Ken (ケン) is a recurring antagonist first featured in Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka. He has a brother named Akio.[1] Ken grew up in an orphanage with no relatives, though he would later be adopted by Sabu.
Ken was originally killed in his debut title, though has since been brought back in River City Super Sports Challenge ~All Stars Special~ and the River City Girls continuity.
Appearances[]
Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka[]
Ken debuts in Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka as one of the antagonists and the semi-final boss. A few months before the events of the story, Sabu adopts Ken and plans on using him to get revenge on Kunio for his prior defeat in Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, as Ken is similar in appearance to Kunio.
In the intro of the game, Ken and his brother Akio[1] are seen riding on a motorcycle and perform a hit and run on an innocent man as a way to frame Kunio and Riki. Ken is later seen with Sabu in the offices of the pachinko parlor where he meets Kunio for the first time. The two continue to lie to Kunio about being Ken's older brother while Kunio denies having any siblings and gets angry with Ken for hurting innocent people. This eventually leads to Sabu shooting Misako and Kyōko in front of Kunio and Riki, which leaves Ken visibly shocked.
When Kunio and Riki are later lead to Sabu's mansion in Izu by Takayama, Ken is seen at the end of the wooden bridge waiting for the two, where he then burns it down as an attempt to stop them from coming any further. Sabu is seen getting angry when Kunio and Riki have successfully made their way through the mansion despite all the obstacles and orders Ken to defeat them in a fight. During the fight, Ken's attacks are able to deal a large chunk of damage and will mirror most of Kunio and Riki's special attacks. Upon being defeated, he is called useless by Sabu and is then shot. While lying on the floor, Ken finally admits to Kunio that he was never his brother and reveals how he was brought into Sabu's plan, though wishes that he truly could've referred to Kunio as his older brother. Ken will warn Kunio about Sabu having activated the mansion's self destruction device and tells him to quickly leave.
River City Super Sports Challenge ~All Stars Special~[]
Ken appears as a member of the Japan Tryouts team and can be unlocked for play outside of the story mode. Ken is able to use the Mach Kick.
River City Melee: Battle Royal Special[]
Ken returns as a member of the Japan All Stars team and is involved in the Story Mode. Ken is now able to use the Screw Upper and the Screw Tornado.
River City Melee Mach!![]
River City Girls Zero[]
Ken appears in the game's newly added opening animation.
River City Girls 2[]
In this continuity, Ken remains as the adopted son of Sabu though is reimagined to be cocky, arrogant, and weak.
Ken is the secondary antagonist in the story and is first seen during the game's intro cutscene. Ken picks up Sabuko right after her loss against Misako and Kyoko to go see their father Sabu in prison. Ken uses this defeat as a way to humiliate Sabuko and to leave a good impression on Sabu so he can think more highly of him. This enrages Sabu to where he breaks out of prison, puts himself back in-charge at the Sanwakai, and has Ken now act as the second in command instead of Sabuko. Ken later heads to River City High and meets the protagonists for the first time, where he poses as a teacher and expels the group to set an example, as Sabu has taken control over River City.
Two months pass and Ken later runs into the protagonists at the movie theatre by coincidence. Ken reveals that he has been tasked by Sabu to humiliate and defeat Misako and Kyoko for tarnishing the Sanwakai's reputation, though isn't taken very seriously by the protagonists and gets flustered. During the battle, Ken's fist fighting is slow and weak, though he is able to make use of a gun and his bodyguards for assistance. Upon being defeated, Sabu pulls his gun to shoot Misako and Kyoko, though isn't taken very seriously by the two and eventually retreats when his gun is knocked out of his hand by a thrown knife.
In Uptown, Ken is spotted inside of Wes' Nightclub partying, though is shocked when seeing the protagonists and calls for security, fleeing shortly after. When Provie is defeated in her boss fight, she reveals to Misako and Kyoko that she's been looking for Chris and suspects Ken may have taken her, so she's been chasing him around town for the past few weeks and tracked him at the nightclub where she was close to beating information out of him, though lost her chance when the protagonists showed up at the club. In Flatirons, Blaire reveals in their backstory that Ken hired them a few years prior to cast spells on anyone the Sanwakai requests, to which he eventually asked them to erase Marian's mind and give her over to the Sanwakai.
Ken later appears inside of River City High and taunts the protagonists through the school's PA system. When the group reaches the top floor, Ken sets up a fire trap and decides to tell the protagonists how to turn it off in the boiler room as a way to give them a fighting chance. Ken will be waiting on the rooftop for a rematch and will now use his personal bodyguards Ryuichi and Ryuji as assists. When defeated, Ken silences the arguing Dragon Twins and gets ready for a fourth phase, though is beaten in a single attack. Ken drops his emblem and tells the protagonists to drop by the Sanwakai Tower for a true rematch before flying away on a helicopter.
Outside of the Sanwakai Tower, Ken is seen having a katana pointed at his face by Sabuko. Ken is spared by Sabuko where she then taunts him the same way he did in the beginning of the game. When the protagonists get ready to fight the two, Sabuko and Ken get ready to fly off on a helicopter, though attack the group with missiles and by sending out goons equipped with grenades. The protagonists eventually blow up the helicopter using dropped grenades from spawning enemies, though the two end up flying out of the area anyway. During the ending, Ken apologizes to Sabuko for starting the feud between her and hopes for a fresh start once Sabu finishes dealing with the protagonists, though is interrupted and sent flying off when Sabu crashes into the helicopter after being punched upwards through the entire Sanwakai Tower by the protagonists.
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