Orochi Iori

Wild Iori, also named as Orochi Iori (ツキノヨルオロチノチニクルフイオリ, Tsuki no Yoru Orochi no Chi ni Kurufu Iori lit. Insane Iori with Blood of Orochi Under the Night of the Moon), is Iori Yagami during the Riot of the Blood.

He was first introduced in The King of Fighters '96 in Iori's ending where he kills Mature and Vice. His first appearance as a fighting game character was in The King of Fighters '97 as a mid-boss.

He was specifically designed "to mow down the other characters with relative ease." Series's flagship director, Toyohisa Tanabe, states that the staff was initially reluctant to add this version of Iori to the series's roster -worried about fans' reactions- but did so to add more impact to the Orochi saga's climax. He was particularly pleased to see female fans' surprised reactions to Wild Iori during KOF '97's location testing.

Story
Due to the pact the Yasakani (Yagami) made with Orochi, all members of the Yasakani blood line are subject to this state, the Riot of the Blood. This happens when someone has part Orochi blood in their veins.

Iori is no exception. The first time he entered this state was before any The King of Fighters tournament, but the first time it's shown in a fighting game was in '96. After Iori and Kyo Kusanagi defeated Leopold Goenitz, Mature and Vice appeared behind Iori and started talking to each other. When everyone left, Iori's blood started to boil and his head started to ache. He entered the Riot of the Blood and before they could even react, he killed the two assassins.

The next year, near the finals of the '97 tournament, the same symptoms appeared in Iori and he started to spit blood. He entered the state and attacked Team Japan, especially Kyo. He eventually snapped out of it, and when he snapped out of it he helped fight Orochi. When Orochi was about to lose, he triggered the Riot of the Blood in Iori, in an attempt to make him turn against Kyo and Chizuru Kagura, but this attempt backfired as Iori regained control of his body and attacked Orochi, holding him by his throat, while Kyo delivered the final blow and Chizuru sealed him again.

After Orochi was sealed, Iori's blood was in control until The King of Fighters XI. Due to Orochi's presence released by Those From the Past, Iori entered the Riot of the Blood once again and knocked out Shingo Yabuki and Kyo, before having his Magatama stolen by Ash Crimson. He had a window of being free from this state entirely until willingly regaining the power back in XIII.

Personality
Berserk Iori has a raw, animal-like mentality, attacking everyone around him. He can speak only a few words. His breath is also visible during this state. He has a single-minded obsession with killing Kyo while in this state, but he will attack anyone in his path, screaming incoherently as he tears them to shreds.

Despite this, a small fraction of his sanity remains, as he had the strained ability to still turn against Orochi.

Powers

 * Slashing Hands - Iori can use his hands as slicing weapons.
 * Pyrokinesis - Due to his Yagami heritage, Iori can control fire. He can create purple fire from thin air, create fire balls, deliver punches of fire, create pillars of fire and put his own body on fire. His fire also has the sacred ability to put enemies in a stasis-like state. He is not immune to other types of fire. He cannot control other fires that he didn't create.

Fighting Style
Wild Iori's style is exactly the same as Iori's, but his strength and agility has been remarkably enhanced due to the Orochi power within him reaching peak levels. He is now twice as fast and twice as strong as he was before, but to offset this he takes twice as much damage as well when playable. As a CPU opponent he does not have this drawback. Also, in some games, Iori in this state might have moves only exclusive to him, such as the Ura 108 Shiki: Ya Sakazuki (Reverse Method 108: Eight Wine Cups), a move available at times to normal Iori, the more unique Ura 100 Shiki: Oni Honoo (Reverse Method 100: Demon Blaze) in Capcom vs. SNK 1 and 2, and even in some cases, the San Shingi no Ni (Three Divine Arts No. Two), only named as "????"; which is a nod to him in his berserk form holding Orochi himself by the neck at the end of KOF 97, as well as the fact that the action was surprising at the time.

Music

 * Control Crisis - The King of Fighters '97, The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match, shared with Wild Leona
 * Unexpected Fight - SNK vs Capcom: SVC Chaos, shared with Violent Ken
 * The Dark Pulsation - SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium, shared with Evil Ryu

Game Appearances

 * The King of Fighters '96 - Gameboy port only; as Iori !
 * The King of Fighters '97 - mid boss
 * The King of Fighters '98 - Transforms into Orochi Iori in Iori's SDM
 * SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium
 * Capcom vs. SNK - unlockable
 * The King of Fighters 2000 - As a PS2 Maniac Striker for Benimaru
 * Capcom vs. SNK 2
 * SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos - mid boss and hidden character
 * The King of Fighters 2002 - Transforms into Orochi Iori in Iori's HSDM and SDM, playable in the Xbox and PS2 port only
 * The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match - Unlockable, also transforms into Orochi Iori in Iori's SDM
 * Neo Geo Battle Coliseum - Akari Ichijou's 100 Demons Special Move, also Iori's Deadly Special Move.
 * KOF Sky Stage - as a boss
 * Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting - as a boss
 * The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match - Transforms into Orochi Iori in Iori's SDM and Max2
 * The King of Fighters XIII - Transforms into Orochi Iori during EX Iori's NeoMax

Similar Characters

 * Iori Yagami
 * Another Iori
 * Miss X