Notations

- Weak Punch
- Weak Kick
- Fierce Punch
- Fierce Kick
- Boost

Screen HUD
Energy Gauge

The orange bar on the top of the screen your character's life bars. When that depletes to zero
you lose the round. The blue segment of the life bar, after receiving damage from attacks,
heals over time as long as your character doesn't jump or being attacked.

Aura bar

Your regular super meter found in every 2D fighting game nowadays.

There are two levels : first one is blue, second one is yellow. Once you reach a level, the
words "God Fist Blow" appear next to the bar. As you may have guessed, the main use of
aura is to perform supers, but it has other uses you will find later in the FAQ and is also used
by few character-specific moves.

Boost bar

The (long) Boost bar.

This bar is linked to the button and has 3 levels shown above : purple, yellow and green.
Using Boost results in making the character perform a fast dash towards him ; that dash is
cancelable with any move.

• The main use of Boost is to link or cancel moves you cannot normally cancel, resulting in a
wide variety of pokes and combos.
• Bar fills as you hit opponent or get hit, just like Aura.
• Notice that when you deplete a boost stock, you will have to wait few seconds before you
can stock boost again in the bar (same goes for Aura).
Hokutosei (Great Dipper) Bar

Also called the Star Bar

This bar is filled with seven little dots representing the number of stars featured in the Great
Dipper. Here are the rules applied to it as it's a bit complex to understand at first glance.

• At The Time Of Retribution, both players receive a full star bar.

• Characters recover one extra star each round within the limit of the star bar capacity.
• Stars can be removed by performing moves in defined conditions.
1. Any special move after a Grave Shoot
2. Most special moves and few basic moves on counter hit
3. Every time for super moves requiring Aura
• When all stars are removed, the Death Star (Shichousei in japanese) appears under the Great
Dipper, and a portrait of the character seeing it displayed in the background for a short time.
At that moment, opponent can perform the Deadly Fist Blow (named Fatal Strike in the U.S
version), commonly called Fatal KO. This ultimate move removes 100% of the enemy's life.
• The character who has been beaten by the opponent's Deadly Fist Blow recovers a full star
bar on next round.
• For balance purposes, you can not remove more than three stars in a single combo.
However, a way to override this limit has been found by the japanese community, under
defined conditions. This is covered later in the FAQ.

Guard Bar

Guard behaviour in Hokuto No Ken is quite different compared to other

fighting games.

1. When the guard gets crushed, the character enters a stagger animation.
2. The game uses a ranking of three guard levels to define which character will receive a guard
bar.

• Fierce Guard : Shin / Mr. Heart

• Normal Guard : Kenshiro / Raoh / Toki / Jagi / Rei / Juda
• Weak Guard : Mamiya / Thouther

What does all of this mean if Player1 faces Player2 (Player1 vs. Player2) ?

• Fierce Guard vs. Fierce Guard : both receive guard bars.

• Fierce Guard vs. Normal/Weak Guard : Player1 has no guard bar, Player2 gets one.
• Normal Guard vs. Normal Guard : none of the players have a guard bar
• Normal Guard vs. Weak Guard : Player2 receives a guard bar

Following those rules, Shin & Mr. Heart will always give guard bars to their opponents
meanwhile Mamiya & Thouther will always receive guard bars. For Normal Guard
characters, it all depends of the opponent.
Common moves
Banishing Strike

+
This move sends opponent to the wall you're facing.

• Banishing Strike removes one star on hit.

• You can hold the buttons and charge the move. When fully charged, B.S. sends opponent to
the wall even if he was guarding the move, but there's a possibility for him to recover from
the charge by quickly pressing buttons and moving directions. Note that in that case,
opponent is automatically put into standing guard.
• When proceeding to a Banishing Strike pursuit (hold ), you automatically gain a boost
stock which is instantly used in order to continue your movement towards opponent.

Heavy Strike

+
This attack opens opponent's guard after a short auto-charge time.

• Heavy Strike is unblockable (A red circle appear on your character as an indication).

• It removes one star on hit.
• You can't kill opponent with a Heavy Strike.

Throw

+ when close to opponent

Allows character to throw his opponent.

• Mamiya can't throw opponents.

• In Hokuto No Ken, throws are often used as combo openers since most of them can be
either :

1. boosted into another move (Raoh & Kenshiro)

2. canceled by a jump or a special move (Rei & Toki)
3. linked with a combo opener (Thouther, Jagi, Juda & Mr. Heart) which can a basic or a special
move.

Special Throw

+ when close to opponent

An alternative way to throw opponent.

• This throw will not grab crouching opponents (except Mr. Heart).
• Toki can't use this move. Mamiya can use the move in the air, but not on the ground.
• Special Throw removes a star on success.
• All Special Throws are combo starters except for Raoh & Shin
Agility Defense

right before guarding an attack.

Reduces both block stun and chip damage.

Agility Defense technique in Hokuto No Ken is often compared to the Just Defended! Garou
MOTW feature, the similar KOF Neowave or Guilty Gear's last minute guard. If you guard as
late as possible, your character will perform an Agility Defense resulting in a white flash
effect on top of the sprite of the character.

Agility Defense is a very helpful feature to get out from heavy pressure strings (mostly used
against Toki & Rei), counter your opponent by quickly recovering and reduce chip damage
(essential for characters like Mamiya & Thouther).

Guard Cancel

+ + when guarding.
Sends opponent away.

• Guard Cancel requires one Aura level

Guard Cancel in HNK is similar to KOF emergency cancel where you send your opponent
away to evade dangerous situations or to avoid difficult pressure strings. This feature is to be
use with caution as there are ways to avoid being guard canceled thus making you open to
punishments.

Grave Shoot

+
Sends opponent in the air.

• You can follow your opponent with an automatic homing jump by holding right after the
Grave Shoot.
• Any air special move performed after the homing jump pursuit removes a star.

Faultless Guard

Hold while guarding

A protection shield.

• Faultless Guard consumes Aura

• It prevents you from receiving any chip damage
• Performing it is mandatory to protect yourself in the air against ground opponent moves

This feature is a carbon copy of Guilty Gear's Faultless Defense.

Overhead

+
Hits crouching characters

• Mr. Heart has no overhead

• Raoh's overhead is mapped on the button instead of

Deadly Fist Blow (Fatal Strike)

+ +
Performs the character ultimate move.

• Opponent's star gauge must be empty and showing the Death Star (Shichousei)
• If missed, the character who performed it loses all his boost and aura stocks meanwhile
opponent recovers one star.
• A red background appears and a special music is played (Instrumental Ai Wo Torimodose
from the Fist Of The North Star / Hokuto No Ken anime, also known as You は Shock !
• Removes 100 % of opponent's life
Jump Install (star removal)
The Jump Install "feature" originally comes from the Guilty Gear series developed by ARC
System Works. By cancelling the jump start animation, it basically allows you to perform an
extra jump where you couldn't do so. This is extremely used in GG but is rather different in
Hokuto No Ken.

The Jump Install feature of HNK only allows you to remove an extra star on moves that
originally don't remove a star, or remove one extra star if the move already does. This glitch
take advantage of the rule that every special move in the air will remove a star when done
after a move with launcher property like .

The best example of it would be Thouther's Spear Toss move ( or ). If you perform it
in a classic regular combo starting from a close (which have launcher property), you won't
remove a star, but if you Jump Install the move by performing or (i.e by
performing a Sagat-like Tiger Knee motion), the game will register it as an air move done on
ground and a star will disappear.

The Guilty Gear "Jump Install"-like feature of HNK is mostly used by Thouther and Shin
players, for a good Thouther it's even a mandatory part of his game as his classic corner
combo can use two jump intall without any boost.

For Shin the JIed which remove two star is frequently seen at high level, but he needs
boost for it.

There is also some Toki players that use this combining his and at the end of his
basic combo.

Hit Stop Cancel

The Hit Stop Cancel feature of HNK relies on both Boost & Aura gauge. You can instantly
cancel the hit pausetime of a basic move into a super move by pressing both the button
required by the super move and the boost button, provided that you have boost & aura in the
respective gauges.

Most seen examples of H.S.C. are Toki's cancel into and Raoh's cancel
into , giving the feeling of accelerated super moves.

Damage Reset
Hokuto No Ken features damage reduction to prevent overpowered combos : the more you
hit, the less life you remove. Although this works quite well in the game, there are cases
where your move will be considered as a standalone one and will not be affected by that
damage reduction : that's called the damage reset. Damage Reset only concerns super moves
that deal multiple hits, like :
 • Toki's Hokuto Ujuu Danjin Ken
• Rei's Nanto Sakei
• Kenshiro's Tenha Kassatsu

Star Limit Override

The game has a 3-star-per-combo limitation but as stated earlier, ways to override this limit
has been found.

4 star combos

• Special Throw doesn't enter the star count limit.

• The star from the wallbounce caused by a blocked max charged doesn't enter the star
limit.

There is another way to get an extra star in the limiter when you dizzy your opponent, to get it
you have to remove at least one star before the opponent stands up dizzied, then you can do
up to 4 stars for the dizzy reset combo.

5 star combos

With the extra star from dizzy and the 4th star of a BD throw combo, you can go up to 5.

Mr. Heart only

Mr. Heart have an infinite on some characters that involves doing throw one after
another during Itee mode until the opponent is KOed. As said above the star removed from a
throw doesn't enter the limiter, so in this case Mr. Heart is able to remove all the stars
his opponent have.

Use in matches

You won't see much of those combos in casual matches nor tournaments since they usually
require a lot of boost stocks and most of them don't deal a lot of damage. Boost is vital for
some characters & for pokes so players tend to preserve it as much as possible. Boost is also
kept to perform bugged combos since they require less stocks, lead to 100 % combos and
refill the depleted boost stocks. Star limit override set-ups you might see in actual play as they
have a good cost/reward :

• Shin doing 4 star from command throw on a dizzied opponent.

• Thouther doing 4 star from throw, and up to 5 stars in case of dizzy which can happen
as much since you won't see a lot of outside from dizzy reset. This does little damage,
in most cases only worth it if it kills opponent or at last round for an FKO combo.
 • Rei and Yuda can do 4 star with reasonable cost from a throw, but it will deal a lot less
damage than their standard combos, can be sometimes seen if they dizzy their opponent and
he have little life left.

Boost Bug(s)
This is just a list of known bugs concerning Boost. It only covers the main issues with that
feature, but there are more minor ones that are not mentioned.

• Whenever you consume a Boost stock by pressing , you will randomly deplete
20 % or 50 % of it, there's no control possible over that.
• Boosting few ground moves make them go in the air when they shouldn't (check the
video above concerning Star Override for example)
• You can stock Boost at an amazingly fast rate when performing Dribble or Hyakuretsu
combos and on other instances but the required conditions aren't clear since this is a
game issue.
• Boosting Rei's Nanto Gekisei Kakubu in a certain way results in an endless hit
glitch [ARCADE only]
• Boosting Shin's Nanto Senjuzan in a certain way results in Shin becoming
invincible [ARCADE only]
Characters
TIER-LIST
From Japan

S++ : Toki

S+ : Rei - Juda

S : Raoh

A : Kenshiro / Thouther / Shin / Mamiya / Heart

B : Jagi

The rank depends on various parameters : pokes, move priority, combos, pressure etc ...

About KENOH
The boss of the game, named KEN'OH (an improved version of RAOH, just like he liked to
call himself in the manga) has become playable only in the PlayStation 2 version of Fist Of
The North Star, after completing the History mode. Compared to the CPU version of the
character, he was toned down to be playable without being cheap.

In arcades, he was kept unlockable due to his general cheapness (increased damage, new
exclusive supers, resurrection etc ...)

Changes for Characters between arcade & PlayStation 2

– Rei's infinite dragon punch glitch has been fixed

– Juda's "STAMP THE UD" move was modified : Komak follows a different way in
PlayStation 2, leading to make his arcade combos not working at 100%

– Thouther's music theme has been modified : the guitar solo was replaced by some sort of
cheap synthesizer

– Toki's stage is not affected by slowdowns anymore (this was due to the ATOMISWAVE
hardware limitations)

Stars : number of ★ removed on normal hit / number of ★ removed on counter hit

Kenshiro

Marks Move Name Commands Notes

Hokuto Ryu Geki
0★ / Counters high attacks & reflects
Ko +
1★ most projectiles
北斗龍撃虎
0★ / Touki Flying projectile which
1★ 闘気 + disappears at mid-range
1★ / Hikou Seieikou Upon hit, opponent gets chip
2★ 秘孔・醒鋭孔 + damage on guarded basic moves
0★ / Hokuto Hieiken
+ Wall bounce on counter hit
1★ 北斗飛衛拳
0★ / Tenha No Kamae Removes an additional on next
0★ 天破の構え + successful hit
Hokuto
1★ / + / + / C version doesn't remove stars
Ujoumoushouha
2★ + on normal hit
北斗有情猛翔破
0★ / Hokuto Jaraikou
+ 1 hit autoguard
1★ 北斗蛇雷咬
Hokuto Shichishi
0★ /
Kiheizan + Overhead attack
1★ 北斗七死騎兵斬
1★ / Tenha Kassatsu 1 aura stock required - Beam
2★ 天破活殺 + Super
1 aura stock required - allows
0★ / Muso Tensei
+ dodging 7 times by tapping or
0★ 無想転生
when opponent attacks
2 aura stocks required - Makes
1★ / Hokuto Zankai Ken opponent die 3 seconds after
2★ 北斗残悔拳 + landing the move. Doesn't work
on Thouther
Hokuto Hyaku
0★ / Fatal KO move -
Retsu Ken +
0★ ATATATATATATA !
北斗百裂拳
Raoh

Marks Move Name Commands Notes

Can be powered up with a
0★ / Hokuto Goshoha
+ / + Hokuto Donryukoho - Sends on
1★ 北斗剛掌波
the wall on counter hit
Hokuto Stocks a powerup item (H.D.) -
0★ /
Donryukoho + can be used for various special
0★ 北斗呑龍呼法 moves
Hokuto Tenshou
0★ / Jump cancel available on
Raigeki +
1★ counter hit
北斗天将雷撃
Hokuto Raretsu (H.D.) version always remove 1
0★ /
Ken + star on last hit - Sends on the
1★ 北斗羅裂拳 Wall on counter hit
Ground version can be improved
1★ / Sai
+ / + with (H.D.) - H.D. version
1★ 釵
removes 2 stars
Requires 1 aura stock - Jump
0★ / Musou Insatsu cancellable on contact - Can only
1★ 無想陰殺 + be done during recovery frames
of basic & special moves
Hikou Shin Ketsu
1★ / 1 aura stock required - Air
Shuu +
2★ Unblockable
秘孔新血愁
1 aura stock required - allows
0★ / Muso Tensei
+ dodging 7 times by tapping or
0★ 無想転生
when opponent attacks
1★ / Tenshou Honretsu 1 aura stock required - Long
3★ 天将奔烈 + invincibility time
Hokuto Metsu
0★ /
Tenha + Fatal KO move - Autoguard
0★ 北斗滅天把
Toki

Marks Move Name Commands Notes

Reflects projectiles - Gives short
0★ / Hokuto Ryukojin
+ invincibility after reflecting a
1★ 北斗流弧陣
projectile - 1 hit autoguard
0★ / Toukei Kohou Ground Projectile - can be used
1★ 闘勁呼法 + twice in a row
Tenshou
0★ /
Hyakuretsu Ken + Cancelable with +
1★ 天翔百裂拳
Hokuto Ha Ryu
0★ /
shou + High counter - Sends on the Wall
1★ 北斗破流掌
0★ / Hokuto Suibu Geki
+ Low Counter - Send in the air
1★ 北斗酔舞撃
Hokuto Shou Rin
0★ / Air Counter - Sends on the
Kyaku +
1★ ground
北斗翔輪脚
Hokuto Musou Ryu Each version teleports Toki
0★ /
Bu - Mae + / / / towards at various distances &
0★ 北斗無想流舞 - 前 heights
Hokuto Musou Ryu Each version teleports Toki
0★ /
Bu - Ushiro + / / / backwards at various distances
0★ 北斗無想流舞 - 後 & heights
Hokuto Musou Ryu
Bu - Suichoku Each version teleports Toki
0★ /
+ / + backwards at various distances
0★ 北斗無想流舞 - 垂
& heights
直
Hokuto Ujou
1★ /
Danjin Ken + Very fast dash forward
2★ 北斗有情断迅拳
Hikou
SekkatsuKou - After performing the move, all
0★ / Jibun Toki's special moves remove one
0★ + extra star during a determined
秘孔・刹活孔 - 自
timegap
分
 Hikou
SekkatsuKou - Aite Prevents opponent from
2★ /
+ recovering blue part of his
3★ 秘孔・刹活孔 - 相
lifebar
手
1★ / Hokuto Saihaken
+ Air unblockable
2★ 北斗砕覇拳
Hokuto Ujou
0★ /
Hagan Ken + fullscreen beam
0★ 北斗有情破顔拳

Jagi

Marks Move Name Commands Notes

0★ / Shotgun Shotgun projectile - Two ways
1★ ショットガン + / + available
0★ / Hokuto Senju Satsu
+ Overhead attack
1★ 北斗千手殺
0★ / Nanto Jarougeki Cancelable by pressing - Can
1★ 南斗邪狼撃 + be charged - Sends on the wall
Gasoline puddle - burns when a
0★ / Gas Tank
+ shotgun projectile or a match
1★ ドラム缶
hits it
Enlightens Gasoline Barrels &
0★ / Match
+ burns every gasoline puddles,
1★ マッチ
even on opponent
Gasoline Barrel - Can explode
0★ / Gasoline
+ using a shotgun attack or a
1★ ガソリン
match
S... Stop please !
Dodges attacks for a short time -
1★ / Not yet !
や…やめてくれ!! + Hold to make Jagi throw
2★
た…たのむ!! unblockable needles

Yoku Dekita Ototo Attachs a heavy block at the feet

1★ /
良くできた弟～～ + of the opponent, slowing him
2★ ～!! down for few seconds
 Idiot ! All ways are
good to win when falling close to Allows Jagi to counterattack
0★ / バカめ！勝てばい the shotgun after using his shotgun while lying on
1★ いんだ何を使おう the ground
dropping it with a taunt
が
Mada Mada Yomi
Ga Amai Wa 1 aura stock required - Throws a
1★ /
+ giant gasoline puddle from the
2★ まだまだ読みが甘
air to the ground
いわ
1 aura stock required - You can
1★ / Hokuto Rakan Geki throw needles at various ways by
2★ 北斗羅漢撃 + pressing / / during the
move
2 aura stocks required. Throw
super where opponent has to
select the right japanese spelling
of Jagi (which is ジャギ). If
opponent misses, Jagi has to
Say My Name !
1★ / perform + to continue the
俺の名を言ってみ + super, giving his opponent a last
2★
ろ !! chance. If opponent misses
again, Jagi fires with his
shotgun, making opponent fall in
a stun state. This move isn't
available if arcade region is set
to USA or Europe.
Time For The Devil
0★ / To Smile ! Acts like a throw. Only works
0★ 今は悪魔が微笑む + against SHIN. Fills gauges.
時代なんだ!
I've Been Waiting
Jagi jumps over a giant gas
0★ / For This Moment
+ barrel and burns a large gas
0★ フフ･･･この時を待 puddle
っていたのだ
Bugs
Rei's Infinite 623C [ARCADE]
This was the first serious bug found in the early days of the game in arcades. Doing the jump
install glitch on Rei's makes Rei going upwards forever. This caused the Atomiswave
system to hang up when time is up.

Once tolerated with 2 boost stocks (using boost during his infinite caused Rei to fall down),
the bug is now totally forbidden in tournaments as it's rather easy to pull off now. Notice how
this bug shows up another one that is widely use nowadays : the bounce bug. This bug has
been fixed by Arc System Works in the PS2 version of the game and thus doesn't work any
more.

• Command : During Grave Shoot, perform then very quickly.

Shin's MUTEKING [ARCADE]

Another serious bug affecting the game, it's kinda 2 glitches in 1 as you have first to use the
jump install bug to perform the muteking. "muteking" is a mix between "muteki" which
means invincible in japanese and KING, the name Shin gave to himself in Southern Cross.

So first you do into ~ in the corner, if done correctly it will make Shin and
his opponent go in the air, note that it won't work during a wallbounce combo, also if you did
too much hits before doing it, Shin won't go high enough to be able to do the muteking.

Just after the recovery, you can do any ground move while being in the air, the trick for
muteking is to do a just before you touch the ground so it won't come out but you can
hear the move's digit.

This bug is easy to understand, ground has some invincibility frames during its startup,
if you land during those, startup is interrupted so move doesn't come out, and you stay in
invincible status.

So if done right Shin become invincible to strikes, however there are things that can make him
lose his invincibility such as :

• Using a throw or being thrown (hit throw such as BD throw won't work).
• Using any move with invincibility.
• Being hit by a a counter move such as Toki's

Like the Rei endless Dragon punch glitch, it was allowed at first but was banned in
tournaments after some time. This bug has been fixed by Arc System Works in the PS2
version of the game and thus doesn't work any more.
 • Command : During Grave Shoot, perform then very quickly, then

Opponent Air Freeze

This bug can be performed by most characters. The way it works is pretty easy to understand :
opponent has to be sent on the wall with a Banishing Strike, but your character has to go
farther than the opponent, then you hit him from the back with a boosted attack to finally
reappear in front, then perform a super move. The game understands the following :

1. make opponent go on the wall after the Banishing Strike

2. inverse wall direction after the hit from the back
3. where to go after the super freeze time ? 1.+ 2.

This bug can be done with everyone except Shin, Mamiya & Mr. Heart ; since it's as cheap as
Shin's MUTEKING and can lock up the machine, this bug has been banned during game
tournaments but hasn't been fixed by Arc System Works as it was found after the PS2 release.

• Command :

1. then (cancels hit pausetime)

2. Basic move then (cancels hit pausetime again)
3. Any super move (freezes opponent)