6 Best Samurai Movies to Fill the Shogun-Shaped Hole in Your Heart 

Last month the world saw the last episode of FX’s Shōgun, the massively successful historical drama about powerful samurai’s battle for power. It has clearly rekindled people’s interest in the Japanese traditional samurai movies of the 20th century.

Here are 6 of the most worth-watching genre’s staples for all fans of Shōgun.

1. Seven Samurai (1954)

Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece is probably the first film that comes to mind to all cinephiles in this respect. The tale of a ronin tasked with gathering a group of samurai to defend a village from criminals, perfectly balancing between action and character development, was the one that paved the way for other samurai movies.

2. The Throne of Blood (1957)

Here comes another Kurosawa’s work, appearing to be an Asian twist on the Shakespearen story of Macbeth. Following a warrior who assassinates his sovereign at the urging of his wife, it has become a timeless movie presenting a classic story in the atmosphere of the old samurai times.

3. The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)

The first installment of the lasting movie franchise starring Shintaro Katsu in the role of the blind swordsman Zatoichi perfectly introduces the viewers both to its characters and to the fictional town ruled by the yakuza gang. Zatoichi gets in their way to help the inhabitants, only to unveil a number of their horrifying secrets.

4. The Sword Of Doom (1966)

The movie’s title addresses the bloody events presented in it, as here we have a brutal samurai whose blade skills are only matched by his cruelty as he descends into the will for power and glory. It’s quite a shocking film, though perfect in showing violence and the establishment of the villainy.

5. Kill! (1968)

Don’t be misguided by the scary title, it’s in fact one of the funniest samurai movies ever made, as it artfully blends action and humor. The film’s plot revolves around the duo of the awkward swordsmen arriving in a small town and ending up in trouble there.

6. Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972)

Last comes the first film of the whole samurai franchise, following an assassin for hire who is accompanied by his young son on his bloody missions. It manages to both show an enormous body count and to develop deep drama about the generational gap.