Since I was a kid, I have always wanted to get into fighting games. It started when I would play Soulcalibur IV with any friends who would come over. It would continue as I was introduced to YouTubers such as Maximillian Dood and purchased other fighting games in the genre. Whether it was the fun party-like atmosphere of the Super Smash Bros. franchise or the more challenging Capcom vs. SNK 2, something about fighting games had me enraptured.
There was only one problem: I sucked at fighting games. Even now, I can barely pull off a quarter-circle, let alone figure out what a command grab is. While there are plenty of fighting game tutorials and guides out there, I lacked the motivation to invest my time into “getting good.” Rather than give up completely, though, I instead held on to the vain hope that one fighting game would come along and win me over.
I waited for that perfect fighting game, picking up any title that grabbed my attention. When Guilty Gear Strive came out, I bought it. When Street Fighter 6 came out, I bought it. When the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection came out, I bought that as well. I tried each and every single game I could get my hands on, and even then, I couldn’t find a game or a character that I clicked with.
That is, until recently. A friend of mine came over, and we decided to play Street Fighter 6. We were both beginners, so for a while, we just picked random characters that we found cool. I tried Ed because I enjoyed playing him in the past; she tried Juri because she thought she was cool, and so on. However, I couldn’t stop staring at the newest character in the game: Terry Bogard. On a whim, I bought him for five bucks, and after just a few days, he has already become my favorite fighting game character ever.
Here is an overview of my journey of how I understood Terry Bogard as a character, learned more about his origins, re-analyzed his previous inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and fell in love with his depiction in Street Fighter 6. This is how Terry Bogard helped me get into the fighting game franchise.
Understanding Terry Bogard
To the uninitiated, Terry Bogard seems like just another character in the Street Fighter franchise. Maybe if you’re a bit more in the know, you will recognize that he made an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. If you’re like me though, you know exactly where Terry Bogard is from: the Fatal Fury/King of Fighters franchise from SNK.
While I’ve never played the series for myself, I’ve kept my eye on the franchise ever since the first time I played Capcom vs SNK 2 on the PlayStation 2. After I had played enough of Terry in Street Fighter 6, I wanted to go back to the earliest days of the franchise and understand as much about the character as humanly possible.
When I first saw Terry, I believed he was like any other generic fighting game protagonist. On the surface, my oversimplification didn’t seem too far off. He’s a wandering fighter who initially sought revenge against the man who killed his father, Geese Howard. What I soon realized, though, is that the character beneath the exterior is far more complex than most others in the genre.
For one, Terry’s personality is drastically different from most other fighting game characters. Rather than be relatively stoic and unfazed in the face of hardship, Terry wears his emotions on his sleeves. He’s arrogant yet charming, driven yet playful, and above all, he’s incredibly friendly. Most of his introductions in Fatal Fury and King of Fighters show Terry playing the role of an older brother or uncle to other characters.
Further, his story is unique as well. Sure, he’s seeking revenge against Geese Howard, but the trials and tribulations he faces along the way separate him from the norm. He bonds with Joe Higashi, reconnects with his brother Andy, and finds a life-long partner in Blue Mary. Mary, in particular, is an interesting case, as it is implied that the two love each other in a way that goes beyond being just friends.
That said, his most important relationship is arguably with his adopted son, Rock Howard. Before attempting to kill Geese for the second time, he meets the young Rock. The two bond over their complicated family issues, with Terry resolving to take care of Rock after he fights Geese.
As Terry realizes the damage that Geese has done to not just his own family, but to the world and the people around him, he instead tries to save Geese before he falls to his death. There is never a proper explanation as to why, but I like to think it’s because Terry wants Geese to face the consequences of his actions.
To me, this is why Terry is such a fascinating character. Not only is his design iconic, but his personality and story are unique compared to his contemporaries. Learning so much about his background made me want to try to play some of the early King of Fighters and Fatal Fury games at some point. Before I did that, I also wanted to take a look at one of his most important appearances in another fighting game: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The King of Smash
I think it’s easy to underestimate how big of a deal Terry Bogard’s inclusion in Smash was. SNK’s litany of fighting game franchises has reached so many people around the world to the point that Terry’s inclusion just made sense. Unfortunately, his addition to the roster was overshadowed by Sans from Undertale being in the Mii Costume Pack. It also didn’t reach the same level of hype as other characters in the fighter pack, like Banjo-Kazooie and Joker from Persona 5.
It’s a shame, too, because, based on Masahiro Sakurai’s overview of Terry Bogard in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, you can tell how passionate he is about the character. Each of the details in Terry’s moveset, taunts, animations, stage, and even music is in tribute to SNK as a whole.
For example, the background of the stage will feature several characters from other SNK games. This includes the aforementioned Blue Mary, Joe Higashi, Geese Howard, Andy Bogard, and even Rock Howard. Certain characters will stay present throughout the match, depending on the song that is playing. On the subject of songs, there are fifty songs from King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Metal Slug, and more.
After playing so much of Terry in Street Fighter 6, I figured it would make sense to go back and play a little bit of him in Smash. While I didn’t click with his moveset as much as I did with his most recent interpretation, I still had so much fun playing as the character and going through the Classic Mode.
In the Classic Mode, he fights teams of three based on certain Nintendo franchises. One team is comprised of Mario characters like Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach. Another is made of Zelda characters, like Link, Princess Zelda, and Sheik. There are even two villain teams. There is something so endearing about seeing Terry go toe-to-toe with some of the biggest franchises in the world.
It also continues that trend of paying tribute to previous SNK games. Like much of the King of Fighters franchise, opponents are organized in teams of three and based on a common theme. In King of Fighters, you’d have a team titled “Team Fatal Fury” made up of Terry, Andy, and Joe. Whereas in Smash, it’s “Team Kid Icarus,” which is comprised of Pit, Dark Pit, and Palutena.
The fact that it ends with Terry coming face to face with Ryu, Ken, and another Terry Bogard is the perfect climax to this fantastic tribute. It’s a great way to reference the Capcom vs SNK franchise and the history that both companies share. Seeing Terry’s victory art alongside his allies (and opponents) from SNK is just the icing on the cake.
Going back to Terry’s portrayal in previous SNK games allowed me to appreciate who the character is. Seeing his depiction in crossover games such as Smash Bros. Ultimate brought a greater understanding of why his legacy matters. When I returned to Street Fighter 6 with all that knowledge in mind, I began to understand how the game respects his legacy and builds upon it in a way that won many fans and newcomers over, myself included.
How Street Fighter 6 Honors His Legacy
When Capcom released the first gameplay trailer for Terry in Street Fighter 6, several things immediately stuck out to me. First, his animations. Each frame of movement had been crafted with so much love in a way I’d never really seen from Street Fighter before. Second, the music. Terry’s theme, titled “Kurikinton SF6 Arrange,” is a remixed version of the theme he’s had for a majority of his appearances.
The main thing that kept my attention as I watched more footage of the character’s gameplay was the attention to detail. Whether it was Blue Mary and Joe Higashi in the background, the fact that his alternate costume is his Garou jacket, or how the stage itself, “Pao Pao Cafe 6,” is a mainstay of both Fatal Fury and King of Fighters, the love poured into this one character made me want to at least try the character out when I got the chance.
When I did get my hands on Terry and started playing combo trials, I immediately clicked with him. At this point, I hadn’t done my extended research into the Fatal Fury/King of Fighters series, so I just took everything about the character at face value. I loved how simple yet effective his design was. I also loved how detailed he looked in terms of visuals. Sure, his face looked a little off, but he still matched the aesthetic of Street Fighter 6 with very few blemishes.
What helped me fall in love with Terry’s character was his writing in both World Tour and Arcade Mode. In the former, he plays the role of one of the many mentors that the player character can ask to train them. He has a laissez-faire approach to life and talks about how his loved ones helped him gain some measure of wisdom and confidence that he carries with him wherever he goes. Terry even directly references Rock as you reach the end of his story.
It was also thrilling to see how he interacted with Ryu and Ken on both World Tour and Arcade Mode. In World Tour, both Terry and Ryu have a respect for each other that goes beyond words and can only be conveyed through fists. Whereas Terry and Ken two are old friends and rivals who resolve to fight each other one more time in the future. I look forward to seeing the latter sooner rather than later.
All this combined made me want to put the time into learning Terry. I’ve learned a lot about getting good at fighting games over the past few days as a result of the character. While I still have a lot to learn and get frequently frustrated at grapplers, teabaggers, and people who spam the same move over and over again, I’m slowly beginning to understand what it takes to get good at the genre.
With my insistence on using modern controls for now and a measly Silver 2 in Ranked, I have no intentions of becoming the next Justin Wong or Daigo Umehara. Instead, I just want to be able to enjoy a genre I’ve always wanted to get into and continue to get better at it at my own pace. That idea is what I’ve been searching for ever since the days when I’d play Soulcalibur IV at my old home.
Now, even if my road to becoming “halfway decent” at fighting games is likely to be long and arduous, I at least have some motivation to continue down that path. That motivation didn’t come from some magically perfect game or fighting game mechanics that are so brilliant that I have no choice but to try it out. Instead, it comes from a character who has been staring me in the face for almost a decade.
The Entryway I’ve Been Searching For
I’m still not very good at fighting games. I still can’t do a quarter-circle to save my life, let alone figure out what a command grab is. However, I’m slowly getting better. While I can’t do a Hadouken using classic controls, I can parry an attack. I can grab someone, hit them with a drive impact, and even pull off a combo. More to the point, I can even win a few matches. It’s all because I took the time to learn, and the reason I took the time to learn was because of Terry Bogard.
The truth is that I relate a lot to Terry. Not in his looks or his fashion decisions but in his personality. I relate to his optimism, his never-say-die attitude, and how his relationships mean everything to him. Not only do I relate to him, I aspire to be like him. His character inspires me and gives me a goal to work towards.
He’s already managed to be the most fun character I’ve ever played in a fighting game. I enjoy doing the work to understand his move set and play as him in lobbies, even if I consistently lose. Not only that, but I’ve even picked out a specific color and costume for the character that I almost want to cosplay at some point.
Like many fighting game fans who enjoy some of the most iconic characters from the genre, I’ve immediately become attached to Terry. After just a few hours of playing as him in Street Fighter 6, I want to play dozens of more hours of Terry as I work to get better at the genre.
More to the point, I also want to get into the rest of the King of Fighters/Fatal Fury franchise. I want to learn more about Terry’s story, as well as the stories of characters such as Rock, Blue Mary, and Joe. I’m even considering purchasing the upcoming Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves game when that comes out. Needless to say, I already have my main picked out.
When I first saw Terry Bogard, I believed him to be just a generic fighting game protagonist. Instead, I found a character that was both fun to play and one that I related to in a deeply personal way. More than that, though, not only has Terry Bogard become my favorite fighting game character of all time, but also one of my favorite characters, period. I look forward to seeing where his journey takes him next, as I will be watching his story unfold with eager interest.
