135 Toshiro Mifune Movies, Ranked Best to Worst

Shichinin no samurai also known as Seven Samurai is an Akira Kurosawa directed Japanese masterpiece. The plot revolves around seven rōnin or samurais with no masters who are hired by villagers to protect them against bandits. The final battle sees the eventual victory of the Samurai but at a very high cost. 

The Kurosawa directed masterpiece tells the story of a wandering rōnin, who arrives in a small village and takes up the name of Kuwabatake Sanjuro, to pit two rival businessmen against each other. Although Sanjuro wants to reap the benefits himself, a full-scale war breaks out, leaving Sanjuro questioning his choices. 

Isaburo Sasahara is a vassal of Masakata Matsudaira, the lord of the Aizu clan. Things get complicated when Isaburo’s elder son Yogoro is ordered by one of the lord’s advisors to marry Ichi, the lord’s ex-concubine, even though she is mother to one of the lord’s sons.

After obtaining his post graduate degree in medicine, Dr Noboru looks forward to serving wealthy clients and earning lots of money.  However, he is disappointed to learn that he is being sent to a small hospital in a remote village.   

Rashômon is a period drama that showcases four characters retelling the same story from their own perspective, often self-serving and untrue. A samurai is murdered and his wife is raped by a bandit, and the story is retold by the wife, the bandit, the dead samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.

Akira Kurosawa’s police procedural crime film follows Kingo Gondo, an affluent shoe-company executive who mortgages his possessions, with plans to gain control of the shoe company. Then his driver’s son, mistaken as Gondo’s son, is kidnapped and the exorbitant ransom demand is almost the amount he has raised. He is in a dilemma………whether to save other man’s child or his business plans.

This action thriller crime drama film tells the story of a samurai named Sanjuro who helps a young man save his uncle who has been framed and imprisoned. Sanjuro also helps him and his fellow young warriors weed out evil influences in their clan.  

In feudal Japan, two peasants returning from war meet General Rokurota Makabe and Princess Yuki of the invaded country, who must cross the enemy line to reach the friendly territory and rebuild their clan with their gold cache. Unaware of their identity, the peasants agree to help in return for gold. The general fights his way through enemies while protecting his precious responsibility, Yuki.

Throne of Blood is a historical Japanese drama film, which tells the story of a war-hardened general, who receives a prophecy that says that he would become the Lord of Spider’s Web Castle. However, his wife asks him to speed up the prophecy by murdering the current lord and usurping his place. 

Ryunosuke Tsukue is a merciless assassin who works for the government in feudal Japan. He lives without any conscience or moral code. In a friendly fencing contest, he ends up killing his opponent. Eventually, he even murders his own mistress, after having a fight with her, and leaves their infant son alone. Later, he starts spiraling into madness, when he begins to see all the ghosts of all his victims.

This crime drama film tells the story of a man named Koichi Nishi who wants nothing more than to avenge his father’s death. Eventually, he gets married to Yoshiko, the daughter of a corrupt industrialist named Mr Iwabuchi. Soon, senior officials in Iwabuchi’s company start committing suicide, and the deaths begin to resemble the death of Nishi’s father several years ago.

This crime drama mystery film tells us the story of a newly-promoted homicide detective in the Tokyo police, whose colt pistol is stolen while he is riding on a crowded trolley. Although he chases the pickpocket, he fails to catch him. Eventually he is asked to conduct an investigation to find the culprit, and he eventually finds himself trying to infiltrate the illicit arms market.

A young samurai joins a group of assassins who are on a mission to kill a powerful lord, who is quite influential in the Tokugawa government, which has been ruling Japan for 3 centuries. However, they soon begin to suspect him of being a traitor.

This crime thriller drama film which tells the story of an alcoholic doctor, who is visited by a small-time member of the Mafia, as the latter is suffering from an unfortunate bullet wound. The doctor soon discovers that the man is also suffering from tuberculosis.

Sanchiro Sugata tells the story of a young man who wants to learn the new art of judo. He meets a wise teacher who tells him that judo is not merely a means of combat nor a demonstration of physical skill. However, it is an art which can help the artist reveal himself.

The first of Samurai Trilogy portrays Takezo, who with his friend Matahachi, is chased as deserter. The widow they take shelter with tries to seduce Takezo but he escapes and is captured to be taken to Buddhist Priest Takuan Soho, who locks Takezo in a castle for 3 years, making him learn the Samurai way of life. Finally, Takezo emerges as Samurai Musashi Miyamoto.

The second film in the Samurai Trilogy, it follows Musashi as he strives to enhance his skills as swordsman to earn the reputation as an accomplished warrior. Back in Kyoto, both Akemi and Otsu express their love for Musashi, but he is engaged in defeating Yoshioka school fighters and asks for duel with school-head Seijuro, which is scheduled at Ichijoji Temple. Can he prove his merit?

Hell in the Pacific is a war adventure film which tells the story of an American pilot who is stuck on a small uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean, along with a Japanese Naval Officer. They soon realize that they will need to end their hostility and cooperate if they really want to survive.

After being falsely accused of a theft, Lord Taro decides to join an outlaw band. Along with them, he begins to rob from the nobles and distribute the wealth among the poor and the oppressed.  

Hayatenosuke and Kagami are two soldiers who leave their besieged castle on a secret mission into the enemy camp. Hayatenosuke gets injured in the camp, after which he is cared for by Oryo, who falls for him. However, things take an ugly turn when Hayatenosuke kills her father accidentally. He is forced to flee, with Oryo in pursuit.

In the 16th century feudal Japan, Yamamoto Kansuke, a battle-strategy genius is a general of warlord Takeda Shingen. Kansuke’s merciless but effective strategies help Takeda in power expansion. On Kansuke’s advice Takeda assassinates Lord Suwa Yorishige. But how does Kansuke honor his tradition when both he and his Lord Takeda fall in love with the same woman, Lord Suwa’s daughter Princess Yuu? 

The most courageous drivers in the world have gathered to compete for the 1966 Formula One championship. However, due a wreck in the first race, Pete Aron, an American race car driver is dropped by his sponsor.  As he does not want to quit, he decides to join a Japanese racing team. Meanwhile, he is also having problems in his personal life, as he is having a love affair with the wife of an ex-teammate.

A ronin is send on sent on a secret mission which turns out to be a heist to steal a Shogunate’s gold. After he rescues a young woman from an abusive husband, he is ordered to kill everyone. Now he must choose who gets to live and die. 

Lord Tsunayoshi of the Tokugawa shogunate strips several samurai of their assets, but they are unable to protest. Nevertheless, they attend a ceremony where the Lord is presented with the Imperial Sword. However, things get ugly when Asano is enraged due to the court official Kira’s insults, which makes him draw out his sword. This leads him to lose his title along with his land and property. Upset with this one-sided verdict, several of his disciples unite and decide to take revenge on Kira.

This action crime drama film revolves around three bank robbers who escape the police and go hiding into the mountains. Soon, they encounter a young woman and her father, who welcome them as guests, but they have no idea that the men are criminals.

Fort Graveyard is a war drama film which takes us to 1945, and it revolves around a group of soldiers of the Japanese Army who attempt to retake and defend a fort occupied by the Chinese forces.

Based on a true story, this film takes us to Japan at the end of the 19th century. As the power shifts from the Shogunate to the Emperor, Japan is awaiting the dawn of a new age. However, a band of assassins, known as the Shinsen Group, devoted to the Shogunate, leads a revolution against the forces of the Emperor to prevent his restoration to the throne.

Sekihōtai member Gonzo is asked by the Japanese emperor to deliver official news and new tax cuts to his home village. Gonzo poses as a military officer while trying to deliver the news. Unfortunately, his disguise lands him in trouble when he has to fight a local evil magistrate and the Shogunate to save the villagers. 

Two gangsters enter a train in which the Japanese ambassador is travelling, along with a valuable gold sword, which he intends to present as a gift to the American president. They also shoot one of his bodyguards. However, the surviving bodyguard Kuroda, goes after the gangsters to track them down and kill them.

After an American is found fatally stabbed in a Japanese inn, Tokyo police detectives follow the trail of the killer, which eventually leads them to New York City. There he is partnered with an American detective Ken Shuftan, with whom he tries to solve the mystery.

An engineer named Kitagawa is charged with the construction of a gigantic tunnel through the Japan Alps. As if the task is not complicated enough, things get even tougher because of the conflicts between the management and the worker’s union. In addition to this, Kitagawa is not able to put his full attention on the project, because his youngest daughter is dying of leukemia.

Midway is a historical war drama film which revolves around the Battle of Midway in the World War II, which was a major naval battle, and is considered as a turning point for the US in the Second World War. The film portrays how brave US seamen unite to defeat the Japanese forces.

This Japanese action adventure drama film tells the story of a renowned swordsman who decides to help a young man in his quest for vengeance.

This action adventure fantasy film tells the story of Osami, a mercenary in Japan, who joins forces with a priest named Ensai, to search for the great Buddha’s ashes. Their journey eventually takes them to the Middle East, where an evil King takes both men captive.

Sukezaemon is a samurai pirate who finds himself shipwrecked in a strange corner of the world. Along with his companion, Sennin, who is a wizard, they become part of a plot by an evil primer to succeed the dying King Raksha.

Paper Tiger is an action adventure thriller film, which tells the story of an English man who tutors the son of a Japanese ambassador. During this time, he also boasts about his heroic service in the British Army. His life changes and he actually has to play a hero, after he and the boy are kidnapped by political terrorists.   

After the Pearl Harbor attack, California, which is feared to be the next target of the Japanese, is gripped in a panic wave. As hysteria spreads after spotting a Japanese sub off the California coast, varied groups of Californians set their own defense actions in motion. Major-General Joseph Stilwell, sent to compose the paranoid public, tries to make sense of the goings-on. 

The Bushido Blade is a historical action drama film, which revolves around a steel samurai blade that was to be presented to the American ambassador by the Emperor of Japan, which unfortunately get stolen. Therefore, American sailors and Japanese samurai are sent on a mission to recover it.

Based on the Battle of Inchon during the Korean War of 1950, this is dramatized version of the battle. In September 1950, General Douglas MacArthur, Commander of the UN forces, led an amphibious invasion with 200 UN ships and 70,000 military men on the pre-decided beaches. This war also had its repercussions on the relationship of Major Hallsworth and his wife, Barbara.