Athena Asamiya

Athena Asamiya (麻宮アテナ, Asamiya Atina) is a character originally from the former SNK's video game Psycho Soldier and a descendant of Princess Athena in its Athena. She later appears in The King of Fighters series of fighting games as a female fighter character and has appeared in each of its eleven editions. She was also given her own RPG game Athena: Awakening from the Ordinary Life in 1999 released only in Japan for the Sony PlayStation.

Athena is perhaps best known for changing her outfit and hair style for virtually every new KOF game.

Story
Athena is a modern day high school girl in Japan. Her psycho power is a legacy from her ancestor Princess Athena through her mother and it seems no other one in her family possesses the same power. She is a typical protagonist of Japanese animation culture with strong sense of justice and will to fight evil, help the weak and exercise hard for self-progress. Objectively, she also has gained lots of popularity to make her an idol because of her energetic exterior and warm soul, both inside and outside fictions.

She started her experience of Psycho Soldier as one day, while returning home from school, Athena saw a couple of Chinese fellows about to defend themselves from a local tough guy, whom she immediately knocked out with her powers before he threw a single punch. After introducing herself to the travelers, she discovered that the teenage boy, Sie Kensou, likewise had psychic powers while the aged man, Chin Gentsai, was a venerable master of many Chinese martial arts. Recognizing a good thing, they joined forces to become the Psycho Soldiers. Since then, Kensou has persisted in trying to make Athena his girlfriend, though she thinks of him as a good friend and nothing more (as of yet). By KOF '95, Athena met Kyo, and became mildly attracted to him after their match. However, she respects the fact that he already has a girlfriend and dropped the crush.

Orochi Saga
While Chin trained Athena and Kensou in kung-fu, Athena led their efforts in crime fighting and conquering the world of team combat in the annual The King of Fighters tournament.

By KOF '96, Athena had become just as big a sensation in the fighting world as she was on the pop scene for her charm, unique style, and amazing powers. Though she had never led her team to an overall championship win, she and her powers--along with those of other major heroes in KOF — played a crucial supporting role in helping Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami, and Chizuru Kagura defeat at various times Rugal Bernstein, Geese Howard, Goenitz, and Orochi.

In KOF '97, Athena was forbidden to take part in the KOF tournament by her master Chin. After presenting him a letter from a fan, Kaoru Watabe, a crippled girl who took inspiration to learn to walk again by watching Athena's determination in the tournament, master Chin had no choice but to join the tournament once again along with Athena and Kensou.

In the aftermath of KOF '97, the Psycho Soldiers met Kaoru, who now travels with them to most of their engagements and was even a striker in KOF 2000.

NESTS Chronicles
Before KOF '99, she met Bao, an adopted student of Chin and perhaps the most gifted psychic youngster she'd ever met. She also liked the boy very much since he was so cute and friendly, so he became the fourth Psycho Soldier. About this time, Kensou mysteriously lost most of his psychic powers.

In KOF '99, after K' defeated Krizalid, the collapsing NESTS base split Athena and Kensou from Chin and Bao as they fled. Just as Athena discovered an exit, falling debris trapped her leg. Kensou could not budge it, but just as another cascade of falling debris threatened to crush Athena, Kensou managed a massive burst of telekinesis to deflect it and finally extract Athena. Once they were safe and reunited with the other Psycho Soldiers, Kensou collapsed from exhaustion while Bao, who had barely a scratch from the ordeal, mysteriously went unconscious.

In KOF 2000, not advancing to the final round, the Psycho Soldiers remained on the streets of Southtown while K' and his team fought against Zero, a renegade NESTS agent. When the orbital laser cannon above, which Zero had planned to use to destroy NESTS, went haywire and began blowing up all of Southtown, Bao managed to deflect one of the blasts back into the cannon, which helped destroy it. The incident injured him so badly, though, that not even Athena's potent vitakinesis could help him.

Luckily, Kensou somehow unleashed his hidden "Dragon's Spirit", which saved Bao. Since then, Athena and Chin have determined that Kensou and Bao share some sort of psychic connection, especially because as Kensou's new psychic power has waxed, Bao's psychic power has waned. Chin thinks they simply share the same power, but Bao reveals to us after KOF 2001 that he secretly knows the true nature of their relationship, one not yet made clear to KOF fans.

Ash Saga
For the first time since the beginning of KOF, the Psycho Soldiers did not enter the tournament in KOF 2003 since Kensou and Bao went on a year long training mission with Chin to master Kensou's unreliable "Dragon's Spirit". Not wanting to miss out on her annual fix of tournament competition, though, Athena joined forces with Hinako Shijou and Malin to form the High School Girls team, a strange but rather successful partnership.

For KOF XI, Athena reunites with Kensou after his year of training, and Momoko, one of Chin's growing cadre of psychic students, joins them to form the Neo Psycho Soldier team.

Though neither Athena nor the other Psycho Soldiers have much connection with the major plot in KOF 2003 through KOF XII (not yet released, but presumably the climax of the latest KOF plot arc), it seems she is destined to soon struggle alongside Kensou against the evil and powerful Ron and his henchmen, who intend to steal Kensou's power of the Dragon's Spirit.

The King of Fighters: Kyo


In the PlayStation game KOF Kyo, Athena had a mild crush on its main character Kyo Kusanagi, although she respects how he's already in a relationship with a young girl named Yuki, who becomes Athena's closest friend at school. That crush stems from their fight in the KoF'95, where Athena was extremely impressed by Kyo's powers and good looks, and then transferred to his school to know more about him.

This crush is not mentioned in the main The King Of Fighters series, most likely since it comes from Masato Natsumoto's manga The King of Fighters: Kyo, which wasn't considered canon until later through retconning.

Athena: Awakening from the Ordinary Life
In this role-playing game, Athena has to find answers about strange things that happened in her school, and later in various parts of Japan. Different from her other appearances, this game is played in similar way to Capcom's Resident Evil series. Also, in this game her friends Kaori and Kensou appear as support characters.

Personality
Athena is very outgoing and friendly. She is a happy girl with a strong sense of justice. She treasures her fans and will do her best to fight for them. She is well aware of Kensuo's crush on her but chooses to dodge his advances since he embarrasses her.

Powers

 * Mind Reading: Athena can read other people's thoughts.


 * Telepathy: Athena can project her thoughts to others minds.


 * Telekinesis: Athena can move objects with her will force.


 * Psychic Projectile: Athena can fire a ball of psychic energy.


 * Psychic Sword: Athena can materialize a sword using her psycho powers.


 * Psychic Aura: Athena can attack enemies with a psychic aura around her hands to increase punching damage.


 * Teleport: Athena can teleport herself and others.


 * Psychic Reflector: Athena can create a barrier that deflects projectiles.


 * Psychic Healing: Athena can heal herself and other with psychic powers.


 * Psychic Phoenix: Athena can create a giant bird of psychic energy around her.


 * Danger Sense: As seen in KOF: Another Day, Athena can sense people in danger.

Skills

 * Singing: Athena is a J-Pop star.

Fighting Style
Athena was taught Kung Fu by Chin Gentsai, probably the style of Wing Chun.

Music

 * Psycho Soldier "K.O.F. Version" - The King of Fighters 94, 2002
 * Dora Shudders - The King of Fighters 95
 * Psycho Soldier Remix 96 - The King of Fighters 96
 * Psycho Soldier Remix 97 - The King of Fighters 97
 * Present Holiday - The King of Fighters 98
 * Psycho Sonic Trip - The King of Fighters 99
 * Will - The King of Fighters 2000
 * Psychic Guys - The King of Fighters 2001
 * You Feel for Me - The King of Fighters 2003
 * PURE ~at good old days~ - The King of Fighters XI
 * Psycho Dancer - 100 Mega Shock!

Image Songs

 * Psycho Soldier - Psycho Soldier
 * Psycho Soldier "K.O.F. Version" - The King of Fighters 94
 * My Love ~Yuki wo Dashite~ - The King of Fighters 95
 * Koi wo Shiyo - The King of Fighters 96
 * Koi wo Machi Kirenai - Neo Geo DJ Station
 * Psycho Soldier Remix 97 - The King of Fighters 97
 * Present Holiday - for The King of Fighters 98
 * The Song of Fighters II - Shared image song with other King of Fighters characters
 * Kizu darake no Blue Moon - The King of Fighters XI

Voice Actors

 * Rushina - Psycho Soldier (in-game)
 * Kaori Shimizu - Psycho Soldier (image song)
 * Reiko Fukai - The King of Fighters '94
 * Moe Nagasaki - The King of Fighters '95
 * Masae Yumi - Neo Geo CD Special
 * Tamao Satou - The King of Fighters '96
 * Yukina Kurisu - The King of Fighters '97, The King of Fighters: Kyo
 * Haruna Ikezawa - The King of Fighters '98 ~ present
 * Robyn Gryphe - KOF Maximum Impact (English voice)
 * Lily Kong - KOF Maximum Impact 2 (English voice)

Live Action Actors

 * Kei Ishibashi - Athena live drama

Game Appearances

 * Psycho Soldier
 * The King of Fighters 94
 * The King of Fighters 95
 * The King of Fighters 96
 * The King of Fighters 97
 * The King of Fighters 98
 * The King of Fighters 99
 * Athena: Awakening from the Ordinary Life
 * SNK Gals' Fighters
 * SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millenium
 * Capcom vs SNK
 * Capcom vs SNK Pro.
 * The King of Fighters 2000
 * Capcom vs SNK 2
 * The King of Fighters 2001
 * The King of Fighters 2002
 * The King of Fighters Neowave
 * The King of Fighters Maximum Impact
 * The King of Fighters 2003
 * The King of Fighters Maximum Impact 2
 * The King of Fighters XI
 * The King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A
 * The King of Fighters 98: Ultimate Match
 * The King of Fighters XII
 * Athena On Stage - mobile simulation game
 * Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushidou Retsuden (Neo-Geo CD version only; cameo)

Anime Appearances

 * The King of Fighters: Another Day

Similar Characters

 * Princess Athena