10 Things You Didn’t Know about Fatal Fury’s Terry Bogard
Terry Bogard is the lead for SNK’s Fatal Fury series. As a result, he is one of the most famous fighting game characters ever created, so much so that he serves as a mascot for SNK as a whole. Very recently, interested individuals might have seen Bogard’s name come up in entertainment news because he is the latest character to be introduced to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Terry Bogard:
1. Debuted in 1991
Bogard had his debut in 1991 with Fatal Fury: King of Fighters, which was a release for the Neo Geo that became popular enough to receive nine ports to nine other platforms. It is interesting to note that he was one of the three playable characters from that particular title, with the other two being Andy Bogard and Joe Higashi.
2. The Fatal Fury Series Is Named For Him
Fatal Fury is one of those series that underwent a name change when brought over to English-speaking markets. In Japan, its name is read as Garō Densetsu, which translates to something along the lines of “The Legend of the Hungry Wolf.” This name makes it very clear that Bogard is the main character of the series as a whole, seeing as how he is sometimes called the Legendary Hungry Wolf.
3. He Has a Father Named Jeff Bogard
Family-wise, Bogard has a father named Jeff Bogard. In short, Jeff Bogard was one of the three students of Tung Fu Rue, who was the master of a secret martial arts called Hakkyokuseiken. Out of the three students, he was the one who possessed the best character, which was why he was the one chosen to inherit the school’s most secret teachings. It is interesting to note that neither of the Bogard brothers were Jeff Bogard’s biological children. Instead, he adopted both of them because his own childhood experiences meant that he didn’t want to see any child being forced to grow up on their own.
4. He Has a Brother Named Andy Bogard
Bogard’s brother is Andy Bogard, who was one of the other playable characters in Fatal Fury: King of Fighters. While Bogard followed in their father’s footsteps by studying the same martial art, Andy Bogard made the choice to head over to Japan where he studied Shiranui-style ninjutsu. As a result, he is a very literal example of an American ninja.
5. His Great Rival Is Geese Howard
To a considerable extent, fighting game protagonists are defined by fighting game antagonists. In the case of Bogard, his great rival would be Geese Howard, who is very recognizable as a blond man baring his chest while wearing Japanese hakama plus Japanese tabi. Story-wise, Geese Howard was one of the three students of Tung Fu Rue. Furthermore, he was the one who was turned down in preference for Jeff Bogard. Considering that Geese Howard went on to murder Jeff Bogard in front of his children, it seems safe to say that Tung Fu Rue had a very good grasp of his character.
6. Hero of a Martial Arts-Themed Revenge Story
With everything put together, Bogard was pretty much the hero of a martial arts-themed revenge story. After all, a student killing a student because of jealousy over secret teachings is a very common setup in such stories, which makes sense because it is such a simple and straightforward method for providing the protagonist with a clear motivation. In any case, Fatal Fury: King of Fighters was very clear about Bogard and the other playable characters entering Geese Howard’s tournament for the sake of getting revenge on him.
7. Has an Iconic Look
Bogard has a simple but nonetheless iconic look that is supposed to provide the viewer with a “macho” impression. In short, he has a red and white hat, which uses the same color scheme as his red sleeveless jacket and white muscle shirt, which combine with a pair of blue jeans. It is interesting to note that Bogard’s costume has been seen on a lot of cosplayers ever since his introduction, not least because it combines recognizability with simplicity.
8. Has Mellowed Out Over Time
Having said that, Bogard has seen a costume change, which happened in Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Said costume change was prompted by the belief that Bogard’s costume had become outdated, meaning that an update was needed to reflect his new, more mellow personality. Apparently, the creation process for the new costume put considerable stress on the team, with the result that it was redone four times. Still, considering that the fans seemed to have responded well to it for the most part, it seems safe to say that said effort paid off. Since that time, both of Bogard’s looks have shown up in various titles.
9. He Decided to Stop the Cycle of Revenge By Raising Geese Howard’s Son
The cycle of revenge plays a major role in a lot of revenge stories. Essentially, harm done to one person causes their friends and family members to retaliate, which prompts further retaliation from the friends and family members of the other person involved in the initial dispute. Naturally, stopping the cycle of revenge can play an important part in the aftermath of revenge stories as well. In Bogard’s case, he stopped the cycle of revenge by raising Geese Howard’s son Rock Howard, though in this, he was helped by the fact that Rock Howard has very good reasons to dislike his own father. It is interesting to note that Rock Howard is the one chosen to succeed Bogard as the lead character for the Fatal Fury series.
10. Has a Female Version
Curiously, there is a female version of Bogard in an official SNK title. In short, Bogard’s popularity means that he has been included in a lot of titles, so much so that when SNK made the all-female-roster SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy, it was decided that Bogard needed to be included as well. Initially, the plan was for the female version of Bogard to have a male voice, but when this was met with a lack of enthusiasm, it was changed to a female voice instead, thus resulting in the version that is now in said title.