Shinichiro Watanabe’s Samurai Champloo is arguably one of the greatest anime in the samurai genre. Released in 2004, the series stands shoulder to shoulder with Watanabe’s magnum opus, Cowboy Bebop โ even it if never reached the same mainstream heights as the sci-fi series. The show follows Fuu on her quest to find the Sunflower Samurai, enlisting the help of the rule-breaking warrior, Mugen, and the cold and calculated swordsman, Jin.
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As well as stunning animation from Studio Manglobe and a timeless soundtrack by Fat Jon and the late Nujabes (try and name one Watanabe series without a great soundtrack, we dare you), the highlight of Samurai Champloo is undoubtedly the beautiful fight scenes. Jin and Mugen dance (sometimes literally) with their swords against dangerous opponents and, occasionally, each other.
10. Jin and Mugen Meet (and Quickly Try to Kill Eachother)
What better way to introduce the show’s two main characters than to have them try and slice each other’s heads off? Mugen and Jin pair have a complicated relationship across the show’s 26 episodes. They respect and revere each other’s talents, while also using that as fuel to want to kill one another.
The first fight between Jin and Mugen is far from the most gorgeous fight in this beautifully animated show. But, it is an amazing way to introduce the two leading samurai. The pair meet in the restaurant that Fu works in, and instantly mistake each other for criminals. Rather than using their words, they instantly clash swords, showcasing their respective styles. Although, they promise to put their fight on hold as the bar burns down.
9. Mugen Faces the Hand of God
Mugen’s fighting style, which blends sword work with break-dancing (truly emphasizing Samurai Champloo‘s hip-hop influence) often throws off his opponents, making them unable to land conventional attacks. But in Episode 25, he meets his match in Kariya Kagetoki.
The fight between Mugen and Kariya Kagetoki is brief, as the former is unable to land any blows on the straw hat samurai, who goes by the title “Hand of God.” Despite Mugen’s creative efforts, Kariya quickly dismantles his strategy, striking him with the pommel of his sword and causing him to fall into the river.
8. Mugen Unveils the Ogre
Oniwakamaru might be one of the most tragic characters in all of Samurai Champloo. Introduced in the second episode, he is almost 8ft tall and hides his disfigured face. As the bodyguard of Sasaki Ryuijiro (another villain in the series), Oniwakamaru used brute force to squash his opponents, letting out the rage from inside him, after a lifetime of being called an “ogre.”
Mugen easily kills Oniwakamaru, and even manages to do it while drugged. But, he does so right as Fuu learns the truth about the misunderstood villain, and we, the audience, want him to live. The fight is beautiful, but it’s the emotional aftermath that makes it so memorable.
7. Mugen’s Chaotic Boat Fight
Episode 25, titled “Evanescent Encounter (Part 2),” puts Jin and Mugen through a lot. As well as facing down the “Hand of God,” Mugen also has to defeat Denkibou, a man who uses bladed claws as his main weapon, with a frenzied fighting style.
The pair face down on a small rowing boat, where Mugen’s breakdancing sword work is rendered useless. To defeat Denkibou, Mugen flips the boat and kills his opponent underwater. The scene is gorgeous and perfectly captures the minimalism of Watanabe’s visual storytelling. After the kill, the camera cuts to the overturned boat above the water, as blood pools from beneath it.
6. Jin’s Rope Bridge Duel
Sara appears in the two-part arc, “Elegy of Entrapment.” She first appears as an ally to Jin, Fuu, and Mugen, posing as a blind musician. But, in the second part of the arc, she commits one of the most heartbreaking betrayals, and Jin and Mugen are forced to fight her, after learning she is an assassin sent by the shogun.
Separated from Mugen, Jin is the first to take her on. But, armed with a Shamisen, she and Jin battle on a shaking rope bridge. The setting for the fight is pure cinema, and the choreography is nothing short of stunning. Jin fails to defeat her, causing the bridge to collapse with them on it, allowing Mugen to have his turn (more on that later).
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5. The Hand of God and Jin Face Down Again
The Hand of God might be one of the most formidable swordsmen in all of Samurai Champloo. After quickly taking down Mugen, Jin was forced to fight Kiraya Kagetoki one-on-one, in episode 25. Jin lasted much longer than his “ally,” but the fight still had a disastrous ending. In the show’s final episode, Jin returned for vengeance.
Samurai Champloo wasn’t content with just letting characters blindly swing at each other. It featured incredibly creative fight choreography, with move sets that perfectly complement each character. Jin knows his usual tactics won’t work, and he is forced to deviate from his standard, safe style of fighting, causing him to potentially sacrifice himself to defeat the Hand of God.
4. Jin’s Bamboo Forest Duel
Jin’s first big duel in Samurai Champloo is nothing short of spectacular. While Mugen took down Oniwakamaru in Episode 2, Jin faced Inuyama. The disarmingly innocent-looking middle-aged man turned out to be a paid assassin. Jin and Inuyama duel in a bamboo forest (a staple of the samurai genre), and it is glorious.
As well as the incredible choreography, which expertly incorporates the scenery, the fight’s ending establishes the tone of Samurai Champloo. After his client is killed by Mugen, Inuyama no longer has a reason to kill Jin. He immediately sheathes his sword and walks off into the forest. Samurai Champloo isn’t about violence for the sake of violence, it is driven by its characters’ individual motives.
3. Jin Betrays His Master
Part of what makes Samurai Champloo so interesting is that we know practically nothing about the core characters towards the start of the show. In “Evanescent Encounter (Part 2),” we finally learn why Jin has been on the run: he killed his old master, Enshiro Mariya.
The flashback scene shows Jin and Enshiro disagreeing because the latter wants to turn the dojo into a school for assassins. They quickly lock eyes, place their hands on their swords, and, like a duel from Yojimbo, slice simultaneously. With a hazy blue color palette and the characters in silhouette, a splatter of red flies across the shoji screen as Enshiro’s body slumps to the ground.
2. Mugen and Sara Battle in the Rain
Sara is such a formidable opponent that it takes Mugen two fights to kill her. He was defeated but spared in the first after Fu jumped over his bloodied body before she could land the finishing blow. But, in their second bout, Mugen got the upper hand.
Their second duel takes place in a shallow pond, rendering Sara’s ability to see through her feet useless. She holds her own for a while, but Mugen eventually cuts through her. The setting of the fight alone lands it high on this list. But add in the amazing choreography and, of course, the killer score from Nujabes and Fat Jon, and this is one of the all-time great anime fight scenes.
1. Mugen’s Chaos Is Finally Matched
Mugen’s fight with Umanosuke in the show’s final episode isn’t the most stylistic in terms of visuals (that absolutely goes to our No. 2 spot), but it is easily the most creative fight, and that earns it the top spot. Umanosuke uses a weapon more unpredictable than Mugen’s own fighting style: a giant chain sickle.
The pair’s fight takes them from a crumbling church to the shore of a beach. It is there that Mugen figures out how to use Umanosuke’s own weapon against him. The final kill is gruesome, expertly animated, and unbelievably creative. There’s no way you would have seen it coming.
