Kyo Kusanagi

## Personal Info

Birthdate: December 12

Birthplace: Japan

Age: 19-20

Height: 5’11 (181)

Weight: 165 (75)

Blood: B

Style: Kusanagi Martial Arts, Kenpo

## History

660 years ago, the Kusanagi and Yasakani clans were once
allies. However, due to a horrible misunderstanding, the Yasakani struck a
blood pact with Orochi for more power. They renamed their family name to
Yagami, and their flames, previously red like their former allies, changed to
violet from Orochi's taint. Since then, the clans have waged a generation long
grudge with casualties made from both sides. It continues in The King of
Fighters series with Kyo and Iori Yagami.

The Orochi saga takes place between The King of Fighters '94
and '97. Kyo surpassed his father at the age of fifteen and was designated as
the clan's leader. Shortly after the completion of his training, Kyo competes
in a preliminary held in Japan to determine the members of the country's
representative team in the King of Fighters tournament. He bests Goro Daimon
and Benimaru Nikaido to become the leader of the team, the two becoming his
teammates and eventual friends. They reach the finals, where they met the host
of the tournament, a powerful fighter named Rugal Bernstein. Rugal boasts his
desire to fight powerful opponents and challenges them. After his defeat, he
self-destructs his ship in attempt to bring them with him, but the team escapes
unharmed. Afterwards, Kyo decides to travel abroad in order to train.

In the following year, Daimon and Benimaru were waiting for
Kyo's ship to dock, when they were attacked by a masked assailant. Kyo returns
and throws a fireball at the mysterious person, only to destroy her mask and
reveal her to be Rugal's secretary. She hands over an invitation letter to
another King of Fighters tournament, organized once again by Rugal, who
survived his craft's self-destruction. This time, Rugal also brainwashed Kyo's
missing father, Saisyu, into attacking his son. Kyo's father regains his senses
after he was subdued by the team. To counter the team's strength, Rugal challenges
them with power sapped from Orochi. However, Rugal's body was overwhelmed by
the power's immensity and he was vaporized after his defeat. Pleased with his
son's prowess, Saisyu leaves unnoticed, insinuating that he entrusts the clan's
duty to Kyo.

Prior to the events of The King of Fighters '96, a
mysterious man -later revealed to be one of the "Four Heavenly Kings"
of Orochi, Goenitz- challenges Kyo to a fight. Kyo arrives, powered by his
overwhelming confidence in his fists, only to be defeated soundly by his
challenger and sent to the hospital. In spite of his injuries, his anger and
spirit from his loss drove him to invent powerful new techniques (this is the
canon explanation for Kyo trading his projectile attack-based technique set for
his now trademark flame-laced melee attack strings). He enters the year's
tournament to prove his strength to his unknown attacker. In the tournament's
finals, he meets the host of the tournament and the younger heiress of the Yata
clan, Chizuru Kagura. At the tournament's end, he vanquishes Goenitz with Iori
and Chizuru's help. Though he is warned by Chizuru of his clan's destiny with
Orochi, Kyo ignores her and promptly departs.

Before The King of Fighters '97 takes place, he is pestered
by fellow high school student, Shingo Yabuki, to teach him how to create his
flames. Though annoyed and flustered by his persistence, Kyo partially agrees
to mentor him as a means of gaining free meals. He also experiences nightmares
of a strange man defeating him at the King of Fighters tournament, but
continues to participate. Before the tournament, his girlfriend, Yuki was
kidnapped by the Hakkesshu, in order to be used as the last of the sacrificial
maidens for Orochi's revival. Though it's ambiguous as to which team he enters during
the tournament, it is canonically accepted that Kyo joins with Iori and Chizuru for
its conclusion.

He advances into the finals, where he confronts the
remaining "Four Heavenly Kings" of Orochi, Yashiro Nanakase, Shermie,
and Chris. The Hakkesshu also mention the plan to sacrifice Yuki in order to
revive Orochi. Fueled by these turn of events, Kyo fights an emotional and
heroic battle. When they are beaten, Orochi possesses Chris' body and attempts
to destroy the three clans at once. As was done in the legends of their clans,
the trio successfully defeat him. In a last-ditch effort, Orochi (manifested in
Chris' body) causes Iori to enter the berserk Riot of the Blood state,
expecting him to turn on Kyo and Chizuru. Instead, Iori snares Orochi by the
neck, and Kyo obliged his rival by crippling the great demon with one last
deathblow, allowing Chizuru to reseal Orochi. Exhausted, Kyo passes out. The
last thing he sees is Yuki, saying that she will wait for him.

The King of Fighters '99 took place immediately after the
events of The King of Fighters '97. 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. He tries to personally gain answers from his captors, but is
forced to retreat when the base around him begins to collapse. He decides not
to come back home before NESTS is taken down and attempts to investigate
privately again the following year but learns very little. As the fiasco of
Southtown's destruction ensued, Iori confronts him and they fight to an
unknown outcome. In The King of Fighters 2001, Kyo reunites with his old
teammates and Shingo to make a comeback in the Japan Team. They join the now
NESTS-sponsored KoF tournament to relive their time together as a team and to
fight NESTS. They disband as soon as the tournament is over, leaving Shingo to
muse about life.

## Skills

Motorcycle Driving

Poetry

Ice Hockey

Musical Instrument

## Music

ESAKA (KOF: 94, 98, 98: UM)

Funky Esaka (95, 98, 98: UM)

Esaka? (96, 98, R-2)

Esaka Forever (97, 98, 98: UM, R-2, MediaWiki:Badtitletext)

Cool Jam: Arashi no Saxophone 3 (98, 98: UM)

Tears (99, 02)

Goodbye Esaka (00, EX 2, 13)

Inner Shade (KOF EX: Neo Blood)

Flame of Invincibility (01, Maximum Impact 2)

Blaze (03)

New Order (11)

Acid Esaka (11, 13)

Esaka? 08 (12)

Esaka Continues (13)

Esaka!! (02: UM)

Paradise E-Groove (KOF Dance Trax)

R.E.D. Run (Days of Memories)

Burning Devotion (97)

Sun and Moon (Sun and Moon: Prologue)

Pieces (98)