Samurai movies
by razvan_duta | created - 22 Dec 2017 | updated - 22 Dec 2017 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Red Lion (1969)
115 min | Action, Comedy
Impersonating an Imperial Army officer by wearing a "red lion's mane", a poor servant returns to his village after 10 years of absence to end the village's suffering caused by corrupt officials and businessmen.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Shima Iwashita, Etsushi Takahashi, Minori Terada
Votes: 798
2. The Sword of Doom (1966)
Not Rated | 120 min | Action, Drama
Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Yûzô Kayama, Yôko Naitô
Votes: 12,067
3. Harakiri (1962)
Not Rated | 133 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
When a ronin requesting seppuku at a feudal lord's palace is told of the brutal suicide of another ronin who previously visited, he reveals how their pasts are intertwined - and in doing so challenges the clan's integrity.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita, Tetsurô Tanba
Votes: 68,602
4. Ran (1985)
R | 160 min | Action, Drama, War
In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryû
Votes: 136,142 | Gross: $4.14M
5. Yojimbo (1961)
Not Rated | 110 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Eijirô Tôno, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yôko Tsukasa
Votes: 131,310
6. Sanjuro (1962)
Not Rated | 96 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A crafty samurai helps a young man and his fellow clansmen trying to save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Keiju Kobayashi, Yûnosuke Itô
Votes: 41,108
7. Kill! (1968)
Not Rated | 115 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
Two ronin - an ex-samurai and an ex-farmer - get caught up in a local official's complex game of murder and betrayal.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Etsushi Takahashi, Yuriko Hoshi, Tadao Nakamaru
Votes: 3,174
8. Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior (1980)
PG | 162 min | Drama, History, War
A petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken'ichi Hagiwara, Jinpachi Nezu
Votes: 38,165
9. Sword of the Beast (1965)
Not Rated | 85 min | Action, Drama
After killing a counselor of his clan, a fugitive samurai befriends a couple poaching the shogun's gold in the mountains.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Mikijirô Hira, Gô Katô, Shima Iwashita, Toshie Kimura
Votes: 3,091
10. Seven Samurai (1954)
Not Rated | 207 min | Action, Drama
Farmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki
Votes: 366,696 | Gross: $0.27M
11. The Steel Edge of Revenge (1969)
PG | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A guilt-haunted samurai warrior attempts to stop a massacre taking place.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tetsurô Tanba, Yôko Tsukasa, Ruriko Asaoka
Votes: 2,619
12. The Twilight Samurai (2002)
129 min | Drama, Romance
As the feudal Japan era draws to a close, a widower samurai experiences difficulty balancing clan loyalties, 2 young daughters, an aged mother, and the sudden reappearance of his childhood sweetheart.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa, Nenji Kobayashi, Ren Ôsugi
Votes: 25,490
13. Throne of Blood (1957)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama
A war-hardened general, egged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become lord of Spider's Web Castle.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 55,922
14. Samurai Rebellion (1967)
Not Rated | 128 min | Drama
The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to get her back.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yôko Tsukasa, Gô Katô, Tatsuyoshi Ehara
Votes: 14,081
15. 13 Assassins (2010)
R | 141 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Ikki Sawamura
Votes: 68,584 | Gross: $0.80M
16. Samurai Assassin (I) (1965)
122 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
February 17 to March 3, 1860, inside Edo castle. A group of assassins wait by Sakurada Gate to kill the lord of the House of Ii, a powerful man in the Tokugawa government, which has ruled ... See full summary »
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Keiju Kobayashi, Michiyo Aratama, Yûnosuke Itô
Votes: 2,507
17. The Hidden Fortress (1958)
Not Rated | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Lured by gold, two greedy peasants unknowingly escort a princess and her general across enemy lines.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara
Votes: 42,222
18. Samurai Vendetta (1959)
Not Rated | 109 min | Drama, Action
Tange Tenzen and Nakayama Yasubei are honorable samurai living in an era of corrupt officials and treacherous clans. But after finding themselves in opposing clans and ensnared in a love ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Shintarô Katsu, Chitose Maki, Tokiko Mita
Votes: 305
19. The 47 Ronin (1941)
241 min | Drama, History
The legendary Forty-seven ronin plot to avenge the death of their lord, Asano Naganori, by killing Kira Yoshinaka, a shogunate official responsible for Asano being forced to commit seppuku.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Chôjûrô Kawarasaki, Yoshizaburo Arashi, Utaemon Ichikawa, Kan'emon Nakamura
Votes: 2,675
20. Vendetta of a Samurai (1952)
82 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Mataemon Araki, a renowned swordsman, helps a young man find vengeance.
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yuriko Hamada, Takashi Shimura, Akihiko Katayama
Votes: 283
21. Taira Clan Saga (1955)
108 min | Drama, History
After his father is not rewarded for his military achievements, Taira Kiyomori rebels against the court and the monks who rule the country. He also falls in love with Tokiko and discovers unsettling revelations about his parentage.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Narutoshi Hayashi, Raizô Ichikawa, Tatsuya Ishiguro, Michiyo Kogure
Votes: 1,100
22. The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)
Not Rated | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The adventures of a blind, gambling masseur who also happens to be a master swordsman.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Masayo Banri, Ryûzô Shimada, Hajime Mitamura
Votes: 5,903
23. The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1945)
Not Rated | 59 min | Adventure, Drama, Thriller
A Japanese general and his men disguise themselves as monks in order to pass an enemy border patrol.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Susumu Fujita, Ken'ichi Enomoto, Masayuki Mori
Votes: 4,364
24. Three Outlaw Samurai (1964)
Not Rated | 94 min | Action, Drama
When poor peasants kidnap a magistrate's daughter to coerce him into reducing their unfair taxes, a wandering ronin decides to give them some help.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Tetsurô Tanba, Isamu Nagato, Mikijirô Hira, Miyuki Kuwano
Votes: 3,991
25. Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)
TV-PG | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Musashi Miyamoto is challenged to a duel by a confident swordsman Sasaki Kojiro. He agrees to fight him in a year's time.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Mariko Okada, Kôji Tsuruta, Kaoru Yachigusa
Votes: 6,699
26. Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji (1955)
Not Rated | 94 min | Adventure, Drama
A samurai travels to Edo with his two servants. On their way, they meet many people and encounter great injustice.
Director: Tomu Uchida | Stars: Chiezô Kataoka, Ryûnosuke Tsukigata, Chizuru Kitagawa, Yuriko Tashiro
Votes: 956
27. Humanity and Paper Balloons (1937)
86 min | Drama
The lives of two slum neighbors, one of a happy-go-lucky gambler and the other of a poor ronin, converge when the two get involved with the affairs of a powerful samurai official and his gangsters.
Director: Sadao Yamanaka | Stars: Chôjûrô Kawarasaki, Kan'emon Nakamura, Tsuruzô Nakamura, Chôemon Bandô
Votes: 2,297
28. Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (1964)
Not Rated | 83 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Zatoichi is mistaken for a thief. To clear his name he must find and defeat the real villain.
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Shôgo Shimada, Mikiko Tsubouchi, Machiko Hasegawa
Votes: 1,831
29. Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Mask of the Princess (1966)
85 min | Action, Drama
Princess Kiku, Shogun's daughter, wants revenge on Nemuri Kyoshiro for embarrassing her.
Director: Akira Inoue | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Yaeko Mizutani, Ichirô Nakatani, Keiko Kayama
Votes: 148
30. Sazen Tange and the Pot Worth a Million Ryo (1935)
92 min | Comedy, Drama
A man gets rid of a cheap pot without knowing it contains a map to a treasure. As word spreads, many join in hunting it.
Director: Sadao Yamanaka | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Kiyozo, Kunitarô Sawamura, Reizaburô Yamamoto
Votes: 1,237
31. The Great Killing (1964)
Not Rated | 118 min | Action, Drama
A Shogunate Elder connives to rule Japan by making his puppet, the Shogun's brother Tsunashige, the next Shogun. The best strategist in Japan, Yamaga, leads a plot to stop the Elder, but ... See full summary »
Director: Eiichi Kudô | Stars: Takayuki Akutagawa, Kôtarô Satomi, Chôichirô Kawarasaki, Mikijirô Hira
Votes: 395
32. Assassination (1964)
104 min | Action, Crime, Drama
In 1863, when Americans warships approach Japan, a enigmatic ronin becomes a important figure in a complex game of power between the Shogunate and the empire.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Tetsurô Tanba, Shima Iwashita, Eiji Okada, Isao Kimura
Votes: 969
33. Tokugawa Ieyasu (1965)
143 min | Biography, Drama
In turbulent 16th-century Japan, the leaders of a minor fief have their child taken from them as a political hostage. His mother and his clan endure years of tribulations until he can return.
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Kinnosuke Nakamura, Kin'ya Kitaôji, Takahiro Tamura, Kei Yamamoto
Votes: 42
34. Chushingura (1962)
207 min | Action, Drama, History
After their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Yûzô Kayama, Chûsha Ichikawa, Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Mihashi
Votes: 2,238
35. Orochi (1925)
74 min | Action, Adventure
The story of a decent samurai who is widely considered a scum and a criminal. His bad luck and numerous misunderstandings drag him down the social ladder straight to the gutter.
Director: Buntarô Futagawa | Stars: Tsumasaburô Bandô, Misao Seki, Utako Tamaki, Kensaku Haruji
Votes: 490
36. Destiny's Son (1962)
71 min | Action, Drama
A samurai seeks revenge and redemption after his family is executed by a rival clan.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Mayumi Nagisa, Masayo Banri
Votes: 521
37. Hitokiri (1969)
140 min | Action, Biography, Drama
A destitute ronin allies himself with an established clan, but its ruthless leader tries to turn him into a mindless killer.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yukio Mishima, Yûjirô Ishihara
Votes: 1,228
38. When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2002)
Not Rated | 143 min | Drama, History
A samurai goes to extraordinary lengths to provide for his family.
Director: Yôjirô Takita | Stars: Kiichi Nakai, Kôichi Satô, Yui Natsukawa, Takehiro Murata
Votes: 5,359
39. Sword for Hire (1952)
135 min | Action, Drama, Adventure
The adventures of a few brave men and women who are scattered around Japan after the siege of a castle, during the wars of the Sengoku period.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Rentarô Mikuni, Danshirô Ichikawa, Shirley Yamaguchi
Votes: 198
40. After the Rain (1999)
91 min | Drama
During a downpour, a generous ronin and his supporting wife are stranded at a country inn. The ronin comes to the attention of a lord who wants to hire him as an instructor for his men, who treat the ronin with disrespect.
Director: Takashi Koizumi | Stars: Akira Terao, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Shirô Mifune, Fumi Dan
Votes: 4,460
41. Bakumatsu zankoku monogatari (1964)
99 min | Action, Drama
A headstrong young man seeks to join the Shinsengumi, but as his determination impresses his superiors, questions begin to arise as to his true identity and intentions.
Director: Tai Katô | Stars: Sumiko Fuji, Chôichirô Kawarasaki, Isao Kimura, Takeya Nakamura
Votes: 113
42. Black Cat (1968)
Not Rated | 99 min | Drama, Horror
Two women are raped and killed by samurai soldiers. Soon they reappear as vengeful ghosts who seduce and brutally murder the passing samurai.
Director: Kaneto Shindô | Stars: Kichiemon Nakamura, Nobuko Otowa, Kei Satô, Rokkô Toura
Votes: 8,574
43. Taira Clan Saga (1955)
108 min | Drama, History
After his father is not rewarded for his military achievements, Taira Kiyomori rebels against the court and the monks who rule the country. He also falls in love with Tokiko and discovers unsettling revelations about his parentage.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Narutoshi Hayashi, Raizô Ichikawa, Tatsuya Ishiguro, Michiyo Kogure
Votes: 1,100
44. Sengoku yarô (1963)
98 min | Adventure, Drama
A lone masterless warrior with some new friends helps ship 300 rifles to a Japanese warlord during the sengoku period.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Yûzô Kayama, Yuriko Hoshi, Makoto Satô, Ichirô Nakatani
Votes: 161
45. Samurai Saga (1959)
111 min | Action, Drama, Romance
Japanese version of 'Cyrano de Bergerac', a poet/swordsman with a huge nose who loves a woman who loves another. Ignoring his true feelings, he helps them get together.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yôko Tsukasa, Akira Takarada, Keiko Awaji
Votes: 448
46. The Conspirator (1961)
110 min | Action, Drama
Two hostile clans had reached an artificial reconciliation which involves the marriage of a person from each family. The boy's father is away to serve the emperor, and his highly despotic ... See full summary »
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Kinnosuke Nakamura, Haruko Sugimura, Chiyonosuke Azuma, Kaneko Iwasaki
Votes: 61
47. Rikyu (1989)
135 min | Biography, Drama, History
Legendary tea master Sen no Rikyu is faced with his warmongering lord's unrealistic pretensions.
Director: Hiroshi Teshigahara | Stars: Rentarô Mikuni, Yoshiko Mita, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kyôko Kishida
Votes: 833
48. Ran (1985)
R | 160 min | Action, Drama, War
In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryû
Votes: 136,142 | Gross: $4.14M
49. Ninja, a Band of Assassins (1962)
Not Rated | 104 min | Action, Drama
A young ninja becomes embroiled in a plot to kill a tyrannical warlord. He journeys across feudal Japan, facing deceit, betrayal, and enemy ninja at every turn. Goemon must complete his mission, regain his honor, and survive.
Director: Satsuo Yamamoto | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Yûnosuke Itô, Katsuhiko Kobayashi
Votes: 935
50. Rise Against the Sword (1966)
101 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
During the Age of Warring States in feudal Japan, Kaga's Seven Clans of peasants unite to rebel against the local samurai warlords who oppress them.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Nobuko Otowa, Makoto Satô, Ryô Tamura
Votes: 149
51. Ninja Warriors (1980)
R | 117 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the middle of the 16th century, Hideyoshi, a power hungry warlord sets out to destroy the Momochi clan. He sends his war commander in search of the clan's hidden gold only to find that ... See full summary »
Director: Norifumi Suzuki | Stars: Shin'ichi Chiba, Hiroyuki Sanada, Etsuko Shihomi, Yuki Ninagawa
Votes: 772
52. Sleepy Eyes of Death: A Trail of Traps (1967)
88 min | Action, Drama
This film of the sleepy-eyed ronin series has the hero talked into escorting a precious religious artifact to Kyoto, Japan. A sect of Christian swordsmen are lying in wait to steal the ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Nobuo Kaneko, Toshio Kimura, Haruko Wanibuchi
Votes: 146
53. Kill! (1968)
Not Rated | 115 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
Two ronin - an ex-samurai and an ex-farmer - get caught up in a local official's complex game of murder and betrayal.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Etsushi Takahashi, Yuriko Hoshi, Tadao Nakamaru
Votes: 3,174
54. Shikonmado - Dai tatsumaki (1964)
108 min | Action, Adventure, History
After defeat at the Siege of Osaka several survivors attempt to deliver a young prince to safety.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Kôshirô Matsumoto, Yôsuke Natsuki, Makoto Satô, Yuriko Hoshi
Votes: 161
55. The Steel Edge of Revenge (1969)
PG | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A guilt-haunted samurai warrior attempts to stop a massacre taking place.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tetsurô Tanba, Yôko Tsukasa, Ruriko Asaoka
Votes: 2,619
56. Mabuta no haha (1962)
83 min | Action, Drama
The protagonist Chujiro, who possesses many attractive qualities, is a victim of unkind circumstances: his mother abandoned him as a child, so he had no choice but to live outside society. ... See full summary »
Director: Tai Katô | Stars: Kinnosuke Nakamura, Hiroki Matsukata, Michiyo Kogure, Keiko Okawa
Votes: 92
57. Samurai Vendetta (1959)
Not Rated | 109 min | Drama, Action
Tange Tenzen and Nakayama Yasubei are honorable samurai living in an era of corrupt officials and treacherous clans. But after finding themselves in opposing clans and ensnared in a love ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Shintarô Katsu, Chitose Maki, Tokiko Mita
Votes: 305
58. Tange Sazen: yoto nuretsubame (1960)
79 min
The legendary one-armed, one-eyed swordsman Tange Sazen is back to aid a Magistrate in his efforts to steal bribe money on its way to Edo for the benefit of poor farmers.
Director: Sadatsugu Matsuda | Stars: Kyôko Aoyama, Sentarô Fushimi, Satomi Oka, Hiroko Sakuramachi
Votes: 17
59. Samurai Wolf (1966)
75 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A charismatic ronin gets snared into a conflict between officials at a waystation, and gains the enmity of a group of thugs.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Isao Natsuyagi, Ryôhei Uchida, Junko Miyazono, Tatsuo Endô
Votes: 773
60. Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970)
Not Rated | 115 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Zatoichi tries to unrest the mob rule over a small village all while the gang leader's bodyguard is actually the Yojimbo, secretly taking the gang down from the inside. Will the two heroes realize in time that they are on the same side?
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Shintarô Katsu, Ayako Wakao, Osamu Takizawa
Votes: 2,825
61. Sazen Tange and the Pot Worth a Million Ryo (1935)
92 min | Comedy, Drama
A man gets rid of a cheap pot without knowing it contains a map to a treasure. As word spreads, many join in hunting it.
Director: Sadao Yamanaka | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Kiyozo, Kunitarô Sawamura, Reizaburô Yamamoto
Votes: 1,237
62. Samurai Spy (1965)
Not Rated | 99 min | Action, Drama
The legendary samurai Sasuke Sarutobi gets caught in a web of political intrigue, deception and espionage during the early 17th century.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Hiroshi Aoyama, Jun Hamamura, Osamu Hitomi, Minoru Hodaka
Votes: 1,859
63. I Went To (2000)
111 min | Action, Crime
New magistrate cleans up a corrupt town in his own comic Samurai way.
Director: Kon Ichikawa | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Yûko Asano, Tsurutarô Kataoka, Ryûdô Uzaki
Votes: 564
64. Zatoichi (1989)
Not Rated | 116 min | Action, Drama
Older, wiser but still a wandering loner, the blind, peace-loving masseur Ichi seeks a peaceful life in a rural village. When he's caught in the middle of a power struggle between two rival... See full summary »
Director: Shintarô Katsu | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Kanako Higuchi, Takanori Jinnai, Ryûtarô Gan
Votes: 1,873
65. Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron (1978)
163 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Kumokiri Nizaemon, a former samurai warrior, has abandoned his class to become the leader of a gang of thieves. He leads his outlaws in an attempt to rob the castle of his former clan.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Kôshirô Matsumoto, Shima Iwashita, Keiko Matsuzaka
Votes: 435
66. Kengo tengu matsuri (1961)
87 min
During the middle of the Kanei Period (1624-1644) Japan was in the early stages of its most peaceful era. This left a large number of unemployed samurai with nothing to do, and their morale... See full summary »
Director: Shigehiro Ozawa | Stars: Eiji Okada, Tomisaburô Wakayama, Shingo Yamashiro, Ryûtarô Ôtomo
Votes: 54
67. Demons (1971)
134 min | Drama, Horror
After being robbed by a geisha, a ronin warrior carves a bloody path to seek revenge.
Director: Toshio Matsumoto | Stars: Katsuo Nakamura, Jûrô Kara, Yasuko Sanjo, Masao Imafuku
Votes: 2,860
68. Kaii Utsunomiya tsuritenjô (1956)
80 min | Action, Horror
Ryutaro is a spy employed by the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, who is the target of assassination attempts that aim to hand power over to his younger brother Tadanaga.
Director: Nobuo Nakagawa | Stars: Hiroshi Ogasawara, Akemi Tsukushi, Tetsurô Tanba, Konomi Fuji
Votes: 112
69. Agent Shiranui (1960)
Not Rated | 91 min | Drama
Before he portrayed the legendary blind swordsman, Zatoichi, Shintaro Katsu played Suganoichi, a blind court masseur with a dark side. An outcast since birth, he learned from a young age ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Tamao Nakamura, Mieko Kondô, Matasaburô Niwa
Votes: 202
70. Hana (2006)
127 min | Comedy, Drama
A troubled young samurai seeks revenge for the death of his father.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Jun'ichi Okada, Rie Miyazawa, Arata Furuta, Jun Kunimura
Votes: 1,901
71. Quick-draw Okatsu (1969)
89 min | Action, Crime
An innocent man gets killed for the debt accumulated by his gambler son. This sets Okatsu, a master with the sword and an adopted daughter of the victim, on a path of revenge.
Director: Nobuo Nakagawa | Stars: Junko Miyazono, Reiko Ônobuta, Kô Nishimura, Kenji Imai
Votes: 218
72. Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji (1955)
Not Rated | 94 min | Adventure, Drama
A samurai travels to Edo with his two servants. On their way, they meet many people and encounter great injustice.
Director: Tomu Uchida | Stars: Chiezô Kataoka, Ryûnosuke Tsukigata, Chizuru Kitagawa, Yuriko Tashiro
Votes: 956
73. Zatoichi's Pilgrimage (1966)
Not Rated | 82 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Zatoichi's trek through 88 temples to atone for his violent past is interrupted as he stumbles into a village terrorized by a violent yakuza boss.
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Michiyo Yasuda, Kunie Tanaka, Hisashi Igawa
Votes: 1,207
74. Sleepy Eyes of Death: Castle Menagerie (1969)
82 min | Action, Drama
Just when you think Kyoshiro's life can't get any stranger, someone starts running around raping and murdering, and leaving notes proudly proclaiming that he did it. Tracking down the real ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Naoko Kubo, Shiho Fujimura, Shinjirô Ebara
Votes: 136
75. Shinsengumi shimatsuki (1963)
93 min | Action, Drama
As change sweep Japan, an honest man joins the Shinsengumi out of respect for their leader and because he wants to live and die as a samurai. However, as his involvement goes, reality and idealism come into deadly conflict.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Tomisaburô Wakayama, Shigeru Amachi
Votes: 208
76. Tengu-tô (1969)
102 min | Drama, War
Recounts the events that the Mito Tengu Group undertook when they attempted to overthrow the Shogunate during the Bakumatsu Period.
Director: Satsuo Yamamoto | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Ayako Wakao, Gô Katô, Yukiyo Toake
Votes: 82
77. Sword of the Beast (1965)
Not Rated | 85 min | Action, Drama
After killing a counselor of his clan, a fugitive samurai befriends a couple poaching the shogun's gold in the mountains.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Mikijirô Hira, Gô Katô, Shima Iwashita, Toshie Kimura
Votes: 3,091
78. Satan's Sword (1960)
106 min | Action, Drama
The story follows the life of Ryunosuke Tsukue, an amoral samurai and a master swordsman with an unorthodox style.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Kôjirô Hongô, Tamao Nakamura, Fujiko Yamamoto
Votes: 276
79. When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2002)
Not Rated | 143 min | Drama, History
A samurai goes to extraordinary lengths to provide for his family.
Director: Yôjirô Takita | Stars: Kiichi Nakai, Kôichi Satô, Yui Natsukawa, Takehiro Murata
Votes: 5,359
80. Love and Honor (2006)
PG-13 | 122 min | Drama, History, Romance
A look at the relationship between a young blind samurai (Kimura) and his wife, who will make a sacrifice in order to defend her husband's honor.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Takuya Kimura, Rei Dan, Mitsugorô Bandô, Takashi Sasano
Votes: 4,283 | Gross: $0.02M
81. The Last Samurai (1974)
159 min | Action, Drama
Toranosuke Sugi, a brave and loyal Samurai, fights to practice and preserve his master's teachings amid a civil war. With friends on both side will he cave to temptation, or stand on principle and for freedom?
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Hideki Takahashi, Ken Ogata, Takahiro Tamura, Teruhiko Saigô
Votes: 393
82. Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade (1963)
Not Rated | 82 min | Action, Drama
Nemuri Kyoshiro, a youthful and cynical ronin with unparalleled skill, is approached by both sides in a game of corruption, ambition, and double crosses. The leader of the Kaga clan, who ... See full summary »
Director: Tokuzô Tanaka | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Tamao Nakamura, Shinobu Araki, Saburô Date
Votes: 312
83. Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Adventure (1964)
Not Rated | 83 min | Action, Drama
The orphan swordsman wanders into a town and stumbles upon the opportunity to do righteous deeds. He finds a larger plot is afoot with a corrupt court system, a well meaning public servant and lots of danger for all involved.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Kôichi Aihara, San'emon Arashi, Shinjirô Asano
Votes: 294
84. Nemuri Kyôshirô: Engetsugiri (1964)
86 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
The shogun's illegitimate son decapitates a peasant which draws in nomadic Nemuri Kyoshiro into more sword-fighting adventures when he's blamed for the beheading.
Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Kyôko Azuma, Ryônosuke Azuma, Saburô Date
Votes: 207
85. Nemuri Kyôshirô: Joyôken (1964)
87 min | Action, Drama
This film of the sleepy-eyed ronin series has the quite reluctant hero refuse to come to the assistance of a Japanese Christian in an age of both proselytizing and persecution, but later ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Michiko Ai, Akira Amemiya, Shinjirô Asano
Votes: 225
86. Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Fire (1965)
83 min | Action, Drama
This film of the sleepy-eyed ronin series has the red-haired swordsman on his way to the city of Edo when he comes across the scene of a woman in the midst of a knife fight with a man. When... See full summary »
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Tamao Nakamura, Michiko Sugata, Sanae Nakahara
Votes: 187
87. Sleepy Eyes of Death: Hell Is a Woman (1968)
82 min | Action, Drama
Two devious retainers are competing to take control of a fief when the current Lord dies, but involving Kyoshiro in the conflict against his will is a bad idea.
Director: Tokuzô Tanaka | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Miwa Takada, Yaeko Mizutani, Takahiro Tamura
Votes: 137
88. Sleepy Eyes of Death: Castle Menagerie (1969)
82 min | Action, Drama
Just when you think Kyoshiro's life can't get any stranger, someone starts running around raping and murdering, and leaving notes proudly proclaiming that he did it. Tracking down the real ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Naoko Kubo, Shiho Fujimura, Shinjirô Ebara
Votes: 136
89. Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Satan (1965)
75 min | Action, Drama
Tsurumatsu, a young boy, is supposed to be a new Lord but he's not really interested, he would rather be a carpenter. So he gets kidnapped and it's up to Nemuri Kyoshiro to save him.
Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Michiko Saga, Machiko Hasegawa, Masako Aboshi
Votes: 157
90. Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Mask of the Princess (1966)
85 min | Action, Drama
Princess Kiku, Shogun's daughter, wants revenge on Nemuri Kyoshiro for embarrassing her.
Director: Akira Inoue | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Yaeko Mizutani, Ichirô Nakatani, Keiko Kayama
Votes: 148
91. Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Villainy (1966)
79 min | Action, Drama
The hero avenges a band of samurai whose master was unceremoniously assassinated for seeking justice and better conditions for the citizens. The city shall burn for the elite's greed.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Shigeru Amachi, Shiho Fujimura, Kentarô Kudô
Votes: 147
92. Sleepy Eyes of Death: A Trail of Traps (1967)
88 min | Action, Drama
This film of the sleepy-eyed ronin series has the hero talked into escorting a precious religious artifact to Kyoto, Japan. A sect of Christian swordsmen are lying in wait to steal the ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Nobuo Kaneko, Toshio Kimura, Haruko Wanibuchi
Votes: 146
93. Sleepy Eyes of Death: In the Spider's Lair (1968)
81 min | Action, Drama
Our anti-hero discovers locals who are oppressed, held captive against their will. For the swordsman to succeed, he first must wade through traps and assassins, and a few seductive maidens.
Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Mako Midori, Maka Sarijo, Yûsuke Kawazu
Votes: 128
94. Abe ichizoku (1938)
105 min | Drama
Jidai-geki surprisingly critical of bushido codes and practice of seppuku (aka hara-kiri). Yaichiemon Abe, denied permission to commit ritual suicide with more than a dozen vassals to Lord ... See full summary »
Director: Hisatora Kumagai | Stars: Chôjûrô Kawarasaki, Kan'emon Nakamura, Shizue Yamagishi, Masako Tsutsumi
Votes: 26
95. After the Rain (1999)
91 min | Drama
During a downpour, a generous ronin and his supporting wife are stranded at a country inn. The ronin comes to the attention of a lord who wants to hire him as an instructor for his men, who treat the ronin with disrespect.
Director: Takashi Koizumi | Stars: Akira Terao, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Shirô Mifune, Fumi Dan
Votes: 4,460
96. Red Shadow: Akakage (2001)
108 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A love triangle blooms between a team of three ninjas before tragedy strikes and forces them to reassess their clan's principles.
Director: Hiroyuki Nakano | Stars: Masanobu Andô, Megumi Okina, Kumiko Asô, Jun Murakami
Votes: 967
97. Red Lion (1969)
115 min | Action, Comedy
Impersonating an Imperial Army officer by wearing a "red lion's mane", a poor servant returns to his village after 10 years of absence to end the village's suffering caused by corrupt officials and businessmen.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Shima Iwashita, Etsushi Takahashi, Minori Terada
Votes: 798
98. Red Beard (1965)
Not Rated | 185 min | Drama
In 19th-century Japan, a rough-tempered yet charitable town doctor trains a young intern.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yûzô Kayama, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Reiko Dan
Votes: 21,091
99. Bakumatsu (1970)
120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The story of Ryoma Sakamoto, considered to be the architect behind the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate. He was considered an outlaw by his own clan, hunted by his government, and was ... See full summary »
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Kinnosuke Nakamura, Toshirô Mifune, Keiju Kobayashi, Tatsuya Nakadai
Votes: 142
100. Incident at Blood Pass (1970)
Not Rated | 117 min | Action, Drama
Sent on a secret mission, a ronin must discover who his friends are and who must die.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yûjirô Ishihara, Ruriko Asaoka, Shintarô Katsu
Votes: 900
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