KOF Team

KOF Team
Leader	None
Founded	None
Headquarters	Variable
Area of Operations	Worldwide
Enemies With	No one specifically
Affiliated With	Regular Army, Rebel Army

The King of Fighters Team (also known as the KOF Team) is the final faction added to Metal Slug Defense. Most of their members hail from SNK's famous fighting game franchise, The King of Fighters.

Information

The first units in this group appeared during the "the King of Fighters 20th year celebration event". Characters were originally placed on either the Regular Army or the Rebel Army. Eventually, more were added over subsequent updates until enough existed to group them off into their own faction - eventually a KOF-themed zone was added to the world map (using music from their games). Repeated plays there eventually uncover an invitation leading to a hidden stage where Rugal (the sole boss-tier unit of the faction) can be unlocked for purchase.

While they were featured in KOF titles before any Metal Slug-related games, Leona, Ralf, and Clark remain as Regular Army units for the purposes of Metal Slug Defense / Metal Slug Attack. Unlike the other KOF team members (who use art unique to the mobile games), the Ikari Warriors' sprites are based on their appearances in Metal Slug 6 and Metal Slug 7/XX.

Whip and Heidern are the only KOF units so far who made their way into Metal Slug Attack. As no KOF faction currently exists in that game, they were currently assigned as part Regular Army with their fellow Ikari Warriors Team. They are also featured in both the Extra Ops and Another Story modes, complete with their own side stories. Two Slug Armors based on Kyo and Iori also appear for the "King of Weapons" event although placed in the Independent Faction.

As part of a crossover event, Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, K', Kula Diamond and Athena Asamiya were introduced into Metal Slug Attack. As the KOF faction is still nonexistent in that game, they are all affiliated with the Regular Army, although Athena serves as a Supporter unit.

In Metal Slug: Awakening, Kyo Kusanagi is a playable character independent from the KOF faction. Unlike his other appearances, Kyo uses artillery weapons alongside his fighting moves. Data for Mai Shiranui also exists, although she has yet to be playable.

Members

	Kyo Kusanagi*
	Benimaru Nikaido*
	Goro Daimon*
	Iori Yagami**
	Mature**
	Vice**
	Athena Asamiya*
	Sie Kensou*
	Chin Gentsai*
	Terry Bogard*
	Andy Bogard*
	Joe Higashi*
	Ryo Sakazaki
	Robert Garcia
	Takuma Sakazaki
	King
	Mai Shiranui
	Yuri Sakazaki
	Kim Kaphwan
	Chang Koehan
	Choi Bounge
	Heavy-D!
	Lucky Glauber
	Brian Battler
	Rugal Bernstein
	Whip
	Heidern
	K'
	Kula Diamond

* Formerly Regular Army faction in MSD
** Formerly Rebel Army faction in MSD

Gallery

Art of Whip used in Metal Slug Defense.

Art of Heidern used in Metal Slug Defense.

Trivia

• All characters' animations are redrawn versions of their arcade counterparts, however, most of their defeat animations are variations of the standard Metal Slug death animation. The males use Marco's rolling death (except Kyo, Benimaru and Goro) while the females use Eri's toss death. Chang's defeat animation is based on the fat characters being popped inside out.
• Even though most of the KOF Team do not show up again in Metal Slug Attack, avatars sold in the Dress Up Shop do feature them including new sprites for characters in later KOF games. The 2019 KOF mobile game, KOF: Chronicle, uses a similar 2D, Tower-Defense gameplay of Metal Slug Defense and Metal Slug Attack with the same Metal Slug-inspired sprites.