Team Japan

Team Japan is a reoccurring Team in The King of Fighters series.

Description
As the name implies, this team is formed by characters who hails from Japan. The team is also the first Hero Team in the series' history, acting during the Orochi Saga. The classic formation of this team occurred when Kyo Kusanagi, Benimaru Nikaido and Goro Daimon met during one of the Japanese qualifiers for the KOF tournament, which at the time was organized by criminal/drug cartel leader Rugal Bernstein. Kyo, heir of the Kusanagi clan, one of those who sealed the entity known as Orochi, won the first place, followed by Benimaru and Daimon. The team led by Kyo (and his variations) had, as one of his main missions, prevent the imminent return of Orochi.

During the NESTS Chronicles, the team was undone due to Kyo's disappearance in  '99 and later his solo mission in 2000, until it was remade at the end of the saga, with the presence of Shingo Yabuki, the big fan of Kyo and student of the Kusanagi style, to defeat the cartel that cloned the heir to the Kusanagi clan. The team was also present in the 2003, XIII and XIV tournaments, until it was disbanded twice: in the 11th and 15th tournaments, due to the intentions of each member during the saga in which they are inserted, outside the team.

Leader

 * Kyo Kusanagi - Leader of Team Japan. He left the team in '99, 2000, 2003 and XV and returned in 2001 and XIII.

Members

 * Benimaru Nikaido - Member of Team Japan. He left the team in '99, XI and XV, and returned in 2001 and XIII. In 2003, he replaces Kyo as a leader of the team.
 * Goro Daimon - Member of Team Japan. He left the team in '99, XI and XV, and returned in 2001 and XIII.

Member

 * Shingo Yabuki - Member of Team Japan in 2001 and 2003. He left the team in XI.

Team Benimaru
Team Benimaru is a team present in The King of Fighters 2000 and The King of Fighters 2003 and is a variant of Japan Team. This team is formed, initially, with Benimaru's intentions of searching Kyo Kusanagi, who has gone solo to find a culprit who cloned him at that time. In KOF 2003, Benimaru replaces Kyo in the leadership of the Japan Team, after a request of Chizuru Kagura (who, as Kyo, is one of the Three Sacred Treasures).

Leader

 * Benimaru Nikaido - Leader of the team that bears his name. Joined in 2000 and 2003.

Members

 * Shingo Yabuki - Member of Benimaru Team. Joined in 2000 and 2003.
 * Lin - Member of Benimaru Team. Left after 2000.
 * Seth - Member of Benimaru Team. Left after 2000.

Member

 * Goro Daimon - Member of Benimaru Team. Joined only in 2003.

Team Clones
Team Clones is a variant of Team Japan. This team is formed by Kyo's clones made by NESTS cartel (with exception of Kusanagi, who, canonically, is a creation of Chizuru Kagura, as revelead in The King of Fighters 2003), and apperas only in The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match.

Leader

 * Kusanagi - Leader of Clones Team.

Members

 * Kyo-1 - Member of Clones Team.
 * Kyo-2 - Member of Clones Team.

Members' Participation

 * Participation of the members of the team during the mainline series (and some spin-offs).
 * Note 1: About the colors in the table, they follow the logic below:


 * Yellow: for table titles and undefined/dual status.
 * Lime & Red: for the characters' participation in the team.
 *  Forest Green & Fire Brick: the first color indicates the characters who participated in the team in all times which he appeared in the series, and the second indicates the characters who were absent in the team from, at least, one game in the series.


 * Note 2: The table with the alternative formations of this team have their members' name in fire brick.