Yuri Sakazaki
Encyclopedia
is a video game character
from SNK Playmore
's (formerly known as SNK) Art of Fighting
series. She first appears in the original Art of Fighting being kidnapped by Mr. Big, a criminal from the fictional city of Southtown. The players, Yuri's brother Ryo
and his friend Robert Garcia spend the game searching for her. In the second Art of Fighting, Yuri appears for the first time as a playable character, having been trained by her father Takuma in the art of the Kyokugenryu Karate. She has also appeared in most games from The King of Fighters series, with the notable exception of the non-canon The King of Fighters XII
, participating in the annual tournaments from each title. She initially starts in the Women Fighters Team (composed exclusively by women), but she later moves to the Art of Fighting Team along with her family. She was also featured in the SNK vs. Capcom crossover series as well as in SNK Gals' Fighters
.
Yuri has also starred in the anime
adaptation from Art of Fighting, in which she reprises her role from the first game. Her character has been well-received by gamers, having ranking high in several popularity polls developed by journals. Video games publications have commented on Yuri's character; Yuri's addition to Art of Fighting 2 as a playable character has been praised by several reviewers, and some have also complained on her absence in the following title.
. Several titles from The King of Fighters series had little modifications with Yuri's outfit as she wears red clog-like shoes instead of the red sneakers in The King of Fighters 2000
and 2001
. KOF: Maximum Impact
marks the first time since Art of Fighting 2 that she has received a new outfit. Such outfit is composed of a green shirt, short pants, dark green gloves and green shoes. In KOF: Maximum Impact 2
, some of her extra normal outfits make her look like fellow Kyokugen practitioners; color scheme B makes her look like Ryo
(blond hair, orange gi and black tights), while scheme F resembles Robert Garcia
's outfit from The King of Fighters '99
to 2002
, which consists of brown hair, orange gi with black long-sleeved tights, and no headband.
, who is four years her senior. When she was an infant, her mother Ronnet died of natural causes, leaving Takuma to raise her and her big brother Ryo alone. Takuma dedicated more time to Ryo than to Yuri, as Ryo is to be the heir to the throne of Kyokugenryu Karate, but he did his best to not turn his back on her. Yuri later befriended a new boy who had just arrived from Italy, who is Robert Garcia
. As a recurring theme in various games, Robert is in love with Yuri, though Yuri does not take notice. However, by Art of Fighting 3, Yuri starts also to be attracted to Robert, something noted by Ryo. Yuri uses the lowest-grade Kyokugenryu Movelist in the discipline, called the Raiou principle, which taught only the basic and low-level moves and encouraged personal instinct to be used in conjunction with the tutelage. Among Yuri's personally-crafted moves are the Slipstream Handslap and the Big Butt Press. Because of Yuri ability to craft techniques based on basic Kyokugen Principle, Takuma is slowly acknowledging her as a true Kyokugen disciple.
and Robert Garcia to search for her during all the game. In the end, Ryo and Robert fight Mr. Karate, a soldier from Mr. Big taking Yuri as a hostage, but they are stopped by Yuri who reveals that he is Takuma. In Art of Fighting 2, Yuri becomes a playable character, being trained by Takuma after the events from the previous game. Yuri enters into the King of Fighters tournament along with Ryo, Robert and Takuma in order to defeat Geese Howard
, the criminal who turned Takuma into Mr. Karate, wanting him to kill people. In Art of Fighting 3, Yuri is once again unplayable, but she appears along with Ryo searching for Robert, who was helping a childhood friend known as Freya Lawrence.
Yuri is also a playable character in The King of Fighters series first as part of the Women Fighters Team along with Mai Shiranui
and King participating in the annual King of Fighters tournaments. However, Yuri (and Mai) was not meant to be included in the game; developers wanted to create the English Team composed of Billy Kane
, King and Big Bear but they found problems making the sprite from Big Bear. Additionally, the Art of Fighting staff wanted Yuri to appear in the game, thus, she was added to the Women Fighters Team as the leader team. In The King of Fighters '96
, Yuri is requested by Takuma to participate in the Art of Fighting Team along with Ryo and Robert as Takuma decided to retire from the team. The King of Fighters '98
also features Yuri playable with her Art of Fighting 2 moveset as hidden character. Due to the new rule that teams must be composed of four members, Takuma returns to the Art of Fighting Team in The King of Fighters '99
.
By The King of Fighters 2000
, Yuri returns to the Women Fighters Team along with Mai, Hinako Shijou and Kasumi Todoh, having asked King to replace her in the Art of Fighting Team wanting more independence, much to Robert's chagrin. Yuri once again returns to the Art of Fighting Team in The King of Fighters 2001
, with Li Xiangfei joining the Women Fighters Team in her place, wanting to win the prize money to help Robert with several economical problems his company has. Although The King of Fighters 2002
does not feature a storyline, Yuri is once again in the Women Fighters Team with Mai and May Lee, but was moved back to the Art of Fighting Team in the remake, The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match. In The King of Fighters 2003
, Yuri continues in the Art of Fighting Team, but only with Ryo and Robert as the tournament once again requires only 3 fighters per team. King replaces Robert in The King of Fighters XI
as Robert was once again having problems with his company and Takuma was too weak to participate. However, Yuri, Takuma and Robert use this as a chance to intensify the relation between King and Ryo. Yuri's next official King of Fighters appearance is set to be in The King of Fighters XIII
, where she joins her fellow team members from The King of Fighters '94.
Yuri has also appeared in the spin-off game The King of Fighters Neowave
with the original Women Fighters Team. In The King of Fighters: Kyo the lead character Kyo Kusanagi
finds Yuri telling Takuma and Ryo that she wants to return to the Women Fighters Team. After a long discussion, Kyo purposes a fight with them to decide if Yuri can leave. Yuri later appears helping Kyo to find his kidnapped girlfriend Yuki along with Ryo and Robert. She appears as an assistant character (named "Striker") in The King of Fighters EX for the Art of Fighting Team, and appears as a playable character along with Ryo and Takuma in The King of Fighters EX2. She is also featured in the 3D games KOF: Maximum Impact
and Maximum Impact 2
participating in new tournaments from Southtown. Additionally, she stars in most games from the SNK vs. Capcom series except SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos (where she makes a cameo appearance in Ryo's and Mr. Karate's endings). In the crossover SNK Gals' Fighters
Yuri appears as a playable character with she wanting to make her own gym.
Yuri also appears in the Art of Fighting anime adaptation which retells the story from the first game but with Mr. Big wanting to obtain a diamond that Ryo and Robert found. She is voiced by Ayumi Hamasaki
in the Japanese version and by Veronica Taylor
in the English dub.
author Nobuhiro Watsuki
designed the character of Makimachi Misao
for the Rurouni Kenshin
manga series, some fans complained that the character was very similar to Nakoruru from the Samurai Shodown video games series. However, Watsuki responded saying that the character was more similar to Mai Shiranui
or Yuri, comically saying he was "making his own grave" due to the similarities with the SNK characters. While interviewing Shane Bettenhausen, Ignition Entertainment
's Director of Business Development, Alex Lucard from Diehardgamefan.com mentioned that one of the characters he wanted to be playable in The King of Fighters XII
was Yuri.
Yuri's character has received mixed responses from various video games publications. Avi Krebs from gamingexellence.com liked Yuri's introduction in Art of Fighting 2 as a playable character as it gave more variety to the character roster. However, he complained about her being removed in Art of Fighting 3 "with less than stellar replacements." Gary Hartley from Honestgamers.com criticized Yuri's voice acting in the intro sequence from Art of Fighting 2 noting it as laughable. He also complained about Yuri's remove from Art of Fighting 3 as well as her minor role in the plot. Eurogamer
writer Spanner Spencer noted that Yuri's kidnap in the first game was "a mostly unfathomable quest" as well as senseless since she is later taken as hostage by her own father. Kurt Kalata from Armchairempire.com liked her cosplay from Fio from the Metal Slug
series in KOF: Maximum Impact
as it contrasted other new outfits which he considered embarrassing. Ryan Genno from Gaming Target also complained on Yuri's voice but in the English version from KOF: Maximum Impact labelling it as one of the worst voices from the game. While The character of Dan Hibiki
from the Street Fighter series is deemed as a parody of Ryo due to his similarities with Ryu and Ken from such series, he often shows mannerism similar to Yuri's.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
's (formerly known as SNK) Art of Fighting
Art of Fighting
is a trilogy of competitive fighting game titles that were released for the Neo Geo platform in the early 1990s. It was the second fighting game franchise created by SNK, following the Fatal Fury series and is set in the same fictional universe...
series. She first appears in the original Art of Fighting being kidnapped by Mr. Big, a criminal from the fictional city of Southtown. The players, Yuri's brother Ryo
Ryo Sakazaki
is a video game character developed for the fighting game Art of Fighting from SNK Playmore . His name is most often written in kana, however, in some games kanji is used to write parts of his name. In the series, Ryo is a martial artist that practices his family's fighting style, the Kyokugenryu...
and his friend Robert Garcia spend the game searching for her. In the second Art of Fighting, Yuri appears for the first time as a playable character, having been trained by her father Takuma in the art of the Kyokugenryu Karate. She has also appeared in most games from The King of Fighters series, with the notable exception of the non-canon The King of Fighters XII
The King of Fighters XII
is the twelfth installment of The King of Fighters series. SNK Playmore announced that it is abandoning the Atomiswave system and is moving its most popular game franchises to the Taito Type X2 arcade system. KOF XII uses newly-drawn 2D sprites on 2D backgrounds...
, participating in the annual tournaments from each title. She initially starts in the Women Fighters Team (composed exclusively by women), but she later moves to the Art of Fighting Team along with her family. She was also featured in the SNK vs. Capcom crossover series as well as in SNK Gals' Fighters
SNK Gals' Fighters
SNK Gals' Fighters is a 2-dimensional 1-on-1 versus fighting game which appeared on the Neo Geo Pocket Color in 2000. It featured female characters from various SNK franchises, where the characters compete in the aptly named The Queen of Fighters tournament, organized by a mysterious "Miss X", with...
.
Yuri has also starred in the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaptation from Art of Fighting, in which she reprises her role from the first game. Her character has been well-received by gamers, having ranking high in several popularity polls developed by journals. Video games publications have commented on Yuri's character; Yuri's addition to Art of Fighting 2 as a playable character has been praised by several reviewers, and some have also complained on her absence in the following title.
Character design
In the first Art of Fighting Yuri appears with a pink t-shirt as well as with her ponytail in her hair. In Art of Fighting 2, Yuri appears with her most recurring outfit which made of a white sleeveless gi fighter, a red headband, a blue shirt under the gi, blue gloves and blue tights. Her sneakers of choice are a pair of red Chuck Taylor All-StarsChuck Taylor All-Stars
Chuck Taylor All Stars, or Converse All Stars, also referred to as "Chuck Taylors", "Converses", "All Stars", "Chucks" or "Cons", are canvas and rubber shoes produced by Converse. They were first produced in 1917 as the "All Star," Converse's attempt to capture the basketball shoe market...
. Several titles from The King of Fighters series had little modifications with Yuri's outfit as she wears red clog-like shoes instead of the red sneakers in The King of Fighters 2000
The King of Fighters 2000
The King of Fighters 2000 is a competitive fighting game produced by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platforms. It is the seventh installment in The King of Fighters series for the Neo Geo, as well as the final one produced by SNK before the bankruptcy. The game was ported to the Sega...
and 2001
The King of Fighters 2001
The King of Fighters 2001 is a competitive fighting game produced by Eolith for the Neo Geo. It is the eighth game in The King of Fighters series and the first game produced following the closure of the original SNK. The game was produced by the Korean-based company Eolith and developed by...
. KOF: Maximum Impact
KOF: Maximum Impact
The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact is a fighting game for the PlayStation 2, produced by SNK subsidiary Noise Factory published by SNK Playmore in 2004-2005. An enhanced version was released for Xbox and PlayStation 2 under the title KOF: Maximum Impact — Maniax...
marks the first time since Art of Fighting 2 that she has received a new outfit. Such outfit is composed of a green shirt, short pants, dark green gloves and green shoes. In KOF: Maximum Impact 2
KOF: Maximum Impact 2
KOF: Maximum Impact 2, released in North America as The King of Fighters 2006, is a 3D competitive fighting game produced by SNK Playmore and released for the PlayStation 2 in...
, some of her extra normal outfits make her look like fellow Kyokugen practitioners; color scheme B makes her look like Ryo
Ryo Sakazaki
is a video game character developed for the fighting game Art of Fighting from SNK Playmore . His name is most often written in kana, however, in some games kanji is used to write parts of his name. In the series, Ryo is a martial artist that practices his family's fighting style, the Kyokugenryu...
(blond hair, orange gi and black tights), while scheme F resembles Robert Garcia
Robert Garcia
is a video game character created by SNK Playmore, formerly known as SNK. Robert stars in the fighting video game Art of Fighting as the lead character along his best friend Ryo Sakazaki. The game features both of them as practitioners of the Kyokugenryu Karate fighting who search for Ryo's younger...
's outfit from The King of Fighters '99
The King of Fighters '99
The King of Fighters '99: Millennium Battle is a head-to-head fighting game by SNK released for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It is the sixth installment in the companys The King of Fighters series. The game was ported to the Neo-Geo CD and the PlayStation as the final KOF game released...
to 2002
The King of Fighters 2002
The King of Fighters 2002 is a competitive fighting game produced by Eolith and Playmore for the Neo Geo. It is the ninth game in The King of Fighters series and the second one produced by Eolith and developed by SNK Neo Geo . The game was ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and the Xbox...
, which consists of brown hair, orange gi with black long-sleeved tights, and no headband.
Attributes
Yuri is the daughter of Takuma Sakazaki and Ronnet Sakazaki and the younger sister of Ryo SakazakiRyo Sakazaki
is a video game character developed for the fighting game Art of Fighting from SNK Playmore . His name is most often written in kana, however, in some games kanji is used to write parts of his name. In the series, Ryo is a martial artist that practices his family's fighting style, the Kyokugenryu...
, who is four years her senior. When she was an infant, her mother Ronnet died of natural causes, leaving Takuma to raise her and her big brother Ryo alone. Takuma dedicated more time to Ryo than to Yuri, as Ryo is to be the heir to the throne of Kyokugenryu Karate, but he did his best to not turn his back on her. Yuri later befriended a new boy who had just arrived from Italy, who is Robert Garcia
Robert Garcia
is a video game character created by SNK Playmore, formerly known as SNK. Robert stars in the fighting video game Art of Fighting as the lead character along his best friend Ryo Sakazaki. The game features both of them as practitioners of the Kyokugenryu Karate fighting who search for Ryo's younger...
. As a recurring theme in various games, Robert is in love with Yuri, though Yuri does not take notice. However, by Art of Fighting 3, Yuri starts also to be attracted to Robert, something noted by Ryo. Yuri uses the lowest-grade Kyokugenryu Movelist in the discipline, called the Raiou principle, which taught only the basic and low-level moves and encouraged personal instinct to be used in conjunction with the tutelage. Among Yuri's personally-crafted moves are the Slipstream Handslap and the Big Butt Press. Because of Yuri ability to craft techniques based on basic Kyokugen Principle, Takuma is slowly acknowledging her as a true Kyokugen disciple.
Appearances
Although Yuri is not playable in the first Art of Fighting game, she plays a big role in the plot as she is kidnapped by the Southtown criminal Mr. Big, causing Ryo SakazakiRyo Sakazaki
is a video game character developed for the fighting game Art of Fighting from SNK Playmore . His name is most often written in kana, however, in some games kanji is used to write parts of his name. In the series, Ryo is a martial artist that practices his family's fighting style, the Kyokugenryu...
and Robert Garcia to search for her during all the game. In the end, Ryo and Robert fight Mr. Karate, a soldier from Mr. Big taking Yuri as a hostage, but they are stopped by Yuri who reveals that he is Takuma. In Art of Fighting 2, Yuri becomes a playable character, being trained by Takuma after the events from the previous game. Yuri enters into the King of Fighters tournament along with Ryo, Robert and Takuma in order to defeat Geese Howard
Geese Howard
is a fictional video game character appearing in SNK Playmore's Fatal Fury fighting games series. Debuting in Fatal Fury: King of Fighters, Geese is the local crime boss of the fictional city of South Town. Geese hosts a fighting tournament named "The King of Fighters", in which he faces the...
, the criminal who turned Takuma into Mr. Karate, wanting him to kill people. In Art of Fighting 3, Yuri is once again unplayable, but she appears along with Ryo searching for Robert, who was helping a childhood friend known as Freya Lawrence.
Yuri is also a playable character in The King of Fighters series first as part of the Women Fighters Team along with Mai Shiranui
Mai Shiranui
is a player character in both the Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters series of fighting games by SNK and in related media, also appearing in a large number of other games...
and King participating in the annual King of Fighters tournaments. However, Yuri (and Mai) was not meant to be included in the game; developers wanted to create the English Team composed of Billy Kane
Billy Kane
is a video game character created by SNK Playmore . He makes first appearance in the fighting game Fatal Fury: King of Fighters as the sub-boss from the game. In the Fatal Fury series Billy is the right-hand man from Geese Howard, the crime lord from Southtown...
, King and Big Bear but they found problems making the sprite from Big Bear. Additionally, the Art of Fighting staff wanted Yuri to appear in the game, thus, she was added to the Women Fighters Team as the leader team. In The King of Fighters '96
The King of Fighters '96
The King of Fighters '96 is a fighting game released by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home consoles. It is the third game in The King of Fighters series, following The King of Fighters '95. Like its predecessor, the game was ported to the Neo-Geo CD, as well as the PlayStation and Sega Saturn...
, Yuri is requested by Takuma to participate in the Art of Fighting Team along with Ryo and Robert as Takuma decided to retire from the team. The King of Fighters '98
The King of Fighters '98
The King of Fighters '98 is a fighting game released by SNK released for the Neo Geo arcade and home console. It is the fifth game in The King of Fighters series...
also features Yuri playable with her Art of Fighting 2 moveset as hidden character. Due to the new rule that teams must be composed of four members, Takuma returns to the Art of Fighting Team in The King of Fighters '99
The King of Fighters '99
The King of Fighters '99: Millennium Battle is a head-to-head fighting game by SNK released for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It is the sixth installment in the companys The King of Fighters series. The game was ported to the Neo-Geo CD and the PlayStation as the final KOF game released...
.
By The King of Fighters 2000
The King of Fighters 2000
The King of Fighters 2000 is a competitive fighting game produced by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platforms. It is the seventh installment in The King of Fighters series for the Neo Geo, as well as the final one produced by SNK before the bankruptcy. The game was ported to the Sega...
, Yuri returns to the Women Fighters Team along with Mai, Hinako Shijou and Kasumi Todoh, having asked King to replace her in the Art of Fighting Team wanting more independence, much to Robert's chagrin. Yuri once again returns to the Art of Fighting Team in The King of Fighters 2001
The King of Fighters 2001
The King of Fighters 2001 is a competitive fighting game produced by Eolith for the Neo Geo. It is the eighth game in The King of Fighters series and the first game produced following the closure of the original SNK. The game was produced by the Korean-based company Eolith and developed by...
, with Li Xiangfei joining the Women Fighters Team in her place, wanting to win the prize money to help Robert with several economical problems his company has. Although The King of Fighters 2002
The King of Fighters 2002
The King of Fighters 2002 is a competitive fighting game produced by Eolith and Playmore for the Neo Geo. It is the ninth game in The King of Fighters series and the second one produced by Eolith and developed by SNK Neo Geo . The game was ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and the Xbox...
does not feature a storyline, Yuri is once again in the Women Fighters Team with Mai and May Lee, but was moved back to the Art of Fighting Team in the remake, The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match. In The King of Fighters 2003
The King of Fighters 2003
The King of Fighters 2003 is a competitive fighting game produced by SNK Playmore for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It is the tenth game in The King of Fighters series and the first KOF game to become a tag tournament as well as the first one to be published by SNK Playmore...
, Yuri continues in the Art of Fighting Team, but only with Ryo and Robert as the tournament once again requires only 3 fighters per team. King replaces Robert in The King of Fighters XI
The King of Fighters XI
The King of Fighters XI is a 2D competitive fighting game produced by SNK Playmore originally released in as a coin-operated arcade game for the Atomiswave platform...
as Robert was once again having problems with his company and Takuma was too weak to participate. However, Yuri, Takuma and Robert use this as a chance to intensify the relation between King and Ryo. Yuri's next official King of Fighters appearance is set to be in The King of Fighters XIII
The King of Fighters XIII
is the latest installment of The King of Fighters fighting game series developed and published by SNK Playmore. The game is set after the events from The King of Fighters XI and is also the conclusion of Ash Crimson's story arc, which started in The King of Fighters 2003...
, where she joins her fellow team members from The King of Fighters '94.
Yuri has also appeared in the spin-off game The King of Fighters Neowave
The King of Fighters Neowave
The King of Fighters Neowave is a 2D competitive fighting game produced by SNK Playmore and originally released as a coin operated arcade game for Sammys Atomiswave hardware. It was the first game SNK Playmore produced for the Atomiswave...
with the original Women Fighters Team. In The King of Fighters: Kyo the lead character Kyo Kusanagi
Kyo Kusanagi
is one of the main characters in SNK Playmore's The King of Fighters video game series; he was first introduced in The King of Fighters '94 as the leader of the Japan team. He is one of the iconic characters of the series and regularly appears on publicity material and merchandise. His name and...
finds Yuri telling Takuma and Ryo that she wants to return to the Women Fighters Team. After a long discussion, Kyo purposes a fight with them to decide if Yuri can leave. Yuri later appears helping Kyo to find his kidnapped girlfriend Yuki along with Ryo and Robert. She appears as an assistant character (named "Striker") in The King of Fighters EX for the Art of Fighting Team, and appears as a playable character along with Ryo and Takuma in The King of Fighters EX2. She is also featured in the 3D games KOF: Maximum Impact
KOF: Maximum Impact
The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact is a fighting game for the PlayStation 2, produced by SNK subsidiary Noise Factory published by SNK Playmore in 2004-2005. An enhanced version was released for Xbox and PlayStation 2 under the title KOF: Maximum Impact — Maniax...
and Maximum Impact 2
KOF: Maximum Impact 2
KOF: Maximum Impact 2, released in North America as The King of Fighters 2006, is a 3D competitive fighting game produced by SNK Playmore and released for the PlayStation 2 in...
participating in new tournaments from Southtown. Additionally, she stars in most games from the SNK vs. Capcom series except SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos (where she makes a cameo appearance in Ryo's and Mr. Karate's endings). In the crossover SNK Gals' Fighters
SNK Gals' Fighters
SNK Gals' Fighters is a 2-dimensional 1-on-1 versus fighting game which appeared on the Neo Geo Pocket Color in 2000. It featured female characters from various SNK franchises, where the characters compete in the aptly named The Queen of Fighters tournament, organized by a mysterious "Miss X", with...
Yuri appears as a playable character with she wanting to make her own gym.
Yuri also appears in the Art of Fighting anime adaptation which retells the story from the first game but with Mr. Big wanting to obtain a diamond that Ryo and Robert found. She is voiced by Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...
in the Japanese version and by Veronica Taylor
Veronica Taylor
Veronica Taylor is an American voice actress. Taylor is best known for her dubbing work in English-language anime adaptations, in particular for voicing Ash Ketchum in the English dub of the Japanese anime, Pokémon....
in the English dub.
Reception
Yuri has been well-received by gamers having been voted as the nineteenth favorite character with a total of 726 votes in the character popularity poll on Neo Geo Freak's website. In the January 30, 1995 issue of Gamest magazine in Japan, Yuri ranked at No. 7 in the list of the Top 50 Characters of 1994. An action figure of her character was also released by SNK Playmore. When the mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
author Nobuhiro Watsuki
Nobuhiro Watsuki
is a Japanese manga artist, best known for his samurai-themed series Rurouni Kenshin. He once worked as an assistant for his favorite author Takeshi Obata.-Biography:...
designed the character of Makimachi Misao
Makimachi Misao
, known as Misao Makimachi in the Media Blasters dub, is a fictional character in the manga and anime series Rurouni Kenshin created by Nobuhiro Watsuki....
for the Rurouni Kenshin
Rurouni Kenshin
, also known as Rurouni Kenshin and Samurai X, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The fictional setting takes place during the early Meiji period in Japan. The story is about a fictional assassin named Himura Kenshin, from the Bakumatsu who becomes a wanderer to...
manga series, some fans complained that the character was very similar to Nakoruru from the Samurai Shodown video games series. However, Watsuki responded saying that the character was more similar to Mai Shiranui
Mai Shiranui
is a player character in both the Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters series of fighting games by SNK and in related media, also appearing in a large number of other games...
or Yuri, comically saying he was "making his own grave" due to the similarities with the SNK characters. While interviewing Shane Bettenhausen, Ignition Entertainment
Ignition Entertainment
Ignition Entertainment Ltd. is a British video game publisher formed in April 2002. It was created from a selection of smaller developers and publishers, such as Archer MacLean's Awesome Studios.-History:...
's Director of Business Development, Alex Lucard from Diehardgamefan.com mentioned that one of the characters he wanted to be playable in The King of Fighters XII
The King of Fighters XII
is the twelfth installment of The King of Fighters series. SNK Playmore announced that it is abandoning the Atomiswave system and is moving its most popular game franchises to the Taito Type X2 arcade system. KOF XII uses newly-drawn 2D sprites on 2D backgrounds...
was Yuri.
Yuri's character has received mixed responses from various video games publications. Avi Krebs from gamingexellence.com liked Yuri's introduction in Art of Fighting 2 as a playable character as it gave more variety to the character roster. However, he complained about her being removed in Art of Fighting 3 "with less than stellar replacements." Gary Hartley from Honestgamers.com criticized Yuri's voice acting in the intro sequence from Art of Fighting 2 noting it as laughable. He also complained about Yuri's remove from Art of Fighting 3 as well as her minor role in the plot. Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
writer Spanner Spencer noted that Yuri's kidnap in the first game was "a mostly unfathomable quest" as well as senseless since she is later taken as hostage by her own father. Kurt Kalata from Armchairempire.com liked her cosplay from Fio from the Metal Slug
Metal Slug
is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo console/arcade platform developed by Nazca Corporation and published by SNK. It was originally released in 1996 for the MVS arcade platform. The game is widely known for its sense of humor, fluid hand-drawn animation, and fast paced two-player action...
series in KOF: Maximum Impact
KOF: Maximum Impact
The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact is a fighting game for the PlayStation 2, produced by SNK subsidiary Noise Factory published by SNK Playmore in 2004-2005. An enhanced version was released for Xbox and PlayStation 2 under the title KOF: Maximum Impact — Maniax...
as it contrasted other new outfits which he considered embarrassing. Ryan Genno from Gaming Target also complained on Yuri's voice but in the English version from KOF: Maximum Impact labelling it as one of the worst voices from the game. While The character of Dan Hibiki
Dan Hibiki
is a video game character from Capcom's Street Fighter series of fighting games. Introduced in Street Fighter Alpha, Dan is consistently portrayed as an arrogant, overconfident, yet utterly feeble character.-Concept and creation:...
from the Street Fighter series is deemed as a parody of Ryo due to his similarities with Ryu and Ken from such series, he often shows mannerism similar to Yuri's.