Is There More Than One Rugal? - The Untold Secret of KOF's Iconic Villain
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มี.ค. 2024
- We all know that Rugal Bernstein stands out as the original and most iconic main antagonist in the KOF series. But what if I told you that there might be multiple Rugals? The notion of there being more than one Rugal Bernstein isn't just a speculative "what if" scenario; it's a popular fan theory supported by various hints and clues scattered throughout the games.
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References:
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snk.wikia.com/wiki/The_King_of...
Music:
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"R&D" from KOF 98
"The RR (Arranged)" from The King of Fighters 98
"Guitar to Omega to Rugal (Arranged)" from The King of Fighters 95
"Who Likes To Party" by Kevin MacLeod
• Royalty Free Music - W...
"Aurea Carmina" by Kevin MacLeod
• Kevin MacLeod ~ Aurea ... - เกม
![[TH] VCT Pacific Stage 2 - Week 4 Day 1 // PRX vs RRQ | GE vs GEN](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iIi2_04jGr0/mqdefault.jpg)
if there's more than one rugal, all of mexico is panicking now
As a Mexican, I strongly agree. Not even banning him in KOF games will stop Rugal from terrorizing with just his mere existence! 😱
Wait, where or what is "mexico"?
@ZhalgasMatrixspeed A Country that is South of the United States. The Mexican Government actually Banned Rugal to be playable in all King of Fighters games.
@@DarkRedPsycho92 LoL good one!
@@xstatic-ow5mz He's THAT cheap and OP!
This series to hit 30 years old this August should have its own dedicated iceberg meme.
The Chris Lotus and Arkhan390 have made their own.
Wow
What I love about this channel is that Shoryu never stops finding interesting topics to cover delving into SNK lore that some of us (including myself) never stopped to think about. This video is a perfect example of that. Thanks for another fascinating video Shoryu! Speaking of SNK lore, I've been playing a lot of Ninja Masters lately (a game SNK had from ADK) and was wondering if you would do a video on that game as there is not a whole lot of content available about it on TH-cam. That would be sweet! Anyway keep up the good work friend!
A video on Ninja Masters would be fantastic! What an underrated game! Great suggestion!
He told us jerks, that he'd be back
You forgot to mention about Rugal in 2000 went you uses His striker he doesnt desapiar like the other dead character Is implain that he Is alive
One of the things I like the most about KoF is the way the chickens always come home to roost in the stories. It would figure that multiple Rugals would appear, so I wouldn't be surprised if they went with that. This guy's appearance as a bad guy in another KoF would rock several characters' worlds.
That makes a lot of sense. So every Omega Rugal after KOF 95 was a clone.
In KOF 15 a lot of characters got resurrected. Maybe it's the OG Rugal?
I think the clones are just fighting machines with no free will. I don't think a Seth situation like in Street fighter IV is going to happen.
Rugal is like the Kakashi sensei (Naruto) of the KOF series
Despite not being a member of the Orochi clan, he has become stronger over the years, learning to master the power of the Orochi blood.
Given how Geese has been getting stronger in the KOF timeline, a returning Rugal should be buffed canonically to scale along Geese's current level, otherwise if he stays at 95 level, most of the cast would have surpassed his power level by now.
4:43-4:56 Good point.
In fact, this is what I believe.
KOF 2002 (at least the vanilla version) is semi canon.
In other words, some events that happened in that game are canon.
To give examples, the existence of Kusanagi the Kyo clone with darker skin made by NESTS
K9999/Krohnen mentioned him in KOF XV in his special intro against the real Kyo.
Another reason why I think 2002 is semi canon is Vice and Maxima's pre battle dialogue in KOF XIII, where the gorgeous redhead told Maxima about the last time they met, which was in KOF 2002
You know what other game is semi canon?
Real Bout Fatal Fury 2
Like KOF 2002, Real Bout 2 is a Dream Match BUT it introduced characters that later appeared in the future Fatal Fury and KOF games
Rick, Xiangfei and Lao (the dude who appears in the intro) made their debut in Real Bout 2
Lao later returned in Garou MOW as one of the members of B. Jenet's crew as you can see in Jenet's intro before the fight
I thought that guy was the mysterious Gustav Munchausen, an obscure character in KOF lore.
Gustav Munchausen only appears in a timeline when there are 10 Sacred Treasures. I.e. the KOF EX series.
That exists? @@WhatIsMatter101
Yep. The GBA games KOF EX Neo Blood and Howling Blood follow a different path: Kyo went to the US and met Moe Habana who nursed her back to health (after the Orochi Battle). Therefore K' and NESTS doesnt exist.
This kinda makes me wonder if KOF '99 was originally supposed to have Rugal Clones instead of Kyo Clones. I think it would explain K' and Krizalid having white hair. Maybe, Kyo could've been gone fighting Rugal Clones in 99. Makes me wonder. Perhaps, Kyo made for a better impetus since they possibly could've been planning for him to be Abcent/Secret anyway. Just spit balling, but it would've been interesting to see an Army of Rugal clones only to watch NESTS terminate all of them in a heartbeat. Considering how hard Rugal is, I think that it would've made NESTS seem a fair bit more intimidating than they already were.
1:30 In the end of the animated series The King of Fighters Destiny Rugal is also seen in a tube beeing resurrected by Goenitz
Real Rugal was Dead
But Clone like omega Rugal was still there.......another trick from NESTS
I never knew about this theory. Thanks for the intriguing video Shoryu!
Glad you enjoyed!
Wow, now this is some lore diving! Honestly, if NEST was able to clone Rugal and that becomes canon, then that would redeem that story arch to me. I don't want to see NEST return but it would be awesome to see them have a even more lasting legacy by successfully cloning one of the greatest villains in the KOF series.
If we're talking about them planning Rugal being a clone all the way back in 98 and coming back in KOF XV then that is next level planning by SNK. They could teach disney a thing or two about bringing characters back. Kyo didn't out of the blue say "somehow, Rugal has returned."
U can't keep one good man, down. And he will always COME BACK!
Face the Multiple Rugal as special stages?
Sounds crazy but I like that..🤣
That mysterious guy could be Gustav
Here's a theory, Rugal comes back during every dream match game because someone secretly is a big fan of Rugal. And... It's the host of the tournament!
Dosen't explain the other characters coming back to life
KOF 98 is a Dream Match because the canonical story (yes it has a canon story) is Shingo is dreaming about fighting with the best. Which explains himsuddenly appearing as a single entry subboss.
Rugal appearing in his dream is the equivalent of Nightmare Geese.
The possibility of there being more than one Rugal isn't too far fetched. In King of Fighters there are many clone characters like Cloned Zero, Krizalid & Kusanagi
I though Cloning is Exclusive to Nests.
Rugal is basically the Sigma from Megaman X and Dracula from Castlevania version of KOF. He keeps coming back from the dead. Lol
I felt that Rugal's clones can be very adaptive with different kinds of power, which might explain why GOD Rugal able to exist in crossover games.
In terms of design, Omega Rugal from KOF 95 and 2002 (with his cape) are top tier! 👍
Sometimes I think KOF 2002 should have been the epilogue of the NESTS Saga
The story would be simple, after NESTS destruction, Rugal comes back for revenge.
How he cameback? Well, this Rugal is a bio android (like K9999) made by NESTS, and he has all Rugal's memories.
5:37-5:42 That would explain why he has those wires in his back.
Also making 2002 canon would make Kusanagi's existence more sense.
At least the writers of the official manhua (chinese comic) adaptation of KOF 2002 were clever and explained that Rugal came back thanks to NESTS, giving Rugal technology to heal.
Also in the manhua Kusanagi is a clone made by NESTS who is more an antagonist than villain, he survived and in the KOF 2003 adaptation he became friends to Chizuru after the maiden saved his life.
Another good decision the manhua continuity did was not killing the Orochi Team and Mature and Vice so they appeared alive in KOF 2002
Killing them so early in the games, was a mistake the original SNK made
In fact, KOF XV we finally see more of the Orochi Team and they got character development, especially Shermie.
You're not wrong, I thought that was Vincent after he hit the gym.
Also thank you for the great lore videos, good chance I'm going to binge a LOT of these.
Great vid as always! Never knew Rugal had so much lore behind him
Fascinating.
I am always delighted that KOF have all those intersting, deeper-than-you-expect stories that leave you to ponder, but never succumb to darkness and pessimism. Instead forging onwards with a head held up high deafeting the darkness and finding worthy meaning in it all.
I think thats the reason many associate Terry Bogard with the series - even KOF. If he would look into the abyss, he would just smile, retort something life affirming and Power Dunk it in return.
SNK is just that kind of creators.
Thank You for the enghlithning observation. It was fascinating to listen to.
Nice video Shoryu!
Thanks!
1:32 Or this guy could be Rugal Brothers because until now, we don't now where he is😁
There was a scrapped idea for a different version of Rugal named “Rugal Infinity”. He’s a visceral, six-armed fusion of Rugal with Krauser and Geese. I have REALLY COOL idea to introduce that design concept…
What if the scientists created a powerful clone of Rugal, named “Rugal Alpha”, whose power is an equal with Orochi itself? But, the original, resurrected Rugal manages to defeat the clone (with help) and opportunistically absorbs the clone’s power, just like how he absorbs Akuma’s power in Capcom vs SNK 2? The fusion of Rugal with his most powerful clone transforms him into… RUGAL INFINITY!!! He needs a terrifying design, along with a moveset and ai that makes him the most broken boss in KOF, period. GOD I love this villain!!!
Your video reminds me of one of the manhua's of KoF I read from a Fansite, decades ago. I don't remember if it was KoF Zillion, RX, etc (I just remember the site summarized the manga chapters and powers in it as "Powers of Darkness" and "Zenith Power" ) that explored the idea of Multiple Rugal's, but it went along the notion of clones of Rugal facing the Emperor of Japan in which they all freaked out witnessing the power of Orochi for some reason.
I always assumed that KOF 2002 Rugal was a clone cuz he was in the nest saga! but I thought the 98 one is him getting back after some upgrades! great video man actually I never seen this secret artwork! 👍😮
But man that dude with the red coat looks bad ass! I want him in the new games! I want to know more about him!!
There are so few fan theories about these games and I really like this one
The real characters split into two is Team Orochi who were split into their regular and Orochi versions after KoF XIV revived everyone
Stories about Clones, like "Metal Gear Solid," "Spider-Man: Clone Saga" or even "The Return of Superman," don't even get me started on "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones" where it's all about the Clone Wars. 😂
But honestly, I'm sure the Reason why there are 2 Versions of Rugal in KOF 15 is because of Gameplay Creative Differences, the Playable Rugal Bernstein is supposed to be the Balanced Character while the Boss Omega Rugal was completely Programmed to be the Toughest A.I. that's cranked at a 11 Maximum for the Player to have an experiencing Challenge.
So to put it simply, I don't believe in the Theory about the many Clones of Rugal Bernstein.
My favorite Villains from the KOF series are Igniz, Goenitz, and Rugal Bernstein.
I'm convinced that there are more than 1 Rugal. I figure there is the original Rugal Bernstein and then Omega Rugal, who is the clone that gets activated after every death.
In my own scenario, I have the idea that Bernstein was using the Omega Rugal project to create a ever increasingly stronger version of himself to attain a sort of immortality.
However, after the events of KOF14, the original version of him was resurrected and has yet to be seen again. This original version of Rugal Bernstein will have the fighting techniques of his KOF98 counterpart, but will be able to copy the moves of his opponents, as was his original creative concept, back in KOF94.
cool another what if theory video that your famous for. i think you should do this often. Also this one seems quite interesting having multiple rugal's and imagine players being raged quit due to how many there are lol. Still awesome video hope to see more of these
Thank you!
@@ShoryuGame you're welcome
Wake up my amigos, new shoryugame video
95 omega rugal will always be my favorite
I remember back in 2000 they said that Zero was made with portions of Rugal's DNA (the face). This was before we all had the Internet.
I guess it's because of the mustache.
Rugal is like Bison He probably started seeking immortality after obtaining the orochi power
Wild speculation
Rugal 95 was the everyone's nightmare
I think its the Original Rugal. Many folks came back before the seal was sealed. Rugal is one of them.
The "clone" Rugals may be a parody of Bison having spare bodies and endlessly resurrecting.
Rugal was originally designed to be a better version of Bison. Both are criminal cartel leaders and illegal arms dealers.
In KoFXV, Rugal goes full Bison: he has his own Psycho Shot, a super move similar to Bison's Ultra from SF4, and shoulder pad armor pieces like Bison.
That's an interesting thought, but I think you are giving them too much credit.
Chances are they was going to bring him back for '96, but ultimately choose Goenitz, and this was thrown in the "emergency idea" folder, used as an excuse to not think up a boss. Omega Rugal is just probably an inside joke, like Geese theme names.
To try to make sense of 15, you have to remember Orichi can not be cloned thus killing the whole idea. Omega Rugal could be Rugal, but with enhancements to keep the power from destroying him (notice the two dark sun symbols on the machinery).
So the regular Rugal is fighting with his own abilities, and the boss mode is him trying to tap further into Orichi power.
Good video tho'.
Isn’t 98 canon as Shingo’s dream? Also Shermie’s remark with Kula in SNK Heroines and Rugal’s costume in XV implies that vanilla 02 might’ve been semi-canon, maybe similar to Fatal Fury 3 in how the events were not in a tournament for once. The 98 appearance might suggest of a dream conquering plan where infiltrating people with Rugal clones to eliminate the competition and Shingo was the first test subject, but since he won, the project was called off since a Rugal clone lost to the “weakest fighter in KOF” in their eyes (either the secretaries you mentioned or NESTS).
I'd say it's true because Capcom did the same thing. Gill is Urien's clone, Omega Regal is Regal's clone. The artwork in the PS1 version looks exactly the same as Urien's ending in Street Fighter 3rd strike.
Wait, Urien is a CLONE? I thought he and Gill were brothers all this time! :o
after 2001clones were subsequently adopted simultaneous beginning in 98.. slugfest 98 is a foreshadow of the group Nest.. where rugal is cloned and it is a Canon and 2002 either.. clone rugal is far more vicious and brutal than the original.. if only KOF is Series the Slugfest and Ultimate Match were the movies of KoF and 13.also.
Awesome Video Shoryugames! I never saw that art piece of multiple Rugals in those experimental tubes alongside those two mysterious people until now actually lol. Even thought that piece of art is noncanon probably but then again verse’s death did resurrect dead villians so it’s not out of the realm of possibilities kind of.
I think thats Rugal Himself.
@conradojavier7547 I could see where you’re coming with that.
Hello!, your theory is actually correct, but, with all due respect, you are missing a lot of information. My favorite fighting game character is Rugal, I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM and there are many more clues than the you mention. The original SNK left many of these clues on purpose to discover the secret of Rugal, the problem has been the management changes and currently I am not sure if the current SNK received the memo but here I will list the clues:
1.- In Kof'98 in the back of the stage we can see on the left side a headless body with Goenitz's outfit connected to monitors that show his eyes; On the right side we can see an empty seat. In the intro before the fight with Rugal, we see that he emerges from between the cables after being "fed" with a red substance (blood?), this clue clearly indicates that this O.Rugal is a CYBORG. In Kof'AllStar the Goenitz cyborg is a selectable character and this was taken from this clue.
2.- In Kof'2000 there are secret Strikers that can be unlocked and one of them is Rugal Bernstein (not O.Rugal). In this clue we can see that the Strikers that are canonically dead vanish when they finish their attack except for one... that's right, Rugal. He simply jumps off stage, very subtly indicating that the original Rugal is alive.
3.- In Kof'2002, it is emphasized a little more that O.Rugal is a cyborg since when he executes the "Kaiser Wave" some electrodes emerge directly from his back where he had connected the cables that appear in his intro just before the he fights when he takes off his cape. In addition to this in Kof'2002UM in his special intro before the fight he is released from a grate with a very serious expression and his right eye flashes in a somewhat "electronic" way which makes him look somewhat "robotic".
4.- In Kof'XIII on the Sky Noah stage on the monitors at the top behind the piano Rugal subtly appears holding a glass of wine which indicates that he is observing everything that happens in the fight.
5.- Another clue that I recently discovered and that gives weight to this theory is that in the Sega Saturn game "Samurai Shodown RPG" a cameo of Omega Rugal (Kof'95) appears in which his head detaches from the black band he has on the neck, clearly showing a metal spring that joins it to its body.
All these clues indicate only one thing. that Rugal Bernstein and Omega Rugal are different entities and that the real Rugal Bernstein was always alive.
In Kof'95 in ALL the endings he claims to return one day; I don't think this is just an intimidating phrase before dying; SNK always had plans to bring him back; It is not logical to think that the clues are just interpretations.
Yeah, I remember the 2000 Rugal Striker. I forgot to mention it. You're totally right!
@ShoryuGame are you a fan os soul calibur? I would like a history and characters biography from soul calibur franchise
I'll consider it. Thanks for the suggestion!
Interesting theory Video.
Crazy theory on top of the theory what if the person we saw in the art of KOF95 is Rugal's brother i remember the lore video about Rugal where was mentioned he had a brother, but we don't know who he is, where he is and what his personality is like. But that's just what i think make of it what you want
I really wish to one day play as a team Rugal Adelheid and Rose
The guy in red jacket looks 90 percent lime mephisto from an old anime movie called monster city shinjuku
Can you make a series about fun facts about kof that will be cool. kof does not have enough content creators that talk about it
I do Shorts about KOF trivia.
It's a novel idea, I feel like it could totally work in a future reboot of the series. Rugal's assistants in the cloning project ended up being recruited by NESTS to further their experiments. Since NESTS was a criminal syndicate, it might've been known to Rugal who was an arms dealer. Also Igniz looks German as fuck. Anyways, the theory doesn't work for the canon timeline for a few reasons:
1) Mature & Vice would've known, and it would've been to their best interest to stop a squad of Orochi-powered clones of Rugal. This deviates far too much from Goenitz' plan to use Rugal as a test subject.
2) NESTS tech was a blend of genetic, psychic and cybernetic enhancements, still he didn't manage to create something as sophisticated as 98 or 2002 Rugal. Igniz sought godhood, while Rugal was just a dirty rich arms dealer who had talent for copying someone else's moves, he wouldn't really be quite special without Orochi's power.
3) Adelheid and Rose would've known about it, otherwise who would be funding such expensive project for at least a decade after Rugal's original demise?
4) Rugal's quotes in XV make it clear he's the one who died in 95. He goes on and on about his statue collection, ripping out Heidern's eyeballs, and recognizing Rock as Geese's son from the "darkness" in his eyes. I doubt any clone would have this level of singularity, and why would a clone wait 10-12 years (which is the minimum timespan from 96 to XV) to activate?
5) 98 and 2002 could never be canon. Kyo was kidnapped right after the last battle against Orochi, and was only seen in 99 after Krizalid's death. 2002 featured the New Face team in their Orochi forms, which had been sealed by Chizuru. The seal would only weaken at the end of KoF 2003, triggering the riot of the blood in Leona and Iori throughout the Ash saga, and the eventual return of Mature & Vice.
Great video though! Very entertaining.
What if it's Igniz and Misty a prototype version of the character that is way different then we got. He could a scientist looking use Rugal for experiments.
What if... 98 & 2002 were actually a canon simulation made by his assistants to improve Rugal's combat capabilities?
They must find best anime studio to Animate Kof
Given the existence of the NEST saga, not surprising if Rugal invested in NESTs cloning facilities...
Here me out…and if SNK is listening….
I think the next Saga should dive deep into this. Have this be The Mystery of the Bernstein Bloodline…have the saga combine elements of All 4 Sagas.
Have the protagonists be Adel, Rose, and the illegitimate daughter and/or clone baby of Rugal, Next Game the rival is semi-perfect Bishonen Clone of him, and the final boss of the arc…God/Ultimate Rugal (Or Seraphim Rugal to be legally distinct)…AKA Rugal obtaining more power in the afterlife after Verse’s Defeat.
And to wrap it up in a nice bow….Rugal’s Secretaries & Scientist can be in this saga as Villians that are fightable as bosses or hints at another Saga…Ala ‘94 & ‘95
I wonder what God Rugal from CvS counts as
Dude looks like Mephisto from Demon City Shinjuku
Oh God, if SNK ever decides to make clone Rugal official canon, Kyo and Hiendern are going to really have an absolute sh!t show on their hands.
Speaking of Rugal, who's signature move is the genocide cutter, can anyone give me a top 3 of characters in the series that comes to your mind when it comes to kicks?
If there's multiple O.Rugal it could make sense, but you'd have to think about it like this...what if each clone is further augmented to use orochi power more efficiently with less of the actual power? His skin while dark, gets lighter with each version and his hair while white is less wild...more like he's more attuned and in control of the powers.
If somehow it's like M.Bison and only 1 exists at a time then it could explain why unlike Kyo-1 and Kyo-2 you'd only see him when he's ready to be seen.
I will love to see clone rugal in cannon..👌👌
Kof 95 if i am not wrong. Kof95 he did mentioned about clones at the players intro before fighting saisyu. Same here i myself also suspected the omega rugal is a clone. Starting from kof95. Anyway as gamers myself. We don't bother whether he is clone or not.😅
KOF 16 is going to be Great!!!
The guy in a red coat and long black hair looks like a character named Mephisto who ressembles in an anime japanese movie ("Demoncity Shinjuku" if I'm not mistaking). Also I have a theory about him, he might actually be Rugal's brother. While it might be difficult to believe knowing they actually had a beef and went separate ways when Rugal started his empire, it is possible that his brother decided to use him dna for his own motives. Well if that plot existed it was probably abandonned. But I really think it was in snk's plans. But I'm not sure why they gave that guy Mephisto's appearance.
Interesting.
Rugal is still alive, i saw him with Elvis Presley last night.
One is Rugal Bernstein and the other is Rugal Bernstain
All rugals are loved 😜
I have an idea for a video kof couples/shipping
I think that child would take it the worse because they don't know who to trust and there would been surprised turn one into father try to teach him how to be a good guy and help them out. The children of to teach the evil clone how to be the good one
Does this also mean both appearances of Rugal in Capcom Vs Snk are also Clones?
Hey man Can you review the Live action movie of KOF?
I'll see what I can do!
Marvel-xmen Fight games review and criticism videos nex time?
Couldn't the black haired man in red be Rugal's brother?
EEEEEEEEEEEVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIL!!!
There's Character from Anime GJBU had same family name as Rugal and shared blonde hair with ridiculous strength
Would be funny if she was Rugal daughter
th-cam.com/video/Jz5Sz3RDPqA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=1Z7joFSsGszkKcXM
To quote Daimon, “No…Just no.”
This actually wasn't very surprising. NEST and KOF in general seems to like cloning.
But the clones are never as strong as the original as seen with Kyo and all the Nests fire users. I believe the stronger one is the original, and the clone is the weaker one.....but I could be wrong too.
Please play kof 13
F ina mdina saken a sadi9i?
When SNK is MCU you know that's is garbage