Martial Artists

A martial artist is, at heart, a practitioner of unarmed combat. Where swordsmen depend on blades and marksmen on ranged firepower, this class of fighter commits fully to the body itself, and members have never been shown wielding weapons of their own. That does not mean they refuse every advantage: some graft extra force onto their techniques by other means. Lightning Max, for instance, drives his kicks with rocket propelled footwear, while Volten runs electricity through his blows.

As a group, martial artists are drawn toward renown and raw power. Celebrated names like Bang enjoy worldwide fame, and to build their reputation or earn a living, many enter open tournaments or take up work as heroes. Many also found their own dojos to refine a personal style and gather students, usually picking remote, out of the way locations for the site. That hunger for strength carries a dark edge, however, since the drive can rebound on them, twisting body and mind until they mutate into monsters. Fist Fight Djinn and the Three Crows stand as grim examples of where such ambition can lead.

The community is defined less by a single power than by an enormous range of individual disciplines. Practitioners each cultivate their own approach, from Bang's Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist and Bomb's Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist to the Void Fist wielded by Suiryu, alongside dozens of other named styles carried by figures such as Garou, Max, and Sneck.

The scene's central proving ground is the Super Fight tournament, staged every six months at the C-City Super Stadium. Only martial artists from recognized dojos are permitted to compete, making the event both a showcase of skill and a magnet for fighters seeking to prove themselves and climb toward greater fame.