Kyo Kusanagi/Story

Clan Background
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 King of Fighters '94
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.

The King of Fighters '95
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.

The King of Fighters '96
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.

The King of Fighters '97
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 canonly 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
The King of Fighters '99 took place immediately after the events of The King of Fighters '97. Still knocked out from his previous battle with the godlike Orochi, 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, as his reunion with Shingo and Benimaru, who teamed up with Maxima, and K' (a fighter who is implanted with Kyo's DNA) is very short.

The King of Fighters 2000
Kyo decides not to come back home before NESTS is taken down and attempts to investigate privately again the following year but learns very little during his travels. As the fiasco of South Town's destruction ensued, Iori confronts him and they fight to an unknown outcome.

The King of Fighters 2001
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. In the official novel, Japan Team makes it to the semi-finals, however he and Iori separate from their teammates and fight elsewhere. Like the fight in 2000, the outcome is unknown.

The King of Fighters 2003
In The King of Fighters 2003, Chizuru appeared to both Kyo and Iori, requesting that they form a team and investigate suspicious activities concerning the Orochi. Kyo initially protested allying with Iori (though Iori apparently did not do likewise), but relented to form the Sacred Treasures team. After the defeat of Mukai, the team then investigated the weakening Orochi seal that they had been transported to after Mukai's defeat, but were ambushed by Ash Crimson, who stole the Yata Mirror from Chizuru, promising to go after Iori next. Ash escaped, and Kyo swore vengeance.

The King of Fighters XI
In The King of Fighters XI, Shingo has volunteered to join Kyo and Iori, in Chizuru's name. After several attempts, Kyo abides to Shingo's requests and joins forces with his groupie and his rival, in order to stop Ash. However, after he and his team defeat Magaki, the growing presence of the Orochi, caused Iori to snap and enter the Riot of the Blood state, and he landed a surprise attack and trashed Kyo and Shingo in a berserk fit. Ash appeared thereafter and stole the Yasakani no Magatama within Iori's body, along with his flames. The Rival Team (Benimaru, Duo Lon, and Elisabeth Blanctorche) arrived after the incident, to whom Ash tells them that Kyo will be next.



The King of Fighters XIII
The incident had Kyo hospitalized, but he escapes rather than wait for his recovery. As he wanders the city, he encounters a mysterious boy and his female partner, who try to attack him. Showing them his flames, they hand him the "R" invitation before taking their leave. Soon after the encounter, Benimaru and Daimon find him. Seeing no need to visit the hospitalized Shingo or Chizuru, he reunites with his old team members to relive his past glory days together with them. After Ash disappears and Kyo's team won another tournament, Iori appears and challenges Kyo to a fight. Kyo accepts and the rivals fight to an undecided outcome.

The King of Fighters XIV
When the tournament was announced, Saisyu summons Kyo and his friends, then informs them about a new threat which will cause untold chaos. He and Tung Fu Rue also requests the team to help his new students. Benimaru mentions the 'first generation' KOF champion that appeared while they were away and asks Kyo what he'll do about it. At his fathers request, Kyo enters the tournament once again with his old teammates to deal with the self proclaimed champion and newcomers all at once.

After the tournament's conclusion, Kyo advices Shun'ei to keep training to control his power. At the airport, after sending his teammates off, he heads to Hungary. Chizuru had called him there for his assistance in dealing with a revived, yet weakened Orochi, whom Iori found earlier.

KOF: Maximum Impact
Kyo's life in this timeline is exactly the same as his mainline counterpart up until The King of Fighters 2003.

In 2004, Kyo is invited to South Town to enter KOF, now under the control of Mephistopheles. However, he decides to go in alone, due to this version of KOF is a 1-on-1 fight, rather than the typical 3-on-3 fights. Kyo doesn't win this tournament, but becomes interested in the mysterious group of Mephistopheles. He is unable to investigate any further, due to realizing that he missed a date with Yuki.

The King of Fighters: Another Day
Kyo appears in the 4th and final episode of The King of Fighters: Another Day. Kyo is seen looking for Ash Crimson during a raging fire in South Town. During the scuffle, Kyo runs into Alba, with the latter thinking that he burned down the city. After a long fight, Iori appears to break up the fight and to inform Kyo that Ash escaped. Alba calls off the fight, realizing that Kyo didn't burn the city. After the city clean-up, Kyo challenges Ralf Jones to a fight.

KOF: Maximum Impact 2
Kyo once again enters KOF, under. Like the previous tournament, Kyo didn't win. After Jivatma's defeat, Iori appears during the castle's crumbling. They prepare to fight with an unknown outcome.