The best samurai movies From Rashomon to the Blade of torment

From a blind man who wields a sword to achieve justice to a masterless soldier who demands his lost honor from corrupt rulers. In this article, we will go to the works that have divided the history of popular culture and seventh art into before and after. This is you, the best samurai movie in cinema history.

Cinema and samurai culture are like two wings of one bird. It was from cinema that almost all of us got acquainted with the samurai class. Through the masterpieces of Kurosawa and Kobayashi, extraordinarily influential and powerful currents were formed in the history of cinema and sent the seventh art forward. We can never hide the influence of samurai cinema on popular culture.

Let’s continue our discussion with this question. When you hear the word samurai, what image forms in your mind? Most of you have probably thought of a warlike warrior who constantly lives on the battlefield and has nothing but fighting in his mind. Although this image is not actual at all, it is a case that emerged from the heart of samurai cinema and reached popular culture. Let’s get to know the samurai class a little more.

In the Japanese language, the word samurai (侍) is derived from the word Saburafu/さぶらふ, and it means servant/companion. The samurai appeared in the history of Japan from the end of the Heian/平安 era (794 to 1185) and for more than seven centuries (the Heian, Kamakura, Sengoku, Edo and even Meiji historical periods), the historical/scientific/cultural currents of Japan influenced A samurai is introduced as a “servant” in Japan’s feudal society.

This service, however, was not always limited to the battlefields, Contrary to what we generally see in movies, video games, anime, manga, and mainstream popular culture products. Because of warlike services, there was another class called Bushi/武士 in Japanese society whose life flow was summed up in the battlefields. In addition to bold services, a samurai was engaged in activities such as teaching, writing, farming, and more because samurai were considered one of the few literate classes in Japan. The question is, have all the samurai movies presented a relatively inaccurate image of this category?

To answer this question, it was to answer such a question that I went to write such an article. Samurai cinema, as one of the most influential currents in cinema history, is divided into two categories. Fencing sub-genre films introduced in Japan as Chanbara/チャンドラ and period-oriented dramas known as Jidageki/時代劇. Swordsmanship films are works centered on martial arts, which are much more popular. Jidaigeki’s works are precious films that “study” the intellectual/cultural/war developments in a period of Japan behind the action scenes. Now that we are familiar with our topic’s historical, cultural, and cinematic contexts, let’s review the best samurai films in cinema history.

The best samurai movies

30- The movie When the Last Sword Comes Out of Niam

movie When the Last Sword Is Drawn

• Director:  Yujiro Taketa
• Author: Jiro Asada – Takehiro Nakajima
• Genre: Drama/Historical
• Cast:  Keiichi Nakai – Koichi Sato – Yui Natsu Sakawa
• Average rating of When the Last Sword Is Drawn   on IMDB:  7.4 out of 10

To what extent can a samurai break his moral principles to help his family?

The movie “When the Last Sword Comes Out of Niam,” which is also known as Mibu Gishi den, tells the story of a samurai named Kanichiro Yoshimura, A family-friendly man who, seeking to reduce the amount of his salary from the family in which he works, can no longer support his wife and child. This is where the hero of the story, the Song, travels and, by stepping on a path that challenges his physical, mental, and honor, arranges a spectacular adventure for us; in the heart of its actions, the moral principles and ideals of the samurai order are revealed.

29- Strange Sword movie

Sword of the Stranger movie

• Director:  Masahiro Ando
• Author: Fumihiko Takayama
• Genre: action-adventure
• Cast:  Keiichi Nakai – Koichi Sato – Yui Natsu Sakawa
• The average rating of Sword of the Stranger   on IMDB is 7.8 out of 10

Taking on the task of protecting a lonely child leads the stranger swordsman to a turbulent adventure.

The story of Sword of the Stranger animation is about a child and a dog trying to reach a Buddhist temple. The “Ming” government wants them, and while escaping from the agents of this government, they feel the heat of death’s breath on the back of their necks. Here, the child and the dog in question encounter a strange sword that quickly bonds with them. The stranger accompanies and protects the child and the dog on the way to the Buddha temple. Unaware of such a decision, he sends R14 on a breathtaking adventure.

28- Love and Honor movie

Love and Honor movie

• Director:  Yuji Yamada
• Author:  Shuhei Fujisawa – Yuji Yamada – Emiko Hiramatsu
• Genre: Drama – Adventure
• Actors:  Takuya Kimura – Rei Dan – Mitsuguro Bando
• Average rating of Love and Honor   on IMDB:  7.7 out of 10

How can a woman’s love protect the honor of a samurai?

The movie “Love and Honor” is a work whose story takes place in the Edo period of Japan’s ancient history. It is a period of the ancient history of Japan that was associated with the 200-year isolation of this land and a significant decrease in the warlike activity of the samurai group. This is where Love and Honor manage to do something that many samurai movies still need to do: show the samurai in action outside the battlefield. 

In this movie, we meet a man named Shinnojo. A low-ranking samurai who makes a living by tasting the food served to the feudal lord (Daimyo). Unaware that one day, the very work of Mr. Shinnojo, which is very dull and humiliating to him, will take his sight. It is an incident that portrays a moving story of a husband’s courageous effort to protect the honor of his blind wife. 

27- Hidden Blade movie

The Hidden Blade movie

• Director:  Yuji Yamada
• Author:  Shuhei Fujisawa – Yuji Yamada – Yoshitaka Asama
• Genre: Drama – Adventure – Historical
• Actors:  Masatoshi Nagase – Takako Matsu – Hidetaka Yoshioka
• Average rating of Hidden Blade  on IMDB:  7.7 out of 10

It is a story of events and reforms that made samurai swords slower and slower.

The movie “Hidden Blade” is a work in the drama, history, and adventure genre, which, through its story, examines the conditions of the samurai during the 19th century and the events surrounding the Meiji reforms. In this movie, we join two samurai named Yaichiro and Munezo. People whose lives are affected by the political circumstances of the mentioned era have undergone severe changes, and their approach to life changes. 

By focusing on the conditions of the samurai during the Meiji era, the film managed to look at the history of the samurai from a different angle and portray their political challenges. A work with a score of 77 on the Metacritic website is one of the most successful samurai films. 

26- The movie Three Outlaw Samurai

Three Outlaw Samurai movie

• Director:  Hideo Gosha
• Author:  Kiichi Abe – Hideo Gosha – Ginichi Kishimoto
• Genre: Drama – Action
• Actors:  Tetsuro Tanba – Isamu Nagato – Mikijiro Hira
• Average rating of Three Outlaw Samurai  on IMDB:  7.6 out of 10

The story of confronting poverty and desperation with the corrupt structures of a land

The movie “Three Outlaw Samurai” tells the story of a ronin (masterless Samurai) and two other samurai to protect the peasants of a village. These peasants are trying to reduce the amount of taxes imposed on them by taking the judge’s daughter hostage. A wandering ronin and two other samurai decide to help them achieve their goal during a chance encounter with this group. A topic that leads to exciting events and heated battles.

By creating a confrontation between the serfs and the corrupt structures of the government and placing the samurai group in between, the film makes a situation similar to what we saw in the movie Seven Samurai. While succeeding in telling a coherent and high-quality story, it is one of the best works of cinema. Has become a samurai.

25- Make a movie! 

The movie Kill!

• Director:  Keihachi Okamoto
• Author:  Keihachi Okamoto – Akira Murau – Shiguro Yamamoto
• Genre: Drama – Action – Comedy
• Actors:  Tatsuya Nakadai – Etsushi Takahashi – Yuriko Hoshi
• The average score of Kill! On IMDB, it is 7.4 out of 10

The story of two Ronin’s arrest in jail on charges of murder and treason

The movie “Kill,” also known as Kiru in Japan, is a work that brings elements of the comedy genre to the unique and generally heated atmosphere of samurai cinema.

The story of “Kil” revolves around two ronins; one used to be a samurai, and the other was engaged in farming. When these two Ronin are caught in the context of a series of murder-oriented events, the story of the movie Kill is formed.

24- The movie Age of Samurai

Movie Samurai’s Promise

• Director:  Tinosuke Kinogasa
• Author:  Kan Kikuchi – Tinosuke Kinogasa – Masaichi Nagata
• Genre:  Historical – Action – Romance
• Release year: 2018
• Actors:  Junichi Okada – Hidetoshi Nishijima – Haru Kuroki 
• Samurai’s Promise average rating  on IMDB:  6.6 out of 10

A samurai embarks on a deadly journey to fulfill his vow to his dead wife.

The movie “The Samurai Promise” is one of the works of samurai cinema that, instead of focusing on the combative and warlike aspect of the samurai class, focuses on the human categories and moral philosophies in the Bushido (warrior’s way) culture. This work can be considered one of the high-quality films in the Jidaigeki/時代劇 sub-genre. The subgenre of samurai cinema, known as “period drama,” focuses on telling various stories from the Edo period in ancient Japanese history. 

The film Samurai Covenant tells the story of a man named Uryu Shinbei, who, after exposing the corruption in his family, faces the opposition of high-ranking members and expels him and his wife from their family. Orio’s wife, Shino, dies of a fatal disease, but before she dies, he asks her to return to the land of her ancestors and help Uneme Shikakibara. Orio and Oneme were close friends who became rivals after competing for Shino’s love. Uryu’s attempt to keep his promise to his late wife sets him on a long journey filled with deadly challenges. 

23- Chushingora movie

Chushingura movie

• Director:  Hiroshi Inagaki
• Author:  Toshi Yasumi
• Genre: Drama – Historical
• Cast:  Machiko Kyo – Kazu Hasagawa – Esa Yamagata
• Average rating of Chushingura   on IMDB:  7.1 out of 10

The story of 47 Ronin’s quest for the blood of their young master

The Choshin-Gura movie is an adaptation of the famous story of 47 Ronin. To punish a young lord who walked along the scandal of the corrupt bureaucracy in Japan’s ruling system at the time, he is sentenced to commit suicide. After this incident, 47 of the young lord’s followers decide to travel to Song to avenge the unjust sentence that destroyed their lord. 

The Choshin-Gura movie is undoubtedly one of the best adaptations of the 47 Ronin story. This work is considered one of the prominent films of samurai cinema, both from the point of view of narrative richness and the implementation of technical indicators such as stage design, costume design, and more. 

22- Movie after the rain

The movie After the Rain

• Director:  Takashi Koizumi
• Author:  Akira Kurosawa – Shuguro Yamamoto
• Genre: Drama 
• Actors:  Akira Terao – Yoshiko Miyazaki – Shiro Mifune
• Average rating of After the Rain   on IMDB:  7.7 out of 10

The samurai’s jealousy of the new master creates a story of division and tension.

The story of the film After the Rain takes place during the Genroku (from 1688 to 1703) and Kyocho (from 1716 to 1735) eras in the Edo period. In this story, we join Ihei Misawa and his wife, Tayo Misawa, who are stuck in a residence together with the residents of a village due to heavy rain. A worthy ronin, Eihei Misawa’s benevolent and life-saving actions make things better for his wife and the other people trapped in the asylum. After the end of the rain, the fame of Ihe’s skills reached the Daimyo of that area. Finally, Ihe becomes a swordsman’s instructor for the samurai of the said land.

However, Ehe’s high skills arouse the samurai’s jealousy of his training. The incident gradually leads to a rift among the Daimyo soldiers. 

21- The movie of a boy and his Samurai

The film A Boy and His Samurai

• Director:  Yoshihiro Nakamura
• Author: Yoshihiro Nakamura – Gen Araki
• Genre: Comedy
• Actors:  Ryo Nishikido – Fuku Suzuki – Rye Tomasaka
• Release year: 2010
• Average rating of A Boy and His Samurai   on IMDB:  7.0 out of 10

What if a samurai from the Edo period stepped into the modern age and became a confectioner?

A Boy and His Samurai is a comedy film centered on samurai. It is a film that combines the cultural characteristics of the ancient era (Edo effect) and the contemporary period, creating beautiful moments and situations. The story of the movie revolves around a samurai named Kidzhima Yasube. A man who suddenly travels from the Edo period to 180 years later and finds himself in the contemporary era. 

Kijima, a samurai in contemporary Japan, meets a lonely woman named Toma and her son. In addition to helping the Touma family, Kizima becomes a first-class and famous confectioner alongside them. While the relationship between Kizima and the Toma family deepens daily, the brave man must know that the day of his separation from this family and his return to the Edo period is approaching. The same issue causes streaks of sadness to penetrate the content of the work behind the comedy and lively atmosphere of the film. 

The movie “The Boy and His Samurai” shows the cultural and moral contradictions between ancient Japan and today’s Japan, which is filled with modern Western indicators and is far from classical traditions, social media, environmental pollution, and people being swallowed up in internet and consumerist trends, real scrutiny. It is an admirable thing about Japanese culture that studies the culture of this country far from the glamor that attracts people in the world.

20- Rointon blade film

Blade of the Immortal movie

• Director:  Mike Takashi
• Author: Hiroaki Samura – Tetsuya Oishi
• Genre:  action-drama-fantasy
• Release year: 2017
• Actors:  Takuya Kimura – Hana Sugaisaki – Sota Fukoshi
• The average rating of Blade of the Immortal   on IMDB is 6.7 out of 10

An immortal samurai, a devastating sword, and a sea of ​​doomed mercenaries on the path of bloody revenge.

Blade of Immortal, Takashi Miike’s 100th film, tells a fantasy story about a dark-skinned samurai. The said work is an adaptation of a manga by Hiroaki Samura (one of the film’s writers).

He is an anonymous and old-fashioned samurai, but one day, he encounters a girl who wants to take revenge on her father’s killers; the girl asks the Samurai for a story to help her on this path, and here is a bloody and spectacular story of the journey of an old-fashioned man Takes. With its action scenes, unique fantasy atmosphere, outstanding performances, and first-class direction, the film scored 72 on the Metacritic website. It replaced one of the best films in the history of samurai cinema. 

19- The movie Ghostdog: The Way of the Samurai

movie Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

• Director:  Jim Jarmusch
• Author: Jim Jarmusch
• Genre:  Drama – Crime
• Release year: 2000
• Actors:  Forest Whittaker – Henry Silva – John Tormey
• Average rating of Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai   on IMDB:  7.5 out of 10

An African-American mercenary protects the head of a mafia family by relying on samurai morals.

Ghostdog: The Way of the Samurai is one of those films that abandons the usual glamor of samurai films and studies the concept of “samurai.” This film does not mention winning katanas, feudal lands, magnificent cloaks, and such things. In Ghostdog, we are dealing with a man whose loyalty to his master and reliance on the principles of the samurai order, or Bushido, is his driving force to carry out the charges sent to him.

The movie Ghostdog is a new and very admirable look at the issue of samurai and the Bushido method. Of course, this movie was released in 2000, and from that time until today, the place of such an attitude in creating samurai-oriented popular culture content is empty. 

18- Zatoichi movie: The blind swordsman

The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi movie

• Director:  Takeshi Kitano
• Author: Takeshi Kitano – Ken Shimozawa
• Genre:  action-drama-crime-thriller-comedy
• Release year: 2003
• Actors:  Takeshi Kitano – Tadanobu Asano – Yui Natsukawa
• Average rating of The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi   on IMDB:  7.5 out of 10

The blind swordsman administers justice.

The movie “Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman” is one of the adaptations based on “Zatoichi,” one of the most popular stories in Japanese popular culture. The film’s story is about Zatoichi’s protection of the villagers caught in the yakuza’s extortion and bullying. In the meantime, Zatoichi encounters two geisha who seek revenge on the murderers of their family. By accepting the request of these two people and taking on the task of defending the village, the story’s hero begins a classic adventure of oriental martial arts movies. 

To date, about 26 different films have been made based on Zatoichi. In addition to the films that have continued this character’s story, Zatoichi’s series of movies can be considered one of the most inspiring and significant works of martial arts cinema, whose influence can be seen in the mainstream films of world cinema. For example, in the movie John Wick 4, Kane’s character directly imitates Zatoichi’s character. 

17- Kenshin’s Rurouni Movie: The Beginning

Movie Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning

• Director: Keishi Otomo
• Author: Nobuhiro Watasuki – Keishi Otomo
• Genre:  action-drama-historical-adventure
• Release year: 2021
• Actors: Takero Sato – Kasumi Arimura – Yusuke Eguchi
• Average rating of Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning   on IMDB:  7.5 out of 10

An introduction to the heroism and bravery of a legendary samurai

Kenshin’s mobile movie The Beginning is a prequel to Kenshin’s mobile movie series. A series of films were considered to be ultimately successful adaptations of “Rurouni Kenshin” manga and anime. They brought these stories’ story and technical components to the silver screen in the best possible way.

The film tells the story of a samurai named Kenshin Himura, A deadly swordsman who has killed hundreds of thieves, bandits, and samurai with his sword. Kenshin’s love for a young girl named Tomoe Yukishiro leads him away from the way of fighting. This is where the lieutenants of the Shogun decide to chase Kenshin and destroy him. A case that leads to the formation of a beautiful, spectacular, and memorable story. 

16- Shogun killer movie

Shogun Assassin movie

• Director: Akira Kurosawa
• Author:  Masato Ide – Akira Kurosawa
• Genre:  Action – Drama – Historical 
• Release year: 1980
• Actors:  Tomisaburo Wakayama – Kayo Matsu – Minuro Oki
• Average rating of Shogun Assassin   on IMDB:  7.3 out of 10

Expelled from the court due to the conspiracy and corruption of the ruler, the wandering warrior and his newborn child fight for justice.

The movie “Shogun Assassin” is another successful work in the Jidaigeki/時代劇 sub-genre. A job that is one of the most important sources of inspiration for the popular and successful Mandalorian series. This film combines the sequences and moments in the movie Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance and Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx by American director Robert Huston.

Lone Wolf and Cub is an adaptation of a popular manga of the same name and shined on the silver screen in a series of 6 films. In the movie Shogun Assassin, we join Ogami Itto/Ogami Itto. The ruler’s executioner, or Shogun, carries out the ruler’s orders centered on punishing and killing people. Shogun’s fear and anxiety about losing the government forces him to make strange decisions. Finally, he orders a handful of ninjas to attack Ito’s house and massacre him and his family. During this sudden attack, Ito’s wife is killed, and the samurai of our story saves his three-year-old son and escapes. 

It has now become a wandering samurai. A man who, to make money, is forced to provide his warlike powers to all kinds of employers. Behind Ito’s quest for capital, he has only one goal: revenge against the Shogun and his corrupt courtiers. So Ito and his young son start a fascinating and spectacular journey.

15- The movie 13 Assassins

13 Assassins movie 

• Director:  Takashi Miike 
• Author: Kaneo Ikegami – Shuiichiru Ikemiya – Daisuke Tengan
• Genre:  action-adventure-historical
• Release year:  2010
• Actors:  Koji Yakusho – Takayuki Yamada – Yose Iseya
• Average rating of 13 Assassins    on IMDB:  7.5 out of 10

13 men embark on an unequal war to protect the peace that reigned in Edo-era Japan

The movie 13 Assassins is one of Takashi’s acclaimed creations. A very successful and spectacular work of the Jidaigeki sub-genre in the branch of samurai cinema, in which a bloody and epic story is narrated. The story of the film is about a group of 13 samurais who, following the destructive actions of Lord Naritsugu and to prevent the end of the reigning peace of the Edo era, embarked on an unequal war and faced a group of 200 enemy soldiers. 

The film presents a familiar structure of Takashi’s bloody and high-speed actions, which, in addition to being successful in providing first-class technical indicators, is also excellent from a historical perspective and combines the story with Japanese mythological elements. A work that, with scores of 7.5 and 84 on the IMDB and Metacritic websites, is undoubtedly one of the best works in the history of samurai cinema. 

14- Lady Snowblood movie

Lady Snowblood movie

• Director: Toshiha Fujita
• Author: Kazuo Kamimura – Kazuo Koike – Norio Osada
• Genre:  action-thriller-drama-crime
• Release year:  1974
• Actors:  Meiko Kaji – Toshie Kurosawa – Masaki Daimon
• Average rating of Lady Snowblood   on IMDB:  7.6 out of 10

 Yuki only came to this world to kill the murderers of his family.

Regarding the Lady Snowblood movie, it might be better to know that if it weren’t for this movie, we probably never would have had the chance to watch the two Kill Bill movies. Toshiha Fujita’s acclaimed and highly influential creation tells the story of a girl named Yuki (Yuki means snow in Japanese) who sets out into the world only to avenge her family’s murderers.

Before coming to find Yuki, almost all of his family members are killed by a criminal group. His mother is tortured in prison, but in the end, she gives birth to a girl in this hell on earth. Of course, during the childbirth of the girl, the mother also dies, so the murderers of the Yuki family consider themselves worthy of the snow lady’s revenge. 

Without touching the mother’s seal and receiving love from the family, Yuki grows up with the sole purpose of revenge and arranges a spectacular story for us. Fujita has shaped the structure of the movie “Lady Snowblood” with the influence of the manga Shura-Yuki-hime/Shurayukihime. By focusing on and playing negative characters along with Masaki Tamura’s spectacular cinematography, the film easily separates itself from other Chinese/Japanese martial arts films of the time. It becomes Tarantino’s most significant source of theft/inspiration for the creation of Kill Bill. Of course, Tarantino has often stated that stealing elements from other films is something he has no qualms about doing. 

13- Kagemusha movie

Kagemusha movie

• Director:  Akira Kurosawa
• Author:  Masato Ite – Akira Kurosawa
• Genre:  Drama – Historical – War
• Release year: 1980
• Actors:  Tatsuya Nakadai – Tsutomu Yamazaki – Kenichi Hagiwara 
• Average rating of Kagemusha   on IMDB:  7.5 out of 10

The story of a petty thief who gets the chance to become the most influential person in Japan!

From this part of the list to the end, each film we reach is considered a significant page in the history book of samurai cinema.

Kagemusha is one of the other masterpieces of the great Akira Kurosawa, in which we are accompanied by a petty thief who has a strange and surprising resemblance between his face and one of the greatest warlords in Japan. The death of this general puts the hero of the story in a particular situation. While he has put himself in the place of the slain available and gained his powers, now he is struggling with the country’s harsh conditions and, of course, the wandering spirit of that brave deceased!

Kagemusha movie, like other Kurosawa creations, brings the leading indicators of this director’s cinema, such as fantastic age balances, excellent set design and costumes, and perfect story and performances. It will nail the audience to their seats. A work limited by Toho Studios and with the help of Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, a significant part of its production was funded by 20th Century Fox—a creature whose scores of 7.5 and 84 on IMDB and Metacritic websites show its quality level. 

12- Hidden Fortress movie

The Hidden Fortress movie

• Director:  Akira Kurosawa 
• Author: Ryuzo Kikoshima – Hideo Eguni – Shinobu Hashimoto
• Genre:  Drama – Action – Adventure
• Release year: 1960
• Cast:  Toshiro Mifune – Misa Uehara – Minoru Chiaki
• The average score of The Hidden Fortress   on IMDB is 8.1 out of 10

Two serfs decide to escape a warlord and a prince from a dangerous fortress to acquire wealth.

The Secret Fortress is one of Kurosawa’s most famous creations. It is a film that, according to George Lucas, is one of the most important works of inspiration for creating the narrative skeleton of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Two peasants named Tahei and Matashichi make a living by looting corpses left over from inter-tribal wars. One day, these two people find out that the warlord and prince of one of the tribes have been imprisoned in a strong fortress. This is where Taheyi and Matashichi start a dangerous adventure to save the prince and his general in pursuit of wealth and status. 

The movie “Hidden Fortress” is essential from other technical angles, in addition to its significant effects on works such as those in the Star Wars series. Things like unique humor that we haven’t seen in different pieces of the great Kurosawa are among the critical points of this movie. In addition, the great director in the film “Hidden Fortress” reminds his audience of his ability to design remarkable frames and proportions, perfect acting, and fantastic storytelling. This work received 41,000 votes from the audience and a score of 8.1 on the IMDB website and 89 on the Metacritic website. 

11- The movie Sarir Khoon

The movie Throne of Blood

• Director:  Akira Kurosawa 
• Author:  Hideo Eguni – Shinobu Hashimoto – Ryuzo Kikoshima
• Genre:  Drama
• Release year: 1961
• Actors:  Toshiro Meifune – Minoru Chiaki – Isuzu Yamada 
• Average rating of Throne of Blood   on IMDB:  8.1 out of 10

A year after the release of The Secret Fortress, Kurosawa refreshed moviegoers with another masterpiece. Sirir Khon is the story of a warlord who, following his wife’s ambitions and provocations to get the throne, throws himself into the water and fire.

Head of Blood is a masterful adaptation of the story of Macbeth, and some consider it the most influential adaptation. Despite Toshiro Meifune’s strong acting, Isuzu Yamadacaptures every moment of the film. Adorned with makeup drawn from the heart of a traditional Noh ceremony, Isuzu moves like a silent hunter along the Mifune without even blinking, capturing a moving performance of Lady Macbeth on silver screens. 

Introducing a significant prophecy at the film’s beginning and placing the viewer in the omniscient position has turned the work above into a lasting tragedy. It was a movie that got an average score of 8.1 from the votes of 55 thousand viewers and became immortal in the history of cinema. 

10- Twilight Samurai movie

The Twilight Samurai movie

• Director:  Yuji Yamada
• Author:  Shuhei Fujisawa – Yuji Yamada – Yoshitaka Asama
• Genre:  Drama – Romance
• Release year: 2002
• Actors:  Hiroyuki Sanada – Rye Miyazawa – Nanji Kobayashi
• The average rating of The Twilight Samurai   on IMDB is 8.1 out of 10

A loyal samurai, mastered by his young daughters and old mother, is again called to the battlefield.

The film “Twilight Samurai” is one of those precious films of samurai cinema that showed the life of this class of Japanese feudal society outside the battlefields. Such an issue automatically makes the Twilight Samurai movie portray a more accurate and valuable representation of the samurai group than the general movies of this genre. 

In this movie, we join Seibei Iguchi. He is a low-ranking samurai who takes care of his old mother and daughters off the battlefield as bureaucrats. Since the death of his wife, Sebay has become the beating heart of his family. The entry of Seibei’s old love into his life and the call of duty of the samurai class that calls him to the battlefields make the life of the story’s hero more complicated. Especially since Sebay has been away from the battlegrounds for a long time, he has to return to those days.

Presenting a humane narrative away from the usual actions of samurai movies while focusing on aspects outside of the samurai class warring, along with first-class acting, brought Armaghan scores of 81 and 82 on IMDB and Metacritic. 

9- Samurai Rebellion movie

Samurai Rebellion movie

• Director:  Masaki Kobayashi
• Author:  Shinbo Hashimoto – Yasuhiko Takeguchi
• Genre:  Drama
• Release year:  1967
• Actors:  Toshiro Mifune – Yoko Tsukasa – Go Kato
• Average rating of Samurai Rebellion   on IMDB:  8.3 out of 10

The choice between loyalty to his lord or family honor drives a samurai to rebel.

Samurai Rebellion is one of those spectacular works presenting a meandering and engaging narrative. It is a work whose actions may be smooth and many compared to other creatures on this list. Still, its story is so attractive and spectacular that it engages your mind from the beginning. 

The story takes place during the peaceful Tokugawa era, and yes, this movie is another work of the Jidaigeki subgenre. The film narrates the life of Isaburo, the commander of the castle guards of one of the Edo period’s Daimyo until the lord’s wife is forced to marry the son of Esabru. After that, the Daimyo family regrets this and demands the return of this bride. Such an issue pits Isabru’s loyalty to her master and her family’s honor against each other. This problem sprouts a captivating and spectacular narrative from its heart. 

8- The Last Samurai movie

The Last Samurai movie

• Director:  Edward Zwick
• Author:  John Legan – Edward Zwick – Marshall Herskovitz
• Genre:  Drama – Action
• Release year:  2003
• Actors:  Tom Cruise – Ken Watanabe – Hiroyuki Sanada
• Average rating of The Last Samurai   on IMDB:  7.8 out of 10

A foreign mercenary finds his home and homeland among the samurai

What does it mean to be a samurai? Allocating all aspects of human existence to a specific framework, pursuing stillness in mind, And becoming a master in the art of the sword. Knowing life in each breath, in cups of tea, in the lives that are taken, in the militant way, Bushido

These are the questions and issues that go through the mind of the story’s hero, Nathan Algren. A retired officer of the American Civil War who is now sent to Japan to train forces to suppress rebel samurai. Algren, however, finds the meaning of life after being captured by the samurai and living with these relatives. Although The Last Samurai received little attention from critics, it shockingly studied the samurai way in a way that no movie, game, anime, or other popular culture products have managed to do.

This movie is a combination of drama and historical facts. It depicts the critical decision of Emperor Meiji to eliminate the samurai. The Last Samurai is a dramatized retelling of Saigo Takamori and the Satsuma family’s stand against the Meiji Emperor and American forces. Takamori, whose character Katsumoto (the rebel samurai leader in the film) is a dramatized adaptation of him, was one of the samurai leaders who helped Emperor Meiji during his rise to power Because, in the beginning, Emperor Meiji claimed to be on the front of Japanese traditionalists. Still, as soon as he gained control, he changed his position and faced a sharp reaction from the samurai, especially Takamori. 

By introducing the character of Katsumoto, the film makes it clear that The Last Samurai will not be a completely faithful adaptation of the historical event in question. As a result, Katsumoto’s philosophy of not using weapons of war (contrary to the samurai’s fighting methods at that time in history) and other such things that critics questioned are part of the film’s drama and unrealistic as the character’s philosophy. Katsumoto is raised and defensible Because, in the heart of the nature of the drama of this film, they are entirely justified. 

In addition to excellent direction, strong cinematography and framing, amazing actors, and incredible action performances, the film delivers Hans Zimmer’s musical masterpiece to its audience. Hans Zimmer’s music album can be considered a unique definition of Bishido’s style, which immerses the audience in the atmosphere of the work with the language of music. 

7- Yojimbo movie

Yojimbo movie

• Director:  Akira Kurosawa
• Author:  Akira Kurosawa – Ryuzo Kikoshima
• Genre:  Drama – Action – Thriller
• Release year:  1961
• Actors:  Toshiro Mifune – Tatsuya Nakadai – Eijiro Tono 
• Average rating of Yojimbo   on IMDB:  8.2 out of 10

A complex narrative of a clever samurai’s confrontation with two criminal groups to liberate a rural area

Yojimbo is another masterpiece of Akira Kurosawa. This is a work that many of you have heard of, watched, and were probably looking for in this list. The film narrates the story of a clever samurai named Sanjuro who, while passing through a rural area, realizes that the said land has fallen into the hands of two big crime groups. He then plays the mentioned groups against each other to liberate that village. 

Yojimbo may not go to other non-combat angles and study the essence of the samurai way like in films like “Twilight Samurai” and “The Last Samurai.” Still, in the end, it is an extraordinary and outstanding work whose quality and global impact can never be overstated. Concealed. The presence of Toshiro Meifune and Tatsuya Nakadai is one of the most critical points of the film.

This event has brought a strange weight to every sequence of the film. The complex drama narrative with masterful direction and solid acting ultimately made Yojimbo not only one of the symbols of the history of Asian and Japanese cinema but also one of the most important sources of inspiration in mainstream cinema. This work received an average score of 8.2 out of 128,000 votes on the IMDB website and an excellent score of 93 on the Metacritic website.

6- Sanjuro movie

film Sanjuro

• Director:  Akira Kurosawa
• Author: Akira Kurosawa – Ryuzo Kikushima – Hideo Eguni 
• Genre:  Drama – Action – Thriller
• Release year:  1963
• Actors:  Toshiro Meifune – Tatsuya Nakadai – Keiji Kobayashi
• The average rating of Sanjuro   on IMDB is 8.0 out of 10

The story of the confrontation between Sanjuro and a group of young fighters against a corrupt structure

A sequel to the movie Yojimbo, Sanjuro is an adaptation of the Hibi Heian novel, in which Kurosawa made a series of changes in the story structure, such as changing the main character to Sanjuro, turning this adaptation into a sequel to the story of Yojimbo.

In this movie, we will again be accompanied by the clever and single-minded Sanjur. This time, Sanjuro is standing against a specific type of corruption. Along the way, he has united a group of fighters against a corrupt force. 

Sunjur is an extraordinary work. The movie is so unique that a few years after its release, Sergio Leone, inspired by Yojimbo and the same Sunjuro movie, created “For a Fistful of Dollars.” The work that led to the creation of the films “For a Few Dollars More” and “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.” Sanjuro still brings all the hallmarks of Kurosawa’s films to the silver screen. A work with a score of 98 on Metacritic and 8.0 (based on 40,000 votes) on IMDB shows that this film is another inexhaustible creation of the great Kurosawa. 

5- Chaos movie

Ran movie

• Director:  Akira Kurosawa
• Author: Akira Kurosawa – Masato Ite – Hideo Eguni 
• Genre:  Drama – Action – War
• Release year:  1985
• Actors:  Tatsuya Nakadai – Akira Terao – Jinpachi Nezu
• Average rating of Ran   on IMDB:  8.2 out of 10

When the taste of power brings even members of the same family to each other’s lives

It is as if the list of Akira Kurosawa’s masterpieces is endless. Ran is another shocking creation and eternal masterpiece of the great director. The film tells the story of Hidetori Ichimonji—a general who now decides to hand over the reins of government to his three sons. Taro, Jiro, and Saburo are Hidetori’s three children; in the beginning, only two of them, Taro and Jiro, agree with their father. Saburo is exiled for his disobedience and rebellion. After the end of Ichimonji’s reign, things go utterly opposite to what was expected. Now, it is Saburo (whose name translates as Servant/Companion) who can save his father from the war he is caught in.

The film Ran tells a very slow-burning story. It is a story whose progress is slowly progressing, but at the time of its peak, it leaves the audience speechless. Using Kurosawa’s usual and surprising techniques this time, but thanks to the era of black-and-white cinema, this great director’s art is more visible than before.

Ran, with its battle scenes that include all kinds of guns and pistols, swords and spears, can be considered the most magnificent work of the late Kurosawa. It is a film that arranges a middle ground filled with suspense and isolation for its viewers between the beginning and the powerful end. A movie that even the names of its characters are entirely calculated and thought out and has been immortalized in the history of cinema with a score of 97 on Metacritic and 8.2 on IMDB (out of 133,000 votes).

4- Harakiri movie

Harakiri movie

• Director:  Masaki Kobayashi
• Author: Shinobu Hashimoto – Yasuhiko Takeguchi
• Genre:  Drama – Mystery – Action
• Release year:  1964
• Actors:  Tatsuya Nakadai – Akira Ishihima – Shima Iwashita
• The average rating of Harakiri   on IMDB is 8.6 out of 10

A Ronin’s rebellion against the slaves of honor

With the beginning of the Edo period and Japan’s 200-year self-imposed isolation, wars, and other heated activities that required various types of samurai and bushi/武士, they ushered in an age of peace. In this era, the samurai, whose warlike activities generally formed all their skill, art, and profession, are now unemployed. According to the samurai code, they must end their lives with an honorable death (harakiri/腹切り). Those samurai who decided to engage in agriculture, bureaucratic work, teaching, writing, and more survived and distanced themselves from this strange law. 

The story of the Harakiri movie also moves forward with such a theme. Harakiri is an entirely anti-samurai film and criticizes such a theme that forces samurai to commit suicide. Unlike the general samurai films, it is a spectacular masterpiece that does not have so many actions. Still, in the best possible way, it brings under the microscope the generally hidden aspects of samurai culture and tradition. It even criticizes the existing systems in the Edo period. It is a film with a score of 8.6 on the IMDB website (with 65 thousand votes) and an 85 on Metacritic. It is a must-watch for those interested in the history of feudal Japan and samurai culture. 

3- Blade of Doom movie

movie The Sword of Doom

• Director:  Keihachi Okamoto
• Author: Shinobu Hashimoto – Kaizan Nakazato
• Genre:  Action-Drama 
• Release year: 1966
• Actors:  Tatsuya Nakadai – Toshiro Meifune – Michiyo Aratama – Yuzo Kayama
• The average rating of The Sword of Doom   on IMDB is 7.9 out of 10

As much as a samurai can be a brave hero, he can also become a vicious beast.

Sword of the Doom may not be an anti-samurai film, but it shockingly de-epics the samurai.

The film tells the story of an emotionless and animalistic samurai named Tsuko Ryunosuke. A master swordsman for whom killing people is more accessible than breathing.

The story begins with a sword fight. One day before the match, Ryunosuke confronts his rival’s wife. The next day, the game will be held, and the opponent’s wife asks her to defeat her husband in the match in exchange for proposing a sexual bribe to Ryunosuke. Ryunosuke’s competitor divorces his wife before the competition, and knowing about his wife’s relationship with the crazy Samurai of the story, he enters the competition field. While this encounter ends with an equal result, Ryunosuke’s rival, following his anger towards his opponent, attempts an unusual attack. Ryunosuke killed him with a blow of his sword. 

After this incident, Ryunosuke flees the city along with his rival’s dead wife. Two years later, the younger brother of the victim comes after Ryunosuke to seek his brother’s blood so that a complicated and insane narrative of anger and revenge that approaches the borders of insanity is formed.

The movie Sword of the Doom is a very, very important work from several points of view. This film is considered a first-class product from the technical point of view and story/performance structures, but also from the historical/cultural point of view; it is regarded as a very high-quality creation. From the bloody and violent final battle that canceled the sequels to the great Toshiro Meifune’s fight in the snow and the spectacular actions in the misty forest, the visual effects and excellent design of the arguments make the film stand out.

The film with Ryunosuke’s show far from the usual “glorification” that is generally done in various mediums around the samurai class, shows the very dark and animal-like nature of some samurai in the history of Japan and is a proof of the claim that Bushido, despite the advice The moral components were never observed by all samurai and many people in this category were unfairly labeled as “samurai.” 

On the other hand, the movie Sword of the Doom brought the isolation of samurai in Edo and a significant amount of its consequences on the silver screen. It is a film that is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces in the history of samurai cinema. 

2- Rashomon movie

Rashomon movie

• Director:  Akira Kurosawa
• Author:  Ryunosuke Akutagawa – Akira Kurosawa – Shinbo Hashimoto
• Genre:  Drama – Crime – Mystery
• Release year: 1951
• Actors:  Toshiro Mifune – Machiko Kyo – Masayuki Miro
• Average rating of Rashomon   on IMDB:  8.2 out of 10

The film Rashomon is an adaptation of a short story of the same name. The great Ryunosuke Akutagawa wrote a report. Relying on the solution of the case of the murder of a samurai, the film Rashomon plants its main plot and moves forward to the end. Strange plot twists and telling the story from different points of view are among the things that have made Rashomon one of Kurosawa’s unforgettable creations. 

Rashomon tells a story four times from the point of view of four different characters. The characters say to the film’s story four other times, each time with a completely different narrative.

The stories presented in front of us through flashbacks make the audience repeatedly examine the question: who among these four people is telling the truth? Kurosawa’s extraordinary direction and narrative, along with Kazuo Miyagawa’s fantastic cinematography and excellent lighting, dominate the audience with a terrifying and highly gripping atmosphere and immerse the audience in the film second by second. The work, with a score of 98 on Metacritic and 8.2 on IMDB (out of 176,000 audience votes), is considered one of the unforgettable films in the history of samurai cinema. 

1- Seven Samurai movie

Seven Samurai movie

• Director:  Akira Kurosawa
• Author:  Akira Kurosawa – Shinbo Hashimoto – Hideo Eguni
• Genre:  Drama – Crime – Mystery
• Release year:  1956
• Actors:  Toshiro Mifune – Takeshi Shimura – Keiko Tsushima
• Average rating of Seven Samurai   on IMDB:  8.6 out of 10

It is a moving story of seven samurai protecting a defenseless village

Finally, we reached the top of this long list. We got a result that I’m sure none of us were shocked to see. We knew that at the highest point of the best samurai films in cinema history, we would know the name of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. 

The story of Seven Samurai takes place during the Sengoku/戰國時代. An era that is considered a bloody era in Japan, from family betrayals to inter-family wars, has turned into pieces full of war tragedies in the middle centuries of Japanese history. The story of the movie Seven Samurai also takes place during this period. An era during which the people of different villages could hire diverse groups of samurai forces to protect their land by offering food and a place to sleep. Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai has also dealt with this issue.

But in the beginning, Kurosawa would never produce a work about protecting seven samurai from a defenseless village. In the front, he had the idea of ​​creating a position in which he imagined a day and night of the life of a samurai. The story begins with a samurai waking up, going to the lord/daimyo’s castle, and killing himself at night due to a mistake he made (harakiri).

Limited documents and historical facts made Kurosawa regret to implement such an idea. He then decided to depict five battles of the great samurai of Japanese history as a coherent story. Still, the discussed idea could not see the light of day. In the end, when he was aware of the ability of rural serfs to hire protective samurai in the era of Sengoku, he keyed the idea of ​​making the movie Seven Samurai and brought it to a conclusion.

The movie The Last Samurai is also one of those infinitely valuable works centered on the samurai, which studies this class of Japanese society from different angles. With this movie, Kurosawa was able to make different generations fall in love with filmmaking and step several miles ahead of the filmmaking of his era. 

common questions

1- What are the best samurai movies?

Among the best samurai movies, we can mention Seven Samurai, Rashomon, and Blade of Doom.

2- Which is the new samurai movie?

The 2017 Blade of the Dead movie, the 2018 Samurai Covenant movie, and the 2021 Rurouni Kenshin movie The Beginning are some of the latest samurai movies.