Movies like Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami (2009)
The best movies like Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami (2009) are Samurai Marathon (2019), Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021) and Walking with the Enemy (2014). If Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami hooked you with its action and drama, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedRurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021)7.7/10 from 572 votes
- NewestGolden Kamuy -The Abashiri Prison Raid- (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseSamurai Marathon (2019)Also in Japanese
Samurai Marathon (2019)
When feudal lord Itakura Katsuakira decides to prepare his samurai troops for the onslaught of modernization by having them compete in a marathon, his independent-minded daughter Yuki secretly joins the race.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021)
In 1879, Kenshin and his allies face their strongest enemy yet: his former brother-in-law Enishi Yukishiro and his minions, who've vowed their revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWalking with the Enemy (2014)
Regent Horthy is the leader of Hungary and a German ally, but his favorable standing with Hitler changes as the war comes to an end. Forced to cede Hungary’s power or else witness the execution of his son, Regent Horthy gives up control of his country to the Nazis, who quickly move Hungarians to ghettos and death camps, with no hope in sight. But the despair changes when a young man named Elek emerges. Separated from his family during the relocations and aided by the woman he loves , Elek defies the enemy by becoming one of them. In a race against time, disguised as a Nazi Officer he embarks on a mission to save his family and thousands of his countrymen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSamurai Assassin (1965)
Japan, 1860. The men of the Mito clan, victims of the Ansei purge, anxiously prowl around the Sakurada Gate of Edo Castle with the intention of assassinating Naosuke Ii of Hikone, tairō of the Tokugawa shogunate and responsible for their misfortune.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGolden Kamuy -The Abashiri Prison Raid- (2026)
As each group pursues their mission, a fierce battle unfolds over the tattooed prisoners. Who is friend, and who is foe? The fight leads them all to Abashiri Prison, where Noppera-bo, the man who holds all the answers, is locked away...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChûshingura (1962)
After their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTenchu! (1969)
A ronin desperately seeks a way out of financial straits; he allies with the Tosa clan under the ruthless leader Takechi, who quickly takes advantage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins (2012)
In 1868, after the Bakumatsu war ends, the ex-assassin Kenshin Himura traverses Japan with an inverted sword, to defend the needy without killing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLady Snowblood (1973)
A strikingly beautiful young woman is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJigen Daisuke (2023)
Feeling unhappy with his gun, Jigen is looking for the world’s best gunsmith. He finally finds out that Chiharu, who runs a watch shop, is the person he’s been seeking. Then, Jigen meets Oto, who comes to Chiharu’s shop looking for a gun. Jigen finds out about Oto's secrets and the mysterious organization that’s after her. After Oto is kidnapped, Jigen gets into a desperate battle to save her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMunich - The Edge of War (2021)
At the tense 1938 Munich Conference, former friends who now work for opposing governments become reluctant spies racing to expose a Nazi secret.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDetective Conan: Dimensional Sniper (2014)
A rash of sniper attacks leaves the streets of Tokyo empty and the public terrified to go outside. It’s up to Conan and his friends to find the culprit, but the case goes deeper than it seems. Military cover-ups, conspiracies and murder abound in this fast-paced, thrilling mystery!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974)
Lady Snowblood is caught by the police and sentenced to death for her crimes. As she is sent to the gallows she is rescued by the secret police who offer her a deal to assassinate some revolutionaries.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno (2014)
Kenshin has settled into his new life with Kaoru and his other friends when he is approached with a request from the Meiji government. Makoto Shishio, a former assassin like Kenshin, was betrayed, set on fire and left for dead. He survived, and is now in Kyoto, plotting with his gathered warriors to overthrow the new government. Against Kaoru's wishes, Kenshin reluctantly agrees to go to Kyoto and help keep his country from falling back into civil war.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLupin the Third: Island of Assassins (1997)
Lupin is framed for the murder of Inspector Zenigata by a mysterious assailant holding a silver-coloured Walther P38 pistol Lupin himself once owned. Tracking the true killer leads Lupin to the island of the bloodthirsty Tarantula assassins inside the Devil’s Triangle. After joining the spider-tattooed army against their will, Lupin and his gang make both new friends and enemies as they not only plan to take home the Tarantulas’ massive gold repository for themselves, but hunt down the shooter from Lupin’s past. Can Lupin put to rest this demon who haunts his memories with the Walther P38?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSister Street Fighter (1974)
Li Mansei is a martial-arts champion turned undercover agent. When he is captured by a drug lord, his sister Li Koryu turns to his former martial-arts school, including the powerful Sonny Kawasaka, for help in the inevitable battle royale.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBuddha: The Great Departure (2011)
Prince Siddhartha is heir to the Shakya kingdom, which is constantly at war with the more powerful Kosala kingdom. His father tries to raise as him as a warrior leader and to shield him from the miseries of the world. Meeting the young outcast girl Migaila, Siddhartha experiences love for the first time but also witnesses the suffering that afflicts humankind. Meanwhile, in Kosala, Chapra rises through the military, despite his lowly origins, to become a hero and general of the army. A final showdown between the two kingdoms forces Siddhartha to re-evaluate the path he is following.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBerserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent (2013)
One year has passed since Guts left the Band of the Hawk and Griffith was imprisoned by the Kingdom of Midland for treason. In the dead of night, at a camping site where they hide, the Band of the Hawk is attacked by Bakiraka assassins led by Silat. When all seems lost, Guts returns from his journey. "You destroyed everything." Crying that Griffith is nothing without Guts, Casca and Guts are joined together body and soul. Griffith is imprisoned in the oldest building in Wyndham Catle, the Tower of Rebirth.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy (1978)
Following the death of the second Tokugawa shogun, it is revealed that he was poisoned by retainers of his son Iemitsu in hopes of gaining him the shogunate despite the stammer and birthmark which undermine his respect. Iemitsu and his brother Tadanaga become bitter rivals for the shogunate, and the land is split into factions, eventually erupting into warfare. Iemitsu's mentor, his fencing instructor Yagyu, is fixated upon securing Iemitsu the shogunate and ends up betraying everyone, even his own family, in pursuit of the goal.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Perfect Weapon (1991)
Jeff, a young delinquent, is enrolled by his father in a kenpo school, in the hopes of teaching the boy some self-discipline. Years later, Jeff's mentor, Kim, is being threatened by one of the Korean mafia families. Jeff tries to help his old friend, but is too late to prevent Kim's death at the hands of an unknown hitman. Vowing revenge, Jeff takes on all of the families, using his martial arts skills to find the man who killed his friend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami?
The closest matches to Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami are Samurai Marathon (2019), Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021) and Walking with the Enemy (2014). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami?
Start with Samurai Marathon (2019), the closest match to Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami.
What is the highest-rated movie like Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami?
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021), rated 7.7/10 by 572 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami?
Golden Kamuy -The Abashiri Prison Raid- (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami?
Yes: Samurai Marathon (2019), Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021) and Samurai Assassin (1965).
How are movies similar to Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.