For more information about Joe, see his Fatal Fury and King of Fighters (Orochi Saga) entries.
- First appearance: Fatal Fury
- Other appearances: The King of Fighters series
- Related characters: Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard
Joe Higashi is in both the Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters series, used mostly for comic relief. Although Joe's place of origin is Japan, he spent the majority of his time at Thailand, where he trained Muay Thai. It was through his victories that Joe got the nickname "Hurricane Upper" Joe Higashi. Joe is a mainstay to Terry's team throughout a lot of King of Fighters tournaments. During the 94 tournament, Andy chose to include Joe as a team member instead of Mai Shiranui, making her feel left out. While Joe never played much of a major role since the defeat of Geese, Joe has proven to be a loyal sidekick to the Bogards, teaming with them in every KOF. He has since become the practical joker amongst the brothers Bogard and their other friends and allies. He was added to the roster in Capcom vs. SNK Pro as the supposed SNK "champion" of the previous tournament, along with Dan.