is a fictional

character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...

and the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

of the ''

Fist of the North Star is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara. It was serialized in Shueisha's Shōnen manga, ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' for 245 issues published from 1983 to 1988 and initially colle ...

'' manga series created by

Tetsuo Hara is a Japanese manga artist. He is best-known for creating the post-apocalyptic martial arts series ''Fist of the North Star'' (1983–1988) with writer Buronson, which is one of the best-selling manga in history with over 100 million copies i ...

and

Buronson , known by the pen names and , is a Japanese manga writer. Making his debut in 1972, he first found success with the hardboiled detective manga series ''Doberman Deka'' (1975–1979) alongside illustrator Shinji Hiramatsu. He is best-known for ...

. According to Hara and Buronson, Kenshiro's character design was primarily based on the martial artist and actor

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that ...

, combined with influences from actor

Yūsaku Matsuda was a Japanese actor. In Japan, he was best known for roles in action films and a variety of television series in the 1970s as well as a switch to a wider range of roles in the 1980s. His final film appearance was as the villain Sato in Ridley ...

and the ''

Mad Max ''Mad Max'' is an Australian post-apocalyptic Action film, action film series and media franchise created by George Miller (filmmaker), George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It began in 1979 with ''Mad Max (film), Mad Max'', and was followed by thre ...

'' film series. In the story, Kenshiro is the rightful successor of an ancient art of assassination called ''

Hokuto Shinken The following is a list of characters from the manga and anime franchise ''Fist of the North Star'' by Tetsuo Hara and Buronson , known by the pen names and , is a Japanese manga writer. Making his debut in 1972, he first found success wit ...

'', which allows Kenshiro to defeat his adversaries through use of hidden

meridian Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to Science * Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon * ...

points. Through the course of the original manga, Kenshiro fights against various ruffians who threaten the lives of the post-apocalyptic survivors, as well as numerous rival martial artists, including his three honorary brothers trained in the art of Hokuto Shinken. Kenshiro is also known as , due to the seven scars engraved on his chest patterned after the shape of the

Big Dipper The Big Dipper ( US, Canada) or the Plough ( UK, Ireland) is a large asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major; six of them are of second magnitude and one, Megrez (δ), of third magnitude. Four define a "bowl" ...

(the symbol of the ''Hokuto'' school), as well as . Kenshiro's famous

catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...

just prior to an enemy's death is .

Concept and creation

Tetsuo Hara - Dimanche - Japan Expo 2013 - P1670525

Artist

was a fan of Chinese martial artist

as well as action

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

and the Japanese

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

star

. He combined the appearance and character traits of Bruce Lee and Yūsaku Matsuda when he came up with the character design of Kenshiro. Hara originally depicted Kenshiro as a teenager who fought against the rival martial arts school of the Taizanji Kenpō in the 1980s

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

in his two-part prototype version of ''Hokuto no Ken''. This version of the character was given the full name of . In this setting, Kenshiro was the 23rd successor of Hokuto Shinken, preceded by his unnamed father, who in turn learned the art from the 21st successor, Master . This Kenshiro was much more cheerful than the Kenshiro of the serialized manga, having yet to experience the same hardships at the start of the story and lacking his iconic seven scars. After Kenshiro's girlfriend, Yuki is murdered and Ken is framed for her death, Kenshiro becomes a wanted fugitive who sets out to overthrow the Taizanji organization. The character was revised by

when ''Hokuto no Ken'' was picked up for weekly serialization. Now turned into a full-grown adult, Buronson has stated that he based the revised Kenshiro primarily on the actor and martial arts legend

. He also cites the ''

'' film series as an influence. The character is only referred by his given name in the series, which is always written in

katakana is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...

in Japanese. The full name Kenshiro Kasumi was reused for the main character of ''

Fist of the Blue Sky is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara, with plot supervision by Buronson. It was serialized in ''Weekly Comic Bunch'' from 2001 to 2010, with the chapters collected into 22 ''tankōbon'' volumes by Shinchosha. It ...

'', a predecessor of the Kenshiro from ''Fist of the North Star'', although his given name is spelled differently ( instead of ).

Character overview

Kenshiro is the youngest of four adopted sons trained by the previous ''Hokuto Shinken'' successor,

Ryuken The following is a list of characters from the manga and anime franchise ''Fist of the North Star'' by Tetsuo Hara and Buronson. All characters are from the original manga unless otherwise noted. Hokuto Shinken Hokuto Shinken (北斗神拳, "B ...

. As a child, he was sent to Japan, along with his future nemesis

Raoh is a fictional character in the ''Fist of the North Star'' manga franchise by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. He is the eldest of four honorary brothers (including the protagonist Kenshiro) who trained in the ancient assassination art of Hokuto Shink ...

and Raoh's brother Toki, to escape from their homeland, the war-torn Land of Asura. Along with Raoh, Toki and a fourth student named Jagi, Kenshiro, the youngest of the four, was trained in the art of ''Hokuto Shinken'' and eventually named successor by Ryuken. After surviving the nuclear war, he tried to live in peace with his fiancée

Yulia Yulia ( Юлия) is a female given name, the equivalent of the Latin Julia. It can be spelled Yulia, Yulya, Julia, Julja, Julija, Yuliia, Yuliya, Juliya or İulia. An alternative spelling is Ioulia/Gioulia (Greek) or Iuliia. Prononciations can diff ...

, until Jagi instigates

Shin Shin may refer to: Biology * The front part of the human leg below the knee * Shinbone, the tibia, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates Names * Shin (given name) (Katakana: シン, Hiragana: しん), a Japanese ...

, a jealous rival from the Nanto Koshuken school, to challenge, then defeat Kenshiro. Shin then engraved the iconic seven scars on Kenshiro's chest by stabbing Kenshiro with his fingertips and left him for dead. Prior to this event, he was more forgiving of his enemies, as shown in a flashback of Jagi's failed assassination attempt against him, in which Kenshiro chooses to spare Jagi's life after defeating him. When Kenshiro later fights his old rivals in the present, particularly Shin, Jagi, and Raoh, they all remark on Kenshiro's acquired mercilessness. The initial story arc centers around Kenshiro's quest to reclaim Yulia from Shin. He meets a pair of orphans who follow him in his journey:

Bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...

, a thief; and

Lin Lin or LIN may refer to: People *Lin (surname) (normally ), a Chinese surname *Lin (surname) (normally 蔺), a Chinese surname * Lin (''The King of Fighters''), Chinese assassin character *Lin Chow Bang, character in Fat Pizza Places *Lin, Iran, ...

, a young girl rescued by Ken. Throughout the course of the series, Kenshiro protects the weak and innocent from the numerous gangs roaming the post-apocalyptic wasteland, eventually gaining his reputation as the "Savior of the Century's End." Kenshiro's skills improve through his encounters with members of the ''Nanto Roku Seiken'' and his Hokuto brothers. In the intervening years between Kenshiro last encountering his brothers, Toki decided to use his powers in a way that brought no pain, through healing and painless attacks, while Raoh became considerably more misguided, intent on becoming the 'Conqueror of the Century's End' through ruling the wasteland with an iron fist. Kenshiro eventually confronts and defeats Raoh and is reunited with Yulia, and lives with her until she eventually dies from a terminal illness brought on by radiation sickness. Years later, Kenshiro joins forces with the now-grown Bat and Lin, who have formed the Hokuto Army to fight off the now-corrupt ''Gento Kōken'' warriors. The story eventually takes Ken to the Land of Asura, where he learns of his ''Hokuto Sōke'' heritage and fights against the warlords who control the Land of Asura: his estranged blood brother

Hyoh The following is a list of characters from the manga and anime franchise ''Fist of the North Star'' by Tetsuo Hara and Buronson. All characters are from the original manga unless otherwise noted. Hokuto Shinken Hokuto Shinken (北斗神拳, "B ...

; and Kaioh, Raoh's other blood brother. In the end, Kenshiro takes Raoh's orphaned son, Ryu, under his wing, before continuing on his own, the future of humanity finally sealed with the defeat of Kaioh.

Voice actors

Kenshiro has been voiced by numerous voice actors in different media.

Akira Kamiya is a Japanese voice actor. He played several notable roles in Japanese manga and anime television series, including Kenshiro in ''Fist of the North Star'', Ryo Saeba in ''City Hunter'' and Shutaro Mendo in ''Urusei Yatsura''. In mecha anime, he ...

voiced him first in the original anime television series and movie, as well as in a few video games. He is voiced by

Takehito Koyasu is a Japanese voice actor from Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.Doi, Hitoshi"Koyasu Takehito" ''Seiyuu Database''. January 3, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2011. He is affiliated with and representative of T's Factory, a voice acting agency he founded ...

in the

original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...

series '' New Fist of the North Star'', Kunihiro Kawamoto in the ''Fist of the North Star'' arcade game and CGI short ''Hokuto no Ken: Legend of Heroes'', Hiroshi Abe in '' The Legends of the True Savior'' film series, Hideo Ishikawa in the video game version of '' Ten no Haō'', Katsuyuki Konishi in the video games '' Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage'', '' J-Stars Victory VS'', '' Jump Force'' and ''Fitness Boxing: Fist of the North Star'', and Takaya Kuroda and Robbie Daymond in the video game '' Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise''. The child version of Kenshiro is voiced by Ryō Horikawa in the original anime series and by Yūko Gibu in the ''Legends of the True Savior'' film series.

Reception

In a survey conducted by the Oricon in 2007 among 1,000 people, Kenshiro ranked third place as the "strongest manga character of all time," behind only ''

Dragon Ball is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters colle ...

'' protagonist Son Goku and Doraemon who ranked first and second, respectively. A "wedding ceremony" for Kenshiro and Yuria was held at the Nippon Seinenkan on September 13, 2008, the date of the 25th anniversary of ''Fist of the North Star''. Tetsuo Hara, Buronson, and other staff who worked on the series attended the ceremony planned by an actual wedding planner, 3,000 fans were applying for the 777 invitations that were available to fans via various outlets.

Internet memes

In the 2010s, Kenshiro's catchphrase "Omae Wa Mou Shindeiru" ("You Are Already Dead") became a popular

Internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...

. In September 2017, music producer deadman 死人 (Noah Ryan Murphy) released the song "Omae Wa Mou" which references the meme and samples the Japanese song "Tiny Little Adiantum" (2013) from the ''

Touhou Project The , also known simply as , is a bullet hell shoot 'em up video game series created by one-man independent Japanese ''doujin'' soft developer Team Shanghai Alice. Since 1995, the team's member, Jun'ya "ZUN" Ōta, has independently developed ...

'' video game music album ''Toho Bossa Nova 2''. Rapper Lil Boom produced his own version of the song called "Already Dead" three months later. In 2019, "Omae Wa Mou" went viral on TikTok and topped Spotify's

Viral 50 The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

chart, before being taken off the chart after being struck with a copyright claim. In 2022, game publisher Wizards of the Coast featured a playing card titled "You Are Already Dead" in its new Japanese-themed Magic: The Gathering set, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty.

Notes and references