Characters / Samurai Shodown (1993)

aka: Samurai Shodown I

Samurai Shodown Characters Index
2D Games: Samurai Shodown | Samurai Shodown II | Samurai Shodown III | Samurai Shodown V | Samurai Shodown VI | Samurai Shodown (2019)
3D Games: Samurai Shodown 64 | Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage | Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny
Others

Characters introduced in the first Samurai Shodown.

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Haohmaru

My strength is second to none. Think about that as you take your dying breath!

Origin: Jōkamachi, Musashi Province, Japan ^note The Rising Sun symbol shown here is unchanged since the late 1700's, when the game is set. It has been an Imperial badge and symbol of national unity since the 12th century, if not earlier.

Weapon: Meitō Fugudoku ^note ("Legendary sword Fugu Poison"), a katana

Voiced by: ^note Masaki Usui (main games), Daiki Nakamura (64 games, Distant Finale, Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium, SamSho 2019, Soulcalibur VI Season 2 DLC, KOF XV DLC), Bin Shimada (Drama CDs), Toshiyuki Morikawa (Samurai Shodown Oni pachislot game), Hiroshi Fujioka (advertisement for King of Fighters All Star), Edward Bosco (Soulcalibur VI Season 2 DLC; English)

Our main hero who's out there mainly so he can get a kick out of fighting strong opponents. As a young man, he once lost a duel against Jubei, which encouraged him to hone his skills. After said loss, he studied at Nicotine’s dojo alongside Genjuro and ends up being chosen as the school's successor, much to Genjuro's dismay. The two remain bitter rivals ever since.

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• Accidental Hero: Due to him being a Boisterous Bruiser who's only in it for a good fight, he's not at all concerned with Saving the World. He views the main bad guys in the series simply as an increased challenge (or they target him in the first place), and he always wins, accidentally saving the world in the process.
• Anti-Hero: He’s mainly concerned with a good fight and prefers to travel instead of staying in one place to the detriment of those he cares about. However, he does recognize evil and has enough of a moral compass to slay it.
• The Alcoholic: You never see him in a game without a jug of sake. From II onwards, one of his specials involves whacking you with it too! This also works when he's unarmed as seen in 2019. "Alcoholic" is even the title of his SSIII theme.
• Anime Hair: His hair is impossibly poofed out and styled in a ponytail reaching his lower back. It seems to get bigger in every game.
• Battle Intro: In The King of Fighters XV:
  Announcer: The Way of the Samurai is to know death. The legend himself, Haohmaru.
  Haohmaru: I could get used to this. Have at it!
• Big Brother Instinct: Usually evidenced in the backstories and endings of other characters, for example, Shizumaru and Takechiyo, where he takes both lads under his wing.
• Blood Knight: Haohmaru is fueled by the thrill of a good fight.
• Boisterous Bruiser: A more idealistic version, as well as a rare main character who follows the trope.
• Blow You Away: His traditional projectile, Senpuu Retsu Zan (Whirlwind Rending Slash), sends out a compact spinning tornado that throws opponents high into the air on contact.
• Character Title: The second game in the series is subtitled "Haohmaru's Hell Incident".
• Death from Above: His Resshin Zan (Violent Quake Slash).
• Gone to the Future: Ends up traveling to the future along with Darli Dagger to assist Nakoruru in her mission to protect nature's balance by participating in King of Fighters.
• Guest Fighter: Appears in Soulcalibur VI's second season of DLC and as an alternate skin for Miyamoto Musashi in Honor of Kings (to which Haohmaru ends up Dual Wielding, something he never did in his home series). Downplayed with The King of Fighters XV, as he makes a few cameos in XIII before his official playable debut as the leader of Team Samurai in XV.
• Hot-Blooded: Haohmaru is very loud and passionate about a good fight.
• Hunk: Has broad shoulders as well as a nice muscular build, and a manly-man persona.
• Inconsistent Spelling: "Haohmal". Some arcade stickers include the romanization "Haōmaru" (or "Haoumaru").
• Jack of All Stats: Haohmaru can dish out extremely high damage under the right circumstances compared to most other characters, but he's fairly well-rounded otherwise, and he isn't as specialized as other characters generally give him problems when pitted against them.
• Loved I Not Honor More: He's dedicated entirely to fighting, as Oshizu (his lover) and later Charlotte come to learn. He acknowledges this in his ending in II where he apologizes to Oshizu for their romance taking a backseat over his love of fighting.
• Meaningful Name: Haoh translates as "supreme ruler". The suffix "-maru" was common for Japanese samurai boys, and in fact three males from the series are named as such — Haohmaru, Shizumaru and Yashamaru.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Based on legendary samurai, Miyamoto Musashi.
• Only One Name: Orphaned at a young age, he was named "Haohmaru" by an elderly neighbor, who encouraged him to explore the world, with his new name symbolizing him leaving his hometown of Jōkamachi. In contrast, almost all of his fellow Japanese characters are ascribed a surname, along with their given name — even the inhuman Gen-an (Shiranui)! However, he has always been simply "Haohmaru", and his surname remains a mystery.
• The Protagonist: Akin to Ryu, he's involved purely for the thrill of fighting strong opponents, while naturally getting drawn in by the conflict surrounding him.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: He is the Red, while Ukyo is the Blue in the debut game; Haohmaru is the spirited and fight-happy one, while Ukyo is calm and hyperfocused.
• Series Mascot: Along with Nakoruru, he appears in almost all the games (except the Nakoruru ADV game).
• Set Swords to "Stun": He notably loses his signature ability to bisect his opponent into pieces whenever he appears outside his home game. His appearance in The King of Fighters XV lampshades this a bit, with him stating that he held back; if he's actually serious, his opponent wouldn't even live to tell the tale of being cut with his sword.
• Shoryuken: His Kogetsuzan (Arc Moon Slash). It even has a Dash Attack variation of it called Shippuu Kogetsuzan (Hurricane Arc Moon Slash).
• Shotoclone: He's got a projectile and a dragon punch-type anti-air, but they don't function as you'd expect. Nonetheless, he serves this role in the series for the most part, being a simple-to-understand Jack of All Stats.
• Shout-Out: He resembles Hyakkimaru from Dororo, another wandering swordmaster.
• Signature Move: A somewhat unusual example in fighting game history, as it's a normal attack; his far Heavy Slash is iconic for the obscene damage and hit-stop it incurs on hit, especially as a counter-hit.
• Spirited Competitor: Haohmaru enjoys fighting and will occasionally give friendly compliments to his opponents.
• Unorthodox Sheathing: Upon winning, he stylishly throws his sword in the air, turns around as he spins the scabbard, then catches the blade in its sheath. He occasionally uses said skill as a Street Performer to supplement his income.

Ukyo Tachibana

Drops of blood stain the blackened earth red. The body is shrouded in conflict, yet the heart remains vain.

Origin: Umasugi Village, Kōka District, Ōmi Province, Japan

Weapon: a nameless, self-made shirasaya

Voiced by: ^note Eiji Yano (I-V Special), Kazuki Ishii (VI), Show Hayami (Drama CDs), Shinjiro Sakurai (SamSho 2019)

The series' pretty boy, master of Iaijutsu, and formerly the main rival of Haohmaru until Genjuro debuted. Ukyo is a complete Chick Magnet who attracts ladies wherever he goes. He suffers from tubercolosis and has a crush on a certain girl named Kei Odagiri, though he avoids developing further feelings for her due to his limited lifespan. He fights purely for Kei’s happiness, questing for rare flowers he hopes she’ll like.

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• Agent Peacock: A downplayed aspect after the first game, though he’s still relatively vain, somewhat pretentious, definitely a chick magnet, and very much a pretty-boy in all his appearances.
• Anime Hair: He sports long, silky blue hair.
• Attack Reflector: Ukyo's Tsubame Gaeshi is capable of reflecting projectiles to make up for a lack of one.
• Badass Back: He usually faces backward when fighting, but if you ever see his face forward... let's just say you're dead.
• Blade Spam: One of his special moves, Concealed Sabre Snowfall Slash, has him toss an apple in the air shortly before rapidly slashing at his opponent, whilst also cutting the apple to pieces.
• Blood from the Mouth: Just so you know that he doesn't have long to live.
• Breakout Character: Despite losing his rival status after a single game, Ukyo has remained one of the most popular and iconic characters in the entire franchise. He's made guest appearances in games like AFK Arena and Honor of Kings, and continues to have lots of merchandise produced to this very day.
• Chick Magnet: In almost all games, Ukyo excuses himself to his opponent and escapes off the screen when a posse of screaming girls chase after him.
• Criss-Cross Attack: Ukyo has had a hyper move since IV in which he moves at lightning speed towards the opponent, passing through and behind him or her before sheathing his sword. A split second later, the opponent is sliced by various slashes and collapses to the ground.
• Death by a Thousand Cuts: His Bust/Rasetsu Desperation Move from III and IV.
• Delicate and Sickly: He is ostensibly presented as suffering from tuberculosis, a deadly, incurable disease at the time the series is set, which is characterized by his pallid skin, pained expression, stooped stance, somewhat lank hair and of course, his hacking cough.
• Demoted to Extra: Somewhat. In the first game, he was Haohmaru's true rival but when Genjuro arrived in the second game, he was never very relevant to the plot again.
• Diagonal Cut: His fatality, which is also ludicrously fast.
• Guest Fighter: He's a full blown hero in Honor of Kings, and his moveset would later be inherited by rugged naginata user, Ryoma, in Arena of Valor.
• Handicapped Badass: He fights despite suffering from tuberculosis.
• Iaijutsu Practitioner: His fighting style, which complements his Badass Back stance. Ukyo is relatively defensive, relying on his lightning-quick sword strikes to punish his opponents' mistakes.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: His purpose for fighting — he quests purely to discover rare flowers for Kei Odagiri, his lover.
• Incurable Cough of Death: A symptom of his tuberculosis — if left idle, or accessed on the character select screen, he collapses into hacking coughs. He even wretches a little. Notably, unlike most characters, he doesn't actively kill himself when you use his Seppuku - he just coughs and collapses, his tuberculosis having finally finished the job.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: His long, blue hair is waist-length.
• Meaningful Name: A tachibana is a native Japanese orange variety. "Ukyo" means "right side of the capital", and is a common name.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: If Haohmaru is Miyamoto Musashi, Ukyo is Sasaki Kojiro. He's even got Kojiro's Tsubame Gaeshi as a move.
• The Rival: To Haohmaru... until Genjuro debuted in the second game.
• Playing with Fire: When using Tsubame Gaeshi, his sword's blade bursts into flames.
• Shout-Out: Takes inspiration from Tanosuke of Dororo and Lupin III's Ishikawa Goemon XIII.
• Speed Echoes: As seen in his special move, Concealed Sabre Phantom Strike, where he does a series of swift, running slashes almost too fast to see.
• Star-Crossed Lovers: He and Kei are a mix of this and Courtly Love. With this couple, love definitely hurts, as he’s always unwilling to fully commit to her due to his incurable illness.
• The Stoic: If there's one character who presents Visible Silence perfectly, it's him.
• Strictly Formula: In each iteration of the series, his story follows a well-trodden path, which is emphasized in the 2019 game: Ukyo finally obtains a rare flower and presents it to Kei. Their happiness lasts only fleetingly because the flower withers and dies and so Ukyo sets out on yet another journey for another rare flower.
• Sword Beam: The ground-based projectile used by his Bust/Rasetsu incarnations.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Apples, as seen since the first game. One of his special moves involves him tossing out an apple before slicing it (and the opponent) to pieces. He even gets a feint version where he'll just toss the apple without following it up.
• Tragic Hero: Ukyo is an honorable, poetic man who is condemned by a (then) incurable disease and knows that his lover Kei Odagiri will outlive him. Without ever committing to a relationship, since he knows it'll end tragically due to his short lifespan, Ukyo instead fights for Kei’s happiness, usually by presenting her with a rare flower — its fleeting bloom a symbol of their relationship.
• Victory Is Boring: "The moment I drew my sword, the fight was over. Ho-hum"
• Warrior Poet: The only two languages Ukyo speaks are Visible Silence and Haiku.

Nakoruru

This is Nature's punishment!

Origin: Kamuikotan, the Ainu Lands, Ezo ^note The flag shown here is that of the Ainu people, of whom Nakoruru is a member. At the time the series is set, the northern island of Ezo (literally "foreigner", known nowadays as Hokkaido) was a land apart, ungoverned by the Shogunate, and not officially part of what constituted Japan. Only in 1868 did Ezo become incorporated, but prior to that it represented a distinct culture and ethnic group separate from the mainland Japanese. Kamuikotan (literally "the dwelling place of the Gods") is a scenic area located in the valley of the Ishikari River.

Weapon: Houtou Chichi-ushi ^note  ("Treasured sword Father Bull"), a kodachi

Helpers: Mamahaha (Normal / Shura) / Shikuru (Rasetsu)

Voiced by: ^note Harumi Ikoma, Reiko Chiba (first OVA; also as live actor◊ in some advertisements), Mikako Takahashi (Tenkaichi Kenkyakuden), Mariko Kouda (Drama CDs), Mai Nakahara (Oni, Kengou, The King of Fighters XIV, SamSho 2019, KOF XV DLC)

The heroine of the series, most of the time concerning herself with defeating the Big Bad (compared to Haohmaru, who's in just for the fight itself). She is a priestess of the Ainu tribe who fights to protect Mother Nature herself. Usually, she abhors fighting, but will absolutely not shy away from combat in defense of the natural world and is very much nature’s champion. She's usually accompanied by her pet hawk, Mamahaha, and has a little sister named Rimururu.

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• Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: After overthrowing Mizuki at the end of II, she sacrifices herself to restore the natural balance and becomes one with the spirit of Nature. This allows her to appear in times of great crisis to dispel any force that would cause calamity upon the natural world. She can also appear outside of her own time, as shown in The King of Fighters XIV.
• Badass Adorable: A top contender in video game history. Nakoruru's petite stature and sweet personality don't deter from the fact that she can kick copious amounts of ass, wielding her kodachi with deadly skill.
• Badass Native: Nakoruru is a member of Hokkaido’s indigenous Ainu people and very much not a typical Yamato Japanese like the majority of the cast. The Ainu are analogous to Native Americans and are similarly portrayed in cultural references as being In Harmony with Nature.
• Barrier Maiden: After her Heroic Sacrifice at the end of II, she becomes even more integral to the prevention of demonic forces from entering the natural world.
• Battle Intro: In The King of Fighters XV:
  Announcer: That falcon looks dangerous! Mother Nature's guardian is here to dish out punishment! Nakoruru!
  Nakoruru: Let us do battle. No regrets.
• The Beast Master: Mamahaha, a hawk, and Shikuru, a wolf, both of which she can command to attack her opponent. Mamahaha can even pick her up in his claws, allowing her to float out of harm’s way — or unleash a deadly diving attack.
• Beware the Nice Ones: A charming, sweet-natured young woman whose gentle character and appearance belies her deadly fighting prowess. In defense of the natural world, she'll go toe-to-toe with samurai, giant westerners, and even the odd Youkai.
• Breakout Character: Appropriately as Samurai Shodown's mascot character, she has made the most appearances of anyone outside her home series, starting with the Game Boy version of The King of Fighters '95.
• The Cameo: Nakoruru makes an appearance as a Striker in KOF 2002. She also acts as the tutorial instructor in KOF-i 2012.
• Catchphrase: "Daishizen no oshioki desu!" ("This is Nature’s punishment!") This phrase has accompanied Nakoruru in all her appearances. It seems to be her creed, and she can deliver it in cheerful or somber tones.
• Celibate Hero:
  • She's very aware of Galford's crush but is adamant she will never get into a relationship with him since her mission is her priority. She even tells him to not be hung up on her and live his own life before her Heroic Sacrifice.
  • The Nakoruru: Ano Hito kara no Okurimono game has her explaining that her priestess' duties don't allow her to think of or desire her own happiness, as it would be a distraction from her duty.
• Clothing Damage: Defeating Nakoruru with a strong attack will cause her clothes to be cut or torn off her body.
• Dangerous Forbidden Technique: The King of Fighters XV details that her ability to hop between dimensions takes a heavy toll on the bodies of those who do so, and even though Nakoruru's status as a spirit mostly protects her and those she hangs around with, she still cannot stay away from her home dimension for too long. This leads to her sending both Mui Mui and Love Heart away for their own safety.
• Dimension Traveller: Travels to the King of Fighters dimension to investigate the crack in space-time caused by the events of XIII, picking up Mui Mui and Love Heart from their home dimensions along the way to accompany her.
• Fish out of Temporal Water: Nakoruru appears in The King of Fighters XIV as a member of the "Another World" team along with two characters from a pair of SNK Playmore pachislots. This contrivance is due to the Big Bad creating a crack in space and time that affected her realm and, being a protector of Nature, she makes it her mission to assist by time-traveling to the future.
• Fragile Speedster: Nakoruru is fast with her attacks and movement in general, but has a very low tolerance for damage and can be killed very easily — if you can catch her that is, as, in a game featuring actual ninjas, she's even faster than all of them.
• Friend to All Living Things: Comes with the territory for an Ainu priestess of nature like her, and she can tame and befriend animals to fight for her. Her stages are usually filled with animals, and her endings in I and 2019 involve various forest creatures surrounding her affectionately.
• Guest Fighter:
  • Prior to her canonical participation in The King of Fighters XIV, Nakoruru appeared in the Game Boy version of The King of Fighters '95.
  • She's also one of the Samurai Shodown characters that became a full blown hero in Honor of Kings. In Arena of Valor, her moveset is repurposed for the terrifying giant abyssal beetle Kriknak.
• I Just Want to Be Normal: A recurring theme for her — she does exhibit a normal, age-appropriate desire to have fun like any other young girl, but her dedication to nature trumps that every time.
• Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Nakoruru absolutely cannot be swayed from her mission to protect nature. Not even her own desires to be a normal young girl deviate her.
• Kill the Cutie: Despite being a sweet, beautiful girl, she is shown no mercy. Losing at the hands of the other warriors will result in Nakoruru being killed in extremely brutal ways, though in some installments, she's immune. Canonically, this happened in II via her Heroic Sacrifice.
• Leitmotif: Her theme song is one of the few recurring tracks in the series.
• Lethal Chef: In the Neo Geo DJ Station drama CD, Nakoruru stews together horrendously mismatched ingredients whilst going on about how they're all-natural, therefore bound to taste delicious together.
• Mascot: Alongside Terry Bogard, she is SNK's other mascot.
• Nature Hero: All of her fights are dedicated to the protection of Mother Nature. This extends out-of-universe as well as SNK has used her and Terry as the faces of their nature conservation programs for children.
• Nature Spirit: She ended up as one after II, following her Heroic Sacrifice, which excuses why she appears as youthful as ever long after her death — including a guest appearance in The King of Fighters.
• Nice Girl: Of all the characters, she's amongst the most kindhearted and gentle.
• Onee-sama: She's is one for Rimururu and Mikato.
• Our Fairies Are Different: She takes the physical form of a fairy after her death in the Distant Finale and at the end of Nakoruru ADV in order to aid the other characters in their battle with the Big Bad.
• Promoted to Playable: Not her, obviously, but her animal companions Shikuru and Mamahaha are playable in VI as a team.
• Really 700 Years Old: Since she's a Nature Spirit in King of Fighters XIV, she still looks like a petite, cute teenage girl even if she was born at 1771. She has to point this out (without mentioning her actual age) to Chin, who mistook her for a normal young lady.
• Reluctant Warrior: If it were possible, she'd rather not fight, but protecting the natural world demands that she must.
• Reverse Grip: This is the way she holds her knife.
• Saving the World: Of all the characters, she exhibits the strongest sense of duty, and takes this duty seriously in her role as the protector of Nature.
• Ship Tease: Despite her dedication to Nature, there is a lot of teasing about her and Galford. She is, however, a Chaste Hero, so she ends up having to let him down gently for the sake of her duty. Thankfully, Galford understands this and they usually remain good friends. Also seen in Nakoruru ADV with Yantamu.
• Shotoclone: She's got a projectile move (Amube Yatoro, with Mamahaha), a Shoryuken (Rera Mutsube) and a rush-forward move (Annu Mutsube).
• Shout-Out: To the Ainu women (Oyaruru and Chiomapp) of The Dagger of Kamui.
• Silk Hiding Steel: Despite her demure, priestly appearance, Nakoruru's fighting style is fast, frantic and relies on constant momentum to keep the pressure on.
• Sleep-Mode Size: In Warrior's Rage, the only SamSho that moves the timeline decades forward, Nakoruru isn't playable but is seen in one of old man Haohmaru's artworks, where years after truly becoming a spirit of nature, she takes the form of a little sprite common in Ainu folklore. It remains her most unique appearance, as SNK never presented her in sprite-form again — possibly due how badly received Warrior's Rage was.
• Took a Level in Cheerfulness: In her King of Fighters guest appearance. In her home series, Nakoruru is super serious and dedicated to her mission as Nature’s protector, rarely having time to smile or laugh (except if she's amongst nature and 'playing' with the animals). In KOF, she's still dedicated to her mission and is at times serious, but overall she's lighter in tone and can afford to smile and laugh befitting a girl of her age, as shown in her interactions with Mui Mui. Her team's endings in both XIV and XV also show her talking rather seriously at first, before suddenly cheerfully discussing vacations.
• Wall Jump: Capable of doing this, even though she's not a Ninja.
• Wild Wilderness: Her homeland. At the time the series is set, the northern island of Ezo (literally "foreigner", known nowadays as Hokkaido) was a land apart, ungoverned by the Shogunate, and not officially part of what constituted Japan. Only in 1868 did it become incorporated and prior to that, it was viewed as a wild, inhospitable wilderness by the Yamato Japanese in the south.

Galford D. Weller

I don't give up! Never, no matter what! My burning heart will lead me to victory!

Origin: San Francisco, California, New Spain ^note The flag shown here is that of New Spain (formally known as the Viceroyalty of New Spain). At the time the series is set, California was a territory of New Spain and was not yet part of the United States, and wouldn't be so until 1850.

Weapon: Justice Blade, a ninjatō

Helper: Poppy (Normal / Shura)

Voiced by: ^note Atsushi "Monster" Maezuka (I-III, VI [re-dub]), Mantaro Koichi (IV, V, V Special), Toshihiko Seki (in the Dengeki drama CD series), Wataru Takagi (in the movie), Wataru Komada (SamSho 2019).

American sailor-turned-McNinja, fighting for justice. He trained under the same master as Earthquake and completed his training to become a fully-fledged ninja. He is mostly accompanied by his pet dog Poppy, and is very much in love with Nakoruru, though she is way too focused on her mission protecting nature to focus on that. He can utilize plasma energy in the form of electric attacks that enhance his already impressive ninja skills.

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• The Beast Master: Some of his specials allows him to sic his huskie Poppy on opponents.
• Big "NO!": He usually lets it out when he's beaten.
• Boisterous Bruiser: An American who's big into justice and has a rambunctious enthusiasm for combat.
• Canine Companion: His dog, Poppy, who can be used in some of his attacks.
• Cutlass Between the Teeth: Galford's super has him perform a combination attack before throwing his sword into the air — Poppy then leaps up, grabs the sword in her mouth and spins into the opponent, before Galford ends the attack with a huge thunderbolt.
• Dogged Nice Guy: Towards Nakoruru. During his ending in II, when Nakoruru's spirit apologizes to him and begs him to not grieve for her, he gallantly complies.
• Eagleland: Mixed type. He's a boisterous American with a penchant for Gratuitous English, but he's also a positive character dedicated to his quest for justice and slaying evil.
• Fun Personified: It’s rare to see him not smiling and he’s consistently upbeat and peppy.
• Generation Xerox: Aside from the ninja paraphernalia, he is a justice lover just like his sheriff father before him.
• Genre Motif: Galford's character themes are upbeat, melodic rock tracks to emphasize his status as an American ninja.
• Gratuitous English: He’s voiced in his native tongue, but this being a mid-90s SNK game, it’s pure Engrish. In 2019, Galford's English improves a lot, even if he sometimes still mixes in English phrases within Japanese sentences.
• Highly-Visible Ninja: Whilst Galford does know some ninja confusion techniques, like conjuring mirror-images of himself and the famous Ninja Log, he's still a Large Ham that fights alongside his equally boisterous dog and dresses in a bright blue ninja gi without a mask (with bright blond hair!), thus he stands out a mile, which fully differentiates him from Hanzo.
• Justice Will Prevail: His maxim and entire reason for fighting.
• Large Ham: "LET'S GO POPPY!"
• Lead You Can Relate To: He represents the almost prerequisite American character in the series, amongst a cast mostly comprised of Japanese characters, though his native California was a territory of the Spanish Empire at the time the series is set.
• Leitmotif: His theme song, the bizarrely named "Tuna", is one of the few recurring tracks in the series. Interestingly his theme is basically Hanzo's theme but sped up and with added instrumentation, sounding more energetic and fun, befitting Galford himself.
• Lightning Bruiser: Galford hits quite hard thanks to the nature of the game being focused on powerful single strikes, but as a ninja, he's quite agile as well (though somehow slightly slower than Nakoruru or her sister). For bonus points, he's also literally using lightning.
• McNinja: He's dressed in what is almost an exact palette-swap of Hanzo, but in personality, he's as American as apple pie.
• Meaningful Name: "Galford" is a town in Devon, England and is quite appropriately the site of an ancient Anglo-Saxon battle. "Weller" is also Anglo-Saxon, and refers to someone who lived near, or tended to a well or spring.
• Mysterious Middle Initial: Full name: Galford D. Weller — no clues thus far on what the “D” stands for.
• Nice Guy: Galford is a friendly, outgoing young man who simply wants to spread justice and happiness wherever he goes.
• Pretty Boy: His youthful looks and blond hair definitely qualify him.
• Promoted to Playable: Poppy is playable in V and VI.
• The Runaway: He ran away from home, leaving his mother and his four older sisters. His father was killed by Draco.
• Scarf of Asskicking: His most prized possession, a gift from his sensei Ayame.
• Shock and Awe: He uses electricity to augment his already impressive ninja skills — "Plasma Blade!"
• Shout-Out: Poppy is one to the comedy manga Doubutsu no Oishasan.
• Spinning Piledriver: He uses the Izuna Drop variant as a command throw — he is a ninja, after all. In some games, even Poppy has the ability to use it!
• Unrequited Love: He's head over heels for Nakoruru, but due to her being a celibate priestess, she could never reciprocate. However, they understand their shared duties and decide to remain Just Friends.
• What the Hell, Player?: Defeat Galford with a technique that kills him? Have fun watching Poppy howl mournfully over her master's death. Jerk.
• You Killed My Father: Draco was the culprit, as we finally learn in Sen.

Hanzo Hattori

A ninja wanders from death to death. From shadow into darkness, and from darkness into the underworld.

Origin: Dewa Sanzan, Dewa Province, Japan ^note  It's noted as being "estimated" but his birthplace, the Three Mountains of Dewa (出羽三山 Dewa Sanzan), refers to the three sacred mountains of Mount Haguro, Mount Gassan, and Mount Yudono, which are clustered together in the ancient province of Dewa (modern-day Yamagata Prefecture)

Weapon: a nameless ninjatō

Voiced by: ^note Masaki Usui (I, VI [re-dub], The King Of Fighters Maximum Impact 2 and Regulation A), Toshimitsu Arai (II-V Special), Katsuyuki Konishi (in the Distant Finale), Tadahisa Saizen (SamSho 2019)

The legendary Ninja in the courtesy of the Tokugawa shogunate and the enemy of anyone who opposes them. His manner is that of the classic ice-cold, super-serious ninja, though he is still good friends with Jubei and Yoshitora. Behind the scenes, he's very much a family man and his wife and sons become entangled in many of the series' events.

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• Alliterative Name: Hanzo Hattori.
• Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Downplayed in that he can definitely show humility (especially when it comes to his boss Yoshitora), but he can be surprisingly cocky when it comes to his ninjutsu skills, especially in the first game.
• Badass Arm-Fold: Most of his artwork poses, including the 2019 render seen here, shows Hanzo folding his arms this way.
• Casting a Shadow: Hanzo uses ninja magic to create a shadow ‘puddle’ from which he appears elsewhere on the stage to strike his opponent.
• Cool Mask: Wears his signature ninja mask that comes with classic ninja headgear.
• Creepy Crows: Seen on his stage in the first two games.
• Dark Is Not Evil: He looks like a sinister, sly ninja but he's actually one of the good guys.
• Dramatic Unmask: In II and 2019, Hanzo's match-winning animation has him unmask himself, fully revealing his face.
• Friendly Rivalry: He occasionally spars with his friend Yagyu Jubei.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: The few times he's been seen without his mask, we can see a BIG scar across one of his eyes.
• Hand Seals: Hanzo does the classic ninja hand seal for his round-winning animation and certain moves.
• Hitman with a Heart Well, he is a ninja but he's also one of the good guys.
• Interrupted Suicide: Was this close to committing Seppuku in his first ending, after he failed to save Shinzo from Amakusa. Luckily, Kanzo and his friends step in and tell him to become their mentor, which gives Hanzo a reason to carry on.
• Invisibility: One of his moves allows him to turn invisible.
• Legacy Character:
  • In the Distant Finale, one of his sons (widely believed to be Shinzo) takes over the name of Hattori Hanzo and becomes head of the clan. Might run in the whole family and apply to him too.
  • A couple of characters in The King of Fighters series (Nagase in Maximum Impact 2 and Bandeiras in XIV) inherit his ninjitsu fighting style and moves in the modern era.
• Lightning Bruiser: Considering he and Galford used to be Moveset Clone, Hanzo retains his speed and striking power: Both are above average.
• Meaningful Name: Hanzo appropriately means "half-hidden". Hattori is a venerable Japanese family name originally associated with silk-worm growers.
• Moveset Clone: Galford was this to Hanzo at first, but quickly got Divergent Character Evolution in later games. The Iga Ninjas from Warriors Rage are straight examples though.
• My Master, Right or Wrong: Hanzo serves the Tokugawa Bakufu, performing the duties presented to him and protecting the Bakufu at all costs. This puts him at odds with Yashamaru, who views the Bakufu as utterly corrupted.
• Ninja: The series' most clear-cut example, his design is that of a classic ninja, without any particularly unrealistic flourishes.
• Ninja Log: He was probably amongst the very first (if not the first) fighting game characters to deploy this technique (known as kawarimi) in-game, where it's used as a fake-out when he gets hit (if the command is pressed in time, that is).
• Ninja Run: In 2019, Hanzo's running animation has him running low to the ground with his arms behind his body, almost in an Airplane Arms style.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: He's based on the original Hattori Hanzō, an almost mythical samurai of the Sengoku era, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. At the time the series is set, Ieyasu is already dead and his descendants are running the place, but then there's the Legacy Character trope at work, so he could be one of the Hattori Hanzos that came after the Ieyasu-era Hanzo (e.g. Hattori Masanari).
• Papa Wolf: To Shinzo, and by extension to his pupil, Kanzo.
• Playing with Fire: Though not his main repertoire, Hanzo possesses the ability to punch the ground to create flaming coils and fiery explosions, as shown in one of his moves, Bakuen Ryu.
• Scarf of Asskicking: Sports a long, red muffler.
• Smoke Out: Hanzo disappears in a puff of smoke and can teleport to various points around the stage (depending on the button input) and follow up with a sword strike.
• Stock Ninja Weaponry: Apart from his ninjato, Hanzo also uses shurikens and bombs in some of his appearances.
• The Stoic: He doesn't speak much, but if he does, his voice is grim and his speech minimal.
• Throw Down the Bomblet: Hanzo's super move in 2019 begins with him performing an Izuna Drop before throwing down multiple bombs at his opponent and leaping out of the blast radius, whilst all of his bombs explode behind him.

Jubei Yagyu

Focus your mind. If you falter, my blade will seal your fate.

Origin: Yagyū no Sato, Tosa Province, Japan ^note literally "The Yagyū Estate" — his ancestral lands — although the real Jubei Yagyu's lands were in Nara, not Tosa.

Weapons: Yamato no Kami: Kotetsu & Sukehiro ^note ("Protectors of Yamato: Iron Tiger & Assistant") , a daisho pair

Voiced by: ^note Takayuki Sakai (I), Kiyoshi Kobayashi (II-V Special), Tōru Ōkawa (VI), Hiroshi Naka (SamSho 2019)

Another legendary Samurai (mostly based on Mitsuyoshi), he is a hardened and experienced warrior who is utterly loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate. He also likes to see potential in younger warriors and encourages them to one day overcome him. Unlike his comrade in arms, Hanzo, Jubei is a more care-free man when off-duty and enjoys times of peace with a hearty laugh.

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• Alternate Reality Episode: Jubei is also the protagonist in Yagyu Kachou, an official side story set in an alternate reality where Samurai Shodown characters are placed in the modern world. In this story, he is a struggling "salaryman" (standard Japanese businessman) who has fallen on hard times. He's often picked on by various characters from the series, though Hanzo and Tam Tam are his closest friends.
• Ambiguously Related: With 64's Yagyu Hanma.
• Blade Spam: Jubei has a signature move where he uses both of his swords to thrust in rapid succession.
• Blind Obedience: Jubei is loyal to the Tokugawa Shogunate, even as a ronin — though some say his ronin status is a cover in order to execute missions given by the Shogunate.
• Cool Old Guy: Outside of battle, Jubei is a very easygoing and friendly older man.
• Counter-Attack: Jubei has a counter-attack that can block from low, medium, or high attacks and follow up with an attack for each direction.
• Dual Wielding: With his daisho pair — an uchigatana^note curved katana and wakizashi.
• Eyepatch of Power: Legend has it that Yagyū Jūbei had the use of only one eye and most legends state that he lost it in a sword sparring session when his father, Yagyū Munenori, struck him accidentally. Whilst portraits from Jubei's time portray him as having both eyes, and several authors present him as such, his classical "eyepatch" look remains the standard.
• Handicapped Badass: Blind in one eye, but no less of a deadly warrior.
• Jack of All Stats: It's not just his character design that's grounded and robustly solid — he also has one of the most balanced, effective move-sets in the series, with a good balance between stamina, maneuverability, and range.
• Katanas Are Just Better: Especially when there's two of them.
• Meaningful Name: His given name, Jubei, means "10th protector".
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Based on Yagyu Jubei, in particular the most famous one: Mitsuyoshi. In his bio, his idol is noted to be his father, Munenori, another real-life, legendary samurai.
• Old Master: As Haohmaru's mentor and the sword instructor for Yoshitora.
• Samurai: Seems obvious, but along with Haohmaru, Ukyo, Genjuro, and Yashamaru, he's the most clear-cut example in the series.
• Samurai Ponytail: Sports a fairly normal top-knot in a game where Anime Hair runs riot.
• Shout-Out: A blatant one to Yagyu Jubei of the 1981 Makai Tenshô film adaptation.
• Signature Laugh: Jubei's winning round animation has him cross his arms and do his signature big proud laugh.
• Sword Beam: Jubei can create a ground wave from his swords as his projectile moves and creates a bigger one for both of his super moves.
• Trademark Favorite Food: He is shown to enjoy dango, Japanese sweet dumplings.

Earthquake

Geheheh! Thanks for giving me another opportunity to prove my strength!

Origin: Texas, New Spain ^note The flag shown here is that of New Spain (AKA the Viceroyalty of New Spain). At the time the series is set, the state of Texas was a territory of New Spain and not yet part of the United States, and wouldn't be so until 1821.

Weapon: FUJIYAMA, a kusarigama

Voiced by: ^note Masaki Usui (I, II, SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos), Masashi Sugawara (RPG), Takumi Satō (VI), Shigezō Sasaoka (The Motion Picture), Hisao Egawa (Drama CDs), Kentaro Tone (SamSho 2019)

Overly obese Texan McNinja. Earthquake used to learn under Galford's sensei Ayame, but quit early due to his greed. He later becomes a bandit, leading his gang to cause mischief here and there. He's always working for the bad guys, but later enters Makai, lured by the treasures there and vanishes, never to be heard of again.

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• Adapted Out: Earthquake is the only character who was cut from the Sega Genesis port of the first game due to the fact that his sprite was too big for the Genesis cartridge's ROM to handle. This also extends to the enhanced Sega CD port of the first game as well, even though the Sega CD itself should've easily been able to hold both Earthquake and his stage via the much larger ROM capacity.
• Ass Kicks You: Or more like, 'Ass Stomps You'.
• Acrofatic: Look at this guy, would you ever guess that he's a ninja?
• Bald of Evil: A bald, evil, notorious bandit.
• Belly Flop Crushing: Has several moves that involve landing on his opponent belly-first. Given his enormous size, they're unsurprisingly devastating.
• Benevolent Boss: Astoundingly. His ending in 2019 shows him treating his gang extremely well, throwing a huge feast for them after his victory, and making it clear that he regards all the wealth they've stolen as belonging to all of them equally.
• Beware the Silly Ones: He's big, fat, not very bright and very clearly meant to be a humorous character. But don't let that fool you, he's a dangerous bandit and very skilled ninja.
• Big Eater: Obviously. Even seen in one of his win-poses where he pulls out a giant turkey leg to munch on.
• Breath Weapon: One of his super moves is a fire-breath attack.
• The Cameo: Earthquake also appears in all SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighter Clash series and as one of the monsters in Akari Ichijo's super in NeoGeo Battle Coliseum.
• Deceptive Disciple: He was a disciple of Kunoichi Ayame like Galford, but quit early due to his bad ties with the latter.
• Den of Iniquity: His sadly canceled stage in 2019 was set in a ruined Texan saloon, with the spoils of his looting strewn all over the place.
• Dumb Muscle: Earthquake is evil, driven by money, and certainly not smart. Best seen in his II ending where he goes to Makai (the demon world) lured by the offer of money, only to get trapped there (seemingly) forever.
• Eagleland: Type B, though toned down. He’s obese, loud, brash and vulgar, but doesn't flaunt his American status enough — at the time, of course, Texas was part of New Spain, but still.
• Epic Flail: He wields a giant kusarigama as his weapon of choice — essentially a length of chain with a weight at one end and a viciously sharp sickle at the other.
• Evil Duo: With Gen-An, often paired by fans as the Chang and Choi of the series (seen together in Genjuro's IV and Gaira's V endings.)
• Evil Laugh: Earthquake is fond of a villainous cackle.
• Everything is Big in Texas: Himself included — he hails from what was then Spanish Texas, and is positively enormous, dwarfing all other characters in the series through sheer height and girth.
• Facial Markings: Earthquake has tattoos or face paint in the shape of blue flames around his eyes.
• Fartillery: His horrific kick grab in the first two games, where he plants the opponent's face between his butt-cheeks and emits a noxious cloud of brown gas that sends them flying. Downplayed in his later appearances, although his Super Special Move in the 2019 game does have him produce a large flame behind him that could be read as a fart.
• Fat Bastard: Enormous, grossly overweight, and unambiguously one of the bad guys.
• Foil: To Galford. Both are American McNinja types of anachronistic origin, one from California and one from Texas. However, while Galford is motivated by his father's death to bring justice to those in need, Earthquake is an opportunistic bandit who seeks only to line his own pockets. Also, while both are accompanied by guitar driven rock songs, Galford's have more heroic melodies while Earthquake's are closer to heavy metal.
• Genre Motif: Just like his rival Galford, Earthquake's character themes are rock songs. However, while Galford's are upbeat and triumphant sounding, Earthquake's are much heavier and darker.
• The Giant: His bio pegs him at 9’4” — making him amongst the tallest (human) characters in the fighting game genre (if not the tallest).
• Goldfish Poop Gang: Earthquake and his goons are certainly very competent, but compared to the real villains they aren't especially malignant or dangerous.
• Gonk: He’s a hideous giant toad of a man and his appearance has given him a complex, with him worrying that “(my) face looks like an old woman's".
• Highly-Visible Ninja: Apart from his HUGE size, his red/neon-pink clothes don't help him blend in. At all.
• Jiggle Physics: In 2019, he has an absurdly large stomach that wobbles about as he moves around.
• Long-Range Fighter: You'd think a big chunky guy like him would be a grappler or a powerhouse, but his playstyle is much closer to Dhalsim.
• McNinja: Like Galford, he's from America, in this case, Texas. Starting from II, he also uses ninja tricks like mirror-images or the Ninja Log technique.
• Mighty Glacier: The slow-but-strong character from the first two games, as well as the biggest character sprite by far — he’s so large that he can't be thrown by an opponent.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed:
  • Earthquake is likely an homage to Mr. Pogo, a wrestler mostly prominent in The '90s. Mr. Pogo was overweight and noted for his cruelty, carrying a kusarigama into the ring and breathing fire at his opponents. In addition, Mr. Pogo wore jagged blue face-paint patterns, was considered a greedy mercantile wrestler who was only interested in money and got his claim to fame wrestling as a villainous ninja in Texas wrestling shows.
  • He's also, most likely, a reference to Earthquake, his namesake, who was also most notable for being a very, very large man at just over 2 metres tall.
• Only in It for the Money: Earthquake's main reason for everything he does is money, including being recruited by Mizuki.
• Playing with Fire: Aside from his trademark fire breath, Earthqake shows an ability to control flames in several of his other special moves.
• Post-Stress Overeating: His weight ballooned to a gargantuan 1380 pounds due to over-eating after he had his heartbroken, aged 19.
• Recoil Boost: His Earth Crisis super-special move involves him using his fire breath to launch himself into the air like a rocket before doing a spinning belly flop onto his opponent.
• The Rival: Galford. There’s even a Continuity Nod upon his return in VI when he claims to have forgotten about him. And in 2019, Galford chastises Earthquake for using their master's techniques for evil purposes.
• Rotten Rock & Roll: Earthquake is almost always accompanied by a heavy rock track that emphasizes his size, power and attitude.
• Shout-Out: Resembles the common giant mooks of Hokuto no Ken, especially Mr. Heart.
• Spin Attack: Earthquake's signature move in which he spins with his kusarigama, debuting as a straight move and later having variants like being accessible in the air, after a teleport, and even grabbing an enemy to spin them.
• Start My Own: Earthquake formed his own bandit gang, with henchmen who loyally follow him everywhere (including to Makai).
• Stout Strength: His gigantic size does come with great strength, and characters like Nakoruru must chip away at his health before bringing him down.

Charlotte Christine de Colde

On the honor of the de Colde family crest... I shall not be defeated!

Origin: Paris, Kingdom of France ^note  The flag shown here is Royal Standard of the Kingdom of France, raised in the presence of the King and used as a state flag by the Kingdom under the absolute monarchy. It was used from around 1638 to 1790.

Weapon: La Roche ^note ("The rock"), an épée

Voiced by: ^note Harumi Ikoma (I-V Special), Mayumi Shindou (VI), Sakiko Tamagawa (in the movie), Yumi Nakatani (Drama CDs), Yumi Tōma (Drama CD 3), Afumi Hashi (SamSho 2019)

A French fencer who caught word of a "series of calamities" with no natural pretenses. She leaves her Paris home to investigate and ends up traveling to Japan in order to do battle with Amakusa, who she finds to be the source of the evil plaguing her home country. Afterward, she returns home to take part in the French Revolution but always returns to Japan any time the forces of evil reappear.

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• All Love Is Unrequited: Her crush on Haohmaru — he only has eyes for Oshizu.
• Battle Ballgown: She's quite modestly dressed for a fighting-game female, and sports a long, tunic-like skirt with her armor plate.
• Big Fancy House: Charlotte's stages are all set in the palatial salon of her family seat in Paris, complete with chequerboard flooring, elegant candelabras, and huge allegorical paintings. A twinkling pianoforte theme accompanies the battle.
• Blue Blood: She's stated to be a minor noble, so her full title could well be Chevaleresse de Colde ("Lady de Colde"), though she prefers the company of commoners.
• Combat Stilettos: Mostly in evidence in her 2019 outfit, where her boots’ heels are easily 6 inches.
• Everyone Looks Sexier if French: She was designed so as to be the 'sexy', mature Foil to the cuter Nakoruru, although most of her sexiness was covered with her Battle Ballgown.
• Fanservice Pack: Her updated design for 2019 is this in spades. Unlike the original games, where she had a more masculine design to invoke the Rose of Versailles reference, in the reboot she is much more open about her femininity, sporting more form-fitting, high-class attire and tying her long hair into a ponytail.
• Guest Fighter: She's the last Samurai Shodown character to become a full blown hero in Honor of Kings.
• Gorgeous Gaijin: The series’ original western woman — her theme in the first game is even titled "Foreign Woman" — and she exhibits the almost prerequisite long blonde hair and statuesque height.
• Gratuitous French: Has gone from ear-grating to amusing to just short of decent.
  • One foppish looking NPC in her V intro takes it a couple of dozen steps further, to the utter hilarity of many a French fan.
    Juéé t'êêêêêm Madeumwazzêêêll (“I love you, Miss”)
  • For 2019, her trailer was first released in French (to the delight of French fans) and she now bids her opponent a cheerily smug “adieu” after skewering them with her super.
• Haughty "Hmph": In keeping with her slightly disdainful personality, she does this when interacting with most opponents.
• Important Haircut: When she sees that Haohmaru does love Oshizu, despite his dedication to fighting, she decides to get over it and starts by cutting her long hair with her rapier.
• Instant Messenger Pigeon: Her method of staying in contact with France while she's on her travels is via Pierre, a messenger pigeon named after her First Love.
• Iron Lady: She's a proud woman, utterly no-nonsense in manner, and dedicated entirely to protecting her countrymen.
• Lady of War: A sophisticated, classically beautiful woman who elegantly wields an épée in combat. Her pre-fight quote in Samurai Shodown (1993) says it all.
  Not all warriors are called "Sir", twit.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Her name is a direct reference (albeit in a mis-romanised manner) to Charlotte Corday, who was an activist during the French Revolution and sent to the guillotine.
• Noblewoman's Laugh: She breaks into a haughty, mocking laugh when she wins a round.
• Patriotic Fervor: Following the events of the first game, she returns to France to participate in the French Revolution, despite her noble status.
• Royal Rapier: She wields an épée in combat, which compliments her elegant, French character.
• Shotoclone: She has a projectile, a "dragon punch" style rising slash, and an attack that carries her forward — essentially the full shoto trio. She's also one of the easiest characters to pick up, play, and do well with.
• Shout-Out: Her look is very much inspired by Oscar de Jarjayes from The Rose of Versailles (without the cross-dressing tendencies.)
• Signature Sound Effect: In 2019, Charlotte's weapon has its own distinct sound effect to convey the "piercing" attack of a rapier, versus the universal shredding/slicing sounds accompanying the attacks of all other blade-carrying fighters.
• Something about a Rose: Like many European characters in the fighting game genre, she has a penchant for roses and the flower is featured in the design of her armor and her stage’s propping, as well as her win-pose, where she serenely holds a rose to her face.
• Statuesque Stunner: She stands at an amazonian height of 6' — huge for a woman of her time.

Tam Tam

My soul is the blazing sun! Your soul is all shriveled up.

Origin: Green Hell Village, Maya Territory, Mesoamerica ^note Tam Tam's origin is slightly muddled. In the debut game, he's labeled as an Inca and his village is shown to be located in South America, but in the 2019 game there appears to have been a corrective retcon and his village is now shown to be in Mesoamerica on the world map, where the land is also labeled "Maya". The Maya flag is therefore presented here.

Weapon: Henge Hanze Zange ^note  ("The blade that cuts through darkness"), a machete

Voiced by: ^note Kay Inage (I), Toshikazu Nishimura (IV, V, V Special, VI (re-dub)), Kazuki Ishii (VI), Takehito Koyasu (The Motion Picture), Hideo Ishikawa (Drama CDs) Ryosuke Morita (SamSho 2019)

Hero of the Green Hell tribe and protector of the Tanjil and Palenke Stones, both of which prevent Ambrosia entering the world. He was actually slain by Gaoh in the past, but one of his fellow tribesmen discovered his mask and was resurrected as a new Tam Tam. Later gets turned into a chimp after his little sister Cham Cham loses the Tanjil Stone.

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• Ambiguously Brown: He sports a bronzed skin-tone, which is relatively suitable as he’s a native Mesoamerican.
• As Long as It Sounds Foreign: “Tam Tam” is not a name encountered in Maya, Inca or Aztec cultures and was probably chosen primarily because it sounds “jungly” and primitive.
• The Big Guy: Tam Tam towers over everyone in the game, but either his fighting style or him being possessed by the mask causes him to walk and fight in an awkward "crab-like" crouching pose.
• Breath Weapon: He can leap up and breathe fire in great exploding globules.
• Confusion Fu: Tam Tam's stance keeps him low to the ground, he throws skulls, fireballs, and totem poles from unusual angles and performs low-hitting pseudo-Hurricane Kicks by spinning on his fingertips.
• Forced Transformation: His ending in IV reveals that he has been cursed and now lives as his sister’s chimp, Paku-Paku — a punishment meted out over her losing the sacred Tanjil Stone.
• Hot-Blooded: One of his win quotes speaks for itself: "My boiling blood bubbles for battle!"
• Human Sacrifice: His super in 2019 evokes this, and features the opponent being thrust skyward and shredded by a towering tribal totem whilst a group of his fellow masked tribesman leap around it manically.
• Hulk Speak: In 2019, his dialogue is heavily accented and he speaks slowly and deliberately, which lends him a primitive quality, unlike his fellow cast members.
• Legacy Character: After he’s killed by Gaoh in V (chronologically the first game), a fellow Green Hell villager discovers his mask and takes up the mantle of a new “Tam Tam”.
• Lost Tribe: At the time the series is set (1786+), the Spanish conquest had stripped away most of the defining features of Maya civilization. However, many Maya villages (like Green Hell) remained remote from Spanish colonial authority, and for the most part, continued to manage their own affairs.
• Machete Mayhem: He wields a giant-sized machete.
• Man Bites Man: Since IV, he has had a horrific command-throw called the "Gaburu Gaburu" (which sounds uncomfortably similar to "gobble gobble"). He grabs the opponent, then thankfully turns his back to the camera and proceeds to bite chunks out of them. He then cackles as blood runs down his hands.
• Mask Power: His mask is in some way magical, as its innate power is enough to reincarnate him when worn by another villager.
• Mayincatec: Zigzagged -
  • Originally, he's presented as an Inca hailing from South America, as seen on the first game’s map screen, where his village of “Green Hell” is located in the upper region of the continent, and also via the original arcade flyers released for the series’ debut, which unambiguously presented him as an “Incan Warrior”.
  • In 2019 there has been a retcon, as the world-map now pinpoints his village of Green Hell as being in Mesoamerica, labeling the land “Maya” — so it appears he’s a Maya warrior after all.
• Proud Warrior Race Guy: He's the greatest warrior and hero of his village, Green Hell. Hearing from the village elders that their sacred artifact is missing, he takes the responsibility of retrieving the stolen treasure, the mysterious jewel known as the "Palenke Stone".
• Vocal Dissonance: For such a huge guy, his voice is screechy and high-pitched. Even in 2019, where his voice is deeper, he is still able to belt out his signature high-pitched victory screech.
• Walking Shirtless Scene: Sports only a collar and jewelry on his upper half.
• Wild Man: He’s the series’ attempt to add a little diversity to the roster in his capacity as a tribal Mesoamerican warrior in a game dominated by Japanese characters.

Kyoshiro Senryo

What a lovely scene... Everyone is enraptured by my dance.

Origin: Edo, Musashi Province, Japan

Weapon: Sewa Nyōbō ^note  ("Caring Wife"), a naginata

Voiced by: ^note Kazuhiro Inage (I), Atsushi "Monster" Maezuka (II-Sen, 2019), Tarō Masuoka (VI), Yūji Mitsuya (The Motion Picture), Aaron Krohn (The Motion Picture, English dub), Hiroshi Isobe (Drama CDs)

A Kabuki actor who thinks Kabuki dancing is a Serious Business. The evil presence encountered throughout the series kept disturbing his performances, so he usually fights to preserve his dancing stage.

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• Anime Hair: His huge, bouffant mane is based on traditional Kabuki wigs.
• Awesome, but Impractical: He hops on one foot whilst in his idle pose, which must be quite tiring after a while, though it doesn't affect his fighting prowess — it's more of an aesthetic tick in line with his overall theatricality.
• Breath Weapon: In a nod to his highly theatrical, performance-based fighting style, one of his moves involves him breathing fire at his opponents.
• Comically Cross-Eyed: He does this in 2019 as part of his Kabuki poses.
• Dance Battler: He's an accomplished Kabuki actor, and uses his theatrical movement skills in battle.
• Fighting Clown: Even with his new design from III onward, Kyoshiro not only evokes the traditional appearance of a clown but is also very comedic and jovial in combat, from his strange poses to the fact that he can summon mini tidal waves and giant frogs.
• Frog Ninja: He's able to summon a giant frog that comes up through the stage floor to savage the opponent, and although he isn't a ninja, this suits his overall weirdness and sense of theatre.
• Kabuki Sounds: As expected from one who specializes in the art of Kabuki — Yoo~ooh!
• Large Ham: This is Kabuki after all, where expressions, gestures, and speech-patterns are all highly stylized. It's self-acknowledged too, as seen when he defeats his palette-swapped counterpart, he calls him a "ham".
• Making a Splash: Kyoshiro has the ability to manifest small waves of water with a swipe of his naginata, which surge along the ground to hit low.
• Meaningful Name: "Senryō" denotes a high salary referring to star actors. "Kyōshi" is translated as "a death marked by madness". Also, the name of his weapon, "Caring Wife", is a stock Kabuki role.
• Overly-Long Tongue: In 2019, his prologue art shows him sticking out his long tongue, which fits with his overall bizarre nature.
• Paper Fan of Doom: In some games, Kyoshiro's projectiles are paper fans inducted with fire.
• Playing with Fire: Apart of the aforementioned paper fans, a variety of his moves burn the opponent — in some games, he even has a Breath Weapon. He can also do a flaming kick in which he uses his naginata to sling-shot himself at the opponent.
• Race Fetish: He's got a penchant for busty white women, as seen in his bio where under the "ideal mate" section, he lists: "Western women with measurements Japanese couldn't begin to fathom." Strangely, he's never interacted flirtatiously with Charlotte, despite her fitting the bill.
• Serious Business: His win-quote sums up how seriously he takes his art-form of choice; "(Kabuki is) a method of acting that is a matter of life or death."
• Spin Attack: Certain moves and one of Kyoshiro's super moves involves him spinning really fast with his naginata outstretched in a tornado-like fashion.
• Took a Level in Badass: In the first game and II, his sprite suggests something of a comedic, faintly ridiculous character. But come III, he sports a far stronger look via a powerful, almost animalistic stance, wild leonine hair, and a sleeker costume.

Wan Fu

Some call me the Warrior King, while others say the God of War! Now you know why!

Origin: Xi'an, Qing Empire ^note The flag shown here is that of the historic Qing Dynasty, who ruled China from 1644 to 1912.

Weapon (I / Sen): Zanniku Daibocho ^note ("Flesh-cutting Large Sword"), a dao

Weapon (II / 2019): Bokuniku Daisekichu ^note ("Flesh-Pounding Large Stone Pillar"), a stone pillar

Weapon (VI): Bakuniku Daitekkyu ^note ("Flesh-Bursting Large Iron Ball"), a chuí

Voiced by: ^note Takayuki Sakai (I), Toshikazu Nishimura - (II, RPG (battle voice), Sen, VI (re-dub)), Masaru Naka (RPG (cutscenes)), Masahiro Okazaki (VI), Kouzou Douzaka (2019), Tessho Genda (The Motion Picture), Daisuke Gōri (Drama CDs)

A Chinese Warlord out to unify his nation. Despite this seemingly dictatorial idea, he is merely a good guy trying to make best of the situation, and protect his land, which leads him to fight off the evil forces threatening the Qing Empire.

In 2019 which takes place before the first game, he hears of a strong warrior from a distant land and heads to Japan in order to potentially recruit them for his army.

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• Ass Kicks You: As seen during one of his standing kicks, one jumping kick, and one of his grabs.
• BFS: His weapon in the first game.
• Big "NO!": In his ending in 2019, he lets out one when his weapon breaks in half.
• Blue Blood: He's a general of the Qing Dynasty and his bio notes that he descends from the Han Imperial Family, the ancient Dynasty which ruled China from 206 BC to 220 AD.
• Boisterous Bruiser: Probably even more than Haohmaru.
• Bowdlerise: His original bio in I noted that he "is wandering around the world searching for a "true Han" to defeat the "foreign race" empire (the Qing Empire) and restore the ethnic Han Empire" — a less altruistic mission than that which is noted in both later, and international materials (which simply mention him unifying China).
• Call-Forward: In his 2019 ending, his stone pillar finally gives out from all the battles he's fought thus far, and it breaks in half — which is why he uses a dao in the first game.
• Chinese People: The series' sole Chinese rep until V. However, he actually represents something of an interesting anomaly in the fighting game genre, where the Chinese characters are almost always represented by either the acrobatic, Qipao-clad Anime Chinese Girl, the straight-up Bruce Lee Clone, or the Old Master (at least 50 years old +) sporting a long beard. As a portly, boisterous warlord, he represents a refreshingly different approach.
• Downloadable Content: He returns to the series in 2019 as part of the first season of DLC characters, and wields an updated version of his stone pillar from II.
• Hot-Blooded: At least in the first game, his Rage gauge fills up faster than anyone else's, and stays maxed out for the longest as well.
• It Was a Gift: The stone pillar he wields was given to him by the Emperor himself.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He usually acts like a jerkass and sometimes a Casanova Wannabe, but he has a good heart and fights for his people.
• Lightning Bruiser: For a big guy, he can cover the screen faster than some of the more slightly built characters.
• Meaningful Name: Translates as "Tiger King".
• No Fourth Wall: He is one of the few characters in the series to have a "joke" ending that breaks the fourth wall. Comically, he admits to the player that "there is no ending to [his] story".
• Progressively Prettier: Zigzagged. In the first game, his physique can be described as flabby. In the second game, he sported an impressive six-pack. Come SSVI, his belly is more prominent than ever, and in 2019, he's back to his ripped (though still heavy-set) look from the second game.
• Stout Strength: In the first game and VI, he sports a noticeable gut (though not to the same extent as Earthquake) and is still strong enough to use a temple pillar as a makeshift weapon (albeit not in the same game).
• Take Over the World: Take Over China in his case, though for fairly gallant reasons.
• Use Your Head: In II, he gains a move which involves repeatedly slamming his head into his stone pillar to fill his rage gauge at the cost of some of his Health.
• Walking Shirtless Scene: His primary costume is a simple loincloth.

Gen-an Shiranui

No one calls me "freak" and lives! No one but my wife, that is.

Origin: Onigami Island, Japan

Weapon: Azami ^note  ("thistle", a suitably spiky plant, and named after his wife), a clawed gauntlet

Voiced by: ^note Eiji Yano (I-II), Masahiro Okazaki (VI), Kōichi Kitamura (The Motion Picture), Neal Ford (The Motion Picture, English dub), Isamu Tanonaka (Drama CDs)

An..uh... goblin-like monster who claims to be 'The King of Demons' and does his best to do evil here and there, despite being quite inept at it. He has a human-seeming wife named Azami, who bore him a brood of kids...WHO LOOK LIKE HIM. Eventually, due to Azami’s wishes, Gen-An stops fighting and settles down to the role of a family man/goblin.

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• Amazing Technicolor Population: As he’s a "goblin", his skin is light green.
• Ambiguously Related: With Mai Shiranui. Since SNK never stated whether they are actually related or not, it is unclear if Gen-An is an ancestor of Mai's or it's simply a coincidence between their surnames.
• Anti-Villain: For all his boasts of being a Demon King, in the end, Gen-An is just a family man concerned with the wellbeing of his wife and goblin brood.
• The Artifact: According to the series' creator, Yasushi Adachi, the concept was originally to create an action game featuring various monsters. Ultimately it was felt that a fighting game with ninjas and samurai, which represented distinctly Japanese characters, would do better commercially than just monsters, so the concept changed accordingly and the only “survivor” of those original monsters was Gen-an.
• Back from the Dead: Killed by Ayame after the first game, Gen-An was revived by Mizuki in the second to serve Ambrosia.
• Bald of Evil: Supports his 'evil goblin' persona.
• Blade Below the Shoulder: His blade-gauntlet.
• Breath Weapon: His poison breath, which in the first games makes the opponent dizzy, though they instantly fall down, so he can't continue with another attack.
• The Cameo: Gen-An also appears as part of character endings in IV and V (Genjuro and Gaira, respectively), as part of a background in Samurai Shodown! (first of Neo Geo Pocket SS games and port of IV) and as one of the monsters in Akari Ichijou's super move in NeoGeo Battle Coliseum.
• Cartoon Creature: In a series that debuted with a cast of fairly realistic human characters (some even based on real-life, historical figures), he stands out as a completely fantasy-based, goblinoid creature.
• Cultural Cross-Reference: His whole design is based on Western depictions of goblins, as in Dungeons & Dragons.
• Dragon with an Agenda: Even after being revived and recruited by Ambrosia, Gen-An's plans to be the "Evil King" are intact.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Although he’s evil, Gen-An has a lovely wife who loves him, evil or not, and children who love him too — and he loves them all back as well, being a good husband and father.
• Evil Duo: With Earthquake in a few characters' endings, and they're often paired by fans as the Choi and Chang of the series.
• Evil Laugh: An unsettling cackle, to be specific.
• Family Man: Despite being an evil minion, Gen-An is loyal to his own family (his wife and children.)
• Gonk: One of the series' ugliest character by far, it’s not even clear just what this guy actually is. He held the 'ugliest' title for a long time until Kusaregedo was introduced and took his crown.
• Grappling-Hook Pistol: His claw is attached to a hidden chain, so he can shoot it out then pull opponents towards him. He was one of the first fighting game characters able to do this, along with Scorpion.
• Green and Mean: He's a goblinoid demi-human, and has bright slime-green skin to boot.
• Humanoid Abomination: Is he a goblin? A tengu? A demon? A hideous human?...he’s been tentatively labeled all four, but it’s always left ambiguous.
• I'm a Humanitarian: A pot of what appears to be dead people simmers away in the background of his stage.
• Inconsistent Spelling: Is it Genan, Gen An, Gen-an or Gen-An?
• Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: A self-proclaimed "Demon King" with a squeaky voice and in the end too much of a Family Man to be taken truly seriously as a force of evil.
• Interspecies Romance: He's Ambiguously Human, but his wife Azami is much more typically human-looking, although she does sport large, pointed ears as he does.
• Meaningful Name:
  • "Gen-an" translates as "phantom hermit", and a shiranui is an atmospheric ghost light.
  • His family all have sightly creepy names too. His wife Azami's name means "thistle" (a spiky plant) and his children's names are all lowly, underground-themed; Zakuro ("pomegranate" — a fruit associated with the underworld), Mukuro ("mole" — a burrowing animal) and Hedora (literally "gutter", the poor kid!).
• Out of Focus: Of the original thirteen characters from 1993, Gen-an is the only one that wasn't included in 2019. Initially, Wan Fu and Amakusa were also in the same boat as him, but they were eventually included later on as DLC characters.
• Poisonous Person: His breath weapon, which stuns the opponent momentarily.
• Shout-Out:
  • His clawed-glove weapon is directly inspired by Edward Scissorhands.
  • His stage in II features a Xenomorph being cooked inside a giant metal cauldron by other "goblins".
• Small Name, Big Ego: He is constantly proclaiming himself 'The Demon King'.
• Smug Snake: He's the supremely confident yet blundering fool of the series. Despite declaring himself a 'king', he's really a just minion amongst the masses and a show of force will cause him to swiftly back off.
• Spin Attack: One of his moves and his eventual super involves spinning.
• This Is a Drill: In I, Gen-An's punch throw has him use his claw-like a drill. In II this becomes his Desperation Move.
• Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Gen-an's wife Azami is an attractive humanoid. It's even jokingly suggested he might be an ancestor of Mai Shiranui, though they really have no relation beyond their shared surname.
• Wolverine Claws: He wields a horrific-looking clawed glove, which he dramatically snaps closed as his idle animation cycles.

Shiro Tokisada Amakusa

Pain is the word of the divine; death, forgiveness... I pity you.

Origin: Ōyano Village, Amakusa District, Higo Province, Japan

Weapon: Gadamā no Hōju ^note ("Gadama Gem" — The Palenke Stone from the storyline), a magic orb

Voiced by: ^note Eiji Yano (I, III, IV, Nakoruru ADV, VI (Anthology Redub)), Yū Daiki (The Motion Picture), Kaneto Shiozawa (Drama CDs), Misuaki Madono (RPG), Takashi Ōhara (V Special), Junji Majima (VI), Show Hayami (Oni), Shusaku Shirakawa (2019)

Based on the Christian rebel of the same name, he crossed the Despair Event Horizon when he was sentenced to death, and made a pact with Ambrosia as he was executed. Amakusa is then resurrected by Ambrosia using the body of Shinzo Hattori (one of Hanzo's sons). Amakusa's main plot involves him stealing the Palenke stone, which he intended to use to bring Ambrosia to the mortal world. Upon his resurrection in IV, his spirit splits into two halves: one good and one evil — Amakusa seeks his other half in order to regain his full power. His appearance in 2019 sheds light on what happened immediately after he was first resurrected, and how exactly he became the Big Bad of the first game.

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• Affably Evil: For his win quotes against certain opponents in 2019, he surprisingly seems to empathize with them and claims that he will save them through salvation or even recruit them into his services. Whether he means his words or not is up for debate, but he's fairly confident that his opponents will inhabitat in a world under his rule. As for anyone associated with the Tokugawa Shogunate, he shows no mercy, as they were responsible for his execution.
• Amazing Technicolor Population: Aku Amakusa is sometimes depicted with violet colored skin.
• Artificial Stupidity: SS1 Amakusa is extremely vulnerable to throws. All you have to do is walk up to him and throw him over and over again.
• The Atoner: His good side, as explained in the intro above.
• Back from the Dead: It's kind of his specialty at this point.
• Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: In real life, Amakusa Shiro was captured and executed at 17 years old and that was the end of it. In Samurai Shodown, he's resurrected as an undead sorcerer to do the bidding of the dark god Ambrosia, and subsequently has his consciousness torn into two halves, a good one and an evil one.
• The Bus Came Back: After 16 years since his last playable appearance, Amakusa makes his return as part of the 3rd Season Pass of 2019.
• Campy Combat: True to his mannerisms, Amakusa's fighting style could be considered this. Many of his techniques have very flamboyant poses, and he'll even slap his opponents rather than punch them.
• Creepy High-Pitched Voice: A staple of all his appearances, even coupled with Voice of the Legion as Aku Amakusa.
• Downloadable Content:
• Dude Looks Like a Lady: Does he EVER! So much that many who first encountered him thought he was a woman at first, due to his feminine features, talon-like fingernails, lipstick, and elaborate kimono. He's so infamous for this trope that the English dub of the anime chose to cut out the middleman and simply rewrite him to be female.
• Enemy Without: Aku Amakusa
• Energy Ball: His iconic orb. He wields an energy weapon named Gadamā no Hōju. He represents the first fighting game character to wield an orb-like weapon in combat — characters like Viola and Menat debuted at least eighteen years after he did.
• Evil Is Hammy: In games where he is a villain, he chews the scenery like no tomorrow and sounds like he's constantly on the verge of breaking out into maniacal laughter at any given moment. By contrast, when not under Ambrosia's influence, he's a Cold Ham.
• Femme Fatalons: For his 'Evil Hornet Gouger' special, he grabs the opponent and uses his very long, razor-sharp fingernails to tear into them multiple times.
• Fragile Speedster: When playable, he’s got some decent tools, but you need to be on your toes when using him as he can easily become overwhelmed by high-pressure characters like Yoshitora and Rera.
• Heel–Face Revolving Door: Since IV split Amakusa into two entities ("good" Amakusa / Aku Amakusa), the previous games' identities have been retconned: I has the two personalities in one body, but split at the end. Aku Amakusa is the playable version in III, and IV has both of them, his Slash variant being the good one and the Bust variant being Aku Amakusa. After Aku Amakusa is defeated by the Kazama brothers and killed by Zankuro, in II the identity is the good one. The rest of his appearances (V Special / VI) are in dream match games, but the VI version is stated to be Aku Amakusa. As revealed in V Perfect, that means the V Special version is also Aku Amakusa. Since 2019 takes place before I, the two are merged once more.
• Heel–Face Turn: Is a bad guy in the first game but since then there has been a Split Personality issue where Aku Amakusa wants to continue his evil ways, but his default self wants to atone for his sins.
• Historical Villain Upgrade: A rather complicated example. The real life Amakusa Shiro was a Christian minister who lived in Japan and was executed at only 17 years old for his attempts to start a rebellion against the shogunate. As Christianity was a rather foreign concept to the Japanese, both his followers and detractors thought him to have supernatural powers. Therefore SNK's portrayal of Amakusa as a morally ambiguous sorcerer is not too dissimilar from how he would have been seen by the public in real life. Somewhat downplayed and justified in that this Amakusa is not exactly evil, just being manipulated from beyond the grave by a demonic force.
• Hypocritical Humor: "My religion says all are equal. Peasant."
• Impractically Fancy Outfit: Sports a voluminous, encumbering kimono that would make a light jog difficult, let along leaping about as he does. 2019 is even more extreme, and he even sports chainmail underneath his kimono.
• Improbable Weapon User: In a series where most characters wield real-life, historic weaponry, his energy-ball weapon stands out as being completely fantasy-based.
• Killed Off for Real: Both halves of Amakusa's full spirit meet their own respective ends, with Aku Amakusa being slain at the end of IV while the "good" Amakusa is struck down and killed by Mizuki near the end of II.
• The Man Behind the Man: Amakusa was heavily implied before his eventual release to be involved in the summoning and possession of Shizuka Gozen in 2019, as the post-credits scene shows his orb glowing red. Turns out it's somewhat of a subversion: he is not the one behind her, but he is a separate agent of the one who is — Ambrosia. Following Shizuka's defeat, Amakusa takes the portion of Ambrosia that was within her and kickstarts the plot of the first game.
• Noblewoman's Laugh: No wonder his gender still causes confusion; his laugh is high-pitched and haughty. His mocking laughter after you hit his counter still haunts players to this day. He gives a particularly impressive one when activating rage explosion in V.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: He's based on the historical Amakusa Shiro.
• Otherworldly and Sexually Ambiguous: He's a magic-using, magically-revived entity and his look is utterly feminine, sporting voluminous hair and clothing, as well as lipstick and eyeshadow.
• Our Ghosts Are Different: In the 2019 game, it's revealed that he was revived by Ambrosia as a vengeful spirit. His ending shows him possessing Shinzo Hattori, his mortal vessel in the later games, in order to fully return to life.
• Playing with Fire: Amakusa's orb is capable of emitting flames, allowing him to launch fireballs or leap into the air and drop a flaming orb onto his opponent like a meteor.
• Religious Bruiser: He's based on the real-life Christian minister of the same name.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: His first reason for coming back from the dead, and the basis of his evil self.
• She's a Man in Japan: The English dub of the anime adaptation flat out rewrites Amakusa to be a woman.
• Shout-Out: Though his portrayal bears similarities with the Amakusa in Makai Tensho, a tale in which Mori Sōiken resurrects other dead historical figures to overthrow the Shogunate, developers haven't confirmed if he was particularly based on him.
• Sissy Villain: His main hobby is "make-up" and he acts in a camp, haughty manner but he's absolutely not to be underestimated and will readily disembowel you with the magical orb he carries around. One of his trademark special moves is his take on Ryo Sakazaki's zanretsuken but with effeminate slaps rather than martial arts punches. It doesn't hurt any less.
• SNK Boss: He's less noticeable than other SNK bosses since the AI is broken in SS1 (effectively making every character a boss fight), and there was a bug which allowed the player to win the first round against him easily. Still, he remains a very cheap enemy, as his special moves have zero recovery time, can shatter your combos, and dizzy you quite easily.
• Take Over the World: His ultimate goal is to lead the entire world under his rule by destroying those who betrayed him first, starting with the Tokugawa Shogunate.
• Teleport Spam: One of his signature moves, allowing him to stay just out of the opponent's reach.
• The Power of Hate: In the 2019 game, his hatred for the Tokugawa Shogunate and those who betrayed him are what fuels his undead body after Ambrosia resurrects him.
• The Undead: In the 2019 game, he's a yurei like Basara, powered by Ambrosia's evil.
• Undeathly Pallor: Unlike past games, Amakusa's skin is completely pale in the 2019 game, signifying that he's undead.
• Voice of the Legion: As Aku Amakusa.
• Weaponized Ball: His orb weapon is infused with demonic energy, but as it's a solid gemstone, it also delivers considerable blunt damage.