Top 20 Greatest Samurai Movies

Based on the popular manga series, “Lone Wolf and Cub,” the wandering samurai Ogami Ittō returns to the big screen for the fifth time, alongside his young son, Daigoro. In this installment, Ogami is hired by a clan to prevent their lord from choosing his illegitimate daughter over his son as a successor. However, before they can hire him, Ogami must first defeat the clan’s five deadly assassins, each holding part of his payment and crucial information for the mission. With a dramatic soundtrack, over-the-top scenarios and exaggerated kill scenes, this film ups the ante from its already stellar predecessor “Baby Cart in Peril” (xref). Overall, it’s a grindhouse-like guilty pleasure that never fails to make the cut.

This 2002 movie tells the poignant story of Iguchi Seibei, a widowed samurai mockingly nicknamed Tasogare by his colleagues. Tasogare, which means “twilight,” was given to him because at dusk, he would leave the other samurai to attend to his children and his mother, who has dementia. As a low-ranking samurai, Seibei knows that others in the clan are better off, but he finds happiness in the well-being of his family rather than material possessions. His life ultimately changes when his childhood friend, Tomoe, resurfaces and ignites feelings he had long buried. Behind the impressive swordplay depicted, “The Twilight Samurai” is celebrated for its candid commentary on Japanese society and its endearing tale of a father’s love for his children.

This 1941 film wasn’t the first cinematic adaptation of Japan’s famous 47 ronin, nor would it be the last. It is, however, one of the longest, spanning two parts with a total runtime of nearly four hours. “The 47 Ronin” eschews the stylishness of more contemporary adaptations, such as “The Fall of Ako Castle” from 1978. Instead, it presents a serious-minded study about the repercussions of rash actions, loyalty and duty during feudal-era Japan. This is heavy and high drama, with acting that’s largely somber and understated. That said, “The 47 Ronin” is also a well-shot and pioneering example of this classic samurai drama set within the context of the visual arts.

The life of a samurai is one of submission to their lord. But when Isaburo’s lord goes too far, the samurai rebels! The trouble begins when the lord forces Isaburo’s son to marry his former concubine, Ichi. Despite an initial hesitation, the couple eventually fall in love and bear a daughter. However, Ichi already had a son with the lord, who now becomes next in line for succession after a death in the lord’s family. When she refuses to return to the lord, Isaburo must take up the sword against his master’s will. Demonstrating Japan’s unjust feudal practices on ordinary individuals, “Samurai Rebellion” is a rallying cry against the country’s hierarchical society as well as an award-winning samurai flick.

Based on the popular novel of Japanese writer Eiji Yoshikawa, this film trilogy tells the tales of real-life master swordsman and ronin, Musashi Miyoamoto. How can we best explain its cinematic treatment? Imagine Rocky Balboa meets Gone with the Wind. Audiences journey through this adaptation into Musashi’s life and his many trials and duels against several adversaries. The “Samurai Trilogy” is a classic demonstration of traditional, deep, nostalgic and romantic samurai cinema. It largely forgoes the gore that would later become associated with samurai films. Nonetheless, its impact in the genre and Japanese cinema as a whole cannot be overemphasized, as the first installment won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Akira Kurosawa is unequivocally one of cinema’s finest filmmakers, with many of his efforts seeing the remake treatment. “Rashomon” is one of those films, with many adaptations from Italy to the United States utilizing the film’s plot device of numerous and unreliable narrators. It’s the murder of a samurai that serves as the mystery here, detailed by a woodcutter, the bandit, the samurai’s wife and the victim himself who speaks beyond the grave via a psychic. Most of the retellings are flawed, and possess its own aims against the truth. Only the woodcutter’s story feels objective, yet “Rashomon” makes it a point to challenge the veracity of all perspectives.

It’s through no accident that the cinema of Akira Kurosawa is highlighted continuously throughout this list. There’s simply so much of the man’s work that’s intrinsically linked to the samurai genre. “Kagemusha” proved that this master had not lost his touch at the onset of a new decade, as Kurosawa melds both history and fiction. The film incorporates the real-life Battle of Nagashino from 1575 within its narrative of a “shadow warrior” who infiltrates a shogunate. “Kagemusha” was successful with both critics and audiences, too, presenting a stylish and compelling samurai narrative during the post-blockbuster era of filmmaking.

Samurai may not exist at the crux of 1958’s “The Hidden Fortress,” but it’s the era and tone of this film that would eventually go on to inspire a young George Lucas. Yes, much has been written about the plot similarities and technical flourishes shared between “The Hidden Fortress” and “Star Wars,” but this honestly takes nothing away from either film. Akira Kurosawa balances action, energy and humor here with his tale of two humble peasants who escort a pair of strangers across enemy lines, only to realize they may not be exactly what they claim. The frequent dissolving wipes might feel familiar, sure, but “The Hidden Fortress” more than stands on its own two feet as a classic.

Set in 19th century Japan, this film sees the Tokugawa government’s isolationist policy coming to an end when American battleships sail into port. This arrival sparks chaos, causing the samurai factions to splinter, as well as raising questions about Japan’s future. To prove his worth as a samurai and learn his true lineage, Niiro Tsurichiyo is tasked with assassinating the official who’s causing all the turmoil. “Samurai Assassin” is a pessimistic, suspense-filled thriller with overtones of fatalism, that features legendary past Kurosawa cast members. Today, it is celebrated as a gripping Japanese drama that intricately weaves historical events into its narrative.

In Edo-period Japan, a government official secretly hires 13 samurai for an ill-fated mission to assassinate Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira. Naritsugu’s unchecked lust and madness have already wreaked havoc across the country, and pose an even greater threat with the prospect of him rising to the Shogunate Council. Loosely based on historic events, “13 Assassins” may be the debut samurai epic for the notorious shock director, Takashi Miike, but it also features his signature gore and sadistic tropes. The film turns the genre on its head by ingeniously portraying the noble samurai obsession with violence and death as just another fetish.

In Akira Kurosawa’s reimagining of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” General Taketoki Washizu is told by a witch in an enchanted forest of his imminent rise to power. The prophecy comes true, and, spurred on by his conniving wife, Lady Washizu, he heads down a bloodied path of treachery, madness and murder. “Throne of Blood” earned praise from film and literary critics for putting an original twist on the classic play, while still remaining true to many of the themes highlighted by Shakespeare. Bleak, shadowy and unsettling, the samurai drama sees Kurosawa expertly tackle the deeply complex topics of insanity, paranoia and hubris.

A quote attributed to “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin states that “ a sword is only as good as the man who wields it.” The protagonist of 1966’s “The Sword of Doom,” Ryunosuke Tsukue, is not a good man. This samurai takes the lives of many throughout the film and rarely stops to think of any moral implications behind his actions. It’s only towards the end that Tsukue’s confidence in his enviable swordsmanship is shaken, and he becomes haunted by the ghosts of his victims. This morality tale is deceptively simple, yet “The Sword of Doom” weaves its plot threads so skillfully, you’ll be engrossed from start to finish.

Akira Kurosawa’s 1962 film “Sanjuro” is sometimes overshadowed by its predecessor, “Yojimbo,” from the year before. That said, fans should not miss out on this one, either, as it introduces some new elements. The script here incorporates more humor and satire than “Yojimbo,” while simultaneously retaining this image of a ronin samurai with wanderlust. The city fortress setting also lends “Sanjuro” a more chaotic and claustrophobic atmosphere. This feeling as if anything can happen at any time allows “Sanjuro” to escape its predecessor’s “samurai western” archetype and stand on its own two creative feet.

Whoever said that movie universe crossovers were only a modern adventure? We could’ve easily populated this list solely with outings starring the famed blind swordsman, Zatoichi. “The Tale of Zatoichi” made our short list for inclusion, but we ultimately decided to go with this epic showdown between our favorite samurai masseur and Jimmy Wang Yu as the infamous One-Armed Swordsman. The action here is very much indicative of the latter franchise’s penchant for extravagant swordplay and visceral violence. Then again, the Zatoichi franchise historically possessed its own connections with these tropes, making this match-up an ultimate weekend matinee of unapologetic action.

We’ve already highlighted one “Lone Wolf and Cub” film on this list. However, if you’re new to the samurai genre, or just want a taste of what this awesome franchise has in store, then 1980’s “Shogun Assassin” is for you. This composite feature combined footage from the first two “Lone Wolf and Cub” flicks, alongside a roarin’ synthesizer score from W. Michael Lewis and former Paul Revere & The Raiders singer Mark Lindsay. The English dub for “Shogun Assassin” was also notably sampled by the GZA for his landmark solo album, “Liquid Swords.” If all of that doesn’t sell you, then the unrelenting pace and high-octane action here should do the trick.

It’s sort of poetic that Akira Kurosawa, who was himself so often imitated, looked to another master for inspiration on 1985’s “Ran.” The film adapts William Shakespeare’s famous story of “King Lear,” together with the historical influence of a real-life feudal lord of Japan named Mōri Motonari. “Ran” served as the third time Kurosawa had followed the bard’s lead, with both “Hamlet” and “Macbeth” serving as influences for “The Bad Sleep Well” and “Throne of Blood,” respectively. That said, “Ran” remains Kurosawa’s baby, a resplendent epic that makes the most out of its co-production budget. Lavish costumes? Check. Captivating performances? Double check. “Ran” is an epic-scaled film that pulls out all the stops.

The 1970s were a golden era for Asian cinema, from kung-fu and wuxia epics to samurai films all being exported to audiences all over the world. Quentin Tarantino was certainly paying attention during his youth, since he’s made no bones about how influential films such as the “Lady Snowblood” franchise were to his cinematic diet. It’s easy to see how Meiko Kaji’s performances in both the original “Lady Snowblood” and its 1974 sequel would go on to inspire Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” universe. Beyond this, however, “Lady Snowblood” is a visually arresting example of magnetic movie-making, as it adapts its source material from a Japanese manga. Kaji’s samurai swordplay and mournful, captivating visage serves as the perfect white canvas juxtaposed against a river of visceral bloodshed.

When aging ronin Tsugumo requests the right to perform his own ritual disembowelment, known as seppuku, from the feudal lord, Saito, his request is refused. The lord’s reasoning for this is the story of Chijiwa Motome, another ronin who Saito believed tried to defraud his clan of customary monetary dispensation by faking the bloody act. Tsugumo counters with his life story and reveals how Saito mistook the tragedy behind both his and Motome’s tales. An anti-war masterpiece, “Harakiri” rips apart the over-glorification of the bushido honor code, and exposes its hypocrisy, senseless murders, and its exploitation of the human condition.

This is probably Toshiro Mifune’s greatest achievement when it comes to samurai flicks. When a drifting ronin shows up in a town that’s torn apart by warring gangs, he’s hired by the townspeople to be its bodyguard, that is, the titular yojimbo. He craftily pits the two gangs against each other until they’re drawn into a high noon showdown that aims to, once and for all, free the townsfolk from the gangsters’ terrible reign. As mentioned earlier, the film inspired a sequel the following year titled “Sanjuro.” It also served as the basis for Sergio Leone’s “A Fistful of Dollars,” making it truly one of director Akira Kurosawa’s milestone samurai films.

When seven penniless ronins are hired to defend a poor village from marauding bandits, ronins and villagers must put aside their prejudices to face a common threat. Stripping away the glory and honor for which the samurai genre is usually known, this Kurosawa adventure flick features battle scenes that are often inglorious and stark. It also focuses on how these ronins, villagers and bandits found themselves living lives plagued by poverty, violence and scavenging. Inspiring countless major motion pictures like “The Magnificent Seven” with its narrative and technical innovations, there’s no question that “Seven Samurai” is a timeless masterpiece.