Ikari Warriors (group)


 * This article is about the mercenary group. For the game of the same name, check Ikari Warriors. For the game series to which the game belongs, check Ikari Warriors (series). For the team of same name in The King of Fighters series, check Team Ikari Warriors.

The Ikari Warriors is a mercenary band featured in the Ikari Warriors, The King of Fighters and Metal Slug series. The Ikari Warriors are not aligned with any country, acting independently in dangerous missions all over the world. The name Ikari Warriors first appeared in the game of the same name, released in 1986.

They are likely the strongest non-state military in the world, being in possession of an aircraft carrier and it's supporting battlegroup, something not even most state militaries have an access to.

Ikari Warriors series
In the Ikari Warriors series, the group is originally headed by General Kawasaki (based on SNK's "big boss", Eikichi Kawasaki). Two members of the group, Ralf Jones and Clark Still (named Paul and Vince in the American version) are assigned with the mission of rescuing fellow brother-in-arms Colonel Cook from terrorists. Succeeding in their mission, Ralf and Clark return in Victory Road, this time, assigned with the mission of facing a horde of demons. Eventually facing the demon lord and defeating him, the Ikari Warriors had no time to rest, being assigned with the mission of destroying the syndicate known as Crime Ghost and rescuing the President's daughter, Elise, who they kidnapped. General Kawasaki is replaced by Heidern in this game, as the leader of the Ikari Warriors. Ralf and Clark once again succeeded in their mission, and the President's daughter was rescued safely.

The King of Fighters series
Here, the Ikari Warriors, led by Heidern, have a special interest in the King of Fighters tournament, beginning in 1994. This year's tournament was hosted by the crime lord and drug dealer, Rugal Bernstein, who had personal history with Heidern. He was the man responsible for taking Heidern's right eye and killing his wife and daughter. Hearing of this new tournament hosted by Rugal, he selected his two best warriors - Ralf and Clark - to join himself and enter as Team Brazil. They failed in reaching the finals and facing Rugal, but they witnessed when he self-destructed the Black Noah, apparently killing himself.

The next year, though, they would find out that Rugal had resurrected and invited the teams once again to the King of Fighters tournament. Entering once more with Ralf and Clark, Heidern decided to avenge his family once and for all. The Ikari Warriors did not manage to reach Rugal, but again, witnessed as Rugal was consumed by the power of Orochi.

Some time before the King of Fighters tournament, Heidern found a village that suffered an atrocious fate. All of the villagers were gruesomely killed, except for a little girl named Leona. Heidern adopted her, and raised her not only as his daughter, but also as a soldier. Deciding to step away from KOF, Heidern assigned Leona to enter the 1996 edition of KOF together with Ralf and Clark, in order to investigate the Geese Howard's intent in entering the tournament. Leona was eventually faced by Goenitz, and he revealed to her that she had the blood of Orochi, causing her to worry about the future.

Between the '96 and '97 tournaments, Ralf, Clark and Leona were assigned to missions on the battlefield, but due to Leona's troubled state, Ralf feigned professional incompetence in order to request some time off. Caring for his new team mate, Ralf enlists them in the '97 tournament, in order to cheer her up. During the events of the tournament, however, she regained memory of her past and became distressed by them. Nearing the tournament finals, Leona was overcome by the Riot of the Blood and attacked her team mates. Being subdued and with Orochi sealed, Leona reflects on her life and attempts suicide by cutting her own throat, but Ralf stops her and encourages her to carry on.

Some time after the '97 tournament, the Ikari Warriors turn their attention to NESTS, a syndicate that is rising exponentially in the crime underworld. Its exploits in genetics, robotics and bio-engineering began to worry Heidern, and it became the Ikari Warriors's mission to terminate NESTS. By this time, the Ikari Warriors receive a new recruit, aptly named Whip. Acknowledging that NESTS was somehow connected to the 1999 edition of the King of Fighters tournament, the Ikari Warriors enter once again, this time represented by Ralf, Clark, Leona and Whip, with Heidern closely monitoring their exploits. Receiving intel that two NESTS operatives named K' and Maxima would be taking part of the tournament, the Ikari Warriors would keep a close eye on them. It was revealed during the tournament that Whip also had past ties with NESTS, and used this opportunity to conduct her own investigation on the syndicate. By the end of the tournament, Heidern received satellite image on what appeared to be several clones of Kyo Kusanagi, found all across the globe. It was NESTS plan to siphon the energy from the fighters in the tournament in order to fully activate the clones. The Ikari Warriors sent several squads in order to take down Krizalid, the NESTS supervisor of the operation. Krizalid was eventually subdued by K' and Maxima, and while the Ralf, Clark and Leona escaped the self-destructing building, Whip returned to make peace with him, because NESTS made them believe they were siblings. The Ikari squads advanced on K' and Maxima, but failed to capture them alive.

The next year, Heidern was approached by Ling, the leader of another mercenary band who was also on the hunt for NESTS. Wanting to trap NESTS, Ling wanted to host a King of Fighters tournament in South Town. Agreeing, Heidern sent his Ikari team once again to investigate and Ling sent his own operatives, Vanessa and Seth. Nearing the tournament finals, Ling eventually revealed to having his own agenda, as a man with his face called Zero appeared in front of the winners of the tournament. It was revealed that some time before, Zero, a former NESTS executive, killed Ling and impersonated him for a time, in order to set his plans into motion. Zero aimed to destroy NESTS and become himself the bringer of a new world order by using a space-based weapon - the Zero Cannon. He then created a clone of Ling and sent him to impersonate the mercenary commander in his stead. Using the energy from the fighters in the tournament, the Zero Cannon was fired on South Town, destroying the city. Zero was eventually stopped by K' and his team, and Heidern took the clone down before he could use the Zero Cannon once more. It was revealed that Kula Diamond, a NESTS project known as "Anti-K'", was responsible for the destruction of the Zero Cannon. Whip questioned the dying Zero for the truth regarding herself and discovered that she was cloned from K's sister, Seirah. The ground suddenly started to collapse, separating Whip from the rest of the team. As the cannon's debris showered the city, Whip defected from the Ikari Warriors in order to join K'. The team eventually found some footage of Whip saying her goodbyes. A week later, Heidern returned to South Town and concluded that Zero wanted to destroy NESTS base of operations, meaning that it was possible that South Town itself was NESTS headquarters.

The Ikari Team entered the 2001 tournament once again, this time with Heidern himself joining with the team. Having intel that the tournament was being hosted by NESTS, the team enters once more, planning on finishing the cartel once and for all. Discovering that NESTS's CEO, Igniz was behind the tournament, that team does not advance to the finals, but keep the fights under close watch. It was revealed that NESTS' real headquarters was in a space station where Igniz received the tournament's winners, K', Maxima, Whip and Lin. Igniz had killed the true leader of NESTS and wanted to use its power in order to become a god. Being defeated by K', Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami and Kula Diamond, Igniz sent the space station towards Earth, planning to become a demon since mankind wouldn't accept his advent as a god. Somehow, NESTS's HQ didn't explode and Earth was saved. The Ikari Warriors kept their investigation and were informed that the death of Igniz and Nests, as well as the destruction of NESTS's true headquarters quickly led to most of the syndicate's bases scattered around the world to cease functioning. Ralf, Clark and Leona were quickly assigned on a new mission, and while there, they received a picture showing a happy Whip together with Kula.

In 2003, the Ikari Warriors received an invitation letter sealed with the letter "R", similar to how Rugal did almost ten years before. Fearing Rugal had returned once more and wanting to investigate the presence of a mysterious airship, the Ikari Warriors Team of Ralf, Clark and Leona enter the tournament once again. They managed to reach the finals and found out that the tournament was hosted by the two children of Rugal, Adelheid and Rose Bernstein. Wanting to honor Rugal's legacy, Rose has invited strong fighters for the King of Fighters tournament so Adelheid would face them. Proving their worth, the Ikari Warriors managed to narrowly defeat Adelheid atop the "Sky Noah" air fortress, while Rose played the piano. Enraged by her brother's defeat, Rose did not want to let the team go, but Adelheid corrected her and honorably convinced her of letting the team go. After they were sent down to the ground, Leona snapped into the Riot of the Blood and attacked Ralf and Clark. The duo managed to subdue her until the berserker state wore off, but they were left badly injured. It was revealed that while the trio were facing the Bernstein siblings, a mysterious group known as Those From the Past was revealed to be acting in the shadows of KOF, wanting to break the Orochi seal. Heidern and the Ikari Warriors then turned their attentions to this group.

Whip has returned to the Ikari Warriors, and was pardoned for her defection. She was ordered to join the next tournament together with Ralf and Clark, as Leona was left in the sidelines due to her entering the Riot of the Blood the tournament before. Heidern sent the team in order to secure evidence from Those From the Past. The group's presence was represented by the mysterious and powerful Magaki, who wanted to completely unseal Orochi for his master. Magaki was eventually defeated by Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami and Shingo Yabuki, and while making his escape through a dimensional portal, he was impaled by Shion's spear. The Ikari Warriors managed to secure his corpse, and sent it for analysis. The following day, as Heidern was briefing the Warriors in a cruiser, two mysterious figures, a blonde young man and a little girl, invaded the ship and managed not only to take Magaki's corpse back, but also stole Heidern's eye patch.

Heidern was approached by Adelheid Bernstein, who offered his help in order to hunt Those From the Past. Heidern accepts and sends in Ralf, Clark and Leona once more in order to investigate the tournament being hosted by Rose. Heidern orders them to find any connection between Those From the Past, Rose and the tournament. After the tournament's climax, Leona loses consciousness and sleeps for several days. Her teammates were worried for her and stay beside her until she awakens. Comforted by their concerns, she laughs for the first time in the series.

When the new 14th tournament being hosted by the current host of the tournament named Antonov, Heidern sent Ralf, Clark and Leona to investigate if the current KOF is going to be related any villainous threats or not, while Ralf suggest Whip to get K', Kula and Maxima involve this investigation as well. Once they finally confirmed that the current fourteenth tournament has nothing to do with villainous act, such as Verse's sudden attack on the tournament due to having connection to Shun'ei's left-half power, and has all warriors' souls Verse contained inside bursting across world-wide and revived their flesh body, thanks to the data gathered by Maxima, Ikari Warriors set their plans for a world-wide investigation earlier, just in case when the upcoming phenomenal will plan to haunt the future tournament. During a meeting about Verse creature and a ressurection of the warriors who were inside Verse's body, Clark cut the topic and had been suspicious of Maxima's underground profiting, but Maxima replies that next time they meet when he does that illegal profiting again, Maxima ensures Clark he can get away so easily.

Metal Slug series
In the Metal Slug series, Ralf and Clark are hired by the high-end officers of S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. in order to help Marco, Tarma, Eri and Fio in an attack mission against an army susptected to belong to General Morden.

In Metal Slug 7, Ralf and Clark return, this time with Leona, in order to help the Peregrine Falcon Squad defeat General Morden's army. When victory seemed secure, a mysterious army from the future appears and joing Morden's army in his plans of world conquest.