Ryuji Yamazaki (Japanese name: Yamazaki Ryuji) is a male villain character in SNK’s fighting game series Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters. He first appeared as a mid-boss in Fatal Fury 3 and joined the Orochi Eight in The King of Fighters '97 in 1997. His fighting style is the “I-Ryu” noisy assassination martial art, with signature moves such as Snake Summoning, Sand-Kicking, and Guillotine [2–4] [10].

Ryuji Yamazaki lost both parents at a young age and was originally a trusted subordinate of Anto, a high-ranking member of a Japanese yakuza syndicate. After Anto’s death, he fled to Hong Kong and established his own power base in Kowloon Walled City, where he engaged in illegal arms trading on the black market. Although he is one of the Orochi Eight, he refuses to follow their orders and consistently operates as a lone wolf [2] [6] [9] [11]. He is known for his ruthless and cunning personality, excelling in unconventional combat tactics such as dagger throwing and snake-summoning grabs; moreover, once he draws his left hand, he enters a berserk state.