Shout Out / The King of Fighters

Tropers, meet K9999. Totally not Tetsuo in any way, right?^note  And yes, Krohnen more or less follows suit, but he's not as explicit with the AKIRA references as his predecessor.

There are multiple Shout-Outs to various Anime, Manga, and Toku present within the series. Here's the place for every Continuity Nod, Mythology Gag, No Celebrities Were Harmed, Captain Ersatz, Expy, and Shout-Out in The King of Fighters.

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The Rugal Saga

Characters and stuff introduced in The Rugal Saga (The King of Fighters '94)

• The creation of the Japan Team, their elemental powers, and their personalities are based off of the heroes from Getter Robo. This, in turn is a homage to a Japanese phrase of giving birth to fire (roughly translated as "lightning strikes the earth which sparks the flame").
• Kyo's design is lifted straight from Ricky Jones, the main character of the early Neo Geo Beat 'em Up Mutation Nation. See here.◊
  • His Striker (and prototype design), Syo Kirishima, was heavily inspired by the biker Shotaro Kaneda, the main character of AKIRA. In fact, he's voiced by Mitsuo Iwata (the seiyuu of Kaneda in the AKIRA film) in his cameos in '99 Evolution and 2000.
  • The creators have mentioned that Kyo's major character inspirations were Akira Fudo and Joe Yabuki.
  • Cosplayer Kyoko (Shingo's striker from 2000) is an in-universe nod to fangirls who love to cosplay as Kyo at conventions.
  • In Maximum Impact 2, he has an alternate costume that makes him resemble Yuki, the Original Generation male protagonist of NeoGeo Battle Coliseum.
  • Starting in Maximum Impact 2, there exists a separate version of Kyo known as Kyo Kusanagi Classic, who is garbed in Kyo's attire from The Orochi Saga (Normal)/The NESTS Chronicles (Another). He uses all of Kyo's moves from '94 to '98, as well as his Style 108 from '99 onward. Additionally, as a nod to the earlier KOF titles, his roll is his replaced by a sidestepping dodge (a la '94 and '95) and holding down the taunt button allows Kyo to charge up his meter (a la '94-'96, complete with the same charging pose).
  • One of his alternate color schemes in XIII is none other than Rock Howard. The activation of his Neo MAX is similar to his intro with Ryu in Capcom vs. SNK 2.
  • He has another color based on Rouga Zanma from Big Bang Age.
  • Because of his love for motorcycles, charisma, and appearance (brown hair with bangs), some fans speculated that he was partially inspired by action star Tom Cruise.
• Benimaru Nikaido was modeled after Jean-Pierre Polnareff, in terms of appearance and Noriaki Kakyouin in terms of personality. He is even jokingly called Polnareff by the dev team.
  • Shinkuu Katategoma, Handou Sandangeri, and Genei Hurricane moves are inspired by Hurricane Polymar. (Funnily enough, Kunihiko Yasui, the voice actor of The Rival to Benimaru's best bud [i.e. Iori Yagami], is Polymar in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom.)
  • Other attacks have their namesakes in various anime and manga, including the Benimaru Collider/Corridor (Gunbuster), Elec-Trigger (Super Robot Red Baron), Flying Drill and Raijinken (Neo Human Casshern), and Iai Geri (Kako Teito: Ore wa Shubei!). (Daisuke Ono, the voice actor of Nameless, voices Casshern in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. See a trend here?)
• Heidern is an Expy of Rolento and the God's Army Colonel.
  • He shares some physical characteristics with Brocken Jr. from Kinnikuman and his Moon Slasher resembles Brocken's "Red Rain of Berlin" hand-blade chopping move.
  • His character is based off of (if not an alternate version of) the commander of the Ikari Warriors from Ikari III: The Rescue.
  • His namesake is a character from Space Battleship Yamato.
  • In the XI backstory, Adel gives Heidern the nickname "Heidi", the eponymous protagonist of a German novel... Ironically, Adelheid is a female Dutch / German name, and it can be indeed shortened to "Heidi". The references go even further, since Heidern's daughter is named Clara, and Adel requests her sister Rose to play Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude" in her memory.
  • Stormbringer. That is all.
  • His status as a legendary mercenary and military commander, along with his eyepatch and assassination techniques that have an air of stealthy maneuvers to them, calls Big Boss to mind. Especially in later games where the Ikari Warriors are portrayed almost in a more familial light, just as Big Boss's own groups (MSF and Diamond Dogs, which would later become Outer Heaven) were portrayed.
• Ralf's Ikari Warriors appearance (used in XII with some alterations, which was originally meant to be used in '94) was stated to be based off of the titular hero of Rambo.
  • While Ralf's Galactica Phantom is named after a special attack in Ring ni Kakero, it's visually patterned after Kaoru Hanayama's Hakai-ryoku / Destructive Force punch in Baki the Grappler. Other references include his aerial "Kyokuka Bakudan Punch" (named after the "Bakudan Punch" from Choujin Barom 1, but loosely based on the "Rider Punch" from Kamen Rider BLACK), the "Ralf Kick" (based on the "RX Kick" corkscrew dropkick variation of Kamen Rider BLACK RX), the "Unblock" / "Rocket Punch" uppercut from 2003-XI (Based on Kaoru Hanayama's finishing uppercut against Tommy Carbine in Baki the Grappler), Maximum Impact's "Ralph Buffalo" (Based on Buffaloman's "Hurricane Mixer" in Kinnikuman) and Ralf's Jet Vulcan Punch Neo MAX in XIII (identical to Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Jet Gatling in Gear Second, complete with Ralf turning red and emitting steam during the punching barrage). His 95-96 throw is based on Akira Taue's "Ore ga Taue" chokeslam, and one of his post-95 throws is the "Northern Lights Bomb" used by Akira Hokuto and Kensuke Sasaki.
  • From KOF '96 to '98, his intro with Clark ("CROSS CHANGER!") mimics Choujin Sentai Jetman.
  • One of his outfits in Maximum Impact 2 is based off of Marco Rossi's from Metal Slug, complete with the wavy forelock of light brown hair.
• Many of Clark's moves are borrowed from Kinnikuman: '96-XI's Napalm Stretch (Kinniku Ataru), '96-'02's Clark Spark (Muscle Spark, Kinnikuman), '03-XI's Clark Special (Robin Special, Robin Mask) and XIV's Climax move (Big Ben Edge, Kevin Mask). More obscurely, his Ultra Argentine Backbreaker is a nod towards the Triple Benkei Breaker from the wrestling manga "The Momotaroh." Also, his Flashing Elbow was popularized by real-life professional wrestler Keiji Mutoh (aka The Great Muta) and his Clark Lift (a follow-up to his Mount Tackle) is a direct lift from Russian wrestler-turned-politician Aleksandr Karelin's "Karelin Lift."
  • One of his alternate costumes in Maximum Impact 2 was modeled in the image of Tarma Roving from Metal Slug.
• Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia have win quotes in KOF 2002 against each other that reference Little Shop of Horrors.
  Ryo: "Seymour, you've been fed! Been dying to say that!"
  Robert: "I hope you're not the strongest! Feed me, Seymour!"
• Robert Garcia is SNK's Alternate Company Equivalent to Ken Masters. Both are rich-out-their-ass playboys who are friendly rivals to their respective best friends, although Robert dresses like he's rich. Also, both of their styles emphasize stylish kicking. Of note is that Robert was introduced that way whereas Ken had developed this after Art of Fighting came out.
  • He was also visually modeled after Steven Seagal and to a lesser extent to Andy García, although his AoF 1-2 / KoF '94-'95 clothing was based on Frankie Santana from the final season of The A-Team.
  • In 2000, his alternate striker is himself, but dressed like Capcom's Alternate Company Equivalent, Dan "The Man" Hibiki, who was conceived as a Take That! to SNK. Note that their hair is already similar to begin with.
  • During the NESTS saga, two of his moves changed to look more and more like Guile's Sonic Boom and Flash Kick, to the point of being charge attacks as well.
  • Robert's 2003 stance is based on Shinogi Kosho's cord-cutting stance from Baki the Grappler. His new Ryugekiken is similar to how Shinobu Sensui from YuYu Hakusho kicks his fireballs when performing his "Resshū Kō Kyū Ha" move.
  • His intro poses with Kensou in KOF '97 and '98 are a common Kansai shtick.
  Kensou: "Donnai de ka?" ("How's it going?")
  Robert: "Bochi bochi, denna." ("So-so, y'know?"/"Alright, I guess.")
  • In the Story Mode of XIII, Robert replies to Joe's cock-sure belief that he'll blow away the Kyokugen karetekas with his Hurricane Upper by saying that it'll pass over the Crouching Tiger. Considering that his buddy is the Dragon of Kyokugen Karate...
• Ryo is SNK's Alternate Company Equivalent to Ryu and Ken, at least at first.
  • Just as Robert is modeled after Steven Seagal, Ryo's visual model is a young Patrick Swayze.
  • His stance from '96-XI comes one of Doppo Orochi's stances from Baki the Grappler.
  • XIII gives him a color scheme indicative of Shin Akuma.
  • His Kiai during the Ryuuko Ranbu takes a page from Jotaro Kujo, although "Ora ora!" was something of a Catchphrase already for Ryo.
  Ryo: "Kyokugenryu-ougi! ORAORAORAORAORA!!! Moratta!"
  • Ryo and Robert's taunts in XIII have them perform their charging poses from Art of Fighting and the pre-'99 KOF games, although this does nothing to their super meter. Robert also uses this animation before the final blow of his Ryuuko Ranbu EX DM.
• Expect Takuma to throw in the occasional battle cry of "CHESTO!"
  • Starting from 2002, he's increasingly based on Doppo Orochi from Baki the Grappler. His 2002 "Mouko" chop (similar to Akuma's Capcom vs. SNK-exclusive "Misogi", and upgraded with an uppercut to "Built Upper" in XII) is similar to Doppo's trademark tiger-killing chop. Likewise, his Serious Mr. Karate incarnation in SVC Chaos shares his neutral pose with Doppo's Bodhisattva Fist stance. Finally, his XIII stance is also taken from Doppo.
  • Like Ryo, he too gets a Shin Akuma-themed outfit in XIII.
  • Kyoukugenryu Karate in general is heavily based on Masutatsu Oyama's Kyokushin Karate.
• Yuri's taunt in KOF '96 is "Anta baka?" (Asuka's Catchphrase) and one of her winposes had her saying "Service, service" (like Misato).
  • One of her alternate color schemes in XIII that restores her braid also gives her a hue resembling Cammy.
    • She also pinches various moves from the Shotoclones: in '96, she gains the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku; in '97, Sakura's Midare Zakura (multiple uppercut Super); in '98, the Shin Shouryuken (EX Yuri only); in 2001, the Shun Goku Satsu (with a 1/8 chance to inflict extra damage and copy Akuma's back-turning pose); in 2002: Unlimited Match, Ryu's Jodan Sokuto Geri ("Donkey Kick"); in 2003, the Denjin Hadoken (Ryu's chargeable electric fireball); and in XIII, Akuma's Demon Flip. From 2002-XI, she also borrows Chun-Li's vertical split kick; however, she gained her normal rushing uppercut (Yuri Chou Upper) as early as '95, one year before Sakura made it famous. She also runs off with Dan Hibiki's first Ultra from Street Fighter IV, complete with thumbs-up pose after the final Shoryuken.
    • Her intro in 2001 also resembles Felicia's.
• King's androgynous fashion sense was inspired by Grace Jones.
  • Her use of high and low projectiles that encourage you to block low and make you susceptible to overhead attacks is reminiscent of another Muay Thai champion from Street Fighter, Sagat.
  • Also, her fighting style and physical appearance were influenced by a memorable henchwoman in the movie China White, also known as Deadly Sin or Gwang Tin Lung fo Wooi. One similarity the two share is having their shirts ripped off revealing their chest and gender. This also happened in Art of Fighting and future games whenever King got kayoed with a projectile. The henchwoman was played by Dutch actress and Muay Thai world champion Saskia Merk van Rijswijk.
• Word of God has likened Sie Kensou's powers to that of Koichi's in Babel II.
  • His XII/XIII outfit is the same one he wore back in Psycho Soldier.
  • The Psycho Soldier team's ending in XIII is a parody of Gatchaman, right down to the silly costumes worn by Kensou (Red), Athena (Blue), Bao (Yellow), and Momoko (Pink). The team even goes by the name of the Psycho Rangers (no, not them), complete with fans giving them a Super Sentai-esque naming scheme for the characters (i.e. Kensou = Psycho Red).
  • In XIII, his pre-fight conversation with Maxima references the Over 9000 meme from Dragon Ball Z.
• Athena Asamiya was inspired by Saori aka Athena from Saint Seiya. She even has the same hair color and similar hairdo.
  • One of Athena's throws has her raise a finger into the air as her psychic powers toss the enemy skywards, this move is almost identical to Tackle's Electro-Wave Throw.
  • One of her edit team endings in KOF '97 had her wearing the bikini from the original Athena game.
  • From KOF '98 onward, the MAX version of her Shining Crystal Bit DM has her randomly appearing in the bikini as well.
  • One of her win poses also consists of a very Sailor Moon-ish pose: a V-for-victory sign and a wink.
  • The blue schoolgirl uniform she wears in XII and XIII (complete with pink hair) dates back to her origin game, Psycho Soldier.
  • There have been plenty of jokes of comparing Athena's powers to M. Bison's powers.
• XIII also adds a meter that keeps track of how many drinks Chin Gentsai has stomached,◊ much like Shun Di.
• XIII gives Andy a color scheme resembling Son Goku.
  • And another similar to Zato-1/Eddie.
• Terry's Rising Force HSDM in 2002 was taken from Rock Howard.
  • Terry's "Stand up!" finger point win pose (lifted from his older self in Garou: Mark of the Wolves) is evocative of one of Jotaro Kujo's signature poses, which can be seen in the games based on JoJo's such as◊ Heritage for the Future.
  • Terry's battle intro against his brother in '98 is based on a gesture Kenshiro and Toki from Fist of the North Star made as a promise that Kenshiro wouldn't interfere in Toki's battle against Raoh.
  • According to one of the original Fatal Fury developers, Terry was at first visually based on Sebastian Bach from Skid Row.
• One of Mai's color variations in Maximum Impact 2 is that of Cham Cham. In that same game, she borrows Andy's Chou Reppa Dan for her Level 3.
  • In 2002, Mai's HSDM has a few random animations; in one of them she shows the opponent her nude backside at the end of the move. This may be a reference to a scene in Jo Jos Bizarre Adventure Battle Tendency, in which Lisa Lisa takes a bath and Joseph Joestar peeps her through the door's keyhole as she undresses herself, unknowingly showing her exposed back to Joseph.
• Brian Battler is an Expy of Johnny Maximum from World Heroes 2, who is also a heavy-hitting, aggressive power player. In fact, Brian's design was altered in order to differentiate him in terms of looks from Johnny, making this something of a Shout-Out as well.
• Lucky Glauber's prototype design and fighting style were based on the character Hakim in the martial arts film, Game of Death. His later design might come from Street Slam, a sports game for the Neo Geo made by Data East.
  • His default color scheme is the purple and gold, the same as the Los Angeles Lakers (the team that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played for). In KOF '98 his alternate color schemes are references to the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, and San Antonio Spurs.
• Don't confuse Heavy D! with the late rapper of the same name.
• The American Sports Team's stage in 94 has a cameo appearance from The Blues Brothers.
• Chang's MAX2 in 2002 allows him to stop time for a few moments. Its name is "Tekkyu Dai Sekai" which translates to "Iron Ball Great World." Chang, of all people...
• Choi is a Captain Ersatz of Freddy Krueger. Made funnier in a bonus illustration in KOF '98 which involves Choi having an encounter with Freddy Krueger. In KOF XIV, as well as in some concept art for KOF '94, he even wears a striped green sweater similar to Freddy's.
  • His Shakushi MAX2 move is identical to Captain Kuro's version, all the way down to the name and the random hitboxes. According to Word of God, his Maniac Striker ("Cool Choi") borrows his glasses-adjusting gesture from the same character.
• When speaking of Rugal's prized "trophies" there is one of note that is interesting. It's of a man with a familiar hairdo, a sleeveless shirt, with military fatigue pants and boots. Sadly, this man is nameless, but he does have a rather eerie resemblance to a U.S. special forces officer named Guile. Apparently, the point of the resemblance was not lost since in Capcom vs. SNK the two have an intro of said "trophy" is standing between them and them destroying it.
  • There are also statues clearly meant to resemble Zangief, Akuma, and Fei Long. Clearly, Rugal really likes Street Fighter.
  • Given that SNK does enjoy having fun at Capcom's expense due to their competing fighters, this and the other tropes aboard the Blacknoah maybe part of a larger joke. Rugal is said to be attempting to become world's strongest fighter, now look at the sub-title of the first Street Fighter II...^note The World Warrior, after all of that... Look at the collection. Now do the math.
  • Rugal's pet isn't the first black panther to be named Rodem; its predecessor originated in Babel II.
  • Also worth noting a few details about his Omega form: The fact that Rugal sacrificed one of his eyes in order to gain something in return brings to mind Odin from Norse Mythology, though with the difference being that Odin would gain wisdom whereas Rugal gained the power of Orochi. Omega Rugal also references a far more modern figure of the popular imagination. He is frequently portrayed as having some cybernetic implants, which when combined with the red glowing energy in place of his missing eye brings to mind the T-800.
• Joe Higashi often refers to the Legend of Joe Higashi.

The Orochi Saga

Characters and stuff introduced in The Orochi Saga ('95-'98)

• '96 and '97 contain numerous homages to the other hot property at the time, Neon Genesis Evangelion.
• Iori's winquote against Chin in the English console localization of XIII seems to be a shout out to Botchamania of all things.
  Iori: "Everyone talks too much... at least die quietly."
  • Due to his moveset revision in XII, fans called Iori an expy of Mark of the Wolves's Freeman. Ironically, when Freeman first made his debut, he was called an expy of Iori.
  • Here's one that comes from not Iori himself, but his theme music. In the OST and AST versions of "Arashi no Saxophone" in KOF '95, its rearrangement for the home port of XI, and the AST version of "Cool Jam ~ Arashi no Saxophone 3" in '97, a female voice can be heard reciting, "221B Baker Street", the address of Sherlock Holmes. Curiously, the OST version of "Tsuchi o Hau Bass", the theme of the Women Fighters Team in '95, also features this voice clip.
  • Iori's character design was partially inspired by Yasuhiro Nightow's (then primarily a producer of doujinshi) own character designs, and, if anyone has read Trigun before, can definitely see the similarities between Iori and Legato Bluesummers.
  • Additionally, Word of God says that the overall silhouette of his head, hairstyle included, are meant to evoke the look of the helmets from Gatchaman.
  • The character is something of a mid-'90s time capsule, at least in Japan. Hiei from YuYu Hakusho and Mobile Suit Gundam Wing were a hit, so he debuted with the former's self-harming black flames and Trowa Barton's hairdo from the latter. When Neon Genesis Evangelion swept the country, he got his Riot of the Blood form with the same eyes and mannerisms as the berserk Eva 01.
• Shermie is based off of Fujiko Mine from Lupin III. Given her flirtatious tendencies and her "assets," it's not hard to see the similarities.
  • Her Diamond Bust is an obvious play on the Diamond Dust, a flipping stunner invented by Japanese wrestler Masato Tanaka.
  • Also, while they attitudes are the opposite, she also looks a hell of a lot to Luchs from Saber Marionette J, with her bangs and short-hair-with-tail hairstyle, considering the anime debut the previous year, it's an interesting parallel to draw from. Also, Shermie's Awakened Orochi form is a lot more Luchs-like attitude-wise.
• Yashiro's, Shermie's, and Chris's Heavenly King monikers are all references to lyrics and song titles from 70s and 80s anime:
  • Yashiro of the Parched Earth gets his name from Kawaita Daichi, the ending theme to Xabungle.
  • Shermie of the Insanely Violent Lightning gets her name from a line in the chorus of the lyrical version of Lupin III: Part II 's opening theme.
  • Chris of the Flames of Destiny gets his name from Honoo no Sadame, the opening theme to Armored Trooper VOTOMS.
• Leona's Rebel Spark Desperation Move is frame-for-frame identical to Kamen Rider BLACK RX's Revolcrash, except that Leona uses her bare hand instead of a Laser Blade.
  • Her V-Slasher is based on Voltes V's V-no-Jigiri. Again, she uses her bare hand instead of a sword.
  • And her jumping CD attack is Kamen Rider BLACK's Rider Kick; she even has a red energy aura around her feet during the move.
  • Her Leona Inferno air throw is Kinnikuman Zebra's Muscle Inferno.
  • In '99, Leona gains two moves that reference JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Her Earring Bomb 2: Heart Attack works like Kira Yoshikage's Killer Queen Stand ability, with the move's name referencing his Bomb #2: Sheer Heart Attack and her quote "Makete owari." resembling "Makete shine!" (an alternate reading of his Bomb #3: Bites the Dust quote). Her Grateful Dead (S)DM drains the opponent's life force, similarly to Prosciutto's Grateful Dead Stand.
• According to Word of God, Chizuru's design was inspired by Yoko Shiraki from Tomorrow's Joe. Both are long-and-dark-haired high-class young women who handle venues related to fighting: Yoko sponsors a boxing gym with her grandfather, Chizuru organized the KOF tournament more than once.
• Kyo's girlfriend Yuki is named after Japanese actress and ex Idol Singer Yuki Uchida. She's also the same celebrity that inspired none other than Heero Yuy. She's also the inspiration behind Elena from Street Fighter III.
• Geese Howard seems to resemble King,◊ the Final Boss of The Super Spy, something made a bit more obvious with the intro to Fatal Fury 3.
  • He also looks like the Aussie from Jean-Claude Van Damme's Bloodsport.
  • He also shares quite a few traits with Souther/Thouzer from Fist of the North Star, both resembling him and sharing his ambitions of conquest.
  • Character artist Shinkiro mentions that Geese's overall aesthetic, as a Mafia boss, draws inspiration from Robert De Niro in The Godfather.
  • In terms of character, Geese is SNK's equivalent of Dio Brando. Both of them started out dirt poor, hated their own fathers for abusing them, came to know someone who became their greatest rival and killed them eventually after being cast out. Both are also noted for their charisma, allowing them to gather a group of devoted followers and obtain immense power, and also causing many women to fall for them, resulting in many illegitimate children.

• Boyish, almost feminine looks? Super-Speed? A deceptively cheerful personality? Chris is the second coming of Sojiro Seta.
• Blue Mary was visually inspired by Android 18. She even had the Forehead of Doom in her debut; her head was shifted to more reasonable proportions by the time she entered KOF.
  • Mary's Japanese win quote against Terry in XV is "All right, Mr. Loser Wolf. Perhaps I should make you my pet? Just kidding." This is most likely a reference to EX Blue Mary's ending in Real Bout Fatal Fury Special, where she proposes the same thing, only seriously.
• Ryuji Yamazaki from Fatal Fury has whipping Extendable Arms that serve as shout-outs to Hajime no Ippo character Ryo Mashiba and his similarly long-reaching "Flicker Jabs".
• Mature appears to have been partially modeled in the likeness of Marilyn Monroe, even having a signature win pose heavily reminiscent of the Marilyn Maneuver.
  • With her new design from XII onward ('94 oufit + eyepatch), Mature resembles Elle Driver, as played by Daryl Hannah.
  • Perhaps paving the way for the musical cornucopia that is Guilty Gear, both Mature and her partner in crime Vice derive their specials and DMs primarily from heavy/thrash metal bands and albums. From their first appearance alone do you get names like Despair, Deicide, Deathrow, Metal Massacre, Outrage, Gorefest, Heaven's Gate, and Negative Gain.
• Vice's official bio has a direct shout-out to comic book artist Dan Brereton who she's supposedly a fan of.
• The red shirt Billy wears under his blue jacket in XIV reads "Know Your Enemy".
• Shingo Yabuki's intro in 2000 & 2001 is "If you don't fear the shine of the sun, bring it on!"
  • Shingo's taunt in 1999 is "Ah! You hit me!! Not even my father would ever hit me!!"

The NESTS Chronicles

Characters and stuff introduced in The NESTS Chronicles ('99-2002)

• K' is visually modeled after actor Yusaku Matsuda's role as the leather-clad criminal Tetsuya Asakura in the 1979 film The Resurrection of the Golden Wolf, although similar to his buddy Maxima below, he also resembles Cool from Daraku Tenshi: The Fallen Angels. His "Another" striker in 2000 (his prototype design, often theorized to be what K' looked like before he had Kusanagi DNA implanted into his body) makes the comparison more apparent, with the two sharing reference poses.
  • It should be noted, his bleached white hair, leather clothing, single glove, and overall aesthetics also bring to mind Billy Idol's music video Flesh For Fantasy music video. K's concept art also support this theory.
  • K''s Chain Drive DM may very well be influenced by this particular scene ^note the final battle caps off with the main villain throwing his shades at Toby Wong, who catches them just in time for the Big Bad to attack him and reclaim his sunglasses from a 1998 Marc Dacascos film coincidentally named Drive.
  • His HSDM in 2002(UM)? (The) Crimson Star Road.
  • Although not a Bruce Lee Clone, one of K''s command normals (also shared with Kula) is the iconic one-inch punch. His Minute Spike could be seen as analogous to Bruce Lee's equally-famous flying kicks, complete with a yell that was more of a higher-pitched Kiai in earlier games.
  • One of his alternate colors in KOF XIII has his outfit colored blue on one side, and red on the other, mimicking that of Kikaider. It can also be seen as a nod to Gill, who also has asymmetrical body coloring of blue and red whereby only his red half is capable of wielding flame. (Note that K' is only seen using flames from one of side of his body, specifically his hand with the red glove.)
• Maxima is both an homage to the main character of the SNK Beat 'em Up Robo Army and an expy of Harry Ness from the obscure fighting game The Fallen Angels, whom his character designer worked on before joining SNK.
  • Maxima also has the "Maxima Revenger", a variation of "Shin Muscle Revenger", the Finishing Move of the Big Bad of the final arc of Kinnikuman, Kinnikuman Super Phoenix. The Unlimited Match version is even more similar to the move, since it adds more rising headbutts and an aerial throw to make it more similar. Speaking of Unlimited Match, Maxima gains a new Macross Missile Massacre super move called "End of World": it seems to be an homage to Zolda's eponymous Final Vent from Kamen Rider Ryuki
  • And in XIII he alludes to the infamous "It's over nine thousand" meme from Dragon Ball Z.
• Both K' and Maxima are remodelled humans fighting against the ones who modified them, just like Cyborg 009 and Kamen Rider — in fact, Maxima's story of avenging a friend by letting himself be modified by his friend's assassin is taken straight out ot Kamen Rider Stronger. Their names are taken from a Armored Trooper VOTOMS spin-off Blue Knight Beserga Story, namely K' (a clone of main character Kain McDougall) and the mecha ATM-FX1 Zerberus VR-Maxima.
• Another possible nod to K' and Maxima's origins comes from Whip's bio in '99, which lists "Angels, the fallen" as one of her dislikes — her new Climax Super Move in XIV is called "Depravity Branding: FA", also another reference to The Fallen Angels. Another In-Joke is her dislike of "insufficient capacity" in 2000, which seems to be a reference on how some of her moves were cut in the game for lack of space in the game.
  • Speaking of Whippy, she is, believe it or not, something of a nod to a certain honey-eating teddy bear. Her name, according to Word of God, is an anagram for Winnie the Pooh and she even shares Pooh's taste in foods: honey (or should we say "hunny") is listed as her favorite meal in Whip's bio.
  • Whip's round entry quote when entering as the second or third team member is "Kakugo wa ii? Watashi wa dekiteru." ("Are you prepared? I am."), referencing one of Bruno Bucciarati's catchphrases. Her move "Assassin Strike "Code: BB"" is a reference to The Beach Boys, which makes sense because a character with a supernatural fishing rod named after the band was one of the enemies of the same manga. Even her phrase while doing her special move "Sonic Slaughter "Code: KW"" ("Dera dera dera... Deluxe!") is reminiscent of the franchise's various Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs battle cries.
  • She's also got more references to other franchises: Her "Super Blackhawk" move is a reference to the Ruger Blackhawk gun from Doberman Deka complete with a quote from the main character ("Do gedō gaaa!", reinterpreted as "Gedō gaa-tsu!"), and the "Red Whip Genocide" special from XI is a reference to Spartacus' eponymous double whip attack from Sakigake!! Otokojuku. Another reference is her A-emblazoned belt and her thigh ring, which are themed on Astra from Ultraman Leo. Her "Koko ga anata no deadline" ("Your deadline is here.") intro quote is a reference to Phoenix Ikki from Saint Seiya threatening to death whoever crosses a line that he draws on the ground. She even quotes from literary sources in her Japanese win quotes, such as James Tiptree Jr.'s The Only Neat Thing to Do (99 win quote) and Ryūnosuke Akutagawa's The Spider's Thread ('2002'' win quote).
• Bao's throws are named "Genei Tō Gi" (Phantom Head Technique) and "Critical Slow". These names are a homage / parody of Racdym's PlayStation fighting games Genei Tougi ("Phantom Fight") and Critical Blow.
• Jhun Hoon has many references to Fight Fever, a 1994 Korean fighting game developed with the help of SNK: He shares name with character Kim Hoon and the technique name "Shusokyaku", and Final Boss Karate Kenji's "Mangetsuzan" and "Haiki Geki". Kang Baedal, Jhun's Another Striker, also shares name with main character Han Baedal and the name of his technique, "Ko Netsufu".
• Li Xiangfei's moveset is filled with name references to Osaka (SNK's former hometown) written in chinese kanji, like "Ryokuchi-kōen", "Kadoma", "Nanba", "Tenpōzan", "Senri-Chūō" Kankū / Shinsaibachi, "Esaka", "Daikokuchō", and "Bampaku kōen" / E Ku Su Po (EXPO). Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition also gives her techniques named "Intex", "Kita-Senri" (also the name of a SNK illustrator) and "Suita". Her theme in Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 was also called "Ōsakajō-kōen Kyōbashi".
  • Her special moves, however, are named after giant robots: "Daitetsujin, "Chō Pai Long" (Super White Dragon, named after "Shao Pai Long" / Little White Dragon, a song from Idol Singer Lynn Minmay from Super Dimension Fortress Macross), "Majinga" and "Tenshin Zanhōga".
• Kyo Kusanagi's clones, Kyo-1 and Kyo-2, get new super moves in 2002 Unlimited Match named after Japanese deities and their swords: Kyo-1's "Shuten Barai" and "Ame-no-Habakiri" are respectively named after Shuten-dōji (Orochi's son in one of the myths) and the Ame-no-Habakiri (sword used to slay Orochi by Susanoo), while Kyo-2's "Futsunomitama" and "Hinokagutsuchi" are named after the Futsunomitama-no-tsurugi (a sword wielded by Takemikazuchi, the god of thunder) and Hinokagutsuchi, the god of fire.
• Krizalid's appearance is a mix of the main hero and villain of Trigun, namely hero Vash's jacket and villain Knives' hair. His "Desperate Overdrive" super special move is an homage to Dio's memetic road roller drop from Jo Jos Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders, since both of them crush their enemies and punch-rush them while screaming "Butsu bure yo!" (I'll crush you!). Likewise, his new move in 2002: Unlimited Match, "Lightning Disaster", is taken straight out of Leo Aiolia's "Lightning Plasma" from Saint Seiya.
  • Krizalid has yet another reference to Daraku Tenshi: The Falling Angels, as his second theme is named "Dear Falling Angel".
• Ramon is a gigantic homage to "Tiger Mask" Satoru Sayama, with most of his moveset being taken from the wrestler in one way or another, such as the Tiger Spin drop toe hold and the Tiger Driver (Ramon's "Tiger Neck Chancery"). "El diablo amarillo" is Spanish for "the yellow devil", one of the manga Tiger Mask's aliases.
  • Some of his move names are taken out of Magic: The Gathering, namely "Savage Firecat", "Birds of Paradise" and "Force of Will".
  • Ramon's backstory all but states that Ramon's mentor is Lucha Libre legend, Blue Demon.
  • Ramon in general is one to Eddie Guerrero, as they're both Latino wrestlers with flirtatious and cocky personalities, both have a tiger motif (Eddie went under the name Black Tiger when wrestling in Japan), and Ramon makes very liberal use of Eddie's signature move, the "Frogsplash", as well as implementing "The Three Amigos' into one of his supers.
  • Ramón's design seems to reference Mexican Luchadores Shocker and Pirata Morgan.
• Vanessa's Champion Puncher DM is a flurry of high-speed punches, followed by a Dempsey Roll, and ending with a blistering uppercut.
  • Vanessa in general can be considered something of an Expy of Rick Strowd from Real Bout Fatal Fury 2. Not only are they both boxers, but in 2002 she gains a few of Rick's moves, namely his Hellion special (as "Forbidden Eagle") and Gaia Gear DM, plus her "Puncher Weaving" gains an enthusiastic "Yahoo!" scream like Rick does in his "Full Moon Fever" weave. And as a bonus the name "Gaia Gear" itself is a reference to the story of the same name by Yoshiyuki Tomino.
• Lin's poisonous Cinnabar Palm martial art seems to be a reference to Eikei's poison fist from Sakigake!! Otokojuku for its similarity. That said, Asian martial artists with a poisonous arm seems to be a common trope in manga, as seen on Tatakae! Ramenman's "Dokuro-ken" Gundam / Gadam, or Ryūkō Yanagi "the Poisoner" from Baki.
  • Sai, one of the Hizoku Four Heavenly Kings from Lin's clan introduced in 2001, seems to be based on Ryū Zuikyō / Liu Song-qu from Sakigake!! Otokojuku, due to their oddly shaped forehead and excessive reliance on headbutting attacks (according to The King of Fighters 2001: Fighting Obsession mook).
• Seth can be considered a Spiritual Successor to Karman Cole from Art of Fighting 3: the two share a penchant for dressing well, have "self defense" as a martial art, and share counters and practical straight attacks. He also looks like Boman Delgado.
• Hinako was initially modelled after Chie Takemoto from Jarinko Chie. Her "Daisharin Nodowa Otoshi" special move from 2002: Unlimited Match is a reference to wrestler Akira Taue (of AJPW / NOAH fame) 's "Nodowa Otoshi" chokeslam. Taue himself had a background in Sumo just like Hinako, and his chokeslam was inspired by the permitted nodowa throw.
  • Hinako has also a super move in 2003, "Chō zutsuki" (Super headbutt), where she throws herself headfirst. Since headbutts are not permitted in Sumo, it's very likely that this move was inspired by the E. Honda's iconic flying headbutts from Street Fighter II.
• Kula's moveset has a couple of references to Aquarius Camus from Saint Seiya: her basic throw (renamed "Ice Coffin" in Maximum Impact), where she freezes her opponent, is a reference to Camus' "Freezing Coffin" , while her "Freezing Execution" super move is based on Camus' "Aurora Execution", even sharing the same arm poses.
  • Candy, Kula's friend and striker, appears in her "Freeze Compression" super move: she's seen firing her breasts like missiles, just like Aphrodite A's Oppai Missiles from Mazinger Z.
  • The animal motifs associated with Kula's caretakers/maternal figures Diana and Foxy are respectively the butterfly and the bee.
  • Foxy herself is a tribute to Cutey Honey, possessing a similar sword, fighting style, manner of dress, and even the ability to change clothes in a flash. Her bio even notes that Foxy owns a honey factory.
  • Kula's name may also be inspired on Cooler, the main villain of Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge. Most of his race's known members have cold-based names (Freezer, King Cold, Frost, Chilled and Froze).
• Clone Zero is a living shout out to Han the Rasho from the Shura saga. His infamous Zero Fart special resembles a method of how Han dispatched a mook in the series. Some of his other special moves are named after techniques used by the Shura Generals in Fist of the North Star.
  • Likewise, Zero shares name and palette with Black Sword Zero from Space Adventure Cobra, even sharing a quote ("The only one who exceeds Zero is a Zero")... Ironically, while the quote was initially a Badass Boast, the retcon of 2000's Zero being a rebellious clone of the original gave it a new ambiguous meaning.
  • Glaugan, Original Zero's pet lion in 2001, has an oddly detailed bio. His dislike is Roland Istaz, a minor character from Baki the Grappler who demonstrates his fighting prowess wrestling against a lion.
• The sequence in 2000's ending where Kula flies into space and destroys the Zero Cannon references Tetsuo Shima doing the same thing with SOL. In both instances, the Kill Sat in question manages to fire once and decimate the target area before the aforementioned character dismantles it, though Kula loses her Robot Buddy, not her right arm and the damage to Southtown is far more widespread than that of Neo-Tokyo.
• K9999 is pretty much Tetsuo with some Kusanagi DNA thrown in. He goes as far has having the same voice actor, Nozomu Sasaki. This came full circle at a point, when Tetsuo's rival was Kusanagi, voiced by Kaneda's VA, followed by them yelling at each other in their shared intro. Bear in mind where the quotes for this intro came. He indeed seems to have gone too far, as in The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match he has been replaced by a very similar character called "Nameless."
  • K9999 was originally going to be modelled after Chirico Cuvie, the main character of Armored Trooper VOTOMS. The only remains of it are his blue hair and orange clothing.
• May Lee's design mixes Hiroshi's shades and shirt from Dokonjō Gaeru and Jiro / Kikaider's belt from Android Kikaider.
  • She can change into a scarf and glove-equipped Hero Mode heavily inspired by Kamen Rider — in fact, many of her moves are inspired by toku: her "May Lee Kick" and "May Lee Break" are inspired by Kamen Rider's "Rider Kick" and Skyrider's "Rider Break", her "Key of Victory" super move is an homage to Kamen Rider's "Double Rider Kick", the "May The End" is an homage to Kikaider's "Denji End" technique (where she strikes a Kamen Rider pose, complete with explosion), and "May Lee Dynamic!"'s name is a reference to Gavan's "Gavan Dynamic".
  • Her "Disposition Frog" Super Desperation Move ends with her striking Sailor Moon's iconic In the Name of the Moon pose. She also shares other anime references, like her "Shining Thunder Blow" (which is probably a reference to Shaina's "Thunder Claw" from Saint Seiya) and some references to Dragon Ball.
  • Since 2002, May Lee gets new references to Doujinshi titles: Her "Gauze Tail Tinkerbell" is a literal translation of Misuzu Kamio's name from Air, and "Disposition Frog", if read as "This Position Frog", may be a reference to Nayuki Minase from Kanon's quote "Keroppi goes here!"... Or a mistranslation of Dokonjō Gaeru, likely intended to be "dispositioned frog".
• Angel uses the Rock Bottom and People's Elbow in 2002. One of her win quotes is "Can you taste The Angel's extraordinary skill?", a play on The Rock's "If you smell what The Rock is cooking!"
  • The names of all of her moves are song titles from left-wing Japanese band Soul Flower Union and its predecessors, Mescaline Drive and Newest Model.
• Igniz's prideful personality, Bishounen looks, choice of clothing and treason against his superior are based on Oskar von Reuenthal from Legend of the Galactic Heroes, even sharing the same voice actor — in addition, he has a penchant for screaming "Feuer!" (German for "Fire!", although technically Galactic Heroes uses the mispelled "Faieru") when shooting lasers, just like the German-speaking Imperial army commanders do. His "Galient Sword" wrist-mounted whip blades are based on the Galient Blade from Panzer World Galient, and his "Irys Lance" coattails are based on the Combat Tentacles of Irys from Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys.
  • His new super move in 2002: Unlimited Match, "Disintegrational Universe", is copied from Gemini Saga's super move in Saint Seiya, "Galaxian Explosion". Likewise, his tactic after being defeated is letting his satellite fall to earth, Gundam style.
  • Whether it was intentional or not, Igniz seems like an expy of Palpatine (minus his facial appearance). The similarities are especially enforced by the fact that the battle against him occurs on a space station... Oh and did we mention that NESTS has an army of clones at its disposal, a few years before it appeared as a plot element in another film?
  • Not just only that, but there is also another parallel with Star Wars. While Original Zero is not the protagonist's father, but he is like Darth Vader in that he is also a black clad, Badass Cape wearing Noble Demon Anti-Villain who serves as the Big Bad's (Igniz in Zero's case) chief operative.
• As mentioned above, Kusanagi's voice actor was Mitsuo Iwata, best known for portraying Shotaro Kaneda in AKIRA. This was taken advantage of by the developers, since he's played both as an homage to both Kaneda in some of his win qoutes and Tetsuo (K9999)'s rivalry, and a reference to Kyo Kusanagi's origins as Syo Kirishima... In fact, Kusanagi's new 2002: Unlimited Match super move uses redrawn sprites and quotes from Kirishima's striker motions in '99 Evolution and 2000 — which quote Domon Kasshu from Mobile Fighter G Gundam ("Ore no Kobushi wa Makka ni Moero!" = "This fist of mine is burning red!").

The Tales of Ash

Characters and stuff introduced in The Tales of Ash (2003-XIII)

• Compare this promotional poster◊ for XII to that of promotional artwork◊ for Street Fighter Alpha 3. Specifically, notice the positions of Terry/Ryo and Ryu/Cody.
• Ash has an intro with Kyo in Maximum Impact Regulation A that directly mimics Orochi Chris' intro.
  • Moveset-wise, he takes more than a few cues from Kain R. Heinlein.
  • He also shares a lot with Remy, what with being French Bishonens with red pants and similar moves.
  • Ash's moves are named after concepts from The French Revolution, like the Revolutionary Calendar (the twelve months + sansculottides holidays, like the fête des récompenses or fête du génie), the sans-culottes, or the "liberté, égalité, fraternité" motto.
• Duo Lon is physically based on the main character from Vampire Hunter D, and his fighting style and some of his moves are based on Shishiwakamaru from YuYu Hakusho.
  • Should Duo Lon find himself up against Mr. Karate in XIII, the Hizoku assassin coolly tells the karateka that he's not terrified in the slightest because he doesn't fear the reaper.
• Shen Woo seems to be a mix of Kaoru Hanayama from Baki the Grappler (gangster who heavily relies on unrefined fistfighting) and Shenlong from Bloody Roar (chinese criminal with a purple open jacket). He's also vaguely similar to Sagara Sanosuke from Rurouni Kenshin. His "Bakushin" super move power-ups him after making a shockwave and leaves him with a gold color, similar to the Super Saiyans from Dragon Ball.
• Gato from Garou: Mark of the Wolves is based on Retsu Kaioh from Baki the Grappler. His "Reiga" / "Zero Fang" is identical to Retsu's "Tenrenge" / "Spinning Lotus" neckbreaker. According to the developers, Gato's name is taken from Anavel Gato from Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.
• Mukai's physical appearance and clothing are similar to Bryan Hawk from Hajime no Ippo, although they are complete opposites in terms of personality. He also shares name with one of the final villains fom Riki-Oh.
• Oswald is based on card master Tubalcain Alhambra, one of the first notable villains of Hellsing. His name is probably based on Lee Harvey Oswald.
• Elisabeth Blanctorche is rumored to be heavily inspired on Mei Karuma / Franziska von Karma from Ace Attorney, although the developers haven't confirmed anything yet.
  • Her new Climax special in XV is very similar to Ivy Valentine and Claudio Serafino's Energy Bow attacks from their respective series.
• Momoko is based on Namie Odama's short-lived manga Shōnen Esper Nejime and has references to it, like her fascination with big breasted characters, taunts and grabs, and her "Esper!" super move.
• Bonne Jenet is a pirate, there's the Bonne, and stalks a main character (Rock Howard in Mark of the Wolves and the Maximum Impact series). Yep, she seems to be SNK's matured version of Tron Bonne. Considering the time of her MotW debut (1999), she could also be a nod towards One Piece.
• Tung Fu Rue from Fatal Fury is a bald, bearded, Miniature Senior Citizen martial arts master who serves as a mentor to major characters in the series and makes use of moves that cause what appears like a Temporary Bulk Change. In essence, he's Master Roshi, sans the perversion.
• Gai Tendo and Ryo have a special intro pose in XI. This is because in Buriki One, Gai's debut game, an older Ryo appeared under the moniker of Mr. Karate II, which is also referenced in a special piece of artwork viewable upon beating the game with a team consisting of Ryo/Gai/Silber.
• Gai himself is a mix between famed famed Japanese MMA fighter and wrestler, Kazushi Sakuraba (See here◊), Baki Hanma and Eikichi Onizuka.
• Shion has various references to Tatakae!! Ramenman: his "Mukade Taihōken" (Centipede Cannon Fist) is one of the techniques of the main character, and his "Ryūsei Hekirekika" (where he splits a falling rock with a flying kick) is based on Ryūsei-ken Hōgan's "Sandan Ryūseikyaku".
• Magaki's screen-filling super move "Universe Distortion" is yet another reference to Gemini Saga's "Galaxian Explosion" from Saint Seiya, sharing pose and psychedelic background effects.
• When Billy Kane faces Saiki in XIII, he thinks his opponent looks like some kind of monster, and wonders what would happen if he could catch 'em all, even wondering if he'll be considered an Elite Trainer, too.
• One of Raiden's DMs in XIII is named Crazy Train.
  • Speaking of Raiden, he's an Expy of Vader.
  • In XIII one of his unmasked outfits is a replica of Terryman's. He even has the stars on the shoulders.
  • Raiden's Neo MAX in XIII is a super powerful Axe Bomber, which was Hulk Hogan's Finishing Move in Japan.
• Beat XIII in Arcade Mode with Elisabeth, Mai and King. You'll get an illustration with a blatant shout-out to The Rose of Versailles.
• Malin shouts "MAXIMUM MALIN!" as she performs her aerial Queen Bee DM.

The Shun'ei Saga

Characters and stuff introduced in XIV

• Sylvie Paula Paula is based on real life idol Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.
  • Meanwhile, her sadistic nature hidden behind her rather goofy appearance and fight conduct brings F.A.N.G to mind.
• Luong's personality, Tae Kwan Do, color motif and stances make her an Alternate Company Equivalent to Juri Han, a character who ironically enough was joked about as being an SNK-style design.
  • One of her DMs (especially its SDM version) has her do multiple kicks, then steps onto her opponent's head and stomps their head three times. It's pretty much Vulcano Rosso's Accellerando and Tameiki no Hashi Super Combos combined.
• Nelson's use of a cybernetic arm may be a nod towards TJ Combo. Unlike Combo, who resorted to titanium implants to keep his title and was banned from the professional boxing circuit when they were discovered, Nelson was forced to use his to be able to box at all.
• Kukri's usage of bandages in addition to his hood make him a dead ringer for Ermac. His sand manipulation and silent tone are based on Gaara, while his moveset is similar to Kan-Ra. Some have even compared him to Terumi, especially for his hooded appearance and usage of vulgar language.
• Hein is pretty much what happens when you combine Claude Faustus and Sakamoto. He has Sakamoto's appearance and constant air of coolness and mystery surrounding him, with Claude's status as a Battle Butler for an evil blond and dark powers.
• Several of King of Dinosaurs's command throws are copies of moves used by Alex the Velociraptor and Lizardman, of the Tekken and Soul Calibur games, respectively.
• Shun'ei, the fourth protagonist of the series, has his Climax being a Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs by another being/supernatural power accompanied with "DORARARARARARA!!!", similar to the fourth protagonist of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Josuke Higashikata. His other DM is also similar to Hell and Heaven in appearance.
  • Well, speaking of JoJo shout outs, one of Mian's 'Ranbu'-style DM had her using another character's (Bruno Bucciarati) Kiai from that series: "ARIARIARIARIARIARIARIARI!!!" (Though being Chinese, she doesn't finish with "Arrivederci")
• Verse looks like a boss straight out of Dark Souls, and also resembles Inferno from Soul Calibur. In-universe, he is a walking Shout-Out to several dead characters within the franchise, and even speaks to certain characters as if he were a dead character related to his defeated opponent. His appearance, coincidentally, bears a fashionable tailcoat reminiscent of Rugal, who is confirmed to be one of the souls within his body in his winquote to Mature and Vice.
• The intro sound bit for Team Psycho Soldier's theme, tachi bou ke, is the original boot-up sound from the classic Psycho Soldier game.
• Rock Howard is a Captain Ersatz of Kaede. Lampshaded in Maximum Impact, where Kaede is his alternate costume. Also, if going by Geese's comparison to Dio, this would make Rock an equivalent to Giorno Giovanna in turn, as both of them are sons of a notable villain in their respective series who have distanced themselves as far as possible from their fathers' legacy.
• Mui Mui resembles the girl on the neon casino sign in Kim Dong Hwan's stage in Garou: Mark of the Wolves. This might explain why her origins lie in a pachislot game that came out five years after Garou.

Characters and stuff introduced in XV

• This game's rendition of the Esaka stage borrows from the "Muscle Power" stage from World Heroes 2.
• The remake of King's stage from Art of Fighting 2, Southtown Park, contains several references to various horror games. From the revamped environment resembling something out of Silent Hill, to an added haunted house attraction on the right side of the stage featuring a creepy animatronic bear on top of the entrance, referencing Five Nights at Freddy's.
• Isla's overall design is essentially an homage to Jet Set Radio and The World Ends with You rolled into one. For bonus points, her Leitmotif, "Time for revolution It's our generation", and home stage wouldn't be too out of place in either game.
  • Her home stage also resembles Alex's/Ken's home stage from Street Fighter III: Third Strike.
  • The tip of the cake is that her Climax is essentially her doing a Rider Kick with one of the paint spray cans.
• Dolores's design resembles a cross between Storm and Master Raven, with abilities that call the T-1000 and Volumen Hydragram to mind.
• While Krohnen maintains the shout-outs to AKIRA that K9999 had, he also has an armband with the word "Silber" on it, as a minor Mythology Gag to the character of the same name from Buriki One (who also appeared as a playable character back in XI).
  • Furthermore, his name doubles as a nod to David Cronenberg, who is the Trope Codifier of Body Horror (as K9999, like Tetsuo, had this extensively, especially with his HSDM in 2001 and 2002). Seems like SNK are Wicked Cultured.
  • Finally, Krohnen's Climax Super, Calamity Overdrive, bears a striking resemblance to one of Doc Ock's tentacles as they appeared in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy.
• Re Verse, while taking Isla's form, is a mix of Necalli in terms of its feral demeanor and wild hair, Bane because of its mouthpiece (which is derived from Isla's respirator), and finally its form is a result of Amanda breaking free from Isla, much like what Kage is to Ryu.
• Otoma=Raga's design on the other hand bears some striking similarities to Azazel, the Big Bad and Final Boss of Tekken 6. The way in which she makes her appearance can also call to mind Kang the Conqueror, too. This of which is interesting in light of XV confirming that The Multiverse all but exists in KOF canon.
• When chosen first, each character's pre-match intro is accompanied by a short narration of the announcer waxing poetic about him/her, in a manner similar to intros in the Soul Series.
• Some of the color palettes are a mix of Shout Outs and Mythology Gags.
  • Kyo's Color 2 is a nod to his NESTS-era jacket, Color 3 references his Ascended Fanboy Shingo, Color 4 is a nod to both his cousin Aoi from his spin-off and Sol Badguy, Color 7 is his Orochi-era outfit, and Color 8 is a reference to Syo Kirishima.
  • Iori's color 5 is a nod to Mr. Big and color 8 references none other than Kazuma Kiryu of Yakuza fame, specifically his 80's appearance.
  • Terry has a color palette (eighth one) that flat-out makes him look like Mario. Considering his appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, that's no coincidence.
  • Chris' Color 8 makes him look an awful lot like Bart Simpson.
  • Two of Mai's color palettes (numbers 5 and 7) are a reference to Dead or Alive's leading lady, Kasumi.
  • K' has a color palette (no.8) that channels his inner Giorno Giovanna.
  • Rugal's Color 3 makes him look a lot like Aquaman.
  • Color 2 for all three members of Team Awakened Orochi is based on Goenitz's outfit.
  • Kim's Color 5 is a nod to May Lee, his former teammate who hasn't been seen since 2002 Unlimited Match.

Others

Characters and stuff introduced in other games (Maximum Impact, Neowave, etc.)

• Makoto Mizoguchi is an Expy of Momotaro Tsurugi, the main protagonist of Sakigake!! Otokojuku.
• Duke is a Shout-Out to Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama, specifically their Devil forms. You can give him devil wings and devil horns in Maximum Impact.
  • Duke's Swivel Gun special is a modified version of Rugal's Genocide Cutter, complete with the Audible Sharpness.
  • During his Volanic Bomb Level 3, Duke shouts, "Up, up, and away!"
• Does anyone else get an Eddy Gordo vibe from Soiree Meira's "Another" outfit? If the colors were to be inverted, you even get the same color scheme as Eddy's default colors.
• Fio's namesake, as well as that of her teddy bear, is taken from the anime 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother.
  • Her alternate outfit in Maximum Impact 2 is that of Ai, the Original Generation female lead of NeoGeo Battle Coliseum.
• In Maximum Impact Regulation A, Hyena has a new super that originally belonged to Oswald. It's his Joker LDM where he pins you in the corner and throws 52 razor sharp cards at you.
• Jivatma is one to Krizalid in Maximum Impact Regulation A. He has a new super move where he shoots his arms out with blades on them and repeatedly stabs the opponent in the air. It looks similar to Krizalid's Desperate Overdrive SDM.
• Lilly Kane's "Another" costume is modeled after Billy's original outfit from Fatal Fury and KOF '95.
  • One of her color variations for her default outfit is that of Hotaru Futaba from Garou: Mark of the Wolves. She also has an outfit homaging Snow White.
• One of Nagase's desperation attacks is based on one of Hanzo Hattori's special grabs. Doubly funny since Hanzo himself is unlockable (in fact, Nagase's moveset is heavily lifted from Hanzo's).
• Two members of the Sons of Fate (the gang Alba and Soiree belong to) are named Noel and Gallagher.
• Xiao Lon is a rather blatant copy of Hsien-Ko/Lei-Lei in appearance and fighting style. Even developers acknowledged that she was based on a jiang-shi.

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