Terry Bogard returns: the soul of Fatal Fury and the face of SNK

Creating a character that becomes a brand icon is no easy task. It is even more complicated to make it stand the test of time. In the early ’90s, fighting games experienced a boom that affected the entire industry, from arcades to consoles, with franchises and characters that became legends while others were completely forgotten. SNK was one of the many developers to join the fray, starting with Garou Densetsu, known outside of Japan as Fatal Fury. While several memorable characters emerged from that game, the one who really stood out was one of its main characters: Terry Bogard.

It’s been 34 years since we first met this red-capped wanderer, and his return to the stage—not just in the recently released Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves—is no coincidence. To delve deeper into this fighter’s journey, we spoke with Yasuyuki Oda, producer of the new title.

The essence and longevity of Terry Bogard

Whether it’s “a cheerful character” or his “lot of charm,” there are elements that have kept Terry Bogard as one of SNK’s most iconic characters, and it’s certainly not his love of fast food. Oda believes that one thing that has helped him maintain his coolness is “his special moves are easy to imitate, which I believe made him very lovable and helped him resonate with a wide audience.” And boy, who hasn’t wanted to try a Power Geyser during recess?

Despite his starring role in Fatal Fury, when it came time to unite the franchises in The King of Fighters, Terry’s role as the poster boy was sidelined as Kyo Kusanagi took over the series. Although the presence of the South Town Wolf continued, his position as the protagonist gradually faded. Despite The King of Fighters, in 1999, Terry starred in a new title, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, ushering in a new generation of characters. Although Oda does not remember SNK’s mentality at the time, he believes that the idea was to give continuity to the story of South Town.

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The return of the prodigal son

Despite the lack of Fatal Fury titles of his own, Terry has been a constant in The King of Fighters. This is in addition to his presence in more recent crossover games such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Street Fighter 6. Oda commented that what made his integration into these games easier was that “his design is simple and easy to understand. He’s a character with a concept that can easily fit into all kinds of games.” He also revealed that when his arrival in Smash Bros. 2019 was announced, we were still just hoping that the Fatal Fury series could come back someday.” And well, we didn’t have to wait that long.

What was Terry doing all this time?

After so many years without his own game, the question arises: What has Terry been doing all this time? In response, Oda explained that while nearly a quarter of a century has passed in the real world, only a year and a half has passed in the timeline of the games. “During that period, Terry had parted ways with Rock and continued doing what he always had: street fighting.”

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Don’t forget to read our opinion of the game.

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