Ash Crimson, everybody.
For every Dark Horse of a fighter that there is in a long-runner like The King of Fighters, you're bound to find a character that has an equal amount of fans and detractors.
- Frankly speaking, all of the mainline protagonists easily fit the bill:
- Kyo himself is either one of the cooler protagonists in the fighting game genre with a very unique (post-'96, anyway) moveset and amazing designs throughout the franchise (especially his NESTS-era jacket or KOF 2003-XV look), or he's mostly bland and one-note (nevermind that he can be quite the douche sometimes; especially towards Iori), with some even wondering why he's touted as one of the faces of SNK when Iori or especially Terry exist. And that's not even getting into his (literal) clones, either...
- As the new protagonist of the NESTS arc, K' had big shoes to fill, and how well he fills them is hotly debated among fans. Many see him as a perfect headliner for the saga, serving as a Contrasting Sequel Protagonist for the shift from Japanese mythology and martial arts to dark science fiction. Some feel he's a stylish, memorable character in his own right who is merely subject to a disproportionate amount of Character Shilling. On the other hand, detractors, especially veteran fans, consider him a poor man's version of Kyo at best, while others strongly dislike his abrasive attitude and "edgy" persona.
- Oh, boy. Ash. When he debuted back in KOF 2003 the fanbase was in two different camps - they either loathed this guy for getting one over series staples Chizuru and Iori by stealing their powers, nearly getting Shingo killed by Orochi Iori (and benched until his eventual return in KOF XV), his obnoxiously effeminate and smug demeanor, and basic moveset that almost entirely riffs on Guile's that, to his credit, evolved as the series progressed. On the other hand, fans enjoyed his insufferably smug demeanor and his refreshing role as a Villain Protagonist, something unheard of in the FGC, and for having some of the flashiest and most enjoyable combos through Sans-culotte (and admittedly, his green flames make him stand out a lot compared to his predecessors). Whether you loved or hated him, you can't deny his sendoff in KOF XIII was the series' single biggest Tearjerker… at least until he came back in XV, anyway. A whole 12 years after the fact.
- Shun'ei, mostly due to his design. Common detractions include it being incoherent, especially with his jacket worn like a cape, his headphones, and his one folded pant leg on top of an utter mess of a color scheme. On the other hand, others like him for being both simple and effective to play and being the nicest KOF protagonist out of the four, albeit rather aloof otherwise.
- Iori is also subject to some scrutiny, too. Fans like him for his badass design, series-defining moveset, and for his delightfully dickish personality that is only rivaled by that of Gato, K9999/Krohnen, or Ash, coupled with a rather tragic backstory that gives him some Hidden Depths. On the other hand, detractors often find his jerkass tendencies to be grating (with his Flanderization in XIII that characterized him as an obsessive stalker towards Kyo not helping matters), his Jack of All Trades playstyle to be boring at best, and for almost never being anything worse than top tier in virtually every game he appears in (which is every game since he debuted in '95, but reached its apex in '98 and most prominently XIII).
- While Kula was well-received in her initial debut, ever since Flanderization kicked in for her from XI onwards she's been met with this reaction. Fans like her for being An Ice Person with a Dark and Troubled Past and a cool design that is complimentary to that of K'. Detractors, on the other hand, not only take umbrage with her top-tier status in XI and most recently XV, but also her Ping Pong Naïveté and her tendency to act like a small child despite being the same age as Chris (14 years old), the latter of whom could be seen as the most mature member of CYS (to a degree) by comparison. Never mind that she falls victim to most of the NESTS-era characters, in general, being completely static compared to others that have gotten character development (i.e., Shingo or Kukri).
- K9999 is derided by critics for being an extremely blatant Expy of Tetsuo Shima, right down to having the same powers, voice actor and dialogue. But that's precisely what his fans love about him, and even some players who have never seen AKIRA like him for his unabashedly smug and abrasive personality. Two decades and many KOF installments later, SNK attempted to reach a middle ground with Krohnen.
- Even K9999's Suspiciously Similar Substitute Nameless has it. You either like him for not being K9999, what with his more original and distinct design plus his utterly tragic backstory, or you hate him for not being K9999, what with Daisuke Ono's more monotone delivery and his sullener demeanor causing him to lack K9999's mean streak.
- Sylvie. An adorable modern idol with a hidden sadistic streak and a surprisingly Dark and Troubled Past (if SNK Heroines is anything to go by) tying her to the NESTS Saga, or a visually messy and out-of-place abomination that suffers from Sweetness Aversion? She proved divisive as soon as XIV's concept art leaked.
- Rock Howard. Some fans, especially those who remember him from Garou: Mark of the Wolves and Capcom vs. SNK 2 are generally happy at his inclusion in the KoF cast. However, other longtime series fans dismiss him as a boring, generic, anime pretty boy who copies some of Terry and Geese's moves but doesn't have what makes them interesting to play. Being historically low tier in most of his appearances up until his reworked set in XV has not helped.
Ash: Au revoir!
