Shin Hokuto no Ken Episode 1
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The Cursed City

For a detailed overview of this episode, click here.

Kenshiro returns to challenge Sanga, the ruler of Last Land.
Original Japanese release date: 4th July 2003

1) Synopsis
2) Notes
3) Errors


A man called Tobi has taken several villagers from a place called Freedom village out to where they may be able to get a new water supply. Not long after they find it, all of the villagers are killed by a small army led by Geese, a warrior who says that they are taking water from Last Land -in other words, they are stealing water from God. Tobi is going to die when someone catches an arrow aimed at his head: Kenshiro has arrived. Geese challenges Ken, saying that he is a master of Hokuto Shinken, oblivious to who Kenshiro is and what he can do. After trying to punch Ken and failing, Geese can only watch as his opponent hits a point on his head.

Geese finds out that he is already dead and his head explodes, causing his troops to scatter. Ken takes Tobi back to Freedom village, and as he does this he finds out about Last Land, a fortified city which has the only water supply which is safe to drink for miles around. However, a man called Sanga is the evil ruler there, and he intends to keep all of the water for himself. More recently, Sanga announced that there is a God in Last Land. Apparently Sanga isn't satisfied with being a dictator, he'd rather be a God. Tobi says that it is his brother, Bista, who he got separated from during the nuclear war. He tried to find him but couldn't. He still believes that his younger brother is alive, and explains to Kenshiro that he was quite good with magic tricks.

This reminds Kenshiro of Ryu, who was Raoh's son. Ken had told him that he must fight his own battles and that they will one day have to fight each other, to see if Ryu is worthy of becoming the successor to Hokuto Shinken. Back in the present, Ken arrives in Freedom village and meets Sara, a doctor who heals Tobi. He sees that she has mastered some kind of medical art, which involves pressure points, much like his own style.

Tobi doesn't live in the village itself, but at a small place nearby to it. He and Kenshiro get into the truck and leave. At Tobi's place, Ken reveals that he thinks Sara must be related to the Hokuto bloodline, somehow. He explains to Tobi about how there can only be one master of the Hokuto Shinken style, and that people who fail in the art are meant to have their fists destroyed or their memories wiped. But somewhere down the line it seems that some knowledge was passed on, which is how Sara has picked up the healing techniques. It is kind of like what happened to Toki, who wanted to use the style as a way to help others through healing.

Ken and Tobi head back to Freedom village, only to find that it has been destroyed! Ken swears vengeance. Meanwhile, Sara, who had been captured by the invaders, is taken to Last Land and meets Sanga. She wants to know why she has been taken here, but Sanga tells her she will soon know. A boy is then carried into the room. Sanga gets up and then kneels, asking Lord Doha for his blessing. Doha gets up but just stares at him, before going outside and appearing in front of a massive crowd who are chanting his name. He seemingly creates large amounts of water from one of his hands. A few floors down, Sanga and Sara are watching. Sanga explains that the use of violence to control people has limitations. True domination comes from getting the body and soul of a God. As Sanga watches, he tells Sara that Doha has the souls of the people, but it isn't enough. He needs another God who can show the people miracles -he needs Sara.

Later that night, Sara manages to get inside Doha's room and wakes him up. She tells him not to be afraid and then hits a pressure point on his head. She tells him that his memory will eventually return. However Sanga then walks in and demands to know what Sara is doing in here. When she doesn't speak, he hits her off the bed and then picks her up by her hair, telling her that she may not act of her own free will again. One of Sanga's troops runs in and has just enough time to tell his master that their is an intruder in the palace, but then his head explodes. Kenshiro then appears before Sanga, and the two start to fight.

It does not take long for Kenshiro to overwhelm Sanga, despite the latter having a mind-reading ability, but before he can finish him, Sanga impales Doha (who turns out to be Bista), and runs. Kenshiro follows him into some dark caves, and Sanga attacks with a flame thrower.

Kenshiro eventually gets right up to Sanga and kills him, completely destroying his body. Meanwhile, outside Last Land, a man appears and views the city from a distance. He says that he will now take everything that belonged to Sanga.


-In the Japanese dub, Hideyuki Tanaka voices Toki during his small cameo. Hideyuki voiced Falco in Hokuto no Ken 2.

-The is the first (and so far only) time Ryu has appeared in animated form. Originally, Ryu featured in the Hokuto no Ken 2 manga, but was only in chapters that the anime did not do an adaption of.


-The flashback scene with Toki has two errors. First off, the scene was originally set before the war, but here there are devastated buildings everywhere. The second error is that Toki's hair should be gray if the war has happened (see this episode of the original series for why).

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