History Anime / VirtuaFighter

* DarkSkinnedBlonde: Nio, one of Oni-Maru's followers, is a large muscular woman whose appearance also fits the trope.

'''''Virtua Fighter''''' is a 35-episode anime series based on the [[VideoGame/VirtuaFighter fighting game franchise]]. It premiered in 1995 on Creator/TVTokyo and was produced by Creator/TMSEntertainment.

The English dub of the first season can be seen on [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj2Ugc-vxcWGhiXU49qGs839u1wkRUIFm TMS's Official Youtube channel]].

* AbdicateTheThrone: [[spoiler: After witnessing for himself what great evils has been done in its name, Lau Chan, the leader of the Koenkan, dissolves it entirely at the end of the first season.]]

* AdaptationDeviation: The games established that Pai's mother died from overwork after Lau neglected his family due to his obsession with martial arts. Although Pai holds a grudge against Lau because he abandoned his wife in her dying moments, she later discovers that [[spoiler: her mother not only suffered from an incurable disease, but Lau had exercised every option he could to save her. The reason he refused to see her in her final moments was because it was too much for him to bear.]]

* BackForTheDead: [[spoiler: Jack Moreno returns in the second season only to die in the same episode he appears in.]]
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler: Eva returns as the main antagonist of the second season, but [[BackForTheDead dies for good at the end]]]].

* BadassInDistress: Kage-maru is captured early in the second season by Oni-maru. [[spoiler: Although he appears to escape, it's actually Oni-maru in disguise.]]

** Oni-maru is hell-bent on destroying Akira's ideals and his belief in his friends, but it becomes clear that he's merely a disposable pawn in The Cabal's plans, particularly [[spoiler: Eva Durix]].

** [[spoiler: Eva's reaction when Gold Dural is defeated and supposedly destroyed by lightning.]]

* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Eva betrays Liu numerous times throughout the first season, such as siccing Sarah on the Hauer sisters, [[spoiler: intending to destroy her mansion with him inside of it, sabotaging Pai's brainwashing during his wedding, and shooting him]].

** In the first season, [[spoiler: Yan Hong dies after driving off a building during a game of chicken with Jacky]].
** In the second season, [[spoiler: this is how Eva finally dies, after [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Gold Dural tries dragging her off a cliff]], and rejects Akira's help]].

** The CEO of Koenkan USA, [[spoiler: Jimmy Gates]], finds ThePowerOfFriendship to be completely incomprehensible, believing the world is only comprised of winners and losers. After he sees what kind of bond Akira and his friends have, it starts to shatter his perspective but [[VillainousBreakdown takes it a bit too hard]].

** At the end of the second season, [[spoiler: Eva can't grasp the reasons why Akira would try to save her, but chooses death instead]].

** [[spoiler: Jimmy Gates, the CEO of Koenkan USA]], saves Akira's life and abandons his ways after he learns what real friendship is.

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Moreno throws himself in harm's way to save Lion and Akira from being crushed by falling lights, and dies from his injuries.]]

** [[spoiler: Jacky faces off against his brainwashed sister near the end of season 1 in hopes to free her from Eva's brainwashing]].

* MasterOfDisguise: Oni-maru's ninjas are able to disguise themselves as others. [[spoiler: Oni-maru himself even disguises himself as Kage-maru for a couple of episodes.]]

* NotQuiteDead: It's revealed midway through the second season that [[spoiler: Eva Durix survived and is continuing right where she left off]].
* NotSoDifferentRemark: During the final battle of the second season, [[spoiler: Eva]] attempts to break Akira's spirit by telling him that he's not so different from Koenkan and Oni-maru by pursuing strength and fighting out of pride.

** When Akira offers his friendship to Oni-maru after defeating him, the ninja rejects and instead [[spoiler: gives up his life to make Gold Dural more powerful]].
** [[spoiler: Akira tries to save Eva from falling to her death so she can atone for her actions, but she refuses to accept his help and dies.]]

* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler: Pai takes one meant for Akira after Eva pulls a gun for defeating Gold Dural]].

** [[spoiler: After Lau gives Liu a well-deserved beatdown, he scolds his disciple for turning the Koenkan into his personal empire and finds it unforgivable.]]
** Immediately afterward, [[spoiler: Pai calls out her father for leaving her mom to die, claiming she would never forgive him for it. After Akira watches Lau take down his own daughter, he's infuriated that a father would do such a thing and challenges Lau himself.]]
* ThouShaltNotKill: Akira, Jacky and Pai urge [[spoiler: Lau not to kill Liu]] so he doesn't get the easy way out.

** [[spoiler: Jimmy]] goes so far off the rails when he sees just how far Akira and his friends are [[ThePowerOfFriendship willing to go for each other]] that he initiates the self-destruct sequence in the Koenkan's headquarters.
** [[spoiler: After Liu gets his ass handed by Lau and sees his wedding suit in shreds, he bursts into maniacal laughter realizing he's not as invincible as he thought he was.]]
** Oni-maru has a massive one after being defeated, going so far as to [[spoiler: give his skills and life to Gold Dural so she can destroy Akira for him]].

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: At the end of the series, [[spoiler: Gao's whereabouts are unknown]], but Akira only hopes that one day he'll be a changed man.

** In the English dub, when a small town sheriff puts Pai in jail, she insults his partner by calling him "[[Series/TheAndyGriffithShow Barney]]."

* BigEater: One of Akira's more defining traits is his bottomless pit of a stomach. If his mind isn't focused on martial arts, it's usually on food instead. He gladly participates in eating contests and people are appalled by his limitless appetite. He actually challenges Wolf to an eating contest and the famous wrestler gladly accepts.
* BigNo: [[spoiler: Eva's reaction when Gold Dural is defeated and supposedly destroyed by lightning.]]

* InnocentlyInsensitive: Lion has a habit of speaking his mind without thinking, enough to earn Wolf's wrath.

* AffablyEvil: Gao is remarkably polite for being one of Oni-maru's followers.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: While Lion's father works for a corrupt organization, once he discovers that Lion has learned about The Cabal and becomes targeted by them, he's clearly fearful of Lion's safety and wants to protect his son.

** Oni-maru does everything he can to destroy Akira's ideals and his idea of ThePowerOfFriendship, and even when Akira offers his friendship after defeating him, it only makes him more desperate to destroy him at whatever cost.

* NGOSuperpower: In the second season, our heroes are being targeted by The Cabal, a group of wealthy individuals who hold tremendous power and influence over the world, using warfare to control it. Lion discovers that his father is directly involved with them and runs away from home to warn the others.

* NotSoDifferentRemark: During the final battle of the second season, [[spoiler: Eva]] attempts to break Akira's spirit by telling him that he's not so different from Koenkan and Oni-maru by pursuing strength.

* PoorCommunicationKills: When Lion receives a threatening message meant for Akira, instead of giving it to him, he runs off to confront who it's supposedly from: Jeffry.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: One of the predominant themes of the anime. Akira will always be there to help his friends, and by the end of the first season nearly the entire cast has his back. Also a huge focus of the second season as Oni-maru is determined to destroy this idea.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: At the end of the series, [[spoiler: Gao's whereabouts are unknown]], but Akira only hopes that he'll become a changed man.

* IHaveYourWife: Why Jeffry fights against Lion: He thinks that the Rafale family were the ones who kidnapped his family.

* PoorCommunicationKills: When Lion receives a threatening message for Akira, instead of giving it to him, he runs off to confront who it's supposedly from: Jeffry.

* ObliviousToLove: Akira is completely oblivious that Sarah and Pai had fallen for him. In season 2, Lion clearly has a thing for Sarah and she doesn't seem to notice.

** Oni-maru is hell-bent on destroying Akira's ideals and his belief in his friends, but it becomes clear that he's merely a disposable pawn in The Cabal's plans.

** NotSoDifferentRemark: During the final battle of the second season, [[spoiler: Eva]] attempts to break Akira's spirit by telling him that he's not so different from Koenkan and Oni-maru by pursuing strength.

* CombatCommentator: Each episode features a character performing a special move against their enemy, with the LargeHamAnnouncer explaining the origins of the move and how devastating it is.

* TheDreaded: Wolf Hawkfield. When Pai and Jacky learn he's the one Akira is fighting in the underground casino, they've not only heard of him, but worry that our hero has met his match.

* RedemptionRejection: In season 2, [[spoiler:Akira tries to save Eva from falling to her death, but she refuses to accept his help and dies.]]

* BigEater: One of Akira's more defining traits is his bottomless pit of a stomach. If his mind isn't focused on martial arts, it's usually on food instead. He gladly participates in eating contests and people are appalled by his limitless appetite.

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Moreno throws himself in harm's way to save Lion and Akira from being crushed by falling lights, and dies from his injuries.]]

* ThePowerOfFriendship: One of the predominant themes of the anime. Akira will always be there to help his friends, and by the end of the first season nearly the entire cast has his back.

* BigDamnHeroes: When Kage-maru turns against his employers, he tends to come to the heroes' rescue in style.

* CanonForeigner: Liu Kowloon, Eva Durix, and many others from the Koenkan in the first season, and Oni-Maru in the second.

** In the second season, [[spoiler: Eva can't grasp the reasons why Akira would try to save her, but chooses death instead]].

* YouHaveFailedMe: At the beginning, whenever the villain for that specific arc is defeated by Akira and his friends, they meet their ultimate fate by whoever is the next big threat.

* ArmorPiercingSlap: Akira ends up on the receiving end of this a few times courtesy of Pai.

'''''Virtua Fighter''''' is a 35-episode anime series based on the [[VideoGame/VirtuaFighter fighting game franchise]]. It premiered in 1995 and was produced by Creator/TMSEntertainment.

Creator/DiscotekMedia has announced that [[https://twitter.com/discotekmedia/status/1530550601284587520 they have rescue licensed the series for SD Blu-ray]] and all 35 episode will be released for the first time in English. [[note]] though the second half will be subtitled only, while the first half utilizes the Creator/MediaBlasters' sub translation as well as Coastal Carolina's dub of those episodes [[/note]]