A Mixed Martial Artist, Gai hails from Japan and he calls his fighting style "total combat." He is a balanced stand up fighter skilled with punch and kick combos, and is also a decent grappler. When Gai heard the news of the upcoming Buriki One tournament, he decided to enter to test his skills. During the tournament, he started a rivalry with American boxer Rob Python. His first appearance in the King of Fighters tournament was in KOF '99 as an extra striker. He later appeared in KOF 2000 as Takuma Sakazaki's extra striker. In King of Fighters XI, he finally entered the tournament himself to test his skills. He is loosely based on manga character Baki Hanma from Baki the Grappler.
 
                                                       
   

 

Page Updated:  Aug. 12th, 2024
How is this kid so good looking? Damn, I wish I had abs like that. Gai Tendo looks like a fighter who has his shit together. He looks like a legit fighter and an actual decent guy (unlike many real life MMA assholes who get arrested for getting into bar fights and other stupid shit). Although Gai's outfit is on the generic side, his MMA-inspired appearance was actually fairly unique in the fighting game world at the time of his arrival. Gai is also the first MMA style fighter to join KOF... so that's a pretty cool thing, too. Thanks to the awesome art style of Buriki One (and artist Hiroaki), Gai also seems to have a cool personality. Check out those facial expressions... this dude fights with a passion! Anyhow, I like Gai as a design - and I think most martial arts fans would agree. As the protagonist of a very obscure and rare SNK arcade game, Gai never got the chance to truly shine... all the more reason he made an awesome guest appearance in KOF. It was awesome to see his style finally translate to a 2D fighting game... SNK did a great job with his 2D sprite in The King of Fighters XI.
	Fighting  Style  /  Moveset
	Personality  /  Charisma
	Outfit(s)  /  Appearance
	Effectiveness  in  series
	Overall Score