Ein

Ein (アイン) is one of the major characters of the second part of Hokuto no Ken. A bounty hunter renowned for his acrobatic fighting style and provocative temperament, he initially works for the Celestial Empire before becoming a valuable ally of Kenshiro. Behind his carefree attitude and his love of money lies a man deeply devoted to his adoptive daughter Asuka, the only person capable of giving meaning to his life in the chaos of the post-apocalyptic world.

The Bounty Hunter of the Empire

Ein earned his reputation by roaming the devastated lands as an independent bounty hunter. Thanks to his powerful boxing style called Kenka Kenpō (ケンカ拳法, "Street Fighting Fist"), a self-created art inspired by street fighting, he managed to defeat numerous opponents despite lacking a traditional martial art comparable to Hokuto Shinken or Gento Kōken.

Although he collaborates with the forces of the Celestial Empire, Ein does not truly share the ideals of Jakoh. He primarily accepts missions assigned by the regime in order to protect Asuka, his adopted daughter, held under threat by the Empire. This situation notably leads him to confront Kenshiro, toward whom he would quickly develop a deep respect.

The encounter with Kenshiro

When Kenshiro crosses paths with Ein, the two men initially clash. Impressed by the strength and determination of the Hokuto Shinken successor, Ein quickly realizes, however, that he is not fighting an ordinary enemy.

After Asuka's liberation by Kenshiro, Ein no longer has any reason to remain loyal to the Celestial Empire. Freed from the blackmail exerted by Jakoh, he gradually joins the Hokuto Army and becomes one of Kenshiro's most reliable allies during the imperial arc.

Ein's sacrifice

During the battle against the imperial forces, Ein demonstrates his courage and loyalty toward his new companions on multiple occasions. Despite his wounds and the constant dangers, he continues to fight in order to offer Asuka a more peaceful future.

During an operation intended to free the Celestial Empress Lui, held captive by the imperial forces, Ein is trapped along with Bat, Mew, Rin and Lui in an underground dungeon that is gradually flooding. Refusing to let his companions drown, he uses his last remaining strength to shatter with his bare hands a gigantic boulder blocking the exit. Grievously wounded by this superhuman effort, he succumbs to his injuries shortly after. At his funeral, his daughter Asuka refuses to cry so that her father may rest in peace and gives one of his gloves to Kenshiro as a memento. This glove will accompany Kenshiro all the way to his confrontation against Han, where it will be destroyed.

Ultimate Sadistic Action

In February 2017, the character was revisited in the parodic one-shot Ultimate Sadistic Action: Yakusoku no Basho, published in Comic Zenon #76 and later collected in volume 7 of Hokuto no Ken: Ichigo Aji. The story transplants Ein into a fantasized 1980s America, where he plays a young rebellious high school student, skateboard and American football champion, accompanied by his girlfriend Linda. The subtitle Yakusoku no Basho ("the promised place") actually refers to America itself, the dreamed land of the American Dream. It is the only installment in the Ichigo Aji gaiden collection to adopt a deliberately burlesque tone rather than a dramatic one.