Description
Title: Satan’s Sword (1960)
Alternate Title: Daibosatsu Tôge / Satan’s Sword: Great Buddha Pass
Genre: Action / Chambara
Plot Synopsis
A nihilistic swordmaster traverses the tumultuous final years of the the Tokugawa shogunate, leaving a trail of violence and moral decay in his wake. As rival swordsmen, political factions, and personal betrayals converge, he strikes without remorse, entangling himself in complex schemes of honor, ambition, and ruin. His relationships unravel, alliances shift, and each violent confrontation pushes him closer to an inevitable downfall.
Cast and Crew
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Director: Kenji Misumi
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Writers: Teinosuke Kinugasa
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Cast:
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Raizō Ichikawa as Ryunosuke Tsukue
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Kojiro Hongo as Hyoma Utsugi
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Tamao Nakamura as Ohama / Otoyo
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Fujiko Yamamoto as Omatsu
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Kenji Sugawara as Isami Kondō
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Jun Negami as Kamo Serizawa
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IMDb Link: Satan’s Sword (1960)
Reviews from Letterboxd
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Samm Deighan – ★★★★½
“I will watch every single Misumi film or dying trying. Highly recommended to anyone else obsessed with SWORD OF DOOM, though this came first.” -
nrh – ★★★☆☆
“Early Misumi adaptation of material familiar from Okamoto’s Sword of Doom and Tomu Uchida’s Souls in the Moonlight (and covering roughly the same material as the Okamoto film).” -
Lencho of the Apes – ★★★☆☆
“Chambara, didn’t make much of an impression on me. Ends on a major major cliffhanger, and I didn’t even know it was one in a series. I guess if you really dig the genre, you’ll get your kicks.” -
LordKater – ★★★½
“Okamotos Sword of doom hat mir mehr gefallen. Grad die Darstellung von Ryunosuke Tsukue fand ich da intensiver. Trotzdem ein sehenswerter Film (grad an großer Leinwand). Muss nun noch die nachfolgende Filme gucken.” -
Wade Garrett – ★★½☆☆
“Raizō Ichikawa plays Ryunosuke Tsukue, an amoral swordsman who kills and r@pe with impunity. This interpretation of the famous Japanese story adapted several times previously, (but most famously as 1966’s Sword of Doom), is atmospheric and brutal as we see Tsukue engage in a series of conflicts with only his own interests at heart. My issue with this wasn’t that it was episodic, but I never felt like the movie engaged with the character. We see him early killing random people on the side of the road. Then he refuses to forfeit a fencing tournament, instead opting for assaulting (and then marrying) his opponent’s wife right before murdering him in the ring. And then he enters another tournament and humiliates…”
Meta Description:
A brutal, atmospheric Japanese samurai thriller from 1960, exploring nihilism, violence, and moral decay through the merciless deeds of Ryunosuke Tsukue in the waning days of the shogunate.
Title: Satan’s Sword: The Dragon God (1960)
Alternate Title: Daibosatsu Tōge: Ryūjin no Maki / Satan’s Sword II: The Dragon God
Genre: Action / History / Drama
Plot Synopsis
Ryunosuke Tsukue continues wandering after a crushing betrayal leaves him blind. In his weakened state, he must contend with rival factions and internal strife as he seeks vengeance, purpose, and reconciliation with a world that sees him diminished. His journey forces him to face both external foes and his own moral ambiguities in a time of political upheaval.
Cast and Crew
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Director: Kenji Misumi
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Writers: Kaizan Nakazato (novel)
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Cast:
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Raizô Ichikawa as Ryunosuke Tsukue
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Kōjirō Hongō as Hyōma Utsugi
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Tamao Nakamura as Ohama / Otoyo
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Fujiko Yamamoto as Omatsu
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Yutaka Nakamura as [Supporting Character]
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IMDb Link: Satan’s Sword II (1960)
Reviews from Letterboxd
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Adriana Scarpin – ★★★☆☆
“A Espada Demoníaca: Segunda Época estreava há 60 anos no Japão. É claro que o filme do Okamoto estragou essa trilogia pra mim, e apesar de uns momentos bacanas e um belo cliffhanger, esse segundo filme é vastamente inferior ao primeiro.” -
Filipe Furtado – ★★★☆☆
“Even more single-minded than the first which fits the main character. The action is as good as one expects from a Misumi film and he makes every sword blow count.” -
Christopher – ★★★☆☆
“I wish I had understood that it’s probably best to watch all three parts of the “Satan’s Sword” trilogy (the first two directed by Kenji Misumi, the third directed by Kazuo Mori) one right after the other like one unified work, instead of assuming that parts 2 and 3 could be enjoyed as stand-alone sequels (like films in the Lone Wolf & Cub or Zatoichi franchises) months or years later. While part one (“Satan’s Sword: Great Buddha Pass” (1960)) works quite well as a stand-alone film … “ -
The Silver Screen Express 銀画鉄道 – ★★½☆☆
“Def the weakest of the three of this series. Not unwatchable but it meanders a bit too much for my liking. At the very least it’s where we see Ryuunosuke get blinded and were introduced to the beautiful Akita.”
Meta Description:
A samurai epic of vengeance and redemption where a blinded warrior battles factions and inner demons in turbulent times.
Title: Satan’s Sword III: The Final Chapter (1961)
Alternate Title: 大菩薩峠 完結篇
Genre: Action / Drama
Plot Synopsis
Disguised as a beggar monk, Ryunosuke traverses rural roads and is continually harassed by unruly members of a local dojo or fencing school lounging near their training hall. As tensions escalate, he must navigate shifting loyalties, betrayal, and the relentless threat of violence, all on his way toward a climactic confrontation.
Cast and Crew
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Director: Kazuo Mori
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Writers: Teinosuke Kinugasa (screenplay), Kaizan Nakazato (novel)
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Cast:
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Raizō Ichikawa as Ryûnosuke Tsukue
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Tamao Nakamura
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Katsuhiko Kobayashi
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Kōjirō Hongō
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Hajime Mitamura
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IMDb Link: Satan’s Sword 3: The Final Chapter (1961)
Reviews from Letterboxd
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Tragicology101 – ★★★☆☆
“The final entry in the trilogy brings more action and the showdown teased throughout the series. Some light horror elements make for a fitting end.” -
Adriana Scarpin – ★★★☆☆
“A Espada Demoníaca: Terceira Época estreava há 60 anos no Japão. Terceira parte da trilogia iniciada por Kenji Misumi baseada no livro de Kaizan Nakazato, da qual também rendeu sua adaptação mais famosa pelas mãos de Kihachi Okamoto em 1966. Essa trilogia vai decaindo a cada parte, a falta de Misumi aqui é quase desastrosa, mesmo com final ambíguo que poderia significar um novo filme, mas felizmente a saga termina aqui.” (Translated: The Demonic Sword: Third Era premiered 60 years ago in Japan. The third part of the trilogy begun by Kenji Misumi based on the novel by Kaizan Nakazato, which also inspired the more famous adaptation by Kihachi Okamoto in 1966. This trilogy declines with each part; the absence of Misumi here is almost disastrous, even with an ambiguous ending that might suggest another film, but thankfully the saga ends here.) -
Samm Deighan – ★★★★☆
“Unreasonably depressed that there are only three of these.” -
Filipe Furtado – ★★★☆☆
“The final entry in the series replaces Kenji Misumi for Kazuo Mori in the director chair. but keeps the death drive intact. Misumi’s films were predicted in restraint and postponement and given this is ‘the final chapter’ Mori has the hard job of honor the series style while delivering which I think he does an impressive job of. It looks gorgeous as expected and Mori can stage swordfights like few. There’s a stronger horror atmosphere to this one as well. Probably a bit less effective as drama. Like the previous entry, the final duel is a genre highlight.”
Meta Description:
1961 Japanese chanbara drama blending action and dark atmosphere, featuring Ryunosuke’s tragic journey and a brutal showdown in the final chapter of the trilogy.
