The Story Of Iori Yagami - The King of Fighters
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| Iori Yagami - The King of Fighters |
But is that really all what this character about? Or is there more to Iori, that make him a much deeper person and even a better hero?
Legend of Yasakani Clan
Iori Yagami is the heir of the Yagami clan, formerly known as the Yasakani clan. I already talked about the history of this clan in the Orochi saga. If you haven't read it, by cleaning the link.
But to keep it brief, hundreds of years ago, the Yasakanis made a blood pact with Orochi to gain more powers in order to defeat their enemies the Kusanagi's. Then they renamed themselves as the Yagami clan. As a result of this cursed pact, all Yagami members were destined to die at a young age and each mother to die in childbirth.
Iori inherited this fate as well and was tormented by it since his young age. Maybe that's the reason why he shows no interest in his family's past and chooses to ignore his duties as an heir of the Yagami clan.
Contrary to his reputation as a rude and sadistic person, Iori actually dislikes violence and avoids gaining enmity needlessly. Instead, he prefers spending his time playing his bass guitar with his band.
But when it comes to his arch-enemy and rival, Kyo Kusanagi, Iori is a different person. His hatred for the Kusanagi heir has no limit, and their clans past doesn't seem to be the cause at all. Iori just doesn't like Kyo and vice versa. He seems to enjoy fighting him and would do anything to see him burned with his purple flames.
The King of Fighters '95
That is why when Iori knew that Kyo was participating in the KOF 95, he saw it as the perfect opportunity to defeat his rival despite the fact that he doesn't like the king of fighters tournaments and considers them boring.
One day, Iori came to Billy Kane dragging the body of one of Geese's assassins who wanted to test the strength of the red-headed fighter. Impressed by Iori's power, Billy offered him to join the KOF with him and the ninja Eiji Kisaragi. Each one of these 3 warriors had some kind of rivalry with another participant of this tournament.
Billy was sent by Geese to punish Terry and Andy Bogard for defeating him in the past. Eiji wanted to surpass Ryo and all the practitioners of the Kyokugenryu Karate. And of course, Iori desired nothing more than destroying Kyo. And so he accepted Billy's offer with the condition of being the leader and presented themselves in the competition as the fittingly named Rivals team.
However, losing against team Japan ended their adventure in the tournament. But before they part in their separate ways, something unexpected happened when Kyo and his team defeated Rugal. Humiliated by his loss for the second time, he tried to use more of the Orochi powers he was given by Goenitz. But since he wasn't originally a descendant of the Orochi clan, this act ended up killing him.
Feeling the dim presence of Orochi, triggered something in Iori. For a brief instant, he lost control over his body, and for no apparent reason, he attacked his teammates, injuring them severely. This was the first hint to the dark secret that Iori hides a secret known as the Riot of the blood.
The King of Fighters '96
The next year he was visited by 2 mysterious women who introduced themselves as Mature and Vice. They invited him to enter the tournament if he wanted to have his revenge against Kyo since he will be there as well. Iori only accepted when the 2 women submitted to be his servants.
In reality, Mature and Vice were members of the Hakkeshu and were sent by their leader Goenitz to bring Iori to KOF so he can gather all the heirs of the 3 clans that defeated Orochi in the past in one place and crush them once and for all.
When Kyo's team made it to the Finals, Goenitz made his entrance and was ready to attack. Iori decided to team up with his enemy Kyo and the host of the tournament and the heir of the Yata clan Chizuru.
They fought Goenitz and succeeded to defeat him. On the brink of death, Goenitz asked Mature and Vice to help him, but the 2 women betrayed him. Apparently they always secretly hated Goenitz and liked Iori's company during the competition.
As a response, Goenitz activated the Riot of the blood in Iori, and before he understood what was happening to him, he attacked his companions without warning and killed them. His relationship with the 2 women did not end there however, Every night, Mature and vice haunted Iori's nightmares, mocking his inability to defeat Kyo. And with every passing day, he is filled with sudden hate and rage as he sensed the wild Iori within him growing stronger.
The King of Fighters '97
He did not participate in the 97's edition of KOF and just watched from afar the competing teams beating each other up. But when Kyo and his friends made it to the finals, Iori could no longer simply watch.
He felt the blood boiling in his veins, and as his consciousness faded away, his alter ego, Wild Iori took control over his body, and attacked Japan team. After a ferocious fight, Kyo's team barely managed to subdue their enraged opponent.
Once he regained his consciousness, Iori learned that the new faces team who turned out to be the remaining heavenly kings of Orochi are the ones who triggered the Riot of the blood in him.
Iori decided to team up with Kyo and Chizuru once again and defeated Yashiro's team, but it was too late For Orochi had already gathered enough energy to reincarnate in Chris and attempted to destroy the three clans heirs at once, But the trio successfully defeated him as well.
It was then when Orochi decided to use his last card. He activated the Riot of the blood in Iori, hoping that he would turn against Kyo and Chizuru. But he underestimated the Yagami heir.
Not only Iori resisted Orochi's control with his sheer willpower, but he also used the strength he was granted by this state and turned it against Orochi. He subdued the demon by the neck and prevented him from moving, giving enough time to Kyo to deliver the death blow to Orochi and to finally be sealed by Chizuru.
The King of Fighters 2001
In the next few years, Iori showed little interest in the KOF tournaments, and content himself with watching the games from the shadows. It wasn't until the 2001's edition when he was asked by the agent Seth to join his team, arguing that he would have his chance to fight Kyo during this competition.
Iori accepted Seth's offer but not before making it clear that teamwork was irrelevant for him. At the tournament's conclusion, he abandoned his team and sneaked in the space ship with Kyo that lead them to Nests Headquarters. Once there He teamed up with K', Kula, and his eternal rival in order to put an end to Igniz and his cartel.
When the satellite crashed in the ocean after the death of Igniz, Iori and Kyo separated themselves from the rest of the group and engaged for the umpteenth time into a fight of which nobody knows the winner.
The King of Fighters 2003
Shortly before the 2003's edition of KOF, Chizuru demanded the help of Iori and Kyo to investigate the recent suspicious activities concerning the seal of Orochi. But both men didn't agree to team up with each other until the end of the competition.
At this time, they found Chizuru who just broke free from the control of a group called Those from the past and injured from her fight with K's team. But when she was going to repair the broken seal, Ash Crimson, the newcomer to KOF, attacked her from behind and stole her sacred treasure. Then he threatened the Yagami Heir that he was going to be next Iori replied with an attack which Ash avoided easily then disappeared leaving the 2 warriors frustrated by this turn of events.
The King of Fighters 2004
In the next tournament, Iori decided to ally with his rival from the start and stop the sinister plans of Ash and Those From The Past. They were joined by Shingo who replaced Chizuru this time.
The Kusanagi Yagami team made it to the finals and defeated Shion and Magaki the 2 organizers of this edition. They learned that, just like in 97, this year's tournament was held for the sole purpose of gathering enough energy to awake Orochi.
Because of the demon's growing presence, Iori once again fell victim to the uncontrollable Riot of the blood state and nearly killed Kyo and Shingo if it wasn't for Ash who appeared from thin air, attacked Iori and stole his Yasakni jewel, the sacred treasure holding the power of his purple flames.
Years have passed, and Iori adapted to the absence of his flames. He paid a visit to Chizuru and asked her if she could use her powers without her treasure Unfortunately for him, Chizuru was unable to use her powers without the mirror of Yata. She also told him that with the absence of the Yasakani jewel, he can be free from the curse of Orochi and finally have a normal life. But Iori was uninterested in rectifying his family's mistake, and before he left, he promised the young woman that he will bring her back her mirror.
Shortly after, he was visited by Mature and Vice, but this time, it was not in his nightmares. For some reason, the 2 women could materialize in the leaving world and had the intention to stop Ash and those from the past from stealing the power of Orochi and since they had the same enemy as Iori, they convinced him to join them for the next competition.
When Ash sacrificed himself at the end of KOF, he left behind him the 2 sacred treasures for Iori and Chizuru. Holding the Yasakani jewel in his palm, Iori was told by Mature and Vice that he can still refuse the treasure. that meant no more riot of the blood or dying at a young age. He would be totally free from the Orochi's curse once and for all.
But Iori didn't care about that. All that was important for him was to have the necessary means to defeat Kyo. And so he decided to reclaim his treasure and his flames with it, then went straight forward to challenge his rival for another undecided fight.
The King of Fighters XIV
With the creation of the entity known as Verse, Iori was intrigued when he sensed the souls trapped within it. it was then when his ghosts teammates appeared to him one more time and invited him to join the king of fighters edition, hosted by Antonov.
Once Verse destroyed, he knew that one of the souls that were released was Orochi's. He warned Vice and Mature to not try to stop him from sealing Orochi, but the 2 women had no intention to do so anyway. He followed the soul all the way to Hungary and found Orochi in a weakened state.
He was immediately joined by Kyo and Chizuru, then the 3 fighters combined their forces and destroyed Orochi once more.
One popular belief about Iori is that he is related to a character from another SNK game, the Samurai Shodown's Kibagami Genjuru. there is no denying that there are many similarities between the 2 fighters like the hair color, the rude attitude, and the fact that they are both the rivals of the main protagonists of their respective games. However, SNK refutes any relation between the 2 characters.
Fighting Style
Iori Yagami fights with ancient martial arts based on Clawing strikes. It is the same technique that his clan used during their war against the kusanagis. Combining this fighting style with pure instinct, Iori proved, especially during KOF 13, that he is a very aggressive and dangerous individual even without his flames.
Powers
Speaking of his flames, The Yasakanis wields Pyrokinetic powers Just like their rivals, they originally could create and manipulate crimson flames. It wasn't until they sold their souls to Orochi that their flames turned purple, a mark of their cursed pact.
But the change is more than just cosmetic. The purple flames have the sacred ability to put enemies in a stasis-like state preventing them from moving and opened for upcoming attacks. This can also be witnessed with Orochi Chris a character who can create and manipulate purple flames as well.
Iori has one more card under his sleeve, his ability to enter the riot of the blood condition. While in this state, his strength and speed are drastically increased. He becomes totally berserk and very hard to predict.
However, he loses almost all sanity he has and attacks anybody near him with no discrimination, ally, and foe alike. Because of this uncontrollable state, Iori has a bad reputation for betraying his companions. Many characters who teamed up with him, ended up either dead or severely injured.
Although he can be sympathetic to those who he cares about, he fears that the wild Iori within him harms them. He seems to have trouble knowing which identity is actually his and suffers from a slight identity crisis.
This is the reason why Iori is always distant and dismissive towards the others and prefers to live his life as a lone wolf.
Hasibul
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