A few months ago, Netflix confirmed that it has a samurai show in the works called “Last Samurai Standing.” Back then, all we had was a rough premise and the name of the lead star.
Now, we finally have the first look at this Japanese action-drama and a release window of November 2025, along with more plot details that make it sound perfect for fans of “Squid Game” and “Shogun.”
Even with just this first image, it’s already a must-binge for me this year. It shows Junichi Okada as Shujiro Saga, standing among a crowd of fighters, all ready for battle. His mission is to win the prize money to save his sick wife and child. “Last Samurai Standing” follows 300 samurai warriors who gather at Tenryuji Temple to battle it out in a high-stakes royale, all for the chance to win a 100 billion yen prize.
Netflix Japan content head Kaata Sakamoto said in a statement (h/t Variety): “When most people think about samurai, they think about this very glamorous period in Japanese history. But what a lot of people don’t realize is that, towards the end of the Edo period, the samurai lost a lot of their glamour and their power.
“Last Samurai Standing is about what would happen if these warriors — the toughest and best in Japan — all of a sudden became common people and had to fight for their lives. Think Shogun meets Squid Game.”
There’s no trailer yet, but Netflix’s 2025 Japanese content slate brought new details about “Last Samurai Standing,” including a full synopsis and cast list. Even with the details we know so far, this one has already grabbed my attention.
‘Last Samurai Standing’ on Netflix — what we know right now
Directed by Michihito Fujii, “Last Samurai Standing” is based on Shogo Imamura’s manga Ikusagami. This show looks like it’s all about the resilience of warriors trying to survive in a world that’s leaving them behind. Set in the late 19th century, after the Meiji Restoration, Japan is changing fast, and the samurai class is on the brink of extinction. With their way of life disappearing, these fighters have to adapt or die.
In the manga, the story kicks off at Kyoto’s Tenryuji Temple, where 292 highly skilled warriors gather at night, all chasing a massive cash prize. Each one gets a wooden tag, and the only way to win is to steal tags from the others and make it to Tokyo alive. In the end, only one will walk away with the prize.
Here’s Netflix's full synopsis for the show: “In post-samurai era Japan, 1878, 292 fallen samurais are lured into a survival game where the last competitor standing claims 100 billion yen. The battleground begins at Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto, a historical hub and spiritual sanctuary, and ends in Tokyo. Only one survivor will come out of this mysterious and deadly game.”
You can check out Netflix's announcement video below that includes a quick glimpse of “Last Samurai Standing” around the one minute, 36-second mark:
Junichi Okada isn’t just the star either — he’s also a producer and the action choreographer, bringing his expertise to both the storytelling and fight sequences. Author Imamura expressed his excitement to Netflix about Okada taking on the lead role: “I wrote ‘Ikusagami’ with the intention of making a historical novel that could be enjoyed worldwide. When Netflix approached me, I was overjoyed. And having Junichi Okada in the lead role was a dream come true, as I had envisioned him as Shujiro while writing.”
For quite a while, Okada was the only confirmed cast member. Fortunately Netflix confirmed more stars set to join, including Riho Yoshioka, Kaya Kiyohara, Taichi Saotome, Yuya Endo, Masahiro Higashide, Shota Sometani, Hiroshi Tamaki, Takayuki Yamada, Jyo Kairi, Wataru Ichinose, Hideaki Ito, Yasushi Fuchikami, and Kazunari Ninomiya.
With “Squid Game” and “Shogun” ranking among the best shows in recent years, I’ve got high hopes that “Last Samurai Standing” could follow suit while bringing something fresh to the table. And you can bet it’ll be straight on my watchlist when it drops on Netflix in November 2025.
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