KYO KUSANAGI
First Appearance: King of Fighters '94
Game Appearances: All King of Fighters Games, Capcom (vs) SNK 1 & 2, SNK (vs) Capcom SVC Chaos, Neo-Geo Battle Coliseum
Role: The Ryu, Shotoclone, The Main Character, Destined Opponent (For Orochi)
PL 10 (154)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3
Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+14)
Athletics 9 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+17)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 11 (+11)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Chi) 6 (+13)
Advantages:
Assessment, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Critical (Dark Thrust), Improved Critical (Rapids of Rage) 2, Improved Critical (Fire Spin) 2, Improved Critical (Wicked Chew) 2, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 3
SNK Fighting Style: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Block)
Powers:
"The Kusanagi Flames" Features 1: Adds Fire to Unarmed Damage [1]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
"Rapids of Rage- Fire Combo" Strength-Damage +1 (Extras: Multiattack 4) (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Affliction 4 (Toughness; Dazed & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (Inaccurate -1) (6) -- [10]
- AE: "Dark Thrust- SNK Sliding Blast" Blast 5 (Reduced Defenses -2, Diminished Range -1) (5)
- AE: "Off-Brand Dragon Punch- Spinning Fire Attack" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit Jumping Opponents) (Inaccurate -1) (2)
- AE: "Wicked Chew/Poison Gnawfest- Fire Punches" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
- AE: "Crescent Slash- Fire-Based Grab" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit if Opponent Parried Last Turn) (Inaccurate -1) (2)
Unarmed +17 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Special Moves +15 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Dark Thrust +13 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Rapids of Rage +16 (+4 Damage & Affliction, DC 19 & 14)
Initiative +9
Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +9
Complications:
Responsibility (The Kusanagi Clan)- Kyo is the latest in the line of Kusanagis, who were one of three clans that sealed Orochi generations ago.
Rivalry (Iori Yagami)- The Yagami & Kusanagi clans have a rivalry that goes way back- Iori and Kyo also simply do not like each other.
Enemy (Orochi)- Orochi plans on destroying the three clans that sealed him away.
Relationship (Benimaru, Goro Daimon)- Kyo's friends from the "Japan Team" are still close to him.
Relationship (Shingo Yabuki- Friend)- Shingo worships Kyo and relentlessly bothers him for training.
Relationship (Yuki)- Kyo has one of those weird, sexless shonen relationships with a generic schoolgirl.
Weakness (Predictability)- SNK Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.
Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 19 + 11 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 22 (154)
Kyo Kusanagi- SNK's New Mascot:
-Controversially, Kyo Kusanagi, a brand-new character, became the unopposed Main Character of the King of Fighters franchise, supplanting both Terry Bogard & Ryo Sakazaki immediately. This kind of annoyed fans of Terry in particular, especially as Kyo openly copied many of the same moves (the Dark Thrust was almost exactly the Power Wave). But Kyo ended up becoming rather popular himself, so it turned out for the best- now SNK had TWO legitimate major heroes going on (something Capcom never quite equaled with Ryu).
-Kyo was given a big backstory, even by SNK standards- he is the latest in a long line of members of the Kusanagi clan, a family that helped seal away the power of Orochi 1800 years ago. Now, Orochi is planning its return- Kyo is mentored by Chizuru, but the latest Yagami, a rock star named Iori, is a bit nuts and hates Kyo. The rivalry between the two centers many of the games in the series, but ultimately the three come together to seal away Orochi once more in King of Fighters '97- Kyo's "Japan Team" is therefore the canonical winners of three KoFs in a row. Kyo's teammates drift further & further from the main story, Daimon in particular often being written out, but Kyo is so important to the series that numerous characters are based entirely on their relationship to him- Iori hates him, Shingo worships him and wants to be like him, and Athena has a huge crush on him.
Life With Kyo:
-Kyo himself is deposed as Main Character in KoF '99, with the NESTS cartel kidnapping him and stealing his DNA to make K', the new main guy who wins most of the tournaments. Despite that, he returns again and again, even getting an all-new outfit, teaming up with variations of his old squad and once in a trio with Iori & Chizuru (the "Sacred Treasures Team"), which apparently beat Mukai in 2003! In one of the latest games, he has his Kusanagi Flames stolen from him by Ash Crimson, altering his fighting style a bit. But he's still so important to the franchise that they rivet on MORE Kyo Clones, including two guys who copy his old movesets, letting you play the various versions of the character!
-Kyo is... a Generic Shonen Protagonist. His personality is bland beyond "perseveres through everything" and "is nice & friendly otherwise", but as it's a Fighting Game, it kinda works, especially as the writers based nearly their entire universe around him early on. He was fun to play (throwing out Shotoclone stuff, but also many multi-hitting combos), typically powerful in the "tiers", and more. His iconic schoolboy look was dropped for cool jackets, but most other games (like the Capcom vs. SNK series) use his iconic original look.
Kyo's Moves:
-Kyo's moveset was typically Shotoclone-y to start, with a standard-issue SNK Sliding Floor Blast (the Dark Thrust), an off-brand Dragon Punch, and some across-the-screen moves. However, he at least added a few other things, like some punch combos, a flaming Grab attack, and more. The Dark Thrust was dropped for some reason as time went on (Balance reasons? He had a TON of moves), making him more of a combo-themed guy.