TV anime 『北斗の拳 -FIST OF THE NORTH STAR-』 (Fist of the North Star) Episode 9, titled “The Mad Dog Shall Perish,” aired on May 22, sparking a wave of reactions across social media thanks to a combination of heartbreaking scenes, peak action, and an unexpected punchline that nobody saw coming.

The Cunning Schemes and Tactics of a Dangerous Villain

The main villain of this episode is Jackle, an armed motorcycle gang leader with a style of combat that is sneaky and cowardly — rather than confronting stronger opponents head-on, he waits for the right moment and then strikes. Learning that Kenshiro has left the village, he leads a small raiding force composed only of children and one woman named Toyo, who merely watches over the children. After drying up the village’s water supply long ago, Jackle storms in on his motorcycle gang. Viewers who had been following in real time tweeted “Hyakka!” the moment they saw Jackle’s motorcycle army charging — before going quiet as they watched Toyo’s grief unfold, and the village fall under siege.

Kenshiro Arrives — Along with an Immortal Monologue

Kenshiro hears the gunfire and rushes back. He frees the children and grabs the arm that was about to execute someone. Before delivering his iconic lines, he says to Jackle with a composed look: “Shall we start with you?” — and then unleashes the thunderous cry “Atataa!”, one of the series’ most legendary battle shouts, alongside the names “Hidebu” and “Tawaba.”

Bat’s Fist and the Truth He Let Go

Even though he could have fled, Jackle still displayed his cruelty by tying the children as human shields before releasing them — the explosion injures Toyo severely. In her final breath, she reveals a secret she has kept for years: Bat did not leave the village out of cowardice or to save himself, but because as he grew older he began eating more and feared he would take food from the other children — so he chose to leave in order to reduce the burden.

Upon hearing the truth, Bat is speechless. When Toyo whispers “Bat… take care of yourself…” he blurts out a word he has never been able to say before: “Mom…” — before sobbing uncontrollably. This scene brought many viewers to tears, with one tweet reading: “Just seeing this scene in the new anime version already made me cry.”

The Ultimate Comedic Twist: Kenshiro “Steals” the Bar Owner’s Secret

After the tearful scene, the atmosphere pivots to something completely unexpected when Kenshiro stops by a bar to leave the children in the care of the owner while he continues tracking Jackle. In this post-apocalyptic world no one wants extra mouths to feed, so Kenshiro presses the bar owner’s pressure point (秘孔), then tells him matter-of-factly: “Only I know how to undo this” and “If I don’t come back… you’re dead” — until the owner has no choice but to agree.

Viewers flooded social media with comments like “Using pressure points at a sensible level lol,” “Kenshiro is secretly evil, isn’t he,” and “I feel so sorry for the bar owner (laughs).”

Jackle vs. Kenshiro — Is He Playing or Is He Serious?

The action highlight of the episode is the battle between Kenshiro and Fox, a henchman with leap power far beyond that of an ordinary human — yet Kenshiro casually lies on the ground and tosses Fox back into the air, then sends him flying while seemingly playing with a football. Viewers tweeted “Why are you just lying there together (laughs)” and “Kenshiro is clearly goofing off!”

The production team itself acknowledged that this “Fox Lifting” sequence was extremely challenging to animate, but the NIA Animation team recreated it with perfection — earning a special thank-you post from the episode’s director.

Next Episode and Broadcast Information

Episode 10, which is the third installment of the “Jackle Arc,” airs on May 29 at 25:00 Japan time.

Broadcast Information

• Airing since April 10, 2026 on TOKYO MX / BS11 every Friday at 25:00
• Worldwide exclusive streaming on Prime Video every Friday at 25:00

Staff

• Original work: Buronson / Art: Hara Tetsuo
• Director: Maeda Hiroshi
• Series Composition: Inukai Kazuhiko
• Character Design: Hisasune Naoki
• Music: Hayashi Yuki
• Opening Theme: [Alexandros] — “Hallelujah”
• Production: Toei Animation / Studio 7 in collaboration with NIA Animation / Kishida Studio BACU

Cast

• Kenshiro: Takeuchi Shunsuke
• Bat: Yamashita Daiki
• Rin: M·A·O
• Shin: Yusa Koji
• Yuria: Hayami Saori
• Ray: Nakamura Yuichi
• Mamiya: Aoki Ruriko
• Jagi: Takagi Wataru
• Toki: Mokami Tsugui
• Raoh: Kusunoki Taiten
• Narrator: Yamadeira Koichi

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Source: aniani