In 2003, Hokuto no Ken was given an original re-release under the Raijin Comics label, carried by publisher Gutsoon!, a subsidiary of Coamix. Rather than a simple republication, each volume was dedicated to a character and came with its own figure, giving birth to the Super Figure Collection.
Details
One character, one volume, one figure
The concept of the series is original. Each volume, subtitled with the name of a hero from the saga, reprints his greatest moments and comes paired with a figure in his likeness. The first volume is dedicated to Raoh, others to Kenshiro, Fudo, Ryuga, Falco, and even Yuda, with the collection covering most of the cast over the course of its releases.
These figures, included in each volume of the re-release, adopt a small format similar to gashapon. One had to follow the releases diligently to hope to complete the series, a patient collector’s pleasure very much in the spirit of the era.
A display stand to bring them together
To accompany the collection, a dedicated display stand was released a bit later, allowing collectors to store and showcase all the figures. An accessory that completes the line and that collectors seek out today as much as the pieces themselves.
Finding them today
Tied to a limited re-release, these figures have become difficult to assemble as a complete set, display stand included. They resurface individually on Yahoo Auctions, Mercari, and at Suruga-ya, a memento from an era when you completed your collection one volume at a time.