The trailer for King of Fighters XV just dropped. It features many familiar faces, from unofficial SNK mascot Mai Shiranui to series protagonist Kyo Kusanagi.
Iconic fighter (and Smash Brothers guest star) Terry Bogard is conspicuous by his absence. It's frankly impossible to imagine a King of Fighters game shipping without him. That being said, there are some characters who might be on the bubble that should be included in the game (though hopefully not as DLC).
Rock Howard
Rock is the son of Fatal Fury big bad Geese Howard. He's also the protege of Geese's nemesis (and murderer), Terry Bogard. Rock's fighting style is a hybrid of his two father figures. Terry taught him all of the martial arts he knows, but he uses Geese's Aikijutsu techniques instinctively. This combination makes him a formidable competitor.
He first appeared in the classic arcade/Neo Geo game Garou: Mark of the Wolves, which has been ported to everything from Steam to the Switch. Garou didn't take place in the same timeline as the King of Fighters series; however, Rock was still a DLC character in King of Fighters XIV. He'd be a worthy addition to KOF XV's main roster, despite whatever continuity hoops SNK would have to jump through to justify his presence.
Female Terry Bogard
Given his track record, Terry Bogard seems like a lock to appear in King of Fighters XV. The gender-swapped version of the character, however, is another matter entirely. This female version of Terry exists to justify an appearance on the all-female roster of 2018's KOF XIV spin-off, SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy.
It doesn't seem like the female Terry was meant to exist beyond Tag Heroines, but she could appear as an unlockable costume in the game, although she'd also be a fun standalone character. If nothing else, it could be entertaining to see her interact with all of the characters in Terry's orbit, such as Terry Bogard fangirl turned KOF competitor Alice Nakata. Besides, can an SNK game really have too many Terry Bogards?
Athena Asamiya
Deeply rooted in SNK's history, Athena is the modern-day counterpart of the star of 1985's Athena, a 2D platformer. She starred in that game's spiritual successor, Psycho Soldier, a year later.
What makes Athena stand out is her fighting style. While she uses some martial arts, her primary method of attack is her psychic powers. They translate well into a fighting game, giving her the ability to do everything from toss projectiles to teleport. Athena is popular for reasons beyond her history and combat prowess. She becomes a J-Pop idol during the course of the series. Appropriately, costume changes in every KOF game have become a tradition. Going full circle, that has included her sailor outfit from Psycho Soldier. It would be a shame to see that streak broken.
Raiden
Fighting games' other Raiden isn't a thunder god; he's a pro wrestler, based on the late Big Van Vader. Like any wrestler worth his salt, he changed his alignment over time, turning babyface after initially serving as a henchman for Geese Howard. He boasts a moveset that paid tribute to his pro wrestling roots. If he was in danger of losing a round, Raiden could use fire breath or poison mist on his opponent, though the game never spelled out if this was a supernatural ability he possessed or a pro wrestling gimmick being applied to the fight.
Raiden appeared in the first two Fatal Fury games. Surprisingly, Raiden didn't follow his Fatal Fury co-stars into a KOF game until 2009's King of Fighters XII. His run didn't last long, though; he's one of the omitted characters from KOF XIV. As such, he's overdue to make a return in KOF XV, if for no other reason than that it would give wrestling fans something to get excited about while they wait for the AEW game.
Iori Yagami
Iori is one of King of Fighters' central characters, first introduced in King of Fighters '95 as Kyo's rival. Iori has a dangerous history as a fighter; he brutally beat his first partners, Fatal Fury alum Billy Kane and Eiji Kisaragi, in KOF '95. The following year he murdered his teammates, Vice and Mature, when he couldn't control the power he absorbed after defeating final boss Goenitz. They would return from the dead and partner with Iori again in KOF XIV.
Despite being such an unreliable tag team partner, Iori remains a staple of the series. He is perhaps KOF's most iconic anti-hero, and while he and Kyo's rivalry isn't friendly like that of Street Fighter's Ryu and Ken, it's softened enough that they've teamed up to battle mutual enemies. Iori's shifting allegiances make him one of the important characters in the series, and it's hard to imagine a KOF game without him.