A strong and mostly stoic character, Kenshirō is compelled to punish evil-doers and can perform feats not possible for most people. His mastery of the ancient martial art Hokuto Shinken allows him to kill or cripple with a mere touch. The results tend to be very messy -it usually causes parts of the victim to explode- but the art also includes several other means of killing. He can also use this art to heal or to alter people's behavior. Later in the series Kenshirō learns parts of other martial arts.

When angry his spiritual powers reach their peak, normally culminating in the dramatic destruction of his shirt and jacket (which, despite the obvious lack of a wardrobe or clothing store, are always replaced in the next episode or story arc) to expose his muscular torso.

His catchphrase is Omae wa mō shindeiru (おまえはもう死んでいる), meaning "You are already dead", which he usually says before a villain's head is about to explode.

Due to the symbolic scar in the pattern of the Big Dipper given to him by Shin, Kenshirō is frequently referred to as "the man with seven scars" by those who do not know his name.