Athena Asamiya was recently revealed to be a playable character in King of Fighters 15. While Athena has been a playable addition in fighting games since King of Fighters ’94, she actually made her debut appearance in video games before King of Fighters was even a thing.
In a video uploaded by Rooflemonger, Athena’s origins are explained. Notably, a character known as Athena appeared in a 1986 SNK title… Athena. Though this isn’t the Athena we know of today, this Athena does have a connection to the Athena in King of Fighters.
The Athena Asamiya that we’re most familiar with is actually said to be the descendent of the Athena that fell into a realm known as “Fantasy World.” Princess Athena sometimes acts as a secret character or assistant to Athena Asamiya in specific SNK fighting games.
Of course, Athena Asamiya herself also hails from a game known as Psycho Soldier (which can sometimes be referred to as “Athena 2”). This is why she typically teams up with Sie Kensou and Chin Gentsai to form Team Psycho Soldier, though only Athena and Sie were playable in Psycho Soldier.
What’s interesting about Athena is that she looks different in every King of Fighters title that she has appeared in. Although her hair is purple this time, it hasn’t necessarily been like this in every game she’s been in.
Check out the video below to hear more about Athena’s history:
