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| Yuri Sakazaki | |
|---|---|
| Art of Fighting and The King of Fighters character | |
 Yuri Sakazaki by Eisuke Ogura | |
| First game | Art of Fighting (1992) |
| Voiced by | English Veronica Taylor (Art of Fighting anime)[1]
|
| In-universe information | |
| Fighting style | Kyokugen Karate |
| Family | Takuma Sakazaki (father) Ryo Sakazaki (brother) |
| Origin | Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese-American |
Yuri Sakazaki (Japanese: ユリ・サカザキ, Hepburn: Yuri Sakazaki, sometimes written as 坂崎 ゆり, "Sakazaki Yuri") is a fictional character from SNK's Art of Fighting series of fighting games. She first appears in the original Art of Fighting being kidnapped by Mr. Big, a criminal from the city of South Town. The players, Yuri's brother Ryo and his friend Robert Garcia spend the game searching for her. In the sequel, Yuri appears for the first time as a playable character, having been trained by her father Takuma in the art of Kyokugen Karate. Yuri has also starred in the anime adaptation of Art of Fighting, in which she reprises her role from the first game. Yuri was created originally as a weak damsel in distress who would become one of SNK's first female fighters following a positive response from Mai Shiranui in their related IP Fatal Fury. To overcome her weak body, SNK designers decided to make her mimic other fighters' moves, most notably the ones from Capcom's Street Fighter. Several actresses have shared their talent into voicing the character since her debut.
She has appeared in most games from The King of Fighters series, with the notable exception of The King of Fighters XII, participating in the annual tournaments from each title. She initially starts in the Women Fighters Team, but she later moves to the Art of Fighting Team along with her family. She was also featured in the SNK vs. Capcom crossover series as well as in SNK Gals' Fighters. The reception of Yuri has been mostly positive for her transition from damsel in distress to a fighter in the Art of Fighting series. Her inclusion in The King of Fighters series was noted to give her more variety in her movesets which would appeal to gamers as well as a positive portrayal of fantasy karate and female inclusion in gaming.
- ^ "Yuri Sakazaki Voices (Art of Fighting)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 11 May 2021.