The inclusion of Terry Bogard as the next character to join the already-broad range of fighters in Super Smash Bros Ultimate might have been leaked prior to the official reveal, but it makes the news no less exciting. However, many Smash players may have simply looked at their screens and collectively said, “Who’s Terry?”
Meet Terry, The Poster Boy Of Fatal Fury
What is Ryu to Street Fighter, Pikachu to Pokémon, or Scorpion to Mortal Kombat? They are single individuals from each series, but they are also icons that any fan will recognize instantly from where they originate. Terry Bogard represents this same connection with Fatal Fury, a series of fighting games developed by SNK, with the character first appearing in 1991.
The series grew in popularity with each subsequent release, and has seen steady sequels made under a brand that has shifted over the years yet retains much of the same group of fighters. The King of Fighters XIV was the last release in the series in 2016, and the first time that the characters were rendered entirely in 3D, while previously only shown in a 2D style.
Who Is Terry Bogard?
Terry and brother Andy grew up on the streets, when Jeff Bogard adopted the pair. At the age of 10, Terry witnessed the death of Jeff by Geese Howard, forever sparking the rivalry between the men. As the brothers were too young to attain revenge, they sought out a martial arts master to train them.
Slowly, Terry became a stronger and more competent fighter. Geese Howard organized a large tournament known as The King of Fighters many years later, and it is here that Terry defeated Geese. For a while, it was thought that he had died after falling from a great height.
But Geese survived, and the pair engaged in an ongoing fight over the years, until finally Geese suffered one final defeat at Terry’s hands, falling again to his, supposedly permanent, death. This is what is referenced in the Nintendo Direct, when Geese seemingly falls to his doom after reaching for the invitation to the Smash tournament.
Fighting Style
With every game, Terry’s overall fighting style has remained the same, with slight modifications from title to title. The fighting style that Terry employs can best be described as a mixture of boxing, karate, kung fu, kickboxing and street fighting. This results in technique that is blended and taught by his Hakkyokuseiken master, Tung Fu Rue. Jeff Bogard also had a strong hand in teaching a range of martial arts techniques to his adopted son.
In some later games, Terry employed a technique that was themed after wolves. Named Buster Wolf, we may see some variation of these flashy style in Smash simply due to its uniqueness, and because otherwise simple fighting moves may be too bland for Terry compared to the rest of the large roster.
The Evolution of Terry Bogard
As many fighting game characters often do, Terry was often in direct conflict with one specific nemesis. In the Fatal Fury games, this was Geese Howard, who has most recently appeared in Tekken 7 as a special guest DLC fighter.
Interestingly, the fame of the character among development staff resulted in many people desiring to work on him. As a direct, or indirect result, Terry became a powerhouse of a character, with designers adding powerful additions to his kit as a fighter. This includes a super punch cancel move, which still today is used among the best players in the world.
Over the years, Terry has undergone a number of redesigns, as developers considered his original look to be too dated. However, he's still most often represented with this original look, which today can be described as a juiced-up Ash Ketchum
What Will Terry Look Like In Smash?
In every fighting game, Terry has always been a well-rounded character, and we're likely to see that same blend of defense and offense in Smash. For now, we can only speculate, but there is little reason to believe he would be a rush or overly defensive fighter.
Source: SNK.Fandom.com