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.

Fictional history

Hokuto Shinken is first described as an 1,800 years old (2,000 years in the TV series and 1986 movie) Chinese assassination art formed during the Three Kingdoms

Three Kingdoms

The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...

 era. The art's power lies into channeling one's energy in a single blow and striking into the 708 in the human body (also known as acupressure points, power points, vital points, tsubo, etc.). This causes the victim to explode, be controlled involuntarily or otherwise incapacitated. It can also be used to heal certain physical and psychological wounds, such as restoring a person's voice, eyesight or memories, though the main purpose of Hokuto Shinken is assassination

Assassination

To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...

. The average person uses only 30% of their body's potential strength, but those who had mastered Hokuto Shinken can tap into the remaining 70% as well. Hokuto Shinken also derives power by using or fighting aura to use the human body's full potential as well as to project energy attacks. These energy attacks can be also used to strike pressure points, as was the case when Kenshiro fought Souther. As with many Chinese Martial Arts, there is a soft style, which depends on accuracy and agility, which Kenshiro and Toki use, and a hard style, which Raoh uses often, which relies on brute power to annihilate targets.

Due to its deadliness, Hokuto Shinken can only have one successor per generation according to the art's law. Students who are not chosen to inherit the succession must renounce the style voluntarily or risk having their memories erased or their fists crushed. This is due to the extreme consequences of the style being held by one who is evil at heart; in this case, Raoh and Jagi were corrupted. Toki renounced his successorship due to his illness, hence nominated 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...

 as the successor. In New Fist of the North Star, the role of successor is also to have said to hold the responsibilities of the guardian

Purple Forbidden enclosure

The Purple Forbidden enclosure is one of the San Yuan or Three enclosures. Stars and constellations of this group lie near the north celestial pole and visible all year from temperate latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.-Asterisms:The asterisms are :...

 of the Emperor of Heaven

Purple Forbidden enclosure

The Purple Forbidden enclosure is one of the San Yuan or Three enclosures. Stars and constellations of this group lie near the north celestial pole and visible all year from temperate latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.-Asterisms:The asterisms are :...

 in Chinese Astronomy

Chinese Astronomy

Chinese Astronomy may refer to :* Chinese astronomy, the history of Chinese knowledge and scientific culture about astronomy.* Chinese Astronomy, a periodic scientific journal....

 and legend, being the merciless punisher of evil and protector of the innocent.

Late in the series, it is revealed that the founder of Hokuto Shinken is a man named Shuken of the Hokuto Sōke (北斗宗家) bloodline and the ancestor of Kenshiro and Hyoh. Fist of the Blue Sky further develops the origins of Hokuto Shinken, where it is revealed that Hokuto Shinken is a blending of Shuken's original Hokuto style and the Keiraku Hikō techniques of Seito Gekken.

Hokuto Shinken was introduced to Japan through a pilgrimage of Kūkai

Kukai

Kūkai , also known posthumously as , 774–835, was a Japanese monk, civil servant, scholar, poet, and artist, founder of the Shingon or "True Word" school of Buddhism. Shingon followers usually refer to him by the honorific titles of and ....

 in the 9th century.

Practitioners

While Hokuto Shinken can only be passed down from one master to another, the style is usually taught to more than one student before a successor is named. In the prequel series Fist of the Blue Sky, Tesshin Kasumi was the 61st successor of Hokuto Shinken; followed by his son Kenshiro Kasumi, the 62nd successor; and then his younger half-brother Ramon Kasumi, who eventually becomes Ryuken, the 63rd successor, who named his adopted son Kenshiro as his heir (the 64th successor). Students who've been formally trained in the art but were not chosen for the succession include Ryuken's rival Koryu, and Kenshiro's three adoptive brothers: Jagi, Toki, and 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...

. Ryuken also trained a fifth student named Kim, whom he later expelled from his dojo after failing to meet his qualifications for successor.

Additionally, there are characters who were not formally trained in the style, but managed to learn it by observing actual practitioners (e.g. Amiba, who developed his own style based on Hokuto Shinken by observing Toki; the Emperor of Light Baran, who was a follower of Raoh when he was a child; adult Bat, and Ryu son of Raoh who observed Kenshiro during their stay together).

Techniques

Technique	User	Effect	First appearance
	Kenshiro	Causes the opponent's fingers to explode. Used against Taishan Temple assassin Gouda in the Hokuto no Ken pilot and against Club in the series.	Pilot 1
	Kenshiro	This technique used by Kenshiro in the Hokuto no Ken pilot, in which Kenshiro finishes his opponent with striking the opponent's chest with both fists. It appears in episode 33 of the anime series.	Pilot 1
	Kenshiro	A kick technique Kenshiro uses that against the Taishan Temple enforcer Denki Saito, which causes his head to split vertically in half. Appears in the second manga pilot.	Pilot 2
	Kenshiro	A technique which causes the opponent to twist their head around. Used against a Taishan guard in the pilot version of the manga.	Pilot 2
	Kenshiro	A prototype version of the Hyakuretsu Ken from the series. Kenshiro uses this technique as a finishing move against the Taishan Temple assassin Baiken Kinbu.	Pilot 2
	Kenshiro	Kenshiro's trademark technique, in which Ken strikes the opponent's body with a relentless flurry of punches, resulting the immediate breakdown of the internal organs, followed by an immediate death. It is used against numerous opponents thorough the series such as Zeed, the Colonel, and Uighur.	Chapter 1
	Kenshiro, Raoh	An arrow shot towards the user is deflected back towards the opponent. Kenshiro uses this against Spade, causing him to lose his right eye. Later, Raoh uses this against Mamiya, but the arrow is intercepted by Kenshiro.	Chapter 2
	Kenshiro	A hand chop which splits the opponent's skull in half. First used against one of Spade's minions and later as a finishing move against the Chief of the Fang Clan.	Chapter 2
	Kenshiro	A technique Kenshiro uses against Spade to make him feel regret for his sins for three seconds (seven in the anime) before dying. In the anime series, Kenshiro also uses this technique against the Kingsman Wolf in episode 18 and Joker in episode 21. A minion of Jagi attempts to mimic this technique against Ken in episode 30 of the anime, but the result backfires on him.	Chapter 2
	Kenshiro	A knee kick to the face used against Diamond, causing his head to split open in half.	Chapter 4
	Kenshiro	A technique Kenshiro used against Heart that allowed him to penetrate his gummy flesh and strike his vital points.	Chapter 7
	Kenshiro	A flying jump kick Kenshiro uses to defend himself against Shin's Hell Slaughter Fist. Its name is given in episode 5 of the anime series. In episode 22, Ken uses this technique again in his rematch against Shin.	Chapter 8
	Kenshiro	Kenshiro's finishing technique against Shin, in which Ken defeats Shin by striking his vital points in the shape of the Bloody Cross. Name given in episode 22 of the anime series.	Chapter 9
	Kenshiro	Used against a thug to weaken his muscle.	Chapter 11
	Kenshiro	Used against a Golan captain (the Major of God's Army in the anime) to control his body against his will. Named in episode 6 of the anime series.	Chapter 12
	Kenshiro	Defeats a group of enemies using only basic techniques. Named in episode 7 of the anime series	Chapter 14
	Kenshiro	An evading technique used to avoid the Golan Colonel's boomerangs.	Chapter 15
	Kenshiro	Finishing technique used against the Colonel, causing his skull to rip itself from his body.	Chapter 16
	Kenshiro	Causes to erase the last few days from an opponent's memories.	Chapter 19
	Kenshiro	Causes an opponent's muscles to self-destruct.	Chapter 20
	Kenshiro	Technique in which Kenshiro uses 100% of his body's capabilities.	Chapter 25
	Kenshiro	Finishing move used against the Devil's Rebirth, in which the vital points are struck in the shape of the Big Dipper.	Chapter 25
	Kenshiro	A deadlier version of the Hundred Cracks Fist used against a member of the Fang Clan.	Chapter 29
	Kenshiro	Kenshiro's finishing technique against Madara. Named in episode 27 of the anime series.	Chapter 33
	Kenshiro	A stance used to signal an unwilling opponent in case of an emergency.	Chapter 36
	Kenshiro	Places the opponent in a temporary death-like coma. Ken's counterpart to Rei's Tiger Destroying Dragon.	Chapter 36
	Jagi	A series of rapid hand-stabs Jagi used against Kenshiro during a sparring match.	Chapter 41
	Kenshiro	A technique Kenshiro almost used to kill Jagi in the past. According to a Japanese strategy guide for the Family Computer video game Hokuto no Ken 2, this technique causes the opponent to feel eight different types of pains in the body before exploding into nine splinters.	Chapter 42
	Jagi	A series of rapid hand strikes.	Chapter 43
	Kenshiro	Causes an opponent's nervous system to become hypersensitive.	Chapter 44
	Kenshiro	A defensive technique used to make one's vital points more resistant to an opponent's attacks.	Chapter 50
	Kenshiro	Finishing move against Amiba, causing him to walk against his will.	Chapter 51
	Kenshiro	Destroyed Uighur's shoulder with six fingers.	Chapter 57
	Toki	A personal style of Hokuto Shinken developed by Toki in which the opponent is euthanize without causing pain.	Chapter 60
	Toki	A technique Toki uses that leaves his opponent feeling a sense of euphoria before dying.	Chapter 60
	Kenshiro	Kenshiro gathering of Fighting Aura during his first battle against Raoh, which frightened Kokuoh-Go. Name given in the 1986 film version Fist of the North Star (1986 film) is a 1986 Japanese animated film adaptation of the manga series of the same name. It was produced by Toei Animation, the same studio who worked on the TV series that was airing at the time, with much of the same staff and cast working on both... .	Chapter 66
	Kenshiro	Mid-air technique that mildly wounded Raoh and broke a piece of his helmet.	Chapter 67
	Ryuken	The user moves towards the opponent in a pattern modeled after the shape of the Big Dipper.	Chapter 69
	Kenshiro	A secret techniques that allows its user to learn another fighter's technique after witnessing it once.	Chapter 84
	Toki	Causes several of the Holy Emperor's soldiers to feel euphoria before their heads are split.	Chapter 92
	Kenshiro, Kenshiro Kasumi	A secret fighting stance in which Kenshiro moves his hands in a pattern resembling the shape of the Big Dipper. In Fist of the Blue Sky, this stance was originally used by the Seito Gekken school and later adapted for Hokuto Shinken by Shuken.	Chapter 96
	Kenshiro, Kenshiro Kasumi	A powerful aura blast which strikes the opponent's vital points in the shape of the Big Dipper. In "Fist of the Blue Sky" it was used against Liú Fēi-Yàn, with Kenshiro claiming he had learned it from the Hokuto Sonkaken techniques of Máng Kuáng-Yún.	Chapter 96
	Kenshiro	Kenshiro's finishing move against Souther, which caused him to die without feeling pain.	Chapter 97
	Koryu	The secret technique Koryu attempted to use to seal Raoh's fists.	Chapter 98
	Kenshiro, Toki	A stance used between two Hokuto Shinken masters used to signal a friendly match in which the right fist is placed over the left palm.	Chapter 99
	Raoh	A technique which allows Raoh to foresee his opponent's moves.	Chapter 102
	Toki	A secret technique which sends shockwave through the ground.	Chapter 103
	Toki	Toki's airborne version of the Hundred Cracks Fist.	Chapter 103
	Raoh	An aura blast Raoh tried to use against Kenshiro. This technique is later used in the final chapters of the manga by Baran against Satora, who learned the technique by watching Raoh used it, and later by Kenshiro himself against Baran.	Chapter 124
	Kenshiro, Raoh, Shuken, Kenshiro Kasumi	The ultimate secret technique of Hokuto Shinken, which can only be mastered by those who experience true sorrow. in the original manga and anime, Kenshiro was first to perform this technique since its founder, but Raoh later learns the technique as well. In Fist of the Blue Sky, Yan-Wang used this technique against Liu Zong-Wu. In Blue Sky, this technique is revealed to had been created by Shuken after he was forced, under orders from the High Priests of the Hokuto clan , to kill his fellow Seito Gekken apprentices.	Chapter 124
	Raoh, Kenshiro	A large energy blast. Used by Raoh against Kenshiro and later by Kenshiro against Han.	Chapter 125
	Ryuken	A technique Ryuken used to restore Jukei's sanity after he was driven mad by the influence of the Dark World.	Chapter 182
	Kenshiro	A technique Kenshiro used to penetrate through Kaioh's defense, which weakened his arms.	Chapter 208
	Baran	A series of rapid hand-thrust that Baran learned from watching Raoh.	Chapter 232
	Baran	Another technique Baran learned from Raoh.	Chapter 232
	Kenshiro	A spin kick which kills four surrounding enemies. Depicted only in the anime series.	Anime (ep. 4)
	Kenshiro	An enhanced version of the Four Way Slash which kills several more enemies. Depicted only in the anime series as well.	Anime (ep. 4)
	Kenshiro	A kick to the back of the opponent's head which causes the body to split in half. Depicted only in the anime series, where its used against Baccam, the leader of the God's Army Elite Forces.	Anime (ep. 8)
	Kenshiro	Appears only in the anime series. A flying jump kick used to fight against the Bat Fist.	Anime (ep. 9)
	Kenshiro	Appears only in the anime series. A technique used against Dragon the fire-breather, which prevents his body from exhaling, causing the flames in his body to accumulate in his lungs, eventually burning himself to death.	Anime (ep. 10)
	Kenshiro	Anime-only technique used by Ken to destroy an undead minion of Zaria	Anime (ep. 15)
	Kenshiro	Anime-only technique which defeats a large group of thugs at once.	Anime (ep. 16)
	Kenshiro	Anime-only technique which causes two rival gang leaders, Baron of the Scorpions and Junk of the Snakes, to embrace each other literally to death.	Anime (ep. 16)
	Kenshiro	Anime-only technique in which Kenshiro defeats an entire group of enemies using his kicks.	Anime (ep. 18)
	Kenshiro	Anime-only technique in which Ken immobilizes an opponent with a jump kick.	Anime (ep. 19)
	Kenshiro	Anime-only technique in which Ken destroys a single line of thugs.	Anime (ep. 20)
	Kenshiro	Stops projectiles thrown towards one's body.	Anime (ep. 21)
	Kenshiro	Anime-only technique in which Kenshiro proceeds through a group of enemies while killing them	Anime (ep. 22)
	Kenshiro	Anime-only technique in which Kenshiro strikes the opponent's chest with hand thrusts, which then explodes.	Anime (ep. 31)
	Kenshiro	Anime-only technique in which Kenshiro sticks his fingers on his opponent's head, causing the opponent's head to explode once they're removed.	Anime (ep. 38)
	Kenshiro	Anime-only technique in which Kenshiro defeats a group of enemies with a spin kick.	Anime (ep. 92)
	Kenshiro	Cures venom in one's body.	Anime (ep. 99)
	Kenshiro Kasumi	Destroys all the bones in one's body while maintaining the external structure of the body intact.	Fist of the Blue Sky Chapter 19
	Kenshiro Kasumi, Tesshin Kasumi	A leaping technique which leaves a print on the ground.	Fist of the Blue Sky Chapter 74
	Kenshiro Kasumi	Hold breathing for ten minutes.	Fist of the Blue Sky Chapter 78
	Raoh	An energy wave shaped like a circle which causes the opponent's blood to be drained from the pores of their body.	Ten no Haoh Chapter 8
	Raoh	A series of fists which causes blood to leaked out from the pores of the opponent's body.	Ten no Haoh Chapter 11
	Raoh	A powerful fist which pushes away the opponent.	Ten no Haoh Chapter 12
	Kenshiro	A powerful series of punches that sends waves of ki, before a palm strike that sends a finishing explosive blast.	Hokuto Musou

Acupressure points

Hidden point	User	Effect	First appearance
	Kenshiro	Paralyzes an opponents body.	Pilot 1
or	Kenshiro	The pressure points struck on the opponent's temples when the Remorse Fist is used.	Chapter 2
	Kenshiro	Located below temples. Renders an opponent unconscious.	Chapter 5
	Kenshiro	Contracts an opponent's muscles until the spine is broke in half.	Chapter 5
	Kenshiro	Pulls the opponent's hands	Chapter 12
	Kenshiro	Works as a tranquilizer	Chapter 13
	Kenshiro	Causes blindness	Chapter 16
	Kenshiro	Forces an opponent to talk against his will	Chapter 22
	Kenshiro	Causes instant destruction upon sudden movement	Chapter 29
	Kenshiro	Leaves an opponent's jaw permanently open.	Chapter 33
	Kenshiro	Causes a body to rust.	Chapter 37
	Kenshiro	Restores eyesight	Chapter 38
	Kenshiro	Causes a gunman to aim at himself. Name given in the 1986 movie.	Chapter 43
	Kenshiro	Causes the entire body to feel intense pain on the thoracic vertebrae.	Chapter 44
	Amiba	Vital point discovered by Amiba that is used on Jun (Yuu's father), which causes his heart to explode.	Chapter 49
	Amiba	Vital point discovered by Amiba that paralyzes Kenshiro's body.	Chapter 49
	Kenshiro	Causes an opponent to walk backwards.	Chapter 51
	Toki	Causes an opponent to feel euphoria before death.	Chapter 60
	Raoh	Causes an opponent's body to hemorrhage all of its blood for three days.	Chapter 66
	Toki	Temporarily immobilizes one's body.	Chapter 70
and	Kenshiro	Hidden points struck on Dagale's body which caused him to feel unbearable pain.	Chapter 77
	Toki	Hidden point which extended Rei's lifespan for a day after enduring great pain.	Chapter 79
	Kenshiro	Causes one to lose their sense of depth perception.	Chapter 87
	Kenshiro	Causes one's body to be destroyed in three seconds.	Chapter 87
	Toki, Raoh, Kenshiro	Grants one strength at the expense of a shorter lifespan.	Chapter 104
	Raoh	Hidden points located at the shoulders which causes one's hands to explode.	Chapter 119
	Raoh, Yan-Wang	Causes great pain to an opponent who is withholding information.	Chapter 120
	Kenshiro	Stops an opponent's breathing.	Chapter 142
	Kenshiro	Vital point used to disable right leg. Kenshiro used it on himself to fight Falco on equal terms.	Chapter 154
	Kenshiro	A vital point struck on Falco's chest. Ineffective when cauderized.	Chapter 157
	Kenshiro	Allowed Kenshiro to read the Sanskrit writing in the Grand Holy Temple	Chapter 200
	Kenshiro	Eliminates the Sulfuric Absorbing Yellow Gas from one's body.	Chapter 206
	Kenshiro	Causes entire body to explode.	Anime (ep. 9)
	Kenshiro	Immobilizes an opponent's arms.	Anime (ep. 10)
	Kenshiro	Prevents an opponent's lung from exhaling	Anime (ep. 10)
	Kenshiro	Restores eyesight.	Anime (ep. 11)
	Kenshiro	Causes an opponent to walk against his will.	Anime (ep. 14)
	Kenshiro	Causes an opponent to move at one's will.	Anime (ep. 18)
	Kenshiro	Causes an opponent to drive a vehicle against his will.	Anime (ep. 19)
	Jagi	Causes its victim to shoot someone against his will. Failure to do so causes death.	Anime (ep. 31)
	Kenshiro	Once struck, it must be held or the opponent's head will explode.	Anime (ep. 38)
	Kenshiro	Causes pain when the opponent refuses to be interrogated.	Anime (ep. 53)
	Kenshiro	Creates an odor which attracts flesh-eating crows.	Anime (ep. 75)
	Kenshiro	Prevents winking.	Anime (ep. 86)
	Kenshiro	Causes opponent to commit suicide.	Anime (ep. 93)
	Kenshiro	Caves in head and causes explosion	New Fist of the North Star
	Sarla	Healing vital point	New Fist of the North Star
	Sarla	Healing vital point	New Fist of the North Star
	Sarla	Stops movement	New Fist of the North Star
	Seiji	Stops heart	New Fist of the North Star
	Yan-Wang	Located at the upper jaw and used for interrogation	Fist of the Blue Sky Chapter 14
	Yan-Wang	Breaks all the bones in one's body	Fist of the Blue Sky Chapter 19
	Yan-Wang	Restores memories	Fist of the Blue Sky Chapter 48
	Yan-Wang	Makes the enemy submissive	Fist of the Blue Sky Chapter 63
	Yan-Wang	Forces opponent to drink.	Fist of the Blue Sky Chapter 68
	Yan-Wang	Causes an opponent's teeth to fall out	Fist of the Blue Sky Chapter 91
	Yan-Wang	Causes intense pain to the victim when he tries to yell	Fist of the Blue Sky Chapter 101
	Raoh	Causes the opponent's body to be paralyzed for a moment.	Ten no Haoh Chapter 12