| Duke | |
|---|---|
| 200px Duke in KOF: Maximum Impact 2. | |
| Profile | |
| Full name | Duke Burkoff |
| Birthplace | Unknown, probably Russia |
| Height | 192 cm (6'4") |
| Weight | 114 kg (251 lbs.) |
| Blood type | A |
| Family/Relatives | Deceased parents, Marian Burkoff (sister, deceased) |
| Job/Occupation | (Former) Ruler of Southtown |
| Likes | His pet dogs (5 St. Bernards) |
| Dislikes | The scar on his neck |
| Hobbies | Listening to opera |
| Special skill | Breaking codes |
| Fighting style | Personal method of fighting arts |
Duke is a fictional character from the SNK Playmore's fighting game series KOF: Maximum Impact, part of The King of Fighters series. He is the main boss in the first game, but enters as a playable character in KOF: Maximum Impact 2.
Duke was conceptualized to be the very definition of a gang boss who wore "gorgeous clothing" and "has been through a lot". Falcoon originally designed a younger man in his twenties with a Japanese sword, similar in appearance to Last Blade's Shinnosuke Kagami or Garou: Mark of the Wolves Kain R. Heinlein. Like other characters of the game, he underwent a number of retakes until the development team filmly requested for a "strong bodied and serious man in his thirties". During KOF: Maximum Impact, he had a "D" on the back of his shirt; this was changed to a more tribal design afterwards. He was specifically made to seem as though he's suppressing himself from his true potential. Concerning his involvement with the Meira brothers and their mentor Fate, the brothers only saw a figure of Duke's stature during the time of the incident and initially mistaken Seth for Fate's murder. This concept, however, was rewritten upon the sequel's release. His official nickname is The Man Hell Coughed Up.
He is voiced by Kiyoyuki Yanada and Jerry Lyden.