History YMMV / SevenSamurai

* {{Tearjerker}}: While it's hinted at before, seeing [[spoiler: [[PluckyComicRelief Kikuchiyo]] [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness break down crying]] over the orphaned toddler and exclaiming that he'd had the ''exact'' same thing happen to him]] is quite jarring.
** Similarly, [[spoiler: Kikuchiyo mourning over Yohei's grave, knowing that it's his fault the old man died.]]
** Also, Kiku's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech is a sad and awesome moment for him. Just watch him pace up and down, brutally verbally rip apart both farmers and samurai spectacularly, his eyes brimming with tears, his voice full of searing rage.
--> '''Kikuchiyo''': What do you think of farmers? You think they're saints? Hah! They're foxy beasts! They say, "We've got no rice, we've no wheat. We've got nothing!" But they have! They have everything! Dig under the floors! Or search the barns! You'll find plenty! Beans, salt, rice, sake! Look in the valleys, they've got hidden warehouses! They pose as saints but are full of lies! If they smell a battle, they hunt the defeated! They're nothing but stingy, greedy, blubbering, foxy, and mean! God damn it all! But then who made them such beasts? You did! You samurai did it! You burn their villages! Destroy their farms! Steal their food! Force them to labour! Take their women! And kill them if they resist! So what should farmers do? ''[Kikuchiyo suddenly sinks to his knees, bending his head. He begins to sob uncontrollably]'' Damn it... damn it... damn it... damn it...
** Katsushiro delivers a DeathWail, sobbing in the rain, because he can't even ease his grief with a RoaringRampageOfRevenge: the last two of his friends to die [[TakingYouWithMe wiped out the men who killed them.]]
** Kikuchiyo's look of shame after he was caught falling asleep while on guard, and Kambei had to prove the hard way what would happen if someone took away his sword.
** There's also something a bit sad about Kikuchiyo becoming nervous after confronting Kambei for the first time. He tries to say that he would like to follow Kambei as an apprentice but each time would end in awkward silence from him.
** Manzo beating poor Shino after finding out she did the deed with Katsushiro.
** Arguably [[spoiler: Gorobei's death]] is the saddest of them. It was all [[spoiler: Kikuchiyo's]] fault, but he didn't mean for it to happen; he only wanted Kambei's approval and wanted to prove himself to be as good as Kyuzo was. Worst of all, [[spoiler: Goro]] is KilledOffscreen, and we don't even get to see him taking down any bandits shortly beforehand either.
* ThrowItIn: In one scene in which a mounted bandit is riding through town hacking at the villagers, one of the extras was hurled violently to the ground by an impact with the horse. It helped sell the scene, so it stayed.

* CreatorsFavorite: Kikuchiyo. Creator/ToshiroMifune said that this was his favourite role to play, and he's well liked by the fans as well.

* CreatorsFavorite: Kikuchiyo. Toshiro Mifune said that this was his favourite role to play, and he's well liked by the fans as well.
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: Kambei is about to turn the peasants down when a drunken gambler points out that the peasants are feeding Kambei their best food - that they have nothing but rice and they're offering it all, just to be saved. Kambei says, "I see," somberly, and takes the bowl. "I won't let this rice go to waste."
** After Heihachi accidentally made an off-colour remark about Rikichi's apparent bachelorhood (Rikichi's wife was captured by bandits), he talks to him one night by the campfire and offers to make up for it.
** Kikuchiyo raising the flag at [[spoiler: Heihachi's]] funeral. This is coming from the man who previously was a constant subject of the latter's gleeful bullying, and a sign of them parting on good terms.
** Kikuchiyo and Heihachi discussing what to do about Rikichi after Heihachi accidentally offended him. For once, they agree on something.
** Gorobei and Kyuzo are having trouble getting their men out and ready to fight, because they're scared of the approaching bandits. Then, they hear Shichiroji rousing his men with war cries, which inspires Gorobei to suggest the same. Kikuchiyo then hears the yells from Gorobei and his faction and makes his men yell as well.
** Kambei brings sake up to Kikuchiyo, who is sitting sadly by the graves. At first, Kikuchiyo doesn't want any. But then he grabs the jar and begins to drink vociferously.
** When the rice is stolen, Rikichi and Yohei get into an argument over what to do. Then Katsushiro secretly tosses them a few coins.

* JerkassWoobie: Kikuchiyo. First of all, he's [[spoiler: an orphaned farmer's son whose parents were implied to have been killed]]. Second, his attempts at proving his worth at being a samurai are met with mockery by the other six. He spends half the movie being the ButtMonkey of the other samurai until eventually, ''finally'' he's accepted as part of the team. Also counts as an IronWoobie, since he's got an amazing, determined spirit despite all this.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Shino is admittedly a little bit nuts. While her father is paranoid and a bit bigoted towards the samurai class, especially after he found that Shino had mated with Katushiro, she is kind of shrill and some end up wanting Manzo to shut her up.

** Arguably [[spoiler: Gorobei's death]] is the saddest of them. It was all [[spoiler: Kikuchiyo's]] fault, but he didn't mean for it to happen. Worst of all, [[spoiler: Goro]] is KilledOffscreen, and we don't even get to see him taking down any bandits shortly beforehand either.

** At the same time however, this film is simultaneously a '''major''' aversion. There is so much content in the film that has ''not'' been copied even within Japanese cinema and mainstream culture, and it's a fountain of UnbuiltTropes (such as the demythologization of the Samurai) that will surprise many first time viewers. In addition a lot of the technical and artistic qualities (in particular the film editing during the fight sequences) have aged so well that they blow away modern copycats and imitators.

** Kambei brings sake up to Kikuchiyo, who is sitting sadly by the graves. At first, Kikuchiyo doesn't want any. But then he grabs the jar and begins to drink vociferously.

** Gorobei and Kyuzo are having trouble getting their men out and ready to fight, because they're scared of the approaching bandits. Then, they hear Shichiroji rousing his men with war cries, so they decide to do the same. Kikuchiyo then hears the yells from Gorobei and his faction and makes his men yell as well.

** Gorobei and Kyuzo are having trouble getting their men out and ready to fight, because they're scared of the approaching bandits. Then, they hear Shichiroji rousing his men with war cries, so Gorobei decides to do the same. Kikuchiyo then hears the yells and proposes that his men do the same as them as well.

** Kikuchiyo raising the flag at [[spoiler: Heihachi's]] funeral.

** Also, Kiku's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech is a sad and awesome moment for him.

** Katsushiro delivers a SkywardScream, sobbing in the rain, because he can't even ease his grief with a RoaringRampageOfRevenge: the last two of his friends to die [[TakingYouWithMe wiped out the men who killed them.]]

** Katsushiro delivers a SkywardScream, sobbing in the rain, because he can't even ease his grief with a RoaringRampageOfRevenge, because all the bandits had been killed already, even by the last two of the fallen samurai.

** Katsushiro delivers a SkywardScream, sobbing in the rain, because he can't even ease his grief with a RoaringRampageOfRevenge.

* JerkassWoobie: Kikuchiyo. First of all, he's [[spoiler: an orphaned farmer's son whose parents were implied to have been killed]]. Second, his attempts at proving his worth at being a samurai are met with mockery by the other six. He spends half the movie being the ButtMonkey of the other samurai until eventually, ''finally'' he's accepted as part of the team.

--> '''Kikuchiyo''': What do you think of farmers? You think they're saints? Hah! They're foxy beasts! They say, "We've got no rice, we've no wheat. We've got nothing!" But they have! They have everything! Dig under the floors! Or search the barns! You'll find plenty! Beans, salt, rice, sake! Look in the valleys, they've got hidden warehouses! They pose as saints but are full of lies! If they smell a battle, they hunt the defeated! They're nothing but stingy, greedy, blubbering, foxy, and mean! God damn it all! But then who made them such beasts? You did! You samurai did it! You burn their villages! Destroy their farms! Steal their food! Force them to labour! Take their women! And kill them if they resist! So what should farmers do? [Kikuchiyo suddenly sinks to his knees, bending his head. He begins to sob uncontrollably] Damn it... damn it... damn it... damn it...

--> '''Kikuchiyo''': What do you think of farmers? You think they're saints? Hah! They're foxy beasts! They say, "We've got no rice, we've no wheat. We've got nothing!" But they have! They have everything! Dig under the floors! Or search the barns! You'll find plenty! Beans, salt, rice, sake! Look in the valleys, they've got hidden warehouses! They pose as saints but are full of lies! If they smell a battle, they hunt the defeated! They're nothing but stingy, greedy, blubbering, foxy, and mean! God damn it all! But then who made them such beasts? You did! You samurai did it! You burn their villages! Destroy their farms! Steal their food! Force them to labour! Take their women! And kill them if they resist! So what should farmers do?
[Kikuchiyo suddenly sinks to his knees, bending his head. He begins to sob uncontrollably]