Movies like Sword of Desperation

If you like "Sword of Desperation" you are looking for captivating, atmospheric and suspenseful movies about / with samurai, master warrior, loyalty, betrayal, intrigue, rivalry and medieval themes of Action and History genre shot in Japan.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps: 1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below). 2. Look for them in the presented list.
Sword of Desperation (2010)
 7.2
 844
Sword of Desperation (2010)
Original name: 必死剣 鳥刺し
Genre: Action, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 114 min.
Story: A talented but troubled Edo Period swordsman, Kanemi Sanzawmon. Three years earlier, Kanemi killed a woman, Renko, the corrupt mistress of the powerful daimyo Tabu Ukyou. Unexpectedly, Kanemi received a lenient sentence for his crime and is allowed to return to his clan after only one year of imprisonment. Following his return, Kanemi is faced with the death of his wife, Mutsue. Thereafter, Kanemi lives with and cares for his wife's niece, Satoo, who has secret affections for Kanemi and expresses them by helping change his bleak outlook on life. Meanwhile, Kanemi's develops his unique "bird-catching" sword technique which he will soon put to test in battle for the first time against the fearsome swordsman, Hayatonosho Obiya.
Style: captivating, atmospheric, suspenseful, tense, exciting, rough, bleak, serious, realistic, stylized ...
Plot: samurai, master warrior, loyalty, betrayal, intrigue, rivalry, medieval, haunted by the past, under the surface, death of wife, assassination plot, edo period, murder, society, asian history, dedication, devotion
Place: japan

Movie in categories

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Most similar movies to Sword of Desperation

The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out serious, realistic, captivating and stylized films with plots about rivalry, samurai, martial arts, heroes, medieval, master warrior and violent content mostly in Action, Drama and History genres. Some movies like Sword of Desperation: Hunter in the Dark (1979), Goemon (2009), Samurai Banners (1969), 47 Samurai (1962), Zatoichi: The Last (2010). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Watch Trailers From This List to Choose a Movie
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril (1972)
Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 81 min.
Story: In the fourth film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Ogami Itto is hired to kill a tattooed female assassin and battles Retsudo, head of the Yagyu clan, and his son Gunbei.
Style: visual, grindhouse, stylized, manga, realistic ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: samurai, martial arts, assassin, kung fu, weapons, hitman, blood, violence, sword fight, sex, ancient, fight ...
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Hunter in the Dark (1979)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 137 min.
Story: Yataro Tanigawa, a one-eyed hired assassin, impresses yakuza boss Gomyo Kiyoemon with his skill. Gomyo hires Tanigawa as his bodyguard, or yojimbo, to protect him during an inter-clan conflict. Tanigawa quickly rises in stature in the clan, but ...
Style: realistic, serious, exciting, captivating, rough ...
Plot: martial arts, medieval, ninja, samurai, edo period, heist, rivalry, master warrior, fighting crime, betrayal, dishonesty, society ...
Time: 18th century, 17th century
Place: japan
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 6.6
 6K
Goemon (2009)
Genre: Action, Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 128 min.
Story: Follow the infamous ninja bandit named Ishikawa Goemon (Yosuke Eguchi) in an epic story. One night while looting treasure from Nanban (Southern Barbarians), Goemon finds a mysterious box hidden inside a secret grave. A forgotten relic from the past ...
Style: exciting, captivating, epic, anime, suspense ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: martial arts, samurai, heroes, rich and poor, betrayal, social differences, medieval, battles, rivalry, ninja, robin hood, revenge ...
Time: 15th century
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Sword of the Beast (1965)
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 85 min.
Story: Legendary swordplay filmmaker Hideo Gosha’s Sword of the Beast chronicles the flight of the low-level swordsman Gennosuke, who kills one of his ministers as part of a reform plot. His former comrades then turn on him, and this betrayal so shakes ...
Style: serious, realistic, exciting, suspenseful, stylized ...
Plot: samurai, martial arts, medieval, japanese history, clan, ronin, swordplay, ancient, fight, imperialism, ninja, tokugawa shogunate ...
Time: 19th century, year 1965, 60s
Place: japan
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Movie in collections
Samurai Banners (1969)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 165 min.
Story: Feudal Japan, 1543 to 1562. Kansuke Yamamoto is a samurai who dreams of a country united, peaceful from sea to sea. He enters the service of Takeda, the lord of Kai domain. He convinces Takeda to kill the lord of neighboring Suwa and take his wife ...
Style: serious, realistic, captivating, stylized, jidai geki
Plot: samurai, power relations, betrayal, politics, state affairs, military, fall in love, master warrior, dishonesty, heroes, medieval, violent content ...
Time: 16th century, medieval times
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
58%
 7.6
 2K
47 Samurai (1962)
Genre: Action, Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 207 min.
Story: The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Kōzuke no suke. The ...
Style: epic, harsh, bleak, atmospheric, serious ...
Plot: samurai, vengeance, medieval, seppuku, brutality, justice, battles, martial arts, courage, society, redemption, human nature ...
Time: 18th century, middle ages, medieval times
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
49%
Zatoichi: The Last (2010)
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan, France
Duration: 132 min.
Story: A blind master swordsman attempts to lead a quiet life with his wife but he is provoked back into battle.
Style: serious, realistic, exciting, captivating, tense ...
Plot: samurai, zatoichi, martial arts, homecoming, medieval, forced into action, village, blind man, save the day, protector, murder, danger ...
Time: 19th century
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
47%
 5.8
 392
The Showdown (2011)
Genre: Action, Drama, History
Country: South Korea
Duration: 111 min.
Story: In the 11th year of Kwang Hae-gun, Jo-seon soldiers go to war with China after an invasion. In the middle of Manchu, three people who have barely survived are being cornered by the Chinese forces, and begin a bloody battle not with their enemies but ...
Style: psychological, suspenseful, rough, tense, exciting ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: master warrior, military, dishonesty, battles, confined, martial arts, survival, medieval, isolation, rivalry, mexican standoff, joseon dynasty ...
Time: middle ages
Place: china, east asia, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
46%
Movie in collections
Hanzo the Razor: Who's Got the Gold? (1974)
Genre: Action
Country: Japan
Duration: 84 min.
Story: Hanzo extracts a confession from a ghost using his assaulting methods, foils thieves, connects with Heisuke Takei a friend from his youth, offers protection to a forward-thinking physician Genan Sugino who has defamed his ruler, discovers a pleasure ...
Style: serious, realistic, captivating, stylized, atmospheric ...
Plot: samurai, martial arts, medieval, violent, edo period, superhero, nudity, female nudity, rape, spirit, violent content, state affairs ...
Time: middle ages
Place: asia, japan
⇓ similarity ⇓
46%
Samurai Assassin (1965)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 122 min.
Story: 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 Japan for 300 years. They suspect a traitor in their midst, ...
Style: captivating, realistic, serious, bleak, rough ...
Plot: samurai, ronin, medieval, martial arts, father, sword fight, politics, fight, asian history, ancient, badass, american civil war ...
Time: 19th century, 1860s
Place: japan, tokyo, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
46%
 6.7
 564
Playboy (2000)
Genre: Action, Crime
Country: Japan
Duration: 111 min.
Story: A new magistrate in the town of Horisoto—widely reputed to be the most lawless township in Japan, uses guile and his opponents' own misperceptions and prejudices to defeat his enemies and uproot corruption.
Style: captivating, exciting, serious, biting, realistic ...
Plot: samurai, human spirit, fighting the system, rivalry, gang, society, social differences, clan, edo period, legal action, actor's life, prostitute ...
Place: japan
⇓ similarity ⇓
45%
Tajomaru: Avenging Blade (2009)
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 126 min.
Story: TAJOMARU is the famous 'bandit' of the forest from RASHOMON. Whoever kills Tajomaru inherits his name, status and sword. A royal brother leaves his kingdom to protect the princess he loves, only to find a series of harrowing adventures ...
Style: exciting, serious, captivating, tense, suspense ...
Plot: save the kingdom, rivalry, escapades, medieval, heroes, martial arts, bandit, revenge, danger, woods, murder, love and romance ...
Time: medieval times
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
44%
 7.4
 1K
13 Assassins (1963)
Genre: Adventure, Action
Country: Japan
Duration: 125 min.
Story: A group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.
Style: epic, jidai geki, captivating, exciting, serious ...
Plot: samurai, martial arts, medieval, ninja, fight, exploitation, swordplay, assassin, edo period, violent content, rivalry, assassination ...
Time: 19th century
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
44%
The Swordsman (1990)
Genre: Action, History
Country: Hong Kong, Taiwan
Duration: 118 min.
Story: When a scroll containing valuable martial arts secrets is stolen from the Emperor, an army detachment is sent to recover it. It is based on the novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer by Jinyong.
Style: captivating, exciting, serious, suspenseful, stylized
Plot: martial arts, wuxia, medieval, kung fu, martial artist, swashbuckler, strong female lead, danger, obsessive quest, heroes, rivalry, state affairs ...
Place: asia, china
⇓ similarity ⇓
43%
When the Last Sword is Drawn (2002)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 143 min.
Story: Kanichiro Yoshimura is a Samurai and Family man who can no longer support his wife and children on the the low pay he receives from his small town clan, he is forced by the love for his family to leave for the city in search of higher pay to support ...
Style: atmospheric, captivating, realistic, bleak, serious ...
Plot: samurai, japanese history, medieval, sword fight, life is a bitch, tragic hero, human spirit, political unrest, emperor, martial arts, state affairs, unfulfillment ...
Time: 19th century
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
43%
Love and Honor (2006)
Genre: Drama, History, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 122 min.
Story: 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.
Style: serious, psychological, romantic, poignant, jidai geki ...
Plot: samurai, blind character, social differences, blindness, hopes, rivalry, society, vengeance, political unrest, medieval, master warrior, japanese history ...
Time: year 2006
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
43%
Incident at Blood Island (1970)
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 117 min.
Story: In the Edo period, a nameless ronin accepts an assignment to go to a mountain pass and wait. Near the pass he stops at an inn where a collection of characters gather, including a gang set on stealing shogunate gold that's soon to come over the ...
Style: serious, realistic, jidai geki
Plot: samurai, medieval, martial arts, ronin, zatoichi, edo period, betrayal, inn, katana, bandit, ambush, samurai sword ...
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
42%
Yamada: Samurai of Ayothaya (2010)
Genre: Action, Drama, History
Country: Thailand
Duration: 100 min.
Story: Based on a true historic figure, Yamada Nagamasa, a Japanese adventurer who went to Ayothaya in the 16th century and became a soldier in King Naresuan's army. After the war in Burma it's restless in Ayothaya, because of a mysterious group ...
Style: rough, exciting, realistic, serious, inspirational
Audience: boys' night
Plot: samurai, martial arts, vengeance, master warrior, disorder, military, medieval, misfit, gang, soldier, fish out of water, ninja ...
Time: 16th century
Place: japan, thailand, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
42%
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Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (1989)
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 116 min.
Story: This 26th film installment of the Zatoichi series sees Shintaro Katsu return to this classic role after a 10 year hiatus. The blind masseur Ichi gets caught between rival Yakuza clans.
Style: cult classic, tense, captivating, exciting, serious ...
Plot: samurai, martial arts, zatoichi, swordsman, ninja, medieval, yakuza, female nudity, ronin, swordplay, clan, handicapped ...
Time: 19th century
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
42%
Yakuza-Busting Girls: Duel in Hell (2010)
Genre: Action
Country: Japan
Duration: 73 min.
Story: Asami returns exhausted after three years of intense training to become a yakuza hunter. She decides to visit her old master, Inokuma, who runs a bar. However, she finds his place in ruins and nothing is as it was when she left. As it turns out, the ...
Style: exciting, stylized, rough, suspenseful, serious ...
Plot: rivalry, hitman, samurai, one man army, homecoming, danger, heroes, gang, gambling, psychopath, dishonesty, mortal combat ...
Time: 21st century
Place: japan
⇓ similarity ⇓
41%
The Hidden Blade (2004)
Genre: Drama, History, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 132 min.
Story: Set in 19th Century Japan a young samurai who finds himself in love with a farm girl leaves his home to begin a new life. He has to take stock of his new life when he is put to the test and ordered to kill a traitor who just happens to be his ...
Style: serious, sentimental, stylized, epic, romantic ...
Plot: samurai, martial arts, caste system, feudal japan, vengeance, politics, love and romance, family life, medieval, edo period, ninja, winter ...
Time: 19th century, 1860s
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
40%
Hanzo the Razor: The Snare (1973)
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 89 min.
Story: Against the backdrop of the Edo treasury devaluing currency and driving many into poverty, Hanzo Itami enforces the law without regard to status. He shows inadequate respect to the treasurer, who wants him dead.
Style: splatter, captivating, realistic, serious, offbeat ...
Plot: samurai, female nudity, martial arts, medieval, sexploitation, buried alive, edo period, violent, rape, nudity, violent content, fighting the system ...
Time: middle ages
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
39%
The Sword of Doom (1966)
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 120 min.
Story: Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopathic samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.
Style: black and white, visual, cerebral, tense, stylized ...
Plot: samurai, martial arts, ninja, medieval, violent, swordplay, vengeance, fencing, japanese history, kung fu, master warrior, sword fight ...
Time: 19th century, 1800s, year 1966
Place: japan, east asia, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
39%
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New Tale of Zatoichi (1963)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 91 min.
Story: Wishing to find peace, Zatoichi travels to his old village but only finds trouble when he ends up in a love triangle and finds old scores have followed him home.
Style: cult classic, captivating, exciting, serious, realistic ...
Plot: samurai, zatoichi, martial arts, medieval, ninja, ancient, handicapped, ronin, swordplay, murder, village, kidnapping ...
Time: 19th century
Place: japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
39%
 7.6
 502
Revenge (1964)
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 104 min.
Story: This tragic drama shows a young man fettered by Bushido, the way of the Samurai, who tried to escape the chains of his position, but was being forced to die. When the Tokugawa Shogunate ruled the land, Tatsuno castle in Wakisaka Clan's home of ...
Style: exciting, serious, realistic, suspenseful, jidai geki
Plot: samurai, time travel, revenge killing, injustice, politics, rivalry, vengeance, duel, revenge, feudal japan
Time: 60s, 20th century
Place: japan
⇓ similarity ⇓
38%
 3.4
 747
Samurai (2002)
Genre: Action
Country: Spain, France, Germany
Duration: 90 min.
Story: An ageless Demon Warrior is magically impregnated into the womb of a Parisian Kung-Fu Master's girlfriend. But what is the Demon's relationship with a new-release blockbuster fighting game?
Style: exciting, scary, serious, suspenseful, stylized ...
Plot: martial arts, rivalry, supernatural, ghost, investigation, danger, samurai, reincarnation, medieval, save the world, heroes, heroic mission ...
Time: 21st century
Place: japan, france, paris france, tokyo, europe ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
37%
 6.2
 2K
Sacrifice (2010)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: China
Duration: 122 min.
Story: For generations the Zhao family has wielded power, until their mortal enemy TU’AN GU slaughters the entire clan, determined to wipe out their influence forever. But one Zhao baby survives hidden by CHENG YING the doctor who delivered him. When ...
Style: serious, exciting, atmospheric, suspenseful, captivating ...
Audience: adult
Plot: orphan, disorder, betrayal, vengeance, master warrior, uninhibited rivalry, medieval, hidden identity, haunted by the past, murder, ancient, antiquity ...
Time: 6th century
Place: ancient china, china, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
37%
 7.0
 3K
Unforgiven (2013)
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 135 min.
Story: Set in Hokkaido, Japan in the 1880s. Jubei Kamata (Ken Watanabe), who is on the side of the Edo shogunate government, kills many people. His name is infamous in Kyoto. When the battle at Goryoukaku is about to be finished, Jubei disappears. 10 years ...
Style: psychological, atmospheric, captivating, period piece, crime drama ...
Plot: samurai, bounty hunter, one last job, redemption, human nature, hopes, vengeance, aging, isolation, wild west, cowboy, fight ...
Time: 19th century
Place: japan
⇓ similarity ⇓
37%
 3.2
 458
Urban Fighter (2012)
Genre: Action
Country: Germany
Duration: 102 min.
Story: The "Bloods" are the most intimidating and violent gang in the city. A lawless city... where gangs rule the streets... The vicious and blood thirsty murderer Slater is their leader. The city is his domain... he rules! There are those who ...
Style: exciting, captivating, tense, suspense, rough ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: martial arts, vengeance, rivalry, murder, good versus evil, master warrior, chaos, tough heroes, escapades, danger, fight, heroes ...
Time: 21st century
Place: germany
⇓ similarity ⇓
36%
When the Cobra Strikes (2012)
Genre: Action
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min.
Story: One man travels across country, smuggling illegal black diamonds to sell in order to pay for his father's pardon in South Africa. When he arrives to the United States to finalize what appeared to be a simple transaction he is soon ...
Style: exciting, serious, suspenseful, tense, captivating ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: martial arts, danger, rivalry, dishonesty, betrayal, tough heroes, smuggling, yakuza, violent content, obsessive quest, master warrior, vengeance ...
Time: 21st century
Place: usa, los angeles
⇓ similarity ⇓
36%
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