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Movies: Best "samurai" Movies

Chanbara (チャンバラ), also commonly spelled "chambara", meaning "sword fighting" films, denotes the Japanese film genre called samurai cinema in English and is roughly equivalent to Western and swashbuckler films. Chanbara is a sub-category of jidaigeki, which equates to period drama. Jidaigeki may refer to a story set in a historical period, though not necessarily dealing with a samurai character or depicting swordplay. While earlier samurai period pieces were more dramatic rather than action-based, samurai films produced after World War II have become more action-based, with darker and more violent characters. Post-war samurai epics tended to portray psychologically or physically scarred warriors. Akira Kurosawa stylized and exaggerated death and violence in samurai epics. His samurai, and many others portrayed in film, were solitary figures, more often concerned with concealing their martial abilities, rather than showing them off. Historically, the genre is usually set during the Tokugawa era (1600–1868). The samurai film hence often focuses on the end of an entire way of life for the samurai: many of the films deal with masterless rōnin, or samurai dealing with changes to their status resulting from a changing society. Samurai films were constantly made into the ... ()

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352 movies found (page 1/12):

Seven Samurai(1954)

FSK: 16+ years
| 3h 27min | Action, Drama
4.3/5 (with 1,498 votes)

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.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning(2021)

2h 17min | Action, Adventure, Drama
3.8/5 (with 172 votes)

Before he was a protector, Kenshin was a fearsome assassin known as Battosai. But when he meets gentle Tomoe Yukishiro, a beautiful young woman who carries a huge burden in her heart, his life will change forever.

Kubo and the Two Strings(2016)

FSK: 6+ years
| 1h 42min | Animation, Adventure, Kids & Family
3.8/5 (with 1,628 votes)

Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.

Directed by Travis Knight

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final(2021)

2h 18min | Action, Adventure, Drama
3.9/5 (with 186 votes)

In 1879, Kenshin and his allies face their strongest enemy yet: his former brother-in-law Enishi Yukishiro and his minions, who've vowed their revenge.

Blade of the 47 Ronin(2022)

3.4/5 (with 69 votes)

In this sequel to "47 Ronin," a new class of warriors emerges among the Samurai clans to keep a sought-after sword from falling into the wrong hands.

Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro(1979)

FSK: 6+ years
| 1h 42min | Kids & Family, Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Crime
3.8/5 (with 427 votes)

After a successful robbery leaves famed thief Lupin the Third and his partner Jigen with nothing but a large amount of expertly crafted counterfeit bills, he decides to track down the forgers responsible—and steal any other treasures he may find in the Castle of Cagliostro, including the 'damsel in distress' he finds imprisoned there.

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank(2022)

3.4/5 (with 111 votes)

A hard-on-his-luck hound finds himself in a town full of cats in need of a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain's wicked plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant mentor, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day.

13 Assassins(2010)

FSK: 16+ years
| 2h 21min | Adventure, Drama, Action
3.6/5 (with 474 votes)

A bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a war-torn future.

Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins(2012)

FSK: 16+ years
| 2h 14min | Adventure, Action, Drama, History
3.8/5 (with 335 votes)

In 1868, after the Bakumatsu war ends, the ex-assassin Kenshin Himura traverses Japan with an inverted sword, to defend the needy without killing.

Rurouni Kenshin Part III: The Legend Ends(2014)

FSK: 16+ years
| 2h 15min | Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
3.9/5 (with 197 votes)

Shishio sets sail in his ironclad ship to bring down the government. In order to stop him, Kenshin trains with his old master to learn his final technique.

Harakiri(1962)

FSK: 18+ years
| 2h 15min | Action, Drama, History
4.2/5 (with 377 votes)

Down-on-his-luck veteran Tsugumo Hanshirō enters the courtyard of the prosperous House of Iyi. Unemployed, and with no family, he hopes to find a place to commit seppuku—and a worthy second to deliver the coup de grâce in his suicide ritual. The senior counselor for the Iyi clan questions the ronin’s resolve and integrity, suspecting Hanshirō of seeking charity rather than an honorable end. What follows is a pair of interlocking stories which lay bare the difference between honor and respect, and promises to examine the legendary foundations of the Samurai code.

Dynasty Warriors(2021)

1h 57min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
3.1/5 (with 54 votes)

In the turbulent late Eastern Han Dynasty. Ambitious Dong Zhuo controls the court and the commonalty, and heroes from all over the country begin to rise.

Directed by Roy Chow - With Louis Koo, Wang Kai, Tony Yang, Gülnezer Bextiyar, Carina Lau, Han Geng, ...
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47 Ronin(2013)

FSK: 12+ years
| 1h 59min | Drama, Action, Fantasy
3.1/5 (with 1,753 votes)

Kai—an outcast—joins Oishi, the leader of 47 outcast samurai. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. To restore honour to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors.

Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno(2014)

FSK: 16+ years
| 2h 18min | Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
3.8/5 (with 239 votes)

Kenshin has settled into his new life with Kaoru and his other friends when he is approached with a request from the Meiji government. Makoto Shishio, a former assassin like Kenshin, was betrayed, set on fire and left for dead. He survived, and is now in Kyoto, plotting with his gathered warriors to overthrow the new government. Against Kaoru's wishes, Kenshin reluctantly agrees to go to Kyoto and help keep his country from falling back into civil war.

Kagemusha(1980)

3.9/5 (with 269 votes)

Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the powerful ruler. He soon begins to appreciate life as Shingen, but his commitment to the role is tested when he must lead his troops into battle against the forces of a rival warlord.

Why Don't You Play in Hell?(2013)

2h 10min | Drama, Action, Comedy
3.7/5 (with 119 votes)

In Japan, gonzo filmmakers hatch a three-pronged plan to save an actress's career, end a yakuza war and make a hit movie.

Rashomon(1950)

FSK: 16+ years
| 1h 28min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
4.1/5 (with 913 votes)

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.

Sword of the Stranger(2007)

1h 43min | Action, Animation, History
3.8/5 (with 169 votes)

Pursued by formidable Chinese assassins, young Kotaro and his dog run into No Name, a mysterious stranger who gets pulled into the chase. The unlikely companions form a bond over saving the dog from a poison attack, but chaos erupts when the assassins find Kotaro, and No Name must face his past before a horrible fate is met again.

Directed by Masahiro Andō

Blade of the Immortal(2017)

FSK: 18+ years
| 2h 20min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
3.3/5 (with 224 votes)

Manji, a highly skilled samurai, becomes cursed with immortality after a legendary battle. Haunted by the brutal murder of his sister, Manji knows that only fighting evil will regain his soul. He promises to help a young girl named Rin avenge her parents, who were killed by a group of master swordsmen led by ruthless warrior Anotsu. The mission will change Manji in ways he could never imagine.

Directed by Takashi Miike - With Takuya Kimura

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato(2019)

3.6/5 (with 27 votes)

Half a year after the events of the series "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress", the team attempt to take back Unato castle.

Directed by Tetsurō Araki

Red Sun(1971)

FSK: 16+ years
| 1h 54min | Western
3.5/5 (with 105 votes)

In 1870, Japanese ambassador Sakaguchi and his entourage travel by train to Washington to deliver a valuable sword to the President of the United States, a gift from the Emperor of Japan. On board the same train are two robbers, Link and Gauche, ready to make their move….

Throne of Blood(1957)

FSK: 16+ years
| 1h 48min | Drama, History
4.0/5 (with 336 votes)

Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji, presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit's prophecy by murdering his lord and usurping his place. Director Akira Kurosawa's resetting of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" in feudal Japan is one of his most acclaimed films.

Yojimbo(1961)

FSK: 12+ years
| 1h 50min | Drama, Thriller
4.1/5 (with 592 votes)

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.

Ugetsu(1953)

FSK: 16+ years
| 1h 36min | Fantasy, Drama, Mystery
4.0/5 (with 228 votes)

In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro and Tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa, as well as Tobei's desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi and Ohama.

Kwaidan(1964)

3h 3min | Fantasy, Horror, Drama
3.9/5 (with 152 votes)

Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai marries for money with tragic results. A man stranded in a blizzard is saved by Yuki the Snow Maiden, but his rescue comes at a cost. Blind musician Hoichi is forced to perform for an audience of ghosts. An author relates the story of a samurai who sees another warrior's reflection in his teacup.

Afro Samurai: Resurrection(2009)

FSK: 18+ years
| 1h 41min | Animation, Action
3.5/5 (with 75 votes)

Afro Samurai avenged his father and found a life of peace. But the legendary master is forced back into the game by a beautiful and deadly woman from his past. The sparks of violence dropped along Afro’s bloody path now burn out of control – and nowhere are the flames of hatred more intense than in the eyes of Sio.

Directed by Fuminori Kizaki

The Twilight Samurai(2002)

3.9/5 (with 126 votes)

Seibei Iguchi leads a difficult life as a low ranking samurai at the turn of the nineteenth century. A widower with a meager income, Seibei struggles to take care of his two daughters and senile mother. New prospects seem to open up when the beautiful Tomoe, a childhood friend, comes back into he and his daughters' life, but as the Japanese feudal system unravels, Seibei is still bound by the code of honor of the samurai and by his own sense of social precedence. How can he find a way to do what is best for those he loves?

Onibaba(1964)

1h 45min | Horror, Drama
3.8/5 (with 150 votes)

While her son, Kichi, is away at war, a woman and her daughter-in-law survive by killing samurai who stray into their swamp, then selling whatever valuables they find. Both are devastated when they learn that Kichi has died, but his wife soon begins an affair with a neighbor who survived the war, Hachi. The mother disapproves and, when she can't steal Hachi for herself, tries to scare her daughter-in-law with a mysterious mask from a dead samurai.

Iceman(2014)

FSK: 16+ years
| 1h 44min | Adventure, Action, Science Fiction, Comedy, Fantasy
2.8/5 (with 85 votes)

In the Ming Dynasty, there lives four orphans, Ying, Sao, Yuanlong and Niehu. Raised in Taoyuan Village, the four are as closed as brothers. Their exceptional martial arts skills allows them to reach the highest rank within the imperial guards. After the four successfully killed the Japanese troop leader, the Emperor orders Ying to escort the Golden Wheel of Time from Sindu (now India) back to the capital, which is said to have the power of time travel and foresee into the future. Now in 2013, Squire Tang, funded by a mysterious financer, digs up three ancient icemen from the outskirt of China; they are Ying, Sao and Niehu. As he is transferring the icemen to Hong Kong for further studies, the vehicle involves in a traffic accident which, unexpectedly, defrosts Ying...

Directed by Law Wing-cheung - With Donnie Yen, Huang Shengyi, Simon Yam, Lam Suet, Fan Bingbing

Zatoichi(2003)

FSK: 16+ years
| 1h 51min | Adventure, Drama, Action
3.6/5 (with 365 votes)

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.

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