Iori Yagami
Keisuke Ogura created newcomers Shun'ei and Sylvie, distancing them from previous veterans. He was also in charge of Athena's look as the character always wears different clothings. Kuroki regarded Shun'ei as important to the narrative, aiming his personality to contrast previous leads. Main characters, Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami, underwent a major redesign to fit the series' new story arc while tried to keep their appeal intact. Kuroki said he made this move despite fearing a negative response based on the rivals' popularity.