In Hokuto no Ken, they die by the hundreds without anyone remembering their names. The manufacturer CCP came up with the idea of dedicating an entire line to them: the Zako Army Series, a collection of sofubi figures devoted to the henchmen, those extras that Kenshiro obliterates between two serious confrontations.
Details
An ode to the bit players
The whole spirit of the line lies in its tongue-in-cheek humor. Where other collections celebrate heroes, CCP paints an affectionately mocking portrait of the typical zako: the one who flatters the powerful, switches sides at the first setback, and is only brave in a group. A tribute to those anonymous silhouettes that give the series its flavor, somewhere between grotesque menace and comedy.
The set brings together five figures. Among them are a scout from the King of Hokuto’s army named Seeker, a soldier from the Spade army, a mohican from the Zeed army, and most notably the famous waste disinfection agent of the Holy Emperor Souther, a nod to one of the most memorable scenes in the manga. The centerpiece of the series is Heart, the colossus who can’t stand the sight of his own blood, rendered in a golden version.
The line plays on colors: the same five henchmen reappear in several shades depending on rarity, with the golden version of Heart as a secret piece, as well as a pink variant and other colorways. Enough to tempt collectors into buying multiple capsules.
Finding them today
This set was offered by the Hakaba no Garo gallery, on the occasion of an exhibition entirely dedicated to the henchmen of the series. The pieces then circulate on Yahoo Auctions and Mercari. Their format lends itself well to customization, and one regularly comes across examples repainted by modelers in the manga’s colors, not to be confused with the official versions. A niche line, best reserved for sofubi enthusiasts and those who hold a special fondness for the countless victims of Hokuto Shinken.