SNK’s team-based fighter has had so many combatants over the years.
Who’s the worst?
Who’s the best?
Here’s our list.
Now were at over 100 names, which is crazy, especially since games likeStreet FighterandMortal Kombathave roughly 70.
And much likeStreet FighterandMortal Kombat, its up to me to rank the whole bunch of them.
So lets look at the worst of the worst to the best of the best.
First, some ground rules:
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Alternate versions of characters are not separate entries.
Leona is Leona, whether her hair is blue or red.
Im not counting Kyos clones fromKing of Fighters 99.
Im only using characters from the main fourteen games.
NotNeowave, the Game Boy Advance games, orMaximum Impact.
I will count upgrades of the accepted games.
As always, Im ranking these based on style, storyline, and personal preference.
Not over who has the better infinite combos and all that jazz.
There will also be many spoilers.
Lets get it started.
LIN
First appearance: KOF00
Here it is.
The worst ninja in fighting games.
Worse than every palette-swapped characterMortal Kombattried to throw at us.
Hes even worse thanThree Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain.
Even though theres originality in Lins attacks, they arent especially good.
Im less in awe about how ninja rad he is and instead feel…strangely queasy?
Part of his ranking as dead last is guilt by association.
Lin is introduced as a way to herald Ron, who is Lins evil and more powerful counterpart.
Instead of fighting him during the NESTS storyline, he only appears briefly as an assist.
The most he gets is showing up in a jokey daydream sequence from Kensou in one of the endings.
Ron is nothing but a dud and Lin is right there with him.
Not the worst, but certainly not the best.
I could have gone my whole life without having to see Zero again, thank you very much.
Original Zero is less interesting than the clone, even if he does have a pet lion.
Better than the real thing, indeed.
MAGAKI
First appearance: KOFXI
If there was ever a cookie-cutter SNK boss, its this guy.
Theres nothing that stands out about him other than being all evil-looking and cheap.
Nothing about his plans or monologuing are in any way unique.
Nobody ever wonders which Capcom character would be Magakis VS. counterpart.
Hes just a run-of-the-mill evil guy who sucks and dies after losing.
MOMOKO
Another Psycho Soldier added and, surprise, its another annoying little shit kid.
Way to mix it up, guys.
Momoko adds nothing that I can get behind.
Bao was already the lowest bar on that team, but even he has some stuff going for him.
He has those supers that make him seem like hes filled with excessive power that he cant handle.
Momoko has…mild capoeira moves.
Ive never liked them to begin with.
You ever watch that last season ofWelcome Back, Kotterwhen Travolta left?
Thats how I felt when Mai Shiranui left the Women Fighters Team and they put Xiangfei in her place.
Xiangfeis big trait as a character is that shes a skinny girl who can eat a lot.
There are literally two game endings based on this.
Even fat characters inKing of Fightershave more going for them than eats a lot.
To add insult, her winpose has her pull out swords.
Why were you not using them during the fighting portion?!
I wonder if its a coincidence that he resembles Mr. T?
Under dislikes, his profile states airplanes.
He even had the same voice actor.
It was less homage and more of a lawsuit waiting to happen.
SNK got their hands back onKing of Fighters, took one look at K9999 and decided, Nope!
Not because of any possible legal ramifications, but because they just hated him.
They hated him so much that they erased him fromKing of Fightershistory.
Even with the mountains of promotional images inKing of Fighters XIVs gallery, theres not a sign of K9999.
When they rereleasedKing of Fighters 2002asUnlimited Match, they decided to remake him into Nameless.
Nameless has much of the same moves and the same basic story.
Hes just the uninspired replacement for something uninspired by default.
The knockoff of a knockoff.
Those types of replacement characters never work out.
K9999
Sorry, where was I?
K9999 is pretty bad, but hes still better than Nameless.
Better than Mike Tyson too, while Im at it.
Its time to take on the ruler of this super-terrorist organization once and for all.
Commence impossible boss fight with the hilarious, never-ending super attack that keeps going and going and going.
Its a game mainly remembered for having a middle-aged Ryo Sakazaki in it.
Gai was reintroduced inKing of Fighters XIas a midboss and just didnt bring much to the table.
Its too bad, since he has a great look and has a bit of charisma to him.
Really, what is there?
Shes…not good at speaking English despite the fact that everyone in fighting games is fluent?
Shes constantly looking for her boring-ass father?
I just never saw the appeal in her.
Yet she keeps showing up.
I tend to forget he even exists.
Now that I have to actually pay attention to him…man, Kensou kind of sucks.
Hes just a goof who cant seal the deal and has spent over twenty years pining for his teammate.
Hes not even a fun doofus like Chang or Bandeiras.
Hes just kind of sad.
This is made even worse by SNK and Eoliths inability to pull the trigger and make him important.
Then…as mentioned before…nothing.
stinger is just as hilarious in an unintentional way.
Part of this gimmick is that the New Faces are dark versions of Team Japan.
Yashiro slams people around.
Shermie has electric powers.
Then theres the ever-so-annoying Chris, who is the dark Kyo.
We…we already have a perfectly good dark Kyo.
Hes good at jazz?
Chris is lame, makes Orochi lamer, and wears lame moonboots.
You look at this meathead and you have to shrug and realize that, yeah, thats about right.
While I like Kula, Ive never been partial to her entourage of NESTS nannies.
Theres nothing especially wrong with Foxy, but shes never seemed to grab me.
Outside of her hair making her look like aStar Warscharacter, that is.
Picking him instead of…well, literally everyone else except MAYBE Carol was a gigantic letdown.
At least he has that pumped-up scream from his intro.
Cant say anything bad about that beauty.
SAIKI
First appearance: KOFXIII
Okay, so Ash Crimson is evil.
But then theres Saiki, his ancestor, who is basically evil Ash.
Then he possesses Ash to turn him into an entity named Evil Ash.
Im…confused even before the time travel stuff sets in.
Saiki is a letdown of an end boss that they spent three games building towards.
GORO DAIMON
Goros fighting style is that scene fromAvengerswhen Hulk comes across Loki.
Thats the one good thing about him.
When he slams people, he slams the HELL out of them.
Otherwise, the guy is just so bland it hurts.
Hes the tall, grounded member of a trio that involves a snippy male model and an annoyed teenager.
The most he ever does is go, Hey, guys.
c’mon dont fight each other.
Then he fades into the background and you forget about him until its time for order select.
Especially if that guys also a giant who throws people around like a ragdoll.
At leastMortal Kombats Goro can open his eyes without spending three bars.
Sho Hayate kind of sucks, but part of me is still pumped up atKizuna Encounterbeing remembered.
Mui Mui is basically Li Xiangfei from another reality.
Shes a tiny kung fu girl with the defining trait of being hungry a lot.
He looks rad and I like ninjas.
Especially ninjas with mullets.
Too bad his moveset is so vanilla that Robert Van Winkle is thinking of suing.
He just hugs himself while doing run-of-the-mill slashing moves and doesnt have any flash worth mentioning.
Then theres his ending inArt of Fighting 2, which takes place just over a decade before theFatal Furygames.
In it due to a translator getting a little creative he professes his attraction to Mai Shiranui.
She is like 8-years-old by this point.
Thats just wrong and heres hoping you are legally obligated to stay 50 feet away from every Kula match.
HINAKO
Hinako is an excellent fighting game novelty.
Shes a cute schoolgirl who has trained herself in the art of sumo wrestling.
Thats original and well-implemented in the games engine.
Too bad they just leave her at that.
If you say so.
If anything, they should just do a Duo Lon/Rock Howard/Adelheid Bernstein team one of these years.
Nope nope nope nope nope.
MAY LEE
May Lee almost feels like a self-insert fanfiction character.
If you show loyalty, they will use you and ultimately destroy you, as Zero did to Krizalid.
If you betray NESTS and go into business for yourself, they will doubly destroy you.
Hes not the most fearsome final boss around, but the bladed skirt is a nice touch.
MEITENKUN
First appearance: KOF14
Its a cute concept.
Just replace the alcohol with narcolepsy.
Looking like he snuck out ofKingdom Hearts, Meitenkun is a clever gimmick, but also a bit annoying.
Mainly, Shion represents the last hurrah of classicKing of Fighters.
GANG-IL
Kim Kaphwans master is an easy design to work.
Gang-Ils issue is that he just doesnt bring anything new to the table.
Even then, Kim is already a taekwondo master and has more going for him than his squattier mentor.
Maybe have him interact with Jhun for a game.
See where that takes us.
I still dig his unique appearance and the inclusion of a cyborg arm.
He did inadvertently create King of Dinosaurs, so much love for that.
ZARINA
The most boring trope in fighting games is the person who enters tournaments to protect nature.
Julia Chang inTekkenwas the worst until she started having sexual chemistry with Bob Richards and became a luchadora.
That stuff before that where she whined about trees and stuff?
A Japanese air freshener commercial if Ive ever seen one.
His students include the Bogards, Geese, Cheng Shin Zan, Jin Chonrei, ShunEi, and Meitenkun.
An impressive list for sure.
Except…what exactly did he teach these guys?
None of them fight alike and, more importantly, none of them fight like him.
Whens the last time youve seen Geese Howard turn into the Hulk and spin around?
Whens the last time youve seen Tung Fu Rue hit someone with a pillow?
CHIN GENTSAI
As far as old master characters go, Chin is fine.
Then again, hes always seemed like an odd fit.
Its like having Stick mentor Jean Grey instead of Xavier.
Tung Fu Rues powers are more metaphysical and Chin would make a better teacher to Meitenkuns sleep-fu.
Theres nothing to hate about that.
Mr. Bigs main crime is being a would-be threat to Geese Howard.
At best, hes Geeses least-interesting in-game underling.
At worst, hes the gnat trying to go to war with him.
Trying to steal South Town from Geese is like trying to steal Transylvania from Dracula.
Even if you could doesnt mean you should.
Thats Bigs problem right there.
For all his swagger, hes a toothless threat to everyone.
Even inArt of Fighting, he doesnt even get to be the final boss despite being the big villain.
Or when theyre taking a bunch of toilet paper from the roll.
Also, Ive found that the New Faces didnt actually go into the tournament knowing their true identities.
It sort of awakened in them throughout the story.
Meanwhile, the truth seeped into Yashiros songwriting as he tended to write lyrics about death and disaster.
That means that Yashiro is SNKs Nathan Explosion and that alone deserves a nod.
MALIN
Malin comes with another one of those storylines that is all mysterious and has zero payoff.
I love how petty that is.
Spunky with a giant mallet, bladed yo-yo, and lots of hidden knives.
), Jenet is both adorable and alluring in action.
Shes a teenage girl so fearsome that she somehow runs her own crew of pirates.
And I mean the Captain Hook cartoony kind, still existing in the 21st century.
Her crew rampaging through variousKing of Fightersendings is a gag I never tire of.
LOVE HEART
First appearance: Sky LoveFirst KOF appearance: KOFXIV
Another lady pirate captain.
She brings a laser sword to a fighting tournament and somehow shes the firstKing of Fighterscontestant to do that.
Yet she doesnt inKing of Fighters XIV.
How do you not make that her level 3 super?
Unfortunately, Ryo doesnt stand up to them.
Hes just…lesser Ryu who looks a bit more like Ken.
Dan without being treated as a loser with endless heart.
Theyre all a laugh riot and fun to play as because theyre kind of Ryu-like but not totally.
ANDY BOGARD
First appearance: Fatal FuryFirst KOF appearance: KOF94
Nice.
Mai Shiranui
Poor Andy.
It really sucks when youre known as the other Bogard.
About time, dude.
Embrace your awesome luck.
For one, it adds another layer or two to Terrys relationship with Rock.
It really would be like father, like son.
She has a very unique look and style, even if opera dancing isnt the most exciting one.
The alternating masks gimmick is cool too, especially in her level 3 super.
Kind of makes me think of Hexadecimal fromReboot.
Shes not quite Sakura and shes not quite Dan Hibiki, but shes fine for what she is.
Her tendency to change up her appearance from game to game is also a cute touch.
Shed be better off hanging out with Mai and King for a year or so.
First, his higher-up has him killed by causing the hideout to implode onto him.
SHEN WOO
Shen Woos strength is how simple he is, both in design and mentality.
Whats great is how he plays into the story.
Sure, shes plotting stuff, but Chizurus intentions are pure.
She never does feel right outside of her important guidance role.
Her time as part of the Women Fighters Team felt awkward and ill-fitting.
SAISYU KUSANAGI
First appearance: KOF95
Saisyu should rank higher, but he really hasnt done enough.
Then he peaces out for the most part.
I like him, but theres not enough originality to make him shine.
I do entirely dig his appearance inKing of Fighters 2001s ending for Team Japan.
Good guy, that Saisyu.
Neither hated her nor cared for her both in-game and in-story.
The story, The Nearness of You, isfree on Comixology, so you should get on that.
The comic resembles Elisabeth and Ashs story.
Ash was never born.
LUCKY GLAUBER
Lucky walks the line between being a lame design and being so ridiculous that its endearing.
Like Battler, hes defined by being a sports guy who is for some reason in a fighting tournament.
Where do these basketballs come from?
How does he control them?
Why are they capable of putting Omega Rugal out of commission?
As the least interesting member of the Ikari Warriors, Whip at least has a decent character arc.
Then she goes back to being in the Ikari Warriors, but in a video game retirement way.
Shes in the cutscenes, but shes no longer an active fighter.
SHINGO YABUKI
Shingo basically exists to show that Team Japan is made up of a bunch of assholes.
Thats more of a genetic thing, making me wonder why Shingo doesnt go pester Ralf.
Or is the Galactica Phantom a Jones family tradition?
So Shingos deal is Kyo, but without flames, and hes clumsy.
Dont invite him into the fighting tournament if you dont like him!
Kyo still abuses him, but at least he has Benimaru and Goros respect, so thats something.
Shine on, underdog.
SILBER
We need our own Akuma and stat!
someone at an SNK meeting in the late 90s.
Silber is very much Akuma with the serial numbers filed off.
Win or lose, he reacts by simply jumping away into the night.
This is especially great in his ending, where he does this to answer press conference questions.
Jyazu is the mysterious end boss inKizuna Encounter.
JHUN HOON
Jhun is merely Player 2 Kim Kaphwan, but he makes it work.
Forcing criminals to train tirelessly in taekwondo?
Thats not how you rehabilitate people!
you gotta force them to go see J-pop concerts!
Thats the true way of justice!
Jhuns obsessed dedication to Athenas music is what gives him legs.
Which is good, since thats what he mainly uses to attanever mind, that jokes dumb.
Not only does Jhuns love for Athena give hilarious explanations for why he isnt in certain tournaments (ie.
Jhun may not be as good as Kim, but at least he beats out Kensou.
Unlike Ken, he hasnt settled down.
He dresses like hes got a lot of money instead of being tied to the overused karate gi look.
Double rough when you remember that Dan got in.
Roberts words, not mine.
Some of these games have some weird dialogue.
Robert used to call people taco breath.
Thats kind of great.
Shes essentially the Sakura to Terrys Ryu, albeit a lot greener.
While she isnt nearly as skilled as Terry, her awkward English game is way more impressive.
Lets have a blast, indeed!
COMMANDER HEIDERN
Heidern sort of gets screwed over by the narrative when you think about it.
He goes intoKing of Fighters 94as the Guile/Chun-Li character.
Hes the one guy who has a legit beef with Rugal from the get-go.
Rugal killed his wife and child.
Then Lanky Nick Fury has to sit back and watch some snot-nose teenager take the glory.
I do miss his creepy mannerisms.
He was written off as Joes hated-rival-turned-training-partner and was ultimately forgotten about for years.
They fooled Kim so that get themselves more mainstream attention and high-profile fighting opportunities.
He also feels like the one boss battle in the series where youre really fighting something truly otherworldly.
Theres something about the disinterested way Orochi hovers around while dispatching foes that sets him apart from everyone else.
Too bad hes stuck in Chris body.
But if you pick the special edit team of Kyo, Iori, Chizuru?
Well, then you get one of the best endings in the series as Orochi is taken down completely.
LUONG
The mysterious femme-fatale fits in great simply for being the character that disarms Kim Kaphwan.
Luongs style definitely works this out better than Gang-Ils.
BENIMARU NIKAIDO
Benimaru is stuck in that awkward limbo where hes important, but not really.
But hey, its good enough to get him a spot in every installment andCapcom vs. SNK.
Benimarus metrosexual style and egotistical attitude is what makes him such a necessary mainstay in the series.
Shine on, you Polnareff ripoff.
Nakoruru is defined by where and when she comes from.
She and her Another World compatriots appear because Verses chaotic existence threatens to unravel the entire multiverse.
BANDEIRAS HATTORI
Bandeiras is the antithesis of Shingo and Alice, falling more into being like Yuri.
He is a wannabe to more skilled martial artists, but his style is on point.
Mai goes from weirded out to impressed and open to the idea of making Bandeiras her student.
Thats the great thing about him.
Add to that that hes a practitioner of Brazilian ninjutsu.
As a fan of puns, I approve of this.
He throws his hat all the time; she throws her jacket all the time.
He acts all happy while punching people in the face; she acts all happy while breaking peoples limbs.
They were made for each other.
Mary is like the sensible, mentally-healthy version of Mai.
If anything, shes the voice of reason for theFatal Furycrew.
Shes the one who will outright call out Terry on his lone wolf bullshit.
Too bad her detective skills are crap.
There are so many red flags that a bulls head just exploded in rage.
She was a hanger-on for the K-who-shall-not-be-named and is now the third wheel in a team of luchadors.
What I love is how fitting that is.
Angel herself isnt a wrestler, but she is, for some unknown reason, a huge Rock enthusiast.
She performs his punch combo, does the Just bring it!
Even in the latest game, when you turn on MAX Mode, she does the arm-waving taunt.
wears his sunglasses at night and that makes him at least as cool as Corey Hart.
Its brilliant if you think about it.
Any use of a Death Valley Driver in a video game is worth a thumbs up from me.
Not cool, bro.
SYLVIE PAULA PAULA
When I first saw footage of Sylvie, I groaned, expecting to hate her.
Shes way too cheery and looks like what happens when you vomit from eating too much Fruity Pebbles.
Sylvie was part of NESTS as a lesser experiment created to control electricity.
Due to her powers and the experimental process itself, Sylvie is cute to the point of insanity.
Shes still super annoying, but at least theres a method to her madness.
And believe me, madness is the right term.
Her profile lists one of her hobbies as, collecting fingerprints from good-looking me.
VANESSA
SNK had a boxing character worth a damn, but we werent going to be seeing Heavy D!
Vanessa is way superior because she has charm and doesnt have the worst haircut.
She also wasnt inLegend of Chun-Li, but that goes without saying.
That said, she absolutely explodes in personality with her sprite animations.
How did it take so long for this guy to make the jump intoKing of Fighters?
He just keeps dance-fighting his way through our hearts with his tiny baby duck following him.
VERSE
Verse is less of a supervillain and more of a plot gadget.
Normally, that would be a strike against him, but screw it, I like that.
How many monologuing bosses did we have to deal with over the years?
Lets just get a creature that shows up and makes guttural noises with the occasional growl of, VERSSSSSE!
His design is unique and makes him look like aJojos Bizarre AdventureStand who hashis ownStand.
He has the power to bombard his enemies with flying, disembodied, burning stone fists from the skies.
KYO KUSANAGI
Kyo was fighting a losing battle from the beginning.
Not Terry or Ryo, but Kyo.
This culminated in his badass true ending inKing of Fighters 97.
HEIN
Hein is a great fit for the whole Geese Howard operation.
Billy is the prime henchman, but Hein fits as a teammate who complements Billys personality.
Very similar to Owen Burnett fromGargoylesor James Wesley from NetflixsDaredevil.
RAMON
Ramons acrobatics keep the opposing player guessing and his grappling links keep them frustrated.
As a wrestling fan, I do have to question Ramons choice of attacks.
His level 3 super is a facebuster and people kick out of that all the time.
KULA DIAMOND
I really cant believe it took them seven games before they decided to introduce an ice character.
Usually, I cant stand cute kid characters in fighting games, but Kula is the exception.
Hes not quite good and hes not quite evil.
He walks the line like a total neck-snapping badass.
A total neck-snapping badass who likes to show off his gnarly back scars after winning fights.
Its Gatos independence that makes him stand out in a game series about teamwork.
In his first series appearance, hes on a team of criminals and abandons them in the end.
In his second appearance, hes on a team of good guys and abandons them as well.
We need more of this guy.
MAXIMA
I have to hand it to SNK on this one.
While not exactly carefree, he hits that role by default by hanging out with K all the time.
Even if they inexplicably dropped his mustache, he made the second anime a blast.
Honorable, but vicious, hes the one man that Geese is afraid of and for good reason.
Hes also by far the best collection of English soundbytes in these games.
The only line delivered better than, Ill chisel your gravestone!
is, This is a showdown, Geese!
Hes so utterly wasted.
He appears inKing of Fighters 96and hangs out in the background.
Even in his teams ending, the most he does is say his goodbyes and walk off.
They made a damn dream match inKing of Fighters 98and didnt even add him in until years later!
This is no way to treat a man who flexes so hard that his armor pops off!
Before it flew completely off the rails, we had Mukai.
Hes got this great design both visually and in terms of attacks.
The Those From the Past arc really peaked with this guy.
SHERMIE
Shermie is another underused character.
Thats too bad, since she had some of the best animations.
We dont know what Kukris deal is, but hes a hateful little Nobody with a sailors tongue.
His pre-fight dialogue with Iori does show the difference between the two, though.
While Iori reacts to everyone he comes across with an irritated, Im going to kill you.
This is especially apparent when he calls ShunEi a bastard but wont explain why.
Being a dude who can transform into sand and use it offensively goes well with his mysterious druid persona.
Its such an obvious elemental fighting style that its surprising we havent seen anyone like him before.
Antonov, Yakov, Sylvie, and Mian offer their insight on his likes, dislikes, etc.
based on spending time around his potty mouth.
Or maybe kitty litter mouth would be more accurate.
SHUNEI
ShunEis journey has just begun, but I like the little douche.
Unlike most other hero characters, ShunEi works backwards.
He isnt gradually working his way up increasing power levels.
Hes already maxed out and its too much for him.
Promising so far, but lets see how he is in the next game or two.
Raiden was introduced inFatal Furyas a take on Big Van Vaders black mask phase.
The idea was that Big Bear was him after leaving the life of crime and becoming a fan-favorite.
SNK would do the same thing in3 Count Boutto explain head-swap characters.
Raiden spent years as second to Chang, the resident big, fat guy inKing of Fighters.
Goenitz is no villain of the week.
Hes a piece of shit responsible for all sorts of horrors.
Hes the reason why Chizuru and Leona are emotionally broken.
Hes the one who tore out Rugals eye, empowered him, and then ultimately led to his doom.
Even in defeat, he appears responsible for Iori losing control and slaughtering Vice and Mature.
XANADU
Phew, Chang and Choi finally got away from that lunatic Kim.
Im sure their new partner will have a good head on his shoulderswhat in Gods name…?
Hes dangerously insane, and his fighting style is just mindlessly flailing around while hallucinating and freaking out.
Hes an absolute joy to see in action.
K DASH
For a while, I hated K. He felt like Kyo merged with Poochie.
Over time, I learned to enjoy him and his unique fighting style with some genuinely badass animations.
Then theres the meta story, which is where he really shines.
See, K was supposed to replace Kyo and Iori upon introduction.
Their stories were over, so they werent going to be in any more games.
Then SNK realized that wouldnt fly and figured out how to integrate them into the NESTS arc.
Similarly, once NESTS is out, Ks story should be over.
He should be living his new life with Maxima, Kula, and possibly Whip.
Hes an aimless hero who has no stake in whats happening around him, but hes there anyway.
ASH CRIMSON
Ash Crimson is basically Loki.
That about sums him up.
Ash is a good protagonist for screwing with expectations.
Ash comes off as a Mary Sue character, and unlike most video game heroes, weresupposedto hate him.
Were supposed to be mad when he continues to clown Kyo and Iori.
Were supposed to root against his behavior.
Year after year, the two attempt to get away and constantly screw up, getting their punishment.
Its a unique concept that Im surprised doesnt really show up in any other kind of combat-based fiction.
But as the series keeps going forward, there are questions that arise.
Who are we really meant to root for?
Who is the actual bad guy?
Chang and Choi admit that theyre better people, but insist that theyll prove how bad they really are.
Tiny Krueger Choi Bounge is an interesting character to follow because sometimes were just as confused as he is.
OSWALD
If anyone was hurt from the graphical jump betweenKing of Fighters XIandKing of Fighters XII, its Oswald.
All of his movements were so incredibly animated and show off how good the SNK crew was at this.
He just might be the most underused fighter in the franchise.
Then again…
20.
I get the backlash against Brian Battler and to a lesser extent Lucky Glauber.
Its just a crying shame that they have to drag Heavy D!
Outside of perhaps Dudley fromStreet Fighter, Heavy is legitimately my favorite boxer design in fighting games.
Part of it comes from what separates him from his partners.
Heavy doesnt need to dress up in baggy shorts and put on boxing gloves.
He proves hes an expert boxer by simply being good at it.
It really sucks that hes been tossed to the wayside.
As ofKing of Fighters 2003, they had a great twist.
While his sister Rose inherited their fathers viciousness, Adelheid has Rugals fighting skill.
Only SNK never got around to finishing his new sprites forKing of Fighters XIII.
JOE HIGASHI
In a way, Joe reminds me of Deadpool.
Under that, hes genuinely skilled and successful.
He is, after all, the worlds leading Muay Thai kickboxer with no signs of stopping.
Underthat, hes empty and unfulfilled.
The only woman hes got any spark with is unfortunately the sister of one of his greatest enemies.
He talks a big game and owns up to it, but its secretly never enough.
In her eyes, theyre equals and she deserves to be his partner.
At least more than Joe.
The Women Fighters Team is ultimately her way of showing him up and teaching him a lesson.
Then they got slashed to bits by Riot of the Blood Iori.
They died and it seemed like they took out two promising characters before they could hit their stride.
Theyre ghosts now, existing in the land of the living.
Not only does their return raise questions, but so do their motivations.
Theyve acted as mystical agents for Iori, but why?
They dont seem to want to unleash Orochi anymore, as they had the opportunity.
Is it affection for Iori?
Are they planning on stabbing him in the back?
Or is there a bigger picture?
I have to go with Vice on this one.
Matures super-sharp Sharon Stone is dandy, but Vice is the one whose personality truly stands out.
Shes snake-like and psychotic, making her moveset shine through.
Then theres the whole eye-patch thing.
Mature has an eye-patch inKing of Fighters XIII.
She no longer has it inKing of Fighters XIV.
Vice is free from those mind-bending complications.
But for real, was it just a fashion thing?
Can ghosts get pink eye?
One things for certain about both.
TIZOC/KING OF DINOSAURS
Tizoc started as just another cool design inGarou, a game filled with cool designs.
He was yet another Mexican luchador wrestling for the orphans of the world.
That cliches been done to death.
Suddenly,King of Fighters XIVpropelled him into being amazing.
Instead of a stoic griffon, he became a maniacal tyrannosaurus.
Because of course he did.
King of Dinosaurs adds to Tizoc in every way.
TAKUMA SAKAZAKI
In the early days ofKing of Fighters, Takuma was just a generic karate master.
Hed yell at Ryo and Robert to train more while looking like John Saxon.
Once he got past that and reunited with his family, he became somewhat bland.
Then the SNK folks hit a double-whammy.
First, they made him out to be kind of a senile joke.
InKing of Fighters 99, the enemy headquarters collapses onto him, exactly like it did to kill Krizalid.
A year later, he saves King from a city-destroying satellite laser by blasting it with his own chi.
Takuma basically treats them like two dolls that he slams together while making kissy noises.
Regardless, he may be old and goofy, but hes still SNKs chosen rival for Shin Akuma.
Dont mess with Takuma.
King is the first woman fighter in SNK history, but it wasnt exactly the proudest debut.
InArt of Fighting, Kings basic theme was shame.
She dressed up as a man because she was ashamed of her gender.
She got her shirt torn off, exposing her bra.
She tearfully gave information to Ryo while clutching her chest.
It wasnt the best look.
Well start our own fighting team!
With blackjack and Whoa!
Almost got accidentally problematic there.
Anyway, King is the captain of the Women Fighters Team, which has persevered over the decades.
BILLY KANE
First appearance: Fatal FuryFirst KOF appearance: KOF95
Billy Kane is conflicting.
Im never sure how to feel about him.
As Geese Howards right-hand man, hes evil for the right reasons.
Hes not an outright monster, but more of a loyal man with no moral compass.
The fact that his boss is a murderous megalomaniac does absolutely nothing to make him budge.
He wont save the city from Geese and he will never, ever have a go at usurp him.
Does that make you want to admire him or pity him?
Does his loyalty make him commendable or is it frustrating?
Billys unique play style and grounded personality always make him welcome whenever he appears in the series.
He was a reminder that they totally could have put Geese in the game and didnt.
All of his moves are totally sweet and nothing tops his Galactica Phantom.
Its a nigh-unstoppable, highly-damaging dashing haymaker laced with napalm.
Whats not to love?
A real mans punch!
Ralf Jones claims he can survive nukes and damn it, I believe him.
He doesnt want to rule the world.
Hes not using everyone as gears in some big, secret plot.
He just wants to defend his championship belt and get gigantic ratings for it.
And watch someOld Yellerpastiche movies on the side.
That is so incredibly messed up.
Despite her tendency to hold back her emotions, Leona is essentially the heart of the Ikari Warriors.
CHANG KOEHAN
I love this big lug.
I love crushing my tiny opponents with a giant ball and chain.
I love grabbing them and slamming them around like Chang is trying to put out a fire.
Chang is the best big man of SNK, nay, fighting games in general.
Im a huge fan of redemption storylines, and thats what Chang perpetually is.
Be the good guy.
Prove Kim right to the point that even Kim can see Changs gone legit with no signs of lying.
How are you today?
…and its a lot…
SNK boss impossibility aside, Rugal is such a cool villain.
Hes what M. Bison wishes he could be.
One of the great things about Rugal is that he didnt wear out his welcome.
Two games into the series, he died.
Sure, he showed up in some dream match games, but he stayed dead.
Plus he died because of his own hubris, which is classic villainy.
That would have owned.
Geese works on so many levels.
Theres the ironic, over-the-top nature of him that you cant help but love.
For instance,HIS NAME IS GEESE.Geese Howard.
That is his name.
Hes one of the most powerful, richest, sinister men on Earth and his name is Geese.
Why did his parents name him that?
Is this some kind of Boy Named Sue situation where
Theres also his delightful broken English.
Hes inherently badass, even if his pants make him look like hes wearing a giant dress.
He treats his subordinates especially Billy with respect because he knows the value of that.
He couldnt care less about their morals, but the idea of crossing fists with the Bogards amuses Geese.
IORI YAGAMI
Iori was introduced as Kyos rival with the intent to kill him for reasons never explicitly explained.
The guys fighting style has always made him out to be this hateful sadist who is delightful to control.
Iori may be spiteful and introverted, but he represents sacrifice.
Fighting Kyo is all he lives for.
Yet at the same time, he isnt selfish enough to be a nihilist over it.
This is from a guy whose running theme in his endings is that he doesnt play well with others.
Hes the best of both worlds in terms of what makes Ryu and Ken work.
He has Ryus wandering hobo nature and desire to meet and fight the best fighters in the world.
He also has Kens outgoing personality and people skills.
He doesnt even need Ryus inner darkness plot to drive him.
Terry is given his own moral battle in theFatal Furygames and his victory is more meaningful.
Geese Howard killed Terrys dad and when given the chance, Terry chose NOT to kill him.
All that, and much like Ralf, his fighting style centers around exploding punches.
Sorry, Raging Demon.
Heres to you, Terry Bogard.
Youre like anime John Cena, only youre better at putting over the younger stars.
KIM KAPHWAN
Its crazy when you look at it.
On paper, he seems so wholesome.
Hes a devout family man.
He takes great pride in his fighting style and shows dedication.
He means well, but he isnt well.
He wants whats best, but is bad at taking criticism, so its made him humorously twisted.
Theres a real who watches the watchmen?
In the end, maybe hes the one who needs to be rehabilitated.
RYUJI YAMAZAKI
If Vinnie Jones snorted a LOT of coke, you would have Ryuji Yamazaki.
Such a fantastic design.
His main forms of attack are stabbing, stomping, and using his arm as a whip.
But more than anyone else, I feel that Yamazaki fulfills the promise of whatKing of Fightersis all about.
Hes an outsider, just like Terry, Ryo, Athena, Ralf, and so on.
Hes fromFatal Fury, but he isnt just tacked on.
The others are crossover characters meant to interact with Kyos story.
Hes revealed to be part of the Orochi bloodline, which explains his outbursts and sadistic behavior.
That makes Yamazaki just as much aKing of Fighterscharacter as he is aFatal Furyone.
Its how it should be.
Gavin Jasper turned to dust after finishing this article.
Honor his memory byfollowing him on Twitter.
