The Betrayal (1966)

Zatoichi (2003)

Blind traveler Zatoichi is a master swordsman and a masseur with a fondness for gambling on dice games. When he arrives in a village torn apart by warring gangs, he sets out to protect the townspeople.

• Adventure
• Drama
• Action

Seven Samurai (1954)

A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food.

• Action
• Drama

The Last Samurai (2003)

Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.

• Drama
• Action
• War

Rashomon (1950)

Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, "Rashomon" is perhaps the finest film ever to investigate the philosophy of justice. Through an ingenious use of camera and flashbacks, Kurosawa reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife.

• Crime
• Drama
• Mystery

Master Fencer Sees the World (1960)

A historical drama that depicts the touching beauty of world obsession and human love in the style of light comedy, in the center of which is a young man who has a master license menkyo kaiden in the art of swordsmanship, but weak against lies and women. A remake of Bungaku no Issue, shot by Sadao Yamanaka in 1933.

• Drama
• Comedy

The Two Musashis (1981)

Toru Emori leads the cast as Hirate Musashi while a Hiroshi Fujioka competes with him as Okamoto Musashi. They must not only contend with the Yoshioka and Yagyu fencing schools, but have to take on Chiyonosuke Azuma as Sasaki Kojiro, and deal with the women who pursue them for love. Unlike the Yoshikawa Eiji novel which is not historically accurate, this film offers a new view of Japan’s greatest hero! The film is based on the novel by Kosuke Gomi!

• Drama

Guitar Men: The Darkest Secret of Rock 'n Roll (2007)

• Comedy
• Fantasy
• Thriller
• Action

Murderer! (1976)

A cowardly samurai is sent as an official executioner targeting the clan's former sword instructor, a man whose sword and spear skills are second to none.

• Action

The Acrobats of Death (1959)

Saotome, a sword master and guard of the Shogunate, pursues the mystery of a deadly aerial weapon that is responsible for the multiple deaths in town.

• Action
• Drama

Gate of Hell (1953)

Japan, 1159. Moritō, a brave samurai, performs a heroic act by rescuing the lovely Kesa during a violent uprising. Moritō falls in love with her, but becomes distraught when he finds out that she is married.

• Drama
• History
• Romance

Mumon: The Land of Stealth (2017)

Raised suckling poison arrows among the sparring Iga ninja factions, Mumon is a carefree 16th-century mercenary. When the ninja council makes a power play to defeat the young Nobukatsu Oda struggling to step into his father’s warlord shoes as they expand rule across the country, Mumon jumps into the fray to satisfy his new bride Okuni’s demand that he make good on his promises of wealth. Yet Mumon soon finds what is worth fighting for beyond money or nation.

• War
• Action
• History
• Romance

Kaiketsu (2021)

A samurai travels to America to seek revenge for the death of his master.

• Drama
• Action

Sleepy Eyes of Death 13: The Full Moon Swordsman (1969)

Inspector General Kanjuro Sano conspires with the future shogun twin brother. They replace Ieyoshi Tokugawa with his twin, but it becomes a problem when suspicion arises and Nemuri Kyoshiro gets involved.

• Action

Zōho kaitei Chūshingura (1927)

The legendary tale of the forty-seven samurai and their mission to avenge the death of their master.

• Drama

Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970)

With a price on his head, Ichi seeks tranquillity in a favorite village. Since his last visit, it has fallen prey to Boss Masagoro, the son of a merchant rumored to have stolen gold from the shogunate. The boss has hired Yojimbo as his hard-drinking enforcer, but Yojimbo is both a spy for the shogunate, trying to find the gold, and in love with the merchant's unwilling mistress, Umeno. Ichi hires on as the merchant's masseur and buys Umeno's freedom with his employer's own money. This embarrasses Yojimbo who withdraws from a pact with Ichi to stir up trouble between father and son and their gangs. As the two sides fight, Ichi finds the gold and sets up a final set of confrontations.

• Adventure
• Action
• Drama

Yojimbo (1961)

A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.

• Drama
• Thriller

Duel of Blood and Sand (1963)

Frustrated with the bad behavior of his lord, Inaba Yajuro (Otomo) declares that he is leaving the clan and sets off on a journey that leads him into a small town besieged by a violent group of brigands. In a kind of homage to Kurosawa's 7 Samurai, the townspeople have been unable to defend themselves and Inaba sets out to teach them how to stand up for themselves. Meanwhile the vile Lord Yasumasa has sent the 4 finest swordsmen in the clan out to hunt Inaba down and kill him. Led by the magnificent Ichibei (Konoe), a master of weaponry in his own right, everything points to an ultimate showdown between the former friends in a battle to the death.

• Action

Bloody Battle at Dawn (1959)

A story of revenge between two samurai families on the Igagoe Road. Araki Mataemon born in the province of Iga. He studied the art of the sword under the Yagyu family. He helped the younger brother of his wife Watanabe Kazuma take revenge on his enemy Kawai Matagoro. Ichikawa Utaemon plays Araki Matemon and his son Kinya Kataoji plays Kazuma.

• Drama
• History

Sukiyaki Western Django (2007)

A nameless gunfighter arrives in a town ripped apart by rival gangs and, though courted by both to join, chooses his own path.

• Adventure
• Action
• Comedy
• Western
• Thriller

Gintama (2017)

In an era where aliens have invaded and taken over feudal Tokyo, a young samurai finds work however he can.

• Action
• Comedy
• Science Fiction