If you owned a Sega Genesis in the early nineties, you probably remember the box art. It was terrifying. A gaunt, blue-skinned warrior with a wide-brimmed hat, dual-wielding swords, looking like he just crawled out of a grave. That was Chakan: The Forever Man. While other kids were busy guiding a bright blue hedgehog through colorful loops, some of us were staring at a game that felt like it was designed to actually hurt us.
The premise is basically the coolest thing ever written for a 16-bit manual. Chakan was a warrior so arrogant that he claimed even Death couldn't beat him. Most people say that to look tough; Chakan said it because he meant it. Death showed up, they fought for days, and Chakan actually won.
But Death is a sore loser.
✨ Don't miss: Where to Find Every Living Memory Aether Current Without Losing Your Mind
Instead of just dying or shaking hands, Death gave Chakan exactly what he asked for: eternal life. The catch? He’s cursed to live until every supernatural evil in existence is destroyed. He can't sleep. He can't rest. He just hunts. Honestly, it’s like the ultimate "be careful what you wish for" story, and it gave the game a vibe that was way darker than anything else on the shelf at the time.
Why Chakan: The Forever Man Is Actually Legendarily Hard
People talk about Dark Souls being the pinnacle of "tough but fair," but Chakan was just tough. Often, it wasn't even fair. You’ve got infinite lives, sure, but that’s a trap. When you "die," you don't just restart at a checkpoint; you get kicked back to the central hub. All that progress? Gone.
The game is split into elemental planes—Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. You can tackle them in any order, which sounds nice and modern, but it’s really just giving you four different ways to suffer. The platforming is notorious for "blind jumps" where you just have to pray there's a ledge below you.
The Alchemy System Was Way Ahead of Its Time
One of the deepest parts of Chakan: The Forever Man is the potion system. You collect different colored flasks and combine them to create spells. It’s not just "press A to magic." You have to actually remember combinations.
💡 You might also like: DOOM The Dark Ages: Why This Prequel is Exactly What the Series Needed
- Double jump? There’s a potion for that.
- Fire swords? Potion.
- Seeing invisible platforms? Potion.
If you ran out of the right potions in a late-game stage like the Elemental Plane of Fire, you were basically done. You’d have to head back to an easier level just to farm more materials. It was a loop that felt more like a modern survival game than a 1992 platformer.
The Man Behind the Hat: Robert A. Kraus
The game wasn't just some random idea cooked up in a Sega boardroom. It was based on an indie comic by Robert A. Kraus. Ed Annunziata, the guy who gave us Ecco the Dolphin, saw Kraus at a comic convention and was floored by the character design.
Kraus’s original vision for Chakan was even more sprawling. In the comics, Chakan travels through different dimensions and time periods. The game captures that "cosmic wanderer" feel, but it barely scratches the surface of the lore Kraus built. He’s still active today, by the way, still drawing and writing about his undying warrior. It's rare for an indie comic character to get a massive Sega-published game, but Chakan was just that striking.
The Ending That Traumatized Everyone
Most games from that era end with a "Congratulations!" or a screen showing the hero finally resting. Not this one.
If you actually manage to beat all the bosses—including the "Elemental Planes of Evil" which are just harder versions of the first levels—you meet Death again. You’d think the curse would be over. Instead, the screen shows a timer. It’s a 30-minute countdown. There is no boss. There is no level.
You just sit there.
Eventually, the timer hits zero, and the game tells you that there is still more evil to hunt. The cycle continues. It’s one of the most nihilistic endings in gaming history. You didn’t win; you just earned the right to keep fighting forever.
Why It Still Matters in 2026
We’re seeing a massive resurgence in "retro-tough" games, and Chakan: The Forever Man is the grandfather of that movement. It didn't care if you liked it. It didn't care if you finished it. It was an atmosphere-first experience that valued mood over "fun" in the traditional sense.
The Game Gear version is also worth mentioning. It's surprisingly good for an 8-bit port, though it's even more cramped. But the Genesis version is the definitive way to experience it. The screeching sound Chakan makes when he gets hit is something that stays with you.
How to Actually Play It Today
If you’re looking to dive back in, don't go in blind. You’ll get frustrated in ten minutes.
- Learn the double jump spin. It’s your only real defense against the swarms of enemies.
- Farm the Earth levels. They are generally the most forgiving for gathering potions.
- Use a guide for alchemy. Nobody has time to memorize those combinations through trial and error anymore.
- Don't rush. The timer is tight, but panic leads to falling into pits.
Chakan: The Forever Man remains a fascinating piece of Sega history. It’s a game that refused to compromise on its dark, gritty identity, even when it meant being one of the most polarizing titles on the system. It’s not "fun" in the way Mario is fun, but it’s an experience that you’ll never forget.
To truly master the game, focus on the Alchemy of Air combinations first, as the extra jump height is the only way to navigate the "blind" jumps in the later Water and Fire stages. Once you have a steady supply of mobility spells, the combat becomes a secondary concern. Reach out to the original creator Robert A. Kraus via his official RAK Graphics site if you want to see the modern continuation of the story that started on your 16-bit console.