Kyo-2

In The King of Fighters '99, two clones of Kyo Kusanagi appeared as selectable characters: Kyo-1 and Kyo-2. The original Kyo was redesigned for the game, but some designers wanted his return to KOF '99 with his iconic school uniform. When they were nearing the end of their production schedule, staff members were indecisive upon which uniform the Kyo clone should wear (KOF '94 or KOF '95) when the project head said to just make two clones instead. To save time, the project head then drew designs for Kyo-1 and Kyo-2 on the spot.

Story
During the course of The King of Fighters '99, Kyo-1 and Kyo-2 were merely two of thousands ready to be activated by Krizalid. They were presumably destroyed, since both characters don't have a personal ending and don't belong to any team. They return in The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match as part of the Clone Team along with Kusanagi, only to presumably test their opponents and eliminate Kyo.

Personality
In contrast to Kyo-1, Kyo-2 is very cocky and often (if not always) underestimates his opponents.

Powers

 * Pyrokinesis - Kyo-2 has control over fire save for those he didn't create.
 * Create Fire - Kyo-2 can create fire from thin air.
 * Fire Attacks - Kyo-2 can deliver punches and kicks of fire.
 * Fire Body - Kyo-2 can put his own body on fire without burning himself.
 * Fire Pillar - Kyo-2 can create a pillar of fire.

Fighting Style
His fighting style is based on Kyo's fighting style during The King of Fighters '96 and The King of Fighters '97, though heavily modified and includes the Aragami (Wild Bite) and Dokugami (Poison Bite) chains. In comparison to Kyo-1, most of Kyo-2's moves are relatively the same as the normal Kyo's, only with alternate twists on the attacks (such as being able to do a guard-breaking Nue Tsumi/Nue Plucker during a Yanosabi/Eight Rusts). Basically, Kyo-2 does not have much in the way of original attacks like Kyo-1, and he also ditches the method numbering font of the three clans for all of his moves. Unlike Kyo-1, Kusanagi and Kyo himself, Kyo-2 does not have the signature Orochinagi, and instead has the Mu Shiki in its place instead. His moveset mostly has multi-input techniques.

His new DM in The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match uses one of Kyo's signature kicks (i.e. the R.E.D. Kick) as a followup to a wild spiraling Oniyaki not unlike Iori Yagami's Saku Tsumegushi (Tearing Claw Comb; sans the first grab portion) and closer to Ken Masters' Shinryuken, known as the Futsu no Mitama (Govern Spirit of the Linen Capital), while his MAX2DM/HSDM resembles another move of Iori's unleashed on Orochi in the Sacred Treasures Team ending of The King of Fighters '97 via a max-power Kototsuki Yoh (Harp Moon Positive), known as the Hi no Kagutsuchi (Fire Tool Hammer). Both moves are Shintou mythology references like with Kyo-1's new move, as both the Futsu-no-Mitama and Kagutsuchi are deities of Shintou. However, in Kagutsuchi's case, it is like several of its references, written in a different kanji than the original Kagutsuchi itself.

Music

 * Esaka ~Acid Mix~ - The King of Fighters '99
 * Niritsuhaihan (Antinomy) ~Mutually Exclusive Dichotomy~ - The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match

Game Appearances

 * The King of Fighters '99 - potential special boss
 * The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match - potential mid-boss

Cameo Appearances

 * Days of Memories (fourth title) - in-text cameo; mentioned as one of Krizalid's minions

Similar characters

 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Kyo-1
 * Kusanagi