The King of Fighters is an annual tournament uniting fighters from across the world, starting in 1994. Those deemed worthy of entry into the King of Fighters receive a letter of invitation from an anonymous sponsor of the tournament. Fighters are divided into teams of three and battle other teams in order to advance to the finals.
The King of Fighters is an annual tournament uniting fighters from across the world, starting in 1994. Those deemed worthy of entry into the King of Fighters receive a letter of invitation from an anonymous sponsor of the tournament. Fighters are divided into teams of three and battle other teams in order to advance to the finals.
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King of Fighters 96 PS1 box.jpg|PlayStation box
Image:KOF96 Screen 1.png|title screen
Image:KOF96 Screen 1.png|title screen
Image:KOF96 Screen 2.png|character selection
Image:KOF96 Screen 2.png|character selection
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==Character Select==
==Character Select==
{| style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"
{|align=center
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Kyo.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Kyo Kusanagi]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Kyo.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Kyo Kusanagi]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Benimaru.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Benimaru Nikaido]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Benimaru.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Benimaru Nikaido]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Daimon.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Goro Daimon]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Daimon.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Goro Daimon]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Terry.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Terry Bogard]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Terry.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Terry Bogard]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Andy.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Andy Bogard]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Andy.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Andy Bogard]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Joe.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Joe Higashi]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Joe.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Joe Higashi]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Ryo.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Ryo Sakazaki]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Ryo.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Ryo Sakazaki]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Robert.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Robert Garcia]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Robert.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Robert Garcia]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Yuri.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Yuri Sakazaki]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Yuri.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Yuri Sakazaki]]
|-
|-
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Leona.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Leona Heidern]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Leona.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Leona Heidern]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Ralf.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Ralf Jones]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Ralf.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Ralf Jones]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Clark.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Clark Still]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Clark.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Clark Still]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Chizuru.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Chizuru Kagura]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Chizuru.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Chizuru Kagura]]
|
|
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Goenitz.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Leopold Goenitz]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Goenitz.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Leopold Goenitz]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Athena.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Athena Asamiya]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Athena.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Athena Asamiya]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Kensou.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Sie Kensou]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Kensou.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Sie Kensou]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Chin.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Chin Gentsai]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Chin.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Chin Gentsai]]
|-
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Geese.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Geese Howard]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Geese.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Geese Howard]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Krauser.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Wolfgang Krauser]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Krauser.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Wolfgang Krauser]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Big.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Mr. Big]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Big.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Mr. Big]]
|-
|-
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Kim.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Kim Kaphwan]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Kim.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Kim Kaphwan]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Chang.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Chang Koehan]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Chang.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Chang Koehan]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Choi.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Choi Bounge]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Choi.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Choi Bounge]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Kasumi.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Kasumi Todoh]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Kasumi.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Kasumi Todoh]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Mai.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Mai Shiranui]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Mai.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Mai Shiranui]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_King.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#King]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 King.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#King]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Iori.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Iori Yagami]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Iori.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Iori Yagami]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Mature.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Mature]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Mature.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Mature]]
|[[Image:Portrait_KOF96_Vice.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Vice]]
|[[File:Portrait KOF96 Vice.png|64px|link=The King of Fighters '96/Moves#Vice]]
The King of Fighters is an annual tournament uniting fighters from across the world, starting in 1994. Those deemed worthy of entry into the King of Fighters receive a letter of invitation from an anonymous sponsor of the tournament. Fighters are divided into teams of three and battle other teams in order to advance to the finals.
In The King of Fighters '94 and The King of Fighters '95, the sponsor of the King of Fighters tournament turned out to be Rugal Bernstein, a notorious criminal and fighter who held the tournament in order to satisfy his thirst for competition. He was consequently defeated at the end of the first two tournaments by the team from Japan, consisting of the story's main protagonists, Kyo Kusanagi, Benimaru Nikaido, and Goro Daimon.
In 1996, the King of Fighters tournament was announced again, though the letters of invitation sent out to fighters were no longer sent by Rugal. The letters also announced many changes, the first of which being a massive overhaul of the tournament's approach. During the time that had passed between the tournaments in 1995 and 1996, and the King of Fighters tournament's fame had grown immensely, to the point that it turned into a major international event, which had not happened before. Huge corporations transformed the King of Fighters tournament into something widely televised, commercialized, and celebrated, drawing in many crowds.
The Japan Team reached the finals of the tournament again, where the sponsor turned out to be a woman named Chizuru Kagura. Her intent was to make contact with Kyo Kusanagi, as well as his rival and enemy, Iori Yagami. After fighting Kyo and losing to him, Chizuru revealed to him that a larger power was afoot, known as the Orochi, and that he would soon have to battle against it.
New characters introduced in this episode include Kasumi Todoh, who became a member of the Ladies' team and acts as a rival to the Art of Fighting Team; Leona Heidern, who joins the Ikari Team in place of her mentor, Heidern, to investigate Geese Howard; Mature and Vice, two of Rugal's assistants who join Iori Yagami and aid him; and the Boss Team, composed of Geese Howard, Wolfgang Krauser, and Geese's right-hand-man, Mr. Big.
This is the first game to achieve KOF's distinct look; its graphics and sound more closely resemble the newer King of Fighters games than they do those of KOF '95.
