Kim Kaphwan

Kim Kaphwan, also known as The Crown Jewel of Taekwando, is a character from the King of Fighters series.
== Charactah Account ==
Kim is a master of Taekwondo and considers himself a fighter of justice. Kim's original teammates, Chang Koehan and Choi Bounge, were to be teamed up with another dangerous criminal character to form the "Fugitive Team", but Kim was added to the team instead. His official nickname is The Crown Jewel of Taekwondo.
In Fatal Fury, Kim Kaphwan is the reigning world champion of Tae Kwon Do. Kim is invited by Wolfgang Krauser to compete in his King of Fighters tournament as he was hoping to face superb challengers. During the tournament Kim encounters the "Lone Wolf", Terry Bogard. Kim acknowledges Terry as the superior fighter and the duo become good friends. From that moment on Kim helps Terry in all that he can, though a definite (but friendly) rivalry is maintained.
Kim is considered a sport and national hero in his native Korea. This status is what enabled him to convince the authorities to give him custody over Chang Koehan and Choi Bounge to rehabilitate them of their criminal ways. Although both men resented Kim for his actions, they have since grown to grudgingly respect him. In most of his King of Fighters appearances, he has been team captain of Team Korea.
== Appearance ==
=== Anime ===
* Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
* Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf
* The King of Fighters: Destiny
=== Manga ===
* The King of Fighters: A New Beginning
=== Video Games ===
* Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001
* Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000
* Crash Fever
* Crusaders Quest
* Fatal Fury 2
* Fatal Fury Special
* Fatal Fury: First Contact
* Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition
* Garou Densetsu Special
* Garou Densetsu The Legend of Wild Wolf
* Garou: Mark of the Wolves
* Kimi wa Hero
* KOF Maximum Impact Regulation "A"
* KOF: Maximum Impact 2
* Metal Slug Defense
* Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
* Puzzle & Dragons
* Real Bout Fatal Fury
* Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers
* Real Bout Fatal Fury Special
* Real Bout Fatal Fury Special: Dominated Mind
* Samurai Shodown II
* Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushidou Retsuden
* SNK Fighting Age
* SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy
* SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos
* Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
* The King of Fighters '94
* The King of Fighters '95
* The King of Fighters '96
* The King of Fighters '97
* The King of Fighters '98
* The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match
* The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Online
* The King of Fighters '99
* The King of Fighters 2
* The King of Fighters 2000
* The King of Fighters 2001
* The King of Fighters 2002
* The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
* The King of Fighters 2003
* The King of Fighters All Star
* The King of Fighters Destiny
* The King of Fighters EX
* The King of Fighters EX2
* The King of Fighters for Girls
* The King of Fighters M: Fighting Stars Assembly
* The King of Fighters Mobile
* The King of Fighters Mobile R-2
* The King of Fighters Neowave
* The King of Fighters Volleyball
* The King of Fighters XI
* The King of Fighters XII
* The King of Fighters XIII
* The King of Fighters XIV
* The King of Fighters XV
* The King of Fighters: Kyo
* The King of Fighters: Orochi Go
* The King of Fighters: World
* Tower of Saviors
== Trivia ==
* Kim is inspired by the real-life late Kim Kaphwan, founder of Viccom, a Korean company that for many years licensed SNK's games.
** His sons, Kim Dong Hwan and Kim Jae Hoon, are inspired by the name of the younger brother and the nephew of the real businessman, respectively.
** The death of the real-life businessman is, probably, the first main reason that the character is not present in The King of Fighters XV's initial roster. The other main reason for his absence is explained in the Secret Agents Team's Story and in Luong's interview with Clemence Bellamy, where she mentions he's currently training in the mountains with his master and her lover Gang-il, and is also seen in Kim Team's ending in the previous game.
*** Kim will be added as DLC character in 2023.
* In the fan Q&A for Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, a fan asked Kim about his thoughts regarding hypocrites. In an "interview", Kim answers that any sort of lie is evil and unforgivable. He then naively asks why he received this question.
* In the Fatal Fury games (mainly in the Real Bout games), Kim often had his front side face the background in his fighting stance, while in The King of Fighters games and in other titles onward, his front side faces the foreground instead. In some games he gains an alternate stance, which may reference his original fighting stance from time to time.
* In Gamest's 1997 Heroes Collection, Kim was voted as the staff's tenth favorite character. In the Neo Geo Freak's 1997 Volume 8 Character Poll, he was voted as the fifth favorite character with a total of 1,392 votes. In a 2005 poll made by SNK Playmore USA, he was voted as the 10th fan-favorite character with a total of 119 votes.
* Kim's original teammates, Chang Koehan and Choi Bounge, were to be teamed up with another dangerous criminal character to form the "Fugitive Team", but Kim was added to the team instead.
** The third dangerous criminal character would eventually be created as Xanadu, appearing in 'The King of Fighters XIV'.
* Starting from The King of Fighters Neowave, SNK only uses the surname Kim, dropping "Kaphwan" from his name entirely. The reasons for the result are currently unknown.
** Kim's name is still rendered as "Kim Kaphwan" in some games such as The King of Fighters All Star and in the Secret Agents Story in The King of Fighters XV.
* Kim is the only character from the Fatal Fury series, beyond Terry Bogard, who is always the leader of a team in The King of Fighters series. The only exception occurs in The King of Fighters XI, when he forms a new entry of the classic series source team, along with Terry and Duck King.
** Mai Shiranui, Ryuji Yamazaki and B. Jenet are also Team Leader characters, but in few KOF entries.
== Gallery ==
File:Kim Kaphwan Render 01.png
File:Kim Kaphwan Render 02.png
File:Kim Kaphwan Render 03.png
File:Kim Kaphwan Render 04.png
File:Kim Kaphwan Render 05.png
File:Kim Kaphwan Render 06.png
File:Kim Kaphwan Render 07.png
File:Kim Kaphwan Render 08.png
== External Links ==
* Kim Kaphwan at SNK Wiki
Category:Characters
Category:Males
Category:King of Fighters