| Fist of the North Star | |
 | |
| 北斗の拳 (Hokuto no Ken) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Buronson |
| Illustrated by | Tetsuo Hara |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| English publisher |
|
| Imprint | Jump Comics |
| Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Jump |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | September 13, 1983 – August 8, 1988 |
| Volumes | 27 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Toyoo Ashida |
| Produced by | Yoshio Takami |
| Written by | Hiroshi Toda |
| Music by | Nozomi Aoki |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | Fuji TV |
| English network | |
| Original run | October 11, 1984 – March 5, 1987 |
| Episodes | 109 |
| Anime television series | |
| Fist of the North Star 2 | |
| Directed by | Toyoo Ashida |
| Produced by | Yoshio Takami |
| Written by | Hiroshi Toda |
| Music by | Nozomi Aoki |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Licensed by |
|
| Original network | Fuji TV |
| Original run | March 13, 1987 – February 18, 1988 |
| Episodes | 43 |
| Anime | |
| Live-action film | |
| |
Fist of the North Star (Japanese: 北斗の拳, Hepburn: Hokuto no Ken, lit. "Fist of the Big Dipper")[a] is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump for 245 issues published from 1983 to 1988 and initially collected in 27 tankōbon volumes under the Jump Comics imprint. Set on a post-apocalyptic Earth after a nuclear war, the story centers on a warrior named Kenshiro, the successor of a deadly martial art known as Hokuto Shinken, which gives him the ability to kill his opponents by striking their secret vital points, which often results in an exceptionally violent and gory death. Kenshiro dedicates his life to fighting against the various gangs, bandits, and warlords who threaten the lives of the defenseless and innocent, as well as rival martial artists.
Fist of the North Star was adapted into two anime television series produced by Toei Animation, which together aired on Fuji TV and its affiliates from 1984 through 1988, comprising a combined total of 152 episodes. It has since expanded into a media franchise, including several anime films, a live-action film, original video animations (OVAs), video games, and a series of spin-offs centering on other characters from the original story. It also has a number of video games and pachinko machines produced by Sega Sammy. A new anime adaptation was announced in September 2023.
English adaptations of the manga were published by Viz Communications as a monthly comic book, and later by Gutsoon! Entertainment as a series of colorized graphic novels, although neither translation was completed. In October 2020, Viz Media announced that they published the title as a series hardcover editions starting in June 2021. English adaptations of other Fist of the North Star media have been licensed to other companies, including the TV series and the 1986 film.
The manga has sold over 100 million copies, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. The series is considered as one of the most influential manga series of all time.
- ^ "The Official Website for Fist of the North Star". Viz Media. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ Toole, Michael (July 29, 2013). "A Fist Tale - The Mike Toole Show". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ Loo, Egan (September 14, 2013). "Fist of the North Star Manga Reprint to Add New Chapter". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
- ^ "Ken, the Great Bear Fist". Toei Animation List of Works. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
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