The new CG-animated remake of Fist of the North Star concluded its first cour in June 2026, with the second cour set to air in 2027. The franchise is also active with a spinoff short anime, merchandise lines, and a crossover fighting game character.
The 2026 Fist of the North Star anime remake, directed by Hiroshi Maeda at TMS Entertainment and 7STUDIO, uses 3DCG to animate Tetsuo Hara's dense gekiga style. Maeda said the choice was practical: pure 2D animation was too expensive and difficult to control for the level of detail. The production mixes 3D models with hand-drawn close-ups, with key animator Junichi Hayama contributing. The first cour of 14 episodes aired from April to June 2026 on Tokyo MX and BS11, and streams worldwide on Amazon Prime Video. The second cour, confirmed for 2027, will introduce Jagi, the third Hokuto brother, moving the story into the core sibling conflict. The adaptation is more faithful to the original manga than the 1980s series, avoiding anime-original content.
The remake received mixed early reactions. Anime Feminist reviewed the first two episodes, noting that the CGI animation relied on shadows and dark surroundings to mask limited character movement, and that the relentless gore helped obscure awkward action sequences. The reviewer criticized the treatment of female characters and the English dub, but acknowledged the story had heart. Later episodes, including the emotional reunion of Rei and his sister Airi in episode 13, drew strong viewer reactions that confirmed the adaptation's fidelity to the harsh tone of the source material.
Outside the main series, the franchise expanded through multiple channels. A spinoff short anime, Elegy for the Henchmen: Fist of the North Star, will premiere its second part on July 6, 2026. Kenshiro joined Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves as the final Season Pass 2 DLC character in June 2026, voiced by Shunsuke Takeuchi in Japanese and Clayton Alexander in English, with a Season 3 confirmed. Merchandise included a Banpresto Grandista Rei figure, an Ichiban Kuji lottery with MASTERLISE figures, a Maestro Union 1/12 scale Kenshiro action figure, and a hand-carved wooden Raoh figure priced at 1,100,000 yen. A collaboration with Japanese entertainment chain ROUND1 ran from May 29 to August 30, 2026, featuring themed food, novelties, and crane game prizes.
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The second cour of the remake of Fist of the North Star will air in 2027, as confirmed by a new visual unveiled at Anime Expo 2026. The first cour aired in Spring 2026. The second cour will introduce Jagi, the third of the four Hokuto brothers, moving the story into the core sibling conflict. The adaptation remains faithful to the original manga, avoiding the anime-original content of the 1980s series.
SNK announced on June 29 that Kenshiro, voiced by Shunsuke Takeuchi, is now available as a Season 2 DLC character in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. The collaboration character from Fist of the North Star brings fast, heavy strikes and pressure point attacks. SNK also confirmed Season 3 will begin in July 2026.
Director Hiroshi Maeda explains that the new 'Fist of the North Star' anime uses 3DCG because animating Tetsuo Hara's dense gekiga with only 2D animation was too difficult in terms of cost and quality control. He combined 3D models with hand-drawn animation for close-ups and character highlights, with key animator Junichi Hayama contributing. Maeda says he decided to make the version he loves, ignoring the lack of a correct answer.
Warner Bros. Japan announced that the second cours of the new Fist of the North Star anime will begin in 2027. The first part ended with its 14th episode on June 26, 2026. A video previewing the 15th episode was streamed. The anime premiered in April 2026 on Tokyo MX and BS11, and streams worldwide on Amazon Prime Video.
Banpresto is releasing a Grandista prize figure of Rei from Fist of the North Star. The figure stands approximately 27 cm tall and is scheduled to arrive at crane game prize machines starting June 23, 2026. It can be displayed alongside the Kenshiro figure that was released in March 2026.
Episode 13 of Fist of the North Star, titled "Bloodstained Trap," aired on June 20. Rei reunites with his sister Airi, who is revealed to have been captured, traumatized, and blinded by self-inflicted drug use. Viewers on X reacted with shock and sympathy to the grim depiction of her condition.
SNK released a character trailer for Kenshiro, a collaboration DLC character from Fist of the North Star joining Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. Kenshiro is the final Season Pass 2 fighter, scheduled for a June 2026 release. The trailer shows his Hokuto Shinken moves, including pressure point strikes that cause state changes and combo opportunities. Kenshiro's story content will also be added to the game's EOST Mode and Arcade Mode. In EOST Mode, he wakes up in South Town and chases a mysterious miasma. In Arcade Mode, he finds himself in a modern city ruled by Krauser and teams up with Terry, Hokutomaru, and Hotaru to fight him. A playable demo of Kenshiro will be available at the SNK booth during Evo 2026 in Las Vegas from June 26 to 28. The Japanese voice actor is Shunsuke Takeuchi, and the English voice actor is Clayton Alexander. SNK also announced a mid-year sale on the game's digital editions, with the Legend Edition at 40% off and the Standard Edition at 25% off.
Maestro Union has opened pre-orders for a 1/12 scale action figure of Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star. The figure features high articulation, detailed sculpting, and includes a Fist Wind Effect Part. Pre-orders are available on Amazon Japan at 17,371 yen, with a release scheduled for November 30, 2026.
The staff for the new Hokuto no Ken -Fist of the North Star- anime announced on Wednesday that Kazuya Ichijō is voicing Fang Father, the leader of the Fang clan. The character will appear in the anime's 12th episode this weekend. The anime premiered in April and streams worldwide on Amazon Prime Video.
The second part of the short anime adaptation of Hiroshi Kurao's spinoff manga Elegy for the Henchmen: Fist of the North Star will premiere on July 6. A new trailer, key visual, and theme songs were revealed. The Candellz perform the opening, and Itsuka returns for the ending.
Bandai Spirits revealed the full prize lineup for its Ichiban Kuji Hokuto no Ken -FIST OF THE NORTH STAR- lottery. Prizes include MASTERLISE figures of Kenshiro and Rei, mugs and towels printed with Hokuto Shinken technique names, bust figures of the four Hokuto brothers, and a Raoh MASTERLISE as the Last One Prize. Draws cost 850 yen each and go on sale from June 20, 2026.
The staff for the new Hokuto no Ken -Fist of the North Star- anime revealed three new cast members on Wednesday. Hiroyuki Kinoshita plays a village elder, Genki Okawa plays Ko, Mamiya's younger brother, and Eiji Hanawa plays a barkeeper. The anime premiered on April 10 and streams worldwide on Amazon Prime Video.
SpiceSeed announced a limited-edition, hand-carved wooden figure of Raoh & Black King from Fist of the North Star. Each piece is individually carved by a craftsman from natural wood. Pre-orders open June 6, 2026 at 20:00 JST. The figure costs 1,100,000 yen and ships approximately 12 months after order close.
Anime Feminist published a review of the first two episodes of the new "Fist of the North Star" adaptation on April 14, 2026. The reviewer, who had no prior familiarity with the franchise, described the plot as a martial arts master named Kenshiro wandering a post-apocalyptic world and protecting civilians from gang violence. The review noted that the CGI animation, produced by 7STUDIO and TMS Entertainment, was limited but that the animators used shadows and dark surroundings to mask restricted character movement. The gore was described as relentless, with heads exploding, characters sliced in half, and blood splattering. The reviewer found that the violence helped obscure the limited action sequences and the awkward look of Kenshiro's martial arts moves. Female characters were criticized for being reduced to damsels in distress or sexual slavery, which the reviewer attributed to the franchise's age. The English dub was called "horrendously bad" and "downright hilarious," with a recommendation to watch in Japanese. The reviewer concluded the show was not for them but acknowledged the story had "a lot of heart."
The staff for the new Hokuto no Ken -Fist of the North Star- anime announced that Hiroshi Shirokuma is voicing Devil Rebirth, a giant held in Villainy Prison. The character appears in the anime's 10th episode this weekend. The series premiered on April 10 and streams on Amazon Prime Video worldwide.
The anime "Fist of the North Star -FIST OF THE NORTH STAR-" and Japanese entertainment chain ROUND1 are collaborating from May 29 to August 30, 2026. The campaign includes themed food and drink menus, limited-edition novelties like acrylic coasters and visual mats, collaboration packs for bowling and karaoke, crane game prizes, and decorated rooms at select stores. The collaboration runs in two phases across 93 to 100 stores nationwide.
A collaboration between the Fist of the North Star anime and Japanese sports arcade chain ROUND1 runs from May 29 to August 30, 2026. The campaign includes a visual of Kenshiro, Raoh, Toki holding a basketball, and Jagi with a badminton racket, plus collaboration menus, novelty items, crane game prizes, and themed rooms at two stores.
The new Fist of the North Star anime announced three additional cast members on Wednesday. Kaori Ishihara voices Taki, a boy from the village where Bat once lived. Sayuri Sadaoka voices Toyo, an old woman from the same village. Takashi Matsuyama voices Jackal, an antagonist who attacks the village. All three characters will appear in the upcoming eighth episode. The CG-based series premiered on April 10 on Tokyo MX and BS11, with Amazon Prime Video handling worldwide streaming. The production commemorates the 40th anniversary of the original manga, which ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1983 to 1988. The staff previously stated the adaptation will be more faithful to the source material than earlier anime. Hiroshi Maeda directs at TMS Entertainment, with Kazuma Ogasawara as assistant director. Kazuhiko Inukai handles series scripts, Naoki Hisatsune designs the characters, and Yuki Hayashi composes the music. Alexandros performs the opening theme "Hallelujah," and Toshl performs a remix of the original series' opening as the ending theme.