Honestly, if you grew up playing SNK fighters, you probably remember the first time you got absolutely demolished by King of Fighters Vice. She isn't your typical fighting game heroine. While characters like Mai Shiranui were being designed with a certain... aesthetic in mind, Vice was designed to make you feel like your spine was being reorganized. She's mean. She's violent. And she’s easily one of the most fascinating characters in the entire King of Fighters (KOF) roster.
A lot of people think she’s just "the other secretary" next to Mature. That’s a mistake. Vice is a powerhouse in her own right, both in the lore and on the arcade cabinet.
The Secret Life of a Sadistic Secretary
Vice didn't start as a fighter. Back in KOF '95, she and Mature were just NPCs—Rugal Bernstein’s personal assistants. They looked like standard corporate secretaries, but the vibe was always off. It turns out they weren't there to help Rugal; they were there to watch him. They are members of the Orochi Hakkesshu, the eight elite servants of the serpent god Orochi. Basically, they were cosmic babysitters for a megalomaniac.
When Rugal blew himself up, Vice and Mature moved on to a new target: Iori Yagami. They teamed up with him in KOF '96, and that’s when we finally saw what Vice could do.
She isn't subtle. While Mature is all about speed and slashing, Vice is about pure, unadulterated strength. Her official nickname is "The Throbbing Brutal Sadist." No joke. That is the actual title SNK gave her. She loves the sound of breaking bones. She finds joy in the physical struggle. It’s why she likes American comic books and heavy lifting—she’s just built different.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Her Death
One of the biggest talking points in the KOF community is the end of the '96 tournament. Iori went into the "Riot of the Blood," lost his mind, and supposedly slaughtered both Vice and Mature. For years, fans thought they were gone for good.
But here’s the thing: you can’t really kill an Orochi servant.
They’ve appeared in "Dream Match" games like KOF '98 and 2002 (which have no story), but they officially returned to the canon in KOF XIII. They aren't exactly "alive" in the traditional sense. They are more like vengeful spirits who can materialize when there's enough Orochi energy around. They are basically haunting Iori, which is a pretty metal way to stay relevant in a story.
Why Playing Vice is a Different Experience
If you’re used to characters who throw fireballs from across the screen, playing as King of Fighters Vice is going to be a wake-up call. She is a grappler, but not like Goro Daimon or Zangief. She’s fast.
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Her playstyle is built around momentum. You don't wait for the opponent to come to you. You hunt them.
Key Moves That Define Her
- Deicide: This is her signature "get over here" move. She lashes out with her arm and drags the opponent across the screen. It’s terrifying because it sets up her entire pressure game.
- Mayhem: A brutal diving tackle. If you're playing someone who likes to jump around, Mayhem is how you remind them that the ground is much safer (until she grabs them there, too).
- Withering Surface: This is her classic Desperation Move. She slams the opponent’s head into the ground repeatedly while a giant skull pillar of energy erupts. It’s a visual representation of how much she hates the person she’s fighting.
In the latest games like KOF XV, where she was recently added as DLC alongside Mature, her grappling has only gotten more sophisticated. She now has better juggle potential and more ways to link her normal attacks into her command throws. She’s a "mix-up" nightmare. If you guess wrong on your wake-up, you’re losing 40% of your health bar. Simple as that.
The Complexity of the Yagami Team
There is a weird, twisted dynamic between Vice, Mature, and Iori. Usually, in fighting games, teams are friends or at least have a common goal. This team? They hate each other.
Vice and Mature are essentially Iori's jailers. They want to ensure he fulfills his destiny as an Orochi vessel. Iori, being Iori, just wants to be left alone to hunt Kyo Kusanagi. He has killed them before, and he’d probably do it again. Yet, in the pre-match dialogues of KOF XIV and XV, there’s a strange sense of familiarity.
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Vice often mocks Iori, calling him "boy" or poking at his obsession with Kyo. She’s one of the few people who isn't afraid of him. That confidence makes her one of the most "cool" characters SNK ever designed. She doesn't need a magical sword or fire powers (mostly); she just needs to grab your collar.
The "Nerd" Side of Vice
Wait, did you know Vice is a comic book nerd?
It’s one of those weird SNK trivia facts that makes the characters feel human. She specifically loves American comics. While Mature is out being "sophisticated" and drinking wine, Vice is probably somewhere reading Watchmen or The Crow. She even hates old men because Saisyu Kusanagi (Kyo's dad) gave her a hard time when she was trying to brainwash him. She holds a grudge. It's those little personality quirks that keep the fan base dedicated to her after thirty years.
How to Actually Win with Vice
Look, if you're going to pick up King of Fighters Vice in KOF XV or even the classic '98, you need to change your mindset.
- Embrace the Risk: Grapplers have to take risks. You are going to get poked by fireballs. You are going to get frustrated. But once you get inside their range, the game changes.
- Learn the "Empty" Jump: Jump toward your opponent but don't press a button. This baits them into blocking. Since they are blocking, they can’t tech a command grab. Land and immediately use Negative Gain.
- Use the Corner: Vice is a queen of corner pressure. Her Splash move (the jumping grab) is much harder to dodge when the opponent has nowhere to run.
- Watch the Gauge: Vice needs meter to be truly scary. Her EX command grabs have faster startup and often have invincibility frames. Save your bars for the moment you finally close the distance.
Actionable Next Steps for KOF Fans
If you want to master Vice, don't just lab her moves. You need to understand the rhythm of the game.
- Go watch players like Xiaohai or ET: These pros have used Vice in high-level tournaments. Watch how they use her movement to "tick throw" opponents.
- Check the Frame Data: In KOF XV, knowing which of your moves are "plus on block" is the difference between a win and a counter-hit.
- Play the Lore: If you haven't played KOF '96, go back and do it. Seeing her original sprite work and how her "slashing" style evolved into a "slamming" style gives you a lot of respect for the character's design evolution.
Vice is more than just a secretary with a mean streak. She’s a reminder that SNK was always willing to make female characters who were genuinely threatening, physically imposing, and morally gray. Whether she’s a ghost, a servant of a god, or just a comic book fan who likes to break arms, she remains an icon of the genre.