King of Fighters 15 has been dropping character trailers on a near weekly basis since the reveal of Shun’Ei in early January. That trend has shown no signs of slowing down, as Chizuru Kagura’s trailer debuted today during the Second Annual Japan Fighting Game Publishers Roundtable.
This latest King of Fighters video follows the same blueprint of previous character trailers, highlighting Chizuru’s elegant fighting style. Chizuru utilizes mirror images of herself to surprise and trap opponents. She is joining long-time rivals Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami to form Team Sacred Treasures, the first time the trio has ever entered a King of Fighters tournament as an official team. Previously, Team Sacred Treasures could only be selected as a “secret edit team” in The King of Fighters ’96 and The King of Fighters ’97.
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Chizuru Kagura joined the franchise in The King of Fighters ’96, where she was the game’s sub-boss and a sponsor of the King of Fighters tournament. An heiress to the Yata clan, Chizuru is one of three characters whose families hold sacred artifacts that originally sealed the serpent monster Orochi 1,800 years ago. Chizuru, along with fellow sacred treasure heirs Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami, successfully seal Orochi away at the end of The King of Fighters ’97.
During the first official character trailer for King of Fighters 15, creative director Eisuke Ogura stated that the latest chapter in the series “will differ greatly” from previous installments. With the reveal of Team Sacred Treasures and Team Hero, his promise has proven true. Members of fan-favorite tag teams, like Japan Team’s Benimaru Nikaido and Goro Daimon, are being separated to form entirely new character dynamics.
The official return of Team Sacred Treasures has major implications for the ever-evolving storyline of the King of Fighters series. Arch-rivals like Chizuru, Kyo, and Iori teaming up may mean there is serious trouble brewing. The Team Yagami ending from King of Fighters 14 saw the three reunited to seal away an evil force, presumed to be a weakened form of Orochi. There are very little details surrounding the story of King of Fighters 15, so fans will just have to keep piecing together the clues as developer SNK continues to drop additional character trailers.
King of Fighters 15 is slated for release sometime in 2021.