Kenzou
Kenzou (ケンゾー, Kenzō) is a tertiary antagonist featured in the sixth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Stone Ocean, specifically the "Enter the Dragon's Dream" story arc.
Kenzou is an elderly inmate at Green Dolphin Street Prison, and the former guru of a sect. He is sent to assassinate Jolyne Cujoh in the Ultra Security House Unit. He eventually battles Foo Fighters instead when she comes to save Jolyne. Kenzou is a Stand user, and wields Dragon's Dream.
Appearance
Kenzou is a small yet athletic old man, with a heavily wrinkled and clean-shaved face, but he has unusually long eyebrows over slanted eyes. He has several thin braids on the back of the head.
Kenzou wears a furred bodysuit open on the chest, a jeweled skullcap on which are several big pearls, and a similarly jeweled necklace.
As part of his occupation as a martial artist, Kenzou is often seen adopting different stances resembling those that of a martial artist, for instance baring his hand at the enemy with the fingers contracted reminiscent of the Tiger Claw style of kung-fu.
Color Schemes
Personality
Kenzou is a confident martial artist and assassin with delusions of grandeur.
Kenzou is an assassin and martial artist brimming with great confidence. His prison card also states that he has knowledge of Kung-Fu, Tai Chi, and tea ceremonies.[1] His great experience and power of "feng-shui" give Kenzou a lot of confidence, since he knows how to evade attacks and can easily find a target's weak spot. As such, his general behavior is that of a placid and confident master, as well as that of a ruthless assassin who can take a life without qualm. Kenzou is calm in combat and rarely loses his cool, but even if Foo Fighters kept resisting him, Kenzou maintained his confidence in his opponent's eventual demise. He even found Jolyne's power interesting because it was "hard to read", implying he would have appreciated the challenge of fighting her.[3]
However, underneath his calm, Kenzou has delusions of grandeur. 40 years ago, he founded his own cult and even attempted a mass suicide in order to not be arrested by the police.[4] Even now, Kenzou treasures the memory of his "glory days", and ambitions to become a cult leader again, using his feng shui powers to be seen and revered as a savior by the prisoners.[5] At his most exalted, Kenzou compares himself to the Buddha.[6]
On a more humorous note, Kenzou is frustrated with Dragon's Dream's independence and habit of telling his targets how his powers work "for the sake of fairness".[7] As a result, Kenzou and his Stand bicker on a regular basis, with the assassin complaining about his own Stand interfering with his work.
Kenzou believes that the secret to good health is "urine therapy" (drinking his own urine) every morning.[8]
Abilities
Stand
Dragon's Dream manipulates the concept of Feng-Shui to show the luckiest angles, and is used by Kenzou to strike from odd angles for maximum lethality. It is remarkable in being neutral in a fight and equally usable by Kenzou's foes.
Techniques
Kenzou is a master martial artist and thus a superlative hand-to-hand fighter. In combination with his Stand power and Survivor, Kenzou is able to challenge a Stand like Foo Fighters in close-quarters combat.
Kenzou has knowledge in kung-fu and tai-chi[9] and has decades of experience in practicing martial arts. Kenzou's footwork is at an expert level, as while he can read the lucky locations on the battlefield, it is his footwork that allows him to constantly go to these lucky positions and evade Foo Fighters's shots, even at short range. His agility is such that he needs minimal movement to avoid F.F.'s bullets. Despite his age, Kenzou is surprisingly agile and can perform acrobatics and leap great distances on a regular basis without tiring. This allows him to easily touch Dragon's Dream.
He's also a formidable hand-to-hand fighter. For instance, when F.F. attempts a knifehand strike, Kenzou identifies the blow immediately and counters it with his arm before effortlessly transitioning into a nearly fatal strike to the mouth.[10] Kenzou has a special technique: by plunging his hand in the opponent's mouth, he can damage the 4th vertebrae of the cervical spine and affect the adrenal glands, causing an excessive release of mucus in the respiratory system. In practice, it means that he can drown his opponents in their own mucus in one good strike.[11]
History
Background
In his youth, Kenzou was the leader of a very popular cult that included Hollywood stars and other famous people, reaching 30,000 members. However, his sect was soon investigated by the police and FBI. Subsequently, Kenzou and thirty four members of his cult attempted a mass suicide. Kenzou drugged everyone and put fire to the building, burning everyone. However, Kenzou collapsed in a surprisingly safe spot where the collapse of the walls shielded him from the flames and the smoke and barely survived. He subsequently received a total 280 year-sentence in Green Dolphin Street Prison for this crime, and endeavored to climb back up to the upper echelons of society where he could relive his former glory.[1]
Kenzou's persistent and gradual perfection of his Feng Shui Assassination led to the natural awakening of his Stand ability, Dragon's Dream.[12]
Stone Ocean
Kenzou is sent to the Ultra Security House Unit alongside D an G, Viviano Westwood and Guccio to assassinate Jolyne Cujoh. After Westwood loses control and frees all the inmates, Kenzou makes short work of most of the inmates and drowns them. He confronts a battered Jolyne but detects Foo Fighters and attacks her first by kicking the corpse she is is hiding inside of. F.F. comes out and shoots Kenzou, but the corpse's leg twitches, protecting the old man.
Kenzou and Foo Fighters properly engage each other. He summons Dragon's Dream and reads the lucky spot. Thanks to that, he avoids F.F.'s shots and drives his fist inside of her throat, using a specific technique to trigger a secretion of mucus from the adrenal gland that is supposed to make his targets drown by themselves. He then turns to face Jolyne but F.F. surprisingly pierces her own throat and shoots again. Kenzou barely manages to be avoid the attack and kicks F.F. but she simply squeezes between the bars of a handrail to escape. Seeing inside of F.F., Kenzou is intrigued by the unique flow in her body but remains confident as she retains the same weak points as a human.
He reads the lucky spot again and summons Dragon's Dream, who is seen by F.F. and irritatingly explains to F.F. the ins and outs of its ability for the sake of a fair fight. After an exchange of blows, Kenzou reaches Dragon's Dream and his arm connects with F.F.'s unlucky spot. Although F.F. blocks the fist by dislocating her elbow, a series of events causes pieces of glass to pierce F.F.'s face. She opens her mouth in shock, allowing Kenzou to attack although F.F. backs off to avoid the attack. Dragon's Dream points to another unlucky spot above F.F.'s left ear. Kenzou rushes towards F.F., who attempts a kick but Kenzou then grabs the leg. When F.F. attempts a knifehand strike, Kenzou makes a straight spearhand strike at F.F.'s throat and jams his other hand in F.F.'s throat. In retaliation, F.F. bites Kenzou's fingers. In pain, the old man strikes F.F.'s liver and pushes her towards Dragon's Dream. F.F.'s arm enters the dragon and punches a corpse, which causes another unlucky series of events that make a piece of machinery slice through F.F.'s head. F.F. is now dangerously low on water.
F.F. shoots Kenzou, who is barely out of his safe spot and manages to hurt him. However, the attack is not enough. F.F. thus plans to trick Kenzou into misreading Dragon's Dream with a mirror made of water but desperately needs it to sustain herself. Kenzou begins to rant about the hell his life has been since his arrest and orders Dragon's Dream to show him the way to make his final attack. F.F. runs towards the fire extinguishing hose the guards used, pursued by Kenzou. F.F. searches for the faucet, only for Dragon's Dream to appear and warn F.F. not to touch it as Kenzou attacks. F.F. decides to intentionally put her arms in Dragon's Dream while Kenzou performs a sweeping kick on her head.
F.F. manages to sneak into the hose through a tear made after Kenzou's kick and break the faucet open, but her earlier action prevents her from touching the water since her own arms attack it. F.F. is thrown down to the execution room and the hose activates the execution sequence on the electric chair there. By pure misfortune, F.F. finds herself unable to get away from the chair. Kenzou arrives and F.F. narrowly misses him with her shot again, but this time, F.F.'s shots break Kenzou's jewelry and she steps on two pearls that make her trip and fall back onto the electric chair. Desperate, F.F. attempts to kick Kenzou but the old man blocks the attack and kicks F.F. in place as the electric chair starts up.
F.F. is being electrocuted but Dragon's Dream reveals that she was able to collect the sweat from Kenzou after his effort. Kenzou realizes he's in an unsafe spot and is grabbed by F.F., who share the electrocution with the old man. Kenzou barely survives it and Jolyne approaches to finish him off despite her own injuries. However, Kenzou manages to avoid the attack and himself stands up to kill Jolyne. He tries to jam his foot in Jolyne's throat but Narciso Anasui intervenes. With Diver Down, Anasui turns Kenzou's legs into springs, preventing him from reaching his lucky spots again. Unable to stop bouncing around, Kenzou lands in a bucket and is defeated for good.
Chapters / Episodes
Manga Appearances- Stone Ocean Chapter 66: The Secret of Guard Westwood, Part 7
- Stone Ocean Chapter 67: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 1
- Stone Ocean Chapter 68: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 2
- Stone Ocean Chapter 69: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 3
- Stone Ocean Chapter 70: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 4
- Stone Ocean Chapter 71: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 5
- Stone Ocean Chapter 72: Enter the Foo Fighters
- Stone Ocean Chapter 73: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 6
- Stone Ocean Chapter 74: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 7 (Retired)
- Stone Ocean Chapter 76: Birth of the "Green", Part 1 (Mentioned only)
Anime Appearances- Stone Ocean Episode 15: Ultra Security House Unit
- Stone Ocean Episode 16: The Secret of Guard Westwood
- Stone Ocean Episode 17: Enter the Dragon's Dream
- Stone Ocean Episode 18: Enter the Foo Fighters (Retired)
Quotes
Quotes- “My name is Kenzou, 78 years old. My secret to good health is sleeping for precisely 8 and a half hours a day, as well as urine therapy.”—Kenzou, Stone Ocean Chapter 67: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 1
- “Do you want to drown again? Next time, you wont survive...”—Kenzou, Stone Ocean Chapter 68: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 2
- “My attack, has just merged with your direction of death.”—Kenzou, Stone Ocean Chapter 70: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 4
- “All of my attacks will affect you negatively. That's Feng-Shui assassination, that's Dragon's Dream. That's what I mean when I say your fate is decided!!”—Kenzou, Stone Ocean Chapter 72: Enter the Foo Fighters
- “Haven't you realized?! You're already trapped in my Feng-Shui assassination!!”—Kenzou, Stone Ocean Chapter 74: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 7
- “The definitive killing direction, coupled with my perfect position of defense. I'm going to be a leader agaaaain!!! Now I'll go down in history as a saint that's rivaled only by Buddha!!!”—Kenzou, Stone Ocean Chapter 73: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 6
- “My attack is inevitable! Your bad luck has just been decided!!! No matter what I do, your death has already been decided!!!”—Kenzou, Stone Ocean Chapter 74: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 7
Gallery
Privilege Card
Kenzou introducing himself and the basic operations of his lifestyle
Kenzou with his stand, Dragon's Dream
Kenzou's actions thwarted by Narciso Anasui's Diver Down
The prolonged effect of Diver Down
SO Chapter 67 Cover
SO Chapter 68 Cover A
SO Chapter 68 Cover B
SO Chapter 70 Cover A
SO Chapter 70 Cover B
SO Chapter 71 Cover A
SO Chapter 74 Cover
A younger Kenzou found lying in the rubble of his building, miraculously alive
Kenzou walks towards the injured Jolyne
Kenzou stretching his joints in extreme and bizarre manners
Foo Fighters's POV of Kenzou's hand in their mouth
Kenzou asking Jolyne if she wishes to drown as well
Kenzou parrying F.F's punches
Kenzou ripping off his arm using Dragon's Dream
Kenzou about to attack F.F's mouth again once she opened it
Posing with his Stand while Anasui explains his assassination feng shui
Kenzou moving his body in strange mannerisms to align himself with the best direction
Kenzou screaming in pain as F.F bites his hand after trying another attack
Kenzou explaining to F.F that his attack has merged with the direction of their death
Kenzou crying after reminiscing of his glory days
Kenzou proclaiming that he will rise to fame again
Kenzou realizing the mirror created by F.F
Kenzou playing dead after being electrocuted
Kenzou delivering a supposedly fatal blow to Jolyne
Kenzou ending up in a bucket after Diver Down destroyed his skeleton
Chara Heroes; Part 6 Vol.2
Adventure Battle Card; Kenzou
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Stone Ocean Chapter 71: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 5, p.20
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Stone Ocean Model Sheet No.SO-TL015-01
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 67: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 1, p.5
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 68: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 2, p.13
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 71: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 5, p.11
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 73: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 6, p.17
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 69: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 3, p.10
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 68: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 2, p.10
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 71: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 5, tailpiece
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 70: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 4, p.8-9
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 68: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 2, p.4-5
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 69: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 3, p.19
