Vampire Hunter D of the 1985 anime movie of the same name makes a cameo appearance as a villager in the scene where Raoh's second-in-command, Uighur, reveals the pot of flowers to the people. Toyoo Ashida, the director of the film, directed Vampire Hunter D one year prior to directing the anime Hokuto No Ken movie.
Real anatomy was studied to depict the gory explosions of the villains.
Ryûken's speech regarding the nature of life and death, which opens the English dub, is quoted verbatim by Jeru the Damaja on the intro to his classic album The Sun Rises in the East.
Hokuto no Ken was released in Japan on VHS in 1988, two years after its theatrical release. The late release was due to the decision to animate a new ending.
Unlike the TV series, the movie is not a direct adaptation of the manga, but instead tells an alternate story that rearranges characters and plot elements from the manga's first 72 chapters