Genocide Cutter

Genocide Cutter is Rugal Bernstein's signature Special Move in The King of Fighters series.

Description
Rugal kicks upwards in a circular crescent motion, with a sharp outline following behind it while yelling "Genocide Cutter!". The version is fairly fast and can recover quickly. The version hits twice and goes higher but can be punished easily if whiffed. In '98 (UM), Genocide Cutter used by normal Rugal has the same animation for both &  like its previous ones while one used by Omega Rugal (dubbed as Dark Genocide) has second launching kick from his other leg along with notably higher damage. In The King of Fighters 2002 (UM as well), the of Genocide Cutter had more hits with a downward overhead kick.

Trivia

 * Rugal's Genocide Cutter is infamous in the Fighting Game genre due to its damage. In The King of Fighters '94, not only has absolute priority (literally no other move in the game can beat it, not even Super Special Moves) but can also easily shave off up to 75% of the player's health.
 * In The King of Fighters '98 & its upgrade version, his Genocide Cutter has its power being toned down. Though GC used by Omega Rugal has more damage than that of normal Rugal.
 * Orochi also uses this motion initially as its standard kick animations, before being spun off as a stationary anti-air special move in KOF98 UM.


 * In Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001, the word "Genocide" was censored out of his Move List, so his trademark Genocide Cutter was renamed "Destroyer Cutter", and his Super Combo version of it, Genocide Heaven, was renamed "Total Annihilation". In the Japanese version, the word "Genocide" wasn't actually censored out, thus when Genocide Cutter is used, he'll yell out the attack's name (he remains silent when using it in the international versions).


 * Genocide Cutter has been referenced in many other fighting games:
 * Sayuri Kurata's Magical☆Cutter in the doujin fighting game Eternal Fighter Zero, resembles Genocide Cutter, even down to its damage output when hit on start-up.
 * Charlie Nash's Heavy Sonic Scythe in Street Fighter V heavily resembles Genocide Cutter.
 * Claudio Serafino's Sky Slash Nova is also based on Genocide Cutter, having become as memetic in Tekken 7 as its progenitor.