History YMMV / TheKingOfFighters

** SNK's announcements at EVO 2022 ''really'' won a lot of fans who were stumped by ''XV's'' [[ScrappyMechanic faulty matchmaking]] over, especially when paired with ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown (2019)'' getting some much-needed love in the form of an update to rollback netcode for all platforms (sans the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch Switch]] version, unfortunately) coinciding with Team Samurai's reveal. And if that wasn't enough, then the announcement of a Season 2 - led by Kim and, most especially, Shingo ([[TheBusCameBack who hasn't been playable]] since ''XI'') - '''''and''''' the announcement of a new ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' title after more than '''20 years''' of dormancy really sealed the deal that SNK were back and better than ever.

** Rugal - both canonically and from a gameplay standpoint, oddly enough. He went from being a genuine threat to Kyo (enough that he nearly beat him had it not been for Kyo's HeroicSecondWind) to little more than [[VillainForgotToLevelGrind another background villain]] when compared to literal ''deities'' like [[spoiler:[[RealityWarper Otoma=Raga]]]]. His return in ''XV'', while welcomed at first, has mostly been mixed, due to his base form being among the [[LowTierLetdown weaker characters on the roster]] (least of all when compared to Krohnen), and his boss form being underwhelming compared to his previous showings in ''[='=]94'' or especially ''[=2002UM=]''.

** Xanadu is one of the most disliked of the new characters from ''XIV'', due to his design being seen as creepy and uncool. Never mind being one of the worst characters gameplay-wise throughout the game's lifespan, either.

** '''All over the place''', {{Relationship Writing Fumble}}s or not. But let's be honest: every company in charge of ''KOF'' is very, ''very'' aware that the franchise as a whole is ''[[EstrogenBrigade EXTREMELY]]'' [[EstrogenBrigade popular among female gamers of all ages]] (from teenage girls who are new to the games, to older ladies who grew up either watching others play or played alongside the boys). With the buttloads of ShipTease, it'd be weirder to NOT have a good part of the fandom all over it.

** Next to no one was expecting the return of K9999, now going under the name Krohnen, due to the character being a blantant ripoff of Tetsuo from ''Anime/{{Akira}}'' and SNK clearly not wanting someone so unoriginal in their ranks. The fact they were willing to give him another chance with a new redesign and now making his ultimate less fleshy and more robotic specticale was a surprise to many fans of the series. And even better -- he's teaming up with his old teammates (Angel and Kula) for the first time since ''2001'' (albeit without Foxy) and ''2002''!

%%* VillainDecay: Duke in ''Maximum Impact 2''.

** Rugal - both canonically and from a gameplay standpoint, oddly enough. He went from being a genuine threat to Kyo (enough that he nearly beat him had it not been for Kyo's HeroicSecondWind) to little more than [[VillainForgotToPowerGrind another background villain]] when compared to literal ''deities'' like [[spoiler:[[RealityWarper Otoma=Raga]]]]. His return in ''XV'', while welcomed at first, has mostly been mixed, due to his base form being among the [[LowTierLetdown weaker characters on the roster]] (least of all when compared to Krohnen), and his boss form being underwhelming compared to his previous showings in ''[='=]94'' or especially ''[=2002UM=]''.

* BadassDecay: Terry, Andy, Ryo, and Robert [[HeroOfAnotherStory were originally the heroes]] of their respective games (from ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' and ''[[VideoGame/ArtOfFighting Art of Fighting]]'' respectively). But ever since joining the KOF roster, [[DemotedToExtra they've steadily been pushed further into the background.]] Few of their team endings ever have anything to do with what's going on at the tournament, as they've mainly become comic relief.

** The series going 3D again in the ''KOF XIV'' announcement trailer. Some welcome it, believing that 3D models will be much more efficient and allow them to put more characters into the game and shorten development time (especially taking into account the fiasco of ''XII'' being an ObviousBeta which would take another full year to be developed into ''XIII''), while others believe the initial graphics presented in the trailer look like a [=PS2=] game, drudging up memories of the already-divisive ''Maximum Impact'' series, and others still believe that the new entry should have either kept the high-quality sprites of ''XIII'' or went with a graphics style more like that of ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear Xrd'' or ''VideoGame/DragonBallFighterz'' (3D models with shading to make them look like sprites). Due to this, the graphics update in 1.10 is warmly accepted by the fanbase.

* CharacterPerceptionEvolution: When he debuted in ''KOF 2003'', itself a ContestedSequel to this day, ''a lot'' of people weren't very fond of Ash. Whether it was [[{{Jerkass}} his]] [[SmugSnake personality]], his effortless defeat of Chizuru and Iori that made him come off as an InvincibleVillain, or even just [[DudeLooksLikeALady his mere physical appearance]], the mere mention of his name is enough to make most longtime ''KOF'' fans wince with disdain. An entire saga (as well as a [[{{Tearjerker}} heartbreaking]] [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIII sendoff]]) and a decade of being PutOnABus later and Ash went from universally reviled to, at best, a bold example of a VillainProtagonist in a fighting game (something that was absolutely ''unheard of'' up until that point - the [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Mishima Family]] notwithstanding, at least) that preferred using [[GuileHero Guile]] (heh) over brute force, or at worst, [[BaseBreakingCharacter a mixed bag]].

** Terry, to a lesser extent, at least in ''XIII'', anyway. If only because he's the one character that managed to do something no other character in the franchise (besides maybe Saiki) ever could - ''[[InsultBackfire piss off]] [[{{Troll}} Ash Crimson]]''.

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** After the three previous protagonists were mostly characterized as {{jerkass}}es (''especially'' Ash, [[spoiler:even when it was all revealed to be an act]]; though with Kyo, it's a bit more [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold subdued]]), Shun'ei in ''XIV'' is comparatively much [[NiceGuy nicer and friendlier]] than his predecessors... regardless of how you might feel about [[WTHCostumingDepartment his design]]. Likewise, whereas the previous protagonists are a little on the [[SkillGateCharacter harder side]] [[SomeDexterityRequired to use]] (again, Ash especially in ''XIII''), Shun'ei is one of the more beginner-friendly characters on the roster - having some fairly easy combos to execute paired with a straightforward and fundamental gameplan and overall [[JackOfAllStats versatile]] playstyle. Also helps that he was actually top tier later on in ''XIV's'' lifecycle, too.
*** On the topic of Ash, he himself went from one of the harder characters to play in ''XIII'', to an outright [[SkillGateCharacter beginner-friendly]] character in ''XV''[[note]] If you look at his [[https://www.snk-corp.co.jp/us/games/kof-xv/characters/characters_ash.php character profile]] on the promotional site for ''KOF XV'', he's rated at five stars in the "For Beginners" category. For reference, Terry and Iori - two of the most common picks for newcomers to ''KOF'' - are also rated at five stars as well. [[/note]], as he's nowhere near as reliant on Sans-culotte for damaging combos as he was previously (not that it isn't any less useful, though). Paired with the lack of the Drive Cancel system from ''XIII'' (as that was a contributing factor to his difficulty) and a more [[LongRangeFighter footsies-oriented style of play]] for ''XV'' overall (which is something he excels in), and Ash may just be the most accessible of the four protagonists second to Shun'ei. He's also a lot nicer than he was in prior games; more on that in RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap below.
** ''KOF: Maximum Impact Regulation A'' was made to appeal to classic KOF fans who were turned off by the changes made in the SpinOff ''Maximum Impact'' series. The traditional 3-on-3 format was restored (as opposed to the solo battles of the previous ''MI'' games), changes were made to improve the gameplay flow and balance (including the removal of the notoriously broken Armor Ralf), and the title even received a proper arcade release.
** The developers were clearly aware of the poor response to ''XIV's'' graphics, and although few would call it a particularly pretty game, it's clear they put a lot of work into polishing them to a more presentable state, even after the game's release.
*** On a related note, the visuals in ''XV'' are already seen as a significant step in the right direction, looking far better than its predecessor and more like a current-generation title with cel-shaded visuals instead of the sixth generation-era visuals of ''XIV''. Just watch [[https://youtu.be/GWueHCT7qe8 this side-by-side comparison]] of Andy's ''XIV'' and ''XV'' counterparts to see the difference.
** After years of the cast of ''Fatal Fury'' slowly becoming more and more DemotedToComicRelief and {{Flanderized}} on top of that, ''XIV'' attempts to give them a bit of CharacterRerailment. Team Fatal Fury's wacky antics are somewhat toned down, Kim is placed on a team with his master to reemphasize his taekwondo skills rather than his obsession with justice, and Tung Fu Rue is given plot relevance as Shun'ei's master (and potentially a friendly rival to Terry since the two share the same master in Tung).
** After Kyo's redesign in ''XIV'' proved to be massively controversial for making him [[YouDontLookLikeYou unrecognizable]], ''XV'' plays it safe by being a mix of several features from older tried-and-true designs, such as his old ''XIII'' jacket and bringing back his headband, which he hasn't worn in canon for over 20 years' worth of games. Reception has been largely positive.
** Likewise, Iori's redesign in ''XIV'' was also met with some rather lukewarm reception, as noted in WTHCostumingDepartment and TheyChangedItNowItSucks below. His ''XV'' design on the other hand is a much more stylish shade of [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver black and red]] that is a logical update of his signature look while also serving as a neat callback to Another Iori from ''2000''.
** One of the biggest gripes that many South American players had with the South America team in ''XIV'' was that, [[NonIndicativeName for a team that supposedly represents South America]], only one of its three members hail from a South American country other than Brazil (and even then, Zarina is a resident of Brazil and has more Brazilian elements to her design, anyway). And then comes the reveal that Isla hails from Chile, which remedies this a bit, especially since the only other Chilean character one can possibly think of in fiction is none other than [[Series/BreakingBad Gus]] [[Series/BetterCallSaul Fring]].
** Krohnen is basically one big apology letter to [=K9999=] fans. Nameless was a brand new character created to [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute replace]] the [[CaptainErsatz legal minefield]] that was [=K9999=], but was considered bland and stuck in Dream Match or unofficial story limbo to boot. Meanwhile, Krohnen is introduced in a canon entry and retains most aspects of [=K9999=]'s appearance and personality while changing just enough to no longer be an overly blatant ripoff of [[Manga/{{Akira}} Tetsuo Shima]], such as having [[TheOtherDarrin a different]] [[Creator/{{KENN}} voice actor]], giving him Nameless's hairstyle, and exchanging [=K9999=]'s organic-based abilities for Nameless' mechanical ones. Fans found it a good compromise, and it showed to embittered [=K9999=] fans that even if SNK considered him a CreatorsPest, they did like him enough to try to salvage him (and the infamously messy NESTS AbortedArc in general) after all. For fans of the ''Maximum Impact'' games, his design also takes some inspiration from Alba Meira.

** After nearly two decades of treating Kensou's relationship with Athena as a joke, ''XIII'' pokes at it with a stick, pointing out that Athena has never actually turned Kensou down and pointing out Athena's feelings for Kensou are actually quite ambiguous, since she spends all her time trying to dodge the subject--Yuri actually questions Athena's insistence that she and Kensou are JustFriends right to her face. ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'' goes so far as to make Luong their ShipperOnDeck, chastising Athena for leaving Kensou hanging and suggesting that Athena send Kensou pictures of herself in her cosplay outfit.

* UnintentionalUncannyValley:
** Sprites before ''XIII'' had Kula resembling a human-sized doll with [[CartoonyEyes bug eyes]]. ''XIV'' wouldn't be any kinder, though she thankfully looks much better come ''XV''.
** Due to the increasing realism in Shinkiro's style some of his later work for the series, unfortunately, falls into this.

** After nearly two decades of treating Kensou's relationship with Athena as a joke, ''XIII'' pokes at it with a stick, pointing out that Athena has never actually turned Kensou down and pointing out Athena's feelings for Kensou are actually quite ambiguous, since she spends all her time trying to dodge the subject. ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'' goes so far as to make Luong their ShipperOnDeck, chastising Athena for leaving Kensou hanging and suggesting that Athena send Kensou pictures of herself in her cosplay outfit.
* AmericansHateTingle: Ash Crimson. The Japanese fanbase pretty much loves Ash. The West hates him with a passion (or is, at best, a [[BaseBreakingCharacter Base-Breaker]]) for coming across as an InvincibleVillain, if not an outright ''[[GambitRoulette sue]]'' (his end fate notwithstanding). However, [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap much of the hate has died down]] since ''XIII'', to the point his return in ''XV'' was met with open arms. Nevermind that he isn't the main protagonist of the game anymore and his relationship with Elisabeth is one of the series' [[Heartwarming/TheKingOfFighters more touching moments]].

** After literal decades of treating Kensou's relationship with Athena as a joke, ''XIII'' pokes at it with a stick, pointing out that Athena has never actually turned Kensou down and pointing out Athena's feelings for Kensou are actually quite ambiguous, since she spends all her time trying to dodge the subject. ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'' goes so far as to make Luong their ShipperOnDeck, chastising Athena for leaving Kensou hanging and suggesting that Athena send Kensou pictures of herself in her cosplay outfit.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: The OverlyLongGag of Kensou being Athena's DoggedNiceGuy and Athena avoiding the issue has created a complicated situation in which Athena is essentially stringing Kensou along and Kensou refuses to take a hint, which has led Athena fans and Kensou fans alike to resent the other character, which has in turn led to some RonTheDeathEater interpretations in which Kensou or Athena do not actually care about the others' feelings or worse.

* [[TierInducedScrappy/TheKingOfFighters Tier-Induced Scrappy]]

* FanPreferredCouple: [[FoeYayShipping Iori and Kyo]] are the most popular ship in the fandom, despite the fact that Kyo has a canonical girlfriend named Yuki who features in the plot. It's gotten to the point that the games themselves take cracks at it sometimes.

* ThatOneBoss:
** Rugal in all of his appearances barring ''[='=]98''. '''''Especially''''' his ''[='=]94'' and ''[='=]02 UM'' versions.
** Igniz in ''2001''. This guy can juggle you for days if he feels like it, has unlimited range to prevent you from getting in, does assloads of damage, and can absorb your projectiles if you try to zone him out. "Loveable" Igniz indeed.
** Nightmare Geese in ''[='=]02 UM''. It's [[SNKBoss Geese Howard]], but [[FromBadToWorse much]], ''[[ExaggeratedTrope much]]'', '''''[[RuleOfThree much]]''''' [[ExaggeratedTrope worse]].
** Magaki in ''XI''. Considering how this is pretty much invoked on SNK's part by making him [[HateSink as much of a scumbag as possible]] ''on top'' of him turning ''KOF'' into a goddamn ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' game, well... mission accomplished.

* AmericansHateTingle: Ash Crimson. The Japanese fanbase pretty much loves Ash. The West hates him with a passion (or, is, at best, a [[BaseBreakingCharacter Base-Breaker]]) for coming across as an InvincibleVillain, if not an outright ''[[GambitRoulette sue]]'' (his end fate notwithstanding). However, [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap much of the hate has died down]] since ''XIII'', to the point his return in ''XV'' was met with open arms. Nevermind that he isn't the main protagonist of the game anymore and his relationship with Elisabeth is one of the series' [[Heartwarming/TheKingOfFighters more touching moments]].

** When Ash and Saiki meet each other in ''XIII'', Ash is anything but pleased that the two look alike, even becoming noticeably furious when Saiki asks Ash why he thinks they look alike. Bearing in mind the game's ending, is it because of Ash's own narcissism and pettiness that Saiki looks like him, or is it PsychologicalProjection of his own [[HisOwnWorstEnemy self-loathing]] on Ash's part? Especially since [[TheEmpath Athena]] and [[{{Bartender}} King]] are quick to point out that deep down, Ash is [[TheAtoner trying to answer for something]] and is [[StepfordSnarker bearing a burden]] that he's trying to hide from everyone, especially [[OnlyFriend Elisabeth]].

* AmericansHateTingle: Ash Crimson. The Japanese fanbase pretty much loves Ash. The West hates him with a passion for coming across as an InvincibleVillain, if not an outright ''[[GambitRoulette sue]]'' (his end fate notwithstanding). In Ash's case, however, [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap much of the hate has died down]] since ''XIII'', to the point his return in ''XV'' was met with open arms. Nevermind that he isn't the main protagonist of the game anymore and his relationship with Elisabeth is one of the series' [[Heartwarming/TheKingOfFighters more touching moments]].

** Ash as a whole is basically this with the prominence of [[Characters/MCULokiLaufeyson Loki]]. A very pretty AgentPeacock ManipulativeBastard that turns out to be GoodAllAlong (or, at best, an AntiHero)? Surely that wouldn't catch on, [[Series/Loki2021 right?]] For bonus points, [[spoiler:both characters pull a HeroicSacrifice to save someone they love from the BigBad - Ash saving Elisabeth and Loki saving Thor - only to turn out to be NotQuiteDead, with Ash being resurrected after the events of ''XIV'' while a [[AlternateSelf Variant]] of Loki survives into his own show. Keep in mind that ''KOF XIII'' was released initially in 2010 while ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' came out eight years later.]]

** Ash as a whole is basically this with the prominence of [[Characters/MCULoki Loki]]. A very pretty AgentPeacock ManipulativeBastard that turns out to be GoodAllAlong (or, at best, an AntiHero)? Surely that wouldn't catch on, [[Series/Loki2021 right?]] For bonus points, [[spoiler:both characters pull a HeroicSacrifice to save someone they love from the BigBad - Ash saving Elisabeth and Loki saving Thor - only to turn out to be NotQuiteDead, with Ash being resurrected after the events of ''XIV'' while a [[AlternateSelf Variant]] of Loki survives into his own show. Keep in mind that ''KOF XIII'' was released initially in 2010 while ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' came out eight years later.]]

** There are quite a few casual fans who don’t know Kaoru is an actual character in the series as opposed to a fan-made character. To be fair, this is because, aside from being a Striker in ''2000'', she’s an NPC who barely appears in the games.

** Bao. Added to the Psycho Soldiers team in ''[='99=]''. Too annoying to fight as, overpowered (at least his first incarnation) to fight against, and stealing Kensou's powers. The strangest thing about this? '''He was conceptualized as beginner-friendly.''' How they could screw that up so much is a mystery.
** Xanadu is one of the most disliked of the new characters from ''XIV'', due to his design being seen as creepy and uncool. Nevermind being one of the worst characters gameplay-wise throughout the game's lifespan, either.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Plenty of characters throughout the series have their fans and detractors, but these take the cake as far as their divisiveness is concerned.
** Sylvie. An adorable modern idol with a hidden sadistic streak and a surprisingly DarkAndTroubledPast (if ''SNK Heroines'' is anything to go by) tying her to the NESTS Saga, or a visually messy and out-of-place abomination that suffers from SweetnessAversion? She proved divisive as soon as ''XIV'''s concept art leaked.
** Many South American fans (excluding Brazilians) don't like the South American Team, or at least say they should've called Team Brazil. Why? Because [[NonIndicativeName despite the name of the team]], its members are all Brazilian. Even Zarina, despite being Colombian, lives in Brazil and has more Brazilian elements than Colombians in her design.
** Nakoruru's teammates from the Another World Team (Mui Mui and Love Heart). One part thinks they're pretty cool additions and showing that SNK is pretty fair to even their Pachinko titles even as they are leaving the venture behind. The other camp is the camp that assumes that they're instantly bad characters solely because of [[AmericansHateTingle how reviled Pachislot games are to just them at least]] after the bad taste to Pachinko left by Creator/{{Konami}}. Or just people who were pretty salty that SNK did not use actual old arcade series that they'd know already, like those featured in ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum'' (majorly ''VideoGame/WorldHeroes'' and ''VideoGame/TheLastBlade''). Even sometimes Nakoruru took small heat on it because they thought her team is 'Team Pachinko', only to be reminded that ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'' existed long before Pachinko (though the series did get several Pachislot series after getting a FranchiseKiller game... at least until ''Samurai Shodown (2019)'' came along, anyway.)
** Speaking of Pachislot games, Alice. Some players like her bubbly personality, her AscendedFangirl tendencies toward Terry, and fun moveset (which is a composite of Team Fatal Fury's - namely Andy, Joe, and especially Terry - respective moves) while others aren't as fond of her because of her rather generic design and gameplay, or the fact that she too hails from a Pachislot title, in this case being ''Garou Densetsu: The Legend of the Wild Wolf'' (not helping her case are the [[MoneyToThrowAway coin showers]] that accompany her hit effects, like Special Wolf Combination).
** Rock Howard. Some fans, especially those who remember him from ''VideoGame/GarouMarkOfTheWolves'' and ''[[VideoGame/CapcomVsSNK2MarkOfTheMillennium Capcom vs. SNK 2]]'' are generally happy at his inclusion in the [=KoF=] cast. However, other longtime series fans dismiss him as a boring, generic, anime pretty boy who copies some of Terry and Geese's moves but doesn't have what makes them interesting to play. Being historically [[TierInducedScrappy low tier]] in most of his appearances up until his reworked set in ''XV'' has not helped.
** As the new protagonist of the NESTS arc, K' had big shoes to fill, and how well he fills them is hotly debated among fans. Many see him as a perfect headliner for the saga, serving as a ContrastingSequelProtagonist for the shift from Japanese mythology and martial arts to dark science fiction. Some feel he's a stylish, memorable character in his own right who is merely subject to a disproportionate amount of CharacterShilling. On the other hand, detractors, especially veteran fans, consider him a poor man's version of Kyo at best, while others strongly dislike his abrasive attitude and "edgy" persona.
** Bao is often derided not only for being a fairly ordinary kid who nevertheless manages to be extremely powerful, but fans of Kensou dislike him for being the reason why Kensou temporarily lost his Psycho Powers during the Nests arc. He does have fans of his own, however, either for his unique playstyle or for being a friendly, cheerful little guy in a series full of cocky adult and teenage fighters.
** Shun'ei, mostly due to his design. Common detractions include it being inchorenet, especially with his jacket worn like a cape, his headphones, and his one folded pant leg on top of an utter mess of a color scheme. On the other hand, others like him for being both simple and effective to play and being the nicest ''KOF'' protagonist out of the four, albeit rather aloof otherwise.

** In terms of lore, the Orochi Saga is considered by many to be the best in the series; at least when compared to the notoriously messy NESTS Chronicles, the very convoluted and confusing Ash Saga (ignoring the title character's [[BaseBreakingCharacter reputation]] and [[WolverinePublicity exposure]] during that era of ''KOF''), and the Shun'ei Saga which got [[AbortedArc canned]][[note]] Per WordOfGod, when they meant "climax beyond all expectation" in the official trailer, they more or less meant "the end of the Shun'ei Saga". [[/note]] before it could even get a third game. Nevermind that the Orochi Saga also introduced ''many'' series staple characters that'd go on to be in every KOF afterward (e.g., Iori, Leona, Shingo...), as most of the original characters debuting in the other sagas are anywhere between much-appreciated [[EnsembleDarkHore Dark Horses]] (i.e., Vanessa, Shen, Luong) or should've never been conceived in the first place (i.e., Bao, Momoko, Gang-il) with no in-between.
** As far as [[DreamMatchGame Dream Matches]] go for the series, ''KOF [='=]98'' (both vanilla and ''Ultimate Match'') is the one installment '''''everyone''''' and their mother in the ''KOF'' community consistently praises and continue to play to this day, being the series' answer to ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterIII Street Fighter III: Third Strike]]''. ''2002'', while not without its fans, is a mixed bag for some (both vanilla and ''Unlimited Match'') for a minority, to put it nicely. And, well... the less said about ''XII'', the better.

** You can pretty much tell where a player is from based on what ''[=KOF=]'' games they like. Latin Americans tend to prefer either ''[='=]98'' or ''[='=]02 UM''. Filipinos love vanilla ''2002''. Americans, especially those new to the series, tend to like ''[=XIII=]'' (or on some occasions, ''XI''). The Chinese prefer ''[='=]97''. In addition to this, the only games in the entire series that are universally loved and revered by everyone are ''[='=]98'' and ''[='=]02 UM''.

** One of K9999's alternate color palettes in ''2002'' is mostly red with white hair and his "Moon..." special is green instead of the usual red. Not a year later and a certain [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters2003 French(-raised)]] [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersAshCrimson young man]] with [[TechnicolorFire peculiar]] [[SailorEarth flames]] would emerge...

* IAmNotShazam: The Sega Saturn port of ''[='95=]'' refers to him as "Omega Rugal", even when recapping the events of the previous game... when he ''wasn't'' Omega Rugal. Likewise, the O in his name stands for '''O'''mega, ''not'' '''O'''rochi, a common misconception, seeing as he draws upon the Orochi power.

* LGBTFanbase: Maxima is among the most popular characters in the series for fans of BaraGenre. This was at least partially intended, as WordOfGod states that he was designed to be a burlier, more mature male character to contrast the younger bishounen of the series.

** Shermie is [[TheGrappler a grappler]] with a sexual spin, as her command grabs involve hugging her opponent with her legs, not just her arms. This made her earn a reputation of this, which was further fueled by her appearance in ''XV'' that has more innuendo.
** Hotaru Futaba from ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' continued to carry this title in ''KOF XI'', as her LDM in ''XI'' is memetic Tenshou Ranki.

* {{Moe}}: Athena (more so starting in ''XII''), Hinako, Kula, Momoko, Yuri, Hotaru, Angel. Leona ''might'' count, but this overlaps with her status as TheWoobie.
** ''XIV'' ups the ante by bringing in SNK's (or Japan's) champion {{Moe}} character, [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Nakoruru]], along with some legit {{Moe}} characters like Mui Mui and Sylvie... though the last one is [[CuteAndPsycho a psychotic Moe.]] And although she's just on the way of doing so, Mian's ShrinkingViolet personality might push her into this territory.

* OldGuardVersusNewBlood: Given that this series began as an IntraFranchiseCrossover before spinning off into its own continuity, a good chunk of fans came from the older games like ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' or ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting''. This sometimes leads to conflicts between them and fans of the OriginalGeneration who've come since, especially since the older games haven't had new entries in decades, while ''King of Fighters'' still gets regular sequels and spinoffs, coupled with the perception that the older characters are being ignored or {{Flanderized}} as the series goes on to make way for the latter.

** Compared to K', Ash got the full brunt of hatred from fans (of the west, at least), especially when he started actively upstaging Kyo by beating Riot of the Blood Iori. His flamboyant appearance doesn't help, either. Thankfully, ''XIV's'' new protagonist Shun'ei managed to avert this: While he wasn't that greatly received (most especially his design), at least he did not generate the massive hate Ash got. And even then, the hate that Ash got has [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap managed to die down over time]], to the point many players even welcomed his return in ''KOF XV''.

** Xanadu is one of the most disliked of the new characters from ''XIV'', due to his design being seen as creepy and uncool.

* ShipsThatPassInTheNight: Iori/Leona. Likely routed in their common ailment (the Riot of the Blood), but the pair hardly seems to think much about each other, let alone anything remotely positive. The most you'll get is Iori expressing some curiosity in ''XIII'' that Leona is showing signs of being able to control her powers. To be fair, in the ''KOF'': KYO visual novel it is established they're acquaitances and Iori has visited her on occassion to see how she manages with Orochi's curse, but that's still not saying much given Iori's cold attitude towards the whole thing.

** Still on the topic of 2002, to some players, only real men play the Magic Plus version, or some other hacked versions, because if you instead prefer the original one... Heck! Even if you say that you prefer any other game besides ''2002'', then you are a {{Scrub}} (Nevermind the FridgeLogic that the Magic Plus version allows for cheap tricks such as switching characters in the middle of battle, or performing HSDM moves without the requirement of having less than 25% of your life bar, or having Kusanagi, Omega Rugal and Orochi Leona as characters with their own slots).

** As the new protagonist of the NESTs arc, K' had big shoes to fill, and how well he fills them is hotly debated among fans. Many see him as a perfect headliner for the saga, serving as a ContrastingSequelProtagonist for the shift from Japanese mythology and martial arts to dark science fiction. Some feel he's a stylish, memorable character in his own right who is merely subject to a disproportionate amount of CharacterShilling. On the other hand, detractors, especially veteran fans, consider him a poor man's version of Kyo at best, while others strongly dislike his abrasive attitude and "edgy" persona.

* ContestedSequel: ''XIII'' is one of the more divisive entries in the series. Americans, especially those who came into the series through it, love the game and especially the SugarWiki/AwesomeArt sprite work, wishing future games would be able to do more like it. However, many veterans from Asia and Latin America (and even a few North Americans) are quick to point out how its many systems and combo heavy nature make it play very differently from other [=KOF=] games and feel that the expensive, time-consuming sprites were not worth the sacrifices to the roster[[note]]Many beloved characters are absent, and of the ones who were included outside of obligatory members like Kyo and Terry, most of them are ones who could be turned into a glorified PaletteSwap or MovesetClone of another character. [[/note]] or move animations[[note]]Many specials just have the characters pointing or using a souped-up version of an existing normal move with extra effects layered on. Saiki's standing throw is even virtually identical to his (and by extension, Ash's) close C! [[/note]].

* DarthWiki/MostAnnoyingSound:
** All together now... "'''PSYCHO BALL! PSYCHO BALL! PSYCHO BALL! PSYCHO BALL!'''"
** Whip's screaming whenever she used her Hook Shot in the older [=KOFs=]. Not so much since ''KOF XIV'', thankfully.
* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound:
** The booming sound effect that plays when you activate a Climax Super in ''KOF XV'' makes Climax Cancels ''incredibly'' satisfying to pull off. Especially when you pair it with the game's main theme, [[https://youtu.be/tKMAvQle-HY "Now or Never"]].
** The sound of Kyo's, K's, or Ash's flames. Especially K', whose flames have a very distinctive sound whenever he uses his Crow Bite or during his win pose in ''KOF XV''.
** The AudibleSharpness of Rugal's [[AntiAir Genocide Cutter]].
** Ryo's [[MegatonPunch Shin Tenchi Haoh Ken]]. All it takes is one punch and...
---> '''Ryo:''' Ichigeki hissatsu!