Episodes 3 and 4 of the anime Hokuto no Ken Fist of the North Star 2026 are available on Prime Video since Friday, April 17. Titled “Southern Cross” and “The Flame of Vengeance,” they mark the beginning of the Shin arc with the revelation of KING’s identity and the confrontation against Heart. Here is our full verdict, supported by reactions from the Japanese, Italian, and international community.
Summary of episodes 3 and 4
Episode 3 – “Southern Cross”: Kenshiro and Bat finally reach Southern Cross, the fortress of the KING army. Infiltrating under cover of night, they come across Club (Anri Katsu), one of Shin’s lieutenants, in the middle of brutalizing innocent slaves. Kenshiro intervenes and unleashes Hokuto Shinken on the torturer. The episode covers approximately 2.5 chapters of the original manga, faithfully following the storyline without filler.
Episode 4 – “The Flame of Vengeance”: The long-awaited revelation drops: KING is none other than Shin (Koji Yusa), the master of Nanto Koshūken and the man who carved the seven scars on Kenshiro’s chest. Before facing him, Kenshiro finds himself up against Heart (Chafurin), the colossal lieutenant whose impenetrable fat nullifies the effects of Hokuto Shinken. The hero finds himself in a desperate situation for the first time since the beginning of the series.
The three new voice actors
Chafurin as Heart
Chafurin (Hirotaka Shimasawa, born December 4, 1961, in Tokyo) is one of the most recognized veterans of Japanese voice acting. Known for Inspector Megure in Detective Conan since 1996 and Namihei in Sazae-san, he is the perfect choice for Heart, whose impenetrable fat nullifies Hokuto Shinken.
According to his statements, he is aiming for the title of “Lord Heart of the voice acting world” and declares that his survival technique in a post-apocalyptic world would be violence, pure and simple.
Yasuhiro Mamiya as Diamond
Yasuhiro Mamiya (born December 7, 1981, Chiba Prefecture) is known for Gigantomachia in My Hero Academia, Magma in Dr. STONE, and Sandor Clegane in the Japanese dub of Game of Thrones.
Accustomed to characters of large physical stature and an intimidating vocal register, he is tailor-made for the role of Dia.
Anri Katsu as Club
Anri Katsu (born July 3, 1977, in Yokohama) is recognizable for Ghirahim in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Daidara in Akame ga Kill!.
His deep voice and mastery of brutal characters make him a convincing Club, the torturer lieutenant that Kenshiro faces first in Southern Cross.
What viewers around the world are saying
🇯🇵 Japan – Filmarks and social media
On Filmarks, the Japanese anime review platform, the series sits around 3.4/5 after episodes 1-2, with feedback expected to solidify with episodes 3-4. The unanimously praised points are the faithfulness to the manga, the careful voice acting, and the well-rendered violence in the uncensored Prime Video version. The recurring criticism: “Hokuto no Ken works on its roughness and excess; by polishing everything, you lose something.” One fan sums up the consensus well: “Not the same feeling as the original, but clearly made with love.”
🇮🇹 Italy – Europe’s most demanding community
The Italians, longtime fans of Ken il Guerriero, are divided. The reference blog thesoundcheck.it notes that the narration is “more in-depth than the original regarding character introductions” and that the voice acting is “done with care.” But the CGI hurts: “The old sage from the first episode looks like a graphics benchmark from the 2000s. Some scenes are less complex than the original because of the 3D.” The overall Italian verdict: the work is defensible, the 3D is not. On the Gokin forum, the historic Italian collector community, opinions are sharper: “It’s an affront to what Hokuto no Ken was” for some, while others argue that the faithfulness to the manga and the absence of fillers compensate for the visual shortcomings. The site Il Cineocchio gives it 5.5/10 and sums up: “a narratively focused and more faithful-to-the-manga effort, but too inconsistent in its form.”
🇬🇧 International – Anime News Network Preview Guide
The ANN Preview Guide, the English-language reference, is the most critical. One of its editors tears apart the CGI: “rigid animations,” “choppy animation,” “facial animations that make every character look like a wooden puppet,” while acknowledging that the post-apocalyptic atmosphere works and that the core of the story remains solid. The harshest criticism targets the English dub: he recommends “avoiding it at all costs.” Another ANN editor is more nuanced, praising the “grimy and deadly” atmosphere and the faithfulness to the original. Screen Rant notes for its part that the anime is “surprisingly much better than people thought,” far from the comparisons with the disastrous 2016 Berserk adaptation that circulated before its release.
Our opinion
Episodes 3 and 4 confirm what the first two had established: this anime is made by people who love the source material, and it shows in every directing choice. The respect for the original manga is total; the Southern Cross arc progresses at the manga’s pace without the fillers that unnecessarily padded the 1984 series, giving it a welcome narrative efficiency. The combat dynamics are good, the post-apocalyptic atmosphere is believable, the music by Hayashi Yuki works, and the voice performances are truly solid. Chafurin as Heart is a treat; his deep timbre gives the character an immediately intimidating presence.
The problems are real but known. The transition between 2D shots and CGI remains uneven: some sequences are fluid and convincing, others betray the budget limitations with frankly ugly shots where the characters appear stiff. Heart, a character whose corpulence is central to the plot, is paradoxically one of the hardest to render in CGI; his episode is both one of the most anticipated and the one that best reveals the production’s inconsistencies. It is not a dealbreaker, but it is noticeable.
If you are looking for the raw warmth of the 1984 anime, you will not find it here. If you are willing to accept a Hokuto no Ken 2026 that is clean, faithful, well-voiced, and imperfectly animated, there are real reasons to keep watching.
Watch Hokuto no Ken on Prime Video
Episodes 3 and 4 are available now on Prime Video with Japanese audio and subtitles or French dub. Starting next week, the series will adopt a pace of one episode per Friday. An Amazon Prime subscription is required; the 30-day free trial allows you to watch all available episodes with no commitment.
Sources: Anime News Network Preview Guide, Filmarks, The Sound Check IT, Il Cineocchio, Animatetimes, Screen Rant
