Yuri Sakazaki

Yuri Sakazaki (Japanese: ユリ・サカザキ) is a character from SNK's Art of Fighting fighting game series. She first appears in the original Art of Fighting being kidnapped by Mr. Big, a criminal from the city of South Town. The players, Yuri's brother Ryo and his friend Robert Garcia, spend the game searching for her. In the sequel, Art of Fighting 2, Yuri makes her playable debut, having been trained by her father Takuma in the art of Kyokugenryu Karate (Japanese: 極限流空手). Yuri has also starred in the animated adaptation of Art of Fighting, in which she reprises her role from the first game. She debuted not only in Art of Fighting 2 but also in SNK's sibling IP The King of Fighters, fighting as a recurring member of the Art of Fighting Team and Women Fighter Team. She was also featured in the SNK vs. Capcom crossover series as well as in SNK Gals' Fighters. Several actresses have lent their voices to Yuri since her debut.

Yuri was initially designed as a weak character who would become one of SNK's first female fighters following a positive response from Mai Shiranui in their related IP Fatal Fury. To overcome her weakness, SNK designers decided to make her mimic other fighters' moves, most notably the ones from Capcom's Street Fighter, which is often parodied by its fighter Dan Hibiki. Critics have generally praised her transition from being a damsel in distress to becoming a fighter in the Art of Fighting series. Her inclusion in The King of Fighters series was noted to give her more variety in her movesets, which would appeal to gamers as well as provide a positive portrayal of fantasy karate and female inclusion in gaming.