Kokuoh

Kokuoh
Kokuoh, as he appears in the manga.
Name in Kanji	黒王
Name in Romaji	Kokuō
Alternate spelling(s)	Kokuou
Allegiance(s)	Raoh, Kenshiro
Position(s)	Ken-Oh's steed
Appearances	Manga (ch. 65-238), Anime (ep. 46-152), True Saviour series, Ten no Haoh and others.

Kokuoh (黒王, Kokuō, Lit. Black King)

Kokuoh is Ken-Oh's titanic black horse, said to be roughly the size of an elephant. Raoh would use the steed's mighty strength and size to crush those not worthy of dying by his own hand. However, when Kokuoh tried to trample Kenshiro, Kenshiro stood his ground and punched Kokuoh in the mouth to force Raoh into dismounting.

Kokuoh was tamed and stolen by Juza during his battle against Raoh, who refused to move until his trusty steed was returned to him. However, Juza sensed Kokuoh was missing his master, and having stalled long enough, returned him to Raoh. After the battle, Kokuoh mourned Juza's death and signaled for an honorable burial. Raoh fulfilled his wish, acknowledging that Juza was the only other man to have rode him.

After Raoh's death, Kenshiro inherited Kokuoh as his steed. Kokuoh also sported a bandage over his left eye. It was revealed in Chapter 136½ that Kokuoh lost it in a bloody battle he and Shoza had with Daruja. Their sacrifice motivated Kenshiro out of retirement. Kenshiro left Kokuoh behind when he journeyed to the island of Shura, but Bat appeared on the horse (alongside Rihaku & the Hokuto Army in the TV series) to help Kenshiro.

Kokuoh returned as Kenshiro's steed but during a fateful thunderstorm (that would rob Kenshiro of his memory), Kokuoh suddenly pulled up and died a peaceful death.

Ten no Haoh

In the spinoff Ten no Haoh, Kokuoh is presented as the leader of a herd of wild horses that ruled their own valley and would trample to death anyone who invaded their territory. Gion tricked one of Raoh's squadrons into entering the valley, where they were killed in a stampede. Raoh, Reina, and Souga went into the valley alone and witnessed Kokuoh fighting off two tigers that had attacked a foal. Raoh confronted Kokuoh and used a vital point to euthanize the suffering foal which earned Kokuoh's respect. Kokuoh and his fellow horses then joined forces with Raoh's army, with Kokuoh becoming Raoh's personal steed. He then received the suffix Gō (号) after his name.

Gallery

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  Kokuoh and Kenshiro.

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  Kokuoh and Raoh.

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  Kokuoh punched by Kenshiro.

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  Kokuoh and Juza

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  Kokuoh in Ten no Hao (manga)

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  Kokuoh in Hokuto Musou

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  Shoza with Kokuoh in Hokuto no Ken: Legends ReVIVE (illustration)

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  Juza with Kokuoh in "Hokuto no Ken: Legend ReVIVE" (illustration)

Trivia

• Due to its wild nature and size, only Raoh, Juza, Kenshiro, Shoza, and Bat have been able to ride Kokuoh.
• Kokuoh may have been inspired by Frank Frazetta's painting Death Dealer. Raoh is noticeably inspired by the same figure, with his size, barbarian physicality, and horned helmet all taking clear inspiration from the Dealer.