New King of Fighters XV Trailer Finally Lets Kyo Kusanagi Off the Leash

Welcome Back, Kyo, We Missed You

It’s finally here. The moment we’ve all been waiting for. Kyo Kusanagi’s character trailer has been posted, and we’ve all got a sneak peek of what he’ll be like in The King of Fighters XV. Spoilers, he looks pretty great so far. The series’ original protagonist and eternal poster boy looks better than ever, especially now that he’s back in his natural habitat: stomping all over friend and foe alike with a smile on his face. He’s once again sporting his classic bandanna, this time with a 3D character model that actually resembles his source art. His new outfit is going back to basics with a leather jacket, jeans, and gloves combo that reminds us of his old school uniform. Maybe this is a sign they’ll finally stop introducing Kyo copies to keep the classic look alive. Either way, it’s nice to see him back in black and dripping with attitude once more.

The series’ current protagonists, the new Hero Team, were almost all introduced beating the crap out of Kyo (but not Iori Yagami, even though as Kyo’s long-term rival and sworn future killer, he’s allowed), so we’re pretty hyped to see him get even. But then, we’re hyped whenever Kyo does anything. Look, everyone has favorite characters, all right? Fingers crossed that the upcoming anime short is about him.

Also announced recently is Joe Higashi, Fatal Fury‘s Muay Thai champion, who also looks phenomenal in his new costume. His character trailer features a classic theme from the series he starred in before KOF started devouring other fighting game franchises whole, a bright grin from a sunshine boy, and all the nasty kicks you could want from a fighting game kickboxer. Also, it looks like South Town beach, complete with a lot of swimsuit-clad onlookers, will be one of the stages available. We’re up for that.

The King of Fighters XV is expected to come out in 2021 on undisclosed platforms.

Which character are you hoping to see announced next? Let us know down in the comments, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook.