Geese Howard

Geese Howard (ギース・ハワード, Gīsu Hawādo) is the chief antagonist of the Fatal Fury series and a secondary villain in the Art of Fighting series. His role varies in the The King of Fighters continuities, though he is the true antagonist in The King of Fighters Neowave.

Geese also appears in many CD dramas and stars in his own character image album. He also sings in a number of image songs. In addition to appearing in manga adaptations of the Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting and The King of Fighters games published in Japan, Geese Howard was also the subject of a single-volume manga published in 1996 titled The Geese Howard Story by Etsuya Amajishi, adapting the character's fictional history from the Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury games. It was followed by a single-volume sequel in 1997 titled Geese in the Dark, by the same author.

In the character popularity poll on Neo Geo Freak's website, he was voted as the thirteenth favorite character with a total of 903 votes.

History
The fate of Geese Howard is one of the major differences between the continuities. In the Fatal Fury series, he is dead. In The King of Fighters series, however, he is alive (excluding the KOF: Maximum Impact series). He is sometimes known for using his "Nightmare" mode for games where he is dead, such as in Real Bout Fatal Fury Special.

Pre-Art of Fighting
Geese comes from a poor American woman and an Austrian terrorist. His father abandoned them after Geese was born in Southtown. Working for both of their sakes to surpass his father, he took up odd jobs around the city. Despite his efforts, his mother eventually died from poor health and hunger. Rather than dwelling in sadness, Geese tracks down his father in Europe and learns his father's real name is Rudolph Krauser Von Stroheim. He tries to assassinate him when he was 15 but fails due to his half-brother, Wolfgang Krauser, effortlessly stopping him (this same scene is later re-enacted in The Fatal Fury 2 anime). He tried to rid of his anger through religion but couldn't shake the humiliation of his loss.

Learning at a young age that power grants results, Geese trained in the school of Hakkyokuseiken with Jeff Bogard, under Tung Fu Rue's tutelage. Other games imply that Geese studied with other martial arts teachers, including the grandfather of "Blue" Mary Ryan and Toji Sakata - mainly Japanese martial arts styles. At the same time, he also started to build his network with the local mafia through intimidation and personal bribes. This is where he also gained the services of Ripper and Hopper. Sensing that Geese would not use the sacred techniques of the school selflessly, Tung passes the secrets of the school to Jeff. He had hoped to tame Geese's spirit afterward but he departed from the place enraged.

He focuses his efforts in overthrowing a kingpin named BIG and he eventually becomes the reigning crime lord of Southtown. Using his mafia connections to hush people about his past and presenting himself with a "spotless image" to the press, Geese was eventually appointed as the police commissioner for the city. To separate his business with his mafia and to find a place to properly train, he also commissioned the building of his own headquarters, Geese Tower. As time passed, he also used the tower as one of the main operating stations for his own business, Howard Connection.

Art of Fighting 2
Art of Fighting 2 reveals that it is Geese who orders Mr. Big to kidnap Yuri Sakazaki in the original Art of Fighting game. Yuri is kidnapped to keep in line Mr. Karate (Takuma Sakazaki), who is being forced to work for Geese - the SNES version of AoF states his orders included killing Jeff, but this may not be entirely canonical. It is Geese who orders Mr. Karate to fight his son, Ryo Sakazaki.

Although he was powerful, Geese had still not completely conquered Southtown yet. Hoping to gain more men for his cause, he hosts the first known King of Fighters tournament. Unfortunately, he came out of the event empty-handed and was defeated by Ryo. He was able to escape and successfully defended his turf from the jealous Mr. Big.

Fatal Fury series
In 1981, Geese Howard kills Jeff Bogard in front of his son Terry's eyes (revealed in Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition) and hires Billy Kane as his personal bodyguard. He sets up Billy as his champion in his King of Fighters tournaments.

Ten years after Jeff's death, Terry, his brother Andy Bogard, and their friend Joe Higashi enter Geese's King of Fighters tournament. Terry faces him on top of Geese Tower and defeats him by knocking him out the window. While the town presumes him to be dead, Geese was actually alive, apparently thanks to the secrets of a Chinese scroll in his possession. The scroll, called the "Phoenix Scroll", was later discovered in Geese Tower; it allows the user to speed up their recovery rate.

During Fatal Fury Special, an imposter sent by Krauser started to run Geese's company as his own. While Billy went to take care of him, Geese focused his attentions on his recovery and the rumor of the Jin scrolls. Hearing that the scrolls grant immortality, he discreetly searches for them. The story in Real Bout Fatal Fury explains that Geese obtained all three scrolls from Jin Chonshu and Jin Chonrei. However, he strategically wants them destroyed so that they would never be used against him. In the same game, he finally announces his presence to the public and organizes another King of Fighters tournament to settle his differences with the Bogard brothers. In the tournament's climax, he faces Terry and is once again thrown from the tower. Although Terry caught hold of his nemesis' hand, Geese refused his help and wrenched his arm away from Terry's grasp, laughing while falling to his own death, for good.

Though there was speculation that he survived his second encounter, the story in Garou: Mark of the Wolves depicts that Geese had fatally fell from Geese Tower. The Real Bout series alluded to this fact with his nightmare form that appeared as a difficult secret boss. He is survived in the games by his son Rock Howard.

Fatal Fury anime series
Geese's fate in the Fatal Fury anime trilogy differs from that of the game series. After suffering defeat from Terry in the first OVA, his appearances in the later two films are minimal. In Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle, he goes into hiding and is found by Krauser. The long scar across Geese's left eye was made by Krauser during his failed assassination attempt for his father. In the movie, Geese is seen only briefly as Billy Kane informs him of the Bogards' activities.

The King of Fighters
The major difference from this series's continuity than others is the fact that Geese is still alive. An interview with Neo Geo Freak reveals that this is mostly due to the fact that The King of Fighters development team wasn't initially aware about Geese's fate in the Real Bout series. Once they heard about it, the developers from Real Bout team approved his appearance in the series due to their desires to create the Boss Team. Additionally, Geese's profile statistics during this series are the same ones for Fatal Fury Special (excluding his age).

Having manipulated Mr. Big and Wolfgang Krauser's interests in his activities, Geese enters the 1996 King of Fighters tournament to entertain himself. His goal was to minimize his rivals' power and investigate the things surrounding Orochi's power, as well as to settle the score with Terry. In his team's ending, Billy shields him from an assassination attempt from one of Big's men and the crime lords part ways. Since then, Geese plays a minor role by hiring Billy to investigate oddities in the tournaments. He often plans for Billy's teammates in advance by offering them various personal awards. So far, he has been keeping tabs on Orochi and seems to have taken an interest in Gato's father.

Geese was included as a bonus character for the Playstation 2 port of The King of Fighters XI. In it, Geese's win quote after defeating Terry shows him wondering why Terry is so surprised to see him, claiming that he already told him that he's immortal.

After many years of his absence from The King of Fighters tournaments, Geese decides to return to participate.

In the series's alternate universe, KOF: Maximum Impact, Geese is presumed dead once more since the game's setting hardly mentions his presence. However, his "Nightmare" form makes an appearance in the sequel. Ureshino alludes that this was done mainly due to Rock and Billy's appearances in the game.

Personality
Geese is a proud man who considers himself a mighty warrior and as such thinks highly of himself. He craves power in all of its forms: from money to immortality. However, he has his own code of honor and there are lines that even he will not cross; never underestimating his opponents, especially after suffering defeat from Terry. He will crush anyone who stands in his way and reward those he deems worthy of his respect.

He appears to show respect to Tung Fu Rue despite their histories, as seen in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum.

He has a fascination with Japan, often adorning the Japanese decorum on the Geese Tower rooftop with American flags.

Whether because of ambition or to simply keep them from possible harm, he was apparently distant from his personal family, ignoring Rock's pleas to help Marie in her sickness until she reportedly passed away. As a result, this earned him Rock's indignation and the latter's devotion to stay away from his shadow.

Powers

 * Gather Chi - Geese can gather chi energy from Gaia, the mother-earth.
 * Sense - Geese can sense the presence of people nearby.
 * Summon Thunder - Through some difficulty, Geese can also summon lightning from the sky. He uses this in his Atemi Nage (Body-Blow Throw) and Thunder Break moves. The former comes in the form of the Raimei Gouha Nage (Thunderclap Strong Crushing Throw).
 * Ergokinesis - Geese has a incredible control over energy that is gathered from Gaia.
 * Energy Projectile - Geese can fire a wave of energy called Reppuuken and even fire two of them at the same time. The air version is called Shippuuken.
 * Energy Attack - Geese can infuse his normal attacks (punches, kicks, etc) with chi energy causing more damage.
 * Cutting Energy - Geese can create blades of energy as seen in his Hishou Nichirin Zan (Soaring Sun Slasher) move.
 * Energy Geyser - By touching the ground with his hands, Geese can make a geyser of energy come from below the ground. He calls this attack Raising or Raging Storm.

Skills

 * Administration - Geese is the CEO of the facade Howard Connection, and has managed to successfully maintain his own image to those not in the know.
 * Counter Attack - Thanks to his training in various Japanese martial arts (Karate, Aikidou, Jujutsu, etc.), Geese is able to reverse almost every strike intended to land on him.
 * Japanese Religion and Philosophy - Due to his training in various ancient Japanese martial arts.
 * Survival - Geese has survived the streets and learned how to fend for himself since a young age.

Fighting Style
Geese uses Aikijutsu as his primary fighting style. Aikijutsu is a style with several throws, counter throws and locks. However, it is a style that normally lacks striking attacks, and Geese's strikes seem to come from various disciplines of Japanese martial arts, mainly karate. He also knows traditional and older schools of Japanese martial arts.

Many official sources state that his fighting style is Hakkyokuseiken, but this is disputed. It can be assumed that Hakkyokuseiken only teaches the way of the chi and not fighting techniques, as Terry Bogard, Tung Fu Rue and Geese Howard, students of this school, employ different fighting styles. Through his chi control, many of Geese's attacks possess a wind-based motif, mainly through techniques such as the Reppuuken (Gale Fist), Shippuuken (Hurricane Fist) and Raging Storm; as he develops his style, he also adds some electricity-based touches, such as his popular OTG-pick up throw, and the stronger version of his Raging Storm, the Thunder Break. KOF '96 was also the game that debuted the alternate "wind slashing" variation of his Reppuuken.

His younger-self however, has used an old technique named the Explosion Ball, and also favored a more rigid boxing style mixed with karate. However, as he ages to his more popular present-self, he employs many new attacks and has a more upright stance that allows him to focus on his reversals. Though in tribute to his younger-self, one technique present-Geese has retained in some titles from Art of Fighting 2 is his Hishou Nichirin Zan (Flying Day Ring Slash). His Rashoumon (Thin Life Gate) technique also references the castle gate location of the same name.

The command input of Geese's Raging Storm has remained mostly untouched in his game appearances due to its popularity with fans in Japan (coined the "Pretzel Command" by the fandom). It is one of the few moves from Fatal Fury to not undergo a command rearrangement in The King of Fighters series. In Real Bout Fatal Fury 2, its command input was that of the Haou Shoukou Ken. In some games, such as Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, SVC Chaos, and KOF '98 UM, the command input is lax thus gamers can find a way to execute it with a simpler command that overlaps. Regarding its name, many different sources have romanized it as Raising Storm, Raging Storm or Rising Storm (the second naming variation which his son stays consistent with). In The King of Fighters XIV, its command input is different from the classic Pretzel Command.

In Geese's appearance in the console versions of 2002, his CD/Blowback Attack (along with Goenitz, Shingo and King's) inflicts no damage via a programming error. However, his forward C command normal of the said CD attack (with its name and command introduced in SvC Chaos as Fudou Kassatsu Uraken, lit. Motionless Life-or-Death Backfist) does so.

His Deadly Rave technique was created via Geese taking interest of the Kyokugen style's Ryuuko Ranbu technique, in games barring Art of Fighting 2, The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match and The King of Fighters Neowave where the DM was an automatic super, the DM was also famous for having a special sequenced command that could lead into finisher (a series of weaker-to-stronger normal attack inputs followed by a quarter-circle-back finishing input), but also required consistent timing and rhythm (which could be purposely dropped at the very end to extend combos). Via Daisuke Ishiwatari's departure from SNK to Arc System Works, a number of other video game titles have referenced this very attack's unique input sequence.

While Geese has been balanced in terms of gameplay in many titles barring ones where he is intentionally overpowered, his younger version in Neowave was viable even in competitive play, despite some attributes being hard to counter such as his Deadly Rave having a notable amount of invincibility with a great hitbox; Geese even in his debut was rather considered to be a notably powerful boss in SNK titles, as his counter throws even worked when no incoming attacks triggered it.

Ironically via Real Bout 2, Geese was notably toned down, with almost half of his classic moveset being removed along with a few new moves added. This version of him combined with his "Nightmare" version was brought back in a more balanced composite version in  '98 Ultimate Match.

In Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, a unique form of his Raging Storm is used as a stronger version whenever he manages to land one of his counter throws. This is a reference to this very version of the said move when used in Fatal Fury 3 or Real Bout Fatal Fury, where his Raging Storm will turn red under those circumstances and deal more damage.

Music

 * Geese ni Kissu (A Kiss for Geese) - Fatal Fury
 * Geese ni Shoyu (Soy Sauce for Geese) - Fatal Fury Special, Real Bout Fatal Fury, Real Bout Fatal Fury Special (as Nightmare Geese), and Real Bout Fatal Fury 2, The King of Fighters: Kyo, The King of Fighters XI, SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium, The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match (as EX Geese)
 * Geese ja! (It's Geese!) - Fatal Fury 3 (first round against CPU)
 * Geese ni Chuushite (Give Geese a Kiss) - Fatal Fury 3 (second round)
 * The Battle - Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition
 * Geese ni Shoyu ~Ichiban Akumu no Hate~ (Soy Sauce for Geese ~The End of the First Nightmare~) - Geese's theme as the final boss in Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition
 * Geese ni Kissu -Cyber Edit-: Art of Fighting 2
 * Geese ni Katakori (Stiff Shoulders for Geese) - The King of Fighters '96, Garou Densetsu The Legend of Wild Wolf, The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match, The King of Fighters XIII (when the music is set to "Type B", console version only, alternate theme of Billy Kane).
 * Soy Sauce for Koyadofu - The King of Fighters XIV
 * Soy Sauce for Geese -KOF XIV ver.- - The King of Fighters XIV (as Terry's opponent)
 * Speed Hucker - The King of Fighters Neowave
 * Kiss Geese Once More - While never used explicitly for Geese, this theme is used in the "Infernal Gate" stage of both KOF Maximum Impact and KOF Maximum Impact 2. The stage is modeled after Geese's "throne room" from the original Fatal Fury.
 * Vigor Force - Capcom vs SNK
 * Geese ni Mustard (Mustard for Geese) - The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match.
 * Geese - Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture
 * Shooting☆Star - Garou Densetsu Special
 * Devotion -The Sun Set Sky Final- : Neo Geo DJ Station Image Song
 * Geese ni Ketto - 100 Mega Shock!
 * An Ego For Geese: Special arranged song for the Fatal Fury 15th Anniversary BOX Anthology.
 * Romei: Real Bout Fatal Fury Arranged Special. A vocal of the post Terry/Andy Geese battle theme sung by Kong Kuwata.

Voice Actors

 * Katsuhisa Namase - Fatal Fury Special
 * Michael Beard - Young Geese in Art of Fighting 2
 * Kong Kuwata - Fatal Fury 3 ~ Present
 * Tom Bitler - KOF: Maximum Impact 2 (English voice)
 * Hidekatsu Shibata - Animated films
 * Masaaki Ōkura - Young Geese in Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
 * Ward Perry - Animated films (English voice)
 * Katsuji Mori - Fatal Fury Dengeki drama CD

Live Action Actors

 * Micky James Montera - Fatal Fury Special live commercials

Game Appearances

 * Fatal Fury: King of Fighters - boss character (Playable with a code in versus mode from Sega Genesis)
 * Fatal Fury Special - playable and boss
 * Art of Fighting 2 - boss
 * Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory - playable and Sub-boss
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury - playable and boss
 * The King of Fighters '96
 * The King of Fighters: Kyo
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury Special Dominated Mind
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers - playable and boss
 * Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition - playable and boss
 * Fatal Fury: First Contact - playable and boss
 * Capcom vs. SNK
 * The King of Fighters 2000 - Striker character for Terry Bogard
 * Capcom vs. SNK 2
 * The King of Fighters EX - boss
 * SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos - Hidden playable and mid-boss
 * SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium - playable and boss
 * The King of Fighters 2002 - Playstation 2 and Xbox exclusive playable character
 * The King of Fighters Neowave - boss character
 * The King of Fighters XI - Playstation 2 exclusive hidden character
 * Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
 * The King of Fighters 98: Ultimate Match
 * The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match
 * Quiz King of Fighters - NPC boss
 * Garou Densetsu The Legend of Wild Wolf - boss
 * Garou Densetsu Special - boss
 * Garou Densetsu Sougeki - boss
 * Ryuuko no Ken (Pachislot)
 * Garou Densetsu Premium
 * CR The King of Fighters
 * The King of Fighters XIV (Nightmare Geese as DLC costume)

Mobile Appearances

 * Garou Densetsu vs Fighter's History Dynamite - Final boss character
 * Days of Memories (Fifth, eighth, and ninth titles) - NPC
 * Athena On Stage - band member
 * SNK Dream Battle
 * SNK High School Collection

Cameo Appearances

 * The Super Spy
 * Art of Fighting - in the SNES version ending
 * The King of Fighters '94 - in the Mexico stage, during the Fatal Fury team's ending
 * The King of Fighters '95 - during the Fatal Fury team's ending
 * The King of Fighters '97 - during the '97 Special Team ending
 * Garou: Mark of the Wolves - intro cameo
 * The King of Fighters 2002 - in the Japan stage, arcade only
 * Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting
 * The King of Fighters XIII - passing mention in Kim Team's backstory
 * KOF: Maximum Impact - In the Infernal Gate stage
 * The King of Fighters '94: Rebout - as a statue in Rugal's stage
 * The King of Fighters (pachinko)
 * Moeyo! SNK Gals Osuin Katoukai

Anime Appearances

 * Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf
 * Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
 * Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture
 * The King of Fighters: Another Day - 2nd episode, passing mention

Similar Characters

 * Nightmare Geese

Trivia

 * When the silhouette of his AOF 2 appearance was leaked into Neo Geo Freak, many fans thought he was "an evil Andy" or Ryuhaku Todoh.
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury has an impostor named Shadow who can only be fought by Geese or Billy. He is identical to Geese except that Shadow stutters.