In Bandai’s Popy division 1985 catalog, the Jigoku no Kenshi (地獄の拳士, “the fists of hell”) line holds a unique spot: it is dedicated to the villains. Where other toys celebrate Kenshiro, these 1,200-yen box sets line up in mini-figure form the cannon fodder of Hokuto Shinken: the zakos, punks, and hulking brutes destined to explode. The slogan on the box sets the tone: “Burning rage, certain death, the iron fist of wrath that annihilates evil.”
Details
A tray of cannon fodder
The box set labeled “Volume One” (第一巻) displays under a window a tray of approximately twenty-three monochrome mini-figures in the spirit of the keshi of the era: two rows of larger figures in beige vinyl and one row of slimmer silhouettes in pink vinyl, with a bonus piece housed in the center slot. Documented copies actually show different bonuses depending on the print run: a Kenshiro badge and mini-nunchaku for one, a metal keychain for another.
A “Volume Two” (第二巻) did exist. The specialist press photographed both box sets side by side in July 2000, with the same lid artwork. Its contents, figures, and bonus remain to be documented.
Details
| Contents | approx. 23 mini-figures, one bonus piece |
|---|---|
| Materials | beige and pink vinyl |
| Price | 1,200 yen |
| Release | 1985 |
Details
| Contents | to be documented |
|---|---|
| Price | 1,200 yen, to be confirmed |
| Release | 1985 |
Finding one today
A complete box set with all its figures still in place is a rarity among vintage toy specialists and on Yahoo Auctions Japan; loose figures circulate more frequently in incomplete lots. Along with the Zenshin Kado Kenshiro, the Sakuretsu Ogi dioramas, and half a dozen other references, it belongs to Popy’s first 1985 wave, Bandai’s first steps with the license.
Sources
- Figure Oh No.34, World Photo Press, July 2000, page 22, items lent by Takahashi Satsuki (Emubaiya), Kōsaka Takayuki, and Amano Production.