Unveiling "The Grappler"

The Inspiration

We've all seen this image of Yujiro and Baki engaged in an intense stare down. Did you know that this image is not canon? It was created from a combination of 2 manga panels. 

I've been wanting to work on a Baki inspired design, but I had a hard time coming up with a unique design as pretty much every single anime clothing brand carries some version of the following stock images:

While these three images are overused, the elements they represent play an integral role in the series. One being the main protagonist, the other being the main antagonist and the final one being a hereditary trait that serves as a connection between both the protagonist and antagonist.

My goal was to take the core elements from each of these stock images and combine them using my own interpretation of the series.

The Concept

This is a concept art teaser! The final design will be revealed next week.

I won't say too much here, but I think most Baki fans will know exactly where I'm going with this design. I was tired of seeing the Demon Back being showcased only in the pose where Yujiro had his arms stretched upwards and out. Initially, my biggest gripe with this concept was not being able to display the Demon Back, but after playing around with multiple poses, I finally found one that I liked. I feel this striking pose represented Baki well while still allowing the Demon Back to be showcased.