Best King Of Fighters XV Characters

Who are the best King of Fighters XV characters? King of Fighters is a series known for its massive rosters of characters, and King of Fighters XV keeps that trend alive with a 39 character launch roster. To help with your decision making, we have picked out some of our favourites for players new and old. Here are our choices for the best King of Fighters XV characters.

• For more on our thoughts on the game, check out our King of Fighters XV review.

Best King of Fighters XV Characters: Iori

Iori is one of the most iconic characters in the King of Fighters series. He is still sporting his emo-rific hairstyle but has sadly ditched the knee-belt he was famous for. One thing he hasn't lost is his primary place among the KoF roster. Iori is the rival of Kyo, the long-haired, leather-jacketed fighter on the cover of most of the games.

In King of Fighters XV, Iori is maybe the purest all-round character in terms of playstyle. His range of abilities gives him value in most scenarios. He has great regular moves and good combos, making him a great character to pick up and learn the game.

For new players, or for returning fans looking to get used to the game's new systems, Iori is a solid base to learn from. On top of that, his all-rounder nature makes him a great fit for any team.

• Want to 100% complete the game? Read our guide to all of the King of Fighters XV endings.

Best King of Fighters XV Characters: Shermie

King of Fighters XV gives grappling fans several options, and one of the most interesting choices is Shermie. Shermie is a grappler, but a fairly quick one. Unlike the typical bigger and slower grapplers you might expect, Shermie can move. She has grapple attacks that can cross the screen to grab you extremely quickly, as well as grapple attacks that can grab you out of the air.

Shermie is an excellent and unique character, her combination of grappling and speed make her unpredictable and hard to counter. She is ideal for dealing with players who like to jump in a lot or throw out moves without much thought, as she is perfectly poised to punish them.

• He may not feature in this list, but our King of Fighters XV Benimaru guide has all you need to know in order to play him to the max.

Best King of Fighters XV Characters: Athena

If Athena was the Goddess of War, Athena in KoF is the Goddess of Zoning. There is no better character in this game for putting your opponent in their place, literally. Athena has several projectile attacks to keep the pressure up. She even has counters to reflect projectiles, meaning she is great at shutting down other zoning characters.

Athena's greatest asset is to annoy and disorient her enemies. Her fireballs and launchers will lockdown opponents so hard they are bound the get frustrated. Then, when they try to escape like with a jumping attack, Athena has anti-air to shut that down too. The ideal character for the cerebral player who likes to get in their opponent's head.

Best King of Fighters XV Characters: Yashiro

Almost the opposite of Athena, Yashiro is a big guy who likes big punches. Yashiro is your typical bruiser character; all about the big hits, and he does not believe in complicating things. To play Yashiro is to be the ultimate button masher, in a good way. 

Yashiro is great because he is much less complicated to use than Athena or Shermie. His strategy is much more straightforward but no less effective. Remember he is a big dude, so his range is good too. Don't be afraid to poke at your opponent and open them up for the big hits.

King of Fighters XV Best Characters: Terry Bogard

Maybe the most famous character of the entire series, you really ought to pick up and play some Terry Bogard in King of Fighters XV. Terry is pure King of Fighters, so much that he represented the series in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate.

Terry is another all-rounder. Ideal for new players as he's a great way to familiarise yourself with the ins and outs of King of Fighters. Similar to Ryu in Street Fighter, once you know Terry you know the game.

The version of Terry in King of Fighters XV is one of the best versions of the character we have seen, so more than ever he really is a character for everyone.

If you want to master Terry out the gate, check out our King of Fighters XV Terry guide.

Those are our picks for the best characters to choose in King of Fighters XV! Not sure how to play online in King of Fighters XV? Our guide is what you need to read.