Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star)

In the year 19XX, after being betrayed and left for dead, bravehearted warrior Kenshirou wanders a post-apocalyptic wasteland on a quest to track down his rival, Shin, who has kidnapped his beloved fiancée Yuria. During his journey, Kenshirou makes use of his deadly fighting form, Hokuto Shinken, to defend the helpless from bloodthirsty ravagers. It isn't long before his exploits begin to attract the attention of greater enemies, like warlords and rival martial artists, and Kenshirou finds himself involved with more than he originally bargained for.

Faced with ever-increasing odds, the successor of Hokuto Shinken is forced to put his skills to the test in an effort to take back what he cares for most. And as these new challenges present themselves and the battle against injustice intensifies, namely his conflict with Shin and the rest of the Nanto Seiken school of martial arts, Kenshirou is gradually transformed into the savior of an irradiated and violent world.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Hokuto no Ken covers chapters 1 to 136 of the manga of the same name.

Episode Videos

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	Hokuto no Ken
Sequel:	Hokuto no Ken 2
Spin-off:	Shin Hokuto no Ken
Alternative version:	Hokuto no Ken Movie, Hokuto no Ken: Raoh Gaiden Junai-hen, Hokuto no Ken: Raoh Gaiden Gekitou-hen, Hokuto no Ken: Yuria-den, Hokuto no Ken: Toki-den, Hokuto no Ken Zero: Kenshirou Den, DD Hokuto no Ken, Hokuto no Ken: Fist of the North Star
Side story:	Hokuto no Ken: Raoh Gaiden Ten no Haoh
Other:	Hokuto no Ken: Legend of Heroes, DD Hokuto no Ken 2 Ichigo Aji+
Prequel:	Souten no Ken: Regenesis 2nd Season

More characters

Characters & Voice Actors

Kenshirou

Main

Kamiya, Akira
Japanese

Raou

Supporting

Wakamoto, Norio
Japanese

Rei

Supporting

Shiozawa, Kaneto
Japanese

Toki

Supporting

Horikawa, Ryo
Japanese

Jagi

Supporting

Totani, Kouji
Japanese

Souther

Supporting

Ginga, Banjou
Japanese

Juuza

Supporting

Yasuhara, Yoshito
Japanese

Shin

Supporting

Furukawa, Toshio
Japanese

Shuu

Supporting

Mori, Katsuji
Japanese

Bat

Supporting

Ichiryuusai, Teiyuu
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Maseba, Yutaka

Producer

Macek, Carl

Producer

Ashida, Toyoo

Director, Episode Director, Screenplay

Itano, Ichirou

Episode Director, Animation Director

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Opening Theme

	1: "Ai wo Torimodose!! (愛をとりもどせ!!)" by Crystal King (eps 1-82)
	2: "Silent Survivor" by Kodomo Band (eps 83-109)

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Ending Theme

	1: "Yuria... Eien ni (ユリア...永遠に)" by Crystal King (eps 1-82)
	2: "Dry Your Tears" by Kodomo Band (eps 83-109)

Reviews

Nov 12, 2009

nicepants

Recommended

When I first started Hokuto no Ken, I did not know a thing about Fist of the North Star. I had heard the name before, and I knew it was a popular franchise with bloody exploding heads. When I started watching the series, it looked so incredibly 80s.

In fact, the Shin arc made me stop watching it for a while. The endless mooks in poorly drawn 80s style really turned me off. A few weeks later, I decided to try it again. I am so absolutely glad I did. Hokuto no Ken is a post-apocolyptic epic, and I don't use that term lightly.

The story is ...

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Feb 21, 2023

VasileTraian

Mixed Feelings

'Fist of the North Star' is about heads and body parts exploding. That's it. There is no plot. You may be tricked into thinking there is one, but there isn't. It's just Kenshiro, the main protagonist, walking straight, as random shit happens around him.

'Fist of the North Star' has no characters. You may be tricked into thinking there are characters, but there aren't. They are just props which Kenshiro ruthlessly destroys. Never, at any time, ever, does any spark of intelligence or emotion ever ignite in these people's (inevitably exploding) heads. They exist to have their heads exploded. Sure, they are capable of speech, motion, ...

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Sep 14, 2023

Deago

Not Recommended

First of all, let's talk about the repetitive nature of the show. It seems like every other episode features the same formula: some evil guys do some evil things, Kenshiro shows up and beats them up, the evil guys inform their boss, the boss becomes enraged and sends his minions after Kenshiro, Kenshiro beats them up, then Kenshiro beats their boss, and the episode ends. Rinse and repeat. This formula is so predictable that it becomes tedious after a while, and you can easily predict what's going to happen next.

The repetition doesn't stop there, though. The show also reuses a lot of animations, which is ... a common practice in anime but can get annoying when it's overdone. You'll see Kenshiro using the same moves over and over again, ripping his shirt(s) again and again, and the show will often reuse the same stock footage of characters screaming and punching the air. This just adds to the overall feeling of sameness that permeates the show.

Now, let's move on to the supporting characters. Bart is supposed to be the comic relief, but he's just not that funny. He's a one-dimensional character with no depth or development. Lin, on the other hand, is just a damsel in distress to be rescued by Kenshiro. She's merely a helpless girl who constantly puts herself in danger, and it gets old after a while. Mamiya is a bit better, as she's initially presented as a strong and independent woman, but her character development is stunted and she eventually becomes more of a love interest for Kenshiro. And Toki was just a Jesus Christ

Rei is probably the most interesting supporting character, but after his story ended, he was reduced to being a sidekick to Kenshiro. His initial storyline about searching for his sister's kidnapper and avenging his parents was intriguing, but then I guess the writer ran out of ideas for him.

As for the villains, there are a lot of them, but most of them are forgettable. They're just there to be beaten up by Kenshiro and move the plot along. The three main villains who are actually related to the main plot are Shin, Souther, and Raoh. Shin is the best of the bunch, with a tragic backstory and a personal connection to Kenshiro that makes their fights more meaningful. Souther is an interesting character as well, but his motivations are a bit muddy, and he doesn't get as much screen time as he deserves. Raoh is a 'big bad' dark messiah dictator who is there to be defeated by Kenshiro in the end.

In terms of animation and music, the 1984 Fist of the North Star TV anime is acceptable but not exceptional. The animation was decent for its time, but it doesn't hold up well compared to modern anime. The music is forgettable, with a lot of generic rock tracks that don't add much to the show.

Overall, the Fist of the North Star TV anime from 1984 is badly written, with retcons and plot rehashes that make it hard to watch after King arc (the first arc). It has some interesting ideas and characters, but it's hampered by its repetitive formula and lack of depth. If you're a fan of classic anime or martial arts stories, you might enjoy it. However, if you're looking for something with more substance and originality, you might want to look elsewhere. I would recommend the more recent pentalogy (3 movies + 2 OVAs) if you want to explore the main plot with a more streamlined presentation and the retcons were fixed by adding foreshadowings.

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Poll: Hokuto no Ken Episode 25 Discussion naikou - Feb 16, 2009	17 replies	by CreamofDaCrop »» Mar 25, 7:23 AM
Poll: Hokuto no Ken Episode 31 Discussion brucescrews - Feb 24, 2012	9 replies	by 0451 »» Mar 17, 4:43 AM
Information on this production? Teirayo - Mar 7	2 replies	by Otakupervert890 »» Mar 7, 9:39 PM
Poll: Hokuto no Ken Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 ) 8GaugeBrett - Nov 20, 2008	53 replies	by mtsRhea »» Feb 28, 3:13 PM
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