History Characters / TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga04

* {{Badass}}

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/choi_xiv.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chang_xiv.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kim_xiv.jpg]]

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: He yells out a perfectly clear "That's not bad!" (in both his ''[='94=]'' debut and in ''[='98=]'') during his Blast Upper special.

* 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.]]

* SNKBoss: TropeCodifier

-> 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'', he no longer seeks to rehabilitate former villains but rather simply wants to prove the strength of his martial arts.

* FAVORITE FOOD: Cows roasted whole (he especially likes eating the last egg)

!Korea Team - South Korea

* 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]].

* 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 ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syewNvULmL0t this]]'' transpires.

* 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.

* 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.

* FlashStep - Just when you thought the Hou'ou Kyaku couldn't be any more painful, his Neo MAX version of the attack ([[http://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.

* 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.

* HappilyMarried - with 2 children.
* HotBlooded - He oozes a lot of passion, either during fights or when talking 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.

* {{Kiai}} - Kim seems to unleash his inner [[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar Kenshiro]] during some of his moves.

* 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."

* 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.

* MegatonPunch - more of a Megaton Kick, but still, his Hou'ou Hiten Kyaku

* 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.

* 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.

* 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!

* BaldOfEvil - He reforms in ''2003'', but is back again as a crook as of ''XIV''.
* BeardOfEvil - a full beard and mustache of evil!

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.
* 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.
* 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.

* {{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.
* 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.

* 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.

* 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 LennonShades.

* 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.
* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning - '''Many''' of his moves involve it.

* 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 - [[http://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...

* 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.

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown - He can use Kim's Hou'ou Kyaku. He no longer has it in ''XIV'', however.

* 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."

* 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.

!Sports Team - USA

* 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.

* 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.]]
* MegatonPunch - His D! Magnum is his most devastating attack and it consists of a single punch that shoots an energy blast across the screen.
* 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.

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish - He yells out a perfectly clear "That's not bad!" (in both his ''[='94=]'' debut and in ''[='98=]'') during his Blast Upper special.
* 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.

* ButtMonkey - See RunningGag below.
* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning - 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.
* ExoticWeaponSupremacy - [[WeaponizedBall Basketballs]], and this was before Sean of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII''.

* FlashStep - His Lucky Vision special works almost like Athena's Psychic Teleport.

* LongRangeFighter - He can throw his basketballs in multiple angles, making him good at long-range fighting.

* 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...]]

* 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.

* IKnowMaddenKombat - American Football, specifically.
* ImmuneToFlinching - If he's preparing to tackle you, stop, drop, and roll.
* 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.

* 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.
* 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''.

* BattleAura - Omega Rugal gains one in his ''[='98=]'' VictoryPose.
* 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'').
* 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=]''.
* 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.
* 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).

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning - His "Dead End Screamer" DM (''KOF '98'' move only).
* EvilLaugh - The prime example in ''KOF''. He even does it as he is about to die (again) in ''KOF '98''.
* 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.
* 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}}.
* 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.
* 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.

* {{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 [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning spinning]] over him/her while [[ManiacalLaugh laughing maniacally]]. Ouch).
* NotQuiteDead - Survived detonating his ship in ''KOF '94''. [[spoiler:Strongly hinted to have survived his apparent death in ''[='95=]''.]]
* OneWingedAngel - Omega Rugal.
* PhlebotinumOverload - Leads to his PlotlineDeath. See DeadlyUpgrade and SuperpowerMeltdown.

* PoisonedWeapons - His ''hands''. One of Omega Rugal's ''[='98=]''-only [=DMs=] 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}}.

* 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
* 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]].

* 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.

* 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.
* 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:

* WalkingShirtlessScene - Omega Rugal (''[='95=]'' only).
* WeCanRebuildHim - Goenitz definitely thought so when he restores Rugal.
* WillfullyWeak - When you first face him in ''[='94=]''. Then, his RubberBandAI kicks in... [[CurbStompBattle Oh god...]]

[[/folder]]

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* MODE OF COMBAT: Tae kwon do + power attacking

* MODE OF COMBAT: Tae Kwon Do & Speed Attacks

* ImprobableWeaponUser - 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.

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown - He can use Kim's Hou'ou Kyaku.

* WolverineClaws

* 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. And now, he's the [[Pantheon/{{Sports}} God of this Trope]].

* ExtremityExtremist - Being a boxer, he only uses his fists.

* RocketPunch - One of his [=DMs=] is a [[KiAttacks energy blast]] fired from his [[MegatonPunch hand]]. Functionally, it has the same application.

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish - He yells out a perfectly clear "That's not bad!" (in both his ''[='94=]'' debut and in ''[='98=]'') during his Soul Flower special.
* TheGlassesComeOff - In his intro pose. [[ButtMonkey Unfortunately]], given that his team has had [[CurbStompBattle their asses handed to them]] on [[RunningGag at least]] ''[[RunningGag three]]'' [[RunningGag separate occasions]] (Rival Team in ''[='95=]'', New Faces Team in ''[='97=]'', and Vanessa, Seth, and Ramon in ''2000''), [[GogglesDoNothing the glasses probably didn't help]].

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning - Cyclone Break, a HurricaneKick of sorts that resembles VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe's Zoomed-in kick, and Death Wheel, where Lucky breakdances through the air from a standing position.
* ExoticWeaponSupremacy - Basketballs, and this was before Sean of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII''.

* FlashStep
* GentleGiant - Despite being quite as impressive as his teammates, in terms of height anyway, he is by far the most easygoing and fun-loving.

* IKnowMaddenKombat

%%* MightyGlacier
%%* PutOnABus

* SpinAttack - And it is perhaps one of the weirdest aerial specials ever.
* WrestlerInAllOfUs - When he's not basing his moves off of football, he takes a few pages from professional wrestling.

* AttackReflector - Accompanied by an appropriate taunting laugh.
* AudibleSharpness - The Genocide Cutter. And it comes from his ''legs''.

* KamehameHadoken - The Kaiser Wave, taken from Krauser. Can be {{charged|Attack}} to become {{unblockable|Attack}}.
* MeaningfulName: In Japan they tend to pronounce names starting with an L as an R. 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.

* 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 [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning spinning]] over him/her while [[ManiacalLaugh laughing manically]]. Ouch).

* WeCanRebuildHim

* AnimalMotifs - The phoenix, 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]].

* BoxedCrook - Pretty much forces this on Chang and Choi.

* 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.

* ExtremityExtremist - He only uses punches with his normal weak punch moves--inputting a strong punch makes him kick, like the other two buttons.

* FlashStep - Just when you thought the Hou'ou Kyaku couldn't be any more painful, his Neo MAX version of the attack ([[http://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 brings his heel crashing down upon the opponent. OUCH.

* HotBlooded

** 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 matter and he'll continue to fight to uphold it.

* LoveFreak

* ThemeDeck - A more notable example. Kim's Hienzan (Flying Swallow Slash), Hishou Kyaku (Soaring Legs), Hangetsuzan (Half Moon Slash) and Hou'ou Kyaku (Fenghuang Leg) have been 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]].

** In fact, Hwa and Raiden 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.

* BaldOfEvil - He reforms in ''2003'', though.

* CounterAttack - One of his specials is him standing upright and picking his nose. When attacked, he sneezes and hits the enemy with his head.
* DeathFromAbove - One of his [=DMs=] is him jumping high to deliver [[BellyFlopCrushing a powerful belly flop]] [[GroundPound from above]].

* MetronomicManMashing - His command throw.
%%* MightyGlacier
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown - One of his [=DMs=].

* 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 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

* BlowYouAway: His Shin! Chouzetsu Tatsumaki Shinkuu Zan (True! Transcending Tornado Vacuum Slash) is strong enough to create a deadly tornado that [[LauncherMove launches foes sky-high on hit]].

* CoolShades - He's never without his little round specs.

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning - '''Many''' of his moves involve it. He can even summon a big tornado while spinning very fast in one of his [=DMs=].

* RollingAttack - One of his specials.

* ThisIsADrill - One of his specials and one DM has him doing a powerful drilling attack.

* PowerDyesYourHair - Rugal's hair goes from [[BlondGuysAreEvil blond]] to [[WhiteHairBlackHeart silver]].

* BlondGuysAreEvil - His Omega Rugal form has silver hair, though.

[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kim13_1183.jpg]]

[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chang2003_9212.jpg]]

[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/choi2000_4333.PNG]]

* AttackReflector

-> 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 ''XIX'', he no longer seeks to rehabilitate former villains but rather simply wants to prove the strength of his martial arts.

* SNKBoss - TropeCodifier and [[Pantheon/{{BossesAndEnemies}} Co-God]].

-> 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 ''XIX'', he no longer seeks to rehabilitate former villains but rather simply wants to prove the strength of his martial arts.

* AwesomeButImpractical - His "Shakushi" (Scooping Death) HSDM/[=MAX2=] in ''2002'' and in ''2002: UM'', formerly his and his Exceed in ''[[VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos]]''. Choi vanishes from the screen then 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.

* AwesomeButImpractical - His "Shakushi" (Scooping Death) HSDM/[=MAX2=] in ''2002'' and in ''2002: UM'', formerly his and his Exceed in ''[[VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos]]''.

* SNKBoss - TropeCodifier and [[Pantheon/{{Combat}} Co-God]].