Main Series
Protagonists | Deuteragonists
The King Of Fighters: The Rugal Saga
The King Of Fighters: The Orochi Saga: KOF '95 | KOF '96 | KOF '97
The King of Fighters: The NESTS Chronicles: KOF '99 | KOF 2000 | KOF 2001
The King of Fighters: The Tales of Ash: KOF 2003 | KOF XI
The King of Fighters: The New Age: KOF XIV | KOF XV
Spin Offs
The King of Fighters EX | Maximum Impact
Related Series
Athena | Psycho Soldier | Fatal Fury | Art of Fighting | Samurai Shodown | Metal Slug | Fu'un Series | Buriki One
The characters in The King of Fighters introduced during the Orochi Saga ('95-'98) will be listed here.
Characters are listed in alphabetical order of last names. It should be noted that all the Chinese and Korean character names are rendered in the Western style (given name-surname rather than surname-given name).
Individual Pages
- The King of Fighters '95: (Rivals Teamnote , Saisyu Kusanagi)
- The King of Fighters '96: (Leona Heidern, Kasumi Todoh, Yagami Teamnote , Boss Teamnote , Chizuru Kagura, Leopold Goenitz)
- The King of Fighters '97: (New Faces Teamnote , '97 Special Teamnote , Shingo Yabuki, Orochi)
open/close all folders
NPC and characters from related KOF media
Gaidel
Gaidel - Unknown
The biological father of Leona and a member of the Orochi Hakkesshu, Gaidel was an avatar of water. Distancing himself from the rest of his clan, Gaidel moved to a remote village with his wife and young daughter. When Goenitz visited him and asked for help with Orochi's revival, Gaidel refused, prompting Goenitz to activate the Riot of Blood in Leona. Gaidel, his wife, and the entire village was slain by Orochi Leona.
- Back from the Dead: He's one of the many souls brought forth from Verse's defeat, being confirmed in the Ikari Warriors' ending in XIV. His whereabouts, however, are still unknown...until the Ikari Warriors team's ending in XV when his daughter Leona finally manages to track him down, wanting to meet him again.
- The Call Knows Where You Live: He managed to hide for several years from the other Orochi, but Goenitz managed to find him. It went From Bad to Worse.
- Death by Origin Story: Thanks to Goenitz's machinations, Leona was induced by the Riot of the Blood to kill her family.
- Defector from Decadence: He simply wanted to live a peaceful life in seclusion with his family, with no care for the other followers of Orochi. Goenitz would have none of that, especially when Gaidel refused to help resurrect Orochi.
- The Faceless: His appearance has never been fully revealed. The best we've received was this silhouette to the right, in '97.
- Making a Splash: What Gaidel's power was that of water, though it's never shown in use.
- Posthumous Character: He's been long dead since before the series began, his death being a huge source of guilt for his daughter. Up until his resurrection in XIV.
- Razor-Sharp Hand: Leona inherited them from him.
- Spell My Name With An S: Expect his name to also be spelled as Guidel.
- Spirit Advisor: In 97's Ikari Team ending
, as Leona fully recovers her memories and understandably shuts down, she hears her father's voice in her mind. Gaidel tells her that nothing in regards to her Self-Made Orphan status was her fault, and that she must keep fighting against her Orochi "destiny."
Yuki - Japan
Yuki - Japan
Profile
- MODE OF COMBAT: None
- BIRTHDAY: March 20
- HEIGHT: 167cm
- WEIGHT: 52kg
- BLOOD TYPE: Type A
- MEASUREMENTS: 83cm, 54cm, 81cm
- BIRTHPLACE: Japan
- HOBBY: Long car ride
- PERSONAL TREASURES: Pictures of the Athletics Games
- FAVORITE FOOD: Monjya Yaki
- DISLIKES: People who play games
- FORTE IN SPORTS: High jumping
- Voiced by: Tomoko Kojima
An Ordinary High-School Student and Kyo's girlfriend. She also has the bad luck of being the last descendant of Princess Kushinada, the famous Barrier Maiden of the Orochi legend, so during KOF '97 she's kidnapped by the New Faces Team so she can be sacrificed in the ritual to bring Orochi back; luckily, she's rescued by Kyo and his team. She only had cameos in the proper games, but had her role expanded in the KOF: Kyo RPG and manga, as well as the CD dramas. Finally, SNK Gals Fighters made her a playable character.
- Ascended Extra: First, she was a mere mention in Kyo's profile. The designers started playing around and imagining how Kyo's "girl" would be like, then Shinkiro occasionally included her in Team Japan-related illustrations, and one thing led to another... This was fully sealed in the KOF:KYO continuity, where she gets quite a bit of spotlight.
- Badass Adorable, Lethal Joke Character and Lightning Bruiser: Only in SNK Gals Fighter.
- Barrier Maiden: A descendant of one, Princess Kushinada. This makes her a prime target for resurrecting Orochi.
- Break the Cutie: In the Shingyouji manga, when she's kidnapped by Rugal and used as a pawn in his cruel Deadly Game against the Japan Team; once she's free and safe, the poor girl is rather shaken by such an intense experience. It mostly fails in KOF: KYO, as she bounces back more or less well from her kidnapping at the hands of the NFT.
- The Bus Came Back: Yuki pretty much vanished from all KOF media after the Orochi Saga was over, her name wasn’t even mentioned anymore; all that changed in XV, the post-credits scene for the Sacred Treasures Team, Kyo goes back to his daily life and meets Yuki, she welcomes him back, although her face isn’t shown. That’s a full 24 years gap since her last mainline appearance.
- Demoted to Extra: While she isn't the most important character to start with, Ryo Takamisaki's KOF: G has poor Yuki only in one scene at the beginning. Also qualifies as borderline Derailing Love Interests: said scene makes her few more than a Clingy Jealous Girl opposing Athena over Kyo, and once Kyo explains everything and Yuki relents, she's not seen through the rest of the story, contrasting with her potential kidnappers (Yashiro, Chris and Shermie) making cameos at the very end.
- Depending on the Writer: Since there weren't many leads on her aside of how she looked like at first, the Yuki from the Tatsuya Shinjyouji manga was a borderline Shrinking Violet. Then, the KOF: KYO media rewrote her into a Girl Next Door with shades of a Type B Tsundere.
- Distress Ball:
- Before she was caught in the struggles of KOF: KYO and KOF '97, the KOF '94 manga by Tatsuya Shingyouji handed her one of these. It went more or less like this: Poor Yuki gets captured per Rugal's orders, then is Bound and Gagged inside a hotel room with a bomb. The Japan team is blackmailed into fighting their upcoming rivals in the streets of Osaka with a time limit, or Yuki gets blown into smithereens. (And they get taunted all the time via cellphone calls.) They manage to win their match and are told where Yuki is. Kyo bails her out with a few seconds to spare. The bomb turns out to be a fake, because Rugal was trolling Kyo and Co. For the Evulz.
- Subverted in the KOF:KYO video game. Yuki doesn't arrive to one of her and Kyo's dates and it seems she has been kidnapped and taken abroad by some mysterious people, so Kyo has to search for her in three different countries with the help of other fighters. Then it turns out that the deal is a Secret Test of Character from Chizuru, who wants to test Kyo's will and reasons to fight so she asks Yuki to lay low to give Kyo a "purpose" aside of merely fighting for the thrill of it. (Not to mention, Kyo had been neglecting Yuki lately and they almost had a fight as well...)
- Girl Next Door
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: After her disastrous Go Through Me towards Iori in KOF: KYO, Yuki tells Kyo that she felt useless upon not being able to stop them. Kyo says it's just because she doesn't know what KOF is like and tells her that she shouldn't blame herself.
- Hidden Depths: According to KOF: KYO, she's an excellent keyboardist. Her skill's enough to have Athena, a professional Idol Singer, ask her to play keyboards for her in a School Festival.
- High-School Sweethearts: How Kyo and Yuki's relationship began. Not only that, but they're also classmates and in KOF: KYO they often go◊ into dates◊ in their high school uniforms.◊
- Improbable Weapon User: Her schoolbag.
- I Will Wait for You:
- Her sole quote from '97 ("Matteru kara ne, Kyo!") translates to this.
- In KOF: Kyo, she says that line during her inner monologue as she's kidnapped by Yashiro and taken away from Kyo, right before the fight against the fully Orochi-empowered New Face Team.
- Joshikousei: Almost always shows up wearing her sailor uniform.
- Lady and Knight: Informal example. Yuki isn't a princess but she is the descendant of the Sole Survivor from the Eight Kushinada Maidens; Kyo is pissed off when told about that by Yashiro, and in the end he's asked to protect her by the spirit of the Yasakani.
- Locked Out of the Loop: In KOF: KYO, Yuki knew that Kyo was the champion of the Japanese All-Martial Arts Tournament but had no idea about the KOF Tournament and the Kusanagi myths. She was very unhappy when she found out about the first and, while not angry at Kyo, she resented him for not trusting her; some time later she, Athena and Kensou learned about the latter from Saisyu. (Kyo himself only knew two or three things, but not the whole story.)
- Additionally, sources aren't clear about her knowledge about her own role and heritage in the Orochi storyline. The Andy Seto manhua has Yuki knowing about the myths all along; she's also present during Kyo and Iori's fight after sealing Orochi and Chizuru briefly explains the proper story before Kyo wins the fight but then goes missing. Similarly, the KOF: KYO game has Yashiro, Shermie, and Chris confirming the Kushinada deal to Kyo right in front of a restrained Yuki (as seen in the above video), and later she objects to Kyo fighting Iori right after defeating Orochi but Chizuru makes her relent. Neither of this happens in the KOF '97 game itself, since the NFT had still not taken a hold of Yuki before the fight against them and Orochi.
- Additionally, sources aren't clear about her knowledge about her own role and heritage in the Orochi storyline. The Andy Seto manhua has Yuki knowing about the myths all along; she's also present during Kyo and Iori's fight after sealing Orochi and Chizuru briefly explains the proper story before Kyo wins the fight but then goes missing. Similarly, the KOF: KYO game has Yashiro, Shermie, and Chris confirming the Kushinada deal to Kyo right in front of a restrained Yuki (as seen in the above video), and later she objects to Kyo fighting Iori right after defeating Orochi
- Loved I Not Honor More: As of XIII, their relationship seems to have settled on this. In NESTS!Kyo's pre-fight talks with Athena, she tells him that he shouldn't push himself too hard and that everyone back at home love and supports him, and Kyo guesses that Yuki asked Athena to tell him such things.
- Love Triangle: She, Kyo and Athena (and Kensou and Maeta), in KOF: KYO. Luckily, Athena and Yuki actually become friends after a skittish beginning (mostly due to Yuki being Innocently Insensitive towards Athena) and much drama is avoided.
- Meaningful Name:
Fanon usually gives Yuki the surname Kushinada due to her ancestry. If this is true, it hearkens to Kushinada-hime, the eighth maiden Orochi was planning on eating. - Plucky Girl: Even when she's no fighter, Yuki still wants to do her best and live life as much as she can. Double in the KOF: KYO manga, where she stands up to Iori motherfucking Yagami of all people.
- Revenge: Has some kind of grudge against Iori in Gals Fighter for some reason.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: If not in uniform, she dresses up quite prettily.
- Smooch of Victory: Subverted in the Shonjyouji manga. After Kyo rescues her from Rugal's Deadly Game, she tries to give him one while crying due to the terrifying stress that the deal brought her. However Kyo gently places a finger over her lips, smiles sadly and tells her he's not worthy of a kiss from her since she was kidnapped in an attempt to lure him out and force him to fight. She understands his reasons and doesn't insist, only watching him walk away.
- SNK Boss: Yuki, of all people, is one in SNK Gals Fighters, mostly because she possesses the longest combo string of the entire game.
- Stood Up:
- She does this twice to Kyo in the KOF:KYO game, and both times are quite plot-important. The first one happens because Chizuru asked Yuki to not show up and then play along with Kyo's belief that she has been kidnapped, as a Secret Test of Character for him. The second is much more serious since Yuki now has been kidnapped for real by the New Faces Team, who want to make her a Human Sacrifice.
- Textile Work Is Feminine: In one of the credits illustrations of '98, she is seen sewing Kyo's school jacket.◊
- Took a Level in Badass: She's a playable fighter in SNK Gals Fighters.
- Tsundere: In the KOF: KYO games and manga. She's a Type B aka Type Dere: sweet, gentle, polite and friendly, unless she's with Kyo.
- The manhua by Andy Seto also seems to go by this characterization. Vice attempts to seduce Kyo while disguised as Yuki, but he blows her cover when she's about to kiss him. This is because he knows Yuki well enough to realize that, in their current situation, Yuki would actually be upset at Kyo instead of acting all sweet at him.
- Unwilling Suspension: She finds herself in this position in KOF:KYO, when Saisyu stages a fake Hostage Situation to snap Kyo out of an Heroic BSoD that makes him vulnerable to the Riot of the Blood.
- Virgin Sacrifice: Intended to serve as one for Orochi's resurrection, as per the real-life myth (and in the KOF story, the tale of Yuki's ancestress). Note that this only fully applies to The King of Fighters: Kyo: In ''97'', the Orochi Team mostly needed Life Energy gathered from the tournament grounds in general and planned on sacrificing the winning team to revive their lord. Her situation only comes up if they're fought with the Gods Caliber Team, with Yashiro telling them that they plan to kidnap Yuki to taunt Kyo.
Jokyojo Daimon - Japan
Jokyojo Daimon - Japan
An instructor at the University of Osaka, she is the wife of Goro Daimon. It takes some unlikely matchmaking from the likes of Kyo and Shingo in The King of Fighters: Kyo to get these two together.
- Birds of a Feather: She's quite serious and straight-to-the-point, just like Daimon. Surely enough, they clicked.
- Date Peepers: Inverted. Kyo and Shingo spy on what they believe to be a private moment between the two: in reality, it is only an academic matter. Shingo asks if Daimon already asked her out, which embarrasses and angers Daimon... and then Jokyoko merely replies, "Why couldn't we go out?", leaving Goro speechless. The two then go out on a date. The rest is history.
- Happily Married: To Daimon. He even takes time off from KOF to spend time with her.
- Hot Teacher: She's a director at the University of Osaka.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Her husband is The Big Guy of Team Japan, so it's a given.
Shizuka Kusanagi - Japan
Shizuka Kusanagi - Japan
- Voiced by: Miho Kaneta (The King of Fighters: KYO), Yoko Imaizumi (The King of Fighters: Destiny)
Kyo's beautiful, young looking, always calm mother.
- Action Mom: No frontline fighter, but is more than capable of handling a naginata and giving any intruders quite the verbal beatdowns.
- Guile Hero: She doesn't throw herself into fights, but can protect herself solely with her sharp wit and biting words. She proves this via verbally owning Eiji (and pointing her naginata at him) and later via hilariously showing her own husband Saisyu why he should NEVER go out behind her back.
- Informed Ability: Shizuka is implied to be a member of the Kusanagi clan by both blood and marriage note , but she isn't seen using the clan's traditional flames. Instead, her weapon is her naginata.
- Kimono Is Traditional: She's seen wearing one all the time.
- Mama Bear: Slightly more subdued example, but still there. Get into her Big Fancy House to look for info when neither her husband nor her son are there? She'll calmly point her naginata at your neck. Then she'll give you a softspoken but piercing lecture. And then she'll make you tea before sending you off. And you'll love it.
- Mum Looks Like a Sister: This woman doesn't look like the mother of an older teenager/young adult, period.
- Naginatas Are Feminine: Reflected by her weapon of choice, as she's an otherwise traditionally feminine character.
- So Proud of You: She tells this to a young Kyo when she learns he's a Bully Hunter instead of a bully.
- Parasol of Prettiness: Has one in the manga. Oddly, it's a Western one that offers quite the contrast with her kimono.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: A noticeable feature of her's.
- Tranquil Fury: It's rare to get Shizuka angry, but when she does, she acts like this.
- Yamato Nadeshiko: Calm and kimono wearing mother, with emphasis on the core of steel. She's also the sanest member of the Kusanagi household, capable of holding her own when her husband and Eiji Kisaragi act almost like kids.
- You Can't Fight Fate: Shizuka married Saisyu fully knowing about his destiny as the Kusanagi leader, and similarly supports Kyo in his mission.
Souji and Aoi Kusanagi - Japan
Souji and Aoi Kusanagi - Japan
- Voiced by: Naoki Oikawa (Souji), Ayako Kawasumi (Aoi)
Kyo's cousins, introduced in The King of Fighters: Kyo. Souji was chosen to represent and lead the Kusanagi clan for his generation, but unceremoniously resigned from his duties for an unknown cause and moved from Osaka to Tokyo. His little sister Aoi is something of a rebel, although both siblings dearly love their family and clan.
- '80s Hair: Uh... nice mullet, Souji.
- The Ace: Souji, although by pushing himself to become the best Kusanagi, he gives in to his dark side and becomes a Broken Ace. You can see the results of that in Kyo, at some point.
- Big Brother Instinct: Naturally, Souji is like this towards Aoi. The two squabble a lot.
- Big Brother Mentor: Souji is this to Kyo. Kyo highly respects Souji and even addresses him as "Souji-san."
- The Cameo: Souji, in KOF '98. Remember the guy who's seen training with Kyo and Saisyu in one of these random illustrations you can get when you beat the game? Yep, that's him.
- Deal with the Devil: Aoi makes the same pact with Shermie that the Yasakani made with Orochi, thus she could be susceptible to the Riot of the Blood.
- Hunk: Played straight with Mr. Souji. Just look at him!
- Non-Player Character: They've never been playable in any KOF installments.
- Playing with Fire: As Kusanagis, they inherit this ability.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Souji, when he's not in his sparring clothes.
- You Are Not Ready: When Souji loses himself to his darker side and begins to fear that he'll end up like the Yasakani/Yagami, he passes up the succession of the leadership of the Kusanagi clan (which is why Kyo is chosen in Saisyu's stead).
The Sendo Siblings - Japan
The Sendo Siblings - Japan
L-R: Junko, Kyoji, and Syota
- Voiced by: Hirotaka Hayashi (Kyoji, credited as Konomanma Hayashi), Yumiko Kikuchi (Junko), Taison Ohya (Syota), Miho Kaneta (Keisuke)
A trio of siblings (Kyoji, Junko, and Syota) who constantly pester Kyo throughout The King of Fighters: Kyo and try to defeat him so that they can steal his invitation and compete in the '97 tournament. It's revealed that the three wanted their younger brother Keisuke to see them fight in the tournament.
- Brother–Sister Team: A trio of siblings consisting of two brothers and a sister.
- Failure Is the Only Option: Being Ordinary High School Students, they'll never be able to defeat a trained martial artist who has pyrokinetic powers and is The Hero of this story.
- Goldfish Poop Gang: None of them pose any real, tangible threat to Kyo, and are easily dispatched of through combat. That doesn't seem to stop them from trying though.
- Gonk: Syota with his cartoonishly big nose and beady eyes. His siblings are otherwise more in line with other characters' style.
- Hair Color Dissonance: Kyoji has dark hair (as evidenced by his sprites), but artwork gives it more of a cobalt sheen.
- Morality Pet: Their sickly younger brother Keisuke. Ironically, he happens to be a big fan of Kyo.
- Sarashi: Junko. It's all she wears under her unbuttoned (not-quite-)Badass Longcoat.
- School Uniforms are the New Black: Junko and Syota. The long skirt she wears is also a trait of female delinquents.
- Terrible Trio: The three of them are always trying to pick fights with Kyo, and can never pull it off.
- Two Guys and a Girl: Two brothers and a sister.
- Unusual Eyebrows: Syota with his large, unusually angular brows.
Kaoru Watabe - Japan
Kaoru Watabe - Japan
- Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi
An Athena fangirl who is stuck in a wheelchair and very depressed, but regains the will to live and walk thanks to seeing Athena in a TV concert. She sends Athena the letter that motivates her and Kensou to ask Chin forfeit his veto to them going to the 1997 tournament. Kaoru joins up with them at the end of the tournament, starts getting better physically speaking, and ever since then she works as their aidé, taking care of Bao and their Temple when they're not around. She also appears as a Striker in KOF 2000.
- Ascended Fangirl: She goes from being a fan of Athena to fully-fledged ally to Team Psycho Soldier.
- Big Damn Heroes: In the '99 endings, she shows up and helps the Psycho Soldiers find their way out of the NESTS base.
- Chekhov's Gunman: It's thanks to her letter to Athena that the Psycho Soldiers team went to KOF '97, but we don't see her until the end.
- Cool Big Sis: She looks after Bao whenever the others are busy competing in tournaments.
- Dynamic Entry: As a Striker, when summoned she runs towards the other character on-screen and tries to push them to the ground.
- Hikkikomori: Was in her way to become this. She got better, fortunately.
- Meido: Her most usual attire.
Rika Kashiwazaki - Japan
Rika Kashiwazaki - Japan
Athena and Yuki..., er, Rika!
- Voiced by: Asano Shirakura
Athena's best friend from the Darker and Edgier game Athena: Awakening from the Ordinary Life. She is also her classmate and tries to cheer Athena up when she's down.
- Blood-Splattered Innocents: She once sees Athena kill one of the dinosaurs and get splattered with its blood. Rika is so shocked and traumatised that she almost cuts off all ties with Athena.
- Break the Cutie: Experiencing firsthand the violence Athena is subject to deeply rattles her..
- Kill the Cutie: Almost. Right after she and Athena had started to rekindle their friendship, poor Rika gets shot by a sniper involved in the conspiracy. Fortunately, once Athena finishes her mission she uses her Healing Hands on Rika and she gets better.
- Muggle Best Friend: An average girl who befriends a psychokinetic martial artist.
- Non-Player Character: Has no playable appearances in her games.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The tomboy to Athena's girly girl.
Konoe and Kikuri Tanima, Mr. Kuwahara - Japan
Konoe and Kikuri Tanima, Mr. Kuwahara - Japan
Kikuri (long hair, left) and Konoe (short hair, right). Kuwahara doesn't appear.
- Voiced by: RUMI (Konoe), Yumi Kakazu (Kikuri), Daiki Nakamura (Kuwahara)
Two sisters and a band manager featured in the The Sun and the Moon ~ Prologue radio drama, released in 1999. They're from "five years in the past" of Iori Yagami: back then Konoe was the lead singer of Iori's old band, Kuwahara was the band's manager, and Kikuri was their Tagalong Kid.
- Audio Adaptation: The Sun and the Moon ~ Prologue canon first debuted as a Radio Drama, and later was given its own CD.
Now, about finding it online... - Be Yourself: An hospitalised Kikuri tells this to Konoe, and she hopes Iori will do it as well.
- Birds of a Feather: Subverted: Kikuri and Iori both like singing and songwriting, but they can't be more different in other ways.
- Break the Cutie: The Tanima sisters have been quite broken in their lives.
- Broken Bird: Konoe, who has gone through lots of work and heartbreak in her life to support herself and Kikuri.
- Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: Iori and Kikuri.
- Continuity Nod: Sorta. The sisters were mentioned in one of the Days of Memories dating sims.
- Chekhov's Gun: "The Sun and the Moon" is the name of a song that Kikuri wrote as a duet. It's very important for the relationship between Iori, Konoe and Kikuri.
- Disappeared Dad: The father of the Tanima girls left years ago. He sends them letters and money, but Konoe doesn't want to accept them since he abandoned them. Iori believes that his and Konoe's manager, Kuwahara, is actually their dad. And he's right.
- Light Feminine and Dark Feminine: Kikuri is the Light, Konoe is the Dark. Lampshaded in the Image Song versions of "The Sun and the Moon": Yumi Kakazu's relies on Kakazu's soft-spoken performance and the sound of a guitar, whereas RUMI'S has more rhythmic arrangements and is sung by her in a much deeper tone.
- It's Not You, It's Me: Iori tells this to Konoe as the reason why he won't perform with her anymore. He reaffirms it when he goes to Corrupt Corporate Executive Himemiya and accepts an offer to sing for him in the USA, on the condition that he never bothers the sisters again.
- Ms. Fanservice: Konoe has Boyish Short Hair, is Hell-Bent for Leather and wears belly-baring tops... She doesn't have only her looks to go by, though, as we get to learn that she's a kind girl who works hard for herself and her little sister.
- Morality Pet: Iori has displayed more gruff kindness towards Konoe and Kikuri than for almost anyone in the franchise.
- Perpetual Poverty: The Tanima sisters barely manage to scrap by. In fact, Kikuri doesn't want to have her sister spend money on her medicines, but Konoe will have nothing of it.
- Sibling Triangle: It's implied by Orochi that Iori is attracted to both sisters. A talk between the girls as Kikuri is hospitalized implies that they also love him in their own ways, and Kikuri is well aware of it. It doesn't go anywhere since Iori leaves Japan to protect them from himself, and Kikuri dies of her illness a while later.
- Silk Hiding Steel: Kikuri is very mature, kind and soft-spoken, despite barely being a teenager. She's basically a Yamato Nadeshiko in training.
- Shipper on Deck: Kuwahara once comments that Kikuri and Iori would be a good couple. Iori isn't amused.
- Talking in Your Sleep: Kikuri tells Konoe that she has muttered Iori's name in her sleep for a long time.
- Whole Episode Flashback: The story happened five years ago. And it starts with Iori and Konoe finding each other in front of poor Kikuri's grave.
Jean, Sally and Elizabeth - France
Jean, Sally and Elizabeth - France
L-R: Mai, King, Jean and Chizuru. Sally and Elizabeth don't appear.
- Voiced by: Harumi Ikoma (Jean, KOF: KYO)
King's closest associates. Jean is her beloved younger brother and only relative, a sweet but very sickly young boy. Sally and Elizabeth are the cute twin waitresses of King's bar, Illusion, and take care of it when she's away.
- A Glass of Chianti: In King's '98's intro, one of the girls serves her some wine◊ before fighting.
- Always Identical Twins: Sally and Elizabeth.
- Canon Immigrant: Jean appeared first in King's Art of Fighting 2 ending.
- Delicate and Sickly: Jean's illness is never specified but it's mentioned that he can only walk short distances, so his sister's main goal is to pay for his surgery and later for his treatment. He gets noticeably better around AOF2 (Robert and Ryo paid for his operation as thanks for King's help when Yuri was kidnapped) and KOF' 96 (he was hospitalized and in treatment as his sister, Mai and Kasumi fought around the world).
- Distress Ball: Jean is cornered by gangsters in the first volume of the Tatsuya Shinjyouji manga, so Mai and Yuri bail him out. Then Jack Turner shows up and King rescues the three.
- Dirty Kid: In the "Original Women's Team"'s ending in '97 (which you get if you swap Chizuru with Yuri), Jean runs off... with Yuri's bikini top.
- Fanservice with a Smile: The twins's waitressing outfits are a milder version. They don't have lots of cleavage, but the skirts are short and tight enough to show off their legs.
- Morality Pet: Jean, for King. He's the reason she started working for Mr. Big in the first place, and she immediately cut ties with that line of work to find a better income.
- Satellite Characters: All three, since King is the main reason why they exist and all of their apparitions are related to her.
- Spell My Name With An S: Jean or Jan? His appearances throughout this series and Art of Fighting 2 flip-flop a bit, though Jean seems more likely, as he and his sister are French. (Both Jean and Jan derive from the same Hebrew origins.)
Takaya Maeta and Sanae - Japan
Takaya Maeta and Sanae - Japan
Maeta to the left, Sanae to the right!
Two kids who attend Kyo Kusanagi's same school, and they only show up in the KOF: KYO manga. Sanae is Yuki's closest friend outside her and Kyo's circle, Maeta is the captain of the judo team.
- Canon Immigrant: Both of them originated in a manga series.
- Declaration of Protection: Maeta declares this to Kyo, in regards to Yuki. When he can't hack it in the end, he relents and lets her go back to Kyo.
- Dogged Nice Guy: Maeta has had a crush on Yuki for a while already.
- Gentle Giant: Maeta, being a massive, yet kind young man.
- Love Triangle: Sorta invoked by Sanae, who is aware of Maeta's interest in Yuki so she tries to arrange a date between Maeta and her. Bad thing, this brings up a challenge from Maeta and Daimon (who has come to scout Maeta to see if he can go to the college he works in) to Kyo, who loses. This is one of the factors that start triggering Kyo's inner insecurities and temporary slump (the other being the interrupted fight with Iori) and gets him Brought Down to Normal, and it goes From Bad to Worse...
- Ordinary High-School Student: They're neither professional fighters nor have any supernatural shenanigans they have to deal with.
- Satellite Characters
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: In an effort to set up Maeta with Yuki, they unwittingly trigger a series of events that results in Kyo losing his abilties.
- Youthful Freckles: For Maeta.
The Ancestors
The Ancestors
Yasakani and Kusanagi. It's easy to see who is who.
- Voiced by: Kouji Ishii (Yasakani ancestor, KOF:KYO), Eiji Tsuda (Kusanagi ancestor, KOF:KYO)
1800 years ago, three extremely powerful clans (the Yasakani, the Kusanagi and the Yata) united their forces to seal Orochi. 660 years ago, however, the Yasakanis and Kusanagis started fighting among each other, and things went From Bad to Worse (though the catalysts and exact stories vary depending on the source) — the Yasakani clan made a Deal with the Devil with Orochi, and became the Kusanagi's mortal enemies. This part of the article will deal with the Yasakani and Kusanagi leaders of 660 years ago.
- Apologetic Attacker: In KOF:KYO, Kusanagi was NOT happy to keep Yasakani prisoner after attempting to betray him, but did it anyway since he didn't have other options. It's not like it worked, since Orochi still managed to reach for Yasakani.
- The Atoner: The Sacred Treasures ending in KOF '97 implies that the second Yasakani ancestor regrets his treason, and this is why he briefly acts as Kyo's Spirit Advisor and asks him to help Iori seal Orochi.
- Beta Test Baddie/Driven by Envy: In KOF: KYO, the second Yasakani betrayed the Kusanagis because of his feelings of insecurity and inferiority towards the other leader as well as his own desire for power, which the Orochi spirit took advantage of. He then attempted to break the Orochi seal to obtain the power he believed it'd help him to dominate everything, and the Deal with the Devil followed.
- Deal with the Devil: The Yagamis and their pact with Orochi, which resulted in a powerful but exploitable ability granted to them.
- Depending on the Writer: The KYO:KYO manga and game actually differ on how Yasakani's betrayal took place.
- Friendly Rivalry: How the relationship between the clans originally was like, according to KOF:KYO.
- Feuding Families: The Kusanagis and Yasakani would enter years of conflict after the latter made a pact with Orochi.
- Generation Xerox:
- The flashback in KOF:KYO shows the second Yasakani and Kusanagi leaders... and they're both exactly like Iori and Kyo physically speaking, save for their clothes and long ponytails.
- Adding to this, while KOF:KYO (the game) shows only one (female) Yata ancestor fighting alongside Kusanagi and Yasakani against Orochi, artwork from '98 instead depicts identical twins as the Yata clan leaders, directly mirroring the four (now three) present-day clan heirs.
- Playing with Fire: Both the Yasakani and Kusanagis can utilize fire.
- You Killed My Father: In some sources, 660 years ago the remaining descendants of the Orochi clan threw a wrench in the Yasakani and Kusanagi's deals via kidnapping and murdering the wife of the then-Yasakani clan leader, while he was away and working on reinforcing the seal; then, they set everything up to make it look like the Kusanagi killed the poor woman as "punishment" for Yasakani not being strong enough. This made Yasakani cross the Despair Event Horizon and go through the Deal with the Devil to have Revenge.
Lei-Lien - China
Lei-Lien - China
Chin's granddaughter, who is mentioned once in a while in the Psycho Soldiers's stories. She has only been seen in KOF:KYO.
- Voiced by: Masae Yumi (KOF:KYO)
- Raised by Grandparents: Whether adoptive or not, Chin looked after her most of her life.
- True Blue Femininity: As seen above, her qipao is blue
- The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Or "granddaughter'' in this case, which isn't surprising given what Chin looks like.
