Kenshiro
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Kenshirō (ケンシロウ?), or just Ken—as he is often called—is the central character of the Fist of the North Star manga, anime, and other related works. He is mostly based on Bruce Lee and the character Mad Max, borrowing the former's style and looks while using the clothes and setting of the latter. It is also worth noting that his stoic and composed nature bears a strong resemblance to that of Ogami Ittō of the lengendary manga Lone Wolf and Cub.
[edit] Seiyuu
- Akira Kamiya (TV/Movie)
- Ryō Horikawa (TV, young)
- Takehito Koyasu (OVA)
- Kunihiro Kawamoto (2005 Arcade game)
- Hiroshi Abe (New Movies)
[edit] About
A strong and mostly stoic character, Kenshirō is compelled to punish evil-doers and can perform feats not possible for most people. His mastery of the ancient martial art Hokuto Shinken (北斗神拳?) allows him to kill or cripple with a mere touch. The results tend to be very messy - as this usually causes parts of the victim to explode - but the art also includes several other means of killing. He can also use this art to heal, or to alter people's behaviour. Later in the series Kenshirō learns parts of other martial arts.
When angry his spiritual powers reach their peak, normally culminating in the dramatic destruction of his shirt and jacket (which—despite the obvious lack of a wardrobe or clothing store—are always replaced in the next episode) to expose his muscular torso.
His catchphrase is Omae wa mō shindeiru (おまえはもう死んでいる), meaning "You are already dead", which he usually says before a villain's head is about to explode.
Due to the symbolic scar in the pattern of the Big Dipper given to him by Shin (シン?), Kenshirō is frequently referred to as "the man with seven scars" by those who do not know his name.
[edit] History
Kenshiro Kasumi (霞拳四郎 Kasumi Kenshirō?) was born in the year 1970, somewhere in Japan where he was adopted by the then current Hokuto Shinken master Ramon Kasumi (霞羅門 Kasumi Ramon?) (aka Ryūken (リュウケン?)). He noticed that Kenshirō had a birthmark in the shape of the Big Dipper and thus named him in honor of his older brother Kenshiro Kasumi (霞拳志郎 Kasumi Kenshirō?) who had a similar birthmark. Kenshirō was later put in training at an early age to become a master himself. (This origin story is directly from Fist of the Blue Sky and directly contradicts Fist of the North Star, which shows Kenshirō being born on Shura Island and sent to Ryūken by Jūkei along with Toki and Raoh. This is likely a retcon on Tetsuo Hara's part)
Only one could be allowed to be the new Hokuto Shinken master and Kenshirō trained alongside his three adopted brothers Raoh, Toki, and Jagi for this role. This would set the stage for intense rivalry which only got worse after Kenshirō was eventually chosen by Ryūken.
This rivalry was put on hold after a nuclear disaster devastated most of the world, turning it into a lawless wasteland. The brothers split up and Kenshirō tried to start a new life with his girlfriend Yuria (ユリア?). Sadly, their happiness was short-lived as Kenshirō's old friend Shin confronted them, almost killing him while giving him the seven scars which would become his trademark.
Shown in flashbacks to be a strong yet somewhat more pleasant person, this event of betrayal and loss—culminating in the abduction of his girlfriend—arguably created the brooding, stone-faced character who permeates the story afterwards.
Wandering the wasteland, Kenshirō eventually came to a village where he met the young, innocent Lyn (リン?), and the young, not-so-innocent Bat (バット?). Together, they formed a team which traveled the land, meeting many people including Shin, Kenshirō's brothers, Toki, Jagi and Raoh, and a host of other thugs and martial artists.
