Kairi

"You are no match for me! (貴様など俺の相手ではない!)"

- Kairi (Street Fighter EX)

Kairi (カイリ) is a video game character from the Street Fighter EX series, first appearing in the original Street Fighter EX as a secret character. He is Hokuto and Nanase's long lost elder brother from the Mizugami clan.

Appearance
In Street Fighter EX, Kairi appeared as a tall and muscular young man, with long black hair tied in a ponytail. His eyes are black with his left eye being scarred, possibly a relic of his duel to the death against his father. He wore a form fitting, sleeveless blue shirt, dark blue karate pants held by a black obi and wore blue handwraps and blue ankle wraps.

In Street Fighter EX2 and onward, his appearance dramatically changed. His hair is no longer black but has become silvery-white, his eyes went from black to red and they seem to glow during certain special attacks or during some of his win poses. His body became covered in scars as a result of both him succumbing to his demonic powers and his endless string of battles. He wears white karate pants which are red near the top as well as a black belt. He no longer wears his shirt nor his leg warmers, his arms are covered in bandages and they are covered in blue flames whenever his power is at its highest point (gameplay-wise, when he has a full Super bar).

The Street Fighter V website has two different profiles for Kairi, based on his appearances in the first and second games. In his first profile, Kairi's karate pants are dark purple, he wears blue handwraps on both of his hands and his hair is black. In the second profile, he retains the same look he had in later games.

In Fighting EX Layer, his karate pants are dirty white and has black designs on the right side and his black karate belt are now on his red wraps, his silvery-white hair is medium length and tied on a ponytail. Like in his Street Fighter EX2 appearance, his bandaged hands are always covered in blue flames.

Personality
Kairi is the one can assume that due to his memory-loss and his father's last words, he is a serious warrior who is determined to make sense of himself and his life.

In Street Fighter EX2, Kairi became darker and more serious as a result of his new demonic power. Sometimes, Kairi holds his head in his hands and screams in pain (as seen after performing his Kyouja Renbu attack or his win pose), indicating that his new power is taking a huge toll on his mind.

Concept
During the development of the original Street Fighter EX game, Kairi's look was largely the same except that he had both eyes. He was originally named Shujinkou, which means "protagonist" or "main character", though this was likely a placeholder name.

Street Fighter EX series
Kairi was born into the main house of the Mizugami family and was trained in the family's ancient art of hand-to-hand combat. However, on a stormy night, Kairi was thrown into the sea from the ship in which he was traveling by Hokuto and lost his memories. Afterward, he eventually made it to the shores of a seaside cliff and passed out. He eventually comes to his senses at the bottom of the cliff with whitened hair covered in scars, but due to his memory loss, he forgets the previous fight with his sister and believes he was thrown him from the cliff. For ten years he has wandered the world, fighting without rhyme or reason. Only the words "you must challenge your limits" remained in his memories. Led by these words, Kairi thought that the only way to recover his memories was to follow the way of the Shura (修羅) and fight, replacing his lost memories with the nature of a demon. As he continued fighting, he eventually faced his younger sister yet again, with the meeting returning his memories to him. Despite the attempts of Nanase, the youngest of siblings to stop them, this has been an unavoidable fate for Kairi and Hokuto.

Street Fighter EX'' Ending (Japanese Version)


 * "It seems that you did not train thoroughly" The true meaning of a bloodstained lineage.  He follows the path of carnage by himself. What lies at the end? Will he become the master of the fist? Or something else? It won't be long before he begins his destined battle and only then we will know the true answer.

Street Fighter EX Plus α'' Ending (Japanese Version)


 * "It seems you did no train harder." A direct descendant of the founder of the original style of jiujutsu, he is man who makes a sport of his bloodstained destiny. What awaits him at the end? Manipulated by the remnant thoughts of an assassin... Will he ever find his relief?

In his Street Fighter EX3 ending, Kairi manages to defeat Hokuto in a battle. Seeing nothing but Kairi's broad back, she wonders if it is their father before losing unconsciousness.

Fighting EX Layer
Kairi appears as one of the playable characters in Fighting EX Layer, the spiritual sequel to the Street Fighter EX games.

After losing his memories, Kairi continues to fight while being chased by a powerful and fearsome presence. His powerful energy also causes to break Garuda's seal which it was casted upon by Hayate as the monster was reborn. Kairi who is now in progress to follow the path of the demon.

Fighting style and moveset
Most of Kairi's moves are similar to those of the Ansatsuken-style characters (i.e., Ryu, Ken, Akuma), as detailed below.


 * ​Shinku Hadoken -> Shinki Hatsudo (lit. Divine Qi Invocation)
 * Shoryuken -> Maryu Rekko (lit. Demon Dragon Rending Light)
 * Tatsumaki -> Moryo Kasen (lit. Spirit Goblin Vortex Whirl)
 * Tenmakujinkyaku -> Ryujin Kyaku (lit. Dragon Blade Leg; Street Fighter EX2)
 * Ashura Senku -> Maku Shihai (lit. Vacuum Control; Street Fighter EX2)
 * Raging Demon -> Kyoja Renbu (lit. Bane Wicked Chain Dance)

Also, in Street Fighter EX2, Kairi has inherited and succumbed to a power similar to the Satsui no Hado. Because of this, he has abilities and power similar to those of Akuma, and moves that resemble his techniques; (e.g. Zanku Hadoken and Raging Demon, Akuma's most lethal technique). An original ability from this power also exists, as having him surge with this power when his super meter is at Lv.3, allows his attacks to negate any projectiles.

Trivia

 * The succumbed version of Kairi is known as Dark Kairi by fans of the series.

Gallery
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Street Fighter EX series
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Fighting Sample

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