In the late 1990s, publisher Volks added Hokuto no Ken to its prestigious Orient Hero Series, its in-house garage kit collection launched in 1985. These are resin kits, raw or pre-painted depending on the scale, sculpted by Koji Onishi at the Heavy Gauge workshop, sold directly via mail order from Kyoto.
Details
ManufacturerVolks
LineOrient Hero Series (Hokuto no Ken chapter)
Scale1/8, and 1/10 or 1/15 depending on sources
MaterialsResin, raw kits (small series) or pre-painted assembly kits (1/8)
Production period1998-2001
Price1,500 to 8,500 ¥ excl. tax (original price)
A chapter in a legendary collection
The Orient Hero Series is not a line exclusive to Hokuto no Ken, but a vast collection that has been giving shape since 1985 to the heroes and iconic figures of Japanese pop culture, from monster movies to special-effects shows to animation. The warriors of Hokuto no Ken join a catalogue that includes hundreds of references. While Volks publishes and markets the line, the sculpting of the Hokuto pieces is the work of Koji Onishi, who crafts them at his own workshop, Heavy Gauge, an independent studio founded in Osaka in 1989. The distribution channel is that of the garage kit era: direct sales via phone order through Volks headquarters in Kyoto, small kits shipped in raw resin, unassembled and unpainted, large pieces pre-painted, to assemble.
A cast across two scales
The series spans two scales. Small unpainted kits serve as entry-level products. In late 1999, the Hokuto no Ken 2000 Kyūkyoku Kaisetsusho PART2 lists them as a 1/15 series at 1,500 yen each, praising the presence of second-part characters alongside the three brothers and Rei. In summer 2000, Figure Oh gives them at 1/10, between 1,500 and 1,800 yen. The large display pieces, at 1/8 scale, stand 22 to 24 cm tall and come pre-painted, as kits to assemble, at 7,800 or even 8,500 yen. All prices exclude tax. The cast brings together around ten characters: Kenshiro in two versions, Raoh in two, Rei, Toki, Juza, Kaioh, Falco, Ein and Bat.
The press of the summer of 2000 sharpens the picture. The 1/8 Kenshiro, at 7,800 yen, takes on the massive late-serialization build, the 1/8 Rei, at the same price, comes in a white-hair version, and Raoh tops out at 8,500 yen. On the 1/10 side, the Kenshiro with his coat slung over his shoulder echoes the first episode for 1,500 yen, Raoh strikes the King of Hokuto’s final pose at 1,800 yen, and Toki, Kaioh, Rei, Falco, Ein and Bat range from 1,500 to 1,800 yen. At that date, the kits could still be ordered by phone from the Kyoto headquarters.
1/10 (1/15 according to the Kyūkyoku Kaisetsusho PART2)
Price
1,800 yen excl. tax (1,500 according to the Kyūkyoku Kaisetsusho PART2)
Finish
raw resin, unpainted
Finding them today
These kits circulate on Yahoo Auctions, Mercari, and at Suruga-ya, often in the form of raw, unassembled resin, at prices that remain modest for most references, ranging from a few thousand yen apiece. Compiling an exhaustive list of variants remains difficult, given how many print runs and finishes these vintage resin kits went through.
Sources
Figure Oh No.34, World Photo Press, July 2000, page 18.
Hokuto no Ken 2000 Kyūkyoku Kaisetsusho PART2, Home-sha, December 1999, pages 20 and 21, Goods Collection section.
AI-assisted translation This page was translated from the original French using AI, with human review. Some wording may be imperfect. Read the original French version
