Fist of the North Star

Fist of the North Star (Japanese: 北斗の拳, Hepburn: Hokuto no Ken; lit. 'Fist of the Big Dipper') is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump for 245 issues published from 1983 to 1988 and initially collected in 27 tankōbon volumes under the Jump Comics imprint. Set on a post-apocalyptic Earth after a nuclear war, the story centers on a warrior named Kenshiro, the successor to a deadly martial art known as Hokuto Shinken, which gives him the ability to kill his opponents by striking their vital points, which often results in an exceptionally violent and gory death. Kenshiro dedicates his life to fighting against the various gangs, bandits, and warlords who threaten the lives of the defenseless and innocent, as well as rival martial artists.

The manga was adapted into two anime television series produced by Toei Animation, which together aired on Fuji TV and its affiliates from 1984 through 1988, comprising a combined total of 152 episodes. It has since expanded into a media franchise, including several anime films, a live-action film, original video animations (OVAs), video games, and a series of spin-offs centering on other characters from the original story. It has also spawned a number of video games and pachinko machines produced by Sega Sammy. A new anime television series adaptation produced by TMS Entertainment is set to premiere in April 2026.

English adaptations of the manga were published by Viz Communications as a monthly comic book, and later by Gutsoon! Entertainment as a series of colorized graphic novels, although neither translation was completed. Viz Media published the manga in a series of hardcover editions from 2021 to 2025. English adaptations of other Fist of the North Star media have been licensed to other companies, including the TV series and the 1986 film.

The Fist of the North Star manga has sold over 100 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling manga series. It is regarded as one of the most influential manga series of all time.