Ryuji Yamazaki

Ryuji Yamazaki (山崎 竜二, Yamazaki Ryūji) is a video game character from both the Fatal Fury and King of Fighters series. In Gamest's 1997 Heroes Collection, Yamazaki was voted as the staff's fifteenth favorite character. He shared the spot with Samurai Shodown character, Galford D. Weiler, and Street Fighter character, Ken.

He is voiced by Kōji Ishii. He is portrayed by actor Michael K. Hayashida for the Fatal Fury 3 live action commercials.

Story
Yamazaki was orphaned at a young age in the streets of Okinawa. His life was a miserable and boring existence -with American troops constantly patrolling his town- until he caught glimpse of a yakuza (Japanese mafia) boss. Aspiring to be like the man he saw, Yamazaki left his town and joined the crime syndicate. Eventually, he worked under the man he admired as a bodyguard and found happiness for the first time in his life. Unfortunately, his boss was killed one day in Osaka; the shock of his death gave birth to Yamazaki's insane alter ego. He has little memory of his past after this incident. Ten years later (1995), he joined the Chinese mafia and was hired by Jin Chonrei and Jin Chonshu to protect them and the scrolls of immortality.

According to the online novel for Mark of the Wolves, both he and Billy are assigned to become Rock's bodyguards once he takes Geese's place in Howard Connection. Unlike Billy -who promised to be by the boy's side- Yamazaki chooses to serve his employer by less savory means. He keeps tabs on the local mafia and serves as Rock's personal connection for his underground network. He also mockingly addresses Rock as "Obo-chan" ("Little boy") or "Geese no gaki" (Geese's brat).

In the King of Fighters series, as he was having fun at a local dojo, Yamazaki was faced by an Englishman named Billy Kane, who worked as the bodyguard of Geese Howard, main crime leader of Southtown. Yamazaki refused Billy's offer to join him and participate in the King of Fighters tournament at first, but after terribly mauling one of the warriors, he felt an adrenaline rush through his blood. Feeling a need to fight and kill, he accepted Billy's offer. During the subsequent tournaments, Yamazaki did not enter, and its unknown what he did during this time. He finally returns in the 2003 tournament to participate with Billy and Gato to engage on another of Geese's attempts to take over Southtown. At the end of the tournament, tensions between the team members increase somewhat, and culminate in a fight. Gato, disgusted with his team members (whom he is obviously not friends with), simply takes his leave and reappears in the follow-up title KOF XI. However, Billy and Yamazaki continue to fight each other, and neither made an appearance in KOF XI. Whether or not this ending in canon remains to be seen, although it does somewhat explain the characters' disappearance.

Personality
Yamazaki has two personalities. One is the calm and confident gangster. The other is clearly mad and hysterical. He likes to bash, smash, cut and, basically, kill everyone and anyone. He subconsciously keeps his right hand in his pocket because his idol once praised the power of that particular fist.

He doesn't want to be involved with Orochi and the Hakkesshu.

Powers

 * Snake Arms - Yamazaki can stretch his arms in front of him within a long range and with high speed.
 * Explosive Headbutt - Yamazaki's headbutt can cause an explosion.
 * Hurricane Punch - Yamazaki can engulf his right hand in a mini whirlwind.
 * Reflector - Yamazaki can punch a projectile back to its sender.
 * Sense - Yamazaki can sense the presence of others.

Fighting Style
In contrast with most of the other fighters in combat video games, Yamazaki does not use any particular martial art - he is a self-taught brawler, and uses a wide variety of attacks in his fighting, including unfair and dishonest moves such as kicking sand in his opponent's eyes, and his ever-present knife. He also rarely takes his right hand out of his pocket unless he is using his knife.

Yamazaki fights with his instinct. He has some ruthless moves in order to kill his enemy quickly.

Music

 * C62 ~Shirokuni~ - Fatal Fury 3, Real Bout Fatal Fury
 * C62 ~Shirokuni Ver.2~ - Real Bout Fatal Fury Special, Real Bout Fatal Fury 2, The King of Fighters 97, The King of Fighters 98
 * Black Rose - Fatal Fury Wild Ambition
 * Yuuwaki no Toki (The Alluring Time) - The King of Fighters 2002
 * Villainous - The King of Fighters 2003
 * Dance de Peace! - Fatal Fury shared image song

Game Appearances



 * Fatal Fury 3
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury
 * The King of Fighters '97
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury Special: Dominated Mind
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury Special
 * The King of Fighters '98
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury 2
 * Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition
 * Capcom vs SNK
 * Capcom vs SNK Pro
 * Capcom vs SNK 2
 * The King of Fighters 2000 - As a Striker for Blue Mary
 * The King of Fighters 2002
 * The King of Fighters 2003
 * Garou Densetsu The Legend of Wild Wolf