SNKused to be one of the most recognizable video game companies in the world. In recent years, SNK has bounced back and regained much of its global recognition thanks to cross promotions ranging from Super Smash Brothers to WWE, even having Ronaldo join its ranks.
For those who grew up in the 90s, SNK’s characters still evoke a strong sense of nostalgia. These characters are beloved for their poorly translated phrases and outlandish personalities. With so many memorable games under the SNK banner, the company has built a roster of iconic characters. One day, SNK may even have characters with the same level of recognition as Ryu and Chun Li.
Fighting Style
Kyokugenryu Karate
These days, if a random person saw a picture of Ryo, they might think he is from Dragon Ball due to his orange gi. However, there was a time when Ryo was the lead in his fighting game series, Art of Fighting. While Art of Fighting isn’t among the best SNK fighters, it did establish Ryo as a beloved staple of SNK fighting games.
The creation behind Ryo is well known and celebrated among SNK fans. Ryo was clearly made to copy the best aspects of Ryu from Street Fighter. Capcom, in return, retaliated by making a parody of Ryo in Dan Hibiki, who is a wannabe shoto character.
Self-taught Kenjutsu
There was a point in the 90s when Samurai Shodown was the hottest fighting game on the market. It was a game that perfectly captured sword-based combat while remaining true to the 2D fighting tropes of its era. Haomaru is the main character from this series, and it’s difficult to see any Samurai Shodown media without seeing Haomaru.
Gamers often remember Haomaru’s sword taking up a large chunk of the screen and associate him with becoming enraged and dealing higher damage. The series' popularity peaked with Samurai Shodown 4 but proved it still had relevance when it was brought back in 2019.
Shikanna-Kamui
Fighting alongside Haomaru was Nakoruru. Nakoruru’s fighting style contrasted with Haomaru’s, as she relied on smaller, quicker strikes due to her preference for using a dagger. Nakoruru is usually accompanied by a bird, Mamahaha.
Nakoruru ingrained herself in SNK fandom during her iconic death in Samurai Shodown 2. Since then, she has returned for special guest appearances in many games. She has made countless cameos across SNK’s titles and became a fully playable character in The King of Fighters series before Haomaru did.
Mixed Marital Arts
The protagonist of Garou: Mark of the Wolves and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Rock Howard has grown into one of the most popular characters, which means he will likely become more iconic as time goes by.
The backstory for Rock Howard is part of what makes him so interesting. He is the biological son of Geese Howard, but after his father’s death, he is adopted by Terry Bogard. Rock Howard’s move set combines Terry Bogard’s and Geese Howard’s perfectly. Watching Rock Howard’s journey is one of the more compelling storylines in SNK, and fans waited a very long time for his plot to continue in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
Aikido and other ancient martial arts
The kingpin of South Town, Geese Howard was at one point SNK’s biggest menace. Geese is the main villain in the first several Fatal Fury games as well as the big boss in Art of Fighting. His iconic Aikido-based suit mixed with a macho American look has made him an icon in Japan and a popular figure among the fighting game community in the West.
Tekken 7 broke barriers by including Geese Howard as part of its roster, where he was one of the top characters. His inputs have also become iconic, with his super, the Raging Storm, frequently cited as one of the hardest moves to execute in the older games he appeared in.
Kusanagi-ryu
The King of Fighters is likely the most iconic SNK game of all time, so it makes sense that the first hero of the series, Kyo, has grown into an iconic figure. Starting from The King of Fighters 94 up until the 97 version, Kyo was the lead protagonist in the best storyline in KOF, the Orochi Saga.
Kyo’s appearance has changed drastically over the years. He goes from wearing a school uniform to sporting different mixes of boots, jeans, and jackets. While Kyo doesn’t have a giant personality, there is something down-to-earth and modern about his look that makes him more relatable than other great fighting game protagonists like Liu Kang and Ryu.
Military firearm training
SNK is mainly known for their fighting games, but Metal Slug, apopular run-and-jump shooter, may be their most recognizable title after The King of Fighters. Marco is the main character and mascot of the Metal Slug series. He is usually the character chosen to represent the Metal Slug gang whenever there are large crossovers.
Marco’s ruggedness is a big part of his recognizability. Thanks to the power of the Neo Geo, Marco was given a large and well-detailed sprite from his initial appearance, which has helped make him far more memorable than characters from more popular run-and-gun games like Contra.
Pure Instinct
Most video games feature the protagonist as the most iconic character, but Iori Yagami is a notable exception to the rule. Iori, the original antagonist and rival to Kyo, is incredibly popular in Japan and other East Asian countries. His likeness can be seen in everything from lunch boxes to whisky bottles. Similar to characters from the hit manga series Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Iori Yagami’s high fashion contrasts with his dark personality in a way that makes him visually striking.
In addition to Iori’s eye-catching style, his violent outbursts have made him one of the most unpredictable characters. Iori Yagami’s move set also matches his temperament well, with most players feeling the ferocity of Iori’s attacks, making his special and super moves stand out in nearly every game he appears in.
Street Fighting
The protagonist of SNK’s Fatal Fury, Terry was the mascot for SNK throughout much of the 90s. SNK used the popularity of Fatal Fury to help establish the King of Fighters series. Terry has appeared in every King of Fighters and Fatal Fury game and has madeguest appearances in the most popular fighting gameseries, including Street Fighter and Super Smash Bros.
Most recognize Terry by his ripped trucker shirt, red vest, and red cap. He became popular and recognizable due to his terrible voice acting, where he delivers nonsensical quotes in English that people have grown to love over the years.
Shiranui-ryuu Ninjutsu
Although not the protagonist of a series, Mai Shiranui has grown into the most recognizable figure in the SNK canon. Mai’s attractiveness helped her become a star featured in most of SNK’s major games. Mai became the second SNK fighter to be included in Street Fighter with her appearance in Street Fighter 6.
Outside of Mai’s physical appearance, she also has a fun and cute personality that makes her endearing. She’s an easy character to use and has aninjutsu fighting style that is highly effective.
