Jack Hanma is related to Baki, here is how

Jack Hanma has taken the lead in Baki Rahen, but how is our new protagonist related to the original star of Baki?

Baki Rahen is still in its first few chapters, and it’s taking fans a while to get used to Jack Hanma being the central character. The brute has a less elegant approach to fighting compared to our normal protagonist, relying on his chemically enhanced body to bulldoze over foes before they can find a counter. Jack Hanma couldn’t be more different than Baki in combat, but the two are actually related more closely than just being half-brothers. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the relationship between Baki Hanma and his high-potential rival.

How is Jack Hanma related to Baki?

Baki and Jack Hanma are related by blood, both being the sons of legendary fighter Yujiro Hanma. However, the two share connections well beyond a shared father.

Baki is the son of Yujiro and Emi Akezawa, and the family’s serious problems form the basis of the series. The two were married at the time of Baki’s birth, but Yujiro wound up killing Emi to motivate Baki as a fighter. Jack has a similar story, though his mother Diane Neil was never married to Yujiro. In fact, she attempted to entrap Yukiro and kill him on behalf of the United Nations. Yujiro found out and sexually attacked Diane, which eventually led to the birth of Jack. This makes Jack Hanma and Baki related as half-brothers with different mothers.

As a result of Yukiro’s treatment of their maternal figures, both Baki and Jack also share similar motivations. Baki hopes to one day avenge his mother by becoming stronger than Yujiro and defeating him in battle. Jack also wants to take revenge against Yujiro for his mother’s sake. The two don’t really discuss their shared motivation. In fact, the eerie similarity implies that there are other fighters in the world motivated by the same thing.  

Lastly, despite being half-brothers, Jack and Baki share an intense rivalry with each other as fighters. This partially stems from their opposite approaches to becoming strong. Baki relies on mastering techniques and honing his body through fighting. Jack, meanwhile, relies on extreme steroids and body augmentation to improve. Both methods have gotten results, but Baki’s victory over Jack in the Maximum Tournament arc shows that the normal protagonist has the edge.

Baki Rahen should reveal even more connections between Baki and Jack as the plot progresses. The two are already on somewhat friendly terms, but they could team up or even oppose each other in a future arc.