Fist of the North Star ( Hokuto no Ken?

[1]

is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and

drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized inWeekly Shnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankbon edition by Shueisha. Set in a postapocalyptic world that has been destroyed by a nuclear war, the story centers around a warrior named Kenshiro, the successor of a deadly martial art style known as Hokuto Shinken, which gives him the ability to kill most adversaries from within through the use of the human body's secret vital points, often resulting in an exceptionally violent and gory death. Kenshiro dedicates his life to fighting against the various ravagers who threaten the lives of the weak and innocent, as well as rival martial artists, including his own "brothers" from the same clan. The manga was adapted into an anime TV series produced by Toei Animation which aired on Fuji TV affiliates from 1984 through 1988, comprising a combined total of 152 episodes. Several films, OVAs, and video games had been produced as well, including a series of spin-offs centering around other characters from the original story. The original manga was republished in English by Viz Communications as a monthly comic book, and later by Gutsoon! Entertainment as a series of colorized graphic novels, although neither translations were completed. English adaptations of other Fist of the North Star media have also been licensed to other companies, including the TV series and the original 1986 film.