Iori Yagami was introduced in KOF '95 as Kyo's rival, conceived from the start as a foil to the protagonist. He comes from a rival martial arts school with ties to the same ancient tradition as the Kusanagi clan, but channels it differently—most visibly through his purple flames instead of Kyo's red. That visual distinction alone set him apart.
What really made Iori memorable, though, was his sheer intensity as a character. He had an edge that fighting game rosters weren't used to back then. His distinctive look—the hair, the wardrobe, the attitude—felt genuinely fresh. His trash talk was memorable too; lines like "You think I'm scary, do you?" became iconic enough that fans still reference them. During location testing, he was the standout. Players gravitated toward him immediately, drawn to both his visual design and his aggressive personality.
His moveset matched that vibe, built on techniques that felt different from other fighters in the roster. Everything about Iori seemed designed to provoke, which is exactly what SNK was going for when they created him as Kyo's opposite number.
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