Full Name = Kyo Kusanagi
Birthdate = December 12
Birthplace = Japan
Height = 181 cm (5'11")
Weight = 75 kg (165 lbs)
Blood Type = Type B (RH-)
Likes = His motorcycle, his girlfriend Yuki
Dislikes = Effort
Hobbies = Writing poetry
Favorite Food = Broiled fish
Forte in Sports = Ice Hockey
Fighting Style = Kusanagi style of ancient martial arts + personal style of Kenpo
Kyo Kusanagi is one of the main characters and the original protagonist of the King of Fighters. He is the son of Saisyu Kusanagi, boyfriend to Yuki Kushinada, mentor and ex-fellow high school student to Shingo Yabuki, close friend to Benimaru Nikaido and Goro Daimon, ally to Chizuru Kagura and the rival of Iori Yagami.
Story
Kyo is the leader and member of the Kusanagi clan. The members of the clan have the ability to create and wield flames. About 1800 years before 1997, the Kusanagi, Yasakani and Yata clans all fought against the serpentine entity known as Orochi and his clan of human followers, who he had granted supernatural abilities and powers, called 'the Orochi'.
Disgusted by how humans treated nature, Orochi gained followers and granted them elemental powers. Waging the war on mankind, he attempted to 'cleanse' the world of all humans but was defeated by the alliance of the three clans with his followers being driven off into seclusion. The Hakkesshu, the eight strongest warriors of the Orochi clan also consisting of The Four Heavenly Kings, the four strongest of them all were sealed and Orochi himself was sealed away in another dimension by the combined efforts of a member of each clan in the final battle; the Yasakani immobilized Orochi while the Kusanagi delivered the final blow and the Yata clan member sealed him away.
For a time, there was peace. However, 660 years before the King of Fighters 1997, the seal began to weaken and it was decided to relocate the vessel. The Hakkesshu, who had been sealed separately, took the opportunity to escape the seal with one proceeding to sow discord and disruption in the unity between the three clans by killing the Yasakani leader’s wife, planting her corpse in the Kusanagi homeland before approaching the Yasakani head, disguised, and claimed the Kusanagi had been responsible. He claimed them to have said to do so as ‘atonement’ for letting the seal weaken and the corpse is located from the Kusanagi lands. Thirsty for revenge, the Yasakani signed a blood pact with the Orochi, turning their flames purple with Orochi’s taint, cause every heir to die young and every mother to die in childbirth, and, with the presence and will of Orochi or the Four Heavenly Kings, anyone to go into a mad state of brutality known as the Riot of the Blood which could occur in anyone not purely Orochi. They then changed their name to Yagami. The conflict resulted in an everlasting grudge between the once strong allies.
Hundreds of years later, the clan is lead by Saisyu Kusanagi, and Kyo is the heir to the Kusanagi leadership. He is also a high school student who is a delinquent with a somewhat cocky and lazy attitude but shows a sense of right and wrong and true love and care for his girlfriend and fellow high school student, Yuki Kushinada. Kyo soon acquires the leadership and responsibilities of the Kusanagi clan from his father.
He enters Japan ’s qualification tournament for the King of Fighters 1994 and successfully comes out on top, besting Benimaru Nikaido and Goro Daimon who become his teammates, and eventually close friends, forming the Japan Team and representing Japan
Next year, the King of Fighters 1995 is announced and Kyo receives an invitation along with his previous teammates. The three reunite to form the Japan Team and enter the tournament once more. This time however, Kyo’s rival, Iori Yagami from the Yagami clan is also present in the tournament as a part of the Rival Team, along Billy Kane and Eiji Kisaragi, who’s entered to face and kill him. Kyo and his team manage to make it to the finals again when they are abducted by the host to an abandoned missile silo. There, they come across a brainwashed Saisyu, courtesy of one of Rugal’s secretaries, Vice, who proceeds to fight his son and his teammates. Kyo successfully manages to best his father after which the host, who also happens to be the final opponent, reveals himself, being none other than Rugal with cybernetics in place of one of his hands. Having survived the blast of his ship in the previous tournaments’ finale by using his secretive Orochi power, Rugal attempts to exact revenge on Kyo and his team. Iori arrives and surprisingly helps in confronting Rugal, who is eventually beaten once more. Unwilling to face defeat again, Rugal attempts to draw more power from the Orochi power granted to him but his body is unable to withstand the immense power and he disintegrate as Iori tells him that only those who have it in their blood can control the Orochi power.
Some time before the King of Fighters 1996, Kyo is challenged to a fight by a man later revealed to be Goenitz, one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Cocky and confident about his skills, Kyo rushes into battle only to be swept away and end up in the hospital. This incident makes Kyo realize the need to improve his fighting skill and he decides to incorporate Kenpo into his ancient Kusanagi fighting style combined with his usual flames to create a stronger and more efficient fighting style.
Entering the King of Fighters 1996 with Benimaru and Daimon as the Japan Team like previously always, Kyo reaches the finals to meet the hostess, Chizuru Kagura; a priestess from the Yata clan in charge of the Orochi seal who does battle with the Japan Team and is defeated. Assured in his power, Chizuru pleads to Kyo to deal with Goenitz who appears unexpectedly with the wind. He is joined by his rival Iori, who once again assists him. Kyo’s new fighting style proves to be effective and Goenitz begins to succumb before asking Iori’s teammates, Mature and Vice of the Hakkesshu, to assist him, only to have them turn their backs on him. Realizing he’s been defeated, Goenitz commits suicide using a gale of wind. With Goenitz gone, Chizuru confronts Kyo about his duties relating to Orochi who brushes her off and leaves.
Following his performance in the King of Fighters ’96, Kyo becomes the idol of Shingo Yabuki, a boy studying in the same high school as him, who witnessed his doings in the previous tournament on TV. He pesters Kyo into teaching him how to fight and create flames. Though annoyed, Kyo agrees to mentor him in exchange for free meals. Sadly for Shingo, he remains unaware that Kyo’s flames are actually a hereditary gift rather than a learnable technique. Kyo also has nightmares about being defeated by an unknown person but brushes them aside.
Kyo enters the King of Fighters 1997 like in any other previous tournament with Benimaru and Daimon as the Japan Team. Iori is again present, but as a single entry this time, as well as Shingo and Chizuru joins as a part of the Women Fighters Team. At some point, Kyo is truly taken by Shingo’s hard work and progress and gives him a pair of gloves similar to those he wore which Shingo continues to treasure and wear. Midst of the tournament, Yuki mysteriously disappears and Kyo searches for her. Near the conclusion of the tournament, ryuji Yamazaki begins to act strangely and Iori and Leona Heidern suddenly go into the Riot of the Blood. Kyo and his teammates face the berserk Iori and succeed in defeating him. It is then that it is revealed that Orochi has a link to the tournament yet again. Suddenly, the New Faces Team, consisting of newcomers Yashiro Nanakse, Chris and Shermie reveal themselves to be the remaining three of the Four Heavenly Kings. Revealing to have been secretly using the tournament to gather energy for Orochi and being the ones to abduct Yuki due to the need to sacrifice her in a ritual to bring Orochi back to the realm in all his form and power, the New Faces Team, also referred to as the Orochi Team, fight against the Japan Team with each member bearing similar powers to another in the opposite team. They are however, defeated and Yuki is rescued. Unfortunately, even with being on the losing side, the Heavenly Kings have enough energy to pour into member Chris and allow Orochi to return with him acting as an avatar. A recovered Iori and Chizuru arrive as Orochi, successfully back, posses and transforms Chris’ body into one of his desired form. An ultimate battle to decide the fate of the world takes place as Kyo, Iori and Chizuru team up to face against the godlike being Orochi just like their ancestors had done son 1800 years ago. Even with his amazing power, Orochi is stiil no match for the combined efforts of the three clans. In a last desperation move, Orochi zctivates the Riot of the Blood in Iori once more and lets out a triumphant laugh, believing he will assist him now, only to be proven wrong, as Iori snares him by the neck and asks Kyo to finish him off. Kyo obliges and delivers the final blow. Chizuru proceeds to seal him once more. Orochi had been defeated just how he had been 1800 years ago, with one from the Yasakani ensnaring him, one from the Kusanagi defeating him and one from the Yata sealing him. In the aftermath, Kyo disappears.
At some unspecified point, Kyo awakes at one of the bases of the criminal syndicate known as the NESTS to find himself surrounded by various machines. Having abducted Kyo at the conclusion of the KOF ’97 tournament, the NESTS successfully manage to use his DNA to create clones and genetic hybrids capable of copying his flames, including K’ and clones Kyo-1 and Kyo-2. Kyo escapes despite his less than perfect condition, hearing references to the cartel as he does so with his attempt to gain some answers from his captors ending in failure as the base begins to collapse and he manages to flee in time. Completely puzzled, Kyo decides to search for answers while staying publicly missing.
Kyo does some secret investigating during the King of Fighters 1999 behind the scenes. He infiltrates the base where the final battle with Krizalid is taking place, though his efforts bare little fruit, and escapes as the base begins to give way just before Iori arrives after tracking him. Shortly, the base collapses.
Kyo continues his investigation the next year while the King of Fighters 2000 takes place. At the conclusion, he ends up dealing with Iori as the destruction of South Town
Deciding to finally come out of the shadows, Kyo reunites with Benimaru and Daimon.
With the desire to enter the King of Fighters 2001 sponsored by NESTS, Kyo, Benimaru and Daimon decide to relive the glory days by entering as the Japan Team once more, with Shingo Yabuki this time to fill in as a fourth member due the new rule of having four members in each team with Iori following Kyo into the tournament to confront his rival again. Though Kyo and his team fail to make it to the finals this time, they are rewarded with the destruction of the mighty NESTS, courtesy of his clone K’ and his team.
Following the incident, Kyo begins traveling the world, believing danger keeps following him and that simply staying would endanger all his loved ones. Two years later, though generally out of reach, Chizuru manages to reach Kyo and requests him to team up with her and Iori, who surprisingly does not object, to form the Sacred Treasures Team and enter the King of Fighters 2003 as she believes it to have some relation to the wakening Orochi seal. Despite initially protesting at teaming with Iori, Kyo relents to the request.
Kyo, Iori and Chizuru enter the King of Fighters 2003 as the Sacred Treasures Team. During the tournament, the team encounters another clone of Kyo, crafted from magic, named Kusanagi, who bears resemblance to his old self. As they reach the conclusion, it is revealed that Chizuru hosted the tournament herself under mind control and was also responsible for the creation of Kusanagi. Near the Orochi seal, still under mind control, Chizuru creates a clone of her deceased sister Maki Kagura and a fight ensues with Chizuru and the mirror clone being defeated and the mind control being relinquished by the one responsible. It is revealed to be Botan, a member of a mysterious group of people known as ‘Those From the Past’ claiming to be from ‘his distant land’. Member Mukai then appears, claiming everything to have been a part of their plot to break the Orochi seal for their master before engaging Kyo, Iori and a recovered Chizuru in a final battle at the site of the Orochi seal. The battle ends with victory for Kyo and the team but Mukai rises, seemingly unscathed and quickly teleports off along with the other members. The seal is revealed to be successfully broken and the team quickly decides to fix it. Kyo notices Chizuru bearing an injury which she claims to be from the battle and gets ready to fix the seal when she is suddenly attacked from behind by Ash Crimson, a newcomer who was a part of the Hero Team, who mortally wounds her and steals her powers before carelessly tossing her off where Kyo tends to her, angrily demanding what he was doing. Ash responds by claiming to be ‘getting a little help’ before saying Iori will be his next target and immediately making his escape, leaving behind an extremely irritated and infuriated Kyo and an injured Chizuru in his arms to hospitalized.
Kyo proceeds to enter the King of Fighters XI with Iori and Shingo as the Sacred Treasures Team to stop Ash and deal with Orochi’s link to the tournament. It seems obvious that the tournament is probably hosted by Those From the past like the previous one. They reach the finals where they confront Those From the Past member, Shion. Despite his skill, they successfully defeat him and he is pulled into a dimensional rift by the in charge of the tournament, Magaki who appears before them and transforms into a morphed state before confronting them in battle. Despite his powers, arrogance and small view of mortals, Magaki finds himself defeated and is about to escape through the same dimensional rift he came and pulled Shion in through before he realizes the error in his doings and begins to laugh in a maniacally triumphant manner. However, in an unexpected move, Shions’ spear comes hurling through the rift and right through Magaki, slaying him and he drops down dead as the rift closes. Suddenly, Iori goes into the Riot of the Blood and despite his and Shingo’s attempts to subdue him, both are badly thrashed before Ash interferes, proceeding to defeat Iori and steal his powers before warning the Rival Team, consisting of Elizabeth Blantorche, Duo Lon and Benimaru, who arrive at the scene that Kyo will be his next target before teleporting away.
Kyo ends up in the hospital due to the injuries he sustained. They are however, nothing compared to those sustained by Shingo and he escapes rather than wait for full recovery. While wandering, he is attacked by two child-like people, unknown to him, from Those From the Past, Shroom and Rimelo. After an exchange of attacks, resulting in the two being taken by Kyo’s impressive flames and abilities, they give him an invitation to the upcoming King of Fighters tournament: The King of Fighters XIII. The seal held the initial ‘R’- from Rose Bernstein, who found herself under mind control by Botan, similar to Chizuru, to hold the previous and following tournament- and the two speak of wanting to personally make sure he enters. Later, Kyo finds himself with his old friends, Benimaru and Daimon. Denying the need to visit Shingo and Chizuru (particularly after hearing the latter was visited by Iori) upon Benimaru’s mention, Kyo affirms the decision for the three to enter the tournament and relive the glory days.
Combat Style
Kyo fights using the Kusanagi style of ancient martial arts and some kenpo, creating a style utilizing punching and several kicking techniques, usually laced together to create strong melee attacks and/or meant to get through the opponents defense.
Kyo generally maneuvers into lacing several short ranged attacks to form a devastating combo that can slowly extend range and delivers very satisfactory damage. Described more than once as ‘dynamic’, Kyo’s fighting style also combines maneuvers that allow him to block or avoid an incoming attack while going into an attack, as well as counter moves (particularly anti-air moves). His techniques revolve around getting through the enemy’s defenses and delivering strong hits. His style is a combination of the ancient martial arts of his family and clan with kenpo incorporated.
Previously, Kyo fought only using the ancient Kusanagi style of martial arts, but following his defeat by Goenitz just before KOF ‘96, he decided to incorporate kenpo as well to improve his fighting skill.
Powers
Kyo has the ability to create and manipulate fire.
The Kusanagi are the blessed with the gift of being able to utilize flames. Kyo is no exception. Infact, he and his clan hold the exact flames that have the power to take the godlike serpent, Orochi down; that which has also been done a bit more than 1800 years before by an ancestor of the clan and, more recently, once again by Kyo after Orochi’s recent return with resealing following.
Pyrokinesis: Kyo is able to create and control fire.
-Fire Projectile: Kyo can toss fire
-Fire Body: Kyo can create flames on his limbs and being
-Fire Blast: Kyo can create explosions of fire
Fighting Style
Kyo combines his ancient Kusanagi style of martial arts and personal kenpo usage with his fire abilities to create a devastating fighting style involving heavy strikes, fists laced with fire and curtains of flames.
His techniques revolve around getting through the enemies defenses and delivering hard hits. Fire is combined in most if not all of his attacks to increase damage to his attacks. His flames may be used to give extra damage to an attack, or used by themselves to attack as well.
Kyo has defeated foes such as his rival Iori, Benimaru and Daimon in single battles and others or others in different forms together with teammates such as Orochi Iori, Orochi, The Orochi Team consisting of Orochi Yashiro, Orochi Chris and Orochi Shermie, Goenitz, Saisyu, Mukai, Magaki, as well as Rugal and his Orochi form, Omega Rugal.
He currently holds the record for most defeated bosses in the King of Fighters series.
