**Kaoru Hanayama** As second-generation boss of the Hanayama Group, Kaoru Hanayama wields exceptional physical strength and an unyielding code of honor. His scarred physique features distinctive facial markings and a fragmented full-back tattoo of the "Standing Man," honoring the ancestor who preserved his lineage—a design fractured by repeated combat injuries. He enforces a family tradition of never retreating in battle, even at mortal risk. This resolve manifested when he endured three direct strikes from Katsumi Orochi in the Maximum Tournament, remaining upright and compelling Orochi’s moral concession despite losing the match. Hanayama prioritizes innate ability over trained skill, extending this belief to his recruitment. Raised in the Yakuza under his father Keizou, he inherited leadership after Keizou’s death in a gang conflict. Mentored by advisor Kizaki, the 15-year-old Hanayama single-handedly slaughtered his father’s killers to secure his authority. He harbors fierce loyalty to his terminally ill mother, envying those with healthy parents, though his relationship with his late father remains undefined. Hanayama forges bonds through violence. Initially challenging Baki Hanma to gain Yuujiro Hanma’s notice, he earned Baki’s respect in their duel and later shielded him in conflicts. During the Maximum Tournament, he befriended Chiharu Shiba, impressed by Shiba’s tenacity, and recruited him into his organization. His romantic approach proved unconventional: he terrified a confessing classmate by disrobing and kissing her aggressively, causing her flight. In later events, Hanayama intercepted death row convict Spec during an assessment of Baki. Spec detonated bullets in Hanayama’s mouth, inflicting permanent injuries that mandated a mask thereafter. **Zulu** A Vale Tudo fighter from Brazil, Zulu competed in the Maximum Tournament among 36 global combatants. Descended from enslaved Africans, he exhibits feral brutality in battle—biting foes and blinding them with his own blood. His behavior implies minimal socialization beyond tribal environments, including an inability to speak any language. Despite his savagery, he provides for his family. In the tournament’s first round, Zulu defeated Muay Thai practitioner Dentoranee Sitpika. Advancing against Baki Hanma, he displayed uncharacteristic fear before his defeat. Zulu did not reappear in subsequent conflicts.