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YURI SAKAZAKI
"The Lily beyond the Hill"
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Birthplace: Japanese (of American heritage)
Birthdate: December 7, 1976 (23 years old)
Height: 1.68 m (5'5")
Weight: 59 kg (128 lbs)
Blood type: A
Hobbies: Karaoke
Favorite food: Sweet curry rice
Favorite sport: Softball
Most valuable: Friends, Ronnet's earrings
Hates the most: Octopus
Fighting style: Kyokugenryo Karate
Yuri Sakazaki is the younger daughter of Takuma Sakazaki, and the little
sister of Ryo Sakazaki. Ever since she was very young, Yuri's mother died, and
her father was left to take care of her and her brother alone. Takuma loved both
of his children, but he dedicated more time to Ryo, as he was to be the heir of
the Kyokugenryo Karate style. However, he never let Yuri out of the picture, and
was always a loving father. Yuri always looked up to her father, and wishes that
someday she will be as strong as he is. But Ryo never accepted the idea of his
sister training, since it could get her into trouble. Yuri then found a friend
in the new boy that had just arrived from Italy: Robert Garcia. She had much fun
talking with him, but her father and her brother always seemed to be obssesed in
separating them. However, Yuri liked to be with Robert, as she considered him to
be an invaluable friend.
Yuri was in the dojo one day, when she suddenly received the visit of
several strange people. All dressed in black, and they refused to answer Yuri's
questions. Realizing they were not there for anything good, Yuri tried to
escape, but she was too slow, and got kidnapped. She was stashed in a dark room,
and remained there for several days. She was very worried about her family, and
was also thinking a lot about Robert. Suddenly, one day, the door opened, and
Yuri was able to crawl out. She then finds out Ryo and Robert fighting a man
with a "tengu" (bird) mask. Being so unite with her father, Yuri recognizes the
man to be Takuma, and bids Ryo not to hurt him anymore. Takuma then removes his
mask, and reveals his true identity. The whole family and Robert now go back to
the dojo, and plot their comeback against Geese Howard, the man who kidnapped
Yuri, and blackmailed Takuma into working for him. However, Geese already had
his hands full with the Bogard brothers, who had came to exact revenge on Geese
for the death of their father. After rescuing her father, Yuri asks Takuma to
train her in Kyokugenryo Karate without letting Ryo know. Takuma accepts, and
both begin training, making Yuri some exceptional progress in quite a few time.
When Yuri considered herself ready for action, she received a terrible
notice. When she was looking forward to making a team with her father and her
brother in the new King of Fighters tournament. But Ryo refuses since he does
not want her to make fun of Kyokugenryo Karate. They admit Robert insetad, and
Yuri is so furious, she goes to a bar in Southtown, and demands a drink. Then,
she sees an invitation for the King of Fighters tournament, held by the host of
the bar, King. Yuri then rushes over to beg her to join her and make a team.
Unfortunately, so was a bouncy ninja girl called Mai Shiranui. Both got in an
argument, and King had no other way but to accept both of them. Now, the all-
female team of England now enters, and all shall fear both their beauty and
fighting skills!
After fighting in two tournaments, Yuri is called back to the dojo by her
father. Upon her return, Takuma tells her to take his place in the Kyokugenryo
Team, since she has showed her value to him. But Yuri has already found somebody
to fight with, but Takuma persuades her a bit more by threatening to cancel her
credit cards. Yuri then has to join Ryo and Robert and fight to represent
Kyokugenryo Karate, much to Ryo's dismay and Robert's joy. Now, Yuri vows to
honor her father by fighting in the King of Fighters tournament, although she
just wishes that he stops being such a pushover at the end of each tournament,
when he gives very boring speeches using his old "tengu" mask and calling
himself Mr. Karate! She also accepts to clean the honor of Kyokugenryo Karate
when the dojo gets trashed and the students get whacked. Yuri is always ready to
help in anyway she can!
Yuri lives her life as a carefree young woman after Orochi is erradicated of
this world, but not for very long. She is once again called back to action when the
next King of Fighters tournament comes up. Not the one to let down her family and
friends, Yuri trains harder to ever that she too, despite being the only female of
the team, can put up quite a display of what Kyokugenryo Karate can do!
Yuri is a very sweet young lady, always caring about her friends and her
family. She loves her father and sees him like an example, and respects her
brother as well, but is bothered when he always gets involved in her business.
She also likes being with Robert, but she has denied to show him her feelings
since his journey to Southtown to help a childhood friend. She has lots of
friends in the tournament and outside of it, and likes to go out with them. In
all, she is a very friendly young lady.
ART OF FIGHTING YURI SAKAZAKI (The King of Fighters '98): Alternate
version of Yuri based on her Art of Fighting 2 and King of Fighters '95
incarnations. She regains her long-range Koh-Ho-Ken, her Saiha (a shield move),
and her Rai-Ou-Ken (jumping projectile). She also gains back her Hundred Slaps
special grab. She still regains two DM: the Hien Houou Kyaku and the Haoh-Sho-
Koh-Ken, and her Yuri Cho Upper DM is changed for the Shin Cho Upper DM.
*Fun fact = Yuri really needs to stop watching Street Fighter! Lately, she has
gained two DM which are similiar to two supers of Ryu and Ken, the heroes of the
SF series. The Yuri Cho Upper is a ripoff of Ken's Shoryureppa, and the Shin Cho
Upper is a ripoff of Ryu's Shin Shoryuken. She also has Sakura's Shun-pu-Kyaku.
If that was not enough, she even ripoffs the "Service, service!" victory pose
from Misato Katsuragi of the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series. Random
ripoffs is every day's history! ^-^
Appearances: The King of Fighters '94, The King of Fighters '95, The King of
Fighters '96, The King of Fighters '97, The King of Fighters '98, The King of
Fighters '99
Other games: Art of Fighting 2
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