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| “ | I am the Bushin, Hou Ken be mine name! | „ |
| ~ Hou Ken giving his signature introduction. |
| “ | Soldiers, armies, Zhao, Qin... you are all insignificant. The only thing of import is that right here, there are two beings which the Heavens fear, Apart from me... there is one more. Even if the heavens were to split and the earth were to sunder... that cannot be allowed!! I AM THE BUSHIN, HOU KEN. COME OUT AND FACE ME, O'ENEMY OF MINE. | „ |
| ~ Hou Ken to the Kyou Army. |
| “ | YOU!! YOU AND THEM...!!! | „ |
| ~ Hou Ken's last words to Shin as the Bushin is cleave in half. |
Hou Ken is a secondary antagonist in the historical seinen anime and manga series, Kingdom. He was a Bushin/God of Martial Arts or path seeker of a martial oriented lifestyle dedicated to the pinnacle strength and a Great General of the Zhao Military serving as the first member of the Three Great Heavens's second generation, the most powerful military organization within the kingdom compassed of their strongest military commanders, and a somewhat comrade to its leader Ri Boku.
Hou Ken first appeared as the mysterious Zhao Great General and newly appointed member of the Three Great Heavens and as the de facto leader/figurehead of his own personal army alongside his generals, Chou Sou, Shou Mou, Kou Son Ryuu, Ri Haku, Fuu Ki, and Man Goku as they led a vicious invasion into the state of Qin's territories of Baou and Bayou at the start of the Battle of Bayou Arc. It was revealed that he had killed Kyou, a member of Qin's Six Great Generals to prove his might and worth to the "heavens" and was defeated by General Ou Ki nine years prior to the start of the series. After this defeat Hou Ken became a entity of vengeance as he wanted nothing else but to fight and kill Ou Ki in a duel.
In the anime series, he is voiced by Masaya Takatsuka who provides the voices of Gedatsu, Jabra, Avalo Pizarro from One Piece, Ultraman Belial in Ultra Zero Fight, Jackal in Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2, Aquila of Ruina in Super Robot Wars Destiny, and Cottonmouth in Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers. In the live action film series, he is portrayed by actor and singer Kōji Kikkawa of Kamen Rider fame, who also portrayed Jin-e Udō in the live action Rurouni Kenshin.
Personality[]
| “ | What a waste of breath. No matter what era it is there are always fools like you with such mistaken ideals. You are simply deluding yourself if you think you are carrying the will of the dead. The only thing the dead become is dust. The defeated fall to the earth while victors rise ever closer to the Heavens. THAT IS THE ONE AND ONLY TRUTH!! | „ |
| ~ Hou Ken |
A stoic man who kept to himself and rarely spoke, when necessary, Hou Ken had grand ambitions to be the strongest warrior in the world. He preferred to stay by himself and to train continuously to become much stronger than he already is. Hou Ken was a very confident warrior who believed that almost no one was a match for him except for Ou Ki. Hou Ken has a major appetite for battle and is willing to fight anyone who can put up a challenge for him. In battle, Hou Ken is ruthless by how he casually and immediately cuts down any foe that stands in his way. Hou Ken showed absolutely no signs of loyalty towards the Zhao kingdom despite only showing interest in the battle.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Hou Ken was the son to a kind pair of qigong/chi healers known as Master and Madame Hou. As a baby he was kidnapped by an unnamed Bushin who brutally murdered his parents and their patients. It's unknown on what his childhood and youth were like, but it is presumed to have been a gruesome and isolated life as he spent his life being trained by the Bushin deep within the mountains of the Zhao Kingdom for decades.
Hou Ken, at some point, would eventually become a Bushin or God of Martial Arts with his body reaching the pinnacle of human limits as he attained an almost supernatural level of martial arts worthy of his title.
Meeting Ri Boku[]
While in the midst of training, Hou Ken met a severely injured Zhao soldier by the name of Ri Boku who was on the run from enemy soldiers after losing his entire battalion during a war between an unnamed state and the Zhao Kingdom.
Hou Ken, like any of his kind, immediately threatened Ri Boku with a brutal death but strangely spare him after learning that the latter had lost the will to live with the loss of his entire family and friends. Upon seeing this Hou Ken enlightens Ri Boku that there exists a "role" for him to still take part in. Then in a cryptic manner, Hou Ken tells him that "voices of the earth" is what led to their encounter and meeting. He then tells Ri Boku that he will be the one to guide him to his "answer". Before passing out, Hou Ken tells Ri Boku his name and that he is a path seeker as he fells unconscious.
Victims of Hou Ken[]
Notable individuals and victims that Hou Ken has killed.
Quotes[]
| “ | It seems you were the ones who summoned me. Though you might be children...I shall still have your lives. | „ |
| ~ Hou Ken threatening both Shin and Kyou Kai. |
| “ | The Violent God that resides within me will not allow the existence of any other powerful warriors. | „ |
| ~ Hou Ken to Kyou Kai and Shin. |
| “ | The Bushin should just be myth...The Bushin are meant to possess the ability to indefinitely manipulate their chi and achieve a level of strength on par with Clan Shiyuu's Priestess Dance but without a time limit. It's unthinkable for something like that to exist. | „ |
| ~ Kyou Kai on Hou Ken during the beginning of their duel. |
| “ | I had thought that it was that man...But perhaps this was also the guidance of the Heavens. O Summoner of the Gods, You too, are one of my enemies. This night is truly for my sake. NOW! BETWEEN ONE WHO SUMMONS A VIOLENT GOD AND ONE WHO HOSTS A VIOLENT GOD...LET US SEE WHO IS TRULY THE RIGHTFUL CHOSEN WARRIOR OF THE HEAVENS!! | „ |
| ~ Hou Ken to Kyou Kai. |
| “ | The ability to read an opponent's moves...obviously does not belong exclusively to you. | „ |
| ~ Hou Ken to Kyou Kai as he reads and blocks her killing strike. |
| “ | It has been long since I last met a foe capable of blooding me. An even if it were but for a mere instant, that sensation of being at death's door...Truly you are the first since those two from nine years ago. You have made this trip worthwhile, O Summoner of the Gods. | „ |
| ~ Hou Ken complimenting Kyou Kai during their duel. |
| “ | Not a single person...Is allowed to leave. All of you shall behold this battle until its very end. | „ |
| ~ Hou Ken threatening the Hi Shin Unit after killing some of them. |
| “ | What's the matter? Fighting you...Is not making a single thing stir within me. | „ |
| ~ Hou Ken to Duke Hyou during their duel, Kingdom v30 - Chapter 324 Gigantic Buffoon |
Powers and Abilities[]
| “ | You could say he's pure to a frightful extent. A crystallization of martial skill. | „ |
| ~ Shou Bun Kun on Hou Ken's abilities. |
Physical Abilities[]
- Superhuman Strength: Even for a Bushin, Hou Ken's strength was completely monstrous he pulled off incredible feats like killing a grown tiger with his bare hands, instantly crush a heavily armored Yan soldier into a pulp with his grip, and overpowered Geki Shin, a Great General, in terms of strength with just one arm.
- Superhuman Speed:
- Superhuman Reflexes:
- Superhuman Stamina:
- Superhuman Endurance:
- Superhuman Durability:
- Superhuman Agility:
- Superhuman Senses:
Fighting Style[]
- Expert Combatant:
- Fighting Abilities: As a path seeker of the martial path who "host a violent god" within himself, Hou Ken was a Bushin or God of Martial Arts, a powerful martial artist.
- Podao Mastery: One of the greatest within the state of Zhao, Hou Ken was extremely skilled in wielding his podao as he could slicing through multiple armored soldiers as they were paper with one swing of his blade.
Miscellaneous Abilities[]
- Calamity Embodiment: As a Bushin of the martial path, Hou Ken was a harbinger of calamity to those who stand against him.
- Enhanced Lung Capacity
- Body Meridian Manipulation: Thanks to years of endless training, Hou Ken could manipulate his meridian system, the bodily network through which one’s life energy (aura-based, chi-based, soul-based) flows. A system that permeates the entire body, transporting the life energy just as one’s vascular system transports blood and other bodily fluids.
- Chi Manipulation:
As a Bushin, Hou Ken could utilize and manipulate his inner chi, mostly using it for combat purposes like sending it into his opponent's body, destroying their internal organs.
- Chi Augmentation
- Chi Detection
- Chi Healing: With mastery in Qigong, Hou Ken was able to heal and mend wounds with chi.
- Survivability: Before finally being killed, Hou Ken was capable of surviving massive wounds that would kill or crippled an ordinary person as he survived to have his face split open, getting shot with a volley of over thousand arrows, and losing huge amounts of blood in various duels throughout his life.
- Fear Inducement: Hou Ken's mere presence could cause intense fear within those around him.
Trivia[]
- While not shown, Hou Ken may have killed his old master as he wore the Bushin's cloak and wielded his podao.
- Hou Ken, like Ri Boku, was able to attain the rank of a Great General without being from the noble caste, military caste, or a distinguish family or background unlike the previous generation of the Three Great Heavens.
- Hou Ken had a habit of killing tigers.
- Hou Ken's character and ruthlessness bares similarities to many other vicious martial artists from various franchises and media.
Links[]
- Hou Ken on Kingdom Wiki
- 原泰久/HaraYassa
- キングダム Official Website
- キングダム展 －信－ 公式サイト
- キングダム/Kingdom pixiv
[]
 Villains
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Ai Kingdom Chu Kingdom Qin Kingdom Wei Kingdom Yan Kingdom Zhao Kingdom
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