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1[[WMG:[[center:[-''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'' | '''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters Main Index]]'''\
2'''Main Series'''\
3[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersHeroes Protagonists]] | '''Deuteragonists'''\
4''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters94 The King Of Fighters: The Rugal Saga]]''\
5''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters95 KOF '95]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters96 KOF '96]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters97 KOF '97]]''\
6''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheNESTSChronicles'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters99 KOF '99]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters2000 KOF 2000]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters2001 KOF 2001]]''\
7''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheTalesOfAsh'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters2003 KOF 2003]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersXI KOF XI]]''\
8''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheShuneiSaga'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersXIV KOF XIV]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersXV KOF XV]]''\
9'''Spin Offs'''\
10''Characters/TheKingOfFightersEX'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersMaximumImpact Maximum Impact]]''\
11'''Related Series'''\
12''Characters/{{Athena}}'' | ''Characters/PsychoSoldier'' | ''Characters/FatalFury'' | ''Characters/ArtOfFighting'' | ''Characters/SamuraiShodown'' | ''Characters/MetalSlug'' | ''Characters/FuunSeries'' | ''Characters/BurikiOne'']]-]]]
13
14The main page for the Arc {{Rival}}s/{{Deuteragonist}}s of ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'' series.
15[[foldercontrol]]
16----
17!!Orochi Saga
18[[folder:Iori Yagami]]
19[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_iori_render_1.png]]
20[[caption-width-right:350:Unshackled Instinct]]
21[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:Classic Design]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/exiori_xiii.png[[/labelnote]]]]
22[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:''The King of Fighters XII-XIII'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iori_kofxii.png[[/labelnote]]]]
23[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:''The King of Fighters XIV'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iori_kofxiv.png[[/labelnote]]]]
24[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:Ms. X]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/heroines_missx3_9.png[[/labelnote]]]]
25
26->''"I will burn fear into your eyes so you never dare to face me again."''
27
28->'''Debut:''' ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters95''
29->'''Origin''': Japan
30->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
31->'''Fighting style''': Yagami-style ancient martial arts + pure instinct
32->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Creator/KunihikoYasui (''[='95=]''-''XIII''), Creator/TakanoriHoshino (''XIV''-current), Eric Summerer (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Jack Merluzzi (''XII'', English), Shou Shudo (''KOF'' live-action movie Japanese dub)[[/note]]
33->'''Portrayed by:''' [[note]]Creator/WillYunLee (live-action movie)[[/note]]
34->'''Playable in:''' [[note]]''[='95=]'' and all subsequent mainline games, ''Maximum Impact'', ''[=MI2=]'', ''MI:RA''[[/note]]
35
36->One of the faces of ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'', and TheRival to series protagonist, [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersHeroes Kyo Kusanagi]].
37
38-> Iori is the latest descendant of the Yagami clan, formerly the Yasakani. His family was a former ally of Kyo Kusanagi's, but they became jealous of the Kusanagi clan's power, and entered into a [[DealWithTheDevil blood pact with Orochi, their former enemy.]] They were granted newer, blue-tinted flames, but at with three huge downsides: suffering extreme pain when using these powers, each mother of a newborn would die in childbirth... and most importantly, they were now susceptible to the Riot of the Blood, a state in which under special circumstances, the user is driven insane until they become nothing more than mindless zombies, killing and destroying everything in their path. When the Kusanagi clan found out about this, they waged war against the Yasakani clan, who changed their name to Yagami prior to the blood pact.\
39Iori himself enters the ''[='95=]'' tournament to fight Kyo, but fails to do so, and ruthlessly beats his teammates into the ground. In ''[='96=]'' he finally faces Kyo, but is approached by Chizuru to ally with them. He fights Goenitz and kills him, but his flames turn crimson. Chizuru explains that this is the true power of the Yagami clan that has long been hidden inside him, and also warns him about the Riot of the Blood, but he brushes it off. While conversing with Vice and Mature, he is suddenly stricken with blindness and nausea, and starts to cough up blood. He is finally wracked with extreme pain and ends up killing both Vice and Mature as he enters the Riot of the Blood for the first time. In ''[='97=]'' he is about to face Kyo in the finals, but then he enters the Riot of the Blood along with Leona, who attacks her teammates while Iori attacks Kyo. Both are snapped back to their senses and Iori teams up with Kyo and Chizuru to fight Orochi. Orochi attempts to drive him back into the Riot, but the plan backfires when he attacks Orochi instead of Kyo, and then he holds Orochi in place long enough for him to be struck down by Kyo and resealed by Chizuru.\
40Iori resurfaces in ''[='99=]'', once again searching for Kyo, and overhears about the various Kyo clones worldwide. He finds the real one and fights with him in the collapsing base. In ''2000'' he is also a single entry, again looking for Kyo. In ''2001'' he joins Vanessa, Seth, and Ramon, under the premise that he will fight Kyo again.\
41He teams up with Kyo and Chizuru in ''2003'', and witnesses Ash's theft of Chizuru's powers. In ''XI'', he teams up with Kyo and Shingo, but due to the increased presence of Orochi, he enters the Riot of the Blood again and attacks his two teammates; Ash intervenes and takes the opportunity to hit Iori InTheBack, taking his powers. His fate afterward was unknown, but in ''[[AlternateContinuity Maximum Impact]]'' he is searching for Ash Crimson to regain his powers. In ''XIII'' he doesn't have his flames but has somewhat compensated via becoming a BadassNormal. After a brief talk with Chizuru, he is back alongside none other than Vice and Mature, who are temporarily BackFromTheDead to keep Those From The Past from breaking the Orochi seal. Ultimately, Iori regains his powers, forsaking his chance for a normal life.\
42He returns in ''XIV'', once again alongside Vice and Mature, and aims to, yet again, kill Kyo. In ''XV'', he teams up with Kyo and Chizuru to form Team Sacred Treasures, concerned about the return of Team Orochi, though he promises to settle things with Kyo once the tournament ends.
43----
44
45* AmplifierArtifact: Had the [[TheImperialRegalia Yasakani-no-Magatama]] inside of his body until Ash pilfered it in ''XI''. [[spoiler:He regains it at the end of ''XIII''.]]
46* AndThenWhat: If playing as Flames Iori in ''XIII'', Mature [[ArmorPiercingQuestion will prod at his unending goal to kill Kyo]], claiming that Iori's stuck in the past because he's afraid of where the future may lead if he ''does'' end Kyo's life. Tung asks him a similar question in ''XIV'', theorising that Iori actually ''enjoys'' fighting Kyo and puts off killing him because of it. Iori is not impressed with that assumption.
47* AnimalMotifs: {{Snakes|Are Sinister}}, befitting his connection to Orochi. Reflected in his animal transformation in ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos''.
48* AmbiguouslyBi: Iori was confirmed to have a girlfriend in the past, but a lot of his interactions with Kyo can be fairly suggestive, especially in later games.
49* ArchEnemy: He was initially this to Kyo due to their clans' feuding backgrounds, though this eventually fell by the wayside in the wake of gaining more personal enemies for both parties, including the Hakkeshu, NESTS and Ash.
50* ArrogantKungFuGuy: And a [[{{Jerkass}} dick]] about it, too. Iori isn't shy about letting his opponents know they're too weak for him, purple flames or not.
51* AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: He's a musician and so, he combines formal dress codes (long sleeved white shirt and shoes), with fashion elements (his haircut, leather jacket and red pants)
52* BadassBoast:
53** A possible interpretation for his usual opening pose ("Sugu raku ni shite yaru")[[labelnote:Translation]][[ImpliedDeathThreat "I'll make it easy for you."/"I'll end your pain soon."]][[/labelnote]] If you believe Iori's claim that he hates violence, the quote potentially turns into Iori backhandedly giving the opponent his condolences for having the misfortune of running into him, thus promising to give them a quick death for their troubles.
54** In SVC Chaos, Iori showed no fear at being faced down by [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Genjuro]], who may just be even more unpleasant and AxCrazy than himself (not to mention he's armed with a katana). The two simply shout to each other, "Vermin... DIE!"
55* BadassInDistress: [[spoiler:In the ''KOF: KYO'' manga's last volume, he's captured by Goenitz and tied up to [[CrucifiedHeroShot a metal cross]]. Then Goenitz severely injures Kensou and, when Chizuru steps in, he runs away with both Iori ''and'' Yuki as hostages; for worse, he tortures Iori via using his powers to ''[[KickTheDog intermittently cause him to go into the Riot of the Blood as he's is still in chains and completely defenseless]]''. Kyo has to rescue him and Yuki with Chizuru's help.]]
56* BadassLongcoat: Another Iori (Iori's striker from ''2000'', which represents how Iori dresses outside of KOF) has one. His new design for ''KOF XIV'' has him wearing a red duster while the outfit he was given in ''XV'' is basically the Another Iori design but with the Yasakani crescent on the back.
57* BaritoneOfStrength: His voice is deeper than that of his rival Kyo's, highlighting his rougher, harder, more menacing personality, and his initially having been an EvilCounterpart to Kyo.
58* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: Quite a few drama [=CDs=] hint at an Orochi-like presence that resides inside him, irritating him to the point that Iori usually reacts violently. His ''XII'' profile seems to confirm this, as Iori seems to be suffering from a slight identity crisis. This is presumably the reason behind [[IneffectualLoner his refusal to associate with others and his solitary lifestyle]].
59* BattleIntro: In ''XV'':
60-->"There can't be light without shadow! The flame of the end is here to turn all to ash. Iori Yagami!"\
61'''Iori''': "You want to be turned to ash? No problem."
62* TheBerserker: Losing his flames caused Iori's bloodlust and violent tendencies to intensify, up to the point where the cast of ''KOF XIII'' can ''feel'' it just by being around him.
63* BlessedWithSuck: Orochi's flames grant Iori powerful fighting abilities. But the list of expenses includes a shortened lifespan, the death of his mother at birth, pain whenever using the flames, and the chance that he'll go berserk and kill everyone around him. So ''not the best tradeoff overall''.
64* BloodKnight: In ''KOF XIV'', Tung Fu Rue implies that Iori actually enjoys his rivalry with Kyo, which is why he never actually killed the guy. Iori finds the idea preposterous.
65* BondOneLiner: In the first games, if he doesn't do the ManiacalLaugh victory pose, he'll instead tell his defeated opponent to die.
66-->''"Sonomama shine!"''[[labelnote:Translation]]"Die as you are!"[[/labelnote]]
67* BreakoutCharacter: While Iori was a main character from the beginning (being TheRival to Kyo), he was of such a different mold from other video game characters at the time (such as his [[SignatureLaugh trademark]] EvilLaugh) that he became an instant hit with fans. Thus, most subsequent games have shoehorned him to a role of at least some significance. It is said Iori's design from the start sought this end.
68-->'''Creator/MasahiroSakurai''': ''(During "Mr. Sakurai Presents — Terry Bogard")'' [...] Originally he was introduced as Kyo Kusangai's rival, but when I first saw this character in the game at the time, due to his look and attitude I thought "whoever created this character must be a genius!"
69* BroughtDownToBadass: After having his flame abilities stolen by Ash, Iori remains a deadly fighter. Even without the Magatama, the clawing and slashing techniques employed by the Yasakani martial arts are brutally effective and vicious enough to decimate an opponent. Combine this with Iori's ridiculous speed and strength, and suddenly the loss of his flames do not appear to be anything more than a ''minor'' handicap.
70* CallBack: His Dual Assault with Kyo in ''Neo Geo Battle Coliseum'' is a homage to the Sacred Treasures Team's ending in 97 where he holds his foe in place with a NeckLift before Kyo does his 182 Shiki to his opponent.
71* TheCameo: He appears in the background of KOF Stadium in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' and has a spirit battle based on him and Orochi Iori. He also has a Mii Brawler costume based on him.
72* CantStayNormal: [[spoiler:In his ending in ''XIII'', Iori decides to reabsorb the Yasakani-no-Magatama into his body, despite Mature and Vice warning him that he has the chance to live a normal life without needing to worry about the Riot of the Blood or his bloodline's curse. Ultimately, they go along with his choice and return to the afterlife, [[MeaningfulEcho telling Iori that they'll perhaps meet again on a moonlit night]].]]
73* ChickMagnet: In the CD dramas, having a very pretty prospect girlfriend who's infatuated with you is probably not much to boast about... but having her ''also'' beautiful little sister to become ''even more'' infatuated with you is definitely no small feat.
74* ClothesMakeTheLegend: Unlike Kyo, he didn't change his clothing until ''KOF XII'' and even then, the change is rather slight. His ''KOF XIV'' outfit is a bigger change, but it's still recognizably him.
75* CreepyCrossdresser: In ''SNK Gal Fighters'', he is the final boss as "Miss X" whom you must fight as other characters.
76* DarkIsNotEvil: Dresses in fairly dark ensemble and even has scarlet red hair, but he's not evil. He's still very anti-heroic, though.
77* DeadlyUpgrade: The pact his clan made with Orochi to acquire power reduces his life span, hurts him when he summons flames, and subjects him to the Riot of the Blood, which causes him to lose control of himself and makes him vomit blood.
78* DemonicPossession: In his new Climax in ''XV'', he is briefly possessed by Orochi as he transitions into the Riot of the Blood. Against members of the New Faces Team, however, he does not transform into Orochi Iori, as evidenced by his eyes not turning red.
79* {{Depower}}: Happens at the end of ''XI'', leaving him to fight with his slashing hands for ''XII'' and its sequel. Unlike Chizuru, at least he stayed on the roster despite losing his flames. Though, considering the mobility and priority of Iori's movelist when exhibiting the full extent of the Yasakani martial arts, one has to wonder whether losing those flames can even constitute a depowerment or not...
80* DisguisedInDrag: In the handheld SpinOff game ''Gals Fighters'' he enters the tournament disguised as a schoolgirl. He changes his name to "Miss X" and wears a mask to conceal his identity. [[LampshadeHanging The girls don't buy it.]]
81* DownloadableContent: "Iori with the Power of Flames" in ''XIII'' (i.e. his original, pre-''XII'' moveset). In ''XIV'', it's his classic outfit.
82* {{Emo}}: ''XIII'' [[LampshadeHanging pokes fun]] at this via having several characters, like in K'[='s=] case, call him "emo" ''to his very face''. Obviously, Iori isn't amused. Joe decides to one-up the others by labeling him (or rather, Flames Iori) as this ''and'' goth.
83* EasilyForgiven: [[spoiler:Although he killed Mature and Vice (albeit not of his own volition), they say that they don't hold a grudge against him and ask to accompany him as his teammates in ''XIII''. At least Mature is slightly more willing; Vice apparently is angry at Iori doing it and she'd at least want to "relieve pent-up hostilities" before she would ally with Iori again.]]
84* EnemyMine: Happens on no less than ''four'' occasions with Kyo (''[='96=]'', ''[='97=]'', ''2003'', and ''XI''). Luckily, [[TeamMom Chizuru]] or [[TheHeart Shingo]] is there to keep the team from [[TeethClenchedTeamwork falling apart]].
85** [[spoiler: He teams up with Kyo and Chizuru once again to put down Orochi in his team ending in ''XIV''. This time around, Kyo is more than willing to help out his rival, even if Iori feels otherwise]]. This would come to full fruition once again in the XV tournament where they're officially registered as the Great Sacred Treasures team.
86* EnemyWithin: Orochi Iori, the result of activating the Riot of the Blood. See his folder below for more details.
87* EvilCounterpart: He started as this to Kyo, being an even more arrogant, pyrokinetic BloodKnight. He's mellowed out a bit over time to a more anti-heroic figure.
88* EvilLaugh: [[SignatureLaugh His famous victory pose]], as well as one of his super desperation moves.
89-->''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_q3fip9U0I "Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm... ha ha ha ha ha ha... HAAAAAA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!"]]''
90* EvilRedhead: At least, that's how his debut portrayed him. ''[='96=]'' and beyond have shifted Iori towards an antagonistic, but more anti-heroic role.
91%% Don't add Expy here. It goes in ShoutOut/TheKingOfFighters.
92* FacePalmOfDoom: His Kototsuki In special ends with him putting his palm on the foe's face, then releases a flame explosion point blank. A few of his super moves also involves him doing the same.
93* {{Foil}}: Initially started as the EvilCounterpart for Kyo before his status as TheRival turned him into a foil instead. Enforced by the fact that much of Iori's design is meant as direct opposite of Kyo's during '95, from his iconic symbol (a crescent moon instead of a sun's corona) as well as his moveset (i.e. He throws his swings arm downward for his projectile where Kyo waves his leading arm upward and outward, his special throw pins his opponent onto the ground rather than lifting them into the air); their namings in most of their moves are even inverted of each other as well, especially with Iori adding extra suffixes named after mythological figures with a dark motif (his CD attack's name in more-in-depth sources has the name "asura", while his axe kick has "shinigami/death god", etc).
94* FreudianExcuse:
95** Confirmed in the semi-canon ''KOF: KYO'' manga. [[spoiler:When Athena attempts to use her [[AttackReflector Psycho Reflector]] to [[GoThroughMe stop him and Kyo]] from going into a DuelToTheDeath, she has a view of a very young Iori (no older than ten) in tears and covered in injuries and dirt. She's driven to tears and a brief HeroicBSOD, and later she explains to Kensou that she could feel an aura of sadness and loneliness coming from him.]] While the ''KOF 2000'' manga has Iori explaining his own backstory to Kyo, it's not known if it stands for other continuities as well.
96-->'''Kensou''': Athena... That time when [[spoiler:you and Yagami's heart [[PsychicLink had a spiritual response]]]]... What did you feel?\
97'''Athena''': An incurable loneliness... no, I should say, ''grief''.
98** Also in the RadioDrama ''The Sun and the Moon''; it shows his relationship with his bandmate Konoe (the vocalist of his band) and her sister Kikuri, who were both {{Morality Pet}}s to him.
99* GoodIsNotNice: Iori may be an anti-hero at worst, but that doesn't stop him from being a thoroughly unpleasant individual. The majority of his dialogue against other characters is telling them to go away, threatening their life, or both.
100* {{Gorn}}: Downplayed to keep the franchise's rating, but [[BroughtDownToBadass after losing his flames]] his moves become a lot bloodier. Back then he'd just incinerate you with his flame, now he'll rip your throat apart or maul your entire body.
101* GoryDiscretionShot:
102** When he killed Vice and Mature in ''KOF '96'' only their silhouettes could be seen.
103** Seen in ''SNK vs. Capcom: Chaos'' for his Exceed, which is a Riot of the Blood-induced attack and in ''Neo Geo Battle Coliseum'' as a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkPaNsdpv_w leaping grab super]] similar to Vice.
104** And again in ''XIII'' with his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIl-_Li-yZg Neo MAX]], which is reused for his Climax DM in ''XIV''.
105* GrappleMove: His Kuzukaze (Scum Wind) special is a simple one that slides his foe behind him while leaving them open to combos. Another is his Tsuchi Tsubaki (Mallet Camellia) special in ''XII''.
106* GuestFighter: Iori appears in the console version of Creator/SquareEnix 2D fighting game ''Million Arthur: Arcana Blood''. In exchange, ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'' gets Thief Arthur from that series.
107* HeyYou: Tends to refer to other people very dismissively. In particular, he refers to Iori in Japanese as ''[[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns kisama]]''.
108* HiddenDepths:
109** If ''SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos'' is anything to go by, he's well-versed in the works of [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]], particularly ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''.
110--->'''Iori''' (''to [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Chun-Li]]''): "If you wish not to die, GetTheeToANunnery."
111** He also has his own Jazz band, which is reflected in his various themes over the years.
112* {{Hypocrite}}: One of Iori's dislikes is violence. This... coming from one of the most non-villainous yet violent individuals in the series, whose movesets tend to reflect such.
113** Supplementary material tends to downplay this. He's still a violent individual, but what he defines as his dislike for "violence" is commiting acts of cruelty against defenseless people. Still hypocritical, but at least more noble of heart.
114* IllKillYou: He practically tells this to every one he comes across. That or to go away.
115-->'''Kyo:''' Keri o tsukeyou ze, Yagami...[[labelnote:Translation]]"Let's settle this, Yagami..."[[/labelnote]]\
116'''Iori:''' ...kisama no shi wo motte na![[labelnote:Translation]]"...With your death!"[[/labelnote]]
117* IconicOutfit: From his debut, Iori has had the least wardrobe changes of any major ''King of Fighters'' regular; consisting of a short black jacket, a long white shirt underneath, red pants with the legs bound, and black shoes. However in ''XII'', as part of his overhaul as result of losing his Yasakani powers, he also gained a new outfit for the first time outside of non-canon appearances (same black jacket but now with a short red shirt under it, white pants with a loose black belt, and white shoes). He also gains a new outfit for ''XIV'' (consisting of a dark red longcoat, maroon undershirt, leather pants, and white shoes) so they're finally getting around to changing him up like his fellow ''KOF'' cohorts. He then gains another new outfit in ''XV'' which is a modified version of his ''XIV'' outfit, but with altered colors and new elements added (such as his clan's signature crescent moon symbol) that resemble his outfit from older artworks (particularly the "Another Iori" striker from ''2000''; long trenchcoat, black dress shirt, red pants).
118* IconicSequelCharacter: The guy debuts in the second game and then becomes another big icon of the series.
119* ImageSong: He has four just for himself: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxNxNWK-Ta4 "Allegory of the Wind"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxtYUIXrw64 "Never Lose My Way"]], "Moon of Crazy Flame", and "Monochrome".
120* ImpossiblyCoolClothes: His classic outfit, mostly due to the leg belt.
121* ImprobableHairstyle: To the point that it's [[LampshadeHanging mocked]] in the ''Maximum Impact'' series, with a few characters noting that his hair resembles a rooster's.
122* {{Irony}}:
123** As seen in {{Hypocrite}} above, Iori's profile cites his dislike being "Violence", yet his movesets tend to be anything but subtle. His dislike of violence could mean several things, which could even include refusing to engage in unnecessary violence, which again... is ironic.
124** Kyo and Chizuru's treasures and the primary virtues they represent make a fair amount of sense: the headstrong but justly good-natured Kyo gets the sword symbolizing valor, whereas the calm and fair-minded Chizuru, usually the guiding magnetic force between the three clans, possesses a mirror that stands for wisdom. Iori's magatama ''benevolence''.
125** Iori's Yaotome super in ''XII'' and ''XIII'', due to losing his flames, ends similarly to the Shin Yaotome that Goenitz performs. While losing his sacred treasure meant he was free from the curse for a while, the same can't be said to his techniques, which are implied to be derived from one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
126* IrrationalHatred: He absolutely '''''loathes''''' Kyo with a passion. Why? Aside from probably wanting to prove himself as being better than him, [[RiddleForTheAges we will never know]]. The manga and audio dramas sometimes would rationalize the hatred, but they're questionably canon.
127* IWasJustPassingThrough: How Iori [[RivalsTeamUp aids Kyo]] during the fight with Goenitz in ''[='96=]''. 'Cause, y'know, [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou Iori's the only one that gets to kill Kyo]]. Arguably happens again in ''[='97=]'' when the Three Sacred Treasures Team faces Orochi.
128* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Downplayed on the "Heart of Gold". He's beaten the ever-loving shit out of his teammates in his ''[='95=]'' ending, has an unreasonable hatred against Kyo, and almost any of his exchanges with other characters (whether he's regular or Flames) in ''XIII'' screams "douchebag". However, some bios imply part of the reason his behavior is so hostile with everyone is an act to keep people away from him due to his propension to violent outbursts thanks to the Orochi curse. How much of it is truly an act is up to debate. Nevertheless, while "Gold" is a massive stretch, Iori does care about doing the right thing, even if he'd never admit it. He shows no hesitation in teaming with the Agents in ''2001''. He's also shown care for stray cats, and the isekai spinoff manga implies he defines the "violence" he dislikes as senseless cruelty against those who can't protect themselves. Iori isn't a model citizen, but somewhere in there, he's still got a heart.
129* LeadBassist: Since he has his own jazz band and he's a bassist, he's presumably this. It's unknown if Iori's the lead singer (or if the band had one to begin with), but Iori's various {{Image Song}}s are examples that he probably can.
130* {{Leitmotif}}: His "Stormy Saxophone" set of songs.
131* MeaningfulName:
132** His family's previous name, Yasakani, comes from the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magatama#Yasakani_no_Magatama Yasakani-no-Magatama,]] legendary prayer beads symbolizing benevolence that were used in tandem with the Yata-no-Kagami. Much like the other members of the Sacred Treasures Team, Iori plays a crucial role in the battle with Orochi, especially considering that [[HoistByHisOwnPetard he fights against Orochi's mind control and snares him just long enough for Kyo to finish the job]].
133** The Yaotome super, literally meaning Eight Maidens, refers to the part of the Orochi myth where Orochi had already devoured seven of a family's eight daughters and was coming to eat the final daughter, who the clan leaders save.
134** Yagami, written as 八神 ("eight gods"), alludes to the Hakkeshu whom his ancestors later made their pact.
135** Yasakazuki, literally meaning Eight Sake Cups, is another reference to Orochi's myth, where Orochi was dazed by having each of its heads drink sake. The move itself stuns his foe if they're hit, also as an allusion.
136* {{Lunacy}}: Figuratively and literally. He is havily associated with the moon, and is one of the more unhinged members of the cast.
137* MovesetClone: with Kyo, but only in '95. Justified as the Kusanagi and Yasakani clans built their fighting styles together. In the games after that, Kyo starts to differentiate by using his trademark chain punches.
138* MoralityPet: Chizuru Kagura, the only character in the entire series he's willing to stick his neck or do something for. To a lesser extent, he also shows sympathy for Athena (the only character he never openly threatens).
139* MrFanservice: WordOfGod admits to making him one on purpose, giving him outfits that frequently emphasize his muscles, which are evocative of CasualKink. A lot of supplementary material points out the fact for all his cruelty he does have a softer side.
140* NeckLift: His LDM in 2003 and XI has him lift his foe with both hands as he burns them with a pillar of flame. He also did something similar to Orochi in 97's canonical ending. In ''XII'' his new GrappleMove (which is adapted to his normal throw in ''XIV'') has him lift his foe's neck with one hand.
141* NobleDemon: The ''King of Fantasy'' novel and manga imply that Iori loathes people who commit acts of violence against those incapable of defending themselves.
142* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: His ever-popular Ya Otome begins with this.
143* NominalHero: Even now, after years of showing Iori's personality soften up ever so slightly, he can only be written off as amoral and largely neutral on his ''best'' days. He also tends not to be motivated with "saving the day" as he only wants to take Kyo's life.
144* TheOneGuy:
145** In ''VideoGame/SNKGalsFighters'' and in ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'' where, unlike Terry, his usual male self is playable.
146** On another note, he's also the only male [[TheRival rival]] in the entire series, as the other three rivals to the later heroes are female.
147* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: How he views his rivalry with Kyo.
148* OptionalBoss:
149** To the Japan Team in ''KOF '97'', but only if Kyo beats Orochi. He's also this in ''KOF '99''. Shares this status with Kyo, and you can only fight him if your battle points are over 190, and you fight Kyo if they are over 280.
150** He also gets a {{Crossover}} appearance in ''Netto Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special'' (a handheld port of ''Real Bout Fatal Fury Special'') as a boss alongside Geese. [[DefeatMeansPlayable Win, and you unlock him as a playable character.]]
151* PaperThinDisguise: His "Miss X" alter ego in ''Gals Fighters''. Subverted, as the girls were not fooled.
152* TheParalyzer: In some games, he has the DM Ya Sakazuki, a projectile attack that stuns the foe in place while slowly draining their health. In later games, his EX Yami Barai can do the same thing.
153* PerpetualFrowner: Usually depicted as stoic and moody. [[SlasherSmile When he is smiling]]... ''run''.
154* PetTheDog: Both [[ThinkNothingOfIt his interactions with Chizuru]] in ''XIII'' and his drama CD ''The Sun and The Moon ~ Prologue'' verge on the brink of painting Iori in this light.
155* PillarOfLight: More like Pillar of Fire, but still, his unique DM Saika (done after Ya Otome) ends with him firing a tall pillar of purple flame. Also present in some of his other supers, especially his (Flames Iori's) Neo MAX in XIII.
156* PlayingWithFire: The Yagami clan has access to pyrokinetic abilities due to their association with the Kusanagis. The pact with Orochi makes it stronger, but also comes with the caveat of a horrible curse that's plagued Iori's family for generations.
157* PurpleIsPowerful: His flames are often rendered as blueish-purple, and he's capable of some highly destructive attacks with them.
158* TheRival: Was more or less the ArchEnemy to Kyo earlier on, but has regressed to this, ''especially'' in the wake of him and Kyo gaining several ''mutual'' enemies like Goenitz, Orochi, NESTS, and Ash. Their rivalry tends to be highly bitter, though wile Kyo will tone it down given it's Iori, [[{{Jerkass}} Iori himself]] still relishes the idea of facing Kyo in battle (if not to kill him, then at least to battle and inflict pain on him).
159-->'''Iori:''' Kyo...\
160'''Kyo:''' Yagami...\
161'''Both:''' Iku ze![[labelnote:Translation]]"Let's go!"[[/labelnote]]
162* RuleOfSymbolism: There are many references to the number eight in his moves and other areas. His signature [[LimitBreak super]], the Ya Otome, is frequently translated in English as "Eight Maidens". The move also hits exactly 8 times in its base form. Iori's other super, the Ya Sakazuki ("Eight Wine Cups"), launches a fire spark that can explode into eight advancing columns of fire at its maximum; the DM that replaces that is the Yashiori (Eight Ferments), a reference to the Yashiori/Yashio'ori no Sake (Sake of Eight Salt Snappers), the type of wine used by Susano'o to intoxicate the Orochi. All of this is related to Orochi being an 8-headed demon and the legend that he sought out eight maidens to devour. As his family made a pact with the Orochi, this has some meaning but ultimately does not contribute to his character in any significant way, unless one refers to his VillainOverride NeckLift done to Orochi himself at the end of ''[='=]97''... There is also the way his design [[EvilCounterpart invokes himself as Kyo's opposite]] in several ways.
163* SarcasticConfession: In the ''KOF 2000'' manga, Kyo asks whether Iori actually ''likes'' violence and fighting or is simply lashing out from the frustrations caused by his lineage. Iori explains that even if he doesn't care about their family feud, Iori changed when he wanted his father to stop being depressed. Kid Iori would rather play piano and read than learn to fight. His father was depressed because Saisyu was the stronger one in their rivalry, and he heard rumors that Saisyu's son had even more potential than his father. His respect for his father drove Iori to seek power. One night, Orochi's spirit came to Iori, and he asked if the boy wanted to grow stronger; Iori nodded, and thus Orochi gave him more power and complete control over his flames. Back in the present, Iori tells Kyo, "It's true that I hate violence, but I'd hate even more seeing my own family being disgraced, so if I have to use violence to destroy you, then so be it." But now, Iori hates Kyo's guts.
164* ScrewDestiny: {{Subverted|Trope}}. Nothing he does in the Orochi saga intends to prevent the release of Orochi, yet everything he gets involved with ends up working towards that end anyway.
165* ShipTease: For such an unpleasant character to deal with, Iori gets ''a lot'' of this.
166** The main draw of attention is, of course, Kyo. From his general [[FoeRomanceSubtext obsession with killing him to his unwillingness to go through]], to other characters lampshading the odd nature of his behavior, to Kyo himself softening a bit to Iori's tendencies as time goes on, or even saving him on occasion. It's grown to be so popular the devs themselves take cracks at it from time to time (the last bits of their fight in the manga KOF: A New Beginning are ''dripping'' with this).
167-->'''Kyo''': "Wake up! You idiot, are you napping on me?"\
168'''Iori''': "Heh, wake me up when you're dead."
169** Then there's Vice and Mature. Not only did they accept to work as his servants, some of their comments about Iori are pretty suggestive. Which should be [[FemmeFatale part of the course]] except Iori murdered both of them. And they don't resent anywhere near as much as they should. According to her bio in ''XIV'', Vice has taken an interest in him beyond professional interests.
170** Lastly, there's Athena of all characters. Not only does she show concern for his well-being in their pre-battle quotes, but Iori responds in kind by showing some sympathy towards her (some quotes even suggest he thinks she's cute. She's the only character he refers to with a nickname, namely 'idol girl'). It goes to the point where an alternate version of her is Iori's ImpliedLoveInterest in the Isekai spin-off where he's the protagonist (to who he also refers to by a nickname, 'knight lady').
171* {{Shoryuken}}: his Oniyaki special, one of the few things he shared with Kyo. There's also his Nue Uchi special in ''XII''.
172* SignatureMove: His Aoihana special (and arguably Yami Barai and Oniyaki) and his Ya Otome DM, which he can do even without flames.
173* SlasherSmile: The few times Iori is seen smiling, it's either this or a PsychoticSmirk.
174* SlaveCollar: [[RuleOfSymbolism Symbolically]], the collar worn around his neck is likely a visual representation of his clan's unending ties to Orochi. The fact that Iori has [=RotB=]'d three times so far and a particular drama CD has an image of Orochi mocking him from within Iori's mind can't be coincidental. He loses the collar in ''XIV'', though.
175* SmokingIsCool: According to his team's story in ''XIII'', Iori smokes frequently.
176* SolarAndLunar: With Kyo. Iori represents darkness and the moon, and Kyo represents fire and the sun.
177* SourOutsideSadInside: A lot of characters seem comment that despite how quick he is to get unpleasant with people, he's actually pretty unhappy with pushing people away.
178-->'''Isla:''' You don't like getting all close and friendly? Well, you and me, both, but... you seem a little lonely.\
179'''Clark:''' I see why you play the lone wolf, but one day you'll regret not finding someone who'll watch your back.
180* TheStoic: [[NotSoStoic And if you do manage to set him off]], God help you.
181* TechnicolorFire: Bluish-violet fire, a sign that it originates from a dark source.
182* ThisCannotBe: His K.O. quote ("Kono mama dewa owaranzo!") translates to "It can't end like this!"
183* ThreeStrikeCombo: His Aoihana special is a 3-hit rekka.
184* TookALevelInJerkass: Iori was a pretty unpleasant guy to begin with, but upon getting his flames back in ''XIII'' his dialogue is even more callous, bordering on PoliticallyIncorrectHero territory. Some notable examples can be found in his win quotes, where he tells Benimaru to beg for his life and issues a SuicideDare to Raiden.
185* TookALevelInKindness: A downplayed example in ''XV''. While he's been very hostile to her in interactions from past games, he seems to have mellowed out a bit around Leona and tries to tell her (albeit a little dismissively) to stop worrying so much about Orochi. His special versus mode win quote against her even has him actually ''praise'' her for learning to control her Riot of the Blood.
186-->''"It takes resolve to absorb Orochi's power into your own flesh and blood... Seems you're finally up to the task."''
187* {{Tsundere}}: A [[GenderInvertedTrope rare male example]] of a modern Harsh, platonic example.
188** With Kyo. Miss X's ending in ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'' implies that despite all his antagonism towards Kyo, Iori secretly wishes they could be best friends, and gets [[LuminescentBlush highly embarrassed]] over the fact that he even entertained the thought in the first place.
189** This is also the characterization of choice for him in the Isekai spin off towards [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute Altena]], where despite his aparent rudeness he goes out of his way to help her after being saved by her.
190* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: [[spoiler:In the ''KOF: KYO'' manga, Iori shows up in Kyo's school to challenge him. Their fight becomes increasingly violent to the point that Athena fears this will be a DuelToTheDeath; the fact that Yuki and later Athena step in to stop Iori from killing Kyo start triggering Kyo's own insecurities about his motives to fight.]]
191* VoiceOfTheLegion: During his Climax Supper in ''XV'', Orochi's voice can be heard alongside him before he incinerates his opponent in a torrent of flames. If fighting against a member of the Hakkeshu, however, he instead does the super without giving in to the Riot of the Blood.
192* VocalEvolution: Iori's voice work in ''[='95=]'' was a bit odd compared to Yasui's take on the character in the following years; Iori's voice was slightly higher in pitch, his "Doushita?" chant during Yami Barai was almost mocking as opposed to the harsh yell later on, and the delivery of his SignatureLaugh (among other lines) was strikingly different. Simialrly, his post-SNK relaunch voice actor Creator/TakanoriHoshino has made Iori sound much harsher and deeper in recent games (including crossovers), to practically [[Anime/YuGiOh5Ds Jack Atlas]] levels.
193* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: When his Orochi blood awakens, Iori's strength and speed increase greatly but he becomes violently unhinged and untamed, which is how Mature and Vice died in ''[='96=]''.
194* WithMyHandsTied: Well, legs in this case. The pants legs of his original outfit are tied together by a belt. His ImpossiblyCoolClothes don't stop him from having swift, amazing footwork, including overhead kicks.
195* WolverineClaws: His actual hands are his claws, but his fighting style is pretty brutal. His version without flames in ''XII'' relies on this aspect to compensate.
196* WouldHurtAChild: In ''Another Day'', he shoves a little girl for getting in his way.
197* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: A downplayed version in which Iori [[KickTheDog thrashes Billy and Eiji after the 1995 tournament]]. For this reason, they carry a grudge against Iori to this day.
198
199!!Orochi Iori
200[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof98_wildiori.png]]
201[[caption-width-right:350:Iori, Driven Insane by Orochi's Blood On a Moonlit Night]]
202->''"Kill... Kusanagi... Kill... Kyo...."''
203
204->Iori under the influence of the "Riot of the Blood". Under Orochi's control, he becomes feral, and even more bloodthirsty than normal, with his fighting style changing as a reflection of this; he thus becomes a LightningBruiser that can overwhelm his opponent in the blink of an eye.
205----
206
207* AxCrazy: In this form he's reduced to the state of a feral, wild animal who will attack anyone in his path. This is best exemplified with the SDM version of his Ya Otome, where he completely forgoes his more refined technique and instead just forcefully pins the opponent onto the ground while ripping them apart, briefly turns to the screen sporting a NightmareFace, and finishes by pounding on them until they explode into purple flames.
208* DemotedToExtra: Orochi Iori hasn't been a separate character since ''2002''. Iori still utilizes Blood Riot in many of his supers, like in ''XIV'' and ''XV''.
209* DependingOnTheArtist: The look of his skin and facial features varies from game to game. Sometimes his skin will retain its normal hue, while other times, it can become paler or tanned. His face might also become gaunt, and his mouth locked in a fanged snarl.
210* GlassCannon: His playable appearance. He's twice as fast and powerful, but takes twice as much damage from attacks, and you'll be surprised at exactly how hard it is to control him.
211* LightningBruiser: During Riot of the Blood, Iori experiences a large boost in his agility.
212* MonochromaticEyes: Crosses over with GlowingEyesOfDoom and SupernaturalGoldEyes DependingOnTheArtist.
213* MultiSlotCharacter: Early games made him into a separate character, while later games [[CompositeCharacter simply made him a part of Iori's moveset.]]
214* PersonalityRemnant: While otherwise regressed to an animalistic state, he somehow retains his deep hatred for Kyo.
215* PrimalStance: He's hunched over and ready to kill anything in sight.
216* RedEyesTakeWarning: As depicted in ''XV'' during regular Iori's new Climax, while being forced into the state by Orochi.
217* SkywardScream: His "dialogue" consists almost exclusively of this and animalistic growling and hissing.
218-->''"'''[[SayMyName KYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!]]'''"''
219* SNKBoss: In this form, he's roughly twice as fast and twice as strong. With him moving around so quickly, it's easy to confuse players, enough to make him almost impossible to anti-air on reaction because he can jump across the screen in the blink of an eye. {{Subverted|Trope}} when you play as him, with [[GlassCannon his defense being severely weakened]] for the sake of CompetitiveBalance.
220* SuperpoweredEvilSide: The Riot of Blood, the manifestation of Orochi's corruption within him. It gives him inhuman strength and speed but at the expense of his sanity and restraint.
221* TeamKiller: The Riot of the Blood ended up causing him to [[ImpromptuTracheotomy tear out Mature and Vice's throats]] at the end of ''[='96=]''.
222* UnstoppableRage: Iori is trapped in a blind, homicidal rage whenever he's in this form. Not even Mature and Vice, two heralds of the Orochi, could stop him when he entered Riot of the Blood.
223* VillainOverride: In the Sacred Treasures Team's ending in ''[='97=]'', however, when Orochi attempts this for one final time, Iori instead holds Orochi in place for Kyo to deal the final blow.
224[[/folder]]
225
226!!NESTS Saga
227[[folder:Kula Diamond]]
228[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/character_kula_5.png]]
229[[caption-width-right:350:Ice Doll]]
230->''"Wasn't that refreshingly cool? Hope you like my ice!"''
231
232->'''Debut:''' ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters2000''
233->'''Origin:''' Unknown
234->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/10c06342_71a7_425a_a1f4_b6d32940b6f7.png]]
235->'''Fighting style:''' Anti-K' arts
236->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Creator/YumiKakazu, Kat Cassteneda (''Maximum Impact 2'', English)[[/note]]
237->'''Playable in:''' [[note]]''2000'', ''2001'', ''2002/UM'', ''XI'', ''XIII'', ''XIV'', ''XV'', ''[=MI2=]'', ''MI:RA''[[/note]]
238
239-> The end product of NESTS' Anti-K' Project, of which Nameless' lover Isolde was a subject of. Her powers over ice were used as a counter to K' own flames, and she, along with her caretakers Foxy and Diana, were assigned to eliminate K' and investigate the cloned Zero's activities. After the fall of NESTS, she settles down with Diana and Foxy and becomes a little sister of sorts to K', joining him on occasion in KOF.
240----
241
242* AnIcePerson: Thanks to the experiments performed by NESTS, she has the ability to control ice. Also, she loves ice flavored treats.
243* AnIceSuit: One of the few female cryomancers who ''doesn't'' have a {{Stripperiffic}} outfit, though as of ''XIV'' they seem to be taking baby steps to get her there.
244* AssistCharacter: Originally had Diana (and Foxy in ''XIII'') supporting some of her attacks.
245* AttackReflector: Her Counter Shell.
246* BattleIntro: In ''XV'':
247-->"Avert your eyes for a second and you're ice! She's a snow bunny with a mean frostbite! Kula Diamond! \
248'''Kula''': "I'm going all out."
249* BerserkButton:
250** ''Never'' treat her like a child or refer to her as a NESTS-created weapon.
251** ''Never'' violate a commitment to her, and don't even lie about making the vow in the first place. [[spoiler:She ends up feuding and deserting Team K' in favor of Team Krohnen (which, it should be noted, consists of two people she doesn't even like because of how they put Foxy's life in danger) because of it.]]
252* BewareTheNiceOnes: Her personality becomes TheStoic during her "Freeze Execution" SDM, [[InstantIceJustAddCold where she fills the entire air around her with ice]], signified by the entire background becoming light blue. It's also a full-screen attack that in certain games triggers if the first hit connects. Eventually she grows out of this, as later games have her lose the CreepyMonotone.
253* BreakTheCutie: After Foxy was stabbed by K9999, she realized the true nature of the organization she served. It also happened a year earlier with the "death" of her [[RobotBuddy robot companion]] [[RobotGirl Candy]]. Since breaking off from NESTS, she became more of a CheerfulChild, as her appearance in ''Maximum Impact 2'' indicates.
254* BreathWeapon: Her icy Diamond Breath.
255* TheBusCameBack: Not her, but one of her specials. In ''Maximum Impact 2'' she was given a new special move where she creates a snowman out of thin air and drops it on the opponent's head. It isn't until ''XV'', 16 years later, where this move finally reappears in a 2D-style, mainline ''KOF'' game.
256* CallingYourAttacks: Ever since losing her stoic attitude and becoming more cheerful, she's learned to do this to some of her more mundane attacks. '''"WAN IN-CHI~!!! SULAIDA SYUTO~!!!"'''
257* ChildrenAreInnocent: Deep down, she's an innocent, naive girl with little knowledge of the outside world.
258* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: To Iori. Iori is a from a clan that made a blood pact with the ancient being called Orochi to gain revenge against the clan that Kyo is from after being manipulated by the Hakkeshu, Kula on the other hand is a NESTS experiment that was created for the Anti-K project. Iori is both TheStoic and AxCrazy, but Kula is very Childish and [[TheDitz cheerful]]. And while they both teamed up with their rivals to fight against a greater threat, Iori still sees Kyo as his eternal rival, but Kula eventually sees K' as a big brother figure.
259* CodeName: The [[MeaningfulName Anti-K']].
260* CreepyChild: Her upbringing as an assassin hasn't completely been wiped clean. Luckily, this doesn't rear its head often.
261* DanceBattler: To an extent. A few of her attacks resemble graceful movements that you'd see coming from a ballerina, and several moves (and in ''XI'' and ''Maximum Impact 2'' onward, her running animation) are pulled straight from a figure-skating routine.
262* DistaffCounterpart: Introduced in ''2000'' to [[RedOniBlueOni complement]] K'.
263* DullEyesOfUnhappiness: She sports these in ''2001'', [[spoiler:after plummeting into the sea during the Hero Team ending... and right before K' rescues her.]]
264* ElegantGothicLolita: Her alternate outfit in ''[[SimulationGame Days of Memories]]'' involves this.
265* ElementalHairColors: Her hair [[PowerDyesYourHair turns light blue when she activates]] her [[AnIcePerson cryokinetic]] powers. Some of her attacks suggest that this trope may actually be ElementalHairComposition instead, as her hair seems to actually become ice, or at least take on some of its properties.
266* EmotionlessGirl: Most of which was during her debut in ''2000'', which can count as EarlyInstallmentWeirdness on her part.
267* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: Her neutral stance is accompanied by sparkling [[DramaticWind gusts of chilled air]] that [[SwirlingDust swirl around her]].
268* EyelidPullTaunt:
269** The pre-fight exchanges in ''XIII'' heavily feature Kula performing these.
270** Done in a close-up of her face before her Climax super in ''XIV'' and ''XV''. Likewise, it's also back as her taunt in the latter.
271* FaceDoodling:
272** It's implied that she does this to Nagase in her ''[=MI2=]'' ending.
273** Her profile states that she enjoyed doing this to Candy.
274* FeudEpisode: Prior to the events of ''XV'', she had gotten into a fight with K' and ran away from home as a result, eventually being snatched up by Krohnen and Ángel. In her intro with K', she makes it clear that she's still angry with him and won't come back until he apologizes.
275* FireIceDuo: With K’, She controls Ice while K’ controls fire.
276* {{Flanderization}}: A lot of Kula's characterization post-NESTS saga has honed in on her stunted maturity and SweetTooth obsession.
277* FourTemperamentEnsemble: The Sanguine of the quartet of characters wielding {{Power Limiter}}s and with ties to NESTS, being a rather ditzy and impulsive GenkiGirl who mostly competes for her own childish desires.
278* GenkiGirl: She became this after being rescued and taken in by K' and Maxima.
279* HellBentForLeather: Just like K', she wears a very nice leather ensemble.
280* HeroSecretService: Coming to her aid during Freeze Execution are none other than the other members of her personal AmazonBrigade: Foxy, Diana, and (depending on the iteration) Candy.
281* HiddenBuxom: She looks fairly petite regularly, but ''Days of Memories'' and [[MaleGaze certain other shots]] in endings that have her make it clear that she's larger than expected from first glance.
282* HugeGuyTinyGirl: The tiny girl to Maxima, and K' to a lesser extent.
283* HurricaneKick: Ray Spin, which has a follow-up that lets her fire a shard of ice at the opponent or perform a sliding kick that knocks them down.
284* IdenticalStranger: To Isolde, justified by the fact that they were both in the Anti-K' Project. Needless to say, the resemblance causes Nameless (Isolde's boyfriend) to momentarily hesitate before fighting Kula in ''2002: UM''.
285* {{Irony}}: ''Hates'' fire, yet one of her usual companions is K'... a man with pyrokinetic abilities. Naturally, [[LampshadeHanging Kyo feels the need to point out this glaring contradiction to her]] in ''XIII''. Kula even lampshades this herself in her win quote against Iori in ''XIII'', noting how odd it is that Iori's flames bother her, but not K's flames.
286* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://youtu.be/1PlFboOFxyw Ice Place]] in ''2000'', [[https://youtu.be/C63J7zv0ZjI Diamond Dust]] ''2002UM''. Ice Place returns in ''XIV'' for fights between herself and Ángel. The former also played in her ''XV'' reveal trailer.
287* LittleMissBadass: Ties with Chris as the second-youngest playable character in the series at a mere 14 years old. Only Bao (12 years old) is younger. Doesn't stop her from, you know... ''destroying a KillSat in the Earth's orbit all by herself''.
288* LongHairIsFeminine: She more or less takes after Foxy in this respect, seeing as they both have hair that extends beyond their shoulders.
289* MaleGaze: Let's just say her suit is rather form-fitting, and more than a few moves and ending shots let you know it.
290* NiceMeanAndInBetween: The in between to K's mean and Maxima's nice. Kula can be friendly, outgoing and cheerful, but she has a bit of a bratty streak to her. It's not uncommon for her to completely lack patience, or to throw a fit if something doesn't go her way. Thankfully for her teammates, it's easy enough to calm her down, just offer her ice cream.
291* NotBloodSiblings: She and her "sister," [[RobotGirl Candy Diamond]].
292* OppositeSexClone: Possibly. SNK was never clear on what a clone was in ''KOF'' and if Kula was a "built-from-the-ground-up" clone in the vein of K9999 or a normal human injected with DNA.
293** If her ''Maximum Impact 2'' profile is to be taken into account, it's surgical implantation, much like K'.
294* OptionalBoss: In ''2000'', for breaching various point totals dependent on your team throughout Arcade mode. Notably, she freezes over the entire stage she's fought on and will trigger an extra scene in the ending if she's beaten.
295* PersonalityPowers: Her stint as an EmotionlessGirl matched up well with her ice powers. At least in her debut, anyway.
296* PowerDyesYourHair: Her hair is normally a chestnut brown color, but changes to light blue when powered up.
297* PowerLimiter: Maybe. She wears yellow gloves similar to the ones K' and K9999 possess, which were made specifically to prevent Kyo's DNA from going out of control.
298* PrehensileHair: It's unknown if her hair actually turns into ice when powered up or if it simply takes on the properties of ice, but her crouching C attack suggests that she can at least use her hair as a weapon.
299* PunnyName: "Kula" sounds rather similar to "cooler", doesn't it? Rather fitting for someone who's [[AnIcePerson cryokinetic powers]] can make the surroundings, well... cooler in temperature.
300* PurpleIsPowerful: Most of her attire is dark purple (or reddish purple since ''XIV'') and she's canonically one of the strongest characters in the series given her feat at the end of ''2000''.
301* RedEyesTakeWarning: Doesn't reflect upon her [[GenkiGirl disposition]], though. They're blue in some of the promotional illustrations created for ''2000''.
302* TheRival: Like Iori who is Kyo’s rival, Kula is one to K’.
303* RedEyesTakeWarning: She's got reddish-brown eyes in most artworks, most of all in her recent outing in ''XV''.
304* RollerbladeGood: While running, Kula creates skates out of ice underneath her shoes (so they're like rollerblade [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heelys Heelys?]]), which ties into why some of her moves resemble [[DanceBattler ballet/ice dancing]]. [[ImprobableWeaponUser They also double as effective weapons.]]
305* {{Shoryuken}}: Crow's Bite, which she shares with K' alongside her One Inch command normal.
306* SkillGateCharacters: Next to Iori and Terry, Kula is typically one of the easiest and most well-rounded characters on the roster. While she lacks a traditional projectile to zone with, she does have plenty of tools in her moveset that grant her solid combo potential and play a very footsies-oriented game on top of that. She's also one of the few characters in ''XV's'' roster alongside Vanessa that has more than two special cancelable standing normals[[note]] Typically in ''KOF'', most far standing normals are only really good for poking as they're otherwise not special cancelable at all. Starting in ''XV'', however, most of the roster has been given at least one ranged special cancelable normal that they can use either as a whiff punish or to kara (whiff) cancel with and play mind games with their opponent.[[/note]], being both of her light attacks and her standing Strong Punch, all of which have excellent range compared to most normals in ''XV''. Her damage output is also not too bad and as of ''XV'', she even has a very threatening okizeme game with her Falling Snowman special, which she can place in advance to keep the opponents on their toes.
307* SnowMeansDeath: Not intentionally, but the fact that she can drop a friggin' [[KillerRabbit snowman]] on your head and crush you with it says something.
308* SweetTooth: Ironically, her favorite food is candy, particularly lollipops, which she can be seen licking in some of her intros and promotional artwork. This is how various characters [[FoodAsBribe bribe her into doing certain tasks]], such as signing up her team for KOF. Yuri even goes as far as to assume that Kula would be likely to fall into ChronicBackstabbingDisorder for nearly anyone if sweets were on the line. [[spoiler: Krohnen and Ángel even resort to bribing her with ice cream to get her to stop whining while she was travelling with them prior to the XV tournament.]]
309* TeethClenchedTeamwork: To the surprise of no one, Kula and Angel dislike each other, yet the two end up forming two-thirds of Team Krohnen in ''XV''.
310* ThemePairing: Expect to see her paired up with K' (fellow NESTS refugees, Kyo "clones," {{fire|WaterJuxtaposition}} [[RedOniBlueOni and ice]])... ''a lot''. There hasn't been much evidence in-universe, but Kula ''is'' one of the few people that K' is actually friendly towards (''per se''). Her intro dialog with K' in ''XIII'' suggests that [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold he does care for her and is concerned about her well-being. Of course, he tries to sound mean when he's expressing his concern.]]
311* ThirdPersonPerson: At times, she'll start a sentence with her name instead of "I," most likely due to a combination of the experiments and her mental immaturity. She only started doing this around ''Maximum Impact 2''. The first signs of it in the main series were in ''XI'' and ''XIII''. She dabbles in it a bit in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWyiMMtpWAQ the English dub]] of ''XIII'', as well as a scant amount of dialogue in the English localization.
312* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Lollipops and ice cream sundaes, fittingly.
313* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: Implied in her backstory; Kula was genetically engineered to be one of NESTS' assassins, after all. If you subscribe to the theory that Kula really is K'[='s=] OppositeSexClone, then it's likely that, outside of sweets, Diana and Foxy's maternal doting, and her friendship with Candy, killing literally is ''all'' she knew.
314* YoungerThanTheyLook: Kula doesn't look much younger than most of the teenage female cast, yet is only meant to be 14. It's to the point that she's considered part of the kid cast alongside the likes of Bao and Chris.
315[[/folder]]
316
317!!Tales of Ash Saga
318[[folder:Elisabeth Blanctorche]]
319[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/character_elisabeth.png]]
320[[caption-width-right:350:Will of Light]]
321->''"Only when you lose your pride do you face true defeat. Understood?"''
322
323->'''Debut:''' ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXI'' (2005)
324->'''Origin''': France
325->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/frenchfag_214.png]]
326->'''Fighting style''': Blanctorche-style Savate
327->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Kayoko Ōshima (''XI''-''XIII''), Creator/ShizukaIto (''KOF: World''-current) Sally Koshinaka (''XII'', English)[[/note]]
328->'''Playable in:''' [[note]]''XI'', ''XII'', ''XIII'', ''XV''[[/note]]
329
330-> A former associate of Ash Crimson who is out to prevent whatever he's planning, and the heir to the Blanctorche family. She uses light-based attacks and fights with a riding crop. Hates to be called [[Film/KungPowEnterTheFist "Betty,"]] a trait which Ash loves to exploit.
331----
332* AccidentalMisnaming: Ash keeps calling her Betty, which she hates. Of course, Ash just won't listen. [[spoiler:He even calls her this ''in his last words''.]]
333* AloofDarkHairedGirl: Her hair is dark blue, but personality-wise she fits in here well.
334* AttackReflector: Her Etincelles can do this if timed properly, though it only applies to the EX version. ''XV'' now gives her a proper example.
335* BattleIntro: In ''XV'':
336-->"Don't forget to bow in her presence! Those who forget their manners may be subject to a beating! Elisabeth Blanctorche!" \
337'''Elisabeth''': "To a fair fight, with pride on the line."
338* {{Bifauxnen}}: More noticable in XIII, where her uniform is dashing enough to rival [[Manga/TheRoseOfVersailles Oscar François de Jarjayes]].
339* BigGood: Since her debut, she is this for the Tales of Ash Saga, as she helps the heroes stop both Ash and [[StandardEvilOrganizationSquad Those from the Past.]]
340* BlueIsHeroic: Her outfit in ''XII''/''XIII'' and ''XV'' is an entirely blue ensemble and, of course, she's certainly more heroic than her adoptive younger brother.
341* BrainwashResidue: In ''XIII'', [[spoiler:Ash sacrifices his existence to prevent the entire Ash Saga from happening.]] None of the other characters remember him, except for Elisabeth, due to having his TragicKeepsake.
342* BrokenBird: She's extremely cynical and with a sharp wit, and whenever she has to fight younger girls in ''XIII'', Elisabeth will always remark on how innocent and gentle they are, unlike herself.
343* ClassyCravat: A staple of her noble image, she's worn one for each of her mainline appearances.
344* CleavageWindow: Her outfit in ''XI'' has this.
345* CoolBigSis: An adoptive one, to Ash.
346* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: Serves as one for Kula.
347** Whereas Kula is a young pre-teen stated to be at least 14 years old, Elisabeth is a grown woman in her late 20's that, in addition to being as powerful as Kula, is also [[ExperiencedProtagonist much more experienced]] than she is with her powers.
348** Speaking of which, most of Kula's moveset is predominantly [[AnIcePerson cryokinetic]] while Elisabeth controls [[LightEmUp hard light]]. Interestingly enough, in ''KOF XV'', her powers take the form of auroras, which are commonly seen in arctic environments.
349** Their dynamic with their respective protagonists is also inverted; K' serving as an AloofOlderBrother figure to Kula while Elisabeth is a very protective CoolBigSis towards Ash. It's especially apparent in their interactions - K' being a rather harsh {{tsundere}} towards Kula while Elisabeth is overtly protective of Ash, chasing him around much like a doting mother would chase their problem kid around.
350** Kula's hair is only blue whenever she uses her powers, having strawberry blonde hair otherwise. Elisabeth's on the other hand is natural, with her [[CurtainsMatchTheWindow eyes even matching her hair]].
351** While Kula was introduced as a sub-boss in her ''KOF 2000'' debut, Elisabeth on the other hand is a regular character on the roster, having Duo Lon (who used to be on the Hero team in ''2003'') and Benimaru (another Hero Team staple) flanking her in ''XI''. Though both characters' endings in their debut games are significant to their respective plotlines - Kula destroying the [[KillSat Zero Cannon]] while Elisabeth's team is the one that canonically wins the ''XI'' tournament.
352* CounterAttack: Her Étoile Filante Neo MAX in ''XIII''. If you don't want to spend the meter for that, there's also her Reverie-Geler (formerly Platinum Mirage in ''XI''). In ''XV'', she can also use it to counter projectiles in addition to any incoming attacks.
353** Her entire gameplan as of ''XV'' effectively serves as one to [[LongRangeFighter Zoners]] - namely Ash and Athena, as she has very strong specials that allow her to throw their projectiles back at them or nullify them outright, she can counter projectiles with her normal counter-attack (which no other character in the roster can do) and appear right behind them if timed properly, and her own projectile lingers on the screen for a bit before it dissipates, as opposed to stopping until it hits the opponent.
354* CurtainsMatchTheWindow: Just like Leona, oddly enough.
355* DashAttack: "Coup de Vent" has Elisabeth dash forward with an upwards slash of light. It can also combo into ''itself'' based on the strength of the button (EX > Heavy > Light).
356* {{Deuteragonist}}: Of the ''Tales of Ash'' saga, serving as the HeroAntagonist to Ash's VillainProtagonist.
357* EarnYourHappyEnding: The last that is seen of her and Ash in ''XV'' [[spoiler:is during their team's {{Stinger}}, where the two are relaxing in the very same field they were pictured in during their childhood.]]
358* EnergyBall: "Étincelle" sends a ball of light forward, at different distances depending on the strength. Unlike many other projectiles, Étincelle only has a hitbox after it reaches its destination, meaning Elisabeth can't just throw it at people like it's a Hadoken. This serves as one of Elisabeth's key tools for controlling the mid-range.
359* EnergyBow: Her Climax Super in ''XV'' has her annihilating the opponent with one a la [[VideoGame/Tekken7 Claudio Serafino]]. And not one to be outdone, it's ''made out of auroras''.
360* EveryoneLooksSexierIfFrench: 1. She's French. 2. Her ''XI'' outfit (complete with a [[CleavageWindow boob window]] that was put on full display in her ''XI'' ending); 3. The [[WhipOfDominance kinky implications of being whipped by her riding crop.]]
361* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: As of ''XV'', because of the updated 3D engine of the game, this is how Elisabeth's light effects are rendered instead of the purely white lights they used to be. In a way it's also somewhat symbolic of her story arc reaching a positive outcome with the revival of Ash.
362* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: Between Athena's Psycho Powers and Elisabeth's ictokinesis, ''XIII'' is guaranteed to give you a seizure. Not so much in ''XV'', where her light powers now take on the appearance of auroras, fortunately.
363* FlashStep: Reverie-Prier and Souhatier, introduced in ''XII'', are textbook examples.
364* FriendlyRivalry: As of ''XV'', this appears to be the case with Ash, since the two are now on the same team as opposed to fighting against each other.
365--> '''Ash:''' It's really been a while, hasn't it? Really takes me back.
366--> '''Elisabeth:''' Indeed, it has been some time...
367* HeartbrokenBadass: [[spoiler:A rare platonic example regarding Ash. She gets better, fortunately.]]
368* HeIsNotMyBoyfriend: Says this to Shermie during the French Natives ending in ''XV'', seeing as she, Shermie, and King are all wearing very classy and eye-catching dresses that are sure to win over any guy they so desire. Unlike most examples of this trope, Elisabeth ''does'' genuinely mean it, as Ash is by most accounts the little brother she never had.
369* IdiotHair: Curiously she gains one ''ahoge'' in ''XII'' and consequently ''XIII'' and ''XV''.
370* IWillFindYou: [[spoiler: As of ''XIV'' she has resolved to find a way to bring Ash back to the new world he created. She succeeded, with the two now fighting together in ''XV''.]]
371* IntergenerationalFriendship: Has this with Ash. In some flashbacks, she is seen as a young teenager and Ash is a boy no older than 8.
372* IronLady: In both senses, what with her being the most esteemed fighter in the series thus far and having endured a lot of tragedy in her life.
373* {{Irony}}: She's very close friends with Ash and the two are now on amicable terms as of ''XV'', yet Elisabeth's gameplan in ''XV'' is the very antithesis of Ash's, being well-equipped to deal with zoners like a hot knife slicing through butter.
374* LadyOfWar: Fights like one, especially with that riding crop. It's completely gone as of ''XV'', though.
375* [[LastOfHisKind Last Of Her Kind]]: Thanks to a fire burning down her mansion to the ground (and many of her clansmen along with it), she is now the sole remaining Blanctorche. She currently lives with her butler, Jacques, near the remains of her family's home.
376* LightEmUp: ''Overkilled'' by her Noble Brass (L)DM and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dcJe4rKqcM Étoile Filante Neo MAX.]] It's a good thing for you that [[LightIsGood she's a heroine]]. ''XV'' makes it look like she's using ''auroras'' as part of her skillset!
377* LightIsGood: She's a heroine with light powers.
378* ManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:Elisabeth Manipulated the events of ''XIV'' and hired Kukri as a way to bring Ash back]].
379* MeaningfulName: "Blanctorche" roughly translates to "white torch". She has light powers. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin It checks out.]]
380* MoralityPet and OnlyFriend: For Ash. [[spoiler:All of his plotting was done to keep her safe.]]
381* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: She can sometimes sense Ash's presence and uses it to keep tabs on him.
382* NoIAmBehindYou: Platinum Mirage, depending on the button used when Elisabeth is attacked. She can also do this as part of her CounterAttack in ''XV'', after it's timed to a projectile.
383* TheNotLoveInterest: [[spoiler:In light of everything the story divulges about her and Ash's childhood and relationship, one could easily peg Elisabeth as this]].
384* NotSoStoic: Her team's ''XIII'' ending is a [[{{Tearjerker}} tragic]] example, while the one mentioned above in HeIsNotMyBoyfriend is a funnier example.
385* OfCorsetsSexy: Her XV outfit features one, adding a bit of sex appeal to her more restrained XIII outfit, without going the full boob window route of her XI outfit.
386* {{Ojou}}: She's something of a Type-2, but more serious and cold than stuck-up.
387* OlderThanSheLooks: While this is no longer the case in the present day, during her childhood she only looked approximately 2-4 years older than Ash when in reality she’s 11 years older than him.
388* OneeSama: She once fondly played this role to Ash until her house burned down, separating the two for a long period of time. She's now wholly devoted to defeating him.
389** Most likely, she still thinks of him as a brother, which is why [[spoiler:she cries when he vanishes into nothingness]]. She's also ''very'' quick to correct Shermie's assumption that he's a potential flame to her during the French Natives ending.
390* PillarOfLight: "Grand Rafale" begins with an upward strike, creating a big column of light on impact.
391* PracticallyDifferentGenerations: Adoptive variant. She's 27 years old while her younger adopted brother, Ash, is 16.
392* PurpleIsPowerful: Her ''XV'' redesign has some more shades of purple to it. Naturally, being able to control light makes her among the stronger characters in the series, as well as being wealthy enough to be escorted by a butler (who is also the only family she has left).
393* TheRival: Like Iori and Kula who are rivals to Kyo and K’ respectively Elisabeth is one to Ash and they were once ChildhoodFriends. As of ''XV'', it's now more of a FriendlyRivalry instead.
394* {{Shoryuken}}: Coup de Vent.
395* SpellMyNameWithAnS: ''XII'' and ''XIII'' spell her last name as "B'''r'''anctorche".
396** This applies to her first name as well, which started out as "Elizabeth" but then became "Elisabeth" in her other appearances.[[note]]Like with Marco Rodriguez -> Rodrigues, this might have been to better reflect her nationality, as the 'z' spelling is typically english whereas the french usually uses the 's' spelling.[[/note]]
397* StaffOfAuthority: Elisabeth is a French noble who fights with a riding crop. She seems to have dropped it as of ''XV'', however.
398* StatuesqueStunner: She stands at a healthy 174cm (5'8") tall, just a hair shorter than King and a hair taller than Shermie, who are ''also'' French.
399* TheStoic: She always has a calm tone, though she also gets a NotSoStoic moment when [[spoiler:Ash sacrifices himself to stop Saiki]].
400* SugarAndIcePersonality: [[spoiler:Her true colors, as seen in flashbacks and her team's ending in ''XIII''.]]
401* TamerAndChaster: Her debut appearance in ''XI'' had a slight touch of fanservice in her design, Elisabeth had a massive cleavage, coupled with her buxom being among the biggest within the cast, and her signature crop whip, resulting in a sexually charged wealthy lady so to speak; however, Betty’s following appearances seemly attempt to maker her more of a straight laced wealthy lady instead, without the overt sex appeal, to note: in ''XII'' she lost her cleavage window, and in ''XV'' she loses the crop whip, thereby making Elisabeth void of intentional fanservice cues on her design ever since.
402* TragicKeepsake: [[spoiler:Ash's headband.]]
403* TrueBlueFemininity: She wears an all-blue ensemble (with some bits of purple in ''XV'') and is a LadyOfWar with the manners to back it up... enough said.
404* UsedToBeASweetKid: ''XIII'' sheds a lot of light on her and Ash's childhood.
405* WhipOfDominance: She is a stern and haughty [[BlueBlood French noblewoman]] who fought with a riding crop in ''XI'' and had some sexually charged overtones in her moves. This was toned down ss her character got TamerAndChaster, in ''XII'' and ''XIII'' she still carries the riding crop but doesn't use it, and by ''XV'' it's completely gone.
406
407[[/folder]]
408
409!!Shun'ei Saga
410[[folder:Isla]]
411[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/character_isla.png]]
412[[caption-width-right:350:Dreaming Brilliance]]
413-> ''"Let's whoop 'em good, Amanda!"''
414
415->'''Debut:''' ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXV'' (2022)
416->'''Origin''': Chile
417->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chile_0.png]]
418->'''Fighting style''': Floating hands
419-> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/{{Lynn}}
420->'''Playable in:''' [[note]]''XV''[[/note]]
421
422-> Shun'ei's new [[TheRival rival]] introduced in ''The King of Fighters XV'', having the same type of power he has -- floating phantom hands which she has nicknamed "Amanda". Growing up in an orphanage in South America where she was shunned and neglected, Isla turned to graffiti art to express herself and slowly gained popularity through social media. She is recruited by Dolores and Heidern to enter the tournament, with the incentive that she'll not only be able to earn money for the orphanage and the other children there, but that she'll finally learn the secret of her power through meeting Shun'ei.
423----
424
425* AdultHater: [[spoiler:She doesn't get along with adults at all. She hates her parents for abandoning her, hates her orphanage for abusing her, barely gets along with her adult teammates, and hates Shun'ei for having positive adults in his life. She gets better by the end of it.]]
426* ArtAttacker: She incorporates spray-paint and graffiti skills into her toolkit, like tossing out paint cans as projectiles. And then there's her Climax special which ends in a big colorful explosion of paint.
427* BerserkButton: The fact that Shun'ei also has GiantHandsOfDoom like she does irks her to no end. [[spoiler: She later admits it's because she's incredibly jealous of how they're both Amplified Specters, but he has adults who truly care about him like Tung while she had to live in an OrphanageOfFear that abused her.]]
428* BattleIntro: In ''XV'':
429-->"Her dreams are painted all over the streets. Every battle to her is a canvas for her art. Isla and Amanda! \
430'''Isla''': "I'm gonna paint you up good!"
431* CharacterDevelopment: When she's first recruited by Heidern, Isla is jagged and abrasive, not taking orders well and walking around like she runs the place. [[spoiler:However, towards the end of her team's story, she becomes more invested in fighting for what is right and working together for the good of more than just herself. During her ending she's completely changed, being nice to everyone around her and wanting to get to know Shun'ei better, connecting over their shared individuality as Amplified Specters.]]
432* CompanionCube: Has an interesting case with "Amanda", to the point of treating her own phantom hands like a person.
433* ConfusionFu: The sheer number of options Isla has makes her mix-up game very strong. Her ability to quickly reposition in the air throws off a lot of her opponent's ability to react to her approaches and options after knock downs.
434* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: To Elisabeth, naturally.
435** Elisabeth is a very wealthy and poised LadyOfWar with the ettiquete that one can expect from someone of such high status. Isla on the other hand is a street urchin that grew up dirt poor and is very crass and profane, owing to her very harsh background and distrust of adults.
436** Speaking of which, Elisabeth is a grown woman that is well-mannered around everyone she meets. Isla, by contrast is a teenager that is reasonable enough around most people, but pair her with an adult or especially [[TheRival Shun'ei]] and that sensibility goes right out the window.
437** Both of them have contrasting {{Dark and Troubled Past}}s. Elisabeth having lost her parents in a fire when she was younger while Isla was flat-out ''abandoned'' by her parents.
438*** Whereas Elisabeth's playstyle is a direct contrast to Ash's (especially in ''KOF XV'', where she is a very strong anti-zoning character that can give Ash quite a hard time), Isla's is a parallel to Shun'ei's. Both her and Shun'ei have excellent air mobility for rushdown characters and they're both among the easier characters for new players to pick from.
439** While Elisabeth is the closest thing Ash has to a MoralityPet (if not family outright), Isla pretty much ''hates'' Shun'ei [[spoiler:(at least initially)]] the very second she lays eyes on him. Furthermore, the way both protagonists see their rivals is also rather similar, with Ash mostly ignoring Elisabeth's pleas to come home while Shun'ei ''[[UnknownRival barely]]'' [[UnknownRival acknowledges Isla's existence]].
440* CoolMask: Wears a respirator during her intro and has it hanging from her neck. [[spoiler:Re Verse inherits this when she separates from Isla]].
441* DanceBattler: She lets her purple hands do most of the work while she dances around the opponent.
442* DashAttack:
443** For regular specials, she has "Piercing C"; Isla flies forward with a kick, and the heavy version can follow up with several options depending on her input.
444*** Light punch results in an overhead swipe that knocks her opponent down.
445*** Light kick results in a low sweep.
446*** Heavy punch results in her performing a hop that puts her in the air. She can then follow up with all of her aerial options like specials, giving her a lot of mix-up potential.
447*** Heavy kick results in her halting the attack altogether.
448** Her super special, "Back to Back", has her perform a much stronger dash kick if she's airborne, making for a powerful combo ender.
449* DivingKick: "Piercing A/B" has Isla dive down with a kick. The angle of the move changes depending on whether it's light or heavy.
450* DoubleJump: Through her special move, "Drips"; Isla gets a boost from Amanda that lets her hop either forward, backward, and vertical depending on the button used. She can then follow up with aerials and specials, granting a lot of mixup and rushdown potential.
451* FashionableAsymmetry: She's certainly a lot better at it than Shun'ei because she's more of a rebel graffiti artist than Shun'ei being more of a {{Chuunibyou}}.
452* FriendToAllChildren: She cares deeply for the other kids at her orphanage, and her InUniverse interview states that she wants to donate any prize money to them, but in way that the orphanage staff won't try to grift.
453* GiantHandsOfDoom: Unlike Shun'ei, Isla has her spectral hands activated at all times. She uses them to perform all of her punch attacks, while kicks are done on her own.
454* HideYourOtherness: [[spoiler:Learned to do this of her own accord in order to fit in. She pulled it off until the day the staff members at her orphanage destroyed her paintings.]]
455* ICallItVera: She calls her GiantHandsOfDoom "Amanda".
456* IJustWantToHaveFriends: [[spoiler:What motivates her to take a detour to China in her team's ending, in order to meet Shun'ei outside of the ring, having grown past her resentment towards him and taking an interest in their connection.]]
457* ImprobableWeaponUser: Spray cans. "Fill In" lets her toss them out as projectiles to control ground space. She also uses one during her Climax SDM to spray the opponent in the face, and then uses another one that she ''Rider Kicks into their face''.
458* InterspeciesFriendship: She and Amanda, the pair of spectral floating hands, are quite chummy with each other. They hi-five after winning a match, and Amanda partakes in Isla's taunting of the oppoenent with all sorts of finger gestures. This all adds up to the two having strong synergy in battle, with Amanda giving Isla's fighting style a boost in power and mobility.
459* JerkassToOne: Isla is pretty rough around the edges, but is mostly at least neutral to anyone that isn't out to hurt her. The sole exception to this is Shun'ei, who she's incredibly jealous of. She gets better.
460* JerkassRealization: [[spoiler:After losing control of Amanda, Isla comes to the conclusion that she had no reason to be antagonistic towards Shun'ei. Especially after he saves her life when Otoma=Raga tries to [[TakingYouWithMe drag her into the Crucible of Souls]].]]
461* KickChick: PlayedWith: She keeps her hands inside her pockets when she fights and only uses kicks for her physical attacks. That said, she does have punch attacks, however, her punches instead use the magic purple hands that she summons.
462* LadySwearsALot: While not the worst example in the series (that honor would go to Kukri), Isla is pretty foul-mouthed for someone her age.
463* LeaderWannabe: She acts like the boss of two adults, one of them being a military commander. [[spoiler:This is likely due to her resentment of adults in general.]]
464* {{Leitmotif}}: "Time for revolution It's our generation", a hip-hop tune straight out of the likes of ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' or ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', which played during her character trailer. It's also meant to sort of just represent her and her rebellious tone. While it's technically the theme of her team in general, it specifically is tailored to Isla's personality far more than either Heidern or Dolores.
465* MeaningfulName: "Isla" means "island" in Spanish, and given that she grew up an orphan for much of her life and [[IJustWantToHaveFriends yearns for friendship]] by the end, it's quite fitting.
466* MirrorCharacter: To Ash, oddly enough.
467** Both of them are technically orphans, since the identity of their respective parents remains a mystery. But while Ash at least had the Blanctorche Family taking care of him, Isla… [[OrphanageOfFear wasn't as lucky]].
468** Their respective fighting styles are largely kick-focused; Ash's style taking inspiration from Savate (as his kicks are noticeably longer-reaching than his punches), while Isla attacks the opponent herself with kicks, as Amanda is mapped to her punch buttons.
469** At their absolute best, both of them are [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold gold-hearted]] {{jerkass}}es with an attitude problem. Ash being incredibly [[CondescendingCalmness condescending]] and [[SophisticatedAsHell sophisticated]] with his insults while Isla is very [[TheLadette crass]] and [[LadySwearsALot foul-mouthed]].
470** Both of them have somewhat similar, but also contrasting movesets to some of the other main characters: Ash's flames being a distinctive wax-like green with the reason behind it being a RiddleForTheAges while Isla is an Amplified Specter like Shun'ei, albeit with an extra pair of hands that are seemingly sentient compared to Shun'ei's being an extension of himself.
471* MundaneUtility: Of a sort, being that Amanda is shown to have some degree of sentience. [[spoiler:She takes a picture that Isla holds during the PostCreditsScene for the Rival Team's ending from an angle that'd be impossible otherwise for anyone else to pull off.]]
472* NonconformistDyedHair: Her hair has blue streaks, enhancing her rebelliousness.
473* OrphanageOfFear: Revealed to be the environment she grew up in. One she ended up escaping with the usage of Amanda.
474* PowerIncontinence: [[spoiler:Loses control of Amanda after the finals, resulting in the advent of the game's sub-boss: Re Verse.]]
475* ThePowerOfHate: [[spoiler:Deep down, Isla is fueled by hate towards her parents for abandoning her, the orphanage staff for rejecting her freedom of expression, and the world overall for seemingly rejecting her. Unfortunately, this hate is also what fuels Amanda, and is what ultimately results in the birth of Re Verse.]]
476* PurpleIsPowerful: Not unlike Iori, Amanda's glowing hands are purple. Isla though is of the UnskilledButStrong variety based on her attacks and animations.
477* TheResenter: [[spoiler:She hates Shun'ei out of jealousy over the fact that he has a happy life with a foster family and a best friend in Tung and Meitenkun, while she grew up with nothing but a roof over her head and was abused by the staff members at her orphanage.]]
478* TheRival: To Shun'ei. Unlike the other rivalries, Shun'ei is not as invested in it as she.
479* ShipTease:
480** [[spoiler:Implied to have feelings for Shun'ei in the Team Rival ending.]]
481** Also Ash to a lesser extent if their special intro in Story Mode and win quote in VS Battle to him is anything to go by.
482---> '''Isla:''' You're a real piece of work. ...Wanna trade numbers?
483* {{Shoryuken}}: Her "Scribe" special, where she performs a leaping somersault kick. The EX version can be followed up by her aerial specials.
484* SlideAttack: "Designs", done with down-foward plus Heavy Kick. It lets her surprise opponents with a long-ranged low attack.
485* SpicyLatina: She's a HotBlooded Chilean that's also easy on the eyes.
486* SweetTooth: Her favorite food is chilenitos, a Chilean dessert. She also goes out for ice cream with Yuri and Athena in their special edit ending.
487* TeethClenchedTeamwork: With Heidern and Dolores, due to her hatred of adults. Played somewhat using her relationship with Shun'ei, as she does have a special edit team with him and Rock (as relative newcomers to the KOF tournaments).
488* ThemeNaming: All of her move names (e.g., "Drips", "Fill-in", "Cloud", etc.) are actual terms used in tagging/graffiti. And given her penchant for street art, [[ShownTheirWork it's very appropriate for her and clever on SNK's part]].
489* {{Tomboy}}: Unsurprising given how she carries herself.
490* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: One of the special edit teams she has pairs her with Athena and Yuri, who offer to bring her out to shop for clothes. Not only does Isla relish the chance to spend time with girls her age, she also [[SheCleansUpNicely discards her usual streetwear for more casual clothes]] in their shared ending.
491* TookALevelInCheerfulness: [[spoiler:By the end of ''XV'''s story, she lets go of her resentment towards Shun'ei and her teammates, becoming much friendlier, if still a bit [[{{Tsundere}} rough around the edges]].]]
492* TraumaButton: She can get easily triggered if she feels that someone's trying to control her, particularly adults. This stems from the abusive upbringing she had at her orphanage. She gets easily aggravated by Heidern and Dolores's directives because of this.
493* UnknownRival: Isla is very much this to Shun'ei at the start of ''XV''. She hates his guts, he barely knows she exists...
494* UnskilledButStrong: Isla doesn't have much in the way of true martial arts training like many other fighters, but more than makes up for it through her own athleticism and the power granted by Amanda.
495[[/folder]]

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