199X, nuclear war has ravaged the planet. From the ashes, gangs have risen to take all the power from world governments. Justice has ceased to exist in this now lawless world. From the ashes of a desert a man appears. His name is Kenshiro, and he is the sucessor to the most powerful martial art in the world, Hokuto Shinken. This art attacks the foes insides, and makes him explode internally, dying in often brutal ways. Kenshiro's goal is to kill the man who kidnapped his fiance, Yuria. A man that he once called friend, but whom betrayed him and left him for dead. Along the way he makes friends and enemies alike, while protecting those who cannot protect themselves.