History Characters / SamuraiShodown2DFightingGames

* {{Megane}}: Sports glasses which he removes prior to the fight.

* MrFanservice: His default costume leaves ''very'' little to the imagination. His design and mannerisms also have a strong BaraGenre vibe.

-> '''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Atsushi "Monster" Maezuka (I-III, VI [re-dub]), Mantaro Koichi (IV, V, V Special), Creator/ToshihikoSeki (in the Dengeki drama CD series), Creator/WataruTakagi (in {{the movie}}), Wataru Komada ([=SamSho=] 2019).[[/note]]

* BustContrastDuo: When she debuted in ''Samurai Shodown'', she only has the French Charlotte as the other female character who has mature charms, while Nakoruru fell to the more petite/cute side. Unlike most examples, Nakoruru is not at all violent despite being a petite one, she's the virtuous AllLovingHero NiceGirl instead.

* BustContrastDuo: She's one of the two only female characters amongst the original roster of the game along with the small and petite Nakoruru. Naturally, Charlotte, being a French mature lady, is the bustier part, but she's kind of haughty and proud instead of being reserved.

-> '''Helper:''' ''[[EverythingsbetterWithMonkeys Paku Paku]]'' (Normal / Shura, ''II'' and ''VI'' only)

* BlueBlood: She was the daughter of Imperial court dancer Zenji Iso-no, and whilst she is usually ascribed the title “Gozen” (Lady), she was also known as one of the “seven princesses of Tango” (her home province), so in terms of rank, she’s right up there with Yoshitora.

-> '''Weapons:''' ''[[CombatHandFan Kirigane Okina]]'', ''[[CombatHandFan Uragane Onna]]'' [[note]](''"[[AbsurdlySharpBlade Slicing]] [[OlderIsBetter Iron Elderly Man]]" and "[[DualWielding Opposing]] [[OlderIsBetter Iron Elderly Woman]]"'')[[/note]] ''[[ImprobableWeaponuser & Kurogane Chuuzou Hagane Yakiire Hakugin no Haguruma]]'' [[note]](''[[OverlyLongName Black iron, casted steel, heated metal, blank-inserted Silver Cogwheel]]'')[[/note]], [[CombatHandFan two steel fans]] [[ImprobableWeaponuser and a cogwheel]].

-> '''Voiced by:'''[[note]] Creator/TomoSakurai (III), Creator/MegumiMatsumoto (IV, RPG (live-action commercial included)), Creator/KyokoHikami (RPG Drama CD), Keiko Kamitani (64 series, DistantFinale, Nakoruru ADV), Creator/HitomiNabatame (V), Creator/RieKugimiya (VI), Creator/EmiriKatou (Oni), Yuko Ono (2019).[[/note]]

* BadassMoustache: Since he's based on UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga, he ''had'' to have the mustache.

->A vengeful spirit who made a pact with Ambrosia, she is notable as one of the first female {{Final Boss}}es in fighting game history and causes worldwide disasters and calamities around the globe. Mizuki is eventually defeated, but returns in other games -- centuries later, her soul still exists and she was absorbed into [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIV Verse]] and travels to the present day.

* BlueBlood: She was the daughter of Imperial court dancer ''Iso no Zenji'', and whilst she is usually ascribed the title “Gozen” (Lady), she was also known as one of the “seven princesses of Tango” (her home province), so in terms of rank, she’s right up there with Yoshitora.

-> '''Origin:''' ''[[FeudalJapan Wataribashi-no-shita, Hizen Province, Japan]] [[labelnote:flag]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flagjapan_109.png[[/labelnote]][[note]]"under a bridge in Hizen Province; he and his brother were found under said bridge as infants[[/note]]''

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shizuka_2.png]]

Our main hero who's out there mainly so [[BloodKnight he can get a kick out of fighting strong opponents]]. As a young man, he once lost a duel against Jubei, which encouraged him to hone his skills. After said loss, he studied at Nicotine’s dojo alongside Genjuro and ends up being chosen as the school's successor, much to Genjuro's dismay. The two remain bitter rivals ever since.

The series' {{Bishonen}}, master of Iaijutsu, and formerly the main rival of Haohmaru until Genjuro debuted. Ukyo is a complete ChickMagnet who attracts ladies wherever he goes. He suffers from [[IncurableCoughOfDeath tubercolosis]] and has a crush on a certain girl named [[YamatoNadeshiko Kei Odagiri]], though he avoids developing further feelings for her due to his limited lifespan. He fights purely for Kei’s happiness, questing for rare flowers he hopes she’ll like.

The heroine of the series, most of the time concerning herself with defeating the BigBad (compared to Haohmaru, who's in just for the fight itself). She is a priestess of the Ainu tribe who fights to protect Mother Nature herself. Usually, she abhors fighting, but will absolutely not shy away from combat in defense of the natural world and is very much nature’s champion. She's usually accompanied by her pet hawk, Mamahaha, and has a little sister named Rimururu.\\

* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: After overthrowing Mizuki at the end of ''II'', she sacrifices herself to restore the natural balance and becomes one with the spirit of Nature. This allows her to appear in times of great crisis to dispel any force that would cause calamity upon the natural world. She can also appear outside of her own time, as shown in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIV''.

* FishOutOfTemporalWater: Nakoruru appears in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIV'' as a member of the "Another World" team along with two characters from a pair of SNK Playmore pachislots. This contrivance is due to the BigBad creating a crack in space and time that affected her realm and, being a protector of Nature, she makes it her mission to assist by time-traveling to the future.

American sailor-turned-McNinja, fighting [[JusticeWillPrevail for justice]]. He trained under the same master as Earthquake and completed his training to become a fully-fledged ninja. He is mostly accompanied by his pet dog Poppy, and is very much in love with Nakoruru, though [[UnrequitedLove she is way too focused on her mission protecting nature to focus on that]]. He can utilize plasma energy in the form of electric attacks that enhance his already impressive ninja skills.

The legendary {{Ninja}} in the service of the Tokugawa shogunate and the enemy of anyone who opposes them. His manner is that of the classic ice-cold, super-serious ninja, though he is still good friends with Jubei and Yoshitora. Behind the scenes, he's very much a family man, and his wife and sons become entangled in many of the series' events.

Another legendary {{Samurai}} (mostly based on Mitsuyoshi), he is a hardened and experienced warrior who is utterly loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate. He also likes to see potential in younger warriors and encourages them to one day overcome him. Unlike his comrade in arms, Hanzo, Jubei is a more care-free man when off-duty and enjoys times of peace with a hearty laugh.

Overly obese Texan McNinja. Earthquake used to learn under Galford's sensei Ayame, but quit early due to his greed. He later becomes a bandit, leading his gang to cause mischief here and there. He's always working for the bad guys, but later enters Makai, lured by the treasures there and vanishes, never to be heard of again.

A French fencer who caught word of a "series of calamities" with no natural pretenses. She leaves her Paris home to investigate and ends up traveling to Japan in order to do battle with Amakusa, who she finds to be the source of the evil plaguing her home country. Afterward, she returns home to take part in the French Revolution, but always returns to Japan any time the forces of evil reappear.

Hero of the Green Hell tribe and protector of the Tanjil and Palenke Stones, both of which prevent Ambrosia entering the world. He was actually slain by Gaoh in the past, but one of his fellow tribesmen discovered his mask and was resurrected as a new Tam Tam. Later gets turned into a chimp after his little sister Cham Cham loses the Tanjil Stone.

A Kabuki actor who thinks Kabuki dancing is a SeriousBusiness. The evil presence encountered throughout the series kept disturbing his performances, so he usually fights to preserve his dancing stage.

A Chinese Warlord out to unify his nation. Despite this seemingly dictatorial idea, he is merely a good guy trying to make best of the situation, and protect his land, which leads him to fight off the evil forces threatening the Qing Empire. \\

An..uh... goblin-like monster who claims to be 'The King of Demons' and does his best to do evil here and there, despite being quite inept at it. He has a human-seeming wife named Azami, who bore him a brood of kids...WHO LOOK LIKE HIM. Eventually, due to Azami’s wishes, Gen-An stops fighting and settles down to the role of a family man/goblin.

Based on [[UsefulNotes/AmakusaShiro the Christian rebel of the same name]], he crossed the DespairEventHorizon when he was sentenced to death, and made a pact with Ambrosia as he was executed. Amakusa is then resurrected by Ambrosia using the body of Shinzo Hattori (one of Hanzo's sons). Amakusa's main plot involves him stealing the Palenke stone, which he intended to use to bring Ambrosia to the mortal world. Upon his resurrection in ''IV'', his spirit splits into two halves: one good and one evil -- Amakusa seeks his other half in order to regain his full power. His appearance in ''2019'' sheds light on what happened immediately after he was first resurrected, and how exactly he became the BigBad of the first game.

Haohmaru's true rival. A man of many vices, Genjuro is a killer for hire who takes the utmost pleasure in culling those he views as weak. He started out as a decent man, training alongside Haohmaru, but his hunger for power resulted in him failing to be chosen as their dojo's successor and even getting himself expelled. He has a deep-seated hatred for Haohmaru, not just because he's his 'goody-goody' rival, but also because [[IdenticalStranger he looks like a man Genjuro killed]] in defense of his mother.

The little sister of Tam Tam, who likes to act like a [[CatGirl cat]], playing in the trees and getting shocked by electric eels. She accidentally lost the Tanjil stone and in compensation, tried to retrieve it, accompanied by her pet chimpanzee Paku-Paku. In her ending, she finds out that Paku-Paku ''IS'' Tam Tam, cursed as a punishment for her letting the stone become lost in the first place.

Leader of the Prussian Red Lion Knights. He protects his country from Mizuki, and his soul happens to be one of the souls that Mizuki seeks in order to resurrect Ambrosia. He is, however, saved by Amakusa and later contributed in Mizuki's defeat. He returned home victorious and marries Princess Elizabeth, [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_William_II_of_Prussia King William’s]] daughter.

An old priest, formerly the master of both Haohmaru and Genjuro. He expelled Genjuro due to his bloodlust, and keeps tabs on Haohmaru, especially when Mizuki starts targeting him. He retires from combat soon after Mizuki's defeat. Later in the 64 series, he is entrusted with Shiki's daughter Mikoto, raising her with help from Haohmaru and his grandson, Gaira.

A vengeful spirit who made a pact with Ambrosia, she is notable as one of the first female {{Final Boss}}es in fighting game history and causes worldwide disasters and calamities around the globe. Mizuki is eventually defeated, but returns in other games -- centuries later, her soul still exists and she was absorbed into [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIV Verse]] and travels to the present day.

* HesBack: She's one of the souls contained within [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIV Verse]] and traveled with him to present-day KOF, pursued by Nakoruru. With Verse defeated and the souls returned to their original bodies, Mizuki has the chance of spreading her terror into the present day.

A mysterious fighter that acts as the judge of the fights in a few of the games. He has four other brothers that dress identically to him, making them indistinguishable from each other. He is a powerful fighter, but rarely enters the arena. While he appears in the first game, he doesn’t reveal himself as a fighter until the second.

Nakoruru's [[NotBloodSiblings adoptive]] little sister. She is also a priestess of the Ainu tribe and fights using an ice spirit named Konru, as well as her ''kodachi''. At first, Nakoruru forbade her from fighting, but she managed to build up enough resolve to be acknowledged as capable enough by the time of the third game.

Fully titled Basara the Executioner (Kubikiri Basara). A restless spirit who was killed alongside his lover Kagaribi at the hands of the "demon" Zankuro Minazuki. He is brought back to the living world, remembering only his intense hate for "the demon". Convinced by an apparition of Kagaribi that he must "slay evil souls", he embarks on a vengeful killing spree. He is eventually sealed away in a stone pillar for eternity by Aku Amakusa.

An amnesiac boy who was deemed a "demon" by fearful villagers. Following a traumatic past, he trains and seeks advice from Haohmaru, who he views as a big brother figure. After learning about the great 'demon' Zankuro Minazuki, he travels with Haohmaru to defeat him.

Nicotine's enormous, slow-witted grandson. After an argument with Nicotine, Gaira ran off from Koka-in temple to train, and witnessed Zankuro's killing spree, but was too afraid to stop him. After Amakusa and Zankuro are defeated for good, Gaira eventually returns in peace to the temple.

The third game's final boss. Trying his hardest to perfect his swordsmanship, he became a brutal killer, likened to a demon. He slaughtered people indiscriminately until he came across a girl named Shiori and couldn't bring himself to kill her (she is actually revealed to be his daughter). [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Realizing what kind of man he has become]], he calls it quits and retires into his hermitage, swearing only to raise his sword to fight a WorthyOpponent. In later games, he's revived and killed a few times (once by a [[LightningCanDoAnything lightning bolt]] of all things), but is eventually KilledOffForReal by Sogetsu.

A ninja of the Kazama clan, younger brother of Sogetsu, and way too HotBlooded. He typically fights in defense of his sister, Hazuki, who frequently finds herself kidnapped at the hands of the series' various [[BigBad BigBads]], or to subdue the fire demon Enja, who is eventually sealed within his FlamingSword.

Kazuki's {{Bishonen}} big brother, and a lot more aloof and calm in manner. When their younger sister Hazuki gets kidnapped and Kazuki runs off to rescue her, Sogetsu was assigned with the mission to kill his brother for desertion. He doesn't go through with it and fakes Kazuki's death so they may all live in peace. Inside his weapon is a water-demon named Suija, who is sealed in the same way as Enja is sealed in Kazuki's weapon.

Heir of the Tokugawa regime (yes, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_Ieyasu that Tokugawa]]), he’s rebellious, party crazy and would rather hit on women than govern. He is called back to leadership when his master Gaoh pulls a coup and he is compelled to take him down, helped by Hanzo and Jubei. Finally realizing that WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility, Yoshitora took the position of Shogun. [[ExcusePlot He is also responsible of arranging the tournament behind the sixth game]].

A young Ryukyuan (Okinawan) girl blessed with a certain demon-hunting power. She was revered as a ''Kaminchu'' (literally "god person"), but ends up being shunned due to locals fearing her power, which causes her to seclude herself from others. Her only companion is a... creature...''thing''... named Chample, whom she met after she returned from a demon-hunting trip. After a demon levels her village, she sets out on a quest to destroy it...only to find that the demon was, in fact, Chample. Initially believed to have then killed Chample and committed suicide out of despair, she returns in ''2019'' alive and well, now sporting an eyepatch, along with Chample.

An old warrior who can fly with the power of the wind. He was actually born in the year 740 A.D. during China's Tang Dynasty, and by 800 A.D., he was living in relative peace with his beloved wife. Desiring to gain more power, that same year he made a deal with a demonic being calling himself "The Dark Emperor" (Kuraki-sumeragi) which caused him to go berserk. He killed his wife before finally being sealed inside a boulder by his eight students. He reenters the world a millennium later after the evil entity leaves his body to possess Gaoh. He makes it his final mission to stop Gaoh by any means possible...

A lowly thug who's looking for an easy way to make a quick buck. He is the gang leader of a group of miscreants consisting of him, Goshichi, Fuyo and Ippachi -- all three appear to assist him in attacks. His mission is to become the Lord of Hinowa with minimal effort, so he hires Genjuro Kibagami to dispatch Gaoh, though due to his own duplicity, Genjuro turns on him and he has to beat a hasty retreat, never to be seen again. Maybe he died...

Fully titled {{Youkai}} Kusaregedo. A giant ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preta#Local_traditions gaki]]'' who was once a kind man... except for his [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalistic]] tendencies (caused by the Great Tenmei Famine), which cursed him into becoming the terrifying creature he is now. All he cares about eating, eating and [[RuleOfThree more eating]] -- and he likes eating humans... ''especially little girls''. One day, he happens to pick up the scent of Rimururu and proceeds to chase her, only to be stopped by his own daughter Hakana, who pleaded him with to revert to the man he used to be. Kusaregedo manages to remember her... [[MoralEventHorizon but then proceeds to EAT her.]]

The story of her creation is an interesting one, unique in the series, and goes as follows; -- during the early days of ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'', the palette swap of Nakoruru was often seen with a naughty/malicious grin, instead of her usually innocent face. The intrigue built up until she started to become unique enough that when the Slash/Bust system was introduced, she was partnered with a wolf named Shikuru instead of Mamahaha. Fans originally thought her to be the EvilTwin of Nakoruru, but eventually, the character was fleshed out further by SNK and named Rera, thus becoming a character in her own right.

A demon released from Makai when Amakusa made a deal with Ambrosia. He exists purely to kill, reflecting his red blood blade. He's a failed clone of Haohmaru, created by Amakusa to be the perfect warrior. In his storyline, he hates not only Haohmaru but also Amakusa for creating him and hunts both of them down.

Enja is one of Liu Yunfei's disciples from 1,000 years ago, who succumbed to the powers of the demon world. He became a powerful elemental demon that was eventually sealed by Hazuki Kazama, who fused his spirit with Kazuki's sword.

Enja's brother, and unlike his berserker of a brother, Suija is a much more composed person... with an ambition to become a God. Like Enja, he ends up being sealed into Sogetsu's weapon by Hazuki.

The child of Ukyo's mentor. Apparently based on UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga's {{Uke}} Mori Ranmaru, who looked as equally feminine. Expelled from their dojo of origin, Yumeji ends up becoming Gaoh's right-hand person. They are later defeated by Ukyo, but avoid execution. Yumeji later becomes a nun and is responsible for permanently killing Rasetsumaru.

Fully titled Gaoh, Rebellious Earl of Hinowa (Kyogoku Hinowa no Kami Gaoh). Based on the [[DemonKingNobunaga Demon King]] UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga himself, Gaoh is a general of Tokugawa who became sickened with how the shogunate, not to mention the heir Yoshitora, whom he mentored, was becoming disgustingly slack and undisciplined. Feeling it his responsibility to set the tone straight, Gaoh led a rebellion, assisted by Yumeji. Along the way, he was possessed by the same demon that made a deal with Yunfei. Yunfei later hunts him down and helps free him of the demon's influence and banishes it. He is later beaten by Yoshitora and in death, he is finally able to see Yoshitora reassuringly maturing.\\

A crane who is able to transform herself into a Japanese maid. She serves her master and sees her duty to him/her as the most important aspect of her life. She often bows and speaks to the player directly before and after her fights and [[WordOfGod the game's producers have confirmed her master is indeed the player him/herself]]. Iroha is an obedient and cheerful maiden. She deeply cares for her master, trying her hardest to stay in her human form whilst in front of him/her. Despite debuting only in ''VI'', Iroha went on to star in many {{Meido}} based spinoff games. She finally makes her canon debut as part of the 2nd DLC character pass of ''2019''.

He is portrayed as an American soldier who goes to Japan to stop a new menace to his relatively young country. In his ending, he befriends Yoshitora. He is a serious and dedicated individual, always thinking about his duty to his country above all else.

A plump, jolly man who really enjoys festivals (''Matsuri'') and having fun. His character design and mannerisms are based on the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadaka_Matsuri Naked Festival]] that occurs annually in Japan. He was designed to follow a festival motif after the game designers decided on creating a "lame but cool" character.

During the Heian period, a famous onmyōji learned about the existence of the demon world and foresaw the dangers. He created an army of wooden ''karakuri'' puppets to combat said dangers after his death. A century before the events depicted in the game, his fellow puppets are all destroyed by Mizuki when they attempt to seal her. He is the only survivor, and when he reawakens, he departs to fulfill his duty as a warrior who fights demons.

A shipwright who has mastered the use of various tools. She washed ashore on the island of Madagascar at an early age, where carpenters taught her how to make things and pirates taught her how to protect herself and survive. She is currently building a ship said to be unsinkable with her comrades at the island’s workshop, and finds herself entangled in the events of the game while pursuing a masked man responsible for wrecking one of her ships.

A young woman who serves the Qing Dynasty, and the descendant of a venerable fengshui clan. For generations, they have been charged with the defense of the ley lines''[[note]]apparent alignments of landmarks, religious sites, and man-made structures. The pseudoscientific belief that these apparent lines are not accidental speculates that they are straight navigable paths and have spiritual significance[[/note]]'', traveling the world at the behest of the Qing Emperor. Though wise, she is extremely clumsy. Worse yet, she isn't athletically inclined and prefers to stay indoors. Her secret arts manifest the powers of divine beasts and as the best of the Dynasty's fengshui practitioners, she can even call forth a dragon.

A young, fallen samurai. He loathes villains who exploit the weak for financial gain, and stalks the shadows as the phantom thief ''Karasu-Tengu''. Because his father was executed on false charges in the past, he has developed a deep and unparalleled hatred for the Shogunate. Brandishing his heirloom nagamaki, Shanaō, he fights using the ancestral tengu powers he has inherited. ''[[PurpleProse When Karasu-Tengu sows the breeze above with his blade, the wicked below shall reap the whirlwind...]]''

Fully titled Shizuka Gozen (Lady Shizuka). Based on the Heian era poet of the same name, she is the source of the mysterious evil manifesting in Japan during 1787. Shizuka died sometime before the game's events, however, her bitterness and grief over her own death and that of her beloved made her soul unable to move to the afterlife. Although initially appearing to be a vengeful spirit, her actions and words seem contradictory, as though she is merely a vessel for a higher, more malevolent power...

* {{Foil}}: Ruixiang is the opposite of fellow Chinese Wan Fu. Whereas she is a shy, yet kind girl who is a AnimeChineseGirl archetype, Wan Fu is a loud and boisterous, yet sociable man who is atypical representation of Chinese people, being a brutal warlord.

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Well, same company, different dev team, but he is likened to a "Samurai [[Characters/TheKingOfFighters95 Iori Yagami]]". ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos'' lampshades this.

The legendary {{Ninja}} in the service of the Tokugawa shogunate and the enemy of anyone who opposes them. His manner is that of the classic ice-cold, super-serious ninja, though he is still good friends with Jubei and Yoshitora. Behind the scenes, he's very much a family man, and his wife and sons become entangled in many of the series' events. He also makes an anachronistic appearance in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersMaximumImpact2''.

* AnimeHair: It seems to get '''bigger''' in every game.

* RedOniBlueOni: He is the Red, while Ukyo is the Blue in the debut game.

* {{Shotoclone}}: He's got a projectile and a dragon punch-type anti-air, but they don't function as you'd expect. Nonetheless, he serves this role in the series for the most part.
* ShoutOut: He resembles Hyakkimaru from ''Manga/{{Dororo}}''.

* {{Robot}}: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karakuri_puppet Karakuri puppets]] were one of the first automata in history, and the predecessors of modern robots.

-> '''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Creator/HarumiIkoma, Reiko Chiba (first OVA; [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nakoruru_452.jpg also as live actor]] in some advertisements), Creator/MikakoTakahashi (''Tenkaichi Kenkyakuden''), Creator/MarikoKouda (Drama [=CDs=]), Creator/MaiNakahara (''Oni'', ''Kengou'', ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters XIV'', [=SamSho=] 2019)[[/note]]

* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: After overthrowing Mizuki at the end of ''II'', she sacrifices herself to restore the natural balance and becomes one with the spirit of Nature. This allows her to appear in times of great crisis to dispel any force that would cause calamity upon the natural world. She can also appear outside of her own time, as shown in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters XIV''.

* FishOutOfTemporalWater: Nakoruru appears in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters XIV'' as a member of the "Another World" team along with two characters from a pair of SNK Playmore pachislots. This contrivance is due to the BigBad creating a crack in space and time that affected her realm and, being a protector of Nature, she makes it her mission to assist by time-traveling to the future.

-> '''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Masaki Usui (I, VI [re-dub], [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Maximum Impact 2 and Regulation A]]), Toshimitsu Arai (II-V Special), Creator/KatsuyukiKonishi (in the DistantFinale), Tadahisa Saizen ([=SamSho=] 2019)[[/note]]
The legendary {{Ninja}} in the service of the Tokugawa shogunate and the enemy of anyone who opposes them. His manner is that of the classic ice-cold, super-serious ninja, though he is still good friends with Jubei and Yoshitora. Behind the scenes, he's very much a family man, and his wife and sons become entangled in many of the series' events. He also makes an anachronistic appearance in ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters KOF: Maximum Impact 2]]''.

* EvilDuo: With Gen-An, often paired by fans as the [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Chang and Choi]] of the series (seen together in Genjuro's ''IV'' and Gaira's ''V'' endings.)

* AmbiguouslyRelated: With [[VideoGame/FatalFury Mai]] [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Shiranui]]. Since SNK never stated whether they are actually related or not, it is unclear if Gen-An is an ancestor of Mai's or it's simply a coincidence between their surnames.

* EvilDuo: With Earthquake in a few characters' endings, and they're often paired by fans as the [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Choi and Chang]] of the series.

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Well, same company, different dev team, but he is likened to a "Samurai [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Iori Yagami]]". ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos'' lampshades this.

A vengeful spirit who made a pact with Ambrosia, she is notable as one of the first female {{Final Boss}}es in fighting game history and causes worldwide disasters and calamities around the globe. Mizuki is eventually defeated, but returns in other games -- centuries later, her soul still exists and she was absorbed into [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Verse]] and travels to the present day.

* HesBack: She's one of the souls contained within [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Verse]] and traveled with him to present-day KOF, pursued by Nakoruru. With Verse defeated and the souls returned to their original bodies, Mizuki has the chance of spreading her terror into the present day.

* ShoutOut: Mostly to other {{Creator/SNK}} games. He is ''the'' embodiment of this trope -- for example, in ''II'' he uses powers from early SNK fighting games like ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' and ''VideoGame/FatalFury''. In ''VI'', almost all his powers come from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' series.

* LaughingMad: Less so in earlier games, but taken UpToEleven in the ''2019'' game, where half his dialogue consists of [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Yamazaki-esque]] cackling.

* FemmeFatalons: For his 'Evil Hornet Gouger' special, he grabs the opponent and uses his very long, razor-sharp fingernails to tear into the opponent multiple times

* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Since ''IV'' split Amakusa into two entities ("good" Amakusa / Aku Amakusa), the previous games' identities have been retconned: ''I'' has the two personalities in one body, but split at the end. Aku Amakusa is the playable version in ''III'', and ''IV'' has both of them, his Slash variant being the good one and the Bust variant being Aku makusa. After Aku Amakusa is defeated by teh Kazama brothers and killed by Zankuro, in ''II'' the identity is the good one. The rest of his appearances (''V Special'' / ''VI'') are in dream match games, but the ''VI'' version is stated to be Aku Amakusa. As revealed in ''V Perfect'', which is a prequel to ''VI'', that means the ''V Special'' version is also Aku Amakusa. Since ''2019'' takes place before ''I'', the two are merged once more.

* SNKBoss: He’s less noticeable than other SNK bosses since [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard the AI as broken]] in [=SS1=] (effectively making ''every'' character a boss fight), and there was a bug which allowed the player to win the first round against him easily. Still, he remains a very cheap enemy, as his special moves have zero recovery time, can shatter your combos, and dizzy you quite easily.

-> '''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Masaki Usui (main games), Creator/DaikiNakamura (64 games, DistantFinale, VideoGame/CapcomvsSNK2MarkOfTheMillennium, [=SamSho=] 2019, VideoGame/SoulCaliburVI Season 2 DLC), Creator/BinShimada (Drama [=CDs=]), Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa (''Samurai Shodown Oni'' pachislot game), Creator/HiroshiFujioka ([[https://youtu.be/UjrBvShWoBE?t=24 advertisement for King of Fighters All-Stars]]), Creator/SeanSchemmel (VideoGame/SoulCaliburVI Season 2 DLC; English)[[/note]]

* AffablyEvil: For his win quotes against certain opponents in ''2019'', he surprisingly seems to empathize with them and claims that he will save them through salvation or even recruit them into his services. Whether he means his words or not is up to debate, but he's fairly confident that his opponents will habitate in a world ruled by him. As for anyone associated with the Tokugawa Shogunate, he shows no mercy.

* ImpracticallyFancyOutfit: Sports a voluminous, encumbering kimono that would make a light jog difficult, let along leaping about as he does. ''2019'' is even worse about this, giving him chain mail underneath the kimono.

* TheManBehindTheMan: Amakusa was heavily implied before his eventual release to be involved in the summoning and possession of Shizuka Gozen in ''2019'', as the post-credits scene shows his orb glowing red. Turns out it's somewhat of a subversion: he is not the one behind her, but he is a separate agent of the one who is - Ambrosia. With her defeat, Amakusa takes the portion of Ambrosia that was within her and kickstarts the plot of the first game.

* UndeathlyPallor: Unlike past games, Amakusa's skin is completely pale in the ''2019'' game, signifying that he's a zombie.