Samurai movies are some of Japan’s best cinematic exports, and there are a ton of classic and modern samurai films available on streaming today. Ripped straight from Japan’s extensive history, the samurai cinematic genre kicked into high gear in the wake of WWII. Typically set during the Edo period, filmmakers have over 200 years of history to play around with.

Though earlier examples of the genre were dramatic, they quickly became exciting action films as more and more swordplay entered the equation. Filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa are synonymous with samurai cinema, and Kurosawa specifically elevated samurai films to a new artistic level. Like other genres, clichés abound in samurai films, and most involve vengeful rōnin and evil feudal lords.

Though the emphasis is often on action, samurai films are also capable of being quite deep and introspective. Bearing a striking resemblance to American western films, the best samurai movies subvert tropes and dissect the idealized view of the past. Thanks to the abundance of streaming, many of the greatest samurai films can be watched with only a few clicks.

Samurai Wolf (1966) – Plex

Despite being made in the Kurosawa mold, Samurai Wolf stands tall even when embracing every cliché in the book. With its story of a cynical wandering rōnin, Samurai Wolf is familiar, but its stylized elements are truly what shine the brightest. Hideo Gosha’s direction is reminiscent of spaghetti westerns, and he isn’t afraid to let the camera do the talking.

It’s not without over-the-top action, but it also employs shocking moments of bloody violence to convey the seriousness of the story. Samurai Wolf is overlooked among the classics of the genre, but it’s one of the best lesser-known examples. Few great samurai flicks stream for free, and it’s a great place to start for newbies to the genre.

Samurai Marathon (2019) – Pluto TV

After decades of sameness, modern samurai films like Samurai Marathon have found new ways to use old ideas effectively. Essentially a story of misunderstanding, the movie explores the form and function of Japan’s military capabilities in the dying days of the Edo period. It has a lot of classic samurai action, but features an air of adventurous whimsy too.

The fact that the тιтular marathon is a real chapter in Japan’s history is a fascinating detail, though the film’s historical accuracy is suspect. Samurai Marathon is not a movie to be taken too seriously, but it represents the fun and excitement of samurai films, and how they can still be enjoyable in the modern day.

The Fall Of Ako Castle (1978) – Plex

The story of the legendary 47 rōnin is one of the most popular tales from Japan’s history, but few films do it justice quite like The Fall of Ako Castle. Director Kinji Fukasaku weaves an epic narrative that puts a lot of emphasis on the characters, without skimping on the bloody revenge that drives the plot forward.

The movie is ostensibly an all-star team of amazing Japanese actors, and Toshiro Mifune shares the screen with Sonny Chiba, Yorozuya Kinnosuke, and others. Though The Fall of Ako Castle could be called bloated, its attention to detail is rare in the fast-paced world of samurai cinema. It’s also a beautifully sH๏τ movie that still looks good on streaming.

Lady Snowblood (1973) – HBO Max

Though its ᴀssociation with traditional samurai cinema is tenuous, Lady Snowblood is still one of Japan’s best movies from the 1970s. Revenge stories were all the rage during the decade, but Lady Snowblood‘s historical setting was a unique touch. Meiko Kaji’s performance is the stuff of cinematic legend, and her acting adds emotional emphasis to her quest for retribution.

Inspiring Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films, Lady Snowblood takes its style to the next level and features fountains of blood and exciting choreography. Color is used perfectly, and the snowy environs are some of the best ever put on screen. One viewing makes it clear why the 1970s classic is so important to film history.

Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai (1999) – HBO Max

There aren’t too many samurai films made in North America, and Jim Jarmusch’s oddball crime thriller Ghost Dog is one of the only examples. Mafia hitmen aren’t usually the subject of samurai movies, but Ghost Dog embraces the philosophy of the genre in its storytelling. Forest Whitaker plays the тιтular hitman, who tries to live by the samurai code.

Jim Jarmusch’s directing style is subtle and understated, and he’s something of the anti-thesis of classic samurai filmmakers. However, his blank canvas approach allows for the dramatic elements of Ghost Dog to shine through, and it’s every bit a character study. Perhaps not the best starting point for a new samurai fanatic, but Ghost Dog is a clever next step.

Yojimbo (1961) – HBO Max

Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo is undoubtedly the most influential samurai film of all time, and it has been remade on numerous occasions. Toshiro Mifune plays a nameless rōnin who drifts into a small village, and his exploits are humorous, suspenseful, and always exciting. Taking a page from classic American westerns, Yojimbo would later influence the western genre.

Anchored by Mifune’s rugged and stern performance, Yojimbo moves along at a nice pace toward its action-packed climax. Kurosawa deftly uses the art of cinema to accentuate every moment, and some images from the film are permanently etched in the language of film forever. If there is a perfect place to start watching samurai movies, it’s Yojimbo.

Samurai Reincarnation (1981) – The Roku Channel

Exaggerated action isn’t unusual in samurai films, but the horror fantasy flick Samurai Reincarnation takes things even further. Even the grave can’t stop a jilted believer from exacting his revenge, and what follows is a mad-cap tale of devils and ghosts with plenty of blood-soaked violence thrown into the mix. Sonny Chiba stars, and he’s joined by newcomer Hiroyuki Sanada.

What’s so great about Samurai Reincarnation is that it never shies away from being completely unhinged, and every detail is crafted to be hyperstylized. It adds a fantasy spin to a real historical event, which mixes several elements of Japanese cinema together. Samurai movies faded in popularity after the ’70s, but Samurai Reincarnation showed the genre still had potential.

Seven Samurai (1954) – HBO Max

Akira Kurosawa made many of the best samurai films of the ’50s and ’60s, but Seven Samurai is truly his most epic feature. The three-and-a-half-hour masterpiece is actually set before the Edo period, and concerns a disparate group of samurai who are all hired for the same job of protecting a village from raiders.

Simultaneously an engrossing character drama and epic action film, Seven Samurai was everything that the art of cinema was building toward in the ’50s. Though mᴀssive, Kurosawa’s magnum opus is a must-see for every movie fan, and it has aged well. It set the standard for all of its samurai movie successors, but few even come close to its grandeur.

Blade Of The Immortal (2017) – Amazon Prime Video

Based on the manga series of the same name, Blade of the Immortal is an excellent example of modern samurai cinema. Though the story’s framework is very classic, the addition of subtle supernatural elements add intrigue and separate Blade of the Immortal from the myriad of films that came before. Nevertheless, it never loses sight of its themes.

It incorporates the slightly exaggerated and cartoonish style of the manga for its visuals, but is grounded and realistic in its action sequences. Most importantly, Blade of the Immortal feels familiar for long-time fans of the samurai genre, while having enough extraneous detail to draw in casual viewers looking for something new to watch on streaming.

Lone Wolf And Cub: Sword Of Vengeance (1972) – HBO Max

The classic manga series was brought to life in stunning color for the first time in Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance, and film franchise was born. The classic story of a wandering rōnin is accentuated by the addition of his young child whom he brings along. Though the film could have been a playful action romp, Sword of Vengeance is surprisingly deep.

It has all the recognizable blood splatter and violence, but it’s also an introspective look at the very same violence. Ittō is like many of his stentorian rōnin contemporaries, but Joh Kenzaburo’s performance hints at the roiling waves of rage beneath the surface. Thankfully, the entire beloved samurai franchise is also streaming on HBO Max.