Baki Manga Celebrates 35th Anniversary with New Yujiro/Baki Visual and Theme Song Drop

Manga creator Keisuke Itagaki has revealed a new, intensely detailed illustration to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Baki manga franchise. The artwork was released by Akita Shoten alongside an anniversary video, kicking off a year of confirmed projects for the long-running series.

The illustration features Baki Hanma and his father, Yujiro, locked in a tense profile pose, highlighting Itagaki's signature focus on extreme musculature. The accompanying anniversary video debuted a new theme song titled BAKI MENTAL.

The track is performed by POCYOMKIN, RUDEBWOY FACE, and TAKE-M. It reportedly explores the core themes of strength and the constant drive for confrontation central to the series. Fans can expect the song to arrive on streaming platforms starting February 4.

This celebration follows the initial announcement made at New York Comic Con in October 2025, where a teaser visual and logo confirmed multiple anniversary projects were in development. A recent press release indicates that more reveals are scheduled throughout 2026.

The Baki story originally launched in 1991 as Grappler Baki in Weekly Shonen Champion. The franchise, which includes six major arcs and various spin-offs like the current Baki Rahen (started in 2023), surpassed 100 million copies in circulation by 2024.

The series has seen numerous anime adaptations, ranging from the 1994 OVA and the 2001 TV series to the recent Netflix entries, including Baki, Baki Hanma, and the Kengan Ashura crossover. Looking ahead, the next major anime installment, Baki-Dou: The Invincible Samurai, is set to premiere globally on Netflix on February 26. TMS Entertainment is handling the animation production for the new series. English readers can find physical volumes of Baki the Grappler published by Kodama Tales.