We’re limiting Kurosawa while talking about the best Samurai movies ever created in order to avoid just giving a list of the greatest Akira Kurosawa movies. There are samurai movies that rival Kurosawa’s best, but there’s also the desire to simply pay Kurosawa tribute over and over. One man directed (and occasionally co-wrote) many of the best Samurai movies in history. His influence is deserving of its own piece.
It is more acceptable to travel through history while considering the best samurai movies of all time. Samurai tales predate movies for a significant amount of time. Even in the early days of Japanese silent cinema, such stories were certain to find their way into films. For as long as humanity has been producing movies, it has been a popular genre. There are even samurai tales set outside of Japan, as well as tales in which a non-Asian actor plays a pivotal role.
Whatever your feelings about them, you can’t deny that samurai movies are popular in nations other than Japan. The potential complications of someone who makes a career in such a peculiar, sometimes contradictory way have a universal attraction. Even when surrounded by spectacular, sometimes over-the-top violence, samurai movies can have profound messages of peace.
Samurai are frequently portrayed as loners or as individuals attempting to rise above the rising tides of corruption. They’ve been portrayed as scoundrels, murderers, rapists, and other lowlifes, to be sure. There are legends about Ronin samurai who worked independently of a lord or master. There are legends about samurai working together to defeat a common foe.
Top 15 Best Samurai Movies You Need Watch In 2022
So I made a list of the 15 best samurai movies of all time, updated in 2022.
1. Seven Samurai (1954)
- Akira Kurosawa is the director.
Despite not being the first film adaptation of a samurai story, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai set the bar high almost immediately after its premiere. Kurosawa was famed for stretching out production expenditures and the timetable that Toho Studios wanted him to stick to. It paid off, as the film went on to become Japan’s third-highest-grossing release of the year.
Seven Samurai is a breathtaking, winning epic that spans 207 forceful minutes and decisively establishes Toshiro Mifune as a star in his role as Kikuchiyo. The theme of the oppressed turning into improbable heroes appears to be a universally appealing concept. Seven Samurai, in particular, has influenced scores of other films, remakes, and more with its grandiose, personal approach to the topic.
You don’t have to think about it to appreciate the film’s several outstanding performances (including the legendary Takashi Shimura), compelling tale, and palpable energy.
2. Samurai Trilogy (1954-1956)
- Hiroshi Inagaki is the director.
Is it dishonest to include a trilogy in this list of the best samurai movies? I think so because watching just one of these is challenging
That means devoting at least 300 minutes to Hiroshi Inagaki’s masterful portrayal of the renowned samurai, Musashi Miyamoto. That is, without a doubt, a significant amount of time. At the same time, there is so much to this series that is worth your attention, from Toshiro Mifune’s iconic portrayal to the film’s compelling duel scenes.
consists of three films, but they are designed to be viewed as a single, nearly overwhelming experience. The visual poetry of this film has served as a major source of inspiration for a slew of subsequent works.
3. Throne of Blood (1957)
- Akira Kurosawa is the director.
Shakespeare’s best marriage to feudal Japan is quite arguably Shakespeare’s THRONE OF BLOOD. It’s another incredible collaboration between Toshiro Mifune, who plays Macbeth, and Akira Kurosawa, who was no stranger to incorporating foreign ideas into Japanese storytelling.
For two reasons, the Throne of Blood is likely best appreciated now. The first is the acting, especially Mifune is one of his most complicated and fascinating portrayals. The second is a breathtaking sight in which Mifune is surrounded by hundreds of thousands of arrows.
Just remember that while that sequence is amazing, everything that preceded it is why that scene is memorable in the first place.
4. Yojimbo (1961)
The truth is that there isn’t a single Kurosawa/Mifune collaboration that isn’t good. When you consider the diversity of stories they told together, it’s even more astounding. Yojimbo is far lighter than anything else they’ve done before. It’s still packed with tension, as well as some of Kurosawa’s most thrilling battle scenes.
It’s easy to overlook the numerous other contributions to these examples of cinema at its best when comparing Kurosawa with Toshiro Mifune. Mifune’s famous, deceptively casual gait and attitude are just as crucial as Masaru Sato’s score for Yojimbo.
Don’t forget that the screenplay for this picture was co-written by two other authors and that Tatsuya Nakadai’s Unosuke (who is still alive and working as of this writing) is the perfect major opponent for Mifune’s trailblazing antihero.
5. Harakiri (1962)
- Masaki Kobayashi is the director.
Harakiri is one of the most emotionally devastating items on this list, as it is a very effective meditation on hypocrisy, the madness of a code, and similar issues. While director Masaki Kobayashi’s high drama includes some notable action scenes, especially near the conclusion, it is more of a human narrative than anything else.
Most of the best samurai flicks follow this pattern. It’s intriguing to watch how different types of character studies have evolved over time. Harakiri maintains a powerful stream of something we can’t help but relate to, thanks to one of the best Samurai movie casts ever created. Tatsuya Nakadai, who plays Tsugumo Hanshir, is an important element of it.
6. Sanjuro (1962)
- Akira Kurosawa is the director.
Toshiro Mifune and Akira Kurosawa teamed up again one year after the success of Yojimbo to take the character into darker terrain. As a result, Mifune portrays Sanjuro with a little less aloofness in a scenario in which Sanjuro helps a group of young men who are striving to rid their clan of corruption.
Don’t get me wrong: this is still a lighthearted film. Especially in light of Kurosawa’s oeuvre. Still, beneath Mifune’s brash, iconic swagger as a roaming, cynical samurai, there is something sadder.
Cynicism is a little more evident this time, as amusing and interesting as the film may be. It would have been fascinating to see the character again under Mifune and Kurosawa’s guidance, but that was not to be..
7. The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)
- Kenji Misumi is the director.
The Tale of Zatoichi is the first in a long line of popular films from Dalei Studios, and it meets two goals. It’s a lovely introduction to Zatoichi, played by the incredibly gifted Shintaro Katsu here (and throughout the film series).
It’s easy to fall in love with Zatoichi’s loner beliefs and the fact that, despite claiming that he likes a simple existence, he nonetheless puts his heart on his sleeve. Katsu developed a compelling hero for a series of flicks that were always action-packed while also allowing him to wander into darker territory on occasion. This first video is incredibly enjoyable, thanks in part to the film’s skillful blend of low-key humor and the common fallacies that most people share.
A very good 2003 adaptation of the Zatoichi character, written, directed, and starring the legendary Beat Takeshi, is also available.
8. Chūshingura (47 Samurai) (1962)
- Hiroshi Inagaki is the director.
The Hiroshi Inagaki-directed Chshingura is arguably my favorite of the various movie adaptations of the classic 47 Ronin narrative.
This is another entry on the list that will take up a lot of your time, clocking in at 207 minutes. The stories of the samurai lend themselves beautifully to grandiose filmmaking. A good example of this is Chshingura. It’s also a groundbreaking example of blending harsh, great action sequences with profound representations of the human character.
In addition, Chshingura features one of the best casts ever assembled for a Japanese film. Pay special attention to Yz Kayama and Akira Takarada among the long list of prominent personalities and remarkable performances. In the best conceivable way, this film is an overpowering experience.
9. Three Outlaw Samurai (1964)
- Hideo Gosha is the director.
Hideo Gosha made a fierce feature film debut in this prequel to a popular TV series that has since come to be recognized as one of the most fun and accessible samurai movies of all time. Great characters, especially the three titular bandits, help the Three Outlaw Samurai succeed.
At the same time, the film maintains a high level of action with one of the most thrilling chanbara (sword-fighting) movies ever filmed. This is an excellent introduction to that subgenre within the wider one we’re discussing.
Three renegades Samurai is also a good example of a samurai movie that deals with how these people tried to keep their identities and titles in a world that was utterly chaotic.
10. The Sword of Doom (1966)
- Kihachi Okamoto is the director.
The Sword of Doom, directed by Kihachi Okamoto, is one of the best showcases for Tatsuya Nakadai, who is not new to the list of great samurai movies at this time.
When we first meet Ryunosuke Tsukue, a samurai with dubious morals, he is captivating but annoying. This is only the start of a redemption tale that isn’t actually a tale of redemption. At the very least, it usually goes against the grain of what you’d expect from one, and it never gives you anything resembling hope.
However, if we can see this cretin find meaning, it will have to suffice in terms of hope. With agonizing, awe-striking precision, the Sword of Doom builds to that point. It also contains one of the most violent and breathless endings on our list.
11. Le Samouraï (1967)
- Jean-Pierre Melville is the director.
Alain Delon was one of his generation’s great detached, aloof, and extremely French leading males. Le Samoura is a fantastic example of how unique Delon was at this specific period in time, creating the concept of thematic/spiritual kinship between French noir and Japanese samurai films, particularly the dramatic ones with flashes of grim humor. He hit a lot of the markers you’d expect from an antihero in this genre, but he also had an unsettling serenity about him.
Delon’s characters were reserved even while he was making a grim point, replete with a tiny, unreadable smile. Much of the plot is dictated by his passion and pride, which runs counter to his better judgment. It also draws parallels with samurai tales, or at the very least, the values of the men and women in such tales.
12. Samurai Rebellion (1967)
- Masaki Kobayashi is the director.
When an aged samurai chooses to battle to guarantee his son and daughter-in-law are not torn apart by the whims of a cruel lord, he is forced to face the wrath of his clan. Samurai Rebellion is a simple narrative about an elderly warhorse who draws his sword for the most crucial struggle of his life. The film’s anti-authoritarian tone also seems appropriate for the late 1960s.
One of the most gratifying action games on this list is Samurai Rebellion. It’s also a powerful character study, paying close attention to not only Toshiro Mifune’s Isaburo Sasahara, but also to Sasahara’s son (Go Kato) and new daughter-in-law (Yoko Tsukasa). These and other characters are meticulously built, with attention paid not only to the story’s greater ideas but also to their efficacy as humans with whom we may interact.
The conclusion of the Samurai Rebellion may leave you feeling bereft. You’ll have to wait and see.
13. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972)
- Kenji Misumi is the director.
The Baby Cart at the River Styx is the best in a series of films on the adventures of a disgraced assassin named Ogami Itt (Tomisaburo Wakayama) and his little son, Ogami Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa). Is it necessary to see the first one to understand this? No, not at all. Nonetheless, I’m confident you’ll want to see them all.
The Baby Cart at the River Styx solidifies Itt and Daigoro’s course for the rest of the series. No surprise, the story of a struggling father who moonlights as a hired murderer, with this picture tasking him with assassinating a merchant with secrets to reveal, is gloomy at moments.
These scenes are skillfully juxtaposed with happier times between father and son. The film finds time for all of this, with plenty of character exploration and heart-pounding fight moments. It’s a film that strikes almost every note you’re likely to have. These are things that can be said about each film in the series.
14. Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice (1972)
- Kenji Misumi is the director.
It’s almost surreal that the same person who created the Lone Wolf and Cub manga series also created this odd samurai picture, the hardboiled cop drama, and the unwritten rule that the best exploitation films have an uncommon idea or subject to exploit.
A police officer in Edo crafts one of the oddest samurai movies ever created with an unconventional, penis-related method of obtaining the information he requires.
At the same time, the first of three films, Sword of Justice, is a violent, surprisingly effective drama about a human force of nature’s conviction and what it means for their role in the world. Dirty Harry Callahan would undoubtedly have admired Hanzo, and Hanzo would undoubtedly have admired Dirty Harry Callahan.
Sword of Justice is a bizarre film, but it’s also fast-paced, funny at times, and packed with action and performances.
15. Lady Snowblood (1973)
- Toshiya Fujita is the director.
Lady Snowblood by Toshiya Fujita is one of the most interesting tales of terrible retribution. Meiko Kaji (who is still working) provides a performance that is both terrible to see in terms of her journey and exhilarating to see in terms of her retaliation against the men who raped and massacred her family.
Lady Snowblood makes vengeance unappealing. What the movie does is present it in such a unique way, with Meiko Kaji giving such an intense performance, that you can’t help but root for her. It’s no surprise that Quentin Tarantino adores this film and that it served as a major inspiration for Kill Bill.
Lady Snowblood is the more powerful of the two. Even if it’s just because this picture has a realism that no western director can match, no matter how hard they try. Lady Snowblood’s brutality has an unusual beauty to it, which is due in part to the protagonist being a woman.
Lady Snowblood isn’t a conventional samurai, but her ferocity and determination earn her a spot on this list.
