Killer Instinct: A closer look at the cast
Before we delve into the backgrounds of Killer Instinct’s cast of characters, I think we should first take a look at a brief background story of the game:
Ultratech is a very powerful mega-corporation (entities which, in this future setting, replaced all governments) which organizes a tournament called Killer Instinct. Along with regular participants, experimental creatures created by Ultratech also fight in the tournament. Ultratech also discovers a technology to make bridges between domensions, and to also release from its dimensional prison a two-headed monster called Eyedol, an ancient warrior that was locked away along with his rival.
Whew, that was brief indeed! I don’t even know why Ultratech organized a tournament and why some of the characters decide to join it. Well, that’s why we have this genuine interest to know more about the gang. Let’s go check them out, shall we?
Fulgore. A cyborg, part of a cybernetic project developed by Ultratech, the masterminds behind the Killer Instinct fighting tournament. Fulgore was entered into the tournament to test its fighting capabilities. If successful, the Fulgore unit would be placed in mass production. During the first Killer Instinct tournament, Fulgore met its end at the hands of Jago. A newer version of Fulgore was produced for the second fighting tournament. Fulgore has two No Mercy moves, one in which it removes its head, revealing a large turret-like gun which shoots the enemy repeatedly. The other uses a laser beam from its eyes to reduce the opponent to ashes.
Cinder. A criminal who was promised early release by Ultratech in exchange for participating in chemical weapons research. As result of an accident during testing, his body is composed entirely of flame. He is promised a return to his original form if he is able to defeat Glacius in the tournament. In the early development stages of the game his name was Meltdown, but this was soon afterwards changed to Cinder (which is so much better). Cinder has two No Mercy moves, the first creates a pool of magma under the opponent, who melts into it. The second shoots them with flames to reduce them to ashes.
Glacius. An alien who was captured by Ultratech and promised freedom if he wins the tournament. He gets his nickname from his body’s icy liquid composition and ability to shape-shift. He is one of the few characters who maintained his original name throughout early development. He uses three different No Mercy moves, one where he becomes a gel-like mass and absorbs the opponent (similar to the Blob), one in which he uses his finger as a syringe to inject the enemy with a substance that turns them to ice, and the last of which he turns into a pool of boiling water that the enemy drowns in.
Jago. A Tibetan monk following the Tiger Spirit, which later turns out to be Gargos in the second Killer Instinct, is on the path of enlightenment to defeat the evil within him. He believes it is his destiny to destroy Ultratech. He has many of the same moves as Street Fighter’s Ryu and Ken, including the fireball and spinning uppercut. His No Mercy moves consist of stabbing the enemy with his sword, and meditating, which causes a car to fall on the opponent.
Riptor. A genetically engineered velociraptor-human hybrid created as a prototype by Ultratech. The tournament serves to test its abilities as a killing machine. It has three No Mercy moves. One in which it spits acid on the enemy, one in which it stabs the foe with its tail, and one in which it runs at the enemy and eats them.
Sabrewulf. Count Von Sabrewulf is stricken by lycanthropy, and is promised a cure by Ultratech if he wins the tournament. This is a semi-cameo appearance of Sabreman, known from Rare’s 1984 game Sabre Wulf. Sabrewulf fights in his inherited castle as his home level, with biting and claw attacks, and the ability to howl and use his Flaming Bat, though sometimes they will not be flaming. He has two No Mercy moves, one where he slams the foe into the screen, and one in which he stabs the enemy with an elongated claw.
Spinal. A marvel of modern biotechnology, he is a product of cell regeneration, made a living skeleton from the remains of an ancient warrior. He seems to fight for sheer enjoyment. However, he rather seems to be battling simply because he lost his memory after death, since his brain couldn’t regenerate. He carries a sword and shield, and has the ability to teleport and physically morph himself into a grayscale version of his opponents during combos. He has an odd quirk in that, in order to perform certain moves, he must gather energy (represented by tokens shaped like skull under his life bar in the SNES version, and by skulls floating around his person in the arcade and gold versions) by either absorbing opponents projectile energy attacks (with his shield in absorbing position), or performing combo breakers. Despite requiring these tokens, his special moves are not particularly stronger than normal special attacks. He can “store” up to five skull tokens. He uses two No Mercy moves, one where he repeatedly stabs the enemy with a spike on his shield, and the other where he summons skeletons to drag the opponent underground, presumably to Hell.
Orchid. Hired by Ultratech as a secretary, she is actually a spy working for an unknown party and, along with Jago, appears to be the heroine of the game franchise. Her full name is Black Orchid. She has two No Mercy moves, the first in which she gives her opponent a heart attack by unzipping her uniform and flashing her breasts at them, and the other in which she turns the opponent into a frog, then (at the player’s option) stomps on them.
If you’re a fan of the game and its sequel, Killer Instinct 2, you probably noticed that I’ve removed a couple of characters from the list. I just see them as unnecessary. My apologies to fans of TJ Combo (cough, cough, rip off) and Chief Thunder.
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