations weren't quite finished.
* PerpetualSmiler: Rash is always grinning, showing off his pearly-whites.
* PluckyComicRelief: Probably goes without saying, but Rash is an incredibly goofy character compared the more serious characters that populate the rest of the ''Killer Instinct'' roster with his cartoony animations, weird attacks, {{Retraux}} sound effects, and a voice that makes him sound like a SurferDude.
* {{Retraux}}: Most of his sound effects either come from or are styled after the original ''Battletoads'' game on the NES. And that's not even mentioning his animations...
* ShapeshifterWeapon: He can transform as part of his attacks, like growing a pair of ram horns or turning into a wrecking ball.
* SuperMode: His Instinct Mode, ''Turbo Tunnel'', gives him the ability to summon a speeder bike that he can ride on to close a gap on his opponent and apply extra pressure. The bike gets destroyed if it hits a wall, your opponent, or if Rash is hit while riding it, but after a short time he can summon another one by pressing heavy punch and kick again. The bike can also stagger grounded opponents, and recapture airborne ones.
* ThatRussianSquatDance: He does it in his ''Big Bad Boot'' combo linker.
* UnexpectedCharacter: Nobody expected that ''Killer Instinct'' would have a guest fighter, let alone from the ''Battletoads'' franchise.
* UnskilledButStrong: He never had formal training. That said, his fist can become the size of a boulder (on top of being able to turn into a wrecking ball).
[[/folder]]

* ReligionOfEvil: [[spoiler:They unknowingly worshipped Gargos]].

* FingerlessGloves: She wears a pair of these in her ''KI 2013'' appearance.

"Black Orchid" is an agent of mysterious origin tasked by the government to infiltrate Ultratech's tournament and shut them down. She fights with two escrima sticks and possesses mysterious powers over yellow fire and electricity. Orchid's victory over Eyedol at the end of ''[=KI1=]'' caused a rip in the timestream that thrust Ultratech back in time by 2000 years, leading to the events of ''[=KI2=]'' where she seeks to finish off Ultratech and escape back to the present.\\\
Orchid gains a new backstory in the reboot, which explains that she was born with a feline apparition known as the Firecat thanks to a secret government project. She looked up to her father greatly and used him as motivation to control the explosive Firecat, becoming a military agent just like him. After her father was killed in battle by Ultratech technology, she looked into the company and discovered its many unsavory secrets. When she brought it up with her superiors, she learned that they held ties to Ultratech as well and was discharged for perceived treason. Now framed as a paranoid criminal, Orchid has gone underground and formed the Disavowed, an organization dedicated to exposing Ultratech for the monsters they are.

"Chief Thunder" is an Indigenous American warrior who joins Ultratech's tournament in search of answers. His brother, Eagle, was a contestant in a prior tournament who mysteriously disappeared, driving Thunder to find out what happened to his brother and take revenge on Ultratech. The only certainy of his involvement in ''[=KI1=]'' is that he defeated Spinal; his absence from ''[=KI2=]'' implies he was killed or otherwise left before he could get sucked to the past.\\\

Thunder's real name is revealed to be "Hinmatoom" in the reboot, and his backstory is altered. His parents were killed and his Idaho reservation was polluted by Ultratech, which is what drove his brother Eagle to join Disavowed to challenge Ultratech alongside Orchid. When Ultratech informed Thunder that his brother was killed but refused to return his body, Thunder went berserk on an Ultratech facility and was incarcerated. Following his release, he set off on his own quest to fight Ultratech and discover what happened to his brother.

"Cinder", real name Ben Ferris, was a small-time criminal with counts of assault, breaking-and-entering, and arson on his record. Ultratech used him as a human guinea pig, and one chemical weapons trial gave the unexpected side-effect of engulfing his body with plasma, but leaving him alive. Ultratech decides to enter him into the tournament to defeat Glacius, proving human superiority and granting Cinder freedom from his sentence.\\\

Cinder's backstory is very different in the reboot. Ben Ferris was instead an ex-spec-ops soldier gone thief-for-hire, and a highly competitive egomaniac seeking more and more power. One day he received a contract to infiltrate Ultratech and steal data on the secret "Project Cinder", so he went to work. After nearly completing the job, he was caught and learned that it was a test posed by ARIA to see if he was up for undergoing the secret project himself. He agrees without hesitation, becoming the plasma-based lieutenant of Ultratech's black ops.

Fulgore is a prototype cybernetic soldier created by Ultratech. He was entered into the tournament to test and showcase his abilities; if he proved capable enough, mass production would begin. However, he was destroyed by Jago, resulting in a new, deadlier Fulgore being constructed in ''[=KI2=]'' to hunt the monk down for revenge. In the comics he was also secretly [[spoiler:Eagle, the missing brother of Thunder, incorporated into a cyborg suit of armor]].\\\

The Fulgore present in the reboot is the first in a new line of Fulgore Mk. III models. This Fulgore possesses an intellect far beyond the rudimentary artificial intelligence of its predecessors, somehow more human than ever. It thinks, it plans, and is quickly developing a will of its own. It is later revealed that this is because [[spoiler:the Fulgore Mk. III's intelligence is based on the mind of Eagle, who is still in Ultratech custody. This gives it a mental connection with the young warrior, and also with his brother Thunder]].

Glacius is a mysterious alien from the far reaches of space captured by Ultratech. They enter him into their tournament to prove his species' inferiority and boost ratings. However, he killed Cinder and escaped to his homeworld. Then during ''[=KI2=]'', 2000 years in the past, an ancestor of Glacius' coincidentally visits the Earth at the same time the contestants of the tournament are thrown into the past. He seeks to rescue a group of his alien brethren who were stuck on the planet.\\\

The rebooted storyline features Glacius as a galactic marshall dedicated to enforcing laws among the advanced civilizations of the galaxy. Upon learning of his existence, Ultratech lures him towards the Earth before shooting his spacecraft down and stealing some of his technology. Crippled but willing, Glacius mounts a counterattack to retrieve his technology and bring justice upon Ultratech for violating the law.

Jago is a monk in a clan that worships the Tiger Spirit in the mountains of Tibet. He is urged by the Tiger Spirit to enter Ultratech's tournament in order to purge the evil both in the company and in his own heart. He destroys Fulgore, but after the defeat of Eyedol the Tiger Spirit reveals its true nature as Gargos, whose rival has just been taken out of the picture. Now 2000 years in the past, Jago vows to have his revenge on Gargos for betraying his trust so deeply.\\\

In the reboot, Jago remains a monk of the Tiger Spirit. However, prior to the events of the story Gargos masked himself as the Tiger Spirit and forced Jago to prepare the world for his coming, transforming him into Shadow Jago. Once Jago freed himself from Gargos' influence and reverted to normal, he was horrified by the violent atrocities he committed and doubled down on his worship of the Tiger Spirit, seeking to purge the lingering darkness in his heart by fighting the forces of Gargos however he can.

"Riptor" is one of Ultratech's experiments, made by splicing human and reptile DNA to form a creature with the savagery of a raptor and the intelligence of a human. Ultratech is eager to test his performance in their tournament, and will greenlight mass production if he is a success. However, he is killed by TJ Combo and thus does not return in ''[=KI2=]''.\\\

In the reboot, Riptor is instead a genetically-engineered dinosaur clone with cybernetic enhancements, known within Ultratech as a "Stalker". She is the head of an entire unit of Stalkers just like herself, being the most cunning and vicious of them all. While intelligent, she really only cares about getting a good meal at the end of the day, and is more than willing to devour the enemies of Ultratech in order to do so.

Count von Sabrewulf is a poor soul cursed with the affliction of lycanthropy, transforming him into a werewolf-like creature. He is offered a cure by Ultratech if he participates in their tournament, and with few other options he accepts. In the process he is severely maimed by Glacius, allowing Ultratech to have their way with him and give him mechanical cyborg arms. Infuriated by the manipulation, Sabrewulf fights against Ultratech for revenge in ''[=KI2=]'', hoping to possibly find an ancient cure in the past while he's at it.\\\

In the reboot, Baron Konrad von Sabrewulf was once a hedonistic aristocrat who became cursed with lycanthropy after tampering with his monster-hunting family's ancient relics. At first he went to Ultratech for help, but their cyborg implants were clearly not the answer. He has since seen success using arcane magics and medicines to restore his arms to their humanoid shape, but his sanity is quickly waning and he fears he may succumb to the beast. Unfortunately for him, a superpowered werewolf is quite an asset and he has seen both sides of the conflict attempting to sway him to their sides.

Another ghastly product of Ultratech's science, Spinal is an ancient warrior whose skeleton was revived through cell regeneration and other secret means. He finds it difficult to exist in the modern world, but strives to prove his worth to his new masters by destroying anything he faces in the tournament. He is killed by Thunder, but reappears in the past in ''[=KI2=]'' when he is revived again by Gargos. Unwilling to remain subservient, Spinal betrays his master and fights for freedom.\\\

The reboot gives him a new backstory, stating that he was once the mastermind of a worldwide bandit network all throughout the old world. He got in business with Kan-Ra's plan to usurp the king of Babylon, but was outsmarted and captured. He was then immolated down to his skeleton and cursed with the Mask of the Ancients before being cast into the sea, but his connection to the Mask actually helped him retain his hold on life. Now a violent, cackling madman, he emerges from the sea thousands of years later in search of the Mask of the Ancients so he may gain its power and eventually move on to the next life.

In the reboot, he is an MMA fighter who made it to the top based on skill alone. After his age started showing, he resorted to cybernetic implants courtesy of Ultratech to stay on top. When Ultratech set up an exhibition match between him and the Fulgore Mk. II, planning for TJ to throw the match to make the bot look good, TJ went off-script and destroyed it instead. Ultratech exposed his illegal implants for violating their deal, causing him to fall from grace. Now humbled and seeking redemption, TJ has had his implants removed and goes to Ultratech looking to restore his honor, finding himself caught up with Orchid along the way.

Eyedol is an interdimensional warlord from millenia ago who was cast into Limbo by Earth's warriors. Now Ultratech has released him to be their ultimate champion, and he is the final challenge of their tournament. In the end he is killed by Orchid, and his explosive death causes a rift in time that hurls Ultratech's stadium and all the fighters 2000 years into the past. Additionally, his death allows for his old rival, Gargos, to return unchallenged and become the new main threat.\\\

His depiction in the reboot is quite different. He was once a Watchman, an immortal warrior tasked with defending the Earth from monsters such as Gargos. However, he let his pride consume him and was corrupted by the Astral Realm, morphing his body into a brutish ogre. He was then captured by Tusk, a fellow Watchman, and imprisoned in the Astral Realm by the Ichoriens. Once Gargos began his conquest of the Astral Realm, Eyedol was freed in the chaos and attacked Gargos; in the battle, his head was cloven in two and he was killed. His mangled corpse remained in the Astral Realm for years, until the arrogant sorceror Kan-Ra sought to use him as a secret weapon to fight Gargos' invasion. The resurrected Eyedol, his head still split, refused to follow Kan-Ra and instead set out to face Gargos on his own terms.

* WhatAnIdiot: You'd think that releasing [[spoiler:Gargos]] by accident would make him think twice about opening another demon portal. [[spoiler:He does it anyway and unleashes Eyedol.]]

"Riptor" is one of Ultratech's experiments, made by splicing human and reptile DNA to form a creature with the savagery of a raptor and the intelligence of a human. Ultratech is eager to test her performance in their tournament, and will greenlight mass production if she is a success. However, she is killed by TJ Combo and thus does not return in ''[=KI2=]''.\\\

* AmbiguouslyLesbian: In the original game, she was affected by Black Orchids flash finisher.

* MsFanservice: Girl is showing a good amount of skin with her outfit. She even has easy panty shots courtesy of her Underwear of Power. All in all she outdoes the earlier Ms. Fanservice Black Orchid within the reboot since Orchid's design was toned down.

* BaldOfAwesome: One of his accessories makes Combo lose his hair, but instead he gets a BadassBeard.

%%From Administrivia/HowtoWriteAnExample: Do Not Add Multiple Tropes With A Slash/Adding Multiple Tropes With A Slash Is Bad. If you find

* DownloadableContent: Spinal has been announced as the first [=DLC=] character for ''Killer Instinct 2013'', releasing January 31, 2014.

* ManaDrain: His FlamingSkull Fireballs in ''[=KI=] 2013'' can leech off his enemy's Shadow and Instinct gauges when powered by a skull. Normal Skull Fireballs drain Shadow meter, Shadow Skull Fireballs drain Instinct meter. The rate of drainage can be stacked up with subsequent uses of the fireballs in combos, but the effect stops the moment Spinal is hit. This was changed in Season 3 to where they simply stop his enemy from getting Shadow and Instinct meter, instead of leaching it, and causing subsequent curses to require more hits to remove.

* JunglePrincess: She's the DarkSkinnedBlond queen of the Amazons in ''2''. In the reboot, she is instead a high ranking member of the Night Guard, a group of monster hunters who are also Kan-Ra's jailers.

[[folder:'''Hisako''' (a.k.a Chiharu)]]

[[quoteright:316:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7fd955501947ee0dfadac5787d73298c.PNG]]

[[quoteright:340:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7fd955501947ee0dfadac5787d73298c.PNG]]

* StandardStatusEffects: Some of his combo enders set the opponent on fire, generating potential damage (white health) over time. There's both kick and punch burn enders, and if the opponent uses a kick or a punch attack respectively while on fire, they refresh the duration of the debuff.

* StandardStatusEffects: Firing bullets while the guns are overheating will [[PlayingWithFire inflict fire damage]], generating slight potential damage (white health) over time, similar to Cinder.

* NotSoDifferent: [[spoiler:With Maya, who's also hunting Kan-Ra]].

* ShockAndAwe: His Rain Dance [[FinishingMove No Mercy]]. There's a greater emphasis on lightning in his ''[=KI=] 2013'' moveset, to the point of giving him a new move in ''2013 Season 2'' where he summons lightning that subsequently strikes and empowers himself.

* JackOfAllStats: He has a decent mix of strength and speed.

* TallDarkAndHandsome: At 6'1".
* TimePassageBeard: In contrast to his clean-shaven earlier designs, his new design gives him a short beard. Some have been saying that this makes him look like former NBA star Patrick Ewing. Some of his accessories remove the beard.

In the reboot, Gargos is a demigod-like being called in Ichorien who dwells in the Astral Realm. He often consumed the energies of entire planets to satiate his hunger for power, and attempted to take the Earth multiple times but was repulsed. Changing tactics, he conquered the Astral Realm instead, slaughtering his fellow Ichoriens and the monstrous Eyedol along the way. He didn't see much more success until posing as the Tiger Spirit to corrupt Jago, using Shadow Jago as a connection to the Earth. This was only helped by the intervention of Kan-Ra, who foolishly sought the power of the Astral Realm. Using Kan-Ra's gate, Gargos begins to pry his way onto the Earth and threatens to add it to his list of consumed worlds.

* {{Acrofatic}}: Not Gargos himself, but his minion Dretch is fat and yet is capable of jumping and stomping on anything he sees. He's also able to take more abuse than Izzik.

Eyedol is an interdimensional warlord from millenia ago who was cast into Limbo by Earth's warriors. Now Ultratech has released him to be their ultimate champion, and he is the final challenge of their tournament. In the end he is killed by Orchid, and his explosive death causes a rift in time that hurls Ultratech's stadium and all the fighters within 2000 years into the past. Additionally, his death allows for his old rival, Gargos, to return unchallenged and become the new main threat.

-->Eyedol returns in ''KI 2013'' as the final character of Season 3, bringing the entire original cast back together for the first time in the series' history. In the rebooted continuity, he is still Gargos' rival, having been defeated and killed by him ages ago, his head being split open as proof of Gargos' victory. Kan-Ra somehow managed to acquire his corpse, and resurrected him so that he could serve under him in order to defeat Gargos and take his power for his own. Unfortunately, Eyedol is too powerful for a mere mortal like Kan-Ra to control, and heads off for a rematch with Gargos on his own terms.

-->Descendant of the heroes who once banished Eyedol and Gargos, Kim is elected as the guardian of her people. With the return of Gargos, she must fulfill her duty to her homeland and destroy him forever.

-->The new continuity draws upon her original backstory while transplanting her to the modern era. Kim Wu is a fashion design student who is called by a dragon spirit in order to fight back against the coming shadow of Gargos. Initially skeptical, she takes up her people's ceremonial nunchakus and accepts her destiny. She understands that the dragon spirit chose her as the fulfillment of a prophecy long held by her people.

-->Maya was made Queen of Amazonia after finishing her part in banishing the Dark Lord Gargos. Banished by her people as Gargos returns, Maya must vanquish him to regain her throne.

-->Maya's backstory receives a considerable {{Retcon}} in the 2013 game. Now, she is a member of an order of monster hunters known as the Night Guard, who are also in charge of Kan-Ra's prison. After an attack by Ultratech accidentally frees the ancient sorcerer and kills the rest of the order, Maya is tasked with hunting him down and returning him to his jail.

-->With the return of the Demon Lord Gargos to the land, Tusk leaves the arena to issue his challenge. Only by defeating all of his adversaries can a hero earn the right to challenge Gargos.

-->The reboot brings him into the modern era, literally, by making him an immortal barbarian who has lived for centuries, having been [[MissionFromGod chosen by "The Gods"]] as their champion to stop Gargos.

-->The Tiger Spirit, the Supreme Warlord, the Ultimate Servant of Chaos. He has had many names and many appearances to match, all equally deadly. Returning to the ancient world with neither Eyedol nor those responsible for his banishment around to threaten him, Gargos takes his place once more at the head of his devoted cult amidst the shadows. Swiftly recovering the strength lost during his 2000 year exile, he sets his sights on a reign of unopposed fear and brutality.

-->In the 2013 reboot, Gargos retains his backstory as an ancient warlord banished from the earth to the Astral Plane millennia ago. He is a member of a demonic race known as Ikkorans, who have the power to bend reality to their will by utilizing powerful dimension magic. He manipulates events from the shadows, orchestrating Tusk's amnesia so that he would forget his duty as the guardian of the dimensional gates that blocked Gargos from entering the mortal realm. He later tricks the monks of the Tiger Spirit into believing that he was the god they worshiped in the hopes of finding a suitable vessel that he could reincarnate himself into. He eventually found a suitable host in Jago, but he proves to be too resilient so Gargos instead settles for implanting his servant Omen within Jago to use as a puppet in order to gather enough energy to tear the dimensions asunder. In Season 2, he sets his sights on Kan-Ra, who in his mad lust for power began researching into the Astral Plane. Lured by the possibility of an inter-dimensional army at his command, Kan-Ra opens the gateway to the Astral Plane, but this action frees Gargos from his imprisonment as he had already gathered enough energy through Shadow Jago to return. He finally appears in Season 3, ready for world domination.

--> Aganos is an ancient war golem that only obeyed what it was told. It was eventually taken in by the same king that Kan-Ra served under, and was ordered to learn how to think and to act for itself, effectively giving Aganos free will. Though after learning that Kan-Ra was still alive after being exiled, the king sent Aganos to kill him once and for all.

--> An AI designed to simulate humanity, created by former Ultratech founder and CEO Ryat Adams. The whole goal of ARIA (Advanced Robotics Intelligence Architecture) was to find a way to lift humanity into a new age, and to end things like famine and and disease. After Ryat died, he left ARIA to run her programming on her own and continue to find a solution to mankind's frailties as the new CEO of Ultratech.

--> The beloved brother of Thunder and the winner of a past Killer Instinct tournament. Eagle was an outspoken protester of Ultratech and thus drew the corporation's ire. After being inducted into Orchid's organization of mercenaries, he was assigned to participate in the first Killer Instinct tournament. Eagle disappears immediately before the first game and although Thunder searches far and wide, he is not found and is presumed dead. Eagle's fate is revealed in ''KI 2013''; [[spoiler:he was captured by Ultratech and held captive, with his mind being used as the basis for that of the newest incarnation of Fulgore. Eagle's will is slowly manifesting in Fulgore, while Glacius broke into Ultratech and escaped with the original]]. Eagle finally became a playable character post-Season 3.

--> A 19 year old girl from a rural Japanese village and the daughter of an ex-samurai, Chiharu was killed in an invasion on her village along with the rest of her family. To memorialize her death after helping fight off the invaders, the remaining villagers created a shrine in honor of the young woman. After Ultratech disturbed the graves and shrine of the village she watched over in death as Hisako, she vowed to hunt down and destroy all of those involved, and recover the artifacts they stole.

-->A 3500-year-old Babylonian sorcerer. After attempting to steal the Babylonian throne, he was exiled and cursed with a withering rot that causes his flesh and organs to disintegrate. To offset this, he places more curses upon himself, along with covering himself in talismans and artifacts to ease the pain they bring.

--> A prototype cyborg designed by Ultratech. Its combustion engine ultimately proved too unstable, so the project was scrapped in favor of the Fulgore line. Years later, ARIA reactivates one of them during Gargos's invasion, but it goes berserk and starts destroying Fulgores until the KI fighters stop it, with ARIA reprogramming it for their side.

--> Maya's twin sister who sacrificed herself on a mission to save her. Crushed under rubble, the very supernatural creatures she devoted her entire life to killing dug up her body and revived her as a vampire. Her already-immense skill led them to invite her into their ranks, and now she relishes the new power she has gained through her vampiric abilities.

-->After absorbing enough negative energy [[spoiler:through possessing Jago]], Omen finally decides to leave his host and manifest his power. As the Herald of Gargos, he seeks now to pave the way to the coming age of darkness.

--> The leader of a secret clan of female assassins called the Red Eyes of Rylai. She enters into the Killer Instinct tournament for bloodsport and begins hunting down the other competitors by the orders of a certain employer.

-> ''"[[IronicEcho I'm afraid your]] [[ImpliedDeathThreat path ends here...]]"''

--> When Jago returned victorious from the first Killer Instinct tournament he attempted to commune with his mentor; the Tiger Spirit. To his shock he discovered that the Tiger Spirit was an ancient warlord spirit called Gargos, who had been attempting to possess Jago. Jago fought off the possession, but did not come out unscathed; Jago retained some of Gargos' essence within him. Shadow Jago is the result of him succumbing to this fragment of the demon's spirit and is controlled by [[spoiler:Gargos' herald Omen]].

--> Previously, Shadow Jago was only available (as a playable character) as a bonus for purchasing a "Day One" Xbox LIVE subscription and was merely a PaletteSwap of Jago with more evil-sounding voice pack (his boss version being introduced at the end of Season 1). However, Iron Galaxy held a "Community Fund" event to finance future ''KI'' events where, if $100,000 were raised, Shadow Jago would be revamped as a full-fledged character in his own right and released to those who contributed (owners of the palette swap version were also eligible by default to own the revamped version), which did end up being met. To these players, Shadow Jago was released on December 4, 2015. Furthermore, to players who don't fall into either category, Shadow Jago was made available for purchase on December 18 but only through January 15, 2016 (at which point Iron Galaxy could not confirm if he would return to the Marketplace), before making him available again permanently on the release of Season 3.

--> Having finally gotten her revenge on ARIA and Ultratech for disturbing her grave, Hisako was ready to return to her eternal rest. But before she could pass back into the Astral Plane, the spirit of her father approached her and told her of the impending threat of Gargos. Giving her his sword, he gives her a new purpose: to guard the Astral Plane. Upon taking the sword, Hisako's soul is purified of the terrible fury that had consumed her as an onryo, and she is reborn as Shin Hisako, her original personality when she was once known as Chiharu.

-->A championship boxer who was eventually banned from the sport after it was discovered he used cybernetic implants to improve his punching power. Without fame or wealth, he turned to Ultratech's tournament and their promise to restore his honor and title if he could best the competition. Later, after realizing how far he has fallen, T.J. decides that the only way to regain his dignity is to come back, but this time to do things right. He has his implants removed and sets his sights on taking down Ultratech and regaining his lost honor along the way.

-> '''Kan-Ra:''' ''Here you are, my..."prize". You were the only one to challenge him, and now here you lie: divided. How do you feel about...second chances? Now, rise, and serve me!'' RISE! '''AND!''' '''''SERVE!'''''

-> ''I...serve...'''NO ONE!''' ''

-->Ultratech's champion, a warlord that was freed from his dimensional confinement to challenge the winner of the tournament. A two-headed monstrosity who carries a gigantic club, Eyedol is a fearsome foe who Ultratech banks everything on.

-->A poor soul cursed with the disease "Lycanthropy", causing him to unwillingly transform into a hideous creature of the night. Rejected by society and forced to live in solitude, his sanity is deteriorating but prays someday for a release from his burden. As unlikely as it sounds, Ultratech has extended their hand in aid should he be victorious in their tournament and thus he finds himself unable to refuse the opportunity.

-->Another ghastly product of Ultratech's science, this time in the field of cell regeneration. A warrior from over two millennia ago, Spinal finds it difficult to exist in the modern world but strives to prove his worth to his "creators" regardless.

-->The reboot gives him a more arcane origin, stating his resurrection being because of a certain mystical artifact that controls his destiny. He is searching for this item so that he may destroy it and finally live free.