The King of Fighters - Kyo for Smash! (Game Over! Maybe Next Time?)

Sari · Aug 12, 2018

Kyo Kusanagi

First appearance: The King of Fighters 94 (1994)
Latest appearance: The King of Fighters XIV (2016)

----------
Who is Kyo Kusanagi?

Kyo Kusanagi is the main protagonist of SNK's long-running King of Fighters series, which was one of the first games to utilize 3v3 fighting (albeit changing characters once you are knocked out similar to the new mode in Ultimate). He is a descendant of the Kusanagi clan, and as a result has the power to conjure flames in his hands. His clan has a strong rivalry with that of the Orochi clan, whose descendant Iori is obsessed with tracking down Kyo and defeating him in battle. Outside of his fighting activities, Kyo is a high school delinquent who eventually drops out of school. Unlike most FG protagonists who are often calm and reserved, Kyo is incredibly cocky and often insults his opponents in his win quotes.

More detailed bio about Kyo and his roles in the KoF games:

Orochi Saga

Kyo's story starts in KoF 94, where he enters the King of Fighters tournament along with his friends Benimaru and Goro Daimon (composing the Japan team). They win the tournament in the end but must then face Rugal Bernstein, the powerful host of the tournament who wants to turn them into golden statues (he also helped popularize the term SNK boss syndrome due to how tough he is). Rugal is defeated but manages to escape. The Japan team wins the KoF 95 tournament and faces Rugal again, only this time Rugal is killed after he can't control the power of the Orochi clan.

It is later revealed in KoF 96 that Rugal's Orochi power was given to him by a man named Goenitz, who plans to revive Orochi. One day while training, Kyo is confronted by Goenitz and easily loses to him. This humiliating loss convinces Kyo to rework his Kusanagi flames from the projectile he always used into a brand new rekka moveset. Kyo's rekka moves would always be a part of his standard moveset from here on (aside from in XIII though the rekka moveset was available via DLC). At the climax of the 96 tournament, Kyo meets Chizuru who is a descendant of the Yata clan (essentially the 3rd clan that goes along with the Kusanagi and Orochi clans). As she explains why they must prevent the revival or Orochi, Goenitz crashes the tournament. Goenitz is defeated by Kyo, but before he parts to the afterlife gives a dire warning that the Kusanagi's fate is already sealed.

In KoF 97, Kyo eventually joins forces with Chizuru and his rival Iori to prevent the revival or Orochi. Although a very difficult fight, the three manage to seal off Orochi for good. Immediately after Orochi is sealed again, Iori challenges Kyo to a fight and the two clash.

NESTS Saga

After being knocked out as a result of his fight with Iori, Kyo is abducted by the organization known as NESTS and is used to create many clones of himself in KoF 99. The most notable of these clones is K', the protagonist of the NESTS saga. Bearing a hatred for NESTS, K' and his ally Maxima team up with Benimaru and Kyo's #1 fan Shingo to find Kyo and unravel the mystery of NESTS. Although they end NESTS' terror plot and track down the real Kyo, they are all separated from each other as the NESTS base starts to crumble. Kyo is able to escape and begins to track down NESTS by himself in KoF 2000. He eventually reunites with his old Japan team (along with Shingo) to end NESTS once and for all in KoF 2001. Kyo then teams up with Iori, K', and the artificial girl with ice powers named Kula to defeat the insane leader of NESTS known as Igniz.

Ash Saga

A new threat emerges at the start of the Ash saga starting in KoF 2003, with a mysterious organization known as Those from the Past. The enigmatic Ash is able to steal Chizuru and Iori's powers and then proceeds to target Kyo in the KoF XIII tournament. Although Ash couldn't steal Kyo's flame like he did with the others, Kyo's battle in the tournament arena was used to open a gateway leading to the power of Gaia's will which was to be claimed by the leader of TftP, Saiki. After Saiki was defeated by Kyo, Ash was able to prevent Saiki from leaving the gateway to the past, thus causing a paradox that erased both Saiki and Ash.

Current Saga (unnamed as of now)

KoF XIV starts off with a brand new saga about a man named Antonov who wants to revive the hype of the KoF tournaments. He creates a brand new KoF tournament where the winners must face off with him. As Antonov is about to declare the winners of the KoF tournament, a mysterious entity known as Verse appears but is defeated by the tournament winners. It is heavily implied that Verse is the result of a paradox caused by Ash trapping himself in the past, and as a result many of the previous final bosses are to be resurrected. In Iori's ending, Kyo, Iori, and Chizuru are seen stopping a weakened Orochi being from being created.

Watch the video below if you want to see Kyo in action:

Kyo is one of SNK's most popular characters, as he is often in the top spots of many polls. In addition to being the main protagonist of the KoF series, Kyo was also shown facing off against Ryu in many promotional arts of the Capcom vs SNK games, further showcasing his significance to the series.

Oh and he even got his own visual novel spinoff game for the PS1 (don't ask why).

Reasons for Kyo's inclusion in Smash

The KoF series is insanely popular in China and Latin America countries while also finding a fair amount of popularity in Japan. The release of KoF XIV has also given the series a renewed interest in the west.
- Nintendo has also recently proposed a deal to try and get Switches sold in China (due to China being very stingy on video games). If the Switch sells well there then they may add a character that could appeal to the Chinese fanbase such as Kyo.
SNK is releasing their 40th anniversary collection this year exclusively to the Switch. They are also releasing SNK Heroines for the Switch, which might as well just be called KoF Heroines. Many KoF titles are also available on the Wii VC as well as the Switch.
Smash is lacking fighters with a rekka-based moveset. The closest thing we have now is Marth's dancing blade but that doesn't really offer too much mix-up potential if you are caught in it.
Since he originates from a 2D fighting game, he could have manual command inputs like Ryu does which would make him stand out from the other fighters.
Originating from a 2D fighter also means that he has a ton of moves that can be easily translated into Smash.
Would beat out most other SNK reps due to his popularity. He'd beat Mai since her design most likely would not be allowed in Smash (making ZSS's look tame in comparison).
Terry, Mai, Geese, and Iori (all popular SNK characters) have made guest appearances in other fighting-based games (EX Fighting Layer, Dead or Alive 5, Tekken 7, and Arcana Blood Million Arthur respectively). Kyo has yet to make a guest appearance in one, possibly meaning SNK has been waiting to add him to a specific game.
Reggie heavily implied following Joker's reveal that we will be seeing a lot of third party reps, so his competition with first party reps may be limited.

Also probably one of the biggest points in Kyo's favor...

Sakurai himself has played KoF in the past and was so good at it he would often win many times in a row.

In an interview with SourceGaming, Sakurai recounts an incident where he completely destroyed a couple in KoF 95 and felt guilty afterwards since they weren't really gamers. Some quotes from the article:

Sakurai said:
"A little time passed since then, to a time where I felt the fighting game [2] boom had leveled off a bit. I was slightly aimlessly playing “King of Fighters ‘95” when someone joined me, playing on the other side. Despite feeling that I’d really want to just play alone..the fight was on! I landed my moves cleanly, and quickly took the first two games. One more team member to go and victory was mine!"

"At the time, when I was playing well I would win about 50 matches in a row, so I probably wasn’t too bad at fighting games."

Who knows? Maybe Sakurai will want to pay tribute to this memorable moment by adding KoF's leading star to Smash.

Advantages Kyo has over other fighting game/SNK characters:

Scorpion (Mortal Kombat): Sakurai has stated that for a character to be in Smash they must be represented faithfully from their games. MK is famous for its over the top violence, so if Scorpion were to be added then he'd need to be severely toned down and fatalities would have to be completely absent. Most people would probably find this lame so I don't even think they'd consider an MK fighter. Also MK is not that popular in Japan.
Heihachi (Tekken): Again if a character is to be in Smash they must be faithfully represented to reflect on their games. Tekken uses a non-traditional left/right limb fighting system which Sakurai admitted would be a nightmare to properly implement into Smash (hence why Heihachi wasn't added to SSB4). Add in Heihachi's Japanese VA recently passing away, him appearing in Pac-Man's taunt, and having his own separate competition with Lloyd Irving and Heihachi doesn't seem that likely.
Other SNK reps:
- Mai Shiranui: There is a spirit of Camilla (Fire Emblem) in Ultimate that has been edited so that her cleavage is covered by her hair. Mai is famous for her sex appeal so if she were to be added then she'd most likely be censored which many would find lame.
- Geese Howard: While Geese is very popular he is an antagonist so it wouldn't make sense to add him over one of SNK's most prominent heroes.
- Iori Yagami: Similar case to Geese. It would be like adding Shadow into Smash but not Sonic.
- Athena: One of SNK's older characters and is sort of represented in KoF through Athena Asamiya. Although she's older, Kyo is much more popular.
- Terry Bogard: Terry is admittedly Kyo's biggest hurdle as he can be seen as the mascot of SNK as a whole. Kyo does have one slight advantage in that the KoF series is still ongoing while the last Fatal Fury game was Garou which released in 1999.

Moveset:

General ideas of how Kyo would play:

Kyo's side-B would be his rekka based punches. Pressing a different direction between each punch will result in a different action. These actions range from regular hits to shield breaks. Visualization of what it could look like:

Kyo's other moves:

:

Standard projectile. Travels fast but only moves on the ground.

Side

:

OR

Kyo's rekka moves. Different inputs can result in different actions, ranging from more damage to a possible shield break. This is probably Kyo's most complex move so there will be much more detail on this later.

Up

:

Standard recovery/uppercut move.

Down

:

Kyo charges his meter like he could in the pre-97 games. When his meter is full, pressing down-B activates Max Mode which allows you to string together moves that you normally couldn't do. You can also use Max Mode activation to cancel a move for further combos.

combo:

-->

Standard jab combo.

Side

:

Decent poke.

Up

:

Sends the opponent slightly upwards. Can be used to combo if the opponent doesn't DI correctly.

Down

:

Can combo into each other like Ryu's down tilt.

Dash

:

This is basically Ganondorf's side-B, except you can't hit blocking opponents and it sends them upwards. Very punishable on block.

Aerial

:

Hits from everywhere though mainly deals damage from the front. Fairly safe to use on shield and has almost no landing lag.

Aerial side

:

Backwards version is a similar kick.

Aerial up

:

Basically this animation though the kick would cover more above Kyo.

Aerial down

:

Spikes the opponent if they get hit by the sweet spot.

Side

:

OR

Holding the smash button allows Kyo to hold the move like he does in the games.

If Kyo is in Max Mode, he will glow yellow like on the right gif while charging his smash attack. During this time you can get hurt by his flame similar to Corrin's side smash. This version has high KO potential like Cloud's down-B, but using it will cause you to lose Max Mode.

Down

:

Sends the opponent horizontally.

Up

:

Covers mainly in front of Kyo and a bit above his head.

Taunts:

I imagine the second one would lead to a lot of salt.

Victory animations:

Rolling:

side

: 99 Shiki

up

: 5 Shiki

side up

: Todorokiono Yo-u ? (not pretty sure how it called...)

side down

: 88 Shiki

note:The or attacks could be Kyo's unique system (like Cloud has his Limit gauge, and Joker has his Persona gauge...)

dash

: 101 Shiki or 77 Shiki

That's a hard one to choose from, but I prefer 77 Shiki more

side smash

: ??? Yo-u

I'm surprised that Sari did't mention this one at all...

aerial

: 48 Shiki

just like Ryu's aerial

aerial up

: 75 Shiki

just like Lucario's aerial up

aerial front

: 78 Shiki

aerial back

: Tobi ??? (aerial version of side smash)

down

: 90 Shiki

Not only being a attack, it's also a very unique counter.
There are 2 types of counter, depanding on the frame Kyo is hit

front throw: ??tetsu

back throw: Issetsu Seoi Nage

up throw: 210 Shiki

The EX version of this move in KOFXIII is actually not moving forward when using it, so I think it's reasonble

down throw: Hiuchi tsuchi

This is originally his father, Saishu Kusanagi's move

dodge: Kasumi (yep, even Kyo's dodging move has its name)

final smash:Mu Shiki & 524 Shiki

Both are strong enough to be a FS, but... I maybe want to see a combination of these 2 moves

shield broken:

stamina KOed or Ryu's Focus Attack-ed

taunt:

victory pose:

Moveset by CyberHyperPhoenix

Possible alternate costumes:

Kirby hat (source):

Victory theme:

Stage:

Esaka 96

Busy overpass and you can get hit by the cars underneath. The omega and battlefield versions would just be of the overpass itself.

Bonus alternate version similar to the Punch-Out stage (Athena's 96 stage):

Music:

SNK is well-known for their amazing music. Any of these tracks would be amazing additions to Ultimate:

Want to show your support, offer ideas, or just talk about Kyo's possible inclusion in general? Comment below! If you want to join the support list just say so and I'll add you to it!

Members of the Kusanagi clan (supporters)

Sari

Graizen
S SSBCandidates

Artix

toonito

Pizza Robo

Lupin Red

dezeray112
A AsterikDatBoi

Iridium

Kirbeh

AreJay25

Winyfiddle662
@psb123

Flik

Altais

Luigi-Calibur
S Sh4d0wGaM3RDX

Cadillac

SharkLord

Also here's a flair you can add to your signature to show your support:

Also support Iori here!

SSBCandidates · Aug 12, 2018

There is already a Kyo thread. I suggest merge the threads as this one seems better.

Guynamednelson · Aug 12, 2018

Like with Terry, I think Kyo's down-B should be a mechanic from his game rather than one of his specials. Specifically, charging up a super meter/activating MAX mode.

Sari · Aug 12, 2018

SSBCandidates said:
There is already a Kyo thread. I suggest merge the threads as this one seems better.

I talked with the owner of the original thread and we agreed that we'll be using this one as the main support thread.

SSBCandidates · Aug 12, 2018

Sari said:
I talked with the owner of the original thread and we agreed that we'll be using this one as the main support thread.

OK, can someone please bring my post from over there to this thread?

Also look my video on Kyo:

Sari · Aug 12, 2018

SSBCandidates said:
OK, can someone please bring my post from over there to this thread?

Also look my video on Kyo:

Nice video, I like your ideas and Daimon would be great as an assist trophy. I'm still working on my moveset though I might make the rekka his side-B instead since it'd feel more natural to perform.

I will add you to the supporter list if that's ok. I'll also tag the supporters from the other thread to ask if they'd like to be added here as well:

AwesomeAussie27

Artix

Graizen

Guynamednelson said:
Like with Terry, I think Kyo's down-B should be a mechanic from his game rather than one of his specials. Specifically, charging up a super meter/activating MAX mode.

Max mode definitely makes more sense and I'll work on incorporating this into his playstyle.

SSBCandidates · Aug 12, 2018

Sari said:
Nice video, I like your ideas and Daimon would be great as an assist trophy. I'm still working on my moveset though I might make the rekka his side-B instead since it'd feel more natural to perform.

I will add you to the supporter list if that's ok. I'll also tag the supporters from the other thread to ask if they'd like to be added here as well:

AwesomeAussie27
Artix
Graizen

Max mode definitely makes more sense and I'll work on incorporating this into his playstyle.

Sure add me! No problem!

I have been thinking that maybe Iori should be the AT. Or someone from another series like Nakoruru or anyone from Metal Slug.

Graizen · Aug 12, 2018

Supporting this SO HARD.

Kyo is a great character, and SNK is actualy so close to Nintendo its not even funny.

I hope my boy can join Ryu in this game!

Artix · Aug 12, 2018

You can add me to the supporter's list!

Also, Kyo had a projectile move back in '94, maybe they could use that as his Neutral B instead.

toonito · Aug 12, 2018

I support Kyo in Ultimate

Pizza Robo · Aug 13, 2018

I support Kyo for Super Smash Bros Ultimate plus to get more SNK characters :D Sign Me Up

Lupin Red · Aug 13, 2018

I fully support Kyo Kusanagi for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate!

KOF is one of my favorite fighting game and I really want to see Kyo in Smash. I mean, Ryu was able to get in, so why not Kyo?

Sari · Aug 14, 2018

I updated his moveset and gave him a victory theme, please rate them as you would. We should also be getting a Kyo signature flair soon and I'm working on what his colors could be.

Graizen · Aug 14, 2018

Take a look:

Sari · Aug 14, 2018

Graizen said:
Take a look:

Dang for a mobile game it looks better than KoF XIV (at least visually). Hoping it eventually gets a US release.

Graizen · Aug 14, 2018

Sari said:
I updated his moveset and gave him a victory theme, please rate them as you would. We should also be getting a Kyo signature flair soon and I'm working on what his colors could be.

Sari said:
Dang for a mobile game it looks better than KoF XIV (at least visually). Hoping it eventually gets a US release.

The point is: He looks like a Smash Character in some ways in this video

Artix · Aug 15, 2018

Sari said:
I updated his moveset and gave him a victory theme, please rate them as you would. We should also be getting a Kyo signature flair soon and I'm working on what his colors could be.

If you want, I'll create a character showcase image for Kyo. I'll just need the number and the series icon.

Sari · Aug 15, 2018

Artix said:
If you want, I'll create a character showcase image for Kyo. I'll just need the number and the series icon.

Sounds good. If by number you mean the one that each Smash character is associated with, I guess 94 since KoF 94 was his debut game.

Logo can be any one of the following (pics weren't showing up so I just posted the links). If you can't choose go with the first one:

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net...rs_Logo.png/revision/latest?cb=20160601055313
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net...dadviaf.png/revision/latest?cb=20170617161334

And if you need a pic of Kyo use this one:

Artix · Aug 15, 2018

Alright, as promised, here it is:

I hope you liked it!

Graizen · Aug 15, 2018

Actualy Kyo should have his Costume from KOF 94 , were he first apeared!

But with some colors based in his different interactions.

I think his Model should look something like that:

Sari · Aug 15, 2018

Artix said:
Alright, as promised, here it is:

View attachment 157941

I hope you liked it!

Looks great! Added to the OP.

Graizen said:
Actualy Kyo should have his Costume from KOF 94 , were he first apeared!

But with some colors based in his different interactions.

I think his Model should look something like that:

I chose the XIII pic since it's one of the more up to date pics of Kyo. For his palettes I included his classic outfit along with his NEST saga outfit:

Graizen · Aug 15, 2018

I was thinking Sari, fighting games just need more representation from 2 Games.

Mortal Kombat and The King of Fighters.
Not even Tekken needs to apear.

If we get Kyo and someone from MK, we are literaly set from Legendary Fighting games.

Sari · Aug 15, 2018

Graizen said:
I was thinking Sari, fighting games just need more representation from 2 Games.

Mortal Kombat and The King of Fighters.
Not even Tekken needs to apear.

If we get Kyo and someone from MK, we are literaly set from Legendary Fighting games.

Sadly I feel Tekken might have higher priority due to Namco's involvement and there being a Tekken costume in Smash 4. Mortal Kombat is famous for its violence so I think that might give us a slight advantage over that series since Sakurai might not feel comfortable in adding it. I know we have Snake but the Metal Gear series is no where near as violent as MK.

Graizen · Aug 15, 2018

Sari said:
Sadly I feel Tekken might have higher priority due to Namco's involvement and there being a Tekken costume in Smash 4. Mortal Kombat is famous for its violence so I think that might give us a slight advantage over that series since Sakurai might not feel comfortable in adding it. I know we have Snake but the Metal Gear series is no where near as violent as MK.

Well... Ridley is actualy just like a Mortal Kombat character if you ask me lol

And they are killing characters in all trailers, Luigi was brutal.

I don't think something like violence will make something impossíble for Smash from now on, Doomguy has actualy alot of chances.

And for the record , i think Agumon and Lloyd have alot more chances than Tekken.

Sari · Aug 25, 2018

Another KoF character is appearing as a guest character in a fighting game. This time it's Iori in Square Enix's Million Arthur Arcana Blood.

That means Mai, Geese, Terry, and now Iori have appeared in other fighters via crossovers. I think this means Kyo will be the next SNK character to make a guest appearance somewhere.

dezeray112 · Aug 26, 2018

Throw me in the Kyo Kusanagi support camp too!

Sari · Aug 26, 2018

So I've been thinking: if Kyo actually made it in and got the Simon treatment, who would be his echo?

It'd require a lot of tweaking, but I think Iori could actually work as Kyo's echo. Of course there's also Shingo and the Kyo clones.

Graizen · Sep 3, 2018

SNK posted this:
https://www.snk-corp.co.jp/snknewgame/

2018.09.10

Sari · Sep 3, 2018

Graizen said:
SNK posted this:
https://www.snk-corp.co.jp/snknewgame/

2018.09.10

Hoping we get Garou 2 or KoF XV. A new Samurai Showdown or Metal Slug would also be nice.

I'm just praying we get another sprite-based game because I'm not a fan of KoF XIV's 3D models.

AsterikDatBoi · Sep 14, 2018

I'll join the support! Count me in!!

Sari · Oct 23, 2018

Hey guys! Kyo is currently being rated in the RTC thread. Feel free to show your support:

https://smashboards.com/threads/rat...balloon-fighter-balloon-fight.453357/page-339

KirbyWorshipper2465 · Oct 23, 2018

Sari said:
Hoping we get Garou 2 or KoF XV. A new Samurai Showdown or Metal Slug would also be nice.

I'm just praying we get another sprite-based game because I'm not a fan of KoF XIV's 3D models.

The guys barely have budget for making anything these days, never mind time-consuming spritework, although they've been saved from pachinko hell at least.

In regards to Metal Slug, I've heard talk of a possible reboot, with a higher-up unsure whether the series' legendary difficulty should be kept for new gamers.

Mgl · Nov 17, 2018

If this does happen we might get a shingo echo

Iridium · Nov 23, 2018

Sari said:
Kyo Kusanagi

First appearance: The King of Fighters 94 (1994)
Latest appearance: The King of Fighters XIV (2016)

Who is Kyo Kusanagi?

Kyo Kusanagi is the main protagonist of SNK's long-running King of Fighters series, which was one of the first games to utilize 3v3 fighting (albeit changing characters once you are knocked out similar to the new mode in Ultimate). He is a descendant of the Kusanagi clan, and as a result has the power to conjure flames in his hands. His clan has a strong rivalry with that of the Orochi clan, whose descendant Iori is obsessed with tracking down Kyo and defeating him in battle. Outside of his fighting activities, Kyo is a high school delinquent who eventually drops out of school. Unlike most FG protagonists who are often calm and reserved, Kyo is incredibly cocky and often insults his opponents in his win quotes.

More detailed bio about Kyo and his roles in the KoF games:

Orochi Saga

Kyo's story starts in KoF 94, where he enters the King of Fighters tournament along with his friends Benimaru and Goro Daimon (composing the Japan team). They win the tournament in the end but must then face Rugal Bernstein, the powerful host of the tournament who wants to turn them into golden statues (he also helped popularize the term SNK boss syndrome due to how tough he is). Rugal is defeated but manages to escape. The Japan team wins the KoF 95 tournament and faces Rugal again, only this time Rugal is killed after he can't control the power of the Orochi clan.

It is later revealed in KoF 96 that Rugal's Orochi power was given to him by a man named Goenitz, who plans to revive Orochi. One day while training, Kyo is confronted by Goenitz and easily loses to him. This humiliating loss convinces Kyo to rework his Kusanagi flames from the projectile he always used into a brand new rekka moveset. Kyo's rekka moves would always be a part of his standard moveset from here on (aside from in XIII though the rekka moveset was available via DLC). At the climax of the 96 tournament, Kyo meets Chizuru who is a descendant of the Yata clan (essentially the 3rd clan that goes along with the Kusanagi and Orochi clans). As she explains why they must prevent the revival or Orochi, Goenitz crashes the tournament. Goenitz is defeated by Kyo, but before he parts to the afterlife gives a dire warning that the Kusanagi's fate is already sealed.

In KoF 97, Kyo eventually joins forces with Chizuru and his rival Iori to prevent the revival or Orochi. Although a very difficult fight, the three manage to seal off Orochi for good. Immediately after Orochi is sealed again, Iori challenges Kyo to a fight and the two clash.

NESTS Saga

After being knocked out as a result of his fight with Iori, Kyo is abducted by the organization known as NESTS and is used to create many clones of himself in KoF 99. The most notable of these clones is K', the protagonist of the NESTS saga. Bearing a hatred for NESTS, K' and his ally Maxima team up with Benimaru and Kyo's #1 fan Shingo to find Kyo and unravel the mystery of NESTS. Although they end NESTS' terror plot and track down the real Kyo, they are all separated from each other as the NESTS base starts to crumble. Kyo is able to escape and begins to track down NESTS by himself in KoF 2000. He eventually reunites with his old Japan team (along with Shingo) to end NESTS once and for all in KoF 2001. Kyo then teams up with Iori, K', and the artificial girl with ice powers named Kula to defeat the insane leader of NESTS known as Igniz.

Ash Saga

A new threat emerges at the start of the Ash saga starting in KoF 2003, with a mysterious organization known as Those from the Past. The enigmatic Ash is able to steal Chizuru and Iori's powers and then proceeds to target Kyo in the KoF XIII tournament. Although Ash couldn't steal Kyo's flame like he did with the others, Kyo's battle in the tournament arena was used to open a gateway leading to the power of Gaia's will which was to be claimed by the leader of TftP, Saiki. After Saiki was defeated by Kyo, Ash was able to prevent Saiki from leaving the gateway to the past, thus causing a paradox that erased both Saiki and Ash.

Current Saga (unnamed as of now)

KoF XIV starts off with a brand new saga about a man named Antonov who wants to revive the hype of the KoF tournaments. He creates a brand new KoF tournament where the winners must face off with him. As Antonov is about to declare the winners of the KoF tournament, a mysterious entity known as Verse appears but is defeated by the tournament winners. It is heavily implied that Verse is the result of a paradox caused by Ash trapping himself in the past, and as a result many of the previous final bosses are to be resurrected. In Iori's ending, Kyo, Iori, and Chizuru are seen stopping a weakened Orochi being from being created.

Kyo is one of SNK's most popular characters, as he is often in the top spots of many polls. In addition to being the main protagonist of the KoF series, Kyo was also shown facing off against Ryu in many promotional arts of the Capcom vs SNK games, further showcasing his significance to the series.

Watch the video below if you want to see Kyo in action:

Reasons for Kyo's inclusion in Smash

The KoF series is insanely popular in China and Latin America countries while also finding a fair amount of popularity in Japan. The release of KoF XIV has also given the series a renewed interest in the west.

SNK is releasing their 40th anniversary collection this year exclusively to the Switch. They are also releasing SNK Heroines for the Switch, which might as well just be called KoF Heroines. Many KoF titles are also available on the Wii VC as well as the Switch.

Ultimate has added a new 3v3 mode where each stock is a different character, which is essentially how KoF plays. Adding Kyo to Smash would seem like a fitting tribute.

Smash is lacking fighters with a rekka-based moveset. The closest thing we have now is Marth's dancing blade but that doesn't really offer too much mix-up potential if you are caught in it.

Since he originates from a 2D fighting game, he could have manual command inputs like Ryu does which would make him stand out from the other fighters.

Originating from a 2D fighter also means that he has a ton of moves that can be easily translated into Smash.

Kyo has many clones of himself in the KoF series (both figuratively and literally), so he is ripe for echo potential.

Would beat out most other SNK reps due to his popularity. He'd beat Mai since her design most likely would not be allowed in Smash (making ZSS's look tame in comparison).

Terry, Mai, and Geese (all popular SNK characters) have made guest appearances in other fighting-based games (EX Fighting Layer, Dead or Alive 5, and Tekken 7 respectively). Kyo has yet to make a guest appearance in one, possibly meaning SNK has been waiting to add him to a specific game.

Also probably one of the biggest points in Kyo's favor...

Sakurai himself has played KoF in the past and was so good at it he would often win many times in a row.

In an interview with SourceGaming, Sakurai recounts an incident where he completely destroyed a couple in KoF 95 and felt guilty afterwards since they weren't really gamers. Some quotes from the article:

Who knows? Maybe Sakurai will want to pay tribute to this memorable moment by adding KoF's leading star to Smash.

Reasons against Kyo being in Smash

Third party slots are limited already.

He has some competition with Terry Bogard as an SNK rep.

In terms of reps from other fighting games, he has some competition with someone from Tekken.

View attachment 162884

Moveset:

General ideas of how Kyo would play:

Kyo's side-B would be his rekka based punches. Pressing a different direction between each punch will result in a different action. These actions range from regular hits to shield breaks. Visualization of what it could look like:

View attachment 159847

Kyo's other moves:

:

Standard projectile. Travels fast but only moves on the ground.

Side :

OR

Kyo's rekka moves. Different inputs can result in different actions, ranging from more damage to a possible shield break. This is probably Kyo's most complex move so there will be much more detail on this later.

Up :

Standard recovery/uppercut move.

Down :

Kyo charges his meter like he could in the pre-97 games. When his meter is full, pressing down-B activates Max Mode which allows you to string together moves that you normally couldn't do. You can also use Max Mode activation to cancel a move for further combos.

combo:

-->

-->

Standard jab combo.

Side :

Decent poke.

Up :

Sends the opponent slightly upwards. Can be used to combo if the opponent doesn't DI correctly.

Down :

Can combo into each other like Ryu's down tilt.

Dash :

This is basically Ganondorf's side-B, except you can't hit blocking opponents and it sends them upwards. Very punishable on block.

Aerial :

Hits from everywhere though mainly deals damage from the front. Fairly safe to use on shield and has almost no landing lag.

Aerial side :

Backwards version is a similar kick.

Aerial up :

Basically this animation though the kick would cover more above Kyo.

Aerial down :

Spikes the opponent if they get hit by the sweet spot.

Side :

OR

Holding the smash button allows Kyo to hold the move like he does in the games.

If Kyo is in Max Mode, he will glow yellow like on the right gif while charging his smash attack. During this time you can get hurt by his flame similar to Corrin's side smash. This version has high KO potential like Cloud's down-B, but using it will cause you to lose Max Mode.

Down :

Sends the opponent horizontally.

Up :

Covers mainly in front of Kyo and a bit above his head.

Taunts:

I imagine the second one would lead to a lot of salt.

Victory animations:

Rolling:

Possible alternate costumes:

Victory theme:

Stage:

Esaka 96

Busy overpass and you can get hit by the cars underneath. The omega and battlefield versions would just be of the overpass itself.

Bonus alternate version similar to the Punch-Out stage (Athena's 96 stage):

Music:

SNK is well-known for their amazing music. Any of these tracks would be amazing additions to Ultimate:

KoF 96: Esaka (the most iconic Kyo theme)

KoF 96: Arashi no Saxophone (Iori's most iconic theme)

KoF 97: Esaka Forever

KoF 94: Esaka

KoF 96: Rumble in the City (Ikari Warriors theme)

KoF 99: K' Team Theme

KoF 2000: Goodbye Esaka

KoF XIII: Esaka Continues

KoF XIII: Stormy Saxophone 5

KoF XIII: Each Promise

KoF XI: New Order

KoF 99: Tears

KoF 97: Bloody

KoF 98: Rugal theme

KoF XIV: Athena vs Kensou

KoF XIV: Magical Sky

Capcom vs SNK 2: True Love Making (London Stage)

Capcom vs SNK 2: Stimulation (New York Stage)

Want to show your support, offer ideas, or just talk about Kyo's possible inclusion in general? Comment below! If you want to join the support list just say so and I'll add you to it!

Members of the Kusanagi clan (supporters)

Sari
Graizen
S SSBCandidates
Artix
toonito
Pizza Robo
Lupin Red
dezeray112
A AsterikDatBoi

Also here's a flair you can add to your signature to show your support:

Also support Iori here!

Another SNK rep I highly support for Smash! You can also count me on the supporter list!

Sari · Dec 5, 2018

Oh boy...

https://twitter.com/gatoray_kof/status/1070181984918355969

From the official SNK conference in Korea:

Looks like KoF XIV may be coming to Switch along with the New Samurai Spirits game! Also KoF XV confirmed for 2020!

Kirbeh · Dec 5, 2018

Support. Be it Kyo or Terry (or perhaps someone else entirely), I'd love to see SNK throw their hat into the ring and add some of their series to Smash.

KirbyWorshipper2465 · Dec 5, 2018

Sari said:
Oh boy...

https://twitter.com/gatoray_kof/status/1070181984918355969

From the official SNK conference in Korea:

Looks like KoF XIV may be coming to Switch along with the New Samurai Spirits game! Also KoF XV confirmed for 2020!

~I spy a Metal Slug for consoles on the right.~

Although I wonder if they'll ever even port those tower defense entries over.

Sari · Dec 7, 2018

So Joker from Persona 5 just got confirmed and basically no one saw him coming. I feel that his inclusion opens the doors to so many unexpected third parties. For one thing the "lack of history with Nintendo" argument is basically dead since Persona's only Nintendo titles prior to today were spinoffs on the 3DS IIRC (if you exclude the SMT games).

Combine this with SNK returning to their glory days, SNK's ever-increasing friendliness towards Nintendo (via their main game ports), and the KoF being insanely popular in China/Latin America, and I think Kyo is suddenly not an impossibility anymore.

AreJay25 · Dec 7, 2018

Gonna throw in some support for Kyo. It'd be pretty damn cool to have Capcom vs. SNK in a Nintendo game.

Winyfiddle662 · Jan 1, 2019

You can count me in too plus I really loved your thread plus I have a bit of evidence you should know and that's the fact that next year in 2019 should be the 25th anniversary of the king of fighters series so I hope you find this evidence useful

The King of Fighters - Kyo for Smash! (Game Over! Maybe Next Time?)

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