The Orochi (オロチ) in The King of Fighters is a version of the Kusanagi legend. He is the final boss of The King of Fighters '97. He has white hair, white trousers, and a tattoo across his chest, though this appearance is mainly due to his possession of Chris. The tattoo on his chest represents the eight-headed serpent from the legend. His origins are unknown except from the legends told about him. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 270 × 598 pixel Image in higher resolution (314 × 696 pixel, file size: 42 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Official The King of Fighters 97 artwork for the Orochi character. ... The King of Fighters ), officially abbreviated KOF, is the premiere series of fighting games by SNK Playmore, formerly SNK. The series was originally developed for SNKs Neo-Geo MVS arcade hardware, which served as the main platform for the series until 2004, when SNK retired the MVS in favor... King of Fighters 97 is the fourth game in the King of Fighters series. ... The King of Fighters ), officially abbreviated KOF, is the premiere series of fighting games by SNK Playmore, formerly SNK. The series was originally developed for SNKs Neo-Geo MVS arcade hardware, which served as the main platform for the series until 2004, when SNK retired the MVS in favor... Kusanagi-no-tsurugi (Japanese: 草薙の剣) is a legendary Japanese sword as important to Japans history as Excalibur is to Britains. ... King of Fighters 97 is the fourth game in the King of Fighters series. ... Chris is a character from SNK Playmores King of Fighters series of fighting games. ...

Though in the series, the name Orochi is written in Katakana, the name typically translate as The Great Serpent. Katakana ) is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet. ...

History

that could cause incredible amounts of destruction and death that was originally defeated 1,800 years ago by the members of the Kusanagi, Yasakani, and Yata clans. After rescuing the Sacrificial Maiden, Princess Kushinada, the Yasakai held Orochi in place, the Kusanagi dealt the final blow, and the Yata sealed it off.

However, 1,140 years later, when the Kusanagi clan was considered to be the strongest of the three clans and the Yasakani the weakest of the three, the Yasakani clan made a blood pact that allowed the Yasakani to use the power of Orochi. Such power came at a cost: the Yasakani, now Yagami, wielded purple flames and were doomed to live very short lives, with their matriarchs dying in childbirth. This action led to a violent feud between the Kusanagi and the Yagami, and many members of both clans lost their lives.

The murder of the leader of the Yata clan in the present day released the seal that had kept Orochi bound away. Hearing of this, the heiress to the Yata, Chizuru Kagura, organized the 1996 King of Fighters tournament in order to unite the two warring clans, represented by Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami. In the 1997 KoF tournament, the Sacred Warriors of the Orochi rise and directly try to resurrect Orochi himself, who is reincarnated as an adolescent boy named Chris. Also, they kidnap Kyo's girlfriend Yuki, who is believed to be the last descendant of Princess Kushinada. After saving Yuki, Kyo deals the final blow to Orochi as Iori holds the serpentine messenger in place, and Chizuru seals it off... just like 1800 years ago... Chizuru Kagura is a videogame character from the King of Fighters series. ... This article or section on a video game-related subject may need to be cleaned up and rewritten because it describes a work of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. ... Iori Yagami ) is a video game character who made his first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting game, The King of Fighters 95. ... Yuki (ユキ, Yuki) is a secondary character in SNK Playmores King of Fighters videogame series; she was first introduced in the The King of Fighters 97 and King of Fighters: Kyo games. ...

In 2003, a strange group called "heralds" made an attempt to break the seal, thus putting humanity in peril yet again. It seemed there were more entities other than the Hakkeshu themselves who were interested in the power of Orochi, and thus made attempts to revive him. Although unable to completely release Orochi, they damaged the seal, enough to make Orochi's influence felt in the world. The heralds intend to siphon the power of the Orochi for their leader's use.

Personality

Orochi is extremely critical towards humans, accusing them to be ignorant, or have not changed through the years. Even though continuously defeated by the 3 forces, Kusanagi, Yasakani and Yata, Orochi has little faith in the capabilities of humanity. The reason for this is arguable; some say that this is because of how humans have treated nature, while others (and also implied in KOF97) mention that he sees no hope in the sins of humanity, and that their destruction is the only way to clean the earth.

What the Orochi feels and thinks seems to seep towards the The 4 Devas. Goenitz, Yashiro, Shermie and Chris also share the same degree of hatred towards humanity as Orochi would. The same cannot be said with the others of their bloodline, like with Vice and Mature. Some say that the 4 Devas also share the same thoughts and emotions with Orochi, especially with Goenitz. (With the proof of this being his dialogues with certain characters in SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom). Leopold Goenitz is a video game character who made his first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting game, The King of Fighters 96 as the last boss, following Chizuru Kagura. ... Yashiro Nanakase is a videogame character from the King of Fighters series. ... Shermie is a videogame character in the King of Fighters series. ... Chris is a character from SNK Playmores King of Fighters series of fighting games. ... Vice is a video game character from The King of Fighters series. ... Mature is a video game character from The King of Fighters series. ...

It can be seen that Orochi is merely avenging the suffering humanity has mindlessly caused nature and the world, but it can be argued that Orochi has the capability to forgive as well, as seen in the Team Edit ending in KOF97, where he conceded to the strengths of the fighters after being defeated, but not without saying that they still have a chance and that he looks forward to see the change it wants or again seek destruction. Orochi is far from being a dark or evil entity, despite his true monstrous form.

Followers of the Orochi

The Four Devas (Four Heavenly Kings)

• Goenitz - Elemental of the Air and Wind — He is known as Fuki Sasebu Kaze no Leopold Goenitz (Leopold Goenitz of the wildly-blowing wind). Defeated by Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami's crimson flames. Presumed to have killed himself with his own power rather than being defeated by the 3 forces (Kyo, Iori and Kagura), but some say he merely disappeared.
• Shermie - Elemental of Thunder and Lightning — She is known as Arekuuruu Inabikari no Shermie (Shermie of the Berserk Lightning). Sacrificed herself for Orochi's revival.
• Yashiro Nanakase - Elemental of the Earth — He is known as Kawa Ita Daichi no Yashiro Nanakase (Yashiro Nanakase of the Parched Earth). Also sacrificed himself for Orochi's revival.
• Chris - Elemental of the Flames and imbued with Orochi's soul by Goenitz — He is known as Honou No Sadame no Chris (Chris of the Flames of Destiny). Was absorbed and became Orochi's embodiment.

The Shitennou are Buddhist mythological deities, the Four Kings of the Sky (shi = four, ten = heaven/sky, nou=king in Japanese). ... Leopold Goenitz is a video game character who made his first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting game, The King of Fighters 96 as the last boss, following Chizuru Kagura. ... This article or section on a video game-related subject may need to be cleaned up and rewritten because it describes a work of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. ... Iori Yagami ) is a video game character who made his first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting game, The King of Fighters 95. ... Chizuru Kagura is a videogame character from the King of Fighters series. ... Shermie is a videogame character in the King of Fighters series. ... Yashiro Nanakase is a videogame character from the King of Fighters series. ... Chris is a character from SNK Playmores King of Fighters series of fighting games. ...

The Assassins

• Mature - Steel/Metal Elementalist — Minor Orochi Contributor, deployed by Goenitz to watch over Rugal Bernstein and his leased Orochi power, which destroyed him in the end. She was thought to be killed also by Goenitz, through Iori Yagami's hands, when they tried to back out, but is later revealed that she is still alive.^{[citation needed]}
• Vice - Death/Sleeping Arrow Elementalist — Minor Orochi Contributor, also deployed by Goenitz to accompany Mature in watching over Rugal Bernstein. She was the one who Rugal sent to brainwash Saisyu Kusanagi. Was thought to be killed by Iori Yagami, under Goenitz's influence of Riot of The Blood, but is still alive, due to her illusionary powers.^{[citation needed]}

Mature is a videogame character from the King of Fighters series. ... Leopold Goenitz is a video game character who made his first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting game, The King of Fighters 96 as the last boss, following Chizuru Kagura. ... In order to meet Wikipedias quality standards, this articles trivia section may require cleanup. ... Leopold Goenitz is a video game character who made his first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting game, The King of Fighters 96 as the last boss, following Chizuru Kagura. ... Iori Yagami ) is a video game character who made his first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting game, The King of Fighters 95. ... Vice is a videogame character from the King of Fighters series. ... Leopold Goenitz is a video game character who made his first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting game, The King of Fighters 96 as the last boss, following Chizuru Kagura. ... In order to meet Wikipedias quality standards, this articles trivia section may require cleanup. ... Saisyu Kusanagi is a character in the King of Fighters series. ...

Other

• Ryuji Yamazaki - Insanity/"Ten Thousand High" Elementalist — the only known Orochi (besides the Heralds) alive as of this update. Currently works as an assassin/bodyguard for hire.
• Guidel (Never appears, having died before the events of the series) - Water Elementalist — A member of the Orochi clan who betrayed his own lineage - he fathered Leona with a human woman - so Goenitz induced the Riot of Blood on his daughter so she'd kill her parents.

Ryuji Yamazaki ) is a video game character from both the Fatal Fury and King of Fighters series. ... Leona Heidern is a video game character who made her first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting gameseries, The King of Fighters. ...

Other Characters within the Orochi bloodline

• Leona Heidern - The daughter of Guidel to a normal woman, being a half-blooded Orochi. Goenitz awakened her Orochi blood to punish her father, Guidel and his community for his refusal to cooperate with the revival of Orochi, an obligation that all of their bloodline (Orochi) are sanctioned with. She is later adopted and trained by Heidern.
• Iori Yagami - Technically an enemy of the Orochi clan, his ancestors forged a pact with the Orochi clan to gain more strength and to defeat their rival, the Kusanagi clan, at a fatal price. All of the Yagami (formerly Yasakani) clan are doomed to wield the Orochi blood, the pain, and the short lifespans that came with it. The Orochi clan used this feud to their advantage, but the Yagami blood has somehow managed to triumph over the Orochi blood. This was shown when Iori managed to do his part in sealing off Orochi in 1997 despite being under the influence of Riot of the Blood. There is an implication that Iori may manage to defeat the Orochi blood within and break the curse of the Yagami, shown when at times, he wielded crimson flames, the original power of the Yasakani, instead of the purple flames that was the result of his ancestor's pact with the Orochi. Whether he can redeem his own bloodline-- him being the only one left from it remains to be seen.

Leona Heidern is a video game character who made her first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting gameseries, The King of Fighters. ... Heidern is a character in the King of Fighters series. ... Iori Yagami ) is a video game character who made his first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting game, The King of Fighters 95. ...

The Riot of The Blood

The Riot of The Blood (called Chi no Bousou in Japan) is a frenzied state of a human where he/she loses total control, physical faculties and sanity to the Orochi blood within. This only happens to people who are not born with 100% Orochi blood in their veins. Any of the Orochi clan or even the Orochi itself can trigger this state at mere will.

The basis behind this condition is due to the resistance of the other half of the blood to the power of the Orochi. A person under the influence of Riot of The Blood can be subdued in due time, as the outburst do not last long, and as long as there is no presence of Orochi power nearby.

The only known characters susceptible to this condition are Rugal Bernstein, having a little of Orochi blood gave by Goenitz at the cost of Rugal's right eye, Leona Heidern, a half-Orochi due to her mother's non-Orochi blood, and Iori Yagami, whose Orochi blood was transfused into the bloodline of his ancestors.

Gameplay

As a playable character, Orochi possesses immense power, and borders extreme cheapness due to his mostly unstoppable techniques. He can stop just about anybody using his two super moves alone; Return to Nothingness and Enhanced Soul Stealer. He is the first SNK Boss to have a screen-filling super and a one-hit kill. Later KOF bosses like Zero and Magaki would adapt the attack concept of Return to Nothingness.

Orochi is among the SNK bosses that do not have crouching attacks, until the game was ported to the Sony Playstation, with severe frame cuts. He was slightly toned down, although still possessing the power that he is known for.

Orochi also uses signature attacks that some KOF characters have. Rugal's Genocide Cutter attack is similar to Orochi's hard kick, and his Double Tomahawk command attack (f + B) is identical to Orochi's close hard kick (found in Playstation version, and in Mizuchi, see trivia).

In the arcade version of KOF97, he had an infinite combo that involved his reflector move. This was because the said move had zero recovering time, making it possible to cancel into several moves and deal high damage to the enemy. This flaw was fixed in the Playstation version by changing the animation of the move altogether.

As of KOF97, all of his DM (Desperation Moves) are considered SDM (Super Desperation Move) caliber and strength.

Trivia

• Orochi's storyline, linking itself to Gaia, and being called "God's Messenger," appears to have been inspired from a mix of Neopaganism, Shinto (with Orochi having a direct preference for nature, represented by Gaia), and some Christianity (its urge for humans to change their ways or be destroyed). It is among the few depictions of this mythological serpent that does not show its intents as an outright villain.
• Orochi's theme music, The Origin of Mind, is a mysterious song with an ever-changing tempo, militaristic marching beats, choir voices, heavy percussion, and various other instruments, giving it a mystical, tribal feel. The Arranged version features an increased use of electric guitar.
• The form of Orochi seen in KOF97 is merely Orochi changing Chris' form to represent the strong-willed fighters of the tournament. The closest thing to Orochi's true form was seen in Iori Yagami's ending in SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom, in which Orochi speaks to Iori, tempting him to give in to the Riot of Blood. In this ending, Orochi appears to be identical to the multi-headed serpent of myth.
• SNK planned earlier in KOF97's production to make Orochi's incarnation as a naked Chris, surrounded with light.[1]
• Based on Orochi's last words of a decade's worth of sleep, and nearly 10 years having passed, it seems possible that the words were prophecy. As of today, the Heralds are trying to revive Orochi again (based on the current KOF saga of 2003 and XI). This would mean that Orochi may possibly return as a boss in the upcoming KOF game.
• Many years in the future, the WAREZ organization tries to revive Orochi with experiments, and the final result is Mizuchi, a powerful Orochi clone. Mizuchi is one of the bosses of Neo Geo Battle Coliseum and his powers are barely similar to the original Orochi, although most of his basic moves and some of his special moves look and function somewhat like the original.

Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is any of a heterogeneous group of new religious movements, particularly those influenced by ancient, primarily pre-Christian and sometimes pre-Judaic religions. ... Shinto ) is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ... Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... Iori Yagami ) is a video game character who made his first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting game, The King of Fighters 95. ... Neo Geo Battle Coliseum (abbreviated NGBC or NBC) is a 2 on 2 tag team fighting game for the Atomiswave arcade board. ...

Appearances

• The King of Fighters '97 (Arcade/Playstation/Sega Saturn)
• The King of Fighters 2000 (PS2) - Leona's unlockable Maniac Striker
• The King of Fighters 2002 (Arcade/Dreamcast/PS2) - Temporary transformation, as part of Orochi Chris' Hidden DM.
• Neo Geo Battle Coliseum (Arcade/PS2) - Represented as Mizuchi, with different movesets and voice, and greater difficulty.