Samurai movies and TV shows
The list contains the best, new and most relevant samurai movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out stylized, serious, epic, realistic, jidai geki and exciting films and TV shows about / with samurai, katana, samurai sword, martial arts, medieval, heroes, sword fight, swordplay, rivalry and master warrior plots mostly in Drama, Action and Adventure genres shot in Japan, USA, UK and other countries.
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TOP 10 movies tagged as samurai: 13 Assassins (2010), The Last Samurai (2003), The Twilight Samurai (2002), 47 Ronin (2013), The Warrior's Way (2010), Zatoichi: The Last (2010), Sanjuro (1962), Killing (2018), Zatoichi (2003), Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (2005).
Best films
New films
List of samurai movies
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan, UK
Duration: 141 min.
Story:
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.
Style:
unusual plot structure, intense, suspense, harsh, tense ...
Plot:
samurai, sword fight, samurai sword, warrior, medieval, seppuku, swords and armor, assassin, shogun, swordsman, battles, revenge ...
Time:
19th century, year 2010, 2010s, 1840s, 1800s ...
Place:
japan, east asia, asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 154 min.
Story:
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 ...
Style:
epic, breathtaking, exciting, captivating, period piece ...
Audience:
manly, girls' night, adult
Plot:
samurai, sword fight, battles, war, courage, japanese history, warrior, pride and honor, self discovery, human spirit, honor, loyalty ...
Time:
19th century, middle ages, victorian era, year 2003, 1800s ...
Place:
japan, asia, africa, san francisco, pacific ocean ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
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 ...
Style:
sincere, jidai geki, talky, touching, lyrical ...
Plot:
samurai, poverty, feudal japan, sword fight, asian history, friendship, love story, tragedy, character study, samurai era, visceral, assassination ...
Time:
19th century, 2000s, y2k, 1800s, year 2002
Place:
japan, east asia, asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
179K
Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
Based on the original 1941 movie from Japan, and from ancient Japan’s most enduring tale, the epic 3D fantasy-adventure 47 Ronin is born. Keanu Reeves leads the cast as Kai, an outcast who joins Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada), the leader of the 47 ...
Style:
epic, exciting, stylized, fairy tale, suspenseful ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, ronin, revenge, battles, medieval, shogun, beast, half breed, sword and sorcery, samurai sword, heroes ...
Time:
middle ages, 18th century, year 2013, 2010s
Place:
japan, asia, ancient china, tokyo
Is relevant?
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Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Western
Country: New Zealand, South Korea
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
An Asian assassin (Dong-gun Jang) is forced to hide in a small town in the American Badlands. Also starring Kate Bosworth, Danny Huston, Tony Cox and Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush.
Style:
visually stunning, absurd, surreal, exciting, serious ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
ninja, samurai, martial arts, sword fight, assassin, kung fu, good versus evil, desert, forest, revenge, fight, brutality ...
Time:
19th century, year 2010
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 134 min.
Story:
Former legendary assassin Kenshin Himura has now become a wandering samurai. Offering aid & protecting those in need as atonement for his past deeds. During this time Kenshin Himura comes across and aides Kaoru Kamiya (Emi Takei). Her father ...
Style:
exciting, serious, manga, realistic, anime ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, master warrior, japanese culture, medieval, drifter, katana, shogun, swordsman, heroes, one man army, massacre ...
Time:
1800s, 2010s, 1870s, 1860s, 19th century
Place:
japan, asia, ancient china, tokyo, kyoto japan
Is relevant?
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, captivating, exciting, tense ...
Plot:
samurai, medieval, zatoichi, homecoming, martial arts, village, forced into action, blind man, save the day, murder, protector, massacre ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
japan, asia
Is relevant?
44K
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Kurosawa's tightly paced, beautifully composed "Sanjuro." In this companion piece and sequel to "Yojimbo," jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of ...
Style:
black and white, atmospheric, tense, witty, stylized ...
Plot:
samurai, sword fight, corruption, rescue, betrayal, medieval, martial arts, police investigation, culture clash, visceral, transformation, small town ...
Time:
19th century, year 1962, future, 1800s
Place:
japan, asia, tokyo, india
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 80 min.
Story:
Set during the Edo period, the film follows the life of a ronin (Sosuke Ikematsu) and those around him.
Style:
tense, captivating, exciting, psychological, crying ...
Plot:
samurai, ronin, revenge, edo period, asian history, gang, fight, massacre, battles, murder, political unrest, male female relationship ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
53K
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 116 min.
Story:
Zatôichi is a 19th century blind nomad who makes his living as a gambler and masseur. However, behind this humble facade, he is a master swordsman gifted with a lightning-fast draw and breathtaking precision. While wandering, Zatôichi discovers a ...
Style:
humorous, harsh, exciting, perverse, stylized ...
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, sword fight, master warrior, vengeance, medieval, violence, fencing, revenge, zatoichi, violent, swordsman ...
Time:
19th century, year 2003, 2000s, 1800s
Place:
japan, east asia, asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
Even though Gennosuke and Oboro are from rival ninja villages, they are secretly in love. At an annual conference with the Lord, it is dictated that a competition--a fight to the death--will take place between the five best shinobi from each ...
Style:
captivating, exciting, stylized, serious, visually stunning ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, ninja, master warrior, forbidden love, medieval, tragic love, martial arts, state affairs, supernatural ability, battles, heroes, uninhibited rivalry ...
Time:
17th century
Place:
japan, ancient china, asia
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan, UK, South Korea
Duration: 140 min.
Story:
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 ...
Style:
captivating, anime, exciting, tense, suspense ...
Plot:
samurai, revenge, shogun, martial arts, ronin, sword fight, one against many, massacre, immortal, soldier, sword, hand to hand combat ...
Time:
year 2017
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
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Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 81 min.
Story:
In the second film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Ogami Itto battles a group of female ninja in the employ of the Yagyu clan and must assassinate a traitor who plans to sell his clan's secrets to the Shogunate.
Style:
bloody, grindhouse, perverse, atmospheric, stylized ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, master warrior, martial artist, sword fight, samurai sword, ninja, father son relationship, weapons, ronin, kung fu, fight ...
Time:
year 1972
Place:
japan, asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
41K
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 162 min.
Story:
When a warlord dies, a peasant thief is called upon to impersonate him, in order to protect his clan from appearing weak and vulnerable. But he finds himself haunted by the warlord’s spirit as well as his own ambitions.
Style:
costume drama, cerebral, visually stunning, jidai geki, bleak ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, medieval, japanese history, battles, martial arts, warrior, warlord, doppelganger, death, emperor, samurai sword, feudal japan ...
Time:
16th century, medieval times, year 1980, 18th century
Place:
japan, east asia, asia, tokyo, india
Is relevant?
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, stylized, sentimental, jidai geki, romantic ...
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, medieval, politics, feudal japan, caste system, asian history, love and romance, vengeance, family life, samurai sword, edo period ...
Time:
19th century, 1860s
Place:
japan, asia
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan, UK
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
An tale of revenge, honor and disgrace, centering on a poverty-stricken samurai who discovers the fate of his ronin son-in-law, setting in motion a tense showdown of vengeance against the house of a feudal lord.
Style:
tense, serious, bleak, realistic, emotional ...
Plot:
samurai, feudal japan, medieval, revenge, hara kiri, vengeance, society, life is a bitch, loss of son, down on your luck, rivalry, samurai sword ...
Time:
middle ages, 17th century
Place:
japan, asia, seattle
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 137 min.
Story:
Kenshin Himura goes up against mysterious weapons dealer Enishi. He controls the underworld of China. The secret of Kenshin Himura’s "Jujishou" is also revealed.
Style:
tense, captivating, perverse, epic, historical drama ...
Plot:
samurai, one man army, shogun, fight, crime boss, martial arts, secret, organized crime, criminal, outlaw gang, gang war, bandit ...
Time:
19th century, 1860s
Place:
japan, china, kyoto japan, india
Is relevant?
18K
Genre: Adventure, Drama, History, War
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 109 min.
TV show
Story:
An English navigator becomes both pawn and player in the deadly political games in feudal Japan.
Style:
atmospheric, mythical, costume drama, epic, serious ...
Plot:
samurai, shogun, jesuit, battles, chivalry, renaissance, historical event, tokugawa shogunate, martial arts, japanese history, samurai sword, interracial relations ...
Time:
17th century, medieval times, 20th century
Place:
japan, portugal, asia
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 134 min.
Story:
Shishio has set sail in his ironclad ship to bring down the Meiji government and return Japan to chaos, carrying Kaoru with him. In order to stop him in time, Kenshin trains with his old master to learn his final technique.
Style:
exciting, stylized, dorama, perverse, suspense ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, medieval, samurai era, martial arts, fight, good versus evil, heroes, master warrior, samurai sword, hitman, showdown, battles ...
Time:
19th century, 1870s
Place:
japan, asia, kyoto japan, tokyo
Is relevant?
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 ...
Style:
captivating, suspenseful, atmospheric, tense, exciting ...
Plot:
samurai, master warrior, medieval, loyalty, betrayal, intrigue, rivalry, haunted by the past, under the surface, asian history, edo period, death of wife ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
142K
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
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 ...
Style:
black comedy, visually stunning, visual, cynical, art house ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, sword fight, small town, bodyguard, swordsman, one against many, gang war, ronin, mercenary, gangster, lone wolves, martial arts ...
Time:
19th century, 1800s, 1860s, future, year 1961 ...
Place:
japan, persia, asia, india, tokyo
Is relevant?
89K
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 133 min.
Story:
Peace in 17th-century Japan causes the Shogunate's breakup of warrior clans, throwing thousands of samurai out of work and into poverty. An honorable end to such fate under the samurai code is ritual suicide, or hara-kiri.
Style:
black and white, philosophical, jidai geki, melancholic, captivating ...
Plot:
samurai, suicide, poverty, revenge, seppuku, duel, japanese culture, tragedy, life & death, courage, sword fight, society ...
Time:
17th century, year 1962
Place:
japan, asia, east asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 138 min.
Story:
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 ...
Style:
intense, suspense, anime, exciting, suspenseful ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, katana, sword fight, martial arts, medieval, fight, survival, one man army, redemption, assassin, good versus evil, samurai era ...
Time:
19th century, 1870s
Place:
japan, asia, kyoto japan, hong kong, tokyo
Is relevant?
15K
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
In war-torn Japan, the Tokugawa Shogun, desperate to restore peace to his people, orders the assassination of the hostile warlords. A beautiful young woman is raised from birth with nine other orphans, to become an assassin. Her name is Azumi, the ...
Style:
breathtaking, epic, realistic, serious, rough ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens
Plot:
ninja, martial arts, samurai, gory, vengeance, medieval, visceral, brutality, storytelling, kung fu, sword, heroes ...
Time:
17th century
Place:
japan, ancient china, asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
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:
psychological, serious, jidai geki, romantic, poignant ...
Plot:
blind character, samurai, medieval, hopes, social differences, asian history, blindness, vengeance, society, rivalry, political unrest, master warrior ...
Time:
year 2006
Place:
japan, asia
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
Raised suckling poison arrows among the sparring Iga ninja factions, Mumon (Satoshi Ohno, of idol group Arashi) is a carefree 16th-century mercenary. When the ninja council makes a power play to defeat the young Nobukatsu Oda struggling to step into ...
Style:
tense, captivating, disturbing, psychedelic
Plot:
ninja, samurai, ninja warrior, medieval, sword fight, warlord, ninja master, warrior, battles, assassination plot, fight for supremacy, gang ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan, Poland
Duration: 24 min.
TV show
Story:
Mugen is a ferocious, animalistic warrior with a fighting style inspired by break-dancing. Jin is a ronin samurai who wanders the countryside alone. They may not be friends, but their paths continually cross. And when ditzy waitress Fuu gets ...
Style:
anime, thought provoking, exciting, captivating, atmospheric ...
Audience:
kids, adult
Plot:
samurai, pride and honor, martial arts, sword fight, master warrior, friendship, danger, katana, breakdance, on the road, journey, road trip ...
Time:
17th century
Place:
japan, okinawa japan
Is relevant?
657
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:
tense, bleak, art house, atmospheric, melancholic ...
Plot:
samurai, duel, revenge, feudal japan, honor, samurai sword, violence, corruption, shame, infamy, mental breakdown, character study ...
Time:
17th century, 60s, 20th century
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
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, bleak, harsh, atmospheric, serious ...
Plot:
samurai, vengeance, medieval, seppuku, brutality, justice, battles, martial arts, courage, redemption, society, righting the wronged ...
Time:
18th century, middle ages, medieval times, 19th century
Place:
japan, asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan, France
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
A group of travelers is stranded in a small country inn when the river floods during heavy rains. As the bad weather continues, tensions rise amongst the travelers trapped at the inn. Ihei Misawa is a ronin, a samurai without a master, whose skills ...
Style:
spiritual, jidai geki, captivating, serious, atmospheric ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, rain, river, medieval, asian history, samurai sword, edo period, katana, husband wife relationship, myth, swordplay, revolution ...
Time:
year 1999, 18th century
Place:
japan, asia
Is relevant?
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