Born in the Land of Asura (Shura) into the Hokuto Sōke bloodline, Kenshiro bore a Big Dipper-shaped birthmark on his head. To escape political turmoil, he and his future adoptive brothers Raoh and Toki were sent to Japan. There, they were adopted and trained by Ryuken, the 63rd successor of Hokuto Shinken, alongside a fourth brother, Jagi. Kenshiro became the 64th successor after Toki developed radiation sickness and Raoh was deemed unworthy due to violent ambitions. After a nuclear war devastated civilization, Kenshiro sought peace with his fiancée Yuria. This ended when Shin, a rival from Nanto Koshū Ken manipulated by Jagi, defeated Kenshiro, carving seven Big Dipper-shaped scars on his chest and kidnapping Yuria. This event hardened Kenshiro, transforming him from a relatively merciful fighter into a more ruthless protector of the weak. Surviving, he wandered the wasteland accompanied by orphans Bat and Lin. His journey led him to confront Shin and dismantle his organization, though he initially believed Yuria had died by suicide. Kenshiro later discovered Jagi committing atrocities while impersonating him. After defeating and killing Jagi, he learned Toki and Raoh had survived. Toki, imprisoned by Raoh, was rescued by Kenshiro. Raoh, now Ken-Oh (King of Fists), sought to conquer the wastelands by force. Their prolonged conflict culminated in a final battle where Kenshiro mastered Hokuto Shinken's ultimate technique, Musō Tensei, attained through profound sorrow. He defeated Raoh, who revealed he had placed Yuria in a death-like state to prolong her life due to terminal illness. Kenshiro then lived peacefully with Yuria until her death years later. Following Yuria's death, Kenshiro resumed wandering. He allied with the now-adult Bat and Lin, leading the Hokuto Army against the tyrannical Jakoh and his Imperial Army, who sought to eradicate Hokuto Shinken and Nanto Seiken. During this conflict, Lin was kidnapped by Jakoh's son and taken to the Land of Shura. Kenshiro pursued them to his birthplace, encountering the injured Gento Kōken master Falco. Kenshiro enhanced Falco's strength at the cost of Falco's life, enabling him to defeat a Shura warrior. In Shura, Kenshiro confronted warlords oppressing the land, including his biological older brother Hyoh and Kaioh, the biological brother of Raoh and Toki. Kaioh, seeking supremacy, murdered Hyoh's wife to manipulate him against Kenshiro. After a tragic battle where Hyoh sacrificed himself, Kenshiro defeated Kaioh. Kenshiro adopted Raoh's orphaned son, Ryu, training him as the future 65th successor of Hokuto Shinken. He resolved a love triangle involving himself, Bat, and Lin before departing alone into the wasteland to fulfill his destiny, periodically returning to mentor Ryu. Kenshiro possessed immense physical strength, speed, and durability, mastered Hokuto Shinken, and could manipulate an opponent's 708 keiraku hikō (pressure points) for lethal, healing, or controlling effects. His techniques included Hyakuretsu Ken (Hundred Crack Fist), Tenha Kassatsu (Heaven Breaking Life or Death), and the ultimate Musō Tensei, granting intangibility and matter disruption. Though capable of extreme violence against oppressors, he remained deeply compassionate towards the innocent, often moved to tears by suffering or noble sacrifice. He rejected cruelty, consistently defending the vulnerable and earning the title "Savior of the Century's End." His iconic catchphrase, "You are already dead" (Omae wa mou shindeiru), signaled an impending fatal pressure point activation.