Now Viewing: the_king_of_fightersTag type: Copyright kof キングオブファイターズ ザ·キング·オブ·ファイターズ 2D tag team fighting game series created by SNK and one of SNK's most popular series. Not only is the series popular in its home country, but it is notably very popular amongst fans in Latin American territories and the Caribbean. In response, SNK has included Latin American characters as fighters in the series. The original game debuted in 1994. It has also been adapted into an English language live action film as well as multiple Japanese manga and Chinese manhua. The games are a crossover of the various SNK-developed franchises combined with original characters. The series has become popular enough that some characters who aren't originally from The King of Fighters are more famous for their roles in this series. The game's original characters such as Yagami Iori and Kusanagi Kyo have also become SNK icons. The series is one of the earliest and longest running crossover fighting game franchises. The series has an ongoing storyline that is split into multiple arcs: the Rugal (KOF 94), Orochi (KOF 95–97), NESTS (KOF 99–2002), and Ash (KOF 2003–13). Each story arc focuses on a different set of protagonists and antagonists but old characters usually remain as playable characters and have some involvement in the narrative. In between the story arcs, there are non-canon games that bring back almost every character to date even if they were killed during the storyline. Each game uses 2D sprites except the Maximum Impact spinoff series, which uses 3D graphics and arenas. King of Fighters XIV also uses 3D graphics but retains the 2D tag gameplay. Characters are organized into teams of three. In most games, a round ends when one of the characters is knocked out and replaced by another team member for the next round. Players decide in which order the characters will fight. The match ends when an entire team is knocked out or time runs out during the last round. Some entries in the series allow players to switch characters on the fly or use characters as an assist but the mechanics are different from the Marvel vs. Capcom style tag team action. The characters are often given stylized and trendier costumes in contrast to fellow fighting game series Street Fighter. Certain characters like Remy and Crimson Viper from the Street Fighter series are often considered to be SNK-ish or King of Fighters–esque characters due to their comparatively trendier outfits in contrast to most of the other Street Fighter characters. The series also has a higher quotient of androgynously beautiful men. The series is also a notable example of SNK's tendency to include extremely difficult and powerful final bosses, many of who have become infamous purely for how much difficulty players have beating them. The series was originally intended to be tag-team crossover 2D beat em up game as opposed to a competitive 2D fighting game. The Fatal Fury and Ryuuko no Ken characters were meant to be part of the series from the beginning and the original 2D beat em up also had the three-player team style gameplay that the final product would become known for. However, after Capcom's Final Fight was released, the developers became concerned that what would become KOF 94 would be seen as too similar to Final Fight so they redesigned it as a fighting game. The series is a very large influence on the Chinese online fighting game Xuan Dou Zhi Wang and many characters from said game strongly resemble the KOF cast in appearance and fighting styles. However, SNK and the Xuan Dou Zhi Wang's developers Tencent came to an agreement and the former has allowed Terry Bogard and Benimaru Nikaidou to join Xuan Dou Zhi Wang's cast. Cast: Debuted in KOF 94: Kusanagi_Kyo Nikaido_Benimaru Daimon_Goro Chin_Gentsai Choi_Bounge Chang_Koehan Heavy_D Lucky_Glauber Brian_Battler Rugal_Bernstein Heidern Kusanagi_Saisyu Terry_Bogard Andy_Bogard Joe_Higashi Sakazaki_Ryo Robert_Garcia Sakazaki_Takuma Heidern_(KOF) Ralf_Jones Clark_Still Asamiya_Athena Sie_Kensou Chin_Gentsai King_(SNK) Sakazaki_Yuri Shiranui_Mai Kim_Kaphwan Chang_Koehan Choi_Bounge KOF 95: Yagami_Iori Billy_Kane Kisaragi_Eiji Kusanagi_Saisyu KOF 96: Leona_Heidern Mature_(KOF) 1st appeared in 94 as NPC Vice Kagura_Chizuru Leopold_Goenitz Toudou_Kasumi Geese_Howard Wolfgang_Krauser Mr._Big KoF 97: Nanakase_Yashiro Shermie Chris_(KOF) Yabuki_Shingo Orochi_(KOF) Yamazaki_Ryuji Blue_Mary KOF 99: K' Krizalid Maxima_(KOF) Whip_(KOF) Kyo-1 Kyo-2 Kirishima_Syo Bao_(KOF) Jhun_Hoon Seth_(KOF) Li_Xiangfei KOF EX: Habana_Moe KOF 2000: Candy_Diamond Kula_Diamond Shijou_Hinako Vanessa Zero_clone_(KOF) Ramon Lin_(KOF) Cosplayer_Kyoko Kang_Bae_Dal Baitang KOF EX 2: Kurosaki_Miu Kagami_Jun Oogami_Reiji Amou_Sinobu KOF 2001: K9999 Angel_(kof) May_Lee Foxy Zero_(KOF) Igniz KOF 2002: Kusanagi Nameless KOF Maximum Impact: Alba_Meira Lien_Neville Soiree_Meira Chae_Lim Duke Mignon_Beart KOF 2003: Ash_Crimson Duo_Lon Shen_Woo Gato_(Fatal_Fury) Kagura_Maki Tizoc_(SNK) Malin Adelheid_Bernstein Mukai_(kof) KOF Maximum Impact 2: Luise_Meyrink Ninon_Beart Nagase_(KOF) Hyena_(KOF) Jivatma Xiao_Lon KOF XI: Oswald_(kof) Elisabeth_Blanctorche Duck_King Futaba_Hotaru Hayate_Sho Bonne_Jenet Jyazu Momoko Shion_(KOF) Magaki Silber Tendo_Gai Tung_Fu_Rue KOF XII: Raiden_(SNK) KOF XIII: Saiki_(KoF) Hwa_Jai KOF XIV: Alice_Garnet_Nakata Antonov_(Kof) Bandeiras_Hattori Gang-il Hein_(KOF) Kukri_(KOF) Love_Heart Luong_(KOF) Meitenkun Mian_(KOF) Mui_Mui Nakoruru Nelson_(KOF) Shun'ei Sylvie_Paula_paula Xanadu_(KOF) Zarina_(KOF) NPCs: Yuki_(KOF) Misty_(KOF) Glaugan Luan_(KOF) Chat_(KOF) Sai_(KOF) Ron_(Kof) Nests Diana_(KOF) Botan_(KOF) Rose_Bernstein Shroom_(KOF) Rimelo Spinoffs: Maximum_Impact SNK_Gal_Fighters Related: Athena Brave_Frontier Buriki_One Capcom_vs_SNK Days_of_Memories Dead_or_Alive_5 Dead_or_Alive_6 Dragon_Gal Fatal_Fury Fuuun_Mokushiku Ikari_Warriors Metal_Slug Neo_Geo_Battle_Coliseum Psycho_Soldier Ryuuko_no_Ken Samurai_Spirits Xuan_Dou_Zhi_Wang Artists: Falcoon Hiroaki_(artist) Nona Mori_Toshiaki Eisuke_Ogura Other Wiki Information Last updated: 11/10/25 2:19 AM by DocWatson This entry is not locked and you can edit it as you see fit. |
     
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