Kenshiro

Kenshiro Ken for short is the 64th successor of the Hokuto Shin Ken style. He has seven scars on his chest in the shape of the Hokuto Shichisei or Big Dipper that were put there by Shin A strong and mostly stoic character Kenshiro is compelled to punish evildoers and can perform feats not possible for most people. His mastery of the ancient martial art Hokuto Shinken allows him to kill or cripple with a mere touch. The results tend to be very messy it 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 peoples behavior. 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 or story arc to expose his muscular torso. His catchphrase is Omae wa m shindeiru meaning You are already dead which he usually says before a villains head is about to explode. After surviving the nuclear war he tries to live in peace with his fiancee 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 Kenshiros chest and leaves him for dead. Prior to this event he was more forgiving of his enemies as shown in a flashback of Jagis failed assassination attempt against him in which Kenshiro chooses to spare Jagis 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 Kenshiros acquired mercilessness. The initial story arc centers around Kenshiros quest to reclaim Yuria from Shin. In the very first chapter he meets a pair of orphans who follows him in his journey: Bat a thief and Lin a young girl rescued by Ken. Thorough the course of the series Kenshiro protects the weak and innocent from the numerous gangs roaming the postapocalyptic wasteland eventually gaining his reputation as the Savior of the Centurys End. Kenshiros skills improve through his encounters with members of the Nanto Roku Seiken and his Hokuto Brothers. Although still emotionally repressed and stoic like most male heroes in 1980s media Kenshiro is notable in anime culture for being a sensitive and kindhearted man who broke the thenironclad men dont 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 1980s anime adaptations but comes back into the franchise in the adaptaions of the 1990s and onwards.