Lone Wolf and Cub - Watch Order: Release Order

1972 - 19938 Films11h 51m4.2 Average

The Lone Wolf and Cub franchise began as a groundbreaking Japanese film series, chronicling the journey of the shogun's former executioner Ogami Ittō and his young son. The original six films, released between 1972 and 1974, form a single, continuous storyline.

A few additional films followed: Shogun Assassin (1980) is an English-language re-edit for Western audiences that combines footage from the first two films, while Lone Wolf and Cub: Final Conflict (1993) is a feature-length remake with a new cast and storyline. This release watch order includes every major feature film version of the story, both original and reimagined.

1
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance poster

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance

19721h 23m4.4
Director: Kenji Misumi
Cast: Tomisaburō Wakayama, Fumio Watanabe, Tomoko Mayama, Shigeru Tsuyuguchi, Asao Uchida

In this first film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, adapted from the manga by Kazuo Koike, we are told the story of the Lone Wolf and Cub's origin. Ogami Itto, the official Shogunate executioner, has been framed for disloyalty to the Shogunate by the Yagyu clan, against whom he now is waging a one-man war, along with his infant son, Daigoro.

DramaActionAdventure
2
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx poster

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx

19721h 21m4.3
Director: Kenji Misumi
Cast: Tomisaburō Wakayama, Kayo Matsuo, Minoru Ōki, Akiji Kobayashi, Shin Kishida

In the second film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Ogami Itto battles a group of female ninja in the employ of the Yagyu clan and must assassinate a traitor who plans to sell his clan's secrets to the Shogunate.

ActionDramaAdventure
3
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades poster

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades

19721h 29m4.1
Director: Kenji Misumi
Cast: Tomisaburō Wakayama, Gō Katō, Yūko Hamada, Isao Yamagata, Michitarō Mizushima

In the third film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Ogami Itto volunteers to be tortured by Yakuza to save a prostitute and is hired by their leader to kill an evil chamberlain.

DramaActionAdventure
4
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril poster

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril

19721h 21m4.3
Director: Buichi Saitō
Cast: Tomisaburō Wakayama, Yoichi Hayashi, Michi Azuma, Akihiro Tomikawa, Asao Koike

In the fourth film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Ogami Itto is hired to kill a tattooed female assassin and battles Retsudo, head of the Yagyu clan, and his son Gunbei.

ActionAdventureDramaThriller
5
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons poster

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons

19731h 29m4.2
Director: Kenji Misumi
Cast: Tomisaburō Wakayama, Michiyo Yasuda, Akihiro Tomikawa, Shingo Yamashiro, Tomomi Satō

In the fifth film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Ogami Itto is challenged by five warriors, each has one fifth of Ogami's assassin fee and one fifth of the information he needs to complete his assassination.

ActionCrimeDramaThrillerAdventure
6
Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell poster

Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell

19741h 23m4.1
Director: Yoshiyuki Kuroda
Cast: Tomisaburō Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Junko Hitomi, Gorō Mutsumi, Daigo Kusano

In the sixth and final film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, the final conflict between Ogami Itto and the Yagyu clan is carried out.

ActionAdventureDramaFantasyHistory
7
Shogun Assassin poster

Shogun Assassin

19801h 25m4
Director: Robert Houston
Cast: Tomisaburō Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Kayo Matsuo, Minoru Ōki, Shin Kishida

A Shogun who grew paranoid as he became senile sent his ninjas to kill his samurai. They failed but did kill the samurai's wife. The samurai swore to avenge the death of his wife and roams the countryside with his toddler son in search of vengeance.

ActionAdventure
8
Lone Wolf and Cub: The Final Conflict poster

Lone Wolf and Cub: The Final Conflict

19932h4.5
Director: Akira Inoue
Cast: Masakazu Tamura, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yushi Shoda, Shiho Fujimura, Isao Hashizume

A noble samurai serving the Shogun as 'Kogi Kaishaku-nin' (Official Executioner) is the target of a plot by the evil Yagyu Clan to take away his position and replace him with a member of their own family. When his wife is murdered and evidence is produced that he was plotting against the Shogun the Code of Bushido calls for him and his son to commit sepuku. Instead he defies the Shogun's orders and takes up arms against his enemies, becoming an assassin for hire.

ActionThriller