In the year 19XX, after being betrayed and left for dead, bravehearted warrior Kenshirou wanders a post-apocalyptic wasteland on a quest to track down his rival, Shin, who has kidnapped his beloved fiancée Yuria. During his journey, Kenshirou makes use of his deadly fighting form, Hokuto Shinken, to defend the helpless from bloodthirsty ravagers. It isn't long before his exploits begin to attract the attention of greater enemies, like warlords and rival martial artists, and Keshirou finds himself involved with more than he originally bargained for. Faced with ever-increasing odds, the successor of Hokuto Shinken is forced to put his skills to the test in an effort to take back what he cares for most. And as these new challenges present themselves and the battle against injustice intensifies, namely his conflict with Shin and the rest of the Nanto Seiken school of martial arts, Kenshirou is gradually transformed into the savior of an irradiated and violent world. In the post-nuclear apocalyptic future in 199X, the human race has regressed. Weak villagers are reduced to slavery, while genetically enhanced giants rule the world. Gunpowder seems only a distant memory, and the martial arts is the only weapon a man can count on.Two schools face one another in the battle for dominion: Hokuto Shinken and Nanto Seiken. The series begins when the Hokuto successor, Kenshiro, travels the desert to confront Shin, a member of the Nanto Roku Seiken, their six ruling stars, who has taken his fiancee Yulia.