Character Spotlight: Raoh

Discuss this post:
On the forums!
On Reddit!

Name: Raoh
Game(s): Fist of the North Star (anime, manga, licensed games)
Archetype: Tank
Class: Juggernaut
Skills/Attributes:

• Powerful.
• Ruthless.
• Really good at punching.
• Really really good at punching.
• Huge.
• Master of multiple fighting styles including the Musou Tensei.
• Military commander.
• Really really really good at punching.

Overview:

Raoh, thought not originally a video game character, has nonetheless been requested quite a bit here on the blog.  Despite its age, Fist of the North Star remains a very well-liked anime and manga series, with a strong cult following.  As the resident bad guy badass of the series, Raoh’s influence on that culture is strong and long-lasting.  During the voting process for this week, Raoh actually tied with Guts from Berserk for who we cover.  I ended up picking Raoh because, well, he’s basically a bad guy…Sort of.  Guts is badass, and we will definitely cover him soon, but Raoh’s complexity makes him a really interesting character, which I like!

Raoh’s obviously a very, very large person.  So large that sometimes I question the animator/artist’s knowledge of the limits of human anatomy.  Regardless, his size and strength definitely place him in the Tank archetype.  Raoh’s combative nature, ruthless determination, and ability to wreck everything and everyone around him basically at will makes him a solid candidate for the Juggernaut class.  Let’s take a look at what drives such a fearsome opponent!

In The Raoh Workout, we’re going to be building a huge physique, with lots of strength and explosive power.  Seriously, Raoh’s proportions are almost inhuman, so they may be difficult to attain completely.  Nevertheless, we’re going to do our best to get YOU as big as you possibly can be.  Something else to note is Raoh’s relatively high speed and agility for someone his size.  As such, we’re going to be working with some high intensity cardio and agility drills as well.

In The Skills of Raoh, we’re going to obviously take a look at the massive man’s martial mastery.  Raoh’s an extremely powerful combatant, and his ability to punch things really, really, really hard is basically unparalleled.  We’re also going to talk about his method of command over his armies, and the way he builds a legend around himself first as Ken-Oh, and then as Raoh.

The Mind of Raoh will peel back the layers of very complex antagonist, and figure out what makes him tick.  Raoh is not your typical bad guy, in that he’s driven by more than just a greed for power.  He shows mercy, respect, and honor in addition to his ruthless, violent tendencies.  He is driven by a sense of a higher purpose, and a greater understanding of the world around him.  “I have no regrets for the life I have lived!”

Raoh’s a fun character, and I look forward to covering him in the coming two weeks.  Hopefully, you look forward to it, too!  Don’t worry if you voted for Guts, by the way, he’s definitely going to be popping up in future polls =D

The Q&A Tuesday video will be going up sometime later today, so keep an eye out for it!  You guys asked some great questions, it’s a pleasure answering them!

Live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!

Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace