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[[WMG:[[center:[-''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'' | '''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters Main Index]]'''\\
'''Main Series'''\\
[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersHeroes Protagonists]] ([[Characters/TheKingOfFightersAshCrimson Ash Crimson]]) | [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersRivals Deuteragonists]] ([[Characters/TheKingOfFightersIoriYagami Iori Yagami]])\\
''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters94 The King Of Fighters: The Rugal Saga]]'': '''1''' | [[Characters/TheKingOfFighters94Part2 2]] | [[Characters/TheKingOfFighters94Part3 3]]\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters95 KOF '95]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters96 KOF '96]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters97 KOF '97]]''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheNESTSChronicles'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters99 KOF '99]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters2000 KOF 2000]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters2001 KOF 2001]]''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheTalesOfAsh'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters2003 KOF 2003]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersXI KOF XI]]''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheShuneiSaga'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersXIV KOF XIV]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersXV KOF XV]]''\\
'''Spin Offs'''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersEX'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersMaximumImpact Maximum Impact]]''\\
'''Related Series'''\\
''Characters/{{Athena}}'' | ''Characters/PsychoSoldier'' | ''Characters/FatalFury'' | ''Characters/ArtOfFighting'' | ''Characters/SamuraiShodown'' | ''Characters/MetalSlug'' | ''Characters/FuunSeries'' | ''Characters/BurikiOne'']]-]]]
----
[[foldercontrol]]
!Hero Team: Japan
[[AC:Kyo Kusanagi]]
-> [-[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersHeroes See his character page along with the other Protagonists here]].-]
[[folder:Benimaru Nikaido]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_benimaru_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Shooting Star]]
->''"My reason for winning? I'm just cool. Real cool."''
->'''Origin''': Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Shoot-boxing
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Atsushi "Monster" Maezuka (since debut), Eric Kelso (''XII'', English), Creator/HikaruMidorikawa (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Genki Okawa (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> Kyo's and Daimon's partner. A lightning user who's also [[TheCasanova quite the ladies' man]]. Practices an unconventional fighting style called "Shooting" (shoot boxing).
->Despite being associated with the original Team Japan, Benimaru often finds himself teaming up with other fighters, teaming up with K`, Maxima and Shingo in '99, Shingo and Seth in 2000 and Elizabeth and Duo Lon in XI. As a result, he's also the fighter who has the most KOF wins. In XV, he finds himself with yet another team, this time with the new Hero Team alongside Shun'ei and Meitenkun, at the request of Kyo.
----
* AffectionateNickname: Sometimes referred to as "Beni" both in and out of universe.
* AgentPeacock: Flamboyant, somewhat vain, and cares a lot about his looks, but there's a reason he's got the most KOF championships out of the whole cast.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: In some non-official ''KOF'' media, it's speculated that while Benimaru does care for Kyo as a friend, at the same time he also resents being TheLancer and feels overshadowed by him. The aforementioned AlternateUniverse ''KOF: G'' goes by this interpretation [[spoiler:and it culminates with him falling in MoreThanMindControl and ''severely'' injuring Kyo while in this state.]] It's also brought up in more than one fanfiction that has Benimaru as a main character.
* AnimeHair: Lifted directly from Jean-Pierre Polnareff in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', as the creators confirm. He styles it with his powers in one intro. And when his hair ''isn't'' defying gravity, he's a LongHairedPrettyBoy.
* BareYourMidriff: For most of the time, his outfit sports this. ''XIV'' marks the few times he doesn't have this, though it was predated by his debut in ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters94 '94]]'' until it ends in '97.
* BattleIntro: In ''XV'':
-->"The maker above didn't skip out on this guy! He's got looks, money, and super conductivity! Benimaru Nikaido! \\
'''Benimaru''': "I'll give you the shock of your life!"
* BigBrotherMentor: In ''XV'' where he's now taking care of Shun'ei and Meitenkun in the new Hero Team.
* {{Bishonen}}: One of the bishiest. He even models in his spare time.
* ButNotTooForeign: Half American, half Japanese.
* ButtMonkey: He's usually the butt of jokes in the ''King of Fighters: Destiny'' animated series.
* CampStraight: A very flamboyant fighter, but also a lover of the ladies. So camp in fact that in the ''KOF'' 10th anniversary webpage the staff felt the need to say "It's not what ''you'' think, NotThatTheresAnythingWrongWithThat."
* ChickMagnet: That ladies man persona is not just for show, Benimaru canonically has multiple girlfriends, although they're not shown in game.
* ChivalrousPervert: Loves to flirt with female opponents, but is ''not'' a [[HandsomeLech lech]], since he ''will'' leave the girl alone if she tells him to cut it, even if he whines about it a bit. The best examples of this comes from Benimaru scolding ''Kyo'' on his ([[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies understandably neglectful]]) [[LovedINotHonorMore relation]][[LongDistanceRelationship ship]] with Yuki, and later all of his pre-fight talks towards female fighters in ''XIII''.
* CloseRangeCombatant: To an extent in older games, but he's almost fully this in ''XIII'' where, with the exception of EX Benimaru Lancer (which tracks the opponent anywhere) and his [[https://youtu.be/a_bWgBOypY8?t=180 Neo MAX]] (he shoots a thunderbolt directly forward), all of his moves have quite a short range.
* CostumeEvolution: At the beginning, his outfit is pretty much the same as [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure Polnareff]]. In '96, he changes his top to a black full body sleeveless shirt while retaining his wrist bands. In '98 and the NESTS saga, the A-shirt turns into a T-shirt with a CleavageWindow while baring his midriff, and now wears fingerless gloves. In 2003 and XI, along with changing his jeans to a black one, the A-shirt is back... and it's now in leopard print. XII changes his outfit to an A-shirt that bares his midriff. In ''XIV'', he (finally!) wears a yellow shirt. In Capcom vs. SNK, his '98 T-shirt becomes an A-shirt with long gloves baring his shoulders. In ''XV'' he switches to a Chinese-inspired top, fitting his new position as part of the hero team with Shun'ei and Meitenkun.
* DeathFromAbove: His Benimaru Lancer special in ''XIII'' is him doing a BadassFingersnap to summon a lightning strike from above near his location (or directly on opponent's position as its EX version).
* DivingKick: His Flying Drill command normal, a diagonally-angled kick meant to emulate the rotation of a [[ThisIsADrill drill]], similar in appearance and functionality to [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Dhalsim]]'s Drill Kick/Head Drill, or as usual, a nod to another kind of drill kick seen on the series' ShoutOut section.
* ElementalPunch: His Raijinken is pretty much a basic example, among other electric punches and kicks he has.
* FragileSpeedster: In gameplay, Benimaru's one of the most notable examples of the quick-moving guys of the cast, despite the position often given to female characters. He has the one of the highest jumping heights and he doesn't look very bulky compared to others, but boy can he do a lot of stuff with his lightning, and his moves are a bit quick.
* GrappleMove: In some games he has the Benimaru Collider, where he he grabs an opponent and electrocutes them.
* GratuitousEnglish: A staple of his win poses. "Thank you! See you next time!"
* GuestFighter: In ''VideoGame/XuanDouZhiWang'' alongside Terry. Notably, he appears in this game without Kyo.
* HurricaneKick: His Shinkuu Katategoma special in some games, where he handstands and spins in place while kicking with both legs.
* IaijutsuPractitioner: A borderline example in his Iai Geri special, where he does a very quick knee-kick and then pulls his leg back just as quickly.
* ImageSong: "Show Time!"
* {{Irony}}: Dispite being treated as the lancer to Kyo, Benimaru has won more KOF tournaments than Kyo.[[note]]This includes ''[='=]94, ''[='=]95'', ''[='=]96'', ''[='=]97'', ''XIII'', and ''XIV'' as Team Japan with Kyo, and ''[='=]99'', ''XI'', and ''XV'' without Kyo as a member of Team Hero/K', Team Elisabeth, and Team Hero/Shun'ei. Even when you call ''[='=]97'' and ''XIII'' into question due to story circumstances, that's still Benimaru's 7 to Kyo's 5.[[/note]]
* TheJailBaitWait: For Kula, judging by his dialogue with her in ''XIII''[='s=] story mode and his win quote for her. Immediately subverted in the former when he calls himself a horrible person for bringing it up and then tells Kula to forget what he said when she has no understanding of what he meant by waiting five years for her.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: One of his classic win poses involves him striking a pose, looking directly at the camera and saying "Thank you!" In universe, this can be seen as him gesturing to his fans.
* MoreThanMindControl: Briefly happens to him in [[spoiler:Ryo Takamisaki's ''The King Of Fighters G''. Goenitz starts using his powers to drain people of LifeEnergy while he and Kyo are fighting in the finals; this affects Benimaru by proxy and he goes BloodKnight at Kyo, [[EyeScream injuring his eyes.]] When Kyo wins the fight anyway, Benimaru comes back to his senses and apologizes.]] It qualifies as this trope instead of [[spoiler:BrainwashedAndCrazy]] because of a subplot where Benimaru [[spoiler:was very angry at Kyo after a massive fight, which led him to team up with Iori and Mature (while Kyo teamed with Athena and Vice); Goenitz's appearance and powers simply amped up the bad feelings that ''already'' were there UpToEleven.]]
%% * TheLancer: If the Japan Team's original configuration has Kyo as TheHero and Daimon as TheBigGuy, then Benimaru is definitely this.
* LightningFireJuxtaposition: He's the lightning to Kyo's fire.
* NiceGuy: He doesn't start off this way, but after being humbled by his experiences on the Japan team and his loss at Kyo's hands, he becomes one of the most amicable characters in the series.
* {{Otaku}}: Benimaru strongly dislikes otaku. Somewhat justified by the fact that in Japan, the word "otaku" carries a much more negative connotation than in the West where it's often used to describe someone who is simply a passionate fan of anime and manga.
* ShipperOnDeck: In the Hero Team ending in ''XV'', he [[spoiler:teases Shun'ei about his feelings regarding Isla after a quip from Tung Fu Rue]].
* ShockAndAwe: His fighting style consists of lightning empowered martial arts. He can also fire bolts of lightning from his hands. His exaggerated case of electrostatics is the reason his [[AnimeHair hair]] rivals [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Paul Phoenix]] and [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Guile]].
* {{Shoryuken}}: A kick version with his Super Inazuma Kick, where he leaps up with lightning left in his trail.
* SignatureMove: His Raijinken, a short-range surge of electricty. Also its DM version, Raikouken.
* SmallNameBigEgo: In ''King of Fighters: Destiny''. He's offended when he realizes that the American fighter Ryo Sakazaki has heard of Kyo and Goro, but not him.
* SomethingAboutARose: [[http://www.fightersgeneration.com/games/kof02um1.jpg His poster at the school stage]] in ''2002UM'' depicts Beni with a rose in his teeth.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His surname can be written as "Nikaido", "Nikaidō" or "Nikaidou".
* SphereOfDestruction:
** His Raikouken DM was originally this. Whether or not it's this or a cluster of {{Energy Ball}}s depends on the game.
** His new Rolling Thunder DM is definitely this, where he surrounds himself in a circular field of electricity..
* SuperSpeed: Via electricity. [[DoppelgangerAttack He can even move fast enough to produce after-images]], as seen with his Gen'ei Hurricane DM.
* ThemeNaming: As elaborated on the [[ShoutOut/TheKingOfFighters shout-out page]], all of Benimaru's moves are actually themed/named-after anime heroes' special attacks, especially from Creator/TatsunokoProduction. The ''massive [[{{Irony}} irony]]'' is that Benimaru in his profile specifically hates nerds/otaku who are into that sort of thing.
* ThreeStrikeCombo: His Iai Geri special can be continued to Hando Sandan Geri, which adds 2 more strikes to the attack.
* VitriolicBestBuds: With Kyo, at first. As the two came to respect each other over time, the snarky banter died down a lot.
* WouldNotHitAGirl: While Benimaru definitely respects his female opponents, he doesn't enjoy fighting against them for this reason. In some of the later games, defeating a female character causes him to look regretfully across the screen rather than perform any of his trademark victory poses. Unfortunately for him, he's in a martial arts tournament, so he doesn't have much of a choice.
-->(Vs. Athena in ''XIV''): "I understand you are a warrior, but it hurts my heart to harm a pop star..."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Goro Daimon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_all_star_daimon.png]]
->''"Lightweight!"''
->'''Origin:''' Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Judo
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Masaki Usui ('94-XIII), Takahiro Fujiwara (XIV-current) Creator/RyuzaburoOtomo (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)[[/note]]
-> Japanese judo master who was invited by Benimaru to join the Japan team for the ''[='94=]'' tournament. He, Kyo, and Benimaru have been good friends since then, although Daimon occasionally declines joining tournaments to focus on his family.
----
* AbsenteeActor: Despite being introduced as third member of the original PowerTrio, Goro finds himself victim of this throughout the series. He was absent from the rosters in ''99'', ''XI'', and ''XV.''
* BadassNormal: Kyo has [[PlayingWithFire fire]], Benimaru has [[ShockAndAwe electricity]]. He's got nothing but his size, his strength, and a handful of experience. Technically, his element would be [[DishingOutDirt earth]], but unlike his companions, he doesn't really have a supernatural bent to his powers; he's just that strong.
* BigBrotherMentor: For Kyo, in story.
* TheBigGuy: The resident heavyweight for Team Japan. He's a more stoic version of this trope than most examples, though.
* TheCameo: He appears in the background of KOF Stadium in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' and has a spirit battle that references him; the fight in question is a spirit battle based on Kyo that includes two fighters based on his Benimaru and Daimon.
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Years of hard work and training in judo have honed Daimon to the point where he's able to ''cause earthquakes'' just by slamming his hands on the ground.
* CounterAttack: In ''2002'' he gets one counter special (Nekko Gaeshi) that counters with a throw, and in ''2003'' he loses that, but gains a new DM (Toumi) that acts like this.
* DishingOutDirt: He [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower possesses enough strength]] to ''move the earth''.
* EyesAlwaysShut: ''Always''....kind of. 98% of the time you see Goro his eyes fit this perfectly. However, early artwork from ''94'' and ''95'' shows his eyes and in ''XIV'', the animation for Kyouten Douchi shows his eyes opening before he demolishes the ground with a double palm strike.
* FamilyMan: Goro usually declines invitations for KOF tournaments to focus on his family, especially noticed when he was to get his first child after ''97''.
* FlungClothing: In some of his intro poses, he may throw the top part of his gi away.
* GentleGiant: This big guy is peaceful by nature, usually fighting only to help out Kyo, Benimaru, and Shingo if they require his aid. He also finds time to immerse himself in nature and teach younglings the secrets of Judo. His warm heart was probably why Jokyojo fell in love with him.
* GoodIsOldFashioned: Pointed out by Benimaru in the dramas, when he makes fun of how he likes YamatoNadeshiko girls. In ''XIII'', he ''yells'' at Mai for being {{Stripperiffic}}, bonds with Ryo over their shared hobby of training in the mountains, and chats with Kim [[SoMyKidsCanWatch about wanting to give good examples to their children.]]
* GrappleMove: He has a number of this; a given for a judoka.
* TheGrappler: He is a judo practicioner and serves as the big guy of Team Japan.
* GroundPound: His Jirai Shin (Mine Quake) special which [[ShockwaveStomp causes a small quake]] which damages the standing enemy (but not crouching ones: unless it's the EX version) no matter the range. [[https://youtu.be/a_bWgBOypY8?t=210 His Neo MAX, Kyouten Douchi (Amazing Heaven Moving Earth)]], is also this (as well as being a CounterAttack). [[FunnyBackgroundEvent Past games that had one's team in the background would always have Daimon's opposing team get tripped by it while his own team understands the cue to dodge with a jump.]]
* HappilyMarried: To [[HotTeacher Jokyojo]]. Then even have a son named Kogoro who appears to be [[GenerationXerox passionately following his dad's footsteps]]. See Daimon's intro pose in ''2001'' for a good example.
* HeroicMime: Kind of. While he talks during his win quotes, he has no dialogue while fighting (at least not until later games gave him a few quotes).
* {{Hunk}}: Strong, handsome, and an all-around NiceGuy as well.
* {{Kiai}}: Instead of CallingYourAttacks, he does this for his moves.
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: In a variant, one of his specials is him grabbing his downed opponent, then lifts him up and then slams him back down. His new DM in ''XIV'' Konten Otoshi also works like this.
* MassiveNumberedSiblings: Fifth of seven brothers and sisters. [[note]]"Goro" [[MeaningfulName comes from]] "Go", the word for "five" in Japanese.[[/note]]
* MartialArtsHeadband: White with a red circle in the middle, like [[WearingAFlagOnYourHead the Japan flag]].
* MartialArtsUniform: He's shown to have one, but he tends to wear his top like a CoatCape: and then he discards it before the fight.
* MetronomicManMashing: His Jigoku Gokuraku Otoshi (Hell Paradise Drop) DM.
* MightyGlacier: His movement tend to be slower than other's, but boy those throws are strong.
* OutOfFocus: Goro's involvement in the story typically comes down to rather Kyo reforms "Team Japan" or not. In the games he doesn't ('''99'', ''2000'', ''XI'' and ''XV'') Benimaru will join a new team while Goro stays out of the story. In the case of ''2000'', he was only brought in as an AssistCharacter.
* TheQuietOne: He doesn't really talk as much as his teammates do, especially in ''98'', where his winquotes are especially terse. It gets PlayedForLaughs in ''XIII'', where he and [[EmotionlessGirl Leona]] share a moment of VisibleSilence together in their pre-fight intro.
* SignatureMove: his Tenchi Gaeshi and Jiraishin specials, as well as Jigoku Gokuraku Otoshi DM.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His first name can be written as "Goro", "Gorō" or "Gorou".
* UnnecessaryCombatRoll: His Super Ukemi special subverts this, as Daimon can use it to avoid projectiles and other attacks, placing him in the ideal position to unleash one of his deadly judo throws. It can also be freely canceled to other specials.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: He never wears anything for his top in all games. All the better to show his well-toned body.
[[/folder]]
!Fatal Fury Team: Italy
[[folder:Terry Bogard]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_terry_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Legendary Hungry Wolf]]
->''"Hey, come on!"''
->'''Origin:''' USA
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': "Martial arts" (based on his father's and Tung's, later self-taught)
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Satoshi Hashimoto ('94-XIII), Creator/TakashiKondo (XIV-current, ''VideoGame/FightingEXLayer'', ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''), Tony Carrol (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Creator/TakeshiKusao (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Creator/ChiakiTakahashi (''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'')[[/note]]
->'''Portrayed by:''' [[note]]David Leitch (live-action movie)[[/note]]
-> The hero of the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' series and one of SNK’s poster children. His role in the overall plot of the ''KOF'' series is minimal, as he's mostly here due to his popularity. He was raised by martial arts master [[DisappearedDad Jeff Bogard]] along with his younger brother Andy, and developed his own unique fighting style based on Jeff's teachings. He witnessed the murder of his father at the hands of Geese Howard, and trained with [[OldMaster Tung Fu Rue]] to take revenge. Terry defeated Geese and [[DisneyVillainDeath gave him a boot out of his tower]], but after learning of his survival Terry was none too pleased. He failed in stopping Geese from obtaining the Jin Scrolls but in the next tournament, he defeats Geese once again and [[SaveTheVillain this time tries to save him from falling off the tower, again]], but Geese rejects him, allowing himself to plummet to his "death," again. He adopts Geese's son Rock afterward, and trains him.
-> In the KOF continuity, however, Geese did not die. Terry has been a constant participant throughout all KOF tournament, giving all the good fights. In ''XIV'', however, Geese's return to the tournament raised his suspicion and he decided to enter with Andy and Joe to investigate and stop whatever Geese plans.
----
-->See Characters/FatalFuryTerryBogard for tropes on him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Andy Bogard]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_andy_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Human Weapon]]
->''"Get a real taste of the Shiranui style!"''
->'''Origin:''' USA
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Koppo + Ninjutsu (Shiranui-style)
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Jun Hashimoto (94), Creator/KeiichiNanba (95-XIII), Creator/HiroshiOkamoto (XIV-current), Jeff Manning (''XII'', English), Creator/RyoHorikawa (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Toshinari Fukamachi (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> Younger brother of Terry and a McNinja. He was taught a basic form of Shiranui ninjutsu by Mai's grandfather Hanzo. After hearing of his father Jeff's death at the hands of Geese Howard, he joins forces with Terry and Joe Higashi, and the three enter Geese's King of Fighters tournament. Although Andy fights Geese first, he loses badly, and Terry finishes the villain off... maybe. He's also the apple of Mai's eye, although he rejects her advances.
----
-->See Characters/FatalFuryKingOfFighters for tropes on him
%%* AlwaysSomeoneBetter:
%%** It doesn't get in the way when the rubber meets the road (the duo will always have each others' back) but there is some definite yearning on Andy's part to become the kind of fighter his brother is seen as.
%%** This even applies in a meta sense. Andy Bogard is an American ninja, who can move at lightning speeds, can plant ki bombs on people, and is in a relationship with [[EnsembleDarkHorse Mai]] [[MsFanservice Shiranui]]. Yet despite all this going for him, Andy Bogard is not particularly popular character by KOF standards. In fact, to many fans playing him up as a MemeticLoser is a very common inside joke in the community. And this is all because in spite of everything he has going for him, he is the younger brother to ''Terry Bogard''. And as the younger brother to a MemeticBadass with one of the most recognizable designs in fighting games, that is so beloved for his charm and engrish that he got into ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', there was never any question that Andy would get grossly overshadowed by Terry, no matter what he did. KOF 2003 didn't bother making a deal over the fact that this would be the first KOF where Andy wouldn't be playable, because Terry wearing his Garou outfit garnered infinitely more attention and hype.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Joe Higashi]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_joe_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Young Muay Thai Champ]]
->''"The legend of Joe Higashi begins here!"''
->'''Origin''': Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Muay Thai
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Katsuhisa Namase (94), Creator/NobuyukiHiyama (95-XIII), Kozo Mito (XIV-current) Greg Irwin (''XII'', English), Creator/KazukiYao (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Creator/ChiharuSawashiro (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> A Japanese man who is well versed in the art of Muay Thai, he is the best friend of both Bogard brothers, and is a constant in nearly every King of Fighters tournament. He is currently dating Billy Kane's sister Lilly, something her [[BigBrotherInstinct overprotective older brother]] Billy is not happy about, given his connection to the Bogards (that's for the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' continuity; in ''The King of Fighters'' he possibly remains single, later being chased around by his ''unnamed'' [[CampGay loyal fan]]). Quite possibly the strongest Muay Thai practitioner in the SNK 'verse, much to credit for his many team ending sequences consisting of him winning other fighting tournaments by himself.
----
-->See Characters/FatalFuryKingOfFighters for tropes on him
[[/folder]]
!Art of Fighting Team: Mexico
[[folder:Ryo Sakazaki]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_ryo_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Invincible Dragon]]
->''"Absolute karate, that's Kyokugen. And don't you forget it, [[AntiquatedLinguistics dweebenheimer]]!"''
->'''Origin:''' Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Kyokugen-style Karate
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Masaki Usui (''[='94=]''-''XI'', ''XIII''), Masayoshi Kozaki (''XII''), Daiki Takakura (''XIV'', ''XV'', ''King of Fighters All-Star''), Curt Gebhart (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Creator/AkiraKamiya (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Subaru Kimura (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> The heir of the Kyokugen School of Karate and the main protagonist of the ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' series. Ryo is Takuma's son and Yuri's brother and best friend of Robert Garcia. He rescued Yuri with Robert, who was kidnapped by Mr. Big and Geese Howard to get Takuma to do their bidding, thus freeing his father from said bidding as well. Now he promotes the fighting style by competing in tournaments. He later takes up his father's title of "Mr. Karate."
-> In ''XIV'', he and his teammates heard rumors about a fake Kyokugenryu school. To clear the legitimacy of the Kyokugenryu school (and to advertise the new Kyokugen Barbeque side business Takuma opened), Ryo entered the King of Fighters tournament. In ''XV'', growing increasingly discontent with Kyokugen Barbeque becoming the main focus of the family business, he boots Yuri from the team and enters the tournament with Robert and King to show off Kyokugenryu Karate at it's finest.
----
->See Characters/ArtOfFightingI for tropes on him
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Robert Garcia]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_robert_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Mightiest Tiger]]
->''"Underestimate my strength, huh? You're dumber than you look!"''
->'''Origin''': Italy
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/italy_2044.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Kyokugen-style Karate
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Kay Inage (''[=94=]''-''[='95=]'', ''XI'' onward), Mantarō Koichi (''[='96=]''-''2003''), Creator/GoShinomiya (''XIV'', ''XV'', ''King of Fighters All-Star''), Greg Irwin (''XII'', English), Creator/HideoIshikawa (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Kazuhiro Okamoto (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> Italian playboy who is also the heir to the Garcia Foundation, one of the largest companies in the world. He was sent to train with the Sakazakis by his father, who wanted him to appreciate the value of hard work. He became good friends with Ryo and when Yuri was kidnapped by Mr. Big, he and Ryo hit the streets of Southtown to get her back. While Ryo's style of Kyokugen is more balanced, Robert's focuses mostly on kicks. He and Yuri have a relationship, but they have yet to make any serious commitment.
----
->See Characters/ArtOfFightingI for tropes on him
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Takuma Sakazaki / Mr. Karate]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/accea00c_49c0_4fae_a6d2_2e197424c251.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click Here]][[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mr_karate.png]][[/labelnote]]to see him as Mr. Karate.]]
->''"Wow, you're a disgrace! You'd better hang it up, kid."''
->'''Origin''': Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Kyokugen-style Karate
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Eiji Tsuda(''[=94=]'',''[='95=]'', ''[='98=]''-''[='02=]'', ''XIII''), Creator/HochuOtsuka (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Takeshi Maruyama (''King of Fighters: All-Star'')[[/note]]
-> The current master of the Kyokugen Karate style. He is sometimes seen as a doddering old man, but he can be very serious when he wants to be. He was forced into serving Mr. Big when his daughter Yuri was kidnapped. To conceal his identity, he wore a tengu mask and dubbed himself "Mr. Karate." After he was defeated by a ''very'' pissed off Ryo, he was almost killed by him until Yuri revealed the truth. Nowadays he enters tournaments to promote his school. He sometimes likes to put the old mask back on just for kicks and giggles.
----
->See Characters/ArtOfFightingI for tropes on him
[[/folder]]
'''Main Series'''\\
[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersHeroes Protagonists]] ([[Characters/TheKingOfFightersAshCrimson Ash Crimson]]) | [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersRivals Deuteragonists]] ([[Characters/TheKingOfFightersIoriYagami Iori Yagami]])\\
''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters94 The King Of Fighters: The Rugal Saga]]'': '''1''' | [[Characters/TheKingOfFighters94Part2 2]] | [[Characters/TheKingOfFighters94Part3 3]]\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters95 KOF '95]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters96 KOF '96]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters97 KOF '97]]''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheNESTSChronicles'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters99 KOF '99]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters2000 KOF 2000]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters2001 KOF 2001]]''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheTalesOfAsh'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters2003 KOF 2003]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersXI KOF XI]]''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheShuneiSaga'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersXIV KOF XIV]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersXV KOF XV]]''\\
'''Spin Offs'''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersEX'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersMaximumImpact Maximum Impact]]''\\
'''Related Series'''\\
''Characters/{{Athena}}'' | ''Characters/PsychoSoldier'' | ''Characters/FatalFury'' | ''Characters/ArtOfFighting'' | ''Characters/SamuraiShodown'' | ''Characters/MetalSlug'' | ''Characters/FuunSeries'' | ''Characters/BurikiOne'']]-]]]
----
[[foldercontrol]]
!Hero Team: Japan
[[AC:Kyo Kusanagi]]
-> [-[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersHeroes See his character page along with the other Protagonists here]].-]
[[folder:Benimaru Nikaido]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_benimaru_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Shooting Star]]
->''"My reason for winning? I'm just cool. Real cool."''
->'''Origin''': Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Shoot-boxing
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Atsushi "Monster" Maezuka (since debut), Eric Kelso (''XII'', English), Creator/HikaruMidorikawa (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Genki Okawa (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> Kyo's and Daimon's partner. A lightning user who's also [[TheCasanova quite the ladies' man]]. Practices an unconventional fighting style called "Shooting" (shoot boxing).
->Despite being associated with the original Team Japan, Benimaru often finds himself teaming up with other fighters, teaming up with K`, Maxima and Shingo in '99, Shingo and Seth in 2000 and Elizabeth and Duo Lon in XI. As a result, he's also the fighter who has the most KOF wins. In XV, he finds himself with yet another team, this time with the new Hero Team alongside Shun'ei and Meitenkun, at the request of Kyo.
----
* AffectionateNickname: Sometimes referred to as "Beni" both in and out of universe.
* AgentPeacock: Flamboyant, somewhat vain, and cares a lot about his looks, but there's a reason he's got the most KOF championships out of the whole cast.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: In some non-official ''KOF'' media, it's speculated that while Benimaru does care for Kyo as a friend, at the same time he also resents being TheLancer and feels overshadowed by him. The aforementioned AlternateUniverse ''KOF: G'' goes by this interpretation [[spoiler:and it culminates with him falling in MoreThanMindControl and ''severely'' injuring Kyo while in this state.]] It's also brought up in more than one fanfiction that has Benimaru as a main character.
* AnimeHair: Lifted directly from Jean-Pierre Polnareff in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', as the creators confirm. He styles it with his powers in one intro. And when his hair ''isn't'' defying gravity, he's a LongHairedPrettyBoy.
* BareYourMidriff: For most of the time, his outfit sports this. ''XIV'' marks the few times he doesn't have this, though it was predated by his debut in ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters94 '94]]'' until it ends in '97.
* BattleIntro: In ''XV'':
-->"The maker above didn't skip out on this guy! He's got looks, money, and super conductivity! Benimaru Nikaido! \\
'''Benimaru''': "I'll give you the shock of your life!"
* BigBrotherMentor: In ''XV'' where he's now taking care of Shun'ei and Meitenkun in the new Hero Team.
* {{Bishonen}}: One of the bishiest. He even models in his spare time.
* ButNotTooForeign: Half American, half Japanese.
* ButtMonkey: He's usually the butt of jokes in the ''King of Fighters: Destiny'' animated series.
* CampStraight: A very flamboyant fighter, but also a lover of the ladies. So camp in fact that in the ''KOF'' 10th anniversary webpage the staff felt the need to say "It's not what ''you'' think, NotThatTheresAnythingWrongWithThat."
* ChickMagnet: That ladies man persona is not just for show, Benimaru canonically has multiple girlfriends, although they're not shown in game.
* ChivalrousPervert: Loves to flirt with female opponents, but is ''not'' a [[HandsomeLech lech]], since he ''will'' leave the girl alone if she tells him to cut it, even if he whines about it a bit. The best examples of this comes from Benimaru scolding ''Kyo'' on his ([[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies understandably neglectful]]) [[LovedINotHonorMore relation]][[LongDistanceRelationship ship]] with Yuki, and later all of his pre-fight talks towards female fighters in ''XIII''.
* CloseRangeCombatant: To an extent in older games, but he's almost fully this in ''XIII'' where, with the exception of EX Benimaru Lancer (which tracks the opponent anywhere) and his [[https://youtu.be/a_bWgBOypY8?t=180 Neo MAX]] (he shoots a thunderbolt directly forward), all of his moves have quite a short range.
* CostumeEvolution: At the beginning, his outfit is pretty much the same as [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure Polnareff]]. In '96, he changes his top to a black full body sleeveless shirt while retaining his wrist bands. In '98 and the NESTS saga, the A-shirt turns into a T-shirt with a CleavageWindow while baring his midriff, and now wears fingerless gloves. In 2003 and XI, along with changing his jeans to a black one, the A-shirt is back... and it's now in leopard print. XII changes his outfit to an A-shirt that bares his midriff. In ''XIV'', he (finally!) wears a yellow shirt. In Capcom vs. SNK, his '98 T-shirt becomes an A-shirt with long gloves baring his shoulders. In ''XV'' he switches to a Chinese-inspired top, fitting his new position as part of the hero team with Shun'ei and Meitenkun.
* DeathFromAbove: His Benimaru Lancer special in ''XIII'' is him doing a BadassFingersnap to summon a lightning strike from above near his location (or directly on opponent's position as its EX version).
* DivingKick: His Flying Drill command normal, a diagonally-angled kick meant to emulate the rotation of a [[ThisIsADrill drill]], similar in appearance and functionality to [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Dhalsim]]'s Drill Kick/Head Drill, or as usual, a nod to another kind of drill kick seen on the series' ShoutOut section.
* ElementalPunch: His Raijinken is pretty much a basic example, among other electric punches and kicks he has.
* FragileSpeedster: In gameplay, Benimaru's one of the most notable examples of the quick-moving guys of the cast, despite the position often given to female characters. He has the one of the highest jumping heights and he doesn't look very bulky compared to others, but boy can he do a lot of stuff with his lightning, and his moves are a bit quick.
* GrappleMove: In some games he has the Benimaru Collider, where he he grabs an opponent and electrocutes them.
* GratuitousEnglish: A staple of his win poses. "Thank you! See you next time!"
* GuestFighter: In ''VideoGame/XuanDouZhiWang'' alongside Terry. Notably, he appears in this game without Kyo.
* HurricaneKick: His Shinkuu Katategoma special in some games, where he handstands and spins in place while kicking with both legs.
* IaijutsuPractitioner: A borderline example in his Iai Geri special, where he does a very quick knee-kick and then pulls his leg back just as quickly.
* ImageSong: "Show Time!"
* {{Irony}}: Dispite being treated as the lancer to Kyo, Benimaru has won more KOF tournaments than Kyo.[[note]]This includes ''[='=]94, ''[='=]95'', ''[='=]96'', ''[='=]97'', ''XIII'', and ''XIV'' as Team Japan with Kyo, and ''[='=]99'', ''XI'', and ''XV'' without Kyo as a member of Team Hero/K', Team Elisabeth, and Team Hero/Shun'ei. Even when you call ''[='=]97'' and ''XIII'' into question due to story circumstances, that's still Benimaru's 7 to Kyo's 5.[[/note]]
* TheJailBaitWait: For Kula, judging by his dialogue with her in ''XIII''[='s=] story mode and his win quote for her. Immediately subverted in the former when he calls himself a horrible person for bringing it up and then tells Kula to forget what he said when she has no understanding of what he meant by waiting five years for her.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: One of his classic win poses involves him striking a pose, looking directly at the camera and saying "Thank you!" In universe, this can be seen as him gesturing to his fans.
* MoreThanMindControl: Briefly happens to him in [[spoiler:Ryo Takamisaki's ''The King Of Fighters G''. Goenitz starts using his powers to drain people of LifeEnergy while he and Kyo are fighting in the finals; this affects Benimaru by proxy and he goes BloodKnight at Kyo, [[EyeScream injuring his eyes.]] When Kyo wins the fight anyway, Benimaru comes back to his senses and apologizes.]] It qualifies as this trope instead of [[spoiler:BrainwashedAndCrazy]] because of a subplot where Benimaru [[spoiler:was very angry at Kyo after a massive fight, which led him to team up with Iori and Mature (while Kyo teamed with Athena and Vice); Goenitz's appearance and powers simply amped up the bad feelings that ''already'' were there UpToEleven.]]
%% * TheLancer: If the Japan Team's original configuration has Kyo as TheHero and Daimon as TheBigGuy, then Benimaru is definitely this.
* LightningFireJuxtaposition: He's the lightning to Kyo's fire.
* NiceGuy: He doesn't start off this way, but after being humbled by his experiences on the Japan team and his loss at Kyo's hands, he becomes one of the most amicable characters in the series.
* {{Otaku}}: Benimaru strongly dislikes otaku. Somewhat justified by the fact that in Japan, the word "otaku" carries a much more negative connotation than in the West where it's often used to describe someone who is simply a passionate fan of anime and manga.
* ShipperOnDeck: In the Hero Team ending in ''XV'', he [[spoiler:teases Shun'ei about his feelings regarding Isla after a quip from Tung Fu Rue]].
* ShockAndAwe: His fighting style consists of lightning empowered martial arts. He can also fire bolts of lightning from his hands. His exaggerated case of electrostatics is the reason his [[AnimeHair hair]] rivals [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Paul Phoenix]] and [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Guile]].
* {{Shoryuken}}: A kick version with his Super Inazuma Kick, where he leaps up with lightning left in his trail.
* SignatureMove: His Raijinken, a short-range surge of electricty. Also its DM version, Raikouken.
* SmallNameBigEgo: In ''King of Fighters: Destiny''. He's offended when he realizes that the American fighter Ryo Sakazaki has heard of Kyo and Goro, but not him.
* SomethingAboutARose: [[http://www.fightersgeneration.com/games/kof02um1.jpg His poster at the school stage]] in ''2002UM'' depicts Beni with a rose in his teeth.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His surname can be written as "Nikaido", "Nikaidō" or "Nikaidou".
* SphereOfDestruction:
** His Raikouken DM was originally this. Whether or not it's this or a cluster of {{Energy Ball}}s depends on the game.
** His new Rolling Thunder DM is definitely this, where he surrounds himself in a circular field of electricity..
* SuperSpeed: Via electricity. [[DoppelgangerAttack He can even move fast enough to produce after-images]], as seen with his Gen'ei Hurricane DM.
* ThemeNaming: As elaborated on the [[ShoutOut/TheKingOfFighters shout-out page]], all of Benimaru's moves are actually themed/named-after anime heroes' special attacks, especially from Creator/TatsunokoProduction. The ''massive [[{{Irony}} irony]]'' is that Benimaru in his profile specifically hates nerds/otaku who are into that sort of thing.
* ThreeStrikeCombo: His Iai Geri special can be continued to Hando Sandan Geri, which adds 2 more strikes to the attack.
* VitriolicBestBuds: With Kyo, at first. As the two came to respect each other over time, the snarky banter died down a lot.
* WouldNotHitAGirl: While Benimaru definitely respects his female opponents, he doesn't enjoy fighting against them for this reason. In some of the later games, defeating a female character causes him to look regretfully across the screen rather than perform any of his trademark victory poses. Unfortunately for him, he's in a martial arts tournament, so he doesn't have much of a choice.
-->(Vs. Athena in ''XIV''): "I understand you are a warrior, but it hurts my heart to harm a pop star..."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Goro Daimon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_all_star_daimon.png]]
->''"Lightweight!"''
->'''Origin:''' Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Judo
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Masaki Usui ('94-XIII), Takahiro Fujiwara (XIV-current) Creator/RyuzaburoOtomo (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)[[/note]]
-> Japanese judo master who was invited by Benimaru to join the Japan team for the ''[='94=]'' tournament. He, Kyo, and Benimaru have been good friends since then, although Daimon occasionally declines joining tournaments to focus on his family.
----
* AbsenteeActor: Despite being introduced as third member of the original PowerTrio, Goro finds himself victim of this throughout the series. He was absent from the rosters in ''99'', ''XI'', and ''XV.''
* BadassNormal: Kyo has [[PlayingWithFire fire]], Benimaru has [[ShockAndAwe electricity]]. He's got nothing but his size, his strength, and a handful of experience. Technically, his element would be [[DishingOutDirt earth]], but unlike his companions, he doesn't really have a supernatural bent to his powers; he's just that strong.
* BigBrotherMentor: For Kyo, in story.
* TheBigGuy: The resident heavyweight for Team Japan. He's a more stoic version of this trope than most examples, though.
* TheCameo: He appears in the background of KOF Stadium in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' and has a spirit battle that references him; the fight in question is a spirit battle based on Kyo that includes two fighters based on his Benimaru and Daimon.
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Years of hard work and training in judo have honed Daimon to the point where he's able to ''cause earthquakes'' just by slamming his hands on the ground.
* CounterAttack: In ''2002'' he gets one counter special (Nekko Gaeshi) that counters with a throw, and in ''2003'' he loses that, but gains a new DM (Toumi) that acts like this.
* DishingOutDirt: He [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower possesses enough strength]] to ''move the earth''.
* EyesAlwaysShut: ''Always''....kind of. 98% of the time you see Goro his eyes fit this perfectly. However, early artwork from ''94'' and ''95'' shows his eyes and in ''XIV'', the animation for Kyouten Douchi shows his eyes opening before he demolishes the ground with a double palm strike.
* FamilyMan: Goro usually declines invitations for KOF tournaments to focus on his family, especially noticed when he was to get his first child after ''97''.
* FlungClothing: In some of his intro poses, he may throw the top part of his gi away.
* GentleGiant: This big guy is peaceful by nature, usually fighting only to help out Kyo, Benimaru, and Shingo if they require his aid. He also finds time to immerse himself in nature and teach younglings the secrets of Judo. His warm heart was probably why Jokyojo fell in love with him.
* GoodIsOldFashioned: Pointed out by Benimaru in the dramas, when he makes fun of how he likes YamatoNadeshiko girls. In ''XIII'', he ''yells'' at Mai for being {{Stripperiffic}}, bonds with Ryo over their shared hobby of training in the mountains, and chats with Kim [[SoMyKidsCanWatch about wanting to give good examples to their children.]]
* GrappleMove: He has a number of this; a given for a judoka.
* TheGrappler: He is a judo practicioner and serves as the big guy of Team Japan.
* GroundPound: His Jirai Shin (Mine Quake) special which [[ShockwaveStomp causes a small quake]] which damages the standing enemy (but not crouching ones: unless it's the EX version) no matter the range. [[https://youtu.be/a_bWgBOypY8?t=210 His Neo MAX, Kyouten Douchi (Amazing Heaven Moving Earth)]], is also this (as well as being a CounterAttack). [[FunnyBackgroundEvent Past games that had one's team in the background would always have Daimon's opposing team get tripped by it while his own team understands the cue to dodge with a jump.]]
* HappilyMarried: To [[HotTeacher Jokyojo]]. Then even have a son named Kogoro who appears to be [[GenerationXerox passionately following his dad's footsteps]]. See Daimon's intro pose in ''2001'' for a good example.
* HeroicMime: Kind of. While he talks during his win quotes, he has no dialogue while fighting (at least not until later games gave him a few quotes).
* {{Hunk}}: Strong, handsome, and an all-around NiceGuy as well.
* {{Kiai}}: Instead of CallingYourAttacks, he does this for his moves.
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: In a variant, one of his specials is him grabbing his downed opponent, then lifts him up and then slams him back down. His new DM in ''XIV'' Konten Otoshi also works like this.
* MassiveNumberedSiblings: Fifth of seven brothers and sisters. [[note]]"Goro" [[MeaningfulName comes from]] "Go", the word for "five" in Japanese.[[/note]]
* MartialArtsHeadband: White with a red circle in the middle, like [[WearingAFlagOnYourHead the Japan flag]].
* MartialArtsUniform: He's shown to have one, but he tends to wear his top like a CoatCape: and then he discards it before the fight.
* MetronomicManMashing: His Jigoku Gokuraku Otoshi (Hell Paradise Drop) DM.
* MightyGlacier: His movement tend to be slower than other's, but boy those throws are strong.
* OutOfFocus: Goro's involvement in the story typically comes down to rather Kyo reforms "Team Japan" or not. In the games he doesn't ('''99'', ''2000'', ''XI'' and ''XV'') Benimaru will join a new team while Goro stays out of the story. In the case of ''2000'', he was only brought in as an AssistCharacter.
* TheQuietOne: He doesn't really talk as much as his teammates do, especially in ''98'', where his winquotes are especially terse. It gets PlayedForLaughs in ''XIII'', where he and [[EmotionlessGirl Leona]] share a moment of VisibleSilence together in their pre-fight intro.
* SignatureMove: his Tenchi Gaeshi and Jiraishin specials, as well as Jigoku Gokuraku Otoshi DM.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His first name can be written as "Goro", "Gorō" or "Gorou".
* UnnecessaryCombatRoll: His Super Ukemi special subverts this, as Daimon can use it to avoid projectiles and other attacks, placing him in the ideal position to unleash one of his deadly judo throws. It can also be freely canceled to other specials.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: He never wears anything for his top in all games. All the better to show his well-toned body.
[[/folder]]
!Fatal Fury Team: Italy
[[folder:Terry Bogard]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_terry_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Legendary Hungry Wolf]]
->''"Hey, come on!"''
->'''Origin:''' USA
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': "Martial arts" (based on his father's and Tung's, later self-taught)
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Satoshi Hashimoto ('94-XIII), Creator/TakashiKondo (XIV-current, ''VideoGame/FightingEXLayer'', ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''), Tony Carrol (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Creator/TakeshiKusao (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Creator/ChiakiTakahashi (''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'')[[/note]]
->'''Portrayed by:''' [[note]]David Leitch (live-action movie)[[/note]]
-> The hero of the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' series and one of SNK’s poster children. His role in the overall plot of the ''KOF'' series is minimal, as he's mostly here due to his popularity. He was raised by martial arts master [[DisappearedDad Jeff Bogard]] along with his younger brother Andy, and developed his own unique fighting style based on Jeff's teachings. He witnessed the murder of his father at the hands of Geese Howard, and trained with [[OldMaster Tung Fu Rue]] to take revenge. Terry defeated Geese and [[DisneyVillainDeath gave him a boot out of his tower]], but after learning of his survival Terry was none too pleased. He failed in stopping Geese from obtaining the Jin Scrolls but in the next tournament, he defeats Geese once again and [[SaveTheVillain this time tries to save him from falling off the tower, again]], but Geese rejects him, allowing himself to plummet to his "death," again. He adopts Geese's son Rock afterward, and trains him.
-> In the KOF continuity, however, Geese did not die. Terry has been a constant participant throughout all KOF tournament, giving all the good fights. In ''XIV'', however, Geese's return to the tournament raised his suspicion and he decided to enter with Andy and Joe to investigate and stop whatever Geese plans.
----
-->See Characters/FatalFuryTerryBogard for tropes on him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Andy Bogard]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_andy_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Human Weapon]]
->''"Get a real taste of the Shiranui style!"''
->'''Origin:''' USA
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Koppo + Ninjutsu (Shiranui-style)
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Jun Hashimoto (94), Creator/KeiichiNanba (95-XIII), Creator/HiroshiOkamoto (XIV-current), Jeff Manning (''XII'', English), Creator/RyoHorikawa (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Toshinari Fukamachi (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> Younger brother of Terry and a McNinja. He was taught a basic form of Shiranui ninjutsu by Mai's grandfather Hanzo. After hearing of his father Jeff's death at the hands of Geese Howard, he joins forces with Terry and Joe Higashi, and the three enter Geese's King of Fighters tournament. Although Andy fights Geese first, he loses badly, and Terry finishes the villain off... maybe. He's also the apple of Mai's eye, although he rejects her advances.
----
-->See Characters/FatalFuryKingOfFighters for tropes on him
%%* AlwaysSomeoneBetter:
%%** It doesn't get in the way when the rubber meets the road (the duo will always have each others' back) but there is some definite yearning on Andy's part to become the kind of fighter his brother is seen as.
%%** This even applies in a meta sense. Andy Bogard is an American ninja, who can move at lightning speeds, can plant ki bombs on people, and is in a relationship with [[EnsembleDarkHorse Mai]] [[MsFanservice Shiranui]]. Yet despite all this going for him, Andy Bogard is not particularly popular character by KOF standards. In fact, to many fans playing him up as a MemeticLoser is a very common inside joke in the community. And this is all because in spite of everything he has going for him, he is the younger brother to ''Terry Bogard''. And as the younger brother to a MemeticBadass with one of the most recognizable designs in fighting games, that is so beloved for his charm and engrish that he got into ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', there was never any question that Andy would get grossly overshadowed by Terry, no matter what he did. KOF 2003 didn't bother making a deal over the fact that this would be the first KOF where Andy wouldn't be playable, because Terry wearing his Garou outfit garnered infinitely more attention and hype.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Joe Higashi]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_joe_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Young Muay Thai Champ]]
->''"The legend of Joe Higashi begins here!"''
->'''Origin''': Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Muay Thai
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Katsuhisa Namase (94), Creator/NobuyukiHiyama (95-XIII), Kozo Mito (XIV-current) Greg Irwin (''XII'', English), Creator/KazukiYao (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Creator/ChiharuSawashiro (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> A Japanese man who is well versed in the art of Muay Thai, he is the best friend of both Bogard brothers, and is a constant in nearly every King of Fighters tournament. He is currently dating Billy Kane's sister Lilly, something her [[BigBrotherInstinct overprotective older brother]] Billy is not happy about, given his connection to the Bogards (that's for the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' continuity; in ''The King of Fighters'' he possibly remains single, later being chased around by his ''unnamed'' [[CampGay loyal fan]]). Quite possibly the strongest Muay Thai practitioner in the SNK 'verse, much to credit for his many team ending sequences consisting of him winning other fighting tournaments by himself.
----
-->See Characters/FatalFuryKingOfFighters for tropes on him
[[/folder]]
!Art of Fighting Team: Mexico
[[folder:Ryo Sakazaki]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_ryo_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Invincible Dragon]]
->''"Absolute karate, that's Kyokugen. And don't you forget it, [[AntiquatedLinguistics dweebenheimer]]!"''
->'''Origin:''' Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Kyokugen-style Karate
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Masaki Usui (''[='94=]''-''XI'', ''XIII''), Masayoshi Kozaki (''XII''), Daiki Takakura (''XIV'', ''XV'', ''King of Fighters All-Star''), Curt Gebhart (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Creator/AkiraKamiya (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Subaru Kimura (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> The heir of the Kyokugen School of Karate and the main protagonist of the ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' series. Ryo is Takuma's son and Yuri's brother and best friend of Robert Garcia. He rescued Yuri with Robert, who was kidnapped by Mr. Big and Geese Howard to get Takuma to do their bidding, thus freeing his father from said bidding as well. Now he promotes the fighting style by competing in tournaments. He later takes up his father's title of "Mr. Karate."
-> In ''XIV'', he and his teammates heard rumors about a fake Kyokugenryu school. To clear the legitimacy of the Kyokugenryu school (and to advertise the new Kyokugen Barbeque side business Takuma opened), Ryo entered the King of Fighters tournament. In ''XV'', growing increasingly discontent with Kyokugen Barbeque becoming the main focus of the family business, he boots Yuri from the team and enters the tournament with Robert and King to show off Kyokugenryu Karate at it's finest.
----
->See Characters/ArtOfFightingI for tropes on him
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Robert Garcia]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_robert_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Mightiest Tiger]]
->''"Underestimate my strength, huh? You're dumber than you look!"''
->'''Origin''': Italy
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/italy_2044.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Kyokugen-style Karate
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Kay Inage (''[=94=]''-''[='95=]'', ''XI'' onward), Mantarō Koichi (''[='96=]''-''2003''), Creator/GoShinomiya (''XIV'', ''XV'', ''King of Fighters All-Star''), Greg Irwin (''XII'', English), Creator/HideoIshikawa (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Kazuhiro Okamoto (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> Italian playboy who is also the heir to the Garcia Foundation, one of the largest companies in the world. He was sent to train with the Sakazakis by his father, who wanted him to appreciate the value of hard work. He became good friends with Ryo and when Yuri was kidnapped by Mr. Big, he and Ryo hit the streets of Southtown to get her back. While Ryo's style of Kyokugen is more balanced, Robert's focuses mostly on kicks. He and Yuri have a relationship, but they have yet to make any serious commitment.
----
->See Characters/ArtOfFightingI for tropes on him
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Takuma Sakazaki / Mr. Karate]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/accea00c_49c0_4fae_a6d2_2e197424c251.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click Here]][[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mr_karate.png]][[/labelnote]]to see him as Mr. Karate.]]
->''"Wow, you're a disgrace! You'd better hang it up, kid."''
->'''Origin''': Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Kyokugen-style Karate
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Eiji Tsuda(''[=94=]'',''[='95=]'', ''[='98=]''-''[='02=]'', ''XIII''), Creator/HochuOtsuka (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Takeshi Maruyama (''King of Fighters: All-Star'')[[/note]]
-> The current master of the Kyokugen Karate style. He is sometimes seen as a doddering old man, but he can be very serious when he wants to be. He was forced into serving Mr. Big when his daughter Yuri was kidnapped. To conceal his identity, he wore a tengu mask and dubbed himself "Mr. Karate." After he was defeated by a ''very'' pissed off Ryo, he was almost killed by him until Yuri revealed the truth. Nowadays he enters tournaments to promote his school. He sometimes likes to put the old mask back on just for kicks and giggles.
----
->See Characters/ArtOfFightingI for tropes on him
[[/folder]]
to:
'''Main Series'''\\
[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersHeroes Protagonists]] ([[Characters/TheKingOfFightersAshCrimson Ash Crimson]]) | [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersRivals Deuteragonists]] ([[Characters/TheKingOfFightersIoriYagami Iori Yagami]])\\
''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters94 The King Of Fighters: The Rugal Saga]]'': '''1''' | [[Characters/TheKingOfFighters94Part2 2]] | [[Characters/TheKingOfFighters94Part3 3]]\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters95 KOF '95]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters96 KOF '96]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters97 KOF '97]]''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheNESTSChronicles'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters99 KOF '99]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters2000 KOF 2000]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters2001 KOF 2001]]''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheTalesOfAsh'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters2003 KOF 2003]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersXI KOF XI]]''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheShuneiSaga'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersXIV KOF XIV]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersXV KOF XV]]''\\
'''Spin Offs'''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersEX'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersMaximumImpact Maximum Impact]]''\\
'''Related Series'''\\
''Characters/{{Athena}}'' | ''Characters/PsychoSoldier'' | ''Characters/FatalFury'' | ''Characters/ArtOfFighting'' | ''Characters/SamuraiShodown'' | ''Characters/MetalSlug'' | ''Characters/FuunSeries'' | ''Characters/BurikiOne'']]-]]]
----
[[foldercontrol]]
!Hero Team: Japan
[[AC:Kyo Kusanagi]]
-> [-[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersHeroes See his character page along with the other Protagonists here]].-]
[[folder:Benimaru Nikaido]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_benimaru_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Shooting Star]]
->''"My reason for winning? I'm just cool. Real cool."''
->'''Origin''': Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Shoot-boxing
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Atsushi "Monster" Maezuka (since debut), Eric Kelso (''XII'', English), Creator/HikaruMidorikawa (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Genki Okawa (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> Kyo's and Daimon's partner. A lightning user who's also [[TheCasanova quite the ladies' man]]. Practices an unconventional fighting style called "Shooting" (shoot boxing).
->Despite being associated with the original Team Japan, Benimaru often finds himself teaming up with other fighters, teaming up with K`, Maxima and Shingo in '99, Shingo and Seth in 2000 and Elizabeth and Duo Lon in XI. As a result, he's also the fighter who has the most KOF wins. In XV, he finds himself with yet another team, this time with the new Hero Team alongside Shun'ei and Meitenkun, at the request of Kyo.
----
* AffectionateNickname: Sometimes referred to as "Beni" both in and out of universe.
* AgentPeacock: Flamboyant, somewhat vain, and cares a lot about his looks, but there's a reason he's got the most KOF championships out of the whole cast.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: In some non-official ''KOF'' media, it's speculated that while Benimaru does care for Kyo as a friend, at the same time he also resents being TheLancer and feels overshadowed by him. The aforementioned AlternateUniverse ''KOF: G'' goes by this interpretation [[spoiler:and it culminates with him falling in MoreThanMindControl and ''severely'' injuring Kyo while in this state.]] It's also brought up in more than one fanfiction that has Benimaru as a main character.
* AnimeHair: Lifted directly from Jean-Pierre Polnareff in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', as the creators confirm. He styles it with his powers in one intro. And when his hair ''isn't'' defying gravity, he's a LongHairedPrettyBoy.
* BareYourMidriff: For most of the time, his outfit sports this. ''XIV'' marks the few times he doesn't have this, though it was predated by his debut in ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters94 '94]]'' until it ends in '97.
* BattleIntro: In ''XV'':
-->"The maker above didn't skip out on this guy! He's got looks, money, and super conductivity! Benimaru Nikaido! \\
'''Benimaru''': "I'll give you the shock of your life!"
* BigBrotherMentor: In ''XV'' where he's now taking care of Shun'ei and Meitenkun in the new Hero Team.
* {{Bishonen}}: One of the bishiest. He even models in his spare time.
* ButNotTooForeign: Half American, half Japanese.
* ButtMonkey: He's usually the butt of jokes in the ''King of Fighters: Destiny'' animated series.
* CampStraight: A very flamboyant fighter, but also a lover of the ladies. So camp in fact that in the ''KOF'' 10th anniversary webpage the staff felt the need to say "It's not what ''you'' think, NotThatTheresAnythingWrongWithThat."
* ChickMagnet: That ladies man persona is not just for show, Benimaru canonically has multiple girlfriends, although they're not shown in game.
* ChivalrousPervert: Loves to flirt with female opponents, but is ''not'' a [[HandsomeLech lech]], since he ''will'' leave the girl alone if she tells him to cut it, even if he whines about it a bit. The best examples of this comes from Benimaru scolding ''Kyo'' on his ([[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies understandably neglectful]]) [[LovedINotHonorMore relation]][[LongDistanceRelationship ship]] with Yuki, and later all of his pre-fight talks towards female fighters in ''XIII''.
* CloseRangeCombatant: To an extent in older games, but he's almost fully this in ''XIII'' where, with the exception of EX Benimaru Lancer (which tracks the opponent anywhere) and his [[https://youtu.be/a_bWgBOypY8?t=180 Neo MAX]] (he shoots a thunderbolt directly forward), all of his moves have quite a short range.
* CostumeEvolution: At the beginning, his outfit is pretty much the same as [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure Polnareff]]. In '96, he changes his top to a black full body sleeveless shirt while retaining his wrist bands. In '98 and the NESTS saga, the A-shirt turns into a T-shirt with a CleavageWindow while baring his midriff, and now wears fingerless gloves. In 2003 and XI, along with changing his jeans to a black one, the A-shirt is back... and it's now in leopard print. XII changes his outfit to an A-shirt that bares his midriff. In ''XIV'', he (finally!) wears a yellow shirt. In Capcom vs. SNK, his '98 T-shirt becomes an A-shirt with long gloves baring his shoulders. In ''XV'' he switches to a Chinese-inspired top, fitting his new position as part of the hero team with Shun'ei and Meitenkun.
* DeathFromAbove: His Benimaru Lancer special in ''XIII'' is him doing a BadassFingersnap to summon a lightning strike from above near his location (or directly on opponent's position as its EX version).
* DivingKick: His Flying Drill command normal, a diagonally-angled kick meant to emulate the rotation of a [[ThisIsADrill drill]], similar in appearance and functionality to [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Dhalsim]]'s Drill Kick/Head Drill, or as usual, a nod to another kind of drill kick seen on the series' ShoutOut section.
* ElementalPunch: His Raijinken is pretty much a basic example, among other electric punches and kicks he has.
* FragileSpeedster: In gameplay, Benimaru's one of the most notable examples of the quick-moving guys of the cast, despite the position often given to female characters. He has the one of the highest jumping heights and he doesn't look very bulky compared to others, but boy can he do a lot of stuff with his lightning, and his moves are a bit quick.
* GrappleMove: In some games he has the Benimaru Collider, where he he grabs an opponent and electrocutes them.
* GratuitousEnglish: A staple of his win poses. "Thank you! See you next time!"
* GuestFighter: In ''VideoGame/XuanDouZhiWang'' alongside Terry. Notably, he appears in this game without Kyo.
* HurricaneKick: His Shinkuu Katategoma special in some games, where he handstands and spins in place while kicking with both legs.
* IaijutsuPractitioner: A borderline example in his Iai Geri special, where he does a very quick knee-kick and then pulls his leg back just as quickly.
* ImageSong: "Show Time!"
* {{Irony}}: Dispite being treated as the lancer to Kyo, Benimaru has won more KOF tournaments than Kyo.[[note]]This includes ''[='=]94, ''[='=]95'', ''[='=]96'', ''[='=]97'', ''XIII'', and ''XIV'' as Team Japan with Kyo, and ''[='=]99'', ''XI'', and ''XV'' without Kyo as a member of Team Hero/K', Team Elisabeth, and Team Hero/Shun'ei. Even when you call ''[='=]97'' and ''XIII'' into question due to story circumstances, that's still Benimaru's 7 to Kyo's 5.[[/note]]
* TheJailBaitWait: For Kula, judging by his dialogue with her in ''XIII''[='s=] story mode and his win quote for her. Immediately subverted in the former when he calls himself a horrible person for bringing it up and then tells Kula to forget what he said when she has no understanding of what he meant by waiting five years for her.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: One of his classic win poses involves him striking a pose, looking directly at the camera and saying "Thank you!" In universe, this can be seen as him gesturing to his fans.
* MoreThanMindControl: Briefly happens to him in [[spoiler:Ryo Takamisaki's ''The King Of Fighters G''. Goenitz starts using his powers to drain people of LifeEnergy while he and Kyo are fighting in the finals; this affects Benimaru by proxy and he goes BloodKnight at Kyo, [[EyeScream injuring his eyes.]] When Kyo wins the fight anyway, Benimaru comes back to his senses and apologizes.]] It qualifies as this trope instead of [[spoiler:BrainwashedAndCrazy]] because of a subplot where Benimaru [[spoiler:was very angry at Kyo after a massive fight, which led him to team up with Iori and Mature (while Kyo teamed with Athena and Vice); Goenitz's appearance and powers simply amped up the bad feelings that ''already'' were there UpToEleven.]]
%% * TheLancer: If the Japan Team's original configuration has Kyo as TheHero and Daimon as TheBigGuy, then Benimaru is definitely this.
* LightningFireJuxtaposition: He's the lightning to Kyo's fire.
* NiceGuy: He doesn't start off this way, but after being humbled by his experiences on the Japan team and his loss at Kyo's hands, he becomes one of the most amicable characters in the series.
* {{Otaku}}: Benimaru strongly dislikes otaku. Somewhat justified by the fact that in Japan, the word "otaku" carries a much more negative connotation than in the West where it's often used to describe someone who is simply a passionate fan of anime and manga.
* ShipperOnDeck: In the Hero Team ending in ''XV'', he [[spoiler:teases Shun'ei about his feelings regarding Isla after a quip from Tung Fu Rue]].
* ShockAndAwe: His fighting style consists of lightning empowered martial arts. He can also fire bolts of lightning from his hands. His exaggerated case of electrostatics is the reason his [[AnimeHair hair]] rivals [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Paul Phoenix]] and [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Guile]].
* {{Shoryuken}}: A kick version with his Super Inazuma Kick, where he leaps up with lightning left in his trail.
* SignatureMove: His Raijinken, a short-range surge of electricty. Also its DM version, Raikouken.
* SmallNameBigEgo: In ''King of Fighters: Destiny''. He's offended when he realizes that the American fighter Ryo Sakazaki has heard of Kyo and Goro, but not him.
* SomethingAboutARose: [[http://www.fightersgeneration.com/games/kof02um1.jpg His poster at the school stage]] in ''2002UM'' depicts Beni with a rose in his teeth.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His surname can be written as "Nikaido", "Nikaidō" or "Nikaidou".
* SphereOfDestruction:
** His Raikouken DM was originally this. Whether or not it's this or a cluster of {{Energy Ball}}s depends on the game.
** His new Rolling Thunder DM is definitely this, where he surrounds himself in a circular field of electricity..
* SuperSpeed: Via electricity. [[DoppelgangerAttack He can even move fast enough to produce after-images]], as seen with his Gen'ei Hurricane DM.
* ThemeNaming: As elaborated on the [[ShoutOut/TheKingOfFighters shout-out page]], all of Benimaru's moves are actually themed/named-after anime heroes' special attacks, especially from Creator/TatsunokoProduction. The ''massive [[{{Irony}} irony]]'' is that Benimaru in his profile specifically hates nerds/otaku who are into that sort of thing.
* ThreeStrikeCombo: His Iai Geri special can be continued to Hando Sandan Geri, which adds 2 more strikes to the attack.
* VitriolicBestBuds: With Kyo, at first. As the two came to respect each other over time, the snarky banter died down a lot.
* WouldNotHitAGirl: While Benimaru definitely respects his female opponents, he doesn't enjoy fighting against them for this reason. In some of the later games, defeating a female character causes him to look regretfully across the screen rather than perform any of his trademark victory poses. Unfortunately for him, he's in a martial arts tournament, so he doesn't have much of a choice.
-->(Vs. Athena in ''XIV''): "I understand you are a warrior, but it hurts my heart to harm a pop star..."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Goro Daimon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_all_star_daimon.png]]
->''"Lightweight!"''
->'''Origin:''' Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Judo
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Masaki Usui ('94-XIII), Takahiro Fujiwara (XIV-current) Creator/RyuzaburoOtomo (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)[[/note]]
-> Japanese judo master who was invited by Benimaru to join the Japan team for the ''[='94=]'' tournament. He, Kyo, and Benimaru have been good friends since then, although Daimon occasionally declines joining tournaments to focus on his family.
----
* AbsenteeActor: Despite being introduced as third member of the original PowerTrio, Goro finds himself victim of this throughout the series. He was absent from the rosters in ''99'', ''XI'', and ''XV.''
* BadassNormal: Kyo has [[PlayingWithFire fire]], Benimaru has [[ShockAndAwe electricity]]. He's got nothing but his size, his strength, and a handful of experience. Technically, his element would be [[DishingOutDirt earth]], but unlike his companions, he doesn't really have a supernatural bent to his powers; he's just that strong.
* BigBrotherMentor: For Kyo, in story.
* TheBigGuy: The resident heavyweight for Team Japan. He's a more stoic version of this trope than most examples, though.
* TheCameo: He appears in the background of KOF Stadium in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' and has a spirit battle that references him; the fight in question is a spirit battle based on Kyo that includes two fighters based on his Benimaru and Daimon.
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Years of hard work and training in judo have honed Daimon to the point where he's able to ''cause earthquakes'' just by slamming his hands on the ground.
* CounterAttack: In ''2002'' he gets one counter special (Nekko Gaeshi) that counters with a throw, and in ''2003'' he loses that, but gains a new DM (Toumi) that acts like this.
* DishingOutDirt: He [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower possesses enough strength]] to ''move the earth''.
* EyesAlwaysShut: ''Always''....kind of. 98% of the time you see Goro his eyes fit this perfectly. However, early artwork from ''94'' and ''95'' shows his eyes and in ''XIV'', the animation for Kyouten Douchi shows his eyes opening before he demolishes the ground with a double palm strike.
* FamilyMan: Goro usually declines invitations for KOF tournaments to focus on his family, especially noticed when he was to get his first child after ''97''.
* FlungClothing: In some of his intro poses, he may throw the top part of his gi away.
* GentleGiant: This big guy is peaceful by nature, usually fighting only to help out Kyo, Benimaru, and Shingo if they require his aid. He also finds time to immerse himself in nature and teach younglings the secrets of Judo. His warm heart was probably why Jokyojo fell in love with him.
* GoodIsOldFashioned: Pointed out by Benimaru in the dramas, when he makes fun of how he likes YamatoNadeshiko girls. In ''XIII'', he ''yells'' at Mai for being {{Stripperiffic}}, bonds with Ryo over their shared hobby of training in the mountains, and chats with Kim [[SoMyKidsCanWatch about wanting to give good examples to their children.]]
* GrappleMove: He has a number of this; a given for a judoka.
* TheGrappler: He is a judo practicioner and serves as the big guy of Team Japan.
* GroundPound: His Jirai Shin (Mine Quake) special which [[ShockwaveStomp causes a small quake]] which damages the standing enemy (but not crouching ones: unless it's the EX version) no matter the range. [[https://youtu.be/a_bWgBOypY8?t=210 His Neo MAX, Kyouten Douchi (Amazing Heaven Moving Earth)]], is also this (as well as being a CounterAttack). [[FunnyBackgroundEvent Past games that had one's team in the background would always have Daimon's opposing team get tripped by it while his own team understands the cue to dodge with a jump.]]
* HappilyMarried: To [[HotTeacher Jokyojo]]. Then even have a son named Kogoro who appears to be [[GenerationXerox passionately following his dad's footsteps]]. See Daimon's intro pose in ''2001'' for a good example.
* HeroicMime: Kind of. While he talks during his win quotes, he has no dialogue while fighting (at least not until later games gave him a few quotes).
* {{Hunk}}: Strong, handsome, and an all-around NiceGuy as well.
* {{Kiai}}: Instead of CallingYourAttacks, he does this for his moves.
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: In a variant, one of his specials is him grabbing his downed opponent, then lifts him up and then slams him back down. His new DM in ''XIV'' Konten Otoshi also works like this.
* MassiveNumberedSiblings: Fifth of seven brothers and sisters. [[note]]"Goro" [[MeaningfulName comes from]] "Go", the word for "five" in Japanese.[[/note]]
* MartialArtsHeadband: White with a red circle in the middle, like [[WearingAFlagOnYourHead the Japan flag]].
* MartialArtsUniform: He's shown to have one, but he tends to wear his top like a CoatCape: and then he discards it before the fight.
* MetronomicManMashing: His Jigoku Gokuraku Otoshi (Hell Paradise Drop) DM.
* MightyGlacier: His movement tend to be slower than other's, but boy those throws are strong.
* OutOfFocus: Goro's involvement in the story typically comes down to rather Kyo reforms "Team Japan" or not. In the games he doesn't ('''99'', ''2000'', ''XI'' and ''XV'') Benimaru will join a new team while Goro stays out of the story. In the case of ''2000'', he was only brought in as an AssistCharacter.
* TheQuietOne: He doesn't really talk as much as his teammates do, especially in ''98'', where his winquotes are especially terse. It gets PlayedForLaughs in ''XIII'', where he and [[EmotionlessGirl Leona]] share a moment of VisibleSilence together in their pre-fight intro.
* SignatureMove: his Tenchi Gaeshi and Jiraishin specials, as well as Jigoku Gokuraku Otoshi DM.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His first name can be written as "Goro", "Gorō" or "Gorou".
* UnnecessaryCombatRoll: His Super Ukemi special subverts this, as Daimon can use it to avoid projectiles and other attacks, placing him in the ideal position to unleash one of his deadly judo throws. It can also be freely canceled to other specials.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: He never wears anything for his top in all games. All the better to show his well-toned body.
[[/folder]]
!Fatal Fury Team: Italy
[[folder:Terry Bogard]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_terry_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Legendary Hungry Wolf]]
->''"Hey, come on!"''
->'''Origin:''' USA
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': "Martial arts" (based on his father's and Tung's, later self-taught)
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Satoshi Hashimoto ('94-XIII), Creator/TakashiKondo (XIV-current, ''VideoGame/FightingEXLayer'', ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''), Tony Carrol (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Creator/TakeshiKusao (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Creator/ChiakiTakahashi (''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'')[[/note]]
->'''Portrayed by:''' [[note]]David Leitch (live-action movie)[[/note]]
-> The hero of the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' series and one of SNK’s poster children. His role in the overall plot of the ''KOF'' series is minimal, as he's mostly here due to his popularity. He was raised by martial arts master [[DisappearedDad Jeff Bogard]] along with his younger brother Andy, and developed his own unique fighting style based on Jeff's teachings. He witnessed the murder of his father at the hands of Geese Howard, and trained with [[OldMaster Tung Fu Rue]] to take revenge. Terry defeated Geese and [[DisneyVillainDeath gave him a boot out of his tower]], but after learning of his survival Terry was none too pleased. He failed in stopping Geese from obtaining the Jin Scrolls but in the next tournament, he defeats Geese once again and [[SaveTheVillain this time tries to save him from falling off the tower, again]], but Geese rejects him, allowing himself to plummet to his "death," again. He adopts Geese's son Rock afterward, and trains him.
-> In the KOF continuity, however, Geese did not die. Terry has been a constant participant throughout all KOF tournament, giving all the good fights. In ''XIV'', however, Geese's return to the tournament raised his suspicion and he decided to enter with Andy and Joe to investigate and stop whatever Geese plans.
----
-->See Characters/FatalFuryTerryBogard for tropes on him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Andy Bogard]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_andy_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Human Weapon]]
->''"Get a real taste of the Shiranui style!"''
->'''Origin:''' USA
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Koppo + Ninjutsu (Shiranui-style)
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Jun Hashimoto (94), Creator/KeiichiNanba (95-XIII), Creator/HiroshiOkamoto (XIV-current), Jeff Manning (''XII'', English), Creator/RyoHorikawa (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Toshinari Fukamachi (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> Younger brother of Terry and a McNinja. He was taught a basic form of Shiranui ninjutsu by Mai's grandfather Hanzo. After hearing of his father Jeff's death at the hands of Geese Howard, he joins forces with Terry and Joe Higashi, and the three enter Geese's King of Fighters tournament. Although Andy fights Geese first, he loses badly, and Terry finishes the villain off... maybe. He's also the apple of Mai's eye, although he rejects her advances.
----
-->See Characters/FatalFuryKingOfFighters for tropes on him
%%* AlwaysSomeoneBetter:
%%** It doesn't get in the way when the rubber meets the road (the duo will always have each others' back) but there is some definite yearning on Andy's part to become the kind of fighter his brother is seen as.
%%** This even applies in a meta sense. Andy Bogard is an American ninja, who can move at lightning speeds, can plant ki bombs on people, and is in a relationship with [[EnsembleDarkHorse Mai]] [[MsFanservice Shiranui]]. Yet despite all this going for him, Andy Bogard is not particularly popular character by KOF standards. In fact, to many fans playing him up as a MemeticLoser is a very common inside joke in the community. And this is all because in spite of everything he has going for him, he is the younger brother to ''Terry Bogard''. And as the younger brother to a MemeticBadass with one of the most recognizable designs in fighting games, that is so beloved for his charm and engrish that he got into ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', there was never any question that Andy would get grossly overshadowed by Terry, no matter what he did. KOF 2003 didn't bother making a deal over the fact that this would be the first KOF where Andy wouldn't be playable, because Terry wearing his Garou outfit garnered infinitely more attention and hype.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Joe Higashi]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_joe_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Young Muay Thai Champ]]
->''"The legend of Joe Higashi begins here!"''
->'''Origin''': Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Muay Thai
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Katsuhisa Namase (94), Creator/NobuyukiHiyama (95-XIII), Kozo Mito (XIV-current) Greg Irwin (''XII'', English), Creator/KazukiYao (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Creator/ChiharuSawashiro (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> A Japanese man who is well versed in the art of Muay Thai, he is the best friend of both Bogard brothers, and is a constant in nearly every King of Fighters tournament. He is currently dating Billy Kane's sister Lilly, something her [[BigBrotherInstinct overprotective older brother]] Billy is not happy about, given his connection to the Bogards (that's for the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' continuity; in ''The King of Fighters'' he possibly remains single, later being chased around by his ''unnamed'' [[CampGay loyal fan]]). Quite possibly the strongest Muay Thai practitioner in the SNK 'verse, much to credit for his many team ending sequences consisting of him winning other fighting tournaments by himself.
----
-->See Characters/FatalFuryKingOfFighters for tropes on him
[[/folder]]
!Art of Fighting Team: Mexico
[[folder:Ryo Sakazaki]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_ryo_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Invincible Dragon]]
->''"Absolute karate, that's Kyokugen. And don't you forget it, [[AntiquatedLinguistics dweebenheimer]]!"''
->'''Origin:''' Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Kyokugen-style Karate
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Masaki Usui (''[='94=]''-''XI'', ''XIII''), Masayoshi Kozaki (''XII''), Daiki Takakura (''XIV'', ''XV'', ''King of Fighters All-Star''), Curt Gebhart (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Creator/AkiraKamiya (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Subaru Kimura (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> The heir of the Kyokugen School of Karate and the main protagonist of the ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' series. Ryo is Takuma's son and Yuri's brother and best friend of Robert Garcia. He rescued Yuri with Robert, who was kidnapped by Mr. Big and Geese Howard to get Takuma to do their bidding, thus freeing his father from said bidding as well. Now he promotes the fighting style by competing in tournaments. He later takes up his father's title of "Mr. Karate."
-> In ''XIV'', he and his teammates heard rumors about a fake Kyokugenryu school. To clear the legitimacy of the Kyokugenryu school (and to advertise the new Kyokugen Barbeque side business Takuma opened), Ryo entered the King of Fighters tournament. In ''XV'', growing increasingly discontent with Kyokugen Barbeque becoming the main focus of the family business, he boots Yuri from the team and enters the tournament with Robert and King to show off Kyokugenryu Karate at it's finest.
----
->See Characters/ArtOfFightingI for tropes on him
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Robert Garcia]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_robert_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Mightiest Tiger]]
->''"Underestimate my strength, huh? You're dumber than you look!"''
->'''Origin''': Italy
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/italy_2044.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Kyokugen-style Karate
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Kay Inage (''[=94=]''-''[='95=]'', ''XI'' onward), Mantarō Koichi (''[='96=]''-''2003''), Creator/GoShinomiya (''XIV'', ''XV'', ''King of Fighters All-Star''), Greg Irwin (''XII'', English), Creator/HideoIshikawa (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Kazuhiro Okamoto (''King of Fighters for Girls'')[[/note]]
-> Italian playboy who is also the heir to the Garcia Foundation, one of the largest companies in the world. He was sent to train with the Sakazakis by his father, who wanted him to appreciate the value of hard work. He became good friends with Ryo and when Yuri was kidnapped by Mr. Big, he and Ryo hit the streets of Southtown to get her back. While Ryo's style of Kyokugen is more balanced, Robert's focuses mostly on kicks. He and Yuri have a relationship, but they have yet to make any serious commitment.
----
->See Characters/ArtOfFightingI for tropes on him
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Takuma Sakazaki / Mr. Karate]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/accea00c_49c0_4fae_a6d2_2e197424c251.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click Here]][[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mr_karate.png]][[/labelnote]]to see him as Mr. Karate.]]
->''"Wow, you're a disgrace! You'd better hang it up, kid."''
->'''Origin''': Japan
->[[quoteleft:75:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
->'''Fighting style''': Kyokugen-style Karate
->'''Voiced by:''' [[note]]Eiji Tsuda(''[=94=]'',''[='95=]'', ''[='98=]''-''[='02=]'', ''XIII''), Creator/HochuOtsuka (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Takeshi Maruyama (''King of Fighters: All-Star'')[[/note]]
-> The current master of the Kyokugen Karate style. He is sometimes seen as a doddering old man, but he can be very serious when he wants to be. He was forced into serving Mr. Big when his daughter Yuri was kidnapped. To conceal his identity, he wore a tengu mask and dubbed himself "Mr. Karate." After he was defeated by a ''very'' pissed off Ryo, he was almost killed by him until Yuri revealed the truth. Nowadays he enters tournaments to promote his school. He sometimes likes to put the old mask back on just for kicks and giggles.
----
->See Characters/ArtOfFightingI for tropes on him
[[/folder]]
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->''"Say what? It's no fluke. This is why I'm here every year."''
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->''"If you want to be the best, it's practice every day, pal."''
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[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kof_xv_joe_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:325:Young Muay Thai Champ]]
->''"How's that? I'm the Satan of martial arts."''
[[caption-width-right:325:Young Muay Thai Champ]]
->''"How's that? I'm the Satan of martial arts."''
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[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersHeroes Protagonists]] | [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersRivals Deuteragonists]] ([[Characters/TheKingOfFightersIoriYagami Iori Yagami]])\\
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[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersHeroes Protagonists]] ([[Characters/TheKingOfFightersAshCrimson Ash Crimson]]) | [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersRivals Deuteragonists]] ([[Characters/TheKingOfFightersIoriYagami Iori Yagami]])\\
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* {{Irony}}: Dispite being treated as the lancer to Kyo, Benimaru has won more KOF tournaments than Kyo.[[note]]This includes ''[='=]94, ''[='=]95'', ''[='=]96'', ''[='=]97'', ''XIII'', and ''XIV'' as Team Japan with Kyo, and ''[='=]99'', ''XI'', and ''XV'' without Kyo as a member of Team Hero/K', Team Elisabeth, and Team Hero/Shun'ei. Even when you call ''[='=]97'' and ''XIII'' into question, ''[='=]97'' was technically won by Team Sacred Treasures by stopping Orochi, and XIII was technically won by Team Elisabeth due to facing Evil Ash, and the manga of XIV says that the winner was not known, that's still Benimaru's 7 to Kyo's 5.[[/note]]
to:
* {{Irony}}: Dispite being treated as the lancer to Kyo, Benimaru has won more KOF tournaments than Kyo.[[note]]This includes ''[='=]94, ''[='=]95'', ''[='=]96'', ''[='=]97'', ''XIII'', and ''XIV'' as Team Japan with Kyo, and ''[='=]99'', ''XI'', and ''XV'' without Kyo as a member of Team Hero/K', Team Elisabeth, and Team Hero/Shun'ei. Even when you call ''[='=]97'' and ''XIII'' into question, ''[='=]97'' was technically won by Team Sacred Treasures by stopping Orochi, and XIII was technically won by Team Elisabeth question due to facing Evil Ash, and the manga of XIV says that the winner was not known, story circumstances, that's still Benimaru's 7 to Kyo's 5.[[/note]]
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* BattleIntro: In ''XV'':
-->"The maker above didn't skip out on this guy! He's got looks, money, and super conductivity! Benimaru Nikaido! \\
'''Benimaru''': "I'll give you the shock of your life!"
-->"The maker above didn't skip out on this guy! He's got looks, money, and super conductivity! Benimaru Nikaido! \\
'''Benimaru''': "I'll give you the shock of your life!"
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* {{Irony}}: Dispite being treated as the lancer to Kyo, Benimaru has won more KOF tournaments than Kyo.[[note]]This includes '94, '95, '96, '97, XIII, and XIV as Team Japan with Kyo, and '99, XI, and XV without Kyo as a member of Team Hero/K', Team Elisabeth, and Team Hero/Shun'ei. Even when you call '97, XIII, and XV into question, '97 was technically won by Team Sacred Treasures by stopping Orochi, XIII was won by Team Elisabeth due to defeating Evil Ash, and XV ''could'' have been won by Team Rivals/Isla, that's still Benimaru's 6 to Kyo's 5.[[/note]]
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* {{Irony}}: Dispite being treated as the lancer to Kyo, Benimaru has won more KOF tournaments than Kyo.[[note]]This includes '94, '95, '96, '97, XIII, ''[='=]94, ''[='=]95'', ''[='=]96'', ''[='=]97'', ''XIII'', and XIV ''XIV'' as Team Japan with Kyo, and '99, XI, ''[='=]99'', ''XI'', and XV ''XV'' without Kyo as a member of Team Hero/K', Team Elisabeth, and Team Hero/Shun'ei. Even when you call '97, XIII, ''[='=]97'' and XV ''XIII'' into question, '97 ''[='=]97'' was technically won by Team Sacred Treasures by stopping Orochi, and XIII was technically won by Team Elisabeth due to defeating facing Evil Ash, and XV ''could'' have been won by Team Rivals/Isla, the manga of XIV says that the winner was not known, that's still Benimaru's 6 7 to Kyo's 5.[[/note]]
