Are Baki and Kengan Ashura in the same universe? Explained

Modified Jun 08, 2024 18:51 GMT

Are Baki and Kengan Ashura in the same universe? Explained (Image via Netflix)

One of the biggest questions to emerge from anime fans in recent weeks is “are Baki and Kengan Ashura in the same universe?” thanks to the two anime’s recent crossover. Likewise, fans are praising the recent crossover as they question the two series’ relations, lauding Netflix for making such a dream match of fighting anime come to life.

While some fans are upset with the way the special ended, which didn’t give either Baki Hanma or Ohma Tokita the victory over the other, fans are still happy with the crossover.

However, the question of the two series’ relation remains and is driving fans crazy trying to find a consistent answer online. Despite the speculation, Baki and Kengan Ashura are not in the same universe.

Fans may be disappointed by the answer to “are Baki and Kengan Ashura in the same universe?”

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Unfortunately, the answer to “are Baki and Kengan Ashura in the same universe” is a confirmed no. For starters, the Netflix special pitting the two series’ protagonists against each other is considered not canonical.

In other words, it’s essentially a “what if” scenario exploring what would happen if the two met. In turn, this inherently prevents taking any major events within as canon, including the two being set in the same universe.

That being said, it’s understandable why fans would think this, as both are very grounded in terms of their setting. Each series is set in modern Japan, offering one commonality between them, which could be contributing to this confusion. Both series also generally focus on large, tournament-style fights that are unknown to most of the general public. While this doesn’t always ring true for Baki, it is how many of the series’ fights are framed early on.

Meanwhile, Kengan Ashura follows this format fairly regularly. This is also another sign that the two series aren’t quite as related as fans think. If they were, Ohma and Hanma would likely be running into each other much more frequently by nature of participating in these large-scale tournaments.

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In turn, this also highlights another reason why the two series aren’t set in the same universe. To have two powerful fighters existing among each other yet never have them fight with or against each other would be disappointing to fans. It would also be somewhat illogical from a narrative perspective. In other words, it wouldn’t make sense to have two protagonistic characters existing alongside each other, yet not constantly pushing each other past their limits in fights.

One potential benefit to having the two series set in the same universe would be the similar goals of Hanma and Ohma. Both are fighting to avenge a father figure and need to kill someone relatively close to them to do so. While each loves fighting in general beyond this, their main motivation is the goal of revenge at the end of the day.

However, this will unfortunately never happen in a canonical sense, as the two series are definitively not set in the same universe. It’s unlikely that this will change anytime soon, as the two series are written and illustrated by completely different people. While it’s difficult to say “never,” it’s likely the most accurate word to describe the possibility of this changing.