Lone Wolf and Cub makes for a great binge-worthy experience for fans of the samurai movie genre. When it comes to the greatest samurai movies of all time, the films that generally come to mind are those directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune, such Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and more.
Most of these movies, though, are standalone adventures. There are some exceptions, however, including Toshiro Mifune’s incredible Samurai Trilogy. Another example is an adaptation of Lone Wolf and Cub, a classic manga that’s been brought to the big and small screen on multiple occasions.
One of its live-action retellings came in the form of a movie, which was followed by a surprising total of five sequels. All six films – which are available to stream on Max – follow the exploits of one samurai, played consistently by the same actor across the entire saga.
Lone Wolf And Cub Is A Six-Movie Story About A Samurai ᴀssᴀssin-For-Hire
The manga series centers on the adventures of a ronin who wanders feudal Japan with his three-year-old son in tow, all while accepting ᴀssᴀssination requests from various people. Many of his missions involve him righting injustices and avenging victims of vicious crimes.
This very formula was employed in the 1972 movie, Lone Wolf and Club: Sword of Vengeance, which starred Tomisaburo Wakayama as the main protagonist, Itto Ogami. Wakayama reprised his role five more times, with three of the sequels all releasing in the same year. The last two hit theaters in 1973 and 1974 respectively.
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972)
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972)
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades (1974)
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril (1974)
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons (1975)
- Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven and Hell (1975)
Each installment in the Lone Wolf and Cub series gives its hero and his son something different to do, but collectively, they still carry the feel of a deep, interconnected movie saga. After all, all of the stories are bound together by Itto Ogami’s archenemy, the Yagyu Clan.
It takes six movies for Ogami to finally have his long-awaited, one-on-one showdown with the person responsible for the tragedies revealed in the first film.
The Lone Wolf And Cub Series Is A Must-Watch Samurai Story
The six Lone Wolf and Cub movies come complete with an intricately crafted take on the Edo period and its culture, and its characters fit into its world seamlessly. But of course, the true highlight is Itto Ogami, whose stoic demeanor, mastery of the sword, and imposing aura make him the perfect hero to lead a samurai movie, much less six of them.
What’s more, none of the six Lone Wolf and Cub movies disappoint when it comes to their depiction of Itto Ogami’s swordsmanship. Each movie properly portrays him as a one-man army, cutting through swaths of enemies with little to no chance of stopping him, while also supplying the stories with their fair share of intense one-on-one samurai fights as well.
