Fatal Fury City of the Wolves Kim Kaphwan Impressions

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves brings back Kim Kaphwan to play with the rest of the cast once again. Kim’s been busy in The King of Fighters games without missing a beat. Canon-wise, The King of Fighters exists within its own continuity, but many of Kim’s signature moves carry over between games. So, how does Kim stack up against the new Wolves? Well, thanks to SNK giving us an early preview, we can tell you.

Kaphwan has a forward HK command move that pushes the opponent forward before knocking them down on the third hit. His close forward high kick also has some great combo potential, while his HP normal gives him some impressive range. Remember, Kim is a kicker, so three of his attack buttons are dedicated to his foot game. He also gets a new cross-up kick to add another option to his offense.

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Kim’s signature Hishou Kyaku dive kick has both flavors from his previous appearances. The LK version does the familiar dance-on-the-face attack from Fatal Fury 2, while the HK version sends him completely downward, similar to his Real Bout appearances. The REV version lands several stationary hits before kicking the opponent away, and it can be canceled into his back-quarter REV Kick or even his aerial REV Blow.

When Kim remains idle long enough, he’ll even enter his Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 stance with his back facing the screen. He may also cross his arms, showing that classic Kim disappointment we all know. His Hangetsuzan’s low-kick version now scores a knockdown compared to how the move behaved in games such as SVC Chaos, essentially reversing some of its previous properties.

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The crazy thing about Kaphwan is what he can do with the Haki Kyaku stomp now that the REV System is involved. Since it’s a special move, landing two of them during a combo can open the door to his aerial specials and ultimately another REV attack. His Kuu Sajin also has a Break option built directly into the move, giving him even more combo flexibility. The stomp has always been one of Kim’s defining tools, and it looks like there’s an even better reason to use it here. Kim can even work an OTG attack into his offense.

Kaphwan does have some moves that leave him negative on block, meaning careless pressure or a bad whiff could spell trouble. Luckily, his standing REV Blow provides plenty of pushback and another way to get opponents away from him. His Houou Kuusen Kyaku can also connect into the REV version of Kuusen Kyaku, letting Kim extend the pain once he gets his offense rolling.

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Kaphwan is still the rushdown character we’ve known and loved for years, only now he feels stronger with age and has a much deeper toolkit to work with. For a character without a projectile game, Kim has a ridiculous number of options for keeping his opponent under pressure, and his command combos aren’t anything to overlook either. Hearing him in English for the first time is also a treat, and it’s another nice touch for longtime Kim players.

Kim Kaphwan makes his move on September 24, 2026. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is currently available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, while the Nintendo Switch 2 version arrives next month.

nintendo PlayStation Xbox PC gaming fighting game SnK Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves