Aoi Kusanagi

Aoi Kusanagi (, Kusanagi Aoi) is a character from The King of Fighters series. She is a cousin of Kyo Kusanagi and voiced by Ayako Kawasumi.

Story
When Souji Kusanagi moved to Tokyo, Aoi moved with him. A short while before Kyo went to search for Souji, Aoi and her brother had a fight. Aoi then ran away from home and ran into Shermie. Acknowledging Shermie as a Hakkesshu, Aoi asked her to turn her crimson flames into purple flames, in a rebel act against her brother. Shermie did what she asked, inflicting her with the same curse inflicted on the Yagami clan.

She found Kyo, who was looking for her on her brother's behalf. Kyo asked her to return home, and she reluctantly agreed. She met her brother Souji at the Kusanagi temple and after a short discussion, they conciliated.

Personality
Aoi seems to be a rebel girl who fights with her brother almost all the time, although she cares for her family and clan.

Abilities

 * Pyrokinesis - Due to her Kusanagi heritage, Aoi can control fire. She can create fire from thin air, create fire balls, deliver punches of fire, create pillars of fire and put her own body on fire. She is not immune to other types of fire. She cannot control other fires that she didn't create.
 * Riot of the Blood - Thanks to the pact she made with Orochi though Shermie's intervention, Aoi goes into this state whenever Orochi's presence is strong. While in this form, her eyes are dilated, her back is hunched, and her skin adopts a shade of violet (estimated). She is mostly incoherent. She becomes stronger and faster but loses intelligence. She has never entered this state, but is susceptible to it.

Fighting style
Aoi fights with the Kusanagi style of ancient martial arts, a Japanese style of empty handed combat taught only to the Kusanagi.

Appearances

 * The King of Fighters: Kyo

Etymology

 * The name Aoi means "hollyhock, althea" (葵).
 * Aoi's surname Kusanagi means "grass, herb, weed" (草) (kusa) and "mow" (薙) (nagi).
 * Kusanagi comes from Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (which is the name Yamato Takeru gave to the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi), a legendary Japanese sword and one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan that represents the virtue of valor.

Trivia

 * Due to no mention of Aoi in the KOF series at large outside the KOF: Kyo game, it is widely believed her character, along with her excursion with Orochi powers are non-canon, as such act would potentially curse the entire Kusanagi bloodline and not just herself and her flames.

Gallery
Aoi Kusanagi