1st round - w.42

Unlike a lot of combatants in this tournament, Cody is not a trained martial artist. He uses what he has learned from the streets in regards to punches and kicks, and what he lacks in finesse, he makes up for with efficiency. After having gone through the criminals and thugs of his home city in order to rescue his girlfriend Jessica, Cody ended up on the wrong side of the law himself and found himself serving time in jail. This, however, has only given him time and opportunity to learn som new tricks for when it's time to fight. Apart from his usual array of simple strikes, he is also known for using a knife in a number of ways and is not above dirty tricks like throwing rocks and stones at his opponents.
Sofia is something of an enigma. It is known that she was born and raised in Russia, and that she at some point worked as an agent for the KGB. However, she now suffers from amnesia and can't remember many details about her past life. She has started working as a private investigator, hoping that this will help her sort out her memories. She uses a whip when in combat, which gives her great range and a certain unpredictability. Apart from that, she's also known for her tight-fitting and revealing leather outfits, which might turn out to be a useful distraction.

Glacius is an alien hailing from a galaxy far, far away. This big, white giant was captured by (worst company of the year) Ultratech and promised freedom if he won the first Killer Instinct tournament. Nobody knows what his real name is but he gets his nickname from his body's icy liquid composition and ability to shape-shift, looking a lot like the classic badguy from Terminator 2. Glacius likes to take the shape of sledgehammers, spikes and nails to crush his opponents. When it comes to finishing his poor enemies, Glacius transforms to a gel-like mass and absorbs the opponent’s energy, similar to a blob. He can also freeze opponents to ice. The move, considered most tyrranic, is the one when he turns into a pool of boiling water which he drowns the enemy in.

Blanka, a big, brazilian fighter with green skin and long orange hair, resembles a monster more than a human. He was once known as a little pale boy named Jimmy. This was before he was in a plane crash that caused him to grow up in the wild of the Amazons by himself. The colour of his skin changed because of the constant use of chlorophyll from plants to better blend in with the jungle environment. A color change that eventually became permanent. Raised by the animals of the rainforest Blanka has a very wild, fierce and predatorlike fightingstyle. He has muscular biceps, resembling a gorillas’ arms. He is also known for biting with his sharp teeth and scratching up wounds with his claws. Somehow Blanka has the ability to electrically shock his opponents, a method he uses with pleasure. Eventually he left the jungle and nowadays he’s out there looking for trouble.

Hailing from Japan, Mitsurugi is a noble samurai holding out the precepts of honor and pride, and seeking a fair battle against enemies of his same level of skills. He was born as son of a farmer. However after suffering years of witnessing his homeland being ravaged by bandits and war, he decided to take up swordsmanship under the tutelage of the Murakami Clan. Mitsurugi's skill and strength spread quickly over Japan, and he was recognized as a force to be reckoned on the battlefield. He has since then fought in may wars as a hired mercenary, refusing all commendations from the army. Mitsurugi wields his primary weapon, the Katana, with excellent grace. He is as fast and smooth as he is strong and powerful. It might be impossible to find a more accomplished swordsman.
Spinal is a 2650 years old, 5’5’’, 110 lbs skeleton warrior. He is a recreated ancient warrior, brought back to life through cell regeneration by the evil company UltraTech. Having no memory and lacking in purpose, he fights for sheer enjoyment. Trapped in the new world, he has no choice but to obey orders despite his reluctance, and to make things worse he begins to suffer tormenting flashbacks to the ancient life he can never quite remember. Lately he has also found himself in the shadow of UltraTech’s latest creation, the Fulgore cyborg, a fact that makes him even angrier and more dangerous. Spinal carries his ancient sword and shield in combat. He is known to stab his enemies to death with the spike on his shield. Some of his other skills are teleporting and the ability to transform to his opponent’s shape for a short limit of time.

Ryu really doesn't need much introduction. He's the very personification of the typical disciplined martial artist. Having been trained by his master Gouken alongside friend and rival Ken, Ryu has kicked ass and won tournaments ever since, all for the purpose of proving that he's the best fighter in the world. His fighting style (sometimes labelled as Shotokan Karate) is a mixture of karate, judo and taekwondo, spiced up with his signature moves like the Shoryuken (Dragon Punch) and the Hadouken fireball. A very skilled, reputable and experienced warrior who should prove a worthy match for anyone.

Zangief is from the USSR and fights for the glory of his country. Nicknamed the Red Cyclone, he enjoys wrestling Siberian bears in his pastime, just for fun. That should tell you something about how tough this guy is. A big hulking behemoth of a man, Zangief obviously favours strength over speed. He uses a combination of pro wrestling and Russian Sambo, delivering massive punches and kicks before moving in for brutal throws and grappling maneuvers. His Spinning Lariat is an effective evasive maneuver, but he is without a doubt most known, recognized and feared for his devastating Spinning Piledriver, a move in which he lifts his opponent upside down before jumping high into the air, rotating his body and sending the opponent's head crashing straight into the ground.