Tamal Kundu
‘Baki Hanma’ season 3 is not really the third season of the Shounen action anime series but a continuation of the second season. Comprising 14 episodes, season 2 part 2 focuses on the climactic showdown between Baki and his father, Yujiro Hanma, also known as The Ogre, the Strongest Creature in the world. As a medium, anime is known for often stretching out fights, and this series does that quite efficiently. However, that doesn’t mean that the fight starts happening in episode 14 itself. The series takes its time setting up the stage for the inevitable confrontation between the father and the son. In almost all variations of ‘Baki the Grappler,’ this fight between the two generations of Hanmas serves as the climax, so the audience members, even if they haven’t read the original manga series, know that this is coming. And when it does arrive, it’s epic, and the action is unrelenting. Here is everything you might want to know about the ending of ‘Baki Hanma’ season 3 or season 2 part 2. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Baki Hanma Season 3 Recap
As previously mentioned, the fight between Baki and Yujiro is inevitable in the narrative about those two characters. In season 2 or season 2 part 1, Baki fights the caveman Pickle and nearly wins until he lets his hubris take control of his actions and tries to challenge the caveman in the very thing he is better at: Stamina. As season 3 begins, Baki isn’t entirely sad about his defeat and has let his life go on. Both he and Yujiro know that their fight is inevitable.
We get a glimpse of Baki’s past in this season. Baki’s mother’s name was Emi, who was married to a different man when she first met Yujiro. She felt drawn toward the young Yujiro and the world of violence and brutality he represented. Yujiro saw her for who she was and declared that she would be the mother of his child. Since the moment Baki was born, Emi forced him to train so he could be the worthy son of Yujiro. Each of Baki’s failures to live up to his mother’s cruel expectations earned him further cruelty. Ultimately, as Baki started demonstrating that he was truly gifted, Emi set up an exhibition fight between Baki and Yujiro, hoping that Baki would impress his father and Yujiro would accept her as his paramour. Even though her actions made Baki’s life a living hell, she ultimately redeemed herself by standing up for him against Yujiro and losing her life in the process.
Baki seems to possess a great capacity for forgiveness. Emi’s actions toward the end of her life earned her Baki’s forgiveness despite the horror she put him through for most of his childhood. What is even more surprising is that Baki doesn’t necessarily hate Yujiro either, despite everything the man has done to him and the people close to him. There is a sense of tenderness every time Baki thinks about his father, reflecting how martial arts have helped him control his emotions.
Both Baki and Yujiro consider the upcoming fight between the two of them an internal matter, but the government of Japan becomes increasingly agitated as it knows that the fight will take place within its territories. The Prime Minister and his cabinet start to fear the deaths and destruction the fight might cause, especially after learning what Yujiro is really capable of and the treaties he has with various governments in the world, including the United States of America.
Baki seems to incite a peculiar reaction from his father after inviting him to have a home-cooked meal with him. As the series progresses, it becomes increasingly apparent, even before their fight, that Yujiro is truly impressed with his son for what he has accomplished as a martial artist and fighter only as a teenager. He later decides to accept the invitation and shows up at his son’s home to have a meal with him, which sends the government into a frenzy. Riot police are sent to monitor the situation, even though they don’t have a chance to stop either Yujiro or Baki.
Baki Hanma Season 3 Ending: Who Wins the Fight between Baki and Yujiro?
Since birth, Baki’s life has been devoted to training in martial arts; that’s the only thing he knows extremely well. In almost everything else, he falls short, and Baki is honest and self-reflective enough to admit this. After he cooks a meal for his father, the latter invites him to dinner at a high-end hotel. When Baki demonstrates his ignorance about the etiquettes, it prompts a derisive comment from Yujiro. However, Baki reminds him of the circumstances he was brought up in, knowing nothing except martial arts. For a moment, this borderline accusation seems to catch Yujiro off-guard, and he decides to impart some knowledge about table manners to his son.
However, it doesn’t take long for the situation to turn violent, and the father and the son begin their fight. Baki has spent his entire life preparing for this, but in the last few months, he immersed himself in learning the movement of a cockroach, knowing very few creatures in the world possess the pound-for-pound abilities that the cockroaches do. Regarding the cockroach that lives in his home as his teacher, Baki trained his body to the point that it becomes vapor so he can move at the speed of a moving train before employing incredible strength.
However, his opponent is not an ordinary man. Yujiro has gained the nickname “The Ogre” for a reason. While Baki’s first attack emulating a cockroach does catch Yujiro by surprise, causing damage, it immediately fails when he tries it again. Initially, at the start of the fight, both are careful to avoid hitting each other in vital areas, but that caution is thrown out of the window as the fight progresses. Pickle shows up to watch the fight and even tries to join in, earning a lesson from Baki to mind his own business.
In the end, the father and the son push each other to the limit. In front of the massive crowd that has gathered, Yujiro announces Baki as the Strongest in the World, effectively passing the title to him. Baki, whose both ear drums have been destroyed during the fight, doesn’t hear what his father said. Instead, he proclaims Yujiro as the winner of the fight.
What is the Significance of the Post-Credits Scene?
Unlike in previous seasons, the post-credits scene doesn’t set up future seasons, as season 3 concludes by covering the final chapters of the ‘Baki Hanma’ manga series. Alongside that of Baki and Yujiro, a parallel story unfolds in the anime revolving around Sea King Retsu as the man starts taking boxing lessons. After demonstrating his skills in the local gym in Japan, Retsu is recruited by Kaiser, a boxing promoter. He is taken to America, where he faces his greatest challenge in the battle-hardened boxer, Smoking Joe.
In the post-credits scene, Retsu attends a press conference after his victory against the World Heavyweight Champion, Mr. Bolt. The reporters ask him whether he is disappointed that his match against Mr. Bolt has been declared an exhibition match, prompting Retsu to reply that he won the bout while following the boxing rules.
Read More: Baki Hanma Season 2 Ending, Explained: Who Wins the Fight?
