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Highlights
- Some samurai anime titles incorporate fantasy and science fiction elements into their historical narratives.
- Many samurai anime strive for historical accuracy, depicting clothing, architecture, and daily life of feudal Japan.
- Samurai anime can explore various themes, including violence and depravity, alternate history, and the role of women in male-dominated societies.
The term “samurai anime” can refer to a general aesthetic of medieval Japan or the general philosophy of bushido, and it’s a recurring theme that appears in a variety of anime genres. It tends to be part of the setting if a movie or TV series is set in Japan’s past, but the legend of the samurai can appear in almost any time and place, and given how creative anime is that means any adventure anywhere.
A samurai isn’t just an image from Japanese history of a man who carries a sword. They were the military officers who served the local or regional lord in a feudal society, and as Japan modernized, their positions became obsolete, and they faded into the past. Movies and media remember them with reverence, and today filmmakers and animators alike emulate the image of the noble and heroic samurai figure.
Updated on November 19, 2023, by Kristy Ambrose: With translations and localizations even more prevalent, more anime titles are available to more viewers worldwide. The interest in samurai-themed television, movies, and miniseries from the genre has grown from an already healthy fanbase that goes back decades. Even the samurai titles that use magic or whimsy have some historical fact in the background, even if it’s just the clothing and traditions of the samurai themselves. Several new releases and re-discovered samurai anime classics tend towards the historically accurate when it comes to samurai anime, including fantastic depictions of alternate history and a futuristic vision of the samurai.
20 Yasuke
MyAnimeList Score: 5.8
- Studio: MAPPA
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 6
Netflix produced this Japanese-American samurai anime, which has its roots in real historical facts. Yasuke was a real African warrior who lived and worked as a samurai in 16th-century feudal Japan and inspired the main character in other shows like Afro-Samurai, but this version of his story has a fantasy-science fiction twist.
The main character arrives in Japan with Jesuit missionaries and becomes a samurai in the service of Lord Oda Nobunaga, but when the lord is defeated by the Dark General, he becomes a ronin, or a lost samurai with no master. That’s mostly fact, as much as modern research can discern, but this is where the tone changes.
After 20 years, Yasuke has retired his sword and works as a boatman, taking people along the river. When he agrees to take a singer and her sick child north to see a certain doctor, he gets more than he bargained for when it’s revealed that the child has magical powers.
19 Kurozuka
MyAnimeList Score: 6.7
- Studio: Madhouse
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 12
The title means “black mound” and is a reference to a chilling legend of the Onibaba, a malevolent type of spirit from Japanese folklore. This samurai anime has similar themes, plus it’s known for its visceral yet beautiful depictions of violence and depravity, typical of the Madhouse studio that produced it.
The story follows the manga closely, beginning in 12th-century Japan with the wandering samurai Kuro, and his chance meeting with a woman named Kuromitsu. She happens to be a vampire, and some believe her blood is the secret to eternal life. Through a series of weird circumstances, Kuro is betrayed by his servant and wakes up in a dystopian future in which he must find Kuromitsu.
18 Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion
MyAnimeList Score: 7.1
- Studio: NAZ
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 12
The title of this anime is exactly what this is really about, specifically, a group of prisoners that were intended to be the first line of defense when the Mongols invaded Japan in 1274. Most of the action takes place on the front line, located on Tsushima Island, but there are also plenty of flashbacks to describe each of the main characters and their backstory, mainly how they ended up as convicted criminals.
The main character is a samurai named Kuchii Jinzaburō, famous for his sword style and stubborn, radical views, and it was politics that put him behind bars. Other members of this motley crew include pirates and petty thieves. For those who appreciate realistic depictions of historic Japan, Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion is one of the best examples and an essential part of the watch list.
17 Hidamari no Ki
MyAnimeList Score: 7.1
- Studio: Madhouse
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 25
Also known by its English name, A Tree In The Sun, the manga is a classic that dates from the 1980s and was adapted into a samurai anime television series in the year 2000. For those who are looking for a historically accurate period piece without the futuristic or magical thrills, this is an ideal choice.
It details Japanese history right down to the clothing, architecture, and daily life in this turbulent part of the Meiji Restoration. Ryoan Tezuka is a doctor of Western medicine, and Manjiro Ibuya is a samurai who clings to old traditions.
The creator, Osamu Tezuka, was partly inspired by his great-grandfather’s life story, who was a staunch advocate of Western medicine at this time and faced a similar backlash from the public as depicted with Ryoan. The story follows how their lives intertwine in the period before the Meiji Restoration of the late 19th century, in particular how they fight over the beautiful daughter of the local temple priest.
16 Mushibugyō
MyAnimeList Score: 7.2
- Studio: Seven Arcs Pictures
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 26
Although the manga series is extensive, consisting of several volumes that have been in circulation more or less since 2009, the anime consists of a single season made up of 26 episodes. It follows the adventures of a samurai called Jinbei as he fights the Mushi, a race of insects that have been terrorizing local people for a century.
Mushibugyō mixes the historic aesthetic of the Edo Period in Japan with an anachronistic animation style. Anime fans who like experimental anime like Redline or The House Of Five Leaves will also like this samurai anime.
15 Afro Samurai
MyAnimeList Score: 7.3
- Studio: Gonzo
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 5
As if any more evidence were needed that Samuel L. Jackson really is in everything, here’s the gritty and beautiful Afro-Samurai. Aside from the main character, Jackson also voices several other roles and was involved in the production.
This is the miniseries that consisted of five episodes and was released between 2004 and 2005. Samurai Resurrection, which was released in 2009, is a direct sequel in full-length movie form.
The story revolves around a hero known only as Afro and his life-long quest for revenge. He seeks to challenge the one with the Number 1 headband, who killed his father to acquire it. However, to do that. Afro Samurai has to follow a bloody path to revenge that includes getting the Number 2 headband first.
14 Shigurui: Death Frenzy
MyAnimeList Score: 7.3
- Studio: Madhouse
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 12
A must-see for any manga nerds interested in a deep cut from Japanese literary history, Shigurui: Death Frenzy is based on a manga that in turn is based on the first chapter of a novel called Suruga-jō Gozen Jiai, written by Norio Nanjō. The narrative is based on a series of true events and real people from the historic era of the samurai. To make this anime’s pedigree even more impressive, it was produced by Madhouse, which has a reputation for making anime that is equally beautiful and complex.
The story is a character study of a few notable samurai who are participating in a tournament with some high stakes, including the use of real swords, and deep grudges that go back decades. This is based on a real event that took place in 1629 during the rule of Tokugawa Tadanaga.
13 Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings
MyAnimeList Score: 7.3
- Studio: Production I.G
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 12
Samurai Kings is the best choice for those interested in samurai anime from the Sengoku Period of feudal Japan, which was mostly defined by civil war and social upheaval. The era is historic, the addition of demons and their supernatural powers a lot less so.
Instead of being adapted from a manga like the vast majority of other anime, Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings is based on a Capcom video game known as Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes. The story follows two rivals, Date Masamune and Sanada Yukimura, who decide to put aside their differences and fight against the Demon King, Owari.
The series lasted for one season and consisted of twelve episodes and was followed by a second season, Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings II, another sequel in movie form called Sengoku Basara: The Last Party, and most recently another television series, Sengoku Basara: End of Judgement.
12 Ōoku: The Inner Chambers
MyAnimeList Score: 7.4
- Studio: Studio Deen
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 10
The Tokugawa Shogunate lasted for hundreds of years, spanning the 16th and 19th centuries, and they were a family of the samurai class that ruled along with other warrior clans. Ōoku: The Inner Chambers explores how the ruling class of samurai might have looked like if they had been women instead of men. Less fighting, but more political and historic drama instead.
Men still train as samurai in this alternate version of history, but women are the heirs of the family line in a world in which a plague has killed off most of the male population. The women still take the names of men and occasionally dress in ceremonial clothing normally intended for men, often reminiscent of samurai-style or military clothing. The show includes mystery, romance, and intrigue, but it’s usually found in the science fiction category of the anime library.
11 Samurai 7
MyAnimeList Score: 7.4
- Studio: Gonzo
- Number of Seasons: 2
- Number of Episodes: 26
The name isn’t just a coincidence or a reference. Although this samurai anime is set in a post-apocalyptic time as opposed to a medieval one, this series is based on the Kurosawa film Seven Samurai.
The futuristic setting presents this group of samurai with some unique challenges, such as defending the village of Kanna from the cybernetic Nobuseri bandits, but other than that the anime follows the same basic plot as the movie. Samurai 7 aired in 2004 and the series consists of 26 episodes.
10 Blade Of The Immortal
MyAnimeList Score: 7.4
- Studio: LIDENFILMS
- Number of Seasons: 4
- Number of Episodes: 24
If fans think the title of the anime is dramatic, get a load of the original manga’s crazy title, The Inhabitant of Infinity. The story is about a samurai named Manji, cursed with immortality, who has to kill 1000 evil men to regain the ability to die naturally. Other than the fantastic curse, other details of this anime are historically accurate.
The anime television series consisted of thirty volumes, as opposed to episodes, and lasted from 1993 to 2012 which is a pretty epic run. There was also a live-action adaptation in 2017 and another anime adaptation in 2019 that consisted of 24 traditional episodes of 22 minutes each.
MyAnimeList Score: 7.6
- Studio: Madhouse
- Number of Seasons: n/a
- Number of Episodes: n/a
Another movie as opposed to a series, but the original samurai anime was popular enough to create a whole franchise and maybe that should count. Ninja Scroll was released in 1993 and was part of the anime invasion of the same era that included classics like Ghost in the Shell and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Its use of an authentic if not highly mythologized depiction of medieval Japan, not only in design but also in sound and musical choices, made it a unique offering at a time when anime was seen as a cyberpunk medium.
The story follows the path of a ronin named Kibagami Jubei. It’s the story of how his innocent cross-country trip became a deadly adventure fighting the Eight Devils of Kimon and their leader, his sworn enemy Genma, who is now the sinister Shogun of the Dark.
8 House Of Five Leaves
MyAnimeList Score: 7.8
- Studio: Manglobe
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 12
One of the best samurai anime that is highly recommended for its unique artwork alone, there’s also a compelling drama behind the subtle plot in House of Five Leaves. The main character, Masanosuke Akitsu, is a freelance samurai who has too mild a demeanor to be a fighter, which is why he’s a “ronin” or a samurai with no master.
When the leader of a group of bandits offers Akitsu a job as a bodyguard, he’s in no position to refuse. It seems strange that the strong and charismatic Yaichi would employ such a person as their bodyguard in a heartless criminal underworld, and as the story unfolds it turns out he did it more for company and boredom than any real need for protection.
7 Bleach
MyAnimeList Score 7.9
- Studio: Pierrot
- Number of Seasons: 8
- Number of Episodes: 336
Bleach is one of the longest-running and most popular anime series in history, and part of its success is the way the story combines occult lore, fantasy-horror, and samurai tradition. There have been several movies and OVAs that have followed since the original show aired, and that was an eight-year run that lasted from Oct 5, 2004, to Mar 27, 2012.
The genre is a classic example of shounen anime and follows the adventures of the titular character as he trains to become a Soul Reaper. The world is being attacked by Hollows, corrupted spirits that seek to devour human souls, and Bleach must defeat them along with uncovering an even greater threat.
6 Hyouge Mono
MyAnimeList Score: 8.0
- Studio: Bee Train
- Number of Seasons: 2
- Number of Episodes: 39
This is a better choice for those fans of samurai anime who prefer a more historically accurate depiction of Japan’s medieval era. Hyouge Mono is a slow burn that’s more about politics and personal discovery than fighting, but that doesn’t mean the anime doesn’t also have some great action scenes.
The setting is the tense Sengoku period, a time of civil war, and the main character is a warlord named Furuta Sasuke. That seems to indicate that he would be spending his time fighting, but Furuta has become obsessed with the quiet art of the tea ceremony and is questioning his path in life.
5 Sword Of The Stranger
MyAnimeList Score: 8.2
- Studio: Bones
- Number of Seasons: n/a
- Number of Episodes: n/a
A stand-alone movie as opposed to a series, Sword of the Stranger was released in 2007 and takes place in a historic but fictionalized era of Japan’s past. A group of marauders from the West are relentlessly pursuing a boy named Kotaro, who has only his dog Tobimaru and a nameless samurai called Nanashi to help him. However, Nanashi has a dark past and isn’t allowed to draw his sword, an unusual problem for a samurai.
As the story goes on, the mysterious backstories of both the main characters are revealed, and we learn why Kotaro is being pursued along with who Nanashi is and where he came from. The story has some political and social intrigue that twists the plot and keeps the story from being too formulaic.
4 Rurouni Kenshin
MyAnimeList Score: 8.3
- Studios: Gallop and Studio Deen
- Number of Seasons: 3
- Number of Episodes: 94
Rurouni Kenshin could be the most popular samurai anime in history. It’s also known as Samurai X and is based on an equally popular manga entitled Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story. There’s even a whole live-action movie franchise that’s been well-received by fans and critics, an anomaly in the world of anime adaptations.
The story takes place in the Meiji Era of Japan and follows the adventures of Kenshin, a former samurai warrior now become a pacifist. His change of heart is reflected in the unusual blade he carries, a katana with a reversed blade, which eventually becomes this character’s signature item.
3 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
MyAnimeList Score: 8.4
- Studio: Ufotable
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 26
This classic is one of many rediscovered anime from 1993, an era when many worthy titles were released but didn’t get the attention they deserved because of localization problems. The full title of the anime series was Brave Sword Legend Yaiba, and it was inspired by a manga series that ran between 1989 and 1994.
The main character, Yaiba, is a young samurai who lives with his dad in the wilderness, but an unlucky encounter with some local wildlife leads them into the city. Once there, Yaiba’s sword skill elevates him to the status of a local hero. It’s considered a shonen anime and one of the best historic samurai anime kids can enjoy.
2 Samurai Champloo
MyAnimeList Score: 8.5
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- Studio: Manglobe
- Number of Seasons: 3
- Number of Episodes: 26
The closest thing to historically accurate when it comes to anime about Japan’s move from a feudal society to an industrialized one, Samurai Champloo is produced by Shinichirō Watanabe, the same artist behind fan-favorite Cowboy BeBop. The animation style is similar, using a more realistic look for the dramatic moments and highly stylized animation for action scenes.
When the first episode starts, teenager Fuu is working in her aunt and uncle’s restaurant. By the end, the restaurant has burned down and she’s intent on helping the culprits avoid execution, so they can help her find her long-lost father, the Samurai Who Smells Like Sunflowers. These wayward samurai, Jinn and Mugen, come from very different places, and even they both point out that sunflowers don’t smell like anything, but they reluctantly agree to help her.
1 Gin Tama (Gintama)
MyAnimeList Score: 8.9
- Studio: Sunrise
- Number of Seasons: 4
- Number of Episodes: 201
Gintama is a fan favorite, one of the most popular and critically-successful samurai anime in existence. The basic premise is wildly creative, taking place in the historic Edo Period but in an alternative reality where the samurai must defend the earth from invading aliens. This is the episodic anime series that aired from 2006 to 2010, just to clarify, as there are several versions and adaptations of the popular manga.
The main character is a freelance samurai Gintoki Sakata. Eventually, he’s joined by two friends, the alien teenager Kagura who is super strong, and Sinpachi Shimura, who is grateful to Gintoki for saving his sister from a brothel. The anime is known for its clever juxtapositions of comedy, social parody, and exciting, high-stakes drama.
