History Characters / TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga04

[[redirect:Characters/TheKingOfFighters94Part4]]

[[WMG:[[center:[-''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'' | '''[[Characters/TheKingOfFighters Main Index]]'''\\
'''Main Series'''\\
''Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga'': [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga01 1]] | [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga02 2]] | [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga03 3]] | '''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]]

!Korea Team: South Korea
[[folder:Kim Kaphwan - ''South Korea'']]
[[quoteright:100:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/southkorean_flag_1622.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/charaimg_kim.png]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* MODE OF COMBAT: Tae kwon do
* BIRTHDAY: December 21
* HEIGHT: 176cm
* WEIGHT: 78kg
* BLOOD TYPE: Type A
* BIRTHPLACE: Korea
* HOBBY: Karaoke
* PERSONAL TREASURES: Wife and two children
* FAVORITE FOOD: Korean barbecue. Kimchi
* DISLIKES: Evil
* FORTE IN SPORTS: Gymnastics
]

->''"Hey guys, how about it? Let's do the Tae [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Kwan]] Do thang!"''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Satoshi Hashimoto (''[='94=]''-''XI''), Kazuhiko Nagata (''XII'' onward), Brett Beyer (''Maximum Impact'' series, English), Hiroshi Isobe (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Kunihiro Kawamoto (''The King of Fighters: Destiny'')

-> Korean Taekwando master and arbiter of justice. He first showed up in ''VideoGame/FatalFury 2'', and upon hearing that Terry Bogard was also invited to Krauser's tournament, declared Terry to be his rival and set out to beat him. Terry won, but the two have remained good friends since then. Kim is also a proud family man and has trained his sons Jae Hoon and Dong Hwan to be fine martial artists in their own right. Oh, and he CantHoldHisLiquor. ''At all''. In ''XI'', Choi and Chang convince Kim to enjoy himself, prompting him to take up Terry on his offer for joining that year's ''Fatal Fury'' Team. Impressed with his disciples' maturity, Kim believes that his first "rehabilitation" efforts have paid off and set his sights on two other villains from the past, Raiden and Hwa Jai.

-> In ''XIV'', Kim rewarded Chang and Choi with a week break, but they did not return. Instead, he received a visit from his master Gang-Il and the latter's newest lover Luong, the two brought news that both Chang and Choi are seen hanging around with the legendary criminal Xanadu. Kim resolved to enter the tournament with Gang-Il and Luong in order to find out what happened to Chang and Choi.
----
->See Characters/FatalFury2 for tropes on him
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Chang Koehan - ''South Korea'']]
[[quoteright:100:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/southkorean_flag_1622.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/charaimg_chang_7.png]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* MODE OF COMBAT: Tae kwon do + power attacking (loses the former in XIV)
* BIRTHDAY: October 21
* HEIGHT: 227cm
* WEIGHT: 306kg
* BLOOD TYPE: Type B
* BIRTHPLACE: Korea
* HOBBY: Bashing things
* PERSONAL TREASURES: His iron ball
* FAVORITE FOOD: Cows roasted whole (he especially likes eating the last leg)
* DISLIKES: Centipedes. Days of training (but don't tell Kim!)
* FORTE IN SPORTS: Ping-pong
]

->''"A crushing victory! Eh, heh, heh, heh!"''
--> '''Voiced by:''' Yoshinori Shima (''[='94=]''-''[='95=]''), Hiroyuki Arita (''[='96=]'' onward, ''The King of Fighters: Destiny'')

-> A Korean criminal who was busted by Kim following a bank robbery and strong-armed into Kim's reformatory program. He found a friend in Choi, and the two have vowed to go on a big crime spree once they can get away from Kim.

-> His big break came in ''XIV'', when Kim gave him and Choi a week break, but they ended up causing chaos outside his surveilance and they were sent to prison, where they met Xanadu, whom they saw as a way to return to the roots of criminal and wash off Kim's training.

* {{Acrofatic}}: Slightly subverted and played for laughs. Starting in '96, Chang attempted to do Kim's Hien Zan attack (think [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Guile's]] Flash Kick). Chang could only flip belly-up and then crash on his back.
* AscendedGlitch: Due to a programming error early in the franchise, Leona Heidern would offer Chang a salute when she was originally supposed to offer it to teammate Ralf. This got a few nods in future installments as far forward as ''XIV'', where they salute each other before battle.
* AssKicksYou: His Close heavy kick in Characters/TheKingOfFightersXIV and close medium kick in VideoGame/CapcomVsSNK2MarkOfTheMillennium
* BaldOfEvil: He reforms in ''2003'', but is back again as a crook as of ''XIV''.
* BeardOfEvil: a full beard and mustache of evil!
* 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 based on Kim, and includes two fighters based on Chang and Choi.
* ChainedByFashion: The chains actually come from his prison days and are used to hold his iron ball. Curiously enough, when defeated by a time out, he breaks free from them.
* CostumeEvolution: At first he wears an orange prisoner's getup, then he changes it to a Korean dobok as part of Kim's training. He went back to the orange getup in ''XIV'' as he goes heel again.
* CounterAttack: One of his specials (Tekkyuu Taiko Uchi) is him standing upright and picking his nose. When attacked, he sneezes and hits the enemy with his head.
* DeathFromAbove: One of his [=DMs=] (Tekkyuu Assatsu) is him jumping high to deliver [[BellyFlopCrushing a powerful belly flop]] [[GroundPound from above]].
* DumbMuscle: Chang's not all that bright. Some of it might be due to his tendency to bash his head against his giant iron ball. ''2000'' has an alternate form for him called "Smart Chang" (appearing only as a Striker), who's svelte and not quite as dumb looking.
* ExoticWeaponSupremacy: An EpicFlail, to be exact.
* FatAndSkinny: The fat to Choi's skinny.
* FatBastard: Played for utter laughs.
* FireForgedFriends: Eventually develops a friendship with Kim, which is why he's part of Kim's team in ''[='03=]'' even though he's considered reformed by that point.
%% Don't add GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff here. It's already in the YMMV tab.
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: He started out as a Heel, being a criminal, but after an encounter with Kim, he's forced to turn Face, even wearing a Taekwondo gi in his outfit. In ''XIV'', he's back to being Heel when Xanadu recruits him and Choi to the Villains Team and he's once again free from Kim's supervision, being able to wear orange normal clothes again.
* HomeRunHitter: His Climax DM in ''XIV'' has him spinning with his ball, hitting his foe multiple times, before doing a strong final swing (complete with slo-mo) to smash his foe far away... who ''orbits the Earth'' before falling behind Chang.
* ImprobableWeaponUser: Chang had a ball & chain attached to him to try and slow him down. Instead, he just uses it as a weapon.
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: He has Kim's Haki Kyaku in some games.
* MeaningfulName: Koehan means "thug" in Korean. Guess what Chang is.
* MetronomicManMashing: His command throw Dai Hakai Nage.
* MightyGlacier: Very slow, but hits very hard with his iron ball. In ''XIV'' following the 2.0 update; he has a 1200 health rating unlike other characters who fit the trope until the 3.10 update that reduces it to 1100 along with the others of said trope.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: One of his [=DMs=] (Tekkyuu Dai Bousou) is a standard "ranbu" style DM. Also his Tekkyuu Dai Bokusatsu DM where he smashes his foe with his iron ball repeatedly.
* PluckyComicRelief: The shenanigans he and Choi get into tend to be PlayedForLaughs.
* {{Shoryuken}}: attempted: His version of Kim's Hienzan (in older games) has him try to do a somersault kick, but fails and then drops down instead. He might hit the opponent on the way down.
* SignatureMove: his Tekkyuu Dai Kaiten, Tekkyuu Funsai Geki specials and Tekkyuu Assatsu DM.
* StoutStrength: He's a very big man and his weapon of choice is a huge iron ball attached to a chain.
* SpinAttack: His Tekkyuu Dai Kaiten special where he spins his iron ball around him.
* StrongFleshWeakSteel: His strongest attack doesn't involve his iron ball (at least not directly), but his belly. He also bangs his head against his iron ball before a fight and in his current time out losing animation, breaks the chains that wrap his body.
* TimeStandsStill: In ''2002UM'' this is his MAX 2. This happened in the original as well, but it was only for one powerful belly flop.
* UnpredictableResults: the finishing attack for his Tekkyuu Dai Bousou may vary from a belly bump, a RollingAttack, a front kick, and some others.
* UseYourHead: Aside from the CounterAttack above, one of his throws has him smashing his head to the opponent's.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Choi Bounge - ''South Korea'']]
[[quoteright:100:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/southkorean_flag_1622.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/charaimg_choi.png]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* MODE OF COMBAT: Tae Kwon Do & Speed Attacks (loses the former in XIV)
* BIRTHDAY: October 25
* HEIGHT: 153cm
* WEIGHT: 44kg
* BLOOD TYPE: Type B
* BIRTHPLACE: Korea
* HOBBY: Slicing stuff
* PERSONAL TREASURES: The talons he made for himself
* FAVORITE FOOD: Crab
* DISLIKES: Konnyaku jelly
* FORTE IN SPORTS: Rhythmic gymnastics
]

->''"A quick win. A quick victory. This time, I'm really free!"''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Atsushi "Monster" Maezuka (games, ''The King of Fighters: Destiny'')

-> A former serial killer who picked a fight with Kim Kaphwan, and subsequently got his ass handed to him. Instead of handing him over to the police, Kim decided to use him in an experimental "reformatory" program of his own, along with Chang Koehan. The two crooks became the best of friends, and they both anticipate the day they can escape Kim's watchful eye.

-> Like Chang, Choi got sent into prison in ''XIV'' during his one week break by Kim. Within the prison, they met 'the most evil criminal', Xanadu. He quickly roped them to join his entourage, with Choi hoping that he will be able to get back to his criminal roots and wash away any justice teachings he got from Kim.

* AssShove: One of his throws has him rolling behind his opponent and then stabs their behind with his claw.
* AwesomeButImpractical: His "Shakushi" (Scooping Death) HSDM/[=MAX2=] in ''2002'', ''Neowave'', and ''2002: UM'', and his Exceed in ''[[VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos]]''. Choi vanishes from the screen then [[SpeedBlitz attacks the opponent from the background with large slash marks.]] The problem is these slashes are completely at random, meaning you have absolutely no way of knowing if any of them will even connect with the foe.
* BaldOfEvil: though it tends to be concealed by his hat.
%%
%% Don't add CaptainErsatz here. There's already a page for KOF ShoutOuts: ShoutOut/TheKingOfFighters.
%%
* BerserkButton: He's pretty self-conscious about his small stature.
* BlowYouAway: His Shin! Chouzetsu Tatsumaki Shinkuu Zan (True! Transcending Tornado Vacuum Slash) is strong enough to create [[TornadoMove a deadly tornado]] that [[LauncherMove launches foes sky-high on hit]].
* 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 based on Kim, and includes two fighters based on Chang and Choi.
* ComicalTranslation: His version of the Hienzan is actually misspelled with a different kanji, making it instead of "Flying Swallow Slash", it translates to "Grieving Monkey Confession".
* CoolShades: He's never without his round shades. Lampshaded in ''2002UM'' where he is part of a special Sunglasses Team alonside Clark and K'.
* CostumeEvolution: from his dark green getup at the start, then his Taekwondo outfit, then a green striped top and orange pants as of ''XIV''.
* DivingKick: he has Kim's Hishou Kyaku.
* {{Expy}}: Imagine a smaller, sillier version of [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]], and you'd pretty much get Choi.
* FatAndSkinny: Check Chang's entry.
* FragileSpeedster: Choi's smaller hitbox are also a big advantage alongside his speed, triple jump and dashing moves, but his blows don't deal too much damage.
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: He started out as a Heel, being a criminal, but after an encounter with Kim, he's forced to turn Face, even wearing a Taekwondo gi in his outfit. In ''XIV'', he's back to being Heel when Xanadu recruits him and Chang to the Villains Team and he's once again free from Kim's supervision, now wearing his old Freddie Krugger-ish outfit.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Chang. He ''does'' have a wife and family, he's just never been able to get back to them after he was press-ganged by Kim.
* ImageSong: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXp5df7N2ao "Choi Bounge Ondo."]] An abridged version pops up as Choi's intro in ''[='98=]'' if he's the first one to fight.
* KnifeNut: Maybe a little too fond of those claws...
%% Don't add GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff here. It's already in the YMMV tab.
* LickingTheBlade: Fond of licking his metal claws.
* MeaningfulName: Bounge (more appropriately spelled and pronounced as "Bungeh") means "lightning." It's fitting, considering that Choi is nimble and eccentric.
* NiceHat: Very few times seen without his hat. In his waiting animations on the background, he waves his hat on his hand.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: He can use Kim's Hou'ou Kyaku. He no longer has it in ''XIV'', however.
* PluckyComicRelief: Both him and Change fulfill this role in the Korea Team, with Choi having the zanier animations and his little fanfare in '''98''.
* RollingAttack: One of his specials (Kaiten Hien Zan) has him rolling with his claws, doing a lot of hits.
* SetSwordsToStun: His claws never seem to cause lasting damage, despite the fact that they clearly draw blood.
* {{Shoryuken}}: he originally has Tatsumaki Shippuu Zan (Flying Whirlwind Slash) as his uppercut move, he later gets Kim's Hienzan as well.
* SignatureMove: His Tatsumaki Shippuu Zan, Kaiten Hien Zan specials and his Shin! Chouzetsu Tatsumaki Shinkuu Zan DM.
* SpeedBlitz: there's his Shakushi HSDM in 2002 where he disappears and multiple slashes randomly appears on screen. Also his Climax DM in XIV where he knocks his opponent to the air, then does multiple zig-zagging slashes to the airborne foe a'la [[Videogame/MarvelVsCapcom Maximum Spider]].
* ThisIsADrill: One of his specials (his Senpuu Hien Sashi and its followup) and one DM has him doing a powerful drilling attack.
* VerbalTic: Most of his sentences end in "de yansu."
** In the English translations, [[{{Woolseyism}} this is symbolized by]] Choi ending most of his sentences (at least, in cutscenes) with the words "buddy boy."
* WallJump: Aside from jumping off the wall normally, he also has a special move where jumps back to the wall, then launches himself at a direction with claws outstretched.
* WolverineClaws: Wears a pair of gloves with knives on the fingers, just like [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy]]. He meets [[Franchise/StreetFighter Vega]] in ''SVC: Chaos'' and tries to strike up a friendship, but [[{{Bishonen}} Vega]] being [[TheFightingNarcissist Vega]], this does not go well.
[[/folder]]

!Sports Team: USA
[[folder:Heavy D! - ''USA'']]
[[quoteright:100:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/heavyd_4.png]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* MODE OF COMBAT: Boxing
* BIRTHDAY: March 25
* HEIGHT: 208cm
* WEIGHT: 113kg
* BLOOD TYPE: Type A
* BIRTHPLACE: USA
* HOBBY: Listening to the "NEW JACK SWING"
* PERSONAL TREASURES: Cat he keeps (her name is Pooh)
* FAVORITE FOOD: Mainichi Honebuto (Milk)
* DISLIKES: Fine words
* FORTE IN SPORTS: Wrestling
]

->''"Slow. Your attack's too slow. I read you like a storybook."''
--> '''Voiced by:''' Toshikazu Nishimura (games), Takayuki Nakatsukasa (''The King of Fighters: Destiny'')

-> A bare-knuckle boxer who formed the USA Sports Team.

* BadassBeard: A goatee who complements his tough boxer persona quite well.
* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: Almost. He's black. He's the leader of the American Sports Team. But he still has hair: a mohawk. Otherwise, he'd be a perfect fit.
* CloseRangeCombatant: His punches tend to lack range and his specials also work at closer range.
* CoolShades: Most promotional artwork and cameos have D! with his shades. The only time he seems to take 'em off is during a battle (see TheGlassesComeOff below).
* EvolvingAttack: One of his major new additions in KOF '98: he gains a new move called Shadow that consists of him throwing several jabs that don't hit the opponent but the next special move he performs is powered up, including Shadow itself.
* ExtremityExtremist: [[BoxingBattler Being a boxer]], he only uses his fists.
* FlungClothing: One of his victory poses.
* GrappleMove: His Dancing Beat special is a close-range grab, but he doesn't actually grab his foe: he just punches them repeatedly.
* GroundPunch: his Soul Flower special has him punching the ground, creating a blast of energy around him.
* HandwrapsOfAwesome
* {{Irony}}: His forte in sports is listed as...wrestling.
* KindheartedCatLover: He's seen petting a really cute cat [[http://youtu.be/8OSbspgVumQ in the intro for the PlayStation 2 re-edition of KOF '94.]]
* LargeAndInCharge: Subverted: while he's the leader of the team and very tall and buff, he's actually the shortest of the team at 6'10", whereas his teammates Brian and Lucky are 7'2" and 7'3", respectively.
* MegatonPunch: His D! Magnum is his most devastating attack and it consists of a single punch that shoots an energy blast across the screen.
* NameExclamationPoint: The exclamation point is part of his name.
* NamesTheSame: No relation to the Jamaican rapper Dwight Errington Meyers, known by his stage name "Heavy D".
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: his D! Crazy DM.
* PutOnABus: As a part of a cruel RunningGag that certain fans [[DudeNotFunny don't enjoy]].
* ScaryBlackMan: Subverted. D! is only serious in the midst of battle, as he doesn't want to come off as disrespectful to his opponents. Otherwise, he's a pretty chipper guy.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: He's nearly 7' and a lot cleaner looking than most boxing characters in fighting games (sans Dudley).
* TheGlassesComeOff: In his intro pose.
* ThisIsADrill: One of his trademark moves is a lunging punch with a vacuum effect around his arm, mirroring the spin of a drill.
* WalkingTheEarth: Their ending from ''[='94=]'' has D! and Lucky deciding to broaden their horizons and continue street fighting. [[WildMassGuessing This may have]] [[FridgeBrilliance actually happened]], given their cameo-esque PutOnABus status throughout the series.
* WearingAFlagOnYourHead: An eagle surrounded by the American flag is tattooed on his back.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lucky Glauber - ''USA'']]
[[quoteright:100:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lucky_1.png]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* MODE OF COMBAT: Basketball + Self-taught Karate
* BIRTHDAY: December 2
* HEIGHT: 222cm
* WEIGHT: 105kg
* BLOOD TYPE: Type AB
* BIRTHPLACE: USA
* HOBBY: Take part in a prize competition by postcard
* PERSONAL TREASURES: Basketball he uses during a battle
* FAVORITE FOOD: Boiled Beans
* DISLIKES: noise of scratching glasses
* FORTE IN SPORTS: Baseball
]

->''"Wake up! It's too early for bedtime!"''
--> '''Voiced by:''' Kazuhiro "Kay" Inage (games), Haruo Yamagishi (''The King of Fighters: Destiny'')

-> Best friend of Heavy D! who uses basketballs in his own style of kung fu. Appears to be a L.A. Lakers fan, based on his colors (except if you pick him in [[PaletteSwap another color scheme...]]).

* ButtMonkey: See RunningGag below.
* ExoticWeaponSupremacy: [[WeaponizedBall Basketballs]], and this was before Sean of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII''.
%% Don't add Expy here. It's already in the ShoutOut page.
* FlashStep: His Lucky Vision special works almost like Athena's Psychic Teleport.
* IKnowMaddenKombat: Though his profile and one winquote show he actually knows karate, his fighting style revolves mostly around his basketball moves.
* {{Irony}}: His forte in sports is listed as...baseball.
* LongRangeFighter: He can throw his basketballs in multiple angles, making him good at long-range fighting.
* NiceHat: His backwards cap. So much that he is part of a hat-themed special team in '''98'', alongside Terry and Clark, who have nice hats as well.
* PillarOfLight: Summons one in his Hell Bound DM.
* PutOnABus: Hasn't made a canon appearance since ''[='94=]'', but still shows up alongside his teammates in cameos.
* RunningGag: Lucky actually has it ''worse'' than his teammates, as he was defeated by Shermie and Makoto (in ''Neo Geo Battle Coliseum'' and ''Maximum Impact Regulation A'', respectively) and had his invite stolen ''in addition to'' his team-affiliated loses. [[ButtMonkey Ouch...]]
* SpectacularSpinning: Cyclone Break, a HurricaneKick of sorts that resembles VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe's Zoomed-in kick, and Death Wheel DM, where Lucky breakdances through the air from a standing position.
* SpiritedCompetitor: Contrasted with his more arrogant teammates, Lucky comes across as slightly less condescending and more spirited.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: At 7'3".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Brian Battler - ''USA'']]
[[quoteright:100:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_1961.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brian_9.png]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* MODE OF COMBAT: Power attacks based on American Football
* BIRTHDAY: April 15
* HEIGHT: 219cm
* WEIGHT: 152kg
* BLOOD TYPE: Type O
* BIRTHPLACE: USA
* HOBBY: Car Racing
* PERSONAL TREASURES: Viper (beloved car)
* FAVORITE FOOD: Mashed Potatoes
* DISLIKES: Hardworking Efforts
* FORTE IN SPORTS: Hunting
]

->''"Your defense means nothing. Nothing to my tackling, that is!"''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Eiji Yano (games), Taro Kiuchi (''The King of Fighters: Destiny'')

-> An MVP-rated football player who was invited by Heavy D! to join the USA Sports Team in ''[='94=]''. After their loss, he left to return to his football career. Despite being invited back to various tournaments, he and his teammates [[RunningGag always get beaten up and their invitations stolen by others]], such as the New Faces Team in ''[='97=]''.

* FoeTossingCharge: His Hyper Tackle special. His Big Bang Tackle DM is a stronger variant where he does it [[ThreeStrikeCombo 3 times]].
* GratuitousEnglish: Beaten out only by Terry and Geese in this department.
--> '''Brian''': "I AM NUMBAH GWON!"
--> '''Brian''': "I AM SUPERSTAR!"
* IKnowMaddenKombat: American Football, specifically.
* ImmuneToFlinching: If he's preparing to tackle you, stop, drop, and roll.
* {{Irony}}: His forte in sports is listed as...hunting.
* TheJuggernaut: During one of his desperation moves, he becomes pretty much unstoppable (he still takes damage when hit, though).
* MightyGlacier: pretty slow-moving and hits the hardest out of his team.
* PutOnABus: like all of his teammates.
* RunningGag: The fact that he and the rest of the team [[AllThereInTheManual have been invited to later tournaments]], [[CurbStompBattle only to be trounced by other characters]] and have their invites stolen. It's been PlayedForLaughs, much to the disdain of many fans.
* {{Shoryuken}}: his Rocket Tackle special.
* ShouldersOfDoom: One huge shoulder pad of doom.
* SpinAttack: His Screw Body Press special: and it is perhaps one of the weirdest aerial specials ever.
* ThisIsADrill: His Brian Tornado special where he launches forward while spinning like a drill, somewhat akin to [[StreetFighter M. Bison's Psycho Crusher.]]
* WrestlerInAllOfUs: When he's not basing his moves off of football, he takes a few pages from professional wrestling.
[[/folder]]

!Others
[[folder:Rugal Bernstein - ''Unknown'']]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rugal_5.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click Here]][[quoteright:340:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bs_omega_rugal.png]][[/labelnote]]to see him as Omega Rugal in ''KOF '95'']]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* MODE OF COMBAT: A composite with mastery of all fighting styles.
* BIRTHDAY: February 10
* HEIGHT: 197cm
* WEIGHT: 103kg
* BLOOD TYPE: Unknown
* BIRTHPLACE: Unknown
* HOBBY: Resurrection
* PERSONAL TREASURES: His evil heart
* FAVORITE FOOD: He has no likes or dislikes.
* DISLIKES: Justice, people who perform selfish evil.
* FORTE IN SPORTS: None in particular, he can do them all.
]

->''"Repeat this after me, I'll never take on a god again."''
--> '''Voiced by:''' Toshimitsu Arai, Creator/NorioWakamoto (''2002''), Creator/BanjoGinga (''[='94=]'' Dengeki Bunko drama CD), Tsuguo Mogami (''The King of Fighters: Destiny'')
-->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/RayPark (live-action movie)

-> The series' most infamous BigBad. Rugal was one of the most feared people in the criminal underworld, not only with his silver tongue but with his fighting abilities as well. Not one single person had been able to defeat him, and those he deemed as {{Worthy Opponent}}s [[{{Squick}} were]] [[WaxMuseumMorgue bathed in liquid metal]] [[DeadGuyOnDisplay and showcased as his "trophies"]]. He decided to create his own version [[Franchise/TheKingOfFighters KOF]] tournament, so he can find some worthy opponents to battle. Before the tournament began, he faced Saisyu Kusanagi, the father of Kyo, and brutally maimed him, leaving him for dead. When he fought Team Japan in the finals, Rugal was defeated after taking down Daimon and Benimaru first. Unwilling to accept defeat, [[TakingYouWithMe he blows up his aircraft carrier]]. He was believed dead but resurfaced in ''[='95=]'' under the pseudonym of [[PaperThinDisguise "R."]] During this time, he brainwashes Saisyu (with Saisyu earning some... displeasure from Vice), and in the finals forces him to fight Kyo. After Saisyu is defeated and brought back to his senses, Rugal reveals a secret to the finalists: he has awakened his Orochi power, and promptly transforms into Omega Rugal, turning his hair silvery-white and his skin deathly grey, allowing him to nearly defeat Team Japan. Eventually however, he tries to use the full extent of his power, but cannot control it because he is not of Orochi blood. The power consumes him, and he dies. Chizuru reveals in ''[='96=]'' that Rugal received his Orochi power from Goenitz, who gouged his right eye out. Outside of the official storyline, he appears in every Dream Match game. In canon, he is succeeded by his son Adel and his daughter Rose.

* AbusiveParents: Implied to some extent. Adelheid mentions that are still unsolved issues between them both. Yet he left behind his large wealth and possessions to his children.
* ArchEnemy: He is a subverted one to Heidern. Heidern see’s Rugal as his most personal enemy for killing his wife and daughter, But Rugal see’s him as too weak and a another annoyance.
* ArmsDealer: To the extremity that he actually lived on a Nimitz-class supercarrier, and his kids have their own armored fortress airship.
* ArtificialLimbs: His right hand from ''KOF '95'' onward, and his glowing red eye.
* AttackReflector: His Dark Barrier special, accompanied by an appropriate taunting laugh.
* AudibleSharpness: The Genocide Cutter leaves out this. And it comes from his ''legs''.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: A talent he apparently has. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Initially this was meant to be a part of his fighting style]], as using any special move on him in ''[='94=]'' would have granted him the ability to [[PowerCopying do the same move to you.]] However, this turned out to be far too unfeasible for the game to handle and thus was only given some moves from Geese and Krauser along with a few unique moves.
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler: As of ''XIV''. Verse's winquote to Mature and the endings confirm that he is one of the many souls inside of Verse who gets released into the world upon defeat.]]
* TheBackwardsR: His normal theme in ''[='98=]'', "The ЯR."
* BadassInANiceSuit: That elegant red tuxedo he wears when you first face him in ''[='94=]''. He loses it in all subsequent installments (the only exception is if Omega Rugal is waiting on the sidelines in ''[='95=]''), but always wears it in the ''[[VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom Capcom vs. SNK]]'' series, even as God/Ultimate Rugal.
* BadassLongcoat: His suit evolves into this in ''Capcom vs. SNK''.
* BadassMustache: It fits his wealthy, yet villainous appearance.
* BattleAura: Omega Rugal gains one in his ''[='98=]'' VictoryPose.
* BigBad: Of Kof 94 and Kof 95, he’s also the most iconic and recurring villain in the ''King of Fighters'' series appearing in almost in all non-canon games despite his demise in canon.
* BigBadWannabe: He is ultimately one in the Orochi Saga. Despite his insane power and skills as a fighter, he couldn’t handle a portion Orochi’s power as he used to much of it, and thus leading to his demise.
* BloodKnight: His original motivation for reviving the tournament.
* BootstrappedLeitmotif: As SNK's sound team likely wanted to avoid heavily reusing themes, Omega Rugal was given "Guitar, Omega and Rugal" in ''[='95=]'' as opposed to another arrangement of "Ketchaku R&D." Rugal would gain another theme in the form of "The ЯR" from ''[='98=]'', but his original song was just as emblematic of Rugal's claim to SNKBoss infamy as the man himself that it became the music of choice for '''Omega''' Rugal's reappearances, albeit under different titles ("XXX" in ''[='98=]'', "Unlimited R" in ''2002UM'').
* BreakoutVillain: Rugal's popularity as a villain for SNK as a whole is rivaled only by Geese Howard, and is seen as one of the primary villains of the entire ''KOF'' franchise despite only being the villain of the first two games. His popularity with the fans and creators alike has allowed him to re-appear in several titles within the series, such as the Dream Match titles, and outside of it such as ''Capcom vs. SNK'' games. Rugal may be notorious for his punishing difficulty but fans can't get enough of him.
* CardCarryingVillain: Very much so. His personal treasure is his "evil heart" and one of his official dislikes is justice. In ''[='95=]'', Rugal tells the Hero Team that he seeks revenge for them having foiled his "evil plans".
* TheCoatsAreOff: When Rugal takes off the shirt and jacket of his tuxedo for Round 2, it's a sign he's about to get ''[[SNKBoss serious]]'' on your ass.
* CoolShip: The ''[=BlackNoah=]''. It manages to serve both as a battle arena and his personal residence.
* DarkSkinnedBlond: As Omega Rugal and as God/Ultimate Rugal from ''[[VideoGame/CapcomVsSNK2MarkOfTheMillennium Capcom vs. SNK 2]]''.
* DeadlyUpgrade: Using the Orochi power without being of the Orochi bloodline was apparently the ultimate cause of his death.
* DependingOnTheArtist: The length of Rugal's hair. He was first depicted with a mullet that ended above his shoulders while his Omega form gave him longer hair that went past them. Both forms had the same sprite in ''98'', and many official illustrations of both forms depict him with different hair lengths.
* DisappearedDad: To his children, Adel and Rose. Adel idolizes his father enough to mimic his fighting style, and both copy his fashion sense, but Adel remarked about never being able to do things with him. On the other hand, Rugal granted them access to his vast wealth and they live quite lavishly.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Perhaps one of the most unholy examples ever and bleeds over with KickTheDog. Heidern was apparently annoying him with his probes into his operation (not even talking thorn-in-the-side bad, simply getting Rugal's attention) and his response is to ''kill his entire family and mercenary squadron of fifty men''. From Rugal's view, it was meant as ''mockery and provocation''. Unconventionally, also counts as his MoralEventHorizon (as this is the first genuinely heinous thing he does in the series).
** In both the Drama and the Shingyouji manga, he kills his servants for commiting minor goofs like binging him the wrong wine. Made even more heineous in the manga because [[WouldhitAGirl the maid]] he murders is [[WouldHurtAChild barely a teenager]] [[DoesthisRemindYouOfAnything and the scene is framed as if he was going to molest her instead.]]
%% Don't add EnsembleDarkhorse here. It's already in the YMMV tab.
* EvilLaugh: The prime example in ''KOF''. He even does it as he is about to die (again) in ''KOF '98''.
* EvilSoundsDeep: From ''CR The King of Fighters'' and ''The King of Fighters: Destiny'' onward, he's been given a much deeper voice than before.
* EyeScream: Goenitz sliced out Rugal's eye when trying to kill him. Impressed that Rugal survived a fatal attack, Goenitz then gave him some of the Orochi power. [[SuperpowerMeltdown Regard]][[DeadlyUpgrade less]]... [[KarmicDeath Rugal still died]].
* FingerlessGloves: He loses one glove (and the corresponding hand) after surviving the explosion of the Black Noah, but later installments either restore it or simply give him regular gloves.
* FormFittingWardrobe: Under the tuxedo, Rugal wears a skintight body shirt with mesh.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He acts like an upper-class gentleman but he loves to talk down to his opponents and holds no regard for anyone but himself.
* ForTheEvulz: The underlying theme of his actions, sadistic humor, and snark. At least some of the other villains had more (relatively) altruistic goals.
* FlashStep: One of his ''[='98=]''-only specials as Omega Rugal. Notable in that Rugal ''[[CombatPragmatist actually hits you]] [[SpeedBlitz while dashing past you]]''.
* FlungClothing: Tosses the top part of his tuxedo off in ''KOF '94'' in Round 2, and in ''2002'' his jacket falls off, along with the wires on his shoulders.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: His [[ElectronicEyes cybernetic eye]] since ''KOF '95'' (back in ''[='94=]'', the eye was pitch black) and as God Rugal. And both are {{red|EyesTakeWarning}}.
* AGodAmI: Just look at his win quote in ''[='98=]''.
--> ''"[[BadassBoast Repeat this after me]], [[AC: I'll never take on a god again.]]"''
* GrappleMove: His God Press special and Gigantic Pressure DM has him running towards his foe, then if he connects, he slams them towards the opposite wall.
* {{Hypocrite}}: One of Rugal's dislikes? People who perform selfish evil. He [[ForTheEvulz more]] [[DisproportionateRetribution than]] [[TakingYouWithMe fits]] [[ItsAllAboutMe that]] [[AGodAmI description]].
* KamehameHadoken: The Kaiser Wave, taken from Krauser. Can be {{charged|Attack}} to become {{unblockable|Attack}}; when he's charging, the energy ball formed in his back can hit the opponent if they try to go past him.
* MeaningfulName: In Japan they tend to pronounce names starting with an L as an R and thus may sometimes misromanize R as L. The word 'lugal' was a Sumerian sign and later became what they called their king, so Rugal Bernstein becomes King Bernstein, perfectly fitting with a power-hungry narcissist.
* {{Narcissist}}: The first clue was the portraits of himself adorning the command room of the [=BlackNoah=].
* NearVillainVictory: In ''[='94=]''. If Kyo didn't assume the worst when he saw his unconscious father, he would have never gone into an UnstoppableRage-induced HeroicSecondWind and Rugal would have won. Kyo gets lucky for a second time in the next game when Rugal's own power destroys him.
* NeckSnap: His ''KOF '98'' (non-boss) incarnation has the "Dead End Screamer," which in its SDM/MAX version starts with Rugal doing this to the opponent neck (then he follows by [[SpectacularSpinning spinning]] over him/her while [[LaughingMad laughing maniacally]]. Ouch).
* NotQuiteDead: Survived detonating his ship in ''KOF '94''. [[spoiler:Strongly hinted to be resurrected after ''[=XIV=]''.]]
* OneWingedAngel: Omega Rugal.
* PhlebotinumOverload: Leads to his PlotlineDeath. See DeadlyUpgrade and SuperpowerMeltdown.
* PillarOfLight: At the end of his Gigantic Pressure DM.
* PoisonedWeapons: His ''hands''. One of Omega Rugal's ''[='98=]''-only [=DMs=], called Rugal Execution, involves impaling the opponent and supercharging them with [[SicklyGreenGlow green]], [[TechnicolorToxin poisonous]] Orochi energy. This attack is made ''even cheaper'' in ''Capcom vs. SNK 2'', where God Rugal receives this move as a ''normal'' special. And it involves ''{{flash step}}ping''.
* PowerDyesYourHair: Rugal's hair goes from blond to [[WhiteHairBlackHeart silver]].
* PowerEchoes: As God Rugal in ''Capcom vs. SNK 2''.
* RecurringBoss: Pops up in two consecutive games in the series' canon. Afterwards, he was seen as the [[TropeCodifier ultimate end-boss]] and is so well-loved by fans, that Rugal became the FinalBoss of every subsequent {{Dream Match|Game}}.
* [[RedEyesTakeWarning Red Bionic Eye Take Warning]]: After Goenitz ripped off his eye, he replaced it with an artificial, glowing red one.
* ReplacementGoldfish: When Mature and Vice became {{Ascended Extra}}s in ''[='96=]'', Rugal received two additional secretaries named Aya and Hermione in ''[='98=]''.
* RightHandCat: His panther Rodem, who acts as Rugal's "partner" in ''[='94=]'' and ''[='95=]''.
* RunningGag: A meta example; his penchant for "dying" (although it only canonically happened once) has been PlayedForLaughs to the point that Rugal's hobby in his official bio is listed as "[[BackFromTheDead resurrection]]."
* {{Shoryuken}}: His ever-popular Genocide Cutter.
* SignatureMove: His Genocide Cutter, God Press special and Gigantic Pressure DM. Also his Dead End Screamer for the meme, although it only appears in '98.
* SlasherSmile: Omega Rugal from ''KOF '98'' onwards.
* SlouchOfVillainy: The end credits of ''2002''.
* SNKBoss: TropeCodifier. Rugal is '''''the''''' SNKBoss. Tales of his unfairness and infuriatingly difficult AI have established a legacy spanning two decades and counting.
* SoreLoser: See VillainousBreakdown below.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: "Luger" popped up infrequently in the first two games. This is arguably {{Woolseyism}}, as a Luger is a German weapons brand while Rugal is a (presumably) German arms dealer.
* StarterVillain: Every StoryArc in ''The King of Fighters'' has the first boss inferior to the subsequent ones from a storyline standpoint in some capacity, whether it be on the SlidingScaleOfVillainThreat or simply a matter of title/rank, although this doesn't always hold up from a gameplay perspective (not all {{SNK Boss}}es are equal; Krizalid, for example, is rivaled only by Igniz gameplay-wise in the NESTS Chronicles and remains one of the hardest ''KOF'' bosses '''period'''). Rugal is no different, as he was taken out rather nonchalantly by Goenitz (who gave him a portion of Orochi's power as a reward for surving a fatal attack, losing nothing but his eye from the attack), who is in turn subservient to Orochi, a deity with world-destroying powers. Rugal was the low man on the ''KOF'' totem pole originally and really existed only as a force responsible for kickstarting the series in the first place. What makes Rugal unique is that he not only came back in a stronger form in the next game (even if it was mostly done to set up the overlying plot with Orochi in ''[='96=]'' and ''[='97=]''), but he's seen as ''the'' boss in ''KOF'' lore and held up high by characters in the story post-death as an evil and powerful villain in both the main games and spin-offs like ''Sky Stage'' where he becomes TheChessmaster behind all the villains. (It doesn't hurt that he's one of the biggest examples of a SNKBoss in not only this series, but for SNK as a whole.) It is for this reason that Rugal enjoys his long tenure as the ultimate end boss in the series' dream match games.
* StatusQuoIsGod: He is always the end boss in every ''KOF'' game he appears; only in ''KOF '98: Ultimate Match'' was he the default boss with Goenitz and Orochi being of higher levels.
* SuperpowerMeltdown: Omega Rugal, both in ''KOF '95'' and the original ''2002''.
* TakeOverTheWorld: Omega Rugal's hobby is "World conquest." This, combined with the lingering question of if Rugal is truly dead and his appearance alongside the members of NESTS in ''2002'', [[WildMassGuessing has the fans scratching their heads]].
** ''2002'' is a DreamMatchGame, so it's non-canon. Still, when you beat him in ''Unlimited Match'', the game drops you a subtle little hint:
--> Omega Rugal [[{{Engrish}} become extinct]][[TheEndOrIsIt ... ?]]
* TakingYouWithMe: As mentioned above, in ''KOF '94''; also used in ''[='98=]'', ''R-2'' and ''2002: Unlimited Match''.
* ThisCannotBe: Gets one in ''[='94=]'' when you beat him.
--> '''Rugal''': [[BilingualBonus "Ma... masaka..."]]
* TrueFinalBoss: His second round in ''KOF '94''. Even more fittingly, him in ''2002UM''; you can only fight him by not losing more than 2 teammates against the "FinalBoss," and you can't unlock your team's ending picture unless you beat him. Oh, and you can't continue if you lose against him.
* UnwittingPawn: It’s heavily implied that he had no idea that he was this to Goenitz. When Rugal encountered Goenitz, he was easily defeated and Goenitz himself saw Rugal as a potential vessel for Orochi. Even worse, his two secretaries Mature and Vice were actually double agents working for Goenitz and they were ordered to keep an eye on him.
* UselessUsefulSpell: His Kaiser Phoenix HSDM in ''2002'', in which he spams Kaiser Waves over and over. It sounds good in theory, but if the first one hits, it can launch you into the air and the others tend to miss while you're airborne or on the ground, though its damage is comparable to other [=HSDMs=]. In ''[=2002UM=]'', it was given OTG properties... but its damage output was drastically lowered. He also tends to stop it prematurely.
* VillainousBreakdown: Happens ''twice''. The first time, he ''[[TakingYouWithMe blows up his own aircraft carrier with himself still on it]]''. The second is his SuperpowerMeltdown, and proceeds as follows:
--> '''Omega Rugal''': "Even with my new power I lost. What? My body.....????? [[BigNo NO!]] To meet such a fate! But I'll be back... [[Narm/TheKingOfFighters YOU JERKS!]]"
* WalkingShirtlessScene: Omega Rugal (''[='95=]'' only).
* WaxMuseumMorgue: His original reason for hosting the tournament was to find strong contestants to defeat and have them decorate his room... as statues made of liquid metal. The cutscene before the battle against Rugal displays quite a number of fighters who have been beaten. Against the Women Fighters Team, he states he will stuff them instead.
* WeCanRebuildHim: Goenitz definitely thought so when he restores Rugal.
* WeCanRuleTogether: He makes this offer to the Rivals Team in ''[='95=]''. They refuse.
* WillfullyWeak: When you first face him in ''[='94=]''. Then, his RubberBandAI kicks in... [[CurbStompBattle Oh god...]]
[[/folder]]

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

-> The series' most infamous BigBad. Rugal was one of the most feared people in the criminal underworld, not only with his silver tongue but with his fighting abilities as well. Not one single person had been able to defeat him, and those he deemed as {{Worthy Opponent}}s [[{{Squick}} were]] [[WaxMuseumMorgue bathed in liquid metal]] [[DeadGuyOnDisplay and showcased as his "trophies"]]. He decided to create his own version [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters KOF]] tournament, so he can find some worthy opponents to battle. Before the tournament began, he faced Saisyu Kusanagi, the father of Kyo, and brutally maimed him, leaving him for dead. When he fought Team Japan in the finals, Rugal was defeated after taking down Daimon and Benimaru first. Unwilling to accept defeat, [[TakingYouWithMe he blows up his aircraft carrier]]. He was believed dead but resurfaced in ''[='95=]'' under the pseudonym of [[PaperThinDisguise "R."]] During this time, he brainwashes Saisyu (with Saisyu earning some... displeasure from Vice), and in the finals forces him to fight Kyo. After Saisyu is defeated and brought back to his senses, Rugal reveals a secret to the finalists: he has awakened his Orochi power, and promptly transforms into Omega Rugal, turning his hair silvery-white and his skin deathly grey, allowing him to nearly defeat Team Japan. Eventually however, he tries to use the full extent of his power, but cannot control it because he is not of Orochi blood. The power consumes him, and he dies. Chizuru reveals in ''[='96=]'' that Rugal received his Orochi power from Goenitz, who gouged his right eye out. Outside of the official storyline, he appears in every Dream Match game. In canon, he is succeeded by his son Adel and his daughter Rose.

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

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

* AndThisIsFor: In ''XIV'', if he beats Yamazaki, he'll remind him that the beating and 'eventual arrest' was for his good friend Hon-Fu, [[TheWorfEffect who often found himself on the wrong end of beating by Yamazaki.]]
* AnimalMotifs: ThePhoenix, but more so the Fenghuang (a Chinese firebird of made of of two others) due to the usage of the term Hou'ou (the Japanese on'yomi reading of Fenghuang) in his movelists. Can sometimes inexplicably {{summon|Magic}} [[HotWings one]] at the end of his [[SpamAttack Hou'ou Kyaku (Fenghuang Leg)]] [[LimitBreak DM]].
** Also, in ''[[VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos SVC Chaos]]'' [[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100414161647/snk/images/1/16/Kimkaphwanheaven.gif the Heaven Spell]] will turn him into the national bird of Korea, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Magpie the Korean magpie.]]
* AscendedGlitch: His ability to perform the Hou'ou Kyaku in midair was retained from a bug that affected certain command moves in ''[='94=]'' and ''[='95=]''.
* BadassCreed: "Aku wa yurusan!" See below.
* BadassNormal: All he knows is Taekwondo. That, and '''JUSTICE!''' Kim still manages to be a fierce competitor and is revered as a national hero in Korea.
* BoxedCrook: Pretty much forces this on Chang and Choi, and later Raiden and Hwa Jai.
* BrickBreak: He does a pretty neat spin on the trope in ''Capcom vs. SNK 2'' by throwing up several wooden boards into the air and breaking them away before they touch the ground. Not quite as impressive as him breaking a large column of ice in the ''Real Bout Fatal Fury'' series, but still.
* CantHoldHisLiquor: The whole reason ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syewNvULmL0t this]]'' transpires.
* ConfusionFu: Despite his simplistic moveset, Kim in gameplay has been solid space control and offensive pressure character due to the range and speed of his moves, and some solid mixup as well. He's pretty much one of the most notable staples of TKD practitioners in fighting games who love any form of physical offensive focus. It's lessened in ''XIII'', though.
* DetectEvil: "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Aku wa yurusan! HA!!]]" ("[[ThisIsUnforgivable Evil is unforgivable]]!") Usually coupled with a [[GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger finger point]] that rivals [[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney Phoenix Wright]] or a [[GlowingEyesOfDoom gleaming]] DeathGlare.
** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in a group of bonus illustrations for ''KOF '99'': Kim sees AntiHero K' lurking in the background and wonders if he's evil.
%% Don't add EnsembleDarkhorse here. It's already in the YMMV tab.
%% Don't add Expy here. It's already in the ShoutOut page.
* ExtremityExtremist: He only uses punches with his normal weak punch moves--inputting a strong punch makes him kick, like the other two buttons. His special moves are also mostly kicks.
* FightingSpirit[=/=]AnimalBattleAura: See AnimalMotifs above.
* FingerlessGloves
* FlashStep: Just when you thought the Hou'ou Kyaku couldn't be any more painful, his Neo MAX version of the attack ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMr2rFeQ77o Rei Shiki Hou'ou Kyaku]]) involves Kim moving so fast that he's simultaneously whaling on his foe from both sides. He then jumps sky-high and [[DeathFromAbove brings his heel crashing down upon the opponent.]] OUCH.
** This move reappears as his Climax move in ''XIV''.
* ForGreatJustice: ''Extremely'' focused on justice and righting wrongs. He's so into this that to everyone else who travels in his circles he descends into being TheComicallySerious and they take jabs at him as a result.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Whenever he gets a [[ZanyScheme creepy idea for his rehabilitation program]] or does the DeathGlare as seen above. The former instance usually gives him a CheshireCatGrin.
** Which makes his ''KOF 2001'' victory render [[OffModel downright]] ''scary''. Thanks a freaking bunch, Nona and Eolith.
* HappilyMarried: with 2 children.
* HotBlooded: He oozes a lot of passion, either during fights or when talking about justice.
* {{Hunk}}: Handsome, manly, and all about ''justice.''
* HurricaneKick: His Kuu Sajin special in older games is one; in a variant, he does it while jumping upwards.
* JusticeWillPrevail: Essentially, this is Kim's CatchPhrase (see DetectEvil).
** {{Flanderization}}: Said upholding and love of justice, which now seems to be the topic of choice in ''every'' conversation. Duck King does not let this trait of Kim's [[LampshadeHanging go unnoticed]]. Needless to say, Kim is ''not'' amused.
-->'''Duck''': "Chill! We're drinking here. Teachings? Justice? Who needs to hear that crud now?"
-->'''Kim''': "...''Crud''?" (''{{death glare}}'')
-->'''Duck''': "No, it's a great theory on education. Let me stretch a bit, then I'll hear you out."
-->'''Kim''': ".........."
-->'''Duck''': "OK, let's hear it. Shoot."
-->'''Kim''': "In a nutshell! True jushtice... Itsh all in the hamana hamana teaching."
** Let us note that Kim is ''completely hammered'' during that speech.
** It should be noted that the International Taekwondo Federation's [[BadassCreed oath]] is "I shall be a champion of justice and freedom." and "I shall build a better and more peaceful world." Kim's demeanor (which extends to ''many'' of his cohorts) could be this philosophy taken to new heights.
** Mocked ''mercilessly'' by just about everyone in ''XIII''. Kensou, in fact, states that [[ConceptsAreCheap the word "justice" no longer has a meaning thanks to Kim]].
** However, to be fair, one of Kim's win quotes in ''XIII'' [[{{Reconstruction}} reconstructs]] this term. Kim is aware that people will call him a freak and he's a weirdo for his extremism. However, he'll stand by his philosophy that justice will prevail no mater what and he'll continue to fight to uphold it.
** In ''XIV'' [[VigilanteMan Najd]] of all the people calls Kim's concept of justice, twisted.
* {{Kiai}}: Kim seems to unleash his inner [[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar Kenshiro]] during some of his moves.
-->'''Kim''': "[[CallingYourAttacks Hou'ou Kyaku!]] [[SpamAttack ATATATATATATATATA!!]] [[FinishingMove WATAA]]AA!!!"
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: During his Haki Hyaku, he [[GroundPound stomps the ground in front of him]]. If the opponent is standing, the attack hits their shin, momentarily stunning them. If not...
* LastNameBasis: His name is usually rendered in Asian order, and as such, Kim is actually his family name. He's never been acknowledged by his given name and later games would drop the Kaphwan from his name, almost exclusively referring to him just as "Kim."
** Rumors speculate that he was named after the president of Viccom (the Korean publisher of the SNK games), who had a similar pronunciation to Kim's name (金甲煥). Additionally, Kim's sons are also named after the real Kim's son (Jae Hoon) and younger brother (Dong Hwan). After the fallout of the first online game (''KOF World''), produced by Viccom, "Kaphwan" was removed from Kim's name.
* LegacyCharacter: Chronologically speaking, maybe. It's implied that Kim Sue II from ''[[VideoGame/FuunSeries Kizuna Encounter]]'' is his descendant and Kim Hae-Ryeong from ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown: Edge of Destiny'' is his ancestor due to the fact that they all possess the same family name (Kim), have a similar fighting style, and share several moves, notably the Hienzan, Hishou Kyaku, Hangetsuzan, and Hou'ou Kyaku. Hae-Ryeong even pulls an [[ThisIsUnforgivable "Aku wa yurusan!"]] on TheDragon from his game. Given that Kim Kaphwan came first (game-wise), these two are probably {{exp|y}}ies.
* MartialArtsUniform: wears the Korean dobok.
* MartialPacifist
* MegatonPunch: more of a Megaton Kick, but still, his Hou'ou Hiten Kyaku
* NiceGuy: While his overly zealous JusticeWillPrevail attitude might overshadow this trait, Kim is also a genuinely nice person, a loving family man and has compassion for everyone that is not evil. Even if he might go overboard on Chang and Choi considering they're criminals in the first place, Kim still offers them a chance to redeem themselves via rehabilitation instead of sending them straight to jail (though they may think jail is a better place).
%%
%% Don't add ShoutOut here. There's already a page for KOF ShoutOuts: ShoutOut/TheKingOfFighters.
%%
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: His signature Hou'ou Kyaku DM. His HSDM, LDM and Neo MAX tend to be a variant of this, UpToEleven.
* SlideAttack: His Ryuusei Kyaku (Meteor Kick) in some games; he may decide to follow it up with a jumping axe kick.
* SpamAttack: His Shakka Shuu (Miraculous/Scorching Fire Assault) attack in past Fatal Fury games (which makes a return in the ''Maximum Impact'' games).
* StanceSystem: He compared to other TKD characters doesn't have much in the way of this, but some games give him stances where he faces the background much like his old stance in Fatal Fury (like in ''Capcom vs. SNK'') or even have him turn his back (in the ''Maximum Impact'' games).
* SuperGullible: Kim tends to take things at face value, in which Chang and Choi often exploited in order to stay at his good side (pretending that the reforming is taking effect) while plotting on how to escape Kim while complaining on how terrible he is to them in terms of their training regiment. And Kim usually catches on their true nature whenever they slipped off and said it loud enough within his earshot (which is... everytime). And unfortunately for Chang and Choi; Kim's teammates at XIII, Raiden and Hwa Jai, were much more GenreSavvy in this; never letting their 'good students' charade down in front of Kim until it's truly safe.
* TeamDad: To Chang, Choi, his kids, May Lee, Chae Lim, and ''everyone'' in his TKD school.
* ThemeDeck: A more notable example. Kim's [[{{Shoryuken}} Hienzan (Flying Swallow Slash)]], [[DivingKick Hishou Kyaku (Soaring Legs)]], [[RollingAttack Hangetsuzan (Half Moon Slash)]] and [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown Hou'ou Kyaku (Fenghuang Leg)]] have been [[SignatureMove a staple]] part of not only Kim's repertoire (effective and popular enough to be retained in every game), but have nudged themselves into the movesets of his fellow Taekwondokas and disciples as well as that of ''Kizuna Encounter'''s Kim Sue II and Kim Hae-Ryeong from ''Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny''. In the case of the latter two, the inclusion of these techniques, their names (the surname of Kim), and [[{{Expy}} their general similarities to Kim in appearance and methodology]] are a large factor in the [[EpilepticTrees belief that they are blood-linked to Kim's family tree]].
* ThreeStrikeCombo: His Sanren Geki special in older games is a 3-hit rekka-style special with 2 possible endings.
* TwinkleSmile: One of his win poses. Complete with an AudibleGleam.
** EternallyPearlyWhiteTeeth
* VocalEvolution: Until ''KOF '96'', Hashimoto gave Kim a rather soft, youthful voice. Since then and until ''XI'', he voiced Kim with a much deeper tone -- unless he went all "ATATATATATATATATA!! WATAAAA!!!" on his rivals. His new seiyuu, Kazuhiko Nakata, has kept the tradition.
* WrongGenreSavvy: If Kim is so much into justice, then he should know that some of the charas he deems as evil are... well, not necessarily villainous. Seems Kim tends to take MANY things at face value when he shouldn't!
** In fact, Hwa and Raiden [[ExploitedTrope tried to use Kim's WGS nature to their own benefit]] in ''XIII'' via letting him think they were still under Geese's thumb, thus getting a chance to revive their careers through Kim's "rehabilitation" project.

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

''Characters/TheKingOfFightersEX'' | ''[[Characters/TheKingOfFightersMaximumImpact Maximum Impact]]'']]-]]]

!!Index: [[Characters/TheKingOfFighters Main Page]] | [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga Rugal Saga Main Page]]
!!![[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga01 Rugal Saga 01]] | [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga02 Rugal Saga 02]] | [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga03 Rugal Saga 03]] | Rugal Saga 04

* BreakoutVillain: Rugal's popularity as a villain for SNK as a whole is rivaled only by Geese Howard, and is seen as one of the primary villains of the entire ''KOF'' franchise despite not appearing in all games. His popularity with the fans and creators alike has allowed him to re-appear in several titles within the series, such as the Dream Match titles, and outside of it such as ''Capcom vs. SNK'' games. Rugal may be notorious for his punishing difficulty but fans can't get enough of him.