Iori Yagami (八神 庵, Yagami Iori) is a character who made his first appearance in The King of Fighters ’95. He is a central recurring character, and the initial enemy (and eventual rival) of Kyo Kusanagi.
He is the heir to one of the three clans that sealed the legendary snake entity, Orochi, 1,800 years ago. His clan, formerly known as the Yasakani (八尺瓊, Yasakani), wields pyrokinetic powers. They keep the seal over Orochi intact with help from the Kusanagi and Yata clans using three ancient artifacts. His family’s treasure is the Yasakani Jewel (八尺瓊曲玉, Yasakani no Magatama) and his family crest is the crescent moon, which he wears on the back of his old jacket. He also wears a plain silver ring around his left middle finger; the significance of the ring, if any, is unknown.
His official nickname is Flame of the End (終焉の炎, Shūen no Honō). In XII and XIII it’s Unbridled Instinct (解き放たれし本能, Tokihanatareshi Honnou) and with his flames; Iori who has Recovered His Flames (炎 を 取り戻した 庵, Honoo wo Tomoridoshita Iori).
Powers
- Slashing Hands – Iori specializes in clawing martial arts, and most of his moves are in the form of clawing strikes.
- Pyrokinesis – Due to his Yagami heritage, Iori can control fire. He can create a bright purple fire from thin air, create fire balls, deliver punches of fire, create pillars of fire and put his own body on fire. His fire also has the sacred ability to put enemies in a stasis-like state. He is not immune to other types of fire. He cannot control other fires that he didn’t create. Iori can also occasionally wield crimson flames due to the presence of the former Yasakani clan’s power, although he does not have the ability to create them intentionally. This power was stolen by Ash Crimson but eventually regained.
- Riot of the Blood – Thanks to the pact his clan made with Orochi, Iori goes into this state whenever Orochi’s presence is strong. He however still has a degree of conscious humanity remaining even while in this state, having turned against Orochi even under this condition.
Versus 