by Even if you’ve never watched the anime “Fist of the North Star,” you’re probably familiar with the famous line, “You’re already dead.” However, this surprising fact is surprisingly unknown. In the original manga, the main character, Kenshiro (voiced by Kamiya Akira), actually utters this line only once!
The story is set in 199X, a world where civilization has vanished, and violence reigns. Even in this age of the survival of the fittest, Kenshiro, a master of the Hokuto Shinken assassination technique passed down from father to son, continues to save the weak. In the first episode of the anime “Fist of the North Star,” he saves Lin (voiced by Suzuki Tomiko), a girl who has lost her ability to speak after the shock of her family’s murder.
When the villain who had taken Lin hostage put all his strength into his hand, saying, “I’ll crush this brat,” Kenshiro violently stabbed his opponent’s pressure points, crying out, “Atatatatatata!” The enemy fell to the ground, but got up again, saying, “Your fist does not affect me, not even a mosquito!” and tried to counterattack. However, Kenshiro coolly replied, “You’re already dead.” The next moment, the enemy was blown away from the inside of his body.
Along with the impact of this scene, “You’re already dead” also became a catchphrase. In the anime version, it is even used as the closing phrase of the next episode’s preview and is synonymous with the work. In fact, it is used only once in the original manga (though there are derivative versions such as “You’re already dead”…). If you know this trivia, you might become a “Fist of the North Star” fan from today!
The anime “Fist of the North Star” is based on a hit manga written by Buronson and illustrated by Hara Tetsuo, which was serialized in “Weekly Shonen Jump” from 1983 to 1988. It tells the story of Kenshiro, the successor to Hokuto Shinken, who carries the burden of love and sorrow and grows into a savior in a world ruled by violence. It sparked a boom that could be called a social phenomenon, with TV anime, movies, and spin-offs featuring supporting characters, and it continues to attract passionate supporters to this day.
