History Characters / TheKingOfFightersTheRugalSaga04

* {{Expy}}: Dude's a carbon copy of [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]] down to his ''fashion sense''.

* PluckyComicRelief

* ArchEnemy: To Heidern.

-> 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 the [[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.

* CoolShades: He's never without his LennonShades. Lampshaded in ''2002UM'' where he is part of a special Sunglasses Team alonside Clark and K'.

* BigBad: Of Kof 94 and Kof 95, he’s also the most iconic and recurring villain in the King of Fighters franchise appearing in almost in all non-canon games despite his demise in canon.

* NotQuiteDead: Survived detonating his ship in ''KOF '94''. [[spoiler:Strongly hinted to have survived his apparent death in ''[='95=]''.]]

-> 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 the original [[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.

-> 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 revive the original [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters KOF]] tournament held by Geese Howard previously. 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.

* UnwittingPawn: 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.

[[quoteright:182:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/heavyd94_7483.jpg]]

[[quoteright:198:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lucky94_3860.jpg]]

[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brian94_2807.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rugal-cv1-22_9012.jpg]]

* BigBad: Of Kof 94 and Kof 95.

* BigBad: Of KoF 94 and KoF 95.

* BigBad: Of the KoF 94 and KoF 95.

* UnwittingPawn: 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 and they were ordered to keep an eye on him.

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

* 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.

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: His "Dead End Screamer" DM (''KOF '98'' move only).

* 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 [[LaughingMad laughing maniacally]]. Ouch).

* EvilSoundsDeep: In ''CR The King of Fighters'' and ''The King of Fighters: Destiny'', he's given a much deeper voice than before.

* {{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.

->''"Repeat this after me: I will never take on a god again!"''

* AGodAmI:
--> ''"[[BadassBoast Repeat this after me]]: [[AC: I will never take on a god again!]]"''

* 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''.

* ExcitedTitle: The exclamation point is part of his name.

* ForGreatJustice

* ChainedByFashion

* CoolShades: He's never without his LennonShades.
** SunglassesAtNight
** HiddenEyes

* FragileSpeedster

* NiceHat

* PluckyComicRelief

* BadassBeard

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%% Don't add ShoutOut here. There's already a page for KOF ShoutOuts: ShoutOut/TheKingOfFighters.
%%
* SpiritedCompetitor

* IKnowMaddenKombat

* NiceHat

* SpiritedCompetitor

* WaxMuseumMorgue: A liquid metal variation. His original reason for hosting the tournament was to find strong fighters 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.