When it comes to powerful superheroes and the strongest MC characters, samurais are second to none in not just providing breathtaking action scenes but also coming up with incredibly stoic personalities and stories!
The unwavering attitude of the samurai with top-level swordsmanship is what sets samurai anime apart from the rest of the genres. Further, Samurais are considered to be one of the most important classical and cultural figures of Japanese history.
Therefore, Japanese anime studios put all their might into producing Samurai or Ninja-themed content for their fans. So in this blog, we have also put all our efforts to enlist the 30+ best samurai anime/movies that every sword lover would love to watch!
So let’s dig into it and discover an action-filled Samurai series!
35 Best Samurai Anime Series/Movies of All Time!
35. Katsugeki Touken Ranbu
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 13
- Watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation
In 1863, as the samurai age nears its end, Japan was divided between pro- and anti-shogunate factions. At the same time, an army of historical revisionists is being sent back in time from the future in an attempt to change the way history unfolded, putting the fate of the world in jeopardy.
However, two samurais infused with the spirits of swords race to Edo in the hopes of bringing these powers under control and safeguarding the actual history.
34. Masamune Datenicle
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 06
- Watch: 9Anime, GoGo Anime
The protagonist of Masamune Datenicle, a coming-of-age war anime is a young version of the legendary Japanese warlord Date Masamune, who lived in the 17th century.
The story begins as a young Date Masamune prepares for his first battle and revolves around his journey of becoming a warrior.
When Masamune prays at the Date family shrine, he meets a dragon deity who gives him a jewel, allowing him to summon former Date Clan leaders to support him in his endeavor.
33. Hakuouki – Demon of the Fleeting Blossom
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 12
- Watch: Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime
Hakuouki is a story of a young woman named Chizuru Yukimura whose father, Koudou, was a doctor and frequently goes out of town. When Chizuru hasn’t heard from his father in months, she decides to go to Kyoto dressed as a guy and try to find him.
In her attempt to avoid being discovered by the ronin (samurai), she winds up seeing the murder of another ronin at the hands of an insane white-haired man.
From this point, the story turns into different events and shows how Chizuru survives on her own.
32. Gifuu Doudou!!: Kanetsugu to Keiji
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 25
- Watch: Crunchyroll
A famous military general of the Uesugi family, Naoe Kanetsugu, is one of the numerous legendary figures who emerged during the Sengoku period.
Naoe Kanetsugu and Maeda Keiji, a legendary fighter on the battlefield, become lifelong friends and carve out a piece of history together.
These two warriors reflect on how far they’ve come and the steps they made along the way to reach their current level of success.
31. Peacemaker Kurogane
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 12
- Watch: Crunchyroll
Tetsunosuke Ichimura, the protagonist, is a fifteen-year-old boy who is portrayed as lively, short, and very childlike.
When their parents are brutally murdered, he along with his elder brother Tatsunosuke tries to survive.
Ichimura Tetsunosuke was frightened by witnessing the murder of his parents at the hands of a Choushuu, but he yearned for power to exact his vengeance.
30. Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Bride
- Seasons: 02
- Episodes: 24
- Watch: Hidive, GoGo Anime
The series follows the adventures of a group of female warriors who are the descendants of some of Japan’s most renowned historical people from the Sengoku and early Edo periods.
The series revolves around the power conflicts between different powerful students of Buou Academic School, a prestigious academy near Mount Fuji where the children of military families learn the ways of the samurai.
29. Sengoku Paradise Kiwami
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 15
- Watch: GoGo Anime
One night, Tanaka, the protagonist of the series, is confronted by a fortune teller who informs Tanaka about his upcoming misfortune. And when Tanaka gets involved in a fight with a man the other day, he inexplicably finds himself thrown back in time to the year 1581.
Now Tanaka is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime when he finds himself unexpectedly transported to the chaotic era during the Warring States Period.
28. Berserk
- Seasons: 02
- Episodes: 25
- Watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll
The protagonist, Guts, is a former wandering mercenary known as the “Black Swordsman” who was recruited by the mercenary group. Together with other members, Guts fought for them until their mutilated commander, Griffith, sacrificed all his underlings to join God’s Hand and rule his kingdom.
The only people to survive the Eclipse ceremony were Guts and his beloved Casca, who went insane and forgot everything she had ever known as a result of the horrors she witnessed.
Apart from that, they both bore markings that serve as magnets for evil, restless spirits, and attract other horrific creatures.
27. Hyouge Mono
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 39
- Watch: GoGo Anime
Hyouge Mono is a Japanese manga series by Yoshihiro Yamada that focuses on the big clashes and battles in the Sengoku period.
During a time when Oda Nobunaga’s legacy lingered, the warlord Furuta Sasuke found solace in the tea ceremony, but the ritual ultimately cost him his soul.
However, despite the chaos of war all around him, he is torn between his ambition for advancement and his dedication to his art.
26. Ninpuu Kamui Gaiden
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 26
- Watch: GoGo Anime
After making the decision to quit his clan, Kamui, an Edo-period ninja, was persistently hunted by his former clan members; they see him as a traitor and want to end his life.
Somehow, Kamui uses his wits and extraordinary skills to evade capture but wanders aimlessly across Japan. Later, the persecuted protagonist also develops paranoia in the course of the series and thinks everyone is his enemy.
25. Kurozuka
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 12
- Watch: GoGo Anime
When the Japanese samurai Kurou and his servant Benkei are running from their pursuers, they flee into the woods, where they eventually find the home of the mysterious and beautiful Kuromitsu.
They were welcomed with open arms, but they are strictly forbidden from setting foot in Kuromitsu’s room. However, Kurou, out of curiosity (and possibly a damned love), peers through the open door and finds Kuromitsu feasting on the blood of fallen men.
As soon as he discovers Kuromitsu’s secret, he becomes devoted to her and even turns into a vampire himself so that they can spend all of eternity together.
24. Intrigue In The Bakumatsu – Irohanihoheto
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 26
- Watch: Just Watch, Amazon
As the Bakumatsu era winds down, wandering mercenary Yojiro Akizuki travels all around Japan in search of supernatural artifacts, which he pursues with utter devotion and at huge personal risk.
Along his journey, he meets a traveling theater troupe whose members all have their own sinister reasons for being there. Do they happen to know each other, or did they meet as part of a scheme no one has yet uncovered?
23. Samurai Deeper Kyo
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 26
- Watch: GoGo Anime
During the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the famous slayer of a thousand men “Demon Eyes” Kyo, and fellow fighter Kyoshiro Mibu clashed head-on. During the conflict, a meteor struck the ground, taking both men with it.
After four years, Kyoshiro is seen while working as a medicine salesman along a remote roadway. A female bounty hunter named Yuya Shiina captures him after realizing that “Demon Eyes” Kyo’s latent identity lies somewhere within him.
22. Asu no Yoichi! – Samurai Harem
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 12
- Watch: GoGo Anime
After 17 years of training in the mountains with his father, Yoichi moved to the city to continue his martial arts education with the Ikaruga family in order to strengthen his soul.
Slowly but surely, Ibuki Ikaruga, the assistant head of the Ukiha Divine Wind Style Swordplay school in the city, and her siblings come to accept Yoichi in their dojo.
Yoichi is now dealing with a lot of problems, including the jealousy of local bad-boy Washizu over his and Ibuki’s apparent connection, as well as academic duties.
21. Amatsuki
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 13
- Watch: GoGo Anime
A student who has a strong distaste for history, Tokidoki Rikugou, ends up failing his Japanese history class and is then required by his high school to attend a special museum presentation.
The Edo Bakumatsu Walking Tour and Exhibition is a massive replica of the Edo Period that aims to improve the delinquent student’s academic performance by providing a realistic simulation of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Not familiar with samurai culture or the 1600s, he is taken aback by the prevalence of superstition in Japan through a simulation and realizes there is no way out of the museum’s simulation.
20. Mushibugyo
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 26
- Watch: Crunchyroll
Tsukishima Jinbei, the protagonist, trains tirelessly till the day he dies to achieve his goal of becoming an unbeatable warrior. Jinbei has uprooted himself from the Tsugara Domain and made his way to Edo, where he will be a part of the Mushibugyo.
His mission in the Mushibugyo is to kill the enormous insects that have overrun the area. Jinbei battles alongside the Mushibugyo, a group of courageous men who put their lives on the line to keep Edo tranquil and its citizens happy.
Mushibugyo/ムシブギョー 蟲奉行 – Trailer English Subs
19. Dororo
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 24
- Watch: Amazon Prime, Netflix
Dororo is the story of a young Samurai who was born with no eyes, nose, hands, or other organs as his father sold them to 48 demons in exchange for power over the land.
When abandoned by everyone on his birthday, a man with medical skills found the little baby (Dororo) in a boat. He trains him, gives him shelter, and replaces his hands and limbs with prosthetics.
Now Dororo as a Samurai is on a quest to kill all these 48 demons in order to retrieve his body parts from them.
18. Blade of the Immortal
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 24
- Watch: Amazon Prime, Netflix
Blade of the Immortal is animated from the stupendous work of mangaka Hiroaki Samura,
The plot’s set in Japan, around the Tokugawa shogunate, following the cursed warrior Manji, who must murder a thousand evil men to reclaim his mortality.
When Manji meets Rin Asano, a little girl whose parents were murdered by a group of master swordsmen commanded by Anotsu Kagehisa, he makes a pledge to aid her in exacting revenge.
17. Samurai 7
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 26
- Watch: Amazon Prime, Netflix, Crunchyroll
When farmers in Kanna Village, threatened by famine and kidnapping at the hands of terrifying mechanized bandits (Nobuseri), make the difficult decision to hire samurai for protection.
Kirara, the water priestess, her younger sister Komachi, and a distraught villager named Rikichi set out to enlist willing samurai despite the fact that all they had to offer in return was rice from their pitiful crops.
Fortunately, seven samurai with diverse skills and experience are brought together by chance and are in preparation for an epic battle against bandits and the lords who control them.
16. Angolmois: Record of the Mongol Invasion
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 12
- Watch: Crunchyroll
Based on historical events, the anime Angolmois features the 13th-century Mongol invasion of the Japanese island of Tsushima.
The series entails the story of a group of prisoners who were sent to Tsushima Island in 1274 to serve as the first line of defense against the Mongol invasion.
They team up with the So clan, who then band together with the Toi Barai clan to oppose the invasion of mostly Mongolian and Goryeo troops and some Jurchens.
15. Shigurui
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 12
- Watch: Crunchyroll
The action of the Shigurui series kicks off in Shizuoka in 1629, during the reign of Tokugawa Tadanaga.
A daimyo held a tournament where the competitors used actual steel Japanese swords instead of bokken (“wooden sword”.)
Shigurui follows the events leading up to the first bout between the one-armed swordsman Fujiki Gennosuke and the blind samurai Irako Seigen in Tokugawa’s tournament.
14. Samurai Champloo
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 26
- Watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation
Fuu Kasumi is a fun-loving and accident-prone waitress who spends her days working pleasantly in a tiny teahouse. Only until she spills a drink on one of her customers! now that a squad of samurai is relentlessly following her and pestering her.
In a last-ditch effort, Fuu calls on another samurai working in the shop named Mugen, who quickly dispatches them with a wacky fighting style.
Unfortunately for Mugen, he chooses to engage in a sword duel with the reluctant ronin Jin, who is skilled in the more traditional and exact art of kendo.
13. Gibiate
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 12
- Watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll
To a greater or lesser extent depending on their age, gender, and ethnicity, Japanese citizens in the year 2030 are transforming into various monsters due to a disease called “Gibia.”
A samurai and a ninja appear in the devastated landscape of Japan and a physician from the early Edo era traveled with them to help them in their war against Gibia.
Now Starting their deadly adventure with dangers all around them, they must contend with constant attacks from Gibia as well as bandits who attack travelers for food.
Gibiate | Official Anime Trailer
12. Bakumatsu
- Seasons: 02
- Episodes: 24
- Watch: Crunchyroll
The Bakumatsu was a time in Japanese history when the hearts of young men were overwhelmed with concern for the future of their country.
The protagonist, Takasugi Shinsaku, and his companion Katsura Kogorou infiltrate a government ship in quest of a mysterious “timepiece” with the potential to change time, which Shinsaku believes the government wants to keep for themselves.
Takasugi plans to destroy the artifact since he doesn’t want such power falling into the wrong hands, but as soon as he gets his hands on it, someone steals it, and the two of them have to track the mysterious thief all the way to Kyoto, the capital.
11. Orient
- Seasons: 02
- Episodes: 24
- Watch: Crunchyroll
The story follows Musashi, a 15 years old boy who grows up in Japan during the Sengoku era when Bushi are not allowed to exist, as the Oni have taken control of the country.
And, Musashi is hiding away as a miner with the other people who have been duped into thinking the demons are their saviors and told lies about the samurai being bad. To be sure, Musashi is aware of the reality and as a protagonist, he plans to use his unique abilities to face off the demons.
10. Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 12
- Watch: Hulu, GoGo Anime
The series is a visually stunning and beautifully adapted historical drama that follows Oda Nobunaga from his teenage years until his period as a warlord against his brother Nobuyuki.
Once upon a time, Oda Nobunaga, the feared daimyo, was a youngster who, with the help of his younger brother and devoted supporters, set out on the path to the grandeur that would lead him to attempt to take over all of Japan.
The challenges these young men face—succession, betrayal, battle, and ties with one another—hold the potential for a future where they can develop into powerful men.
09. Drifters
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 15
- Watch: Amazon Prime, Funimation
The series’ protagonist, Toyohisa Shimazu, gets severely injured at the Battle of Sekigahara and is now retreating with his men. However, the forest he was traveling through abruptly gave way to a modern, sparkling white hallway.
There, Toyohisa met a stern guy named Murasaki and saw the endless array of doors around him. Just a moment later after his arrival, Toyohisa is forcefully sucked through the nearest door and falls into a world that is vastly different from his own.
In this new world, Toyohisa encounters exotic creatures and warriors from various time periods of his world who were previously considered to be dead.
08. Soul Buster
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 12
- Watch: Crunchyroll
Soul Buster is a Japanese-Chinese anime series about a high school student named Sonshin who despises his hometown’s past and is disturbed by a weird dream.
Once he breaks free from the dream, a series of inexplicable events unfold, ending in an unexpected clash with the general Gien from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Just as Gien’s blade is about to hit Sonshin, a strange gorgeous woman steps in front of him. What hardships will Sonshin face after seeing this terrible battle between two generals of the Three Kingdoms?
07. Samurai Warriors
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 12
- Watch: Crunchyroll
The Sanada brothers are the primary characters in the Samurai Warriors storyline, which takes place in Japan during the Sengoku period.
In the latter half of the 16th century, the period of civil war that ravaged Japan for two centuries is drawing closer to its conclusion, and the regional warlords who have made it through the bloodshed are getting ready for a decisive confrontation.
The most cunning warriors are the only ones who can survive a battle as their best ally will become their worst enemy.
06. Samurai Kings
- Seasons: 02 + 1 Movie
- Episodes: 25
- Watch: Amazon prime, Funimation
During the Sengoku era, Nobunaga Oda, popularly known as the “Demon King of Owari,” has risen to prominence as the most powerful emperor among all other generals. To establish his dictatorial central government, he will not hesitate to use force against friends or foes alike.
Masamune Date (known as the One-Eyed Dragon of Oshu) and Yukimura Sanada, a hot-tempered warrior from the Takeda clan, are the only two people who are brave enough to go against Oda.
These two feuding warriors are equally competent in battle, but their mutual respect has led to a violent rivalry that has prevented them from working together to defeat the Demon King of Owari.
05. Laughing Under The Clouds
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 12
- Watch: Crunchyroll
In the 11th year of the Meiji Era, Japan bears the scars of the samurai shogunate’s fall and the subsequent ban on swords that made many former samurai furious and made them plot against the new government, which could lead to a surge in violence.
As a response to this uprising, the government built a massive prison in the center of Lake Biwa and started arresting the rebels to keep the country stable.
However, beneath this mundane surface, the “Orochi” curse is slowly but surely spreading over the city of Oumi. And by legends, Orochi is said to reincarnate into a human body every three hundred years, and his reappearance signals upcoming disaster.
[Official US Trailer] Laughing Under the Clouds Trailer Parts 1 & 2
04. Battle Girls: Time Paradox
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 13
- Watch: Crunchyroll
The protagonist, Yoshino Hide, is just an ordinary girl who has a knack for getting into trouble. While praying at a local shrine to ensure her success in an upcoming exam, Yoshino witnesses a mysterious man casting a magic spell.
She stumbles on a tiny bell and falls into the shrine, causing the stranger to rush over and catch her sneaking in. Unfortunately, the moment Yoshino is captured, the magic ritual goes out of control and sends her to the Sengoku period where she meets Oda Nobunaga and Akechi Mitsuhide.
Soon after, she chooses to accompany Oda Nobunaga in his search for the legendary Crimson Armor, whose bearer is claimed to be able to unify the entire country of Japan under his rule.
03. Brave 10
- Seasons: 01
- Episodes: 12
- Watch: Crunchyroll
A year or so before the Battle of Sekigahara, during the Warring States era, our protagonists find themselves in the middle of an epic struggle.
When Kirigakure Saizou (an Iga Ninja looking for direction in life) comes and sees Isanami (a shrine maiden) being attacked by assassins, he knows this is his calling.
Having escaped the Temple’s destruction at the hands of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s soldiers, Isanami is now making her way to Shinshuu while Sanada Yukimura is rounding up ten subjects of remarkable valor to form the Sanada Ten Braves, a group powerful enough to change history on their own.
02. Gintama
- Seasons: 4 seasons + 6 more (Check out details here)
- Episodes: 367
- Watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Edo was the center of the country’s samurai community, and its residents were known for their courage and determination. However, after feudal Japan capitulated to powerful invaders called the “Amanto,” such ambitions became fruitless.
Now that the shogunate has been reestablished but as a puppet regime, a new law is passed that forbids the use of swords in public.
However, the protagonist Gintoki Sakata, a silver-haired eccentric guy, continues to carry a wooden sword and act like a samurai defying the restrictions. He is also the owner of Yorozuya, a company that specializes in odd activities, and routinely takes efforts to serve other people, although in unusual and unexpected ways.
01. Bleach
- Seasons: 16
- Episodes: 366
- Watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll
The world’s top sword series, Bleach follows the story of a high school student, Ichigo Kurosaki, whose life changes dramatically when a Hollow, a malevolent ghost, attacks his family.
A Soul Reaper named Rukia Kuchiki appears to save the Ichigo family from the Hollow but sustains injuries in the process. Therefore, Ichigo is now subjected to take her powers and become a Soul Reaper himself to protect his loved ones.
After a while, Ichigo finds his classmates as Soul Reapers and begins to realize that the Hollows are not the only fearful threat to humanity but other top elites of the soul society.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – Official Trailer 2 (2022)
Our best anime lists also include the best High School Anime series around in case you need a change of mood from deadly Samurais to ecchi younglings!
