Fist of the Blue Sky
Encyclopedia
is a martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....

/noir
Noir
Noir is the French word for black. It may refer to:- People :* Noir , Danish Dj & Producer. Owner of Noir Music...

 manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 series by Tetsuo Hara
Tetsuo Hara
is a Japanese manga artist famous for drawing the series Fist of the North Star , which he co-authored with Buronson...

 with plot supervision by Buronson that was serialized in the Weekly Comic Bunch
Weekly Comic Bunch
is a defunct Japanese manga anthology marketed to young adults that was edited by Coamix and published weekly by Shinchosha from 2001 throughout 2010...

from 2001 throughout 2010. It is a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...

 to Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star
is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankōbon edition by Shueisha...

, which Hara originally illustrated and co-wrote with Buronson. Set primarily in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

 during the 1930s, the series centers around the 62nd successor of the Hokuto Shinken
Hokuto Shinken
is a fictional two thousand year old martial art that is shrouded in mystery, from the eponymous manga and anime franchise, Fist of the North Star. Hokuto Shinken is based loosely on Dim Mak kung fu, but very few conventional martial arts compare to it....

 style, Kenshiro Kasumi, the namesake and predecessor of Kenshiro
Kenshiro
is the main protagonist of the manga franchise Fist of the North Star by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. According to Buronson, Kenshiro's character design was inspired by the character of Max Rockatansky from the Mad Max film series and martial artist Bruce Lee.In the story, Kenshiro is the rightful...

 from Fist of the North Star. It has been adapted into a 26-episode anime series that aired from 2006 to 2007.

Plot overview

The main protagonist of this story is Kasumi Kenshiro, better known as "Yan Wang" or "The King of Hell" (derived from the myth Yan Luo Wang
Yama (Buddhism and Chinese mythology)
Yama the name of the Buddhist dharmapala and judge of the dead, who presides over the Buddhist Narakas , "Hells" or "Purgatories". Although ultimately based on the god Yama of the Hindu Vedas, the Buddhist Yama has developed different myths and different functions from the Hindu deity...

). Kasumi is a laid back and chain-smoking Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 professor who possesses the deadly Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 assassin martial art Hokuto Shinken
Hokuto Shinken
is a fictional two thousand year old martial art that is shrouded in mystery, from the eponymous manga and anime franchise, Fist of the North Star. Hokuto Shinken is based loosely on Dim Mak kung fu, but very few conventional martial arts compare to it....

 who travels to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

 after hearing the news of his Triad friend Pan Guang-Lin and his sister Yu-Ling (Kasumi's love interest) are in trouble.

In Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

, Kasumi has to fight the three Hokuto families, the Hokuto Sankaken (based on the royal families of Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...

). At the same time Kasumi has to help Pan's "Qing Bang" Triad gang against the immoral "Hong-Hua" Triads in gaining territory and influence in Shanghai.

Hokuto Shinken

"North Dipper
Big Dipper
The Plough, also known as the Big Dipper or the Saptarishi , is an asterism of seven stars that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial...

 Divine Fist" (北斗神拳, Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...

: Běidǒu Shénquán). Called "God Fist of the North Star" in the Raijin Comics
Raijin Comics
Raijin Comics was a manga anthology published in North America by the now-defunct Gutsoon! Entertainment and largely backed by the Sega Corporation at its inception. The collected volumes of Raijin Comics titles were published under the Raijin Graphic Novels imprint.The comics were aimed at an...

translation. (character voice Kōichi Yamadera
Koichi Yamadera
is a Japanese voice actor, actor, tarento, narrator, master of ceremonies and impressionist from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school, and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's...

)
The main character and 62nd successor to Hokuto Shinken. Known in Shanghai as . Loves smoking cigarettes, reading, and has a good smelling instinct, he places friends above almost everything else (for example, he is not shy about threatening Japanese soldiers into helping him to find Liú Fēi-Yàn during the Battle of Shanghai
Battle of Shanghai
The Battle of Shanghai, known in Chinese as Battle of Songhu, was the first of the twenty-two major engagements fought between the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China and the Imperial Japanese Army of the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War...

, telling them that he cares nothing for their war). His fighting technique is similar to Toki, in which he fights in a fluid and smooth fighting style. In Japan, he is a lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...

 at the Tōwa Women's University. Despite being depicted as somewhat easy going, as well as comical, he uses the same chilling catch-phrase as his nephew, , but says it in Chinese, . (c.v. Takashi Kondō
Takashi Kondo
is a Japanese voice actor represented by Vi-vo.-Anime roles:Lead roles are in bold.*Beyblade - Miguel*Bleach - Di Roy Linker, Findor Carias, Narunosuke*Captain Tsubasa - Pepe*Chocotto Sister - Awara in episode 3*Fairy Tail - Hibiki...

 (young) / Mugihito
Mugihito
, better known by his stage name of is a Japanese voice and stage actor from Musashino, Tokyo. He is employed by Media Force. Mugihito was formerly credited under his birth name and also...

 (old))
Kenshiro's younger half-brother, who later becomes the 63rd successor of Hokuto Shinken Ryūken, the adopted father of Raoh, Toki, Jagi and Kenshiro. He named the infant Kenshiro (from Fist of the North Star) in honor of his brother Kenshiro Kasumi, who were both born with a Big Dipper shaped birthmark on his head. He refers his older brother, Kenshiro, as the "Strongest Hokuto Shinken warrior" who is "mighty as the blue sky above." The young Ramon appears thorough the series, first protecting Aya Kitaoji from hired thugs, later serving as a bodyguard to Pān Yù-Líng from the Tài Hú Bāng during her stay in Japan.
Father of Kenshirō and Ramon; he was the 61st successor of Hokuto Shinken. As a young man he sought to fight Liú Xuán-Xìn in the "Tenju no Gi" challenge, but Liú had become too old to fight. Tesshin fell in love with his daughter and they conceived a son, Kenshiro. Tesshin once fought Wèi Ruì-Yīng, founder of Kyokujūji Seiken, to a draw. Tesshin remarked that Ruì-Yīng may have been able to defeat him had he not lost a leg.
The founder of Hokuto Shinken, first mentioned in Fist of the North Star. 2,000 years ago, he became an apprentice of Seito Gekken, learning its secrets of the Keiraku Hikō pressure points and blending it with the original Hokuto style. In order to fulfill his destiny as foreordained by the Hokuto Sōke priests, he killed the other disciples of Seito Gekken, including his lover Yahma, and established the one successor rule for Hokuto Shinken so that its dangerous secrets would not fall into the wrong hands.

Hokuto Sonkaken

"North Dipper Sūn Family
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....

 Fist" (北斗孫家拳, Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...

: Běidǒu Sūnjiāquán
), which specializes in Ki manipulation. The school also has a forbidden technique that displaces ones pressure points by altering ones own Ki and blood flow, but also shortens the user's lifespan. (c.v. Kiyoyuki Yanada
Kiyoyuki Yanada
Kiyoyuki Yanada is a seiyū who was born in Tokyo. He was a member of 81 Produce.-Notable voice roles:*After School in the Teacher's Lounge *Baten Kaitos...

)
Also known as . Mastered the forbidden art of . He was the one that took Pan Yu-Ling's memory because he fell in love with her, but also because he thinks this is a fitting punishment to Kenshiro. He got his wish to "fight someone worthy of taking my life" granted by the Old Taoist Fortune Teller. He was already dying from a slow decaying death from his self inflicted pressure points by then. In contrast to Yan Wang's smelling instinct, he possesses great hearing instinct which allows him to hear conversations miles away. (c.v. Taiten Kusunoki
Taiten Kusunoki
is a male Japanese voice actor and actor from Machida, Tokyo. He is affiliated with Miki Productions.-Television animation:*Bleach as Edrad Leones, Zommari Leroux*Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z *Digimon Savers as Commander Rentarō Satsuma...

)
A French Jew
History of the Jews in France
The history of the Jews of France dates back over 2,000 years. In the early Middle Ages, France was a center of Jewish learning, but persecution increased as the Middle Ages wore on...

 and colonel in the French army that works with the Qing-Bang. Although he knows Sonkaken, he prefers using conventional fighting methods like guns and swords; however, if necessary, he uses Sonkaken combined with either his saber or pistol and only truly uses it when he fights seriously, otherwise, he'd usually surrender, summons his soldiers, or fight regularly using firearms or fencing. He has a sister, Sophie, who suffered trauma resulting in memory suppression due to her experinces in escaping from Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

 as her husband (a non-Jewish German who was prohibited from marrying her by Nazi law) got sent to a concentration camp
Nazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...

. When she regained her memory by Kenshiro's acupressure, she was assassinated by Zhang Tai Yan. De Guise was eventually wounded fatally by Liú Fēi-Yàn when the latter deemed him unfit to take care of Erika and challenged him to a duel. Kenshiro used acupressure techniques on him to prolong his life just long enough to watch his friends staging a glimpse of his vision- a Shanghai in prosperity (where Jews can take refuge). Believing that Kenshiro and friends will make it come true, he then died in peace.

Hokuto Sōkaken

"North Dipper Cáo Family
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...

 Fist" (北斗曹家拳, Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...

: Běidǒu Cáojiāquán
) (c.v. Hōchū Ōtsuka
Hochu Otsuka
, also known by the his stage name , is a Japanese voice actor from Okayama Prefecture, affiliated with the talent management firm Crazy Box. He is the official Japanese dub-over artist for: Gary Oldman and Jean-Claude Van Damme....

)
The Hóng Huá Huì's No.2 man. Although he appeared laid back, he can be destructive when angered, his attacks are based on cutting and slicing with his hands. Has a monstrous libido
Libido
Libido refers to a person's sex drive or desire for sexual activity. The desire for sex is an aspect of a person's sexuality, but varies enormously from one person to another, and it also varies depending on circumstances at a particular time. A person who has extremely frequent or a suddenly...

 and is known as the "Bride Thief" because of his habit of killing newlywed husbands and taking their wives. He assassinated Charles de Guise's little sister with a time bomb. His next target was Lǐ Xiù-Bǎo, because his resemblance to Pan, but when Kenshiro revealed that Lǐ Xiù-Bǎo was Pan, it made him more determined to claim her, resulting in him fighting Kenshiro with all his strength. Due to a misunderstanding, he believed his stepfather Zhāng Dà-Yán killed his mother and yearns to kill him for it. Later on, after learning the truth, he repented all his past sins with de Guise agreeing not to seek revenge for the time being. He eventually became the new Master of Hokuto Sōkaken after a showdown fight with Zhāng Dà-Yán and earned his father's approval.

(c.v. Seizō Katō)
Master of the Sōkaken style. Father of the Hong Hua Hui boss, Zhāng Liè-Shān. He later married Zhāng Tài-Yán's mother and had been led to believe Tài-Yán was his child when he was actually the son of her previous husband. Years later Dà-Yán was enraged to learn the truth and his wife killed herself on the condition Dà-Yán spare Zhāng Tài-Yán's life. Noticing the young Tài-Yán's talent, he adopted him and trained him in Sōkaken. Eventually Dà-Yán passed on the title of Sōkaken Master to Tài-Yán after Tài-Yán defeated him. However, Dà-Yán then died as a result of injuries from the fight.

An order of monks who serve Zhāng Tài-Yán. Each is known only by the number of stars they have tattooed on their heads. Their true purpose is to help Tài-Yán become a worthy successor of Hokuto Sōkaken; under the orders of Zhāng Dà-Yán. They were challenged by De Guise, who was intent on protecting Kenshiro, who was fighting Tai-Yan at the time; realizing what De Guise was trying to do, the group thanked him. All of them are armed with a Khakkhara, which they are able to pierce through any object, especially metal.

Hokuto Ryūkaken

"North Dipper Liú Family
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...

 Fist" (北斗劉家拳, Pinyin: Běidǒu Liújiāquán). Same style as Hokuto Ryūken (北斗琉拳, lit. "North Dipper Lapis Lazuli Fist") from Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star
is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankōbon edition by Shueisha...

. According to Hokuto law, when there are no male successors for Hokuto Shinken, a student of the Ryūkaken style can be chosen to be the next successor.
Driven to revenge by the death of his family, Zōng-Wǔ turned evil and joined the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...

 as a German army officer even though he is Chinese. He had the chance to kill Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...

, but didn't because he felt Hitler is too pitiful a prey for him to kill. He later renounces his evil ways and becomes a monk. His facial features are similar to that of Raoh
Raoh
is a fictional character in the Fist of the North Star manga franchise by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. He is the eldest of four honorary brothers who trained alongside the protagonist Kenshiro in the ancient assassination art of Hokuto Shinken...

 and Kaioh, implying he maybe a blood relative.
Liú Zōng-Wǔ's former lover. She had her nipples ripped off by him when she attempted to dissuade him from joining the Nazis. She then became a Buddhist nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...

, but in spite of what Zōng-Wǔ did she still loves him deeply- while she claimed to be wishing to see Zōng-Wǔ dead, she really meant that she wants to see him living out his destiny.
An orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...

ed young boy whose sister was killed. He will eventually become the Hokuto Ryūken master from Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star
is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankōbon edition by Shueisha...

who would train Kaioh, Hyo, Han, and Shachi.
Zōng-Wǔs predecessor as master of the Liu Family Fist.
Mistress of the Temple in Ningbo
Ningbo
Ningbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,...

. She is actually Liú Xuán-Xìn's daughter and is the mother of Kenshirō Kasumi.

Kyokujūji Seiken

"Pole Cross
Crux
Crux is the smallest of the 88 modern constellations, but is one of the most distinctive. Its name is Latin for cross, and it is dominated by a cross-shaped asterism that is commonly known as the Southern Cross.-Visibility:...

 Sacred Fist" (極十字聖拳, Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...

: Jíshízì Shèngquán
), an offshoot of Hokuto Ryūkaken. A relatively new style compared to the Hokuto styles, its astrological symbol is the constellation of the Southern Cross and uses stabbing techniques that destroys the body externally. It's assumed to be the precursor to the Nanto Seiken
Nanto Seiken
is a fictional martial arts style featured prominently in the manga and anime series Fist of the North Star. It is the opposite style of Hokuto Shinken, the main fighting style of the series. While Hokuto Shinken focuses on pressure points to destroy an enemy from within, Nanto Seiken teaches how...

 styles.
The grubby founder of Kyokujūji Seiken. Ruì-Yīng was at first the most promising student of Hokuto Ryūkaken of his generation, but left after he become disgruntled since he considered all other practitioners of Ryūkaken too weak by his standards. When he left he asked his Hokuto Ryūkaken master for the right to challenge Hokuto Shinken in order to become the strongest Hokuto Master, but was refused. He then fought his own master but was hit with a poisoned arrow in the leg during the process, which he then chopped off. Wèi Ruì-Yīng later fought Kasumi Tesshin, Kenshirō's father and 61st successor of Hokuto Shinken, to a draw.
Wèi Ruì-Yīng's elder student. Prepared for death, he challenged Kenshiro, but was shot to death by the Nazis before their actual duel.
Wèi Ruì-Yīng's second student. Nicknamed the Death Bird Demon (死鳥鬼, Sǐ Niǎo Guǐ), he befriended Erika and risked his life to protect her. He challenged Charles de Guise to a duel because he thought de Guise cannot bear the responsibility of protecting Erika and ended up killing de Guise. This led to a fight with Kenshiro, and although he was defeated, Erika's influence on him earned him Kenshiro's forgiveness. He was mortally wounded at the hands of Yasaka. Fēi-Yàn, knowing that he was certain to die from his injuries and unwilling to add to Erika's grief by making her witness his death (although, despite Kenshiro and friends' best efforts to avoid mentioning his death, Erika is eventually able to figure it out), asked Kenshiro to send him to sea in a boat. There he recounted all the good things Erika did for him before drawing his last breath.

Seito Gekken

"West Dipper Lunar Fist" (西斗月拳, Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...

: Xīdǒu Yuèquán
). A martial art of the Yuezhi
Yuezhi
The Yuezhi, or Rouzhi , also known as the Da Yuezhi or Da Rouzhi , were an ancient Central Asian people....

 people. Shuken studied this martial art and blended it with his Hokuto Sōke no Ken (北斗宗家の拳, lit. "North Dipper Lineage's Fist") to create Hokuto Shinken. Seito Gekken uses the Keiraku Hikō, the same vital points used by Hokuto Shinken, to cause destruction, but does so through puncturing instead of pressure. - A mysterious green-eyed warrior. A descendant of the Yuezhi
Yuezhi
The Yuezhi, or Rouzhi , also known as the Da Yuezhi or Da Rouzhi , were an ancient Central Asian people....

 who carries their nearly 2000-year grudge against the Hokuto. Works as a bodyguard for Dù Tiān-Fēng. Claims his name is ancient Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew language
Biblical Hebrew , also called Classical Hebrew , is the archaic form of the Hebrew language, a Canaanite Semitic language spoken in the area known as Canaan between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Biblical Hebrew is attested from about the 10th century BCE, and persisted through...

 for "to see God". He appears in the second closing credits of the Sōten no Ken anime. - a female practitioner from 2000 years ago that was the lover of Shuken.

Qīng Bāng

is the Shanghai "Green Gang
Green Gang
The Green Gang was a Chinese criminal organization that operated in Shanghai in the early 20th century.-Origins:It was a secret society established originally by Fong Toh-tak of Shaolin Monastery to protect the Han Chinese who were oppressed by the Manchu rulers of the Qing Dynasty, and to restore...

". (c.v. Masaki Terasoma)
Leader of the Qīng Bāng, also close friend of Kenshiro. While Kenshiro was away from Shanghai, his Triad gang members were killed one by one. He was tortured for a period of time by the Hong Hua, thus losing his feet from flesh eating rats. Kenshiro saved his life by amputating his already poisoned feet. He now walks with two prosthetic iron shoes.

(c.v. Aya Hisakawa
Aya Hisakawa
is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer born in Kaizuka, Osaka. In addition to releasing various solo CDs, she is well known for her anime voice roles, and has also done some work in video games. She is best known for her role of Sailor Mercury of the Sailor Moon fame and also Cerberus from...

)
Pān Guāng-Lín's sister and Kenshirō's girlfriend. She first met Kenshirō after he was badly beaten and she nursed him back to health. She also appears to be some sort of Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

. Her adopted father promised her to Máng Kuáng-Yún as payment. But Yù-Líng was already in love with Kenshiro, and a jealous Kuáng-Yún erased her memory and left her with a nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...

ic warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...

 in Northern China. She became the horse bandit leader Lǐ Xiù-Bǎo (李 秀寶, Ri Shūhō), fighting small guerilla battles against the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...

, gaining a sense of hatred against the Japanese. She also learned some Praying Mantis
Northern Praying Mantis (martial art)
Northern Praying Mantis is a style of Chinese martial arts, sometimes called Shandong Praying Mantis after its province of origin. It was created by Wang Lang and was named after the praying mantis, an insect, the aggressiveness of which inspired the style...

 martial art. She eventually regains her memories in Shanghai after meeting Kenshiro again, and soon marries him. After Guāng-Lín was crippled in a failed assassination attempt, she succeeds her brother as leader of the Qīng Bāng. (c.v. Sayaka Ōhara
Sayaka Ohara
is a Japanese voice actress. She is currently affiliated with Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. She is a graduate of Aoyama Gakuin University's Department of Literature. Her nickname is...

)
Pān Guāng-Lín's actress girlfriend. (c.v. Kinryu Arimoto
Kinryu Arimoto
is a Japanese voice actor formerly employed by Production Baobab and is a shodan in kenpo.-Anime:*Angel Heart *Baccano! *Bleach *Blue Submarine 6 *City Hunter...

)
Nicknamed "Two-Pistol Yè". He was horribly burned by the Hóng Huá Huì and disfigured. (c.v. Yūdai Satō)
Son of Yè, a streetwise
Streetwise
Streetwise may refer to:*Rover Streetwise, a small hatchback made by the MG Rover Group*Possessing knowledge of youth culture, also called "street"...

 kid (around 12-14 year old) who also serves as a sidekick of Kenshiro. (c.v. Umeji Sasaki)
Worked as an assassin for the secret society Qīng-Bāng and was called The Sleeping Dragon (睡龍, Shuì-Lóng). A good friend of Kenshirō Kasumi. At the beginning of the series, the old man works as a food taster for Emperor Pu-Yi and travels with him to Japan. He was captured by the Hóng-Huá Society and was interrogated as to the whereabouts of Yán-Wáng . Even when they cut off his toes, he refused to tell them anything. Dies from his illness by the end of the first story arc.

Hóng Huá Huì

Shanghai's evil . Most of them were maimed in some way by Kenshiro during a previous visit to Shanghai prior to the start of the series. Based on the real life Shanghai Red Gang ( Hóng Bāng).
The gigantic leader of the Hóng Huá Society. He is the son of the Hokuto Sōkaken master, Zhāng Dà-Yán, and Zhāng Tài-Yán's older step-brother. Formerly served in the Beiyang Army
Beiyang Army
The Beiyang Army was a powerful, Western-style Chinese military force created by the Qing Dynasty government in the late 19th century. It was the centerpiece of a general reconstruction of China's military system. The Beiyang Army played a major role in Chinese politics for at least three decades...

, he joins the National Revolutionary Army
National Revolutionary Army
The National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...

 following the collapse of the Beiyang government, eventually becoming a general (this character reflects real historical support the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...

 received from various Triad gangs), but also works in secret with Chinese communist groups as well to his own benefit. His father did not train him in Hokuto Sōkaken, something he is very resentful for, but due to his giant stature and overwhelming physical strength he is still deadly wielding a pair of matching giant sai
Sai (weapon)
The sai is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon. The basic form of the weapon is that of a pointed, dagger-shaped metal truncheon, with two curved prongs called yoku projecting from the handle...

. He later repented his actions after learning the truth behind his father not training him (that Zhāng Dà-Yán could never bring himself to engage his own son in the fight to decide on the new Master of Hokuto Sōkaken, a fight that can very well turn deadly). (c.v. Yōsuke Akimoto
Yosuke Akimoto
is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo. He is currently attached to Mausu Promotion. He is a graduate of the Hosei University business school.-Television animation:*Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple *Angel Heart...

)
The Number Three Boss after Zhāng Liè-Shān & Zhāng Tài-Yán. Due to injuries he suffered at the fists of Kasumi Kenshiro, he must wear a metal contraption on the left side of his head and body. Whenever he moves he always shouts, "A-I-TA!" in pain. He's a big contributor to a corrupt Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

 church that will forgive
Sacrament of Penance (Catholic Church)
In the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is the method by which individual men and women may be freed from sins committed after receiving the sacrament of Baptism...

 any sins he confesses
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...

 for the right price. (c.v. Chafurin
Chafurin
is a Japanese vocal actor from Saitama Prefecture who works for Office Osawa. He was formerly credited as '. He graduated from Toyo University.-Television animation:*Ah! My Goddess *Argento Soma...

)
The Number Four Boss comes from the province of Canton. Due to injuries he suffered at the fists of Yán Wáng, he is wheelchair-bound and must wear a metal contraption with a crank to raise and lower his head. Jumpy and triggerhappy, he'll shoot anything that bothers him. A slovenly womanizer, Wu desired Pān Guāng-Lín's actress girlfriend Yáng Měi-Yù. The insanely jealous Wu held Pan in his dungeon, intending to use him as the "tiger-meat" in his "Dragon-Tiger
Cat meat
Cat meat or cat flesh, meat prepared from domestic cats for human consumption , is varied in its acceptability as a food source in different parts of the world...

 Stew". Wu never got the chance, because Yan-Wang knocked Wu into his own boiling cauldron, killing him. (c.v. Issei Futamata
Issei Futamata
is a veteran seiyū who was born on March 15, 1955 in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from Towada Technical High School. He is a member of the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society....

)
Nicknamed "Weasel" Chén, he has a metal hand. His face was scarred by Yan-Wang after his failed attempt to kidnap Takeshi Kitaoji. (c.v. Katsuhisa Houki
Katsuhisa Houki
is a Japanese seiyū and actor from Nagasaki Prefecture. He is affiliated with Kenyū Office. His real name is . He is best known for his roles in Transformers: Armada , Higurashi no Naku Koro ni , and One Piece .-Television animation:1988*Soreike! Anpanman (October 30, 1946 - ) is a Japanese seiyū...

)
Has a metal jaw. Shot to death by Yè. (c.v. Masuo Amada
Masuo Amada
is a male actor and seiyū from Hyōgo Prefecture. He is affiliated with the Seinenza Theater Company, and graduated from the Osaka University of Arts.-Television animation:*Arc the Lad *Berserk *Black Cat...

)
Wears dark glasses and has a metal plate on his head. Has a metal claw in place of one hand. Shot to death by Yè. (c.v. Minoru Inaba
Minoru Inaba
is a Japanese voice actor from Shizuoka Prefecture. He is affiliated with Ken Production.Inaba is best known for his roles in Disney productions , Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory , Buzz Lightyear of Star Command , and The Transformers .-Television animation:*After War Gundam X - Rike Anto,...

)
Once nicknamed Shuǐ Hǔ
Kappa (mythology)
, alternatively called or , are legendary creatures, a type of water sprite found in Japanese folklore. In Shintō they are considered to be one of many suijin...

 Tian for the bald patch atop his head, he now wears a heavy iron toupee
Toupee
A toupée is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to lengthen existing hair, or cover partially exposed scalp...

 that is bolted to his head, of which he is in denial that it is obvious to anyone that it's a toupee; the weight of it also causes him to easily fall over. Has metal hands. Died from drowning in a bath house after Kenshiro disabled his arms and legs. (c.v. Yoshinori Sonobe)
A boxer who serves as the champion of the Execution Games held at the Great New World Entertainment Hall. He was responsible for the deaths of countless Qīng Bāng members that were captured by the Hóng Huá Huì and thrown into the ring. While serving in the French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....

 Army
French Colonial Forces
The French Colonial Forces , commonly called La Coloniale, was a general designation for the military forces that garrisoned in the French colonial empire from the late 17th century until 1960. They were recruited from mainland France or from the French settler and indigenous populations of the...

, he learned Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...

 in Siam. He is destroyed by Kenshiro Kasumi's rendition of the Hokuto Hyakuretsuken which ends with him striking Tōmonketsu Hashisō pressure point, which causes all of Goran's bones to break within his body, turning him into mush. (c.v. Masaru Ikeda
Masaru Ikeda
is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo. He is a graduate of the Tokyo Metro Fifth Commerce Senior High School and is currently affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society...

)
The chief of police at the Shanghai French Concession
Shanghai French Concession
The Shanghai French Concession was a foreign concession in Shanghai, China from 1849 until 1946, and it was progressively expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The concession came to an end in practice in 1943 when the Vichy French government signed it over to the pro-Japanese puppet...

. An ally of the Hóng Huá Huì, he got his position by murdering his predecessor Gitanesdeau, a supporter of the Qīng Bāng. After Pān Guāng-Lín is saved by Kenshiro, he attempts to flee to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, but is shot to death by Guāng-Lín.

Japanese

(c.v. Katsuhiko Sasaki)
Head of the Kitaōji Zaibatsu
Zaibatsu
is a Japanese term referring to industrial and financial business conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed for control over significant parts of the Japanese economy from the Meiji period until the end of World War II.-Terminology:...

 and founder of Tōwa Women's University. He and his daughter Aya were saved by Kenshirō in Shanghai from Chen the Weasel and soon became friends with him, giving him a job as a lecturer in at Tōwa University. A collaborator in the Fugu Plan
Fugu Plan
The Jewish settlement in Imperial Japan involved the movement of Jews to and through Japan to its occupied areas of China shortly prior to and during World War II, coinciding with the Second Sino-Japanese War...

. (c.v. Aya Hisakawa
Aya Hisakawa
is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer born in Kaizuka, Osaka. In addition to releasing various solo CDs, she is well known for her anime voice roles, and has also done some work in video games. She is best known for her role of Sailor Mercury of the Sailor Moon fame and also Cerberus from...

)
The daughter of Takeshi Kitaōji. A student attending Professor Kasumi's class at the Tōwa Women's University. In the TV series, Kenshirō notices her resemblance to Pan Yu-Ling. (c.v. Nobuyuki Furuta)
Head of the Shanghai branch of the Kitaōji Zaibatsu. (c.v. Nobuaki Kakuda
Nobuaki Kakuda
is a Japanese Seidokaikan Karateka.-Career:Kakuda is famous for his first punch knockout win over German mixed martial artist Mavrick at 0:56 seconds in the K-1 Fields Europe GP 2005 as well as being the only K-1 fighter to lose to Akebono, a former Sumo wrestler whose long losing streak has made...

)
Lieutenant General of the Kwantung Army Headquarters. His son was killed by the horse bandit Yǔ Zhàn-Hǎi.
9th century monk
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...

 of that was instrumental in bringing Hokuto Shinken
Hokuto Shinken
is a fictional two thousand year old martial art that is shrouded in mystery, from the eponymous manga and anime franchise, Fist of the North Star. Hokuto Shinken is based loosely on Dim Mak kung fu, but very few conventional martial arts compare to it....

 from China
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...

 to Japan
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...

.

Chinese

(c.v. Hiroshi Yanaka
Hiroshi Yanaka
is a Japanese actor and voice actor who is affiliated with Seinenza Theater Company.-TV Anime:*Avenger *Baby and Me *Battle Programmer Shirase *Chuka Ichiban...

)
Former emperor of China, then emperor of Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...

. Purely a puppet of the Japanese Empire, the neurotic Puyi becomes terrified of being assassinated. On April 6, 1935, Puyi came to Japan under the cover of a "Japan-Manchuria Friendship Envoy" to employ the legendary Hokuto Shinken successor Yan-Wang as his bodyguard. Kenshiro assaults him after his men, though Puyi though he was going to kill him; the attack opens his eyes to the fact that he is nothing but a puppet, though he attempts to fight Ken with a sword because he wished to die a man. After Ken spares his life, he admits he wishes he could have been friends with someone like him and seems to come out stronger. (c.v. Ryūzaburō Ōtomo
Ryuzaburo Otomo
is a Japanese voice actor, actor and narrator from Tokyo. He is currently affiliated with Aoni Production as of December 2006, and was formerly affiliated with 81 Produce and the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society....

)
The Captain of the first regiment of Puyi's Manchukuo Imperial Guards
Manchukuo Imperial Guards
The Manchukuo Imperial Guards was the elite unit of the Manchukuo armed forces created in 1933. It was charged with the protection of the Kangde Emperor Puyi, and senior members of the Manchukuo civil government...

, and is known as the "Fist Hero
Xia
Xia may refer to:*Xia , a Chinese philosophy similar to the chivalrous code of European knights*Xia Dynasty, Chinese dynasty, ca...

 of Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...

". He is a master of Bājíquán
Bajíquán
Bājíquán is a Chinese martial art that features explosive, short-range power and is famous for its elbow strikes. It originated in Hebei Province in Northern China, but is also well-known in other places today, especially Taiwan...

, and fights with a metal fan
Japanese war fan
A war fan is a fan designed for use in warfare. Several types of war fans were used by the samurai class of feudal Japan.-Description:War fans varied in size, materials, shape and use. One of the most significant uses was as a signalling device...

. Years ago, when was working as a bodyguard in Shanghai he was scarred in a fight with Yán Wáng, which resulted in a draw; but felt cheated by Yán Wáng because he refused to use Hokuto Shinken against him (though Ken would later reveal that he only did this because at the time of their first fight, he was not the successor to Hokuto Shinken and that by Hokuto law, only Hokuto Shinken's master could use it in a fight against other martial arts schools). He kidnaps Kenshiro's friend Li and pretends to kill him, in order to drawn out Ken and have a rematch, only to immediately realize that he is no match for Kenshiro and is spared. (c.v. Masaru Ikeda
Masaru Ikeda
is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo. He is a graduate of the Tokyo Metro Fifth Commerce Senior High School and is currently affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society...

)
A mystical old fortune teller, who appears time to time out of nowhere to talk to (or sometimes taunt) Kenshiro. Other people may or may not notice his appearance or existence, as he seems to possess some kind of mysterious ability to make bystanders forget about him. He gave a "fate medallion" to Kenshiro as a flip coin to help him make a decision when facing a serious dilemma
Dilemma
A dilemma |proposition]]") is a problem offering two possibilities, neither of which is practically acceptable. One in this position has been traditionally described as "being on the horns of a dilemma", neither horn being comfortable...

. He also grants worthy people connected to the Hokuto clan a wish about their fate. His identity and agenda have yet to be revealed.
A group of lawless non-Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...

 bandits roaming in the countryside, elements of whom hired by Zhāng Liè-Shān to cause chaos in Shanghai and reinforce the Hong Hua Triads. They adopted Yu-Ling when her memory was erased.
The big boss of a secret organization called the Tài Hú Bāng (太湖幇, Taikopan, "Lake Tai Gang"). He murdered Zōng-Wǔ's father, Liú Zōng-Jiàn, in order to launder money from him when Zōng-Wǔ was still a child. Yasaka is in his employ. He created an electrified "Pressure Point Defense Suit" that would electrocute anyone that tried to touch him; an attempt at protecting himself from the Hokuto arts. Liú Zōng-Wǔ was able to safely kick him using his rubber-soled boots, shorting out the circuits on his suits and then sending him into the ocean where Dù ended up electrocuting himself to death.
Kūkai's Buddhist master.
  • Chiang Kai-Shek
    Chiang Kai-shek
    Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....

    (蒋介石 Jiang Jieshi)
Generalissmo of Kuomintang and President of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...

 during World War 2
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...

. When Kenshiro kills Luó Hŭ-Chéng, who not only is a treacherous underling of Zhāng Liè-Shān but also happens to be a general in the National Revolutionary Army, Chiang overrules a suggestion to deploy the military against Kenshiro in retaliation, considering the motives behind the latter's actions noble enough to deserve better than execution or covert assassination. Nevertheless agreeing that the Nationalist government can ill-afford a show of weakness, he instead issued an order to find the best Chinese fighter to defeat Kenshiro in a bid to uphold the Chinese honor.

Other foreign

A Colonel in the German Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...

, he works as a military advisor for the Nazi Party and has a side job as an arms dealer. He uses Zōng-Wǔ to prolong the war so he can continue to profit from it. After Zōng-Wǔ kills one of Dù Tiān-Fēng's informant, he tries to kill Zōng-Wǔ at Dù's request, but fails and is killed by Zōng-Wǔ.
A Jewish girl with a photographic memory, Erika has a catalogue of hidden valuable artwork called "The List of Hope" memorized. Nazis pursue her to get this information, and she comes under the protection of Liú Fēi-Yàn to guide her to the Shanghai Ghetto
Shanghai ghetto
The Shanghai ghetto, formally known as the , was an area of approximately one square mile in the Hongkou District of Japanese-occupied Shanghai, to which about 20,000 Jewish refugees were relocated by the Japanese-issued Proclamation Concerning Restriction of Residence and Business of Stateless...

.

Production

Many of the plot points mentioned in the comic contain real historical facts, such as how Shanghai was controlled by the foreign concessions (the story focus mainly on the French settlement
Shanghai French Concession
The Shanghai French Concession was a foreign concession in Shanghai, China from 1849 until 1946, and it was progressively expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The concession came to an end in practice in 1943 when the Vichy French government signed it over to the pro-Japanese puppet...

) during the 1930s. Also seen are Jewish refugees who escaped from Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...

 persecution in Europe, and the invasion of China by the Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...

. Chiang Kai Shek and some historical Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...

 figures appear in the story as well.

Tetsuo Hara wanted the fights in the manga to look more like traditional Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...

, so the action is somewhat faster and more detailed than those in Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star
is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankōbon edition by Shueisha...

. Hara went to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

 in person to get his inspiration. Tetsuo Hara describes the protagonist Kenshiro Kasumi as a combination of the strength of Kenshiro, the good nature of Keiji Maeda from Hana no Keiji
Keiji (manga)
is a period manga authored by Tetsuo Hara, which was serialized in the Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1990 to 1993. It is an adaptation of the novel by Ryu Keiichiro and serves as a fictionalized account of the life of Keiji Maeda.-Main characters:...

and the sarcastic attitude of the title character of Nakabo Rintaro.

Publication history

Fist of the Blue Sky has been in serialization in the Weekly Comic Bunch since the magazine's first issue, published with the cover date
Periodical cover date
Cover date refers to the date displayed on the covers of periodical publications such as magazines and comic books. This is not necessarily the true date of publication...

 of May 29, 2001. New chapters of Sōten no Ken are published irregularly in the magazine. The manga concluded in 2010 with the final issue of Comic Bunch, lasting a total of 22 volumes.

An English version of Fist of the Blue Sky was serialized in the now-defunct manga anthology Raijin Comics
Raijin Comics
Raijin Comics was a manga anthology published in North America by the now-defunct Gutsoon! Entertainment and largely backed by the Sega Corporation at its inception. The collected volumes of Raijin Comics titles were published under the Raijin Graphic Novels imprint.The comics were aimed at an...

published by Gutsoon! Entertainment from 2002 to 2004. Four collected volumes were published by Gutsoon under the Raijin Graphic Novels imprint before the company went out of business and ceased publication of all their titles.

Japanese volumes

Vol. Release date ISBN
01 2001-10-09 ISBN 4-10-771000-9
02 2001-11-09 ISBN 4-10-771016-5
03 2002-05-09 ISBN 4-10-771036-X
04 2002-08-09 ISBN 4-10-771051-3
05 2003-01-09 ISBN 4-10-771073-4
06 2003-05-09 ISBN 4-10-771089-0
07 2003-09-09 ISBN 4-10-771112-9
08 2004-01-09 ISBN 4-10-771129-3
09 2004-05-09 ISBN 4-10-771151-X
10 2004-08-09 ISBN 4-10-771167-6
11 2004-12-09 ISBN 4-10-771189-7
12 2005-03-09 ISBN 4-10-771206-0
13 2005-07-09 ISBN 4-10-771225-7
14 2006-01-09 ISBN 4-10-771258-3
15 2006-07-09 ISBN 4-10-771281-8
16 2007-02-09 ISBN 978-4-10-771318-6
17 2007-09-08 ISBN 978-4-10-771356-8
18 2008-03-08 ISBN 978-4-10-771387-2
19 2008-10-09 ISBN 4-10-771421-7
20 2009-03-09 ISBN 978-4-10-771467-1
21 2009-12-09 ISBN 978-4-10-771535-7
22 2010-11-09 ISBN 978-4-10-771601-9

English volumes

Vol. Release date ISBN
01 2003-06-18 ISBN 0-97-250378-1
02 2003-09-09 ISBN 1-93-245403-9
03 2003-11-18 ISBN 1-93-245409-8
04 2004-03-17 ISBN 1-93-245422-5
05 Unpublished ISBN 1-93-245433-0

Anime

A weekly anime series based on Sōten no Ken aired on Japan's TV Asahi
TV Asahi
, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....

 on Thursdays at 2:40am from October 4, 2006 to March 14, 2007. The series lasted only 26 episodes, but four of the episodes (16-18, and 21) did not air during the original run. The complete series has been released on DVD in Region 2 format by Universal Entertainment Japan
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...

, including unaired episodes and uncensored content. The series adapts the storyline from the beginning and up to vol. 8.

Episodes

No. Episode TitleAirdate

Theme songs

Opening theme: by Rina Aiuchi
Ending themes:
  1. by doa
  2. "Kissing til i die" by Jun Manaka

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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