# Kenshiro

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Fictional character from Fist of the North Star

For the Japanese professional boxer, see [Ken Shiro](/source/Ken_Shiro).

Fictional character

Kenshiro Fist of the North Star character Kenshiro, as illustrated on the cover of Hokuto no Ken Kyūkyokuban Vol. 1 First appearance Fist of the North Star chapter 1: "A Cry from the Heart" (September 26, 1983) Created by Buronson Tetsuo Hara Voiced by See Voice actors Portrayed by Gary Daniels In-universe information Aliases The Man with the Seven Scars, The Savior of the Century's End Nickname Ken Title 64th Successor of Hokuto Shinken Significant others Yuria (fiancée) Relatives Hyoh (biological older brother) Raoh (adoptive older brother) Toki (adoptive older brother) Jagi (adoptive older brother) Ryuken (adoptive father)

**Kenshiro** ([Japanese](/source/Japanese_language): ケンシロウ, [Hepburn](/source/Hepburn_romanization): *Kenshirō*) (Japanese pronunciation: [\[keɰ̃.ɕiɾoː\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Japanese)) is a fictional [character](/source/Character_(arts)) and the [protagonist](/source/Protagonist) of the *[Fist of the North Star](/source/Fist_of_the_North_Star)* manga series created by [Buronson](/source/Buronson) and [Tetsuo Hara](/source/Tetsuo_Hara). In the story, Kenshiro is the rightful successor to an ancient [art of assassination](/source/Ansatsuken) called *[Hokuto Shinken](/source/Hokuto_Shinken)*, which allows him to defeat his adversaries through the hidden [meridian](/source/Meridian_(Chinese_medicine)) points.

Kenshiro's appearance and characteristics were primarily based on martial artist and actor [Bruce Lee](/source/Bruce_Lee) and action film star [Yūsaku Matsuda](/source/Y%C5%ABsaku_Matsuda), while his outfit was loosely based on [Mel Gibson](/source/Mel_Gibson)'s costume from *[Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior](/source/Mad_Max_2%3A_The_Road_Warrior)*. 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.

## Concept and creation

Tetsuo Hara designed Kenshiro.

Manga artist [Tetsuo Hara](/source/Tetsuo_Hara) was a fan of Hong Kong martial artist [Bruce Lee](/source/Bruce_Lee) as well as action [manga](/source/Manga) series and the Japanese [action film](/source/Action_film) star [Yūsaku Matsuda](/source/Y%C5%ABsaku_Matsuda). He combined the appearance and character traits of Lee and Matsuda when he came up with the character design of Kenshiro.[1] Hara and his editor Nobuhiko Horie realized they needed a secret signature martial arts technique, but were at a loss for ideas until Horie browsed a used Chinese book store on Suzuran Street in [Jinbōchō, Tokyo](/source/Jinb%C5%8Dch%C5%8D%2C_Tokyo).[2] He found an anecdote of a medical student in China, who, after overstimulating an [acupressure](/source/Acupressure) point in order to help an eye issue, had instead made the condition worse.[2] Horie believed that destroying bodies by attacking pressure points was perfect for a [*shōnen* manga](/source/Sh%C5%8Dnen_manga), as it allowed someone small to take out a much bigger opponent.[2] The editor also derived the manga's title and the name of the technique from a Chinese [constellation](/source/Constellation) myth that features two sages, Hokuto and Nanto, the gods of death and life respectively.[2] Horie pictured the manga's protagonist, Kenshiro, as the son of Hokuto.[2]

In Hara's two-part prototype version of *Fist of the North Star*, Kenshiro is a young man who fights against the rival martial arts school of the Taizanji Kenpō in 1980s Japan. This version of the character has the full name of Kenshiro Kasumi (霞 拳四郎, *Kasumi Kenshirō*), based on the name of the fictional martial artist [Sanshiro Sugata](/source/Sanshiro_Sugata).[3] In this setting, Kenshiro is the 23rd successor of Hokuto Shinken, preceded by his unnamed father, who in turn learned the art from the 21st successor, Master Liú Zhèng (劉正, *Ryūshō*). This Kenshiro is much more cheerful than the Kenshiro of the serialized manga, having yet to experience the same hardships at the start of the story. After Kenshiro's girlfriend, Yuki is murdered and he is framed for her death, Kenshiro becomes a wanted fugitive who sets out to overthrow the Taizanji organization.

The character was revised by author [Buronson](/source/Buronson) when *Fist of the North Star* was picked up for weekly serialization. Now turned into a full-grown adult, Buronson has stated that he based the revised Kenshiro primarily on Bruce Lee. He also cites the *[Mad Max](/source/Mad_Max)* film series as an influence.[4] Buronson had asked Hara to give Kenshiro seven scars in the shape of the [Big Dipper](/source/Big_Dipper) for no reason other than their cool aesthetic. But when they then began thinking of Kenshiro's backstory and the reason he wanders the wasteland, Buronson devised that they came from the guy who stole the woman he loved.[3]

The character is only referred by his given name in the series, which is always written in [katakana](/source/Katakana) in Japanese. The full name Kenshiro Kasumi was reused for the main character of *[Fist of the Blue Sky](/source/Fist_of_the_Blue_Sky)*, a predecessor of the Kenshiro from *Fist of the North Star*, although his given name is spelled differently (拳志郎).

## Character overview

Kenshiro is the youngest of four adopted sons trained by the previous *Hokuto Shinken* successor, [Ryuken](/source/Ryuken). As a child, he was sent to Japan, along with his future nemesis [Raoh](/source/Raoh) and Raoh's brother [Toki](/source/Toki_(Fist_of_the_North_Star)), to escape from their homeland, the war-torn Land of Asura. Along with Raoh, Toki and a fourth student named [Jagi](/source/Jagi_(Fist_of_the_North_Star)), 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](/source/Yuria_(Fist_of_the_North_Star)), until Jagi instigates [Shin](/source/Shin_(Fist_of_the_North_Star)), 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](/source/Bat_(Fist_of_the_North_Star)), a thief; and [Lin](/source/Lin_(Fist_of_the_North_Star)), 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. However, Raoh's prior intervention has extended Yulia's life expectancy from months to several years. 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](/source/Hyoh); and [Kaioh](/source/Kaioh_(Fist_of_the_North_Star)), Raoh's other blood brother. In the end, Kenshiro takes Raoh's orphaned son, [Ryu](/source/Ryu_(Fist_of_the_North_Star)), under his wing, before continuing on his own, the future of humanity finally sealed with the defeat of Kaioh.

Kenshiro is also known as "the Man with Seven Scars" (七つの傷の男, *Nanatsu no Kizu no Otoko*), due to the seven scars engraved on his chest patterned after the shape of the [Big Dipper](/source/Big_Dipper) (the symbol of the *Hokuto* school), as well as "the Savior of the Century's End" (世紀末救世主, *Seikimatsu Kyūseishu*). Kenshiro's famous [catchphrase](/source/Catchphrase) just prior to an enemy's death is "You are already dead." (お前はもう死んでいる, *Omae wa mō shindeiru*).[5]

## Voice actors

Kenshiro has been voiced by numerous voice actors in different media. [Akira Kamiya](/source/Akira_Kamiya) 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](/source/Takehito_Koyasu) in the [original video animation](/source/Original_video_animation) series *[New Fist of the North Star](/source/New_Fist_of_the_North_Star)*, [Kunihiro Kawamoto](/source/Kunihiro_Kawamoto) in the [*Fist of the North Star* arcade game](/source/Fist_of_the_North_Star_(2005_video_game)) and [CGI](/source/Computer-generated_imagery) short *Hokuto no Ken: Legend of Heroes*, [Hiroshi Abe](/source/Hiroshi_Abe_(actor)) in *[The Legends of the True Savior](/source/Fist_of_the_North_Star%3A_The_Legends_of_the_True_Savior)* film series, [Hideo Ishikawa](/source/Hideo_Ishikawa) in the video game version of *[Ten no Haō](/source/Legends_of_the_Dark_King)*, [Katsuyuki Konishi](/source/Katsuyuki_Konishi) in the video games *[Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage](/source/Fist_of_the_North_Star%3A_Ken's_Rage)*, *[J-Stars Victory VS](/source/J-Stars_Victory_VS)*, *[Jump Force](/source/Jump_Force)* and *Fitness Boxing: Fist of the North Star*, [Takaya Kuroda](/source/Takaya_Kuroda) and [Robbie Daymond](/source/Robbie_Daymond) in the video game *[Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise](/source/Fist_of_the_North_Star%3A_Lost_Paradise)*, and [Shunsuke Takeuchi](/source/Shunsuke_Takeuchi) in his guest appearance in *[Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves](/source/Fatal_Fury%3A_City_of_the_Wolves)*. The child version of Kenshiro is voiced by [Ryō Horikawa](/source/Ry%C5%8D_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](/source/Oricon) in 2007 among 1,000 people, Kenshiro ranked third place as the "strongest manga character of all time," behind only *[Dragon Ball](/source/Dragon_Ball)* protagonist [Son Goku](/source/Son_Goku_(Dragon_Ball)) and [Doraemon](/source/Doraemon_(character)) who ranked first and second, respectively.[6] A "wedding ceremony" for Kenshiro and Yuria was held at the [Nippon Seinenkan](/source/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.[7] [Makoto Yukimura](/source/Makoto_Yukimura) said he was impressed by the handling of Kenshiro's character; while Kenshiro kills several enemies in the manga, he is never proud about his accomplishments. In truth, he is a character who would rather never resort to violence, But, as the story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, he is forced to fight with his fists to protect the innocent. As a result of that, Yukimura believes that Kenshiro is an appealing hero.[8]

## Internet memes

In the 2010s, Kenshiro's catchphrase "Omae wa mou shindeiru" ("You are already dead") (Japanese pronunciation: [\[o.mae wa moː ɕin.deː.ɾɯ\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Japanese)) became a popular [Internet meme](/source/Internet_meme).[9] 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](/source/Touhou_Project)* [video game music](/source/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](/source/TikTok) and topped [Spotify](/source/Spotify)'s [Viral 50](/source/Viral_50) chart, before being taken off the chart after being struck with a copyright claim.[10] In 2022, game publisher [Wizards of the Coast](/source/Wizards_of_the_Coast) featured a playing card titled "You Are Already Dead" in its new Japanese-themed *[Magic: The Gathering](/source/Magic%3A_The_Gathering)* set, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty.[11]

## See also

- [Bruceploitation](/source/Bruceploitation)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Lehecka, Eddie (March 1, 2019). ["Exile Sekai Interviews Tetsuo Hara, Creator of Fist of the North Star"](https://web.archive.org/web/20211215065113/https://www.otaquest.com/exile-sekai-interviews-tetsuo-hara/). *Otaquest*. Archived from [the original](https://www.otaquest.com/exile-sekai-interviews-tetsuo-hara/) on December 15, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-commentary_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-commentary_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-commentary_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-commentary_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-commentary_2-4) Buronson; Hara, Tetsuo (June 15, 2021). "The Birth of Fist of the North Star". *Fist of the North Star*. Vol. 1. Viz Media. pp. 300–303. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-9747-2156-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-9747-2156-6).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-AnotherStory_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-AnotherStory_3-1) "Another Story: How Fist of the North Star Came to Be". *Time and Tide* (in English and Japanese). January 28, 2023. [NHK World-Japan](/source/NHK_World-Japan).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ADVBuronson_4-0)** ["Interview with Buronson"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070218190038/http://www.advfilms.com/titles/fistofthenorthstar/interview.html). *ADV Films Presents: New Fist of the North Star*. Archived from [the original](http://www.advfilms.com/titles/fistofthenorthstar/interview.html) on February 18, 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-house_5-0)** Thompson, Jason (July 18, 2013). ["Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Fist of the North Star"](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/house-of-1000-manga/2013-07-18). *[Anime News Network](/source/Anime_News_Network)*. Retrieved May 28, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-oricon_6-0)** [1000人が選んだ！漫画史上“最強”キャラクターランキング！](http://rn-cdn.oricon.co.jp/news/ranking/45750/#rk) (in Japanese). June 22, 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Loo, Egan (September 16, 2008). ["Fist of the North Star Wedding Photos Posted Online"](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-09-16/fist-of-the-north-star-wedding-photos-posted-online). *[Anime News Network](/source/Anime_News_Network)*. Retrieved May 28, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Gilleron, Baptiste (February 5, 2010). ["Makoto Yukimura : "Si je suis venu à Angoulême, c'est parce que je voulais connaître la France""](https://www.actuabd.com//Makoto-Yukimura-Si-je-suis-venu-a). *Actuabd* (in French). Retrieved July 4, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Hathaway, Jay (September 19, 2024). ["The story behind the 'Omae wa Mou Shindeiru' anime meme"](https://www.dailydot.com/memes/omae-wa-mou-shindeiru-meme/). *[The Daily Dot](/source/The_Daily_Dot)*. Retrieved October 31, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Leight, Elias (August 16, 2019). ["'The Worst-Best Day of My Life': How a Song Went Viral, Then Suddenly Disappeared"](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/the-worst-best-day-of-my-life-how-a-song-went-viral-then-suddenly-disappeared-871991/). *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)*. Retrieved January 28, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-article-YAADMTG_11-0)** ["You Are Already Dead"](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=You+Are+Already+Dead). *[Wizards of the Coast](/source/Wizards_of_the_Coast)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220529030653/https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=You+Are+Already+Dead) from the original on May 29, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.

v t e Fist of the North Star by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara Characters Kenshiro Raoh Media Chapters 1984–1988 TV series episodes Films and OVAs 1986 animated film 1995 live-action film New Fist of the North Star The Legends of the True Savior Video games Black Belt Fist of the North Star (NES) Last Battle 10 Big Brawls for the King of the Universe Fighting Mania Fist of the North Star (arcade) Ken's Rage 2 Lost Paradise Related Famicom Jump: Hero Retsuden Jump Ultimate Stars J-Stars Victory VS Jump Force Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Related works Fist of the Blue Sky Characters Episodes Hokuto Gaiden Legends of the Dark King DD Fist of the North Star Hokuto no Ken: Ichigo Aji "Ai o Torimodose!!"

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kenshiro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenshiro) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenshiro?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.