Kenshiro

Kenshiro, the Fist of the North Star

, 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 bares a strong resemblance to that of Ogami Itto of the lengendary manga Lone Wolf and Cub. In the original anime he is voiced by Akira Kamiya.

A strong and mostly stoic character, Kenshiro is compelled to punish evil-doers and can perform feats not possible for most people. His mastery of the ancient martial art 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 Kenshiro 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 おまえはもう死んでいる (Omae wa mou shindeiru), meaning "You are already dead", which he usually says before a villain's head is about to burst.

Due to the symbolic scar in the pattern of the Big Dipper given to him by , Kenshiro is frequently referred to as "the man with the seven-scar-chest" by those who do not know his name.

History

was born in the year 1970, somewhere in Japan where he was adopted by the then current Hokuto Shinken master  (aka ). He noticed that Kenshiro had a birthmark in the shape of the Big Dipper and thus named him in honor of his older brother  who had a similar birthmark. Kenshiro was later put in training at an early age to become a master himself.

Only one could be allowed to be the new Hokuto Shinken master and Kenshiro 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 Kenshiro was eventually chosen by Ryuken.

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 Kenshiro tried to start a new life with his girlfriend . Sadly, their happiness was short-lived as Kenshiro'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, Kenshiro eventually came to a village where he met the young, innocent , and the young, not-so-innocent . Together, they formed a team which traveled the land, meeting many people including Shin, Kenshiro's brothers, and a host of other thugs and martial artists.

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