The Baki manga series by Keisuke Itagaki has been a source of martial arts intrigue, giving readers a well-constructed world where strength, skill, and determination take center stage. Yujiro Hanma is a central character in this series, with a name that strikes fear and awe into the hearts of those who hear it.
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While anime enthusiasts may have caught a glimpse of him in the Baki anime series, manga readers are more familiar with him and understand the depth of his persona. From his savage nature to his shadowy past, Yujiro’s character’s nuances go beyond what the anime adaptation has revealed so far. Here are some of the things only manga readers know about Yujiro
10 He Works As A Freelance Mercenary
He works as a freelance mercenary for various governments and organizations. While his martial art abilities and dominance are widely recognized, his role as a mercenary adds another layer to his persona. Because of his price tag and skillset, he is mainly used as a last resort and for deadly missions.
He prefers to remain autonomous and operates without constraints, reminiscent of Toji Zen’in from Jujutsu Kaisen. The amount of money he earns is unknown, but it is pretty evident in his exquisite lifestyle and tastes that he is rich.
9 He Was Not Always Merciless And Bloodthirsty
Yujiro started out as a kind-hearted person and was that way till he turned sixteen. He turned sixteen and enrolled in the army to develop his skills by fighting in wars.
No one knows what sparked the change; maybe it was the trauma caused by the wars or the constant need to survive by taking a life, but over the next two years, he became a ruthless monster accustomed to killing for the fun of it. He has no problems reminding people that they breathe only by his mercy.
8 He Does Not Display His Full Strength In Fights
As the strongest character in the entire series, only a few characters can rival him, and as a result, he does not go out in most battles, as only a fraction of his power is enough to obliterate most who stand in his way. He still holds back even when confronted with characters that make him fight seriously, like Baki.
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According to his son, no one knows the true extent of Yujiro’s strength, not even Baki himself. Although he has only been tested a few times, it is said that he has not gone all out yet.
7 Yujiro’s Character Was Inspired By Matsutaro Sakaguchi
The manga artist Keisuke Itagaki mentioned in one of his manga Q&A sessions that Matsutaro Sakaguchi, the titular protagonist in the Notari Matsutaro manga series, inspired Yujiro’s character.
Matsutaro is a young roughneck who is always causing trouble no matter where he goes. Matsutaro and Yujiro are both big and strong people whose characters are mainly based on their physical prowess. Earlier in the manga, Yujiro’s appearance was based on Matt Dillon before taking after Paul Stanley in the later parts.
6 He Has A Unique Ability Called Demon Back
Among all the techniques that Yujiro employs in dispatching his opponents, the Demon Back is the strongest, and he only uses it on those who prove to be challenging opponents. He activates it by flexing his latissimus dorsi muscles at his back, which takes on the form of a demon’s face, hence the name.
His speed, reflex, power, and overall combat abilities significantly increase. Yujiro gets stronger with each worthy opponent he faces when he uses this technique; according to him, he devours his opponents when they lose to him, and it hones his skills.
5 Yujiro Is The Son Of Yuichiro Hanma
Yuichiro Hanma, the father of Yujiro, was the strongest man of his era and possibly the only man who could ever defeat the Ogre. Before Yujiro went up against the US Army, Yuichiro had already done it during WW2, on an island in the Okinawa territory where he used only one technique to defeat two thousand soldiers, making them the only men known to perform such a feat.
Unlike Yujiro, Yuichiro was kind and merciful, and it is quite evident that Baki took after him. He was also the first person shown to use the Demon Back technique.
4 He Has A Rival Named Musashi Miyamoto
The original Musashi Miyamoto was a legendary swordsman who was said to be the strongest samurai ever. However, following his death, he was reincarnated into the modern world by a fusion of his soul and a clone created from his spinal tissue, after which he regained all his skills and memories.
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No one matches Yujiro quite like Musashi, with all their matches ending in a stalemate, no matter the condition. He also has immense battle IQ to couple with his martial arts and sword skills.
3 He Has an Extremely High IQ
Unlike Matsutaro, whose muscles take the place of his brain, Yujiro’s muscles work in unison with his. He is very knowledgeable about anatomy and how bodily functions work, and he applies them to his fighting to make him even more deadly.
Yujiro has mastered all forms of hand-to-hand combat, from the most ancient ones like Udonde to more recent ones like wrestling. Any technique he witnesses once can be easily recreated and enhanced to fit his style even more. He can also analyze a fighting style’s strengths and weaknesses just by seeing it once
2 There Are Only Six Characters That Can Rival Him
As the strongest character in the show, only six characters possess the might it takes to challenge Yujiro successfully. Sea Emperor Kaku, the greatest Supreme Grandmaster of Chinese Kenpo, astounded Yujiro in battle before dying of old age.
Musashi Miyamoto, his evenly matched rival. Nomi no Sukune II, the strongest Sumo warrior of his time. Pickle, a prehistoric human preserved in saline rock. Baki Hanma, his son and the main protagonist of the story. Yuichiro Hanma, his father, was said to be the strongest man before his death.
1 His Sexuality Is Complex
Yujiro is a freak of nature with testosterone levels that are way more than any other animal or creature to exist. Due to that, he believes he is the only actual male specimen on Earth, viewing everyone else as women and sissies beneath him, no matter their age or gender.
Yujiro has sexually assaulted a manly person named Joe William and traumatized him. He has no problems having sexual relations with anybody because he is biologically more male than anyone else.
Baki Hanma
- Release Date
- September 30, 2021
- Genres
- Action, Martial Arts
- Seasons
- 2
- Number of Episodes
- 39
- Studio
- TMS Entertainment
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Keisuke Itagaki
- Streaming Sevice
- Netflix
