M. Bison
Backstory:
Almost nothing is known about M. Bison's past prior to his appearance in the mainline games and his country of origin is unknown. The only known details of his past is that he was at one point nothing more than a young martial artist like any other but with overwhelming ambitions. He originally wielded Soul Power and passed down his knowledge onto Rose who was his only disciple. However, in order to be the best in the world of martial arts, M. Bison murdered his own master before giving in to complete chaos. M. Bison's master was said to be the only known person in the world who could manipulate the evil power known as "Psycho Power" at the time and it is also said that, before his death, M. Bison's master passed the power to only three other students, M. Bison himself being one of them.
Shortly afterwards, hoping to seek both knowledge and strength to become the strongest in the world, Bison sought out many practitioners of other fighting styles to defeat and learn of their techniques, in the pursuit of being able to reinforce and keep his title as the strongest martial artist in the world. Later on, Bison would somehow come into power over his syndicate of Shadaloo.
At some point, M. Bison heard rumors of an assassins fist, and tracked down Gouken, the heir of the Ansatsuken. Gouken expected that M. Bison would eventually come to him. However, he faced M. Bison with only his fists, not relying on moves such as Hadoken and Shoryuken which resulted in his defeat. M. Bison noticed this and curses Gouken for not showing his true power, he then comments on his students being more willing to show Ansatsuken's true power and leaves.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Master Martial Artist,
Acrobatics (Superhumanly agile and able to perform a number of acrobatic techniques and several jumping attacks. Moreover, he utilizes such skills to nullify throws, maintain his balance in mid-air and regain his footing after a knock down.),
Genius Intelligence,
Immortality (Soul transfer between bodies),
Possession (Can transfer his soul into the body of other people, effectively possessing them, although such power is bound to certain conditions. Planned to take over Ryu's body, before moving on to the development of Seth and his replicas, meant to be artificial hosts to inhabit. Clones of M. Bison such as Cammy, or modified humans such as Ed and Falke have specifically been engineered to act as spare bodies for him. After his first death in SF Alpha 3, M. Bison survived by entering Rose's body and utilizing it until his scientists completed a new body. Temporarily inhabited a machine meant to contain his spirit. M. Bison's very will exists within Psycho Power itself, which grabs a hold of its users' mind and gradually eats away at it until their personally fades away and is replaced with M. Bison's, thus grantim him a new body. This was experienced first-hand by Ed, who had to wrest control of his own body after the events of A Shadow Fall multiple times),
Incorporeality (As Phantom Bison, the form he takes while lacking a physical body),
Enhanced Senses (Spotted C. Viper hiding behind a container while no other could),
Chi Manipulation, Projection and Aura (Can manipulate and project his Psycho Power, as well as using it in several other ways),
Flight (Used to hover above the ground instead of walking and demonstrated the ability to levitate freely. Psycho Crusher and similar techniques show his ability to soar through the air at high speed)
Mind Manipulation (Brainwashed Ken by infusing him with Psycho Power [although whether or not this happened in canon is questionable]. Hypnosis is one of his special abilities. Cammy, the Dolls and Ryu [the latter in an alternate ending] have been subjected to mental conditioning through the usage of Psycho Power. Successfull experiments have had their personality completely replaced with fervent loyalty and reversing the process is extremely difficult. Bestowing Psycho Power upon individuals unable to control it inexorably drives them to insanity and possibly even death. One of Shadaloo's test subjects has been left victim of continuous mental disorders, hallucinations, panic attacks and more, while others have been brainwashed to such a point of being turned into hollow husks beyond salvation. Triggering the Psycho Power or increasing its effects into unsuited individuals will force them into a berserk state. Psycho Power users who aren't strong enough to control it will eventually lose their free will and become mindless fighting machine),
Supernatural Willpower & limited Corruption (Type 2. Psycho Power is influenced by one's psyche and a strong mind is required in order to control it. Very few individuals can wield it without having their mind broken or even perish, and even less can undergo the training necessary to master it. Furthermore, it gives M. Bison's willpower and dark ambition the power to instill themselves into others, corrupting and controlling people's minds. After being exerted upon the world, they linger and keep spreading even after M. Bison's death, though they require a long time to infect the entire world, ranging from months to possibly years.He came close to achieving it, but his plans was averted in yet unknown ways),
Fire Manipulation: (His Psycho Power should have the same properties as Ed's due to visually behaving in the same way when striking the opponent and through techniques such as Psycho Inferno),
Paralysis Inducement (Can stop others in place with his forcefields and aura),
Empowerment (Becomes stronger by absorbing the opponent's hatred, fear and anger),
Fear Manipulation (Emits a bluish-white light that instills fear and takes away one's ability to stay rational),
Portal Creation (Can open portals to seemingly any place in the world),
Clairvoyance (Has show several times to be aware of other people's location, reason why he can always open portals right before them. Was aware that Ryu had defeated Necalli),
Astral Projection (Can project a phantom of himself to other locations, using it to talk and even cause damage to his victims),
Healing (Psycho Power can be used to rejuvenate others, removing weariness and pain),
Extrasensory Perception (Should be able to sense chi, just like other expert chi users),
Teleportation (Via Bison Warp, Hell's Warp and other techniques),
Telekinesis (Via Psycho Impact),
Energy Absorption (Via Psycho Drain and Psycho Reflect),
Energy Reflection (Via Psycho Sever and Psycho Reflect),
Explosion Manipulation (Via Psycho Blast, Psycho Crusher Omega and Psycho Nightmare),
Forcefield Creation (Can create forcefields around him.),
Damage Boost (Can perform enhanced versions of his Special Attacks. The Psycho Power V-Technique enhances his Special Attacks and teleportation abilities),
Status Effect Inducement (By hitting the opponent repeatedly, without them being able to recover, he can cause them to enter the "Stun" status, which leaves them unable to react. His Focus Attack causes the opponent to enter a "crumpling" status),
Resistance to
Sealing (Rose couldn't seal his power for long),
Poison and Acid (F.A.N.G's poison didn't work on him),
Precognition (Limited; Reading the future of fighters such as him is difficult, because they always fight against it),
Mind Manipulation (Possesses the psychic fortitude required to not have his mind and heart crushed by the grievous effects of Psycho Power),
Empowerment and Absorption (Increases the potency of M. Bison's Psycho Power by absorbing human hatred and fear, then directing them into him. Can also absorb the energy of those imprisoned in it, save for M. Bison himself and the Dolls),
Energy Projection (Can fire the stored energy),
Healing (Can heal M. Bison indefinitely, even from a distance),
Weather Manipulation (While powered by the Psycho Drive, M. Bison was able to generate a storm around the Shadaloo base)
Magnetism Manipulation (Can release powerful EMP waves),
Self-Destruction (Can crash into the ground and cause mass destruction as a last resort),
Weaknesses: Highly arrogant. His Psycho Power at a point started to become too great for his body to handle (Hence his desire to find a stronger one). He seemingly cannot possess anyone at will, as the host needs to be either infused first with Psycho Power and brainwashed (Ryu), be specifically engineered for it (Seth and other spare bodies), be a clone of M. Bison himself (Cammy, Decapre, Ed and Falke) or possess his same soul (Rose)
Rugal Bernstein
Backstory:
Feared throughout the political and fighting world, Rugal was an influential arms dealer who operated aboard his aircraft carrier, the Black Noah. To those who would oppose him, he would defeat them and later preserve their bodies in liquid metal to add to his grisly trophy room. He used to work with his younger brother, but they separated over conflicting interests.
When Rugal was about 25 years old, an 18-year-old Goenitz took out his eye with one strike and gave him a small portion of Orochi's power for surviving the attack. Since then, he has a bionic eye to replace the one he lost. At some point, he had a son and a daughter with an unnamed woman, as well as a panther named Rodem.
Sometime in 1986, Rugal wanted to demonstrate his power in a base at Brazil and murdered everyone he found inside. The sole survivor of the fifty man massacre was Heidern, who lost his right eye during the attack. At the time, he was too displeased with his victim to add him to his "collection" so he deprived the man of his wife and child as compensation. Heidern would spend nearly a decade filled with hatred and rage against Rugal.
Before 1994, he recruited two secretaries: Mature and Vice (both of who were secretly assigned by Goenitz to observe Rugal, believing that he could be a suitable host for Orochi). Rugal, wanting to expand his "collection", decides to host The King of Fighters in 1994, with an additional twist; fighters must form a team of 3 to compete and represent a country. Now he awaits on his battleship, the Black Noah, waiting to see the teams that will participate.
During the invitation phase, Saisyu Kusanagi came to the Black Noah and challenged Rugal. Although Rugal won the battle, he did not subject him to his metal bath. The winner of the tournament was Saisyu's son, Kyo Kusanagi, and his two teammates, Benimaru Nikaido and Goro Daimon, who arrived shortly after Saishu's defeat.
Rugal is happy that the Hero Team won, as they can be added to his "collection", which are former fighters turned into living trophies, with Rugal pointing out that he did not turn Saisyu into a trophy because he felt that he was unfitting. Kyo and his teammates fight Rugal, who would end up being one of the hardest fight of their lives. Unwilling to accept defeat, Rugal attempted to blow up his ship along with the Hero Team. While the Hero Team escaped, Rugal's fate was unknown.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Barrier Creation,
Elemental Manipulation,
Energy Manipulation,
Power and Energy Absorption,
Power Mimicry
As Omega Rugal: All previous abilities to a greater extent, Gravity Manipulation,
Light Manipulation (via his cybernetic eye),
minor Levitation
Weaknesses: Highly overconfident Using the Orochi power can consume him. However, it is unknown if he still has this weakness as of XV.
Song: Soul-Destructive Dictators
M. Bison, the formidable leader of Shadaloo, fixated on an array of video screen feeds displaying footage from his expansive surveillance network. His face was a mask of stoicism, his eyes constantly searching for any sign of weakness or opportunity. With an unwavering gaze, Bison maintained his stern expression, embodying the relentless pursuit of his ultimate goal – world domination.
The blaring alarms shattered the silence, announcing an intrusion in Shadaloo's base. M. Bison's annoyance quickly turned to anger as he recognized the breach. The leader rose from his seat, determination etched across his face. He moved swiftly through the dimly lit corridors, heading towards the source of the disturbance.
M. Bison marched into a spacious dome-shaped room furnished with cutting-edge computer systems and technological equipment. His steps echoed in the chamber as he spotted a figure in a red garb, waiting silently in the center of the room. With a commanding voice, Bison addressed the intruder, his tone laced with annoyance.
"Who are you, and what is the meaning of this intrusion?"
Rugal Bernstein turned his attention towards M. Bison, a malicious grin curling across his face.
"Your associates, the pompous Spaniard with the claw and the idiot boxer, tried flexing their muscles in my territory. I put them in their place and they gladly gave away your base's location in exchange for sparing their lives."
He explained, his voice laced with arrogance. M. Bison's expression darkened, his arms folding across his chest in displeasure.
"Vega and Balrog have once again proven their inadequacies. Don't mistake my subordinates' failures as an indication of my own weakness. You will kneel before my Psycho Power."
Rugal's confident smile widened as he dismissed Bison's Psycho Power.
"Psycho Power? Ha, mere shadows compared to the might of Orochi."
He declared, mockingly. He positioned himself, preparing for the imminent battle.
"Reppuken!"
Rugal released a swift wave of ki, which raced along the ground, but M. Bison swiftly countered with a Scissor Kick, launching himself into the air and effortlessly flipping over the attack. Bison swiftly landed a powerful double kick, striking against Bernstein's body.
Despite the force of Bison's kicks, Rugal managed to retaliate, landing a powerful punch to the leader's stomach that sent him stumbling backwards. However, Bison was not one to be deterred and quickly retaliated, using his Psycho Power to levitate his opponent and then slamming him back into the wall with a powerful impact.
As M. Bison was readying a follow-up attack with a clenched fist, the tables suddenly turned as Rugal retaliated with a powerful kick to Bison's chin, defending himself with a Genocide Cutter.
"Genocide Cutter!"
The attack sent Bison flying backward, momentarily disoriented. He was further blasted back by a Kaiser Wave ki blast, causing him to crash to the ground, rolling across the floor with some grunts.
"Reppuken!"
Rugal unleashed another barrage of ki waves, aimed at covering the floor. However, M. Bison swiftly teleported, reappearing before Bernstein to deliver a powerful punch to his jaw and a knee to the gut. The double attack propelled Rugal backward, slamming him against the metal wall. With a sinister grip around his throat, Bison lifted his opponent off the floor, holding him captive.
M. Bison channeled his Psycho Power, unleashing it upon Rugal in a brief but intense surge. The leader then hurled his opponent onto the metal floor with brute force, causing him to crash onto the cold surface face-first. M. Bison released a battle cry as he invoked,
"Psycho Crusher!"
Launching himself in a powerful charge, he lunged towards Rugal with a surge of Psycho Power. The impact was true, striking his opponent square in the chest and slamming him into the ground beneath Bison. The leader let out a sinister laugh, poised to continue his assault, when suddenly he was taken aback by Rugal's unexpected counterattack – the infusion of ki and electrifying energy into Bison's body. The electrical jolt forced the dictator backward.
M. Bison landed on his feet, his annoyance evident as he was pushed away by Rugal's electrical counterattack. Undeterred, the leader pressed on, immediately launching a head stomp attack, only to be frustrated once again when Betnstein to defend himself with a ki shield, effectively blocking the offensive maneuver.
M. Bison leaped backward, preparing to descend with a Psycho Power-enhanced Skull Crusher Dive. However, his attack was intercepted by Rugal's swift Genocide Cutter kick, which skillfully diverted Bison away from his intended target.
M. Bison swiftly teleported away to reclaim the advantage, swiftly executing a slide kick to throw Rugal's footing off balance. With a surge of Psycho Power once again, Bison unleashed a crushing attack, sending his opponent stumbling backward. In a display of precision and aggression, Bison teleported above Betnstein, and delivered a powerful stomp, driving him down into the floor with formidable force.
"Nightmare Booster! This place shall become your grave!"
Bison declared, his voice filled with menace. M. Bison reveled in his triumph as he unleashed a barrage of punches infused with Psycho Power, delivering them to Rugal's face repeatedly, each blow cracking the metal floor beneath them. Unrelenting in his aggression, Bison sought to overwhelm his opponent. However, Rugal retaliated swiftly, extending his hand forward to shock Bison's face with a powerful surge of electrical ki, forcibly pushing the dictator away. M. Bison seethed with frustration, bellowing,
"Just stay down!"
Unleashing his Psycho Cannon, he fired a barrage of dark energy blasts. However, with unwavering determination, Rugal stood up and formed a ki force field, deflecting the attacks, sending them hurtling back at the dictator. The reflected energy exploded upon impact, further adding to Bison's disorientation within the battle. M. Bison roared with determination, his voice filled with conviction,
"My Psycho Power knows no limits!"
With an explosive burst, he cleared the debris, revealing his new and fearsome form. The violet flames of his Psycho Power aura danced around him, signifying his transition to his Final Bison state. His once red attire had now turned an ominous black, a representation of his unleashed full potential. Rugal shot back defiantly,
"Fool! You underestimate the power of a god!"
In response, purple energy burst from him, surging outward in all directions as he hovered several feet off the ground. Flickers of energy danced upon his body as his blonde hair turned stark white and his cybernetic eye glowed fiercely red. He now embodied the form of Omega Rugal, embodying godlike essence.
"Gigantic Pressure!"
Omega Rugal launched the first attack, using Gigantic Pressure to propel Final Bison into a wall with immense force, causing a massive explosion. However, the dictator swiftly teleported out of the debris, appearing behind his foe. Capitalizing on the opportunity, he seized Omega Rugal and hurled him overhead with impressive strength.
Omega Rugal managed to land on his feet after being thrown, effortlessly deflecting away any incoming Psycho Cannons. However, Final Bison employed his teleportation to its full extent, attacking with lightning-fast punches and kicks, teleporting at such speed that Omega Rugal found himself under attack from multiple angles simultaneously, as if facing four opponents at once.
Omega Rugal's frustration grew evident as he let out a growl of irritation, pivoting swiftly to fire a laser burst from his cybernetic eye. Final Bison swiftly retaliated by teleporting away and shielding himself with a Psycho Power barrier, intercepting the intense beam.
With blinding speed, Omega Rugal surged forward, catching Final Bison off guard, swiftly gripping his throat and unleashing a devastating attack. Without a moment's thought, he drove his other hand, filled with crackling energy, into the dictator's body. As Final Bison cried out in pain, Rugal concluded the brutal assault by stomping down forcefully with both feet, causing a tremendous explosion that inflicted catastrophic damage.
Despite the overwhelming power displayed and the explosion that followed, Final Bison unleashed a defiant cry, utilizing Nightmare Booster to propel both himself and Rugal into the air. With unshakeable determination, he sought to seize the upper hand in the deadly confrontation.
"Death awaits you!"
His voice echoed with confidence, the promise of impending fate adding to the intensity of the battle. With a burst of speed, Final Bison teleported above Rugal, delivering a powerful stomp that drove him into the ground. Omega Rugal gasped from the impact and the display of sheer strength, only to find himself in a state of alarm and anticipation.
"Psycho Booster!"
The words rang out, signaling the commencement of a devastating attack. Final Bison descended upon his fallen foe with the force of a fiery purple asteroid, his energy surging with an apocalyptic intensity.
Final Bison's unstoppable force collided with Omega Rugal's chest with overwhelming power, driving them through the floor and tearing through layers of steel infrastructure within the Shadaloo base. In the process, Rugal's body bore the brunt of the impact, tearing him apart. They landed on a floor below with a sickening thud, blood and body parts cascading around them. Omega Rugal's body was left in a torn and brutalized state, his once intimidating presence reduced to scattered remnants.
M. Bison, exhausted from expending such immense Psycho Power, found himself struggling to stand upright, his once black attire transforming back to its original red. The recoil from the overwhelming power usage forced him to kneel, his body strained and weakened by the tremendous effort. Despite the fatigue, Bison managed to muster a dismissive remark, his arrogance still present.
"Hmph. He might have made an inferior vessel for transferring my spirit into anyway."
Strength: So, compared to Rugal going up against Akuma, this was much closer. Both fighters were able to create storms to showcase their power, but while Rugal with additional power was able to create a storm with energy equivalent of 5 MT of TNT, M. Bison, on his own, was able to create one that required at least 70 MT of TNT to make it skull shaped. Which is 14X stronger, and Final Bison is stronger than that.
Speed: As established in my Akuma vs Rugal match in chapter two, Rugal is about 40X faster than Bison. However, Bison's teleportation skills would allow him to keep pace with Rugal, giving him better arena control.
Skill: Even if we assume that both fighters treat combat as beneath them, only using it to dominate their enemy underfoot, I'd say that Bison is a more skilled martial artist thanks to being about 15 years older, giving him more time to fight and utilize his Psycho Power.
Experience: Like Akuma, M. Bison has faced more than the likes of Rugal Bernstein, even facing against Ryu because his use of the Satsui no Hado seemed to make him a viable vessel, which would work similarly to Rugal's Omega form.
Powers: While they both possessed similarly fighting styles and some similar moves, M. Bison had a more diverse moveset than Rugal's elemental ki. While M. Bison needs his opponent weakened for his mind and soul manipulation to work. Telekinesis, teleportation, energy absorption, this gave Bison enough diversity to overcome Rugal.
The winner is M. Bison.
Next time:
"Nothing can hinder my spirit! Nothing!"
"Do what must be done. I will live by these words, as my master does."