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1[[WMG:[[center:[-'''Related Series'''\
2''Characters/FatalFury'' | ''Characters/TheKingOfFighters'' | ''Characters/BurikiOne''-]]]]]
3
4The characters in the ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' series will be listed here.\
5Also related are the characters from ''Characters/FatalFury'' and ''Characters/TheKingOfFighters'' series who will have their pages listed here.
6
7Characters are listed by game of introduction.
8
9----
10[[foldercontrol]]
11
12!!Characters introduced in ''Art of Fighting''
13
14[[folder:Ryo Sakazaki / Mr. Karate II]]
15
16[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_ryo_render.png]]
17[[caption-width-right:350:Invincible Dragon (From ''KOF XV'')]]
18
19[[quoteright:300:[[labelnote:Click to see his first design (''AOF'')]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ryo_aof1_copy.png[[/labelnote]]]]
20
21->''Absolute karate, that's Kyokugen. And don't you forget it, [[TotallyRadical dweebenheimer]]!''
22
23->'''Origin:''' Japan
24->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
25->'''Fighting Style:''' Kyokugen-ryu Karate
26->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Tetsuya Bessho (OAV, JP) and Marcelo Campos (OAV, EN), Masaki Usui (''[='94=]''-''XI'', ''XIII''), Masayoshi Kozaki (''XII''), Daiki Takakura (''XIV'', ''XV'', ''King of Fighters All-Star''), Curt Gebhart (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Creator/AkiraKamiya (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Subaru Kimura (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
27
28
29->[[RedBaron The Invincible Dragon]]. Trained in the Kyokugen Style of Karate by his father Takuma, Ryo was forced to care for himself and his younger sister when he was 10 after their [[MissingMom mother]], Lonette, died in a car accident and their [[DisappearedDad father disappeared]] shortly afterward. He makes his living by earning money on street fights. Whenever she saw Ryo in such condition, Yuri's desire to run away became greater.\
30When Yuri is kidnapped by Mr. Big, Ryo and his friend, Robert, scour Southtown while battling its toughest enforcers and Mob bosses to rescue her, finding out that his father was still alive under the guise of Mr. Karate. After the incident, Ryo went to the mountains to train himself in combat, only to return to to Southtown a year later to participate in the King of Fighters tournament sponsored by Geese Howard. Despite beating him, Geese had managed to escape.\
31After these events, Ryo goes to Mexico in search of Robert.\
32Ryo is a reoccuring fighter in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' series, usually being the leader of "Team Art of Fighting".
33----
34* EightiesHair: Dear God, that mullet! Switches to AnimeHair in the ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters King of Fighters]]'' series.
35* AdaptationDyeJob: He's [[TallDarkAndHandsome raven-haired]] in the anime special, [[ShownTheirWork which was taken from]] the Japanese live-action commercials for ''2''.
36* AdaptationalJerkass: Downplayed example. Ryo isn't exactly a jerk, but his characterization in ''King of Fighters'' is much more strict and harsh than in his home series. This is most evident if one compares his treatment of Yuri across both series.
37* AdaptationalWimp: Somewhat downplayed example. In Animation/TheKingOfFightersDestiny he is still a competent martial artist, but is soundly defeated by Mai Shiranui, who while strong in her own right is rarely portrayed as being on the same level as Ryo.
38* AlternateCompanyEquivalent:
39** To [[VideoGame/StreetFighterI Ryu and Ken]], at least [[DivergentCharacterEvolution at first]].
40** Since many of the crossovers have Kyo as Ryu's SNK equivalent, some games (such as ''[[VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomMatchOfTheMillennium Match of the Millennium]]'') position Ryo as [[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Dan Hibiki]]'s rival instead.
41* AmazonChaser: Ryo's developed a tentative romantic interest in King because she's a fellow martial artist and has sparred with her on occasion. But they've only had a one date so far (which his dad set up).
42* BadassBiker: More so in ''Art of Fighting''. As a bonus, [[AllThereInTheManual complementary sources]] say that Ryo actually found his motorcycle in a scrapyard ''and re-built it on his own''. One of the special team endings in ''XV'' has him showing his ride off to a very impressed Angel and Krohnen.
43* BattleIntro: In ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXV The King of Fighters XV]]'':
44-->"His road of pain sharpened him into a master! The Invincible Dragon shares his wisdom! Ryo Sakazaki! \
45'''Ryo''': "Feel the mighty fists of Kyokugen!"
46* BestFriend: The Garcias have had close ties with the Sakazakis ever since Alberto's friendship with Takuma. Their association is what lead Alberto to send Robert to the Kyokugen dojo, which is were he met and befriended Ryo and his sister, Yuri.
47* BigBrotherInstinct: Towards Yuri.
48** He spends the first game trying to rescue her from Mr. Big's clutches. She wishes he and their father would butt out of her love life. In later games, Ryo is torn between the desire to let Yuri live her own life and his pre-installed desire to protect her.
49** However, it's implied in ''Garou: Mark of the Wolves'', ''Buriki One'', and ''Neo Geo Battle Coliseum'' that the two mellow out in later years and don't squabble as much. They're close to the point that it is apparently Yuri who tells Ryo to shave off [[PermaStubble his beard]] as Mr. Karate II.
50* BecomingTheMask: Literally played with. He (eventually) becomes [[LegacyCharacter Mr. Karate]] II, but does not wear the infamous tengu mask. [[spoiler: Until ''KOF XV'', that is.]]
51* ButNotTooForeign: Japanese-American.
52* TheCameo:
53** His inclusion in ''VideoGame/FatalFurySpecial'' [[RequiredSpinoffCrossover served as a tie-in]] to the ''Art of Fighting'' series.
54** He appears in the background of KOF Stadium in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' and has a spirit battle based on him. He also has a Mii Brawler costume based on him.
55* CatchPhrase: "OSU!" [[BringIt "Ora ora!"]]
56* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: Since Geese has to kill Jeff Bogard in order to set the events of ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' into motion, [[VillainExitStageLeft he fled before Ryo could finish]] him with his Haoh Shoko Ken, at the end of ''Art of Fighting 2''.
57* FamedInStory: Ryo achieved his status by bringing down Big's syndicate, during the original game and, in ''[=AoF=] 2'', he went to become the champion of the first official ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters King of Fighters]]'' tournament, by forcing Geese Howard to flee the match. Afterward, his reputation flourished and eventually earned him the title of "Mouteki no Ryu" ([[MeaningfulName "The Invincible Dragon"]]).
58* FightingYourFriend: Ryo confronted Robert, near the conclusion of ''[=AoF=] 3'' to demand answers concerning his sudden disappearance, which Robert refused to answer as he was desperate to find Freia before Wyler could complete his elixir. So they fought, on the condition that Robert would explain himself if he lost[[note]]Robert eventually explained everything that happened, during his ending[[/note]] According to canon, [[spoiler: Robert won]].
59* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: The Responsible to Yuri's Foolish. Downplayed to an extent, as Ryo definitely has his moments of foolery, but generally Ryo is the more serious of the two, dedicating himself to training and the Kyokugenryu Dojo, especially within the ''KOF'' continuity as time goes on.
60* FriendlyRivalry:
61** According to SNK, Ryo and Robert are equals in terms of prowess and stature, and have been competing against each other since their training days. Their rivalry is even reflected in the series' Japanese title: ''Ryuko no Ken'' - [[TigerVersusDragon "Fists of Dragon Tiger"]].
62** With Terry Bogard, starting in ''Wild Ambition''. They've been good friends ever since and both their teams regularly compete with each other in the KOF Tournament.
63* GoodIsOldFashioned: [[StayInTheKitchen Quite a bit]]. Actually played with, as the ''only'' girl he tells such things is his little sister Yuri. He has no qualms fighting ''other'' {{Action Girl}}s, like Yuri's partner Mai or his own love interest King. (In fact, it looks like one of the reasons he likes King [[AmazonChaser is BECAUSE she's an]] ActionGirl who can keep up with him.)
64* GuestFighter:
65** He made appearances as an OptionalBoss in ''[[VideoGame/FatalFury Fatal Fury 2: Special]]'' and ''Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition'' as his Mr. Karate II persona.
66** An older Ryo appeared as the Karate representant in ''VideoGame/BurikiOne'' with a black karategi, this version also was seen in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters: Maximum Impact'' series and ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum'', again as Mr. Karate II.
67* HairColorDissonance: His hair has always been blond, even though a few early games made it reddish-orange or yellowish-orange. By the time ''[=KOF '96=]'' rolled in, it's definitely obvious that Ryo is a blond. However, in ''XII'' (which reverts some characters to their original or pre-''KOF'' designs) and ''XIII'', Ryo's hair is back to being reddish-orange. [[AdaptationDyeJob And then there's the]] ''[[AdaptationDyeJob AOF]]'' [[AdaptationDyeJob anime]], where his hair is jet-black ([[ShownTheirWork as per]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2cbnOKtDcU the live-action commercials]] for ''[=AOF2=]'').
68* HeirToTheDojo: Takuma has been training Ryo to be this since he was a child. Later titles have Takuma trying to get a new heir: the future child of Ryo and his {{love interest|s}} King. By the time of ''VideoGame/GarouMarkOfTheWolves'', he takes up the mantle of [[LegacyCharacter "Mr. Karate II"]] and has a disciple named Marco Rodriguez/Kushnood Butt.
69* HeroOfAnotherStory: His role in the ''KOF'' games, where he's mentioned as the hero of the ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' games, to be exact (although with regards to ''The King of Fighters'', these are considered an AlternateContinuity).
70* HeroicBuild: Ryo's always been pretty ripped, but ''KOF'' goes even further, especially in the later titles. His ''XV'' rendering makes him one of the bulkiest men in the game, sans giants like Antonov and King of Dinosaurs.
71* HeroicNeutral: A good-natured man at heart, but according to his and Kim's talk in ''KOF XIII'', he cares more about training himself and exceeding his limits than the whole good vs. evil thing. The exception to this would be when his family and friends are in danger.
72* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Robert. The two have been rivals since childhood and took on a criminal empire to save Yuri.
73* {{Hunk}}: Kyokugen's finest! He manages to attract King pretty well.
74* HurricaneKick: His Hien Shippuu Kyaku (Flying Swallow Hurricane Leg) special, a flying kick where he stikes with one leg after the other.
75* ILetYouWin: Ryo tried to pull one on Jin Fu-Ha, so he could resume his search for Robert. So he threw their fight in hopes that he'd be satisfied and leave him alone. But Jin saw through it and called him on it:
76-->'''Jin: (indignant)''' [[WhatTheHellHero "What is the meaning of this, Ryo Sakazaki?]] Why would you throw our fight?"
77-->'''Ryo: (feigns ignorance)''' "I don't know what you mean."
78-->'''Jin: (not buying it)''' "You can't fool me, I can sense the power. You were clearly holding back."
79* IconicOutfit: He almost never wears anything other than his signature orange gi.
80%%* IdiotHero: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3MgPCm8a-g A trait which shines the brightest in]] ''[=SvC=] Chaos''.
81* ItsPersonal: When Mr. Big kidnapped Yuri, he and Robert raised hell across Southtown, beating the ever-loving tar of anyone who got in their way (including Ryo's ''father'') to get her back.
82* KamehameHadoken: His Kou'ou Ken (Tiger Sparkle Fist) special[[note]]Downplayed in that it's a short-ranged one, just like low-powered Kou'ou Ken in his home series[[/note]] and Haou Shoukouken (Supreme King Soaring Howl Fist) DM.
83* KiManipulation: Ryo can perform both the basic Kooh Ken and the Haoh Shoko Ken DM. But the former lost its long range capability from ''[=KoF=] '96'' onward, reducing it to more of a ki-powered palm strike.
84* LaserGuidedKarma: A positive example. After defeating King, she helps him and Robert find Yuri. So they return the favor during King's ending in ''[=AOF2=]'', by paying for Jan's operation. King was grateful to them both, and soon developed [[ShipTease a personal interest in Ryo]].
85* MartialArtistsAreAlwaysBarefoot: He is a Kyokugen karate practitioner who is almost always depicted as being barefoot in his karate gi. In the original game Ryo wore geta that he'd kick off before fighting. In the OVA, he declares, "Not wearing shoes is part of our training!" but given the other Kyokugen fighters (Robert and Yuri) have no trouble with footwear, it's just him.
86* MegatonPunch: Ryo has two variants: the "Heaven Glaze Punch" (''[=KoF=] XI'' and 2000) which results in an automatic stun. And the "Ichigeki Kessatsu" (''[=KoF=] XIII''), which dials the trope up and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEFOOjOewqY has to be seen to be believed.]]
87* MySisterIsOffLimits: For reasons unknown, he and his dad are convinced that Robert would only take Yuri for granted, so they won't let him anywhere near her. ''Art of Fighting 3'' seemingly resolved the issue, during Ryo and Robert's respective endings, where Ryo finally relented and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARoBdaPOnNo tells Yuri to go after him.]] But in their team's ''[=KoF=] XIII'' ending, his dad prevents Robert from proposing to her.
88* MythicalMotifs: The dragon. His nickname is "[[RedBaron The Invincible Dragon]]" and his HSDM in ''2002: Unlimited Match'' [[SummonMagic even summons one at the end of his Ryuuko Ranbu]]. However, Ryo trained under the Kou'ou ("Tiger King") principle of Kyokugenryuu.
89* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Loosely modeled after the late Creator/PatrickSwayze.
90* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Kyokugen's [[DesperationAttack Ryukoh Ranbu]], an attack so devastating, that in the original game only he, Robert, and Takuma had access to it. It was toned down in later installments of the ''King of Fighters'' series, where it's significantly weaker and can be blocked. Though their respective HDM versions make up for it.
91* {{Not}}: His victory quote in ''VideoGame/FatalFurySpecial:''
92-->''"Hmm. Not bad. One more time on the house. NOT!"''
93* ObliviousToLove: Not that King goes out of her way to drop him any hints, but Ryo is still completely clueless about her feelings; he can't seem to talk to her without having fighting or training in mind, and on such occasions, he does so in a way that winds up hinting at an attraction to King, which leaves her flustered - and, consequently, embarrassed when the BaitAndSwitch drops.
94* OptionalBoss: Of ''Fatal Fury Special'' (this was the first step towards what would end being ''The King of Fighters'' franchise) and ''Wild Ambition'' (as [[LegacyCharacter Mr. Karate (II)]] - home version only).
95* PromotionToParent: When Takuma left the family, a ten-year-old Ryo was forced to look after his six-year-old sister. (Which would explain a LOT about his [[BigBrotherInstinct overprotective attitude]] towards her.) Seems to also count in ''KOF'' continuity, considering his pre-fight talk with NESTS!Kyo where Ryo explains that he and Yuri wouldn't have survived out there if not for him being good in karate.
96* PunchParry: Adds defensive touches to his fighting style with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x23izcCCiaY his Joudan Uke (High-Level Reception; an upper parry) and Gedan Uke (Low-Level Reception; a lower parry),]] moves he picked up starting in ''[='99=]''. A successful block allows Ryo to cancel into another parry, a special, or a DM, though he suffers from [[ScratchDamage tick damage]] and can't defend against command grabs. So far, parrying is a skill exclusive to Ryo. The parries also allow Ryo to shorten the recovery animations of certain normal moves which open up his combo options.
97* RapidFireFisticuffs: Ryo's Zanretsuken, a barrage of punches that ends with his opponent flying through the air.
98* RedBaron: The "Invinicible Dragon".
99* RedOniBlueOni: The calm, hyper-focused Blue to Robert's carefree, cocky Red.
100* ShipTease: [[AmazonChaser With King]], a lot. Even more so in ''The King of Fighters''. Several intro poses hint at an attraction between the pair. Additionally, this plot point has been stressed in ''2000'' and ''XI'' (the former having Takuma believing [[BabiesEverAfter King would become pregnant]] [[IWantGrandkids with a Kyokugen heir]] [[note]]though it may have been his own way to tease the two[[/note]] and the latter involving Takuma, Yuri, and Robert [[DatePeepers spying on]] [[UnresolvedSexualTension their awkward chemistry]] and trying to get the duo to go to a penthouse together). Neither her nor Ryo are amused by the latter one, to say the least.
101* {{Shoryuken}}: His Kohou (Tiger Roar).
102* {{Shotoclone}}: His moveset was almost directly copied off of [[Characters/StreetFighterI Ryu]]. He has a fireball, uppercut and HurricaneKick, and is very focused on fundamentals in most of his appearances. Though he does have some tools of his own that distinguish him more like a rapid-punch.
103* SignatureMove: The Hao Shokoh Ken is Kyokuugen's trademark. However, Ryo is widely considered to be synonymous with it, as it's usually his primary DM/HDM special. In certain games, such as ''KOF 2000'' and ''2002 Unlimited Match'', he and Robert can use the much deadlier Shikoh Ken, which is [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill the full-powered version.]]
104* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Both he and Robert have mastered the Haoh Shoko Ken and can use the full powered variant, Haoh Shikoh Ken. This version of the attack is much larger, travels quasi-instantly across screen, hits 5 times, and can deplete nearly 2/3 of an opponent's life meter if landed as a counter hit. However, they only have access to it if ''[=KoF=] '98'', '99, 2000, and ''[=KoF=] 2002 UM''.
105* TookALevelInBadass: It took the death of his mother and the subsequent disappearance of his father for Ryo to grow up and become the legendary fighter he is today.
106* UnblockableAttack: Ryukoh Ranbu is completely unblockable.
107* WolverinePublicity: As the face of ''Art of Fighting'', Ryo is pushed as one of SNK's biggest mascots. He's a mainstay in the ''KOF'' series, and has appeared in a multitude of other crossovers and guest appearances. One of the earliest examples being his boss battle in ''VideoGame/FatalFurySpecial''
108
109!!Mr. Karate II
110[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mrkarateii_ex_kof13.png]]
111 [[caption-width-right:300:From ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum'']]
112
113->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Masaki Usui (''Buriki One'')[[/note]]
114
115->After the events of the ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' series, Takuma Sakazaki retires from the fighting scene and Ryo takes the identity of "Mr. Karate". This new Mr. Karate travels the world proving the power of Kyokugenryu Karate. He appeared in Southtown and in Japan, during the ''Buriki One '99 Tokyo'' tournament.\
116This version of the character is also playable in the console release of ''VideoGame/FatalFuryWildAmbition'', ''VideoGame/KOFMaximumImpact'', and ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum''.
117----
118* BreakoutCharacter: This version of Ryo is seen in various games after ''Buriki One'':
119** From the same time period, in ''VideoGame/FatalFury: Wild Ambition'' with his classic orange karategi pants and with a black spandex t-shirt as a SecretCharacter.
120** In ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters: Maximum Impact'' series, appears with this look in the first 2 games as Another Outfit of Ryo and in the second game as a separate SecretCharacter with a CoolMask in a similar way than his father Takuma (also with the black karategi). Also, the Another Outfit of this version is ''Wild Ambition'''s outfit.
121** And finally in ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum'' as "Mr. Karate" and representing ''Buriki One''.
122* CoolMask: In his Mr. Karate II persona in ''Maximum Impact 2'' as SecretCharacter.
123* InSeriesNickname: Known as the new ''Mr. Karate'', also called as ''Mr. Karate II'' to difference of Takuma.
124* LegacyCharacter: In the events following the ''AOF'' trilogy, Ryo has inherited the title of ''Mr. Karate'' from his father Takuma. Confirmed in his appearance in ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum'', where he appears representing his ''Buriki One'' appearance as Mr. Karate instead of using his own name.
125* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: To balance Buriki One, most of Ryo's classic special moves were unused for this game, only leaving some of his physical moves, which also are toned down. Some of the moves he mantains in the game are his [[{{Shoryuken}} Koho]], [[HurricaneKick Hien Shippuukyaku]] and the final hit of his combo is the pose of [[EnergyBall Haoh Shokoken]].
126* OldMaster: Well...old''er'', anyway. In the pre-''King of Fighters'' era, the ''Art of Fighting'' games happened several years before anything that happened in ''VideoGame/FatalFury''. So Ryo has appeared in the ''Fatal Fury'' segment of continuity as an older man, having inherited the title of Kyokugenryu's dojo master from his father and going under the moniker "Mr. Karate II" (besides ''Fatal Fury Special'', where his appearance was as he was in ''Art of Fighting'' since that was a DreamMatchGame). This version of Ryo has also been reused for other games, including in ''The King of Fighters'' (specifically ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum'', ''VideoGame/BurikiOne'', and as a character separate from Ryo in the ''KOF: Maximum Impact'' series).
127* PermaStubble: In ''Wild Ambition'', styling his beard into a grizzled goatee.
128* PaintItBlack: In clothes only. In ''Battle Coliseum'', Ryo replaces his classic orange karate gi with no sleeves by a black karate gi with long sleeves.
129* WalkingShirtlessScene: His 2P outfit, along with white karategi pants.
130[[/folder]]
131
132[[folder:Robert Garcia]]
133
134[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_robert_render.png]]
135[[caption-width-right:350:Mightiest Tiger (From ''KOF XV'')]]
136
137[[quoteright:300:[[labelnote:Click to see his first design (''AOF'')]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/robertaof.png[[/labelnote]]]]
138
139[[quoteright:300:[[labelnote:Click to see his design from from ''Neo Geo Battle Coliseum'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/robert_ngbc.png[[/labelnote]]]]
140
141->''Underestimate my strength, huh? You're dumber than you look!''
142
143->'''Origin:''' Italy
144->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/italyflag_3.png]]
145->'''Fighting Style:''' Kyokugen-ryu Karate
146-> '''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Kay Inage (''[=94=]''-''[='95=]'', ''XI'' onward), Mantarō Koichi (''[='96=]''-''2003''), Creator/GoShinomiya (''XIV'', ''XV'', ''King of Fighters All-Star''), Greg Irwin (''XII'', English), Creator/HideoIshikawa (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Kazuhiro Okamoto (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
147
148
149->The Raging Tiger. The son of multi-billionaire businessman, Alberto Garcia. To teach Robert humility and discipline, Alberto sent him to Takuma's dojo, where he met and befriended Takuma's children: Ryo and Yuri. Despite their initial differences, he and Ryo developed a mutual respect for one another's abilities, eventually becoming both friend and rival to each other. He developed a different kind of relationship with Yuri...which was carefully monitored by her father and brother. Robert returned home to Italy, after completing his training, where his father began teaching him the family business.\
150Years later, he receives word of Yuri's kidnapping and rejoins Ryo. The two of them search Southtown, facing many of its worst criminals and Mob bosses to find her. They eventually learn that Mr. Big orchestrated Yuri's abduction and defeat him. After the incident, Robert trained himself in combat, only to return to to Southtown a year later to participate in the King of Fighters tournament sponsored by Geese Howard.\
151After these events, Robert visited Mexico to help Freya Lawrence, a childhood friend, save her brother Wyler. Wyler is attempting to perfect a drug that will enhance one's physical characteristics to superhuman levels. Robert beats Wyler, but due to the usage of the drug his mind has been destroyed. Freya, concerned for Wyler's well being, decides to stay with him in order to take care of him, and the adventure comes to an end.
152----
153* ADayInTheLimelight: He serves as the protagonist of the third game in the series.
154* AccentAdaptation: An instance of this happening before any translations occured. The devs state that the Kansai accent Robert speaks in is effectively a substitute for an Italian accent.
155* ActionFashionista: Robert has changed his attire as often as he's changed his fighting style and is the earliest known example of the [[SharpDressedMan sharp dressed]] character archetype in fighting games. Which is illustrated by the trope's page image.
156* AdaptationDyeJob: Same deal as Ryo; he's a brunette in the anime.
157%%* AllLoveIsUnrequited: If his ending with the Unrequited Love Team (him, Kensou, and Ramon) in ''XI'' is any indication. Eventually enforced ''and confirmed'' by ''VideoGame/BurikiOne'' (see ForegoneConclusion below).
158* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: To Ken Masters of ''Franchise/StreetFighter''. Both are rich-out-their-ass playboys who are friendly rivals to their respective best friends, although Robert dresses like he's rich. And both of their styles emphasize stylish kicking. Of note is that Robert was introduced that way whereas Ken had developed this '''after''' ''VideoGame/{{Art of Fighting}}'' came out.
159* AnimalMotifs: Robert is associated with the tiger which is best seen in his SDM from ''[=KoF=] 2002 UM'', where he performs a special modified version of his [[LimitBreak Ryukoh Ranbu]] that ends with a tiger shaped version of the Haoh Shikoh Ken ([[FreezeFrameBonus pause]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEdVvnxn620 at exactly 1:39, here).]]
160* BattleIntro: In ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXV The King of Fighters XV]]'':
161-->"The Mightiest Tiger with style to spare! He's got more moves that you can count! Robert Garcia! \
162''Robert'': "Hear the Mightiest Tiger roar!"
163%%* BigBrotherMentor: To Ryo and Yuri.
164* BrilliantButLazy: Loves to party and live a carefree life, but has been described as a "natural genius" when it comes to martial arts.
165* BringIt: This became his signature taunt animation, starting in ''Art of Fighing 2'', complete with the phrase: "Bring it on, clown," and has continued to use it throughout the ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters King of Fighters]]'' series.
166* CharacterFocus: In ''3''. Most notably, the story revolves around Robert revisiting his childhood town of Glasshill Valley, Mexico and aiding his old friend, Freia.
167* CulturedBadass: Robert [[SharpDressedMan has class out the ass]], and his family's so wealthy that he's known to have bought several luxury sports cars - including [[CoolCar a Ferrari F-40.]] This gets {{lampshade|Hanging}}d during his pre-fight dialog with Ryo, in ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xng6-oSJvBs Art of Fighting 2.]]'' But if you think he's all style without substance, think again. Robert fights well enough to rival Ryo and is considered one of the toughest competitors in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters''.
168* DanceBattler: Borderline example; while he doesn't use dance as a part of his style, he sure does like to groove in his combat stance.
169* TheDandy: Has a nice fashion style in addition to his nice looks.
170* DependingOnTheWriter: Or "Developer" in this case. Robert's moveset varies by game, ranging from simple tweaks to complete overhauls. As a result, there are games where he plays loosely similar to Ryo, or like an entirely different character; including having charge motion inputs for his attacks. And for certain installments, he becomes an ExtremityExtremist of the kicking variety, during which he and King play near-identical to each other.
171* {{Deuteragonist}}: Robert stars opposite Ryo, as the series next most pivotal character. In addition to helping Ryo find Yuri and bringing down Big's syndicate, Robert is personally credited with defeating Big himself. A fact which Big ''[[ItsPersonal hasn't forgotten]]'', as reflected in their pre-fight dialog at the end of ''[=AoF=] 2''. Robert was defeated by Ryo, during the finals of the original ''King of Fighters''[[note]]''Art of Fighting 2'' marked the very first tournament[[/note]], but returned the favor during the events of ''[=AoF=] 3''. After which, he went on to defeat Karmen, Sinclair, and Wyler.
172* DivingKick: His Hien Ryuujin Kyaku (Flying Swallow Dragon God Leg) special. Or its LDM variant out of two, the Jiryuu Haisen Kyaku (Earth Dragon Stature Drilling Leg). The Neo MAX variant, [[https://youtu.be/a_bWgBOypY8?t=376 Hien Shippuu Ryuujin Kyaku (Flying Swallow Hurricane Dragon God Leg)]] is a bigger bonus since [[BodySled he surfs on his opponent]] right after.
173* ExtremityExtremist: These days, he's more of a kickboxer. In some games, he and King have similar play styles while, in others, their moves are near identical with slight variations in range and power.
174* FamedInStory: Robert was jointly responsible for bringing down Mr. Big's syndicate and is personally credited for defeating Big in single combat. He's also achieved recognition as both the first known foreign practictioner of Kyokugenryu Karate and as the first foreigner to ever master the discipline. As such, he's heralded as Ryo's equal and is acknowledged as a natural genius [[DefeatMeansRespect by friend and foe alike]] - which has earned him the title of "Saikyo no Tora" ([[MeaningfulName "The Mightiest Tiger"]]).
175* FamousForBeingFirst: Robert Garcia has worldwide acclaim as both the first known foreign practitioner of Kyokugenryu Karate and the first foreigner to ever master the discipline. This has earned him the [[RedBaron title of "Saikyo no Tora"]]; which means "Raging Tiger" or "Mightiest Tiger".
176* FightingYourFriend: See the related entry in Ryo's example section.
177* ForegoneConclusion: According to Creator/{{SNK}}, ''Buriki One'' is canonically the latest point in the Art of Fighting/Fatal Fury timeline, by which time, Ryo and Robert are in their mid 40's. In ''Buriki One'' Ryo states that Robert and Yuri are [[StatusQuoIsGod both "still single"]] and that they've never even had a date. Meaning, all Robert's efforts to get with Yuri throughout KOF are [[DoomedByCanon destined to fail.]]
178* FriendlyRivalry: According to SNK, Ryo and Robert are equals in terms of prowess and stature, and have been competing against each other since their training days. Their rivalry is even reflected in the series' Japanese title: ''Ryuko no Ken'' - [[TigerVersusDragon "Fists of Dragon Tiger"]].
179* GrappleMove: a few games give him this as a special move, its exact form varies from game to game.
180* HairColorDissonance: His hair (which is black) appears to be purple in the first two games and blue in ''[=AOF3=]''.
181* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Ryo. The two have been rivals since childhood and took on a criminal empire to save Yuri.
182* HumiliationConga: Finishing off Robert with a light poke will result in the prideful, arrogant Raging Tiger knocked unconscious while bent over on his knees, face planted, and butt shoved up in the air.
183* HurricaneKick: His Hien Shippuu Kyaku (Flying Swallow Hurricane Leg), though he has a variation of it in some games instead known as the Hien Senpuu Kyaku (Flying Swallow Whirlwind Leg).
184* InformedFlaw: The Ryugeki principle of Kyokugen-ryuu is said to have severe imbalances as [[ExtremityExtremist it relies mainly on kicks]], placing it between the Raiou and Kou'ou principles (Raiou is the lowest principle and is used by Yuri; it revolves around user instinct and creativity), but closer to the former. Tell that to Robert.
185* KamehameHadoken: His Ryuugeki Ken (Dragon Strike Fist) special and Haou Shoukouken (Supreme King Soaring Howl Fist) DM.
186* KiManipulation: Varies according to each game, but he almost always has access to the Ryuugeki Ken and Hoah Shoko Ken.
187* LatinLover: Italian, and always depicted as sexy and suave.
188* LikeBrotherAndSister: He and Freia Lawrence. Yuri, [[ClingyJealousGirl a tad bit jealous]], decides to tag along and keep an eye on Robert.
189* LoveInterest: Robert's been trying to get with Yuri since he first met her and, for the most part, the feeling is mutual. But between Yuri [[PlayingHardToGet playing hard to get]] and Ryo and Takuma's constant interference, [[StatusQuoIsGod their relationship hasn't made any progress.]] This was seemingly resolved by his and Ryo's endings in ''[=AoF=] 3'', but the ''King of Fighters'' series has restored the status quo.
190* MementoMacGuffin: The coin he flips in a few of his win poses was a gift from his father Alberto. It was meant to remind Robert of his roots so that he could one day come back to it. Its significance is much greater in ''Art of Fighting 3''.
191* MillionairePlayboy:
192** He may not be a superhero, but is still a formidable opponent. The Sakazakis find this attribute of his personality to be off-putting sometimes, as they work their hands to the bone to support their dojo and keep it afloat.
193** He lampshades this in his and Kyo's pre-fight talk in ''XIII'': Kyo makes sarcastic comments about how Robert is fighting when he should be taking care of the Garcia conglomerate, but he handwaves it saying that he knows clearly about his responsibilities, but he just doesn't want to take them now when he can still join KOF.
194* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Loosely modeled after Creator/StevenSeagal in his prime. Starting from ''XIV'', with Seagal having long since faded out of the limelight, Robert's redesign takes more from Creator/OrlandoBloom.
195* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Kyokugen's [[DesperationAttack Ryukoh Ranbu]], a move so devastating, that in the original game, only he, Ryo, and Takuma had access to it. It was toned down in the ''King of Fighters'' series, where it inflicts less dmg. and can be blocked. Except for Robert's HDM version of it, which hits the opponent 30 times and drains over half their life meter!
196* OfficialCouple: He and Yuri, if his and Ryo's endings in ''3'' are to be believed.
197* PoseOfSupplication: Seen in the original game as his "facedown" defeat pose. If he's defeated by chip damage, or [[CherryTapping a light attack]], he slumps forward in a humiliating pose where he's bent over on his knees, with his butt protruding upward. [[http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/kofworldbattletournament/images/2/25/Aof009.png/revision/latest?cb=20131122114958]]
198* RapidFireFisticuffs: The Genei Kyaku, special move, the kick version of Ryo's Zanretsuken.
199* RedBaron: The Mightiest Tiger.
200* RedOniBlueOni: The carefree, cocky Red to Ryo's calm, hyper-focused Blue. He's actually often the inverse as well to Ryo's Red. Frequently this puts him in the position of playing the peacemaker when things start to go south between Ryo and Yuri (though he tries to side with Yuri where he can).
201* SharpDressedMan: As seen, he's always dressed to the nines. The man kicks ass with class.
202* ShipTease: With Yuri
203** Despite the lack of progress in their relationship, he and Yuri get plenty of scenes together, usually in the form of special pre-fight dialog where they often flirt with each other and special victory quotes reserved each other. There's also several scenes during the credits of ''[=AoF=] 2'', including one where Yuri becomes jealous when she catches Robert flirting with King and blasts him with a Haoh Shoko Ken!
204** They even (technically) became an OfficialCouple in Robert and Ryo's endings in ''Art of Fighting 3''. Huh.
205** Though it's downplayed in the ''[=KoF=]'' series, he and Yuri occasionally have special pre-fight dialogue and victory quotes reserved for each other.
206*** In ''[=KoF=] XIII'', he tries asking her out, but she pretends to turn him down.
207--->'''Yuri:''' "Ohh... I'm sorry, Robert, but I already have plans for a victory party tonight."
208--->'''Yuri: (smiling)''' "And tomorrow I'll have to go the hospital... to visit ''YOU'', of course!"
209*** Heck, in his team's ''XIII'' ending, [[spoiler:he planned on proposing to Yuri in the middle of a post-tournament interview. Too bad Takuma kept him from doing so.]]
210* {{Shoryuken}}: His Ryuuga (Dragon Fang) special. Some games give him a somersault kick version known as Ryuuzanshou (Dragon Slash Soar).
211* {{Shotoclone}}: Mainly during the ''Art of Fighting'' series and the earlier installments of ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', due to sharing a lot of moves with Ryo. From '97 onwards, his style began to change, ranging from minor tweaks to complete overhauls.
212* ShoutOut: [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed He's modeled after]] Andy Garcia and Creator/StevenSeagal.
213* SignificantBirthdate: Christmas, which probably means you weren't able to use his enhanced power in ''3'' unless you could find an arcade open on Christmas.
214* SignatureMove: His Gen'ei Kyaku and Hien Ryuujin Kyaku
215* SpamAttack: Robert's Geneikyaku, the kick counterpart to Ryo's Zanretsuken - he also has his Muei Shippu Jyudan DM, which is an aerial version of his Geneikyaku combined with the Hien Shippu Kyaku.
216* TallDarkAndHandsome: According to his character profile, he's a looker and a charmer and is said to be a real ladies man. But he only has eyes for Yuri.
217* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Both he and Ryo can perform the Haoh Shikoh Ken, which is the fully mastered HDM version of the standard Haoh Shoko Ken blast. It's much larger, travels near quasi-instantly across the screen, hits 5 times, and can deplete nearly 2/3 of an opponent's life meter if landed as a counter-hit. Thankfully, they only have access to it in ''[=KoF=] '98'', '99, 2000, and ''[=KoF=] 2002 UM''.
218* TigerVersusDragon: He's the Dragon to Ryo's Tiger (this is more evident in ''Art of Fighting'', where its Japanese name is ''Ryuuko no Ken'', or "Fist of the Dragon and Tiger"). Their stances occasionally reflect their animal motifs and their disciplines are named for their respective animals (even though they appear reversed in the movesets, as Ryo uses moves with ''ko''/"tiger" in the name, while Robert uses ''ryuu''/"dragon" moves), but they share a DM, the Ryuuko Ranbu (another reference to this rivalry). Much like Ryu and Ken, however, theirs is a {{friendly rivalry}}.
219* WaistcoatOfStyle: He sometimes wears this as part of his attire; it never fails to be stylish.
220[[/folder]]
221
222[[folder:King]]
223[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_king_render.png]]
224[[caption-width-right:350:The Beautiful Kick's Illusion (From ''KOF XV'')]]
225
226[[quoteright:300:[[labelnote:Click to see her first design (''AOF'')]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/king_aof_artwork.png[[/labelnote]]]]
227
228->''Come on, baby!''
229
230->'''Origin:''' France
231->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/frenchflag.png]]
232->'''Fighting Style:''' Muay Thai
233->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Creator/HarumiIkoma (since her debut), Creator/YumiTouma (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Creator/MasakoKatsuki in the OAV[[/note]]
234
235-> Formerly the bouncer at the L'amour dance club, while she was in the employ of Mr. Big. After being defeated, by Ryo, she helped him and Robert find Yuri, by divulging her last known whereabouts. She quit shortly after they brought down Big's syndicate and has since gone into business for herself, as a full-time bartender, alongside [[VideoGame/FatalFury Duck King's]] rave club.\
236Skilled in Muay Thai, she disguised herself as a man to enter tournaments, as back then women were not allowed. She fights in the KOF tournaments to support her little brother Jean and to cover his medical expenses. Quite possibly the strongest Muay Thai practioner in the SNK 'verse next to Joe, he would later consider King a great rival to him.\
237She's a regular member of Team Women Fighters alongside her friends, Yuri Sakazaki and Mai Shiranui. She's also been a member of Team Art of Fighting proper alongside Ryo. She and Ryo have shown interest in each other throughout ''AOF'' and ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters''.
238----
239* BadassDecay: [[invoked]] This is what Eiji thinks of her come ''XI''. Though this could also just be him being a dick to her.
240-->'''Eiji:''' From bouncer to [[EveryoneCanSeeIt Kyokugen cuddle bunny]]? Fighters without pride are fighters not!
241* BadassInANiceSuit: To the point of practically being [[SharpDressedMan Robert's]] DistaffCounterpart, as she's rarely seen without her tux.
242* BattleIntro: In ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXV The King of Fighters XV]]'':
243-->"Her good looks are backed up by her ability to kick tail! You won't know whether to block low or high! King! \
244'''King''': "Bring it on, baby!"
245* BeamSpam: Her LDM in ''XI'' is her firing a lot of Venom Strikes in succession.
246* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Prior to meeting Ryo, King hated being a woman because it prevented her from ever being allowed to compete for the Muay Thai championship title. Which is also the reason she began disguising herself as a man[[note]]King's [[AllThereInTheManual backstory]] from the original ''Art of Fighting''[[/note]]. It's implied that Ryo's concern over possibly injuring her, upon realizing she was a woman, is what caused King to develop feelings for him and re-embrace her femininity.
247* {{Bifauxnen}}: Although she ''did'' become a bit more obviously feminine over time after her first appearance, to the point that it was pretty easy to tell she was a woman rather than mistaking her gender, King still almost always dressed in men's clothing. The first time [[SheCleansUpNicely she ever wore women's clothing]] was ''The King of Fighters XI'', in the ''AOF'' Team ending... ''thirteen years'' after her first appearance.
248* BoomerangBigot: According to her backstory: prior to meeting Ryo, she struggled with a lot of internalized misogyny.
249* {{Bouncer}}: Her former profession, while working for Mr. Big. Since then, she's quit her old job and has become a full-time bartender.
250* BoyishShortHair: A staple to her look that's persisted in every appearance, and a very strong contrast to SNK's many other female fighters with traditionally longer hair. She also provides the page image for the trope itself.
251* BreakoutCharacter: Of the entire ''Art of Fighting'' series cast, King has some of the strongest staying power among SNK's most recurring mascots, having gone from a minor antagonist in the first ''[=AoF=]'' to a series regular to a mainstay in the ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters''. So much so that her absence in the arcade version of ''KOF 2002'' (and being replaced by May Lee on top of that) was... not well-received, to put it lightly[[note]] She was added into the home version, as well as ''Unlimited Match'', at least. [[/note]]. In fact, the sole game that she's conspicuously absent in is ''KOF XII''.
252* BringIt: Another trait she shares in common with Robert are their respective taunt animations. In most games, they'll both beckon their opponent with their finger, though their taunt quotes differ. Robert's is ''Something wrong?"'' (translated from Japanese), whereas King will either say: ''"C'mon baby."'' or simply laugh.
253* TheCameo: She appears in the background of the KOF Stadium in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''.
254* CallingYourAttacks: ''"Tornado Kick!"'', ''"Venom Strike!"'', ''"Trap Shot!"'', ''"Here I go! Surprise Rose!"''
255* {{Catchphrase}}: ''"C'mon baby."''
256* ClothingDamage: This could be invoked in the first two games if the player defeated her with a special attack during the final round of the match. Incidentally, this is also how Ryo came to realize she was a woman. By ''KOF XV'', her and Yuri are the sole two characters that this can be invoked on, and only if they're defeated with anything stronger than a Special Move.
257* CoolBigSis:
258** She looks out for her younger brother, Jan. Her reason for working with Mr. Big was to pay for his costly medical expenses.
259** To Yuri, who looks up to her and really, REALLY, [[ShipperOnDeck wants King to become part of the family by hooking up with her brother]], to make it official. Which is seen in both their pre-fight dialogue ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOSyH1Q1w4s at 4:54-5:26]]) and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcqFYU6jKDU their team's ending]] in ''KOF XIII''.
260* CulturedBadass: She runs an upscale establishment and is a connoisseur of fine wine and Ming crystal wine glasses. [[AllThereInTheManual She even has her own vintage collection.]] She's also a regular in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' - usually as [[TeamMom the captain]] of the [[AmazonBrigade All Women's Team]] - though she's occasionally filled in for Yuri on the Kyokugen Team, as well.
261* DependingOnTheWriter: Look at her [[https://snk.fandom.com/wiki/King/Move_List full movelist]] in the ''KOF'' section of her move list's wiki page. Seems like SNK's always changing her moveset around every other game.
262* DeadpanSnarker: At times, when someone else snarks at her. She's a pretty nice person otherwise.
263--> '''King:''' ''(VS Joe, KOF XV - Story Mode)'' Hmm... Strange how the techiniques of the 'true champion' lost so easily to my 'knock-offs', isn't it?
264--> ''(VS Kyo, KOF XV - Story Mode)'' Scion of the Flame? More like Scion of the Lame. You've outstayed your welcome.
265* DependingOnTheArtist: The level of King's {{Bifauxnen}} can vary greatly depending on who is in charge of the character designs: in the early 90s installments of the ''KOF'' series some people could actually mistake her for a man; from ''2000'' and on, new artists made her feminine traits more and more visible; finally in her appearance for ''XIII'' any ambiguity her gender may have caused on people both in game design and sprites has been dropped, basically throwing out the concept she was supposed to surprise the players when they realize King is a woman.
266* DistaffCounterpart: For all intents and purposes, she's basically a female Robert; though the degree of similarity [[DependingOnTheWriter depends on the game.]] Particularly in ''KOF [='=]97'', ''2000'', and ''XI''.
267* DopeSlap: She gives one to Yuri, when she says [[ThatCameOutWrong she'd consider someone like King to be her ideal husband]], during their team ending in ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfyx9MHWT4w XIII]]''.
268* DudeWheresMyRespect: It's bad enough that she'll never be allowed to officially hold the Muay Thai championship title, because of her gender. But, several of her pre-fight dialogues in ''[=KoF=] XIII'' rubs salt in the wound, when characters like [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Hwa Jai and Joe]] refer to her Nak Muay style as [[PretenderDiss "fake".]][[note]]They may have a point, however, as her fighting style more closely resembles Savate (French kickboxing) than a proper Muay Thai.[[/note]] [[PluckyGirl She doesn't let it get to her however.]]
269-->'''Joe:''' Let me tell you in advance: that fake Muay Thai of yours is not gonna work against me!
270-->'''King:''' ''(irritated)'' [[LampshadeHanging "*sigh*... I'm getting sick of all these guys pretending to know what's fake and what's real!]]
271* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: In the Tatsuya Shinjyouji ''[=KOF '94=]'' manga, [[http://www.tuku.cc/comic/8362/2/16#readcontent King has let her hair grow to her shoulders,]] having decided to take care of her bar rather than fighting. When [[spoiler:Jean retrieves her KOF invitation from the trash and asks her to fight in there]] [[ImportantHaircut she cuts it short]] [[http://www.tuku.cc/comic/8362/2/35#readcontent with a knife.]]
272* {{Expy}}[=/=]NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Her androgynous design and fashion sense were inspired by singer/actress Creator/GraceJones and Dutch Muay Thai fighter Saskia Van Rijswijk.
273* FanservicePack: A result of her getting HotterAndSexier. While she did have a HiddenBuxom, that was thanks to a combination of her {{Bifauxnen}} features combined with a jacket that could better hide her bust. She ditches the jacket in ''XII'' and starts wearing a form-fitting vest in ''XIV''.
274* FlungClothing:
275** Kicks away her hat in the first ''Art of Fighting'' and ''[[VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom Capcom vs. SNK]]''. There's a borderline example with the handkerchief she throws to the ground in her win poses.
276** In ''KOF '99'', she has a special intro against Ryo where she wears a hat before throwing it away.
277* HotterAndSexier: Over time, King's {{Bifauxnen}} status has receded in favor of more feminine features. When she finally received new vocal lines in ''KOF 2003'', they were at a much higher pitch, her height was reduced in ''XIII'' and her breasts no longer hidden, and the ClothingDamage KO animation from the Art of Fighting games returned both for XIII and XIV.
278* GratuitousEnglish: Her iconic "C'mon, baby!" taunt/intro.
279* GratuitousFrench: [[JustifiedTrope You don't say?]] Starting from ''KOF XIV'', where she'd give the opponent a brief, "Adieu!", after kicking them across the face.
280* GorgeousGaijin: Well, she ''is'' [[EveryoneLooksSexierIfFrench French]].
281* HealthcareMotivation: In part 2, she entered the ''"King of Fighters"'' to earn the money to treat her brother's legs. This is retroactively made into her motivation for working with Mr. Big as well.
282* HiddenBuxom: Her earliest appearances tried to have it both ways by making her {{Bifauxnen}} when her clothes were intact and busty when her clothes were in tatters. You'd never know by looking at her since she usually dresses conservatively, but she's stacked. Her official bust measurement is 85cm, which is best seen during her special KO animation in ''Art of Fighting 2''.
283* HiddenDepths: In ''XIII'', during her pre-fight intro with Ash, she's able to sense that there's a lot more to his motives and behavior than simply being a dick. Ash in turn doesn't even bother to refute her, simply telling her to stay out of his way. Sure enough, [[HeroicSacrifice she was right]] [[RetGone on the money]].
284--> '''King:''' I heard you've been acting kinda strange. Have anything you want to share?
285--> '''Ash:''' What's it to you? This is [[HeroicSacrifice something]] I, [[ItsPersonal and only I]], can do.
286--> '''King:''' That sounds like a cry for help. You need someone to help carry your burden, right?
287--> '''Ash:''' Stay out of this! I hate nosy people like you! It's too late, anyway! Soon all will be forced to an end!
288* HurricaneKick: Her Tornado Kick.
289* KarmicJackpot: Since King helped Ryo and Robert find Yuri (''[=AOF1=]''), the following year, they used their tournament winnings to pay for her kid brother's operation, as a show of thanks.
290* KiManipulation: Performed with her legs. She can send out fireballs with a kick and perform some devastating supers.
291* LampshadeHanging: Her pre-fight intro with [[BigBad Saiki]] in ''XIII''.
292--> '''King:''' Man, I just can't get a rest, can I? Are you some kind of Ash impersonator or something?
293--> '''Saiki:''' [[{{Touche}} My semblance to him is proving to a bit of a problem, yes.]] It seems I am never taken seriously by those who see me. But I'm sure you will come to regret your insolence once you find out my actual identity.
294* LargeAndInCharge: Typically tends to be the leader of the Women Fighters team thoughout her appearances. She's also the tallest member at a respectable 175cm[[note]] 5'9" [[/note]].
295* LadyOfWar: An elegant and classy gal who's a proficient Muay Thai fighter.
296* LetsFightLikeGentlemen: King is well-known for being cordial towards her opponents, including her enemies. In many games, she'll even precede her matches [[CulturedBadass with a glass of vintage wine]] (which Elizabeth brings to her). King then marks each victory by either tossing a rose, or her handkerchief at her KO'd opponent.
297* LuminescentBlush:
298** The ''Art of Fighting'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcqFYU6jKDU team ending]] for ''KOF XIII''. [[spoiler:When Yuri none too subtly drops hints that she wants her as a sister-in-law (with Ryo standing right next to her and everything), King's face eventually becomes beet red.]]
299** Also happens to both her and Ryo in their team's ending from ''XI'' when the two realize they're alone together in a restaurant. Cue [[DatePeepers Yuri, Robert, and Takuma]] ([[PaperThinDisguise poorly-disguised as a waitress, waiter, and the restaurant manager]]) [[MomentKiller ruining the romantic mood.]]
300* NiceGirl: [[JustifiedTrope Her profession]] [[ConsummateProfessional as a bartender aside]], King's a very friendly and sociable person towards everyone she meets. Even with someone like [[FrenchJerk Ash]] she's never really shown to lose her composure.
301* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Her Illusion Dance DM, which becomes her Climax DM from ''KOF XIV''.
302* NotSoAboveItAll: There are times, few but noticeable, where King reaches her breaking point. Poking fun of her status as the TeamMom is usually a good way to go.
303* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Her reasons for working with a crime lord like Mr. Big was to raise money for her little brother's surgery.
304* OnlyOneName: To this day, it's unknown whether it's her first, or last name. Or even part of her birth name; for all we know, it's a pseudonym/nickname that she originally came up with to conceal her gender
305* ProgressivelyPrettier: She had a much more stereotypically "butch" face in the first ''Art of Fighting'', presumably to hide the reveal that she's a woman. In the subsequent games, she's given more conventionally attractive facial features. Her figure also changed somewhat as time went on.
306* PromotionToParent: For Jan. She's dedicates her tournament winnings to his medical expenses.
307* [[PunchClockVillain Punch-Clock Villainess]]: She originally worked as a bouncer for Mr. Big, because she was strong-armed into it by Jack and his gang. But once Ryo and Robert busted his organization, she quit and went into business for herself, as a bartender.
308* SamusIsAGirl: Probably the first fighting game example, King enters the tournament disguised as a man.
309* SheIsTheKing: Her code name is King and she's female.
310* ShipperOnDeck: She, Mai and Yuri ship Kensou/Athena in ''KOF XIII''.
311* ShipTease: [[AllAmazonsWantHercules With Ryo]], a lot. Even more so in ''The King of Fighters''. Several intro poses hint at an attraction between the pair. Additionally, this plot point has been stressed in ''2000'' and ''XI'' (the former having Takuma believing [[BabiesEverAfter King would become pregnant]] [[IWantGrandkids with a Kyokugen heir]] [[note]]though it may have been his own way to tease the two[[/note]] and the latter involving Takuma, Yuri, and Robert [[DatePeepers spying on]] [[UnresolvedSexualTension their awkward chemistry]] and trying to get the duo to go to a penthouse together). Neither her nor Ryo are amused by the latter one, to say the least. By ''KOF XIV'', however, while Ryo admires King as a fighter he seems [[ObliviousToLove completely unaware of her feelings for him]].
312* {{Shoryuken}}: Her Surprise Rose move is a somersault kick variant, followed by a DivingKick. Her Silent Slash is a DM where she does 2 powerful somersault kicks.
313* {{Shotoclone}}: ZigZagged depending on the game. She always has Venom Strike as her projectile move and Tornado Kick as her HurricaneKick, but she may not always have the uppercut move; when she does, it's usually the special move variant of Surprise Rose. %%What does this even mean?
314* SignatureMove: Her Venom Strike, Trap Shot, and Surprise Rose.
315* SlideAttack: She has this as a command normal move.
316* SkillGateCharacters: Far and away one of the simplest characters to play in most of her ''KOF'' appearances, King is basically ''the'' character you go to if you just want reliability and simplicity. Her zoning game is excellent, her normals follow suit, her combo damage is SimpleYetAwesome, and she can do really well in any position, on any level of play.
317* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The sole female character in the first ''AOF'' game.
318* SomethingAboutARose: One of her winposes has her throwing a rose at the direction of her fallen opponent.
319* SpamAttack: Her Trap Shot and her 'Phantom Venom Strike' HDM, which has her launch a barrage of 10 Venom Strikes in rapid succession.
320* StatuesqueStunner: She's 5'9" (175cm).
321* StoneWall: Next to Ash and Heidern, King's zoning game is typically among the best in ''KOF'', since it's very easy to keep the opponent at bay with a never-ending barrage of Venom Strikes. In ''KOF 2003'' and ''KOF XI'', she can even throw out Venom Strikes either high or low, much like Sagat. And in the event that you cave in, she's got solid answers to reckless jump-ins, like her crouching Heavy Punch or Surprise Rose.
322* SweetPollyOliver: Justified, unfortunately. Until a few years ago, among Muay Thai practitioners it was considered bad luck for a woman to compete in fights. [[http://www.horizonmuaythai.com/women_boxing.html Such attitudes ARE starting to change,]] but there's a long way to go to kick them off the ring.
323* TeamMom: Often takes up this role in the Women Fighters Team. Mai picks on her about this during their ending in ''XIII''.
324* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: Despite her masculine choice of standard attire, King is not above [[SheCleansUpNicely donning a dress if the time calls for it]], and, in fact, has been doing so more frequently of late. [[KindheartedCatLover She also owns a pet cat]] and, aside of her dealings with the rest of the Women Fighters Team, showed her maternal instincts by [[PromotionToParent rearing her kid brother on her own]].
325* TomboyishName: "King" generally has a male connotation to it.
326* VocalEvolution: Her voice gradually changed over the years from tomboyish in ''[='KOF 94=]'' and ''[='95=]'', to classy and ladylike from ''[='96=]'' to ''2001'' and changed again in ''2003'' to be much higher and more feminine. As of ''XIV'' it now resides somewhere in-between her ''94''-''95'' and ''96''-''2001'' tone.
327* WaistcoatOfStyle: This is sometimes part of her classy bartender attire.
328* WholesomeCrossdresser: During the second game; she was a crook in the first game, albeit begrudgingly.
329* YouDontLookLikeYou: Up until ''KOF 2001'', her sprites and official arts gave her the build of a tall, athletic woman, as would be appropriate for her occupation as a female bouncer. Starting with ''XIII'', she began looking like a waif with noodle-like arms. It isn't until ''XV'' where her build is back to the way it was, due to larger character models.
330[[/folder]]
331
332[[folder:Ryuhaku Todoh]]
333[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ryuhaku_aof.png]]
334
335->'''Origin:''' Japan
336->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
337->'''Fighting Style:''' Todoh-ryu Aikijutsu
338->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Creator/TakeshiAono in ''[[VideoGame/CapcomVsSNK2MarkOfTheMillennium Capcom Vs. SNK 2]]'', carried over from the anime, and by Creator/JimmyZoppi in the dub of the OVA[[/note]]
339
340
341->Ryuhaku Todoh is the creator and main teacher of Todoh style karate, which derives its style from Aikido and Kendo. Todoh had a long standing rivalry with disciples of the Kyokugenryu school of karate and considers them a threat to his style of teaching in terms of profits as well as personal animosity dating back to a rivalry with Takuma Sakazaki when both men were very young. On his quest to find his younger sister Yuri, who had been abducted by Mr. Big under Geese Howard's orders, Ryo Sakazaki blatantly attacked Todoh at his school and fought him to interrogate him about the whereabouts of his sister. After Ryo easily defeated Todoh, he was humiliated and saw his schools finances as well as his attendance at his schools suffer. After the loss, Todoh went into hiding and hasn't been seen since. Because of his disappearance, his daughter Kasumi went on a personal quest to not only try to look for her father, but to gain revenge on Ryo and all Kyokugenryu disciples to try to reclaim her family's honor.
342----
343* BootstrappedTheme: His [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d086Bs0m_4c theme]] went on to become the groundwork for ''every theme'' of the ''Art of Fighting'' Team in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' (the only exceptions being ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF54FhDQo88 '96]]'' and ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46uVnQVGL2A 2001]]'') as well as Ryo's themes in ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_5MVf42KAQ Art of Fighting 2,]]'' ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYo7FL0xDIg Fatal Fury Special,]]'' and ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDL9LrLYgKo Fatal Fury Wild Ambition.]]''
344* TheBusCameBack: He's playable in ''VideoGame/CapcomVsSNK2MarkOfTheMillennium'' of all games.
345* TheChewToy: To the point that he makes cameos in ''VideoGame/KOFMaximumImpact'''s Extra Mode as the driver of the vehicles ''[[VideoGameCrueltyPotential you push off of a cliff and watch explode]]''.
346* DemotedToExtra: While just about any character in the series can be deemed that way nowadays in ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'' (some much more than others), Ryuhaku Todoh can be considered that in the ''Art of Fighting'' series itself. He was the only one from the first game to not be playable in the second (and third, but that's a different story). His role pretty much got relegated to cameos in stages (especially in VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters) and be missing just so his daughter can go find him. Additionally, [[BootstrappedTheme his theme is taken over by the Kyokugen fighters (the main characters of the series), so people usually think of that as the Kyokugen style's theme, not Todoh style's.]] Heck, the only other time he was a playable character outside of the first game in the series was done by Creator/{{Capcom}}, of all people, in ''[[VideoGame/CapcomVsSNK2MarkOfTheMillennium Capcom vs. SNK 2]]''.
347* {{Expy}}: Of [[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Soun Tendo]]. Todoh looks just like him, he's a comic relief character who's prone to [[OcularGushers crying spells]] (just like Soun), and he even has a daughter named [[DaddysGirl Kasumi]] (despite her being more like Akane characterization-wise). What's more, his old rival, Takuma, looks loosely similar to Genma Saotome (especially by ''[=KoF=] XIII'').
348* GoodParents: He loves his daughter Kasumi a lot, and his cameos often involved cheering for her accomplishments.
349* ManlyTears: He's often seen crying when Kasumi accomplishes something.
350* MartialArtsHeadband: A white, plated headband.
351* OvershadowedByAwesome: Compared to most people, his skills would be impressive. The problem is Ryo ''isn't'' "most people". Even his own daughter seems to have surpassed his ability, at least, [[GameplayStorySegregation in terms of gameplay.]]
352* RazorWind: Todoh's signature special is Kasanete, where creates a set of blades out of thin air. Hou Kasanete is the HD variant.
353* TheRival: To the Kyokugen school of karate. His rival with Takuma goes all the way back to their younger years.
354* RunningGag: His absence in the series (which was retained in ''The King of Fighters'') as well as Kasumi's resolve to find him. This in fact ascended into meta humor, as the magazine ''Neo Geo Freak'''s RunningGag was "Where's Ryuhaku?"
355%%* UnexpectedCharacter: When Todoh appeared in ''Capcom vs. SNK 2''.
356* WarmupBoss: He's the first opponent Ryo fights in the who ''AOF'' series, giving players a taste of the game's controls and systems.
357* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: He hasn't been seen since his loss to Ryo in the original ''[=AoF=]''. It was rumored that he was hiding, but according to his wife, he's been training for a rematch... which has yet to happen 20 years later.
358[[/folder]]
359
360[[folder:Jack Turner]]
361
362[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jack_aof2.png]]
363
364->'''Origin:''' USA
365->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
366->'''Fighting Style:''' Street Fighting
367->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Ginzo Matsuo in the anime and by Creator/EricStuart in the dub of the anime[[/note]]
368
369->Jack was a member of Mr. Big's syndicate, and a developer of his own fighting style. As one of Mr. Big's highest-ranking subordinates, he waits at Mac's Bar to devastate anyone who crosses his path. Jack is also the leader of the Southtown based bike gang known as the Neo Black Cats. He is defeated by Ryo and Robert, losing favor with members of his gang. In the tournament held by Geese Howard, Jack tries to reestablish his control over the Neo Black Cats by winning the Tournament and defeating Mr. Big. In the (non-canon) translated version of his ''[=AoF=] 2'' ending, he transforms the gang into a dance group.
370----
371* {{Acrofatic}}: For someone of his girth, he catches a lot of air with that drop kick of his.
372* BadassBiker: How badass? He subdued a rampaging circus bear at ''age 13''!
373* TheBrute: Jack's a brawler, plain 'n simple. What he lacks in finesse, is amply made up for with raw power and stamina; enough that he was able to strong arm King into working for Mr. Big.
374* MartialArtsHeadband:
375* RealMenWearPink: According the English version of Jack's ending in Art of Fighting 2, [[spoiler:it was revealed that he wanted to make his gang into a dance group. In one of the stages in The King of Fighters XIII, there is a poster with Jack's face on it advertising the Neo Black Cats, hinting that he finally achieved his dream.]]
376* StoutStrength: Jack's moves '''HURT''' when they connect, especially if he has a full spirit gauge. His "Super Drop Kick" was one of the best anti-air attacks in the game, due to it's range, speed, priority, and it's striking power.
377* WrestlerInAllOfUs: Dropkicks, body slams, hip drops.... you get the idea.
378[[/folder]]
379
380[[folder:Lee Pai Long]]
381
382[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lee_ngbc_copy.png]]
383 [[caption-width-right:300:From ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum'']]
384
385->'''Origin:''' Taiwan
386->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_taiwan.png]]
387->'''Fighting Style:''' Chinese Martial Arts
388
389->Lee is a master of Chinese medicine and Chinese martial arts, the latter of which is dubbed as "a gentle yet destructive" art. His adoptive father and mentor, Lee Gakusuo, passed on his pharmaceutic knowledge and martial arts to him before instructing Lee to finish his studies in South Town. Once he arrived there, Lee became fascinated with the local style of Kenpo and neglected his roots to be a street fighter. When Ryo was looking for information on Yuri's disappearance, he goes to Lee. Since he is a former adversary and long-time friend of Ryo's father Takuma, he faced the son in battle to test his skills. During the tournament, he still sought to test kis fighting skill but also pursues his father's wishes to be a pharmacist.
390----
391* AllChinesePeopleKnowKungFu: He's Taiwanese, and specializes in a variety of Chinese martial arts.
392* AscendedExtra: How else did he make it to ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum''?
393* CombatMedic: He is a master of Chinese Kenpo, a prison warden and an expert in the pharmaceutical world. In his translated ''[=AOF2=]'' ending, he becomes famous by finding the cure to hemorrhoids.
394* CoolMask: Wears a ''Series/{{Monkey}}''-style mask.
395%%* OldMaster
396* TheRival: To Takuma, although they are good acquaintances as well.
397* WolverineClaws: He wields a steel claw attached to his glove.
398[[/folder]]
399
400[[folder:Mickey Rogers]]
401[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mickey_aof2.png]]
402 [[caption-width-right:300:From ''AOF 2'']]
403
404[[quoteright:300:[[labelnote:Click to see his first design (''AOF'')]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mickey_aof_artwork.png]][[/labelnote]]
405
406->'''Origin:''' USA
407->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
408->'''Fighting Style:''' Boxing
409
410->Mickey's career as a professional boxer was cut short after he accidentally killed a man in the ring. As a small time hood, he worked for Mr. Big so that he can get money as a street hustler. Confronted by Ryo and Robert, Mickey sought opponents to vent his anger and frustration on. After Mr. Big's defeat, he reforms and enters the tournament to test his skill, wanting to get back into the professional boxing circuit.
411----
412* BoxingBattler: As mentioned in his character summary, he was a former professional. By part 2, he's presumably turned over a new leaf and is aiming to re-enter pro circuit.
413* CallingYourAttacks: For his trademark "Burning Upper" and "Rolling Upper" projectile attacks.
414* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: He wore dreadlocks in the first game, but traded them for a more functional buzzcut in the sequel, possibly to reflect his return to the boxing circuit.[[note]]Not that dreadlocks are forbidden, but they might pose a hindrance to the boxer if they get in their eyes, plus there's a chance they could get torn out; a referee might suggest cutting them before a fight takes place.[[/note]]
415* ExtremityExtremist: Not surprising considering that he's a boxer.
416* HeCleansUpNicely: In the first game, he has a fierce appearance and is shabbily dressed, wearing an unflattering overly long sleeveless shirt, but after gets his stuff together in ''Art of Fighting 2'' he changes his dreadlocks for a neat flat-top, and exchanges his shabby fashion sense for a more proper outfit for the ring, wearing a tank-top in place of the shabby shorts he wore and exchanging the ratty looking sneakers he had for a snazzy pair of boots.
417%%* GratuitousEnglish:
418* MistakenIdentity: The reason he fights Ryo and Robert in the first game, aside from being pissed off about his luck, is because he assumes they are cops due to their questions.
419* RealMenWearPink: His boxing shorts and sneakers.
420* ShoutOut:
421** Young boxing champ who has a high-pitched voice and is recovering from a major scandal...[[Creator/MikeTyson Mickey Tyson]]?
422** Possibly also to WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse. In his ''[=AOF2=]'' stage, there's even poster depicting someone wearing a Mickey Mouse hat.
423[[/folder]]
424
425[[folder:John Crawley]]
426[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/john_aof2.png]]
427
428->'''Origin:''' USA
429->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
430->'''Fighting Style:''' Original Style
431->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Creator/KanetoShiozawa in the anime and Creator/EricStuart in its dub[[/note]]
432
433->A martial arts instructor with a brutal and aggressive fighting style, John was a member of Mr. Big's gang. The former marine was challenged by Ryo and Robert and lost. Later on, he enters the tournament to win the prize money and test his skills.
434----
435* AdaptationalVillainy: He's portrayed as an AxCrazy maniac in the OVA.
436* BringIt: In part 2, he uses the same taunt as King ("Come oooon, baby"), except in a drawn out masculine tone.
437* CoolShades: As part of his look since he's military.
438* {{Expy}}: Of John Kreese from ''Film/TheKarateKid''. Besides having similar names, they share the same background, hairstyle and training methods.
439* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: His hair was longer and shaggier in the first game.
440* IOweYouMyLife: According to the manual of the SNES version by TAKARA, Mr. Big saved John during a war. In return, he agreed to work for him.
441* LighterAndSofter: In [=AOF1=] he came of as equal parts [[NoNonsenseNemesis callous]] and [[SociopathicSoldier savage]], while his [=AOF2=] version emphasizes his status as a ShellShockedVeteran who owns a dog and enjoys working on his propeller plane. His ending even sees him turning down both Geese Howard's recruitment attempt and his former General's offer to rejoin the army.
442** This is particularly more significant in his rejection of Geese's offer; John flat out declares that he had seen enough cries and tears from his victims to know that the time has come to step back and let the city heal its wounds.
443* [[PoseOfSupplication Pose of Supplication]]: Similar to Robert, in the first two Art of Fighting games, whenever John is defeated, he's rendered unconscious in disgraceful pose where he's bent-over on his knees with his butt sticking up.[[http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/p__/images/f/f4/1wewew.png/revision/latest?cb=20140127020857&path-prefix=protagonist]]
444* PsychoForHire: Only in the anime, which depicted him as being unhinged and [[LaughingMad way, WAY too eager]] to want to torture Yuri.
445* SpectacularSpinning: John vaults above his opponent's head during his "Flying Attack", where strikes with a rapid-fire spin attack as he switches sides with them. "Leg Bomber" is similar, but doesn't switch sides with the target.
446* SunglassesAtNight: They have to be knocked off his face in battle to be removed.
447[[/folder]]
448
449[[folder:Mr. Big]]
450[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mrbig_2.png]]
451 [[caption-width-right:300:From ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum'']]
452
453%%[[labelnote:Click to see]][[/labelnote]]
454
455->''The name's Mr. Big, That's B-I-G, BIG! Burn it into your memory!''
456
457->'''Origin:''' Australia
458->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/australia_flag_png_5a2267853e3ed5969105531512204165255.jpg]]
459->'''Fighting Style:''' Eskrima
460->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Creator/IemasaKayumi in the OVA, Masaru Naka (''[='96=]''), Nobuyuki Yuki (''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum'', ''XI'')[[/note]]
461->'''Portrayed by:''' [[note]]Sam Hargrave (''KOF'' movie)[[/note]]
462
463
464->The BigBad of the first ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' game and one of Southtown's most feared crimelords, who formerly operated under [[VideoGame/FatalFury Geese Howard]] (whom he loathes). He used to be the head of Southtown's underworld until Geese displaced him and made him second-in-command. The two were concerned that Takuma Sakazaki was a potential threat, so Geese had Big orchestrate the abduction of Takuma's daughter, Yuri, to use as leverage against him; leaving Takuma no choice but to work for them. This eventually lead to Takuma's son, Ryo and his student, Robert's involvement, and ultimately resulted in Big's defeat. And he's had it in for them ever since. Despite being the main antagonist of the series, he doesn't serve as the final boss in any of the ''Art of Fighting'' games.\
465He is invited by Geese Howard to join him and Wolfgang Krauser in the ''[=KOF '96=]'' tournament. As revealed in ''XIV'', he still wants Geese's blood for being used by him in the '96 tournament. Until that time, however, it's assumed he's currently living the good life with his ladies and henchmen.
466----
467* AlwaysABiggerFish: While an impressively dangerous criminal in his own right, he's completely dwarfed in power by Geese Howard. Geese was able to step in and beat the crap out of Big to take over his empire.
468* BadassInANiceSuit: He wears a {{fur|AndLoathing}} [[BadassLongcoat longcoat]]. In part two, he returns with a three-piece suit and scarf to go with it.
469* BaldOfEvil: No hair on his head aside from the facial hair, and a powerful crime boss.
470* BeardOfEvil: Grows one for the sequel. He's got a finely trimmed goatee in most appearances from then on.
471* CoolShades: Never takes 'em off. Though, in ''AOF'', [[ClothingDamage they can be knocked off]].
472* DemotedToExtra: Of the SNK bosses who have appeared in more than one game, Mr. Big is by far the least remembered. He's not even the final boss in his ''own'' games.
473* TheDragon: Formerly, to Geese. Big severed ties with him at the conclusion of ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters King of Fighters '96]]'' after realizing Geese was merely using him.
474* TheDon: He's the head of his own mob group in Southtown, and he used to rule over Southtown's underworld until he was taken over by Geese.
475* DualWielding: He wields a pair of rattan sticks in combat, much like Eagle of ''Street Fighter'' fame.
476* ExtremityExtremist: In the first game, he couldn't even JUMP! For his stint in [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters KOF '96]], he gained actual kick attacks.
477%%* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.
478%%* GratuitousSpanish: "Viva!"
479%%* IHaveYourWife: Big used this as leverage to blackmail Takuma so he'd have to continue working for Geese, but his plans were ruined by Ryo and Robert.
480* ItsPersonal:
481** Although he holds them both responsible for bringing down [[TheSyndicate his syndicate]], he has a personal beef with Robert, since he was the one who [[AllThereInTheManual fought and defeated Big at the end of the first game.]] Which is reflected in Robert's pre-fight dialog with Big at the end of ''Art of Fighting 2''.
482** Big only agreed to join the '96 tournament because Geese lead him to believe he'd get the chance to settle his grudge against Ryo and Robert. Except it was a lie, [[spoiler: Geese was merely using him to try to gain control of the Orochi power.]] When Big realized this, he [[spoiler: retaliated by ordering a sniper to take Geese out, but Billy saw the shot coming in time to deflect it with his staff.]] He's still got beef with Geese as of ''XIV'' due to this.
483* ALadyOnEachArm: Seen in his pre-fight animation, ever since ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters King of Fighters '96]]'', which has led fans to believe that one of his syndicate's operations is prostitution.
484* LandDownUnder: He was born in Australia. Though it's not really a big part of his character, since he tends to spend his time in Southtown instead.
485* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: We really don't need to spell this one out. His actual name is James, but only Geese really uses the name when referring to him.
486* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Big has no fear of the police, since many of them are [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney on his payroll]] and the rest [[ShameIfSomethingHappened know better than to cross him.]] And he isn't concerned about the Feds either because he has extensive connections in the criminal underworld. Which gives him free reign to operate as he sees fit... if it weren't for Ryo and Robert.
487* ShockAndAwe: His "Blaster Wave" DM/HDM.
488* SpamAttack: His Crazy Drum attack, and its DM variant, the Drum Shot Typhoon. His Rising Spear LDM is a GrappleMove and brutal upward variant of it.
489* SpectacularSpinning: Two of his moves have him spinning like mad, via his Spinning Lancer and [[DeadlyLunge Cross Diving]]. The former can even [[AttackReflector reflect projectiles]].
490* StarterVillain: Especially apparent when Geese comes into the picture in ''2''.
491* SunglassesAtNight: As with John, you have to knock them off by force if you want to look him in the eye. Otherwise they're ''always'' on his face.
492* TelescopingStaff: One that extends, and even [[BifurcatedWeapon separates and combines]], to boot.
493[[/folder]]
494
495[[folder:Mr. Karate / Takuma Sakazaki]]
496
497[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/takuma_kofxiii.png]]
498[[caption-width-right:300:From ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIII KOF XIII]]'']]
499
500[[quoteright:300:[[labelnote:Click to see his design in ''AOF 2'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/takuma_aof2.png]][[/labelnote]]
501
502[[quoteright:300:[[labelnote:Click to see Mr. Karate]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mrkarate_ex_kof13_5.png\
503From ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIII KOF XIII]]''[[/labelnote]]]]
504
505->''Wow, you're a disgrace! You'd better hang it up, kid.''
506
507->'''Origin:''' Japan
508->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
509->'''Fighting Style:''' Kyokugen-ryu Karate
510->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Eiji Tsuda(''AOF'' series, ''[=94=]'',''[='95=]'', ''[='98=]''-''[='02=]'', ''XIII''), Creator/HochuOtsuka (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Takeshi Maruyama (''King of Fighters: All-Star'')[[/note]]
511
512->Takuma Sakazaki originally came to South Town in hopes of spreading Kyokugenryu's influence. Naturally, being a martial artist of great renown, this made him a cause for concern for Geese Howard, who was the Police Commissioner at that time. By using his criminal connections, he soon learned that Takuma's son and daughter were also in South Town, unbeknownst to Takuma. Geese used this to his advantage and had Mr. Big arrange to have Yuri abducted, to use as leverage against her father. Now under the guise of "Mr. Karate", he regrettably became their top enforcer.\
513Sometime afterwards, Takuma began to hear rumors that his son, Ryo, and his student, Robert had begun searching for her and was proud to learn they were defeating some of Big's top henchmen. Which included some of his old rivals, such as Ryuhaki Todoh and Lee Pai Long. Eventually, he even got wind that Big, himself, had been defeated by his student and found himself facing his son not long afterward. Their fight was an intense one, but Ryo's drive to save his sister gave him the strength to overcome his own father. Though Yuri intervened before Ryo could finish him with his Haoh Shoko Ken and explained who he was and how he'd been conscripted by Geese. Ryo understood and Takuma returned home with his family to resume his rightful place as head of their dojo.\
514The following year, he entered the first chronological ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters King of Fighters]]'' tournament (''[=AoF=] 2'') to exact his revenge on Geese and Mr. Big.\
515Since then, he has continued to push himself and his students to greater heights, believing that Kyokugenryu is constantly evolving and is without limit. As such, he makes it a point to enter the annual ''King of Fighters'', to promote their school in hopes of further spreading it's influence by attracting new students.
516----
517* AnimalMotifs: If his EX version's [[KamehameHadoken HSDM]] in ''KOF 2002: Unlimited Match'' is anything to go by, the lion. He can also be compared to the Tengu via his PaperThinDisguise counterpart.
518* BadassBoast: "Mijuku mono mega." ("A beginner before me.")
519* BoyfriendBlockingDad: This is part of the reason Yuri can't have a love life, 'cuz her father (and her brother) won't let Robert near her, even though she's an adult and mutually attracted to him. During their team's ''[=KoF=] XIII'' ending, Robert had intended to propose to her, except [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcqFYU6jKDU Takuma wouldn't allow it.]]
520* BringIt: His taunt, accompanied by the words "Kakatte konu ka?" ("You gonna fight me?")
521* BunnyEarsLawyer: Very much, as Mr. Karate.
522* CoolMask: Whenever he's using his Mr. Karate persona, he dons his red Tengu mask. In most cases, [[RunningGag it's for comedic effect]] since Ryo, Robert, and Yuri know it's him (though Takuma'll insist that he's someone else). But when he's using his Shin Karate persona... [[SNKBoss that's another case entirely.]]
523* CounterAttack: One is a punch that [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom sends his foe flying]]. Another is his particularly nasty HSDM in ''KOF 2002'' and in ''2002: Unlimited Match'', known as the Kosatsu Jin (Tiger Killing Array), where he chops his target's neck full force.
524* DemonicPossession: Implied throughout ''XIII''[='s=] beginning-of-fight dialogues when using the Mr. Karate DLC character: several characters, including Athena, remark that Mr. Karate's aura feels completely different from Takuma's, and Kensou (who is a very powerful psychic) even outright claims he feels like a demon and attempts an exorcism. Moreover, Saiki claims he's not unlike himself. It all seems to suggest that the Tengu mask is cursed or possessed, and donning it causes Takuma to become possessed as well. [[FridgeBrilliance It could explain a few things]], like his changes in personality at times and the fact he's outright bloodthirsty in some games...
525* TheDreaded: Geese recognized that he was a potential threat to his criminal operations, and did everything he could to keep Takuma under his thumb.
526* EverybodyKnewAlready: Tries to pull off his Mr. Karate persona during ''[=KOF '96=]'' and ''[='97=]'', as well as his intro pose with his students in ''[='98=]''. By this time, Ryo, Robert, and Yuri are fed up with the fact that Takuma won't drop the "Mr. Karate" act because his grand reveal isn't so grand anymore. Mr. Karate, in fact, is listed as one of Yuri's "dislikes" in ''[='98=]''. By the time of ''XIII'', Takuma = Mr. Karate is treated as an in-universe ItWasHisSled for the rest of the cast.
527* {{Expy}}: He's visually based off of the "Karate Man" character from ''Street Smart'', an obscure fighting game SNK put out a few years prior to ''Art of Fighting''.
528* ForcedIntoEvil: As previously mentioned, he was forced to work for Geese and Mr. Big under threat of harm coming to his daughter, Yuri, if he didn't comply.
529* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Honki ni Natta Mr. Karate ("Now Serious Mr. Karate") in ''[=SvC=] Chaos'' has 'em. Of course, he's a SNKBoss.
530* GoodScarsEvilScars: Has a [[XMarksTheHero X-shaped scar]] on his right pectoral, earned from his fight with Lee Gakusuo, Lee Pai Long's father. During his special KO pose, he clutches it as blood spurts from the wound.
531* GrappleMove: He has one named Kyokugen Hougeki where he switches his side with the opponents while dealing damage and leaving them open to further attacks.
532* GroundPound: As Mr. Karate, [[https://youtu.be/a_bWgBOypY8?t=1158 his Kishin Sanga Geki Neo MAX.]]
533* HonorBeforeReason: Because of the dojo's perpetual finalcial hardships, Robert repeatedly offers to cover the bills for him. But no amount of pleading or insisting will make Takuma take Garcia's money.
534* {{Hunk}}: Very much so. It certainly explains where Ryo got his looks from.
535* HurricaneKick: His Hien Shippuu Kyaku (Flying Swallow Hurricane Leg). Unlike his son's, though, Takuma's version is more of a flying leg thrust than a flying spinning roundhouse.
536* IWantGrandkids: Ever since finding out about his son's tentative relationship with King, he's given them his full support and actively encourages them. In their team's ''[=KoF=] 2000'' ending, he says he saved her since [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAzlVHVov1E he couldn't allow the mother of a Kyokugen heir to perish]] and, during their ''[=KoF=] XI'' ending, he gives them the key to a penthouse suite! Humorously though, he only wants grandkids through Ryo and strongly opposes the relationship between Yuri and Robert.
537* InsistentTerminology: [[SecretIdentity "Who is this "Takuma" of which you speak? My name is Mr. Karate!"]]
538* ItsASmallWorldAfterAll: According to ''[=KOF '95=]'', Takuma has some undisclosed history with Saisyu Kusanagi, apparently to the point that in ''XIII'' he elects himself Saisyu's substitute for disciplining Kyo in Saisyu's absence. (And if it's NESTS!Kyo, Saisyu apparently asked him to do so.) He was also an acquaintance of Jeff Bogard and Lee Pai Long.
539* KamehameHadoken: His Kou'ou Ken (Tiger Sparkle Fist; when it isn't a short invisible fireball) special and Haou Shikouken (Supreme King Champion Fist) DM. Also, there's Kyokugen Kou'ou in ''XIII'', a short-ranged version. His ''[=2002UM=]'' HSDM takes it up a notch.
540* KiManipulation:
541** Having taught Ryo, Robert, and Yuri, it comes as no surprise that he's mastered both the Kooh Ken and Haoh Shoko Ken. Though in the ''King of Fighters'' series, his Kooh Ken becomes short ranged and has become more of a force shove, if the opponent doesn't block it. Though the EX version has slightly longer range.
542** As the progenitor to Kyokengenryu, Takuma has the deepest connection with his ki and as such makes the most of it. He ends his version of the Ryuko Ranbu with one or multiple Haoh Shou Koukens. In some games his version of the Ko'oken is completely invisible (looking as though Takuma is simply thrusting his palm in the air and striking his opponent from across the screen), and EX Takuma's Hidden Super Desperation Move in ''The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match'' is an absolutely ''massive'' blast of ki that's so strong it causes his gi top to become undone (the same attack seen in his ''2000'' ending).
543* LargeHam: Particularly as Mr. Karate, although Takuma also has his moments.
544* LethalChef: One of his hobbies is making soba noodles; sadly, most of the time they're quite horrible and are said to be one of the few reasons why he doesn't get many students around.
545* LetsGetDangerous: Takuma is rather formidable beneath all of his eccentricities; he's not the founder and master of Kyokugen Karate for nothing.
546** In his team's ''KOF 2000'' ending he (singlehandedly negates a [[EnergyWeapon KillSat's attack]] with [[KiManipulation a fireball]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAzlVHVov1E at the last second]]). And there's the sheer [[SNKBoss SNK-ness]] of his Serious form in ''SVC Chaos'' (equal in power to [[Franchise/StreetFighter Shin Akuma]]).
547** His Mr. Karate persona in ''XIII'' completely forgoes all of this and gives us a glimpse of the true extent of Takuma's power when he's dead serious, not unlike [[SNKBoss Honki ni Natta/Serious Mr. Karate]] from ''[[VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos SVC Chaos]]''. [[PowerMakesYourVoiceDeep His voice drops]] a few octaves, he's brutal, if not outright [[BloodKnight bloodthirsty]] towards those he doesn't deem as a WorthyOpponent (and even then, you'd better give him one hell of a show), and it turns out he's capable of feats like {{Flash Step}}ping as a {{counter|Attack}} move, firing invisible ki bullets, and [[FightingSpirit summoning his inner spirit in the form of a giant golden tengu]] to deliver an earthshaking chop for his Neo MAX. In short, '''Mr. Karate does not fuck around.'''
548* LivingLegend: There's hardly anyone who ''doesn't'' know him, or at least heard of him. As the founder and creator of Kyokugenryu Karate, he's the foremost authority in its disciplines, having achieved levels of mastery that even his son and student have yet to attain, themselves. Takuma has fought and defeated many prolific martial arts masters in his lifetime, such as Lee Gakusuo (Lee Pai Long's master), Ryuhaku Todoh, and has remained in top form through rigorous training and repeat participation in ''The King of Fighters''.
549* LukeIAmYourFather: The original game concludes with Yuri revealing that Mr. Karate was their father, to her brother.
550* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Again, the Ryuuko Ranbu. To demonstrate his mastery of the style, Takuma goes all out and ends his with a Haoh Shou Kouken (or multiple, if you're doing the SDM version).
551* ObfuscatingStupidity: It's commonly believed that Takuma either restrains a great deal of his power when fighting normally, or that his Tengu mask somehow draws out his full power when he assumes his [[SNKBoss Shin Karate]] persona. Either way, he's significantly faster and stronger when fighting as his alter ego, despite his normal fighting ability already being considered beyond exceptional. For that reason, it is believed by some that Takuma may be the most powerful character in Creator/{{SNK}}'s [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters universe.]]
552* OldMaster: He isn't ''that'' old (he's 49 in the second ''AOF''), but he's getting on in his years. Not that this slows him down at all.
553* OneHitKill: In the original game, his Haohshoken has to potential to deplete nearly an entire life bar (depending on whether it hit normally, or as a counter hit) [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard assuming it's AI controlled Mr. Karate.]]
554* PaperThinDisguise: Downplayed. His Mr. Karate disguise has at least a little bit of effort put into it, as he wears a Tengu mask that obscures the entirety of his face and head and (sometimes) wearing a different colored Gi, but the fact that he insists that he and Takuma are two different people alongside sharing the exact same fighting style with a few minor alterations make it more than a little obvious that he's just pretending to be somebody else.
555* PassingTheTorch: By the time of ''Garou: Mark of the Wolves'', he's handed the title of Headmaster over to Ryo; along with the mantle of "Mr. Karate".
556* PecFlex: Seen in his standard VictoryPose in the ''[=KoF=]'' series from '94-2002 UM, where he slips the top of his dogi off of his shoulders.
557* PintSizePowerHouse: Downplayed; He's obviously not Choi Chin or Bao levels of short but he is a bit shorter than a good amount of the cast, male and female. He will still murder you with a flick of the wrist in the blink of an eye regardless.
558* RedBaron: Takuma is referred to as "Mr. Karate" and as "The Invincible Fighter".
559* RetiredBadass: By the time of ''Garou: Mark of the Wolves'' when Ryo has taken control of the dojo.
560* SecretIdentity: His alter-ego is Mr. Karate.
561* ShipperOnDeck: Covered in the IWantGrandkids entry.
562* ShippingTorpedo: On the other hand, he absolutely will '''''NOT''''' abide the idea of Robert dating Yuri, since he's convinced ([[StatusQuoIsGod for whatever reason]]) that he'd only take Yuri for granted. Despite the fact that she's an adult, the attraction between them is mutual, and Robert had repeatedly offered to help the dojo out during periods of financial strife (though Takuma politely turns him down).
563* ShirtlessScene: One of his win poses has him removing his dogi, complete with a yell of "YAH!" In ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting 2'', he's actually a WalkingShirtlessScene. The developers added the gi top to differentiate him from Daimon.
564* {{Shoryuken}}: His Kohou (Tiger Roar) special and (as Mr. Karate) Kyokugen Kohou (Extreme Limit Tiger Cannon) DM. His [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuCkKcVE74o Built Upper]] Neo MAX also starts with one and ends with [[VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom the Misogi]].
565* SNKBoss: One of the earliest and fiercest examples. As Shin Karate (aka "Serious Mr. Karate"), his attacks become much faster, stronger, and have priority over most other attacks. Depending on which game he appears in, he gains additional attacks to his standard moveset, while losing others. The following link showcases his abilities in ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsopO8zmF4s KoF XIII]]''
566* SpamAttack[=/=]RapidfireFisticuffs: With both the Zanretsuken and the Shorankyaku, which is a rapid series of knee bashes directly to the opponent's face, while balanced on their shoulders. As the name implies, it's part of the Shoran Discipline[[note]]which is the most advanced of Kyokugenryu's disciplines and is reserved strictly for its Headmaster[[/note]] making it unique to Takuma's moveset.
567* SternTeacher: No matter how well Ryo and Robert perform in the ''King of Fighters'', he also tells them it isn't enough and has them redouble their efforts. In '96, they run away from him, while in '97 they (along with Yuri) walk off and leave him talking to himself.
568* TallDarkAndHandsome: For a man with a son in his early-to-mid 20s and a daughter in her late teens (ComicBookTime be damned), he looks damn fine.
569* TeamDad: Literally and figuratively for the Art of Fighting Team.
570* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: As seen in their team's ''[=KoF=] 2000'' ending, Takuma has mastered the Shi Kohken blast to such an extent that he was able to deflect a direct hit from the Zero Cannon. A feat which was believed to be humanly impossible. In ''2002 UM'', he gains this as his HDM where it now takes the form of roaring lion's head before firing (seen here [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEdVvnxn620 at 6:08-6:11]]), [[WaveMotionGun resulting in a massive wave of ki]] that can deplete over 1/2 of his opponent's meter if it connects.
571* TrueFinalBoss: Of the original ''Art of Fighting''.
572** He shares this spot with [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIII Shin Akuma]] in ''[=SvC=] Chaos''. Which one you face depends on what set of criteria you meet, part of which includes not losing any rounds.
573* UnblockableAttack[=/=]NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Takuma can also perform Ryukoh Ranbu, though his variation of it ends with a Haoh Shoko Ken blast. While the HDM version ends with three consecutive Haoh Shikoh Ken blasts.
574* WalkingShirtlessScene: In ''Art of Fighting 2'' only. The ''KOF'' designers added the gi jacket to distinguish him from Daimon, who also fights with his chest bare.
575[[/folder]]
576
577!!Characters introduced in ''Art of Fighting 2''
578
579[[folder:Yuri Sakazaki]]
580
581[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_yuri_render.png]]
582[[caption-width-right:350:Wild Flying Swallow (From ''KOF XV'')]]
583
584[[quoteright:300:[[labelnote:Click to see her as an NPC]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuri_chan.png\
585 From ''AOF''[[/labelnote]]]]
586
587[[quoteright:300:[[labelnote:Click to see her first playable design]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuri_aof2.png]]
588 [[caption-width-right:300:From ''[=AOF2=]'']][[/labelnote]]
589
590->''I'm Kyokugen! Face it, Ryo! You're not fit to sweep for me!''
591
592->'''Origin:''' Japan
593->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
594->'''Fighting Style:''' Kyokugenryu Karate
595->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Creator/HarumiIkoma (''[=AOF1=]''), Kaori Horie (''2-3''), Music/AyumiHamasaki (OVA, Japanese), Creator/VeronicaTaylor (OVA, English), Kaori Horie (''[='95=]''-''[=XIII=]''), Creator/AiKakuma (''[=XIV=]'' onward, ''The King of Fighters: Destiny''), Amy Walls (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Creator/SakuraTange (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)[[/note]]
596
597->Takuma's daughter and Ryo's younger sister. She was kidnapped in order for Mr. Big to use Takuma against Ryo and Robert, but after she was rescued by Ryo and Robert she trained with Takuma and started entering The King of Fighters tournaments, generally with King and Mai. However, in some installments she would switch teams, sometimes running with Robert and her family [[note]](''[='96=]''-''[='99=]'', ''[='01=]'', ''[='03=]'', ''[=XI=]'', ''[=XIV=]'')[[/note]] and other times with Mai and King[[note]](''[='94=]''-''[='95=]'', ''[='00=]'', ''[='02=]'', ''[=XIII=]'')[[/note]].
598----
599* ActionGirl: Though her family didn't have much faith in her at first, she has always proven herself a capable fighter, like all of the others.
600* AlternateCharacterReading: Not only for her name, but several of her attacks may or may not actually be named after the preexisting techniques of her family's fighting style. E.g she does have her own Hien Shippuu Kyaku, but the alternate reading reads as "Yuri Chou Mawashi Geri" (Yuri Super Spinning Kick).
601* AnimalMotifs: Like how her brother has the tiger and Robert the dragon, Yuri has the swallow in her techniques.
602* AscendedExtra: Goes from being an NPC in the first game to a playable fighter in the second.
603* AssKicksYou: One of her special normals has her launch herself at her opponent, hip first.
604* AttackReflector: Her Saiha (Smash Blast), in some games.
605* BadassAdorable: Many would find it hard to believe someone as cute and generally friendly as she is could deliver a world of hurt. Well, she can.
606* BattleIntro: In ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXV The King of Fighters XV]]'':
607-->"She's a cute and bubbly karate girl! But her talents are said to be limitless! Yuri Sakazaki! \
608'''Yuri''': "This'll be over quickly!"
609* BoyishShortHair: In ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIII KOF XIII]]-[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIV XIV]]'', where she surprises her dad by cutting her braid. Since she's a TomboyWithAGirlyStreak, and the devs have noted that this was done to give her a more sporty tomboy look.
610* BraidsOfAction: In most of her appearances. She finally cut it in ''XIII'' and kept it short in ''XIV'', but it's back in ''XV''.
611* ButNotTooForeign: Japanese-American, same as Ryo.
612* TheCameo: She appears in the background of KOF Stadium in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''.
613* CantHaveSexEver: Yuri is likely to remain a virgin for life, as long as [[BoyfriendBlockingDad her dad]] has anything [[ShippingTorpedo to say about it.]]
614* ChargeAttack: In some games, her Kou'ou Ken can be charged to turn it to Haou Shoukouken, although it tends to be weaker than a proper DM Haou Shoukouken. Her Yuri Chou Knuckle special (also in some games) can also be charged.
615* ClothingDamage: Same as King, if she's defeated by a special attack during the final round of the match (seen at the end of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F77VGW6v-hg this clip]]). This also carried over to ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters King of Fighters]]'' '94, '95, and ''[=KoF=] XIII'' and ''XIV''.
616* CuteBruiser: She may not look it, but she packs a pretty mean punch. Such as her aptly named "Yuri Hardcore Super Upper", which is her own rendition of [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIII Ryu's]] "Shin Shoryuken".
617* TheCutie: SNK has steadily regressed her appearance and mannerism, to where she's nearly as childlike as Kula by the time of XIII.
618* CuteButCacophonic: It somehow got ''worse'' as the series progressed.
619* DamselInDistress: She was abducted by Mr. Big in the first ''Art of Fighting'', and used as leverage to blackmail her father to work for him. Ryo and Robert tear up the entire city to rescue her.
620* DeathFromAbove: Her Raiouken (Thunder Sparkle Fist) and her self-refined variants. Some versions of the base technique are treated outright as a MeteorMove instead of the primary projectile version (like in ''98'').
621* DistressBall: Caught one in the not very well-known game ''Quiz King of Fighters'', when she's kidnapped in Quiz City. Ryo and Mai set out to rescue her (plus Takuma as a SecretCharacter), while Robert goes to impress her and the other two playable characters ([[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Haohmaru and Nakoruru]]) have their own reasons.
622* EverythingMakesAMushroom: Simply put, her [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS684sE8yeU Haoh Raiouken (Supreme King Thunder Sparkle Fist) Neo MAX]] in ''KOF XIII'' is a portable {{nuke|Em}}.
623* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: She cuts her hair short, sometime before ''[=KoF=] XIII'', much to the surprise of her father and brother. Allegedly, because she's still trying to carve out her own identity on the team.
624* FantasticNuke: Yuki packs two of these in her arsenal:
625** The first is her family's signature DM: the now infamous Haoh Shoko Ken, which results in a massive fireball. Its speed and power varies by game - with some iterations only inficting about a 1/4 dmg, while in it's original incarnation, it depleted half the target's life meter.
626** The other's the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg1nBvBpZrw Haoh Raiou Ken]], her NEO MAX from ''[=KoF=] XIII''. As the name implies, combines her Raiou Ken with the Haoh Shoko Ken's power.
627* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: The foolish to Ryo's responsible. Downplayed, as Ryo has moments of foolery as well, but Yuri tends to be a bit more irresponsible and not as dedicated to training compared to Ryo, especially in the ''KOF'' continuity. This naturally tends to lead to conflict between the two, often with Yuri angrily storming off to another team to prove her worth by besting them in the competition.
628* FragileSpeedster: In terms of gameplay, she's quick on her feet and can string some fairly devastating combos, but her stamina's not so good. Harder hitting opponents can present problems for her, especially if they start landing counter hits.
629* GenkiGirl: Yuri has always been portrayed as cheerful and optimistic, but it gets dialed up in the ''[=KoF=]'' series -- to the point of bordering on outright childish behavior, at times. She's even gotten snarky, albeit in a playful fashion with her friends.
630* HurricaneKick: Her Hien Shippuu Kyaku is closer to the original HurricaneKick than the one used by her colleagues.
631* IShallTauntYou: Her standard one has her look over her shoulder and pat her backside at her opponent. By KOF XIV, she includes it right before the final blow of her rendition of Ryuko Ranbu. Then finishes by striking a goofy pose, where she sticks out her tongue and gives a thumbs up.
632* ImportantHaircut: In ''KOF XIII'', Yuri cuts her hair short, but she doesn't seem to have a reason behind it. Takuma's reaction is overblown, as usual. It is said that it's because this is just like her late mother used to cut her hair.
633* KamehameHadoken: Her Kou'ou Ken special and Haou Shoukouken DM.
634* {{Kawaiiko}}: Really the only explanation for her VerbalTic.
635* KiManipulation: The same as her dad and her brother. Unique to her is the Saifa move: a small ki shield she projects upwards.
636* LoveInterest: Robert first developed feelings for her back when he first began training with her brother and has grown fonder of her since then. The feeling is mutual, except her father and brother have made it a point to keep an eye on them and won't let Robert anywhere near her.
637* MartialArtsHeadband: Worn as part of her default attire since her debut in ''[[VideoGame/ArtOfFighting Art of Fighting 2.]]''
638* MegatonPunch: Her Hien Shippuu Ken (Flying Swallow Hurricane Fist) AKA Yuri Chou Knuckle (Yuri Super Knuckle), where does a wind-up lunging punch (think Terry's Burn Knuckle). [[ChargedAttack It can be charged up]], but even her wind-up portion (where she flails her arms while facing backwards) can do damage before she even punches!
639** It can be taken to ridiculous combo extremes in ''2006/Maximum Impact 2'' due to the wind-up inflicting [[LauncherMove a very-worth while launch]], even when it (along with her Chou Mawashi Geri) is classified as a Stylish Move instead as opposed to an actual special move.
640* MissingMom: her and Ryo's mom died from a car accident.
641* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: In a few games she may have a modified Ryuuko Ranbu as her stronger (i.e HSDM or Climax DM) supers.
642* NonPlayerCharacter: In ''3'', due to being wounded by Sinclair. She appears as a side character in Ryo and Robert's story, and can assist Robert in a last-ditch shot against Wyler.
643* OlderThanTheyLook: She's supposed to be ''20'' years old, about the same age as Kyo, but you'd never know it from the way she looks, acts, or sounds. You'd swear she was only 14-15.
644* OvershadowedByAwesome: Ryo and Takuma fear that her rudimentary knowledge of Kyokugen-ryuu will lead to this. Yuri, [[SpiritedCompetitor optimistic in her pursuit to improve herself]], simply ignores them and joins King and Mai in ''XIII''.
645* PluckyGirl:
646-->'''Maxima''': [[LampshadeHanging "Your best weapon might be your undying optimism."]]
647* RescueRomance: It's implied that Yuri fell for Robert after he and Ryo saved her at the end of the first game. Some of this is seen in the scenes interspersed during the credits reel in ''2''. In the third game, they actually seem to hook up in Robert and Ryo's endings.
648* ShipperOnDeck:
649** Much like Robert and her father, she REALLY likes the idea [[CoolBigSis of King]] hooking up with her brother.
650*** She even goes along with Takuma's odd ploy at the end of ''KOF XI' where they set the two up on a date'. As you've probably noticed by now, EveryoneCanSeeIt.
651*** And in their team ending for ''XIII'', she puts King on the spot again, getting her all flustered when she directly asks what she thinks of her older brother in ''XIII'', and seems to enjoy it thoroughly.
652** Not to mention, she also ships Kensou/Athena. In ''XIII'' she directly teases Kensou over him wanting to protect her and gets him rather flustered too.
653* ShipSinking: Her would-be romance with Robert was officially torpedoed. First, by her dad and her brother in the earlier parts of KOF, then by Creator/{{SNK}} themselves in ''VideoGame/BurikiOne'' - the latest point in the AOF/KOF timeline[[note]]Ryo and Robert are in their early 40's by ''Buriki One'', placing it over 20 years later[[/note]]. In that game, Ryo states that Robert and Yuri are both ''[[StatusQuoIsGod still single]]'' and haven't even had a date yet. Meaning, they're [[ForegoneConclusion doomed to remain]] JustFriends throughout KOF.
654* ShipTease: Between her and Robert, usually in the form of special pre-fight animations and dialog, as well as some of their victory quotes when they defeat each other. Also shown in several scenes during the credits reel for ''AOF 2''.
655* SignatureMove: Her Raiouken and Saiha specials, as well as her Hien Hou'ou Kyaku DM.
656* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: She's found one, the problem is, [[BoyfriendBlockingDad her dad]] and [[MySisterIsOffLimits her brother]] won't let her have a love life; which annoys her to no end. ''[=AoF=] 3'' seemingly resolved the issue, when her brother finally relented. In the ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters King of Fighters]]'' [[StatusQuoIsGod though...]]
657* {{Shoryuken}}: her Yuri Chou Upper (aka Kuuga) special, as well as Yuri Chou Reppa DM and Shin! Chou Upper SDM.
658* {{Shotoclone}}: PlayedWith; Yuri plays some aspects of the archetype straight while also parodying many other shotos that have come before, both in her home games and in others like ''Street Fighter''. For example, she has a short-ranged projectile, an uppercut, several iterations of a DashAttack like a burning punch or HurricaneKick, and her outfit is a full-on parody to the likes of [[Characters/StreetFighterI Ryu]]. A lot of her other moves though are very out of left field for the archetype like a GrappleMove where she slaps the crap out of you and a projectile reflector. How she presents these moves is PlayedForLaughs due to how little she takes them seriously through her posture (like the afformentioned slap and the way she pokes out her butt as an attack).
659** In ''[=KoF=] '01'', she even gains a mock version of Akuma's "Raging Demon", which uses the exact same button sequence!
660* SphereOfDestruction: In ''XIV'' she gains a DM counterpart of her Saiha special; downplayed in that it's just a ''half''-sphere.
661* TakeThat: To ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', specifically the {{Shotoclone}}s:
662** ''KOF '97'': Her Hien Rekkou (Flying Swallow Violent Pit) AKA Yuri Chou Reppa (Yuri Super Rending Breaker) parodies Ken's Shoryu Reppa. This is made more obvious in ''Capcom vs. SNK''.
663** ''KOF '98'': Her Mekki Zankuuga (Destroying Demon Slaying Air Fang) AKA Shin! Chou Upper (Wick/Staple! Super Upper) parodies Ryu's Shin {{Shoryuken}}.
664** ''KOF 2001'': Her Yuri Chou Enbu (Yuri Super Swallow Dance) parodies Akuma's Shun Goku Satsu; she even poses like him randomly after finishing the attack.
665** ''KOF 2003'' gave her a desperation attack that parodies Ryu's Denjin Hadouken. Hers is called the Denjin Haou Shoukouken (Electric God Supreme King Soaring Howl Fist).
666** Since around ''[='97=]'' she also gained a spinning kick attack like the HurricaneKick all three characters use.
667*** Like many of her moves, it goes by another name. Instead of Hien Shippuu Kyaku (Flying Swallow Hurricane Leg) in some sources, it goes by Yuri Chou Mawashi Geri (Yuri Super Roundhouse Kick).
668** And in ''2002UM'' she did a TakeThat to her ''own family members'' by finally getting her own version of the Ryuuko Ranbu technique (Chou/Super! Dragon Tiger Wild Dance)...which eventually parodies Ryu's Shin Shoryuken once more for the finisher.
669** In the ''Capcom vs. SNK'' games, she copies [[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} Felicia]]'s intro pose (when fighting against Sakura) and Makoto's intro pose (when fighting against everyone else).
670** Yuri also possesses an attack similar to Chun-Li's Kakuraku Kyaku (Crane Falling Leg).
671** ''XIII'': Her Houyoku (Phoenix Wing) parodies that of Akuma's Hyakki Shuu (Hundred Demons Assault). Her EX Yuri Chou Upper also parodies that of Sakura's Shou'ouken (Blooming Cherry Fist).
672** ''XIV'': Her Climax move parodies Dan's Shisso Buraiken (Sprinting Ruffian Attack), a ''parody'' Of Ryo and his own '''parody''' attack!
673* TeenGenius:
674** Subtle example, but still there. She only started training when she was 16-17, and yet she mastered the basics and low techniques of the Kyokugenryu Karate ''within a year''. She didn't stop there, but started imitating other people's techniques as seen above: ''and'' developed her own, like the infamous Hyakuretsu Binta (Hundred Rending Faceslaps) and her own DM, the [[SpamAttack Hien Hou'ou Kyaku (Flying Swallow Fenghuang Leg).]]
675** She also enjoys experimental cooking, which unlike her father's [[LethalChef infamous soba noodles]], has somehow had more positive results.
676* ThatCameOutWrong: Yuri unintentionally makes it sounds as if she'd like to marry King, when asked to describe her ideal husband, during their team ending in ''[=KoF=] XIII''.
677-->'''Interviewer:''' "I see. And, what would your ideal husband be like?"
678-->'''Yuri: (thinking aloud)''' "Hmm... Let's see... That's a tough one... I think they would have to be someone nice and polite..."
679-->'''Yuri: ([[EurekaMoment Aha! prose]])''' "Oh, I know! [[LesYay Someone like King!"]]
680-->'''*King [[DopeSlap dope smacks]] Yuri*'''
681* TookALevelInBadass: Between ''Art of Fighting 1'' and ''2''.
682* VerbalTic: Most of sentences end with "-chi", [[ThrowItIn a quirk devised by her seiyuu]].
683* WomanChild: She's 20, but doesn't act (or look, as of ''XIII'') anything like it.
684* YouDontLookLikeYou: Much like King, her sprites and official artwork have started to change starting ''XII''. She once looked like a reasonably athletic girl in her late teens[[note]]canonically, she's supposed to be 20 years old, about the same as when Kyo dropped out of high school[[/note]]. Her more recent appearances have had her looking more like a girl in her early teens.
685* YourSizeMayVary: She has a tendency to be drawn so that she looks shorter than Mai (sometimes when they're together), despite [[AllThereInTheManual the manual stating]] that Yuri is taller than her.
686[[/folder]]
687
688[[folder:Eiji Kisaragi]]
689[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eiji_7.png]]
690 [[caption-width-right:300:From ''AOF 2'']]
691
692->''I'm a ninja! I have no pity for losers!''
693
694->'''Origin:''' Japan
695->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
696->'''Fighting Style:''' Kisaragi-ryuu Ninjutsu
697->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Yoshinori Shima[[/note]]
698
699->A ninja assigned by Mr. Big to assassinate the Sakazaki family. He has failed repeatedly to do this, but nonetheless still pursues his goal. He joined up with Billy and Iori in the ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters95 KOF '95]]'' tournament to form the Rival Team, but the three failed to reach the finals; Iori beat the two ruthlessly for their failure, resulting in a lifelong grudge from them. He also joined up with Kasumi and Malin in the eleventh tournament to form the Anti-Kyokugen team. If the ''KOF: Kyo'' manga is canon, he may have had [[ButtMonkey a hilariously nasty run-in]] with Kyo's mother Shizuka at one point, too.
700----
701* EightiesHair: Unlike Ryo, Eiji ''still'' has that mullet from ''Art of Fighting''.
702* AngryFistShake: Does this in unison with Billy during the latter's intro against Iori in '''98''.
703* ArchEnemy: To the Kyokugen school of karate. [[InTheBlood Apparently, it is a generational feud.]]
704* AttackReflector: His Ryu Kagejin gains this property in ''KOF XI''. Timed properly, it can even deflect (L)DM-level fireballs.
705* BestServedCold: Towards Iori for the latter leaving Eiji for dead after their first team-up.
706* BlindIdiotTranslation: Thanks to the translators having no knowledge of the Japanese script, Eiji's ending has him sulking about how [[VideoGame/FatalFury Mai Shiranui was stolen from him by Andy]]. Keep in mind the ''Art of Fighting'' series takes place at least a decade before the events of ''Fatal Fury''...
707* ButtMonkey: In ''KOF XI'' and ''KOF: KYO''. [[spoiler:The second one though loses comedic value when both he ''and'' Saisyu are [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped]] by Goenitz around the end.]]
708* TheCameo: Aside from his stage cameos throughout multiple KOF games, Eiji has a gameplay cameo in '''98''. He joins Billy for a few seconds as they do an AngryFistShake against Iori, disappearing shortly after and leaving Billy confused. He gets PromotedToPlayable in its UpdatedRerelease ''Ultimate Match'', forming an OddFriendship with Kasumi and Shingo.
709* CoolMask: Fitting for a ninja, he covers the lower half of his face.
710* DashAttack: His Kotsu Hazaki Kiri special has him running towards his foe and then slashes once with his hand.
711* DivingKick: his Tenba Kyaku special is a multi-hitting version.
712* DoppelgangerAttack: The SDM version of his Zantetsu Tourouken, as well as his Yami Kari LDM in ''XI'' (which is directly lifted from Zantetsu's super).
713* DramaticWind: His special intro against Iori in ''XI''.
714* FlashStep: His Kage Utsushi special moves him forward quickly.
715* KatanasAreJustBetter: Wields [[DualWielding two tanto]], [[NamedWeapons Kage and Nagare]]. The weapons were presumably [[AncestralWeapon handed down from]] [[VideoGame/TheLastBlade Zantetsu]].
716* {{Ninja}}: It is heavily implied that he's a descendant of [[VideoGame/TheLastBlade Zantetsu]].
717* TheQuietOne: His special skill? Not talking.
718* RazorSharpHand: in a number of his specials he can slice his foes with just his hand.
719* StealthHiBye: In his cameo in '''98'' during Billy's intro against Iori, he drops from the sky, does an AngryFistShake in unison with Billy and disappears, leaving him confused.
720* SwordBeam: more like Hand Beam, but still, his Zantetsuha DM in ''XI'' is this.
721* WouldNotHitAGirl: In Art of Fighting 2, he has this in his intro quote vs. Yuri:
722--> '''Eiji''': "I have no interest in injuring a lady."
723[[/folder]]
724
725[[folder:Temjin]]
726[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/temjin_aof2.png]]
727
728->'''Origin:''' Mongolia
729->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flagmongolia.png]]
730->'''Fighting Style:''' Mongolian Wrestling
731
732->Temjin is a Mongolian wrestler who works as a dock worker at the Southtown port to raise money for a school in Mongolia. He enters the tournament to get the prize money and make his dream come true.
733----
734* ArtisticLicenseMartialArts: There's nothing about his fighting style that remotely even resembles real Mongolian Wrestling, which is more similar to Sumo Wrestling in that you have to get your enemy to touch any part of their body other than their feet to the ground by using throws, trips, or lifts.
735* BadassTeacher: Well, a Badass Principal anyway. His motivation for competing is to raise money for a school in his home country.
736* BraidsOfBarbarism: The object of ridicule by both Yuri and some of the students at his school.
737* DeathbringerTheAdorable: His name stems from the birth name of UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan, yet he's a hard-working and selfless man who works at Southtown's docks to financially support a school, as well as only entering the tournament for the sake of the children so they can have a brighter future.
738* FriendToAllChildren: He fights to give the kids a brighter future. Unless they insult his hairstyle....
739* ManlyFacialHair: He has a nice Fu Manchu mustache, and is a positive, masculine figure, as he's strong, kind, and works seflessly in a job that requires a lot of physical effort.
740%%* MightyGlacier:
741* PintSizedPowerhouse: He isn't even five feet tall, being only a single inch away from it at a measly 4'11, yet his movelist is one of the most damaging and command grab-heavy among the roster of fighters in ''Art of Fighting 2''.
742* RapidFireFisticuffs: One of his moves is to use this but with slaps.
743* ShoutOut: Likely the first fighting game character to use the [[Manga/{{Kinnikuman}} Kinniku Buster]].
744* StoutStrength: He's got a bit of a gut, and is a skilled fighter to go with it.
745[[/folder]]
746
747[[folder:Geese Howard]]
748[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/geesehoward_young_copy_7.png]]
749
750->'''Origin:''' USA
751->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
752->'''Fighting Style:''' Aiki-Jujutsu
753
754->The commissioner of South Town's police, and even more corrupt than Mr. Big. He appears as a secret boss in ''Art of Fighting 2'', and goes on (chronologically) to become an even worse danger to Southtown once we reach ''VideoGame/FatalFury''.
755----
756->See Characters/FatalFuryGeeseHoward for tropes on him
757[[/folder]]
758
759!!Characters introduced in ''Art of Fighting 3''
760
761[[folder:Rody Birts]]
762[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/15_rody.jpg]]
763
764->'''Origin:''' USA
765->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
766->'''Fighting Style:''' Tonfas
767
768->Rody Birts is a bounty hunter and partner of Lenny Creston, who has been hired by Wyler to find Freia Lawrence.
769----
770* AnimeHair: Sports a massive plume of spiky blond hair.
771%%* BountyHunter
772* BrainsAndBrawn: The Brawn to Lenny's Brain.
773%%* BringIt
774* DualWielding: Wields a pair of tonfas.
775%%* OddFriendship: With Lenny.
776* [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks Throwing Your Tonfa Always Works]]
777[[/folder]]
778
779[[folder:Kasumi Todoh]]
780[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/art_kasumi.png]]
781
782->''The honor of the Todoh school is in my hands. Me, the daughter of Ryuhaku!''
783
784->'''Origin:''' Japan
785->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
786->'''Fighting Style:''' Todoh-ryu Aikijutsu
787->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Masae Yumi (KOF ''XI'' to ''2002''), Rui Tanabe (KOF All Star, Onwards)[[/note]]
788
789->Kasumi is the daughter of Ryuhaku Todoh, the first enemy in the original ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting''. She grew up learning the Todoh school of Aikido and Kobujutsu, taught to her by her father. As her family's sole heir, she does all she can to stand up for the Todoh way. When Ryuhaku stayed at Southtown to settle an old score with a man named Takuma Sakazaki, Kasumi remained in her house, waiting for her father's return. A couple of months later, she got some bad news: Ryuhaku had been defeated by Ryo Sakazaki, Takuma's son and hasn't been seen since. She decided to fight Ryo and anybody else in order to avenge her father. Unfortunately enough, her mother Mizuho did not like that idea. But she eventually makes peace with him and returns to Japan with her mother.
790----
791* BadassAdorable: A competent aikadoka who is young, cute and prone to silly manneirisms such as reading her translation book. Not to mention very focused on her martial art and devoted to her father and family.
792* BreakoutCharacter: She's the ONLY character from ''Art of Fighting 3'', excluding the series regulars Ryo and Robert, to be a playable character outside of their debut game, thanks to her cute appearance, amusing personality, and interesting character leading to her becoming popular enough with fans to even warrant this in the first place, as she .
793* CatchPhrase: Used as her default victory quote, after consulting her translation guidebook:
794-->'''Kasumi: (pointing)''' [[GratuitousEnglish "Come back when you grow up."]]
795* ChainmailBikini: Only in some iterations.
796* CounterAttack: being an aikidoka, she has specials and a DM that work like this.
797* CuteBruiser: From using her family's style of kobujtsu, which is a counteroffensive style of grappling. Though she supplements it with handstrikes and her [[RazorWind Kasaneate]].
798* DaddysGirl: She's the apple of her father's eye and she aspires to uphold the family name to make him proud.
799* DependingOnTheArtist: Whether her hair colour is black or dark blue tends to depend on the game. Also, the shade of blue tends to vary.
800* DisappearedDad: For which she blames Ryo. In KOF, she's always looking for him, but little does she know he's right under her nose the whole time.
801** Including in the ''background'' of the Women's Team stage in ''KOF '96'', should Kasumi be fighting at the time..
802** Or as [[PaperThinDisguise "Unknown,"]] a striker from ''2000'' who also appears in her ''2002: Unlimited Match'' HSDM.
803* DramaticWind: One of her ''KOF '99'' victory poses mimics that of Ryu in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII''. Said pose also includes Ryu's trademark BadassArmFold.
804* EloquentInMyNativeTongue: See GratuitousEnglish below.
805* FamilyHonor: The crux of her rivalry with the Kyokugen karatekas. Althought in KOF, she doesn't really hold any ill-will towards them, even going so far as to join Yuri on the Women Fighters Team in ''2000'', but since Ryo is the one who defeated her father, Kasumi feels that the only way to get her dad to come back home is to settle the score.
806* GenerationXerox: Downplayed. Very much like her father, but she goes out of her way to emulate her mother, a full-blown YamatoNadeshiko.
807* TheGrappler: She has lower, mid, and upper body counters similar to Geese.
808* GratuitousEnglish: Invoked during her [[VictoryPose win pose]], where she pulls out a pocket guide to look up the phrase: "Come back when you grow up!"
809** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by her looking it up from a translation dictionary first, due to her terrible English-speaking skills.
810--> ''"Slow down--don't understand meaning..."''
811* InformedAttribute: Not that we'd know considering her ankle-length skirt that she wears at practically all times, but being [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3LQ7lCQZ24#t=1m8s secretly envied]] about her legs by '''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Chun-Li]]''' of all people speaks volumes.
812* ItsPersonal: When her character was first introduced, she held Ryo responsible for her father not coming home[[note]]Todoh was believed to have gone into hiding, after his loss to Ryo[[/note]] and was determined to avenge him, by settling the score. Her mother put a stop to it by smacking some sense into her, then explained what really happened.
813* HeirToTheDojo: Although this by default, Ryuhaku packing his bags and leaving for parts unknown to train himself after losing to Ryo back in ''AOF'' prematurely thrusted the responsibility of the dojo's regular upkeep onto Kasumi.
814* KiManipulation: The Kasane Ate attacks, where she makes waves of blue slashing projectiles.
815* LadyOfWar: In training. While she does fight with grace, she notably hates to do traditional Japanese woman routines (as seen in her "dislike").
816* MartialArtsHeadband: Which she given to Ryo in her ending in order to ensure that he remembers her vow to defeat him one day.
817* NoblewomansLaugh: One of her victory poses.
818* ParasolOfPrettiness: She's sometimes seen with one in her intro poses.
819* PluckyComicRelief[=/=]TheComicallySerious: She's portrayed this way, due to her dedication to her family name and her obsession with finding her father.
820* RazorWind: The Todoh family's signature special: Kasaneate. And, like her father, she can also perform Hou Kasaneate, which is the HDM version of it.
821* TheRival: To the Kyokugen school, in general. Though her issue lies mainly with Ryo, whom she holds responsible for her father's disappearance. Later, during the ''[=KoF=]'' series, she also forms a rivalry with Yuri, who she refers to as: "Kyokugen girl."
822** That said, Kasumi and Yuri seem to get along well most of the time, with both having even teamed up with each other during ''[=KoF=] 2000''.
823* SignatureMove: her Kasane Ate special and its DM version.
824* SituationalDamageAttack: Her Chou Kasane Ate DM will do more hits and damage if done closer to the foe.
825* ThreeStrikeCombo: Her Senkou Nagashi special is a 3-hit rekka (okay, the first strike does 2 hits, but still) based on her short combo in AOF 3.
826* TranslationConvention: During her GratuitousEnglish win pose she has to look through an Japanese-English dictionary.
827** Her Engrish might also be SNK [[SelfDeprecation prodding at their own long-standing habit of]] [[BlindIdiotTranslation shoddy translations.]]
828* [[WouldntHitAGirl Wouldn't]] [[CounterAttack Counter-Hit]] [[WouldntHitAGirl A Girl]]: In some games, her attack reversal throws only work on males.
829[[/folder]]
830
831[[folder:Wang Koh-San]]
832[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/17_wang.jpg]]
833
834->'''Origin:''' Taiwan
835->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_taiwan.png]]
836->'''Fighting Style:''' Xinyiliuhequan
837
838->Wang went to Glass Hill for inspiration for a drawing he plans to enter in a contest, Wang heard about Wyler's attempt to create a powerful elixir, and decided to attempt to find it himself for his friend Lee Pai Long.
839----
840* {{Acrofatic}}: He's rather chubby, but he's also rather fast as well.
841* EyesAlwaysShut: As you can see, Wang won't open his eyes if he can help it.
842* GogglesDoNothing: Wears a pair of aviator goggles on his head at all times, and never puts them one.
843%%* KiManipulation
844* NonHumanSidekick: Wang is fiercely protective of his pelican Hoe Hoe, and will initiate combat with anyone who bothers it (though the bird is in actuality to blame most of the time).
845* WarriorPoet: He is also an accomplished artist who has come to Glasshill looking for inspiration.
846[[/folder]]
847
848[[folder:Lenny Creston]]
849[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/18_lenny.jpg]]
850
851->'''Origin:''' USA
852->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
853->'''Fighting Style:''' Whip Handling
854
855->Lenny Creston is a journalist and partner of Rody Birts, who has been hired by Wyler to find Freia Lawrence.
856----
857* BrainsAndBrawn: The Brain to Roddy's Brawn.
858* IntrepidReporter: Overlapping with GoingForTheBigScoop. She's come to Glasshill in search of a big news report.
859%%* MartialArtsHeadband
860* OddFriendship: With Rody.
861* TomboyishName: "Lenny" (short for Leonard), is far more commonly a male name.
862%%* {{Tsundere}}: Type 2 with Rody, although it seems purely platonic (at least on her side).
863* WhipOfDominance: She fights with a whip and is a bossy, stern IntrepidJournalist and a [[ThePerfectionist strict perfectionist]]. She also has a domineering side that shows in her relationship with her partner, Rody, such as being fond of using her whip to literally drag him around.
864[[/folder]]
865
866[[folder:Karman Cole]]
867[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/19_karman.jpg]]
868
869->'''Origin:''' Germany
870->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/germania_8332.png]]
871->'''Fighting Style:''' Art of Self-Defense
872
873->Karman is an assistant to the Garcias who has been sent to find Robert, who left for Glasshill Valley to look for his childhood friend Freia.
874----
875* BattleButler: He's a personal assistant (valet) to the Garcia family.
876%%* CoolShades
877* SharpDressedMan: Fights in a tailored suit.
878* TallDarkAndHandsome: He's a dashing, middle-aged man with dark brown hair.
879[[/folder]]
880
881[[folder:Jin Fu-Ha]]
882[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/20_jin.jpg]]
883
884->'''Origin:''' Japan
885->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
886->'''Fighting Style:''' Ninjutsu
887
888->Jin Fu-Ha is a was once the disciple of Eiji Kisaragi who was betrayed by his master. He has come to Glass Hill to test his skills against Ryo Sakazaki.
889----
890* AttackReflector
891* GoodScarsEvilScars: Has one across his chest, presumably from Eiji.
892* {{Invisibility}}: Hey, at least he's not screaming [[VideoGame/GuiltyGear "FIND ME!"]].
893%% * MightyGlacier
894* {{Ninja}}: An extremely unorthodox one.
895* {{Revenge}}: Against Eiji, his former master, who got him InTheBack and [[LeftForDead left him to be]].
896* SpectacularSpinning: One of his moves is quite similar to [[Franchise/StreetFighter Zangief]]'s Spinning Clothesline.
897* WalkingShirtlessScene
898[[/folder]]
899
900[[folder:Sinclair]]
901[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/21_sinclair.jpg]]
902->'''Origin:''' The Middle East
903->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2022_12_12_at_104425.png]]
904->'''Fighting Style:''' Sqay
905->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Creator/HarumiIkoma[[/note]]
906
907->Sinclair is the assistant of main antagonist Wyler. She is secretly looking for somebody to convince him to give up his pursuit of the drug he is attempting to create.
908----
909* CoolSword: She fights with a scimitar that was apparently excavated from some ruins.
910* DanceBattler: Her techniques resemble Indian sword dancing.
911* DarkActionGirl: She works for the BigBad and can more than hold her own in a fight.
912* TheDragon: Plays this role in the contest of the game and nominally she's working for Wyler.
913* DrugsAreBad: "A power gained by using a drug only goes so far."
914* EnigmaticMinion: To Wyler.
915%%* ExtremityExtremist
916* MindOverMatter: She can telekinetically control her sword from afar.
917* MysteriousPast: Very little is revealed about her history or motives. Where she's from, how she came into Wyler's service, exactly why she wants to stop him, all of these questions will probably be answered never.
918* PartsUnknown: Like a fair few other middle-eastern characters in the fighting game genre ([[Franchise/StreetFighter Pullum & Rashid]], [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Zafina]]) her actual country of origin in the region is not specified.
919* TheMole: It would seem that she's either Wyler's [[TheDragon underling]] or [[BigBadDuumvirate partner]], but she's actually working undercover to stop him.
920[[/folder]]
921
922[[folder:Wyler]]
923[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/22_wyler.jpg]]
924->'''Origin:''' [[PartsUnknown Unknown]]
925->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/10c06342_71a7_425a_a1f4_b6d32940b6f7.png]]
926->'''Fighting Style:''' Original Grappling Style
927->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Monster Maezuka[[/note]]
928
929->Wyler is looking for Freia Lawrence, the daughter of his dead father's former partner, who possesses information about a formula for some kind of "Jekyll and Hyde" formula that he is attempting to create. The essential data needed for completing it was taken by Freia's father when the two's partnership broke up. Wyler believes this action is the cause of his father becoming destitute and even the cause of his death. Freia now has the data.\
930Wyler hires the private investigator partnership of Rody Birts and Lenny Creston to find her (they are convinced it is for romantic reasons). Freia is also being sought out by her old childhood friend Robert Garcia. Wyler finds Freia, though seemingly without the help of the private eyes he hired, completes his elixir and takes it himself, turning into a large Hulk-like man. However, it has an unforeseen after-effect and reverts his mind to a child-like state. Freia chose to stay and tend to him...
931----
932* AGlassOfChianti: He rocks this pose in the one piece of art of him from [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7H1lCJXQAAlzqk.jpg before his transformation]].
933* AllThereInTheManual: His full name, "Tom Wyler", as well as the details of his aristocratic background, are not revealed in the game itself, but rather in an official plot translation provided by SNK online after the fact.
934* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: A somewhat obscure one, but as an aristocratic MadScientist who seeks to acquire power through science and transforms himself into a superhuman creature with the aid of a serum, he's more or less an amalgamation of the various BigBad characters of the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' series. His home game and the original ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'' were even released in the same month of the same year, March of 1996.
935* AristocratsAreEvil: In his barely-touched-upon in-game backstory. He's the 5th Generation head of the House of Wyler and apparently his family used to have great standing in the scientific community.
936* BigBad: Of the third game.
937* BlowYouAway: One of his special attacks is to throw a small whirlwind forward with one hand.
938* DashAttack: Another of his special attacks is a short dash in which he slams his shoulder into the enemy.
939* DrugsAreBad: Don't drink this SuperSerum at home, kids!
940* HeroicBuild: {{Exaggerated|Trope}}, seeing as he pretty much [[HulkingOut Hulks Out]].
941* MagicPants: Downplayed, as his transformation ruins his pants and leaves them in tatters but enough of them is left to tastefully cover up his unmentionables.
942* MadScientist: His father and Freia Lawrence's father were apparently creating a SuperSerum elixir from a drug they found in South America, and Wyler aims to finish his father's work (and he does). His father's research data is even listed in his profile as the one thing he likes.
943* MightyGlacier: He hits harder than anyone else in the game, but he's slow and projectiles totally ruin his day.
944* MusclesAreMeaningless: At least when it comes to weight. Even though the SuperSerum gives him an absolutely massive build, he's actually the lightest character in the game.
945* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: In his ending ([[BadExportForYou exclusive to the Japanese Neo Geo CD version]]), he regains his normal form after beating all of the other fighters (unlike the other endings, he retains his lucidity) and sees the error of his ways once he realizes Freia's feelings for him.
946* OneWingedAngel: His SuperSerum elixir has this effect on him, though considering the side effects it might well classify more as a ClippedWingAngel.
947* PsychoSerum: The elixir he intakes turns him into a hulking giant, [[PsychopathicManchild but reverts his mentality to that of a child]], a side-effect that seems to be permanent after he returns to his normal form.
948* ShoutOut: To the [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]] and ''Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde''.
949* SmugSnake: He's quite smug looking pre-transformation, but doesn't count on the serum altering his mentality.
950* SNKBoss: For the parameters of this game, but for a literal SNK boss he's actually quite tame. He hits harder by far than anyone else in the game, but he's also a MightyGlacier and none of his moves are game-breaking. He's also got quite a limited repertoire compared to the usual SNK boss.
951* TheStateless: It's anyone's guess where he and his family are from. Their aristocratic background seems to hint at European origins, but he lives on the border between the U.S.A. and Mexico, and to further muddy the waters his sprite is tan-skinned (but only when he hulks out) and his themes both have a distinct Mexican riff to them.
952* ThisCannotBe: In his Neo Geo CD-exclusive ending mentioned above, his quotes this line word for word when he beats all the other fighters only to have his body stop working on him.
953* UnskilledButStrong: Wyler has no combat training and fights purely on instinct and his superhuman strength.
954* WalkingShirtlessScene: Thanks to his fancy suit undergoing a forced BattleStrip when he hulks out.
955[[/folder]]
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