Not the average Tiger or Dragon.
Might as well get the ol' Kabuki mask man done. Since Takuma left Japan he had taken up residence in Southtown. Naturally, as a lot of people in Southtown do, he got mixed up in some crazy crud of a big mess-ish thing. He had moved and married, a local girl I think (her name escapes my mind at the moment) and had two kids, Ryo and Yuri. So that explains Ryo's hair. He had known Saishu and heard oh Heidern and Rugal since before the KOF Tournaments started. One of his best friends was a man named Albert(?) Garcia, father to the ultimate Robert Garcia. Therefore, their kids, Takuma's Ryo, and Albert's Robert, became really good friends.
All was peaceful. Mysterious side guy who has nothing to do with anything: "What? All's peaceful in Southtown? We'll have to change that now. And RIGHT now". So then, a man named Geese howard had crept up in the scene. Unnoticed, he grew to great heights of power in Southtown. Sometimes feeling nostalgic in handling business, he sought out Takuma Sakazaki for his fighting abilities, just in case something needed to be done the old fashioned way. So snap. The end of Takuma's consious thought. Brainwashed.
Well, now Ryo and Yuri were without a pop, and Ryo's mom, Ryo being a main guy, had died. Strangely Robert helped raise them a lot. More of an Onisan (brother) than a dad, since he is only a year older than Ryo himself. Anyway, Takuma was half-way behind the kidnapping of Sakazaki Yuri, and so when Ryo and Robert set out to save Yuri, Ryo had to smite his own dad, who then took off again but eventually returned to the family.
Now anyone who has seen an AOF ending knows that Takuma is a nut when it comes to training. He's very strict (he consideres the Southtown incident good training, even for Yuri who wasn't a fighter at the time). Takuma is very obsessed with training. KOF '94 and '95? All training. he is convinced that something is wrong with the world because his Kyokugen isn't winning as easy as it should, if it does at all. He decides at the end of '95 not to waste time in KOF and just train train train the three already in KOF deciples. When the big Yama (Ryuji) thrashed the dojo pre-'97, it's all about the revenge. He's not one for disgrace.
OK, here's '98 and the young-uns just ain't handlin' things correctly, so he grabs some "old chums" (double meaning intended) and now is attempting to show that it's the AGED Kyokugen that is really the best. Now was it post-brainwashing fever, or the bonks on the head Ryo gave him when attempting to save Yuri, but Takuma still thinks he's Mr. Karate, the guy he pretended to be at the end of Art of Fighting 1. inf fact, he still believes that Ryo, Robert, and Yuri don't know he's Mr. Karate even though the whole world knows. Smartly, SNK played of the zaniness of the Mr. Karate thing that was crazy from the beginning altogether, making it one of the most comical sections in the KOF. Takuma even gets bopped into the air and sparkles, anime style. You can see where Yuri gets her looks and zany crazy attitude.
Ever play KOF '95? Ever play '96 or '97. Then you know the BIG difference between '95 and '96/'97. Well, Takuma wasn't on the wagon when it happened, and he's not about to jump on. Without need of a code, the '98 Takuma still has '95 attributes. The long-range projectile, the Hien Shippu Kyaku into the fireball, or the Zan Retsu Ken! Yes, he kept that zany looking move! Plaing Takuma means '95 nostalgia, and a lot of "free" Hao Shi Ko Kens, since he needs not a bar. Yey!
-Sho Reppadan-
Takuma: "So, you want to train in Kyokugen huh? Well then, i'll have Ryo and Robert teach you. Of course i'll have say in everything they teach you and i'll show you all the arts. Why don't I just teach you? Don't get smart. Nyahh nyahh."
Ryo/Robert: (Holds head in shame) "Oh man...."
return to character info section.
The Yuri Sakazaki Kidnapping Incident
