Iori Yagami
Iori Yagami is the rival of Kyo Kusanagi. He first appeared in the NEO GEO fighting game, The King of Fighters 95.
Lengend of the Yagami
Iori is the latest descendant of the Yagami clan. The Yagami clan was once known as the Hasshaku / Yasakani clan (there is debate as to which is correct), which were once strong friends of the Kusanagi clan. Both clans had long ago, with the help of the Yata clan, keepers of the sacred mirror, sealed Orochi away 880 years ago on the day before the ritual sacrifice of the 8 virgins of the Kushinada occured (by giving Orochi 8 wine cups to get him drunk, then weakening him with the sword of Kusanagi and the Yasakani's Magatama, then sealing him with the sacred mirror of the Yata clan). As time passed by, the Yasakani, tired of living in the shadow of the Kusanagi clan, eventually fell to the call of Orochi and made a blood pact, giving them increased power in exchange for a blood curse, thus turning their flames into a tainted purple, and renaming the clan to Yagami. The Kusanagi became aware of this treachery, and both clans have been at odds ever since.
Because of the blood curse on the Yagami clan, wielding the purple flames of Orochi causes intense pain to the wielder. Also, each of the clan's heirs tends to die at a young age, and the mother of the clan heirs always dies in childbirth.
Descendent of the Yagami
Iori was born on March 25th of 1976. His mother died giving birth to him. His father is believed to have literally beaten into him the belief that the Kusanagi clan -- particularly, the current heir, Kyo -- were their sworn enemies. It is assumed (but never told) that the sole reason Iori hates Kyo so much is because of the pain his existance has caused him to go through. This hatred boils down after Episode IV (KOF '97), when they must both unite with the latest descendant of the Yata clan, Chizuru Kagura, to defeat Orochi.
Personality
Iori is characterized by his crimson red hair, which comes down in front of his face in bangs. He wears a black leather japanese school-punk jacket (slightly cut off), with what seems to be a long women's dress shirt and red bondage pants, tied together at the knees with a red belt. In the King of Fighters tournaments, everyone dislikes Iori for his lack of manners or caring, although some people see him as a worthy opponent nonetheless (such as Terry Bogard). Choi Bounge and Chang Koehan like Iori, but this feeling isn't returned at all. Kim sees him as pure evil.
After the time spent within his father's grasp, Iori separated himself (under his orders) to search for Kyo, although it seems he never returned to him (although his father continually sends him support -- he expects him to kill Kyo). At this time he partnered with Billy Kane and Eiji Kisaragi, all of them who had a grudge against separate teams in the competition. Iori puts them in the hospital at the end of '95 from the sheer rage of not having being able to reach Kyo to defeat him.
In 1996, he is approached by Vice and Mature, the secretaries of the now-dead Rugal, to join the tournament once more, and he accepts -- not knowing they are agents of the Orochi. In the end, as Chizuru, Kyo and Iori defeat Goenitz, he awakens Iori's Orochi blood as a 'parting gift' -- and Iori unwillingly kills Vice and Mature as he undergoes the Riot of the Blood.
The curse of the Orochi blood eventually overtakes him in 1997 before Orochi wakes up from his nearly decade-long sleep, and Orochi later on even tries to use him as a tool to attempt to kill Kyo. Iori, however, is incredibly determined -- he goes against Orochi and holds him, allowing Kyo to finish him off -- and, during a brief time of his fighting against Orochi, his flames turn red -- a hint that Iori may eventually overcome the curse on his blood.
Iori is a paradox -- he is (or was from '95 to '97) willing to kill everyone in his way to kill Kyo, but he hates violence. This hints at him probably having been much more docile as a child, with his rage for Kyo slowly building along with the beatings he likely got from his father.
After '97, we assume that Iori's hatred for Kyo begins to die down, and he merely sees him as a worthy opponent (who refuses to fight him half of the time, really). When Kyo goes missing, Iori actually searches for him -- noone is sure if he's out to fight him or to make sure he's alright and alive -- because he can only die at his hands, after all.
In 2000, after K' manages to defeat Zero and Kula fires the beam onto the NESTS HQ in Southtown, Kyo and Iori work together to make sure NESTS is gone -- for good. Of course, they fight again afterwards.
In 2001, Iori teams up with Vanessa and squad as he is required to join a team to face Kyo in the King of Fighters tournament. It is not clear if the two teams ever fought. It is believed that he helped Kyo -- who was helping K' -- to defeat Igniz. It is known that he makes short work of his teammates afterwards, apparently because they got tired with his lack of care for their existance. It is unknown whether Vanessa, Seth and Ramon lived through that.
In 2003, Iori reluctantly teams up with Kyo and Chizuru at her request, as it seems that the current tournament may prove to be linked to the Orochi. After the seal begins to falter and Chizuru's treasure is torn out of her soul, Iori seems to understand that this is no time for a personal grudge. Curiously, one of his DMs is a reference to the way he held Orochi to let Kyo finish him off -- red flames and everything.