Hakkesshu

The Hakkesshu (八傑集, Haketsushu), also spelled as "Hakkeshu" or "Haketsu", is the name of the followers of Orochi in The King of Fighters series of fighting games.

Story
The Hakkesshu was created around the year 100 by Orochi, servant of Gaia. Orochi was a creature of nature who saw humans as a threat to Gaia itself, so he decided to destroy them. He tricked a group of humans to join him, promising eternal life. The group was called Hakkesshu. Just like Orochi, the Hakkesshu was the enemy of the Kusanagi, Yasakani and Yata clans who were trying to seal Orochi away from the world. A war between the Hakkesshu and the three clans started, with Hakkesshu on the losing side. The representatives of the three clans faced Orochi and managed to seal him.

After the battle, the Hakkesshu were exiled to the Amazon jungle where they lived peacefully. 1800 years later, the Hakkesshu was regrouped by Leopold Goenitz, a reincarnation of the Heavenly King of the Wind. When Goenitz damaged the Orochi seal by killing Maki Kagura, he traveled to the Amazon jungle to find the Hakkesshu remnants. There he found Guidel, the leader of the small group of Hakkesshu and also one of the Eight Heads of Orochi. Goenitz asked for help to ressurect Orochi, but Guidel declined, saying he had found peace. Goenitz was mad with that answer, but when he saw Leona, Guidel's daughter with a mortal woman, he backed off. He returned later that night and activated the Riot of the Blood within Leona and she killed Guidel, her mother and all of the village.

The Hakkesshu was eventually defeated when they were trying to bring Orochi back. Goenitz killed himself in '96, Mature and Vice were killed by Wild Iori, Yashiro and Shermie sacrificed themselves to Orochi, while Chris' body was probably destroyed when Orochi was sealed again. The only surviving member is Ryuji Yamazaki who doesn't want to know anything about Orochi.

Members

 * The Eight Heads of Orochi - The eight strongest warriors in the Hakkesshu. Each one was assigned with one of Orochi's powers.
 * Leopold Goenitz - wind; can control the currents of the wind
 * Yashiro Nanakase - earth; has power over the earth
 * Shermie - lightning; can use electric currents
 * Chris - flame; can control blue tinted flames
 * Mature - beast; heighten raw instinct
 * Vice - death; unmatched physical strength
 * Ryuji Yamazaki - darkness; increased brutality with unknown results
 * Guidel - claw; slashing energy
 * Matter - assigned to no one, Orochi uses this to appear in the physical realm. Rugal tried to claim this power for his own but couldn't contain it.


 * The Four Heavenly Kings of Orochi (四天王, Shiten Ou) - The four strongest warriors in the Hakkesshu. They have a small control over Orochi's power, being able to give tiny bits of power to others, talking to Orochi and activating the Riot of the Blood in people who are susceptible to it. Orochi can probably incarnate in them, as he did with Chris.
 * Leopold Goenitz
 * Yashiro Nanakase
 * Shermie
 * Chris