Lone Wolf & Cub

His sword costs 500 gold pieces, but no money in the world can buy his honor: Itto Ogami is the chief executioner and assassin of the Shogun, a master of the sword, whose services are only called upon in special cases. Ogami becomes the victim of an intrigue by the Yagyu clan, which has his entire family exterminated – only his young son Diagoro survives the massacre. He flees with him and becomes 'Okami', the lone wolf who has only his sword and the mastery with which he wields it...

This is the prelude to the legendary, six-part saga full of violence and beauty, filmed after the cult manga 'Lone Wolf and Cub' by Kazuo Koike. When it became clear in the early 1970s, after more than 8 million copies sold and two new editions within a very short time, that the manga series 'Lone Wolf and Cub' had taken the comic world of Japan by storm, the film industry lost no time in participating in this audience success. The writer of the series, Kazuo Koike, was hired to write the screenplay and Kenji Misumi, who already caused a stir with his Zatoichi films, took over the direction. Initially, Zatoichi actor Shintaro Katsu was supposed to take on the role of Itto Ogami, but he decided to stay in the background as a producer. Katsu's brother, Tomisaburo Wakayama, finally stepped in front of the camera. He shaped this role so strongly that later the Itto Ogami would show his features on the covers of the American comic edition. This six-part film series, like most Japanese chambara series (bloody swordsman films like 'Zatoichi'), was produced in one piece with a largely consistent team and was released in Japan in 1972-1974. Outside of Japan, the story of 'Lone Wolf and Cub' would first become known through the television series 'Kozure Okami', which was also shown on German television, and Robert Houston's compilation of the first two parts of the film series, 'Shogun Assassin'. But it is not without reason that the present adaptation of the 'Lone Wolf and Cub' material is considered a milestone of the chambara genre: With its visual language of blood and its precise timing of the sword fights, this series continues to inspire and influence fans and filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino to this day.

Part 1: The Sword of Vengeance (1972) Original version with subtitles
Part 2: Am Totenfluss (1972) OV with English subtitles
Part 3: The Wind of Death (1972) with English subtitles
Part 4: The Tattooed Killer (1972) OV with English subtitles
Part 5: The White Path of Hell (1973) OV with English subtitles
Part 6: Bloody Snow (1974) with English subtitles