Team Orochi



Team Orochi, formerly known as Team New Faces in The King of Fighters '97, is a reoccurring Special Team in The King of Fighters series.

Story


As the name implies, this team is formed for three of the Four Heavenly Kings of Orochi (being Goenitz the fourth): Yashiro Nanakase, Shermie and Chris. Both the members forms a music band called C.Y.S. (a reference to the members' first letters). Yashiro is the main guitarist, Shermie is the main keyboardist (beside a fashion designer) and Chris is the main vocalist. The trio were preparing to perform when the club they were scheduled at canceled them in favor of a jazz band featuring Iori Yagami. Upset at their loss and angered by "the man with red hair", the band steal the invitations from the American Sports Team (Heavy-D!, Lucky Glauber and Brian Battler) and enters in the KOF '97 tournament in order to get their revenge against Iori. They first appeared as a team for the first time in The King of Fighters '97, as the antagonist team for the Sacred Treasures Team and opposing the Japan Team (the Hero Team in this year). During the events of KOF '97, both discover their real identities as Orochi's servants, through the dangerous blood that runs through their veins. Since then, they work to resurrect their lord by gathering the fighters' own energy. Near the end of the tournament, both Yashiro and Shermie commit suicide in order to transfer their remaining energy into Chris and because of this, Orochi is able to return to the world while using Chris' body as the host, but Orochi itself is re-sealed again by the Three Sacred Treasures Team (Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami and Chizuru Kagura).

In the end of The King of Fighters XIV, an evil creature called Verse is defeated, causing the release of numerous souls and has caused many who have perished throughout the series to be brought back to life. The team is confirmed to have been revived. This further evident in Shermie's ending in SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy, and his revival is eventually showcased in his proper return in the fifteenth KOF tournament.

Awakened Form
This form appears during the end of  '97 tournament. In this form, the three activate the Orochi blood within Leona Heidern and Iori Yagami, as a part of their plan to resurrect Orochi. When both Leona and Iori are defeated, the New Faces Team reveal themselves as the Heavenly Kings and fight with the player's team (and, in the true story of the game, with the Sacred Treasures Team). After the events of '97, the trio only appeared in Dream Match (non-cannonical) games, in both versions. Their team was renamed as the True Orochi Team (, lit. "Another Side Orochi Team") in The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match.

Normal Form

 * Yashiro Nanakase - Leader of Team Orochi. Appears only in '97 (and in Dream Match games), and returned in XV.
 * Shermie - Member of Team Orochi. Appears only in '97 (and in Dream Match games), and returned in XV.
 * Chris - Member of Team Orochi. Appears only in '97 (and in Dream Match games), and returned in XV.

Awakened Form

 * Orochi Yashiro - Leader of the awakened team. His nickname is Parched Earth. Appears only in '97 (and in Dream Match games).
 * Orochi Shermie - Member of the awakened team. Her nickname is Insanely Violent Lightning. Appears only in '97 (and in Dream Match games).
 * Orochi Chris - Member of the awakened team. His nickname is Flames of Destiny. Appears only in '97 (and in Dream Match games).

Trivia

 * The awakened versions of this team are counterparts of each member of the Japan Team (the Hero Team of the saga which both are inserted). Therefore:
 * Orochi Yashiro is a counterpart for Goro Daimon;
 * Orochi Shermie is a counterpart for Benimaru Nikaido;
 * Orochi Chris is a counterpart for Kyo Kusanagi, although his flames are purple like Iori Yagami's (the flames of both characters has this color due to his connections with Orochi).


 * In the true story of The King of Fighters '97, this team acts as a rival for the Sacred Treasures Team.
 * However, only the normal version of this team is part of the game's roster, and the awakened version can be unlocked.


 * In The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match, this team have special intros with the American Sports Team, the team that have his KOF invitations stolen by them in the  '97 tournament.


 * In The King of Fighters 2002, this team was called "KOF '98 Team", representing The King of Fighters '98 (although its members debuted in KOF '97). However, in the remake of the reffered game, the team returns to their original name.