History Characters / TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga01

[[WMG:[[center:[-''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'' | '''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters Main Index]]'''\\
'''Main Series'''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga'': '''1''' | [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga02 2]] | [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga03 3]] | [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga04 4]]\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters95 KOF '95]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters96 KOF '96]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga97 KOF '97]]''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheNESTSChronicles''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheTalesOfAsh''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersXIV''\\
'''Spin Offs'''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersEX'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersMaximumImpact Maximum Impact]]''\\
'''Related Series'''\\
''Characters/{{Athena}}'' | ''Characters/FatalFury'' | ''Characters/ArtOfFighting'' | ''Characters/SamuraiShodown'' | ''Characters/MetalSlug'' | ''Characters/FuunSeries'' | ''Characters/BurikiOne'']]-]]]

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[[foldercontrol]]

!Hero Team: Japan
[[folder:Kyo Kusanagi - ''Japan'']]
[[quoteright:100:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kyo_xv.jpg]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* MODE OF COMBAT: Kusanagi style of ancient martial arts + personal style of Chinese boxing (Kenpo)
* BIRTHDAY: December 12
* HEIGHT: 181cm
* WEIGHT: 75kg
* BLOOD TYPE: Type B (RH-)
* BIRTHPLACE: Japan
* HOBBY: Writing poems
* PERSONAL TREASURES: His motorcycle. His girlfriend (Yuki).
* FAVORITE FOOD: Broiled fish
* DISLIKES: Effort
* FORTE IN SPORTS: Ice hockey
]

->''"You just ain't got it. So stop whining and get lost."''

-->'''Voiced by:''' Masahiro Nonaka (94-XIII), Creator/TomoakiMaeno (XIV-current), Andrew Roth (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Peter von Gomm (''XII'', English), Creator/RyotaroOkiayu (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Creator/TomokazuSugita (Japanese dub of the live-action movie)
-->'''Portrayed by:''' Sean Faris (live-action movie)

->TheProtagonist of the series and one of SNK’s poster children. Kyo begins as an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who enters the first tournament both to prove his strength to the world (having already won the All-Japan Martial Arts Tournament) and to find his missing father Saisyu. After defeating Rugal for the first time, he encounters Iori Yagami who proclaims himself as Kyo's eternal enemy. Kyo makes it to the finals again and fights his {{Brainwashed}} father, and then Rugal once again. He learns of his destiny to seal away Orochi from Chizuru Kagura, and in ''[='96=]'' defeats Goenitz along with Iori. In ''[='97=]'' he, along with Iori and Chizuru, battle the last remaining forces of Orochi and reseal him, but he disappears afterward, and he is found by NESTS and cloned. A year later he decides to find out about NESTS, and joins K' in combating the organization. In the Tales of Ash saga, he joins with Iori and Chizuru once again to stop a group of people trying to resurrect Orochi, but Iori and Chizuru have their powers stolen by Ash Crimson, leaving Kyo as the final target. [[spoiler: Due to Ash fully managing to unfurl his plan, however, Kyo never has his powers stolen.]]

-> In ''XIV'', Kyo learns that a friend of Saisyu, Tung Fu Rue, is participating in the tournament with some new students. Kyo is asked to participate in order to 'show the ropes' to these newcomers.
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* AdaptationalNiceGuy: In the games and every other media he's featured in, he's always cocky, fight-happy, rebellious and really full of himself. In Destiny though, despite these afformentioned traits still being present, he's more noble, shows great respect to Master Chin, and is less of a jerk towards the others (he was never respectful to him or anyone higher than him), putting him near Terry levels of NiceGuy by comparison.
* AmplifierArtifact: Wields the {{Kusanagi}}-no-Tsurugi, which is implied to reside inside of his body.
* AnimalMotifs: Most heavily associated with cats, including literally becoming one in ''YMMV/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos''.
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Just because he's the hero and really cares for his friends, doesn't stop him from being a cocky bastard when it comes to fighting.
* BadassAdorable: The ''KOF: KYO'' manga shows us Kyo when he was no older than 8. He was this through and through, especially considering that he loved to train ''very'' roughly with his father and that [[BullyHunter he saved other kids from being bullied by high schoolers]].
* BadassBiker: His motorcycle is listed as one of his likes, implying this trope.
* BecauseDestinySaysSo[=/=]YouCantFightFate: Pretty much the underlying reason for why stuff happens to him. [[ScrewDestiny Kyo vehemently refuses to believe that fate plays an integral role in his life]], but will fight people like the Orochi and Those of the Past so they'll leave him and his loved ones alone.
* BerserkButton: Ash Crimson and Iori Yagami piss him off endlessly for their repeated attempts to defeat him and use him in schemes respectively. On a less serious note, being too nosy about the fact that he never graduated from high school is a sure-fire way to get smoked. (Kim is particularly good about rising his hackles in regards to this. HilarityEnsues every time they meet.)
* BigFancyHouse: In the ''KOF:KYO'' media, we see that Kyo and his parents live in a traditional Japanese complex located ''atop of a small hill from the outskirts of Osaka''.
* {{Bishonen}}: His appearance in ''XIV'' is much, much slimmer and more effeminate than he used to be. His new hairstyle only adds to it.
* BonusBoss: Along with Iori in ''KOF '99''. You can fight him if your end points are over 280. [[DefeatMeansPlayable Win, and he becomes playable.]]
* BootstrappedTheme[=/=]RecurringRiff: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifG376LtUiM "Esaka?"]] from ''[='96=]'' is [[AwesomeMusic/{{SNK}} so popular a song]] that it's probably ''the'' song of the series. It has seen multiple renditions over the years, whether it's being used for the original Japan Team, Kyo's clones, or even as a bridge [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BSCSmji7OE in a completely different theme for Kyo.]]
* BorrowedCatchphrase: When performing his 524 Shiki Kamukura HSDM, Kyo utters one of [[TheRival Iori's]] signature catchphrases.
--> "Asobi wa owari da!" (Play time's over!).
* BroughtDownToNormal: A huge plot point in the [[spoiler:''KOF: KYO'' manga. Kyo has had some hidden insecurities about ''why'' he's fighting for for a short while, and while fighting Billy Kane his flames suddenly die out. He spends the following days in an HeroicBSOD-induced apathy, where not even Iori really wants to fight him since he's completely NotHimself, and from then on it went FromBadToWorse.]]
* BullyHunter: According to the ''KOF: KYO'' manga, this is how he started fighting.
* TheCameo: He appears in the background of KOF Stadium in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' and has a spirit battle based on him; the fight in question includes two fighters based on his teammates, Benimaru and Daimon.
* CatchPhrase: "Heh heh, moetaro?" [[note]]"Heh heh, you burned?" ("Burn, baby, burn..." in the [[http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof94_story/index.php English translation]] of the Hero Team's ''[='94=]'' story, "Feel the burn?" in the English dub of ''MI'')[[/note]] and "Ore no... kachi da!" [[note]]"This is... my victory!" ("Victory is mine!" in the [[http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/kof97_story/index.php English translation]] of the Hero Team's ''[='97=]'' story, "I am the champion!" in the English dub of ''MI'')[[/note]]
* ChickMagnet:
** A somewhat muted example but he's in a relationship with Yuki, Athena (who is herself a DudeMagnet) is in love with him, and he gets a good amount of ship tease with others.
** He's apparently an out-of-universe example as well as creators note he's popular with female fans. They even designed a playable AudienceSurrogate for them named Cosplay Kyoko.
* CloningBlues: This gets done to him ''[[ExaggeratedTrope a lot]]''. There are at least half a dozen characters directly meant as duplicates as him, most of whom are clones from the NESTS saga (Kyo-1, Kyo-2, K', K9999, Nameless), but there's also Yata Mirror's duplicate (Kusanagi). (There's also Syo Kirishima, who was originally an unused prototype of Kyo until the KOF game designers decided to use him as a striker).
* CloseRangeCombatant: His '96 overhaul turns him into this, with his chain flaming punch specials that guarantees Kyo to try to get close to the opponent as much as possible.
* ClothesMakeTheLegend: Kyo is very recognizable as the schoolboy from the Orochi Saga. Most of his appearances outside of ''KOF'' have Kyo in his uniform as well. In fact, the creation of Kyo's clones were fueled by a desire among some of the developers to include Kyo's older and more iconic look. ''XIII'' also adds the outfit as one of regular Kyo's possible {{palette swap}}s, and ''XIV'' adds it as a pre-order bonus/DLC.
* ConfusionFu: His Aragami chain punches have multiple different follow-ups that could hit either mid, low or overhead, making blocking the attempt tricky.
* CostumeEvolution: He gets new garbs at the start of each saga. In the beginning, he has his trademark brown school uniform with a headband. At the start of NESTS saga, he changes it to a pair of jeans, white jacket and black inner shirt, as well as losing his headband. Come Tales of Ash, he changes his jacket to a black one with a white T-shirt. And ''XIV'' gives him a new jacket that's similar to the NESTS era one but with more pockets.
* CreepyCoolCrosses: His outfit during the NESTS saga had a black shirt with two pairs of perpendicular white lines forming a cross on his chest.
* DependingOnTheWriter: In ''XIII Climax'', NESTS!Kyo is portrayed to be slightly OlderAndWiser than normal!Kyo. For example, Kyo bluntly tells Leona to get out of the battlefield since "this is no place for those who can't control themselves", whereas NESTS!Kyo asks her if she's up for controlling her Orochi blood instead. [[ZigZaggingTrope Then again]], some of NESTS!Kyo's lines come across as more conceited than regular Kyo's, and thus reminiscent of his Orochi Saga self.
* [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu Did You Just Punch Out Orochi?]]: With the help of Iori and Chizuru, he takes out Orochi in The Three Sacred Treasures' ending in ''[='97=]''.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution:
** Although he's one of many examples (see Ryo/Robert, Ralf/Clark, Mature/Vice, etc.), his is perhaps the most notable. In ''[='95=]'', Kyo and Iori possessed similar movesets (this is justified in-story; their ancestors worked together to perfect their respective fighting styles together before the Kusanagi/Yasakani schism), giving them a MovesetClone relationship. In the following game, Kyo traded in his Yami Barai projectile for his now-trademark [[ElementalPunch flame-lanced chain of punches]] (this is presumably due to the CurbStompBattle he experienced at the hands of Goenitz in the interim between games). Currently (read: "up until ''XII''"), he and Iori share only ''one'' move.
** When Iori has lost his flames in ''XIII'' (and possesses a more physical moveset not unlike post-''[='95=]'' Kyo), Kyo's back to his original moveset.
* DownloadableContent: In ''XIII'', the "NESTS-style" Kyo, which is him with his more iconic Rekka-style combos. In ''XIV'', it's his classic high school garb.
* ElementalPunch: His very first one is his Oni Yaki special, a fiery uppercut move. Starting from ''96'', he gains more and more of these, the signature being "114 Shiki Aragami" (Roughly translates to "114th form: Wild Bite"), an attack with several follow-ups that defines his CloseRangeCombatant style.
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Just watch his intro with Vega in the ''[[VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom Capcom vs. SNK]]'' games. Kyo is not honored in the slightest.
-->'''Vega''': "Hmm. Rather attractive. However you can't hold a candle to me."
-->'''Kyo''': "Shut yo' mouth! You silly narcissistic little fancy pants! I'm going to torch you to your bones!"
-->'''Vega''': "Heh, heh. Relax. You should take a break before I tear you to shreds, huh?"
-->'''Kyo''': "I've got stuff to do. I can't waste my time with freaks like you."
* EveryYearTheyFizzleOut: Although he and the original Team Japan won throughout the entire Orochi Saga (''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters94 '94]]''-''[='97=]''), with Kyo usually getting the credit [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu for single-handedly beating Orochi]], Kyo doesn't seem to have quite the same luck in either the NESTS or Tales of Ash sagas (''especially the latter''), despite being one of the most powerful fighters in TheVerse.
%% Don't add Expy here. It's already in the ShoutOut page.
* FingerlessGloves: Always a part of his outfits.
* FingerWag: His taunt. Originally, he'd only dental click while doing it ("Tsk tsk tsk"), although Kyo later says "Mou, oyasumi ka?" ("Oh, is it bedtime already?")
* FireIsRed: Supposedly. The flames of the Kusanagi clan are usually referred to as "crimson", but appear in-game as orange, similar to how the cursed blue flames of Orochi (see: Iori, Orochi Chris) are depicted as purple.
* FunWithAcronyms: His 707 Shiki: Komahofuri is alternatively known as the R.E.D ('''R'''ainbow '''E'''nergy '''D'''ynamite) Kick.
* GroundWave: His Yami Barai special (when he has it) is a projectile that creeps along the ground.
* GuestFighter: For ''VideoGame/LostSaga'', ''VideoGame/BraveFrontier'', and more.
* HellbentForLeather: Many of his costumes incorporate some kind of leather garment to emphasize his scrappy, BloodKnight attitude. His ''XII''-''XV'' designs all give him leather jackets for example.
* TheHero: Of the Orochi Saga and the entire King of Fighters franchise.
* HighSchoolSweethearts: A BelligerentSexualTension-filled example with Yuki. Despite Yuki [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome largely disappearing from the supporting cast in later installments]], she and Kyo are going steady to this day.
* ImageSong: Several. The main ones fans request for Masahiro Nonaka to sing are [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUEgKetLS3U "Burning Devotion!"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zZSg6EKgD0 "Pieces."]] God forbid that you get him and Creator/KunihikoYasui (Iori) in the same room or less the fans will clamor that they sing their ''dual'' image song, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvEf6CbB4bw "The Sun & The Moon."]]
* IntergenerationalFriendship: With Daimon, who is roughly 8-9 years older than he is.
* IntergenerationalRivalry: With several older fighters like Terry and Ryo. He especially loves to goad Terry to get the most out of their fights.
-->'''Terry''': "Hey, what's happenin', man? Hope your precious flames haven't started gutterin' out yet!"\\
'''Kyo''': "You want to know how my flames are doing? Why don't [[BadassBoast I shove them down your throat, then?]]"\\
'''Terry''': "Wow! Someone got out of the wrong side of bed today! This is gonna be a really heated battle!"
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Kyo is cocky, fight-happy, rebellious and '''really''' full of himself, but his heart is very much in the right place and he does love his family and friends in his own way. (And in ''KOF:KYO'' he seems to have some hidden insecurities as well, [[spoiler:which leave him open to almost losing himself to the dark side]].) Lampshaded in said manga:
-->'''Yuki:''' "He's just a guy who gets flaming mad at times."
-->'''Sanae:''' "That's why everyone's afraid of him. They're just too scared to speak to him!"
* LightningFireJuxtaposition: he's the fire to Benimaru's lightning.
* LivingMacGuffin: He becomes this post Orochi saga. He is used by the NESTS cartel to make clones (one of them being K'), which starts the ''[='99=]''-''[=2001=]'' arc. The Tales of Ash saga revolves around Ash seeking to steal the three Sacred Treasures, one of them being within Kyo.
* MartialArtsHeadband:
** Wore one until the start of the NESTS saga (not counting his Another Kyo striker in ''KOF '99''). He burns his headband in a few ''KOF '99'' opening poses in order to distinguish himself from his clones. He finally puts it back on for ''KOF XV''.
** He kept on wearing it (along with his "classic" school uniform) in several spin-off games until ''Neo Geo Battle Coliseum'', in which he appears with his NESTS Saga outfit, thereby ditching it for good (also because the outfit went to his alternate version, Kusanagi).
* MeaningfulName: The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusanagi Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi]] is a sword that the sea and storm god Susano'o found inside of the Yamata no Orochi's body after slaying the great beast. Guess what Kyo ''Kusanagi'' does to ''Orochi'' at the climax of ''[='97=]''.
** His [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVI1M1VlhS8 Neo MAX]] in ''XIII'' is named the Ura 121 Shiki Ame-no-Murakumo, the "Ame no Murakumo" being the former name of the Kusanagi sword.
** The NESTS incarnation of him in the same game has [[https://youtu.be/a_bWgBOypY8?t=1068 a different Neo MAX]] named "Saishuu Kessen Hiougi: Totsuka", which is the sword Susano'o used to slay Orochi.
** His [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMmb9ivtD50 Climax Super]] in ''XIV'' is named Ura 1127 Shiki Yaegaki. Yaegaki Shrine is the place where Kushinada hid from the Yamata-no-Orochi.
* MegatonPunch: Gains one from ''[='99=]'' onwards in the form of his 182 Shiki. This is presumably a ContinuityNod to the killing blow Kyo landed on Orochi.
** You could also argue that the end of his Mu Shiki DM (not the SDM version, though) ends with one also. At the very least, [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom they're sent flying]].
** ''XIII'' gives him (to be exact, NESTS!Kyo) another one as his Neo MAX named Totsuka, a punch so powerful it causes a screen-filling fiery explosion.
* MovesetClone: With Iori, but only in '95. Justified as the Kusanagi and Yasakani clans built their fighting styles together. In the games after that, Kyo starts to differentiate by using his trademark chain punches.
* MundaneWish: According to one of the endings of ''XIII'' his great TragicDream is to... graduate from high school.
* NeckLift: Kyo's Crescent Moon Flash/Crescent Slash (212 Shiki Kototsuki Yo) has him charging the opponent with a running elbow to the stomach, followed by Kyo hoisting them up by the neck and, finally, [[StuffBlowingUp lighting them up like a Christmas tree]].
-->'''Kyo''': "'''MOERO!'''" [[note]]"Burn!"[[/note]]
* NonIndicativeName: Halfway there. NESTS-Style Kyo may wear the threads from his ''[='99=]''-''2002'' days, but his playstyle is primarily based on that of ''[='98=]''!Kyo.
* NotSoDifferentRemark: Although semi-canon at best, other media adaptations (most notably the ''[='98=]'' drama CD, ''KOF: Kyo'', and the Hong Kong manhua) insinuate that should the Kusanagi [[BrainwashedAndCrazy lose themselves]] [[EnemyWithin to their darker side]], they'll end up just like the followers of Orochi.
* OhCrap: A big one dawns on him at the end of his ''Maximum Impact'' story. Why? He forgot to call Yuki.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToKillYou: ''XIII'' in a nutshell. Kyo is ''very'' fervent about making sure that he's the one who'll give Ash his just desserts, leading to him butting heads with several other competitors, including Athena (who calls him out on trying to shoulder all of the burden when he has friends who are willing to help), Kensou (who both wants to use his new powers and thinks similarly to Athena), and Elisabeth (who has the same mindset when it comes to dealing with Ash).
* PillarOfLight: More like Pillar of Fire, but still, his Mu Shiki DM has him start doing this before doing multiple punches. His Neo MAX in XIII, Ama-no-Murakumo, has him create multiple flame pillars.
* PlayingWithFire: Comes from his HeroicLineage. He incorporates his flames in various martial arts moves like his flame "rekka", Oniyaki, and Crescent Moon Flash. He can also simply fire a massive blast of flame as a super move.
* PowerEchoes: Most versions of his Mu Shiki DM have an echo effect. Canonically, the Mu Shiki is believed to be Kyo's strongest skill (Clone Zero even used its data for the Zero Cannon).
* PrettyBoy: Naturally, with his looks. Several characters taunt him in-game using this as an insult.
* PungeonMaster: Quite fond of making all sorts of quips pertaining to his natural element.
* SchoolUniformsAreTheNewBlack: He's entered several tournaments while in uniform. When Kyo stopped wearing his school clothes in ''[='99=]'', his ''clones'' picked up the slack.
* ScrewDestiny: While Kyo does go on to defeat {{Orochi}} [[YouCantFightFate just as]] [[HistoryRepeats his ancestor did]], Kyo himself refuses to believe that his feud with Iori is influenced by the [[KillEmAll ancient war]] [[FeudingFamilies between the Kusanagi and Yasakani]]. Basically, he wants to just live his life as a fighter, but if others seek him out and/or harm someone who's at least mildly close to him (like Saisyu in ''[='95=]'', Yuki in ''[='97=]'' or [[spoiler:Chizuru]] in ''2003''), he just will fight back so they'll leave him and his loved ones alone.
* SendInTheClones: Used as SelfDeprecation in regards to the NESTS Chronicles. ''XI'' has Kyo making a jab at the ludicrous number of clones he's picked up over the years, almost to a OnceDoneNeverForgotten degree.
-->'''Kyo''': "Another clone? There's enough of me to start a baseball team!"
* {{Shoryuken}}: His Oniyaki special, a spinning fist attack that sets his opponent ablaze.
* {{Shotoclone}}: Somewhat, during his first appearances (and by proxy, in ''XII'' and ''XIII''). With Yami Barai as the projectile move, Oni Yaki as the uppercut move, and Oboroguruma as a (sort of) flying kick move.
* SignatureMove: His Oni Yaki, 75 Shiki Kai and Orochinagi are the only moves of his that he retains in all games.
* TheSlacker: Never graduated from high school. "Effort" is even listed as his dislike in his bio. Lampshaded more than once in the games. [[RunningGag He gets pissed off every time this is brought up.]]
* SolarAndLunar: Represents the sun, in contrast to Iori's moon-related imagery.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His first name is written as "Kyo", "Kyō" or "Kyou".
* TeenGenius: He's said to have properly dominated his pyrokinetic powers ''and'' surpassed his father's own skills when he was 15 years old (which is also the time when [[spoiler:Souji almost lost himself to his darker side and thus asked Kyo to replace him as the family leader]]). He became the winner of the All-Japan Martial Arts Tournament at age 18, and the Team Japan leader at age 19. The rest is history. [[RunningGag About his school life, though...]]
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: It's not exactly easy to fight alongside a guy who unreasonably hates your guts, but if the Orochi is involved, it's time to throw the feud aside and help Chizuru out.
* ThemeNaming:
** More often than not, his theme song will have the word "Esaka" in it. This is also symbolic to fans of the series, as Esaka refers to the locale of the old SNK headquarters.
** Also, his special moves more often than not starts with "(number) Shiki".
* ThreeStrikeCombo: His "flame punch rekka" specials are typically 3 strikes, except for the Dokugami chain which has 4 strikes. His HK version of Oboroguruma also has him do 3 kicks instead of 1 (the LK version).
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Broiled fish. Lampshaded in ''XIII'' when he taunts K's via theorizing that [[PerpetualFrowner he's always grumpy]] because [[RealMenEatMeat he eats too much red meat]] and telling him to eat fish instead; K' is obviously not amused.
* UnusualEuphemism: ''2002'' has Kyo prattling on about "the pepper" in his win quote. The Japanese equivalent is more along the lines of his trademark "Moetaro" ("You [got] burned") line.
* VitriolicBestBuds: With Benimaru, in earlier incarnations. Also with Kensou in ''KOF: KYO'', to a smaller degree.
* VocalEvolution: Kyo sounds more laid-back and relaxed in later games (as compared to his almost HotBlooded characterization at the beginning of the Orochi Saga) and his voice has grown somewhat deeper to match this, perhaps to show [[CharacterDevelopment his maturity over the years]]. Nonaka has said he feels slightly detached and disappointed by this, as he saw his younger days in Kyo's more cocksure personality.
* WarriorPoet: Literally. Poetry is a hobby of Kyo's. [[RunningGag Though he's not too good at it]], and it may explain his moveset naming since ''[='96=]'' [[RuleOfCool via his own tastes]].
* WolverinePublicity: As the face of ''KOF'', Creator/{{SNK}} has pushed him to the forefront of many of their biggest products. Not only is he in every mainlines ''KOF'' title, but also most crossovers and [[GuestFighter promotional tie-ins]]. This is even {{Lampshade}}d in his battle with Terry in ''XIII''.
-->'''Kyo''': "Man, you are here every single time, aren't you? Are you going for a perfect attendance record or something?"\\
'''Terry''': "Not really. [[SpiritedCompetitor It's just that when I hear lots of strong people are getting together, I really have to join!]]"\\
'''Kyo''': "You're a sick individual, Terry... And I don't think there's a cure."\\
'''Terry''': "[[HypocriticalHumor Don't act like you're any different!]] I keep running into you here every time too!"
* WreathedInFlames: His SDM version of Orochinagi (except in ''XIII'' and ''XIV'') has him being covered in his own fire; the opponent who tries to attack him while he charges the move may get damaged by his burning body before he unleashes it. Also done in his Mu Shiki DM.
* YouDontLookLikeYou: His design in ''XIV'' is so different from usual that some assumed he was a brand new character at first, what with ditching his trademark NinetiesHair for something described as akin to a K-pop idol's, going from muscular to [[{{Bishonen}} slender and feminine-looking]], and for a time even changing his hair color completely. Oddly enough, the concept art for him still has him resembling his usual self even with the hair change.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Benimaru Nikaido - ''Japan'']]
[[quoteright:100:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/benimaru_xv.jpg]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* MODE OF COMBAT: Shooting (shoot boxing)
* BIRTHDAY: June 6
* HEIGHT: 180 cm
* WEIGHT: 68 kg
* BLOOD TYPE: Type O
* BIRTHPLACE: Japan
* HOBBY: Sky cruising. Cooking
* PERSONAL TREASURES: Himself. Pierce earrings
* FAVORITE FOOD: Sashimi. Pasta. Coffee
* DISLIKES: Nerds. Regrets
* FORTE IN SPORTS: Clay pigeon shooting. High diving
]

->''"My reason for winning? I'm just cool. Real cool."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Atsushi "Monster" Maezuka (since debut), Eric Kelso (''XII'', English), Creator/HikaruMidorikawa (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Genki Okawa (''King of Fighters for Girls'')

-> 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.

----
* 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.
* 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."
* 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.
* FingerlessGloves: Not unlike Kyo. He sports them beginning from the ''NESTS Saga''.
* 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 shocks his enemy after he grabs them.
* GuestFighter: In ''VideoGame/XuanDouZhiWang'' alongside Terry.
* 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!"
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Goro Daimon - ''Japan'']]
[[quoteright:100:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/charaimg_daimon.png]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* MODE OF COMBAT: Judo + Personal combat style
* BIRTHDAY: May 5
* HEIGHT: 204 cm
* WEIGHT: 138 kg
* BLOOD TYPE: Type A
* BIRTHPLACE: Japan
* HOBBY: Appreciating nature. Touring around Japanese gardens.
* PERSONAL TREASURES: His family. Geta (Japanese clogs).
* FAVORITE FOOD: Soba served on a bamboo sieve
* DISLIKES: Precision machines
* FORTE IN SPORTS: Judo
]

->''"Lightweight!"''
--> '''Voiced by:''' Masaki Usui ('94-XIII), Takahiro Fujiwara (XIV-current) Creator/RyuzaburoOtomo (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD)

-> 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.

----
* 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.
* 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 - ''USA'']]
[[quoteright:100:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/terry_xv.png]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* MODE OF COMBAT: "Martial arts" (from his father's and Tung's, later self-taught)
* BIRTHDAY: March 15
* HEIGHT: 182cm
* WEIGHT: 83kg
* BLOOD TYPE: Type O
* BIRTHPLACE: U.S.A
* HOBBY: Video games
* PERSONAL TREASURES: His father's keepsake. Vintage jeans.
* FAVORITE FOOD: Clubhouse sandwiches
* DISLIKES: Slugs
* FORTE IN SPORTS: Basketball
]

->''"Say what? It's no fluke. This is why I'm here every year."''
--> '''Voiced by:''' 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'')
-->'''Portrayed by:''' David Leitch (live-action movie)

-> 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 - ''USA'']]
[[quoteright:100:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/andy_xv_6.jpg]]

[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* MODE OF COMBAT: Koppo, ninjutsu (Shiranui-style)
* BIRTHDAY: August 16
* HEIGHT: 172cm
* WEIGHT: 67kg
* BLOOD TYPE: Type A
* BIRTHPLACE: U.S.A
* HOBBY: Training
* PERSONAL TREASURES: Pictures from his times in training
* FAVORITE FOOD: Fermented Soybean (Natto) Spaghetti
* DISLIKES: Dogs
* FORTE IN SPORTS: Short-Track Cycling
]

->''"If you want to be the best, it's practice every day, pal."''
--> '''Voiced by:''' 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'')

-> 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 - ''Japan'']]
[[quoteright:100:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_4602.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joe_xv.jpg]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* MODE OF COMBAT: Muay Thai Kickboxing
* BIRTHDAY: March 29
* HEIGHT: 180cm
* WEIGHT: 71kg
* BLOOD TYPE: Type AB
* BIRTHPLACE: Japan
* HOBBY: Fighting
* PERSONAL TREASURES: Headband
* FAVORITE FOOD: Fried alligator bits
* DISLIKES: Dressing up
* FORTE IN SPORTS: All forms of combative sports
]

->''"How's that? I'm the Satan of martial arts."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' 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'')

-> 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]]

->'''Terry''': "Hey, what's happenin', man? Hope your precious flames haven't started gutterin' out yet!"
'''Kyo''': "You want to know how my flames are doing? Why don't [[BadassBoast I shove them down your throat, then?]]"

* WolverinePublicity: As the face of ''KOF'', Creator/{{SNK}} has pushed him to the forefront of many of their biggest products. Not only is he in every mainlines ''KOF'' title, but also most crossovers and [[GuestFighter promotional tie-ins]]. This is even {{Lampshade}}{{ded}} in his battle with Terry in ''XIII''.

* HellbentForLeather: Many of his costumes incorporate some kind of leather garment to emphasize his scrappy, BlookKnight attitude. His ''XII''-''XV'' designs all give him leather jackets for example.

* MartialArtsHeadband: Wore one until the start of the NESTS saga (not counting his Another Kyo striker in ''KOF '99''). He burns his headband in a few ''KOF '99'' opening poses in order to distinguish himself from his clones.

''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters95 KOF '95]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga96 KOF '96]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga97 KOF '97]]''\\

* IntergenerationalFriendship: With Daimon, who is roughly 8-9 years older than he is. He especially loves to goad Terry to get the most out of their fights.

* IntergenerationalRivalry: With several older fighters like Terry and Ryo.

* AdaptationalNiceGuy: In the games and every other media he's featured in, he's always cocky, fight-happy, rebellious and really full of himself. In Destiny despited these traits are still present, he's more noble, shows great respect to Master Chin and is less of a jerk towards the others (he was never respectful to him or anyone higher than him), putting him near Terry levels of NiceGuy by comparison.

* ElementalPunch: His very first one is his Oni Yaki special, a fiery uppercut move. Starting from ''96'', he gains more and more of these.

* IntergenerationalFriendship: With Daimon, who is roughly 8-9 years older than he is.

* WreathedInFlames: His SDM version of Orochinagi (except in ''XIII'' and ''XIV'') has him being covered in his own fire; the opponent who tries to attack him while he charges the move may get damaged by his burning body before he unleashes it. Also done in his Mu Shiki DM.

[[WMG:[[center:[-''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' | '''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters Main Index]]'''\\

''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga'': ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga95 KOF '95]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga96 KOF '96]]'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga97 KOF '97]]''\\

* EveryYearTheyFizzleOut: Although he and the original Team Japan won throughout the entire Orochi Saga (''[='94=]''-''[='97=]''), with Kyo usually getting the credit [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu for single-handedly beating Orochi]], Kyo doesn't seem to have quite the same luck in either the NESTS or Tales of Ash sagas (''especially the latter''), despite being one of the most powerful fighters in TheVerse.

* 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 '94 until it ends in '97.

-->See Characters/FatalFuryKingOfFighters for tropes on him

* AnimeHair: Has a similar tower-styled hair that Benimaru has.
* [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Arrogant Muay Thai Guy]]: He's actually more arrogant and boastful than Hwa Jai, who's supposed to be the ''bad'' Muay Thai user. [[spoiler:It helps that Hwa, in ''XIII'', is actually faking his supposed "bad-ness"; ItMakesSenseInContext.]]
* BlowYouAway: In the form of a myriad of {{Tornado Move}}s. Hurricane Upper and Screw Upper DM being examples.
** In ''XIII'', he gets the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVkhtzbj9d8 Screw Straight]] as his Neo MAX. It's a ''horizontal'' tornado.
** Games such as ''2002'' and ''[=CvS2=]'' give Joe the even more destructive Double Cyclone, which creates two Screw Uppers that surround Joe on both sides and utterly rips anyone who's foolish enough to approach a new one.
* BoisterousBruiser: Oh, so much. He's very loud and he loves fighting (it's even his hobby).
* ButtMonkey: SNK isn't above having fun at his expense, especially in the endings.
** His return in ''KOF XIV'' is "announced" in the 10th trailer but you wouldn't know it if you weren't looking for it as his only appearance is in a very brief scene scattered among several scenes of Geese Howard countering various ''Fatal Fury'' and ''Art of Fighting'' characters. What's worse is the trailer is dedicated to announcing Geese and Ryo Sakazaki, as Joe gets no billing during the trailer.
** When the Team Story is out, in spite of the whole Tales of Ash retconned, some 'filler' events is still considered 'canon' and apparently, Joe's run-in with the CampGay fan ''still stays'' and it became an in-universe MemeticMutation via the internet, causing lots of hilarious grief to Joe.
* CelibateHero: Implied and then defied. Out of the three men in his team, he's the only one who never showed any interests towards dating and women to favor his training. In ''XIV'', he secretly becomes quite stressed out over this in his team's ending, especially when Terry and Andy are both having dates going on (with Mai and Blue Mary respectively).
* FlungClothing: One of his intros has him dispose of a robe.
* HandwrapsOfAwesome: A trademark garment for him, always wears these in any iteration of the franchise.
* HotBlooded: One of the earliest fighting game examples, although given [[Creator/NobuyukiHiyama his seiyuu]], how could he be anything but?
* IShallTauntYou: Used to taunt King for her not having a single title in Muay Thai, therefore assuming she isn't all that compared to him, by either sporting his champion belt before a match or just the disrespectful BringIt; from ''2002'' onward he became more respectful towards King as their special intros have become quite friendly, there is even a occasional polite bow before they fight. However, Joe seems to have moved back in the opposite direction, given his snide remarks to her in ''XIII'' (which King takes via snarking back at him).
* MartialArtsHeadband: Part of his trademark costume. He always wears a Japanese flag headband.
* MartialArtsUniform: Like most Muay Thai fighters, he's got a headband, boxer shorts, armlets, anklets and HandwrapsOfAwesome.
* MegatonPunch: He received one as his LDM in ''KOF 2003''.
* {{Mooning}}: His very, ''very'' infamous TauntButton animation. (And his winning portrait in ''2001''!) Too bad it was suppressed around the start of the NESTS saga.
** It's so... well-known that the ''KOF: G'' manga [[Funny/TheKingOfFighters features him pulling it on Iori and his team.]]
* OutOfFocus: His relationship with Lilly Kane, and his beef with Billy because of it, simply does not carry over to ''KOF'', quite jarring in comparison with his friends Terry and Andy whose {{love interests}}, Mary and Mai, are still on their tail.
** Made all too frustrating for Joe in his team's ending for ''XIII'', both Terry and Andy get their women, Mary and Mai, embraced in their arms congratulating them for winning the tournament, the logical course of action would be Lilly appearing to congratulate Joe as well, but no, what happens is Joe being chased by the [[CampGay fan]] he saved in ''2003'' (named Okama), which appears to be turning into a RunningGag. This carried over into ''XIV'', with the Fatal Fury team ending seeing Joe left alone in the Pao Pao Cafe after the Bogard brothers leave with their girls.
** However, confronting Billy with Joe has Billy talk about [[MySisterIsOffLimits keeping her away from Joe]] and their respective win quotes against one another have them decide to look the other way for Lilly's sake, so Joe and Lilly's on-and-off relationship is perhaps underplayed in ''KOF'' more so than non-existent.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: His Bakuretsu Hurricane Tiger Kakato is basically him chaining 4 of his specials in quick session.
* PlayingWithFire: On occasion.
* PrettyBoy: Good-looking all around.
* PretenderDiss / [[MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours My Muay Thai Is Stronger Than Yours]]: Directed towards King, during their pre-fight dialogue in ''[=KoF=] XIII'', when he calls her Nak Muay style "fake" and says he won't lose to her because of it (seen at [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOPiUIHROo8 2:26-2:37).]]
* RapidFireFisticuffs[=/=]SpamAttack: His Bakuretsu Ken (Explosion/Dynamite Fist) is of this kind.
* {{Shotoclone}}: He's got Hurricane Upper for his projectile, Tiger Kick for his {{Shoryuken}} and Ougon no Kakato/Golden Heel or Slash Kick for his forward rush move.
* SignatureMove: Most of his moves are memorable, but especially his Hurricane Upper and Screw Upper.
* SlideAttack: He has a sliding kick for a command normal.
* TigerVersusDragon: The Tiger to Hwa Jai's Dragon.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: A staple for a traditional Muay Thai fighter.

''Characters/FatalFury'' | ''Characters/ArtOfFighting'' | ''Characters/SamuraiShodown'' | ''Characters/MetalSlug'' | ''Characters/FuunSeries'' | ''Characters/BurikiOne'']]-]]]

-->See Characters/FatalFuryKingOfFighters tropes on him.

-->[[Characters/FatalFuryKingOfFighters Click here for tropes on his home series appearance.]]

-->[[Characters/FatalFuryKingOfFighters Click here for tropes on his home series appearance.]]