Robert Garcia (Art of Fighting)

Robert Garcia
Art of Fighting, Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters character
Robert Garcia in The King of Fighters XIII by Eisuke Ogura
First gameArt of Fighting (1992)
Created byHiroshi Matsumoto
Voiced by
  • Nick Sullivan (AOF anime)[1]
  • River Vitae (FF:COTW)
  • Eiji Yano (AOF)
  • Kay Inage (AOF2, KOF '94–'95, NeoGeo Battle Coliseum, KOF XI–XIII)[1]
  • Mantarou Kouichi (AOF3, KOF '96–2003)[1]
  • Masanori Ikeda (AOF anime)
  • Hideo Ishikawa (Dengeki Bunko drama CD)
  • Go Shinomiya (KOF XIV onwards)[1]
  • Kazuhiro Okamoto (KOF for Girls)[2]
In-universe information
Fighting style
Kyokugenryu Karate
OriginItaly
NationalityItalian

Robert Garcia (Japanese: ロバート・ガルシア, Hepburn: Robāto Garushia) is a video game character created by SNK introduced in the 1992 fighting game Art of Fighting as the supporting character alongside his best friend Ryo Sakazaki, the lead character. The game has both of them as practitioners of the Kyokugenryu Karate (Japanese: 極限流空手) fighting style who search for Ryo's younger sister, Yuri Sakazaki, who was kidnapped by a criminal named Mr. Big. He is additionally featured in most of The King of Fighters crossover games, in which starts into the King of Fighters tournament in teams composed of three members. Thus far, he has been a playable character in every edition of KOF except The King of Fighters XI; however, he has been added back in for the PlayStation 2 version of the game. Besides Art of Fighting and The King of Fighters, an older Robert has appeared as downloadable content in the video game Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, but under the name "Mr. Karate III" (Mr.カラテ; lit. "The Third Mr. Karate"). Robert appeared in the film adaptation of Art of Fighting and the manhua from The King of Fighters.

Robert and Ryo were created in Art of Fighting to have a notable role in the narrative based on the game's presentation. Across his appearances, Robert's appearance has changed influenced by multiple famous actors though his gameplay has remained consistent to focus on kicks to contrast Ryo's punches. The character was also used several times in crossovers which led to revisions in The King of Fighters and a major redesign in Fatal Fury to tease a future installment in the Art of Fighting series.

Robert received mixed critics from video games publication, which praised his design, but some also noted him similar to the Street Fighter main characters which eventually led to their company Capcom make their own parody character Dan Hibiki in response. His inclusion in the Fatal Fury series surprised multiple journalists and gamers for taking the nickname Takuma and Ryo often used in previous SNK games. Nevertheless, such role was the subject of positive response based on his new design and how he still incorporates classic techniques from previous games.

Creation and design

Robert's image was inspired by Andy Garcia (left) and Steven Seagal.

Robert Garcia was based on the actors Steven Seagal and Andy Garcia.[3] SNK staff members Youichiro Soeda said that Ryo and Robert's debut was unique to other games based on the company because it did not focus on fighting tournaments but instead of the duo's quest to save Yuri Sakazaki.[4] In contrast to other fighting games, Hiroshi Matsumoto made Art of Fighting story driven to make to make the characters more appealing.[5] Artist Shinkiro has expressed difficulties in designing Robert due how he does not understand how rich people behave. In contrast, he had no problem with Ryo.[6]

For the second Art of Fighting game, SNK kept the same outfit for Robert, having scrapped three concept outfits.[7] Robert's stage from Art of Fighting 2 helps to further show his background as it features his wealthy state as shown by his butler while also highlighting his father, who is the leader of a business corporation. According to writer Akihiko Ureshino, while both Robert and Yuri are more talented than Ryo, they are still gonna be surpassed due to their different personal lives with Robert abandoning martial arts to succeedd his father's business.[8] In regards to the third Art of Figthting, the game was noted to be called "Gaiden" (lit. "alternative story") as a result of the story focusing now on Robert rather than Ryo.[9] In Art of Fighting 3, Robert was given a new outfit which would reincorporated in The King of Fighters series too.[10] Voice actor Mantaro Koichi found Robert's appearance manly and compared his poses to tokusatsu characters.[11]

In the making of The King of Fighters Robert was made "the slimmest of them all" in comparison to his original design. His Osaka accent was given to fit Psycho Soldier Sie Kensou and give both of them the traits of comedians.[12] His original moves in The King of Fighters '94 were considered too overpowered which led to revisions in the sequel The King of Fighters '95.[13] The developers for The King of Fighters XIII wanted Robert to be able to do almost any type of technique. His special moves were created to be highly accessible while also highlighting his focus on kicks which contrasts Ryo's punches. The final move was inspired by the leader's super special move from The King of Fighters 2003 and they wanted wanted to incorporate a power-up into it, which led to the final presentation. His strongest move in XIII is an enhanced version of "Hien Ryujin Kyaku," but it can be performed from both the ground and the air. The staff noted that back in The King of Fighters XII, Robert lacked notable moves, something which they believe Iori Yagami also suffered. The SNK worked properly to make him appealing to use as they all like him.[14] Due to fears of Robert's outfit feeling dated, SNK revised him for The King of Fighters XIV to make him stand out more by giving a new redesign based on an unspecified American actor.[15]

In the crossover fighting game Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, Robert Garcia was given a new design similar to Art of Fighting 3 but he was made older.[16] For Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Robert was added as downloadable content. Since Art of Fighting character Mr. Big was already part of the initial rooster, Director Hayato Konya wanted to add more crossover elements between Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting. Konya initially considered using Ryo and Yuri as potential DLCs as tease for a potential new Art of Fighting game. Konya believed the original Mr. Karate was one of the most famous icons in SNK history, even more than Terry Bogard and thus considered adding it to provide further depth to the story. As a hint to his true identity, Mr. Karate was given a distinct Italian accent and moves focused on kicks. Since Ryo had taken the nickname of Mr. Karate II in a previous SNK game, Konya believed it would be fitting if Robert instead took the name Mr. Karate III and add a sense of confusion to gamers who would wonder where is Ryo.[17]

Appearances

In Art of Fighting, Robert Garcia is a martial artist who joins his friend Ryo Sakazaki to find the missing Yuri who was kidnapped by the criminal Mr. Big.[18] After defeating Mr. Big, Ryo and Robert face an assassin named Mr. Karate but are stopped by Yuri.[19] The second Art of Fighting game features Robert, Ryo, Takuma and a now fighter Yuri entering into the first King of Fighters tournament held by Geese Howard, the main responsible for the kidnap.[20] In Art of Fighting 3: The Path of the Warrior, Robert visits Central America to help Freya Lawrence, a childhood friend, save her brother Wyler, whose demonic power made him go berserk.[21] In his ending, Robert stops Wyler and goes back to Italy. However, before entering into the plane, Yuri accompanies him.[22]

In The King of Fighters series, Takuma, Ryo, and Robert are part of the Art of Fighting Team, but in some games they form different allies.[23] He is absent in the arcade version of The King of Fighters XI but the PlayStation 2 added him as an unlockable character.[24] Alongside an aged Ryo Sakazaki from Buriki One, an aged Robert appears in NeoGeo Battle Coliseum.[25] In his ending, it is revealed that Robert wishes to stay away from his family business and still work as part of teaching the Kyokugen Ryu.[26] Outside Art of Fighting and The King of Fighters, an older version of Robert appears a playable character in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves via downloadable content, in which he enters the King of Fighters tournament to try and unlock the final secret Kyokugen technique, using the alias of Mr. Karate to hide his identity. In promoting the DLC, Rando Ayamine wrote a one-shot manga focused on Robert's mission.[27]

He is also present in mobile phone games Metal Slug Defense, The King of Fighters '98 Unlimited Match Online and Kimi wa Hero.[28][29][30] The dating sim Days of Memories also features him.[31] Although he is not playable in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, Robert is often mentioned by other characters and makes a cameo in the endings from Takuma and Ryo.[32][33] Another cameo of him is in Yuri's ending from SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy.[34] He is also present in as well as the otome game King of Fighters for Girls.[35]

Besides the games from SNK, Robert also appears in the Art of Fighting anime film from 1993. The plot from film is loosely based on the first Art of Fighting game, with Robert and Ryo searching for Yuri, who has been kidnapped by Mr. Big. He is voiced by Masanori Ikeda in the Japanese version of film, and by Nick Sullivan in the English adaptation.[36] Two manga based on the Art of Fighting games also follow Robert's role in the games.[37][38] Robert is featured in the manhua adaptations from The King of Fighters series, which tell how he participates in the fighting tournaments.[39]

Reception

Critical response to Robert's role in Art of Fighting was mixed. Videogamer.com writer Wesley Yin-Poole labeled Robert and Ryo as "two double-hard bastards" and commented they had the best designs from the Art of Fighting series in comparison to the other characters who had "wicked" appearances.[40] Spanner Spencer from Eurogamer added that Robert had the best appearance from all the characters of the Art of Fighting series but labelled him as a "greasy yuppie".[41] Juan E. Hernandez from IGN also compared both Robert and Ryo to Street Fighter as well Dragon Ball characters based on their type of techniques.[42] Greg Kasavin from GameSpot listed his "Haohshokohken" move from Art of Fighting as one of the most influential fireball moves in fighting games' history.[43] The character of Dan Hibiki from the Street Fighter series is deemed as a parody of Ryo due to his similarities with Ryu and Ken, but his design is more similar to Robert's to the point that in SVC Chaos, characters often confuse Dan with Robert.[44][45] Dan was meant to be a joke about both Ryo and Robert as SNK "stole the talent" from their own company when they started making their own Street Fighter sequels.[46] With the promotion of Robert and Ryo got The King of Fighters XV, Raúl Velásquez from TheGamer saw such trailer as one of SNK's multiple answers to Dan's character, especially his role in Street Fighter V while elaborating on how much Robert contrast Ryo's fighting style despite using the same martial art.[47]

There was commentary about his role in Art of Fighting 3 and origins. While Den of Geek compared him to Street Fighter character Ken Masters based on their similar personalities, few people cared about such protagonist roles in the third installment despite being the lead.[48] In retrospect, Thrilling Tales of Old Video Games noted Art of Fighting 3 was nicknamed Gaiden in Japan to further clarify this installment was focused on Robert rather than Ryo. This led to analysis of why Robert's story takes place in Mexico as he considered his last name Garcia as an indication that he is Mexican though SNK's developers claimed he is actually Italian descendant. This often confused people because he represents Mexico in The King of Fighters '94. Though Robert is the protagonist in a story set in Mexico, it is suggested he at least grew in such country with a friend of him having a Mexican sounding name, Friea Lawrence.[49] Mexican company Evoga originally thought Robert was Mexican due to the team being called Mexico in The King of Fighters '94 yet Art of Fighting 3 revealed he was Italian much to their comical response.[50]

In "Os reis da luta: representações do karate nos jogos digitais", Tiago Oviedo Frosi from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul wrote that Gichin Funakoshi's "Shōtōkan" is the most practiced style of Karate in the world, this was the style chosen to characterize most of the Street Fighter characters. The Kyokugenryu Robert uses in Art of Fighting instead comes across as a fantasy version of the "knockout" Kyokushinkaikan created by Mas Oyama who serves as an influence for both Ryu's and Takuma's characters. The writer noted that the characters of Robert and Ryo was a creation of SNK to openly oppose the Street Fighter series.[51]

Portrayal in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

Robert's inclusion in City of the Wolves surprised multiple gamers and journalists for taking disguise and nickname of Mr. Karate previously used by Takuma and Ryo.

There were multiple reactions to Robert's role in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. The first trailer of Robert's Mr. Karate persona confused GamerFocus writers for making it look like SNK was teasing a fourth Art of Fighting by using the Tengu mask Takuma Sakazaki wears as the final boss in the first game as well as Robert's coin seen in the series.[52] According to Diario de Mexico, people expected that Mr. Karate would be Ryo Sakazaki as he carried such name in Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition and the spin-off KOF: Maximum Impact 2 which generated a major surprise when Robert was revealed to be the one carrying that name instead. In retrospect, the writer called Robert one of SNK's most important characters alongside Ryo based on their origins in Art of Fighting and further appearances in other SNK's work for nearly 20 years.[53] Maxime Chao from Jeuxactu was also surprised about Robert being the new Mr. Karate rather than Takuma or Ryo. Since Takuma had originally worn the Tengu mask during his criminal era, Chao wondered what kind of business did SNK put Robert into to make him wear the mask and also take the nickname.[54]

LevelUP noted a similar confusion among players in regards to the meaning of Mr. Karate until it was revealed he was a Fatal Fury DLC. Fernando Salinas from such site said Robert stands out despite being Mr. Karate thanks to his stylish business clothes in contrast to the karate gi Ryo and Takuma used to wear. He found Robert as a stronger version of the Mr. Karate from The King of Fighters XIII based on his gameplay features. As a result, Salinas highly praised the persona Robert takes as it makes him worthy of being a Fatal Fury character.[55] According to IGN, Robert's debut in City of the Wolves surprised several gamers for taking the title of Mr. Karate despite not being a Sakazaki like Takuma or Ryo especially with his Tengu mask previously worn by his teacher and rival. Though Robert is masked and does not show his face, his true identity was found easy to recognize based on his clothing and coin that originate from his previous appearances and still has the "Tiger" nickname which signifies his famous dynamic with Ryo Sakazaki's Dragon since their debut in Art of Fighting.[56] Alejandro Dau from Tecnogaming said that the name Mr. Karate was highly famous in SNK history since 1992 due to the challenge Takuma Sakazaki posed to the player as the final boss from the first Art of Fighting game, future installments led to Ryo taking the nickname and this time it was Robert's chance to embrace it something that would become obvious as both of his voice actors tried giving him a distinct Italian accents.[57]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Robert Garcia Voices (Art of Fighting)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  2. ↑ "『KOF』の女性向け『KOF乙女』発表。友情あり恋愛ありのイケメン格闘家育成ゲーム". dengekionline.com (in Japanese). June 12, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  3. ↑ "La saga The King Of Fighters es mucho más que un videojuego de peleas, es una carta de amor por México". Xataka. 18 May 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Art of Fighting Anthology hits PS4 today – find out how the series started". PlayStation Blog. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-01-26. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  5. ↑ ストリートファイター アートワークス 極 [Street Fighter Artworks Extreme] (in Japanese). Udon. 2012. p. 436. ISBN 978-4862333810. 松本 当時は、ゲーム中でざっくりとした世界観だけを見せれば、あとは雑誌やコミッ クといったメディアがストーリーを補完してくれるという流れがありました。 でも、どう せならゲームの中でしっかりと物語を見せれば、普段ゲームをあまり遊ばない人たち にも訴求できると考えたんです。 設定資料集を作ったり、 TV コマーシャルをドラマ化 立てで見せたりとか。 SNKに移ってからは、そういったゲーム作りを戦略的にやって いきました。 [Matsumoto: At that time, there was a trend that if you only showed a rough view of the world in the game, media such as magazines and comics would complement the story. However, I thought that if I could show the story in the game anyway, I could appeal to people who don't usually play games. For example, making a collection of setting materials and showing TV commercials as dramas. After I moved to SNK, I strategically worked on making games like that.]
  6. ↑ "Interview with Shinkiro". SNK Playmore. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Art of Fighting 2 – 1994 Developer Interview". Shumplations. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  8. ↑ Ureshino, Akihiko (16 June 2023). "【SNK】リョウと極限流【龍虎】". Note. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  9. ↑ "ART OF FIGHTING 龍虎の拳 外伝". SNKPD. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  10. ↑ The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History. Bitmap Books. 2022. p. 375. ISBN 9781838019181.
  11. ↑ "The King of Fighters Characters - KOF '94-97 Complete recording of all 45 character setting materials". Gamest. No. 80. Shinsueisha. 1997. p. 82.
  12. ↑ "Robert Garcia". SNK. Archived from the original on 2018-03-17. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  13. ↑ All About The King of Fighters '95 (in Japanese). Vol. 12. Studio Bent Stuff. October 1995. pp. 134, 329.
  14. ↑ "チーム紹介 龍虎チーム" (in Japanese). SNK Playmore. Archived from the original on January 28, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
  15. ↑ The King of Fighters XIV artbook. Atlus. 2016. p. 29.
  16. ↑ "QA2". SNK (in Japanese). Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Fatal Fury Director talks Mr. Karate's inclusion, other candidates for the Tengu mask and connections to Art of Fighting". Eventhubs. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  18. ↑ SNK (September 24, 1992). Art of Fighting (Neo Geo). SNK. Level/area: Scene 7 The Factory. Mr. Big: Yuri, about that girl. She's almost done climbing the stairway to heaven.
  19. ↑ SNK (September 24, 1992). Art of Fighting 2 (Neo Geo). SNK. Level/area: Ending.
  20. ↑ SNK (1994). Art of Fighting 2 (Neo Geo). SNK. Level/area: Intro sequence.
  21. ↑ SNK (March 12, 1996). Art of Fighting 3 (Neo Geo). SNK. Level/area: Robert Garcia ending. Robert: Know Kyokugen's true power!/Wyler: Ohh! The pain! Father, help!/Robert: What the...? Now he is in fear?/Freia: The drug side effect regressed his mental Age to a child. To the time when he was living happily with his father. I'm sorry Robert... I, I can't leave him like this. If I leave him now, I would be repeating what my father did to his... I can't abandon him.
  22. ↑ SNK (March 12, 1996). Art of Fighting 3 (Neo Geo). SNK. Level/area: Ryo Sakazaki ending. Ryo: Are you just letting him go?/Yuri:.../Ryo: Geez, you're stubborn. Here.../Yuri: Bro, this is a.../Ryo: You better say it to him before I change my mind./Yuri: ... thanks... bro.../Ryo: Take care of her, Robby!
  23. ↑ "KOF 96 Art of Fighting team story". The King of Fighters 10th Anniversary official website. Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved September 27, 2009.
  24. ↑ "KOF XI Art of Fighting Team Story" (in Japanese). The King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on 2008-12-18. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
  25. ↑ "Neo Geo Battle Coliseum official website". SNK Playmore. Archived from the original on November 4, 2006. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
  26. ↑ SNK Playmore, Arc System Works. NeoGeo Battle Coliseum (PlayStation 2). SNK Playmore.
  27. ↑ https://x.com/FATALFURY_PR/status/2060677751573766635
  28. ↑ "Robert Garcia". GiantBomb. Archived from the original on 2014-10-01. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  29. ↑ "ロバート". Kimuti98. Archived from the original on 2018-08-30. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  30. ↑ "「龍虎の拳コラボガチャ」開催のお知らせ". SNK. 15 June 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Days of Memories". SNK. Archived from the original on 2017-07-08. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  32. ↑ Playmore. SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos. Level/area: Ryo Sakazaki ending.
  33. ↑ Playmore. SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos. Level/area: Takuma Sakazaki ending.
  34. ↑ SNK Playmore. SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy (PlayStation 4). SNK.
  35. ↑ "SNK, Victor Entertainment Reveal 'King of Fighters for Girls' Smartphone Game". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  36. ↑ The Art of Fighting (DVD). US Manga Corps Video. 2003.
  37. ↑ Etsuya, Tengoshi (1994). Ryuko no Ken. Gamest Comics. ISBN 978-4881991220.
  38. ↑ Etsuya, Tengoshi (1995). Ryuko no Ken 2. Gamest Comics. ISBN 978-4881991664.
  39. ↑ Yen, Wig (2005). The King of Fighters 2003 volume 1. Dr. Master Productions. ISBN 978-1-58899-030-3.
  40. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (March 6, 2008). "Art of Fighting Anthology Review". Videogamer.com. Archived from the original on 2008-11-22. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
  41. ↑ Spencer, Spanner (March 7, 2008). "Art of Fighting Anthology Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2010-12-01. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
  42. ↑ Hernandez, Juan E. (June 20, 2017). "El Hit de Ayer: Art of Fighting" (in Spanish). IGN. Archived from the original on 2017-08-25. Retrieved 2017-08-25.
  43. ↑ Kasavin, Greg. "The 10 Best Ways to Beat a Dead Horse". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 3, 2002. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  44. ↑ Reparaz, Mikel (21 February 2009). "The pathetic history of Dan Hibiki". GamesRadar.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-10. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  45. ↑ "Top 25 Street Fighter Characters - Day III". IGN.com. August 6, 2008. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
  46. ↑ "Street Fighter Alpha: An oral history". Polygon. November 23, 2020. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  47. ↑ Velasquez, Raul. "The King Of Fighters 15's Ryo And Robert Trailer Sends Its Regards To Street Fighter's Dan". TheGamer. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  48. ↑ "King of Fighters: Ranking All the Characters". Den of Geek. November 14, 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-07-31. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  49. ↑ "Why Does Art of Fighting 3 Take Place in Mexico?". Thrilling of Old Video Games. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  50. ↑ "EVOGA, ESLABÓN ENTRE SNK Y MÉXICO – #ATOMIXSHOW 069". Atomix. 26 August 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  51. ↑ Frosi, Tiago Oviedo (2019). "Os reis da luta: representações do karate nos jogos digitais". Repositorio Digital (in Portuguese). hdl:10183/18827. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  52. ↑ "¿Un nuevo Art of Fighting? SNK prepara el regreso de Mr Karate y Robert García". GamerFocus (in Spanish). Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  53. ↑ Bercera, Ernesto (May 24, 2026). "Analisis Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves – Robert Garcia se convierte en Mr. Karate y esto es lo que debes saber". Diario de Mexico (in Spanish). Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  54. ↑ Chao, Maxime (May 2, 2026). "Fatal Fury City of the Wolves : Mr Karaté version Robert Garcia est le dernier perso DLC du jeu !". Jeuxactu (in French). Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  55. ↑ Salinas, Fernando (May 31, 2026). "¿Mr. Karate o Robert García? El nuevo personaje de Fatal Fury: City of The Wolves llega para romper las reglas con ataques y habilidades únicas". Level Up (in Spanish). Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  56. ↑ Moreno, Tania M. (May 1, 2026). "Robert García llega como Mr. Karate a Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves". IGN (in Spanish). Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  57. ↑ Dau, Alejandro (May 26, 2026). "Review: Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves – Mr. Karate". Tecnogaming (in Spanish). Retrieved August 5, 2026.
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