Who is the main character of Baki Rahen? A series intro

The first few chapters of Baki Rahen don’t feature Baki at all, so who is the warrior fans will be keeping up with in the new saga?

Baki Rahen is the sixth saga in the Baki franchise, which usually centers around the titular character’s quest to defeat his father, Yujiro Hanma. However, Baki isn’t the only person in the world with the goal of beating Yujiro. His half-brother Jack is in a similar position, and during Baki’s adventures, Jack has been steadily getting stronger in the background. Therefore, mangaka Keisuke Itagaki has chosen to give Baki a break and give Jack the spotlight for Rahen.

Even with only three chapters out, it’s clear that Jack Hanma will be the main character of Baki for the foreseeable future. Sagas can take years to finish, so it’s best for Baki fans to get used to it now. Itagaki knows that Jack Hanma is a fan-favorite character, with his ridiculous size and strength possibly the closest to Yujiro of anyone in the main cast. Based on the early chapters, it seems like the Rahen will be about a series of intense fights featuring Jack and a myriad of new and returning opponents.

The very first chapter sees Jack go up against a new swordsman, including a callback to the prior saga with Miyamoto Musashi. The swordfighter, named Kyouishirou Sabu, seems confident before the fight, but immediately gives up after Jack disarms him using only his teeth. The next few chapters hype up a showdown between Jack Hanma and returning karate fighter Koushou Shinogi.

Who will Baki Rahen bring back?

While Jack Hanma will serve as this saga’s protagonist, many members of the series’ ensemble cast will appear in Baki Rahen. 

Here’s a quick list of the returning characters who have already appeared so far in Baki Rahen, in order of appearance.

• Mitsunari Tokugawa
• Jack Hanma
• Koushou Shinogi
• Doppo Orochi
• Katsumi Orochi

While Baki Hanma himself has yet to appear or even be mentioned so far, three chapters aren’t enough to rule out an appearance entirely. In fact, Baki would be the perfect opponent for Jack either at the end or halfway through the series. Being offscreen also gives Baki plenty of time to train, potentially even being equivalent to a time skip in other shonen series.