Choi Bounge

In this Korean name, the family name is Choi.

Choi Bounge (Hangul: 최번개, Hanja: 崔稲妻, Japanese: チョイ・ボンゲ Choi Bonge) is one of the original members of the Korean Team, along with Chang Koehan and Kim Kaphwan in The King of Fighters series. He is one of the many fighters in the series who fights with a weapon; his weapons are dual leather-gloved claws.

Development
His original costume was changed at the last minute to avoid distinct similarities with horror film character, Freddy Krueger from the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, though Choi himself bears a slight resemblance to Krueger from within his KOF XIV character design.

Story
He was a late-night predator who chanced to have stalked on Kim during one of his nightly walks. After he was bested by his prey, Choi was forced by Kim to undergo his "Rehabilitation Project", in hopes of using the criminal's skills not "in the name of evil", but rather "for justice". During this time, he also met and befriended fellow criminal, Chang Koehan. Since then, the two have attempted to escape from Kim's training with little success, stressed often to the point of comic relief. The situation hasn't gotten any more lenient with the arrival of Jhun Hoon, who shares Kim's overzealous passion for justice and rehabilitation.

Because both Chang and him convinced Kim to join the Fatal Fury Team in The King of Fighters XI, they appear in the Fatal Fury Team's ending celebrating with them at the Pao Pao Cafe. Since they have been deemed "rehabilitated" by their original master, Choi and his larger companion realize that Kim is on the look out for more villains to reshape and worry for the new victims' future.

Sometime and somewhere before the events of The King of Fighters XIV, Chang and Choi are involved in an incident at a bar which lands the duo back in prison. Once there, the two soon encounters the mysterious and enigmatic Xanadu, whom Choi recognizes in being an infamous and dangerous criminal upon sight and through Xanadu's own eccentric yet mesmerizing charisma, both Chang and Choi decide to revert back to their old criminal ways, joining Xanadu in the KOF XIV tournament as they now seek to cause chaos and destruction with their new friend.

Personality
Very goofy and annoying, Choi wants to be free from Kim's hands. He is sadistic, since he loves to slice stuff, especially human flesh. Although, Kim's "Rehabilitation Project" seems to be working, since Choi's lost some of the desire to kill.

He speaks with a playful theatrical accent, often ending his sentences with "-de yansu" (much like he often calls people "buddy boy" in Playmore's English localizations). He also has his own character image song, entitled "Choi Bounge Ondo", which is played briefly during his entrances in The King of Fighters '98.

Abilities

 * Super Speed - Choi is very light and fast.
 * Hurricane Spin - Choi can spin his body at great speeds, creating a hurricane around his body.

Fighting style
Before entering Kim's project, Choi used to fight with his super speed and attacking with claws, but he has been learning Taekwondo from Kim. He has his own adaptations of Kim's moves, especially Hishoukyaku and Hienzan. He even has his own variation of the Hou'ou Kyaku thanks to Kim's training.

Regarding the Hienzan, Choi in some movelists often misspells it out of humor, due to the kanji being incorrect; instead of "Flying Swallow Slash", the move is instead translated as "Grieving Monkey Confession".

Voice actors

 * Monster Maezuka - The King of Fighters '94~present
 * Mitsuo Iwata - The King of Fighters for Girls

Similar characters

 * Cool Choi

Trivia

 * In Korean, Bounge (more appropriately spelled and pronounced as Bungeh) means lightning, which suits Choi's "electrical" and nonstop nature.

Gallery
Choi Bounge