Release OrderRecommended
0 / 27 watchedAll 26 Katsu films in release order, then Kitano's remake. Start here.
The first run (1962-1964)
- 1 The Tale of Zatoichi Kenji Misumi directs the black-and-white original.
- 2 The Tale of Zatoichi Continues Kazuo Mori directs the direct sequel, same year.
- 3 The New Tale of Zatoichi First entry in color.
- 4 Zatoichi the Fugitive Ichi is framed for a crime he did not commit.
- 5 Zatoichi on the Road Ichi escorts a woman home and finds killers waiting.
- 6 Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold A chest of gold makes Ichi the target of every gang around.
- 7 Zatoichi's Flashing Sword A dying yakuza asks Ichi to protect his daughter.
- 8 Fight, Zatoichi, Fight Misumi returns. Ichi travels with a baby after a woman dies.
- 9 Adventures of Zatoichi Checkpoint guards block Ichi's road, with political trouble behind it.
The middle run (1965-1967)
- 10 Zatoichi's Revenge Ichi defends a village from three villainous brothers.
- 11 Zatoichi and the Doomed Man A condemned man asks Ichi to deliver money to his family.
- 12 Zatoichi and the Chess Expert Misumi directs. A shogi master hires Ichi as a bodyguard. A fan favorite.
- 13 Zatoichi's Vengeance A boy's singing leads Ichi into a gang war.
- 14 Zatoichi's Pilgrimage Ichi sails to an island and faces its crime boss.
- 15 Zatoichi's Cane Sword A sick gambler drags Ichi into one last bet.
- 16 Zatoichi the Outlaw First Katsu Productions entry. Ichi backs farmers against a yakuza boss.
- 17 Zatoichi Challenged Misumi directs. Ichi guards a boy whose father was murdered. Remade in the US as Blind Fury (1989).
The late run and finale (1968-1989)
- 18 Zatoichi and the Fugitives A sick Ichi takes work guarding a town festival.
- 19 Samaritan Zatoichi Misumi directs. Ichi protects a woman from her own family.
- 20 Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo Kihachi Okamoto directs. Ichi meets Toshiro Mifune's yojimbo. Crossover of two icons.
- 21 Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival Misumi directs. A fire festival hides a gang war.
- 22 Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman Jimmy Wang Yu co-stars as a one-armed Chinese swordsman. Hong Kong co-production flavor.
- 23 Zatoichi at Large Ichi is named a local official and hates it.
- 24 Zatoichi in Desperation Katsu directs. Ichi's cane sword is broken, and despair follows.
- 25 Zatoichi's Conspiracy A reunion with old faces turns bloody.
- 26 Zatoichi: Darkness Is His Ally Katsu wrote and directed his finale, sixteen years after the previous film.
The remake (2003)
- 27 Zatoichi Takeshi Kitano writes, directs and stars. Won the Silver Lion for direction at Venice.
The Essentials
0 / 7 watchedSeven films that cover the series arc. Good if 27 films sounds like too many.
- 1 The Tale of Zatoichi Where it all starts.
- 2 Zatoichi and the Chess Expert The classic odd-couple pairing.
- 3 Zatoichi Challenged The emotional high point of the 1960s run.
- 4 Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo Two legends share the screen.
- 5 Zatoichi in Desperation Katsu behind the camera, bleakest tone of the series.
- 6 Zatoichi: Darkness Is His Ally Katsu's farewell to the role.
- 7 Zatoichi Kitano's remake. Ends the tour on a high.
About Zatoichi
Shintaro Katsu played the blind swordsman Ichi in 26 films released between 1962 and 1989, one of the longest runs for a single actor in one role.
The films are standalone adventures, so release order doubles as the viewing order, with Takeshi Kitano's 2003 remake as the endpoint.
Good to know
Katsu also played Ichi in a 100-episode TV series that ran from 1974 to 1979, which this guide skips. Zatoichi: The Last (2010) stars a different actor and continues separately, so the list ends with Kitano's film.
