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Team Rivals (ライバルチーム), also known as Team Deuteragonist (チーム第二役), is a reoccurring team in The King of Fighters series.
Description[]
This team is one of the most assiduous main teams created and found in The King of Fighters series. As the name implies, the team is composed by characters who act as rivals or deuteragonists of the Hero Team, or against a specific character and/or team. The team is composed, in the most part, of characters who are important to some arc story or the game series. According to the story of each game (or saga), this team has mainline or alternative versions (the alternative can sometimes be the true story of the game). After (and during) each saga, the teams receive the following nomenclatures:
Mainline Formations[]
- Orochi Saga: Team Yagami (KOF '95 and KOF '96) (rivals of Team Japan; in KOF '95, this team rivals with the main protagonists of SNK's principal game series {KOF, Fatal Fury & Art of Fighting});
- NESTS Chronicles: Team NESTS (only in KOF 2001) (rivals of Team K');
- Tales of Ash: Team Elisabeth (only in KOF XI and KOF XIII) (rivals of Team Ash, only in XI; in XIII, the team rivals only with Ash);
- New Age Saga: Team Isla (only in KOF XV) (the true rivals of Team Shun'ei).
Alternative Formations[]
- Orochi Saga: Team Orochi (KOF '97) (rivals of Team Sacred Treasures, the true Team Hero of this game and saga);
- Shun'ei Saga: Team Official Invitation (KOF XIV) (the temporary rivals of Team Shun'ei).
List of Members[]
Orochi Saga[]
Mainline Formations (Team Yagami)[]
KOF '95[]
First Leader[]
- Iori Yagami (Kyo's main rival) - First Leader of Team Rivals and Leader in '95 until '98/UM.
Members[]
- Eiji Kisaragi (Ryo and Kyokungeryu's rival) - Member of Team Rivals in '95. Left the team in '96.
- Billy Kane (Terry's second rival) - Member of Team Rivals in '95. Left the team in '96.
KOF '96[]
KOF '96~'98 UM Team Rivals/Yagami (also appears with the same formation in KOF 2002/UM, KOF XIII and XIV) (XIV artwork)
Members[]
- Mature - Member of Team Rivals in '96. Killed off and turned into undead after '96.
- Vice - Member of Team Rivals in '96. Killed off and turned into undead after '96.
Alternative (and True) Formations (KOF '97)[]
Normal Version (Team Orochi/New Faces)[]
Leader[]
- Yashiro Nanakase - Leader of Team Orochi/'97 Rivals (A.K.A. Team New Faces). Appears only in '97 (and in Dream Match games), and returned in XV.
Members[]
- Shermie - Member of Team Orochi/'97 Rivals (A.K.A. Team New Faces). Appears only in '97 (and in Dream Match games), and returned in XV.
- Chris - Member of Team Orochi/'97 Rivals (A.K.A. Team New Faces). Appears only in '97 (and in Dream Match games), and returned in XV.
Awakened Version (Team Awakened Orochi)[]
Leader[]
- Orochi Yashiro - Leader of Team Awakened Orochi/'97 Rivals. His nickname is Parched Earth. Appears only in '97 (and in Dream Match games), and returned in XV.
Members[]
- Orochi Shermie - Member of Team Awakened Orochi/'97 Rivals. Her nickname is Insanely Violent Lightning. Appears only in '97 (and in Dream Match games), and returned in XV.
- Orochi Chris - Member of Team Awakened Orochi/'97 Rivals. His nickname is Flames of Destiny. Appears only in '97 (and in Dream Match games), and returned in XV.
NESTS Chronicles (Team NESTS)[]
KOF 2001[]
Second Leader[]
- Kula Diamond (K's main rival) - Second Leader of Team Rivals and Leader in 2001 and 2002/UM.
Members[]
- Foxy - Member of Team Rivals in 2001 and 2002 UM.
- K9999 (K's secondary rival) - Member of Team Rivals in 2001 and 2002 (excluding UM update). Left the team after 2001.
- Ángel - Member of Team Rivals in 2001 and 2002 UM. Left the team after 2001.
Tales of Ash (Team Elisabeth)[]
KOF XI[]
Third Leader[]
- Elisabeth Blanctorche (Ash's rival) - Third Leader of Team Rivals and Leader in XI and XIII; she also appears as Leader of the Alternative Team Hero in XIII.
Members[]
- Duo Lon - Member of Team Rivals in XI and XIII; he also appears as Member of the Alternative Team Hero in XIII.
- Benimaru Nikaido - Member of Team Rivals. Left the team in XIII.
KOF XIII[]
Member[]
- Shen Woo - Member of Team Rivals. Appears only in XIII; he also appears as Member of the Alternative Team Hero in this game.
New Age Saga[]
Temporary Formation (Team Official Invitation)[]
KOF XIV[]
Leader[]
- Sylvie Paula Paula - Fourth Leader of Team Rivals and Leader in XIV.
Members[]
- Kukri (Shun'ei's Temporary Rival) - Member of Team Rivals in XIV.
- Mian - Member of Team Rivals in XIV.
Mainline Formation (Team Isla)[]
KOF XV[]
Fourth Leader[]
- Isla (Shun'ei's official and main rival) - Fifth Leader of Team Rivals and Leader in XV.
Members[]
Members' Participation[]
- Participation of the members of the team during the mainline series (and some spin-offs).
- Note 1: About the colors in the table, they follow the logic below:
- Yellow: for table titles and undefined/dual status.
- Lime & Red: for the characters' participation in the team.
- Forest Green & Fire Brick: the first color indicates the characters who participated in the team in all times which he appeared in the series, and the second indicates the characters who were absent in the team from, at least, one game in the series.
- Note 2: Due to the constant changes of deuteragonsits in the game, all characters that participated/participate in the team are in fire brick.
- Note 3: Due to the fact that it is an alternate formation, the two versions of the Orochi Team appears with their participation in yellow, as well as the participation of the Elisabeth Team.