Kenshirō: Difference between revisions
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|relatives = Hyou (biological older brother)<br>[[Raoh]] (adoptive older brother)<br>Toki (adoptive older brother)<br>Jagi (adoptive older brother)<br>Yuria (fiancee/wife in ''Kenshiro Den'' movie)<br>Unborn son/daughter (confirmed in ''Kenshiro Den'' movie)<br>Ryuken (adoptive father and sifu)<br>Ryu (nephew)<br>Kenshiro Kasumi (uncle)}} | |relatives = Hyou (biological older brother)<br>[[Raoh]] (adoptive older brother)<br>Toki (adoptive older brother)<br>Jagi (adoptive older brother)<br>Yuria (fiancee/wife in ''Kenshiro Den'' movie)<br>Unborn son/daughter (confirmed in ''Kenshiro Den'' movie)<br>Ryuken (adoptive father and sifu)<br>Ryu (nephew)<br>Kenshiro Kasumi (uncle)}} | ||
{{nihongo|'''Kenshirō'''|ケンシロウ|}} ('''Ken''' for short) is the 64th successor of the | {{nihongo|'''Kenshirō'''|ケンシロウ|}} ('''Ken''' for short) is the main character of the [[Hokuto no Ken]] manga, anime and related media. He is the 64th successor of the [[Hokuto Shin Ken]] style and considered one of the greatest successors in its history — due to mastering legendary techniques such as Musō Tensei. His body is distinguished by the trademark seven scars on his chest in the shape of the ''Hokuto Shichisei'' (Big Dipper) which were inflicted by his rival [[Shin]]. Kenshiro is the fiance of [[Yuria]], but after they were tragically separated he journeyed the wasteland and became a savior of the people through his acts of bravery. <br /> | ||
His famous catchphrase '''Omae wa mo shindeiru!'''' (You're already dead!) is dealt to many an opponent whose lives are over before they know it. | |||
==Origin== | ==Origin== | ||
In the 1970's, Kenshirō was born in [[Taiseiden]], [[Land of Asura]] to the [[Hokuto Sōke]] family. | In the 1970's, Kenshirō was born in [[Taiseiden]], [[Land of Asura]] to the [[Hokuto Sōke]] family. [[Ryūken]] named Kenshirō after his older brother, [[Kenshirō Kasumi]], because both had a Big Dipper-shaped birthmark on their heads. The identity of his parents has never been made clear, but he has an older brother named [[Hyō]]. Hyō and Kenshirō were caught in a fire and were rescued by [[Hahaja|Kaiō's Mother]], at the cost of her life. | ||
:With the Land of Asura in political turmoil, [[Jūkei]] send the baby Kenshirō away to Japan with [[Raoh]] and [[Toki]] to be raised by [[Ryūken]]. | :With the Land of Asura in political turmoil, [[Jūkei]] send the baby Kenshirō away to Japan with [[Raoh]] and [[Toki]] to be raised by [[Ryūken]]. | ||
==Character overview== | ==Character overview== | ||
Kenshiro is characterized as the youngest of four adopted sons trained by the previous Hokuto Shinken | Kenshiro is characterized as the youngest of four adopted sons trained by the previous Hokuto Shinken successor, Ryuken. His origin is revealed during the latter half of the ''Fist of the North Star'' manga, in which he was sent to [[Japan]], along with his future nemesis [[Raoh]] and Raoh's brother Toki, to escape from their homeland, the war-torn Land of Asura. A different origin is depicted in the first chapter of ''[[Fist of the Blue Sky]]'': a newly-born child is brought to Ryuken's dojo in Japan, who names the infant after his older brother (Kenshiro Kasumi, the protagonist of ''Blue Sky''), due to the [[Big Dipper]]-shaped birthmark on his head, although later chapters of the manga makes references to Kenshiro's escape from Asura with Raoh and Toki. | ||
Kenshiro is trained in the art of Hokuto Shinken along with Raoh, Toki and a fourth student named Jagi, and is eventually named successor by Ryuken. After surviving the nuclear war, he tries to live in peace with his fiancee [[Yuria (Fist of the North Star)|Yuria]], until Jagi instigates Shin, a jealous rival from the [[Nanto Seiken]] school, to challenge, then defeat Kenshiro. Shin then engraves the iconic seven scars on Kenshiro's chest and leaves 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 rather than end it. When Kenshiro later fights his old rivals in the present, particularly Shin, Jagi, and Raoh, they all remark on Kenshiro's acquired mercilessness. | Kenshiro is trained in the art of Hokuto Shinken along with Raoh, Toki and a fourth student named Jagi, and is eventually named successor by Ryuken. After surviving the nuclear war, he tries to live in peace with his fiancee [[Yuria (Fist of the North Star)|Yuria]], until Jagi instigates Shin, a jealous rival from the [[Nanto Seiken]] school, to challenge, then defeat Kenshiro. Shin then engraves the iconic seven scars on Kenshiro's chest and leaves 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 rather than end it. When Kenshiro later fights his old rivals in the present, particularly Shin, Jagi, and Raoh, they all remark on Kenshiro's acquired mercilessness. | ||
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The later half of the manga (and the corresponding ''Hokuto no Ken 2'' anime adaptation) sees Kenshiro joining 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 controls the Land of Asura: his estranged blood brother Hyoh; and Kaioh, Raoh's other blood brother. The final story arcs of the manga (which were not adapted for the TV series) sees Kenshiro taking Raoh's orphaned son, Ryu, under his wing, before continuing on his own. | The later half of the manga (and the corresponding ''Hokuto no Ken 2'' anime adaptation) sees Kenshiro joining 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 controls the Land of Asura: his estranged blood brother Hyoh; and Kaioh, Raoh's other blood brother. The final story arcs of the manga (which were not adapted for the TV series) sees Kenshiro taking Raoh's orphaned son, Ryu, under his wing, before continuing on his own. | ||
Although still emotionally repressed and stoic like most male heroes in 1980's media, Kenshiro is notable in anime culture for being a sensitive and kind-hearted man who broke the then-ironclad "men don't cry" cultural expectation. | Although still emotionally repressed and stoic like most male heroes in 1980's media, Kenshiro is notable in anime culture for being a sensitive and kind-hearted man who broke the then-ironclad "men don't cry" cultural expectation. He is famous for openly shedding tears, if not outright ''weeping'' for the suffering of innocents and the deaths of his few noble enemies. This trait is unfortunately downplayed in the 1980's anime adaptations, but comes back into the franchise in the adaptaions of the 1990's and onwards. | ||
==Voice actors== | ==Voice actors== | ||
Kenshiro was voiced by [[Akira Kamiya]] in the TV series and 1986 movie, [[Ryō Horikawa]] voiced the child-aged Kenshiro in flashbacks. The role of Kenshiro was recasted to [[Takehito Koyasu]] in the 2003 [[OVA]] series ''New Fist of the North Star'' and then given to [[Kunihiro Kawamoto]] in the 2005 [[Fist of the North Star (arcade game)|''Fist of the North Star'' arcade game]] and the 2006 [[Computer-generated imagery|CG animated]] short film | Kenshiro was voiced by [[Akira Kamiya]] in the TV series and 1986 movie, [[Ryō Horikawa]] voiced the child-aged Kenshiro in flashbacks. The role of Kenshiro was recasted to [[Takehito Koyasu]] in the 2003 [[OVA]] series ''New Fist of the North Star'' and then given to [[Kunihiro Kawamoto]] in the 2005 [[Fist of the North Star (arcade game)|''Fist of the North Star'' arcade game]] and the 2006 [[Computer-generated imagery|CG animated]] short film ''Hokuto no Ken: Legend of Heroes''. In the ''Shin Kyūseishu Densetsu'' movie series, Kenshiro is voiced by [[Hiroshi Abe (actor)|Hiroshi Abe]] and by Eiji Hanawa as a child. For the ''Ten no Haō'' PSP game, Kenshiro is voiced by [[Hideo Ishikawa]]. | ||
English voice actors that had voiced Kenshiro includes [[John Vickery]] in the [[Streamline Pictures]] dub of the 1986 movie, [[Lex Lang]] in the [[Manga Entertainment]] dub of the TV series and Robert Kraft (voice actor) in the [[ADV Films]] dub of ''New Fist of the North Star''. [[Gary Daniels]] played Kenshiro in the 1995 live action film. | English voice actors that had voiced Kenshiro includes [[John Vickery]] in the [[Streamline Pictures]] dub of the 1986 movie, [[Lex Lang]] in the [[Manga Entertainment]] dub of the TV series and Robert Kraft (voice actor) in the [[ADV Films]] dub of ''New Fist of the North Star''. [[Gary Daniels]] played Kenshiro in the 1995 live action film. | ||
==Reception== | ==Reception== | ||
In a survey conducted by the [[Oricon]] in 2007 between 1,000 people, Kenshiro ranked third place as the "strongest manga character of all time". | In a survey conducted by the [[Oricon]] in 2007 between 1,000 people, Kenshiro ranked third place as the "strongest manga character of all time". <ref name=oricon>{{cite web|url=http://rn-cdn.oricon.co.jp/news/ranking/45750/#rk|title=1000人が選んだ！漫画史上“最強”キャラクターランキング！|language=Japanese|accessdate=2007-10-28}}</ref> | ||