Black Belt/Chapter 4

The fourth chapter, The Legend of Cassandra (カサンドラの伝説) takes place in a prison owned by Raoh (known at this point as Ken-Oh, the King of Fists), a brother of Kenshiro's in Hokuto Shinken who seeks conquest. Within the prison are martial artists who would otherwise stand in the way of Raoh's conquest, including his own brother, Toki. The common enemies here are Cassandra Guards (カサンドラ衛士), intent on halting Kenshiro's infiltration of the prison. There are also Eagles (鷲), which swoop down on Kenshiro from the sky. Both types of common enemies can also be found in Black Belt, though the Cassandra Guards are instead ninjas.

The common enemies carry axes, and while their attacks are slow, the combination of ground and air enemies can create a sticky situation. Try to punch or kick the guards or ninja as soon as they approach, before they can attack, and crouch under the eagles when they swoop down. You can also use a jumping kick to banish the bird if the ground enemies don't give you an opportunity to crouch, though you can also attack while crouching with a low kick.

Sub-bosses

No. 1: Uighur

No. 2: The King of Fist's Royal Guards

Uighur (a ninja with a whip in Black Belt) is the warden of Cassandra, and thus acts as the first obstacle between Kenshiro and his brother, Toki. He attacks using a whip when close, though this can easily be dodged and countered with a jumping kick. Once he's hit, he will be knocked off-screen, after which he will literally charge at you with a surprise attack. Jump over the dodge to charge it, then hit him with another jumping kick. Repeat this pattern for a few more hits to take out the warden for good.

The Royal Guards (ninja with swords in Black Belt) will attack you as a pair, trapping you as they attack from either side of the screen. This fight should test your reflexes more than any other sub-boss fight, as you will have swords stabbed at you if you get to close and throwing stars thrown at you if you distance yourself from either guard. Start off by focusing your attacks on only one guard, using jumping kicks to dodge the throwing stars. Once one of them is taken out, you can more directly attack the other, approaching him with jumping kicks and punching him repeatedly when close enough.

Boss: Toki

Toki (the ninjutsu master Oni in Black Belt) can be a frustrating opponent due to his ability to counter every one of Kenshiro's hits with a hit of his own, resulting in the brothers exchanging blows. However, with the right strategy, this fight can be completed quite easily. Simply stand in place, kicking constantly as Toki approaches you. Chances are he will land a hit on you before your kick reaches him, but you'll deal an equal amount of damage as the damage he deals to you. Keep kicking until his health is depleted; while your health may be depleted before his, you should be able to land the last kick that ends the fight in time.

Unlike other bosses, Kenshiro will not kill Toki, as Toki allows him to pass following this impromptu training session in order to face the tougher opponents that await Ken's arrival. In Black Belt, Riki will also not be able to perform his signature rapid-fire finisher here, as Oni will simply disappear before he can, leaving only his mask behind. You can now move on to the penultimate chapter.