Bloody Roar is an arcade-style fighting game, where the player takes control of one of several Zoanthropes, mutant humans with the ability to assume the form of a super-powerful half-animal half-human creature. The basic plotline of the series is that humans have recently discovered the existence of the Zoanthropes and persecute them due to fear. The player takes control of one Zoanthrope and then fights a series of battles against the other Zoanthropes to complete the game. Though the Zoanthropes want (generally speaking) nothing more than to be left alone, humans insist on causing them to fight. In the most recent game of the series; Bloody Roar: Primal Fury (Somtimes referred to as Bloody Roar Extreme), the Zoanthropes have established their own kingdom, but the rulers are secretly experimenting on their subjects, with plans to deal with the threat posed by the humans once and for all.

Games in the series

• Bloody Roar: the very first, this details the emergence of the Zoanthropes as a race.

• Bloody Roar 2: more characters are introduced, the political relationship between the two races is outlined.

• Bloody Roar 3: the discover of the XGC (X Genome Code), which allows Zoanthropes to access a Super Saiyan style transformation (Hyper Beast Mode, or Super-Beastorization).

• Bloody Roar Extreme/Primal Fury: the founding of the Zoanthrope kingdom, 80% of the population of this independent territory are Zoanthropes.

• Bloody Roar 4

Characters in the series

Yugo

Japanese Wolf Zoanthrope. The main character. A brash young man, Yugo is the adoptive elder brother and legal guardian of Bakuryu. He is a great fighter and motarcyclist. It is also believed that he is in a relationship with Alice. First introduced in Bloody Roar.

Alice

Rabbit Zoanthrope, daughter of a Japanese father and an American mother of German descent. Kidnapped and her family killed at a young age, after breaking free of Tylon Alice saved Uriko and was adopted by her parents. She is believed to be in a relationship with Yugo. In the earlier games, she had blue hair, but she currently is a brunette. First introduced in Bloody Roar.

Stun (Steven Goldberg)

Insect (a Beetle, possibly a Stag Beetle) Zoanthrope, American in nationality. Originally a worker at Tylon, Stun was injected with an experimental compound devised by his colleague Busuzima when he discovered the company's plans. The formula mutated him into an artificial Zoanthrope but also damaged his cells. Without a special stabilizer, Stun's body slowly disintegrates. As such, Stun is in near-constant pain, and has lost much of his sanity due to both the agony and the fact he must kill innocent human beings and devour their brains to survive. Stun eventually perished, but cells from his body were recovered and a clone was created. This clone lacks the cellular imbalance that killed the first Stun, and due to the presence of a structure jokingly referred to as "the black box" retains much of the original's memories. First appeared in Bloody Roar 2.

Uriko

Japanese Half-Cat Zoanthrope. Kidnapped by Tylon, Uriko's DNA was modified to make her into the "Werechimera", the most powerful Zoanthrope to ever live. Alice rescued her but the modifications caused her transformation genes to break down, leaving her unable to assume a true beast form. One of the fastest and toughest characters (a legacy of her time as the Werechimera), Uriko is a lot more dangerous than she looks, and Tylon refers to her as the most destructive being on the planet. Fans of the series often place her in a romantic relationship with Bakuryu. Alice is her adopted sister. First introduced in Bloody Roar.

Xion

Though his nationality is officially Swedish, Xion actually comes from another dimension. Drawn to Earth by the emergence of the XGC, Xion was supposed to cause some kind of cataclysm, most likely opening a permanent gateway between his dimension and Earth. Xion's beast form is a being referred to as an Unborn, a demonic, insectile (most likely a Mantis of some sort)creature for which no actual match can be found on Earth. Quite mad, Xion came to Earth with his younger sister, but killed her the same way he killed their elder sister and (possibly) their entire family. First introduced in Bloody Roar 3.

Shina

French Leopard Zoanthrope. The adopted daughter of Gado, Shina was raised as a mecenary and so fights simply because she neither knows nor can she envisage any other type of life. First introduced in Bloody Roar II.

Busuzima

Japanese Chameleon Zoanthrope. A demented scientist, Busuzima originally joined Tylon to continue his experiments in creating an immortal creature. Crazy, strange and just plain weird, Busuzima believes himself to be an extremely skilled fighter (in the hands of a skilled player, Busuzima actually is rather powerful, due mainly to his extendable limbs and Invisibility special move). First appeared in Bloody Roar 2.

Jenny

Bat Zoanthrope, nationality unknown. Though most people know her as a model, Jenny is actually a free-lance special opertions spy. Jenny does not age, one rumour is this is due to a special bio-engineering experiment she underwent (this may have been what turned her into a Zoanthrope) while another claims she is actually a genuine Hungarian vampire. First introduced in Bloody Roar.

Gado

French Lion Zoanthrope. The adoptive father of Shina, Gado is a noble soul who longs for peace between humans and Zoanthropes. Has had several business dealings and worked with Jenny, rumoured to be in a relationship with her. First introduced in Bloody Roar.

Shenlong

White Tiger Zoanthrope, no nationality. Shenlong is Long's somewhat unstable clone. An enigmatic character, Shenlong's sole driving force seems to be his madness. First introduced in Bloody Roar.

Bakuryu

Japanese Mole Zoanthrope. Bakuryu (real name Kenji Ogami) was raised to be a successor to Kohryu. Brainwashed by Tylon to become an assassin and resqued by Yugo, Bakuryu is now Yugo's brother. Bakuryu is a lethal fighter, being fast and agile with several ninjitsu inspired special attacks, such as smoke bombs. The idea of a Uriko/Bakuryu relationship is considered Fanon. Originally, Bakuryu was the name of the character now called Kohryu. Because of this, fans refer to this character by his real name, and use Bakuryu to refer to both his predecessor and to his brainwashed self. First introduced in Bloody Roar.

Long

Chinese Tiger Zoanthrope. A master of martial arts, Long is the mentor for Uriko and the clone-father? brother? of Shenlong. Long used to be an assassin, before changing his ways. First introduced in Bloody Roar.

Ganesha

Elephant Zoanthrope, nationality is officially the Kingdom of Zoanthropes, but probably originated in India. Ganesha is a hefty fighter, belonging to the fighting game stereotype of "Big Guy"- a large, slow and clumsy fighter who nevertheless packs an extreme punch. Ganesha is Chronos' right-hand man, and thus very high up in the Kingdom. First introduced in Bloody Roar Extreme/Primal Fury.

Chronos

Penguin or Phoenix Zoanthrope, prince of the Kingdom of Zoanthropes. Chronos is either the son of Uranus or has undergone the same procedure she has, as his Hyper-Beast form is a phoenix. Though he looks stupid, Chronos is a deadly fighter- though he is sometimes labeled cheap, as his main claim to fame is that, in beast form, he is so short a lot of attacks go over his head. As a Penguin, he has some ice attacks, but as a Phoenix, they become fire instead. First introduced in Bloody Roar Extreme/Primal Fury.

Kohryu

Iron Mole Zoanthrope (Robotic version of Bakuryu). Kohryu was Bakuryu's teacher, but the numerous treatments he took to enhance his physical prowess led to him disintegrating into a puddle of liquified tissue. Agents of Tylon recovered this tissue, and used it as an essential component in forming the neural software of this prototype mechanical Zoanthrope. In addition to Bakuryu's attacks, Kohryu has a few addition ones such as rocket fists, heat-seeking missiles, and an explosive drill. First introduced in Bloody Roar Extreme/Primal Fury.

Uranus

Werechimera or Chimera Zoanthrope. What this being is anyone's guess. Some think it's a mature clone of Uriko, taken while she was enslaved by Tylon. Others think it's a time-slipped Uriko from the past- or maybe the future... Regardless of what it is, Uranus is ridiculously powerful, with special moves and combos that can decimate an opponent. She also has the power of generating electrical attacks and even levitating herself. First introduced in Bloody Roar Extreme/Primal Fury'.

Other Characters

Nagi the Spurious (a demonic, insectile creature not that unlike Xion)

Reiji the Crow

Ryoho the Dragon

Mana the Ninetails

Mitsuko the Boar

Fox the Fox

Greg the Gorilla