| May Lee Jinju | Story | Move List | Gallery | Quotes |
- In this Korean name, the family name is "Lee". "Jinju" is her given name, and "May" is just a nickname.
Lee Jinju (Hangul: 이진주; Hanja: 李珍珠; Japanese: イ・ジンジュ), know usually as May Lee (メイ・リー), and fully as "May" Lee Jinju (メイ・リー・ジンジュ), is a character in The King of Fighters series who debuted as a member of the Korea Team in The King of Fighters 2001. She is depicted as a perky teenager who fights for justice using Taekwondo. She is unique within The King of Fighters for her ability to change into a separate Hero Mode, in which she dons large gloves and a red scarf.
Development[]
May Lee's main reason for creation was to please Korean KOF fans, in addition to Eolith desiring for a Korean fighter. Originally, May Lee started out as an "idol-like visual fighter", or more specifically, like a "Korean Athena." Although her final design was far from the original concept, Eolith was pleased with the end result. May Lee Jinju was named after from the person who was in charge of Eolith at the time.[1]
Personality[]
May Lee is an enthusiastic and energetic young fighter who approaches justice with an almost childlike wonder and excitement. While she shares Kim Kaphwan's strong sense of justice, she expresses it in a more youthful and animated way, often striking dramatic poses and making bold declarations about defeating evil. Her speech patterns and mannerisms show both her dedication to righteousness and her somewhat naive, pure-hearted nature.
Her relationship with Kim, whom she refers to as "Master," shows her respectful and earnest side, always seeking his approval and trying to live up to his teachings. She genuinely wants to make the world a better place and fights evil with unwavering conviction, even if her methods can sometimes come across as theatrical or over-the-top.
Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Electric Punch - During her Hero Mode, she can deliver punches of electric energy.
- Explosive Kick - During her Hero Mode, she can deliver exploding kicks.
- Teleportation - During her super desperation move, she can be seen teleporting.
Fighting Style[]
May Lee is a unique fighter who utilizes two stances, referred to as "Modes". The first Mode, "Standard Mode", uses Taekwondo as her fighting style, although they function nothing like her master Kim or even Jhun. While in Standard Mode, her moves mostly involves her rekka follow-up kicks, juggling opponents, and countering incoming attacks. The second Mode, "Hero Mode", uses more forceful attacks, and even gains a command grab. However, she cannot block while in this Mode, and getting hit once switches her back to Standard Mode. As expected with stance characters, mastering both Modes are crucial for mastering May Lee.
Music[]
- Nerichagi - The King of Fighters 2001
- Diet - The King of Fighters 2002
- SHINING・BRAVE! - The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
- Tame A Bad Boy - The King of Fighters All Star
Voice Actors[]
Japanese[]
| Tomoko Kawakami † | Aimi Tanaka | ||
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List of Roles:
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List of Roles:
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Korean[]
| Yang Jeong Hwa | Choi Hyang-yoon | ||
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List of Roles:
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List of Roles:
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Appearances[]
Games
Mobile
Cameos
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Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- May Lee's Hero Mode is a reference to the Kamen Rider Series. This can be seen throughout most of her poses and attacks while in Hero Mode.
- Because May Lee Jinju appeared as part of the Women Fighters Team in KOF 2002 (a Dream Match game), she has canonically not been an official member of this team.
- This might be the reason why she doesn't appear in the Women Fighters Team's ending in The King of Fighters XIII.
