Kenshiro
Kenshiro (ケンシロウ, Kenshirō), also simply known as Ken (ケン, Ken), is the main protagonist of Fist of the North Star.
Kenshiro does not appear in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, but he is mentioned in the Bohemian Rhapsody story arc of the sixth part, Stone Ocean. Hirohiko Araki has also drawn Kenshiro in a special 2007 issue of Weekly Comic Bunch and for Fist of the North Star's 40th anniversary original art exhibition.
Appearance
Kenshiro is a man with an extremely muscular build standing at a tall height of 185 cm (6 ft 1 in).[1] He has fairly short, dark, and unkempt spiky hair, accompanied by short, wide eyes framed by thick eyebrows.
He often wears a blue jacket-like shirt with a red undershirt, or no undershirt at all exposing his chest, with metallic shoulder pads and a leather wristband on his right arm and bandages on his left arm. He also wears pants of similar coloring and a belt and boots.
His most recognizable feature is seven circular-shaped scars on his chest in the shape of the Big Dipper given to him by his former rival Shin.
Ken's appearance is highly influenced by that of martial artist Bruce Lee as well as action film actor Yūsaku Matsuda and the Mad Max film series.[2]
Star Platinum's shoulder pads were inspired by the ones worn by Kenshiro.[3] In Hirohiko Araki's first artwork of Kenshiro, he is wearing an open jacket held together in the middle with a "K" emblem. His outfit is adorned with several ladybug accessories and feathers. He also wears a watch, a ring, and has several tattoos such as hearts and a peace symbol on his arms.
History
Background
In Fist of the North Star, Kenshiro was originally an orphan from the Land of Shura in the Republic of China and a descendant of the Hokuto Soke bloodline. He was sent to Japan by a former master named Jukei and was eventually taken in by Ryuken, the 63rd master of Hokuto Shinken. Ryuken named him after his older brother Kenshiro Kasumi, since they shared the same Big Dipper-shaped birthmark on their heads. He trained him alongside his other adoptive sons Jagi, Toki, and Raoh. Despite being younger and more naive than his older brothers, Kenshiro was a promising student who ultimately earned the title of successor, much to the dismay of Jagi and Raoh.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Bohemian Rhapsody
Kenshiro and Raoh are brought to life from the manga due to Ungalo's Bohemian Rhapsody ability. Narciso Anasui passes by a TV with a news report mentioning that Kenshiro had killed Raoh in West Shinjuku, after Raoh had managed to kill several other fantasy characters. A witness claims it had went accordingly exactly to the original story. The whole incident causes mass damage and confusion to the city. Eventually, Kenshiro returns to his original manga universe.
Trivia
- The shoulder pads on Star Platinum are partially inspired by Kenshiro's [4].
- In Episode 26 of the Stone Ocean Anime, Shigeru Chiba narrated over the events caused by the battle of Kenshiro & Raoh referencing his narration across numerous pieces of Fist of the North Star media.
Gallery
Drawn by Hirohiko Araki in Weekly Comic Bunch 2007
Drawn by Araki for Fist of the North Star's 40th Anniversary
As he appears in the manga
Volume 1 Cover
Volume 2 Cover
Volume 3 Cover
Ultimate Edition, Vol. 1
As he appears in the original anime
As he appears in the 1986 film
Design sheet for the 1986 movie
As he appears in the 1995 live-action movie
As he appears in the OVA
Fist of the North Star: The Legends of the True Savior
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As he appears in Ken's Rage
As he appears in Ken's Rage 2
As he appears in Lost Paradise
As he appears in Legends ReVIVE
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fist of the North Star Special: All About the Man
- ↑ EXILE SEKAI Interviews TETSUO HARA, Creator of Fist of the North Star
- ↑ JOJOVELLER: Araki's Stand Commentaries - Star Platinum
- ↑ Interview:JOJOVELLER Stand Guide Commentaries#Star Platinum
