Characters / Garou: Mark of the Wolves

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(From left to Right) Kain, Grant, Gato, Hokutomaru, Marky, Rock, B. Jennet, Kevin, Dong Hwan, Terry, Kushnood, Jae Hoon, Tizoc, Hotaru.

Characters in Garou: Mark of the Wolves.

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Rock Howard

Fly-By-Night Wolf

Gonna take you for a ride! Try to keep up, alright?

Origin: USA

Fighting Style: Mixed Martial Arts, Hakkyokuseiken

Voiced by: ^note  Eiji Takemoto (Japanese, Garou-Maximum Impact), Yūma Uchida (Japanese, XIV-present), Ami Koshimizu (The King of Fighters: Destiny, young) Jon Thomas (English, Maximum Impact), Mike Lane (English, Maximum Impact 2), Griffin Puatu (English, City of the Wolves)

The only son of Geese Howard. Rock was raised solely by his mother Marie, who cautioned him not to approach his father. Unfortunately, due to the loneliness suffered from Geese's neglect, Marie fell ill and passed away in Rock's care. Sometime later, Terry Bogard took Rock in his care and trained him. When Terry revealed the truth about his father, Rock charged at him in a rage, but got over it. He enters the Maximum Mayhem tournament held by Kain R. Heinlein to get answers regarding his mother.
Although his fighting skills were taught by Terry, he somehow acquired some of Geese's attacks as well. He entered the tournament to find information about his mother.
He makes his debut in the KOF series starting with XIV, and his canonical team debut in XV as part of Team Garou, recruited by B. Jenet to participate in the tournament alongside her and Gato. He accepts, due to a desire to fight Terry seriously in the competition.

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• Badass Angster: His uncertainty over his family history and potential for evil haunt him endlessly. Say what you will about that, he can still lay the smackdown with his fighting prowess.
• Bad Powers, Good People: He inherited Geese's powers and they definitely take their toll on him quite often. Compared to his father, however, Rock is a genuinely sweet kid that's adorably shy around women.
• Battle Intro: In The King of Fighters XV:
  "The successor to two legends! Will his heritage decide his future? Rock Howard!"
  Rock: Straight in, straight out. Easy.
• Brutal Honesty: His other defining trait. This tends to create very awkward situations with female characters.
• Calling the Old Man Out: Rock has nothing but contempt and hate for Geese due to his abandonment resulting in his mother Marie working herself to death. In the KOF timeline, where Geese is alive, Rock is pissed when the two encounter one another, swearing to make him pay for leaving his mother to die. For what it's worth, Geese is certainly at lot better about confronting his own son than Heihachi or Kazuya are.
  Rock: Geese... You abandoned my mother! I will have my revenge!
  Geese: Quite the coincidence meeting you here. Perhaps this, too, is fate... Very well, come at me.
• Calling Your Attacks: Does it the least compared to either of his fathers, but it's still there with the Gratuitous English to match.
  "Reppuken!"
  "Rising Tackle!"
  "Raging Storm!"
  "Deadly Rave!"
• The Cameo:
  • He appears in the background of KOF Stadium in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and potentially at the ending cutscene for Team Fatal Fury in 2003, a nameless young man who looks exactly like Rock, albeit with a slightly different colored jacket, is cheering at the stands; curiously enough 2003 was the KOF that showed Rock as a little child at Team Fatal Fury’s intro, but at the end only this suspiciously similar young man is present at the end instead.
  • He also appears in Terry's ending in SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy, where Rock kicks him off of Geese Tower as part of Terry's nightmare sequence only for the latter to wake up to Rock having finished making breakfast for him. It's basically Terry's ending from Real Bout Fatal Fury, but given a... darkly comical twist.
• Cannot Talk to Women: Played with. He has a hard time talking with adult women with only a few exceptions, especially when said woman is flirting at him (B. Jennet). On the other hand, he's fine talking with girls or women around his age, he still offers to help Hotaru and if her bonus event in The King of Fighters All Star is to be trusted, Rock can hold a friendly conversation with her.
• Charge-Input Special: Like his adoptive dad, Terry, Rock Howard can also perform the Rising Tackle using a down-up charge motion. Averted in XV, where it's now a dragon punch motion just like Terry's is.
• Comic-Book Time: While a young adult in KOF Maximum Impact, Rock is still a child in the series' main timeline and thus unable to participate in any canon installments thus far - until XIV, that is.
• Continuity Drift: Having started his mainline KOF appearances as a child, Rock would eventually shift into his older Garou look later in the timeline starting from his first playable showing in XIV. This would help to further be in sync with the appearances of fellow Garou characters; Jenet and Hotaru for example are about the same age as him, and thus it would not have made sense for him to still be portrayed as far younger than they are.
• Continuity Snarl: Averted with XIV, apparently. If he were still a child due to Executive Meddling, it would have contradicted Tizoc, Gato, B. Jenet, and Hotaru's earlier debuts in the main series (especially Tizoc showing up as the King Of Dinosaurs, along with their more recent cameos in other games' endings) since they would have been much younger as well. His debut seems to have helped their appearances make more sense.
• Counter-Attack: Besides his dad's Ki Manipulation, Rock also inherited these from his father but puts a little Terry-esque spin on them by doing a Crack Shoot instead of a body slam. Appropriately, he renamed it the "Crack Counter".
• Cycle of Revenge: Terry is concerned that Rock is trapped in one, even though his father is already out of the picture by Garou, so he raised Rock himself with the hopes that whatever lingering vindictiveness he feels towards Geese won't cloud his life as it did Geese himself. KOF XV confirms this, as Geese is alive and well in this timeline and Rock is determined to make him pay for abandoning him and his mother should the two meet.
• Dash Attack: His Hard Edge special, a dashing elbow strike, as well as his Shining Knuckle DM. XIV modifies it; whereas in previous appearances Rock would finish with a Rising Tackle, he tweaks it by doing Terry's Power Dunk; he also does a spin during the uppercut part, making it similar to Alice's Shadow Dunk DM.
• Deadpan Snarker: He isn't without a little sass, especially in KOF XV.
  Rock: [VS Ash, KOF XV] If you can't burn me with your flimsy attacks, what makes you think you can burn me with your weak insults?
  Rock: [Generic Quote, KOF XV] The goddess of victory has a bone to pick with you, from the looks of it.
• Demoted to Extra: Despite being the main character of Garou and one of SNK's most popular characters, Rock was rather infamously kept from being a part of the playable The King of Fighters roster for years. Allegedly this was due to SNK Playmore's desire to save Rock's next major playable appearance for the Garou sequel that ultimately got scrapped. Rock, unfortunately, got relegated to a minor supporting character in some of Terry's "Team Fatal Fury" arcade endings. It wasn't until XIV that Rock finally got Promoted to Playable as a DLC character, but he was treated as a non-canon to the story. KOF XV is finally including him as part of an official team, Team Garou, with Gato and B. Jenet.
• Disappeared Dad: We're still not sure whether Geese actually died or if it was just a case of Never Found the Body. While the Fatal Fury timeline plays this straight, King of Fighters averts it, as Geese is alive and well over there.
• Ditto Fighter: He has moves taken from both Terry and Geese, with some original moves thrown in like Hard Edge and the Rage Run specials.
• Downloadable Content: Appears in KOF for the first time in main series history as a downloadable character in XIV and in XV, together with Gato and B.Jenet as Team Garou.
• Early-Bird Cameo: Rock is the kid who shows up in Terry's endings in 3 and throughout the Real Bout series.
• Face–Heel Turn: Approved by The Hero, even. Rock ends up joining Kain and becoming his Dragon, but in order to find out about his Missing Mom. Terry told him to just forge his own path.
• Flash Step: His "Rage Run - Type Shift" attack has him run at his opponent. If he reaches them before the attack animation ends he briefly phases out then appears on the other side of them instantly. He can use this to set up his command throw (as it leaves him right at point-blank range, which is a mixup with his "Type Dunk" variant that performs a downward smash out of the run in front of his foe). XV overhauls it to where Rock can now do whatever follow-up he pleases from the run in addition to some new follow-ups (such as variation of his Hard Edge or straight into his Overhead Kick).
• Forced into Evil: Kain reveals that he's also searching for answers about Rock's mother and lineage, and manages to coerce the latter into joining him as a partner. However, Rock's not exactly thrilled and apologized to Terry as he left.
• Generation Xerox:
  • Tries to avoid this, but he and Geese are unfortunately similar in a lot of ways. Rock is implied to possess the same potential for violence and cruelty as his father, which manifests whenever he taps into Geese's Signature Attacks, particularly his "Raging Storm" super. This all culminates in the end of Garou where he teams up with the crime lord and Howard Connection associate Kain to seek answers about his own lineage.
  • Billy Kane is trying to force this on him in the Maximum Impact series by getting him to take over Geese's empire.
  • A lighter example comes from the fact that Rock is childhood buddies with Jae and Dong. In a sense, this descends from Terry and Kim's own friendly rivalry.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom: His eyes notably glow during certain moves, particularly the ones he shares with Geese.
• Grapple Move: "Shinkuu Nage", similar to Geese, has Rock toss his opponent far behind him. This can be followed up by a powerful ki blast resulting in extra damage and combo potential. The latter is done automatically during the EX version in KOF XIV and XV, leading to a wall bounce for more combo opportunities.
• Gratuitous English: He's adopted by Terry and is the biological son of Geese, two of the biggest violators of this trope... and he somehow averts this the most (he still has moves written in English).
• Ground Pound: Like his biological dad, he has the Raging Storm.
• Ground Wave: Like his dad Geese, he can perform the Reppuken, sending forward a fast wave of energy.
• Hair Color Dissonance: While it was rectified in later Crossover appearances, Rock's hair has a noticeable green tint in Garou.
• Happily Adopted: Terry took Rock under his wing after the (apparent) death of his father, and the two are thick as thieves.
• Hates Being Touched: Least of all by women if his win quote against Shermie in XV is anything to go by.
  Rock: Um... Could you not put your hands all over me next time? It's hard to concentrate.
• Hates Their Parent: Rock wants absolutely nothing to do with his father Geese Howard for abandoning him and his mother, refusing to help said mother as she was dying, and generally being villainous scum. Unfortunately, any chance at revenge outside of King of Fighters is long gone as Geese has been dead for ten years. In the King of Fighters timeline, he shows no hesitation in siding with Terry against his father.
  Rock: [Vs. Geese outside of Story mode, KOF XV] You're the only one I can't lose to! Not ever!
  Rock: [Vs. Geese in Sory Mode, KOF XV] Beating you won't change the past...still, this should put a stop to your machinations.
• The Hero: Of Garou, with the game's story mode centering on him proceeding through the newest KOF tournament.
• Heroic BSoD: A somewhat milder example: if Rock wins a match using his Neo Raging Storm or Neo Deadly Rave (moves he "inherited" from Geese), he'll slump down to the floor in pain, agonizingly and momentarily unable to control his Blood Rage.
  Rock: Why does my evil blood boil?
• Iconic Outfit: One of the prime examples of Simple, yet Awesome in terms of visual design, Rock's outfit is immediately recognizable to any discerning FGC member as well as people that have played Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium.
• Jack of All Stats: Like his father, Rock is an incredibly versatile character in most of his appearances. He has a solid projectile to zone with, a good approach tool that also acts as a projectile call-out in itself, a great (if a tad slow) command grab, and excellent anti-air options; he's the complete package and then some. All of this and the cherry on top go to his ease of use, often a relatively simple character to play.
• Ki Manipulation: Despite all his angst towards his father, he doesn't seem to have a problem cribbing attacks from his moveset, since he uses the ki-based "Reppuken"/"Double Reppuken" and "Raging Storm'. His version of the "Deadly Rave" (called the "Neo Deadly Rave") also ends with a ki blast and he can use a ki blast during his command throw as well by interrupting the follow-through.
• Leitmotif:
  • From Garou, "Spread the Wings".
  • KOF XIV gives him "Emergence" as his theme.
  • In XV, he has "Way To The Horizon", which plays during his Fateful Battle against Geese. Given how the latter track has none of Geese's familiar motifs (if "Soy Sauce for Geese" and many of its iterative remixes are anything to go by), it's safe to say that it's Rock's theme and his alone.
• Lightning Bruiser: Especially in KOF XV, where he's one of the zippiest characters on the roster and has some of the highest, meter-efficient damage in the entire game.
• Love Triangle: Unwillingly placed in one, due to the advances of both Ninon Beart and B. Jenet. The two even seem to be fighting over him in their own intro poses. Poor Rock, who feels uneasy when in the company of the other sex, has no comment on the matter.
• Nice Guy: Lack of social skills and inability to talk to women aside, Rock's just as much of a sweetheart as the man who raised him.
• Nightmare Face: Has a very frightening one in SNK Heroines. Observe.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: His Neo Deadly Rave, which becomes his Climax DM in XIV and XV. The latter of which also features the Deadly Rave EXT, a variation that ends in a Raging Storm and grants additional powerups for Rock.
• No Social Skills: Rock can function normally in society, but since he grew up surrounded mainly by men, he's flustered by women, hence his shy reaction to B. Jenet (whom he suggests getting less revealing clothes). However, this doesn't stop him from helping those in need (as seen in his interactions with Hotaru).
• "Not So Different" Remark: A lighter example, particularly towards Shun'ei.
  Rock: ...Scared of your power, are you? Seems fate isn't kind to either of us.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Anything related to Geese will instantly sour Rock's mood. Encountering anyone connected to him, such as Billy, results in Rock acting noticeably more hostile towards them. Geese's very presence in the KOF timeline is enough to send Rock flying into Unstoppable Rage.
• Please Put Some Clothes On: Being the clueless idiot around women, he politely asks Jenet to wear some less revealing outfits.
• Power Incontinence: Winning a round or match with any of his father's super moves (Raging Storm or Deadly Rave) will result in Rock's right hand suddenly getting engulfed in purple energy, causing him to clench it and reel over in pain. Doubles as Heroic RRoD.
  Rock: Why...? My blood is boiling...
• The Power of Hate: Rock despises his father Geese to the extent that he's actively trying to avoid becoming remotely like him, and in the KOF timeline, is perfectly willing to go against his ambitions purely out of spite. It's heavily implied that said hate has some bearing on the power he inherited from his father.
  Geese: [Vs. Rock, KOF XV] "You shall understand one day the meaning of that blood in your veins, as well as the fate you bear..."
• Purple Is Powerful: Played With. Due to the Power Incontinence above, he doesn't quite have a handle on the unbridled power he tends to put out. That being said, his purple ki blasts are a combination of Terry's reddish orange and Geese's cool blue, indicating he has the power to surpass them both if he were to control them.
• Raised by Dudes: Rock can function normally in society, but since he grew up surrounded mainly by men, he's flustered by women, hence his shy reaction to B. Jenet and Ninon Beart hitting on him in Maximum Impact 2. This doesn't stop him from helping those in need.
  • One of the only women he can keep face when talking to is Blue Mary, who Rock views as an Honorary Aunt of sorts because of her close friendship with Terry. His introduction with Mai Shiranui is an humorous example of his lack of understanding regarding women. Realizing their relationship to each other (Rock is Terry's adopted son; Terry is Andy's older brother; Andy is Mai's self-proclaimed fiancé; ergo, making Rock and Mai technically nephew and aunt), Rock tries to respectfully address Mai as Oba-san, but is cut off with her angrily yelling This Is Unforgivable! several times.
  • Similarly, one of his pre-battle quotes against Vanessa in XIV has him refer to her in a similar manner; Vanessa takes the news a lot more casually than Mai, noting her own age compared to Rock's. He's also a bit too straightforward with Whip, stating outright the heavy dominatrix vibes she gives to her face. While he tries to smooth things over and apologize when Whip is offended, it's too late.
  • In XV, he's a hell of a lot more cordial in his relationship with Jenet, but it's mainly because of how he isn't the target of her affections; it's very much implied Jenet invited Rock onto Team Garou as a way of getting closer to Terry than anything else. It doesn't stop Jenet from teasing the poor boy to no end. He also seems to get alongside Isla enough given they share an edit team with Shun'ei as rookies.
• Raised by Rival: Rock, son of the long-defeated Big Bad Geese Howard, is raised by series' hero Terry Bogard.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Subverted and later played straight in his ending.
• Retool: Rock was seen as a child in Team Fatal Fury's section in KOF 2003 intro cutscene, holding hands with Terry, and a unique battle intro for Terry had child Rock appear to pose alongside him as well; come XIV and Rock is as old as he was in Garou despite no passage of years being attributed to XIV’s narrative, with XV following on that too.
• Shared Signature Move: As the son of Geese Howard who was then adopted by Terry Bogard, he incorporates many of the two's Signature Attacks into his own repertoire. From Geese he can perform the "Reppuken"/"Double Reppuken", "Rashomon", "Deadly Rave", and "Raging Storm". From Terry he learned how to perform "Rising Tackle", "Crack Shoot", and variations of "Burn Knuckle" and "Power Dunk" called "Hard Edge" and "Rage Run - Type Dunk" respectively.
• Shoryuken: The same one as Terry's, Rising Tackle.
• Shotoclone: He's got a projectile attack (Reppuuken), an anti-air attack (Rising Tackle) and a rush-forward attack (Rage Run and Hard Edge), all of which contribute to a beginner-friendly and versatile fighter.
• Supreme Chef: If Terry's ending in SNK Heroines is anything to go by, Rock's usually the one who cooks for Terry.
• Took a Level in Badass: From a gameplay standpoint, at least. Rock went from one of the weakest characters in his debut appearance in Garou, to potentially one of the strongest characters in his latest appearance in KOF XV. Being an easy all-rounder of a character who has little to no execution barrier for very strong burst damage while boasting some amazing meter efficiency probably has something to do with it.
• Variant Power Copying: A few particular examples -
  • Even though he shares Geese's Reppuken, it's closer to Terry's Power Wave (which in itself is derived from Tung's Shou Ha, which just means Power Wave in Japanese) in form and function, especially in KOF XV if you compare his and Geese's Reppuken side-by-side.
  • Rock's Rage Run: Type Dunk is derived from Terry's Power Dunk, with the key difference being that Rock simply dunks on the opponent instead of performing a jumping knee kick before hand.
  • Crack Counter is a composite of Geese's Atemi series of counters and Terry's Crack Shoot.
  • Shine Knuckle is his answer to Terry's Buster Wolf. The KOF XV version makes it more apparent by making Rock himself visible during the move's active frames, unlike in prior games, where he'd dash forward so fast he'd turn into a surge of energy.
  • Overhead Kick is an inverted take on Crack Shoot, with some elements from Geese's Hishou Nichirin Zan (in that it's an attack that is useful for dodging the opponent's projectile through the air) thrown in.
• Vengeance Denied: A big part of his character, at least in the Fatal Fury canon. Any resentment or desire to get justice for his mother on Geese Howard was put paid to long before he was old enough to actually take his shot. It is mostly by Terry's influence in his life that he hasn't let it become his entire existence and is in the process of growing past his desire for payback that he can never have. Averted in The King of Fighters continuity, as Geese is alive and he is able to confront his father with nothing standing in his way.
• Video Game Dashing: "Rage Run" has Rock sprint forward and can be followed up with a number of other specials. Or stopped outright in XV.
  • Type: Dunk: Rock goes in with an overhead strike, similar to Terry's Power Dunk in appearance.
  • Type: Shift: Rock blinks behind his opponent for a nice mix-up.
  • Also added in KOF are:
    • Type: Hard Edge: Rock performs his Hard Edge special.
    • Type: Overhead Kick: Rock performs a somersault kick.
• Villainous Lineage: Something he dreads, as he believes he still carries his father's legacy, despite trying to find a different path for himself with Terry's help. Most evident when he finishes a match with a Raging Storm or the Neo Deadly Rave (he clutches his ki-infused hand and nearly collapses, overwhelmed by the dark ki from using his father's signature attacks).
• Would Not Hit a Girl: Hates fighting chicks, as shown before and after his fight with Luise Meyrink in Maximum Impact 2, and also with his generic win quotes vs. female fighters in XV

Terry Bogard

See the Fatal Fury page for tropes on him.

Bonne Jenet

Restless Pirate Lass

Beautiful victory!

Origin: England

Fighting Style: LK Arts

Voiced by: ^note Rei Saitō (Garou - XI), Mikako Komatsu (XV), Gina Rose (Maximum Impact 2, English)

Real name Jennie Behrn, she's a rich British aristocrat who fled from her parents to become a captain of a crew of modern-day pirates called the Lilien Knights out of sheer boredom. She enters the KOF tournament for the prize money.
She became interested in the Maximum Mayhem tournament when she discovered how wealthy the sponsor was. Quite the Attention Whore. (When she runs, she waves.)
In the KOF series, she makes her debut in KOF XI as the leader of Team Mark of the Wolves, recruiting Gato and Tizoc to her team under the pretenses of information about his father and claiming to be a fan, respectively. In XV, having witnessed the events of the previous tournament and hoping something exciting will happen through participating in the upcoming one, she contacts Rock Howard and Gato, enticing them with a chance to fight against Terry for the former and information about the whereabouts of the latter's father, and forms Team Garou with them.

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• Ambidextrous Sprite: The Jolly Roger drawn on her dress is either on the left side, or the right, depending on which side she's facing.
• Attention Whore: Ever noticed how she waves while running? All things considered, Jennie's not too bad about this.
• Battle Intro: In The King of Fighters XV:
  "She's a pirate who's sailed the Seven Seas! Give it up for the Lilien Knights leader! B. Jenet!
  B. Jenet: Ahaha. This could get interesting.
• Bathing Beauty: One of her win quotes has her longing for a shower after a battle.
• Blow You Away: Has some degree of aerokinesis, being able to fire a gust of wind as a projectile.
• The Bus Came Back: KOF XV marks her first playable appearance since 2005.
• Bust-Contrast Duo: The only two female fighters in Garou are the petite and cute Hotaru Futaba and Ms. Fanservice Bonne Jenet. While Jenet is a more straightforward tease with mature charms, Hotaru is a more reserved Martial Pacifist with small immature streaks (one of her post-match taunt is basically Blowing a Raspberry).
• Buxom Beauty Standard: She has a buxom figure which is often prominently by the Cleavage Window or Navel-Deep Neckline that her dress has, which expose her Sideboob and Underboobs.
• Closest Thing We Got: In XV, she originally wanted to reform her old team roster of XI, but Tizoc is absent because he's preoccupied in being King of Dinosaurs. So she decided to contact the next best candidate for it: Rock. It turns out to be for her benefit though, as she ends up using Rock as a way to get closer to Terry.
• Combat Stilettos: Which she removes and whacks you with for her "Ennui Mademoiselle', a hidden special.
• Commonality Connection: Bonds with Darli Dagger over them being both "ladies of the sea".
• Cool Boat: She used her family money to build a fancy ship for herself that is capable of turning into a submarine, and used to become a pirate, founding the Lillien Knights.
• Counter-Attack: Her LDM, Ennui Mademoiselle (the aforementioned Shoe Slap attack), is a reversal.
• Drama Queen: The constant in Jenet's basic personality traits is how she mostly acts like an alluring sensual mature woman but occasionally bursts into childish tantrums, best shown in her Time-Out losing pose, where she pouts like a kid, and her infamous counter-super in which Jenet swings her high heel like mad. All of this is settled within Jenet because she is quite young despite her mature seductress design, to note: she is just 2 years older than Rock, at 19.
• Everything's Better with Sparkles: A few sparkles can be seen briefly at the beginning of her Harrier Bee special.
• Femme Fatale: Although in no way is she evil, Jennie will use her womanly charms to gain the desired effect.
• First Love: She claims Terry is this, though it seems entirely one-sided.
• Gameplay and Story Segregation: B. Jenet usually isn't taken seriously in the story. After all, she's just a rich young woman who got bored and decided to become a pirate. But in terms of gameplay, she's an incredibly powrful character due to her excellent combos, range, and mobility.
• Going Commando: Her sprite and animations in Garou send the impression B. Jenet's not wearing underwear thanks to how she wears a dress that shows off her legs while doing her strong kicks. This is especially noticeable when she's KO'd or doing her stiletto attack, as both look suspciously like she's exposing her crotch. Her official art in the same game does show her wearing underwear though. As such, this might be from an oversight in development.
• Good Bad Girl: Downplayed; she exhibits the domineering sexual aggression associated with this trope, but doesn't appear to be unchaste. This is possibly lampshaded with her Garou theme, "Bad Girl."
• Gorgeous Gaijin: British, and the resident Ms. Fanservice in Garou, considering the absence of Mai and Blue Mary. Her only competition is Hotaru, and that isn't much competition at all.
• Has a Type: Had a crush on Terry prior to the events of Garou, although it went nowhere. Seems rather telling that she moves on (in at least Maximum Impact) to Rock.
• Kick Chick: The LK Arts seem to be primarily based off of Savate, the French version of kickboxing.
• Kiss of Death: In one of her super moves, she ends her attack with a kiss complete with a heart... which still damages you.
• The Lad-ette: A somewhat more feminine variant of it. Jenet enjoys fighting, partying and going crazy with her predominantly-male crew, but she also acts and dresses in a very feminine manner.
• The Leader: Her being the captain of the Lillien Knights to one side, she's actually the one responsible for forming both incarnations of Team Garou in the KOF games by handpicking Gato, Tizoc and Rock to join her. She does serve as the overall team leader in XI, but Rock takes over the leader role in XV.
• Long Hair Is Feminine: She has long blonde hair that goes past the shoulders, to indicate that despite being a pirate captain, she's actually still pretty girly.
• Ms. Fanservice: Wears a flattering dress with an open back and low neckline, which shows off a generous amount of cleavage as well as her legs (which are further shown off by the addition of high heels).
• Only Known by Their Nickname: Is only referred to as Jennie Behrn in supplemental materials.
• Pirate: The Lillien Knights are modern-day equivalents of this.
• A Pirate 400 Years Too Late: Bonne Jenet and her crew are somewhere between this and Ruthless Modern Pirates. The crew dresses like stereotypical pirates, but their ship is a nuclear sub.
• Pirate Girl: A modern-day version and a nod to her native England being well known for having produced some of the world’s most famous pirates; Edward Teach (more commonly known as Blackbeard) and Calico Jack Rackham, who had the two most famous and ferocious female pirates in his crew, Mary Read and Anne Bonny. Jennie’s alias is a likely Shout-Out to the latter. A few of her normal color variations in MI2 deck out Jenet in a pirate hat, predictably enough.
• The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Despite the Lillien Knights being modern-day equivalents of pirates, they aren't seen doing much other than partying. Subverted in Garou where the reason they joined the tournament is to loot Kain of his belongings.
• Proud Beauty: She's fairly confident in her appearance. To wit, any of her more catty interactions with Mai usually involve the two bickering over which of them is hotter.
  Jenet: [when facing Mai] If you're the most beautiful fighter in Japan, then the worldwide title is mine!
• Rich Bitch: She's from a rich family but doesn't like relying on their money.
• Rich Boredom: She was born to a wealthy family, but found the luxurious life to be boring and tedious, so she ran away from home and became a pirate instead. Ironically, she's still money-obsessed, but she seems to enjoy earning it.
• Sexophone: Her theme "Bad Girl" is a jazzy arrangement featuring copious amounts of saxophone play alluding to her Femme Fatale nature.
• Sexy Backless Outfit: Jenet's main outfit is all about this trope.
• Sexy Slit Dress: She is the flirty and free-spirited pirate captain of the Lillien Knights. She's almost always shown in her purple sleeveless dress with the leg slit to match.
• Shoe Slap: One of B Jenet's supers involves her getting enraged and taking off one of her high heels to beat her opponent to a pulp with it. The Latin community has rather affectionately taken to calling it the "Chancla Super."
• Skewed Priorities: In her ending to Garou: Mark of the Wolves, she's pissed at her crew for abandoning the treasure to instead go help her.
• Something about a Rose: Has a tattoo of a rose on her left shoulder, painted with inks from India.
• Spam Attack: Many Many Torpedoes consists of Jenet gliding across the air while delivering a flurry of kicks.
• Supermodel Strut: She confidently struts around the stage playfully hanging her arms around her head and swaying rhythmically, denoting her status as an Attention Whore who's a Proud Beauty.
• The Tease:
  • Especially with Hokutomaru which unnerves him a bit. And upon seeing a picture of pre-Garou Terry, she considers him to be her "first love."
  • B Jenet's KOF-incarnation is more overtly this way towards Rock as while she maintains her crush on Terry, she also repeatedly flirts with Rock, which leaves him flustered.
• Thrill Seeker: She left her life of luxury because she found it boring and often takes joy in adventures or challenging fights, and expresses disappointment if she beats her opponents easily.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Sirloin steak.
• Vapor Wear: Her dress usually features a Cleavage Window or a Navel-Deep Neckline that makes it obvious she doesn't wear a bra.
• Wardrobe Wound: Some of her win quotes have her being upset about the damage her dress sustained in the fight.
• We Used to Be Friends: The extent of their friendship was unknown, but Jenet has a run-in with Terry, fell in love and somehow they broke up. It's unknown if Terry even notices her or was the one who initiated the break-up (or it was Jenet), but Jenet referred him as her 'former love'.

Gato

Taciturn Fist of Vengeance

Origin: Unknown (implied to be Japan)

Fighting Style: Quan Fa, Bājíquán, Xinyiliuhequan

Voiced by: ^note Kouji Ishii (Garou-XI), Yuma Yamaguchi (XV-current)

A cold and stoic martial artist who is well-versed in Chinese martial arts involving powerful strikes. He is Hotaru's brother although he constantly denies it. Gato is searching for a mysterious man who is connected to his past. In Mark of the Wolves he enters the tournament believing that Kain knows about the man he's after, and sure enough, that man appears and saves Kain from the collapsing mansion. The man is revealed to be Gato's father, who drove his mother to death and vanished without a trace, but not before brutally maiming Gato and leaving him for dead. He encounters Hotaru Futaba, who believes him to be her older brother, but Gato continually denies this for some reason.
In KOF 2003, he is hired by Geese Howard to investigate the events going on in the tournament, and in XI forms a new Garou team along with B. Jenet and Tizoc under the pretense of Jenet promising him information about his father once the tournament ends. He similarly joins her team in XV for the same reason.

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• Aloof Ally:
  • He ends up on a team with B. Jenet and Tizoc. Although in Gato's mind, he has no friends or enemies.
  • Happens again in XV, only this time with Rock standing in for Tizoc since he's a little pre-occupied as The King of Dinosaurs. He's not at all amused.
• Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Provides the page image. He'll do his best to show you that your fighting ability and style suck ass compared to his, with a few broken bones as proof if he can.
  Gato: Be happy, you're alive. You pathetic loser!
• Badass Normal: No superpowered kung fu to speak off, just normal, regular moves. That doesn't mean he's incapable of tearing you a new one.
• Battle Intro: In The King of Fighters XV:
  "He might be the strictist martial artist in the world. His fists are registered weapons! Gato!"
  Gato: "Your power... Show it to me!"
• Battle Strip: Inverted. He starts with his shirt open, leaving his chest bare, but closes it when the fight starts.
• Blackmail: According to KOF 2003' backstory for Outlaw Team, Gato wasn't even interested to join the team. He only agreed when Geese made subtle threats that would endanger Hotaru, and only then Gato accepted the deal, though he stated that his reason was for showcasing the strength of his martial arts.
• The Bus Came Back: KOF XV marks his first playable appearance since 2005.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: He's got three on his back, courtesy of his father.
• Handicapped Badass: Is blinded by a man who appears to be his father in his ending.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Although he cruelly looks down on others and rarely shows respect for them, Gato softens slightly before Hotaru's presence, a possible hint that she is indeed his younger sister, and that his callous and placid coldness may be just a front to prevent her from being dragged into danger by association. Further proving this is indirect and subtle actions he has done, such as accepting Geese's offer to join with Billy and Yamazaki to prevent Hotaru from being harmed. Likewise, he is shown to hate others more evil than him even more, and when it comes to those who treat him civilly, Gato merely keeps to himself and often may leave to tend to his own matters without a word, not wanting to involve anyone into his own dangerous affairs.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: A pretty good-looking guy with long flowing hair. Though this is diminished a bit by his incredibly hostile personality.
• Murderous Thighs: A male version; one of his super moves has him jumping with the opponent he just knocked in the air breaking their neck in midair.
• No Full Name Given: He's just billed as Gato in all of his appearances, although his surname is all but stated to be "Futaba".
• Shirtless Scene: As a victory pose, which also reveals his scars on his back.
• The Stoic: Many of his interactions with others have him act extremely blunt towards them, oftentimes to a malicious degree.
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Gato didn't grow up as a complete jerk, he used to be a much gentler person which was why Hotaru was hell-bent in bringing him back. Problem is, after his father murdered his mother for reasons unknown, Gato chose to forsake his own kindness and focuses completely on getting revenge, becoming the Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy we know of him today.

Hotaru Futaba

I won't lose! I've got someone to protect too!

Origin: Japan

Fighting Style: Neijia, Taijiquan, Baguazhang

Voiced by: Yuki Horie (Japanese), Manaka Iwami (Japanese, City of the Wolves), Suzie Yeung (English, City of the Wolves)

Hotaru is the daughter of a family of martial artists. Unfortunately, she isn't fond of violence. When her mother dies, both her father and older brother, Gato, simultaneously disappear. Hotaru enters Kain R. Heinlen's King of Fighters: Maximum Mayhem tournament after hearing rumors that her brother might be there, fervently hoping to reconnect with her family. She appears in KOF XI for a similar reason.
She is well-versed in Chinese martial arts involving soft strikes and ki blasts. She enters the tournament hoping she could convince her brother to come back to her.

---

• Attack Reflector: Her Kobi Kyaku. Works like a charm on DM-level projectiles, too.
• Bust-Contrast Duo: The only two female fighters in Garou are the petite and cute Hotaru Futaba and Ms. Fanservice Bonne Jenet. While Jenet is a more straightforward tease with mature charms, Hotaru is a more reserved Martial Pacifist with small immature streaks (one of her post-match taunt is basically Blowing a Raspberry).
• The Cameo:
  • She appears in the Mark of the Wolves Team's ending in KOF XI looking for her brother. She's later made a Secret Character in the home port.
  • She also has one in the Women's Fighters Team ending in XIII, relaxing at the Pao-Pao Cafè with them and other girls. She returns in their ending in 'XIV'', once again hanging out at the cafe.
  • Hotaru returns once more in the Team Garou ending in XV, trying to convince Gato to return home with her.
• Cute Bruiser: The second-smallest fighter in the roster (only beating out Hokutomaru by 2 cm) and yet she's capable of administering a serious beating with her martial arts. The cute part also contrasts with the other female in the game, the incredibly busty Bonne Jenet.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: Her Tenshou Ranki LDM where she tackles her opponent from the skies, straddles them, and then lets out a loud scream as she arches back and releases several bursts of energy. She then pants for a bit afterwards. In another game, it's called "My First Time."
• Failure Is the Only Option: Due to most of SNK games and especially The King of Fighters running on Comic-Book Time after her debut, Hotaru is destined to constantly fail in reuniting her torn family. Her only chance is a possible plot advancement in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
• Fragile Speedster: Low in defense, and usually doesn't score very high in attacks. Nevertheless, Hotaru is a very agile fighter and scores many hits in many of her attacks.
• Friend to All Living Things: Aside of her affinity with her pet, in her background, birds fly over to lift off her jacket pre-fight and she thanks them.
• Girlish Pigtails: She puts her hair on pigtails in with two ribbons and her naivete and innocence is a big focus on her characterization.
• Ki Manipulation: She has innate power to manipulate ki. Then there are times that she just decides to sit on you and then unload every ki she has onto you with, err... questionable sounds...
• Killer Rabbit: Seems harmless (and usually is), but gameplay-wise is almost as powerful as Gato.
• Martial Pacifist: A more tragic example; she's nothing more than a kind, docile, and overall sweet girl who simply wants to reunite her fragmented family. Unfortunately, fighting is the viable means of doing so.
• Meaningful Name: Her name means "firefly," which explains the animation behind a few of her attacks.
• Morality Pet: Most likely, although she didn't see it, she's this for Gato, if you believe that his Jerkass attitude was merely a facade. In other continuities, Gato tends to indirectly protect her while keeping up his usual Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy attitude.
• Muscles Are Meaningless: Defied with moderate success. As opposed to Gato's physical, "hard" style, Hotaru fights with internal (or "soft") Kung Fu and most of her special moves involve Ki Manipulation.
• Parental Abandonment: Her mom is dead and her father has left for parts unknown. Hotaru is currently searching for both her dad and Gato, who is heavily implied (but not outright stated) to be her older brother.
• Right Makes Might: She has the belief that true strength comes from kindness in contrast of almost everyone else (especially her brother and Kain).
• Say My Name: Calls out "Onii-chan!" (i.e. Gato) as a KO cry.
• Skilled, but Naive: Hotaru is a very skilled martial artist, but on the other hand, as one of the youngest cast member of the game, she is rather naive to how the actual world works.
• Weasel Mascot: Her pet marten Itokatsu. She's just that good with animals.

Tizoc (Griffon Mask)

Tizoc, this wall of muscle, is invincible to the fists of evil!

Origin: Mexico

Fighting Style: Pro Wrestling

Voiced by: Hikaru Hanada (Japanese), Jalen K. Cassell (English, City of the Wolves)

A Mexican Luchador wearing a griffon mask. He enters the tournament for his fans and for charity. At the end of the tournament, he retires but comes back anyway after he caught a glimpse of a young fan who admires him.

In the KOF universe, he enters the tournament in 2003 and XI with other Fatal Fury characters. In XIV, however, he's undergone a Face–Heel Turn and goes by a new persona "King of Dinosaurs" due to circumstances he keeps to himself.

See The King of Fighters XIV for tropes about him in the Dinosaur persona.

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• Animal Motifs: The griffon, of course. It goes well with his tendencies to name his strikes after things from the mythology (especially Greek).
• Boisterous Bruiser: A big-hearted manly man, with loud voice, good laughter and joy towards general fighting in general.
• Breakout Character: His popularity has made him a playable character in The King of Fighters 2003 and XI. He returns in XIV as a brand new character named King of Dinosaurs.
• Calling Your Attacks: Has this down to an art form. Not only does he have an arsenal of stylish wrestling moves, but his Large Ham tendencies make them entertaining.
• The Cameo: He has also made background cameos in The King of Fighters 2002, both the original game and Ultimate Match version.
• Contemplate Our Navels: Considers leaving the ring because he sees himself as a has-been. It takes just the support of one fan to encourage Tizoc to do otherwise.
• Detect Evil: Less so than Jae Hoon, but Tizoc can know which person is evil and has a modified dialogue for his opening quote into, "Let's go, evildoer!". Because of his less zeal towards justice, he didn't have this modified dialogue on Freeman or Gato.
• Difficult, but Awesome: While Tizoc is usually a low-tier character, it's mostly because he's a mostly defensive character who excels more in reacting. His signature grab is a 360 motion, one of his Supers are 720 motion, and in a more fast-paced game like Garou, this would work against him. However, if one can read the enemy well and utilizing the Just Defense system in the right place, Tizoc can take more than half of the enemy's hit points in one single swoop without even wasting any meter.
• Friend to All Children: He enjoys being a Face because he does genuinely loves his (especially children) fans and knows that he inspires them.
• The Grappler: The designated wrestler of Garou, having access to some flashy and very over-the-top command grabs, including slamming his opponent into the top of the screen borders.
• Hunk: He's certainly got the muscles and manliness for this!
• Justice Will Prevail: While not as overzealous as any of the Kim family, his in-ring Face persona involves being a stalwart defender of justice, so he DOES fight to uphold justice. He even named one of his signature throws "Justice Hurricane".
• Large Ham: He loves to shout his move names, possibly to an exaggerated degree.
• Masked Luchador: He's basically a Mexican luchador, what with the mask and general Face attitude, but he's a lot more muscular and power based than being technical.
• Mighty Glacier: As luchadors go, Tizoc is proportioned much more like a Raiden/Big Bear or Zangief than a lightweight lucha libre specialist.
• Shout-Out: A few of his moves seem to mimic that of Japanese pro wrestler Tiger Mask.
• Spinning Piledriver: Both Justice Hurricane and his signature Big Fall is basically jumping while lifting their opponent, then piles them to the ground head first (except the S-Power Big Fall, where he stomps on them from sky to ground, but the idea is the same)
• Spirited Competitor: Whereas B. Jenet requests that he joins her team in her ploy to earn the tournament's prize money, Tizoc is unconcerned with this, merely tagging along for the "heart" of the fight.
• Theme Naming: Judging by his move list, Tizoc is quite the Greek mythology buff: Poseidon Wave, Olympus Over, Icarus Crash, Hercules Throw, Daedalus Attack...
• Walking Shirtless Scene: As Tizoc, he goes around without his shirt on, but that's normal because it's what wrestlers or luchadors usually do. When he's off-ring, he sometimes dons a nice suit.
• The Worf Effect: He's a mighty wrestler, but before the game began, someone attacked him and gave him a sound thrashing, and part of the reason why he's entering the tournament is to find info on such attacker, all of it leading him to ponder if he has been a washed up fighter and not the real deal.

Freeman

All is a nightmare. The beginning, the end.

Origin: England

Fighting Style: Ga-ryuu Kakutoujustu

Voiced by: ^note Eiji Yano

A nihilistic British Serial Killer who lives for life-and-death thrills and views his murders as works of art. A year prior to the events of MotW, he killed Kevin Rian's partner, who was also the father of Marky.

---

• Ax-Crazy: Oh boy, that's an understatement. Aside from his incredibly violent fighting style, he alternates between muttering under his breath in a clearly unhinged tone of voice and then SCREAMING incoherently at the top of his lungs.
• Barbarian Long Hair: He's a serial killer with long messy hair. You can't be any more barbarian than that.
• Black Cloak: During his introduction.
• Blood Knight: Obsessed with the concept of death to an almost comical degree. He's easily the most bloodthirsty character in the game.
• Composite Character: In addition to his character traits bringing to mind Iori Yagami, he also wears the above-mentioned Benimaru-esque outfit and fights similarly to Mature and Vice (with heavy metal-themed attack names to match).
• Counter-Attack: His Creeping Death super attack just has him walk forward. However, if his opponent tries a physical attack, cue Gory Discretion Shot.
• Evil Brit: A British serial killer that somehow gets to Southtown.
• The Faceless: His face is never shown (and is hidden under his bangs in his sprite), save for a cameo in The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match, but it's too small to make out his features properly.
• Gory Discretion Shot: One of his DM/SDMs, Creeping Death, has him viciously attacking his opponent in the dark.
• Limp and Livid: His neutral stance is just him standing straight up with his arms at his sides with no appearance of a guard. His head is in the typical slumped position, with his long stringy hair dangling in front of his face, and he is constantly tensing his arms like he's ready to strangle his opponent at the first opportunity (he's a serial killer, after all). A lot of his attacks are also performed with a distinct lankiness to them that adds to the vibe that he's on the edge of control and only one attack away from going totally berserk.
• Mad Artist: He thinks of granting someone a "beautiful death" as doing his victims a great service.
• Mistaken Identity: He's extremely reminiscent of Iori Yagami from The King of Fighters. He also bears a more-than-passing resemblance to Remy, who himself looks similar to Iori.
• Never Found the Body: He's shot by SWAT teams in his ending and falls into a river, his fate never revealed.
• Put on a Bus: He's left in an Ambiguous Situation after being seemingly killed in his ending. And this is the main excuse for why he hasn't appeared in anything since Garou.
• Shout-Out:
  • Not only does his fighting style resemble that of Mature and Vice, he also follows their tradition of naming his attacks after heavy metal bands. His Round 1 winquote is "Kono akumu he... youkoso", which essentially means "Welcome to my nightmare."
  • Funnily enough, Freeman has a couple of shout-outs of his own in the form of Tsukikage Arashi and Carmine. (with Carmine being a slightly more egregious example). A Hilarious in Hindsight subversion comes in the form of one of Benimaru's alternate color options in Capcom VS SNK 2, which essentially mirrors one of Freeman's alt-color options in Garou MotW.
• Three-Strike Combo: His V.O.D. special move, which comes in two flavors depending on whether you use A or C to execute the string.
• Wolverine Claws: At least partially subverted. Some pieces of artwork depict him with long fingernails, but like the aforementioned Iori, Mature and Vice, he seems to shred opponents with his fingertips.

Hokutomaru

Origin: Japan

Fighting Style: Koppou, Shiranui-ryuu Ninjutsu

Voiced by: ^note Junko Takeuchi

Andy's young and brash apprentice. Upon learning of a tournament, he comes to the city for the first time and causes a huge mess in a road intersection.

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• Big Eater: One of his winposes has him eating two large apples and a bomb in one gulp each. Given that happens once per match, those snacks add up very quickly.
• Crossdressing Voices: Voiced by Junko Takeuchi. So if Hokutomaru sounds familiar to you, you better BELIEVE IT.
• Double Jump: A unique attribute of his, courtesy of his ninja training.
• No Indoor Voice: He's not a Highly-Visible Ninja, but he's a Highly Audible one.
• Scarf of Asskicking: His scarf is almost the length of his whole body, and it flows dynamically whenever he's in the midst of an intense battle.
• Teleport Spam: The AI loves to use his overhead slash teleport move. Makes him very difficult to hit.

Kevin Rian

With Marky

Origin: USA

Fighting Style: SWAT Mercenary Techniques

Voiced by: ^note Yo Kitazawa

A SWAT officer who is often seen around with his young friend, Marky. He's looking for Freeman, the killer of his partner, Marky's father.

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• Alternate Company Equivalent: He kinda reminds one of a more competent Stryker.
• Composite Character: He's more of a power-player, making him more similar to Ralf Jones than Blue Mary (a grappler somewhat like Clark Still).
• Everyone Is a Suspect: He suspects everyone he encounters of possibly being the one who kidnapped Marky.
• Hunk: Check out those muscles! And that smile!
• Playing with Fire: A lot of his attacks are infused with explosive bursts of fire, making him somewhat similar to Ralf from The King of Fighters. He can even kick an opponent so hard with a firey kick using one of his Desperation Moves that it leaves them stunned and enflamed for him to do additional follow-up damage.
• Police Brutality: He's a heavily armed SWAT officer running around beating up martial artists. Unsurprisingly, he's extremely overpowered.
• Punch-Clock Hero: Subverted. He's in the tournament not because he wanted to save Southtown from corruption, but because Freeman is participating, but aside of his personal vendetta, it would also do good for the majority of people anyway if he takes Freeman down.
• Spear Counterpart: Kevin is basically a male version of Blue Mary; It's been suggested that he's her brother or cousin.
  • Word of God says he's a "distant relative."

Marco Rodrigues (Kushnood Butt)

Origin: Brazil

Fighting Style: Kyokugenryu Karate

Voiced by: ^note Hikaru Hanada (Japanese), Ken'ichirou Matsuda (Japanese, City of the Wolves), Earl Baylon (English, City of the Wolves)

A Brazilian Kyokugen-ryu practitioner who enters the tournament for the sake of advertising his dojo for new students. He was left in charge of the dojo by Ryo Sakazaki when he went training. At the end of the tournament, his dojo gets trashed anyway so he goes to look for the guy who did it.

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• '80s Hair: Frompadours have only been so badass once before.
• Afro Asskicker: Khushnood Butt may have a funny name and an incredible pompadour. But he is easily one of the finest examples of the Afro Asskicker in gaming history.
• Alternate Company Equivalent: A brazilian martial artist introduced in a "Next Generation" styled soft-reboot of the series to be the representative for a mainstay fighting style. Sounds a lot like Sean Matsuda.
• Bowdlerise: Inverted; Butt is his name in the American versions. This was to prevent confusion with Ricco Rodriguez, a mixed martial artist. After SNK's relaunch, they finally reverted his name back to its original one, with proper Portuguese spelling this time.
• But Not Too Foreign: Brazil's official language is Portuguese, yet Marco's name in the Japanese version is spelled the Spanish way, ending in "Z." The Portuguese version ends in "S." His cameo appearance and unofficial introduction into the King of Fighters universe in the Art of Fighting team's story for XV retconned the spelling to the proper Portuguese one (Rodrigues).
• Button Mashing: If you keep tapping the punch button after doing his P-Power-only Desperation Move, the Ryuko Ranbu, he'll add more hits to it.
• Charged Attack: He has two moves where the player must hold down one of the hard attack buttons for a few seconds then release them. Depending on which attack was held Marco will either thrust forward with a hard punch or a single hitting version of the Hien Shippu Kyaku. The longer you charge the buttons the more range each version of the attack gains (the highest level is indicated by a golden ki surrounding Marco's limb when he executes it).
• Counter-Attack: He has special counter moves similar to Ryo's auto-guard specials that allow him to tank an incoming attack and retaliate while moving towards the foe. There is a version that intercepts high and mid strikes and a version that counters lows.
• Delinquent Hair: He sports an impressive looking pompadour on the level of Josuke Higashikata's.
• Dub Name Change: Although it's utterly absurd. The name "Marco Rodriguez" was dropped due to its similarity to a real martial artist, sure, but why was "Khushnood Butt" the winning replacement? This was eventually averted as of the story for King of Fighters XV, where he is referred to by his original name, Marco Rodrigues, for the first time in the official English translation of an SNK title. And when he makes his playable return in City of the Wolves, he goes fully by his true name.
• Hammerspace: One of his winposes has him pull out a wooden panel as big as he is. Fine and dandy until you realize the implications of him being as competent a fighter as everyone else although he carries several pounds of wood underneath his dogi.
• Hermit Guru: Deliberately lives and trains in a forest, away from the city, with the aforementioned bear.
• Hunk: A tall muscular man some very cut features. And with that pompadour with his!
• I'm a Humanitarian: Hopefully he's joking, but the sight of Tizoc makes Marco hungry. He mistakes him for a giant poultry.
• Kamehame Hadoken: The Haoh Shokoken, the most powerful ki-based attack in the Kyokugenryu style.
• Ki Manipulation: He can throw the Ko-oh Ken as all practitioners of the Kyokugenryu style can as well as the more powerful Haoh Shokoken. His super variant of the Ko-hoh also covers his fist with ki (blue for S-Power and gold for P-Power).
• Manly Man: Not to say Ryo wasn't that manly (Kyokugenryu Karate is a pretty intense martial art) but he was a bit of a pretty boy compared to his father. Marco, however, is about as grizzled and bear as they come (his stage even takes place out in the woods in his private training retreat, surrounded by wildlife; it's not hard to imagine him toughening up by punching trees shirtless). Also when he wins he bursts out of his gi top with his rippling muscles, Kenshiro-style.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed:
  • Shares quite a few traits with Segata Sanshiro.
  • He also might be based off of Willie Williams, an African-American Kyokushin Karate practitioner, considering that he bears a resemblance to the man himself and that Kyokugenryu Karate itself is based off of Kyokushin Karate and that he fights bears, much like how Willie Williams is famously known as the "Bear Killer".
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: The Ryuko Ranbu, the signature attack of the Kyokugenryu style. Here it is exclusively a P-Power move with no S-Power equivalent and can be extended if you keep hitting the punch button after executing it.
• Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: His Zanretsuken move (which his T.O.P. attack in this case) is a staple of Kyokugenryu Karate.
• Real Men Wear Pink:
  • His profile specifically mentions a tendency to cry while reading Disney picture books.
  • One of his alternate color schemes has him wearing bright green shirt and pink pants.
• Shotoclone: Has a projectile and jumping uppercut, with the Hurricane Kick being replaced by the standard Kyokugenryu Hien Shippuu Kyaku (plus his own variation where he travels up instead of forward).
• Soul Brotha: Looks a lot like someone who would have starred in a Blaxploitation karate flick of The '70s (like Jim Kelly in Black Belt Jones), complete with beard, era-appropriate hairdo, and sideburns.
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: At 6'0" and a very muscular fellow.
• Token Black: Of the game's roster.

Kim Dong Hwan

Origin: South Korea

Fighting Style: Taekwondo

Voiced by: ^note Jun Hashimoto

Kim Kaphwan's eldest son and Jae Hoon's brother. A slacker who uses unorthodox methods of fighting as he would prefer to hit on women than practice.

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• Alternate Company Equivalent: He and his brother can be seen as the equivalent of Yun and Yang. Dong Hwan can be seen as the Yun equivalent, being the cockier and more carefree brother of the two.
• Brilliant, but Lazy: He's a party dude and a goof ball. But Dong Hwan isn't joking when he called himself a 'Battle Genius', he's just THAT talented at Taekwondo that he doesn't really need training to unlock his true potential.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Don't let his goofiness fool you. He really proves through his fighting prowess to be a worthy successor to his father Kim.
• Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Foolish sibling to Jae Hoon's responsible one. Dong Hwan is a laid back goofball who hates training, but has a lot of natural talent and power. Jae Hoon is dedicated and disciplined, and has developed his abilities. Both fight evenly with the other. This is played with in the latter's ending; Jae Hoon is pondering over what Kain said about justice, second guessing his own beliefs. Dong Hwan's more practical, down-to-Earth attitude quickly snaps him out of it.
• Hard Work Hardly Works: Slacks off every time and getting scolded for not attending training sessions by his more serious little bro. But Dong Hwan is just born with natural talent that he can match up with his brother's diligence with just his unorthodox methods while all he did was just partying and having fun.
• Limit Break: Notable in that he is supposedly the less devoted member of his family yet it's Dong Hwan who has a P-Power exclusive super attack whereas his brother does not (it's his take on the Hoh'ou Kyaku — Jae Hoon has his own version but his is just a standard super that comes in both S and P-Power variants).
• Meaningful Name: Dong Hwan can be read as a 'Koreanized' version of 'Don Juan'. And he's a playboy slacker.
• Moveset Clone: He shares some similar moves to his brother Jae Hoon, which are based on the moveset of their father Kaphwan. That said between him and his brother he is the one who uses the more unique arts (such as his jumping electric axe kick).
• Perfectly Cromulent Word: Made up a bunch of imaginary words and phrases on a whim, mostly from playing video games with his bro. One of them ("pompe") is actually a word... it just happens to be one from French and Italian vocabulary.
• Pretty Boy: He's quite a pretty boy since he must have gotten it from his dad. And he'll use it to his advantage.
• Retcon: Young Dong Hwan in the anime is actually more shy than Jae Hoon. In Garou, he's the more outgoing and slacker son. Then again, Dong Hwan was a little child in the anime; he could have just grown out of his shell sooner than his brother did.
• Shock and Awe: The ki can shoot lightning out of his feet. How Dong Hwan can charge up electricity is anyone's guess, because that is definitely not something Kim could do.
• Technician vs. Performer: The Performer, since he prefers to do Tae Kwon Do for his own amusement rather than the discipline his brother exudes. Still presents a formidable challenge in spite of it.

Kim Jae Hoon

Origin: South Korea

Fighting Style: Taekwondo

Voiced by: ^note Hrioki Asakawa

Kim Kaphwan's youngest son and Dong Hwan's brother. He resembles his father in the sense that he upholds a high sense of justice (even more than Kevin, who is a cop) and often scolds his brother for not practicing.

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• Alternate Company Equivalent: He and his brother can be seen as the equivalent of Yun and Yang. Jae Hoon can be seen as the Yang equivalent, being the more serious brother of the two.
• Battle Couple: Him and his Action Girlfriend Sausu; both are Taekwondokas. She can be seen in one of his victory animations, bringing him some water.
• Cheerful Child: In The Movie, he was a totally adorable and outgoing little boy. While Dong Hwan started as a tiny Shrinking Violet in said movie but grew into a cheerful slacker, Jae Hoon became more serious and focused.
• Detect Evil: Inherited his father's "justice sense."
• Family Honor: As the responsible son, he took upon upholding the name and philosophy of his family. Which is why if he beats Freeman, he said 'his father has been avenged', because apparently Freeman defeated (but not killed) his aged father in battle, he was actually avenging his honor.
• Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Responsible sibling to Dong Hwan's foolish one. Dong Hwan is a laid back goofball who hates training, but has a lot of natural talent and power. Jae Hoon is dedicated and disciplined, and has developed his abilities. Both fight evenly with the other. This is played with in the latter's ending; Jae Hoon is pondering over what Kain said about justice, second guessing his own beliefs. Dong Hwan's more practical, down-to-Earth attitude quickly snaps him out of it.
• Generation Xerox: Plays this straight at first glance; he's got his father's sense of justice, discipline, dedication, etc. and has his more well-known techniques, but he ends up contemplating if the justice he ascribes to is truly the correct way. Double Subverted in his ending where Dong Hwan, of all people, snaps him out of it.
• Instant Fan Club: Has one. Sausu herself is a part of their ranks.
• Justice Will Prevail: Like Father, Like Son. However, Kain managed to make him question whether it was really the right path for him to babble about justice, but a few surprisingly inspirative words from Dong Hwan makes Jae Hoon re-assert his belief on justice.
• Moveset Clone: He shares some similar moves to his brother Dong Hwan, which are based on the moveset of their father Kaphwan. Jae Hoon sticks with the forms his father teaches, by and large, only making minor adjustments (such his version of the Ryuusei Raku employing a back-legged sweep instead of a front-legged slide) and adding a little ignition. He does have some unique moves, though, such as the Shakka Shuu — where he lifts his back leg forward and deflects any inbound attack before retaliating with a series of fast kicks.
• Pretty Boy: It runs in the family (except the justice obsession on Dong Hwan)! Jae Hoon is very pretty and combined with his hard work ethics, it created an Instant Fan Club in his dojo.
• Playing with Fire: Jae Hoon can imbue his kicks with fire, something that his father does not do.
• This Is Unforgivable!: "Evil cannot be forgiven!" ("Aku wa... yurushimasen!")
• Technician vs. Performer: The Technician, as he retains a strict sense of dedication and pride in his form compared to Dong Hwan's lazy, natural talent.

Grant (Abel Cameron)

Origin: USA

Fighting Style: Ankoku Karate

Voiced by: ^note Yo Kitazawa

Kain's best friend and most trusted bodyguard. When Kain and Grant were children, they saw a young boy who was beaten up by some older boys. The young boy didn't fight back and eventually died from the beating, thus the two adopted the philosophy of survival of the fittest. Their bond is so strong, he took a gunshot for Kain in one assassination attempt. Despite this wound, he's still one of the most powerful people to face against in the tournament.

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• Bodyguarding a Badass: He's Kain's champion handpicked to lead the KOF tournament, but Kain himself is the True Final Boss. Grant's job is to subdue any intruders who would interfere Kain's dealings.
• Bring It: "Now show me your awesome power... show me all you have."
• Cool Mask: His mask is like a cross between a demon and a dragon's faces. It makes sense given he made bargain with a dark entity.
• Deal with the Devil: At some point, Grant made a deal with an unknown demonic entity to attain the Ankoku Karate (Dark Karate). It basically gave him massive power and speed boosts, and the ability to augment his attacks with dark auras.
• Death Seeker: To a degree. Due to his bullet wound, Grant lives every day as if it were his last and wouldn't mind the prospect of dying in the heat of battle, as long as Kain can live on to fulfill their dreams.
• Handicapped Badass: He's got a bullet wound, he will destroy you with his fists anyways.
• Hidden Depths: His bio states that he enjoys painting fine China.
• I Have Many Names: Real name Abel Cameron, usually known as Grant, also goes by the title "Martyr of Might."
• Knight Templar: Wholeheartedly supports Kain's plan to build a better Southtown through survival of the fittest cullings.
• Parental Substitute: In Kain's youth, Grant served as his father figure.
• Self-Inflicted Hell: An interesting detail: he hates hot places, but chooses to fight in a flame-filled underground chamber.
• Secret Stab Wound: Hides an injury he received protecting Kain, a bullet which is still lodged in his chest and cannot be removed without killing him.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Beef stew.

Kain R. Heinlein

A wolf like you should know...people today aren't alive.

Origin: USA

Fighting Style: Ankoku Shinkuu-Ken

Voiced by: ^note Jun Hashimoto

Geese Howard's brother-in-law and Rock Howard's uncle. He holds the Maximum Mayhem Tournament for the strong to compete against each other. He personally fights the victor in a showdown of who's the strongest. He took over Southtown after Geese's disappearance and, according to Rock's ending, was only following only the will of Geese. Despite this, he holds great contempt against Geese for taking away his sister though he doesn't show it often.

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• Anti-Villain: He never does anything heinous and the only motive he and Grant had to turn to crime was to protect themselves from much worse people after they've witnessed a boy being beaten to death in the slums.
• Authority Equals Asskicking: Though he's more balanced than his right hand man was, he has one deadly trick up his sleeve - when fighting him in Arcade Mode winning the first round leads to his T.O.P bar extending to his entire lifebar afterwards.
• Badass in a Nice Suit: He fights wearing a clean, white business suit.
• Big Fancy House: Kain lives at The Dark Palace, which is decorated with a huge dome, columns, a chessboard floor, hawk statues, flags, banners, a garden... and portrait of Marie, who is Kain's sister and Rock's mother. The weather sets the mood, too; it's a chilly, cloudless night with shooting stars and mist. If you taunt, it'll stir up some Dramatic Wind and a few leaves.
• Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: Geese and Kain both grew up in poverty and clawed their way to the top, but the similarities end there. Geese Howard was more of a classic mobster who slowly rose through the underworld, seeking only power. He was a ruthless murderer who had the typical vices of a criminal mastermind. In terms of design, he was hypermasculine and relied mostly on close-range attacks and counters, with only a couple of projecticles. His only quirk was that he was a massive Occidental Otaku. Meanwhile, Kain is a Visionary Villain who is driven by the philosophy that people need struggle and hardship to appreciate their lives, and the strong should rule over the weak. He also wants Southtown to secede from America and become its own city-state where violence rules, which is something Geese never would've considered. Kain is more of an Anti-Villain with lofty ideas and ambitions, but going about it the wrong way. Unlike his predecessor, Kain relies on his intellect and psychology - not physical threats - to manipulate his opponents. In terms of design, he's a pretty boy who relies mostly on projectile spamming, has charge inputs, and lacks Geese's finely-honed techniques and physical prowess. He also leans really heavily into his German heritage and plays up his wealth and aristocratic image.
• Creepy Crosses: One of his win poses has one of these, made out of his blue flames, form behind Kain.
• Dark Messiah: Kain's motive is to build a better Southtown through trial, conflict and violence.
• Evil Uncle: The ending reveals that Kain is Marie's brother, making him Rock's uncle. Needless to say, the latter did not take it well.
• Expy: Much like how his brother-in-law Geese is one of Thouzer from Fist of the North Star, Kain is a mix of Shin and Raoh, with a bit of Char Aznable thrown in for good measure. Kain establishing Second Southtown to sate his own ambitions and as a sort of memorial to his dead sister Marie mirrors Shin estbalishing Southern Cross to rule over it with Yuria. His ambitions, however, are much more in line with those of Raoh, as he wishes to create a place where only the strong will survive in order to "end society's decadence", in his own words. Despite his demeanor as an Anti-Villain, his plans nonetheless put him into conflict with Terry as well as his own newphew Rock, filling the Char analogue.
• Gratuitous German: His moveset is completely written (and for the most part, shouted) in German, with attacks like Schwarze Flamme and Schwarze Panzer leading to humorous misunderstandings like "Shirt Flake!" and "Shirt Hunter!"
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: Him and Grant. Grant looked after Kain while the latter grew up in intense poverty. The two gladly cooperate to turn a second Southtown into a Darwinist society.
• Love Makes You Evil: His sister Marie's death was his Start of Darkness.
• Misanthrope Supreme: Looks down upon anyone who isn't a fighter.
• My Rules Are Not Your Rules:
  • Aside from the T.O.P. bar thing above, Kain is a charge input fighter (as in holding backward then tapping forward to use a special, a la Guile). Kain somehow doesn't seem to care while fighting you, as he can use said attacks while walking towards you. Being a SNK Boss, this is entirely intentional. Adding to this, his moves have incredible priority, which are usually balanced out with the charging style, but since The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard...
  • Invoked in-game with the win quote against Kevin Rian:
    Kain: "Your justice and mine... You'll never understand..."
• Mysterious Middle Initial: Could be Robert, considering his partial namesake.
• Name of Cain: He's named after the biblical character, due to Grant's real name being Abel. Ironically enough, these two names are completely irrelevant given that he and Grant trust eachother greatly.
• Non-Indicative Name: In spite of being named after Cain, who is known for murdering his brother, he has no hostility towards Grant, whose true name is Abel, and in fact appreciates him greatly thanks to the latter looking after him since he was young.
• Playing with Fire: Wields blue flames (purple in-game) similar to those of the Orochi.
• Shout-Out: Kain's name is a homage to novelist Robert A. Heinlein. His first name also brings two brothers to mind although he and Grant get on well.
• SNK Boss: Is playable by using a code (except in the AES version where he and Grant are immediately selectable,) but is harder to control than Grant, since many of his moves are charge attacks.
• Social Darwinist: Kain's basic philosophy is that strength is what truly matters in people. To him, dying in battle against someone stronger than you is just nature running its course.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Apple pie!
• True Final Boss: You can only fight him (and get an ending) by meeting certain conditions.
• Villainous Friendship: Type I with Grant. Whereas the true extent of Geese and Billy's relationship has always been a bit hazy from Geese's side, Kain and Grant truly have each other's back through thick and thin.
• Warrior Therapist: Many of his win quotes pick at his opponent's motivations.
• We Can Rule Together: To Rock Howard at the end of Rock's ending. Surprisingly enough, Rock takes the deal since Kain's sister Marie was Rock's mother.