Goenitz

Goenitz is the main antagonist and final boss of The King of Fighters '96. He is the head of the Hakkesshu and the strongest member of the Four Heavenly Kings of Orochi. With the power to command wind, his full title as a Heavenly King is Goenitz of the Wildly-Blowing Wind.

Development
Goenitz's namesake is from an alien character in the anime Space Battleship Yamato. His Heavenly King title is a reference to the 1979 opening theme of Cyborg 009. Wanting to portray that he has strength that surpasses Rugal Bernstein, the episode of the young Goenitz taking out Rugal's eye was added to the game's story.

Personality
Though influenced by Orochi, he retains much of the mannerisms and civility of a priest, which is reflected in his winning poses and his elegant, somewhat flowery speech, ending most of his sentences with desu, which conveys politeness in Japanese. He is respected by the New Faces Team (as they are allies), and reciprocates the gesture with a bow, as seen in KOF '98 UM and KOF 2002 UM. However, Vice, Mature, and Yamazaki are all indifferent toward him. Leona disdains him for what he did, of course. Gaidel was reincarnated without his memories of who he was in the first place, so his true feelings on Goenitz 600+ years ago were unknown.

He sports the same "messiah" attitude that aspires to "save" people and dispatch disbelievers, and likewise, is harsh towards unholy and demonic beings, and anything that defies nature.

Powers

 * Slashing Hands - Goenitz's hands can cut and pierce like knives.
 * Aerokinesis - Goenitz has full control over the air and wind currents.
 * Control Wind - Goenitz can create and stop wind currents.
 * Create Hurricane - Goenitz can create hurricanes and tornadoes out of nowhere.
 * Cutting Wind - Goenitz can create blades of air.
 * Translocation - Goenitz can move himself to somewhere nearby by transporting his molecules through the air.
 * Flight - Goenitz can fly.
 * Orochi Power - Goenitz has some control over the Orochi power.
 * Give Power - Goenitz can give humans Orochi power, as he did with Rugal.
 * Activate Riot of the Blood - As a Heavenly King, he can activate the Riot of the Blood in those who have part Orochi blood, like what he did with Leona (as a child) and Iori before disappearing to his presumed death.

Skills

 * Climbing - He is shown to be able to scale rocky heights.
 * Theology - Connected to his occupation as a priest, and is presumed to possess knowledge, further skills and abilities expected of a priest, as implied in his quotes.

Fighting style
Goenitz fights mainly with his control over wind with little concern for utilizing any established combative techniques. Like the other Four Kings, his moves are all written using the Cyrillic alphabet into romaji. His trademark move, Yo no Kaze, is a tornado that comes up at random, slicing any foe it touches, done while uttering his infamous catchphrase "Right here?" (ここですか？, Koko desu ka?). Goenitz is sarcastically toying with his opponent when saying that, asking if they want him to drop his tornado right where the opponent is.

Goenitz seems to posses an 'enhanced' version of a fighting style used by a main character like with the other three kings; in this case, he has shown to possess a "true" version of the Yasakani-Style martial art; namely, some of Iori Yagami's moves done in a different fashion, such as the "true versions" of Iori's Aoihana, Kototsuki and Ya Otome/Maiden Masher. While the other kings of Orochi sport one signature super from each member of the Japan Team, Goenitz has had much on the speculation of the actual origins of his copied techniques. Though it hints that most of the Yasakani-now-Yagami's techniques ever since the curse, have added most of the Orochi's techniques to their regime, with Goenitz being an original practitioner.

However, the Ya Otome out of Iori's techniques is the only one that has been originally granted by Orochi himself to his clan (barring his Aoihana and Kototsuki), meaning Goenitz uses a true version of one of Orochi's gifts.

Music

 * Trash Head - The King of Fighters '96, The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match
 * Tears - The King of Fighters 2002 (console version only)
 * Trash Head ~Haru Ichiban~ (Best Spring) - The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
 * Gusty Wind - The King of Fighters XV
 * Trash Head -KOF XV ver.- - The King of Fighters XV (Boss Challenge)
 * Movin' (Favorite Blue Hyper Mix) - K.O.F. Dance Trax

Voice actors

 * Yoshinori Shima - The King of Fighters series ('96~2002 UM)
 * Susumu Akagi - The King of Fighters XV-present, The King of Fighters: World, Destiny, All Star
 * Hiroki Yasumoto - The King of Fighters for Girls

Appearances
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Mainline

 * The King of Fighters '96
 * SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos - potential mid-boss & hidden character
 * The King of Fighters 2000 - as a Striker for Leona
 * The King of Fighters 2002 - potential mid-boss & unlockable (console versions only)
 * The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match - potential final boss
 * The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
 * KOF Sky Stage
 * Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting
 * CR The King of Fighters
 * The King of Fighters XV - Free DLC Boss Character

Mobile

 * Days of Memories (second title) - non-playable
 * The King of Millionaire
 * The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Online
 * Kimi wa Hero
 * The King of Fighters Destiny
 * The King of Fighters: World
 * The King of Fighters All Star
 * The King of Fighters M: Fighting Stars Assembly
 * The King of Fighters for Girls

Cameo

 * The King of Fighters '97 - in scenario
 * The King of Fighters '98 - in Omega Rugal's stage (headless) and in artwork (PSX version only)
 * The King of Fighters 2003 - in Edit Team's ending
 * The King of Fighters XIII - mention in Ash Crimson's story
 * The King of Fighters '94 Re-Bout - as a statue in Rugal's stage
 * The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood - mentioned as his spirit is channeled into the body of Sinobu Amou
 * The King of Fighters
 * KOF: Maximum Impact 2 - Nightmare Geese Normal Outfit-Variation F
 * The King of Fighters XV - mentioned indirectly in Sacred Treasures Team Story; also mentioned in the Awakened Orochi Team Story and in their ending

Anime
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 * The King of Fighters: Destiny

Similar characters

 * Goeniko

Trivia

 * While the strange naming of his leitmotif hasn't been confirmed, some have claimed it may be a joke on Goenitz's hairstyle.
 * Oddly, his hairstyle also resembles Ryuji Yamazaki's, a character who debuted in Fatal Fury 3 and later revealed to be a Hakkesshu late in The King of Fighters '97.
 * In Gamest's 1997 Heroes Collection, Goenitz ranked 46 of the staff's favorite characters. He shared the spot with seven other characters, including Fighter's History character Makoto Mizoguchi, and Street Fighter character, Akuma/Gouki.
 * Goenitz is so far the only character in the King of Fighters series belonging to a religious denomination. In the SNK universe as a whole, one such other character is Elias from Rage of the Dragons.
 * While not confirmed, he is often assumed to belong to the Roman Catholic denomination of Christianity, as implied in one of his winquotes.
 * He belongs to a common trope of villainous clergymen, people of the church with malevolent motives under their legitimate profession.