Line #72 Main/Samurai


1	%%
2	%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16811042950.65089200
3	%% Please don't change or remove without starting a new thread.
4	%%
5	[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/samuraisekiro3.png]]]]
6	%%
7
8	->so if you live outside the palace, how are you supposed to protect your shit from criminals?
9	->♪ '''''hire a samurai.''''' ♪
10	->everyone started hiring samurai. (correction: rich important people hired samurai. poor people who could not afford to hire samurai did not hire samurai.)
11	-->-- WebVideo/BillWurtz, ''WebVideo/HistoryOfJapan''
12
13	Members of the military class in feudal UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}, they had considerable social status, and after the end of the 16th century until the mid-19th century, they were the only Japanese citizens legally allowed to own swords (with the exception of swords having blades less than 24 inches, which were legally considered ''wakizashi'' and legal for non-samurai to own), causing wearing both a long and short sword (called the ''daishō'', literally "big-little") to become a symbol of the samurai.
14
15	Theoretically, samurai were supposed to follow the ''bushido'' code of honor, which stressed loyalty to one's master, self discipline and respectful, ethical behavior. However, the degree to which individual samurai actually adhered to ''bushido'' (which as a formal concept may be NewerThanTheyThink, according to historians, though patterns and traditions in common with the concept certainly existed throughout the centuries) varied about as much as the degree to which individual knights in Europe adhered to the code of chivalry -- which is to say, you could find everything from bandits in armor to saints of the battlefield. Although women could be and frequently were warriors, the social and military rules for them were somewhat different than for men.
16
17	A popular misconception holds that the samurai were the counter-culture to the {{ninja}}; that is, whereas samurai tend to came from the upper classes and were [[KnightInShiningArmor honorable warriors who fight face to face and use no "dirty" tricks]], ninjas tend to be from the lower classes, were skilled at [[CombatPragmatist unorthodox warfare]] and would not hesitate to use backstabbing, poison, or spying to gain the upper hand. This is commonly seen in works featuring ninjas, [[SamuraiInNinjaTown in which samurai and ninja were either depicted as mortal enemies, or ninjas being mercenaries hired by the samurai to do the unsavory wetwork honorable samurai would not do]]. However, the aforementioned depiction is not historically accurate. In RealLife, while some ninjas were mercenaries, [[SamuraiShinobi most ninjas were actually samurai themselves]]. The idea that the ninja were something separate from the rest of Japanese society came about during the Edo period (a 250 year long period of ''peace''), after Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun and unified the country. Edo-period samurai started assuming the values of the court-aristocracy, while simultaneously resurrecting centuries-disused aspects of the samurai honor code from before the Mongol invasion, and didn't like to talk about ''actual'' warfare--they also pretended they were primarily swordsmen, while the main roles of the samurai in war were actually {{Horse Archer}}s, archers and spearmen. Furthermore, warfare in the UsefulNotes/SengokuPeriod involved extensive use of gunpowder weapons, another useful implement of war the samurai distanced themselves from during the Edo Period--albeit the infantrymen who used them, who carried the technical label ''ashigaru'', were nevertheless recognized as the lowest rung of the samurai hierarchy. Many modern historians believe the entire concept of ninjas being the counter-culture to the samurai was invented by Edo-period novelists to avoid showing recently gentrified samurai involved in anything remotely dishonorable.
18
19	Subtypes of the samurai commonly seen in anime include the KidSamurai and the {{Ronin}}, a samurai without a master to serve whose 'low class' status is sometimes designed to be more identifiable.
20
21	Samurai are popular heroes in period stories, and no few {{anime}} feature them. Such heroes, naturally enough, tend to be paragons. Outright subversions tend to be for specific characters and even then usually criticizing the upper class as a whole. Samurai and their code of ethics were featured heavily [[UsefulNotes/KatanasOfTheRisingSun in Japanese military propaganda]] during the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII early twentieth century]]. For [[WarIsHell obvious reasons]], they are much less popular in [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea certain]] [[UsefulNotes/{{China}} Asian countries]].
22
23	When samurai are presented negatively, expect them to be wearing their [[TinTyrant full armor, including an elaborately designed and intimidating helmet.]] When they are presented as [[TheGoodChancellor higher-ranking]] [[EvilChancellor officials]], {{Beleaguered Bureaucrat}}s or {{Upper Class Twit}}s (particularly those working for the shogunate/military government of their period), they are usually presented wearing simple-yet-clearly refined kimono (either the ''[[https://sengokudaimyo.com/garb/mens-outfits hitatare]]'' [[https://doyouknowjapan.com/image/kimono/kimono11.jpg from the Kamakura Period]] or the ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakama#Kamishimo:_kataginu_and_naga-bakama kamishimo]]'' [[https://doyouknowjapan.com/image/kimono/kimono04.png from the Edo Period]]). When they're being presented as paragons, expect them to at least be [[HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic helmet-less]], or sometimes [[ArmorIsUseless wearing nothing but]] a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakama Hakama]]. {{Ronin}} in particular probably aren't going to be armored and maybe be visually contrasted to armored samurai - though what with {{Ronin}} tending to be WalkingTheEarth, it's pretty logical they aren't going to be able to haul full armor around. Speaking of samurai armor, it was usually made of leather-backed iron scales laced with silk, or later on, iron or steel lames riveted together. While it was often coated with lacquer to prevent moisture from rusting the metal, [[DeadUnicornTrope it was never made of wood like some sources claim]].
24
25	Most fictional depictions of samurai tend to be AlwaysMale, though female examples aren't entirely unheard of. In fact, there was a specific type of samurai known as ''onna-musha'' or ''onna-bugeisha'' (meaning "women warrior" in Japanese). They were noblewomen trained in the art of ''bushido'' and were expected to protect their household, family, and especially their honor in times of war much like their male counterparts. The armor worn by an onna-musha was not too dissimilar to most standard samurai armor worn by men. The naginata was the weapon of choice for many female samurai which has even spawned [[NaginatasAreFeminine its own trope]]. On the rare occasion when female samurai do appear in works set in the feudal period of Japanese history, expect them to be YamatoNadeshiko [[LadyOfWar ladies of war]] who are culturally refined, elegant, and capable of fighting.
26
27	Not to be confused with the CyberPunk "StreetSamurai" character type. A more modern take is the CorporateSamurai, who takes the general ethos of the samurai and applies it to a modern setting. SamuraiShinobi is when you mix Samurai with Ninja (which is TruthInTelevision if you look closely enough). SamuraiCowboy is when you mix the classic samurai with the Western cowboy. Speaking of which, those three character types definitely got made because EverythingsBetterWithSamurai. WesternSamurai is when you have a samurai warrior of non-Japanese descent (usually European or East Asian).
28
29	See also JidaiGeki. You were probably expecting their iconic ''katana'' swords to get a mention around here, so for that, see the page KatanasAreJustBetter (and don't forget not EveryJapaneseSwordIsAKatana). JapaneseSpirit also incorporates a lot of old samurai tropes and virtues into modern manga. KnightInShiningArmor and its subtrope KnightErrant are the Western equivalents of the samurai and the ronin respectively.
30
31	----
32	!!Examples
33	[[foldercontrol]]
34
35	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
36	* Creator/KenAkamatsu's use of the ''Shinmeiryuu'' sword school in his stories (''Manga/LoveHina'', ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'') is a way for him to bring samurai into the setting, because EverythingsBetterWithSamurai. That and to depict ImplausibleFencingPowers.
37	* Manji and a number of other characters in ''Manga/BladeOfTheImmortal''. Most however are just "thugs that just happen to be born into nobility" (like most were during the 18th-century). Manji himself is a {{Ronin}} who's been wandering Japan as a sword-for-hire since his sister was murdered by bandits.
38	* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Soul Society is modeled on medieval Japan. With the Soul Reapers filling the role of the samurai class, emphasis is placed on courage, loyalty and obedience. Particular examples include Byakuya and Komamura, whose zanpakutous sometimes manifest as warriors wearing traditional armour.
39	* Shuro from ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'' certainly looks the part. Later chapters confirm he hails from the East.
40	* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', the series is set in the Taisho period, 1910 onwards so the Samurai aren’t a thing anymore, but the setting spams an old feuld against demons that has lasted for centuries, in the Sengoku period there were a band of Samurai known to be particularly strong demon hunters, one of them almost killed the series’ main antagonist Muzan Kibutsuji, [[spoiler:that samurai was later revealed to be Yoriichi Tsugikuni who had mastered one of the most powerful sword arts the series has ever presented]].
41	* Somei from the cooking-manga ''Manga/FoodWars'', member of the [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil Elite Ten]]. Somei lives by the code of the bushido, the way of the samurai, and incorporates it in his mannerisms. He uses his sword in his sushi preparations.
42	* While not an ''actual'' samurai, Juubei from ''Manga/GetBackers'' seems to follow the same basic honor code, to the point where characters will actually use the word when describing himboth flatteringly and not-so-flatteringly.
43	* ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'' in all its wacky glory.
44	* Graham Aker of ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 Gundam 00]]'' adopts the way of bushido in the second season, despite being American. His idea of the code of bushido was also rather skewed, considering he only cared about fighting his WorthyOpponent and was extremely disrespectful to his superiors. This got played up to such an extent that his InSeriesNickname became "Mr. Bushido". He even dolls up his personal mobile suits with armor and weaponry designed to evoke samurai imagery. It is subverted in that many people, in universe and out, consider him a total idiot for these actions, which he drops in time for TheMovie.
45	* ''Manga/HanaukyoMaidTeam''. Chief Security maid Konoe Tsurugi clearly has had military training, especially in the katana, which shows in her demeanor.
46	* One episode of ''Anime/HareGuu'' started showing samurai fighting a war in feudal Japan. Turns out Guu was just watching TV.
47	* The band of brothers who make up ''The Hakkenden''.
48	* ''Manga/HouseOfFiveLeaves'': The main character and a few others.
49	* In ''Literature/LogHorizon'', Samurai is one of the Japanese server's two exclusive classes (with the other being the [[ShrineMaiden Kannagi]] class); as a melee class it features incredibly powerful attacks that are offset by having long cool-downs and can also function well as a tank by making use of abilities that draw aggro onto them. Touya, one of the main characters, is the main Samurai player in the story.
50	* Ohgami Itto from ''Manga/LoneWolfAndCub'', along with many other characters.
51	* ''Franchise/LupinIII'': Goemon Ishikawa XIII, descendant of the real historical figure/folk hero of the same name. The historical Goemon was closer to a {{Ninja}} version of Robin Hood than a Samurai, though he may have been born into a Samurai family. XIII himself is actually what we call a {{Ronin}}, but is never called that InUniverse.
52	* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'':
53	** Signum has a lot of samurai-like qualities (like her loyalty to Hayate and being TheStoic) despite Ancient Belka being closer in line with Medieval Europe. Levi the Slasher even calls her "Bushido".
54	** Micaiah Chevelle has a {{Katana\|sAreJustBetter}} Intelligent Device (one of the few that speaks Japanese instead of German or English), and her Barrier Jacket resembles a Kendo uniform.
55	* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'':
56	** The Kage Summit arc introduces the Land of Iron, which is a neutral country with no ties to any ninja villages, defended by samurai, who wear armor similar to [[Franchise/StarWars stormtroopers]]. The samurai are [[InformedAbility stated to be a powerful military]] and even the regular samurai are able to use LaserBlade and SwordBeam techniques to destructive effects. Of the samurai, only three are named: Mifune, the leader of the samurai and a master of [[IaijutsuPractitioner Iai]]; Okisuke, Mifune's bodyguard who is a [[ScarsAreForever scarred]] and bald man wielding [[DualWielding two swords]]; and Urakaku, who is Mifune's other bodyguard, though few details are known about him. As might be expected, all of them but Mifune instantly lose any fight against a named character.
57	** Gato's henchmen are referred to as Samurai. While technically, they could be samurai (but are more likely to be a pair of bandits who [[InNameOnly only carry that name because they serve one of the world's richest men]]), their adherence to the Bushido code leaves much to be desired.
58	* ''Anime/MazingerZ'': In episode 26 [[MadScientist Dr.]] [[BigBad Hell]] [[WorthyOpponent praised]] [[TheHero Kouji Kabuto]], stating that he had to have blood samurai because he was a strong, courageous and tenacious warrior, right like a samurai.
59	* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', Samurai are the skilled swordsmen of the [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Country of Wano]], whose skill is so great, that they are successfully independent from the World Government. When the Straw Hat Pirates enter the New World, they meet three of them: Kin'emon, his son Momonosuke and his friend Kanjuro. There is a big CultureClash between the groups, and due to Wano's isolationist policy, [[FishOutOfWater are rather out of place in there]]. They also are unaware of what their own Devil's Fruit powers are, as well.
60	* A kid known only as Samurai was the very first one-shot character to appear in the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' anime, in the episode "Challenge of the Samurai". He dressed like a samurai and used bug-type Pokemon.
61	* In ''Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis'', Rikkaidai sub-captain Genichirou Sanada follows ''several'' of the stereotypes associated with samurai. He's TallDarkAndHandsome, extremely stern and proud ([[NotSoStoic or tries to be]], does NOT tolerate anything similar to indiscipline, is a HeirToTheDojo specialized in ''kendo'', etc.
62	* Ryoko Mitsurugi in ''Manga/RealBoutHighSchool''.
63	* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' is set in the late 19th Century during the Meiji Period of Japan, a few years after the abolition of the Samurai caste. A major part of the story centers around the last generation of Samurai trying to adjust to life in post-feudal Japan. The main character, Himura Kenshin, is sometimes described as a Samurai being a highly skilled swordsman but he was never actually a member of the Samurai caste, coming from a poor farming family. He also plays with this trope a bit seeming to fully obey Bushido while acting as Battousai and disobeying it when in his less violent state of mind, preventing many fellow Samurai from committing Seppuku, dishonoring them. During his time as an assassin in Kyoto he would have been impersonating a samurai, as a commoner wouldn't be allowed to wear swords on the street like he did, which is why he gained the family name "Himura" at that time; as a commoner during the shogunate he wouldn't have had a family name, but samurai had family names so he needed one to pass as a samurai.
64	* ''Manga/SamuraiExecutioner'' follows Asaemon Yamada, who is a samurai, an executioner, and an executioner ''of'' samurai, being the shogun's blade-tester (which involves cutting dead bodies with swors and killing criminals). He's often thought to be a pushover in a real fight since most of his victims are tied up or already dead, those who think they can attack him with impunity are swiftly proven wrong. He also tries to find out why the people he kills did what they did.
65	* Samurai in Creator/MasashiKishimoto's ''Manga/Samurai8TheTaleOfHachimaru'' are individuals chosen by the WarGod Fudo Myo-o's locker ball with the duty to protect the galaxy. They are considered to be above ''bushi'' (human warriors).
66	* Jin in ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'' is the most prominent example, as is anyone in the show related to his past. There's also the "Samurai who smells of sunflowers" who Fuu convinces Jin and Mugen to help her track down [[spoiler: he's her father, and a UsefulNotes/JapaneseChristian]]. Also worth noting is that while serving as the narrator, [[CluelessDetective Manzo the Saw]] comments explicitly on the homosexual practices of samurai noted above.
67	* In ''Manga/SchoolRumble'', Harry (the American) is freaked out when he first sees Harima's partially shaven head, mistakenly assuming that it is a "Samurai haircut." He later refers to Harima as "the one with the Samurai haircut," and seems to be under the impression that Harima is some sort of super warrior for awhile.
68	* Amidamaru from ''Manga/ShamanKing''. He is a samurai who died during the Muromachi period 600 years ago and is now Yoh's guardian ghost and best friend.
69	* ''Manga/{{Shigurui}}'' exists partially to call out the darker, more screwed-up parts of samurai culture, in response to the romanticization of samurai and feudal Japan in Japanese culture.
70	* Mifune of ''Manga/SoulEater'', arguably the strongest character with no [[TimeToUnlockMoreTruePotential special]] [[BadassNormal powers]] to swing a blade.
71	* In addition to sharing the surname of a Japanese UsefulNotes/WorldWarII ace, [[ActionGirl Major Mio]] Sakamoto from ''Anime/StrikeWitches'' is modeled after the historical image of a samurai--she [[HonorBeforeReason puts honor above everything]], [[AFatherToHisMen is protective of her subordinates]], and [[BloodKnight lives to fight]]. [[KatanasAreJustBetter Plus, she has a katana]].
72	* ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}'' has Tsubasa Kazanari, whose personality is based on that of a warrior. She vows her life for the battle, frequently calls herself as a sword and sentinel, and her Armed Gear has a katana as its default form. Additionally, her battle songs feature traditional Japanese instrumentals. However, she actually [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructs]] it, as it's shown repeatedly and increasingly throughout the series that this mind set is ''not'' good for her to have; in fact it's shown at the start to come from the trauma of losing her first battle partner, retreating into old code and issues stemming from her messed-up family to cope. She ends up [[{{Reconstruction}} reconstructing]] it as she goes through CharacterDevelopment and ditches the more harmful parts of it.
73	* Greatshot in ''Anime/TransformersVictory'' is modelled on a samurai - in the Japanese version, he even has the appropriate speech pattern.
74	* From ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'' Rai-Dei the Blade, one of member of the Gung-Ho Guns villains group. A warrior who's adapted the way of the samurai (in a western steampunk world)... with a few adjustments.
75	* In ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'', Sherry's BattleButler Mizoguchi uses a deck based on the concept. While hardly a Samurai himself, Mizoguchi follows a code he believes is similar to ''bushido'', comparing it to his desire and willingness to protect Sherry at all costs.
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Comic Books]]
79	* ''ComicBook/DaughtersOfTheDragon'': Colleen Wing was trained as a samurai by her grandfather and has samurai ancestry on her mother's side of the family.
80	* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'': Hondo-Cit Judges are modeled on samurai. Their equivalent of the chief judge is even called the Shogun.
81	* ''ComicBook/{{The Outsiders\|DCComics}}'': Tatsu Yamashiro a.k.a. Katana.
82	%%* ''ComicBook/Ronin1983'': The appropriately named Ronin.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
83	* ''ComicBook/SamiTheSamuraiSquirrel'': The titular character is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin exactly that]].
84	* ''ComicBook/SamuraiSquirrel'': Nato-san is the Samurai. He's called it in the first page of issue one.
85	* ''ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo'': Many of the characters. The series is set in a period of (relative) peace, meaning most samurai are out of a job and many are resorting to banditry or other criminal endeavors.
86	* ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'': Kenuichio Harada a.k.a. Silver Samurai.
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Fan Work]]
90	* ''Fanfic/OnePieceParallelWorks'' has Mikuri, one of the last samurai to leave Wano Country. Kazuma also qualifies as a younger version of this trope.
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
94	* The other wiki has a page on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_cinema Samurai Cinema.]], this very wiki has JidaiGeki.
95	* A lot of Creator/AkiraKurosawa's filmography has samurai as the main characters:
96	** ''Film/SevenSamurai'' (and noticeably has one of the titular characters [[spoiler:who actually isn't a samurai]] rail against the feudalism system that the samurai enforce rather than simply treat them as paragons and heroes), which spawned a SciFi {{anime}} based off it, ''Anime/SamuraiSeven''. Also, ''[[Film/TheMagnificentSeven1960 The Magnificent Seven]]'' was a ForeignRemake of it.
97	** ''Film/TheHiddenFortress'', Makabe, Hyoe and bunches of bit players.
98	** ''Film/ThroneOfBlood''
99	** ''Film/{{Yojimbo}}'' and its sequel ''Film/{{Sanjuro}}''
100	** ''Film/{{Kagemusha}}''
101	** ''Film/{{Ran}}''
102	* Creator/ToshiroMifune, who starred as samurai in all but the last two of those Kurosawa films listed above, also starred in the "Samurai Trilogy". ''Film/SamuraiIMusashiMiyamoto'', the first film in the trilogy, is all about him rising to greatness as a samurai.
103	* ''Film/TheLastSamurai''
104	* ''Film/GhostDogTheWayOfTheSamurai'' is a film about a modern samurai (Forrest Whitaker) serving a mob boss on the streets of Jersey City. He reads passages from ''The Hagakure'', a Samurai code, throughout the movie.
105	* ''Franchise/{{Zatoichi}}'', the blind swordsman, is ''not'' technically a samurai - he's actually a low-class masseur and gambler - but the films are still considered codifiers of the Samurai genre. Zatoichi has all the traits of the typical {{Ronin}}; wandering from [[AdventureTowns town to town]] and [[WeHelpTheHelpless helping the helpless.]] There have been twenty seven films, including a crossover with Yojimbo, a 100-episode TV series and a [[Film/Zatoichi2003 2003 version]] by Creator/TakeshiKitano.
106	* ''Anime/SwordOfTheStranger''
107	* Almost all the male characters in Creator/YojiYamada's film ''Film/TheTwilightSamurai'' are samurai. Technically. But it's set in the period right before the UsefulNotes/MeijiRestoration, by which time most samurai were essentially bureaucrats.
108	* The Jedi of ''Franchise/StarWars'' are directly based on samurai. Darth Vader's armor is based off samurai armor.
109	* Creator/{{Gackt}}'s character Yoshi is a samurai in the film ''Film/{{Bunraku}}''.
110	* All the main characters of ''Film/ThirteenAssassins'', except for Kiga.
111	* ''Film/GateOfHell'' is an interesting example, as the main character is a samurai, but the story is about unrequited love and obsession.
112	[[/folder]]
113
114	[[folder:Literature]]
115	%%* Several characters in ''Literature/CloudOfSparrows''.
116	* ''Literature/TheHagakure: The Book of Bushido'' is a collection of commentaries from Yamamoto Tsunetomo, a former samurai who retired and became a Buddhist priest. A younger friend of his, Tsuramato Tashiro, dictated all of Tsunetomo's statements in their conversations over seven years and eventually had them published long after Tsunetomo's death. It is frequently thought of as a handbook on how to be a samurai, though in truth it is more a assortment of a man's [[NostalgiaAintLikeItUsedToBe nostalgic musings]] for [[BornInTheWrongCentury a time he never even experienced]], as he never fought himself since his samurai tenure was during a time of peace and no one knows if he ever intended for everything he said around Tsuramato Tashiro to be published.
117	* ''Literature/ReignOfTheSevenSpellblades'': Nanao Hibiya was a samurai in Yamatsukuni, the setting's [[FantasyCounterpartCulture counterpart]] to UsefulNotes/SengokuPeriod Japan. Notably, despite being a teenage girl, she prefers a katana to a naginata, and was brought to Kimberly Magic Academy by a visiting Union mage who plucked her from a battlefield where she was fighting a LastStand in an army's rearguard.
118	* ''Literature/SamuraiSanta'': After Yukio and the other ninja kids chase SantaClaus out of the ninja village, a red-faced samurai leading an army of {{Snowlem}}s engages them all in an all-out snowball war. [[spoiler:The samurai was Santa Claus, and the snowball was was his Christmas present to Yukio.]]
119	%%* The ''Literature/SanoIchiro'' series by Laura Joh Rowland, set in [[JidaiGeki 17th-century Edo]].
120	* The ''Literature/TomoeGozenSaga'' by Jessica Amanda Salmonson, starring the eponymous legendary 12th-century lady samurai.
121	%%* The majority of characters in ''Literature/TaleOfYashima''.
122	[[/folder]]
123
124	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
125	* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' and ''Franchise/PowerRangers'':
126	** ''Sentai'' finally got around to using a samurai theme in 2009 with ''Series/SamuraiSentaiShinkenger''. ''Shinkenger'' inevietably got its American counterpart as ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai''.
127	** Even before ''Samurai'', ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaStorm'' had a Green Samurai Ranger, even though the ''Sentai'' character he was based on was a ninja rather than a samurai.
128	** In ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' there was a MonsterOfTheWeek called the Samurai Fanman, who likely fit the Trope InNameOnly. Indeed, the ''Sentai'' version of the monster was actually based on a villain from the Chinese classic ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest''
129	** The Gao Warriors, the Gaorangers' ancient predecessors from ''Series/HyakujuuSentaiGaoranger'', are samurai-themed warriors (their ''Series/PowerRangersWildForce'' counterparts are more like [[SettingUpdate Western-style knights]]). Also, one of the monsters of the week in both series was a samurai monster.
130	* After his appearance in the drama ''Fuurin Kazan'', Creator/{{Gackt}} started getting cast in roles as a Samurai. Since then he has been cast as a Samurai in the upcoming movie Bunraku, as Nemuri Kyoshiro in a theater play, and was one of the main features of Koei's Samurai Festival.
131	* The recurring sketch on ''[[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]]'' where John Belushi plays a samurai dressed like ''Film/{{Yojimbo}}'' speaking pidgin Japanese in various jobs like "Samurai Delicatessen" or "Samurai Hotel" with Buck Henry always as a customer.
132	* ''Series/{{Highlander}}'' had an episode entitled 'The Samurai', where Duncan washes up in Japan during its isolationist period. Samurai Hideo Koto helps him even though it's illegal and he should kill him. Eventually, he gives Duncan his signature katana and when he's told the Emperor's men are coming, he commits seppuku with Duncan as his second. Duncan much later helps his descendant because of a promise he made to the family.
133	* All of the Riders in ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'' are based on different kinds of warriors, but the samurai motif gets special treatment as being that of both TheHero and the AntiVillain that serves as the main antagonist.
134	[[/folder]]
135
136	[[folder:Pinball]]
137	* This is the theme of the "Dragon Showdown" table in ''VideoGame/LastGladiators''.
138	[[/folder]]
139
140	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
141	* The Samurai class in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons 3.5'' (while seen as possibly the worst basic class in the game if one doesn't count NPC classes like Commoner [[note]]And even then, Adepts and Magewrights are better ''out of the box'', and Experts has ''some'' ways to optimize more effectively. Even Commoners have at least one GameBreaker obtainable with Dragon Magazine material[[/note]]) is contrasted with the Paladin in the text, with it being noted that the Paladin might ask if an order given by one's superior is just, while a Samurai would say to that Paladin "You dishonor the lord by questioning his orders".
142	** The Samurai is brought back for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, but this time as a specialization of the Fighter rather than its own class. This time around, the suckiness has been removed and a sidebar notes that while samurai were of course real, the game makers decided to go with "[[HollywoodHistory samurai as depicted in movies and comic books]]" because they thought that it would be [[RuleOfFun more fun that way]].
143	* ''TabletopGame/LegendOfTheFiveRings'' plays the trope ''very'' straight, and actually gets a fair number of the societal details right as well - although Bushido is a somewhat [[SeriousBusiness bigger deal]] than it was in real life, primarily for dramatic purposes.
144	* In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', the samurai is a sub-class of the [[KnightInShiningArmor cavalier]]. Ironically, despite the fact that the samurai is perhaps an iconic Lawful-requiring class, the Pathfinder samurai has no alignment restriction, nor does its parent the cavalier. This is particularly noteworthy when contrasted with D&D, where they both had to be Lawful, and especially since Pathfinder does retain many of the classic alignment-restrictions on classes (ThePaladin must be LawfulGood, barbarians can't be lawful, druids must be Neutral, monks must be Lawful).
145	* The samurai creature type in ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', introduced in ''Kamigawa''. All of them have Bushido as a keyword ability. Notable examples are [[{{Ronin}} Toshiro Umezawa]] and [[TheEmperor Daimyo Konda]].
146	* In the ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'' card game, there are the Six Samurai, and the forbearers, the Legendary Six Samurai.
147	[[/folder]]
148
149	[[folder:Video Games]]
150	%%* Ryuuya in ''VisualNovel/{{AIR}}''.
151	%%* Kamui of ''VideoGame/ArcanaHeart''.
152	* In ''VideoGame/AkaneTheKunoichi'', your goal is to rescue Goro, the samurai, who is the heroine's master and love interest.
153	* The Dragon Clan's third tier unit in ''VideoGame/BattleRealms'' is the Samurai. At least one of their [[HeroUnit Zen Masters]], Otomo, is one as well. Kenji will also begin resembling a Samurai in the Dragon campaign and will don a hakama in his final incarnation.
154	* ''VideoGame/{{Brigandine}}'': Samurai is a character class of some characters within the game and promotes into a Shogun. Take note that this is despite the setting being a medieval Europe-like world. The Japanese version called it 'Sword Master', but it doesn't take away from how their sprite/model is basically an O-Yoroi armor set (usually worn by Samurai).
155	* ''VideoGame/BugFables'': Kabbu and the Northern Kingdom from which he hails are portrayed with many stereotypical attributes of idealized samurai. The Northern Kingdom is described in a Lore Book as very traditional and honor-focused like feudal Japan, while its predominant [[ToughBeetles beetle]] inhabitants (like Kabbu and Stratos) are designed with exoskeletons that evoke samurai armor. Kabbu's use of his sharp horn for melee attacks faintly resembles sword attacks, while his unswervingly kind and chivalrous demeanor invokes JapanesePoliteness.
156	* ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'' routinely features Samurai as Japan's unique unit. They tend to have superior stats compared to generic military units of the same era, or special abilities like striking first in combat or fighting at full effectiveness no matter how badly they're wounded, though ''Civ V'' inexplicably gave them the ability to improve ocean resource tiles, to make up for Japan's lack of peacetime buffs.
157	* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'':
158	** The Empire's basic foot soldiers are Imperial warriors, high-tech Samurai wielding beam carbines and {{Laser Blade}}s that can one-shot infantry via banzai charge.
159	** The Tsunami tank crew even refer to themselves as samurai (though in their role as cavalry rather than swordsmen, the Tsunami being an amphibious tank), and the background info mentions that they also take calligraphy classes in addition to training with the tanks.
160	* The launch of ''VideoGame/ConquerorsBlade'''s Japanese-themed ''Season XVI: Sengoku'' saw the arrival of the samurai-themed Shadow Muraji and Red Stag hero attires, as well as the new Orochi Samurai unit--which are a bit of a subversion, since they use ''jumonji yari'' spears instead of katana. The game also features a few generic, non-seasonal samurai-themed attire sets such as the Samurai of Wrath, Immortal, and Lord of the Sea cosmetics.
161	* ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'' has a weird example: though it's a game about high schoolers in training to become {{Idol Singer}}s, one character - Souma - is explicitly samurai themed, and unlike the ninja character, he is ''not'' just [=LARPing=]. He comes from an extremely old-fashioned family which lives as though it were still the Edo period and is very protective of its samurai history. They also seem to have some kind of political clout - Souma has a government permit to carry around a sword everywhere he goes, even in school, and when Shinobu hears this he wonders aloud who his family even ''are''. As a result, Souma not only acts like a samurai - complete with old-timey speech, SamuraiPonytail, UndyingLoyalty to his 'master', and comic willingness to suggest seppuku as penalty for any of his mistakes - he even identifies himself as one, even though for obvious reasons the whole warrior class doesn't actually exist anymore.
162	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
163	** The Samurai are a major [[CultureChopSuey cultural inspiration]] for the Redguards, a ProudWarriorRace of [[HumansAreWarriors mankind]] who otherwise draw significantly from [[ArabianNightsDays various Middle-Eastern cultures]] as well as the Moors. Their status as the {{Master Swordsm\|an}}en race of Tamriel and the veneration of the swords themselves in their culture are firmly Samurai.
164	** The [[AncientOrderOfProtectors Blades]] also have the Samurai as a major inspiration. This is reflected in their namesake [[KatanasAreJustBetter weapons]] and style of armor. The Blades blend the Samurai with western-style knights and the [[SecretPolice CIA]][=/=][[PraetorianGuard Secret Service]].
165	* ''VideoGame/EmpireEarth 2'' has Samurai as the Japanese unique unit in the first 5 epochs, meaning it's possible to see them fighting alongside cavemen.
166	* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
167	** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'', every character can take on the Samurai [[JobSystem job]] once unlocked - its special ability is throwing [[FictionalCurrency gil]] at all foes the player is currently facing. While economically taxing, it is one of the fastest way to deal massive amounts of damage.
168	** Cyan from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' fits this character type completely, with his use of formal speech (YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe in the NA translations}, [[KatanasAreJustBetter a wide array of katanas]]/[[EveryJapaneseSwordIsAKatana Eastern-style swords]], and unique sword skills such as multislashes, counterattacks and stuns.
169	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' of course has Sephiroth, who's also got a Samurai theme going on, [[{{BFS}} Big Fucking Katana]] included. By WordOfGod, Sephiroth was inspired by UsefulNotes/SasakiKojiro, who similarly used an unusually long nodachi. [[TheHero Cloud]] in turn was inspired by UsefulNotes/MiyamotoMusashi, who according to legend defeated Kojiro using a sword carved from a boat oar, and thus Cloud's [[{{BFS}} Buster Sword]] resembles a sharpened, exaggerated boat oar.
170	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'':
171	*** A lot of Auron's appearance is due to traditional depictions of {{ronin}}, including the arm being kept inside his robe and the jug of sake hanging from his belt.\
172	He also starts the game with a {{BFS}} that is called a katana, (although it looks more like a cross between a katana and [[http://toppera-tpr.deviantart.com/art/Sanosuke-82575370?offset=30 Sanosuke's zanbato]] from ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'') and most of his other weapons are named after famous Japanese sword smiths, although not all of them look much like traditional blades. His (gigantic) katana are notable for being considered piercing weapons, which along his massive strength, are able to take down armored enemies without hassle.\
173	His other skills include 'Breaks', which reduces an enemies' attack/defense and/or magics, and he's also the first party member able to take massive hits in place of the more fragile mages. Once his Celestial Weapon is unlocked and fully powered, he deals even more damage at lower health, as a samurai embraces death [[spoiler:it helps that he is in fact already dead for the entire game]]. There's a reason he's called the Legendary Guardian.
174	*** Yojimbo from the same game is an optional [[SummonMagic Aeon]] which joins upon being hired. Payment is expected not only to recruit him, but for his every action. He carries a number of weapons, including a nodachi which, should he decides you're worthy of him unsheathing, will [[SingleStrokeBattle oneshot]] [[GameBreaker ANYTHING]] in the game, up to and including the final boss OR even optional [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu superbosses]].
175	** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'', Yuna, Rikku, and newcomer Paine can choose to carry on their legacy and wield the Samurai dressphere. It allows them bonus attack damage when they're on low health, reflecting the samurai's fearlessness in battle, abilities like Momentum, that increase the girls' damage as more foes fall in battle, and cleansing both the player's debuffs and purging their foes' buffs. By far their most notable skills however, are [[SingleStrokeBattle Zantetsu, an strike intended as a one-hit kill of any one opponent, and Shin-Zantetsu, a MULTITARGET strike with a 50% chance to do the same.]]
176	* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'', despite being mostly MedievalEuropeanFantasy, has had this trope apply since the incorporation of {{Wutai}} in the 3DS games.
177	** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'', the Swordmaster class very much looks like a samurai; in fact, the two recruitable characters who start off as Swordmasters (Say'ri and [[spoiler:Yen'fay]]) are both from pseudo-Japanese Chon'sin.
178	** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' takes it even further, with the Myrmidon class even being renamed to Samurai, due to one of the game's two major nations, Hoshido, being based almost entirely on feudal Japan. The promoted class Swordmaster even wears armor that is basically indistinguishable from traditional samurai armor.
179	* Samurai are one of the three factions in ''VideoGame/ForHonor''. In the fictional world of the game, the Samurai, or "Chosen" of the Dawn Empire dwell in the swamps of the Myre, after their original home was destroyed in the cataclysm that wrecked the world a thousand years beforehand. They are a more technical faction than the Knights, who tend towards a more balanced playstyle, and the Vikings, who are more aggressively-oriented. Their classes include the Kensei, the most traditionally samurai-like of the lot, but who uses a nodachi rather than a katana, [[TheBigGuy the Shugoki]], massive oni-masked warriors who wield a ''kanabo'' and can shrug off the first attack thanks to their massive HP, [[FragileSpeedster the Orochi]], elite Imperial assassins and katana-wielders, and [[YamatoNadeshiko the Nobushi]], women warriors wielding naginata who protect the common folk. The Samurai are also the focus of the final story chapter with the viewpoint character being the Orochi [[spoiler: who is also the one to kill [[BigBad Apollyon]].]] Season two added a DLC class, [[{{Ninja}} the Shinobi]], a GlassCannon of the highest order who uses twin kusari-gama.
180	* Samurai and Ronin are classes available by Djinn allocation in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun''. According to the 4-koma gag manga, it turns them into ''actual'' samurai, complete with [[SamuraiPonytail Samurai Topknot]] and AntiquatedLinguistics ("This one shall summon Venus!").
181	* ''VideoGame/GhostOfTsushima'': Jin Sakai is the only surviving samurai on a mission to protect Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. The game ''heavily'' {{Deconstruct\|ion}}s the ProudWarriorRaceGuy and HonorBeforeReason tendencies of the samurai warrior ethos, and also much like the work of Creator/AkiraKurosawa explores the darker side of Japanese feudalism; most of the peasantry despise their samurai masters over historical grievances, and see their [[CurbStompBattle doomed and ineffectual]] LastStand against the invaders on the sands of Tsushima beaches as foolish rather than noble. [[spoiler:The story ends with Jin abandoning the samurai honour code after coming to see its shortcomings, and thus declared an outlaw by the Shogunate who [[SequelHook vow to come after him and restore order, not knowing Jin has won the loyalty of the entire island]].]]
182	* The cast of ''VisualNovel/{{Hakuouki}}'' are mostly UsefulNotes/{{Shinsengumi}}.
183	* Minamoto no Yorihisa from the game and manga/anime ''VideoGame/HarukanaruTokiNoNakaDe''.
184	* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' has Yasuo, a recent samurai-turned-{{ronin}}, and Master Yi, who is closer to a monk in the story, but includes mostly samurai visual elements.
185	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'': Ganondorf's design and mindset evoke a particularly villainous one. His outfit resembles a very pared-down take on a kimono, complete with a SamuraiPonytail. His Demon King form looks like an {{Oni}}. His weapons are based on traditional Japanese weapons (the Gloom Sword is a katana, the Gloom Club is a kanabo, the Gloom Spear is a naginata, and the Demon King's Bow is a Yumi). His battle themes feature traditional Japanese instruments like shamisens and tomba drums. And his BloodKnight, ChallengeSeeker personality and SocialDarwinist ideology, where he desires for Hyrule to be in a constant state of battle so that it will someday produce an opponent to give him a satisfying fight, seems like a more wicked and violence-glorifying interpretation of bushido.
186	* The Japanese edition of ''VideoGame/{{Maplestory}}'' introduces Hayato, who has a thing for [[IaijutsuPractitioner iaijutsu]], [[FlashStep high speed dashing]], and [[RazorWind wind attacks.]]
187	* ''Franchise/MassEffect'': According to her own word, Samara's warrior code is based on a mix of this and KnightErrant.
188	* ''VideoGame/MercenaryForce'': A samurai is one of your mercenary choices. He fires two projectiles straight ahead, one high and one low. His transformation is "the Spirit of Fire", which surrounds him in a circle of fireballs.
189	* ''VideoGame/NinjaShadowOfDarkness'': Samurais are the human mooks directly serving the evil warlord, firstly appearing in the mansion level. They are armed with the classical samurai weapons like katanas and spears, and in the tundra levels there are samurai archers as well.
190	* The ''VideoGame/{{Onimusha}}'' franchise stars a samurai in each iteration, with varying degrees of historical accuracy.
191	* Samurott from ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', an odd combination of this and a ''sea lion''. Pawniard, Bisharp, and Kingambit are also inspired by samurai, albeit more directly so.
192	** Being set in an alternate universe where the ''[[JidaiGeki Warring States Period/Sengoku-jidai]]'' involved Pokémon, ''VideoGame/PokemonConquest'' naturally featured all the major warlords of the period. The aforementioned Samurott even serves as "link" partner of one of the major characters (though obviously not the only one), and most Pokémon in the game act and are treated as loyal retainers anyway.
193	* Puccini from ''VideoGame/RhythmStar'' is one, [[CultureChopSuey which is an odd decision given the fact that he is based on a real-life Italian man]].
194	* Sakura Shinguji in ''VideoGame/SakuraWars'' is a true samurai and not a KidSamurai, despite her youth.
195	** Gemini Sunrise from ''VideoGame/SakuraWarsSoLongMyLove'' was trained by a samurai named (what else) [[Creator/ToshiroMifune Mifune]].
196	* ''VideoGame/SamuraiGunn'', which pairs up a combination of said warriors with [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin firearms]].
197	* ''VideoGame/SamuraiRevenge'': The PlayerCharacter is Kabuto, who's on a quest for vengeance against whoever killed his wife and kidnapped his son.
198	* Most characters in the ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'' series are Samurai; they also appear in the ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi'' crossover series.
199	* Given that ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice'' is set in the late Sengoku Era, it's no surprise that many of your toughest foes are samurai from the Ashina clan [[spoiler:and the Interior Ministry]], including the BigBad and [[spoiler:the final boss]] themselves. However, also true to the setting, ''Sekiro''[='s=] samurai are {{Combat Pragmatist}}s whose entire combat philosophy can be summed up as "victory is honor". [[spoiler:A few of them will even pull on a gun on you if given the chance, as is accurate for the time.]]
200	* As the name implies, ''VideoGame/SengokuAce'' series is based on the Sengoku Era with {{Magic}} and {{Steampunk}} elements. In this games, the Samurai you can choose are Ayin in ''Sengoku Ace'' and the 2 {{sequel}}s (who also appears in other Creator/{{Psikyo}}'s games), Shoumaru and Hagane in ''Sengoku Blade'', and Masamitsu in ''Sengoku Cannon''. Also, various villains of the series are Samurai as well, like Shoumaru's father in ''Blade''.
201	* Given it is set in the Sengoku era, most of the cast of ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' are Samurai of one type or another. Almost all of them fall victim to one manner or another of AnachronismStew and RuleOfCool and neither look nor act all that Samurai-ish however. The character closest to a historical Samurai would probably be Tachibana Muneshige ([[ChainsawGood barring his extremely unhistorical weaponry]]).
202	* ''VideoGame/ShadowTacticsBladesOfTheShogun'' features a samurai named Mugen as one of the playable characters. He notably leans away from the popular culture version of samurai, in that he's willing to engage in "dishonorable" stealthy tactics (which is arguably a necessity given the game's emphasis on sneaking around). Samurai also serve as the EliteMooks of the game.
203	* Sanger Zonvolt of ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha'' is one, insofar as that it's possible for an ethnically German SuperRobot pilot. In the same series, Brookyln "Bullet" Luckfield is also one, but he doesn't adhere to ''bushido'' that Sanger does; in effect, it makes Bullet more of the KidSamurai trope. The straighter example occurs in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration'' with Rishu Togo, a master of the "Jigen" sword-style, to which Sanger and Bullet are his pupils.
204	* ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' brings us ''[[VideoGame/ShogunTotalWar Shogun]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TotalWarShogun2 Shogun 2]]'', both set in the UsefulNotes/SengokuPeriod, and as such they feature many varieties of samurai, from [[BowAndSwordInAccord Archers]] and [[SwordandGun Gunners]], to various types of cavalry, to the StoneWall Naginata wielders. ''Shogun 2'' has a pair of {{Expansion Pack}}s to cover other periods of Japanese history: ''Rise of the Samurai'' for the Genpei War, and ''Fall of the Samurai'' for the [[UsefulNotes/MeijiRestoration Boshin War]]. In the latter, it's possible for traditional armies of samurai to prevail over ranks of riflemen supported by gatling guns and artillery, but by no means easy.
205	* In ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'', the orcs' Blademaster hero unit is a weird combination of samurai and ninja: a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashimono sashimono]]-carrying CriticalHitClass who speaks in faux-Asian English but has moves that involve sneaking up on an enemy for huge damage and creating illusions of himself. Even stranger is that Grom Hellscream, noted {{Berserker}} and LeeroyJenkins, is a Blademaster.
206	* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'': The game is shamelessly {{Animesque}}, so it's very easy to invoke this archetype despite the common term for Warframes being "Space Ninja." Excalibur Umbra is top of the list, as his [[WeaponSpecialization signature weapon]] is a large katana that is required for his story missions. The Duviri update does not refer to [[spoiler:The Alternate Drifter]] specifically as a samurai, but their character arc draws several comparisons to ''ronin'', helped in no small part by the ''[[DualWielding katana-wakazishi]]'' pair used simultaneously as your primary weapon while playing in Duviri.
207	* ''VideoGame/WayOfTheSamurai'', though the PC and most [=NPCes=] are Ronin.
208	[[/folder]]
209
210	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
211	* The ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' games have a franchise of samurai-themed {{tokusatsu}} series - ''The Steel Samurai'', ''The Pink Princess'', and ''The Nickel Samurai''.
212	* [[UsefulNotes/SasakiKojiro Assassin]] in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' frequently refers to himself as a samurai Heroic Spirit.
213	[[/folder]]
214
215	[[folder:Webcomics]]
216	* The Webcomic ''Webcomic/{{Harkovast}}'' features a samurai called Shogun as one of its main protagonists.
217	* Atomic Samurai from ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'', an S-Class hero (the number 4) practitioner of iaitsu. He is a formidable swordsman with exceptional speed and strength.
218	* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' Miko and the rest of the Sapphire Guard are samurai. Though as she tried to explain to Elan that's not her character class, their class is paladin and samurai is simply a title.
219	* Hatz from ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod''. Even though he is Korean, he follows a strict code of honor similar to that of a samurai. Also, he wields katana.
220	%%* ''Webcomic/NoNeedForBushido'' has aplenty.
221	[[/folder]]
222
223	%%[[folder:Web Original]]
224	%%* Hashimoto Daichi from ''Literature/GreekNinja'' is one.
225	%%[[/folder]]
226
227	[[folder:Western Animation]]
228	* Ironically in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', Prowl was a noble ninja, which is technically impossible. But when he put on an upgrade that looked just like Samurai Armour, he turned into an arrogant, callous jackass. He later gets it back. At which point he learns not to be a jackass while using it, and uses the armor for the rest of the season.
229	* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'': [[Characters/SamuraiJackJack Jack]], naturally. (Many fans, however, have pointed out that Jack fits the title of "ronin" better, at least according to traditional terms, as he is a Samurai with no liege.)
230	* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' has Dinobot, a [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor Predacon/Maximal]] who refuses to accept dishonorable means of victory (such as slipping) as valid and, in the end, proves his loyalty to the Maximals, albeit at the cost of his own life. His robot-mode helmet also evokes a samurai, as does his sword (which is quite reminiscent of a katana); the contemplation of harakiri after he percieves himself as having failed the Maximals also invokes the thought of a samurai comitting harakiri after failing his master.
231	* ''Franchise/TransformersGeneration1'': Bludgeon is generally styled as a Decepticon who is also an evil samurai. Some versions [[DeathSeeker even pursue a worthy death]], although given that he is also an utter bastard "worthy" is defined somewhat unusually.
232	[[/folder]]
233
234	[[folder:Other]]
235	* ''Toys/{{Revoltech}}'': There's the [[DemBones Skeleton Samurai]] in the Takeya series.
236	* ''Music/{{Vocaloid}}'': Gackupo (Creator/{{Gackt}}) is portrayed as a stereotypical samurai, complete with [[KatanasAreJustBetter a katana]].
237	[[/folder]]
238
239	[[folder:Real Life]]
240	* UsefulNotes/YagyuJubei
241	* UsefulNotes/MiyamotoMusashi
242	* Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto an immigrant to America and the writer of the memoir ''Daughter of the Samurai'' was the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin daughter]] of a Daimyo's officer in the Meji era. Her descriptions of the lifestyle sound anticlimactic, roughly similar to an orientalized variation of the life of an out of the way British country gentleman. The only thing interesting that happened to her father was the civil war where her father took the Shogun's side and was pardoned by TheEmperor. One thing she notes though was taking her American children to the family estate. One of them asked what a specially kept bucket was for and she was embarrassed to explain that every important Samurai had one for [[{{Seppuku}} his head ]] in the event that TheEmperor should require it.
243	[[/folder]]

Context Main / Samurai