Nanto Seiken

Nanto Seiken (南斗聖拳, lit. "Sacred Fist of the South Dipper") is a fictional martial arts style featured promimnently in the manga and anime series Fist of the North Star. The Nanto Seiken specializes in destroying the enemy from outside through the use of hand-to-hand stabbing and slicing techniques. The Nanto Seiken style is named after the Chinese asterism Nanto Rokusei (南斗六星, lit. "Six Stars of the Southern Dipper"), a portion of Sagittarius known as the Milk Dipper in the West. The six primary successors of Nanto Seiken in the story are known as the Nanto Roku Seiken (南斗六聖拳, Six Sacred Fists of Nanto). Other Nanto practioners includes the Golan Colonel, Amiba, Yuda's lieutenant Dagarl, the knife-jugglers Beji and Giji, and the Harn Bros.

In the official English versions of Fist of the North Star is referred as the Fist of the Southern Cross or Fist of the South Star, depending on the translator. The former is used in the Viz edition of the English manga and the live-action movie, whereas the latter is used in the English dub of the anime. The Raijin Master Edition alternates between the two names, using Southern Cross in the early volumes and South Star for the rest. While the Nanto asterism is unrelated to the Southern Cross, the Southern Cross itself serves as the symbol of Nanto Seiken in the series and it is also name of Shin's city.

History in the manga
Originally Nanto Seiken was the fighting style used by Shin, the first major antagonist in the story. According to the backstory provided in the first major story arc (Chapters 2-10), Nanto Seiken, along with the Hokuto Shinken, are the two most powerful assasination styles in Chinese martial arts. It follows a different principle from Hokuto Shinken, in which it has the power to destroy an enemy's body from the outside through powerful stabbing techniques, as opposed to Hokuto Shinken's use of the body's accupressure points to destroy the enemy from within. Its name serves to reflect its opposite nature from Hokuto Shinken (Hokuto is the North Dipper, whereas Nanto is the South). While Kenshiro and Shin were taught to never fight each other, Shin broke the rules by defeating Ken in order to claim Yuria (Ken's fiancee) for his own. The first story arc centers around Ken's quest to reclaim Yuria from Shin.

After Shin's death, many other Nanto styles and fighters were introduced in order to expand the story beyond the initial ten chapters. These styles, such as Nanto Muon Ken and Nanto Suichǒ Ken, are established to be sects of the main Nanto Seiken. The organization structure of Nanto Seiken is eventually established in manga chapter 80. There are over 108 sects of Nanto Seiken, with the six primary branches being the Nanto Roku Seiken. The Roku Seiken were the guardians of the six gates of an Emperor's castle and whose fates are tied to the six Nanto stars. After the nuclear war which occurred before the beginning of the series, the Nanto masters were split into two groups: a pacifist side and a power-seeking side. When Yuda, one of the Roku Seiken, betrayed the Nanto school to join Raoh's forces (along with 27 subordinate sects), the fates of the other Nanto stars turned tragic (which includes the already deceased Shin and Rei, who is dying from a previously inflicted wound at this point of the story).

The story arc after Yuda's and Rei's deaths (chapters 83-97) centers around the rivarly between two of the remaining masters: the benelovent Shǔ and Souther, the strongest of the Nanto warriors. After the death of Souther, the Nanto Saigo no Shǒ (南斗最後の将, The Last General of Nanto) appears to confront Raoh. The Last General is revealed to be none other than the previously thought-to-be-dead Yuria, a descendant of the Rightful Nsnto Bloodline.

Nanto Koshū Ken
Shin's style. Nanto Koshū Ken (South Dipper Lone Eagle Fist) is a very direct style of Nanto Seiken. It focuses on stabbing and thrusting attacks, seemingly being most useful at a close range. The style also seems to use flying kicks, as seen during a flashback in both the manga and anime, and as the Nanto Gokuto Ken/Nanto Gokusatsu Ken Ougi (special technique). The term Nanto Koshū Ken is never actually used in the original manga and anime; the term Nanto Seiken is used as both, an umbrella term for the various Nanto styles in the series as well as Shin's specific style. The designation Nanto Koshū Ken was first used in the 1986 publication Hokuto no Ken Special: All About the Man and has been used in reference books since then.

Nanto Suichō Ken
Rei's style. Nanto Suichō Ken (South Dipper Water Bird Fist) is the most graceful of the Nanto Seiken styles. With a focus on grace and aerial attacks, its primary usage is for medium-range attacks. In the anime, although the slicing arcs of energy primarily emit from the hands, Rei appears on several occasions to emit the energy from his entire body as he moves past opponents (When Rei removes the arms from an assailant, when fighting the Kiba clan etc.)

Nanto Kōkaku Ken
Yuda's style. Nanto Kōkaku Ken (South Dipper Crimson Crane Fist) is a style based on long-range, vertical attacks. It can attack a wide vertical range, and seems to cause more damage when used for vertical slices.

Nanto Hakurō Ken
Shuu's style. Nanto Hakurō Ken (South Dipper White Heron Fist) is a kick-based style, somewhat rare in Hokuto no Ken. Whereas most Nanto Seiken styles primarily use the hands, Nanto Hakurō Ken primarily uses the feet (though it still uses the hands). The user can attack a wide range around them, even a spinning kick that decimates those around them. The styles also apparently uses illusory moves to confuse opponents; the one named example being Yuugen Shou (Alluring Illusion Palm), and in the Shin Kyuseishu Densetsu series, Shuu is seen striking Kenshiro with a series of multiple images in a redo of the flashback scene (whereas in the original, the move is a series of jabbing stabs)

Nanto Hō-Ō Ken
Souther's style. Nanto Hō-Ō Ken (South Dipper Phoenix Fist) is the most powerful form of Nanto Seiken. It is a free-form style, without stances or forced routine. Due to the lack of stance, this style has no defense against attacks, instead focusing only on pure speed and attacking power. The user has the ability to glide forward, leading into a powerful scissor attack. There can absolutely be only one successor to this style; the successor must kill his teacher. The ultimate technique of this style is Tenshō Jūji Hō, the Heaven-soaring cross phoenix, which takes a stance with the user's arms held out evenly, like a cross. As the name suggests, it's launched into a powerful aerial attack. This is the only stance taken in Nanto Hō-Ō Ken, and is only taken when a worthy opponent appears.

Nanto Goshasei (Southern Dipper Five Chariot Stars)
The Nanto Goshasei styles revolve around the use of elements, but still share much in common with Nanto Seiken. Read: Its ability to slice the opponents. However, all forms of this use different techniques and attack styles to do so. Its constellation is Auriga, the charioteer.

Gosha Fuurestsu Ken (Five Chariots Wind Split Fist)
Hyuui's style. The Gosha Wind style is a style based on swift maneuvers, aerial attacks, and apparently long-range attacks, though it has been seen used as a "Shield" of sorts. This style uses air pressure and cutting winds to slice the opponent into ice-cold pieces. Due to this usage of wind, it can be used as a long or short range style.

Gosha Enjou Ken (Five Chariots Fire Passion Fist)
Shuren's style. The Gosha Fire style seems to use linear lines of heat to cut through the opponents (basically burning through them). If the opponent has been damaged, due to the large amount of heat, he will burst into flames. The user, if willing to sacrifice himself, can well up the heat in his own body, causing spontaneous combustion.

Gosha Sanga-Zan (Five Chariots Mountain Kill)
Fudo's style. The Gosha Mountain style seems to be based on crushing force, pressure tearing the opponent down the middle. Unlike most other Nanto styles, it is not graceful in the least. It is blunt and powerful. As opposed to the fine, linear slices of the other Nanto styles, the attack size of this style is rather large. To further clarify, if an opponent is sliced down the middle of his body, the pressure will crush through the opponent, effectively removing the middle third of the body. While visually, it looks like a Hokuto technique, this technique "cuts" like a fissure causing the body to fracture and split like rock.

Garyuu-Ken (Self-Taught Fist)
Juuza's style. Juuza's self-taught style is a free-form style, apparently without set stances. As opposed to cutting, the cloud style seems to be based on defeating the opponent in a series of long, quick, smooth motions which causes the body to fold and contort rather than completely cutting the body. Juuza, although unmotivated to fight, has one of the strongest fighting styles of any of the fighters. His apparent weakness is in the development of his own fighting style, but only because the style itself has not had enough time to mature over generations.

Gosha Ensui-Ken (Five Chariots Wave Crush Fist)
Rihaku's style. The Ocean style is seen only in the anime, as Rihaku did not display any martial arts skill in the original manga. Noticeably, the user seems to be able to increase his body size, curl into a ball, and send himself flying through the air, destroying whatever is in his path like a tidal wave.

Other Nanto styles
Most of them were seen only in the anime series. Filler was needed in the anime, to lengthen the story, especially during the first chapter. According to the anime, Shin taught his generals some Nanto powers, who used their limited Nanto Knowledge to make their own styles.


 * Nanto Muon Ken (Silent Fist) - Seems to be mainly for use with claws, needles, and stabbing weapons. Apparently just improves the speed and cutting quality of attacks.


 * Nanto Sōzan Ken (Twin Kill Fist) - A strange knife-throwing style, that requires two users, facing each other, with the opponent in the middle. They throw the knives between each other, around the opponent. One user throws underhand and catches overhand, the other used throws overhand and catches underhand. They slowly move in, barely noticeable, until they are close enough to attack with the knives.


 * Nanto Sōyō Ken (Twin Hawk Fist) - Mentioned, but not used. All that's known is that it requires two users.


 * Nanto Shōten Ken (Ascension Fist) - A style based on speed, agility, and height. The user can jump extraordinarily high, throw objects with stunning accuracy and speed, and produce two mirage duplicates around him, with which he can rotate for an illusion.
 * Nanto Kōmori Ken (Bat Fist) - Involves the usage of gliders and claws. Mainly involves diving down onto the opponent.


 * '''Nanto Bakusatsu Ken (Explosive Kill Fist) - Creative, rough fist to fist art that uses explosives and jumping techniques.


 * Nanto Anshō Ken (Dark Bell Fist)- A style based on use of sound waves and hypnosis. The style's sound waves tend to come from bells. It kills by causing the cells in the body to destroy themselves, thus cutting its intended target.


 * '''Nanto Ryūjin Ken (Dragon King Fist) - A set of styles. The first one is fire boxing, in which the user can safely engulf his skin in flames to destroy his opponent. Also in this style, the user can breathe fire. However, if the user is incapable of breathing, the fire can not escape, and the fire will destroy them from the inside out. The second part of this style is an illusion-based style, which also uses knife-throwing. The user apparently could use small crystal orbs to give the illusion of a dragon, which would be hiding knives or flames.


 * Nanto Ningen Hōdan (Human Cannonball)- Closer to a move than a style. It involves the user being equipped with a sword (apparently katana) and fired into the air via cannon. The user, upon getting above his target, can hold their sword outwards and drop down suddenly and with great, violent force. This is more of a siege style than a fight style.