Fist of the North Star will get a new anime in January 2026, but with an unusual and comical premise. The iconic 80s franchise, created by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara, will have a short spin-off focused on the perspective of the henchmen in Ken-Oh’s army. The production, titled “Elegy for the Henchmen: Fist of the North Star” (Hokuto no Ken: Ken’ō-gun Zako-tachi no Banka), launched its second promotional video in this last week of December 2025, giving Brazilian fans a taste of the humor awaiting them next year.
With a confirmed premiere on January 5th on AT-X and Tokyo MX channels, the anime promises a light and fun approach to the nuclear apocalypse of 199X. Thus, the story follows the protagonist Nobu, who gets a job as a simple henchman in the main villain’s army. The big question, however, is to find out how long he survives in a workplace where deaths even exceed the number of job applicants. The premise, therefore, inverts the logic of the original work to explore the bizarre and satirical side of this post-apocalyptic universe so beloved in Brazil.
Cast, Staff, and Production Details
Technically directed by Takuma Hase and Yuma Saitō at Do-Raku studio, the anime features Hiro Shimono voicing the protagonist Nobu. Additionally, Shinnosuke Ogami and Masaaki Yano complete the main trio of henchmen, while Shinya Takahashi acts as the story’s narrator. Each episode will be about five minutes long, maintaining a fast pace for comedic situations. The opening, called “Blacker Co., Ltd.,” will be performed by the band Itsuka, and the ending, “Elegy of the Enemies,” will be performed by The Canbellz.
The manga that inspired the adaptation was published in Coamix’s Manga Hot app between November 2017 and February 2020, totaling three volumes. The arrival of this short anime, therefore, rekindles interest in the franchise in the country, which has always had a loyal fan base. Meanwhile, the news serves as a warm-up for another major project: a new anime of the original Fist of the North Star, which is also planned for the coming years. Thus, 2026 promises to be a period full of shining and nostalgic fists for Brazilian fans.
