Iori Yagami

Iori Yagami (八神 庵, Yagami Iori) is a video game character who made his first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting game, The King of Fighters '95. He is a central recurring character and the initial enemy (and eventual rival) of Kyo Kusanagi.

He is the heir to one of the three clans that sealed the legendary snake entity, Orochi, 1,800 years ago. His clan, formerly known as the Yasakani (八尺瓊, Yasakani), wields pyrokinetic powers. They keep the seal over Orochi intact with help from the Kusanagi and Yata clans using three ancient artifacts. His family's treasure is the Yasakani no Magatama (八尺瓊曲玉, Yasakani no Magatama) and his family crest is the crescent moon, which he wears on the back of his jacket. He also wears a plain silver ring around his left middle finger. The significance of the ring (if any) is unknown. His official nickname is Unbridled Instinct.

Aside from the main body of the King of Fighters series, Iori features his own drama CD and character image album. His character is also a member of SNK's character image band, Band of Fighters and he also appears as a regular antagonist in the spin-off manga, The King of Fighters: Kyo.

Development
One of the main objectives planned for The King of Fighters '95 was to properly introduce Iori as Kyo's rival. Creators have stated Iori's personality and other aspects to his character "broke the mold for characters in fighting games at that time". In several interviews for their official anniversary site for the series, several creators and developers -such as C.A.C Yamasaki and Mr. Marito- predicted that Iori would be popular on his release -which they admit happened during their observations of initial location testing for King of Fighters '95.

Because of his popularity amongst fans, some of the main designers for the series have stated that he is "difficult to draw for". Illustrator Shinkiro thought Iori as one of the series's most wild characters because of his hairstyle with similar sentiments being made by Last Blade illustrator, TONKO. Additionally, KOF Maximum Impact producer, Falcoon, stated that attempting to change an "untouchable" design such as Iori's put him under severe pressure. He stated that designing Iori's alternate (or Another as it is stated in the Maximum Impact games) outfit almost felt "unforgivable", unsure of fans' reaction to the change. In an interview with a group of the series's voice actors, Yasui explains that the staff for the games treat their characters as normal people and are constantly changing their character line-up to reflect this. He adds that he feels responsible as a voice actor for his performances as Iori, taking care to sound different in each installment as a means of developing as well as "protecting" his character's humanity.

Another minor development to his character was his ever changing "most valued possession/valued treasure" information. His '95~'98 bios listed various items such as a vintage guitar and chains. A girlfriend was also listed more than once, specifically in '95, '99, and 2000. However, starting in KOF 2001 and every entry onwards, the space is listed as "None". This has lead to several fan theories as to why this is, many of which surrounds his girlfriend's possible death or disappearance. The issue is briefly touched upon years before in Iori's drama CD, The Sun and The Moon ~ Prologue, though a concise answer concerning this shade to his profile hasn't been made by SNK.

In Gamest's 1997 Heroes Collection, Iori was voted as the staff's favorite character, claiming 1st place out of fifty other characters. He also received the same rank on Neo Geo Freak's website with a total of 3,792 votes. In a 2005 poll made by SNK-Playmore USA, he was voted as the eighth fan favorite character with 145 votes.

Legend of Yasakani
660 years before the game takes place, Orochi's seal began to weaken. The three clans decided to move its vessel into another location. Wanting to disrupt their unity, one of the Hakkesshu killed the leader of the Yasakani's wife. Under a disguise, the murderer then approached the Yasakani head and reported that the Kusanagi clan was responsible, saying that it was "atonement" for letting the seal weaken. To add more fuel to the fire, the corpse of his wife was found in the Kusanagi homeland. Angered by the revelation, the Yasakani made a blood pact with Orochi to gain the necessary means for revenge. Gaining the forbidden technique, Maiden Masher, the Yasakani renamed themselves as the Yagami clan.



As a side-effect of the Orochi's curse, the once crimson flames of the Yagami have a bluish tint. The curse also causes each heir to die young and each mother to die in childbirth.

Orochi Saga
Before the events of the King of Fighters '95 tournament, Billy Kane and Eiji Kisaragi end a sudden duel in a draw. Billy then introduces Eiji to Iori who comes in dragging the body of one of Geese's assassins. Overwhelmed by Iori's strength, Billy invites both Eiji and Iori to form the rival team to enter the tournament. Iori joins them as a means to meet his rival. At the finals, they defeat Rugal. Before Rugal dies, Iori mocks him for trying to use the power of Orochi. Claiming that such power could only belong to him, Iori severely injuries his fellow team members. He then declares Kyo and his clan will be next.

Before the King of Fighters '96 tournament, Iori is visited by two mysterious women who introduce themselves as Vice and Mature. They tell him of Kyo's entry in the tournament and try to coerce him to join as well. After a brief fight, he agrees to enter once the two submit to be his servants, intending to use them to help him kill his rival. When he leaves, Vice and Mature contact their employer, Goenitz, ensuring him everything was going to their plan.

During the finals of the tournament, he helps his rival and Chizuru to defeat Goenitz. The former dies leaving a warning to not underestimate the power of Orochi or Yagami. Vice and Mature are left shaken by the ill omen. It is then when Iori suddenly undergoes symptoms of the Riot of the Blood. Unable to control this surge of Orochi power, Iori violently kills his companions.

Before the events of the King of Fighters '97 tournament, Iori learns of his rival's entry from the local news. Later that night, he has a nightmare of two women mocking his inability to defeat Kyo. The women disappear with the promise of meeting him again soon. When he awakes, he coughs up blood. Filled with a sudden hate and rage, he declares to defeat his rival. However, at the tournament's conclusion, he joins both Kyo and Chizuru again.

He advances into the finals, where he confronts the remaining "Four Heavenly Kings" of Orochi, Yashiro Nanakase, Shermie, and Chris. 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 causes Iori to enter the Riot of Blood, expecting him to turn on Kyo and Chizuru. Instead, Iori snares Orochi by the neck, and Kyo obliges his rival by crippling the great demon with one last deathblow, allowing Chizuru to reseal Orochi.

NESTS Saga
Shortly after discovering the creation of clones of Kyo, Iori gained word of another King of Fighters tournament, and he began to suspect that the person responsible for cloning Kyo might be there. Iori followed the battles from the shadows, and eventually found an abandoned warehouse where Krizalid had fought the New Hero Team and Kyo.

The whereabouts of Iori were unknown after KoF '99, and it is assumed he cared little about Southtown and the events of KoF 2000, instead focusing on the opportunity for a fight against his rival (which came to pass during Southtown's destruction).

The next year, an agent named Seth invited Iori to join his team for the next King of Fighters tournament, under the presumption that he would get his shot against Kyo if he entered. Iori made it clear from the beginning of the tournament that teamwork was irrelevant, as he could take on whole teams by himself. However, near the climax of the tournament, he assisted K', Kula and Kyo in besting Igniz aboard a massive space station. He later escaped the destruction of the station before its impact with Earth.

Ash Saga
In The King of Fighters 2003, Iori reluctantly teamed up again with Kyo and Chizuru Kagura at the latter's request, as it seemed that the current tournament might be linked to the Orochi. After their battle with Mukai, Ash Crimson stole Chizuru's powers. He then made an offer of servitude to Iori, who answered with a fiery attack. Ash then disappeared while Kyo swore revenge. With the defeat of Chizuru and the crippled Orochi seal spelling possible catastrophe, it seemed that the Yagami clan would soon be changed forever.

In KOF XI, Iori teamed up with Kyo and Shingo Yabuki in hopes of opposing Ash. At the end of the tournament, the strengthening presence of Orochi caused Iori to enter the Riot of Blood, in which he trashed Kyo and Shingo before Ash Crimson appeared and stole Iori's sacred treasure, the Yasakani no Magatama, and his power.

Redemption of the Yagami clan
It is heavily hinted in the games that Iori may be the only Yagami clan member that can break the curse of the Orochi that had been inflicted against them. Signs of this redemption was first seen in KOF 96 ending cutscene (with a team of Iori, Kyo and Chizuru), where Iori successfully trapped Goenitz in a stasis-like state with crimson flames, which are commented by Chizuru to be the true color of the flame of the Yasakani clan.

In KOF 97's ending, Kyo has a brief conversation of what appears to be the spirits of the Yasakani clan, which claimed that Yagami is the sole person who was shouldering the sins of the clan's history. The purple flame of the Yasakani then turned into bright crimson, which as apparently absorbed by Kyo.

In KOF 2003, Iori again demonstrates his unconfirmed potential as the savior of his clan after his HDM ignites his opponent with purple flames which inexplicably fades off into a crimson hue, perhaps signifying possible redemption for the Yagami clan.

With the Yasakani no Magatama seized by Ash in KOF XI, it appears as though Iori (and his clan by proxy) is finally free from the influence of Orochi, as he no longer wields the Orochi-tainted flames anymore, relying exclusively on his clan's martial arts instead of the Orochi-given powers which he had lost. This is still debatable though.

Personality
Iori is a very serious, rude and direct-to-the-point character. In various drama CDs, Iori is frequently tormented by an Orochi identity that resides within him, which mocks and belittles him as its master. Iori answers it with irritated responses until it angers him, causing him to physically react in a usually violent manner. In his KOF XII profile, he seems to have trouble knowing which identity is actually his and suffers from a slight identity crisis. It's due to this personal trait that he doesn't like to associate with others and he lives a lonely existence. However, he still retains pride for his name and won't let himself die under any circumstances. He seems to want to kill his rival at every opportunity they meet, but he also can't recall the reasons why he hates Kyo. Like his rival, he doesn't care about the ancient family feud between them and just seems to instinctively hate him. Unlike Chizuru, the matter of losing his flames has not personally scarred or affected him in anyway.

In the non-canon HK King of Fighters comics, Iori states that he despises the color of his crimson flames. Whether this is due to his feud with the Kusanagis or a matter of personal preference after wielding Orochi-tainted purple flames for so long is not known, although he does mention at some point during the games that he no longer cares about the feud between the Yagami and the Kusanagi clans.

He also seems to be extremely lonely and misunderstood, as Athena pointed out in the KOF: Kyo manga that when she read his thoughts during his fight with Kyo, all she saw was a crying child inside.

Powers

 * Slashing Hands: Iori specializes in clawing martial arts, and most of his moves are in the form of clawing strikes.
 * Pyrokinesis (formerly): Due to his Yagami heritage, Iori can control fire. He can create a bright purple fire from thin air, create fire balls, deliver punches of fire, create pillars of fire and put his own body on fire. His fire also has the sacred ability to put enemies in a stasis-like state. He is not immune to other types of fire. He cannot control other fires that he didn't create. Iori can also occasionally wield crimson flames due to the prescene of the former Yasakani clan's power, although he does not have the ability to create them intentionally (they appear at random times, usually when Iori is using his sacred ability to seal an Orochi. (as in KOF 96 and his HDM in KOF 2003).
 * Riot of the Blood: Thanks to the pact his clan made with Orochi, Iori goes into this state whenever Orochi's presence is strong. While in this form, his eyes are dilated, his back is hunched, and his skin adopts a shade of violet. He is mostly incoherent but frequently screams, "Kyooo!", during fights. He becomes stronger and faster in exchange for his sanity.

Skills

 * Musical Instrument: Iori plays the bass guitar very well, and is seen playing guitar as well in some incarnations.

Fighting Style
Iori fights with the Yasakani style of ancient martial arts, which is a violent offensive style incorporating use of claws. He uses his instincts to fight as well.

Iori's "Riot of the Blood" super in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum looks identical to the scene shown in his KOF 96 ending when he killed Mature and Vice. His super, "Eight Cups of Wine/Eight Glasses of Elixir", is based off of the Orochi legend when each of Orochi's eight heads drank a cup of wine. Each cup would then leave each head drunk and unconscious. His last and most well known super "Rage of the Eight Maidens/Maiden Masher" is probably based off the legend when Orochi had eaten eight maidens who were daughters of Susanoo.

Strangely, the loss of his powers and purple flames seem to have little effect on Iori's fighting capabilities, unlike Chizuru, who was completely unable to engage in any form of combat without the power of the Yata mirror. If anything, Iori actually appears somewhat faster (albeit less mobile) in KOF XII, and his combos also seem to have become easier to chain with a slightly higher priority.

Music

 * Arashi no Saxophone (Stormy Saxophone) - The King of Fighters 95
 * Arashi no Saxophone 2 (Stormy Saxophone 2) - The King of Fighters 96, 98, 2002
 * Cool Jam ~Arashi no Saxophone 3~ (Cool Jam ~Stormy Saxophone 3~) - The King of Fighters 97, SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium
 * Sadistic Eyes - The King of Fighters 99
 * Stormy Scream ~Arashi no Saxophone 4~ (Stormy Scream ~Stormy Saxophone 4~) - The King of Fighters 2000
 * The Immortal Mirror of The Sun - The King of Fighters 2001
 * Cool Jam 2 - The King of Fighters 2003
 * New Order - The King of Fighters XI
 * Tranquilizer - The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
 * Aquamarine (Luv and Sax Mix) - K.O.F. Dance Trax
 * Stormy Black (Black Mix) - K.O.F. Dance Trax
 * Ura Kusanagi (Reverse Kusanagi) - Days of Memories

Image Songs

 * Moon of Crazy Flame - 1996
 * Monochrome - SNK Character Sounds Collection
 * The Sun &amp; The Moon - Duet image song with Kyo
 * Allegory of the Wind - 1997
 * Never Lose My Way - 1998
 * The Song of Fighters II - Shared image song with other King of Fighters characters

Voice Actors

 * Kunihiko Yasui - since debut
 * Eric Summerer - KOF: Maximum Impact series (English voice)
 * Jack Merluzzi - The King of Fighters XII (English voice)

Live Action Actors

 * Will Yun Lee - King of Fighters movie

Game Appearances

 * The King of Fighters '95
 * The King of Fighters '96
 * The King of Fighters '97
 * The King of Fighters R-1
 * The King of Fighters '98
 * The King of Fighters R-2
 * SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium
 * The King of Fighters '99 - hidden character
 * Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000
 * Capcom VS SNK: Pro
 * The King of Fighters 2000
 * Capcom vs. SNK 2
 * The King of Fighters 2001
 * The King of Fighters EX: Neo Blood - boss character
 * The King of Fighters 2002
 * SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom
 * The King of Fighters EX2
 * The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact
 * The King of Fighters Neowave
 * The King of Fighters XI
 * Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
 * The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2
 * The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Regulation A
 * The King of Fighters XII
 * The King of Fighters XIII
 * Netto Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special - hidden boss character
 * KOF Sky Stage
 * The King of Fighters (pachinko) - versus character

Mobile Appearances

 * Days of Memories - (second, fourth, seventh, eighth, and ninth titles) - unplayable
 * SNK’s DARTS: Three In The Black
 * NeoGeo Tennis Coliseum
 * The King of Fighters Mobile R-2
 * The King of Millionaire
 * The King of Fighters Volleyball
 * The King of Fighters Mahjong
 * Moeyo! KOF Daiundokai

Cameo Appearances

 * The King of Fighters: Battle de Paradise
 * Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushidou Retsuden (Neo-Geo CD version only)
 * The King of Fighters '94: Rebout
 * The King of Fighters 2
 * Maximum Impact

Anime Appearances

 * The King of Fighters: Another Day

Similar Characters

 * Wild Iori
 * Miss X
 * Another Iori

Trivia

 * In Neo Geo Battle Coliseum's fan Q&A section, a fan wished Iori happy birthday. When asked what he wanted in an "interview", he answered with a death threat on Kyo's life.
 * English readers may notice that reverse reading of his family name (Yagami) will result in somewhat unpleasant sentence. Although a pure coincidence, it still became a subject of jokes in english-speaking fanbase.