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北斗の拳 究極版 [Hokuto no Ken Kyūkyoku-ban] #17
Fist of the North Star, Vol. 17
Kenshiro and Ryu have reached the land of Sava, a kingdom nestled in a mountain valley. But Sava is under attack from barbarians, and even worse, its royal family is weakened by internal strife. King Asam is ill and dying, and his three sons now squabble for the throne. Kenshiro might be able to knock some sense into the competing brothers, but he’d better do it quickly. Something strange has happened in the neighboring kingdom of Blanca, and Sava has more to worry about than just the barbarians!
292 pages, Hardcover
First published July 19, 2014
7 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Buronson
455 books83 followersOkamura Yoshiyuki (岡村善行), also known as Buronson (武論尊) or Sho Fumimura (史村翔 Fumimura Shō), is a Japanese manga writer most known by his famous work Hokuto no Ken. known in English as Fist of the North Star.
He graduated from the Japanese Air Force Training School in 1967 and served as an Air Force radar mechanic. In 1969 he discharged from the Japanese Navy and was soon hired by Hiroshi Motomiya as a manga assistant. He started his manga writing career when he wrote the script of Pink Punch: Miyabi in 1972, drawn by Goro Sakai. In 1975 Buronson wrote his first big hit The Doberman Detective, drawn by Shinji Hiramatsu. The famous Hokuto no Ken made its debute as Buronson's greatest hit in 1983, drawn by Tetsuo Hara. In 1989 his story Ourou was released as a manga serialized in Animal Magazine, drawn by Kentarou Miura, and in 1990 a sequel entitled Ourou Den was released by the same manga artist. Buronson also collaborated with the manga artist Ryoichi Ikegami in many works as Strain (manga) , Human (manga) and the famous Sanctuary (manga). Among his other major works are The Phantom Gang, with art by Kaoru Shintani.
Buronson was mainly influenced by movies such as Bruce Lee's, and Mad Max.
The nickname Buronson is a tribute to the American actor Charles Bronson, whose way of growing the mustache was imitated by Yoshiyuki Okamura too.
He graduated from the Japanese Air Force Training School in 1967 and served as an Air Force radar mechanic. In 1969 he discharged from the Japanese Navy and was soon hired by Hiroshi Motomiya as a manga assistant. He started his manga writing career when he wrote the script of Pink Punch: Miyabi in 1972, drawn by Goro Sakai. In 1975 Buronson wrote his first big hit The Doberman Detective, drawn by Shinji Hiramatsu. The famous Hokuto no Ken made its debute as Buronson's greatest hit in 1983, drawn by Tetsuo Hara. In 1989 his story Ourou was released as a manga serialized in Animal Magazine, drawn by Kentarou Miura, and in 1990 a sequel entitled Ourou Den was released by the same manga artist. Buronson also collaborated with the manga artist Ryoichi Ikegami in many works as Strain (manga) , Human (manga) and the famous Sanctuary (manga). Among his other major works are The Phantom Gang, with art by Kaoru Shintani.
Buronson was mainly influenced by movies such as Bruce Lee's, and Mad Max.
The nickname Buronson is a tribute to the American actor Charles Bronson, whose way of growing the mustache was imitated by Yoshiyuki Okamura too.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 21, 2025
MA IN CHE SENSO IL PROSSIMO SARÀ L'ULTIMO VOLUME.
October 1, 2025
When Fist of the North Star goes for the heart, that’s when readers see its greatest strengths. Sure, watching Kenshiro chop up and explode enemies with his muscles is terrific, but it’s when Tetsuo Hara and Buronson want to teach their readers a lesson when this post-apocalyptic tale bares its soul. In its seventeenth volume, Fist of the North Star gives us all a story of a leader, his three sons, and what happens when the future of a kingdom seems bleak. Thankfully, Kenshiro’s there to change fate.
He and Ryu find themselves in the kingdom of Sava, as inner turmoil overtakes the land. King Asam III is dying, and one of his three sons must take over. However, they are unworthy of the throne, as they have never learned the concept of yielding. As such, the ruler of Sava asks Kenshiro for a favor: kill his sons, for he couldn’t do it when he had the strength.
At first, it would seem like another brutal tale of senseless violence in Fist of the North Star. But then, we see the flashback to when the brothers were young and filled with innocence. It was then that a fortune teller told of King Asam III of the cruel fate that was in store, as none of the siblings have the chance to unite the kingdom peacefully. So when the fortune teller tells the father to kill his sons before it’s too late, well, who wouldn’t give the fortune teller what for in the name of fatherly love?!
All three sons were trained, taught, and lived equally, with no sibling treated with more or less care. Alas, this idea backfires when they are older, with the brothers constantly fighting over who is the strongest. It’s why Kenshiro must do the deed, for King Asam just can’t muster up the strength to do so. On top of that, warriors from a rival kingdom are arriving to try to take Sava for themselves.
It’s here where Kenshiro teaches the sons how to be humble. In an almost comedic fashion, he takes on one brother after another, making fools out of them without even breaking a sweat. As the fight goes on, the brothers slowly learn that no one man can take down Kenshiro, meaning a team-up is required. From there, the brothers begin to acquire the concept of yielding, and the realization of what’s going on with their father puts a heavy feeling on the trio.
That all leads to the siblings setting out to aid King Asam III, who’s dealing with enemies with the last bit of strength he has. The moment brings to light the importance of family and compromise, as each brother attempts to save their father via sacrifice. In the end, a kingdom is spared, but at a dire cost. It shows that even when Death comes a-knocking, there’s always room to protect the very people that one holds dear in their hearts.
After all of this, it’s the setup for what will be the last hurrah for Fist of the North Star. Another kingdom in turmoil, this time a former realm of peace. But as this story has shown, there’s no room for peace when bullies and vermin are sitting on the throne. The question is, can Kenshiro finally bring tranquility to this post-apocalyptic world?
He and Ryu find themselves in the kingdom of Sava, as inner turmoil overtakes the land. King Asam III is dying, and one of his three sons must take over. However, they are unworthy of the throne, as they have never learned the concept of yielding. As such, the ruler of Sava asks Kenshiro for a favor: kill his sons, for he couldn’t do it when he had the strength.
At first, it would seem like another brutal tale of senseless violence in Fist of the North Star. But then, we see the flashback to when the brothers were young and filled with innocence. It was then that a fortune teller told of King Asam III of the cruel fate that was in store, as none of the siblings have the chance to unite the kingdom peacefully. So when the fortune teller tells the father to kill his sons before it’s too late, well, who wouldn’t give the fortune teller what for in the name of fatherly love?!
All three sons were trained, taught, and lived equally, with no sibling treated with more or less care. Alas, this idea backfires when they are older, with the brothers constantly fighting over who is the strongest. It’s why Kenshiro must do the deed, for King Asam just can’t muster up the strength to do so. On top of that, warriors from a rival kingdom are arriving to try to take Sava for themselves.
It’s here where Kenshiro teaches the sons how to be humble. In an almost comedic fashion, he takes on one brother after another, making fools out of them without even breaking a sweat. As the fight goes on, the brothers slowly learn that no one man can take down Kenshiro, meaning a team-up is required. From there, the brothers begin to acquire the concept of yielding, and the realization of what’s going on with their father puts a heavy feeling on the trio.
That all leads to the siblings setting out to aid King Asam III, who’s dealing with enemies with the last bit of strength he has. The moment brings to light the importance of family and compromise, as each brother attempts to save their father via sacrifice. In the end, a kingdom is spared, but at a dire cost. It shows that even when Death comes a-knocking, there’s always room to protect the very people that one holds dear in their hearts.
After all of this, it’s the setup for what will be the last hurrah for Fist of the North Star. Another kingdom in turmoil, this time a former realm of peace. But as this story has shown, there’s no room for peace when bullies and vermin are sitting on the throne. The question is, can Kenshiro finally bring tranquility to this post-apocalyptic world?
June 24, 2025
As already mentioned, these are stories completely unfamiliar to me, so this time Ken and Ryu are on their way and are in the kingdom of King Asam and his three sons. Obviously Ken's pedagogical intent triumphs again, but better still seems to me the story just introduced here, that of Princess Blanca.
Come giá detto, queste sono storie a me completamente sconosciute, quindi stavolta Ken e Ryu sono in cammino e si trovano nel regno del re Asam e dei suoi tre figli. Ovviamente l'intento pedagogico di Ken trionfa di nuovo, ma meglio ancora mi sembra la storia qui appena introdotta, quella della principessa Blanca.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
Come giá detto, queste sono storie a me completamente sconosciute, quindi stavolta Ken e Ryu sono in cammino e si trovano nel regno del re Asam e dei suoi tre figli. Ovviamente l'intento pedagogico di Ken trionfa di nuovo, ma meglio ancora mi sembra la storia qui appena introdotta, quella della principessa Blanca.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
June 19, 2024
This is an... interesting volume. In some ways, it's a throwback to early Hokuto no Ken, where Kenshiro - now together with Raoh's son - Tries to solve other people's problems.
Really fun execution, this feels more like an epilogue than a setup for a big end for the series... and somehow, that's exactly what it needed.
Really fun execution, this feels more like an epilogue than a setup for a big end for the series... and somehow, that's exactly what it needed.
November 21, 2025
A nice self-contained story with a teaser for what comes next.
There are many times I wonder what the morality of Fist of the North Star is. This reminds me a lot of Chinese jianghu style stories where an excess of honour causes more problems than it solves in the long run.
There are many times I wonder what the morality of Fist of the North Star is. This reminds me a lot of Chinese jianghu style stories where an excess of honour causes more problems than it solves in the long run.
January 21, 2026
Peccato che il prossimo sarà l'ultimo
December 20, 2025
Again... good but very similar from one volume to the next. The villain here was a bit different but not that much!
July 14, 2025
This series has basically been spinning it's wheels by the seventh or eight volume, but damn, it manages to move forward regardless this one finds Ken being asked to save a kingdom by an ailing King, and it's novel enough to be really good! It mostly wraps up in one volume, while setting the stage for the nest. Gory as hell, constantly moving. It's a quicker read due to the action, but a satisfying one.
September 7, 2025
We are close to the ending of Fist Of The North Star. Buroson wisely chooses to focus not on the fights themselves (they are here, but brief and onesided toward Ken), knowing that the power escalation reached its climax in the previous saga, crafting instead plots informed by melodrama and tragedy. All the manga's main elements are here, but in a subtler fashion, and we get the feeling Ken has nothing to prove anymore, and just wants to reach the end of his story.
June 23, 2024
Kenshiro membawa putra super Raoh, terlepas dari Bat dan Rin dan berkelana seorang diri.
Setidaknya ini merupakan terobosan dari plot yang sama. Bagian-bagian tersebut masih memiliki konsistensi dan masalah klise yang sama dengan plot lainnya, tetapi terkadang itulah yang membuat serial ini menyenangkan untuk dibaca.
Setidaknya ini merupakan terobosan dari plot yang sama. Bagian-bagian tersebut masih memiliki konsistensi dan masalah klise yang sama dengan plot lainnya, tetapi terkadang itulah yang membuat serial ini menyenangkan untuk dibaca.
September 2, 2025
As usual, the artwork is of the highest quality; the princesses look like supermodels, the men are brawny, and violence is not lacking in its depiction. The anime never covered these arcs so I already can't wait for the final volume.
April 13, 2025
Read the full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 28, 2025
Enlightened strength 💪🏼 kenshiro
September 1, 2025
Great illustrations. Incredibly violent, and needlessly so (but still less than Battle Angel Alita). A classic, written by the master himself, Buronson.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews