Kyo Kusanagi
Encyclopedia : K : KY : KYO : Kyo Kusanagi
is one of the main characters in SNK Playmore's King of Fighters videogame series; he was first introduced in The King of Fighters '94. Kyo is voiced by Masahiro Nonaka.
History
Clan background
Kyo is a descendant of the legendary Kusanagi clan, and inherits from his family pyrokinetic powers, the ancient Kusanagi martial arts style, and an ancient enmity to both the Orochi and his minions, as well as Iori Yagami, last descendant of the treacherous Yasakani clan.The Kusanagi and Yasakani clans were once allies, uniting (along with the Yata clan) to seal away the evil Orochi and his powers 1800 years ago. However, the Yasakani clan, out of jealousy over the fame of the Kusanagi, eventually struck an unholy and treacherous pact with Orochi, and became the Yagami. Since, the Kusanagi have been locked in a mortal war with them, forced to use the crimson flames that put Orochi to sleep against their former allies. Many members of both clans have perished in this war, up until the events of the King of Fighters games, in which Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami must end a battle spanning 660 years.
Rugal Saga
Kyo Kusanagi is a student of the Kusanagi style of ancient martial arts, and an avid fighter. Shortly after the completion of his training, he noticed a flyer announcing the "King of Fighters" tournament. Competing in a preliminary held in Japan to determine the members of the Japan Team, he bested Goro Daimon (his first ever true challenge) and Benimaru Nikaido to become the leader of the team, the other two becoming his teammates and eventual friends. The Japan Team eventually reached the finals, where they met the host of the tournament, a powerful fighter named Rugal Bernstein.Rugal revealed that the point of the tournament was merely to provide him with worthy fighters to fight with, and pointed to a myriad of statues of his petrified foes as their eventual fate. While the battle against Rugal initially went poorly, Kyo saw an injured Saisyu on board, and his subsequent rage drove him to defeat Rugal. Rugal triggered his ship's self-destruct sequence to take them down with him, but while fleeing, the Japan Team discovers that Saisyu has vanished after their fight with Rugal.
In the next tournament, Kyo and his team are invited to another King of Fighters tournament, organized once again by the nefarious Rugal (who had survived his craft's self-destruction). Rugal had not only defeated Saisyu once again, but had brainwashed him into attacking his son. Benimaru and Goro spared Kyo from having to fight his father, and manage to subdue him. At Saisyu's behest, Kyo once again fought Rugal, who revealed that he was drawing upon power from the legendary Orochi. However, as Rugal drew more and more power, it became too great for his body to contain, and it killed him.
Orochi Saga
Prior to the King of Fighters 96 tournament, a mysterious man named Goenitz challenged Kyo to a fight. Despite his misgivings, Kyo arrived powered by his overwhelming confidence and arrogance, only to be defeated soundly. Afterwards, despite his injuries, his anger and spirit drove him to invent powerful new techniques - this is the game's explanation for Kyo trading his ground-fireball attack for his now trademark flame-laced melee attack chains.Kyo entered the tournament with his team again to search for Goenitz and get even, his new techniques proving instrumental to his victories. The host of the tournament was the younger heiress of the Yata clan, Chizuru Kagura, who warned Kyo of the arriving power of the Orochi. At the end of the tournament, the Japan team encountered the powerful Goenitz, and with their new techniques and the cooperation of Iori Yagami, bested him. As he lay defeated, he promised that "the Orochi threat would never end", and vanished.
During the next year, Kyo began to have nightmares of a strange man defeating him, a trouble compounded by having to train a young fan of his named Shingo Yabuki, who aspired to be just like him in the martial arts (obviously not possible, given his inability to wield fire). Despite his misgivings about the next tournament, he chose to enter, and encountered a darker side to the legend of the Orochi. He discovered that the "Ikari" warrior Leona Heidern and his rival Iori Yagami's bloodline had become more and more corrupted, eventually transforming them into a state called the "Riot of the Blood", which induced the ferocity of the Orochi and a uncontrollable state of madness.
This, along with the introduction of the "New Face team", three members of the Orochi who could use their powers at will, contributed to the eventual resurrection of the legendary beast. The powerful monster defeated the combined efforts of Kyo and Iori until the intervention of Chizuru. In a last-ditch effort, Orochi (manifested in Chris's body) caused Iori to enter the berserk Riot of Blood state, expecting him to turn on Kyo and Chizuru. Instead, Iori snared Orochi by the neck, and Kyo obliged his rival by crippling the great demon with one last deathblow, allowing Chizuru to reseal the Orochi (like the legends of old). Exhausted, Kyo passed out afterwards.
NESTS Saga
Unconscious from his inhuman efforts against Orochi, Kyo was taken by the NESTS syndicate and his DNA was used to make various beings for their purposes. He awoke one day to find himself surrounded by bizarre gadgets and needles. Deciding to search for answers, Kyo broke out of captivity and managed to escape the hidden fortress despite the sedatives. While escaping, he constantly heard references to the NESTS cartel and to a powerful fighter named "Krizalid".Kyo followed the trail of the King of Fighters tournament, hoping for a chance at revenge. His search led him to the same place he had escaped from. Following a familiar path, Kyo eventually arrived in time to see Benimaru and Shingo fighting the powerful Krizalid. Also present were two unknown fighters assisting them: a lean, young man named K' and a heavily armored cyborg named Maxima. Krizalid was a deadly foe, but with Kyo's help, the New Hero Team managed to kill him.
One year passed, and Kyo discovered the NESTS cartel was still very much operational, now operating in the city of "Southtown". Making his way through the tournament, he, Iori and K' encountered the madman Igniz, who challenged them to a fight in an orbiting Space Station. Combining their fire techniques, they defeated Igniz and destroyed the NESTS cartel.
Sacred Treasures (Ash) Saga
In 2003, yet another KoF tournament was announced. Chizuru appeared to both Kyo and Iori, requesting that they form a team and investigate suspicious activities concerning the Orochi. Kyo initially protested allying with Iori (though Iori apparently did not do likewise), but relented to form the Saced Treasures team. The trio rose to the finals and bested Mukai, a celestial being who professed interest in the power of humans. Kyo, Iori and Chizuru then investigated the weakening Orochi seal that they had been transported to before fighting Mukai, but were ambushed by Ash, who stole the power of the Yata Mirror from Chizuru and promised to go after Iori next. Ash escaped, and Kyo swore vengeance.
For the following tournament, Kyo, Iori and Shingo formed a team to try and stop Ash once more. However, the growing presence of the Orochi (connected to the appearance of Magaki, one of its heralds) caused Iori to snap and enter the Blood Riot state, where he trashed Kyo and Shingo in a berserk rage. Ash appeared thereafter and stole the Yasakani Magatama, as well as Iori's purple flames, and the Rival Team (Benimaru, Duo Lon, Elisabeth) arrived just in time for Ash to tell Benimaru that Kyo would be his next target.
Trivia
- As of today, Kyo has sported 5 different outfits, one being the school uniform version from KOF 94-98, the 'Shin Kyo' version (black shirt with white cross, white jacket and jeans with a little chain around the pocket ) KOF 99-2002, the KOF 2003-KOFXI (and likely KOF XII as well) Kyo with a black biker jacket, white shirt and jeans and his latest outfit for Maximum Impact 2. The Kyo EX Striker in King of Fighters 99 On Dreamcast also features a different outfit, similar his 2003 appearance, but with his headband and the jacket closed. This outfit is also used in KOF Battle de Paradise (a board game for Neo Geo Pocket). The only iteration where Kyo didn't wear the Kusanagi gloves is the Shin Kyo version (because he gave his original gloves to Shingo before he went to face Orochi not to be seen again until that point), although he is shown wearing them to give the final blow on Krizalid in his KOF '99 ending, as well as to fight Iori in his KOF 2000 ending. Even though the series is a spin-off, (a new outfit designed by Falcoon and at the same time it's set on a different universe), Kyo has "officially" worn a fifth outfit for (it is also the outfit Kyo used in the animé, KOF: Another Day) [link].
- Kyo's 1st default outfit in is his 'Shin Kyo' outfit, his unlockable 3rd default outfit 'KOF 2003' Kyo, and his 1st alternate outfit the school uniform.
- At the start of the NESTS saga, King of Fighters 99, NESTS has created Kyo clones en masse in an attempt to take over the world. The known Kyo clones are: Kyo-1 (KOF 99), Kyo-2 (KOF 99), Kusanagi (KOF 2002). Kyo-1 and Kyo-2's whereabouts are unknown as they do not even have their own endings in KOF 99.
- K' is not a true Kyo clone, as he was simply injected with Kyo's DNA by NESTS. Kula also has Kyo's DNA, but reversed; she can use ice-based attacks, because her DNA was designed so she could be effectively the Anti-K'.
- Kusanagi appeared in KOF 2002 and 2003. In KOF 2002 he was a Kyo clone, while in KOF 2003 he was 'created' by Chizuru Kagura during the tournament. Kusanagi basically has most of the attacks of the old Kyo from KOF 94 to 95. In KOF 97 and 98, you can also choose an alternate version of Kyo, with his attacks from KOF 94 and 95, respectively, although it has never been assumed whether they can be Kusanagi or not. It is, however, unlikely for these two to be Kusanagi, as they lack the standard charred skin and blue outfit. It is more likely these forms are simply Kyo going back to his roots.
- In the first stages of development, Kyo was meant to be called Sho Kirishima. His name only became Kyo Kusanagi later on (possibly because of the planning of the connection of the KOF storyline with the Yamata no Orochi legend). A character with that name appears as an alternate striker for Kyo in KOF 2000 (bearing Kyo's original character design). This character also appears as Kyo's unlockable 3rd alternate outfit in . The Sho Kirishima outfit also appears in as Classic Kyo's unlockable "normal" outfit. [link]
- Kyo Kusanagi only exhibits the DM (or in 2003, Leader DM) "Saishu Kessen Ougi: Mu Shiki" (also known as "San Shingi no Ichi", the Trinity One; or completely incorrectly as "Final Showdown") in The King of Fighters 97, 98, and 2003 (Barring appearances outside of the series) -- All games where Chizuru Kagura is present as a playable character.
- Following the above trend, Kyo only exhibits the SDM/HSDM/LDM "524 Shiki: Kamukura" in 2001, 2002, and XI. Barring 2002 (as it is a dream match) each of these instances are when Kyo has been exceptionally angry (in 2001 over NESTS; in XI over the attack on Chizuru, the weakening of the Orochi Seal, etc.) Following that rule, it does not seem unlikely that the Kamukura attack will also return in The King of Fighters XII.
- Kyo Kusanagi will be making a double appearance in the Playstation 2 Version of KOF XI, one in the same form as he does in the arcades, as well as an added bonus: The Neo Geo Battle Coliseum version of Kyo.
- Kyo Kusanagi will also be making a double appearance on . The default Kyo is designed by the SNKP artist Falcoon and plays simply how he has always been since KOF 2001; and a Classic Kyo (which sports the school uniform as the normal outfit and the "Shin" Kyo outfit as "another") who plays exactly like Kusanagi during KOF 2002 [link].
References
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑
External links
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.