Laurence Blood

Laurence Blood (ローレンス・ブラッド) is a character from the Fatal Fury fighting series.

History


A renowned bull fighter not only in Spain, but in lots of parts in the world, Laurence Blood might be an arrogant and overconfident person who likes to minimize other people's successes, but he can sure back it up, by showing off his amazing skills as a matador, and how he gracefully dodges the charges of bulls, and kills them swiftly in one stroke of his sword.

But few people suspect what is behind Laurence's incredible career. Ever since he was little, Laurence's family had had close ties with the Earl of Strolheim, represented by the Krauser family, a very influential lineage in Europe. Having served the Krauser family for generations, the Blood clan has always played the role of faithful followers to the Strolheim lineage. Laurence has not forgotten that vow, and has served the latest successor of the Strolheim heir, Wolfgang Krauser, in exchange that Krauser himself would support Laurence's training as a bull fighter.

The trade faired off quite well, as Krauser had a respected and feared bodyguard in the form of Laurence, and Laurence himself had earned a name for himself in the bull fighting arenas, where he is famous for his gracious moves with his cape, and the fatal swipes of his sword. Always the man who knows how to pay his debts, since he too is of noble heritage, Laurence attends to Krauser's call, when the Emperor of Darkness decides to host the second King of Fighters tournament, in hopes of finding the man who had defeated Geese Howard in the first tourney.

Laurence was in charge of protecting Strolheim Castle while Krauser was out trashing worthy opponents to prove his might. But Laurence did not count on the power and courage of the "Lonely Wolves", who had already demonstrated their amazing prowess by defeating Geese the last year. Although Laurence was a formidable opponent, being both quick and deadly, he ultimately fell to the strength of the lonesome trio, and had to act as a faraway witness to his lord's fall. After Krauser's defeat, Laurence vanishes from the bull fighting scene, possibly to serve his master Krauser for all eternity to make up for his incompetence.



Personality
Mindless of how great a person's feats may be, Laurence always tends to raise his own skills and abilities above others, as he feels that his noble heritage has earned him a place among the greatest. Despite that, he takes pride in serving his master Krauser, and to distract all those who dare stand against him. As a man of honor, he also knows when to pay his debts, and to admit defeat.

Powers

 * Spin: He can spin in mid-air and make air currents around him break.

Skills

 * Bullfighting: He's the best matador in Spain and probably in the entire world.


 * Swordsmanship: He knows both Italian fencing and French fencing.


 * Musical Instrument: He can play the flamenco guitar very well.


 * Riding: He's good at riding and taming horses.

Fighting Style
An unique fighting style is used by Laurence. He bases his fighting style in Zipota, but also uses Bullfighting moves to subdue his enemy.

Music

 * Ushi to otawamure:, Real Bout Fatal Fury Special, Real Bout Fatal Fury 2

Voice Actors

 * Katsuhisa Namase - Fatal Fury 2~Special
 * Hiroyuki Arita - since Real Bout Fatal Fury Special
 * Kōji Totani - animated films
 * Ward Perry - animated films (English voice)

Game Appearances

 * Fatal Fury 2, sub-boss character


 * Fatal Fury Special, sub-boss and playable character


 * Real Bout Fatal Fury Special, playable character


 * Real Bout Fatal Fury Special: Dominated Mind, playable character


 * Real Bout Fatal Fury 2, sub-boss and playable character

Anime Appearances

 * Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
 * Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture

Trivia

 * Laurence makes two appearances in the Fatal Fury anime. In Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle, Laurence defeats both Billy Kane and one of Geese's helpers, Ripper. He eventually gets into a fight with Mai Shiranui and Andy Bogard for snooping around Strolheim Castle. He manages to win against Mai, but is finally defeated by Andy Bogard. In Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture, he returns to Strolheim Castle just to be dealt with by Panni, one of the villain Laocorn Gaudemus' servants.


 * During the English version's credits, Laurence's names are spelled Lawrence respectively from Japan.


 * Laurence appears briefly in The King Of Fighters Maximum Impact comic books as one of Duke's aids, and has changed his name to Jet.