Mai Shiranui

Mai Shiranui (Japanese: 不知火舞, Hepburn: Shiranui Mai; alternatively written しらぬい まい) is a character in the Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters series of fighting games by SNK. Introduced in 1992's Fatal Fury 2, the character was originally conceived as a male character named "Ninja Master", but when a request was put in to include a female character in the game they revised the concept entirely. For the game's sequel Fatal Fury 3 they considered replacing her with another female character, but due to heavy fan request she returned instead and has appeared in nearly every entry in both the Fatal Fury and King of Fighters series since.

Mai is a Japanese kunoichi and the inheritor of her family's ninjitsu fighting style. Deeply in love with the character Andy Bogard, she enters martial arts tournaments against him so he may see her as a warrior. In addition to the aforementioned series she has appeared in a multitude of other games including the SNK vs Capcom series and various collaboration events between SNK and other gaming companies. She has been voiced by various voice actresses including Akoya Sogi, Ami Koshimizu, Sarah Sawatsky, Lisa Ann Beley, Rebecca Rose, Kotono Mitsuishi, and Megumi Hayashibara. In live action media, she has been portrayed by Tomomi Miyauchi, Maggie Q, and Chinese actress Pan Chun Chun.

Mai has been well received, seen as a mascot for SNK as a whole, which has heavily promoted her in various video game crossovers and merchandise. Her portrayal which often emphasizes the swaying of her large breasts has been cited as one of the first examples of the concept of breast physics in gaming, and a significant element of her character's appeal. Other outlets have attributed some of her popularity to Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture's portrayal of her, while others have praised her personality and ownership of her sexuality. She has additionally been seen as a rival character to Street Fighter's Chun-Li, and symbolic of the rivalry between SNK and Street Fighter developer Capcom. She has also been cited as a frequent subject of cosplay, which her outfit in particular seeing frequent usage in China and Taiwan in promotions and media across both countries.