Takuma Sakazaki

Game series Art of Fighting series
King of Fighters series
SNK Vs. series
First game Art of Fighting
Voiced by Eiji Tsuda
Hōchū Ōtsuka (Dengeki Bunko drama CD)
Information
Birthplace Japan
Blood type O
Fighting style Kyokugenryu Karate


Takuma Sakazaki (タクマ・サカザキ, Takuma Sakazaki?) is a character from both the Art of Fighting and King of Fighters fighting game series. His distinguishing feature is an X-shaped scar on his right pectoral. He is also somewhat eccentric, donning his tengu mask and insisting he's Mr. Karate, and delivering speeches that are supposed to rally morale, but often make him look silly. Takuma is the most established known Kyokugenryu Karate practitioner, and he is the only one in the discipline who can make full use of the discipline's most difficult moves (namely the Shoran Kyaku), available only in the Shoran principle of Kyokugenryu Karate. Takuma Sakazaki is loosely based on Masutatsu Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin Karate.


Art of Fighting

Takuma's Beginnings

Takuma learned Kyokugen from his father. Upon being named the heir of Kyokugen, Takuma married an American woman named Ronnet, and they moved to the then-peaceful Southtown to raise a family. Both Takuma and Ronnet became parents of Ryo and Yuri, who were born respectively four years apart. Shortly after the birth of Yuri, Ronnet fell ill and died. This tragedy filled Takuma with grief, but he resolved to make his children the best fighters in the world.

Takuma trained Ryo exclusively at the beginning, as he felt Yuri was too young and that Ryo was to be the heir to the title of Kyokugenryu Master. A friend of his, Alberto Garcia, sent his son Robert to Takuma for training in discipline. Takuma swore that he would teach Kyokugen not only to his children and Robert, but to as many as he could - his heavy training programs, however, are so intensive that most students drop out early on, and even his children and Robert tend to complain.

First Mr.Karate-The Rise of Crime in Southtown

In the midst of Takuma's aim to spread the Kyokugenryu discipline, crime started infesting Southtown, and Geese Howard made himself the de facto boss of the city. Unwilling to live with it, Takuma fought his way through lackeys and stooges and confronted Geese himself, demanding that he put an end to the tyranny. Geese replied with threats against Takuma's children, knowing that they meant the world to him. Now with Takuma dancing at his fingertips, Geese forced him to work for him. In order to preserve his honor, Takuma donned a tengu mask and formed another persona: "Mr. Karate."

While Geese was out on business, Mr. Big was in charge. In order to keep Takuma firmly under his control, Mr. Big had Yuri kidnapped. Unfortunately, that move caused Ryo and Robert to tear up Southtown in search of her and Takuma. When Robert got to Mr. Big and defeated him, Big called for Mr. Karate, and he came out to battle Ryo by Robert's favor because he was already exhausted. Although Ryo won, he threatened to kill Mr. Karate if he didn't tell him where Takuma and Yuri were. Yuri stopped Ryo from killing their father, and they had a joyous reunion.

The King of Fighters

Takuma led Ryo and Robert as a team in the new King of Fighters for two years, until he retired and brought in Yuri as a replacement. He remained on the sideline until 1999, when he rejoined the team as their fourth man. In 2000, Takuma welcomed King onto the team, knowing that she and Ryo have a "special something" together. Unfortunately, King of Fighters 2000 climaxed with the Zero Cannon wiping out most of Southtown, including the Kyokugenryu dojo. He couldn't use the Garcia fortune to rebuild with, as a world financial crisis had virtually wiped it out. He entered the team into the 2001 tournament to win the prize money. At the end of King of Fighters 2003 he is attacked by an unseen assilant. He apparently recognizes him but passes out before he telling anyone.

It is rumored that his assailant may either be Yamazaki or Eiji Kisaragi, however, according to the official KOF XI story, it is stated that Takuma was attacked by "thugs". This could imply that it was not a character from KOF who attacked him, but a random street thug.

Honki ni Natta Mr. Karate

In SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos there is a boss character (selectable by code), Honki ni Natta Mr. Karate (本気になったMr.カラテ, Honki ni Natta Misutā Karate?, lit. "now serious Mr. Karate"). He plays similarly to Mr. Karate, but is faster, more powerful, has a nearly instant and invisible Ko-Ou Ken attack (a larger version of the one available to Takuma in KoF 2002), has a different stance, has some abilities and attacks from the original Art of Fighting (and his power charging ability derived from this can also be used to nullify most projectile attacks before they reach him), can use the game's regular Mr. Karate's super moves as specials. In exchange for his Mouko Burai Gan and Shoran Kyaku, he gets to use the Shin Kishin Geki super from KoF as a special too. As a result, he suffers from SNK Boss Syndrome.

He wears a darker gi, and his tengu mask sports longer hair and nose, complete with glowing eyes. How Mr. Karate attains this "form" or status is unknown, and it may not even be canon. It is speculated this may be when he reaches his full potential or when encountering an outside power (similar to Shin Akuma).

Takuma ever denied to be Mr.karate obviously something questionable(all know he is), Ryo Sakazaki currently assumes be Mr.Karate without the power of his father, but very powerful. Ryo in his Buriki One, Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition and Neo Geo Battle Coliseum outfit wears a dark gi and is called 2nd Mr. Karate.

He is, however, certainly less playful and preachy than his other form in the game, and it may be worthy of interest to notice the difference in the mask used in this form and in others in the same game and KOF where the character is sillier,but the mask is also comparatively underdeveloped.



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