Samurai – fearless warriors of Japan, knights of honor, keepers of ancient traditions. Having been brought up from childhood by family and mentors, the boys learned to be not just warriors, but loyal servants and defenders of their feudal lords. The main qualities for Samurai: courage, endurance, and patience, willingness to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Lord and their comrades. The samurai should be indifferent to pain, death, and fear. Therefore, they were taught from childhood to everything: forced to spend nights in cemeteries and attend executions, to spend nights without sleep and day without food. The onlytough boy could become a real samurai – an elite warrior and defender.
Here, we glad to show you TOP 10 best Samurai movies to watch.
If you ready we begin.
List of best Samurai movies to watch
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The Warriors Way (2010)
The film tells about the invincible warrior Yang who worked for the clan. He killed people at the behest of his superiors, and he had no equal in swordsmanship. When he was ordered to slaughter an enemy ninja clan, he could not kill a little girl, whom he too had to kill, otherwise, the child could later take revenge. Yangtook the baby with him. His reputation was ruined, now they are hunted for as traitors. They fled to the USA and hid in a small town. However, local people have their own problems, there they are terrorized by the bandit and Yang will have to decide what to do. If he usessword, the souls killed by it will attract the attention of ninja and those who are after it. If not – the locals, he and his little girl will be threatened.
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The Twilight Samurai (2002)
A sad story about a poor samurai that barely makes ends meet in order to somehow survive. He is a samurai of the lowest rank, his salary is low, and after the funeral of his wife he had to sell a single sword, and somehow survive. “The Twilight Samurai” is a half-joking nickname given to him by comrades, because at twilight he ran home to his family, and never stayed with friends to drink after work. His life is changing because of two events that will change everything. He meets a childhood friend – Tomoe (beautiful women) and at the same time he is given the task to kill another samurai, but how? He has only a wooden sword.
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47 Ronin (2013)
Keanu Reeves is in the TOP 10 best modern Samurai films.
The plot of the film is based on an ancient Japanese legend, which speaks of samurai, who planned to avenge the death of their master. Many years ago, Lord Asano took under his wing a found boy named Kai. Over the years, Kai turned into a samurai and became an excellent warrior.
But after the death of the master, all the warriors of the master get into prison, slavery. A loyal Kai was thrown into prison and then sold into slavery, but over time he manages to escape and join forces with the rest of the Ronin to take revenge. Despite the threat of death, 47 Ronin begin to implement their insidious plan, because for the samurai there is nothing beyond the sacred way of the warrior and honor.
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The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (2003)
Zatoichi is a blind wanderer, earning a living by massage and gambling. Under the guise of a blind man, an invincible warrior is hiding, who does not need to see his opponent in order to win. The sword of Zatoichi is fast, accurate and never misses. One day, Zatoichi arrives in a town located in the mountains which are under control of Ginzo’s bandits. Their leader is ruthless and destroys everyone who stands in his way. After visiting the gambling house, the wandering warrior and Shinkichi, his young faithful friend, get acquainted with Okinu and Osei, the beautiful geisha, who returned to the city to avenge the death of their parents. They only know the name of the murderer, but it does not stop them: the girls are dangerous and ready for anything. Very soon a real war begins in the town: Ginzo and his gang know who Zatoichi is and they try to get rid of him, and the blind master intends not to let it happen. Once again, he will have to break his incognito and brandish a sword.
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Goemon (2009)
Goemon Ishikawa is a legendary samurai, a warrior who actually built a new state, destroyed a rotting structure that was headed by robbers. As a boy, he barely escaped death when his parents were killed for political reasons. He fled into the woods, where he met a ninja warrior who taught him everything he knew and made him his best student. After his teacher died, he left friends and decided to go on a free journey, where he gained the fame of a Japanese Robin Hood. All would be well, but one day he learned that the man who killed his teacher is a powerful person now. To avenge the death of a good man and not allow the killer to rule the country, the young samurai turned against everyone, even against friends and relatives.
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Taboo (1999)
It is the middle of the TOP 10 best Samurai movies for all time.
A film is about those times when Japan was still cut off from the rest of the world, and the life of the boy who dreamed of becoming a samurai is changing. He is allowed in a detachment of samurai warriors, and this is a great honor. He is so beautiful that seasoned warriors go crazy, and are at war with each other for his attention. He is more like a geisha than a warrior, but his mysteriousness and charming beauty attract everyone who sees him. He has a girl’s face, long white hair, strange clothes in which he looks even more like a girl, and over time, he understands how to use his influence on people. The film is on the list of the most famous films about the samurai.
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When the Last Sword is Drawn (2002)
In Japan, mid-nineteenth century, the power of the Shogun began to weaken significantly. In fact, the final stage of a valiant history of a thousand years has come. The basis of Japanese society all this time wassamurai, who were true elite of a military and secular society. But the world does not stand still, progress revealed the entire incompetence of the feudal system with respect to modern society, Japan needed to urgently rebuild its social structure, and huge sacrifices were unavoidable.
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The Samurai of Ayothaya (2010)
A valorous warrior and a dashing samurai, who honors laws and the code, struggled all his life against injustice, working for the powerful. In the end, after seeing the pain and suffering of a common people who cannot protect themselves, he turned his aspiration for justice against the oppressors, the very top of the government. He cannot win this battle alone; the rulers have a lot of informers, scammers, and traitors. Therefore, the hero comes to the conclusion that he needs to unite the strongest of his kind. The problem is that they are all his enemies.
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The Last Samurai (2003)
The end of the 19th century, a turning point in the history of Japan, when it began to change under the influence of Europe and America. The former captain of the cavalry, Nathan, is wasting away in the wilderness, barely earning a living telling about how he defeated the Indians. Once a former colleague comes to him and offers serious work for decent money – to train the Japanese army of the Emperor. He will have to work with a man he hates, find out who is really a traitor and for whom he should fight eventually.
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Kagemusha (1980)
It is the leader of the TOP 10 best Samurai movies for families.
The petty thief Kagemushais condemned to be executed, but suddenly he is given a life. The fact is that he, like two drops of water, is like the local ruler Takeda, a powerful man. But Takeda recently passed away.
TOP is coming to an end.
Hope it answered the question – what is the best Samurai movies?
Thank you for your attention!