Getting Started with Fist Of The North Star
The Fist of The North Star franchise has existed over 4 decades and through that time we have seen multiple Anime adaptions of the multiple source materials. It might be kinda confusing to know how to get started with the series so I am going to break down the chronological anime watch order.
Pay in mind that in order to fully experience the whole series you have to read some manga too since as of right now not everything has been 100% fully adapted into an anime like Kenshiro Gaiden, Souten No Ken or last arcs of the original manga.
1) Souten No Ken / Fist of the Blue Sky (蒼天の拳)
- Episodes: 22
- Studio: APPP
- Original Air Date: 2006-2007
- Must Watch? Semi-Optional
2) Souten no Ken Regenesis / Fist of the Blue Sky (蒼天の拳)
- Episodes: 24
- Studio: Polygon Pictures
- Original Air Date: 2018
- Must Watch? Semi-Optional
3) Hokuto no Ken Zero: Kenshirou Den Movie (真救世主伝説 北斗の拳 ZERO)
- Episodes: Movie
- Studio: TMS Entertainment
- Original Air Date: 2008
- Must Watch? Optional
4) Hokuto no Ken: Raoh Gaiden Ten no Haoh (北斗の拳 ラオウ外伝 天の覇王)
- Episodes: 12
- Studio: Satelight
- Original Air Date: 2008
- Must Watch? Optional
5) Fist Of The North Star / Hokuto no Ken Season 1 (北斗の拳)
The Original series that started everything, which is the longest series in the franchise and if you want you can follow the filler list here to save time if you find it too big ordeal to go through the full series over. Please note that the English version of this series might have less episodes and contains lot of censorship in terms of blood and other things, so I highly advise checking out the Japanese version if you get hands on that.
- Episodes: 109
- Studio: Toei Animation
- Original Air Date: 1984
- Must Watch? Must Watch
6) Fist Of The North Star / Hokuto no Ken 2 (北斗の拳2)
The second season is continuing the story approximately 1 year after the events of the first season. This anime doesn’t adapt however the very remaining arcs which include Koketsu arc (chapters 211-217), Sava arc (chapters 218-227), Blanca arc (chapters 228-236) & Bolge arc (chapters 237-245) so if you want complete experience finish the manga.
- Episodes: 43
- Studio: Toei Animation
- Original Air Date: 1987-1988
- Must Watch? Must Watch
7) New Fist of the North Star / Shin Hokuto no Ken (新・北斗の拳)
Shin Hokuto no Ken (also known as New Fist of the North Star) is a 3-episode OVA released between 2003–2004, based on the novel “Fist of the North Star: The Cursed City” by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. It can be watched technically in between Hokuto No Ken 1 & 2 or you can just watch it after the 2nd season as well.
- Episodes: 3 (OVA)
- Studio: A.C.G.T
- Original Air Date: 2003
- Must Watch? Optional
The Spin-off Series Options
If you aren’t interested in the canonical original universe there are multiple spin-off titles and movies that are either adapting same source material in an anthology setting or just giving alternative universe take to the franchise in a gag setting or akin to original.
Fist of the North Star (Live Action Film)
Maybe not the greatest Live action adaption of an anime in the west, but if you are open to experiencing this IP from a different lens you can give this 90s action film a shot as well. The film, which loosely adapts the first story arc of the original manga, centers on Ken, the lone master of the “North Star” martial art school, who wanders the post-apocalyptic Earth in search of his nemesis Lord Shin, the man who killed his master and kidnapped his fiancée.
- Episodes: Movie
- Studio: First Look Pictures
- Original Air Date: 1995
- Runtime: 103 minutes
DD Hokuto No Ken (DD北斗之拳)
DD Hokuto no Ken is a comedy spin-off of the original Fist of the North Star series, turning the intense, post-apocalyptic martial arts saga into a light-hearted parody with very short 3 minute episodes. Its based of a manga series by Tetsuo Hara and Buronson by Kaijo (Writer) which ran from 2010 to 2016 in Monthly Comic Zenon.
- Episodes: 12
- Studio: North Star Pictures
- Original Air Date: 2011
DD Hokuto No Ken 2013 version (DD北斗之拳)
Another newer version of DD Hokuto No Ken with different type of art style and different animation studio – with this time around normal length anime episodes (23 minutes). In this universe, the apocalypse never happened and the character’s of Hokuto no Ken have to survive in modern day Japan by working together. To my understanding this is also serving as a sequel of sorts to the original anime season? Let me know in comments if this is correct
- Episodes: 13
- Studio: North Star Pictures
- Original Air Date: 2013
Hokuto no Ken: Raoh Gaiden Trilogy (真救世主伝説 北斗の拳 ラオウ伝 殉愛の章)
These films and OVA’s basically cover the story from Raoh’s perspective starting bit before the main events of the original Hokuto No Ken series and then ending on the final battle between Raoh and Kenshiro. The story is slightly alternative as it has couple of new characters, but also that maybe it emphasizes telling the story from Raoh’s point of a view than Kenshiro’s. While the Toki-den OVA obviously tells the story from his perspective.
- Episodes: 1 Movie + 3 OVA
- Studio: TMS Entertainment
- Original Air Date: 2006, 2007 & 2008
Hokuto no Ken: Yuria-den
This film is done by same people who did the Raoh Gaiden film and it begins with Yuria’s childhood and her destined bond with Kenshiro. It continues through her kidnapping by Shin and her rise to become the “Last Nanto General” — directly covering events from Yuria’s early life up to the final battle between Kenshiro and Shin, which occurs shortly before the start of the original Hokuto No Ken TV series.
- Episodes: Movie (OVA)
- Studio: TMS Entertainment
- Original Air Date: 2007
- Runtime: 1h 4min
There is of course some novels, games and manga top of all of this stuff so you aren’t exactly running out of different adaptions of Fist of the North Star and who knows we might be seeing a new Live action coming from Japan in near future.
