Kenshiro is the main protagonist of Fist of the North Star manga and anime series, created by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. According to Buronson, Kenshiro's character design was inspired by the character of Max Rockatansky from the Mad Max film series and martial artist Bruce Lee. In the story, Kenshiro is the rightful successor of an ancient art of assassination called Hokuto Shinken, which allows Kenshiro to defeat his adversaries through use of hidden meridian points. Through the course of the original manga, Kenshiro fights against various ruffians who threaten the lives of the post-apocalyptic survivors, as well as numerous rival martial artists, including his three honorary brothers trained in the art of Hokuto Shinken. Kenshiro is also known as the Man With Seven Scars, due to the seven scars engraved on his chest patterned after the shape of the Big Dipper, as well as the Savior of Century's End. In the manga, as well as most anime adaptations of the franchise, Kenshiro's catchphrase just prior to an enemy's death is "You are already dead.".