Season 5 • Episode 13
LatestShadow Warriors is a Japanese television jidaigeki show featuring Sonny Chiba that ran for four seasons in the early 1980s. Chiba played different ninja characters in each series. In the first series he played Hattori Hanzō III, in second one he played Tsuge Shinpachi, in the third one he played Tarao Hanzō, in the fourth series and in Bakumatsu Hen, he played Hattori Hanzō XV. In the 2003 direct-to-DVD series Shin Kage no Gundan he played Hattori Hanzō I.
Acting
Chiba commits to each new Hanzō like it's Shakespeare.
Practical Effects
Pre-CGI smoke bombs and wire work — charmingly janky.
Costume
Each Hanzō gets increasingly ridiculous headgear.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The constant Hanzō recasting was a ratings stunt — each new season promised 'the REAL story' of the famous ninja clan.
Shadow Warriors cemented Sonny Chiba as THE face of Japanese ninja pop culture, directly inspiring Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill homage.
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