Since its debut in arcades and on the Neo Geo with The King of Fighters '94, the series has become one of the most beloved fighting game franchises of all time and one of SNK's more recognizable titles. Even after all this time, it returned earlier this year with The King of Fighters XV on current and next-generation consoles as well as PC.
The games have been known for their cast of colorful characters like Terry Bogard (who will immediately be recognized by Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players), Mai Shiranui, and Iori Yagami. Over the years, some have been forgotten or left behind, but some of them will be ed by hardcore fans.
Jhun Hoon
While Jhun Moon starred in a total of six games in The King of Fighters series, his appearance only spanned for a few years. Debuting in The King of Fighters '99, he was last seen in The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match, a remake of the 2002 game for the PlayStation 2 in 2009, before it was eventually ported to the PlayStation 4 in 2021.
Jhun Moon was originally a member of the Korea Justice Team and used a similar fighting style to Kim Kaphwan, a more popular character and a friendly competitor of his. But unlike his rival, Jhun was able to change between three fighting stances, giving him an edge against his competitors.
Luise Meyrink
Despite her butterfly-inspired costume and surreal appearance, Luise Meyrink has only appeared in three games across the series. And even in that small number, she has only been a playable character in one of them.
She started out like a boss character that players must face before reaching the final boss in the arcade game KOF: Maximum Impact 2. With her floating ability and energy attacks, she eventually became playable in KOF: Maximum Impact Regulation A before she retired as a fighter from the ring.
Duck King
Before his only appearance as a playable fighter in this beloved fighting game series, Duck King was originally a Fatal Fury character. He starred in a total of six games in the Fatal Fury series, with his last appearance in these games being Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition.
ing the beloved characters of both fighting game franchises, Terry Bogard and Kim Kaphwan, Duck King was the third member of the Fatal Fury Team in The King of Fighters XI. It may not be seen by some as the most replayable PS2 game, but it certainly tried with new features and a wide variety of characters like Duck King. While it's been sixteen years since this chicken-loving DJ fought, perhaps he will someday return in a future title or DLC.
Moe Habana
While The King of Fighters has always made itself at home in arcades and on home consoles, the series did explore the handheld market on the Game Boy Advance in the early 2000s. It may not have been regarded among the best GBA games to play, but it should be celebrated for trying to recreate the experience for gamers on the go.
One of the stars of these GBA titles (The King of Fighters EX: Neo Blood and The King of Fighters EX 2) was Moe Habana. Using Jeet Kune Do, Moe was one of five new characters to make an appearance in these handheld titles, and much like them, she has yet to return from the GBA cartridges she was born on.
Neo & Geo
Much like some of the other fighters on the roster, Neo & Geo didn't start out their video game careers in the series. They originally started out in two Japanese-exclusive Neo Geo quiz games called Quiz Dai Sousa-sen and its sequel.
But this particular video game quiz series did see a spin-off featuring The King of Fighters characters in Quiz King of Fighters for the Neo Geo and Neo Geo CD in Japan in 1995. Since both of their appearances in this game, they have cameoed in other The King of Fighters games.
Igniz
No matter which fighting game one picks up and plays, there is a guarantee that there will be a challenging final boss to put their skills to the test. Whether it's Master Hand in Super Smash. Bros. or M. Bison in Street Fighter, these bosses have remained some of the hardest in video games, and it's no surprise to see a unique and powerful character in fighting games appear that will push anyone's limits.
In The King of Fighters 2001, The King of Fighters 2, and The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match, Igniz was the challenging final boss for a while in the series. While he has made cameo appearances and has also been in some of the mobile titles, there are undoubtedly some who may their battles with this villain in the other games.
Sinobu Amou
The sequel to The King of Fighters EX saw the cast return to the Game Boy Advance in 2003, along with four new characters made exclusively for the game. One of them was Sinobu Amou, a fighter who uses Aerokinesis and Electrokinesis in combat.
Players will be able to unlock this powerful warrior in the game if they can defeat him since he acts as the final boss for The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood. Despite him being a cool unlockable for those who attempted to beat the game, he has not been seen in the series since.
Jun Kagami
Another new face for The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood on the Game Boy Advance, Jun Kagami made her only appearance in this game alongside the four other fighters in this portable title. A member of The Yagami Team, she s Miu Kurosaki in Iori Yagami's team to compete in the King of Fighters tournament.
Using a combination of dance moves and martial arts, Jun can kick and grapple opponents with powerful and graceful strikes. She can even knock fighters offscreen with powerful smash attacks.
Hyena
The King of Fighters has seen multiple spin-off titles that experimented with and created new characters away from the mainline series. KOF: Maximum Impact saw the series depart from its pixelated world into the 3D space and made use of the power of the PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox consoles.
In the first game, Hyena invites fighters to compete in the Mephistopheles Fighting Tournament, which turned out was being run by Hyena's boss, Duke. Hyena became an unlockable character in the sequel, using playing cards to battle against the likes of Terry and Mai. While it may not be Metacritics' highest ranked game in the series, it did try to push the franchise in the modern direction from 2D to 3D.
Foxy
Introduced in The King of Fighters 2000 as a striker for Kula, Foxy did the roster in The King of Fighters 2001. With her attacks being based on fencing, it certainly made her a unique character to play at the time of the game's release.
While it was the only time that players could play as Foxy, it wouldn't be the last time she would be seen, as she returned as one of the bosses in The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match. Whether she will return as a fighter again is hard to say, but hopefully, she won't be forgotten again.
